Digipak/Advertisement peer feedback

Below is a short video showing some peer feedback regarding my digipak and advertisement.

 

Although we did receive some good feedback, most notably the fact that our genre of indie rock was easily recognisable (showing how we have met the conventions of our genre effectively).

However, there are also clear improvements that need to be taken into consideration in order for me to achieve the best results from these two products.
Firstly, some of the pictures used in the digipak need to be framed better. This is because some of the images can be seen as to squashed and out of proportions. This can make the whole feel of the digipak seem unprofessional.
Next, some of the lighting issues on our digipak images need to improved. Some of the panels are too dark, thus making it hard to see what the actual image is. Again this may give off the wrong impression, as it can lead to the whole product again seeming unprofessional.
Lastly, for our advertisement, a new image will need to be used. This is because having the exact same image used for the advertisement and the front cover of the digipak can become repetitive, which is something we want to avoid. Also, the new image will need to have good framing to be able to include all of the information that an indie rock advertisement needs (such as critic review, website and other general information).

Digipak Progression

From the image below you can see how my digipak has progressed from the last post:

As you can see from the template above we have got images for the majority of our six panels. The bottom right we intend to be out front cover of our CD. This is because it clearly shows off the whole band and the roles that they have, which is signified by the guitar and drum sticks. We have also framed the shot well to allow for the band title and the CD title to be added.
The bottom middle panel will be the back cover of our digipak. We chose an image like this as it again shows off the whole band, but this time in a more relaxed and informal tone, to show the different side to the band. Again, we have also left room for font to be added to the image.
The other images used will be the other panels of the digipak. We have chosen these types of images to again show off the band and the instruments used, as this helps to meet the convention of the indie rock genre  which is to focus on the music itself of the band.

Digipak Plan

Digipak

Below is an example of the digipak that we plan to make for our indie rock band. As you can see, it is not fully completed but we did this to help give us an idea of what we want to add to the complete version. It also gave us an idea of what sort of effects and shots that we want to use in our digipak and resulting advert for the band.

Particularly for the back cover of our digipak, we took inspiration from a photo from another indie rock band, 'The Pigeon Detectives', which showed the band on a sofa with an unusual backdrop. This was very effective as it shows the whole band together in a creative way, as the backdrop looks very effective and meets the indie genre well.

Track-list

Me and my group also decided to use 10 songs for our track-list, as from our research this is what we perceived as an average amount to use. 

Also, because of the indie genre that we have chosen to follow, the track-list will contain some very abstract and unusual titles. 

For example the track 'Last Song' although is very simple as it is the last song of the album, it is still unusual to see such an illustrative title for a song used on an album.

The full track-list can be seen below:

Record Label

The record label that we have chosen to use is the record label 'Glassnote Records'. The record label that we have chosen to use is the record label 'Glassnote Records'. We have chosen this label as it is fairly small and represent many bands from our genre also, such as: 'Mumford and Sons' and 'The Temper Trap', which shows that it fits in with the rest of our genre well. This is backed up by the fact that Glassnote Records were named 'Best Indie Label' in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, again showing how it is very approriate.

Planning Peer Assessment

Below you can see the scanned in documents, showing a peer assessment done on the planning section of my blog. 

As you can see I have achieved one grade lower than my target grade, however, with the improvements that I have received it means that I can work towards my target grade and after the changes that are needed I can hopefully stay on track to achieve my target grade of an A.

Shooting Schedule

Below you can see our shooting schedule. This schedule allows us to be fully organised when it comes to deciding which dates and at what time we will be filming, meaning that all time will be spent on actually filming our music video rather than worrying about times etc.

Shooting scedules are very important as it ensures that all group members know what is happening on the day of filming and what to bring. There are also sections where any additional information can be added, such as a reminder to book the equipmet, which again is alsovery important. 

However, a secondary shooting schedule needed to be created as more footage had to be shot. This was due to feedback on our videom which stated how extra footage was needed to improve my video.

Photo shoot plan

Below is our photo shoot plan for our advert and our CD package. Similar to our shooting schedule, the photo shoot plan allows us to outline what we want to do on each date, in the specific time period, and where and what we will need. By using a photo shoot plan such as the one below it ensures everybody in the group is organised and knows what they are doing.

A photo shoot plan is very important as it again makes sure everybody is on location at the correct time and ensures there are no problem on the day of the shoot.

However, further images needed to be taken to improve my digipak and advertisement based upon the feedback I had received from peers and teachers.

Track permission letter

Below is an image showing how me and my group have gotten in contact with the band via email to request permission to use their track in our work.

It is important to do this as ensures that we are not breaching any copyright or legal issues that may be in place and also that we are not using the song for any profitable needs.

Talent release forms

Below is a scanned document of our talent release forms. These are very important as they ensure that permission from the actor/performer who we want to be in our video is gained. It also ensures that no laws are broken or breached, which is a very important issue when creating any type of film or video.

