Media Evaluation
Boom Box Music Website – By Rebecca Baker
For my A2 Media Coursework, my brief was to create a website for a new tv channel aimed at teenagers. The website I have created is called ‘Boom Box’; I chose this for my website because it is original and has a direct reference to music, the onomatopoeic alliteration used in the title also adds a playful laidback tone to the website that will be easily remembered. I decided to make my website unisex to gain a wider audience frame, I did this by using a vast range of colours, content and pictures that appeal to both sexes, male and female. As well as creating a website to promote the teen TV channel, I had two ancillary tasks which consisted of a double page spread and a newspaper advert, this is all to promote my channel “Boom Box”.
Boom Box Music Website – By Rebecca Baker
For my A2 Media Coursework, my brief was to create a website for a new tv channel aimed at teenagers. The website I have created is called ‘Boom Box’; I chose this for my website because it is original and has a direct reference to music, the onomatopoeic alliteration used in the title also adds a playful laidback tone to the website that will be easily remembered. I decided to make my website unisex to gain a wider audience frame, I did this by using a vast range of colours, content and pictures that appeal to both sexes, male and female. As well as creating a website to promote the teen TV channel, I had two ancillary tasks which consisted of a double page spread and a newspaper advert, this is all to promote my channel “Boom Box”.
Question One:
In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Before beginning the actual construction of my website, I researched a range of websites including Viva, BBC Three and MTV that have a similar target audience.
As you can see from the screenshot of my homepage to the left, I have used the convention of a navigation bar within my website. Navigation helps the audience access the contact they wish and easily making the overall usability of the site effortless. I decided to use the form of a top navigation, which is a typical convention of websites because they are a recurring feature among the websites I have studied. I felt this form of navigation helped shape the construction of the page. Navigations are made up of hyperlinks, without these hyperlinks my audience would not be able to move around my website freely. It is a convention of websites because any website with one or more pages needs to be linked together by hyperlinks so all the content can be accessed straightforwardly. Hyperlinks are evident throughout my website, through the process of linking up text and pictures to various pages with a vast range of content.
Another convention within websites is images and videos, which are popular among the teenage age group. I used original images throughout my website that provide visual examples of my programmes and news stories featured on the channel. Images also give graphic satisfaction for the audience and help to advertise certain aspects; this is why I used a lot of images throughout my ancillary texts which were a magazine double page spread and a newspaper advertisement. I embedded two videos onto my website, one of my AS Level Thriller Trailer onto my ‘’what’s on’’ page, and a video of my friend and peer Natasha John singing on my ‘’Snapped’’ page, which I had permission to use. Many websites include video clips in order to advertise upcoming shows, broadcast news stories, or to display an interview. For example, the music channel Viva http://www.uk.viva.tv has a website where they show new music videos for example, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. I decided to add a little blurb about what the video is about so my audience are more likely to watch it, this is also a convention often used on websites. Video clips add depth and attraction to the webpage, as well as gaining the attention and interest of the audience members.
When focussing on my ancillary texts, I followed some of the codes and conventions of newspaper advertisements and double-page spreads which I identified from the research I gathered. This comprises of images to attract the audience, the use of information about the website/channel such as the launch date and channel number on my newspaper advertisement, and the use of text within the double-page spread to inform the audience of specific programmes and other facts of the channel. I found these codes and conventions vital in terms of creating a realistic ancillary task as well as
teen channel.
The sites that influenced my ideas the most were Viva and MTV, as they both had a bright electro colours, which I used on my own website, I used these colours, preferably the neon purples, greens, blues, yellows and orange to create variety on my page and the edge I wanted for my website. I carried on this theme not only through my text, but through my backgrounds also, as you can see to the left. I did this by inverting the colour of the original image, and then changing the hue/ saturation for each page, adding variety to every different page and a different colour scheme, overall maintaining the audience’s interest.
