Evaluating the Finished Product - Ms Georgiou

The above video is the finished product that my group and I have done and have uploaded onto YouTube.

My music video follows the codes and conventions of a Reggae music video due to the different camera shots, use of costume as well as the different locations featured within the video. The shots are always changing as well which means the audience always have something new to look at. Reggae music video's are usually upbeat and make consumers want to dance, this convention was followed throughout the making of 'Hold Me' due to the performance based element that follows on throughout the whole video. As well as this the editing styles reflect a Reggae music video due to the intertextual referencing of big brand names and the various lighting effects which make it unique and appeal to a wide audience.

The main codes and conventions of a music video within the Reggae genre are the following;

• Performance Based & Narrative Based Elements
• Good use of Lighting
• Different Costumes
• Different Locations
• Mise-en-Scene
• Different Camera Shots
• Other Characters (Roles)
• Different Editing Styles

In conclusion to this my music video has followed each convention stated above however, with the different roles being played. Having said that we wanted the artist to be the main focus throughout the video as she is not yet recognised and have reflected back onto 'Gyptian' while 'Shani' is watching him on YouTube.

Goodwin's Theory:

1. Music video's demonstrate genre characteristics
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs across their work
5. There is frequently reference notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6. There is often intertextual reference
7. Whether the video is primarily performance, narrative or concept based and how elements of each is used within

Most if not all of these aspects are included in my music video which makes it successful as well as following the mainstream perception. 'Hold Me' does demonstrate genre characteristics due to the use of generic codes and conventions that are easily identified throughout. This makes it clear to the audience what kind of music video they are watching as well as the beliefs and attitude of the artist. There is also definitely a relationship between
lyrics and visuals an example in the song of this is when
'Shani' sings, 'Mi no se me give u di tightest grip u eva did see in your life'. At the time she says this she grabs the sheets tightly which references exactly what she says. Another example where lyrics and visuals match is when 'Shani' sings, 'I a bike mi a ride like voom voom voom voom'. Again as she is singing this she does the actions of someone riding a motor bike which means that lyrics and visuals match.

There is also a relationship between music and visuals this is very similar to a relationship between lyrics and visuals however, it is about the actual background music and tempo of the song as well as if they are in line with one another. An example of this in my video is at the start were the music starts to play into the establishing shot of cars driving forward in time to the beat and then the cars go in the reverse direction. This looks very effective and is on time with the next beat. Another example where my music video does this is as 'Shani' is running up the stairs. Again it is only the opening of the video so it's only the beat that the audience are able to hear as the singing does not start at that point. As a result of this as she is running up the stairs each footstep is at the same time as the beat.

The demand of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs across their work. This point is also referenced throughout my music video as there are many close ups of the artist so that the audience are able to clearly identify who she is and create a link with her and her music. A number of extreme close ups were taken of the artist so that consumers are not mislead about what 'Shani' looks like. As a result of this many producers choose to take close ups of the artist as a form of promoting them facially.

There is frequently reference notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body, this is the next point from Goodwin's theory and I have also applied this to my music video as well. This aspect of the theory is suggested so that a wide target audience finds an artist appealing. Not only do music labels and management want a large female fan base but they also want a large male fan base and a way of doing this is to make the artist(s) look attractive. As 'Shani' is an artist that has only just started to produce music it was best that she did still look attractive and appeal to a large target audience by showing skin, however it goes in her favour and is not distasteful. For example in many of the outfit changes 'Shani' wears dresses, this means that her legs are on show allowing a male audience to be targeted. 

Following this the next point is that there is often intertextual reference. Intertextual referencing is the promotion of brand names and throughout my music video brand names such as; Converse, Tiffany & Co, Links of London, YouTube, Mercedes and Samsunglikeable due to the other big brand names being promoted as well as the loyal customers who purchase goods from each of the names I have stated above. As a result of this brand names will want to feature their products in her music videos.

