Options for the Main Task- Ancillary texts

If you have seen my overview of the A2 media course, you will have noticed that there is more to the coursework than just the production. In fact, we have to include two extra pieces using different media forms that link to our production. For a music video, i am given the option of creating an album cover, a home page for a band website or a magazine article for the album/ single. I have to choose two of those to accompany my main production. The only one i am definitely is the album cover as i like the creative possibilities related to the creation of covers.

album covers are incredibly important in giving the consumer an idea of the theme of the song/ album. i have found a few albums that do this well, and a few that don't.

Firstly is the album cover for "closer to the sun" by Slightly Stoopid.

Looking at this cover, you probably would assume this band was linked to more heavy music, political comments and more gritty topics with the big sound to accompany. However. this band is actually California Reggae. In fact, a lot of their album covers tend to link more to this gritty, dark imaging, rather than linking closer to their genre. One would assume this is either meant as a sort of joke or nod to other bands with similar album cover themes. But, i digress.

On the other end of the spectrum is Pink Floyd, who seem to much prefer the more simple covers that don't suggest much about genre. an example of this is the cover to "Dark Side of the Moon"

This incredibly elegant album cover carries very little suggestion as to the genre of the band, aside from it linking to a more modern, uncluttered sound. The use of the spectrum coming out of the prism suggests that the album will carry more depth or clarity compared to others (represented by the beam of white light entering the prism). But I may be reading in to it deeper than i should because of how much i love this album cover.

Set Planning

With my location sorted out, i started to process of how i want the music video to act in the space. As it will mainly be filmed in a corridor and a room coming off of it, i felt it would be easy for me to make a paper replica in order to get my head around it. So, i got my scissors, blue tack and an A4 sheet of paper and set to work. The results were rather... Interesting... i would love to post the videos of me working with this paper set, but i'd like to end this week with at least some of my dignity intact. So, instead, i will post some pictures below of how it worked. Enjoy.

While this may have seemed ridiculous while i was doing it; it did prove useful to the development of my staging in the location. The one thing that this technique didn't give me was a true idea of the scale of the location. But something like that will have to wait until we can use the space. I'm hoping to get my cast and props down to the location at the end of September in order to start the production phase and to give me a greater idea  of how to carry on and use the space more effectively.

Palette and Treatment

Palette and treatment are two things that need to be heavily thought about at the start of any production; as these factors help determine the edge and the representations created in the production. These can turn an ordinary production into one of many things.

Palette normally refers to lighting, props and the set used in productions to help the overall suggestion carried through. While treatment is more closly linked to how the factors discussed in palette will actually effect the emotion of the viewer.

For example, if we look at this video for Calum Scott's "dancing on my own", we can gain a clearer understanding of how these two factors can influence a production.

From this video we can see various themes start to emerge, creating a rather somber an gloomy mood. The costume, set and filter are incredibly washed out, lending to the topic of the song draining the artist. The use of the amount of people along with them all wearing plain white with blank expressions links to how they aren't the focus of his eye as he is too drawn to watching his lover or crush being taken away. 

My Main task presentation

Before the summer, we were tasked to create a power point and present our idea to the class. is an incredibly value stage in the formation of an idea as it gives us a platform where we can receive constructive criticism in order to further our idea and understanding of the undertaking. i presented my concept of a music video of "don't forget me" in this session and it was rather well received. But some questions were brought up with it. mainly linked to the treatment how much work i have to put in to create this performance based hybrid music video.

below is my presentation;

Main Task Breif by Ben court on Scribd