Classwork: Media Theories

Here is a classwork blog I made about the media theories I learnt for componant 3. While I studied many theories for examinations, I’ve only included theories I think will be helpful to me in my componant 3 project. This blog was done by me (Cassie).

 ༘ ⋆｡˚ Media Theories ˙✧˖°

Here is the link: https://canva.link/anadxghj20pkuhq 

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REFLECTION:

Production: Communication and Organisation

This blog shows the process of our communication and organisation for componant 3. I (Cassie) changed the formatting and highlighted/bolded some words for easier reading, and contributing in creating some of our organisation systems. This blog was created by Kimora.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ Communication and Organisation ɞ˚‧｡⋆

During the pre-production and production process of our music video project, we required a significant amount of planning, communication and organisation to ensure the filming and post-production process ran smoothly. Below I (Kimora) will discuss the methods of communication and organisation we used as a team and evaluate how they helped us during the whole project. 

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WHATSAPP

We used WhatsApp as our main method of communication throughout the whole project and it played a crucial role in ensuring the project ran smoothly, without it, it would have been difficult to manage many other parts of the project. Below shows the different ways WhatsApp was used during our music video project along with evidence. 

Firstly, WhatsApp was a key tool for brainstorming and sharing ideas during the production process. Through our groupchat, we shared our ideas, suggested improvements and built on each other’s ideas, which helped build a developed vision for our music video. We often used polls to gather opinions efficiently and make decisions as a group.

WhatsApp was also used to share important files and resources we needed during the production process, such as links to documents, Google Drive folders and PDFs. This allowed all of us to have access to the materials such as the storyboard, classwork or photo and video folders. Adding these links and files into the group also reduced the chances of us losing them as everyone has access to the same materials in one place, making it easier to stay organised and refer back to any important information when needed. 

Lastly, WhatsApp was used to coordinate the filming process such as by organising locations, dates and times. This helped us ensure that all members were informed and are available to film during that time. This helped filming become more efficient and reduce confusions or misunderstandings during the filming day. It also allowed for quick communication of any last minute changes. As a result, it helped us made the filming process structured and run smoothly. 

From our experience of using WhatsApp as our main method of communication, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Allowed quick and instant communication between all group members	Messages could be missed or ignored if not checked regularly
Made it easy to organise filming	Miscommunication could happen
Helped keep everything in one place, reducing the risks of losing materials

Overall, WhatsApp played a crucial role in communication and organisation throughout our project. It allowed ideas to be shared, filming to be planned efficiently, and important files to be easily accessed, making the overall process more structured and collaborative. While there were some minor limitations, such as delayed responses or overlooked messages, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

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GOOGLE DOCS

Google Docs was used as a key tool for writing and organising blog posts, such as the statement of intent, filming schedule and research blog posts. Through Google Docs, we were able to collaborate as all group members could access and edit the document at the same time, making the process more efficient. This allowed us to share and improve our ideas together and work could be completed quicker. 

During the post-production process, we had to work on a few extra blog posts, therefore we created a shared document compiling these extra blog posts. The document included different tabs consisting of the different tasks we had to make. This made it easier for all of us to access each file. This helped keep our work organised and reduced confusion

From our experience of using Google Docs, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Allowed real time collaboration between group members	Requires internet connection
Allowed sharing of ideas and feedback easily	Changes could be made without others noticing immediately
Helped keep work organised in one place

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GOOGLE DRIVE

Google Drive was used to compile all the photos and videos taken during the filming process, which would later be used for the music video as well as the Instagram page and the Digipak. All members had access to the folder, allowing us to be able to view and upload photos and videos taken from each device. The folder is sectioned based on the different locations we filmed in, which made it easier to find specific photos or videos when needed. This helped save time and reduce confusion, as all the files organised and sorted out.

From our experience of using Google Docs, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Easy access for all group members	Uploading large files could take time
Allowed all photos and video to be stored in one place	Files could be accidentally deleted or misplaced
Made it easier to organise files by location

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PINTEREST

We also used Pinterest, which is a platform used to collect and organise visual ideas, to create a shared board where we collected photo inspirations for our music video and moodboard. This shared board allowed all group members to access the board individually and add ideas to the board. This made it easier to visualise the overall aesthetic of the music video and ensure that we all are on the same page and have the same idea. As a result, it helped us keep the vibe consistent as we can always look back at our Pinterest inspiration board.

