Navya Aggarwal A-Level media coursework

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.