Mrs D

I'm impressed Hannah. Put some reflection/comments next to the images and filming attempts. Keep up the good work.

Ancillary Task Ideas

Digi Pack Ideas
The digipack includes four panes that will be used to promote the single "Wake Me Up" by Ed Sheeran. Due to the song title, my initial idea is to have the main image as the bed that features in the music promo. This represents the lyrics well, and Ed Sheeran is known for his unique style so this should fit with his image. However, from researching into existing digipacks, promoting the image of the artist is also extremely important, so to have an actor as 'Ed Sheeran' could be used on the front cover of the digipack. His existing digipack for his album "+" simply features his face on the cover, so this should influence the digipack I create to ensure that it fits with his style.
On the other hand, the back cover of the digipack needs to have a main image on aswell, therefore I could use an image of 'Ed Sheeran' on one side of the cover and the image of the bed that represents the song and single title on the opposite side of the digipack.
The layout I will use for from the options i've posted below, is Layout 3 because i think it's the best layout for promoting the artist's name and single title but also attracts the buyer/audience to the main image. For the reverse side of the digipack I will use Layout 2 to set out the images and the text. For the side pane I will use Layout 2 and the inside of the digipack I will use layout 2 aswell. I think these layouts keep with the conventional layouts of digipacks yet with the right images and text could give a unique style that fits with Ed Sheeran's image.

Camera Angles and Shots Practice

I have practise using the camera both on the tripod and handheld, to get a feel for how it works and what works best. I have used the zoom and different camera angles to practise before filming the real construction. I have practised tracking too, as I will be tracking the couple in my music promo.

Stop Motion Animation Practice

There will be two scenes in the music promo I create that will include stop-motion animation. One of these is when the couple are around the dinner table, and stop-motion animation will play for around 11 seconds and will feature the couple cycling down a road and the second is when the male character is outside and puts his cigarette out on the floor; this will be for 13 seconds and will feature the couple dancing in the bedroom with the "heart shaped stone" in perspective to the camera.

Filming Schedule

This is how the day should plan out on the day of filming. Hopefully the time allocation will fit with the weather and when it's darker outside but still light enough to film. If all goes successfully and I am able to stick to this schedule, the images should be appropriate for editing afterwards.

MES - Location

Camp Fire Scene
The camp fire scene will need to be shot at night time to look authentic, so I will need some lights to shine on the actors so that the camera will pick up the characters. When I create the filming schedule I need to take into account the time of filming.

Outside scene - Smoking & stop-motion animation

Kitchen scene

Kitchen Scene through the window

I found it quite difficult to take a photo through the glass without the light blocking the view, so I will need to take this into consideration when I come to film this shot to ensure that the characters can be seen. I will do some tester shots with the camera to make sure the characters can be seen through the window and if not I shall have to rearrange this shot and maybe film it from the inside instead.

Bedroom Scene - Stop Motion Animation

Bedroom Scene

The Mise-En-Scene in this location isn't correct as I don't think the bedding and lamp create the right feel for a young couple's bedroom. Therefore I will change the bedding to black and white bedding and put a different lamp on the bedside table.

Feedback

I have asked a few people of the target group I am aiming the promo at whether it would be a good idea to include some performance within the narrative as opposed to having a completely narrative-based music promo. The majority of those agreed and thought that this was a good idea, therefore i've decided that in the outside scene, around the campfire I will feature the male character lip syncing the lyrics whilst playing the guitar, there may be other areas as well that i will feature the male character lip syncing, but I plan to see what looks best when it comes to editing the clips and get some feedback from my audience as to what they thinks work better.

Mrs D

This looks great Hanah. You have used some great camera angles and movement in your storyboard and the lyrics and visuals match well. I like the idea of using the fire to change locations. Before you start filming, I would recommend that you get some audience feedback from your storyboard and would you benefit from some performance within the narrative?

Magazine Advert Layout Ideas

Digi-pack Layout Ideas Inside

Digi-pack Layout Ideas Side Pane

The typical layout of a side pane is to have the artist's name in the centre with the single title and record label images either side of this. Therefore this will influence how I will set out the side pane.

Digi-pack Layout ideas Back

The back cover of the digi-pack should give the buyer an insight into what's included in the single whilst continuing to promote the artist. On typical back covers there is a main image and a track list so this has influenced my potential layout ideas. I like the layout of layout 2 so that the main image is large and centralized but the track list is still a main feature of the cover.

