Component 1

CCR3 – How did my production skills develop throughout this project?

eviebougourd Component 1, Creative Critical Reflection 1

Grammar School and Sixth form Centre

Les Varendes 

St. Andrew’s

Guernsey

GY6 8TD

 

Dear future A levels Media Studies student 

 

Hi I’m Evie and am an A Level Media Studies student and Grammar Sixth Form. I would like to talk to you about the opportunity to take the course and tell you all about a level media and all the many things that you will learn from partaking in the course.  Throughout the course you will learn a number of skills within the three categories: technical, creative and transferable. Within these you will also learn to use software programs like photoshop, Indesign and how to properly use a camera.     

From the start of the course the first project is constructing your own music magazine. You will research different magazines and learn the conventions in order to make your work successful. You will also research who your audience will be based on your chosen genre of music and will take into account the demographics and psychographics of your target audience. Throughout the making of this project you will gather a large range of technical skills. For example, Edublogs for posting, embedding and linking documents. Adobe Indesign for effects, backgrounds, fonts, layouts, sizing etc. Adobe photoshop for masking, airbrushing, fonts, filters etc. Lastly, Flash photography & DSLR for shutter speed and aperture. 

In particular I found being able to edit your text and change the sizing, fonts and different effects, such as drop shadows, highlights ect to make them eye catching to the audience and unique. I also used the dodge tool from photoshop which enabled me to brighten my models lips and eyes to make them stand out and look more effective. This tool was very helpful to me as it enhanced the photo and represented my model as young, individual and fresh faced and created the star image that I wanted to convey and fit with my music genre and appeal to my target audience. 

In media you also develop a lot of creative production skills, including design, costume, photography, make up, hair , mes en scene, photo location and body language. As well as the importance of props, pose and colours. These are all important parts of making media as they will represent your genre and portray your star image to your audience. 

When doing my photoshoot for my magazine I made sure to do my models’ make up, hair and costume in a way that would make her appeal to the demographics and psychographics of my audience. For example, I did her make up minimalist yet glamorous for a clean and put together look as my target audience are female and interested in beauty. They are millennials and Gen X so that the look would be something that could relate to or try themselves and would attract them.

In addition, you will also develop understanding in transferable skills that will be useful elsewhere in life. These skills consist of critical thinking, software skills, organisation, research skills, time management, collaboration skills and more. You will also use a number of different online platforms for research, such as pinterest for branding ideas and using apps to communicate. These will help impact your products and ensure that you are able to create your product to the best ability possible. 

For example, when planning for our main photoshoot I was able to plan times with my models according to our timetables and finding times that could work for both of us. I made sure my models were organised by creating a production meeting agenda. This allowed me to plan their outfits, make up, props, timings and locations of the photoshoots. This organisation enabled me to let my models know where to be at what time, and anything that they may need to bring. For example, my model brought a certain pair of coloured trousers to wear and specific jewellery, and I brought the rest of her clothing and did her make up that was needed in order to convey the pop star image I needed.

Overall, I think media studies is a very good subject if you are a creative person as you can show this off in your work. If you want to develop your transferable and technical skills further the course will allow you to learn these skills which may be helpful later on in life. If you have any interest in the many topics that I have discussed then I would recommend media studies for you. 

 

Evie Bougourd

Narrative Exploration

eviebougourd Component 3, Music Video

  • Story was that him and his girlfriend goes to a house party, he then cheats on her and she sees, she walks out then gets hit by a car. He sped to the hospital and saw her dead on the hospital bed.
  • The story ends with the boyfriend seeing his girlfriend dead on the hospital bed. it made me feel like things can drastically change in seconds and that a little mistake can make a big impact.
  • The music video has an amplified sequence.
  • The structure of this music video is thematic.

 

  • The story illustrated a man who was sat on the street where him and a girl met. he was sat there in case she changed her mind and wanted him and said that he is not going to move no matter what until he finds her.
  • the story ends with him still sat waiting on the side of the road with his sleeping bag next to him. The makes me feel empathy for him because it sows that he really wants to find this girl and won’t give up.
  • The narrative content of this music video is illustrative.
  • The structure of this music video is thematic.

 

  • The story illustrated in the music video shows a young homeless women. She was all alone and didn’t earn any money on the street, she then resorts to prostitution to earn money which she then spends on drugs.
  • The story ended with the young women dying on her own in a room that she broke into from drug overdose. this made me feel sad for all the people in life that live like this. It also made me angry that no one was kind enough to care for her and help her.
  • The relationship between the song and the narrative in this music video is amplification.
  • The structure of this music video is thematic.

