Coursework Completion Tasks

You MUST have your work completed and ready for marking by 6pm on Tuesday 2nd May.

Please ensure that you read and follow the instructions below:

TASK 1

Ensure that all Research, Planning and Construction evidence is correctly and clearly labelled via individual blog post titles. 

Remember that this should be the case for all 3 pages of your blog : Music Video, CD Digipack and Music Magazine Advertisement.

Your blog should show a journey from the start of the year to your completed film products. 

Think about the 4 key words in relation to all of your posts - are they minimal, basic, good or excellent? 

You need the majority of posts to be good or excellent!

TASK 2

Your completed music video, CD Digipack and Music Magazine Advertisement must be available to view on your blog and clearly titled as the finished product. 

Word these as follows:

"Run" Jasmine Thompson Completed Music Video (embedded from Youtube)
"Run" Jasmine Thompson Completed CD Digipack (embedded as a .jpeg file)
"Run" Jasmine Thompson Completed Music Magazine Advertisement for X Magazine (embedded as a .jpeg file)

TASK 3

Your evaluation should follow your embedded music video on the main page of your blog. This must be posted in question order (1-4).

I will take some photos of you all delivering your presentation to include on your blog.

TASK 4

You must hide all of the comments that are on your blog.

In order to do this go to DESIGN mode for your blog and click on Settings.

Click on Posts and Comments

Click on the drop down menu next to Comment Location (as shown below) and select Hide.

Make sure you click on Save settings before you leave the page.

TASK 5

The last task for you to perform on your blog is to delete the link to my blog! This is important - please do not forget.

Research - Conventions Of MMAs

Once you have researched music magazines and identified the magazine that you think your artist's album would be most likely to be advertised in, you can go on to research the conventions of music magazines advertisements. 

Look at a selection of mmas in order to identify and analyse conventions on a wider basis to begin with - use advertisements for albums from multiple genres. 

Your analysis of these mmas needs to show that you have thought carefully about the purpose and effect of different aspects of a music magazines design. For example, think about the following:

• Artist's name - placement? font style? font size? colour? relationship to other aspects of the mma? relationship to the artist's image and visual presence elsewhere? (ask if you don't understand...)
  
• Album title - placement? font style? font size? colour?
  
• Image(s) - what is usual? is the artist's image more likely or less likely to be used? could this change according to genre? What other sorts of images are used and do these reflect the genre of the artist?
  
• Other - what else could be included? why choose to include these things? how do they support the promotional nature of a mma?

Remember that you are focussing on Conventions at this point.

Here is one example we will have looked at in class:

 

 

MMA Research

As your first post on your MMA page, use the images below to describe the initial conversations we had about music magazines.

Which music magazine do you think your artist's album would be most likely to be advertised in and why?

Q Magazine Media Pack

Mixmag Media Pack

CDD Research : Analysing An Existing 4 Panel Digipack

Once you have completed your notes relating to the codes and conventions of the 4 panels of album artwork in general, you can move to completing a close analysis of a specific album's artwork.

Take a targeted screenshot of each of the 4 panels of one of the CD Digipack posted below

Once you have done this, copy each panel at a time and paste these into Powerpoint. You can then add annotations around the image in which you analyse:

• the way in which the conventions of album artwork have been used / developed / challenged 
• the messages that are communicated by the codes such as image, font, positioning, colour, etc.

On completion of this close analysis, take another targeted screenshot of each panel and your annotations and post these to the CD Digipack page of your blog with the same title as this post. 

This MUST be accompanied by a description of the task and an explanation or analysis of HOW completing this task may help you to produce a more realistic media product yourself.

Repeat the task for the following number of CDs by your chosen artist or an artist from the same genre as your chosen artist.

• Minimal : 1 other CD
• Basic : 2 other CDs
• Good : 3 other CDs
• Excellent : 4 other CDs

J P Harris and the Tough Choices "I'll keep Calling"

CDD Research - Analysing Conventions Of Existing Media Products

CDD Research : The History Of The Album Cover

Your first research evidence on your CDD page should be evidence of some research you have undertaken into the history of the album cover.

