Generic Research: Trying out Album Cover Designs

 When starting my designs for the band, I realised that I needed an album cover for both the merchandise and the CD that I was selling on the shop page. My initial ideas was to base it off of the chosen name of the song, 'You Made Me Cry', and wanted to embed ideas of eyes and crying.

I had an idea of designing a coloured version based on a photograph of myself I took. I knew from the beginning I wanted to have a simplistic piece with simple line art but dabbled with colour too. I ended up not liking either, both with and without the nose as i felt the eyebrows and coloured features drew away too much from the ideas of the tears

I also tried to design a front cover using a photograph of myself as the main image. Although I liked the picture I took, I felt that the real life image didn't quite fit the aesthetic of the band. It felt too complex and, although it looked nice, I preferred the idea of a more minimalistic image.

I hand drew the minimalistic eyes drawing on Paint, almost as a joke to begin with, however, the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. I felt like it looked like an actual band cover and also saw it to look nice and simplistic enough to also be merchandise designs too.

Easter Egg to the Second Website

In order to allow audiences to interact more, and for them to receive gratification from it, I included a link to my second website in order to create a sense digital convergence. This link can be found when you click on 'Visit #YouMadeMeCry'.

https://daqua3103.wixsite.com/theevergreens

It takes the audience to the second website, a fictional charity set up by the band to raise money for those in abusive households, specifically youth, the target audience for their music. The website includes stories of other and a way to get in touch which allows for audiences to feel included in a group, and not alone. 

The idea of this came from my Textual Analysis of MILCK's website I CANT KEEP QUIET. The website functions in a similar way with the use of sharing stories and allowing audiences to get in touch if they need help or if they want to share their own experiences.

First Draft of Video

Second Website

https://daqua3103.wixsite.com/youmademecry

I created a secondary website to extenuate the storyline behind the band. Their charity #YouMadeMeCry, based on the music from their latest album cry, is a charity that helps people, who have suffered from abuse, get their lives back on track. The fictional band, The Evergreens, have used their platform to help raise awareness and money for their charity which helps those who have suffered abuse, especially youths, find their way back to a functioning society and life.

Updated Website

https://daqua3103.wixsite.com/theevergreens

Since my first draft of my website, I have updated it to suit the conventions of a band's website. I included a lot of images of the bands in order to satisfy fans who enjoy seeing the members and have a simplistic layout for both ease of access and aesthetic.

The homepage is large and a picture of the band takes up the majority of the main page to suggest at the main purpose of the website is. The wide shot of the band makes the website feel ore professional and sleek and the way the horizon cuts through the picture makes it feel wider.

The homepage is large and a picture of the band takes up the majority of the main page to suggest at the main purpose of the website is. The wide shot of the band makes the website feel ore professional and sleek and the way the horizon cuts through the picture makes it feel wider.

When you click on the main title of 'The Evergreens', you are taken to a secret section of the website where you can access secret footage of the band fooling around and messing u on an interview, giving both gratification and humor to the audience. There is also a sense of happiness as people manage to get the gratification from finding the Easter Egg as well as seeing footage that is exclusive and makes the audience feel closer to the band themselves.

As you scroll down the homepage, you can learn more about the band, which then links further into the 'About' page, and their newest album, of which my music video is for. I decided to also create a second website which will be linked from this section to understand further into the meaning of the song, music video and intention behind it.

On the about page, there is also more information about the band itself as well as each individual member. This allows for audiences to feel like they're involved in the band's lives and to feel more involved with them. It creates a sense of a more interpersonal relationship between the audience and the band of which they feel like they know the band members personally.

The history of the band is sectioned here which will, when written, give a short section explaining how the band was formed and their first performance. Although not necessary, ii wanted to include a small section to give more depth to the characters created in the band and for audiences to be able to understand them on a more personal level. The section on concerts and events is there for general audiences, not just fans. The variety given of smaller events to bigger more personal events creates a wider range for the band to partake in and for audiences to participate in.

