Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

http://www.slideshare.net/sunnucks/looking-back-at-your-as-preliminart-task-what-do-you-feel-you-have-learnt-in-the-progression-from-it-to-the-full-product

Who would be the audience for your media product, and how did you attract/address them?

http://www.slideshare.net/sunnucks/target-audience-and-attraction

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

http://www.slideshare.net/sunnucks/what-kind-of-media-institution-might-distribute-your-media-product-12703256

How does your media product represent particular groups?

http://www.slideshare.net/sunnucks/how-does-your-media-product-represent-particluar-social-groups

New Technology

I had discovered sound cloud after voice recording ‘Miss Ingle’, Marlwoods website creator. I needed a ay of uploading a sound file onto my blog, allowing me to press onto a link that leads straight to the sound file. As GoldBloom have a successful sound cloud site, I decided to make my own. The process was easy, free and very efficient.

I had not discovered ‘slide share’ until creating my evaluation blog. This site is easy, fast and allows you to upload any slideshow that you create. The site allows large amounts of texts to be fun and more interesting for viewers to read.

Negative Side

 I had been recommended a site named ‘prezi’, this site allows you to create a new, fun way to present presentations. The trendy new style of presenting looks great, but once I actually tried to upload movie, for example of me evaluating my work, it took a long time to upload, and eventually did  not upload at all. The process of creating your own ‘prezi’ was extremely confusing and difficult to get your head around, especially for a beginner using the site. I will look more into ‘prezi’ and see if I can adapt to it’s unique styles and find out where I went wrong on my creation.

Have you reflected the use and impact of digital technology? (Below is a short video discussing my use of technology)

                                                                   

                            

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

http://www.slideshare.net/sunnucks/in-what-ways-does-your-media-products-use-develop-or-challenge-forms-and-conventions-of-real-media-products

How effectively are Main Product and Ancillary Task combined?

When creating and developing each of the three products in order to PROMOTE GoldBloom, I made sure that all three integrated well. I made sure that they all linked together through the use of continuity of repeated images of the band, for example the main image of the 'vignette' effect picture of the boys stood on a boat. I had used this specific image on the slideshow on the homepage of the website, and also on the digi-pak. The most important image that I wanted to convey is the band's logo of the 'Golden Sun'. I wanted the semiotic symbolism to be on every product so that the audience can recognise a symbolic image that links with GoldBloom. The logo was used on every page of the website, and was used on the digi-pak. And of course the album cover of 'Lavine Parine' was used on every page of the website, the front cover on the digi-pak, and was the last, memorable selling image on the promotional video. I had used the album cover on every product of merchandise that promoted the band, as it was the one thing that the viewers/fans could buy. Once the audience goes onto the website they can see the link between all three texts.

The use of colour is specifically noticeable on the website. Inspiration from current music band 'Mumford & Sons' enabled me to create a sophisticated colour scheme of Black, white, grey and yellow. For example the navigation bar was black, when hovered my the mouse turned yellow, which matched with connotations of the golden sun. The colour of the white boxes, which contained the majority of the information about the band was white to contrast against the black, making it clear for the viewer to see and read. The sepia toned, vintage effect used on all images and real footage of the band in their promo video, which was constant throughout all three products. I felt that once I had chosen the 'vintage' theme, it was important for me to stick with the theme in all visual images/video content of the band shown in the public eye.

Font's were not the main attraction in this project, as I wanted the images and colour scheme to steal the limelight. I used simple, 'Times' font on the website, promotional video and album cover, using a simple font also linked with the simplicity of the design on the website and album cover.  I also created a consistency of font throughout the Album Cover and Website, and it is simple and clear, again not distracting or taking away effect from the music itself.
Another link between website and video is the access to GoldBloom's song tracks which are accessible to be played on the website. This is a great way for a wider audience to acknowledge their music and a great way to sell more to a wider audience. The home page also has a link to be able to buy the album; also promoting the music.

