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

Both my main product and my ancillary texts have common themes within their mise-en-scene and the colours that I’ve used.

In the mise-en-scene, the most prominent feature of both is the rabbit. It is the most memorable aspect of the video and so it makes sense for it to be used on the front cover of the digipack as it is more recognisable than other areas of the narrative such as alcoholism. The rabbit is also the focus of the advertising poster, and so successfully links all three products together by having a common theme.

One of the main locations of the video is the church. Within the church, the most overwhelming feature is the large window at the end. Therefore, as a second but subtle link between the video and the digipack is the glass effect that I have put on the background of the front cover and on the protagonist on the back.

The second theme, the colour, also links between the three products. Firstly, as seen in the video, the protagonist is desaturated on the back cover of the digipack too as a reminder of the narrative and his emotion in the video. When not desaturated, the footage in the video is bold colours (red and blue). On the back cover, to contrast with the desaturation of the man and to form a link between the video, there is a block colour of yellow. The contrast between the yellow and the desaturation is exemplified due to the connotations of yellow as being happy and energetic.

The needs of the target audience have been met in a number of ways. By conforming to the conventions of the genre by distorting reality through the introduction of the rabbit, I have succeeded in creating a theme that my target audience would be accustomed to. 

I have also met the needs of my audience through the editing stages. The adjustment of colour, as well as telling my audience the mood of the product and helping to lead them through the narrative, is also conventional of the genre as quite often footage is manipulated to be brighter and more energized due to the dance nature of the music. The fast cuts that I have used build upon this convention of high energy and help to reflect the narrative as well as making the video more interesting for the audience to watch.

There is also the intertextual reference to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ due to the rabbit. Although it is not referenced as heavily as I originally planned, the white rabbit is still a main feature throughout both my video and ancillary task.

My products successfully advertise the song, artist and institution because the institution logo is clearly displayed on both the spine of the CD cover and the back, while the song title and artist is also clear on the front cover, spine, and advertising poster. As the rabbit is such a noticeable element for the product, this is further promotion as it becomes a recognizable symbol for the artist.

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

Answer in text form

In order to meet my audience’s needs, I made sure that I researched into both the genre of drum and bass and also the band Chase and Status itself.

In my ancillary task, I used the convention of a simple colour scheme, seen often in Chase and Status’ CD covers. Their ‘Pieces’ EP involved shades of green, while their ‘Blind Faith’ EP used yellow. In my digipack, I used yellow, black, and white. This met the audiences needs by maintaining a style that they are accustomed to.

A second way I used conventions in my ancillary task was by taking a single element as a focus. In my production, this was the rabbit as it is the most unusual and memorable aspect of the video. Chase and Status often use a single focus for their EPs too. For ‘Pieces’, the element is a shatter effect to match the song title. For their ‘No More Idols’ CD cover, they have the focus of a bulldog.

I also used conventions in my music video. I did this through the narrative of alchohol abuse. This is conventional as drum and bass videos often revolve around teenage life as this is their target audience. Teenage years are the time where most young people rebel and consume alcohol.

I have developed my footage through the reversal of the vodka shot to connote the protagonist’s attempts at recovery. It is a shot used before in the music video too and so is recognizable to the audience.

To challenge conventions, I have heavily edited the footage in my music video through light rays and the RGB balance. This is a challenge of Chase and Status’ videos as they are often simple and do not heavily feature special effects. I challenged this convention because it suited the fantastical nature of my narrative. 

Final Ancillary Task

Here are the images of my final ancillary task:

Inside Covers of the Ancillary Task

After consideration, I have decided to replace the current images with new ones as I feel that even if I edit them to link more to the other covers and poster, they still do not link enough to the rabbit and protagonist.

Fortunately, when I was taking photographs for my ancillary task originally, I took so many that I have a lot to choose from and so re-organising some time to take more photos is unnecessary.

I have found two shots that I am interested in using. The first, which would go on the inside left cover, is an extreme close up of the rabbit's head without it's mouth. The second, which would go on the right, is of the mouth. I think these two shots would be useful to include as it looks as if the same photograph has been cut in half and this manipulation and disfigurement is similar to the way the protagonist's reality and life has become warped.

By having the two inside images in black and white, it does not overpower the digipak with too much colour and connotes that when looked into deep enough (i.e. inside) it is clear that the life that is being lived by the protagonist is mundane and lacklustre (no colour or vibrancy); it's as if the audience will be looking inside the mind.

Feedback on Ancillary Task

After handing in my first draft of my ancillary tasks, I have decided to act upon some feedback I was given.

The first bit of advice I was given was to change the rabbit on the poster from being at the top to the side with half of its face not visible, just like the front cover of the CD as this creates a heavier link between the two and also adds mystery and ambiguity to the rabbit which is the same in the video.

The front and back covers were complimented and so, apart from adding in a copyright statement to the back cover, I do not need to edit these.

However, the inside covers were probably the biggest issue as they do not feel as if they link to the rest of the digipak.This is because they do not feature the rabbit or male and are also edited in a different way. Therefore, I will probably either edit them differently or change the images. Either way, this is the main thing that I am focussing on from my feedback.

Editing the Digipak

 Editing my images has been difficult as this is the first time that I have used photoshop so I am completely new to the way it works. Therefore, it has been a rather slow process in being able to alter the images to how I would like.

I have come across an effect called 'stained glass'. This is really useful to me as it relates to the church window and means that I can bring aspects of the inside of the CD cover to the front.

For the front cover, I have made the rabbit stand out by heightening the contrast of the pink, white and black colours that are in it. This is then put against a blank background with a stained glass effect which subtly makes the cover more interesting without detracting the attention away from the rabbit.

 For the back cover, to mirror the front, the male is black and white with the stained glass effect on him. This puts all the effect on him and by being heavily edited there is connotations that his life has been warped by his addiction and has taken his humanity away. The background for the back cover is block yellow in reference to the striking colours used in the fantastical narrative of the video.

Inside, I have made the each section of the church window a different colour, connoting that outside of reality is a much more fun and exciting world aka the 'wonderland'. It also means that although it is taken from the video, it is not identical to the footage and so makes it more interesting for the audience.

The flame has been edited to highlight the orange and red in the shot, linking back to the bright colours of the video and also connoting danger and anger.

With the poster, I have put the rabbit at the top of the advert with the text underneath. Rather than having a harsh line where the body of the rabbit ends, I have gradually faded it out to connote that the rabbit is an embodiment of Chase and Status and they are one and the same thing, creating an intertextual reference for the band in the future.

Covers for the Ancillary Task

For my front cover, I feel it would be most beneficial to the audience to have the rabbit as the focus. It will be the most unusual against other CD covers of the band members/singers yet be linked enough to the track to be recognisable.

The back cover will be of the male on the opposite side of the cover to the rabbit. Both of them will only be showing half of their faces to add a mysterious effect to the rabbit and connote that the male has lost himself in his addiction.

It will also create a link between the two, implying that they are one and the same person.

Inside, I am planning on taking stills from the video - the church window and the flame from the lighter. This is because they represent two significant sections to the video.