Although not interactive, I produced a small section of the music that the band had hypothetically created. I took inspiration from the Wix websites original music layout and created my own layout for the music. I did screenshot the music timing because I didn't know how to replicate it, however I feel as though I achieved the desired effect of a music album and it looks as though it could be interactive. When I have completed it, I will also put the music video in this section as well as on the section of videos.

Very simply put, this section is of photographs of the band I have taken and put for the enjoyment of the audience.

This section is for the videos, mainly the interview as well as the music video which is yet to be implemented. I will also include a short section of information about both videos including the actors, filming locations and copyrights for the actual artist.

With the album art that I created, I put it on auto-generated t-shirts so as to create placeholders without having to create my own merchandise in real life and taking pictures of it.

Statement of Intent

file:///C:/Users/daqua/Desktop/Statement%20of%20intent.pdf

Audience Research: Audience Behaviour

When considering my brief of creating a protest music video and a website targeted at an audience of socially conscious 16-25-year olds, the audience takes centre stage when thinking about how to present the products. To be socially conscious, the audience has to have a cultural capital which enables them to have general understandings of the modern world and how it functions. A socially conscious audience understands to interact with the artist such as using their website and buying merchandise to support the audience.

Primary Audience
Psychographic: The typical audience for a protest music video, would be a socially conscious audience who enjoy watching music videos for narrative and engage with media products such as news sites and social media. The age demographic would be between 16-25-year olds as 61% of teens say that they are watching more online videos than they were last year, perhaps due to the increase in the popularity of sharing media products. (https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2017/08/170392/music-videos-history-popular-2017)
Age: The target audience of 16-25-year olds have an affinity for being interested in indie music, especially those of a culturally aware perspective with indie/alternative music being preferred by 31% of people between the ages 16-19 and 40% of people between the ages 20-24. The majority of the time they are female and are therefore more likely to supports and agree with the themes in the music video. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/253915/favorite-music-genres-in-the-us/)
Interests: The audience's interest would rage from interesting with videos and online media to watching films. They are more likely to be tech-savvy and enjoy interacting with more alternative media products such as Tumblr. They are likely to listen to artists with smaller followings yet with their unique sound and enjoy watching music videos. 73% of teenagers say that music videos are the best way that an artist can express their music and share their creative vision and they tend to share this online with friends, creating a large branding. (https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2017/08/170392/music-videos-history-popular-2017)
Gender: The codes and conventions found in the music video are more likely to attract women due to the fact that 35% of women worldwide have experienced sexual assault and that 90% of sexual assault and rape cases are women. (https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures and https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence) Therefore they are more likely to interact with a protest video on this topic.

Secondary Audience
Psychographic: The secondary audience is going to be outside of the 16-25-year old audience, more likely to be male and interested in the music videos. Although men make up a small minority of rape victims, they still exist and therefore are able to relate to the music video. This also still likely to be somebody who enjoys listening to indie music.
Age: By having audiences that are out of the targeted age group, allows for a wider audience and for more people who may enjoy the music itself to also enjoy the music video and artists' website. This is shown by the 35% of people aged 25-34 enjoy alternative music as well and therefore are capable of enjoying the products of which they are not specifically targeted. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/253915/favorite-music-genres-in-the-us/)
Interests: Their interests may not be involved as much in other media products but are likely to be as culturally competent as the target audience. They likely listen to similar artists as well as enjoying reading, going to the cinema and accepting modernised lifestyles.
Gender: Men are also likely to be interested in this product too since the rape and sexual assault rates for men are unfortunately increasing and one out of every 10 rape victims are male. (https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence) This suggests that the ambiguity of the perpetrator in the music video, a woman with a moustache, allows for both men and women to put themselves in the position and to understand from personal perspectives the experience, perhaps making it more likely to stand with them.

Statement of Aims Revised

How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirement of the brief?