Digi-pack Layout Ideas Front

Considering the single title is "Wake me up" I thought a good idea for the main image of the digi-pack would be the bed that will be used in the music promo video. This ties in the digi-pack and the video together making it appear as one promotional package. Another option could be to have a representative of the artist's image taking up the front cover, to present the image of the artist. However, Ed Sheeran is known to promote his music more so than promoting his image, so to fit in with his already established image it may be a better idea having a digi-pack that is more concept -based. The music promo video has areas of slow motion animation in the form of pictures; another option for the main image could be to use one of these pictures as it is straight from the promo so links it all together.

I like the layout of the third option with the main image centralized and the artist name the next thing seen with the single title underneath. This fits with the codes and conventions of a typical Digi-pack front cover, but it may be worth trying out different layouts when it comes to construction because Ed Sheeran's style is relatively different and untypical.

Storyboard and Timings

Storyboard and Timings Draft

RMA 8 : Damien Rice - Cannonball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yqM--IMkX4

I have looked into another Real Media Artefact that is more similar in genre to the Ed Sheeran single Wake Me Up. This is so I am able to get an idea of the camera angles and lengths of takes associated with slower paced music. This music promo for the single Cannonball by Damien Rice is concept-based, using images throughout to tell a story. The transitions used represent the pace of the song well, because they're slow but still fit with the beat. The promo also using moving image for the chorus to show the artist's mouth singing it. This tells me that a slower paced song should have slower paced takes and cuts. There is also a lot of slow zooming in and out to focus on different areas of an image. I will use this to influence how I plan the storyboard and timings for the music promo I will make for the song Wake me up by Ed Sheeran.

Storyboard Draft

Mrs D

The planning is coming along nicely Hannah. Go back and have a look at another RMA which uses slow music and analyse it. Try and think about how the camera and editing work as it can be hard to make a music promo from a slow music track interesting. Have a look at level 4 criteria to help with your ideas.

MES Choices/Ideas

Casting
Main Female - Emma Bridgeman
Main Male - Guy Gunstone

Outfits
Emma has long hair, which fits with the lyrics of the song, "and you should never cut your hair..." Emma needs casual outfits, e.g everyday outfits. This will includes Jeans, Trackies, Tops, Blouses. There may be a scene where the two characters are in a 'date' scenario, so she will wear a dress with heels to look smart. Her make-up will be natural so the narrative looks realistic.
Guy will also need to look casual, which will include wearing chinos, jeans or trackies with t-shirts and tops. For the 'date' scene he should look smarter so may wear trousers with a shirt.

For the music promo, there will be a clip of the couple lying in bed to go with the line, "maybe i'm just in love, when you wake me up." There will be a shot of the couple sitting in front of the TV in their trackies and pyjamas to look comfy and to go with the line, "and i know you love shrek, cause we've watched it 12 times." Another scene will be when the couple are on a date which will be a made scene at home, this will need a table with settings, candles and food. There will also be a shot of the couple around a campfire to show flashbacks of their relationship throughout.

Ed Sheeran - Wake Me Up lyrics

The most preferred type of music video was narrative-based, so I have chosen to replicate this in my music promo and make it narrative-based too. This means that the lyrics are important so that the story told links with the lyrics:

I should ink my skin with your name
And take my passport out again
And just replace it
See I could do without a tan
On my left hand,
Where my fourth finger meets my knuckle
And I should run you a hot bath
Fill it up with bubbles

[ Lyrics from: http://http://www.lyricenter.com/e50259-ed_sheeran~wake_me_up_lyrics.html ]
'Cause maybe you're loveable
Maybe you're my snowflake
And your eyes turn from green to gray
And in the winter I'll hold you in a cold place
And you should never cut your hair
'Cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder

And you will never know
Just how beautiful you are to me
But maybe I'm just in love
When you wake me up

And would you ever feel guilty if you did the same to me
Could you make me a cup of tea
To open my eyes in the right way
And I know you love Shrek
Because we've watched it 12 times
And maybe we're hoping for a fairytale too
And if your DVD breaks today
You should've got a VCR
Because I've never owned a blue ray, true say

I know I've always been shit at computer games
Because your brother always beats me
And if I lost, I go across and chuck all the controllers at the TV
And then you laugh at me
And be asking me
If I'ma be home next week
And then you lie with me till I fall asleep
And flutter eye lash on my cheek between the sheets

And you will never know
Just how beautiful you are to me
But maybe I'm just in love
When you wake me up

And I think you hate the smell of smoke
You always try to get me to stop
But you drink as much as me
And I get drunk a lot
So I take you to the beach
And walk along the sand
And I'll make you a heart pendant
With a pebble held in my hand
And I'll carve it like this necklace
So the heart falls where your chest is
Now a piece of me is a piece of the beach
And it falls just where it needs to be
And rests peacefully
So you just need to breathe to feel my heart against yours now
Against yours now
Maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up
Maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up
Maybe I fell in love when you woke me up

Letters of Acceptance

For the use of Ed Sheeran's song, "Wake me up," I have sent a letter to the artist's record label, Asylum Records :

I've written a letter of acceptance for the actors that will be in the music promo, to ensure that they are willing to be shown in the promo and on the internet and asked them to sign if they consent

Proposal

The artist I am going to create a promotional package of a music promo, a magazine advertisement and an album digipack is Ed Sheeran, and the music promo will be a narrative mixed with concept-base, to his song "Wake me up" from the album "+".

