Navya Aggarwal A-Level media coursework

Hi readers, this is my personal reflection on my project.. The project I have created represents the epitome of my identity and is a product of pure imaginative instinct paired with depth in research. Every detail of every outcome is infused with my deep-rooted feelings about friendship, separation, and nostalgia, serving as a heartfelt response to the experience of missing my best friends in my home country after moving away. Built around Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” the music video allowed me to express emotions that are often difficult to put into words, starting from the symbolic opening of a passport and boarding pass, transitioning into a plane window, and then fading into a montage of memories shared with my friends, ending once more with the aircraft window to show that the entire journey was filled with reflection. The collage album cover and vinyl design, featuring the phrase “Some goodbyes last forever, so do the memories,” act as visual and emotional artefacts of the...

Hi readers!! I have finally completed my music video.  I'm pretty pleased with how everything turned out, and I believe I was able to stay on topic with my target demographic and effectively convey the look I wanted.  The clips that I have used in my video aren't of the best quality and are a little shaky as I wanted to keep it real and raw. I wanted to show these are real memories recorded from my phone and is a peak in my past life. 

 Hi readers, this week I have been finishing up my video. since I've been finishing up I thought to share my personal feeling n how I feel about my whole journey with everyone.  Throughout, the journey that I have gone through during this project is very personal and emotional for me, I cried several times making this video or the times when I was picking out my favourite memories with my favourite people. My initial idea was to make a nostalgic and to target teenage friendships, which I personally feel I have covered that idea throughout my music video. I wanted to show how life changes and we all have a path we can go on and we loose people along this path and that's the journey of life. Myself when I changed countries and left my beloved friends in my home country, I was very sad but along the way I started to adapt and live my life regularly but I still miss them and I love every second I get with them on calls, every time I go back the one thing I'm always excited abou...

Hi readers, this week I wanted to finish up my video but I keep getting ideas that can be included in there. So I decided to talk to my mom about it, she told me to list down these ideas and shortlist what all I can use. and then I can pick accordingly or try them out and see what looks the best and also to not overthink it otherwise ill keep getting new ideas and I will never be able to finish my project.  I listed these down to short list and decide what all I can use.  I used different tools from imvic to make my video more personal and creative, I typed out some lyrics of the song, the verse and changed some lyrics as well like, " when "I" went away" instead of "when YOU went away" and wrote out the verse which is " Every step I take Every move I make Every single day, every time I pray I'll be missing you Thinkin' of the day When you went away What a life to take, what a bond to break I'll be missing you ". To make the video conn...

 Hi readers, today I wanted to share my challenges that I have faced and how I overcame them. During the production of my music video, one of the minor challenges was working with iMovie. Although I have used iMovie in the past and feel confident with it, it still has some limitations compared to more advanced editing software. Certain transitions and effects that could have made my narrative even stronger were harder to create. However, I focused on editing techniques such as cross-dissolves, match cuts, and smooth fades to keep the visual storytelling engaging and emotional. By applying these techniques carefully, I was able to maintain continuity and support the nostalgic mood I wanted to convey. Another challenge I faced was the difference in quality across my footage. Since I used personal clips recorded at different times and on different phones, there was a lack of visual consistency in lighting, colour, and framing. This could have impacted the overall aesthetic and verisim...

 Hi readers, I have reached the editing part of my music video and just wanted to share the process of it.  Being a media student, I understand the crucial role that post-production plays in shaping the final meaning and aesthetic of a music video. Choosing the right editing software is key in achieving the desired mise-en-scène, pacing, and emotional impact. I opted to use iMovie, as I had prior experience with the platform, which meant I was confident navigating its interface and understood how to utilise its range of editing tools. This included the ability to overlay text for lyrics (anchorage), insert non-diegetic audio such as laughter and ambient sound to enhance verisimilitude, and apply transitions that supported the nostalgic tone of my narrative. While conducting research into industry practices, I noticed that many successful artists – particularly those with an autobiographical element in their work – often rely on straightforward editing styles that don’t oversha...