Another convention of websites that I have noticed whilst researching and browsing the internet is the influence of a logo. A logo creates an imprint in the audience’s mind of a specific company or in this case programme. Therefore, to be the key concept of the programme I decided my logo needed to be eye-catching and with a hint of simplicity so it doesn’t over power the content. To create my logo I used Photoshop. Whilst developing the logo I finally decided to use the theme of colour featured in my website within the logo to create fluency within the website. I sketched the design and scanned it into the computer, I played around with colours and positioning and resulted with just the text “Boom Box” and used the stereo I sketched for my Double Page Spread and for my Top 40 image.
I searched through www.dafont.com and got the idea for my logo’s text from there, but decided to sketch it because I wanted to add in the pulse lines either side of the image.
A further convention of the product in question is gaming and competitions within websites. I decided to include in my website was the inclusion of a “Win” page. In my research I found that these pages were filled with games and competitions where top prizes were up for grabs. I decided to incorporate this in my website as they seemed popular among the age group. I inserted a poll also with active links to show who the audience have voted for, this again shows my technological skills within my website. I would have liked to have added a forum portion of my website as previously planned, but due to time and software limitations, I was unable to include this feature.
This research I believe made my website gain depth and fluency; giving it a sense of originality by following the codes and conventions we as an audience are familiar too. By following these conventions I believe my website isn’t too complicated to access and move around. Further research also allowed me to focus onto theorists of web design. I particularly enjoyed Jakob Nielsens’ Do’s and Don’ts on website design, such as what text to have on what background and how to make the site easily accessible on a search engine.
Question Two:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
The main product that I have created is the “Boom Box” website and the ancillary tasks that I created are my newspaper advertise
ment and my double page spread. By developing these ancillary tasks I am strengthening the company Boom Box due to the fortification of advertisement. In order to do this I have included my logo on not only the website, but on both of the ancillary tasks. This is to make the logo memorable for the audience and to again increase audience figures. I have based both of the ancillary tasks on black backgrounds, whereas background to my content is white in colour due to the construction of the website through tables. However this may be different, due to my research into double page spreads and newspaper advertisements, usually magazines and newspapers have a white background, therefore the small banner that I have created for my newspaper advertisement will stand out against this. This is again true for the double page spread; the neon colours against the black background will draw the audience into the advertisements.
To keep my ancillary tasks connected to my website, I have used the same pictures and celebrities as featured on my website within my double page spread and newspaper advertisement. I have also kept the two of the ancillary texts similar so it looks like the double page spread is an extension of my newspaper advertisement. All three pieces I believe compliment each other well through using the proper codes and conventions of texts. I have also made the channel and website accessible by adding the website link and/or the channel number to both ancillary pieces.
For my newspaper advertisement I worked on the idea of it looking like an invitation as advertisements need to persuasive a
nd mysterious so the audience are inclined to find out what it’s all about. Although my ancillary tasks are similar in many ways, for example, the same colour scheme, they are slightly different however, for example the logo’s outline is black on the double page spread and white on the newspaper advertisement. I went through with this manipulation of image as I believe it makes the logo stand out more or each advertisement, and as previously discussed it is the key aspect of the company. Again, the amount of text is different on each advertisement as the newspaper advertisement is meant to entice my audience, and the double page spread is used to display the needed information for the present audience, such as what they can expect from the site/channel and when the most popular programmes are on.
Overall I believe that the main product and ancillary tasks are effectively combined together throughout the use of colour schemes, logos and images. Therefore, the programme and website Boom Box will be fully advertised
Question Three:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
In terms of feedback, I have realised my strengths and weaknesses from a group of friends, male and female, all teenagers from my school; basically my target audience. Preferably I would have preferred a larger group to get a varied response, but due to time, I was limited in my efforts. My audience feedback has shown me what efforts I could have made to improve my website for the audience through the good points and bad points pointed out by them within my production work.
In terms of my websites, my strengths were varied, many people commented on the variety of coloured used on my website and they were generally impressed that I was able to embed a video onto my website. They were also impressed by the change of hue in the background and believed it kept the website fresh and interesting. They thought the logo was original and looked professional along with the top 40 logo. The boys and girls were both interested by the colours so it proves that my website appeals to both sexes. Within my double page spread, they said that the text was short but got to the point and had enough information to entice them as an audience member. They also said they liked the Boom Box and the editing and positioning of the pictures was interesting as it did not let the text overpower the page, which goes against the regular conventions of a double page spread.