Initial Ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEsmNPPRZnE
Bruno Mars - Somewhere in Brooklyn

This song has a clear narrative in the lyrics which i can create a music promo from to relate the images to the lyrics. Bruno Mars was one of the popular artists I gathered from the responses I got for the music video questionnaire so therefore I know that he is well-known and will be liked by the public. However, this means that image will be important to keep with his own image as an artist so therefore I should aim to replicate this. This song is from the album "Doo Wops and Hooligans" so the ancillary tasks will need to promote this album, and inkeep again with the artist's image.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBqIvGgC8tk
Ed Sheeran - Wake Me Up

This song is emotional and could be presented in an "Ed Sheeran" style which is typically more artistic than other artists. This could mix concept-base with narrative-base to follow a couple in a relationship to fit with the lyrics. This song is from the album "+" so I would need to promote this album using the music promo, album digipack and promotional advert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ5NCVCYvP8&feature=related
Katy Perry - Self Inflicted

This song is about love so a relevant narrative-based music promo could fit well with the lyrics and tell a story of how she has "self-inflicted" wounds. Katy Perry has a relatively unique style to suit her target audience so if I chose to use this song to make a promotional package from I would have to inkeep with her image for the music promo, advertisement and album digipack.

Mrs D

This is really detailed Hannah and the research should help you create a good promotional package for your artist. I look forward to seeing how you will use the research.

How Research will inform Planning

From my research I am able to go on to make decisions about planning the music promo and ancillary tasks that I will create. Initially I made questionnaire's to identify what viewers like to see and not like to see in a music promo. From this, I can make informed decisions about where to go next with the planning stage. For example, I have identified that the target audience for the promo will be for 16-25 year olds and the preferred genre of music is Pop or R'n'B.

I have also asked people what they expect to see from an album digipack and promotional advertisement to help plan the ancillary stage of this project. From the results I will be able to design and create a promotional package that will attract as vast an audience as possible for the most effective way of promoting the artist.

From holding a focus group I was able to get some first hand feedback on a music video and what is liked and not liked in the promo. This will help influence me in the decisions I go on to make; for example, I should be careful about controversial subjects as not all of those who were surveyed liked that there was controversy.

I have learnt that the most preferred style of music promo is narrative-based, so I will take this forward when planning my promo. When looking at real media artefacts I identified the majorty of the camera angles used were close-ups and medium shots to focus on the artist and promote their image. This ties in with what's expected in mise-en-scene; female's outfits are usually relatively voyeuristic to attract male's attention, whilst male's usually have the lighting and scene to focus attention on them. This will help me as i can aim to replicate this in my music promo.

I have then researched into the ancillary task and what buyers expect from Album digipacks and promotional adverts. The focus is primarily on the artist's image, name and then followed by the album name, showing the order of importance. The artwork or images of the digipack or advertisement usually represents the name of the album so that it all links in together to present continuity and keep the three promotional tools as a package. This shows me what to expect so i can replicate this into my planning.

Product Placement

For this project I will be making a music promo of a pop or r'n'b genre, alongside an album digipack and promotional advert for a magazine.

The placement of these products is important to ensure that they reach the correct audiences successfully to promote the artist to the best of their ability and to sell the album. The music promo video should be shown on appropriate music channels; this could be MTV, MTV hits, VIVA, 4music, The Box or Chart Show TV. These are the TV channels that show the more mainstream music video's and are generally watched by the same target audience that I will aim my music promo at, if not a larger audience. Other places it can be watched may be on websites such as youtube.com as anyone is able to access this website and are able to watch it - this was also a popular response I gathered from the music video questionnaire.

The placement of the digipack is important as it will need to attract people to buy the album. In a store, the genre of of the album are usually placed near or next to each other. Therefore to locate the digipack for the album i'll create it will be in the pop or r'n'b section of the store. It is likely that the album will be sold in stores such as HMV or supermarkets that sell CD's such as ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury's or Tesco. The album may also be available online from Amazon.com or to buy of iTunes.

