HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION

OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND Q2

ANCILLARY TEXTS (DIGIPAK)?

Both my digipak and my music video are generic of the indie folk
genre. The main way I have done this is to mirror the conventional
theme of nature of natural aspects. There are several ways I have
demonstrated this, for example through the colour palette in both
involve a lot of soft browns and greens. Green is the colour of
nature, it also symbolises freshness, and brown connotes earth and
wood. Therefore, the audience can make the direct link with these
colours being repeated throughout my work with their connotations.
Another way I have incorporated nature into my work is to use both
natural locations for my digipak and video, using riverbanks, nature
walks and forests in them, and also beaches within my video. This is
therefore firmly placing them both in the genre throughout my work.

Colour palettes from Colour pallets from music

digipak video
Another convention of the genre is romanticism and relationships,
essentially anything that involves emotions. This is portrayed in my
video through the storyline revolving round a couple with
relationship problems that eventually get resolved. To portray the
emotional aspects of this we have involved many close ups of the
characters face with emotional looks on them. Moreover we have
used many props as symbolic devices, for example the happy
anniversary card or the cork board filled with the photos of the
couple. I have linked this to my digipak because it has metaphorical
symbolic devices that hint towards an emotional journey.
Although being organic, authentic, natural, traditional etc. are
conventions of the genre I have also portrayed Samuel Ford as a
contemporary artist. By on my digiapk the font, it is a lightweight
sans serif therefore has a more modern style. I have also done this
in my video through using young adults/teenagers age group in our
characters, who dress in a contemporary style, for example
fashionable trainers. This contemporary look constructs him to be a
breakthrough artists, encouraging my target audience, who look for
this type of artist, to pick up and listen to the album and look more
into Samuel Ford.
In addition to this, we have used the imagery of natural flowing
water in both products. This is because it creates a calm and
relaxing tone within my work, therefore in keeping with the soothing
and peaceful characteristics of the genre.
Another way my digipak and video are related is through symbolic
devices. Bridges are the main example of this, the metaphorical
connotations of bridges are a key component. These metaphors
include the ideas of water under the bridge, which is about
reconciliation and forgiveness. Which is the theme of our music
video, a broken up couple because of what the lyrics imply as the
girl cheated on the boy, but the boy forgives her- a call for your
pardon, a call for your sins. Another metaphor of bridges is the idea
of walking across them being a journey to a set destination. This is
how it portrays emotional conventions of the genre I have
previously talked about. Also in my music video the two characters
intent is to get back together in relationship- this being the set
destination. Therefore I have constructed bridges as a motif for
Samuel Ford, as it holds many emotional and metaphorical
meanings it is conventional of the genre, firmly placing him within it.
Not only in our music video are the two characters making a physical journey
towards each other, but it is also inferred that they are making an emotional
journey, that its a journey to a new chapter in the couples life. This is because,
through close ups of the characters emotional face; handheld camera movements
which make the shots more personal; B role shots that refer to the characters
feelings, such as shots of traffic to imply contemplating and deep thinking and many
more emotional shots. They are making an emotional journey of reconciliation back
to each other, as the symbolic device of the bridge implies- water under the bridge.
Additionally a natural aesthetic is used throughout my work because like Ive
mentioned it is conventional of the genre. Its also is one of the most obvious
signifiers combining my digipak and video because of how common and prominent it
is throughout my work. Through using the same or very similar looking locations in
both it creates the sense they originated from the same place.
Andrew Goodwin would argue that the construction of bridges as a motif for
Samuel Ford, which recur throughout my work is a demand from the record
label. This is because it would establish him as more of a brand that they can
sell, as the viewer would then relate bridges with Samuel Ford in the future,
increasing his popularity. Furthermore there are both inter textual references
in the digipak and video, the bridges have another influence in that they
could be referencing a number of other media texts. The use of this
iconography repeated throughout my work, is also used in other media texts.
For example I have referred to The Walk (2015), Wild (2014), The Bridge Of
The River Kwai (1957), Dual (1971) Stop Me by Mark Ronson music video,
Secret Love Song by Little Mix music video, This Could Be Us by Rae
Sremmurd music video and Fix You by Coldplay music video which all also
use bridges in a metaphorical way linking to journeys or reconciliation.
Stuart Hall would suggest that these inter textual references are dependent on the
audiences interpretation and whether they have the knowledge to see them. But only
some of the audience would have the knowledge to decode the intertextuality therefore
portraying his concepts that texts are polysemic, and it depends on whether they know
the texts I have talked about to perpetuate and really make stand out the iconography
of the bridge. However these metaphors because of their popularity in media, would
seem to be part of our culture, therefore should be understood by my target audience.
Although because of the similarity in the aesthetics etc. it is clear that the audience
should interpret the products as alike
Henry Jenkins says that the audience only take the useful meanings to them and that
and that they construct their own culture to be part of a social community. In the case of
my work the social community is the indie folk genre and the subcultures that consume
it. So through being conventional of the genre, my products are speaking to its target
audience encouraging from the outset them to listen to Samuel Ford. Therefore
Althusser would suggest the target audience use the digipak and video to feel part of
their community/subculture and identify themselves as the subject of my products.