Product 1

For my product 1, I wish to create a music video for Warner Music Group who value a brand identity through the representation of the artist's image. I intend for my music video to be used to protest rape culture and sexual assault of women by subverting stereotypes of women being submissive in music videos as suggested by Erika VanDyke's theory of race, boy and sexuality in music videos. I want my music video to be a powerful message which appeals to a socially conscious audience of 16-25-year olds, therefore using intertextual references to Women's marches such as 'My Body My Choice' and '#MeToo', as well as using a fictional hashtag '#YouMadeMeCry', hereby appealing to the younger demographic with the use of hashtags and cross-media convergence. By using both performance and narrative, I intend to make a music video that is both informative and interesting and I'll achieve this by using a range f shot types and mise-en-scene as well as creating a saturated colour scheme to almost cynically juxtapose the message of the video. I also will create a performance within the narrative with lip-syncing and expression, allowing for the video to reflect the lyrics as well as solely performance sections with the artist lip-syncing and performing directly to the camera, both of which adhere to Andrew Goodwin's theory. This idea of performance from the artist helps create this idea of the star persona as suggested by Richard Dyer's theory, allowing for the artist's brand to be anchored by the music video, shown in Radiohead's music video for Daydreaming where the lead singer is the main focus for the video, strengthening the brand identity.

Product 2

As well as this, I will also produce a website to work alongside the music video, creating digital convergence within the media texts. Due to the evolution of music and the rising popularity of streaming, artists no longer profit from solely selling CD's and vinyl as shown through my audience research. 100% of the people who took place in my survey answered that they listen to music on streaming sites such as Spotify and when questioning the focus group, they also responded saying they prefer digital copies of music which are free and accessible. Therefore, I will create this idea of brand identity through merchandise such as clothing, keychains and stickers as well as touring and festivals in order to create a market instead of relying on the purchasing of music. It will have links to buy tickets for concerts since the target audience are more prone to doing their business online; everything is all on the internet and allows for cross-media convergence. The website will include information about the artist as well as personal interviews and a house tour Q&A with inspiration taken from the Vogue Questions interviews. In addition, information about the band's latest updates such as tour information and new album releases will be available on the website with specific links to the stadiums and arenas being played at. A section will also include free events the band puts on in aid of their charity for sexual assault survivors with the hashtag '#YouMadeMeCr', a line taken directly from the Florence and the Mchine song I intend to use for my music video. The hashtag will be linked to the main band's website and will contain stories from abuse victims and phone numbers to call if aid is needed along with a chat room for women to find friends in a community of people who understand. Easter Eggs will be included as well as clicking the band's logo which takes them to a page to find behind the scenes footage, with photographs and videos of the main singer and from the music video for You Made Me Cry (Girl With One Eye).

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production?

I intend to create digital convergence with the links to Twitter and Instagram hashtags and the idea of movements trending both in the music video ad on the website as well as creating a sense of brand identity by using a specific colour palette, anchoring the products. By creating a hashtag, that the artist uses to help raise awareness allows for audiences to actively promote the movement too and support sexual assault victims through the means of social media of which are linked from the websites. All media products have a cross-media presence and therefore this idea of branding is incredibly important, and I intend to reflect this through my use of linking social media as well as other sites will be linked to victim helpline as well as linking the charity created by the artists themselves to help raise awareness and money for sexual assault victims, emulating my research on MILCK's charity '#ICan'tKeepQuiet' as seen in my research which audiences can actively interact with and share their stories on or donate, adhering to Clay Shirky's End of Audience theory.

Planning: The Making of The Album Cover

When I was thinking about the designs for my media product, I realised that an album cover was a necessity to appeal to audiences. I did a lot of research when considering what to produce on the front cover and realised that there was a common theme amongst a lot of album names: they usually had a song in the album that related to it. For example, Mumford and Sons newest album Delta had a song called Delta on the album, suggesting to me that I could use this for my own product by having the album name relate to the song or part of it. I knew that I wanted to use Girl With One Eye by Florence and the Machine for my media piece but decided to change the name of the song to You made Me Cry for the music video as I knew it would be easier to brand as a song. I, therefore, settled on the name of the album being cry. I decided to do it in all lowercase to represent the helplessness women feel during sexual assault and when they cry, and therefore, these empowering songs are sung to help those women feel better and more confident about themselves.
Studying album artwork, I noticed that there were themes and the majority of the time, the album names related to either the artists or the name of the album. Such as with Florence and the Machine's album Lungs, the album artwork is of Florence with lungs on her chest and therefore I decided to emulate this with my own artwork.

