Friday 26 February 2010

How effective is the combination of your main produce and ancillary texts?

Analysis
I created my ancillary texts so that they would visually relate to my music video 'Tribal Man Skank' and appeal to my target audience who love and enjoy new and exclusive music genre 'UK Funky House'. So when ever an audience,not just my target audience saw the Digipack or the magazine would automatically link it to the music video. I decided to use the colour red,black and white in the digipack and magazine to link with the character's costumes and the titles with in the music video.
The Magazine Cover

The bold slogan 'I BE THE TRIBAL MAN' which I have used as the main text for my magazine cover is Tribal Magz' logo. Not only is this his slogan; it is also the lyrics for the sound track 'Tribal Man Skank'. I didn't use a photograph of the artist because UK Funky isn't recognise for the faces of the artists but rather the beat of the music.

The artist's name 'TRIBAL MAGZ' is red, bold and centered in between the word 'MAN'. I positioned the text this way on the editing software Photoshop to reinforce the fact that he (Tribal Magz) is a man. I laid out the magazine cover conveniently so that the most important details are visible to the audience, for example the month in which the music video will be released; 'OUT IN JANUARY'. The name of the font is Impact and I made it all caps so that it would stand out and my use of big red 'I' and white background creates a very strong contrast which would attract an audience to read it. A further analysis can be found (here).

The Front and back of the Digipack

The right hand side of the Album Cover ( above) in the back cover. I've chosen to use Tribal Magz' logo so that the blue and white background is In the centre of the the Album Cover, I placed a silhouette of women and men dancing. which I created with Photoshop to project positive vibes. I wanted to recreate an image of a flyer which promoters would hand out after raves. This is why I chose men and women dancing,depicting the night life in red because it bright and symbolises energy.It also creates an image of unison which will promote group participation. This links to the music video as the characters support each other in the opening scene where the teacher attempts to discipline the students. Most importantly they dance together by doing the 'Tribal Man Sank'.

'IT'S TIME TO GET FUNKY' is a phrase which is frequently used by UK Funky House lovers and ravers use, my target audience will immediately be captured by this phrase. I placed it at the top of the CD cover so that it would be noticed, as people tent to read from top to bottom and the font is coloured red and blank and it's all caps. The font which is used for 'TRIBAL MAN SKANK' on the Album Cover is different from the font which I used for the Magazine Cover. Even though there is a contrast between the fonts, the brand identity is secure for both the Magazine and Album Cover due to the colour theme of red,black and white are maintained. I created a silhouette of the artist Tribal Magz and I centered it between the dancers to show that he has the lead role, similarly to the photograph silhouette of the Inner Album Cover I placed the lead dancer in the middle of the other dancers. The silhouette of Tribal Magz not only links with Inner Album Cover, but they also link to the lyrics of the sound track 'I BE THE TRIBAL MAN'. He is a man of African decent who created the song. A high percentage of my target group as an audience will find the silhouette attractive and appealing because they are African also.

Inner Album Cover

For the inner Album Cover I created a mirror effect to the front and back covers. I started with with the blue and white motif background. I chose the colour blue to symbolise versatility and vibrance. If I wanted to modify the Album Cover I could change the background colour from blue to orange and there would still be a strong contrast between the colours. My target audience will still recognise the UK Funky House phrase 'ITS TIME TO GET FUNKY' which consists with the same font design as the front and back Album Covers.

The magazine also links to the inner album cover as the performers L.R Skankers' title is placed near the bottom of the magazine cover and it is also placed within the spine of the album cover. I decided to maintain the picture within the silhouette that I created to reveal the dancer who are the L.R Skanker, so the audience would know that the music video is based on school girls that like the sound track 'Tribal Man Skank'. However my entire target audience will not portray the Album Cover in this manner. They might think the image is of Tribal Magz' favourite fans.

The 'No DETENTION' sign is directly linked to the first clip that is seen in the music video, this is the message which I'm sending out to my target audience. Students dislike detention as they are restricted from their freedom, so this album cover shall surely appeal to them.




Thursday 28 January 2010

Question 3: Discuss how you will present your work.