Introduction to Genre

Robert Allen (1989) notes that for most of it’s 2,000 years, genre study has been primarily nological and typological in function, taken on the guise of Botany. He believes that since the discovery of ‘genre’ it has immediately been divided into categories that we as a society are guided to stick by, which follows the structure of ‘pseudo science’.

   In my AS production, suggestions and instruction were given and strictly stuck to, due to the lack of experience and courage to challenge and explore like A2 has allowed me to do. Genre division have been classified through the beginnings of classical, literary works from   the influential writer, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare referred satirically classifications such a as tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, and then began merging, tragical-historical and pastoral - comical, maybe this is where the modern integration of ‘rom-com’ (romantic comedy) deprived from? Contemporary media genres tend to relate more to specific forms that to the universals of tragedy and comedy. The modern society classify the genre of cinematic films, as ‘thrillers’ or ‘westerns’, divided into a set of classifications that we have been presented with. 

   Theorist, Carolyn Miller suggests that the number of genres are dependent on the complexity and diversity of society. For example the society of Inuits, categorize different fifty different types of snow, because they are constantly surrounded by it, they begin to break it down, whereas when we get snow, we compare it to fluffy, thin or sleet. This is similar to the division of genre, we are presented with a variety off different types of films so frequently, that we have to break it down and categorize the division. Defining genres may be problematic, however if theorists were to abandon the concept, in everyday life people would continue to categorize texts, to break them down. From AS to A2, I have discovered the true meaning of ‘genre’ and discovered more genres, and have become more open minded, breaking down the categorized group of genre for the band ‘Goldbloom’ or even looking into Bordwell’s theory of the ‘De facto’ method of creating your own genre. 

   A different theorist, Jane Feur (1992) believes that there are no ‘maps’ of the system of genres, no rules undisputed. Genre is merely an abstract conception, rather than something that exists empirically in the world. In AS, we were made to believe that genres were set in stone, we were given what we got and the safest way was to abide by the rules, however discovering Jane Feur, and her open minded belief of the freedom of genres, gave me confidence to challenge the concept of creating my own genre, which I would never have imagined to do in AS. 

  Themes may appear in any genre. David Bordwell (1989) challenges the difference between genres and modes. For example he asks: Are animation and documentary films genre or modes? He begins to explore the difference between what is set in categories and what are set in genres. For example, period, director or star, cycle, series, ideology, venue, audience, purpose and subject, are they categories set into a genre by itself? I begin to ask myself have I defined the promotional video to one of these categories? 

  Another film theorist, Robert Stam also refers to common ways of categorizing films, while some are based on story content, literature, performer based, budget based, artistic status, racial identity, and sexual orientation. Looking at my A2 production, I have definitely acknowledged these categorization to base my type of genre within. When researching the ‘platonic’ idealization of the ‘perfect’ music video, a lot of the artists/bands are very ‘performer based’, which links to Andrew Goodwin’s theory of music video’s purposely made to advertise themselves as ‘stars’ rather than the music that they create, which is something that the band ‘GoldBloom’ did not want to base their music approach upon. Goldbloom are not the first, popular postmodern music band, Gorillaz took the same approach by creating their own hyperreal act of hiding their true identity masked behind animation. They wanted their fans to appreciate there music rather than themselves.

   Bordwell’s theory of practitioners and the general public making use of their own genre labels, known as “de facto” genres. His theory also links back to Jane Feurs belief that there are no rules to genres, we might therefore ask, who’s genre is it anyway? In our A2 production, one of the main tasks to explore is ‘creativity’ and how we have applied it to our work. In an accepted set of categories, matching our style of work to fit within a genre, which would have been the furthest point reached in AS, it is more ‘creative’ and daring to explore making up our own genres to fit within the style of ‘GoldBloom’s laid back, tuneful grunge theme. New media also plays a huge role in the theory of “de facto” as our modern society are beginning to make up their own genres, given the high technology that we are surrounded with. Youtube, especially is a whole new genre itself, allowing young people to express themselves without following a set of rules to obide by.

