How effective is the combination of your main?

AV O C E T ‘ I N T O A

M O N S T E R ’

MAIN PRODUCT AND TWO ANCILLARY TASKS

Link to main product; the promotional

music video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d607

hISMYo&safe=active

The three media products are effectively combined to introduce the artist ‘avocet’ as a young, gothic indie-rock artist with a

mysterious and ominous yet innocent public image. This is elucidated through the uniform dark colouring, black costume,

monstrous makeup, typography and camera angles. Uniformity in the production of media products is essential for establishing

the artist’s public image and allowing audience to recognise the relationship between the artist and the commercial products. The

construction and planning of the main product and ancillary texts utilised the visual and design conventions of posters, digipaks

and promotional videos in order to develop three individual products with distinctive characteristics that audience will recognise as

related through the use of mise en scene, effects and camera shots.

Colouring uniform is a typical convention used in indie rock music

videos.

The main product has a distinctive colour scheme. The colours black

and blue are predominant in the video, particularly the

performance aspects. However, there are scenes in which the

colour scheme is not utilised such as the opening sequence in

which a black and white effect has been applied to the visuals.

Nevertheless, the absence of the branded colour theme

emphasises the scene in which the selected colour scheme

dominates the visuals.

Alternatively, the album design utilises the generic

colour scheme but also incorporates a green

colouring to advocate the album title ‘the monster

experiment’. The green has a harsh, cold impression

which effectively communicates the dysfunctional

emotional concept which may be recognised in the

leading single ‘into a monster’.

The ancillary texts and the main product utilise Andrew Goodwin’s theory by using a common motif to

develop a strong connection between the three products. This technique ensures that the

audience will be able to recognise the relationship. The calavera makeup is present in all three

products. The sugar skull imagery elucidates the strong gothic theme which is incorporated into

each product. The focus on the peculiar and vivid makeup design effectively highlights the bleak,

intense, and nostalgic connotations in the music in addition to producing a strong visual link

between the products.

THEORY

INTERTEXTUALITYIntertextuality refers to the way in which existing texts

have influenced or been incorporated into a

medium. The music video ‘into a monster’

contains noticeable elements which have been

included in established promotional videos. For

example, the calavera makeup is similar to the

skull makeup used in Lady Gaga’s ‘Born this way’

music video. The pronounced use of intertextuality

enables the audience to distinguish the key

characteristics of the brand as the viewers are

familiar with brand features i.e. the gothic, skeletal

makeup. The artist’s multifaceted public image is reflected

by performers such as The Pretty Reckless’

lead singer ‘Taylor Momsen’. The artist

previously modelled the stereotypical young

blonde ingénue appearance until her late

teens in which her rebellious gothic portrayal

arose. The contrasting depiction is apparent in

the video as the generic ‘good girl gone bad’

image is a recognisable and popular trait

amongst contemporary female indie-rock

artists.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A BLACK BACKGROUNDIn this shot the performer is isolated by the

dark surroundings.The shot informs the audience of the gothic and dark

concept as black is often associated with morose, death

and evil. The combination of the skull monster makeup

upon the artist’s face and the black connotations may

illuminate the supernatural features in the music video,

and digipak.

The contrast between the artist’s light physical

features and the deep black background

subsequently accentuates the detail of her facial

appearance.

THE BLACK CLOAKThe black cloak which is worn in the photographs used in the digipak, and the music video was inspired by

the music video ‘I’ll follow rivers ‘by Lykke li. The video displays the performer in a pure black cloak which covers her face and body. The lack of exposure encourages the audience to continue to view the music video as the viewer may feel inclined to witness the reveal of the performers true identity. This technique is employed in the opening lyrics of the main product , the event poster and the back cover of the digipak in order to promote the artists through mystery and ambiguity.

,

The black cloak reinforces the supernatural

elements in the texts. Popular examples of black

cloaks include the infamous fictional character

‘Dracula’, and the well-known Harry Potter’s wizard

characters. The popularity of black cloaks as the

costume of supernatural characters effectively

depicts this concept in the three media texts.

