Howeffective

Is the combination of your main product and subsidiary tasks?

Evaluation Question 2.

It is extremely important that there is an interplay and consistency between my main text and subsidiary tasks, in order to have created successful products which will ‘sell’ the artist and album. A vital part of ensuring there was a link between my music video, digipak and website was the function. I had to make it clear that the function of all three stayed the same and was obvious to the audience.

The main function of any music video is not to make money, but to get people to download the track or buy the album. To ensure that my music video did this I created a narrative which told a true and relatable story to the audience, therefore sending an optimistic and encouraging message to the audience which told them no matter how little you have, you’ll always have each other. As my target audience is the Indie sub-group, I felt this was an appropriate message because generally they are on a low budget and to give them hope that love can’t be affected by money, gives them optimism, consequently influencing them to buy the album.

I had to then ensure that there was a clear link between the function of my music video and the function of my digipak. This was primarily due to the fact that once the audience had been tempted into buying the album, there had to be a clear consistency in order to give the audience what they were looking for. Therefore, the main function of my digipak was to create a similar message by using colour, images and other song titles.

Additionally, it was just as important that my website had interplay with my music video and digipak, however, at first I found this much harder to do. This was because I felt the main function of an artists’ website would be to give the audience more information about the artist, nonetheless, after more careful consideration it became clear that I could incorporate the same message. This was again through use of colour, images and what was actually written within the blog on the website.

I think that the combination of the function of my main product and subsidiary tasks is very effective as they all have similar functions and are able to portray the message I had intended.

I ensured that my main text and subsidiary tasks had a clear link through use of colour. I felt that one of the simplest ways I could portray consistency was choosing to use colours which represented the message I was sending, as well as conveying the individuality behind the artist.

I chose to use red as my main burst of colour throughout both my main text and subsidiary tasks. This was largely due to the fact that it connotes love and all the other emotions that can come with the difficulty of a relationship, such as anger and helplessness. Therefore meaning that it was relatable for my target audience. Additionally, I chose to use red in combination with blue to portray the true British background of the artist, showing he is yearning for his place within the British music world as he creates songs which have true and relatable meaning for all people. Moreover, I felt that red and blue were neutral colours which showed no bias towards either sex, therefore being openly targeted at both genders.

I used a strip of blue lighting along the left hand side of the stage during the performance sections within my music video, and a red backdrop to the right. This was used on all performance sections throughout the music video to keep consistency within. To show the interplay with the colours in the music video and in my subsidiary tasks, I placed my music video on my website which plays automatically and therefore will be the first thing they see. Additionally, I made the colour of the hover button red and once a different page of the website is opened, the title highlights in red. Lastly on the website, the icon which tells the viewer the album is ‘out now’ is highlighted in a red and blue lighting which conveys the true British artist who is Billy Lockett. Within the digipak I used a washed-out red background on the majority of the pages and included various photos which had hints of blue and red, therefore standing out to the buyer straight away. Thus conveying the message I had intended successfully and in a discreet but effective manner.

I feel that the combination of my main product and subsidiary tasks is extremely effective with the use of colour because the same message is portrayed throughout all three. The fact that the red and the blue are bright bursts of colour really stand out to the audience and convey the messages behind them.

I chose to use a black and white theme across both my main task and subsidiary tasks. This was due to the fact that I wanted to create a classic, traditional feel within my music video, website and digipak, in order to portray that the artist incorporates every day things which make Britain what it is.

I used the black and white vintage television effect on top of the narrative of my music video; this was to convey the idea that the performance section was in the present and the artist was going to take the audience on a journey to show them his story. Therefore I chose to put the black and white effect over the narrative section to show that it is the past and to heighten the idea of a traditional love story. I linked this to my digipak by keeping black and white as the background of each of the pages, minus the front and back covers. I did this by using a background that I had drawn myself then edited into black and white; by using a hand drawn background I felt it portrayed a sense of a handmade, classic artist. Additionally, I used a black a white effect over the pictures I used for the front and back cover, therefore keeping consistency throughout the digipak, as well as across all of my products.

Furthermore, I used black, grey and white throughout the body of my website in to make this traditional effect I was trying to create the focal point of the website. I think the use of black and white really portrays a vintage effect which links to the classic love story I was trying to create throughout all of my products.

I think that the combination of my main product and subsidiary tasks is really effective through the use of black and white because it creates a traditional love story and conveys to the audience the message that no matter how little you have you’ll always have each other. Thus indicating desire and hope to the Indie audience that money won’t effect a relationship, so gives them the desire to have such a relationship and hope that it will last.