     Theorists such as ‘Todorov’ believe that postmodern comes into defining the meaning of genres. He believes that a ‘new genre’ is always the transformation of one or several old genres. This relates to the meaning of how postmodernism deprived from; using an existing product, slightly tweaking it to make it postmodern. Contemporary theorists tend to emphasize the importance of the semiotic notion of intertextuality: of seeing individual texts in relation to others. This again refers to the postmodern effect of intertextuality. Before studying postmodernism in A2, I had not come across the term before or it’s meaning. Postmodernism is becoming more interweaved with current media, and it’s becoming ‘the norm’ in today’s society. Throughout my A2 development I have looked for postmodern elements that I have created, for example the band’s name “GOLDBLOOM” had been inspired from the famous actor, “Jeff Goldbloom”, this conveys a portrayal of intertextuality as it’s almost a copy of something else that was original.

   Semiotically, a genre can be seen as a shared code between the producers and the interpreters of texts included within. ‘Alastair Fowler’ goes so far as to suggest that communication is impossible without the agreed codes. In AS, the semiotic code idea was nothing more than a meaning, since exploring further into semiotics I have discovered a semiotic view to my A2 project. For example GoldBloom’s semiotic logo of the golden sun.

Have you offered a semiotic Critique of your work?

Semiotics is the study of signs. There are many kinds of signs in addition to words and traffic signs. Signs can include facial expression, body language, artistic symbols, and visual cues of all kinds. A designer hand bag can symbolize sign of wealth and prestige in a magazine advertisement. A halo can symbolize divinity in a medieval painting. Rising to one’s feet when a judge enters a courtroom can serve as a gesture of respect. All of these are kinds of signs. Therefore, semiotics actually has broad implications for the study of culture and interpersonal psychology in general.

This is an example of a semiotic music album cover. The sign is a recognisable street sign that means look out for 'people crossing'. The image links with the album title "street signs". This type of semiotic signing is clear and concise, however gives the audience 'no meaning' or insight of what the band are like, what kind of music they play, etc... so we, as the audience cannot symbolise the sign, other than that the sign indicated 'people crossing'.

I have created a semiotic logo of the 'Golden Sun' mentioned and shown throughout my development of creating images and symbols that will link to the band, GoldBloom. The symbol of the

sun creates warm, happy, welcoming connotations, which reflects the band themselves. The sun, is known to create a positive, happy atmosphere, giving off an energetic heat that pe

ople are addicted to, this 'sign' is what I wanted to portray with linking it to the music and 'energetic' personalities that the band convey to their audience and music for the fans to get addicted to. The semiotic connotations of GOLD, which is portrayed in the band's name and the logo of the 'GOLDEN sun' symbolises signs of wealth and success, which I wanted to relate to the band as they want to make their way to being a successful band. The semiotic symbol is used on GoldBloom's website (on every page) and is also used on the album cover. I wanted to use the semiotic symbol on the majority of every product that I had created to promote the band and to create a recognisable symbol for the audience to relate the band with.

Warning over need for safeguards in email and web monitoring plan (Real Media Conventions)

The Information Commissioner has warned that strict safeguards must be put in place if plans to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everyone in the UK are implemented.

Technology makes it easer to eavesdrop on a vast amount of people, through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter etc... but surely this idea of the government eavesdropping on people of society is completely contradicting the freedom of privacy that an individual is entitled to having?

Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire told the BBC it was not "some great big government snooping exercise", but a change designed to allow police officers to continue to solve crime in an era when communications data - details of phone calls - was used in 95% of all serious crime and terrorism cases. "We absolutely get the need for appropriate safeguards and for appropriate protections to be be put in place," he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he was "totally opposed to the idea of governments reading people's emails at will, or creating a new central government database". "The point is we are not doing any of that and I wouldn't allow us to do any of that," he said. "All we are doing is updating the rules which currently apply to mobile telephone calls to allow the police and security services to go after terrorists and serious criminals, and updating that to apply to technology like Skype which is increasingly being used by people who want to make those calls and send those emails."

