Photoshop Digipak - first base drafts

-first try with photoshop, merging two images as a possible cover for the digipak

- After experimenting with photoshop merging the images I looked at having two separate images of our artist and theme. The second image of the leaves was a shot I had taken for my autumn section for photography, and has already been altered in photoshop to make the image more striking. I used it as a possible second images because it also goes with our theme of Autumn colours, and works with the backgrounds of our atrist.

Research into webpage - Product 2

Production of Music Video: Photos of the Editing Process

Hello!

Here are some photos of our editing process:



- Group 6

Short list of Photos for ancillary product

Short list -

These are the photos we looked at a group for our short list of ancillary photos. We chose them because they look closely at the artist, which is useful as we are introducing a new artist to get more people to know her and her image.

However I also looked at these photos that could be introduced in the webpage, links all the photos to the album and the music video.

Research into webpage - Product 1

Research into website home page - Draft

Analysis of website home pages

Product 1.

Lindseystirling.com
Genres: electronic, classical crossover, dubstep

The conventions for a artists/bands website home page is their links to social media, other pages - gallery, contacts, music, videos, store and news-, their latest/currently most popular work, what is new with the artist, and any tours they may be on.

At Lindseystriling.com the first thing the audience see's is a large picture of the artist, introducing them to who ever is looking at the page. The picture is from the artist's newest music video, which is the base for the look of the album, it is a mid shot, having the artist as the central focus. Through out the home page there are multiple images of the artist from the album/music video, they all show her in the same outfit and look, however the different colours in the background of the images make them look different.

Their are two main fonts used in the home page, one that is used on the images and album covers and the other for the main body of text. The majority of the text on the webpage is black/dark grey, which appears in contrast with the white background making the text easy for the viewer to read, however their are certain text witch appear pink on the white and blue backgrounds. The pink doesn't stand out as much as the black on the white background but is still elegible to the reader.

Research in Digipaks

Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling. The albums genre is mainly Electronic, classical crossover and dubstep, however the album also includes other elements of other sub music genres. 

The Central image for the album shows the artist herself as the centre of the image, dressed in a fading ballerina outfit surround by a cracked crystal ball in the dark. While the back of the digipak shows the glass from the ball shattered on the ground in a world of colour and nature. I think that this cover is a very strong image, representing being trapped like one of those old-fashioned music boxes, continuing to when she does get free and is then free. 

The digipak for this album uses its images from the music video, creating synergy between the two product, making a link that can clearly be seen. 

Feedback from Cinema Screening

Hello!

On the 9th December everyone's videos were shown at the Screen on the Green, a cinema in Islington. We were shown first. We really enjoyed watching other people's videos and were very impressed as everyone's work was of a very high standard.

- Jess

Research: Evaluating Our Lip Sync Project

Hello!

Personally I think our lip sync video was rather good. Looking over it I think we should of taken into consideration the variation in shot types, we focused majority on mid shots and close ups instead of trying other shots out. Considering the lack of time we had I think we filmed and edited quite well, my favourite shot is the tracking shot. It is well framed and isn't shakey or blurred. The lighting was a little problematic, the glare from the sun was in the way of our artists at some points so that would be something to look out for when we film the real thing.
Overall we did well in my eyes;
The lip syncing looks generic and the mise scene is a main focus and works well on camera.

Research Ancillary products Post 47: class discussion

Class discusion

Notes :
 Brief
- A digipak for the album - which the music video comes from.
- A band website homepage - Have a homepage to advertise the artist that can be updated in real time.


Research
-Look at existing products.
-Come to workshops to look at how to recreate the same effects that other artists/bands use on their cover images.
-Do analysis on how different genres representing of the band/artist

Planning
-Plan what will be included in the products -Colour schemes. fonts, track list, images, synergy.
- links to social media -what can we add to make the artist more relatable for the audience.

"-Include relevant links
- include social media apps
- include a range of appropriate images - you can 'borrow' these from Google
- follow the conventional layout of most band websites from your artist's genre
- use appropriate colour schemes, fonts and language."

Planning Ancillary Products: Photos for Ancillaries

Taken by Dan:

Taken by Jess:

Research: Digipak Track List

1. Changing
2. Green Garden
3. Window Sill
4. Stone Cold
5. Alone
6. Paradise
7. Your Lips, My Heart
8. Ready To Run
9. Spaces
10. Night Life
11. Still
12. Reasons

Research: Ancillary Products - The Importance of Digipaks

Digipaks are very important to the music industry. They are the album covers, inside panels and possibly a booklet.

They are used as part of the marketing and branding of the artist and are consistent with synergy (colour schemes, fonts). They contribute to the band image. They are usually designed in a way that will catch someone's eye. The synergy with the other products also helps the audience to associate other marketing/branding products (such as a music video) with them.

They help increase sales as if the digipak is more catchy and appeals to the audience, they're more likely to buy the album and look into the other products produced by the artist.