 Hi readers, I wanted to share the process of recording my videos and clips for the my music video.  In constructing my music video, I deliberately utilised archival footage captured on my personal mobile phone to enhance the authenticity and emotional resonance of the narrative. By incorporating pre-existing, non-staged clips, I was able to employ a bricolage technique, assembling fragments of real memories to create a rich tapestry of nostalgia. This decision aligns with the conventions of postmodern media, particularly in the use of found footage to blur the boundaries between reality and representation. The mobile phone footage acts as a diegetic artefact within the text, grounding the narrative in lived experience and offering verisimilitude that staged re-enactments could not achieve. Moreover, the use of handheld, low-resolution visuals lends the product a documentary-style aesthetic, supporting the preferred reading that this music video is an intimate, personal reflec...

Hi readers, this week I've spent designing my social media page, and I am very happy with the outcome I think it reflect just like a real life social media page.  Click images for better quality   For the construction of my music video, I chose to foreground my own identity as the artist, aligning with Richard Dyer’s star theory which suggests that authenticity and relatability are crucial in building a strong connection with audiences. Given that the theme of my project revolves around nostalgia and recollections of friendships from my personal life, I intentionally used original archival images from significant moments, captured on my phone. This decision not only reinforced verisimilitude but also allowed my social media marketing to feel organic and sincere, as seen in my uploaded Instagram posts. During my research into the online personas of celebrities and musicians, I observed that many artists, such as Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, frequently post personal memories ...

 Hi readers, I was going through my vinyl design that I made last week and showed it to my friends as I wanted to update them how everything is turning out. and they gave me an idea which can make it more creative and meaningful.   I added the photo collage of my cover in the middle and I personally think this turned out to be better than before and this something very unusual and I haven't personally seen this anywhere. 

 Hi readers!!, since this week I've been working on my digi pack. I have made cover and my design on my vinyl. Throughout the process, I faced a lot of difficulties of trying my best to make it perfect.  The quote says "Some Goodbyes Last Forever, So Do The Memories." The first thing I wanted to focus on was the cover of the vinyl, and the design in the cd. I wanted to create something unusual while keeping it simple and personal.  Since I’ve already talked about how this project is based on friendship and memories, I wanted the design of  “I’ll Be Missing You – Vol. 1 (2025)”  to visually reflect those emotions in a meaningful way. I created the front cover as a photo collage made up of real moments shared with my friends—candid, joyful, and heartfelt. The soft overlay gives a nostalgic, almost dreamy effect, as if we’re looking back at these memories through time. I used a minimal, elegant font to keep the focus on the visuals and the emotion behind them. Addi...

 Hi readers, this week I have been working on creating my digi pack, I think it is important to make the social media page and digi pack interconnected.  For better quality click on the images I thought of creating something wholesome but also something that represents my theme, This digipack cover captures a sense of warmth, connection, and nostalgia through a collage of real memories. The repeated faces and moments celebrate friendship and togetherness, while the grainy effect adds a timeless, emotional quality—like flipping through a memory. The soft lighting and personal touches, like the barcode and handle, give it a heartfelt, almost sacred feel. It’s a visual tribute to meaningful bonds that continue to matter, even through change. This part of my digipack features the lyrics of  I'll Be Missing You , layered over a grainy collage of personal memories, giving it a nostalgic and intimate feel. The curved frame mimics the view from a plane window, symbolizing how mem...

 Hi readers!! I am thinking to collect all my videos that I took and all the pictures I have with my friends that I have collected over the years with my friends. Since, a very long time I have been making small videos for my friends birthdays with all their and my memories together. My idea is to make my audience feel emotional and nostalgic when they see this video. I have some sample pictures, like the following. Which I will be including in my video.

 Hi readers, in my previous blog I showed you all what my idea is for my album cover, but I brainstormed a little more on it because I wanted to add more depth to it because its about the connections I've made and how deeply I love my friends.  so, I came with the idea of the picture shown, the transparency of the flight image, shows that by just one flight these pictures became memories, and slowly they will fade in my memory as life goes on, but also they will always be a part of me and remain with me for the rest of my life. the flight picture represents me going away and taking these memories along with me. Which I thought had a deeper meaning than the collage and shows my theme better.  This is the flight picture that I took when I was flying my way to Dubai. 