The first thing I will do is upload my music video on to the social websites Facebook and YouTube so that I can observe the views so that i can gain an idea of who my target audience is. I will be able to do so by monitoring the comments of the viewers. After uploading the music video I will construct and circulate two types of questionnaires:

An open question and answers. This questionnaire will be given to a selected audience who are aware of the music genre ‘Funky House’ as they would be able to give a good critical analysis on editing, composition and comparison of other funk house videos.
• A multiple choice questionnaire will be circulated through a variety of people so that the feedback for my music video is not bias.

My music video will be exposed to a wide audience so I will take that opportunity to hand out my questionnaires and ask further questions. I will present my results on Microsoft Office PowerPoint. The reason in which I have chosen this strategy is because the software consists of charts and tables which will be effective in demonstrating the audience’s views on the video on a clear visual.

Open Questionnaire

1. What did you like/dislike about Tribal Man Skank?
2. What would you suggest needs editing in order to improve it?
3. Compared to the other Funky House music videos that you have watched, do you think Tribal Man Skank meets the standards of others? State the Funky House video that you are comparing.
4. Who (age, gender, occupation, interests etc) do you think would most likely enjoy this music video and why?
5. What message do you think Tribal Man Skank is projecting to you (the audience)? Is it positive/negative? State why.

Further Questions
1. Age
2. Sex
3. Occupation
4. Ethnicity
5. Education
6. Interests



Multiple Choice Questionnaires

1. Why do you watch music videos?

□ To get a better feel of the lyrics of a song □ To Calm down □ To be entertained □ To get in the know


2. Do you like the editing in music videos; using shaky camera work, with quick zooms in and out, at the performance parts if the video?
□ Yes □ No

3. Do you think editing enhances the music video?
□ Yes □ No

4. What is you gender?
□ Male □ Female

Age

□ 12-15 □ 16-18 □ 20-25 □26-30 □31+

5. What is your favourite music video?

6. Do you think the pace of the filming is suitable for the music video?
□ Yes □ No

7. What source of media do you use to watch music videos?
□ Television □ Internet □ MP4 □ Other

8. What genre of music do you enjoy?
□ Metal □ Pop □R&B □ Hip Hop □ Indie
□ Techno □ Soca □Bashment □Funky House □ Slow jams




Audience Feedback

Open Questionnaire Response

1. What did you like/dislike about Tribal Man Skank?
I liked the theme of stereotypes of school children and teachers. I enjoyed the storyline.

2. What would you suggest needs editing in order to improve it?
The cheorography needs to be in time with the music.

3. Compared to the other Funky House music videos that you have watched, do you think Tribal Man Skank meets the standards of others? State the Funky House video that you are comparing.
No, because it needs more scenes.

4. Who (age, gender, occupation, interests etc) do you think would most likely enjoy this music video and why?
Young, black, students that like Funky House.

5. What message do you think Tribal Man Skank is projecting to you (the audience)? Is it positive/negative? State why.
Don't listen to the teacher jus SKANK!!! (dance)

Further Questions
1. Age- 17
2. Sex- Female
3. Occupation- Student
4. Ethnicity- Black/African
5. Education-College
6. Interests- Dance and sing

The audience feedback which I received has provided me with an insight on how to make improvements in order to enhance my media products. Amazingly for my media products, they were all flawless except for my music video.

From the questionnaires which I handed out, I found that my target group and general audience find a fault in my editing. They said that the towards the end of my music video, the pace of the video was not in sync with the sound track. I received the same feedback from Facebook.

When creating my music video I found it difficult to sync the action of the film to the sound because if I had chosen to cut the film in Premiere Pro there would be no footage for the audience to see. To make my music video more appealing to my target audience I will re -shoot the dancing scene so that I will have more footage to cut effeciently

Tuesday 19 January 2010

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

My A2 Media product is a music video. A music video is a motion picture produced to accompany a song, frequently for promotional purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. I think originality “thinking outside the box” makes a good music video. In terms of promotional purposes, the video must firstly capture and engage the audience then convey their message be it direct or indirect. The audience is the most important aspect of a music video as it is being direct to them. This can be achieved by adopting and challenging forms and conventions of real music videos.


