1A.
Research and planning has been a pivotal stage of the production of both my AS and A2 Media productions.
Researching the codes and conventions of existing texts is a key component during the AS and A2 process allowing for greater understanding of what makes a professional media product. Initially when researching the codes and conventions of music magazines for my AS coursework I became heavily reliant on pre-existing documentation regarding said codes and conventions on such sharing platforms as SlideShare and Blogger. This gave me a good basis from which my own magazine would be created from. The creation of a magazine is however relatively static and so conclusively in order to meet the codes and conventions of more dynamic media products such as the production of a music video, it was apparent that the research skills used had to be adapted.
Resultantly rather than being so heavily reliant on pre-existing documentation, I decided that it was important to watch and analyse professional music videos from my chosen genre of hard rock/ metal. I analysed 'Bed of Roses' - Bon Jovi, 'Before the Dawn' - Judas Priest, 'I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister and 'Number of the Beast' by Iron Maiden. This enabled me to decipher for myself the codes and relative conventions of music videos within this genre. I believe that this contributed extensively to my overall products because the understanding of a successful video and indeed the micro-feature styles exhibited to which I have been able to transpire in my media product. Notably a guitar solo scene within my video was inspired by one depicted in Bon Jovi's Bed of Roses video and Guns 'n' Roses infamous November Rain video collectively.
In terms of planning I believe the ancillary task for music magazines during AS was pivotal in shaping my entire advanced subsidiary media portfolio. During this task I was able to better understand key software such as Adobe's CS6 master suite, most proficiently InDesign and Photo-shop as well as using hardware such as the Cannon 550dslr to which would proliferate in importance throughout the production process. Despite this however use of said software and hardware was at most rudimentary. The production of my music video, digipak and magazine advert has however required a much better understanding of the equipment. Resultantly an equipment list was devised as well as a Power-point listing the attributes of the available equipment and indeed how to get the possible outcomes. This research resulted in a 85% usable shot rate for all recorded footage and shots and proficient understanding of all software's and hardware's.
Resultantly therefore the ancillary task in the AS planning stage in conjunction with further research into equipment I have been able to produce two professionally created media productions.
In conclusion therefore the development of and indeed completion of the aforementioned research and planning tasks have held a massive influence on the professionalism and understanding of success in media production as well as demonstrating how I have been able to develop as a media student as a result of the research and planning stages of media production.
1B.
The 'Tears of a Clown' A2 music video provides multiple examples of how micro features can be so influential in creating meaning and encoding messages within music videos through the existentialism of Claude Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites thesis.
From the opening scene of the video we are introduced to a performer pictured within a high to low angled long shot dressed in black standing alone with just a microphone. This semiotics of this shot are pivotal as it encodes a message of loneliness and depression and helps to foreshadow later harrowing fruitions regarding a key protagonist. This notion is further embodied by the black and white edit thoughtfully placed onto the shot.
The viewer is then however introduced to yet another black and white shot however as the opening montage develops the colour red has been de-coloured and is indeed the only colour prominent throughout the entire video. The denotations of this as Roland Barthes suggest is that the leave colour edit and lowered image tolerance on the shot is merely presented for stylistic purposes however the connotations of this editing process is to signify the importance of red with the videos entire ethos, with red often exemplifying either love or hate as well as pain, three emotions exemplified throughout the video.
Camera becomes growingly more influential in the clip where a stedicam is used to track the main protagonist has he bursts through a crowd of paparazzi. This shot is a key shot simply for the denotations of the protagonist being someone forever in the public eye. It is during this section of the video that the audience becomes aware of the protagonists clown make-up. The mis-en-scene element of using clown make-up provides a clear encoded message of a man who is constantly hiding behind this persona of being the 'funny man' but inside he is broken and estranged. The shot preceding the paparazzi shot provides a chronological and indeed sequential linear narrative as a low to high angled, slow motion shot depicts newspapers falling in a deliberate manner - achieved by reducing the speed of the shot by 60% - to which is accompanied by the diegetic song lyrics 'smile for cameras all ok...but tomorrow is another day he must get through...' thus comparing the aforementioned pre conceptions of the denotations of the shot.
The video reaches its climax during the montage edit during a guitar solo to which evokes suspense amongst the audience as the pace builds. A succession of shots of a chair and a sand timer provide some very disconcerting semiotics to which are then heightened by the clown stepping onto said chair and preceding to rock it. The montage is a key part of the encoded message of death and depression as it creates a real sense of anticipation amongst the audience and as the video draws to a close the final shot is particularly pertinent. The final shot shows a black and white edit as the stated chair falling in slow motion - 60% speed reduction - encoding the notion of hanging.
The semiotics in the conclusion of the are effective as all of the fragmented shots of cemetery's and trees with nooses hanging from them are suddenly decoded and the video is able to have a thus greater impact on its audience.
Overall the variety of camera shots and low angled shots into bright lights signify heaven alongside the mis-en-scene and encoding of love and pain in support of Levi-Strauss' theory of binary opposites through editing perfectly resembled how micro-features of film production can be so important when considering the semiotics of media texts.
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