Elliot - 4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages? (Filmed)

Here is the filmed evaluation for question 4. My part starts around 4:12.

Elliot- 3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

We gathered audience feedback by giving people in other groups a feedback form (see above), with which we could gather audience opinions and see what we did right and what could be improved. From what we gathered the audience really enjoyed the narrative side of our video. They thought it was funny and held their attention throughout the video (a particular favourite was the POV shot when the chav tries to get served at the pub). They also thought the performance side was very good. However, they did see some issues with the lighting (it seemed to be a little dark and unclear at times) and the performance is out of sync at some points (which personally I disagree with). A general complaint was the lack of effects and transitions throughout the video. However, we wanted to avoid using effects and transitions for the sake of it as we knew it would look cheesy. We also knew that had we used them people would have complained about our transitions and effects! Apart from these minor issues the audience enjoyed the video. I agree with most of the issues raised, however seeing as we did this exercise after we had finished the video there is really nothing we can do about it. The criticism was fair and we took a lot on board.

Elliot - 2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

In my opinion we have maintained a clear image and theme throughout our campaign. Our focus has always been combining the suburban grittiness of indie with the retro, vintage feel of the 80s, which is appropriate as this is when our chosen band was active. Our photoshoot was set in the bike sheds of our college. This was a stroke of genius as it allowed us to keep the urban theme while also adding a touch of class with the bicycles, which is most prominent on our inside CD cover. We kept the vintage theme by using Photoshop to give all our photos a vintage hue. This was consistent on both the CD cover and the website. I think the video, digipak and website are all very effective at selling the band and targeting our audience. Our clothing choice of checked shirts in the performance was appropriate to the genre and gave a working-class look to use while still looking "dapper".  Our theme throughout the "campaign" has been urban yet classy, and I think with the mixing of modern and retro we have achieved this effectively.

Elliot - 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The Smiths - Nowhere Fast

Oasis - Supersonic

Our Music Video

It is clear that we have used the forms and conventions of indie music (both contemporary and "classic") in order to establish our genre and target audience. The most obvious way we have done this is include a solid performance, with a full band (in the video for Nowhere Fast, The Smiths take the performance to the extreme by setting the video in the studio, seemingly as they record the song), in an urban/suburban location. We have also used the idea of a house party to appeal to our target audience (teenagers/young adults) as this is what they are now notorious in the media for. This is a way of showing development of the conventions of indie, adapting them for a contemporary audience.

 Our mise-en-scene, sound and shot types/editing are all fitting within our media form and genre, including locations such as pubs and petrol stations. This is similar to Oasis, who filmed the video for their debut single Supersonic on a rooftop. The shots are quick and punchy, with fast editing, as they should be in an effective music video.

 One way we have challenged the conventions of our genre is by having our main character as a Chav, completely subverting audience expectations, as they would expect to see a more "indie" individual as the main character in an indie music video. This is why we show the indie lead character at the start of the video, to create a false expectation for the audience. This is a form of irony, as you would expect to see a charming, dapper man in a video for a song called "This Charming Man", not a Chav. Despite the seemingly miscast lead character, the video works on the basis that the Chav is seen to be the complete opposite of a "charming man", which is what the song is about. This is including irony in our video. Also, our target audience would enjoy seeing a chav trying to fit in with them and failing miserably.

We did not explicitly use postmodern ideas in our video, however we did use modern social technology by including a Facebook status. This will appeal to our social networking target audience. This is a form of intertextuality, as we are utilizing another media form for our media form. This is also developing the conventions of the indie genre, as Facebook has become the replacement for the "flyer" method of promoting bands. Instead of physical flyers promoting band's gigs, as many famous bands used when they were starting out, Facebook pages and events are used to promote gigs, as we use in our video.