The promotional advert should also be shown in a place where the correct target audience can view it and go on to buy the album. To promote a Pop or R'n'B artist, the advert should be placed in a music magazine that specializes in these genres; this could be Vibe magazine or Q Magazine, yet due to the mainstream artists the advert could be featured in other genre magazines too. For example, a magazine such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour could feature an advertisement for an artist such as Beyonce who is very woman-based anyway. Therefore reaching the correct target audience. This should be kept in mind when deciding where would be best to feature the magazine promotional poster.

RMA 7 : Rihanna Magazine Advert

r



















This magazine advert is for Rihanna's album Rated R, released in 2009. The advertisement is in black and white suggesting Rihanna's unique but dark style. This links in with the name of the album as R Rated movies tend to have more drugs, gore, nudity and controversial topics.
The image of Rihanna shows the artist with a serious expression reflecting the serious nature of the album and is therefore reflected in the colour scheme. The outfit Rihanna is wearing also represents the "Rated R" theme, with dark lipstick and leather which can suggest a fetish theme.
The ragged appearance of the bottom half of the magazine advert continues to back-up the idea of dark style. Rihanna's name is highlight by the block styled writing which reminds you of the writing used on mug-shots. Similary to Ellie Goulding's magazine advert, Rihanna's name is in a bigger font than the font used for the name of the album, suggesting that the promotion of Rihanna as an artist is primarily more important
The only colour used in this advertisement is for the two song names that are featured on the album. The fact that this is red could represent blood, inkeeping with the theme throughout this advert.

RMA 6 : Ellie Goulding Magazine Advert

Ellie Goulding's album "Lights" was released in 2010. This is a magazine advertisement for the album. The image of Ellie Goulding has been edited to appear as though she has lights around her and through her hair. This is effective as it reflects the name of the album but also highlights Ellie Goulding's image. She's also faded in from a black background which also emphasizes the use of lights as if she's coming out of darkness.
The artist's name and the album name is then highlighted in a brighter gold colour, that once again represents light. This is heightened by the way it is against the darker background which in turn makes it more noticeable to the viewer and attracts the reader to it. The fact that Ellie Goulding's name is written in a bigger font than the album name, draws attention to the fact that the promotion of the artist is more important than the promotion of the album cover as it gives the artist their own image and gets their name well known.
The magazine advert is used to not only promote the album but to promote the artist and her image too. The advert includes reviews from The Fly and 4 star ratings from The Independant, G magazine and The Times. This is successful as it shows to potential buyers that the album has been enjoyed by established brands. This is an effective promotional tool to entice viewers to buy the album.

RMA 5 : Nicki Minaj Digipack

This is the digipack for the album "Pink Friday" by Nicki Minaj. The pink colour scheme is the most noticeable feature of this digipack reflecting the album name. The next is the image of Nicki Minaj, similarly to the Beyonce digipack, displaying how important image is in the music industry and the portrayal of the artist's image as a promotional tool. Nicki Minaj wears a wig to promote her image as she often wears them in her music promo videos as well. This shows continuity of Nicki Minaj as an artist as a whole.

The font used is important as it reflects the font Barbie uses which therefore links in with the colour scheme and the artist's style. Once again, the front cover of the digipack is relatively basic to focus the attention on the artist to promote her and to attract the viewer to the image.

On the back cover, again, Nicki Minaj is the first thing noticeable. She is wearing the same outfit and the colour scheme is continued onto the side pane and the back cover of the digipack. She has the tracklist to the left of the and in white font. The white font makes the list stand out whilst still inkeeping with the colours, and alike Beyonce, Nicki Minaj also features bonus tracks, appealing to the buyer.

The back cover features the logo from the record label Cash money-records therefore also promoting the label. There's also an image stating that it is against the law to pirate copy this album.

The side pane inkeeps with the colour scheme, presenting continuity, with the same font used for the artist's name and the album name.

RMA 4 : Beyonce Digipack

Beyonce's digipack promoting her album "4" is fairly basic on the front cover. This draws attention to Beyonce as an artist and endorses her image and how she is percieved. Beyonce's image takes over the majority of the cover and even covers her name - this can be done because she is such an established artist that fans and buyers of the album are able to identify her by appearance without the need to promote her name as much. The fact that the digipack is fairly basic also backs-up this notion that Beyonce is well-established, suggesting that she does not need to have an extreme or fancy front cover to promote herself and that she is enough to promote herself through her popularity. This shows the emphasis on advertising the image of the artist and appearances are evidently extremely important.

The outfit worn by Beyonce can be said to be voyeuristic, attracting a male audience to buy the album opening up the target audience. However, it also looks fashionable and on-trend which can attract a female audience.