Hi readers, for my album cover I decided to use collage. Collage is an effective choice for an album cover when the video focuses on teenage friendship, as it visually reflects the layered and emotional nature of teen experiences. The mixed media approach can represent shared memories, inside jokes, and personal moments, much like a scrapbook or mood board. This style feels authentic and nostalgic, helping to convey the energy, messiness, and intimacy of teenage relationships in a visually engaging way. Each and every picture I've chosen in this collage shows the essence of my friendship and the relationships I've build over years. As mentioned above, the collage also represents out closeness with each other. I wanted to show how connecting with people and friendship in your teenage years creates a bond like no other. I personally feel this shows my theme really well, which remembering my friends and nostalgia, which a-lot of people feel as slowly in reality you drift away from...

 Hi readers, this week I've been researching how I want to plan and design my album cover.   When researching album artwork and its relationship to wider promotional strategies, I observed that many successful musicians create highly cohesive visual branding that links the album cover, title, and overarching themes. A prime example is The Weeknd’s  Starboy  (2016), where the saturated red and blue neon palette, his introspective pose, and the symbolic cross necklace work together to encode deeper messages about fame, inner turmoil, and personal transformation. According to Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory, such visual elements serve as signs that audiences decode to understand the emotional and narrative layers of the media text. The stark contrast between the dark imagery and the bright yellow "STARBOY" title effectively communicates the duality of celebrity life — a concept that is both visually and thematically integrated across the album campaign. Drawing inspirat...

 Hi readers, I decided to research Ariana Grande's social media page, (since the song I have in mind for my music video was created when social media wasn't really a way promotion and communication) to see how she has promoted her new album. When I started researching I also read some other articles related to it. Ariana created mystery amongst her fans by dropping studio hints, which was the indication of her soft return. Ariana hadn’t released an album since  Positions  (2020) and spent 2022–2023 filming  Wicked . This long gap created natural curiosity. Before the album announcement, Ariana changed her  Instagram aesthetic by archiving her older posts and shared soft, vintage-toned images.  This created  mystery  and speculation among fans — a common media technique to build buzz (known as  viral ambiguity ). Ariana dropped  s hort video clips  and  images  with  Eternal Sunshine -style visuals (sunlight, lens flar...

 Hi readers, this week I have been researching on digipacks and I decided to research the digipack of the music I am keen on picking for my music video.   I’ll Be Missing You ’s visual design reveals how the artwork aligns with media theories of representation and genre conventions. The solemn imagery of The Notorious B.I.G., dressed in black and framed in gold, does more than commemorate—it constructs a mythic identity for Biggie as a martyr of hip-hop culture. Through the lens of representation theory, this imagery repositions him beyond his tragic death and into a symbolic realm where he is elevated to an almost saint-like status. The use of gold can be interpreted as signifying both royalty and spiritual transcendence, while the red backdrop subtly invokes themes of sacrifice and emotional depth. In media terms, this portrayal frames Biggie not just as an artist, but as a figure whose life and death have broader cultural implications. Technically speaking, the digipack and...

  Hi readers!!! this is my mind map for my target audience, also giving an idea of what people might feel while watching it. 

 Hi readers.. I have looked up some music videos for idea. As I saw there are a lot of artists that have made videos on friendships. For example- "Count on Me" — Bruno Mars   A heartwarming song about being there for your friends through thick and thin. "We’re All in This Together" — High School Musical Cast   A classic celebration of unity and friendship. "See You Again" — Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth   A touching tribute to friendship and loss, perfect for reflecting on deep bonds. "Wannabe" — Spice Girls   A fun, iconic anthem about prioritizing friendship and living life together. "You've Got a Friend" — James Taylor   A timeless song about unwavering support and lifelong friendship. "Good Old Days" — Macklemore ft. Kesha   A nostalgic look back at cherished memories with friends. "Best Day of My Life" — American Authors   An uplifting track about making the most of life with the people who matter. I looked u...

Hi readers...  I have planned to make a video of all my friends back home, since I moved out which is more than a year ago and I don't visit them frequently, I really miss them which got me to thinking that there must be other people like me who move out of their hometowns leaving their friends and family which they have grown up. It is like  when students go abroad for their further studies and have to start a whole new life and they really wish they had someone close to them who they could talk to or be with during this process. There are theories saying that being happy is the best and healthiest way to live, for me I'm happy when I'm surrounded by the people I love and who love me too. And I want to present this film that I have seen my life as, how I want my life to be, and most importantly it is a film of my happiest memories with the people who bring out the absolute best of me and make every bad thing go away, I am myself around them.