We organised the board into four sections; scenes, locations and fashion for both the male and female actors, while also including a general section below it to represent the overall vibe and mood of the music video. We created sections to organise our ideas clearly and make it easier for us to find specific inspirations when needed.

From our experience of using Pinterest, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Helped visualise the overall aesthetic of the music video	Too many ideas could make decision making harder
Collaboration made it easier as everyone could add their own ideas	Risk of copying ideas instead of being original
Sections helped organise ideas clearly

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NOTES APP

We also used the Notes app to brainstorm and organise ideas. It was used to create to-do lists or checklists, which helped us keep track of the tasks that were needed to be completed throughout the production process. Other than that, it was useful for planning our Instagram content, such as brainstorming post ideas and layouts. Overall, this helped us stay organised and ensured that nothing was forgotten, making the overall production process more efficient. 

From our experience of using the Notes app, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Accessible anytime on our personal device	Is not the most efficient for collaboration as we cannot edit at the same time as others
Easy and quick for brainstorming ideas	Limited features compared to other apps
Helpful for creating to-do lists and checklists

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INSTAGRAM

I (Kimora) also used the saved feature on Instagram to collect inspiration from existing artists’ posts. I saved relevant posts into a folder to help develop ideas for our artist’s Instagram feed. I then further organised these into a more structured mock-up by creating another saved folder, which made it easier to visualise how our own Instagram page would look like. This helped us develop a clearer and more consistent style and it ensured that our artist’s branding was well planned and suitable for their target audience. 

From my (Kimora) experience of using the Instagram Saved feature, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Easy to save and collect inspiration from real existing artists	Some artists have taken down their posts leading to some saved posts disappearing in the saved folder
Allows visual planning of Instagram content
Helps develop the artist’s image / branding ideas

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PHYSICAL ORGANISATION

Lastly, we used physical organisation methods such as paper-based brainstorming, which was usually done in class. This allowed us to quickly write down ideas or initial plans for our music video. This helped us develop our concepts more clearly and contributed to the early planning stages of the production process.

From our experience of using the Physical organisation, there were several advantages and disadvantages: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Quick and easy way to brainstorm ideas	Can be easily lost or damaged
	Can become messy or unorganised

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REFLECTION:

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Media Language

This is the blog for component 3 discussing the media language and technical elements and storylines that I used to generate meaning to support dominant reading and target audiences. This talks about the ones that I couldn’t fit in my CR, and will focus more on the non-styling aspects. I have made a separate blog for media language related to styling. This blog was done by me (Cassie).

₊𖥔 Media Language ۪ ׄ໑୧ ׅ𖥔ׄ

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REFLECTION:

My role in this stage was creating this blog. The media language blog was really useful because it let me explain all our technical choices like camera, sound, mis-en-scene, and editing in more detail, especially things we couldn’t fully include it in our critical reflection because of the word limit. It was also actually fun to see how all the different elements we worked on came together to create real meaning and tell a story through media, giving us meaningful connections to these projects. This improves the quality of it too. However, one problem I faced though was that this blog took so long to complete and was really exhausting, especially since I had a lot to talk about. Despite that, I’m still really happy with the final result and I think it turned out pretty well and according to what we want and expect. Moreover, to solve this, I worked on the blog in chunks, so every other day I would complete a few sections and then stop when I felt tired which helped me stay motivated and not get overwhelmed by the loads of tasks left that is yet to be done. Next time, I would try to manage my time more efficient and effectively. I’d definitely want to start earlier and not feel rushed and panicking which may hinder the quality of my future projects if this keeps on happening.

Research and Development: Music Video Introduction

This blog contains the research on music video intro, this blog is created by Tisha, while I helped bold/highlight words for easier reading.

⋆｡𖦹° Music Video Introduction ⭒˚｡⋆

To start a music video an introduction will be commonly seen across all different genres of music in their music video, this introduction is used to start the narrative / story of the music video. Some music videos have a narrative to explain the song to give information to the audience that allows them to understand what the song is about as well as it is used to attract audiences when they first watch the video. At the same time an introduction is a crucial part of the music video that is used as a way for an artist to brand themselves. 

To understand more about how artists show their brand in their music video, I decided to research several different music videos from different artists from different genres but at the same time also focus on RnB artists' music videos to understand how they put the artists' brand. 

This presentation below contains my research on different music videos, as well as what I like and dislike or not use from the way they show their brand in the music video.