The plain background highlights the images and the text on the cover, which enables to album name to be clearly seen and once again enforces the image of Beyonce and makes it bolder against the grey/blue background.



















The back cover of the digipack evidently has more information on it. The colour sheme matches that of the front cover, yet the image shows the back of Beyonce, reflecting the back cover of the digipack. The artist's name is repreated across the top of the back cover, without being covered as much, promoting Beyonce's name - the same font is used to present continuity throughout the digipack. The placement of the artist's name is important as it is one of the first thing the viewer will see however, Beyonce's image is still the main image of the cover which backs-up the idea of endorsing the artist's appearance.

The back cover features a tracklist incuding bonus songs. This is effective as it makes the buyer think they are getting more for their money buy getting extra songs with ther purchase. The tracklist also allows the buyer to know what songs there are on the album to make a decision about whether to buy the album or not. The placement of the tracklist ties in with the image as it fits underneath the skyline linking in all the images with the text and making it aesthetically pleasing. This is important as if the album looks good and professional it is more likely to be bought than one that looks amateur as it is a reflection of the music inside. The back cover also promotes the record labels with the logo of Sony music, Parkwood and Columbia Records on the back.

The whole digipack is used as a promotional tool for the artist so even the side pane is important. The same colour scheme is used here with black font to highlight what's written. Beyonce's name and album name is repeated down the side in the same font to once again present continuity and the record labels, Parkwood and Columbia records are also printed down the side pane.

RMA 3 : Bruno Mars - Just the way you are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

Bruno Mars’ music promo for the single, “Just the way you are” is very concept-based. He uses a cassette tape to draw out images whilst singing to the female actress. This is successful as it mixes music with art and creativity, which in turn presents Bruno Mars as an artist. This is effective as a promotional tool as it links in Bruno Mars’ character with his music video, which can also be seen by the “Just the way you are” digi-pack and promotional advert. Using a unique way of promoting music is ideal as it makes the viewer remember the video and the artist and want to come back and watch the video again, and go on to buy the single or album from the artist.
The mise-en-scene of this music promo is important as it shows a typical apartment and the clothes worn by both Bruno Mars and the female character, are casual and everyday outfits; the viewer can relate to this, showing them as normal people instead of celebrities.
The actions on screen also appear to match the lyrics as the girl moves her hair away in the cassette drawing, but Bruno Mars puts it back to match the words of the song; “you’re amazing, just the way you are”.
The majority of the camera angles used in this music promo are close-ups and medium shots, giving a personal feel to the video which matches the tone of the song. This ties in with the personal lyrics and the closeness of the two people on-screen, linking in all the aspects of the video.
The video is relatively basic, which was likely due to this song being Bruno Mars' debut single. However it's still an effective video and the fact he's chosen to do something a bit different for his first music promo suggests he is daring and will have a unique style for his future music.

RMA 2 : Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A&ob=av2e

Katy Perry's music video promoting the single, Last Friday Night is very much narrative-based, telling a clear story throughout. The images on screen match the lyrics well and the comical story line grips the viewer into watching the promo. Using a interesting narrative is successful in promoting the song and the artist because it makes the viewer want to carry on watching and wonder what else the artist can produce.
Katy Perry is an established artist, so not only can afford to take new risks with the promotion of her music, but has a fan-base that will be looking forward to new material from her. However this video still reflects Katy Perry's style through the use of bright colours which can be seen in the majority of her other promotional videos, digi-packs and advertisements. The use of bright colours represents the target audience that the video is aimed at; typically a younger audience who relate bright colours to fun. This is backed-up by the mise-en-scene and the scenario. For example, the music promo shows Katy Perry at a typical drunken teenage party, which would attract teenagers to watch it as they can relate to it, yet the use of bright colours and short takes would attract a younger audience too that are traditionally attracted to pop music.
The time that this music promo was launched was soon after the youtube sensation of Rebecca Black. Katy Perry decides to feature Rebecca Black as a comical aspect of the video that stirred up conversation about the music promo. This made viewers want to watch the video to see what the stir is about, which in effect became good publicity for the song and for Katy Perry as an artist.

Dolby

some good comments here- look closely at the fact that they commented on the controversial images; you want to be able to appeal to your target audience so this is worth bearing in mind. Maybe you could look at a more 'typical' video or an older one to provide some contrast.