The Title
The title of my music video is Tribal Man Skank. The title’s font is Impact, coloured in red and outlined in white on a black background. I used the Stretch in and Cross Zoom transitions of Adobe Premier Pro to display the title forty eight seconds in to music video, just before the dancing begins. I didn't place the title of my music video at the beginning because I want the audience to feel as if they're in DETENTION with the students.


Music Video Title 'Tribal Man Skank'

Setting and Location
The setting and location of my music video is within a school compound: classroom, locker hall and playground. I’ve chosen to shoot my music video in this location to defy the typical raving scene that ‘Tribal Man Skank’ is usually played in. I could have created the typical raving scene at a club or house party, with disco lights. However I want to bring to fun side of school to life, to show my audience that school isn’t only for learning but socialising and exploring talents. Films such as ‘High School Musical’ and ‘St. Trinian’s’ are both filmed in a school compound as it suitable for the story line. Also in the music video ‘Lip Gloss’ is filmed in a hall way and lunch hall of a school.




Costumes and Props
Within the first frame of the first scene the main characters are in a class room amongst: a book, folder, tables, chairs and wall notes. The uses of these props create an educational environment and setting. However the costumes (uniform) which should comprise of a white shirt, tie, kilt, black socks and shoes are purposely altered and incomplete. A red hat, hooded jumper and stripy socks are added to challenge the entire cliche. Two of the characters also have in full view a mobile phone and headset which are prohibited in classrooms. Similarly in the film ‘St. Trinian’s the character’s uniforms are all altered to project their individual personalities by wearing short skirts, make up, high lights and just the school tie to demonstrate that they belong to the same school.


Tribal Man Skank Dancers


St. Trinian's Girls


Camera Work and Editing
Camera work and Editing is very important and effective in every film/music video. I’ve used a combination of medium shots, close-up shots, shot-reverse-shots and panning shots to create tension in the opening of my music video. An example of how I created is created is captured in the fifth frame in which the teacher is pointing to her students.

As I’ve executed a non-narrative approach in the second part of my music video with the choreography, I had to cut the footage and arrange it in a suitable order so that that the soundtrack is in sync with the dancing and acting. I did this to emphasize the lyrics because the dancer's don't sing.


Close-up (shot-revers-shot) Tribal Man Skank



Storyboarding/Preparation
In creating a motion picture with any degree of fidelity to a script, a storyboard provides a visual layout of events as they are to be seen through the camera lens. When I had been granted permission to use Tribal Magz’s track ‘Tribal Man Skank’ I brainstormed thousands of ideas and chose a story line which defies the typical raving scene and that demonstrates the fun side of school. Film directors Joel and Ethan Coen use and create storyboards widely before filming and as a result their films are very successful. They have received numerous awards and nominations.



The Genre
My music video hasn't got a fixed genre. However it's a combination of genres. It's a musical even though the characters aren't singing but their energetic dance moves speak for the lyrics of my media product. The sound track is used to advance the development of the characters and so is the choreography. The dance moves in my music video are very precise and exclusive to 'Tribal Man Skank' as they illustrate the lyrics. Similarly to Beyonce's music video 'Single Ladies' the dance moves represent some of the lyrics of the sound track.













Still from 'Tribal Man Skank' Still from

Still of 'Single Ladies' Beyonce

Introduction of Character

Three of the main characters, which are students after the still title ‘DETENTION’; the font is black, All Caps and on a white background which peels off the screen. This was done to create a clear sense of the setting (school/classroom) so that the audience will have an idea of what to expect. This is a good way to introduce the character because I want the music video to be about school. Similarly in the music video ‘Lip Gloss’ the main character who is also a student is introduced after the name of the rapper ‘Lil Mama’ and the title of the video crawls on to screen, the main character’s mum then hands her a charmed bracelet containing lip gloss. This is an apparent link to the title of the film. I adopted the use of the hall way from 'Lip Gloss' because I think it really creates a strong sense of setting as I used lockers and posters as props.















Introduction of 'Lip Gloss' Introduction of 'Tribal Man Skank'







Still of Lil Mama using lip gloss


Monday 7 December 2009

Advert Layout



I BE THE TRIBAL MAN' is TribalMagz's slogan. I chose this as my advert because it stands out.