Research: Editing and Camera

Taking into consideration that our product was mainly made up of tracking shots we took a look at this video by Kasabian. As seen in the beginning of the video it follows him and cuts away to shots from his perspective. The tracking shot is taken from the side which Lily suggested would be a great shot for our video.

After looking at some of the camera angles and framing for the tracking shots, this became the base of one of our shots following the artist walking across the road during our intro.

Planning Post 17: Analysis of the Orginal Music Video + compare our ideas

'Changing' - Sigma official music video

-In the original video the artist wears one costume throughout the video, only changing the locations, where as we decided to film in one set area and change her. 

-There were so many more people featuring in the video, instead of just the singer. 

- In both the original and our product uses slow motion shots, however they are used at different points in the song. where the original uses them to contrast with the fast music, we used them at points where there weren't any lyrics.

-In our video we introduce the artist right at the beginning of the sequence, compared to the original where they wait until the lyrics start to introduce the artist. 

-We are using more shots of the artist through our video instead of constantly cutting away, focusing more on the performance of the artist to the different mise-en scene elements around the area, although there are a few cut aways.

-In ours we repeat more of our base tracks through the corhus.

Production of music video post 39: ideas for evaluation question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

We stuck with the general conventions of our genres music video. Lots of tracking shots, focussing on our artist throughout and making sure she was wearing clothing that young girls(our audience)  would see and want to wear to be like her. 

We avoided the male gaze completely!!

No tilt ups or tilt downs or cut offs to the artists body were used. She was ever dehumanises or depersonalised so she couldn't be sexually objectified. She was a role model for young woman and the mise en scene shows this through her costume and subtle make up.

Production: Draft Video 5

Production: Draft Video 4

Production: Official Rough Cut 1

Production: Draft Video 3

Production: Draft Video 2

Here is our second draft:

Feedback:

• Avoid cutting in the middle of a lyric
• Refine the beat to the beat editing
• Experiment with other cut aways
• Some shots are slightly out in terms of the lip sync
• Missing some different angles
• Count the amount of close ups
• Improve the lip sync 
• Camera was slightly shaky
• Good response to the flicker effect
• Some parts were too repetitive
• Use wider variety of effects
• Song is very energetic so more cuts could be used to reflect this
• Not keen on the still shots moving backwards and forwards
• Not a big fan of standing still and singing
• Vary shot types

Production: Draft Video 1

Here is our draft video:

Feedback:

• There should be a clearer visual link to the different parts of the song, following Andrew Goodwin's conventions of Music Videos.
• Use costume or location to help this.
• Add more cut aways - less of just the artist.

Planning: Analysis of original video

Hello!

I chose to analyse the original video of the song we chose 'Changing' - Sigma (featuring Paloma Faith).


- Jess

Production of Music Video: Filming Diary Day 1

Hello!

During half term, our group decided to film, and so planned to meet up at Stratford station around 10/11 on the 29th October. Unfortunately, Lily wouldn't be able to come until later and so myself, Dan and Heather had to get started without her. Also, the only camera I could use until Lily arrived was my phone camera and so a few of the photos are bad quality.

We got started with the red/pink spray hair dye which I had bought from Sainsburys, as this would be the synergy in the music video, and our artist's signature look. We also walked around Stratford, to get a feel of our filming location. We decided on a few places that we would film in over the next couple of weeks. For example, we filmed on a bus stop, as we felt that the scenery behind was clear and it made for an amazing shot.

A lot of the day was about getting started, and definitely got us in the filming mindset, and we were determined to get most of our shots filmed that day.

Eventually Lily came and we told her about all the shots we had done, and what we had planned and she was very happy about it. We all worked well in a team, and all got to film parts, and also recommended areas. For example, Lily liked the look of some leaves and we got a shot of the leaves. We also wanted an 'Autumn feel' and used that by throwing leaves behind her, which we found funny, but it looks good.


I got to film quite a lot, and my favourite shot that I got was a tracking shot down a path. The camera isn't completely steady but it works, and Heather's performance got better and better throughout the day.


All in all, the first day of filming was very successful, and got a lot of shots we can use.

- Jess

Production of Music Video: Filming Diary Day 3

Hello!

We decided to film during lesson time on Tuesday, as we felt we needed some more footage, especially more tracking shots. We agreed to meet in Stratford, and film in the Olympic Park.




However, Dan needed to go back to pick up some things, so we met him in Leyton. Me, Lily, Heather and her friend, a fellow media student, Liam, met him at Chobham Road and filmed around the area. We liked the street view, and the pub so filmed lots of shots there. This time round Dan and Lily filmed, while I purely took photos/videos for behind the scenes.

We then went to the park, right around the corner, which was full of leaves. We felt as though this added to the tone of the music video, and the colour. We also filmed some shots on the swings, and a bench as we felt they would look good.





 All photos by me.

My vlog of the day:

- Jess