One weaknesses of the website was that the website’s homepage may be slightly overpowering as there is a lot of information to take in, one teenager commented that it may have been more effective if more simplistic. Another comment was that I could have added a TV schedule for the next week rather than just one day; it would have added depth even if it were a dead link. All teenagers taking part said they would visit my website again, as they found it fun and interesting, and 8/10 teenagers believed that my website was user friendly and easy to access.
Question Four:
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research planning and evaluation stages?
In terms of my research and planning, the main resource I used was the internet so I could research other websites with similar themes to my own, recommendations from other website theorists such as Jakob Nielsen and finally to observe the codes and conventions of website design and print
.
In order to organise and broadcast my research and planning, I used the online blog site www.blogger.com. This is a site that I am already familiar with due to my AS level coursework also being presented through the website. This site helped me compose posts complete with images so that my ideas and updates could be recorded effectively. The clear, organised presentation of my blog allowed me to remain focused and helped me improve my time-keeping abilities. I was also able to review my work during my construction of the website and also refer back to the work when constructing my newspaper advertisement and double page spread.
As shown to the left, the main construction of my website was dependant on technology, I constructed my website using the software Kompozer, which allowed me to develop the website through the use of cells and tables, images, embed videos and scroll boxes. I have developed my analytical skills with codes and I also learnt how to use hyperlinks in order to link my pages together. I also linked up some pictures on my page to different pages; I developed this idea from Viva’s music channel www.uk.viva.tv. This allowed me the opportunity to design a website in line with what I thought would appeal to a teenage audience without ignoring the codes and conventions of website design. I feel that my technological skills have developed vastly since using blogger. I feel that, even though I did find Kompozer difficult to use in the first place such as learning how to link up all my pages, I feel that as time went on, I was able to create each webpage quicker. I was also able to manipulate source codes to create a scroll box on my “Snapped” page, and I was happy with the outcome. Being able to develop my skills in this way has made me believe that I have produced an impressive teen based website.
Another convention within websites is images and videos, which are popular among the teenage age group. I used original images throughout my website that provide visual examples of my programmes and news stories featured on the channel. Images also give graphic satisfaction for the audience and help to advertise certain aspects; this is why I used a lot of images throughout my ancillary texts which were a magazine double page spread and a newspaper advertisement. I embedded two videos onto my website, one of my AS Level Thriller Trailer onto my ‘’what’s on’’ page, and a video of my friend and peer Natasha John singing on my ‘’Snapped’’ page, which I had permission to use. Many websites include video clips in order to advertise upcoming shows, broadcast news stories, or to display an interview. For example, the music channel Viva http://www.uk.viva.tv has a website where they show new music videos for example, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. I decided to add a little blurb about what the video is about so my audience are more likely to watch it, this is also a convention often used on websites. Video clips add depth and attraction to the webpage, as well as gaining the attention and interest of the audience members.
When focussing on my ancillary texts, I followed some of the codes and conventions of newspaper advertisements and double-page spreads which I identified from the research I gathered. This comprises of images to attract the audience, the use of information about the website/channel such as the launch date and channel number on my newspaper advertisement, and the use of text within the double-page spread to inform the audience of specific programmes and other facts of the channel. I found these codes and conventions vital in terms of creating a realistic ancillary task as well as
teen channel.The sites that influenced my ideas the most were Viva and MTV, as they both had a bright electro colours, which I used on my own website, I used these colours, preferably the neon purples, greens, blues, yellows and orange to create variety on my page and the edge I wanted for my website. I carried on this theme not only through my text, but through my backgrounds also, as you can see to the left. I did this by inverting the colour of the original image, and then changing the hue/ saturation for each page, adding variety to every different page and a different colour scheme, overall maintaining the audience’s interest.