RMA 1: Kanye West - Run this Town

The first music promo I decided to look at and analyse was the song Run this Town by Kanye West - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfFfqiYLp0&ob=av3e
This music promo has elements of being concept, performance and narrative-based. The girl actress at the beginning of the video is later referred to in the lyrics of the song, "needs her daddy" and is focused back to near the middle of the video. This represents a story beginning to be told and also shows continuity. The lyrics are also mirrored in the actions of the first verse, where Kanye West sings "I hold my head," and then holds his head on screen.
The colours used contrast with the story at the beginning when the music starts, and the lights begin to flash as opposed to the black and white world that the girl is living in. This could contribute to the story in that the girl is, in a way, needing the light in her life. The colours are a big factor used throughout the music video, and replicate the lyrics, the first chorus is written out on different shots: this gets the audience involved and able to read the lyrics and join in. It also creates and sets and atmosphere for the song and the video. The use of lights also adds to the continuity throughout the music promo, and suggests the target audience of the video as teenage viewers due to the flashing lights replicating a nightclub scenario.
However, after the first verse, the music video becomes very performance based, with short takes and camera angles fitting with the beat and enhancing the atmosphere, focused on Kanye West as an artist. This is a promotional tool to get his face noticed and recognised, however the video goes on to just show Kanye's shadow, making a suggestion that even his sillhouette is recognizable and his fans will be able to notice that it is himm without needing to see his face - this goes hand in hand with the artist's personal image.
The mise-en-scene becomes important by the third chorus, when Kanye West is positioned on top of a police car suggesting controversy as this is illegal, yet the flashing lights also fit in to the theme of the video. The outfits used are also significant in attracting the audience and promoting the single. This can be seen through Rihanna's outfit as it is extremely provocotive and voyeuristic suggesting that it will attract a male audience.

Focus Group Response Analysis

From the focus group I am able to identify what the viewer likes and dislikes to see in a music promo and what they like to see in a digi-pack. I used the music video The A Team by Ed Sheeran, and the overall comments of my focus groups' initial thoughts gave good feedback, stating that it's "powerful," "emotional," and "gripping." This is good as it suggests that this is a music promo that the viewer enjoys watching, which will help me identify what it is in a music promo that grips the viewer and replicate this in the planning and construction stage of my project.
The second question i asked was whether the narrative of the music promo worked well with the music itself, which again came back positively. Most of the people asked from the focus group said that the video and images fitted with the lyrics really well, and that "The storyline is really easy to follow but also emotional and a bit controversial as well." Two of the five people i asked said that the music video was controversial because of the use of drugs and prostitues, however one of those two stated that they liked the fact that the video was controversial because it made it unique and different to other music promos.
I then asked if the music video works well and if anything should be changed, to which i got the replies such as, "Yes, i think the music video presents the song well and would make me want to listen to the rest of Ed Sheeran's music." The only negative response to this question was the fact that it may be too controversial with the use of drugs and prostitutes, and "full-frontal". One response was that they liked the way that Ed Sheeran plays a minor part in the music promo. This may be seen positively because it focuses more on the music than as Ed Sheeran as a celebrity, making the viewer able to relate to him more, however does not completely cut him out of the video so he is still recognized in it.
When asked, "Would this music promo make you buy the single/album?" a few of those asked said that, yes, the music video represents the single well and would make me want to see what else Ed Sheeran has to offer, however it was also said that it was more the song that would make a viewer buy the single/album as opposed to the music video itself. One of the five people asked however, said that they probably wouldn't buy the CD because they "don't normally listen to music."
I then asked the focus group whether the digi-pack and the music promo work well together, which I gained mixed responses from. Some said that, yes, the album artwork is similar to the music video in that they both have a serious tone to them, and others said that the album artwork represents Ed Sheeran as an artist well because of his image. The comments I got suggested that the colour of the music promo didn't match the colour of the digi-pack because of the orange digi-pack but black and white music promo. This suggests to me that when i create the digi-pack I should consider the colour schemes and ensure that it all ties in together for the best way of promoting the artist and the single.

Focus Group Responses

Response 1

What are your initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?

The video is emotional. the fact that it's in black and white mirrors the tone of the song and the special effects look good.

What do you make of the narrative through the music video?

The story flows and you can tell what's happening. The actions match the lyrics and you sympathize with the actress

Does it work well? What could be changed?

Yes, it looks good and it all fits together. I like the way Ed Sheeran is featured as a minor character - still recognizes him as a part of the single.

Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?

Yes, i want to hear/see the rest of his music

Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

Yes, it seems personal and fits with Ed Sheeran's image as he's normally recognized for being ginger and the artwork is orange! It's simple yet effective

Response 2

What are your initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?

Powerful, compelling, made me want to take the girl home and help her before it's too late! Loved his voice and the words to the song

What do you make of the narrative through the music video?

The words of the song told the story

Does it work well? What could be changed?

It works very well. Maybe more colour contrast between the girl (grey) and the world around her (colourful)

Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?

