Album Cover Trial

At first I was unfamiliar with how to use Photoshop. I felt that it was crucial that I made myself comfortable with the software from the early stages of research so that I was able to use it correctly when it came to designing it for real as part of the project. In order to enhance my skills on Photoshop, I watched YouTube videos and gained advice of people who are more familiar with the program than myself. I decided to do the album cover for the artist that I was going to be using for my music video.This is the outcome of my first project:

After making my first CD cover, I was surprised out how simple it was to create. I felt confident with my first design, and therefore challenged myself to make a more complicated cover which would require a lot more intricacy than my initial one. My second effort consisted of more layers, and more fine tuning to create the best image I could. For it, I used the artist Drake:

Videos From The Same Genre: UK Hip-Hop

In each of these videos, we see very similar characteristics which are predominantly used in UK Hip Hop videos. They feature the artist heavily, rarely having shots other than the person performing. This is normally because they aren't as heavily in the mainstream spotlight as other more pop artists. This technique allows their image and brand to become more familiarised with the public. Furthermore, setting is used to either suggest how 'hard knock' their life is, featuring the area that they were born and raised in. an example of this would be an estate in the south London area. Or, it can be glamourised, suggesting how they've come far from their old days where they were living rough, and have now made it to the top. An example of this would be filming on a tour bus or in America.

Distribution

Distribution is how the artist distributes their product to the public. This is done through the agreeing of term and signing a contract, giving the distributor rights to sell the artists music. They can then sell this on to record stores. From this deal, the distributor will be allowed a cut of the profits that the artist makes from selling their CD. An example of music distribution is:


Nova:

All Nova titles are exclusively distributed by Universal Music Operations in the UK & Ireland (Deep Catalogue by GEM Logistics). Nova pre-sells all titles to all major specialist retailers, supermarkets and internet sellers such as HMV, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Amazon and Play.com as well as to wholesalers, exporters and the independents. We pride ourselves on prioritising all releases in a clear professional manner and remaining contactable for all labels at all times.
(http://www.novadist.net/services.html)

Ideas

We had the idea to film on a nearby estate in local Roundshaw. This is easily accessible from school, and is also close to where my co-partner lives. The location is perfect, as it is a large housing estate, typical of conventions in UK hip-hop genre.

We also decided that we wanted the artist to have an outstanding-feature, something that will distinguish him from other artist. This could be an item of clothing or a typical style that is unique to that of the artist, making him more recognisable.

We liked the idea of including shots of street names in the area, as it links in with the idea that these artists are proud of their roots.

The Team

For this particular project, I will be working with the same partner that I collaborated with in the AS Thriller Project, Fabyan Agili

What is a music video, and what is it's purpose?

The wikipedia definition of a Music Video is 'a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes'. They are mostly used for promotional purposes, in order to promote the sale of music records. Although these videos as a type have been around for many years, the music video genre is much widely recognised as being discovered by MTV and its culture in the 1980's.

Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. Many music videos do not interpret images from the song's lyrics, making it less literal than expected. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance.

The Music Industry- History

18th Century
The music industry reaches back to the mid-to-late 18th Century. In this era musical composers, most notably the likes of Wolfgang Mozart, began to look into ways to gain commercial recognition of their work, and market their music to the general public. After his death, his wife continued his music, creating public hearings of his work in memory of him. Alongside her second husband, they also released a biography of his life. In short, she unintentionally had created the music industry.

19th Century
At this period of time, sheet music dominated the music industry. It was fast selling and very appealing to the general public. In America, it rose alongside the increase in popularity of 'blackface minstrels'. In the latter part of the century, the group which dominated the market were known as Tin Pan Alley. They were a group of music publishes and songwriters from New York.

20th Century
The Thomas Edison creation of the phonograph and the widespread introduction of the radio changed the way in which music would be heard forever. Opera and other theatrical performances were still shown in halls and performed live, but it also meant that lesser known artists were able to produce their music worldwide through the introduction of the radio.
The record industry became the dominant force in the industry over the original sheet music format. Columbia Records and Pathé were among the first record publishes to spread their music worldwide.Many companies 'died' very quickly up to the late 1980's. However the 'Big 6' have remained strong throughout, they are: EMI, CBS, BMG, Polygram, WEA and MCA. Sony later bought CBS in 1987 and changed its name to SonyMusic in 91. Also, Polygram merged with MCA to form Universal Music Group, turning the 'Big 6' into the 'Big 5'. The introduction of broader genres such as folk music began. Also, independent labels, otherwise known as 'indie', were a popular choice for up and coming artists to choose, despite heavy financial backing for much larger affiliated labels.

