How effective is the How effective is the combination of your main combination of your main

product and ancillary texts?product and ancillary texts?Star ImageStar Image

Richard DyerRichard Dyer Born in 1945 in Leeds Dyer is a Born in 1945 in Leeds Dyer is a

professor of film at Kings College in professor of film at Kings College in London.London.

Dyer’s Star Image theory has become Dyer’s Star Image theory has become well-known and is often used well-known and is often used especially when talking of influential especially when talking of influential Media products.Media products.

In his first book he developed the In his first book he developed the idea that the viewers' perception idea that the viewers' perception of a film is heavily influenced by of a film is heavily influenced by the perception of its stars, and that the perception of its stars, and that publicity materials and reviews publicity materials and reviews determine the way that audiences determine the way that audiences experience the film. experience the film.

What is a Star Image? A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed out of a

range of materials (eg: advertising, magazines etc as well as films and music)

Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings. Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent, that is incomplete and ‘open’. Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxes.

The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. The star must also be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.

Our Band’s ImageOur Band’s Image

YOUTHFULYOUTHFUL This screen grab from our music This screen grab from our music

video portrays our lead singer as video portrays our lead singer as young and sexually attractive by young and sexually attractive by showing his torso. At this point in showing his torso. At this point in the video Dyer may have said that the video Dyer may have said that this was more of a pop star video this was more of a pop star video because thus far no performance because thus far no performance elements have been shown.elements have been shown.

Our digipack will emphasise this Our digipack will emphasise this youthful image of the band with youthful image of the band with images like this images like this

However, later on this idea is However, later on this idea is dismissed when the audience sees dismissed when the audience sees Jack performing and playing his Jack performing and playing his guitar along with the other band guitar along with the other band members.members.

Our Band’s Image

ROMANTIC We want our band to sell romance

to our target teenage girl audience. Plenty of hearts and the narrative focus of the video being a boyfriend cooking breakfast-in-bed for his girlfriend sell this romantic image well.

The digipack follows through with this concept with the image of the paper heart in the hands of a boy and a girl pressumably showing love.

Our Band’s Image

CLEAN CUT The band members are all

wearing reasonably good clothes, none of them have beards or tattoo’s and they look like ordinary boys.

The reason for this is so that parents would be happy to buy our CD for their children because this band could not be considered a bad influence.

Our Band’s Image

ORDINARY (boy’s next door) Each of the boys looks and acts

like the average ‘boy next door’. This makes them appealing to our audience because they achieve Star Image requirements by being both attainable and unattainable at the same time.

We will be following this idea of ordinary boys with our digipak by having Polaroid images that look stuck on to scrunched up school paper.

This screen grab shows the band performing and This screen grab shows the band performing and playing their instruments in person which gives the playing their instruments in person which gives the video the performance element it needs so as to video the performance element it needs so as to fulfill Keith Negus’ theory of being a fulfill Keith Negus’ theory of being a homegrown/organic band that makes their own homegrown/organic band that makes their own music.music.

The pink hearts help sell the band’s name; Paper The pink hearts help sell the band’s name; Paper Hearts. Hearts.

Our CombinationOur Combination In our video the three male band members are shown In our video the three male band members are shown

throughout to be performing and playing their own throughout to be performing and playing their own instruments, but our featured female artist is shown instruments, but our featured female artist is shown only towards the end of the video. Because of this only towards the end of the video. Because of this neither the poster nor the digipak show her as part of neither the poster nor the digipak show her as part of the band which helps us to sell our product as a solely the band which helps us to sell our product as a solely male band to our younger female audience.male band to our younger female audience.

We are trying to sell our band as young, fresh We are trying to sell our band as young, fresh innocent boys looking for love hence their name innocent boys looking for love hence their name being the Paper Hearts and their song choice being all being the Paper Hearts and their song choice being all about young love.about young love.

DIGIPACKDIGIPACKWe want our digipack We want our digipack to include an image of to include an image of a heart being held by a heart being held by both a feminine and a both a feminine and a male hand to depict male hand to depict the concept of love in the concept of love in our video.our video.

Then pictures of the Then pictures of the boys in our band boys in our band would help to sell their would help to sell their star image of being star image of being young, fashionable young, fashionable boys.boys.

POSTERPOSTERIn order to catch the eye of In order to catch the eye of our prospective buyer, we our prospective buyer, we want to create a vibrant want to create a vibrant poster that is full of life poster that is full of life and sells the youthful love and sells the youthful love we want it to.we want it to.

By making the poster an By making the poster an image with hearts both image with hearts both behind and in front of the behind and in front of the band we will create a 3D band we will create a 3D effect which will draw in effect which will draw in prospective buyers and will prospective buyers and will look colourful as well as look colourful as well as romantic.romantic.