Wordle

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

This is my wordle from my blog and as you an see the main words stick out like music, girls, colorful, planning, paparazzi etc.. :)

Our Music Video!!

ENOY :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFEhgRwO_SE

Evaluation Question 1

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My music video uses develops and challenges many different forms and conventions of real media products.

Firstly, we used different locations in our music video. This was done in order for our video to match the lyrics in the song and to also look fun to watch. Therefore, after a lot of planning we decided to shoot our music video in 4 different areas.

The first one was in an urban graffiti park. We wanted to have scenes from this graffiti park in order to set the whole urban theme and how these girls are still young growing up. However, we gave the park a different feel to it. It had a lot of dance scenes which targets another convention of real media products and it had a lot of colorful graffiti which brought out all the street/urban side it our video.

Our second location was in London- Madame Tussauds. This was the scene where there was a paparazzi stand and loads of flashing lights. This was one of the best locations for the song. I say this because the song lyrics involved the words “pose, take a picture” so being at this paparazzi stand and having flashing lights like a camera taking picture it really fit well with the song.

Our third location was also in London but in Trafalgar Square and the London Eye. This really fit in with our music video because it then contrasts with the whole urban style to the whole high life style in London, this showed that these girls are still young, but growing up. So by going to London it really set the whole glamorous style to our music video.

And lastly our forth location was in a Jacuzzi. We had to think a lot about if we should do a scene in a Jacuzzi as we had to take in to consideration about different factors and not offending anyone through our music video as we are still young and didn’t want to come across trying to be too sexy as our target audience is young teenagers. However, after analyzing the location we decided to do the bridge of the song in the Jacuzzi and it came out looking great. This is because again the words matched the song and it the Jacuzzi had changing lights with helped keep it color and carried on setting the glamorous style to our music video.

Furthermore, we also used lip syncing throughout the song and a lot of dancing. As I said before, it helped set the whole fun, energetic feel to our video along with the colors.

This music video was a challenge for us as it barely has a story line. When we first picked the song we had to listen out for the lyrics to think about ideas, but couldn’t really tell a story with this song, so we decided to take it Pop/RnB style as that was the genre of the song and try and have it without a story.

However through our filming and especially after editing the music video started to show a story. And this was of four girls having fun. This then became a “meaning” of our song and we based it around 4 girls living life, enjoying themselves. Therefore, a lot of transactions and different editing styles and special effects were used in order for it to look even more fun to watch. An example of this is this clip here of one of the girls but has a mirror image which made it fun to watch.

Evaluation Question 2

2.) How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts (DVD Digipak, Magazine Advert)?

I feel the combination of our main product and ancillary text i.e. DVD Digipack and Magazine cover are very effective. I say this because our music video matches our magazine advert and DVD pack. Just the way our music video is colorful, glamorous and has a lot of posing, we tried to do a similar pattern with our advert and DVD pack. If you look at our ancillary text you will notice how we carefully thought about what pictures to use and the colors in order for it to match. We also used Photoshop which helped us design it to a professional standard and after sending out the questionnaire 10 out of 10 people said they thought the Magazine Advert matched the music video. This shows that we were able to stick to the whole glamorous and colorful theme through pictures as well as our video.

This is the process of making our DVD digipack.

And this is the first Magazine Advert we did. I stuck it in a magazine to see if it can actually look like a real one and asked people what they thought. After getting their feedback I knew there was more we could do so we changed the layout and pictures to make it look even more realistic.

This is our finished Magazine advert.

This is our finished DVD digipack with all the inside pictures as well.

Evaluation Question 3

3.) What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

We have learnt a lot from our audience feedback. Firstly we did a questionnaire and made them watch our music video see our advert and digipack then they filled out a questionnaire. This really helped because it showed that our planning had all gone to plan because we were getting the answers that we willing to get.

This is a copy of one of our candidates that filled out our questionnaire.

We also did an online survey in order to get more answers through the internet. We did our online survey on a website called www.surveymonkey.com and this is the hyperlink to our survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FZRF7PG .

This is a copy of our online survey in order to get more audience feedback. And this is the answers we got straight away after putting it online. Obviously more people have done the survey since, but this is how we checked what people thought and by the looks of it, it’s just what we wanted.

I also interviewed some candidates myself, and this is what they said.

(VIDEOS)

Evaluation Question 4

4.) How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I used many new media technologies in order to construct research and plan my evaluation stages. Firstly I took many digital photographs whilst filming and after the music video was completed through print screens and “grab” using the apple computers. This helped me in my evaluation stages because I was able to analyze more and it was easier for me to explain through pictures what I was talking about. For example I made these pictures on paint in order to show you how ourmusic video was inspired by the Saturdays, Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud. This comes under ‘research and planning’ for my evaluation stages as we used the internet as part of media technologies.

Also, I did a lot of networking. By this I mean I had to research a lot before I could actually be allowed to film in Madame Tussauds. I had to email the manager to find out if we will be able to film, so emailing was another way I used new technologies in order to help me with my evaluation stages. This is the email I sent and the reply I got back and this comes under ‘planning’ our evaluation stages.

