Media StudiesQuestion 2 of 4

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

On the completion of our main music video production, I started work on the two ancillary tasks, the CD digipack and a promotional magazine advert for the CD. After the extensive research I did before the production was carried out, I had to do similar research again for the ancillary tasks, however, this time focusing on different aspects than I previously did. For example, whereas before looking at industry work involved analysing shot types, costumes, and locations, for the paper based productions, I concentrated studying their colour schemes, font types and compositions for specific genres. On the day

of filming, we multitasked in that we also carried out multiple photo-shoots after each costume change with the ancillary tasks in mind, before the actual footage was filmed. This meant that we already needed to have some idea of what sort of pictures would be included in the printed publications, however, more in

depth research was done after the shoot in order to clarify the use of typography and layout.

As I carried out both primary and secondary analysis for the ancillary tasks, I was able to get an idea of how I would use successful conventions of print promotions, whilst also incorporating my own ideas, without contradicting the star persona of the artist or the pop genre. The album cover had to reflect themes shown in our video as well as the star image so as to create a sense of continuity. In addition to looking at the actual CD’s and their designs, I also researched some various artists and fashion photographers to get a wider spectrum of influence. One particular photographer who stood out to me amongst the others was Rankin, as the concepts in his work represented the ideology for the image that I wanted to create in my work. After sketching out my various designs for the front cover of the album, I

Nerissa Edwards

CAPTION: Above are the two major case studies that influenced my work. As well as analysing their music videos, I also looked at the way the genre representation was carried through into other forms of promotion, and how I could utilise some of those techniques in my work. From this I learnt that the pop genre is very colourful and creative, exploring ideas of sexuality and in many cases ‘alter egos’, portraying a confident and eye-catching image to target audiences.

Media StudiesQuestion 2 of 4

narrowed it down to three that I thought were the best in terms of creativity and innovative ideas.

After deciding on the images, I did numerous amounts of experimenting using Adobe Photoshop in order to enhance the images, and relate them back to the abstract theme throughout my work. Through the process of trial and error, I was able to come to a conclusion on which effects worked well with each other, and how they portrayed specific aspects of the star’s image. Genre representation is very important to help create meaning, and also to make pop recognisable. Although I wanted to make the style of the CD and magazine advert reflective of the pop genre, I wanted to avoid a déjà vu image, instead bringing novel ideas into my work. I also tried to incorporate other conventions that would typically be found on a hard copy of the album, such as the production company, date of release, distribution, barcode and reference numbers in order to make my work as professional and realistic as possible by conforming to major institutional codes. I also wanted to keep in conjunction with recent promotional trends and developing media technologies, which is why I decided to advertise the artist’s website at the same time. Despite this, I opted not to include features such as a track list, as I felt that this would take away from the mysterious,

Nerissa Edwards

CAPTION: Here are some examples of the attempts I made at creating the album cover. I decided against these as I felt that they portrayed conflicting ideas than I wanted the audience to receive. After testing out some other ideas, I concluded that the use of effects and image modification should not sacrifice the representation of the star, therefore, my final piece allows a star persona to be seen more clearly, due to less extreme adjustments to our pictures.

Media StudiesQuestion 2 of 4

abstract element of my promotional technique, therefore decided it would be better to put the track list inside the album booklet.

I wanted to make my work memorable, for this reason I resisted conformity in some instances such as using symbolisms to metaphorically portray images of femininity, abstract ideals and original concepts. Adobe Photoshop has assisted me greatly, and I feel that by using the

software to my advantage, I was able to create a more expert final production, instead of the outcome I would have achieved on another programme such as Microsoft Publisher. I also tried to utilise the technology available on InDesign, however, I found that Adobe Photoshop was much more beneficial to me. I had many attempts before I settled on my final design, which was chosen as I thought that the image suited the genre I am supposed to be representing, whilst reflecting my own creative flair. The main reasons behind my decision on my final design lie in the fact that if this were to be a real industry piece, I feel that compared to others in the pop genre it would stand out and appeal to a wide variety of audiences.

In terms of the magazine advert, it was a much easier process than producing the CD digipack. Traditional magazine promotions include an image of the album cover, and the date of release. With more in depth research, I found that some industry advertisements also included page numbers or motifs that would make the magazine itself recognisable, critic reviews, prices and where they would be sold. Whilst I included some of these conventions, I chose not to include others, such as reviews and prices as I did not want the focus to be drawn away from the actual product.

Nerissa Edwards

Rankin Productions

Our Production Ideas

CAPTION: Here are two of Rankin’s productions that I thought were very influential, and below are examples shown two of the ways in which we used and developed some of his ideologies.

CAPTION: This was my initial idea before I developed and adapted this further to create my final advert design.

Media StudiesQuestion 2 of 4

Overall, I feel that all of my productions work quite well together in that they portray a sense of continuity. I have tried to keep themes and motifs the same throughout so that the artist can be relatable, and instantly become recognisable when amongst others in the same genre. In the productions I tried to be reflective of the pop genre, whilst adding new elements so that the target demographics would be kept interested. I think that the combination of the print productions and the music video itself is quite an effective one, as they all show individuality, whilst at the same time linking into one another to portray a consistent image. Examples of constant themes include the use of colour schemes, font types, imaginative images, and I also tried to incorporate another promotional technique used in the industry in the form of trade-marking, shown in the idea of glow sticks. In terms of the marketing and promotional techniques I have integrated, I feel that it was quite effective in achieving a successful star persona as I tried to think of creative ways that I could sell and relate the artist’s image to the target audience. Abstract, eccentric glamour was the key ideology for our production, and I think that this has been clearly depicted throughout both the main and ancillary tasks.

Nerissa Edwards