Another convention of websites that I have noticed whilst researching and browsing the internet is the influence of a logo. A logo creates an imprint in the audience’s mind of a specific company or in this case programme. Therefore, to be the key concept of the programme I decided my logo needed to be eye-catching and with a hint of simplicity so it doesn’t over power the content. To create my logo I used Photoshop. Whilst developing the logo I finally decided to use the theme of colour featured in my website within the logo to create fluency within the website. I sketched the design and scanned it into the computer, I played around with colours and positioning and resulted with just the text “Boom Box” and used the stereo I sketched for my Double Page Spread and for my Top 40 image.
I searched through www.dafont.com and got the idea for my logo’s text from there, but decided to sketch it because I wanted to add in the pulse lines either side of the image.A further convention of the product in question is gaming and competitions within websites. I decided to include in my website was the inclusion of a “Win” page. In my research I found that these pages were filled with games and competitions where top prizes were up for grabs. I decided to incorporate this in my website as they seemed popular among the age group. I inserted a poll also with active links to show who the audience have voted for, this again shows my technological skills within my website. I would have liked to have added a forum portion of my website as previously planned, but due to time and software limitations, I was unable to include this feature.
This research I believe made my website gain depth and fluency; giving it a sense of originality by following the codes and conventions we as an audience are familiar too. By following these conventions I believe my website isn’t too complicated to access and move around. Further research also allowed me to focus onto theorists of web design. I particularly enjoyed Jakob Nielsens’ Do’s and Don’ts on website design, such as what text to have on what background and how to make the site easily accessible on a search engine.
Question Two:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
The main product that I have created is the “Boom Box” website and the ancillary tasks that I created are my newspaper advertise
ment and my double page spread. By developing these ancillary tasks I am strengthening the company Boom Box due to the fortification of advertisement. In order to do this I have included my logo on not only the website, but on both of the ancillary tasks. This is to make the logo memorable for the audience and to again increase audience figures. I have based both of the ancillary tasks on black backgrounds, whereas background to my content is white in colour due to the construction of the website through tables. However this may be different, due to my research into double page spreads and newspaper advertisements, usually magazines and newspapers have a white background, therefore the small banner that I have created for my newspaper advertisement will stand out against this. This is again true for the double page spread; the neon colours against the black background will draw the audience into the advertisements.To keep my ancillary tasks connected to my website, I have used the same pictures and celebrities as featured on my website within my double page spread and newspaper advertisement. I have also kept the two of the ancillary texts similar so it looks like the double page spread is an extension of my newspaper advertisement. All three pieces I believe compliment each other well through using the proper codes and conventions of texts. I have also made the channel and website accessible by adding the website link and/or the channel number to both ancillary pieces.
For my newspaper advertisement I worked on the idea of it looking like an invitation as advertisements need to persuasive a
nd mysterious so the audience are inclined to find out what it’s all about. Although my ancillary tasks are similar in many ways, for example, the same colour scheme, they are slightly different however, for example the logo’s outline is black on the double page spread and white on the newspaper advertisement. I went through with this manipulation of image as I believe it makes the logo stand out more or each advertisement, and as previously discussed it is the key aspect of the company. Again, the amount of text is different on each advertisement as the newspaper advertisement is meant to entice my audience, and the double page spread is used to display the needed information for the present audience, such as what they can expect from the site/channel and when the most popular programmes are on.Overall I believe that the main product and ancillary tasks are effectively combined together throughout the use of colour schemes, logos and images. Therefore, the programme and website Boom Box will be fully advertised
Question Three:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
In terms of feedback, I have realised my strengths and weaknesses from a group of friends, male and female, all teenagers from my school; basically my target audience. Preferably I would have preferred a larger group to get a varied response, but due to time, I was limited in my efforts. My audience feedback has shown me what efforts I could have made to improve my website for the audience through the good points and bad points pointed out by them within my production work.