Furthermore, Photoshop was used as well as digital photography cameras in order to make our magazine advert and digipack. Photoshop was really hard to use at first but after getting use to it and adding in special effects and designs it was easier to create the glamorous style of our magazine advert and digipack. For example the love hearts on this picture and making it go round the girl’s leg, plus adding in her 4 Flava name as mentioned at the beginning of the video had to all be done through Photoshop which is a new media technology in order to make pictures clearer and look more professional.

Overall, I had to use a lot of media technologies in order to help me with my evaluation. As mentioned before, we had to communicate through emailing in order to obtain permission to film in Madame Tussauds and to also be allowed to make a music video by emailing 4 Flava to ask them for permission to use their song. We also used Photoshop and digital cameras in order to be able to evaluate our video and make our digipack and magazine advert.

Furthermore, the internet was used in order to gain information so we could do our planning and researching on other girl bands as well as the ones whose song we are using. Handing out questionnaires/surveys making videos and interviewing candidates was also a part of our research area in order to help us in our evaluation stage. Facebook was also used in order for people to check out the survey. This helped promote our survey so we could get positive and negative feedback on our music video.

In conclusion using the main media technology was HD iMovie Maker because without that we wouldn’t of been able to make our main piece which is our music video and we used a lot special effects and edits in order to make our music video actually look like a real music video and overall this whole experience was a lot of fun for myself.

Email from 4flava Memeber

I emailed one of the girls from 4 Flava to inform them that we have completed our music video. They were very impressed and can't wait to find out what marks I got. This is the email below and the replys by myself.

Use of IT

This is a online survey I done and I will inform you with the results as soon as possible. However this is a picture of my survey and me trying to get my survey known through Facebook.

4 Flava- Bio/Influences/Pictures

Bio
The girls are known for their awesome live performances with banging live vocals, which some cannot decipher between the actual track and the live vocals such is pure clarity. The formulae of having 4 gorgeous ladies who can sing and who are UK based, is what we believe can make 4FLAVA aspire into an international sensation!!

Fresh from their unprecedented success in the BODOG BATTLE OF THE BANDS....a rock based global talent contest where the girls surprised everyone by winning the IMPRESS THE JUDGES round (http://battle.bodoglife.eu/shows/detail.php?id=31) and came 4th in the CITY FINALS!

The girls have recorded in NEW YORK & London with the legendary producer/writer, LIONEL JOB and his mega talented son, TREVOR 'JUPITOR' JOB, whose recent credits include, TYRESE a Multi-Platinum selling album by Tyrese as well as other credible London based producers INNATE FORTE & FUTUREBOY and JO PERRY. The results are some heartfelt quality songs for your listening pleasure, songs that everyone, whatever their FLAVA can relate to.

Their influences
-MARY J BLIGE, WHITNEY HOUSTON, MICHEAL JACKSON, THE CARPENTERS, EN VOGUE, PINK

Websites/Pictures

http://www.tourdates.co.uk/4flava
http://www.thepeoplesmusicawards.com/4flava/
www.myspace.com/4flava

Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory

What is narrative ?

-Story
-Plot
-Narrative is the way the story is organised

Elements of narrative:

-Time
-Closure
-Enigma (Problems created)

Classical Hollywood Narrative:

-Linear
-Few, if any, sub plots
-Tendency towards closure

Theories of narrative

1. Todorov

-Equilibrium (happy start)
-Disruption (Enigma - problem; who/what/why?)
-Resolution (End of film; closure - problems and questions are sloved)
-New equilibrium (Happy ending)

2. Propp

Analysed folk stories

8 key character roles :
>THE HERO (protagonist)
>THE VILLAIN (antagonist)
>THE DONOR (provider; gives magic item to hero)
>THE HELPER (side kick; helps the hero)
>THE FATHER (gives advice)
>THE DISPATCHER (sends hero on mission)
>THE PRINCESS
>THE FALSE HERO (villan; we think is hero but is villan)

Levi Strauss & Binary Oppositions

-Levi Strauss argued that a structure of narratives was a dependence on a binary oppositions.
-A conflict between two qualities of terms.
-The binary oppositions can form the basis of narratives
eg: YOUNG -- OLD , MALE -- FELMALE.
-Eg. Gender; narratives can be organised through binary oppositions of gender stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes : MASCULINE

-professional
-strong
-rational
-competitive
-independant
-aggressive
-rithless
-ambitions

Gender Stereotypes : FEMINE

-domesticated weak
-emotional
-co-operative
-communal
-passive
-sensitive
-supportive

Eg. The Western

-Homesteaders - Narrative Americans
-Christian - Pagan
-Domestic - Savage
-Weak - Strong
-Feminie - Masculine
-Garden - Wilderness
-Inside society - Outside society

Track List

Inspiration for Magazine Advert and DigiPack

By looking at this dipack and magazine adverts it helped me design one for 4 Flava.