• Create a sub-heading as per the title of this post.
• Read through the following information and watch the video that is linked at the end.
• Copy and paste the text below but add in at least one image after each paragraph which relates to that paragraph. For example, you could insert an image of an early brown paper sleeve after the first paragraph.
• Make sure that you add the link tot he video - do not try to embed it as it is restricted.

The first disc records, ones that we would recognize as such, appeared around 1910. Most often these were packaged in plain brown Paper or cardboard sleeves. Occasionally and enterprising retailer would print his store name on the sleeve but generally they were unadorned.

In the early 1920's retailers started gathering many of these cardboard sleeves and binding them together with heavy paperboard or leather covers. These looked similar to large photo albums and, borrowing the name, were sold as record albums. These albums offered much greater protection for the discs than the original packaging and were seen as indispensible to disc owners that had seen too many of their fragile records broken.

Beginning in the 1930s the record companies started using these record albums to distribute bundles of records from one performer or a collection of performers with similar musical styles. Some of the first cover designs can be traced to these albums and the record company’s desire to graphically communicate the music each album held.

Alex Steinweiss the art director for Columbia Records is given credit for the concept of modern cover art. He experimented with different concepts and images through the late 1930s and into the early 1940s. During this time Columbia Records rebounded from the terrible years they had suffered during the depression to become one of the most prominent record companies in the United States. Much of this was due to their ground breaking use of graphical design. By the close of the decade all major recording companies had graphic design professionals on staff.

The golden era of cover art design began in the early to mid 1960s and lasted into the early 1980s. During this time the major format for music was the 12 inch, long play disc or LP. Cover art became a part of the musical culture of the time. Often used to express graphically the musician’s artistic intent, it helped connect and communicate to listeners the message or underlying theme of the album.

Designers, photographers, and illustrators sometimes became famous for their cover art creations. Such notables as Andy Warhol and Frank Frazetta were taken from being known in their industry to becoming household names due to their cover art graphic design work. So respected and desired are the designs and illustrations found in cover art that there are numerous art galleries that specialize in helping collectors find rare album covers.

As the medium for recording transitioned from the LP to the compact disc many graphic designers failed to transition with it. Having worked for so long with the much larger canvas of the LP cover, switching to the smaller CD case left most designers dissatisfied with their results. Often artist and record companies simply tried to shrink the LP size art to fit the CD.

Album cover art, now almost exclusively CD and CD packaging artwork, went through a period of change and rebirth in the 1990s. Designers learned to capture snapshots and portions of the artist’s musical intent rather than trying to convey the entire message. Also designers started conveying the emotion of the music rather than the musical intent.

In the late 90s computer design programs started to overcome the physical limitations of the smaller CD packaging. With the ability to draw much tighter, finer lines and have even small details look crisp and sharp, once again designers were free to explore a larger variety of design options. As the technology continued to improve graphic designers adapted and were once again producing world class artwork.

In the present, CD design is undergoing a true renaissance. Rather than becoming obsolete in the digital age as many thought it would, graphic design is once again proving itself as the difference maker. The internet is now the largest record store imaginable. Now rather than browsing a few hundred albums or songs at a time you may be exposed to thousands and thousands. Since it would be impossible to listen to portions of all those thousands of songs the design of the accompanying artwork must cause potential listeners to stop and take notice and give this album a try.  

CLICK HERE to watch a video which provides an interesting take on the implications of album artwork in relation to marketing.

Reflections on Research and Planning Self Assessment

I have looked through your self-assessments of your blog evidence to date and have replied to your post with my own thoughts, some advice and a task for you to complete as a reply to my comment.

This only applies, however, to those of you who have posted your self-assessment!

Jake was absent on Friday morning and, therefore, the absence of this is more understandable.

Lewis and Stephen, however, were present and I expect this to be posted to your blog at the earliest possible opportunity.

I think that the strongest blog at present belongs to Jake and, therefore, I am going to make him Top Blogger.

There are several of you whose blogs are not up to date and need work and effort to bring them up to the required standard. The weakest blog at present, however, belongs to Stephen and, therefore, I will be looking for evidence of a real drive for improvement in the next week.

