PROMO PACKAGE Slayer digipak, vinyl, figurine + promo videos

I mention beer as a great example of merch below - you can buy both Slayer and Iron Maiden beer in Luxembourg (Auchan), and Motorhead, plus some other branded wine/spirits if I recall correctly. That this is now a common strategy, especially in heavy metal, can be seen from a simple google ('heavy metal beer'). See this Pinterest for a gallery (pic, right comes from it):

A salutary lesson - I'd tapped out a lengthy post on a smartphone using the Android app ... only to see every word blink and disappear (possibly because the broadband connection flicked off). If using this very useful tool, its worth saving a few times to avoid the risk of this...

NB: As the article link contains a filter-unfriendly term, its below the read more line; the videos featured in the article contain uncensored strong language.  

Multi-editionalising has become the norm, certainly for rock/Indie acts

Here's a new example of a converged, web 2.0 promo package featuring a digipak, vinyl and download options, a range of videos/vodcasts, and even an expensive, limited edition figurine (which clearly anchors the core target audience as being male, and a significant chunk of this being older males, more likely to be able to afford such items!).

The Metal Eagle Edition of Repentless is also available. Made of aluminum alloy, measuring 15” X 17” X 3” and weighing in at a hefty 7.8 pounds, the Metal Eagle Edition will house a deluxe digipak of the new Repentless CD plus bonus material detailed below. The limited (only 3,000 copies worldwide) and numbered Metal Eagle Edition will be a direct-to-consumer item and available exclusively via the Nuclear Blast mailorder online stores.

You really should take note of this - regardless of how simple your brief might be, your ads should reflect not just a digipak but the wider range of options we expect to see today, and you could usefully (and very simply) spin off digipak designs into vinyl editions - after all, the digipak is in large part mimicking vinyl sleeves.

Thrash metal icons Slayer are signed to an Indie label, Nuclear Blast, who astutely exploit the potential of online tools to engage with the existing fanbase and target a new audience for their acts.

The Art of the Vodcast

I have previously burbled on at some length about vodcasts - here. This post will be less detailed.

In the context of coursework, podcasts which summarise research are great ... as you can re-edit these for your Evaluation, including comparison with what you actually produced/did.

A vodcast is a podcast with video. It is likely to include your voice, though you can use titles to the same effect.

A SHORTER GUIDE TO GOOD VODCASTING PRACTICE: brief, pithy, well illustrated, creative, expressive, analysis, terminology, concepts, opinion, titles, chapters, top ten, short clips, fair usage copyright law, mix audio levels, limit face time, branded, ident, channel watermark, target audience, tags, YouTube, links lists...

It will be quite brief. About 2 minutes is good; 5 minutes is starting to push it ... and don't go beyond 10 minutes. If you can't fit all your content into that time limit, think about how to split it up into themed chapters.

Brand your vodcasts, as I do. Once you've created a basic 'opening title' sequence for one, you can copy/paste the sequence into any future vodcast and simply edit the titles. I also recently started adding a watermark, in the style of the company or channel logos you see on TV, asserting my brand but also ensuring my work can't be ripped off!

I've created quite a few vodcasts, and will be adding more - a playlist is embedded below

Mag ad resources collected

I've spent a few days now trawling through the 500 posts on here retro-tagging, and doing a bit of tidying up. I'm changing some of the links in the top (horizontal) links list with key posts, including the 'Mag Ad' link, which will now point here.

This post is a simple list of key points, very digestible and maybe your best starting place: here. 

The previous link was for this post which compiled a range of relevant posts.

I've provided a detailed vodcast on mag ad conventions, and the process of researching these: here.

Further pointers on research: here.

Pointers on looking beyond ads to research the audience for your ads: here.

Of course, you can also now use the tag cloud...

As well as the mag ad and magazine tags there are others to look for: Photoshop, Andy Warhol, layering, editing, Prankvertising,...

MAGAZINE AD Vodcast

This vodcast includes a top ten common conventions of music magazine ads for digipak albums, research tips, student examples, and more.

DIGIPAK vodcast

A vodcast taking you through some common conventions (a top ten), looking at some of the relevant videos on YouTube (company demos, fan vids, Photoshop guides, coursework Evaluations), research tips, and how this fits into a wider promotional package incorporating a music video, CD/DVD digipak sleeve and magazine ads for the digipak.

Vloggers + UGC rivalling studios + conglomerates?

Certainly not a new topic this, although I haven't completed adding tags to the entire archive of posts, you'll see that 'UGC' (user-generated content) is a common topic (and I'll have a look to add 'vlogger' where appropriate: video-based bloggers).

Gradually being updated - use the tag clouds!

I blog again on this as its a topic we've been discussing in recent lessons, and I've reflected on in recent posts. As Media students today, the demands on and expectations of you are higher than in the past - with the technology at your fingertips, there is an expectation of at least 'prosumer' levels of quality, ideally there being no clear indication (or anchorage) of your work as student productions at all.

Fragment of a past post on this topic.