In terms of my websites, my strengths were varied, many people commented on the variety of coloured used on my website and they were generally impressed that I was able to embed a video onto my website. They were also impressed by the change of hue in the background and believed it kept the website fresh and interesting. They thought the logo was original and looked professional along with the top 40 logo. The boys and girls were both interested by the colours so it proves that my website appeals to both sexes. Within my double page spread, they said that the text was short but got to the point and had enough information to entice them as an audience member. They also said they liked the Boom Box and the editing and positioning of the pictures was interesting as it did not let the text overpower the page, which goes against the regular conventions of a double page spread.
One weaknesses of the website was that the website’s homepage may be slightly overpowering as there is a lot of information to take in, one teenager commented that it may have been more effective if more simplistic. Another comment was that I could have added a TV schedule for the next week rather than just one day; it would have added depth even if it were a dead link. All teenagers taking part said they would visit my website again, as they found it fun and interesting, and 8/10 teenagers believed that my website was user friendly and easy to access.
Question Four:
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research planning and evaluation stages?
In terms of my research and planning, the main resource I used was the internet so I could research other websites with similar themes to my own, recommendations from other website theorists such as Jakob Nielsen and finally to observe the codes and conventions of website design and print
.In order to organise and broadcast my research and planning, I used the online blog site www.blogger.com. This is a site that I am already familiar with due to my AS level coursework also being presented through the website. This site helped me compose posts complete with images so that my ideas and updates could be recorded effectively. The clear, organised presentation of my blog allowed me to remain focused and helped me improve my time-keeping abilities. I was also able to review my work during my construction of the website and also refer back to the work when constructing my newspaper advertisement and double page spread.
As shown to the left, the main construction of my website was dependant on technology, I constructed my website using the software Kompozer, which allowed me to develop the website through the use of cells and tables, images, embed videos and scroll boxes. I have developed my analytical skills with codes and I also learnt how to use hyperlinks in order to link my pages together. I also linked up some pictures on my page to different pages; I developed this idea from Viva’s music channel www.uk.viva.tv. This allowed me the opportunity to design a website in line with what I thought would appeal to a teenage audience without ignoring the codes and conventions of website design. I feel that my technological skills have developed vastly since using blogger. I feel that, even though I did find Kompozer difficult to use in the first place such as learning how to link up all my pages, I feel that as time went on, I was able to create each webpage quicker. I was also able to manipulate source codes to create a scroll box on my “Snapped” page, and I was happy with the outcome. Being able to develop my skills in this way has made me believe that I have produced an impressive teen based website.
In order to manipulate images and construct my ancillary texts, I used Photoshop Elements. This allowed me to use layers to create my magazine double page spread and my newspaper advertisement. This helped me to place images and text onto the page and by merging layers I was able to create a single image out of several. This was useful for my double page spread where I had to design a large amount a space. The use of filters in Photoshop also allowed me to manipulate images in order to strengthen their meaning within the website. I was also able to alter and resize images for my website in Photoshop. This allowed me to design websites to be exactly as I wanted them before placing them onto my webpages. I feel that my skills again have been developed through my development within Photoshop Elements as I was unaware how to work this software before the construction of my website.
Another website I had to come to terms with was http://www.yousendit.co.uk I had to create an account and send my work to my school’s account as it was the simplest and quickest way of transferring work through the internet. I experienced difficultly whilst doing this as the file I tried to send was too big so I had to transfer my work via a USB stick.
Another website I had to come to terms with was http://www.yousendit.co.uk I had to create an account and send my work to my school’s account as it was the simplest and quickest way of transferring work through the internet. I experienced difficultly whilst doing this as the file I tried to send was too big so I had to transfer my work via a USB stick.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed completing my coursework because I have enjoyed watching my ideas develop and grow as the course has gone on. I have used a wide range of software this year which I was completely unfamiliar with and I have therefore developed my analytical skills beyond what I ever could have imagined to gain. I am very proud of my work, and I never thought my work would turn out so professionally. If I had more time on this project, I may have developed or changed some aspects of my website slightly, and I would have liked to add more content to my ancillary tasks. In conclusion, I believe the skills I have learnt will benefit me in the future and the time and work I have put into my production pieces have developed my knowledge and confidence with technology greatly
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