Whether the video is primarily performance, narrative or concept based and how elements of each is used within is the final point in Goodwin's Theory and is also an aspect my music video contains. The music video my group and I have made follow both a narrative and a performance based element which means it meets all of Goodwin's  Theory criteria. The video is performance based due to a role being played by the artist. 'Shani' is the artist and Rezan is the role player of her. Performance based in a music video also means that there is singing and dancing involved in the footage. Following that it is also narrative based, this can be defined as a music video that is telling consumers a story. It follows this element due to the storyline which is that 'Shani' has produced a song from the original version by 'Gyptian'. As she then starts to break into the music industry 'Gyptian' comes to hear about her song and from there 'Shani' falls in love with him. Throughout the music video 'Shani' is singing the song to 'Gyptian' and watches him on YouTube when they are not together. The song expresses her love for him and their intimacy.

Broadcasting:
The music channel my music video would be broadcasted on would be MTV Base. The reason for this is because the Reggae genre is very similar to the R&B genre which means the same target audience will find 'Shani' appealing. MTV Base is used as a form of branding as it represents the Hip Hop and R 'n' B genre which many consumers enjoy and is a big dominating genre in the music industry. This channel targets the male audience more so than the female audience due to the level of male artists within the Rap and Hip Hop genre who dominate the market. Having said that new artists such as Nikki Minaj are gradually taking away some of the stereotypical views on female rap artists. This is a negative aspect however it is changing with today's society and the mainstream perception. The MTV organisation also broadcast MTV Dance, MTV Hits as well as MTV Base. These are all good examples channels that I would like as well as expect an artist like 'Shani' to be shown on. 


I have taken a quote from the MTV Dance website which says, 'Classic anthems or new dance floor smashes. As long as they're big tunes, we're playing them all right now!'. This means that MTV Dance's target audience is for the age 18+ and also for the people who like to go clubbing. This means that 'Shani' fits into the criteria for this channel. 'Hold Me' has a good beat and can also be considered as a 'big tune' with the correct methods of promotion. It does also represent a similarity to the Reggae genre as 'Rihanna' boarders a Reggae image being an R&B artist. 

MTV Hits offer The Official UK Top 40. Also found on the MTV Hits website was this quote 'See the number 1 before anyone else as we count down the only official rundown of the UK's top 40 singles!'. This shows consumers they are dedicated to finding the top hits in the music industry today. The target audience that this music channel caters for is young teenager to adults (11-25) this means that again the same target audience will find 'Shani' attractive. Being a new artist consumers will get to know about the music she produces from a channel that offers the service of airing new songs. 

Target Audience:
Target Audience can be defined as a primary group of people that something, usually an advertising campaign or product is aimed at appealing to. A target audience can be people of a certain age group, gender, marital status and income etc.

The audience that will find 'Shani' and her music attractive are both males and females between the ages of 16-25. Moreover from the genre and the way she is presented males will find her attractive and females will aspire to be like her. In conclusion to this it is a good combination of both talent and image which makes a mainstream artist successful. My music video will appeal to the target audience due to the amount of different editing effects, the tempo of the song, the camera shots as well as the video being primarily performance and narrative based. In the questionnaire I have carried out individuals expect to hear about love and sexual references with Reggae music. This is portrayed slightly due to the outfits featured in the video which make 'Shani' look attractive as well as this the lyrics in the song contain love elements and again this is portrayed through the narration and body language of the artist. Moreover, from the questionnaire I have carried out most of the consumers I have asked watch MTV Base which is the channel 'Shani' will be broadcasted on most of the time as it caters for the Reggae genre. This is a factor that will make consumers find it appealing again due to the reputation of MTV which is very high. 

Album Cover, Album Advertisement & Music Video:

All of the tasks I have carried out link in together and work well to portray the style and representation that 'Shani' brings to the music industry. As well as this they all follow the conventions of a Reggae artist, however it is still modern and up to date with the editing styles and layout that are used by artist's in today's society. The album covers work well to represent the artist because it is eye catching and is sophisticated while still looking attractive to consumers compared to other album covers. The advertisement is also a reflection of what kind of artist 'Shani' is and how she is portrayed to consumer. They both work well due to the colours used throughout both products, as well as this the advertisement contains an image of the album so that consumers are able to identify what the album cover looks like so that they are then able to go out and purchase the product having seen it before hand in the advertisement. The advertisement as well as the album cover follows the conventions of an artist in the Reggae genre, this is why they work so well together. Each product is a reflection of one another and is also a good way of bringing out the look and what the artist will be presented as in comparison to the mainstream perception of other artists. In conclusion to this both products have been successfully presented and have followed the different aspects that make an album cover and album advertisement successful, it has also drawn the attention away from other products which means the focus is then put on to 'Shani's' album cover and advertisement. 

