+

How effective is the combination of

your main product and ancillary tasks?

+ In the real media world, all aspects of promotion

would be completed by the same record company

marketing team. It is important that each part share

strong links, in the form of themes and style, in order

to create a strong representation for the music

artist, and carry this identification throughout. This is

important to give uniform and a coherent identity.

With this in mind, I created all parts of this task, the

digipak designs, magazine advert, and the final

music video, with strong visual links, each portraying

the artist in the same light, carrying similar media

language and connotations.

I feel this is a key role in promoting the artist.

+Roland Barthes - Semiotics

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, who is

credited with developing the field of semiotics.

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, and the

idea that everything has denotations (what it actually

is) and connotations (what it may stand for).

Throughout my media project, I have encoded my

main task and ancillary tasks with many

connotations. This presentation will go on to explain

in depth, the variety of connotations featured.

+Colour Connotations:

Lots of greens and browns were used in the scenery to connote

nature.

This connotes the ‘natural’ music artist, with her ‘pure’ and

‘natural’ talent in music.

It also links to the fact that the artist is 100% real and down to

earth. Her music promotes the real her.

+ Clothing: The artist is featured wearing the same white coat throughout the

music video, digipak covers and magazine advert.

This adds continuity and also helps familiarise the audience with the

artist.

This would help the promotion and sales, as the audience would

recognise the products in shops, online, on the television etc…

The colour white also connotes ‘innocence’ and ‘purity’. This relates to the artists

‘pure’ music style and talent, and the innocence, as she is young. She also appears

innocent in comparison to many other pop singers who are represented in a highly

sexualised way (Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory).

+ Style (Clothing and Make Up) The outfit and style of the artist is quite covered up and simplistic,

creating a huge contrast between the usual representations of female pop artists according to Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ theory.

Mulvey’s theory suggests that females in the media are usually represented in a ‘revealing’ ‘sexualized’ manor, in order to attract the attention of the male audience.

My artist challenges this common convention by appearing more innocent and natural.

I feel the ‘natural’ representation is a much more suited one, to portray the very mellow, serious message within the track. It also gives my artist the ‘girl next door’ look, beautiful, but never centre stage.

+Graphics:

Whilst creating the digipak, I used a ‘handwriting’ style font to

write the music artists name.

This makes it appear like the music artists own

writing/signature, adding a personal touch.

I have used the same font throughout every aspect of my tasks

for continuity. It is featured on the CD front, inside (with the

personal message) and on the magazine advertisement.

+ Objects/Props/Iconography I tried to limit the use of props, as to strengthen the ‘natural’ feel, and simply emphasise the

focus on just the artist herself.

The only props were the swing set and roundabout, but even they were used in a very

natural looking environment, and the guitar.

The guitar connotes the organic artist, who writes, sings and plays her own music.

Nature is simple and beautiful, like the message told within the song.

Playing the guitar shows the artists

raw, singer-

songwriter, musician, natural talent. It

also adds to the simplicity of the

track, and how the artist has done

everything herself.

Artist stands out

against natural,

simple environment.

+Facial Expressions

The artist shows quite dreamy and relaxed facial expressions,

linking with the relaxed feel and beat, theme, and style of the

song.

Eyes looking into space

create a dreamy expression.

+ Body Language and Facial

Expressions

There are a few scenes in the music video that capture the

music artist with her love interest. The ‘love’ is shown

through the happy, smiling facial expressions and the

laughter they share. It is also strongly portrayed by the

holding of hands.

The scenes then reverse, and show the music artist alone.

The sadness is shown via the unhappy, withdrawn facial

expressions, and the feeling of being ‘alone’ is shown by

the artist being on her own.

These themes directly portray the message I interpreted

from the song lyrics, of a love story that didn’t work out as

planned.

+

This shows the artist and

love interest literally going

separate ways’ which

hopefully reflects the

feeling of them wanting

different things in life,

causing a seperation.

Holding

hands, and

arms around

each other

connote love.

Compared with the

sadness portrayed by

being alone.

+ Camera Angles

Lots of close ups were featured throughout my music video and

ancillary products.

I feel that by including close ups of the artist herself, it helps the

audience familiarise themselves with her, therefore making the

artist more noticeable for example when the target audience

are looking for albums to purchase in stores.

It also makes the video more personal to the artist, hopefully

making the audience feel more connected with her.

+ Camera Angles and Shots

Arty shots were also featured

throughout my music video, and arty

photography featured on my ancillary

products.

By including this throughout, I feel it

helped establish the ‘alternate’ feel to

the music artist and the song, linking in

with the ‘indie’ ‘alternative’ pop style

song, and the quirky identity of the

music artist.

+Conclusion

Overall, I feel that I have effectively used

media language to carry the same themes

and conventions throughout my main and

ancillary tasks. Through doing this I have

constructed a strong representation and

identity of the music artist and her style.