Music Video Intro Research by Ida Ayu Jyotisha Sena

From this research, I decided to add an introduction at the start of my artist’s music video where in this introduction it will be shown the song title and the record company name. We decided to use this to build the brand identity of both the artist and the company and it also makes the music video feel more professional and industry style. My classmate Cassie created the album cover to which she also created a record company, where she suggested including the record company logo in the music video as well. By adding the logo, we are creating a clear brand for the producer, which would be talking about my team who helped create the music video. 

Normally, R&B music videos do not show a record company logo as it is shown through my research, so we decided to subvert this convention by including it. This helps the audience recognize the company behind the artist and makes the brand more memorable. 

This presentation below contains the development of the music video introduction.

Introduction Development by Ida Ayu Jyotisha Sena

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REFLECTION: 

Decision-Making Process in Song Choice

This blog contains the decision making process in song choice, where we choose the song and research about our music video song choice. This blog was created by Tisha, while I helped in giving feedback and input about what song we will choose. I also bolded/highlighted/formatted this blog was better readability.

⋆｡° Song Choice  ࿔*:･
 

For this music video project, as we have decided on our genre being RnB genre we wanted to discuss our goals for this project. This is done so that our ideas are on the same page and it would be easier to create our music video by combining ideas that would connect easily. In order to have a fair decision on the song we will do, I asked all of the team member to each give a song from the RnB genre they think would be able to create a good music video. 

As our team is a group of 4, from the 3 of my team member they gave suggestion on a song but I was not well known by any songs from the RnB genre so I was okay with following what the team has decided to choose. These song choices were discussed in our Whatsapp group chat (Fig 1), it shows how we all talked about our opinions and song we wanted to do.

Fig 1 - Shows our discussion about opinions from song choices

In result the song choice includes:

• pov by Ariana Grande (2021)
• Kill Bill by SZA (2023)
• Folded by Kehlani (2025)

In order to find the perfect song, we decided to create a list of the pros and cons of each songs in order to be able to finalize our decision in picking the song we want to choose for this music video project. We create this pros and cons by balancing the differences from each song by watching their music video. 

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PROS AND CONS

pov - Ariana Grande (2021)

For this song, based on research from google the song was published from the album in 30 October 2020 following the release of Ariana Grande's sixth album Position, making this song being released under 5 years but it was officially released by Republic Records on March 31 2021. This song is considered as a R&B song, but Ariana Grande is well known for being a Pop artist making it contain pop genre conventions, which if we were to use this song we will need to meet 2 different genre conventions added into our music video. As a group we are more familiar with the pop genre so it would be easier to make an idea on what to add in the music video, with the title being pov we had several ideas on using point of view (pov) shot throughout the song so that it would be more connected to the song. The song doesn't have an official music video and only a lyric video which contains dance choreography to the lyrics which makes the song being on the performance side. Without the music video and just the choreography it was hard to gain inspiration for what would fit in our music video. 

Kill Bill - SZA (2023)

SZA is well known for making R&B songs which by watching her music video allows us to gain many inspiration for R&B genre conventions to inspire us to be added in our music video. The music video that we watched contains an inappropriate performance and for us we think that it would be really cringe if we were to use the song based on the lyrics. The lyrics of the song were awkward to be acted out, but at the same time the song tone uses a very tense emotion such as anger in singing it which would need an actor that has a more proper actor that acts professionally to play that role. The whole vibe from the song is dark and very emotional to which we think it would be hard to try and make that music video to align with the dark and emotional feeling.

Folded - Kehlani (2025)

Kehlani is also known for being a R&B artist where she is also known as a dancer which is why in this song Folded music videos are heavily focused on performance. As we use music videos to gain inspiration for our music video, with performance we believe that the performance was very overwhelming.  From the music video as well, we tried watching it multiple times but the narrative of it is quite unclear, so it will be hard to figure out a narrative that would match this song. In the music video, it is heavily leaning to the performance side which was inappropriate for our project but the idea of having performance was good to express emotions which we wanted to add. 

To which after analyzing the three options pros and cons we decided to choose pov by Ariana Grande as our final song.

This decision was made because the song is easier to adapt with the resources that we have. Alongside when we were discussing the pros and cons we were able to have a clear goal on what the narrative of the music video would be if we chose the song pov by Ariana Grande. Although it doesn't have an official music video, this actually allow us to have a more creative freedom to develop our own original concept rather than getting ideas off an existing music video. 

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REFLECTION: