Overall elements of the products link back together as we have been able to build a sense of branding. For example, we felt it was important that our artist is able to send a strong message to her audience on her beliefs and by doing so we used the social media page to spread awareness on climate change and how our planet is being affected. The digipak also highlights the values that the brand is building by adding multiple images of the earth to emphasise that point. This will embed the seriousness of our message to our target audience.

 

Our production is aimed for young women and teens and to catch their attention we wanted to embrace that femininity. To interpret this into our music video we used a high shot over the model on a couch wearing a red dress; there are props such as a tiara and champagne to emphasise that girly aspect. The dark blue lighting in this scene creates a contrast allowing the red to stand out giving that sexy and seductive feature. On our social media page we worked with the brand heart and for the shoot we had a dark pink background and light pink pyjamas; this soft photo symbolised the playfulness and compassion in our brand. To tide in our digipak we used a pink background to really represent the femininity within our brand.

 

When researching for our music video the main artist we looked into was Emeli Sande who is an artist of the pop genre. It was important to research her as we used her song for our music video. We discovered that she is very positively portrayed in the media and is seen as confident, powerful and is always seen in bright colours. We felt it is important to represent this through our star image.

 

We looked into conventions of a music video and would analyse a range of conventions such as edits to the beat, lip synching and selling the star. This research was particularly important so we understand the conventions for the pop genre so we correctly portray this within our own music video. I found from watching videos by our chosen artist that close up angles, glamorous makeup and costumes were major to highlight the star image for this genre.

 

Using Laceys research on repertoire of elements helps to understand that the key factors for a music video are setting, character, narrative, iconography and style. I can now recognise that the audience expects certain conventions such as costumes that work well with our narrative yet are still eye-catching and represent the pop genre. To execute this, in our party scene for the music video we had the star image in a sparkly dress with glammed makeup and nails; this helps create an atmosphere for our audience. Using certain camera techniques to portray our performance which also forms a connection with our target audience that is what Altman would call the blueprint. For example, we used a close up of a head shot on a scene where it is more emotional in the song which gave it that one on one attachment with our viewers.

 

Using the research from my padlet when creating my music video we used conventional shots such as close ups as it creates that ordinary, relatable and friendly representation for the audience to connect with. For example, we looked at a long shot from a music video which had a silhouette of an arch way which we really loved; to create this within our video we filmed at an arch way for our performance. This added a dramatic effect as it created a mysterious star image which kept a focus on our performer while having a  detailed background.

 

However, we decided to challenge the blueprint (Altman)and not use some of the conventions.  This included  xxxxx example….and x as an example…….borrowed some conventions as inxxxxx

 

The digipak was also one of the products that needed to represent the pop/ genre and our artist and brand. To do this we used a variety of media language for print such as fonts, colours, images to represent that genre. For our main image on the cover we used a close up photo of the model from their shoulders to her nose; by using photoshop we were able to cut and edit it to our preferred reference. Our initial idea for this was to create something that stands out because it is intriguing to our audience. 

 

Using the earth to be the top half of her head automatically will get viewers to begin to question  and to emphasise this we used a more faded image of the earth directly behind her to emphasise this. We used this method of having a range of transparencies on the planets and stars as it helped create a depth to our cover. To also produce more dimension we had a photo of a star image and a larger world on the back cover on different gradients; when presenting this to other people for feedback they wouldn’t notice at first glance however when focusing on it we had a positive reaction it felt like you saw the album for the first time again.

 

For the layout of the inside our goal was to use a range of colour to stand out linking it back to the pop genre. We used a pattern of vibrant swirls that went along with the colour theme and an image of the earth ‘melting’ as this a hidden meaning which relates to the artists values and beliefs.  Barthes theory when he talks about symbolic codes we wanted to interpret the world as our brand wants to promote awareness to climate change; current viewers of our artist will understand that from our social media page and see the planets on our cover with the earth being the head to our star image allowing it to really stand out. This theory suggests that an audience acknowledges a specific signifier and its associated signification linking them back together although it could also be a cultural code as some audiences may not interpret the climate changing references.

 

We used a serif font for our main title on our front cover because it signifies ((De Saussure)  to our audience that we are an established brand and as we have a very bright and funky cover this font brings back a traditional feel to it. We used another style of a serif font which was for her name; this was more bold and bubbly which represents that fun and quirky part of our brand. All of the front was white with a pink glow as this really allows it to stick out from our busy background and using a pink highlights the femininity within our album while also coordinating with the colour theme. For a border we used a small script font which really highlights our artist but also adds a nice small detail.

 

We used an analogous colour theme with pink, purple and blue as these colours complement each other very well. This connotes the pop genre well as they are very bright and signify confidence, femininity and creativity. These colours are eye-catching for our target audience as they are mainly young women. To add more of a pop we interpreted orange on the stars and spines of the digipak. Using a colour opposite on the colour wheel really allowed it to stand out and draw the audience in.

 

Our target audience for our products is young women and teens and to ensure that we engage our audience to our product we researched other celebrity social media pages. I found when looking into Alex Andrasavoirs instagram that it was very unique and quirky; this created a more eye-catching appearance for her first impression. We wanted to interpret this into our social media page.

 

Researching the Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratification theory, it highlights social relationships, personal identity, entertainment and information as being key to maximising audience engagement. These are all critical aspects to include on the social media page to keep our target audience engaged. To include social identity we post a variety of photos of the artist as doing this creates a familiar face to our viewers and by showing more personality it gives the audiences a sense of community.

 

Online people tend to like being able to relate to someone which is their personal identity. For this our artist posts personal images like travelling and being with friends; this creates a more valuable first impression allowing the audience to relate back as they can see her more as a person and not someone that produces music. To give our audience entertainment we use Q&As on our stories which allows the viewer to ask the artist a question directly and it to be posted publicly. This audience interaction makes it more inclusive for the viewer as it lets them engage. Lastly, information is key on a social media page. Fans will follow as they are able to get updates on upcoming events directly from the artist. We did this by creating a couple posts which included information on meet and greets, album releases and current brands we were working with. We would also repost things which spread awareness on the planet and climate change which were interactive for the audience and allowing them to understand what the artist beliefs and values are.