I have chosen not to use any images because this slogan is self explanatory and it captures the attention of the audience effectively. Below is my analysis of my explanation:

The red 'I' is alarming and indicates its about an individual, however in the video it's not about an individual at all. It's about togetherness and team work, which the girls execute in the video. I'm promoting Funky House as a friendly genre of music which every can get involved in.

Red also links to the video because at the beginning of the video the girls wear their normal school inform and they felt confined and hostile in the class room. When the girls got out of the classroom and went on to the playground wearing their red tops, socks and other red costuming reiterates freedom, energy and most importantly team work. Freedom is presented by their vibrant dance moves and sunny setting. Even though they are individuals together they are creating an image of unison by wearing red.

I BE THE TRIBAL MAN' is the chorus of the song 'Tribal Man Skank's immediately fans of Funky House would know that it is Tribal Magz's new track.

The font is ALL CAPS and bold which stands out and would grasp any reader's attention even if they have no clue about Tribal Magz of his music. Similarly like the bold font the dancers in the videos are also bold because they stand up to the teacher in detention.

'Man' is the bigger font which indicates that the artist is probably a man. However when the audience views the video they'd be surprised that it's girls that are performing in the 'Tribal Man Skank' I've done this is order to change the perception that females are just as good at males when it comes to skanking/dancing because its the males that dominate that scene.

Monday 30 November 2009

New Media

Word Gets Around on the Underground
'Tribal Man Skank' and the majority of all other UK Funky House products are Underground music. So in order for artists to produce and circulate their music to their target audience the must advertise effectively. Advertising is the best way for UK Funky to become popular as it isn't mainstream at the moment.


Youtube
When 'Tribal Man Skank' was created Tribal Magz uploaded a tutorial video onto Youtube so that Funky House lovers would be up to date with the new tune and (dance) skank. This tutorial not only gives instructions for the new skank but also creates a bond between Tribal Magz and his fans because of the indoor settings and his friendly approach. After uploading the video he copies and pastes the video link to his fan page and other musicians to 'spread the word'.



Tribal Man Skank Tutorial by Tribal Magz

(click here) to view video.


Facebook
Facebook is the networking site where most Funky House lovers dwell to find out about raves, gigs, comedy shows and frequent updates on the underground life of UK Funky House. Artists put links on their Facebook pages, fan pages and other musicians pages to make their track popular, before they place a price on their track. It is done in this order because a vast majority of the target audience don't want to pay to listen to Funky House tracks. However doesn't hinder the success of artists because they are paid to perform at raves, gigs and comedy shows. Promoters then organise and set up invitations on Facebook, with full information on the location, transport, artists, DJs and the name of the raves.


Facebook Adaptation
I adopted Tribal Magz technique of advertising 'Tribal Man Skank' on Youtube by uploading my music video on to Facebook. I selected a still which I thought would be appealing to my audience and created a note explaining the reason why I uploaded my video and I also asked for positive feedback. I tagged eleven people who I thought fitted my target audience, so that the video would circulate around that network. Out of the eleven people who I tagged into the video nine had selected the 'Like' feature. This tells me that the majority of my selected target audience find my music video appealing. It's meets the standards of a UK FUNKY HOUSE genre.

Music video notes and feedback




Tribal Magz' Facebook fan page




An example of a Funky House event- Ice Skating


Flyers


After raves, gigs and comedy shows promoters hand out flyers to inform the Funk House lovers of the upcoming events. These flyers are very colourful and attractive, with pictures of UK Funky House artists, pretty women and DJs. To get maximum attendance to these events, flyer sometimes entitle the a discount on admittance or even a free give away of from t-shirts, champagne, CD's and many more.



Some Funky House events, click the names to see the flyers.


Fab Fresh and Funky


The Good Bad and Funky


Twice as Nice


Wonky


Hyper Active's Birthday Bash







Friday 20 November 2009

Deconstructing Myself!!!

As the only female sibling living amongst an older and younger brother, my interests vary from a wide spectrum of things from; athletics, modelling, poetry, football, Motor GP, Eastenders, Waterloo Road, computer/games and mobile phones.

