My Music Video - Rough Cut 2 Audience Feedback

While my video isn't fully completed as yet, I did take the opportunity to begin getting some initial audience feedback.
I asked my friend if she wouldn't mind watching the video (as it currently is) and having her response recorded. She was more than happy to oblige, and after the watching the video I was able to have a brief discussion with her to gain her thoughts and feedback.


Overall, she was very enthusiastic and supportive of the video, but she was also honest, and I'm going to take into account some of the points raised during our discussion.

My Music Video - Rough Cut 2

In this cut of the video I have now added the scenes with the subject getting ready in her bedroom and the scenes which feature the subject and her partner going to the concert venue.
I have placed the same post-production effects - the Projector and Romantic filters - onto the new footage, and (more or less) edited the footage to the beat of the music.

The only thing left to do now film the last projection room footage, which will feature the full compilation of the Cayman and England GoPro footage, and then begin editing the final version of the music video

DigiPak - First Stages

As part of my A2 coursework, I have been tasked with creating a DigiPak for my chosen artist.
To do this, I'm using the programme Adobe Illustrator CS6.
I started by downloading a DigiPak template (I chose the "4 Panel 1 Tray (4PAN1T)") and opening it Illustrator. This template comes 'locked' (meaning it cannot be changed), so I first went to the layers feature, unlocked it, deleted the unwanted information (such as writing) from the template and then locked it again (to avoid accidentally reformatting it).

Once I had a clear template, I placed a square shape (using the shape tool) and matched it to the bleed line; I then set the colour of the shape to a black fill, and removed its border lines, giving me a black background base to work with.
To make sure I could still see the remaining template lines over the black, I went into the layers feature and dragged the template layer to the top, as this makes it visible over the other layers.

As this is only a practice DigiPak I didn't worry too much about finding the perfect font, and chose to use the Lucida Blackletter font for the title and American Typewriter in white for the track listings on the back (as these are fairly similar to fonts used for Briggs' actual album covers.)

I chose to number my track listings and to place them to the left side on the back cover of the DigiPak, as this is a common decision for DigiPak layouts and as I wanted to keep this design fairly simple. To the bottom left I placed the copyright jargon (which I typed out myself, copying an example found online), and to the bottom right corner I placed the barcode (which I downloaded as a vector), with the Island Records' logo positioned above it.
To place the logo, I had to download it as a vector, then opened it in Illustrator. Following this, I ungrouped the image, deleting its background and regrouping it. I then changed its colour to white so that it would be visible against my chosen black background. I then resized it (while holding down 'shift' so that I could resize it without reshaping it), and dragged it to where I wanted it to be positioned.

For the inside of this trial DigiPak, I decided to place a still from the opening shot of my music video (an extreme long shot where the subject stands by the river) over both the panels. As the shot has the subject on the right hand side of the frame, I reflected the image so that the subject would instead be on the left (so she wouldn't be covered by the CD on the left panel.) 

I used a clipping mask to get the correct shape picture for the cover, by first drawing the shape of the bleed lines, and then placing the shape over the image to clip it, before putting the image in place.

It was at this point that I realised I was unhappy with the appearance of my DigiPak's front cover, so I decided to try out an idea; I went online and searched for vector's of the Capricorn sign, and then downloaded my favourite one so that I could use it as an image on the front cover. When I placed it on the front cover, I liked it so much that I decided to forgo having an album title, and to just let the image of the capricorn do the talking. 

This is the final edit of my trial DigiPak. I'm a big fan of the simplicity of the image of the Capricorn, but I do plan on changing the fonts, and I'll definitely play more with the image on the inside.

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As a first attempt at using the Adobe Illustrator programme I am glad to say I'm pleased with the results, and that I found this programme fun and relatively user-friendly (even for me and my generally poor luck when it comes to tech stuff!) 

I look forward to exploring more, and I'm excited to see what other available features there are and how I can use these in the development of my DigiPak.

My Music Video - Test Footage 5

During the shoot in which the subject gets ready for the concert, I took several practice runs of the sequence of event with my actress, so as to familiarise her with the routine and so that I could test angles, lighting, and depth of field/focus.
The footage above is the example of some of the test footage that I took before we filmed properly.