Probably not, as i don't listen to music that often

Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

I don't think the two really go together and struggle to see the connection except the face must be the man singing

Response 3

What are your initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?

Quite powerful - may be a "taboo" subject that some people may feel disturbed watching. The camera angles/ speed make you feel involved

What do you make of the narrative through the music video?

Can follow the girl well - camera angles make the viewer involved from the girls point of view. the narrative fitted to the lyrics of the song.

Does it work well? What could be changed?

It works well with the song, but is quite full-frontal with drugs/prostitutes which could be seen as controversial.

Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?

I am intrigued to see more of what he can produce considering this is his first "big-time" hit. The video itself wouldn't make me buy the album/song - but the song would

Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

I think the close-up, serious face/tone of the digi-pack suggests a serious message as seen in the song/video too. However the colours etc don't work - but the digi-pack does have to represent him as a whole.

Response 4

What are your initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?

It conveys the theme of the story in the lyrics well, and it is upsetting

What do you make of the narrative through the music video?

The video shows a moving story and makes you feel sorry for the female actress

Does it work well? What could be changed?

Yes, i think it works well as the viewer is more in depth with the song when the images match it, therefore selling the artist better.

Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?

Yes, i think the music video presents the song well and would make me want to listen to the rest of Ed Sheeran's music

Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

I think the music video and the digi-pack could have worked better if colours were more co-ordinated, and the fact that Ed Sheeran isn't in the music video much but is on the front cover of the album doesn't tie in the video with the image. But as an album cover, not a single cover, i think it represents Ed Sheeran well.

Response 5

What are your initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?

When first watching the video, it's upsetting and very gripping - it makes you more involved with the song when you're gripped to the video. The colours and sound effects work well with the lyrics and sets a sombre tone for the single.

What do you make of the narrative through the music video?

The narrative works really well and fits with the lyrics perfectly. I like the way Ed Sheeran is barely featured and uses a female actress to convey his message, and I think this makes it more believable as opposed to himself playing the character. The storyline is really easy to follow but also emotional and a bit controversial as well.

Does it work well? What could be changed?

Yes, I like the fact that the video is controversial because it makes it different and unique to other music videos. I like the way the colours represent the mood throughout, where the sun rises at the end, and I like the speed effects in the middle - it's as if the whole world is moving past/around her and she's not even noticed. I also like that Ed Sheeran is still featured in the music video even though he's not the main part because it links him to the single

Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?

The music promo represents Ed Sheeran's music and style effectively, and does justice to his single "The A Team" so I probably would buy the single/album after watching this music video to see what else Ed Sheeran has to offer.

Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

The digi-pack is very representative of Ed Sheeran as a whole, and it is simple yet looks good. However I don't think it makes this particular song very well apart from the serious look about him - yet it does present the rest of his music well.

Focus Group Questions

I will ask a group of 5 people to watch the music promo, "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran, and the album digi-pack and then ask them questions reguarding the music video and what worked well and what didn't work as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ

























Focus Group Questions
What are you initial thoughts of the music video as a whole?



What do you make of the narrative through the music video?




Does it work well? What could be changed?






Would this music Promo make you buy the single/album?




Does the promotional package of the music video and the digi-pack work well together, and why?

Ancillary Task Questionnaire

Music Ancillary Questionnaire

What attracts you most to the cover of a Pop or R’n’B CD?
An image of the artist
A relevant image to the single
An irrelevant image to the single
A screenshot of the music video
The band/artist’s logo
The colour scheme
The font
Other_____________________________________________________________________________________

What is it about this that does attract you?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you like to see the track list on the back of a CD cover?
Yes/No

And, why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What other information would you like to be included inside a CD cover?
Tour dates
Lyrics
Artist’s website
Fan-mail Address
Artist images
Other_____________________________________________________________________________________

I f you saw an advert in a magazine for a Pop or R’n’B CD, what would attract you to read it?
The colours / style theme
The artist featured
Fonts used
The images

What is it about this that does attract you?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is there anything else you’d like to see on a CD advert in a magazine, and what?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music Video Questionnaire Results

The majority of the people asked were Female and in the 16-25 age range, so initially this gives me a target audience to aim my music video at. However, there was still a large percentage of those surveyed who were male, so this needs to be taken into account when getting ideas for the video.

Fortunately, there was only 2 people out of the people I asked who did no watch music videos, and these two people feel into the over 61 category. Therefore my results should reflect well what audiences think when they watch a music video as a promotional tool.

Out of those I asked, the most popular genres of music were Pop and R'n'B, followed by Hip-Hop and Dance music. This therefore shows me what genre of music I should aim to produce a music video in, that will be most enjoyed by my target audience.
Which artists do you listen to most?
Popular artists that i found reoccured in many of the surveys were, Beyonce, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran and Kanye West.

