Final Product: Music Video

CD Digipak

Website

https://liliankaye.wixsite.com/august

Evaluation Task 4 Conclusion: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Throughout the campaign, I have used my AS skills and developed them further with a variety of media technologies. I have selected and handled them creatively and, thanks to technological convergence, I have come up with a selection of effective media products and a successful campaign.  My creative use of digital technologies like Black Magic mini URSA, PicMonkey, Final Cut Pro and Photoshop has transformed me into a Web 2.0 prosumer, not only a consumer but also a producer in a semi-professional level.

I have also been able to share my products and gather feedback effectively by reaching a wide audience with sophisticated opinions by posting my video in Youtube or utilising software such as SurveyMonkey to gather target audience specific feedback. Everything has been part of a collaborative process due to the possibilities that social platforms provide, such as the like, comment and share options.

Needing certain tools to creatively develop my ideas, I have naturally acquired further knowledge and experience as a user of digital technology. Furthermore, I have become a producer, which has given me an insight into industry-level organisational skills and teamwork, as well as the handling of professional material that I will use in the future.

To sum up, I have come to form part of Henry Jenkin's idea of 'participatory culture', which states how Internet has revolutionised the technological world in order to provide opportunities for individuals and ultimately creating a global village. I have used hardware and software which is available to the average consumer to produce my own creative products.

Overall, the creation of my music video and ancillary texts has hugely contributed to my evolution as a Media student and, what is more, as a semi-professional producer, become savvy in the use of online technology. Both the video and the rest of the campaign fit with each other to create a well-thought, successful music promotional campaign.

Evaluation Task 4 (Part 2): How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Evaluation Task 4 (Part 1): How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

We discussed as a group how we have used different technologies throughout the different stages of the creation of our A2 campaign for the artist "August". Also, we have thought about the progress we have made since AS level, and compared and contrasted the variety of hardware (physical product), software (programs) and online technology. During the discussion, we realised that, mostly, we used the same elements in both years but for the pop promo campaign we made a more professional use as we had become more knowledgeable . 

The variety and quality of the technologies I have used have enabled me to be creative and innovative in the stages of the production of the coursework. By using tools as varied Prezi, Youtube or Final Cut Pro and hardware such as the Blackmagic Mini URSA and iMacPro, I have had the essential range of supportive elements to boast my ideas and creatively produce my music video and ancillary texts.

Evaluation Task 3 Conclusion: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I have learned from my audience feedback that, all in all, I have constructed an intended star image and an effective campaign.  My target audience has informed what went well, for example, the consistency throughout the campaign through the colour schemes and star image values. Some areas I developed along the process were the choice of fonts, the elimination of typos in the website and the mastery of programs such as Photoshop.

Taking note of the audience feedback I understand how the audience inform me the success of  the campaign is and indeed allowed me time to make adjustments to the campaign before it went to distribution.  Audience feedback is important market testing in post-production to see if I created the right star image and marketed this purposefully.  As Henry Jenkins informs us that we live in a ‘participatory culture’,  where fans and audiences are important in circulating meaning and the strength of media messages.

I also recognise that my audience has engaged with the meanings in my music video in different ways, bringing their own contexts to the reading of the star image – what Hall argues is reception theory.  I can understand how my audience can either reinforce or challenge intended meanings in the text.