Research and Planning Self-Assessment

I would like us to stop and review what the evidence on your blogs suggests about your progress to date in relation to your research and planning.

Here is the Level 4 criteria in relation to Research and Planning:

There are 8 bullet points that your blog evidence will be judged against.

I would like you to look through your blog and focus on the following things:

1. Research into existing music videos
2. Research into a potential target audience
3. Work on storyboarding
4. Time management
5. Use of digital technology or ICT 
6. Communication skills
7. Level of care taken in the presentation of work

Create a post in your blog with the title Research and Planning Self Assessment

In this post I would like you to reflect on the evidence of each of the above 7 things as it stands in published posts on your blog at this moment in time.

This is the evidence that is actually there.

For each bullet point:

• Copy and paste the bullet point as a sub-title
• State whether you think that the evidence that you have on your blog is Excellent, Good, Basic or Minimal 
• Provide an explanation, including specific supporting examples, to justify your self-assessment
• Explain what you think you need to do in order to improve the quality of your blog evidence both historically and from this point onwards

I will then post a comment under your post in which I explain my judgement at present and offer advice about making improvements.

Planning : Work To Be Completed

Once you have completed the work set out below, you need to manage your own time in order to complete all of the following by the end of Term 2.

Each stage below is part of your planning evidence and must be detailed in a separate post.


Planning : Casting

This post should clearly evidence the casting of performers for your music video.

You should include video evidence of actors 'performing' so that a clear sense of their suitability can be seen.

Evidence of Level 4 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE and HERE

Planning : Filming Locations

This post should clearly evidence the choice of locations for your music video.

You should include still image and video footage of the locations you consider. 

Evidence of Level 2 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE - why do you think this evidence is only Level 2? What could you do to ensure that it moves beyond BASIC and into GOOD (level 3) or EXCELLENT (Level 4)?

Planning : Costume 

This post should clearly evidence the consideration of costume worn by the performers in your music video.

You should include a clear explanation of how your costume choices reflect the artist's style and the genre of music into which the song falls.


Evidence of Level 4 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE

Planning : Props 

This post should clearly evidence the consideration of how props will be used in your music video.

Evidence of Level 4 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE

Planning : Camera Equipment

This post should clearly evidence the planning of camera equipment for your music video.

We have a range of cameras available. You need to record test footage with these which shows that you have practised using the camera equipment before it comes to the actual filming for your music video.

You need to include photos of the equipment and of you using it.

Evidence of Level 4 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE.

Planning : Lighting 

This post should clearly evidence the consideration of lighting for your music video.

You should show thought about the need for lighting or, if there is no need, why this is the case.


Evidence of Level 4 planning for this aspect can be found by CLICKING HERE

Planning : Shot List

You must produce a shot list which clearly shows what footage will be needed during the filming stage.

You can see a completed shot list for the music video 'Selfies' produced by Evie Brudenall by CLICKING HERE

Planning : Filming Schedule

Once everything else above is completed you are in the position of being able to produce a filming schedule.

The filming schedule draws things together and can be used as a tool to ensure that you have everything you need to be able to film successfully.

The best way to produce this is via Microsoft Excel.

I have a master copy that you can use - this looks like this:

Planning : Audience Feedback

Once you have created your animatic, you need to obtain some audience feedback regarding the ideas that you have BEFORE moving any further forwards.

Show your animatic to members of your identified target audience and record their feedback in some way.

Create a post titled Planning : Audience Feedback and record details of what you did and the feedback that you received.

You should also show some sense of reflection regarding the feedback that you receive. Is it going to make you change your ideas for your music video in any way? How helpful did you find the observations made by members of your target audience?

Planning : Storyboarding and Animatic

You have all completed work relating to the production of a timeline and storyboard panels for your music video.

You should also have taken photographs of each panel from your storyboard.

These need to be imported into Adobe Premiere Pro, together with an MP3 of your chosen song, in order to create an animatic for your music video.

When you are editing your animatic, you MUST take screen shots of the construction process along the way. You will need these at a later point.

Once you have edited your animatic you need to export it and upload it to Youtube.