CAMERA ANGLESThe close up shot creates a dramatic, detailed and intimate effect which reflects the

passion and intensity of the music. The front cover displays the ‘monster’ version of

Avocet, whereas the closeu p shot used in the early stage of the music video depicts

the singer’s natural appearance. This provides the audience with an opportunity to

compare the two presentations and recognise the artist’s multifaceted public image.

Moreover, the contrast supports the narrative as the difference illustrates the

development of Avocet becoming a ‘monster’.

The close up shot used for the front cover features the artist looking upwards,

this is to accentuate the feeling of being trapped by the monster façade as

facing skywards connotes the idea of the singer ‘wanting to be free like a bird in

the sky’. Alternatively, in the close up shot used in the music video the

performer engages in direct eye contact to depict the idea of this presentation

being her true identity. The contrasting poses builds an intimate bond between

the audience and artist because the viewer may feel sympathetic towards the

emotional turmoil presented in the front cover and will be engaged by the

intense, passionate eye contact in the music video image.

BIRDSThe lyric analysis revealed that a need for freedom was an apparent connotation in the song ‘won’t

you just let me be?...you’ve stolen all my identity, a person that I don’t want to be’. Therefore,

using this idea, the theme of birds was employed in the construction of the media products.

The singer is shown to be facing upwards in the

shot to communicate the idea of her wanting to be

free like a bird. This is reinforced by the two bird

wings projected onto her body.

The theme of birds has been applied to the logo which is

present on the poster and the back cover of the digipak. The

design was inspired by the black and white colouring of an

avocet as well as the bird’s long beak. The similarity between

the logo and the appearance of an avocet is used to accentuate

the idea of freedom which is associated with birds.

Below are examples of birds which inspired or appear in the music video. The avocet’s black and white features, the

fragility and elegance of the swan and the shot of several birds flying away into the distance, is used to communicate the

singer’s delicate and innocence image to the audience.

EDITINGUsing a range of editing technologies including Adobe premier pro, Pixlr.com and

Adobe Photoshop, the visuals used in the digipak and music video were manipulated to produce a powerful and stimulating image. For example, the front cover conveys a close up shot of the performer looking upwards to symbolise her need for freedom . However, a whitening effect is applied to the iris of the eyes to illuminate the supernatural and gothic elements in the text. Moreover, a darkening effect is used to intensify the deep colours and add a harsh, poignant and vibrant effect.

A different range of effects were employed in the

production of the music video. Similarly to the

digipak, a darkening effect was applied to the

majority of clips. For example, using the ‘Levels’

video effect, the dark colours in the below screen

shots were increased to highlight the sinister

themes and conform to the rock genre convention of

dark imagery. As inspired by alternative/indie

promotional videos such as ‘little talks’ and ‘Young

folks’, a gradient effect was applied to two of the

below images . The function produces cartoon-like

graphics which effectively demonstrates the surreal

and supernatural concept. These editing techniques

are combined to successfully communicate the

abstract

No effect

No effect

No effectLevels and gradient effect

Levels and gradient effectLevels effect

No

effect

FRAMINGThe image used for the front cover of the digipak is

also present on the inside cover. The framing of the photograph was transformed into an extreme close up shot. The effect used on the image depicts three cropped versions of the image which are combined to emphasises and isolates the presence of the performer’s eyes to further elucidate the significance of the pose. The monster image is also advocated by the repetition; the unusual makeup used on the performer’s oral area in addition to the close shot ,stresses the sinister and monstrous artist image. The framing design in the music video changed in correspondence with the conceptual idea present in the shot.

A zoom in effect was applied to the shot

which initially presents the singer from

a far distance in order to depict her

isolation and emphasise the idea of

her being imprisoned by the monster

persona

The below shot was changed into a mid shot

to illuminate the passion in the singer’s

facial expression.

