Analysing a Website

This is the website homepage for the Indie/acoustic artist Ed Sheeran. A good website lets you understand its purpose in a matter of seconds. This homepage is clearly laid out and is easily navigatable (5). The title of the page (2) is the name of the artist, so you know immediately that this is his website and the purpose is to inform you of upcoming events to do with the artist, to promote their music, to let you know more about the artist, e.g. through their biography, and to show/stream videos and pictures. The title and most other pieces of the text are in a black font resembling a typewriter, and the background (4) is an off-white colour, similar to that of the colour of paper when typewriters were still in use; thus tying the font and background together
  In (3), it is possible to play Ed Sheeran’s songs on the site. This allows the audience to listen to the songs while staying on this site only. Also on (3) are 5 links to external websites, where additional information on Ed Sheeran can be gained. External links in an article can be helpful to the reader, but they should be kept minimal, merit able, and directly relevant to the article, which these five are.
   (1) is an advertisement to download Ed Sheeran’s music from iTunes. It is located at the top left corner of the page where it is clearly visible to the audience, and therefore attracting them to buy the music.
  The navigation (5)around the website is clearly visible on the left hand side in a vertical list, and consists of nine internal links to other pages within this website. When you roll the cursor over each link it glows in a contrasting orange colour, making it clear to recognise which page you are about to click on.
There are links to buy Ed Sheeran’s music as an MP3 file, at (6), which displays the price, and size of the file. These links are clear on the right hand side of the page, and are easily identifiable by the black box they are surrounded by. The images next to the links are that of the single cover, so the audience can plainly see what it is they are buying.
   (7) is an advertisement to get free merchandise; if you sign up to the Ed Sheeran mailing list. This is a way to get more fans on the mailing list, by drawing people in by offering them free items. This item on the website is distinguishable by the black box which borders it, so is clear to see and access.
   The latest Ed Sheeran news is visible in the centre of the page, (8) and includes his latest ‘Tweets’, gigs, interviews and videos so all his fans can keep up to date with his activities and interests. Underneath this at the very bottom of the page (10) are three internal links, which appear on most websites, and follow on through to all the internal pages. They are “terms and conditions”, “Privacy policy” and “Help & support centre”. They are sectioned off from the main body of the homepage by a thin black line, and are in a simple black font; not the normal typewriter-esque font used in the rest of the website.
   The homepage background is the image of Ed Sheeran’s debut single cover, (9) which is overlapped underneath the ‘news’ section. The image has been faded to the background so the text over the top is more prominent and legible.
   There is a lot of white space on this homepage, which improves legibility and increases clarity for the audience. Too little white space and the website can become overcrowded and illegible. This website is easy to read, with a clear layout so is effective.
   The format of the website is arranged similar to that of a blog; with three columns being used for the items on the page and then the title and external links at the top middle of the page and the iTunes advert at the top left. The middle column is the widest and largest, and the ones on the left and right are slimmer and streamlined. This makes the website very easy to navigate and is legible, as everything is laid out in a clear, easy-on-the-eye way.
   The colours used in the webpage; off-white, black and orange contrast, yet go well together, and also are not so interesting that they distract the audience from the information displayed. This is effective so the audience’s interest is held, yet not absorbed by the colours.
   The website loads quickly; it isn’t so ‘heavy’ that it takes a while to load, which means that it is built light and fast. The images are crisp and clear, and because there are so few of them, the weight of the website is not large, and it can load with speed.
   Personally, I think the homepage is a little plain, with only one vibrant, eye catching colour, which only shows up occasionally. The image though, is striking but simple, and does catch the eye. It is an effective website as it loads quickly, is clear and easy to navigate and hold the audience’s attention.


Website link:
http://edsheeran.com/

Research into Industry

 After doing research into the production process of music videos in the professional industry, I was able to discover there are generally three stages of production:

• Pre-Production

This is when the producers will plan the video, and indentify the aims, style, key messages and target audience. The artist and producers will work closely together, the artist describing the market and their aims for the video, and the producers suggesting idea in order to formulate effective and creative music videos. Pre-production planning is essential when producing a music video, as it helps you ensure your product acheives its goals. It also allows the institution to draw up budgets and time allowances, which will give the artist a realistic idea of what to expect during the process. There will be storyboards drawn up, locations sourced and roles cast.

• Production

This is when both the music is recorded and the footage is shot. More employees are used, including camera man, stills photographer, picture editor and sounds editor etc. The two media types will be recorded separately and then brought together in the next stage. The director may ask for a scene to be shot a number of times in order to get it right. Many technologies and props would be used, including a High resolution video camera, tripod, dollys, lights, green screens, musical instruments etc. In the recording studio sound proof spongy walls would be used, including many effects and settings in order to acheive a high quality sound.

• Post-Production

Here the footage is assembled and the music is added by the video editor, onto a timeline. Nowadays, in the film making process, the modern use of video has meant that there are two work flow variants; one using solely film, and another using a mix of video and film. Non-linear editing is used, which means every bit of the footage including scenes, images, sound, text and graphics can be mixed, cropped, changed or deleted as you like there and then. Non-linear editing enables faster and more creative results. Transitions between clips and effects for the footage will be added, light and colour changes will be made and then when a 'rough edit' is made, the editor will show the artist, to discuss any changes. The timeline will then be mastered.


After the production process, then begins the marketing and distribution. The record label may advertise online, as the usage of the internet is growing rapidly and therefore will appeal to a wide variety of people, on billboards, on television, on the radio and in newspapers and magazines. An advert for the music video will be shown anywhere and everywhere possible, in order to attract the biggest audience possible. The video will then be distributed through many means including online download at iTunes e.g., on television e.g. MTV, and through physical sales such as at HMV or Tesco.

The record label will take a cut of the profit, followed by the advertising and distribution companies, and also the production company, and then finally the artist will be allowed their share.