1. AV O C E T ‘ I N T O A

2. MAIN PRODUCT AND TWO ANCILLARY TASKS
Link to main product; the promotional
music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d607
hISMYo&safe=active

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. INTERTEXTUALITY
Intertextuality 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.

7. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A BLACK BACKGROUND
In 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.

8. THE BLACK CLOAK
The 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.

9. CAMERA ANGLES
The 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

10. BIRDS
The 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.

11. 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

12. FRAMING
The 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. CONFORMITY BRANDING
Conformity 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.

16. 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.