The music video also links in with the advertisement and the album cover as it portrays what kind of artist 'Shani'is. Throughout the music video she is happy, upbeat and is expressive throughout her dancing and singing in the music video. This means that consumers are able to see that she is a dedicated artist who is focusing on her upcoming career. Moreover the music video also contains the same costumes as the album cover and advertisement. This also means that the audience are able to make this link which is an example keeping the same content throughout all of the three products in order for them to attract a market. In conclusion to this the video is a narrative example of what 'Shani's' beliefs are and using different elements to capture the audience; such as performing from the amount of dancing filmed throughout the video and the narrative concept behind the video that the artist plays out very well. 

Dyer's Star Theory:

Richard Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars in film, TV and music. Irrespective of the medium, stars have some key features in common:

• A star is an image not a real person, that is constructed out of a range of materials (eg advertising, magazines etc as well as films and music) 
• Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.   
• Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media for example; magazines, TV, radio and the internet. This enables them to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. 
• The star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audiences

Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent that is incomplete and ‘open’.  Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxes:

Paradox One:

The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer

Paradox Two:

The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer

The Star Image:

The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to ‘complete’ or to ‘make sense’ of the image. This is achieved by continued consumption of the star through his or her products. In the music industry performance seems to promise the completion of the image, but it is always ultimately unsatisfying. This means that fans will go away determined to continue consuming the star in order to carry on attempting to complete their image.

Finally, the star image can be used to position the consumer in relation to dominant social values. Depending upon the artist, this may mean that the audience are positioned against the mainstream (only to a limited degree, since they are still consumers within a capitalist system) or within the mainstream, or somewhere in between.

“In these terms it can be argued that stars are representations of persons which reinforce, legitimate or occasionally alter the prevalent preconceptions of what it is to be a human being in this society.  There is a good deal at stake in such conceptions.  On the one hand, our society stresses what makes them like others in the social group/class/gender to which they belong.  This individualising stress involves a separation of the person's "self" from his/her social "roles", and hence poses the individual against society.  On the other hand society suggests that certain norms of behaviour are appropriate to given groups of people, which many people in such groups would now wish to contest (eg the struggles over representation of blacks, women and gays in recent years).  Stars are one of the ways in which conceptions of such persons are promulgated.”

Richard Dyer (Stars, BFI, 1981)

'Shani' can be seen as a product herself as she contributes to the music industry by appealing to an audience that will want to buy her products and to see her in concert. This ultimately means that she is a product selling a goods and services. Goods can be defined as products that can be bought and in this case CD's are seen as goods. As well as this 'service' can be defined as providing consumers with a beneficial element such as playing at music concerts and special events. In conclusion to this 'Shani' is seen as another mainstream representation within the music industry and is used to create capital and profit in order for the music industry to grow and gain the interest of consumers. This relates back to Dyer's Star Theory due to the fact that 'Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media for example; magazines, TV, radio and the internet. This enables them to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences.' This means that without these elements and forms of promotion artists will not be able to build up a relationship with their target audience as they depend on these elements to gain popularity and interest. This is related in my music video through the use of YouTube. In my music video as part of the narration ‘Shani’ is watching ‘Gyptian’ on YouYube which is also where she became recognised. This then means that without YouTube which is a form of promotion ‘Shani’ would not be in the music industry and would not have been recognised for her musical abilities. As a result of this ‘Shani’ depended upon YouTube to establish herself as an artist which is what Dyer’s Star Theory says.

Richard Dyer also suggests that, 'A star is an image not a real person, that is constructed out of a range of materials (e.g. advertising, magazines etc as well as films and music)' this means that without forms of promotion artist's are nothing as they are not able to promote themselves without marketing methods. This is also were artist's are seen as products because without certain elements such as ‘the press’ they would not be as successful as they are without consumers being interested in their everyday lifestyle which some consumers aspire to have that ‘the press’ allows consumers to see. This is also related in my music video from the use of big brand names which consumers aspire to have if they are seen on an artist they aspire to be like. As a result of this like Richard Dyer has said materials such as expensive items make consumers want to have the same products as them as they are seen as luxury’s only ‘the rich’ can afford. 