The above midshot was altered into a close

up shot in order to engage the

audience through the clear and direct

eye contact in addition to increasing the

intimacy between the viewer and

performer

TYPOGRAPHY

The use of fonts is consistent in

the digipak and poster. A ‘Wood

Cutterfence’ and’ impact label

reverse’ font is apparent on both

products and is utilised to produce

differing effects.

Similarly to the front cover image and the

below shot of the performer in a small space,

the artist’s title is centrally positioned to

emphasise the singer’s importance as the

conventional central placement attracts the

audience’s attention and connotes the idea of

power and eminence which is essential for

establishing an artist’s image and status in the

industry.

The ‘Woodcutter fence’ font used for the album title on the digipak and poster is employed to resemble the wood scene in the

music video. The design resembles the harsh and coarse twigs and branches on the trees. The performer is shown to be walking

in the woods during the second verse of the music video and the scene portrays the performer discovering the cursed flower which

turns her into a monster. A linear narrative is present in the music video and the scene signifies the beginning of the developed

gothic and monstrous artist image. Similarly, the performer’s title is placed at the top of the poster to reflect the idea of the wood

scene being the beginning of the transformation.

The ‘impact label reverse’ font

style adds a powerful effect to the

information. The title is eye-

capturing through the bold

colouring, large size and unusual

design. The reviews for the album

use the font to accentuate the

information and convey the rock

genre as rock posters typically

use capitalised lettering to mirror

the raucous and boisterous music.

MARKETING AND BRANDING: USP

Branding the artist is an important process for promoting a new artist. Creating an artist brand uses

an appealing platform to summarise the artist and displays their appealing qualities to the target

demographic. A unique selling point is vital for publicising a new artist in the music industry,

Avocet is a young , white female who is also a trained ballet dancer. The debut single features

the typical ‘girl next door’ appearance turning into a gothic monster creature. The performer

may be viewed as an unconventional adaptation of the generic ‘good girl gone bad’

presentation which is famed by artists such as Rihanna.

A typical artist branding technique includes logos, the Avocet logo conforms to the multifaceted

artist image and employed in various products in order to build a consistent visual style and

reputation for the artist. The innocent young girl presentation is a typical singer archetype

which is presented in the logo (the bird-like design accentuates her fragility and elegance) and

the music video (white dress to represent purity and vulnerability). The modern feminine

youthful representation provides fans with an identity that is recognisable and relatable.

Alternatively, the monster characterisation embodies adolescent angst and rebellion. Thus,

providing an outlandish, outcast role model image which numerous young people will be able to

identify with. The capital A in the centre of the logo elucidates this representation through the

eerie, sharp font style.

CONFORMITY BRANDINGConformity branding refers to marketing

techniques which adhere to societal

norms. Audiences are accustomed to

these techniques and the generic

branding traits have been incorporated

into ‘Avocet’s’ artist image in order to

successfully appeal to a wide audience

range.

The lead singer has short blonde hair which imitates the typical

‘blonde bombshell’ look which has been adopted by numerous

contemporary female singers such as Rihanna, Pink, Pixie Lott and

Miley Cyrus. The modernised hairstyle effectively displays the

products as relevant to a modern audience.Similarly to several modern

popular female alternative

singers such as Kate Nash,

Florence Welch and Leslie

Feist, ‘Avocet’ (Aimee) has

a tall, slim frame which

conforms to the typical

societal expectations of

beauty. The performer is an

aesthetically tall (5”8)

young, white female , which

is a artist presentation that

conventional in the indie-

rock genre.

A considerable amount of modern female singers are marketed

through their youth. Popular examples include performers such

as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and Lucy Hale. An evidently

young appearance effectively promotes an artist as relatable and

relevant to a young niche demographic.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR

MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?In conclusion, the music video, digipak and poster are effectively combined to promote

market the purchasable digipak and the artist’s multifaceted image and to appeal to the target audience of young people with a preference for rock and indie/alternative. The consistent use of makeup, framing and colour imagery distinguishes the artist’s public image. The consistent presentational design enables the niche audience to identify the performer and recognise the singer’s relatable and appealing elements such as youth, modern fashion sense and eccentric music style.