My own narrative ideas:

A deeper meaning – A story about a young person who is struggling with addiction which affects their behavior and personality. Everybody just sees them as selfish and cannot see past their addiction. The music video then goes into an episodic structure showing events in their life which has led them to drug usage, to show that people are more than just their addiction and could’ve had a very tough life which resulted in them relying on drugs which has consumed them.

Home – a man travels the world meeting new people from different cultures. Searching for where he feels he belongs most.

Run – a group of teenagers driving around causing trouble and having fun, get into a police chase in the summer with the roof down laughing and enjoying their youth.

 

Previous Student’s Work

eviebougourd Component 3, Music Video

I decided to decode the work of previous students who did their music video to ‘Message Man’ by 21 Pilots. I deconstructed the music video’s technical production skills; such as camera movement, variety of shot distances and composition. I also looked into the Music Video Convections; such as, Mes En Scene, lip syncing and varied shot transitions.

The narrative in this music video illustrated a tense chase where a boy was running through abandoned buildings and driving around trying to find him. While this video was mainly narrative there was still part performance where the boy who was running away was lip-syncing in dark and spooky locations to reflect how he is also hiding from the pair of boys trying to catch him. I found this music video was a high standard as it was visually pleasing and engaging, the editing made sense of the narrative as they had a fast pace of edit and many different quick transitions such as a whip pan. This fits perfectly with the narrative as the combination of a tense pursuit along side the fast pace of edit makes the video incising and exciting for the audience to watch.

While analyzing the success criteria of a music video I now understand the importance of the convections and using a mixed variety of all of them in order for my work to gain popularity. Using a variety of shot distances, angles, locations, transitions etc. is essential to keep your video engaging and enjoyable to watch. Which will determine the success of your work.

Music Video – Conventions

eviebougourd Component 3, Music Video
Please click on the image to see PDF.

Doing this task and watching a number of different music videos helped me to understand how narratives are conveyed and the convections of music videos. In the process of deconstructing these videos I gained understanding of the importance of convections such as Mes En Scene. This is a very important convection as it determines which audience the video will appeal to. The use of  costume, make – up and settings will determine how the Star imagine is represented for your specific genre and target audience. After decoding these various music videos I learnt that narratives can be conveyed whilst performance is also shown in the video.

Going forward I have learnt the various convections to be contained in a music video in order to make it successful. I will make sure that the Mes En Scene reflects the genre well and that the Star Image in represented in a way to fit the vibe of the song and will entice my target audience. I have learnt that good lip syncing is very important for it too look professional and clean. I have also found that I don’t like music videos in the style of disjunctive as I found that when the narrative relates to the lyrics in some way the story is a lot easier to follow and is also more memorable to the audience.

Chosen Adverts

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine

I chose an advert by Calvin Klein because the brand is aimed at the same age demographics as my target audience of my music magazine, which are millennials and Gen X. It is also more aimed at a female audience, the same as my magazine audience. The advert also includes the famous star Billie Eilish who will also resonate with my audience.

I also chose an advert by Nivea and Rihanna as it is a popular skincare brand which will fit the psychographics of my audience. As Rihanna is an incredibly popular artist and is globally recognised she will stand out and interest my audience as she will be recognised and will incite my audience, for her music and interests as they will be able to relate to her likes and dislikes. Such as, fashion, beauty, music and shopping. The audience being able to relate to the star will make them feel closer to them and more connected.

Draft Feature Article

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine

 

Please click on the image to see full planning document

 

Article – Q&A

Our Hitz team met with Izzy Millis in preparation for the release of her new album and asked her the questions that you sent us in. Keep in touch with us using the hashtag #askHitz.

How often do you get recognized in public?

In the last few months I get recognised a few times everywhere I go. It is very exciting and I love meeting my fans. It makes me feel like I have made a difference in people’s lives and hopefully make them happy, which is a really good feeling. 

What made you decide to pursue a career in music?

Growing up I wasn’t one of those people who were good at everything they tried, I didn’t really have any hobbies apart from going out with my friends. This was until I found my passion for music. I started in school music lessons then went on to taking singing lessons outside of school. As I got older, around 17, I started singing in pubs around my hometown. I loved performing and watching people sit and listen to my songs, it gave me a buzz when nothing else did. This is when I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in music as it was my passion and the only thing I was really good at.

What advice would you give to a new upcoming artist?

Do not be disheartened by the hate or the people who don’t believe in you. Instead work even harder to prove those people wrong. If you find your passion in life is for music you have to work really hard for it, there is also a lot of competition now so making your music unique and stand out will really help your work to be recognized in the music business. 

What’s your process for dealing with performance anxiety?