Challenging Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products:

I was set the task to create a music video, an album cover as well as an advertisement to promote a final music video and the featuring artist. In order to do this my group and I also had to also think of a record label name which is ‘OCK Records’.

In order for everything to be successful a number of different elements had to be carried out for example; an album concept, sales figures, a release date (for music video & advertisement), target audience, key launch dates, overall deadlines, a budget and many more. Once all of these aspects were researched into correctly only then was the production and making of my tasks started. 

Music Video:

A music video is known as being a short film or video that represents a song or piece of music. They can also be identified as being a marketing tool as well as a form of promotion making consumers increasingly aware of an artist and record label. There are many types of genres within the music industry, some of them include; Pop, Rock, Indie, Reggae & Hip Hop. 

The music video I have created is called ‘Hold Me’ and is by an artist called ‘Shani’. This song falls under the Reggae genre, some of the generic conventions of a Reggae artist/song are the following examples: 

• Bright Colours  
• Good Use of Props  
• Upbeat Music  
• Dancers  
• Flashing Lights 
• Different Costumes/Hair & Make-Up 
• Performance Based Concept/Narrative Based Concept

These are some of the aspects that once put together make a good music video as well as a successful one. Some artists that fall under this genre are well known individuals such as; Damian Marley, Freddie McGregor & Bob Marley.

My own understanding of a music video is something that appeals to an audience in a number of different ways, for example; through the use of costumes to the use of props and the lyrics in the song to what the artist represents. As a result of this I have made sure my own music video appeals to a wide target audience as well as making it look attractive to consumers that don’t usually buy into the Reggae genre. 

The styles in my own music video are modern, however still upbeat in order to follow the basic conventions within the Reggae genre. It is also performance based which means the artist of the song is involved in the production and other elements of the creation of the video. In my opinion it is vital that an artist who is going to release a music video should always take part in their video to create a link between the audience and themselves.

I will now be discussing whether or not my own finished music video develops or challenges the genre that it follows. 

Firstly the majority of music videos if not all start with an establishing shot in the opening. In my music video I have also done this so that the audience is aware of the location and setting of the video. The establishing shot shows a dual carriageway (A10)  and the editing style of cars driving forward normally and then going in reverse in time with the beat of the song. By doing this it is effective and looks professional. 

One of mine and my groups inspirations for this shot was ‘Cassie’s’ music video, ‘Long Way To Go’. The opening shot in this video is an establishing ariel shot of houses and businesses. My group and I have tried to make our shot successful, however in comparison to the bottom shot we did not have the funds or equipment to achieve such a high standard quality shot.

‘Cassie’ is also a mainstream artist like ‘Shani’ however she is more successful as ‘Shani’ is just starting out in producing songs. ‘Cassie’ is an R&B artist and this is where my group and I challenge the genre of my music video. Following the Reggae genre an artist such as ‘Damian Marley’ who follows the Reggae genre perception starts his music video ‘Beautiful’ with the image on the right hand side below. This leads me to conclude that as one of the artist’s I have looked into with great detail his music video’s start with mid/long shots rather than an establishing shot. Another example of a music video by ‘Damian Marley’ that starts with the same type of camera shot is ‘Road to Zion’.

   
Another convention that my music video develops within the genre is that usually in Reggae music video’s there is no intertextual referencing and in my music video a lot of big brand names are being promoted through the use of different camera shots. Brand names such as; Converse, Links of London, YouTube, Tiffany & Co, Samsung and Mercedes are shown throughout. This means that throughout my music video as well as my artist being promoted all of the brand names featured in the video are promoted as well. 

The main product I have made is my music video and my ancillary tasks, these include my music video, album advertisement and my final album cover. Altogether in my opinion my main product and my ancillary texts work well on a whole as they have their own individual aspects however can also be easily related to one another making them associable.  On the left is my album cover, both the front and back. This album cover is very effective and is conventional it also conveys the artist’s image well and is attractive to a wide target audience.

My album advertisement is very straight to the point with the main sections of information in big writing so that it is  easily read. The main elements such as release date, artist name and album are the main aspects that need to be on display so that consumers can identify what the album being promoted is called. As well as this the album cover itself is on the advertisement so that consumers are aware of what the product looks like in order for them to go out and purchase it. The advertisement is also very bold so that it catches the audience’s attention and reflects the main elements of a female artist.