I first began to imagine what sort of image came to mind when I thought of the word cry and immediately thought of tears so I felt as though I should incorporate tears into my work somehow. I began with the idea of big blue tears drawn on someone's checks to exaggerate on the idea of crying and to emphasis the tears themselves and immediately loves this idea but decided I didn't like it done on a person as shown.

Instead, I took to Paint and designed my own image which I ended up liking a lot more as I felt it had a homemade feel to it, suggesting at an independent aesthetic and felt it fit the brand identity I was aiming for a lot better.

Planning: Shot List

In order to create a generalised idea for what I wanted to present for my music video, I decided to create a shot list for my filming. This will make it a lot easier when it comes to filming in certain locations without having to return and to film there multiple times and instead can use the shot list as a checklist to make sure I have all the footage I need.

Shot 1: Close Up, Eye Level, Pan Zoom Out, Singer leaning against a wall looking straight ahead, shot taken from the side (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 2: Mid-shot, Eye Level, Pan Zoom Out, Turns to face the camera and smiles, dressed in a blue suit with a light pink shirt (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 3: Wide Shot, Pan, Singer turns her full body to the camera, begins walking and lipsyncing (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 4: Closeup, Ground Level, Pan, Feet skipping along the pavement avoiding the cracks (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 5: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Singer and woman together, singer leans in to whisper in her ear (Alley)
Shot 6: Extreme Closeup, Static, Singer's mouth zoomed in on as she whispers 'relax' into the other woman's ear. (Alley)
Shot 7: Wide Shot, Pan, Singer continues walking down the street (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 8: Wide Shot, Pan to Static, stops walking and holds her hands up in surrender on 'Stops' (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 9: Wide Shot, Static to Pan, a woman walks past and the singer follows her with her eyes and then body before spinning back round to face the camera. (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 10: Wide Shot, Bird's Eye View, Static, Woman lays in bed with her eyes open staring at the camera (Woman's Bedroom)
Shot 11: Wide Shot, Bird's Eye View, Static, Woman turns to the side and the lights turn off, the screen turns black (Woman's Bedroom)
Shot 12: Wide Shot, Pan, Back to the singer on the street walking along, takes a flower from a woman sitting on a bench (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 13: Mid-shot, Pan Zoom In, Singer crushes the flower in her hand and drops it to the ground, before looking back at the camera (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 14: Closeup, Pan Zoom In, Singer tilts her head and slides her thumb across her neck, smiles (Rayleigh Highstreet)
Shot 15: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Woman lying in bed looking forlorn and upset, turns to the side and the screen turns black (Woman's bedroom)
Shot 16: Mid-shot, Below Eye Level, Moving, Singer pushes woman against the wall and begins lipsyncing to her
Shot 17: Closeup, Eye Level, Moving, Close shot of singer mouthing lyrics to the woman
Shot 18: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Face shot of the woman and singers hand closes over her mouth/around her neck
Shot 19: Wide Shot, Pan, Singer holds her hands up to the camera whilst lipsyncing
Short 20: Wide Shot, Low Angle, Pan, Singer's hand glides up the woman's leg
Shot 21: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Singer and woman together, the singer learns in to whisper in her ear
Shot 22: Extreme Closeup, Static, Singer's mouth zoomed in on as she whispers in the woman's ear
Shot 23: Wide Shot, Pan, Walks along and shrugs at the idea of her reputation being bad
Shot 24: Wide Shot, Static, Woman walks into her house, slams the door and turns her back to it, slides down the door and puts her head in her hands, cries
Shot 25: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Woman looks up from her knees and glares at the camera
Shot 26: Mid-shot, From Behind, Moving, Follows woman from behind as she walks down the alley, pushes singer, woman lipsyncs instead of the singer
Shot 27: Closeup, High Angle, Static, Woman points finger at the camera, direct address, lipsyncs
Shot 28: Mid-shot, Eye Level, Moving Woman pokes singers chest to the beat 
Shot 29: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Singer looks shocked, direct address
Shot 30: Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Woman lipsyncing
Shot 31: Mid-shot, Eyelevel, Moving, Woman shouts into the singer's face
Shot 32: Different body parts with 'YOU MADE ME CRY' written on them
Shot 33: Wide shot, Static, Girl holding a sign with 'YOU MADE ME CRY' on it
Shot 34: Different body parts with 'YOU MADE ME CRY' written on them
Shot 35: Extreme Closeup, Eye Level, Static, Singer looking up and breathing with the beat
Shot 36: Wide shot, Pan, Singer stumbling along, clutching the wall, trying to walk, staggers and falls onto her knees, not lip-syncing
Shot 37+: Shots of different protest signs up close and closeups of people lipsyncing the lyrics
Shot 38: Mid-shot, Low Angle, Moving, the woman walks up to the singer and looks down on her before walking past her onto the street and joining her friend leaving the singer in the alley