The test footage was very helpful for allowing me to smooth at the wrinkles, allowing me to avoid a situation where I would review the footage only to realise I'd need to call my actress back to film more, (something of which I have been guilty of in the past.)

My Music Video - Rough Cut

This is the very first rough cut of my music.

As of right now it contains the footage for the opening and closing scenes, the compilations of GoPro footage from England and Cayman, the concert footage, and some of the projection room footage.

It is currently missing the scenes for the verses, which features the subject getting ready and meeting her "partner". 

In terms of editing, I have made no post-production edits to the river scene or projection room footage. 

I have however made changes to the 'memory'/projection footage; I used the FinalCut Pro filters Romantic and Projector, so as to create a stylised effect on the footage that connotes to the audience that they are watching the subjects' memories.

For audio, I detached the audio from all the footage, as I'm running it against the song so the audio isn't necessary. For the opening and closing scenes which don't take place during the song, I searched the FinalCut Pro sound bank and selected the noise of a running river. I also added the faint sound of seagulls, as they appear in the background of the opening long shot. This use of sound helps to set the mise-en-scene of the river. 

Overall, I am happy with how this video is starting to shape up, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the finished product!

DigiPak - An Introduction

As part of the A2 media course, I am required to produce an ancillary product in the form of a Digipak.

What are they?
A Digipak is a type of packaging for CD's or DVD's, and is typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more discs. Typically, they tend to come as 4 panel gatefold (book-style) packs, or 6 panel packs, (although there are other options).
The front of the Digipak will feature iconography or imagery of the artist and will be in style with the predominant genre. As a whole, the Digipak will follow a theme - always relating to the music, music videos, and the artist in some way - as the use of theme helps with the branding and recognisability of the artist.
Digipak's are essentially a form of promotion, as they help to bring in awareness of the artist and as they encourage people to buy and listen to music.

Codes and Conventions of a Digipak

Front

• Main band/artist image
• Name of band/artist
• Title of album
• Logo

Back

• Track list
• Special features
• Another image (usually placed under the text)

Spine

• Name of artist
• Title of album
• Record label
• Reference number

Inserts/Inner sleeves

• Institutional information
• Song lyrics
• Photographs of artist
• Thank you's
• Post cards
• Promotional/merchandise information
• Website information

Additional Institutional Information

• Price
• Barcode
• Record label
• Year of publishing
• Copyright
• Composers/Producers, credit, etc. ... 

(This information is usually located in small print on the back cover, or else as part of the inner sleeves or inserts)

Digipak Analysis

1.) Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Del Rey's 2012 Album "Born To Die" is one of which I am a personal fan. 

As an Alternative genre singer, Del Rey's style is typically quite cinematic, dealing in themes of tragic romance and melancholia, and more often than not it gives nods to 1950's and 1960's Americana pop culture; and "Born To Die" is no exception to this.

According to this source, the cover image was shot by Nicole Nodland, while Del Rey and David Bowden were in charge of the overall appearance of this Digipak. It features the typeface Steelfish, which Del Rey has since gone on to use on her more recent albums. She certainly follows a theme throughout all her Digipak's, with her name frequently placed in large across the top of the cover, a medium closeup shot of her (connecting with the audience by staring into the camera), the album title in a smaller print across the bottom, and a vintage styled colour scheme/photo's relating to a differing theme on each album (the theme being linked to the songs).

The album cover seen above is from the Deluxe edition (the standard edition is practically identical, save for the title being printed in a pale sky blue.) The typography - all in the Steelfish font - features a soft peachy colour for the title, which matches the colour of the track listings panel (the tracks are listed in white, except for the bonus tracks which are in black). 

In terms of the design elements, Del Rey sticks to her vintage/cinematic theme by covering the album in vintage style photographs and forgoing the use of graphics, (although there is the use of a blood splatter graphic effect on the lyric booklet insert - this links to the albums themes of pain, love and lust/passion, and links to the brooding lyrics of her songs, while the red colour matches the roses printed on the CD.)
The cover photograph is simplistic, following a bright blue/white toned colour scheme (with hints of red that bring to mind the American flag and create a sense of patriotism), while the careful positioning of Del Rey ensures that our attention is drawn to her. She's photographed outside in an unusual environment (a common feature seen in indie videos and artist branding), and is seen with vintage style hair, makeup, and clothing.
Overall the style is suggestive of the indie genre, but it definitely has its own distinctive vintage twist.

