When designing the ancillary texts (CD cover and advertising poster) we wanted to incorporate the initial idea of using old fashioned style products and in particular the Frankenstein films that the music video we had created was based on.
The CD cover was linked very closely to the music video as the front cover had a close up image of Frankenstein’s Monster that is one of the shots from the film. This was edited so that the cover was black and white, which again relates back to the music video. We then added two significant colours that related to both the narrative of the music video and other media references. We changed the colours of the characters eyes as they become the dominant foreground image on the black and white background. We changed one eye to brown, which was to show the human side of the monster, as the music video relates back to the emotional side of the character as he falls in love. The other eye was changed to green as this is used in other media forms such as cartoons and modern adaptations of the Frankenstein films as the colour of the monster. We feel that the audience can use audience reference to be able to link the colour green to the monster.
The back of cover of the CD we feel creates interest as the background image that is shown relates to the setting of the music video. This also shows the continuity between the music video and the ancillary texts as the image of the castle on the back cover of the CD is the same image that has been used in the music video. Having introduced the main character of Frankenstein’s Monster on the front cover of the CD, the back introduces the female character who has been placed in black and white to show her as she would be shown in the music video. However we have chosen to put her hair in colour as this makes the image more appealing to the audience and this also makes them more aware of the character. We also used this feature to show that this is one of the characters most important features and this allows the audience to identify with why the monster has fallen in love with this character. This means that the back of the CD cover gives the audience identification which is one of the Uses of Gratifications.
The advertising poster that we have created consists of the same background of the back of the CD cover. We decided to do this for many reasons, such as making the audience aware of the setting for the music video. To show the links between the different ancillary texts and to promote the CD to members of the audience who may not have seen the cover of the CD. This is also backed up by the front cover of the CD being placed in the top right hand corner of the advertising poster. We have also placed an image of Frankenstein’s Monster on the advertising poster; however in this he looks happy. We feel that this challenges the stereotype that has been given to the character in other forms of media and therefore this may make question what has been created in terms of the CD and the music video which would then fuel their desire to buy the album.
The ancillary texts that we have created to accompany the music video basically set the scene of a fictional story by introducing the characters, the setting and the style. This means that the texts would appeal to the audience as they could become involved in the fictional world of Frankenstein. This means that they could escape their own lives to enjoy the CD and in turn the music video. This means that the ancillary texts create escapism for the audience which is another uses of gratification that has been used when creating the texts. The fact that the texts allow the audience to escape from their dull everyday lives also relates to Richard Dyer’s Utopian Solutions theory which says that the media can fill inadequacies within people’s lives so that they can find their utopia. We feel that the products that we have created allows the target audience to do this as they can fill the inadequacies in their own lives with the comical, fictional world that is displayed in both the music video and the ancillary texts that accompany it.Overall we feel that we have created brilliant, well thought out ancillary texts to accompany the music video that we have created. These texts make the audience aware of the music video and album and give them an interest and desire to buy the product. The ancillary texts show a consistent house style between the music video and each other and challenge certain stereotypes that have been displayed in other forms of the media. The texts also use the Uses of Gratifications theory well as they give the audience information about the album; they allow the target audience to identify with the characters through the use of colour and imagery and they also allow the audience to escape from there boring everyday lives and find their utopia which means that Richard Dyer’s Utopian Solutions Theory also applies to the music video and ancillary texts that we have created.
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