The most popular answer of how music videos are watched came out to be through the Internet. Those who chose internet mostly commented that they watched the videos through the internet streaming website youtube.com, however a couple of responses said they also used music.com. The second most popular way music video are watched are via music channels on the TV. This bought examples of MTV, MTV hits, Viva and 4 music. The few people who said they watched music by downloading them, said that they watched this through iTunes and iM1.

What's your favourite music video?
Popular answers for this question were,
Kanye West - All of the Lights
Rihanna - SNM
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
Noah and the Whale - 5 years time
Ok Go! -Here it goes
Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

From these results I can use these music promo's as Real Media Artefacts for further research, as these are the videos that my audience likes to watch and will therefore influence the music promo i create effectively.

What is it about this music video that you like?
This often came back with answers like, "it's unique," "it grabs your attention," "the video fits with the beat of the music," "Bright lights and colours"
What do you not like to see in a music video?
The most popular response for this question was nudity and naked women. However, a lot of people also answered that they didn't like to see plain, boring or cringy music videos.

Those surveyed said that they enjoy narrative-based music videos most to watch, with performance-based being the second option. This gives me an outline of what the audiences like to see so I can mirror this in my decisions for the music video i will create

Most of those asked, said that they didn't mind whether it was groups or artists who were in the music video. However, those who answered with an option preferred to watch solo artists as opposed to groups.

This question bought an almost even result with 17 people preferring to watch the artist or band in the music video, whereas 13 people replied that they like to watch actors instead

Mrs D

Another good draft. Don't forget a digipack is more than the front and back cover of a cd. It is 4 pains.

Mrs D

The analysis of your Questionnaire is coming along nicely. Try to bear in mind that the video is a promotional tool. The most popular music promo could be used for rma research so that all your research ties together. Keep up the good work.

Ancillary Task Questionnaire Draft

Music Ancillary Questionnaire

What attracts you most to the cover of a Pop or R’n’B CD?

An image of the artist

A relevant image to the single

An irrelevant image to the single

A screenshot of the music video

The band/artist’s logo

The colour scheme

The font

Other_____________________________________________________________________________________

What is it about this that does attract you?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you like to see the track list on the back of a CD cover?

Yes/No

And, why?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I f you saw an advert in a magazine for a Pop or R’n’B CD, what would attract you to read it?

The colours / style theme

The artist featured

Fonts used

The images

What is it about this that does attract you?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is there anything else you’d like to see on a CD advert in a magazine, and what?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music Video Questionnaire Results Draft

The majority of the people asked were Female and in the 16-25 age range, so initially this gives me a target audience to aim my music video at. However, there was still a large percentage of those surveyed who were male, so this needs to be taken into account when getting ideas for the video.

Fortunately, there was only 2 people out of the people I asked who did no watch music videos, and these two people feel into the over 61 category. Therefore my results should reflect well what audiences think when they watch music videos

Out of those I asked, the most popular genres of music were Pop and R'n'B, followed by Hip-Hop and Dance music. This therefore shows me what genre of music I should aim to produce a music video in, that will be most enjoyed by my target audience.

Which artists do you listen to most?

Popular artists that i found reoccured in many of the surveys were, Beyonce, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran and Kanye West.

The most popular answer of how music videos are watched came out to be through the Internet. Those who chose internet mostly commented that they watched the videos through the internet streaming website youtube.com, however a couple of responses said they also used music.com. The second most popular way music video are watched are via music channels on the TV. This bought examples of MTV, MTV hits, Viva and 4 music. The few people who said they watched music by downloading them, said that they watched this through iTunes and iM1.

What's your favourite music video?

Popular answers for this question were,

Kanye West - All of the Lights

Rihanna - SNM

Ed Sheeran - The A Team

Noah and the Whale - 5 years time

Ok Go! -Here it goes

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

What is it about this music video that you like?

This often came back with answers like, "it's unique," "it grabs your attention," "the video fits with the beat of the music," "Bright lights and colours"

What do you not like to see in a music video?

The most popular response for this question was nudity and naked women. However, a lot of people also answered that they didn't like to see plain, boring or cringy music videos.

Those surveyed said that they enjoy narrative-based music videos most to watch, with performance-based being the second option. This gives me an outline of what the audiences like to see so I can mirror this in my decisions for the music video i will create

Most of those asked, said that they didn't mind whether it was groups or artists who were in the music video. However, those who answered with an option preferred to watch solo artists as opposed to groups.

This question bought an almost even result with 17 people preferring to watch the artist or band in the music video, whereas 13 people replied that they like to watch actors instead.