Here are some examples of animatics, together with the finished music videos, created by students last year:

Evie Brudenall







Panashe Charamba






Rebecca Brown







The next task is to create a post titled Planning : Storyboarding and Animatic in which you do the following:

1. Explain the process that you followed to produce the timeline and storyboard panels.
2. Include images of these as evidence - the more the better.
3. Explain the process of creating the animatic - use the screen shots you took along the way to act as further supporting evidence.
4. Embed your animatic via Youtube.

This post must be detailed and contain careful explanation of your workflow up to and including the creation of the final animatic.

Planning : Music Video Pitch For Artist Name 'Song Title'

You need to be ready to pitch your music video to the group on Friday 2nd October.

The slides below, which we went through in class, explain what has to be done.

Planning : Creating An Online Mood Board

As the first stage of your planning you should create a mood board for your chosen song.

This should be made up of a series of words and images which reflect the genre and mood of your chosen song.

The main purpose of this is to ensure that you have a sense of what your genre and song are 'about' before you move into any other planning stages.

You can create your online mood board using GoMoodboard

Using and online mood board generator such as GoMoodboard will also allow you to refer back to this in your evaluation when discussing how you have made use of new digital technologies during the planning stages of your music video.

This is clearly referenced in the 4th question of the evaluation that you will have to produce. The questions are shown in the image below.

Your mood board will also act as further evidence to count towards your mark for Research and Planning.

Embedding Your Chosen Song

It is a good idea to embed your chosen song into your blog at this point.

This is useful so that I can listen to your song easily.

You should embed the audio only and Soundcloud is a good option for this. Do not embed the original music video.

I can show you how to do this so your song appears as follows:

Research : Lyric Analysis

We discussed the importance of considering an interpretation of your chosen song's lyrics today.

I showed you how to use Microsoft Word to add comments to your lyrics - here is the example that we did at the start of the lesson.

Your comments should be a mixture of observation, interpretation and questions. 

Think about how a mood is created in the song - a good way to do this is to make a list of all of the adjectives and verbs in the song and think about what type of picture they help to paint. 

Once you have done this, create a post title:

Research : Lyric Analysis : Artist Name 'song'

In this post, provide an explanation of what you have done together with screen shots of your Microsoft Word document.

You could also use a website such as Word It Out to create a word cloud for your song's lyrics. This could then be added to your post as further evidence of your efforts for the examiner.

Copy your lyrics into Word It Out and it will create a word cloud which alters the size of the words according to their frequency in the song. This can help to show where repetition takes place. 

Here is an example for the Frank Hamilton song, 'Summer'.

Research : Who Are The Target Audience For My Artist?

You now need to move away from your chosen artist and think about who their target audience is.

This is vitally important before you move forwards as you are producing a promotional package and you must know who you are appealing to with your music video, CD Digipack and Music Magazine Advertisement.

Most magazines produce media kits or press kits for prospective advertisers - these allow them to promote themselves and for advertisers to commission advertisements in the most cost-effective and targeted manner.

Looking at a media kit helps you to se just how much effort is put into the identification of a target audience.

Create a post titled Research : Who Are The Target Audience For My Artist?

Take a sheet of paper and create a pen portrait for a typical member of your artist's target audience that includes as much information about them as possible.

• What age are they?
• What sort of things are important to them?
• How do they dress?
• What types of music do they listen to?
• What do they read? Watch? etc
• How do they use social media?
• How do they spend their time?

Here is an example produced by one of our students last year. This student was producing a promotional package for the artist Nina Nesbitt and she is describing a typical Nina Nesbitt fan.

Nina Nesbitt : Initial Audience Research

Here is another example produced for the artist HAIM.

HAIM : Initial Audience Research

Research Into Existing Music Videos

Here are the slides we used in lesson this morning:

You can find an example of a music video analysis by another student by clicking here.

This analysis is for the music video for Biffy Clyro's song titled 'Black Chandelier', which can be watched below.

A2 Target Grades

The Focus Cards below show your AS mark, your A2 target grade and the number of marks you need to get in order to achieve this.

I will do a card for Rhys in due course.