Audience: Target, Influence and Effect

Media texts can heavily influence the views and the perceptions that are recreated by the public. This is generally perceived on a mass scale of audience. There are many theories that have been created over many years of investigations, here are some of those:

Hypodermic Needle Theory (Effect)
This theory was discovered my German Marxists in 1930, who personally witness the power of Hitler's propaganda, and how he managed to manipulate public opinion on a mass scale.
The medies is said to be like a syringe/needle, which injects ideas and beliefs into mass audiences which they are powerless to control. An example of this is if you see a person commit murder through media, you may also go out and commit violence after watching the text.

Examples of this are that of 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971), which sees mindless, unprovoked violence committed by youths. This in the past had been banned from viewing, due to the fact that it was beleived it would encourage people of a similar age to recreate what they have seen on the screen. A more recent example of this is the 'Human Centipede 2', the sequel to the infamous 'Human Centipede'. This was also banned for its explicit horror and dark sexual scenes.

This theory can somewhat be flawed, as it cannot be determined that an act of violence is specifically triggered after watching a violent film. Thousands of people have all seen films such as 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', and not all went out and reinacted the scenes in which they had viewed.

Cultivation Theory
Due to the fact that it couldnt be guaranteed that individual media texts directly effect the audience, a more refined version was created.

It was suggested that although not one piece of media text can have such an extreme effect, but that of a culmination  of years and years of viewing the same violent genre can in fact cause the viewer to react in a violent manner. This effect is called desensitisation.

Sensitisation
This theory suggests that after prolonged amounts of time viewing a specific type of genre (in the case that of a violent nature), it allows the audience to be sensitised to the effects of violence. This suggests that some violence seen by the audience can be so shocking after a build up of years that they a more aware of the reprucsions that it can create.

Identification
This suggests that an audience can identify themselves with a character in a media text which can lead them to recreate acts similar to those seen on screen. This is proven through the idea of drug cartels and mafias, and is also used by the police through the use of pornography when interrofating sex offenders, in an attempt to make them reveal their precise emotions.

Goodwin's Theory

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A2 Specification

3.4 A2 G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media

The purpose of this unit is firstly to assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3); secondly to assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2); and finally to assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4). The unit requires candidates to engage with contemporary media technologies, giving them the opportunity to develop their own skills in these technologies. It also enables them to develop the skills of presentation that are required for further study at higher levels and in the workplace.

This is a coursework unit. Centres must set the brief from the menu below, though they may define more precise details in negotiation with candidates. From this brief, candidates will produce:

 a media portfolio, comprising a main and ancillary texts; 

 a presentation of their research, planning and evaluation in digital format(s). 

The media portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following media: 

 Video 

 Print 

 Web-based 

 Audio 

 Games software

Each candidate will evaluate and reflect upon the creative process and their experience of it. Candidates will evaluate their work digitally, this evaluation being guided by the set of key questions below. This evaluation may be done collectively for a group production or individually. Examples of suitable formats for the evaluation are:

A blog 

• DVD extras 
• A podcast 
• A powerpoint 
• A Website 
• Or a combination of two or more of the above

In all cases, candidates should be encouraged to see the evaluation as a creative task and the potential of the format chosen should be exploited through the use of images, audio, video and links to online resources. Marks should be supported by teacher comments and may be supported by other forms such as audio or videotaped presentations.

Production work for the main text in the Advanced Portfolio may be in the same medium as AS work (in order to allow for the development of skills within a particular medium) or a different medium (in order to allow for breadth of experience of different media forms). The ancillary tasks will ensure that all candidates have the opportunity to explore a different medium at some point in their production work.

The production element and presentation of research, planning and evaluation may be individual or group work (maximum group size is four candidates). Where candidates have worked in a group, the evidence for assessment may be presented collectively but centres will still assess candidates on an individual basis for their contribution to aspects of the work, from planning, research and production to evaluation.

Though there is no formal individual essay component for this unit, in the G325 examination, candidates will be asked to write about the work undertaken from this unit and from the AS coursework unit. It is therefore recommended that candidates undertake some form of written reflection as practice for the exam.

G324 is marked and internally standardised by the centre and marks are submitted to OCR by a specified date, a sample is then selected for external moderation. The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks: 20 marks for the planning and research and its presentation; 60 marks for the construction; 20 marks for the evaluation.

In the evaluation the following four questions must be addressed: 

 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real

media products? 

 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? 

 What have you learned from your audience feedback?

 How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Brief  

When centres choose from these set briefs for candidates, they should be guided by their strengths in terms of resources and expertise. Centres should also bear in mind the key areas: forms and conventions, production contexts, the role of technologies, audiences/users and representations.

To avoid excessive overlap with AS briefs and to ensure an appropriate level of demand as a step up from AS, the following form the menu of set tasks at A2. All briefs require the production of three media products, one major piece and two ancillary products. The menu allows candidates to work in just two media, or to explore three different media.