In conclusion, Del Rey brands herself with a simplistic, yet clear and distinctive style that holds nods to the mix of genres that influence her. This Digipak contains most of the common features of a Digipak, and successfully markets this artist.

2.) Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love

(These pictures are of my own copy of Sleater-Kinney's "No Cities To Love" - above is pictured the front (the dried flowers) and back covers, and the inside fold.)
The image of the female holding the paper displays the typed words of the first and second verses of the album's title song, "No Cities To Love".

(This is the inside spread of the Digipak - it's features the three band members, obscured in shadow to create enigma, and sets a serious tone for the album. Black and white photography of the band is a common feature in the punk rock genre.)

Sleater-Kinney returned in 2015 after a decade of silence with the an iconic collection of feminist punk rock in "No Cities To Love". 

Mike Mills was in charge of art direction, and worked with Thea Lorentzen on design. The front cover photograph was produced by Mills and Lorentzen, and the back cover photograph is a photograph called "Colour-Composite of the Sky Field with Several High-Redshift Galaxies" by Eso and has been edited to black and white (to match with the black and white photos of the band on the inside of this Digipak.) 

(Above: the unedited version of the image on the back cover)

While the choice to have the imagery of stars seems a little incongruous with the dried and faded arrangement of flowers on the album's cover, it does work, as the outer space themed cover art has been used by other rock bands, such as Pink Floyd and Def Leppard among others. The choice to make this image black and white also feels like a nod to the style of the 90's (which is when Sleater-Kinney started out). The space imagery also links to the modern/futuristic themes raised in this album's songs (such as the idea of the 'atomic tourist', in "No Cities To Love").

The flowers on the front cover give the album a more feminine touch, which is appropriate as this is after all a feminist, all-female band; the fact that the flowers are shrivelled does link to themes of death, dead romance, and the passage of time, and can in this way be linked to the punk/rock genre (although this cover does feel rather more indie.) 

The three inner panels of this digipak feature the three band members, obscured largely by shadow. While for newer and unestablished bands this may be done to create intrigue, Sleater-Kinney are a well established and prominent American rock band, and therefore don't need to create intrigue to gain popularity or build a fan base. Therefore the choice to do this is likely to be a way to ensure that their fans focus on the messages of their music, and not them. 

The font is in a simple and small sans-serif style - a fairly unusual choice for a rock band, as most tend to go for larger, grunge or graffiti style fonts - and is either black or white (as appropriate to being able to see it against the background.) 

Again, the simplicity of the overall packaging choices seems to be urging the audience to focus on the message of the music by eliminating all unnecessary distractions. 

In conclusion, while "No Cities To Love" contains all the necessary codes and conventions of a Digipak, the overall theme feels rather more indie than punk rock - but as an established band this is okay, especially as the theme's femininity relates to their feminism and girl power.

3.) Arctic Monkeys - AM

In 2013 the indie-rock band Arctic Monkeys released their AM album (the title 'AM' being inspired by the Velvet Underground's 1985 compilation album 'VU') - while neither the name of the band nor the album title appears on the front of the Digipak, appropriately, the album cover artwork is a graphic of an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. The simplicity of the design, and the bold choice of black and white make it eye catching and memorable to the audience, and create intrigue for those who are unfamiliar with the band. 

The inside cover follows features a shot black and white shot of the band looking serious and moody, (again, a common feature of the rock genre.) 

This Digipak is even more simplistic than most, with the only writing being the bare essentials (band name, track listings, legal jargon, barcode, and record label logo) on the back cover.

The band name (which doubles as their logo) appears in a large font above the track listings, which are indented from the left. The font for the bands name is distinctive - its part of their branding - and is likely based off of the font Futura ExtraBlack. The track listings seem to also be a variation of the futura font. While a sans-serif font such as this is generally uncommon of the genre, the Arctic Monkey's are unique in that they have made it part of their branding, so it's recognisable as being part of their style. 

Conclusions

In the digipak's I have analysed I can safely conclude that the codes and conventions I listed at the top of this post are accurate - all the Digipak's I looked at analysed included them, and all followed a theme relating to their artist/songs/genre. 

While every Digipak is unique to its artist, their is a general conformity to what's expected of its genre as this helps with branding. Of course, as with everything, there are always exceptions.