Camera angles were a big part of all three of my products and is a main factor which shows a consistency between them. I used a variety of different camera angles throughout my music video and replicated such shots through the images I chose to use on my digipak and website. The main types of camera angles I used throughout all three were mid shots, long shots, close ups and wide shots.

The key camera angle I chose to use throughout was a mid to long shot because it allows the audience to see what the actors and artist were wearing, therefore highlighting the typical Indie clothing that was worn. This was an important factor in my music video because the clothing worn was significant in portraying a big part of the story I was creating; the fact that they had little money (but still had each other).

I chose to use close ups within the different mediums that I created because I felt it gave the audience more of a connection with the narrative and the artist himself, therefore enabling them to place themselves within the situation and making it relatable for them. I used stills from my music video within my digipak and website because I felt that it created a clear relation between all three and was consequently easy for the audience to acknowledge that these were synergy created from the music video. It is important that the target audience can see a clear link between different products for the same artist because people like familiarity and want to be able to pick out different products and know which artist they relate to.

I used wide shots in various scenes within my music video because I felt it was important for the audience to see that they went on dates in everyday places, therefore heightening that it isn’t about money but the people that you have and the connection between you. Additionally, I used wide shots within some of the stills and other images I used on my website and digipak to create a clear consistency between the different mediums.

I feel that the camera angles I have used throughout the different mediums I have created are very effective in consistency and show a clear link between them all, consequently creating effective products which follow convention of already existing forms.

Throughout all three mediums I used one primary type of lighting; low key. I chose to do this because I feel that low key lighting creates a sense of mystery and obscurity, which I thought was very appropriate for the message I was trying to create. I wanted to create a sense of mystery in order to connect with the idea of this couple who have very little money but manage to make the relationship work. The idea of not having everything focused around money is quite unknown, so by using a low key lighting I felt that it expressed the mystery behind this unusual idea. Additionally, I wanted to portray the obscurity and originality behind this new and upcoming Indie artist. Therefore I feel that my lighting choices were very appropriate.

The performance section and certain images I chose to use for my website and digipak are in colour, so the lighting looks slightly brighter which I still feel is a positive thing because the performance section was set in the ‘present’ it shows how bright their lives were once they went through the mystery of having a low-budget relationship. Additionally, the photos are bright and upbeat so show the type of outlook the artist has on life, which gives optimism to my target audience.

The narrative section and the other images I chose to use within the website and digipak are in black and white, therefore the lighting looks much darker. I like the effect that this creates because it gives a sense of hesitancy with taking up such an uncertain relationship, but still emphasises the classic love story of two young people being in love and being willing to do anything to make it work. Thus creating a relatable yet fairytale like scenario that my target audience can desire and hope for.

I feel that the combination of the lighting in my three mediums is really effective and creates the effects I had hoped for, as well as staying true to convention and crafting a fairy tale like story my target audience would desire.

I wanted to retain a link between all three of the products I created in a simplistic and conventional manner, yet ensured that they still remained individual to the artist. In order to do so, I ensured that the frames of, and within, all three mediums stayed the same.

Throughout my music video, during both the narrative and performance section, the actors remain in the centre of the frame to ensure that what the actors were doing was the main focus of the audience. Therefore allowing the audience to focus upon the love story and get caught up in it, making it realistic and relatable for them. When watching a music video that has a narrative, the audience want to see something they can desire and that allows them to feel part of the story.

Additionally, to keep consistency through use of the frame, I made sure that the images I chose to use on my website and digipak were following the same margins and had the artist within the centre of the image. This follows convention due to the fact that in order for the artist to be the focus point of the image, they should be within the centre of the frame.

In terms of frame, I think that the combination of my three mediums is effective and follows convention, consequently looking like a professionally created music video, website and digipak. They all ensure that the artist and actors, when relevant, are the key focus.

OverallAll in all, I feel that the combination of my main product and subsidiary tasks is extremely effective as they all have numerous coherent links and are conventional to professionally created texts. Additionally, my three mediums all stay individual to the artist in some respects and portray the message that I had intended. I feel that I have created a main product and two subsidiary tasks which have interplay and consistency throughout showing that there is a clear link between each one and the artist himself. The music video promote the song really well and I feel, alongside my audience feedback, successfully sells the digipak and therefore makes the audience want to know more about the artist, therefore leading them to the website. My music video has a clear match to my subsidiary tasks, so in the music industry I definitely think that it would be successful and sell.