The skills you're developing are highly marketable and valuable:

DIGITISATION Slash webisodes

Vodcast-style webisodes used adroitly by Slash to market his forthcoming new album: http://loudwire.com/slash-releases-final-apocalyptic-love-webisode/

LipDubs: a DB guide

They're another good example of digitisation as a democratising tool; music vids (which ultimately is what lip dubs are) created by schools, unis etc attracting huge audiences online, without any paid-for advertising campaign.
Here's a guide I've prepared in my limited spare time:

If you've any other good egs of lip dubs, add brief info + a URL as a comment

We'll shortly be getting a steadicam rig for the shooting of this; there's a job there for someone - and these rigs take some practice to get used to, to get the balance set right

Layering in Vids: DMode egs

See also: http://musividz.blogspot.com/2012/02/digipakmag-ad-layering-is-key.html

I've mentioned this quite a few times - and would welcome any egs you come across yourselves as a comment to this post (including URL of any posts on this). I'll mainly ref DMode vids which you can watch from the DVD - there's also a DVD of Corbijn's vids for U2 for you to borrow.

Anton Corbijn is a notable example of a director who makes extensive use of the creative possibilities of the use of multi-layering, as the pics below from various DMode vids [see Wiki] show. However, he often diegetically projects on location rather than edits in afterwards.

A good example of

EVAL answering through video

I'll bring together past posts on this over the next week or so, but to get you started on thinking/planning about this, here's an example of an Eval Q being answered by students elsewhere, on which I'll make a few points below:

What do I like about this? The shot-in-shot, which is selectively taken off, is a good idea. There's a fair amount of detail in there too (I only watched up to around 1:15).
There are issues though which you'd do well to consider:

• whilst R+P can be largely shared out, the firm guidance of our exam board is that Evals MUST be clearly individuated; this one isn't - you shouldn't answer the Eval Qs as a group
• that doesn't mean you can't collaborate on PLANNING answers tho', or share resources such as screenshots + vid clips
• it does mean your response must be in your voice/words
• a formal script is something to avoid; make detailed notes by all means, but try to avoid reading word-for-word off a script - and certainly don't film yourself doing this!
• these students make some nice points about shot variety - about 0:55 they list some of these; rather than continue with the linear run-through of their video, it would have been much, much better to put stills on screen of the shot-types referred to (from their music vid). The fairly simple approach of commenting over a single play of the vid works reasonably well at AS, with the SEVEN Qs, but isn't really sufficient for the A2's FOUR Qs
• I don't know if they do later on, but its always a good idea SOME self-criticism; no matter how good it is (and every professional would echo this) it could always have been better with more time/resources ... What DON'T you like about your vid? With some distance, what might you change? Your exam Q1a/1b definitely requires such critical objectivity so grab the chance to tease out such points now
• last point is a general one, repeating something I've been trying to hammer home for months: the more time you spend on R+P posts, especially in terms of vodcasts and the stills/clips you've gathered for these (not to mention the comparisons to existing vids + general analysis undertaken) the likelier it is you'll score well on the 20% Eval, AND it'll take you much, much less time. These 4 Qs require vid-based (or other truly multimedia, eg Prezi) responses; pointing a webcam at your own visage is really quite basic 'Use of ICT' in 2012 - you will need extensive materials (stills, clips) to illustrate and bring alive your answers.

Lets call this a bonus point ... You're marked on 'choice of form in which to present the presentation'. That means you could/should vary the format of the videos you create: do one, or part of one, as a chat show interview for instance... You can be creative/quirky with the Eval, tho just be careful to consider the very different humour of a teen and an adult marker.

Evidencing DRAFTING tip: Use shot-in-shot

As we did with the BritVid, a nice way to help evidence your drafting work (ie, re-edits) is to include a shot-in-shot alongside your changed version. Here's an example from a Latymer group;

Vodcast comparing 2 vids - some pointers

You need to provide a brief factual rundown: artist, track, year, chart position, album it was from, director, genre, audience.

As a starting point, make some notes under the main key concept areas which you'll later be exploring for Q1b of your A2 exam: MANGeR, as in:

• Media language (range/type/examples of shots used, and why/to what effect; also includes mise-en-scene)
• Audience - thinking about the target audience at the time of release. What elements in the vid signify, or anchor, this target aud? If you're looking at vids from different time periods, have expectations/boundaries changed much? Gender as well as age are key issues here
• Narrative - is this a Narr/Concept/Perf (Goodwin's 3 types) vid? What relationship, if any, is there to the vid. Is there a linear or non-linear narrative? Repetition? Jump cuts? This leads into/overlaps with...
• Representation - which in turn ties strongly into audience + genre. Positive representations of gender? Stereotypical? Countertypical? How is sexuality handled - a presumption of heterosexuality (you could mention the theory of hegemony here).
• Genre - detail the genre signifiers. In YOUR view, what do you expect to see in a vid from this genre? Consider shot types, editing, mise-en-scene/locations, costume and styling, themes, mood, use or not of performance etc

At the heart of the contrast is a judgement over whether these are typical of their type - does either vid have any outstanding, unusual or exceptional features or characteristics? Is it run-of-the-mill and bog standard, simply re-treading the same tired cliches in dozens or even hundreds of similar vids?
Perhaps its actually the archetype from which many later vids took inspiration? Can you see influences from one artist in the video of another?