'Honeypot'

The Information Commissioner's office briefing paper in October 2010 said: "There needs to be some recognition that this additional data will be a honeypot as it will reveal the browsing habits of celebrities, politicians, etc." It suggested that a new offence, possibly attracting a custodial sentence, could be created to punish any wrongful disclosure.

Critics have warned that any new law could end up being used more widely than originally intended - similar to the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which has not just been used to tackle serious crime by police but also been used by local authorities to check on children's school catchment areas. The Information Commissioner said public bodies not involved in dealing with serious crime or national security, such as the Department for Work and Pensions, should have to apply to a court before access was granted.

'Big Brother'

The plans have been criticised by civil liberties groups and several Conservative backbenchers. Nick Pickles, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, called the move "an unprecedented step that will see Britain adopt the same kind of surveillance seen in China and Iran". "This is an absolute attack on privacy online and it is far from clear this will actually improve public safety, while adding significant costs to internet businesses," he said. Dominic Raab MP, who made public the Information Commissioner's report, said it was "a plan to privatise Big Brother surveillance".

He said it "fundamentally changes the nature of the relationship between the state and the citizen", and turns every individual "into a suspect".

'Saving lives'

When Labour attempted to push for similar changes, the Conservative shadow home secretary at the time, Chris Grayling, said the government had "built a culture of surveillance which goes far beyond counter-terrorism and serious crime". But Lord Carlile, the former official reviewer of terrorism legislation, said that "having come into government, the coalition parties have realised this kind of material has potential for saving lives, preventing serious crime and helping people to avoid becoming victims of serious crime".

He added: "Parliament will apply the most anxious scrutiny to any proposed legislation of this kind... what we have to protect the public from is arbitrary action by the government or any government authority."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the police and security services had to be able to keep up with new technology, but there must be "clear checks and balances" on what they were able to do and "strong safeguards to protect people's privacy".

The Internet Service Providers Association said any change in the law must be "proportionate, respect freedom of expression and the privacy of users".

Privacy backlash over Girls Around Me mobile app (Real Media Conventions)

An app that allowed users to find nearby women who had "checked in" on a social network has been withdrawn by its developer after complaints.

Russian developer i-Free removed its Girls Around Me app which used publicly available data from Foursquare. A company representative for i-Free said the reaction to the app was a "serious misunderstanding".

In a statement given via email to the Wall Street Journal, the company said: "We believe it is unethical to pick a scapegoat to talk about the privacy concerns. "We see this wave of negative as a serious misunderstanding of the apps' goals, purpose, abilities and restrictions."Girls Around Me does not provide any data that is unavailable to user when he uses his or her social network account, nor does it reveal any data that users did not share with others."

The company added that it had removed the app, which has been downloaded over 70,000 times, from the iTunes app store due to a recurring fault.The app is powered by pulling data from Foursquare, which people use to "check in" to locations such as a shop or a bar. In the US, where the app is most popular, it is common for businesses to offer special deals to those who check in on the site. In addition to the location data, the app used associated Facebook information to display images of nearby users - allowing people with the Girls Around Me app to view profiles in a map format. Depending on a user's privacy settings, other information such as relationship status and photographs can be seen. Popular Apple blog Cult of Mac described the app a "wake-up call about privacy".

Blogger John Brownlee wrote: "Girls Around Me isn't an app you should use to pick up girls, or guys for that matter. "This is an app you should download to teach the people you care about that privacy issues are real, that social networks like Facebook and Foursquare expose you and the ones you love, and that if you do not know exactly how much you are sharing."

The developer has said it will develop the app further to make sure only check-ins at public venues are displayed to users. It is also working on an Android version of its app. However, neither versions will currently function while Foursquare prevents i-Free from using its data.