My ancillary tasks work well alongside my music video as they have links that draw them together. An example of this is the outfits, the outfit on the album cover is also shown within the music video and the outfit on the advertisement is also again featured in the video. This means that the audience are able to create this link. They also work well together because a wide target audience will be attracted to both the ancillary tasks and the main product due to the neutral balance of the album cover and the female charm of the album advertisement. This leads me to conclude that it is what consumers have come to expect from an artist that is in the Reggae genre. 

Audience Feedback:

I have learnt a number of different things from the audience feedback I have gained. Some of these points include positive comments and equally some include improvements that will make my music video better. 

In my opinion it is important to evaluate your own work so that you can identify where you have gone wrong and where there is room for improvement. As well as this it is important because once you know what to improve on you will take that into account and will improve work so that it works out to be the best you can possibly do. In order to gain the feedback I needed in order to evaluate my main product I chose to upload my music video on to YouTube. The reason I uploaded it on YouTube is because many people can watch your video which will allow you to gain the feedback you need. Moreover, it is also easy to access and gives direct feedback, it also allows you to see how many people have viewed your video which is the ‘hits’ you gain.

Some of the audience feedback is as follows;

(Eve2651) Said: Great narrative and camera shots, the only thing I can pick up on is that the lip syncing is out in one of the shots but apart from that its really good and excellently thought out. well done!

(GeorgePetrou68) Said: very good.. great use of camera shots and video editing styles

(ShaniMusicVideo) Said:  WOW! this music video is really good I love the camera shots and editing styles.. well done girls looks wikid

(Ant4457) Said: I actually like it ok so towards the end the lip syncing is a bit off the effect used when she’s wearing white work really well however, when u use the dip to black effect I think it was it gets really bright and it hides the artist face hope this helps xxx but it’s really good though. As well as this my music video has also gained 4 likes, 0 dislikes and has got 183 hits.

After seeing the amount of hits there was for my music video I was reassured that mine and my groups hard work paid off. As well as this I also agree with some of the comments where the lip syncing is a bit out of place and there is an explanation. The reason it is out of place is just how the artist has sung it too quickly for the tune and lyrics in the song. I did however try to edit that section to slow it down but it made everything else out of place in which case my group and I had no choice but to leave it as it is. 

Overall I am pleased with the comments I have received and have taken into account what the comments are referring to but as I have explained above the one element that was picked up on the most was the lip syncing in one section.

The feedback would have helped me if I worked in the music industry massively, however if I did work in that industry there would be a budget that would allow me the power to re-shoot specific scenes in the music video. As well as this the equipment would be of a better standard allowing me to have better camera quality, having said that this was not an issue that was pointed out.

In order to carry out research on different topics I used a number of different websites and search engines to help provide the information that I required. The programmes I used in order to carry out my research are; YouTube, Blogger, Apple Mac, Wikipedia and Google. Some of these websites were more helpful than others, however I used each one to get the information I needed.

Planning:

A lot of planning needed to be done so that the making and timing of all my tasks were met on time and on schedule. A few examples of some of the tasks I did to make sure everything ran smoothly are; creating a filming schedule and a photo shoot schedule. As well as this a number of group discussions took place in order for everyone to voice their opinions. In my group including myself there where 3 altogether. The other two members in my group are; Katie Woodland and Ozgen Ibrahim. By having a good relationship with my group we openly discussed what we did not like and did like, this is why I feel the music video has come out the best it could as we openly discussed each idea.

Construction: 

The construction of my music video was very successful and some of the programmes used are as follows;

• Final Cut Pro  
• Photoshop 
•  iTunes

I found using the software stated above easy due to previous experience. There were only a few issues that occurred however as a group it was sorted and did not affect our ability as a group or our music video. Final Cut Pro was used to edit my music video to a professional standard, Photoshop was used to create my album cover and the album advertisement. Then finally, iTunes was used to buy the song chosen for my music video ‘Hold Me’ by ‘Shani’.

In conclusion I am very happy with the way my music video, album cover and album advertisement has come out due to the amount of effort and teamwork that was put into producing work to the best of our ability. As well as this I have taken into account all of the audience feedback and acknowledged as well as value others opinions. I would finally like to finish off by saying that I have enjoyed creating a music video and ancillary tasks and will be using the skills I have picked up from different editing effects and the use of different software to help me in the future.