Wix Website

Website:
https://daqua3103.wixsite.com/theevergreens

First edit:

 - The front page will include an image of the singer of the band as the main focus and serves as the background for the entire website
- By using both a scroll and a tab format, it incorporates ideas from each of the websites I analysed as each has its own unique pros and cons
- The social media tabs at the top also feature in order to allow for cross-media convergence and to allow the audience to take an active roll in supporting the artist - allows for a relationship

 - The 'About Us' section was included to introduce the band's values and ideas and, on the main page, it gives a brief introduction to this with a button linking to the 'About' page for more information.

 - This section was to introduce the main idea for the music video and to present the band's beliefs to their audience. It also allows for room to mention about the #YouMadeMeCry hashtag, a charity the band has to aid sexual assault survivors which links to a webpage where women can find solace in one another.

 - The history section allows for personal stories from the artists to be shared, allowing them to feel closer with their audience and vice versa. The band have had experiences with sexual assault allows for them to be able to emphasise with their audience and makes them more 'human'.

 - The concerts and events section is important for any artist as it is the only way they are able to share their tour dates apart from though social media and it allows them to link with the venues themselves, making booking easier for audiences
- I included events as well as concerts as the band hold free events in large parks to raise money and awareness for women in abusing situations and hardship.

 - The music section would link to the band's Spotify and lists their newest album with all the new songs. It also lists the retail price and gives the audience the opportunity to share the album, creating this idea of an active audience.

 - I am still debating whether or not to include the music video on the main home page simply because it is very low down and doesn't have as much of an impact and instead was thinking od including it on the 'Videos' page.
- I also may consider posting it on both to be extra sure that it is seen

 - The photo album is used for the audience to gain an introspective view into the artists' lives with their performances, their promo shots and their friend lives.

 - The contact section is mainly for the audience to message the band and to actually feel integrated and as though they have a relationship with the artists themselves.
- It also allows them to sign up to get updates on events, concerts and general news about the band
- The 'About' section is as continued from the main page and gives more information about the artist as well as background.

- The 'Videos' section is a place for me to put my music video as well as other videos I want to make
- I am thinking of making an interview of the whole band, as well as a Vogue-inspired interview, where I interview the artist in their home, as they give me a tour.

- I began creating the store for my website with merchandise with the album cover artwork I created. This is relative to the albums name, 'cry', as well as the artists specific brand identity with the hashtag #YouMadeMeCry and also the sexual assault aspect and the trauma behind it.

- This section is simply to present to the audience the clothes they've bought and have added to their cart.