On the sporty side of things, my interest is athletics because I'm a 400m runner. So I tend to engage myself in such areas by reading the news papers, watching the news and looking at videos on YouTube. However my initial interest is expanded by my older brother who loves cars preferably 'Porsche and Mercedes' any vehicle that generates speed and power enough to give him a thrill of his lifetime. He spends hours watching Felipe Massa racing lap by lap without feeling a bit tedious. When I sit with him, he explains the techniques and pure talent of the drivers and the great risks which they take every time they step foot into their fast cars. As an athlete i appreciate that they have to put in massive amounts of training and dedication in order to achieve their goals of being world champions. Which do too so that I can be a top 400m runner.

Where soaps are concerned, my little brother lives within the screen of our huge television. He announces the time at which these soaps begin and end he also makes sure that my eyes are glued to the screen and that I'm deadly silent. I always wonder about his enthusiasm and his undivided attention to these soaps, until he simply explained it to me. His reasons are that his college hours are long and he needs something to amuse him and he fancies on of the young actresses from 'Eastenders'. He said that he also finds it interesting how the media can exaggerate a simple stereo type and make them stand out in situations which they wouldn't mostly.

Technology wise, its a massive competition between the three of us, to see who's got the phone with the best features and who can maintain it longer. It might seem very childish but i love a challenge, especially when i win. The boys don't seem to take care of their phones very well as they always lose them. Keeping up with technology isn't just a competition under neath my roof but also at my 6Th form. I find myself staring, wishing and wanting every new phone i see on the T-Mobile bill boards at the train stations or at the bus stops. Having a high tech phone has made me more aware of the advertisements in the metro. I saw a deal on the new Blackberry which is cheaper that my current price plan. I'm not too amused by that at all.

Modelling and poetry are both things that Ive enjoyed as a young girl and i still do them in my spare time. However my best friend keeps me in form and up to date with gossip and some of her life stories which i write about sometimes. I always get phone calls from her about the latest high heels and the mini dresses which we can both buy to create a scene. Dressing up excites me a lot so I look out for new dresses and shoes on the Internet and sometimes magazines if I'm up for it.

Thursday 12 November 2009

Target Group For Tribal Man Skank

THE FUNKY HOUSE CRAZE!!!
I was doing some more research for my 'Tribal Man Skank albulm cover and I came across this website.This website highlights the popular Funky House tunes. They state the reasons why some songs are popular and why some are not so popular. To my surprise, Tribal Man Skank by Funkin Kofi B isn't up there. However, this site is very useful as it demonstrates, the vibe of young people and their interest in these songs and dances.



Who are they and where are they from?
Teenage boys and girls, who listen to Underground sounds and beats, have had a hard week of intense studying and exmas enjoy the raving scene. They like dancing and learning new and versatile dance moves (choreography), they are one of my target groups. These teenaged boys and girls are grouped respectedly; 13-17 , these teenagers can be found at family gatherings or a friend's house party or rented hall party. Teenagers from the ages of 18-19 can typically be found is a club in the well known West London, East London, South West London and North London which isn't as popular as the rest. As a notable amount of the top list Funky House artists are Afircans, their fans, my tartget group are also African. However due to the high enery and good vibes Caribbeans, Asians, Europeans and Somalians are also taking part and listening to Funky House right here in the UK.
My target group are under great peer pressure from their peer-groups as it is essential to know the lyrics of the song and most importantly the dance moves. Knowing the dance moves creates a great feeling of belonging to for my target group as they dance (skank) in unison. It is special and exclusive to Funky House lovers as it isn't mainstream.


If Funky House isn't Mainstream how does the craze circulate?

As Funky House is rated as underground music, it is circulated through word of mouth, handing out flyers, invitation on the favourite Facebook. Facebook is one of the fastest-growing and best-known sites for socialising on the Internet today. Promoters would organise events: raves, gigs and house parties which will include the details of the where abouts of the event. How to get there and most importantly the popular Fukny House artists.



Popular Funky House Dance Moves and Music Videos

Head Shoulders Knees and Toez- KIG Famimily



Tribal Skank- Fr3e UK


Migrane Skank- Gracious K