To deal with performance anxiety as an artist I take regular breaks in my full time schedule to relax and destress, in order to destress and prepare for a performance I make sure to perfect what I am due to perform and after doing this I take deep breaths, go for a walk and then cut off from my social media in order to calm my nerves before getting on stage.

Are you dating anyone at the moment? 

Since becoming an artist I’ve liked to keep my personal life private, including my relationships as I want my audience to know I’m focused on them and my music career. Nowadays the people I do interviews with only focus on my dating life or personal relationships and commitments, when these are not the reasons why I have a platform. I like to just focus on my own life behind closed doors, and away from all the trolls and people who like to gossip.

How do you get inspiration for your song writing?

I get my inspiration for my lyrics from real life experiences. Because I’m more in touch with my music when it’s something I have been through myself and can express my emotions through my lyrics. I also think this is a good way to connect better with your fans as they can relate to your words and feelings. I also like my music to be raw and real so that I can express myself into a song without having to speak about it personally. 

Don’t forget to head to page 26 for a chance to win free tickets to Izzy’s London show, dates coming soon!

Magazine draft- 3

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine

front cover:

What’s new:

For my front cover, I changed the cover lines and created them in all different styles and designs, this can show my audience which of the stories are the biggest and most popular as they will be shown as more bold on my cover, making the biggest stories easily assessable to my audience. I also added a price onto my cover so that the consumers know how much they’re paying for my product.

What’s next:

  • add addition number
  • Names of other artists that will be shown in the magazine
  • extra colors on the subtitles

contents page:

What’s new:

For my contents page I improved a few things. Firstly, I added more cover lines so that my audience has more of a variety of stories and entertainment. I also changed the shadow on the title making it look more 3D and it now appeals to the right age category of my audience, where as on my draft 2 it was too childish for the demographics of my audience.

What’s next:

  • make page number bigger on Izzy
  • Add insert imagine either on contents or double page spread

Double page spread:

What’s new:

For my double page spread, I added some colored shapes in the corners of the page to add a pop of color and make it more fit to my genre. I added my article and changed the font to a handwritten one so it seems more personal and like the artist had written it herself, making the audience feel more connected to the artist. I also made the title bigger so that it stands out, making it clear to my audience that she is the star and the focus is on her. I also added a quote from the artist making the target audience feel closer to her.

What’s next:

  • Get rid of shapes
  • add insert image
  • add by line
  • put page numbers in order to contents page
  • make the quote brighter

 

Contents page- draft 2

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine

For my second draft of my contents page I improved a few things in order to make my magazine a success. I made all the text the same boldness as before a couple were in bold and some weren’t. I also added a coloured drop shadow to the title, making it stand out more4 and adding a pop of colour. I then changed the page numbers to chronological order to make it more professional and easier to read for the audience.

Moving on to my third draft of my contents page I will add something unique and different in the spare spaces, without making the page too chaotic and hard to read. I will add some more cover lines so that there is more to access for my audience and will be something that entertains and interests everyone. So that my magazine is ‘the same but different’ and stand out from other magazines, increasing the popularity.

Front cover draft-2

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine

For my second draft of my music magazine front cover I have changed a few things in order to make my magazine more successful. I have changed the subtitles to make them to do with music instead of beauty which is what they previously were as it is a music magazine so the content has to fit that. I also added some colored circles in clusters on parts of the page to make it more interesting, colorful and fit the genre of pop better.

I still need to improve a few more things so that my magazine cover can consist of as many magazine convections as possible, in order to make it as successful as it can be. Firstly, I need to add a price next to the barcode so that my audience and anyone buying my magazine can know how much they’re paying. I also need to make the spacing even in-between each of my subtitles to make it look more neat and professional . I also need to change some of the text as I accidently put some of it in bold. Once I improve on these things many magazine cover will look professional and will appeal to my target audience, making it popular and successful.

DSP- draft 1

eviebougourd Component 1, Music Magazine
Please click on the image to see PDF

3 things I like about my double page spread draft;

  • I like the use of the green background which matches with the top as it fits with my genre of pop
  • I like the photo of my model that I chose as I think the simplistic yet elegant look represents what my target audience will be attracted to well.
  • I like how the page is not too chaotic and just has the information needed without being too crowded and hard to read.

5 things that I need to do to improve my double page spread;

  • I need to make the masthead more attractive and interesting to my audience.
  • I need to spread out the text more to make it less chaotic and easier to read.
  • I need to add a quote from my cover star on the left page so that my audience can feel closer and more connected to the star.
  • I also need to add a bit more color to the right page in order to represents my genre of pop to my target audience.
  • In order for my double page spread to reach my target audience I have to construct my article to fit to their interests and what they will be looking for, for entertainment.