- As well as this, the website allows you to log in to your profile which may be able to give you special access to the website 

Statement of Aims Draft

How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirement of the brief?
Product 1:

I intend for my music video to be used to protest against rape culture and sexual assault of women. I want my music video to be a powerful message which appeals to a socially conscious audience of 16-25-year olds, therefore using intertextual references to Women’s marches such as ‘My Body My Choice’ and ‘#MeToo’, as well as using a fictional hashtag ‘#YouMadeMeCry’, hereby appealing to the younger demographic with the use of hashtags and cross-media convergence. By using both performance and narrative, I intend to make a music video that is both informative and interesting and I’ll achieve this by using a range of shot types and mise-en-scene as well as creating a saturated colour scheme to almost cynically juxtapose the message of the video. I also will create a performance within the narrative with lip-syncing and expression, allowing for the video to reflect the lyrics as well as solely performance sections with the artist lip-syncing and performing directly to the camera, both of which adhere to Andrew Goodwin’s theory. (171 words)

Product 2:

As well as this, I will also produce a website to work alongside the music video, creating digital convergence within the media texts. The website will include information about the artist as well as personal interviews and a house tour Q&A with inspiration taken from the Vogue Questions interviews. In addition, information about the band’s latest updates such as tour information and new album releases will be available on the website with specific links to the stadiums and arenas being played at. A section will also include free events the band puts on in the aid of their charity for sexual assault survivors with the hashtag #YouMadeMeCry, a line taken directly from the Florence and the Machine song I intend t use for my music video. The hashtag will be linked to the main band’s website and will contain stories from abuse victims and phone numbers to call if aid is needed along with a chat room for women to find friends in a community of people who understand. Easter Eggs will be included as well as clicking the band's logo which takes them to a page to find Behind The Scenes footage, with photographs and videos of the main singer and from the music video for You Made Me Cry (Girl With One Eye). (215 words) 

(386 words total)

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production?

I intend to create digital convergence with the links to Twitter hashtags and the idea of movements trending both in the music video and on the website as well as creating a sense of brand identity by using a specific colour palette, anchoring the products. By creating a hashtag that the artist uses to help raise awareness allows for audiences to actively promote the movement too and support sexual assault victims through the means of social media of which are linked from the website. (84 words)

Generic Research: Language and Digital Convergece

Two questions that we have to ask are:
- How do media producers use language to communicate meaning?
- How do media producers use digital convergence to link their products?
These questions are a way to summarise the codes and conventions I have identified within my research and that theory works to weave in too.

So, how do media producers use language to communicate meaning?
Using language such as colour palette, mise-en-scene, camera shots and editing, media producers can communicate different meanings creating a sense of brand identity for the artist. The use of performance shots with close-ups of the artists, as seen in MILCK's music video for Quiet, adheres to Andrew Goodwin's theory of the Star Persona and is gratifying for audiences to see the artist themselves.

As well as this, intertextuality within media is used in order to allow the audience to notice it and receive gratification from this as it links to another media product that they are familiar with. This idea adheres to Blumler and Katz' theory of Uses and Gratification and allows the audience to fully engage with the media. However, audiences that do not have a level of cultural competency are unlikely to be able to recognise it and, therefore cannot necessarily point out intertextuality. For example, the intertextual references in Radiohead's Daydreaming relate to the other albums they have produced and unless the audience are long-term fans of Radiohead's they are unlikely to spot these Easter Eggs.
   
The mise-en-scene created in Til It Happens To You by Lady Gaga allows the audience to immediately feel the tone of the video with the black and white filter that had been edited over it. It creates a sombre mood and automatically begins to convey the message that this is a serious music video with a serious topic and puts the audience in the right perspective when watching it.

How do media producers use digital convergence to communicate meaning?
Digital convergence is the ability to put different tools, such and phone, computer, watch and many others, into one device. Digital convergence is used all the time by media producers and artists, especially when using their online platforms and website. For example, all of the websites I analysed has direct links to the artists' social media platforms, an obvious example of media convergence. As well as this, media producers use Easter Eggs to link to behind the scenes for music videos, taking the audience to YouTube to interact with the extra media, another example of digital convergence and also adhering to Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratification theory as they audience gets to find these hidden Easter Egg's only accessible through discovery.