What do you think influenced the artist (OR director - very often the act has very, very little say in a vid; directors like Michel Gondry, Anton Corbijn and others will control the creative process). Can you say influences from film, TV or other areas of culture?

Consider yourself as audience: as a 17/18 UK, England, Yorkshire male or female, and setting aside your Media student sensibilities to an extent, what is your instinctive, emotional response to it? (You could well consider the Uses and Gratifications theory here).

Do you think the effective audience is different viewed from the perspective of 2011? Does it still work, or it does seem hopelessly outdated? What, if anything, makes it seem old-fashioned? Can you see elements of the zeitgeist represented? (iconic signifiers of a particular point in time) Does the likely reading of the vid change looked at in 2011?

You could ask others what they think - is there a marked difference between male and female responses?


Ultimately, you're teasing out the main features, and folding this into an exploration of expectations (ie, codes and conventions) of music videos.

Production Diary vid: an example

Featuring some flashing lights, here's an example of a vid diary from the League of Modest Gentlemen...

YouRTube

have added a number of rough cuts, vodcasts and behind-the-scenes from both AS and A2 today to playlists on the IGSMediaStudies channel
I'll try to arrange some feedback from students elsewhere in the UK for the week back after half term, but it would be good to see you commenting on each other's work!
For curious AS, you can get a snapshot of what A2 folk have been working on, and for curious A2 you can compare the crop of 2010-11 to your prestigious selves (and maybe pass on some tips from your own experience filming for AS)!
There are many, many examples of top-notch work; two are embedded below:


There are more rough cuts etc on music vids for Gorillaz, Doors, We Are the Ocean and more, plus a range of material on the AS slashers, psychological thriller, zombie and rom-com productions!

your blog vids

Lots of excellent vids appearing on blogs - alas, many of them are through vimeo or divshare, and few of them have been passed on to me as I keep requesting you do!
I'd like to be adding these to the IGSMedia channel as you complete these; I've added a few I can access to a new playlist.
PLEASE PASS ON VIDS AS YOU COMPLETE THEM!!!
Here's one of many good egs:

Nice eg of behind-scenes vid

Good work here by Will, Jem and Tom (when they're not creasing up!) giving us an insight into their production plans. Simple, but comprehensive and informative! Whether for AS romcom, slasher or zombie, or A2 music video or teaser trailer, this kind of 'walk through' video would be absolutely spot on, and a great addition to your blog.

Feedback on blogs so far

I've been adding plenty of comments and talking to each group (shall see all today), but here's a few points that keep coming up:

• PODCASTS: keep up with the weekly podcast; don't ignore these because you're doing vids/vodcasts. A simple weekly update/what's next is fine for a podcast, where a vid/vodcast will be focussed on a specific issue
• LINKS LISTS: also to highlight multimedia, provide several links lists
• RESEARCH: some of you have done highly detailed posts on certain aspects; few are providing clear summaries. Its key you show you've researched the band and their vids plus the genre and its conventions. Overall, that should be 5 vids individually plus 5 vids as a group, so totalling 15 as a pair or 20 as a trio. Don't go OTT on individual vids, but do provide a clear summary of the codes + conventions you've observed AND ...
• INFLUENCES: be explicit on how research has influenced your idea - DO LOOK AHEAD TO THE EVAL Qs!
• VODCASTS: genre/band conventions are key; this makes for an ideal vodcast. Aim for 3+ vodcasts as a group, most likely band/genre, audience, casting
• AUDIENCE: any media work that fails to address audience specifically and precisely is seriously flawed! Emmie/Megan have an excellent eg of practical aud research to back up their target aud. So long as you're clear on your genre and target aud each group could/should do something similar, having created questions and stimulus material (might be vid clip; pics; the track itself - perhaps using mobiles)
• EARLIER WORK: many of you haven't utilised the earlier work from lessons on music vid; Elizabeth's is a good example of a blog which does! This still needs an overall summary of conventions observed and influences on production, but the Lady Gaga post is a good example

Remember, the fundamental principle is that your research influences your planning; keep evidencing and making explicit how this is so.

Commentaries on vids

Just posting on As cwk blog, and included the vid below; not music vid I know, but same principle: a simple but effective way to include multimedia is to add your own commentary to a vid you find relevant to your production. There are other points in the post about describing research and layout/design of posts you'd benefit from reading too; I'll re-post it here adding the 'read more' tool (the 2 broken lines icon in blogger post editor) so you can choose to read it all or not!


Will has done an excellent post on Halloween, worth sharing as a good example! It combines denotation with wider analysis, and evidences his wider reading whilst also incorporating some multimedia aspects and reflects on how this might influence his group's production. See it here.

Good as it is, there is scope for yet further development! What could enhance this already excellent post?