Below show the three talent release forms, for the three performers in my music video:

Location permission letters

Below are images of how we got in touch with either the council, regarding using the park locations in our music video. And also the personal email of the owner of the loft we intend to use.

Permission for use of Nonsuch Park:




Permission for use of Morden Park:









Permission for use of loft:





As you can see we had to use a variety of methods to get in contact to gain permission to use the locations we desired. We had to use both email and application forms to get in contact.
It is very important to gain permission to use location before you actually start filming the music video, as otherwise you may be breaking a law as you have no permission to be there. It also notifies who it may concern when and how long you will be using the location for, so they will be aware of your presence.

Advert designs

This draft for the advert of our band can be seen below.

I have decided to go for a very simple and clear design for the advertisement. Instead of showing an abstract object or design, which some bands choose to do, I have decided to just show the band itself (as this is what our audience wanted when we sent out our survey earlier in the year). 

As you can see the band name will be very large in font, to make it stand out and allow for passers by the really remember the band name, which is key for a band of such small size. Also, each band member will be either holding their instrument (guitar or microphone) or something related to their role in the band (such as drum-sticks). This will instantly show to the audience who does what in the band, allowing them to get a feel for the band itself and their members.

The CD cover of the band will also be shown on the advert, to again promote the band and their product. To further promote the Cd and the band, critic reviews will be placed on the advert to really show to the audience that although they may be indie and unknown, they are high in quality which can be seen by the critic comments.

Lastly, general information about the band and their CD, such as: where to purchase, release date and the record label that the band are associated with can also be seen on the advert.

CD cover designs

Below are scanned in documents of a draft of the CD cover for our band. 

For the back of the CD cover, I have decided to use an picture of the whole band together. Although I have chosen to show the band members sitting of a sofa/couch together, any sort of environment can be used. By showing the band together like this it shows the unity of the band and how each member is valued by each other, and that one member is more important than any others, which can be the case in some bands. 

For the section where the actual CD will be placed in the package, I have decided to use a very simple but effective concept. I have chosen to show a variety of the instruments and other related objects to a rock band, scattered on a table or other flat surface. This idea takes inspiration from the CD cover 'Section 80', where it also uses a similar idea, with objects scattered on a table, it is very effective but simple at the same time. This shot will be from a birds-eye angle, giving a real panoramic feel the the shot. Furthermore, in the centre of the CD itself I have decided to use the circular part of a microphone. This will give a sort of graphic match, and can also give the idea that the microphone and the lyrics of the song are central to the band, meeting the convention of the indie-rock genre that the music and the band itself are the most important part, when it comes to creating a video, CD or advert.

Section 80 CD cover:

Scanned documents:

Lists of props, costumes, make-up and equipment

Below are a couple of gifs, showing the different props and equipment that we plan to use in our music video:

Examples of props

Examples of equipment

Location shots

Storyboards

Me and my group have created storyboards to help give us an idea of what different shot types and different angles that we would like to use in our video. It also allows us to gain an idea of how much of the concept we would like to show, in comparison with the performance section of our video.
Our storyboard has changed from our initial ideas, as we have chosen to use a slightly different concept to the one we had planned. The old concept was one of relationship breakdown and how the two characters were coping and overcoming the breakup. However, we decided to change this as our video could end up being very cliche and repetitive, as many music videos have done this previously. By changing the concept to one centred around the idea of 'searching', it allows us to be more creative and experimental in what we can show on screen, which in turn will ensure that our music video doesn't get repetitive and tiresome for the audience.

Below is a short video showing me and my group producing our storyboards:

Below are images of the completed storyboards:

We then created an animatic of our storyboard. This allowed us to present in a visual and interesting way what we wanted to show on screen and when. By doing this it also gave us some structure as it helped us to visualise and get an idea of what we want to accomplish in our music video.

 

Concept

The concept that me and my group have chosen to use in throughout our music video is one based on the idea of 'searching'. We aim to create the idea that the characters in our music video our searching for something, however we hope to keep this something concealed. This is because this will allow the audience to speculate what it could be and what the characters are doing. By doing this it will allow us to create some sort mystery in our video, which will in turn help to make our video much more interesting for the viewer to watch.
By using a concept rather than a narrative throughout our video it allows the band/artist to be the main focus of the music video, which is one of the conventions of an indie rock video, as promoting the band/artist and the music that they play is key in a music video of our chosen genre.
Although this may go against the spatial and temporal features of Bordwell and Thompsons theory, it does allow us to use a larger variety of locations, costumes etc. which will again keep the audience hooked as they may grow tired of the same repetitive location and costume. However, rhythmic and graphic editing is something that will feature predominantly in our music video, as cutting on the beat is something that happens frequently in indie rock music videos. This, featured in Goodwins theory, matches the sense of illustration, where cutting on the beat helps to give a sense of rhythm and timing.

Locations
We have chosen to use several locations in our music video:

1. The first and most important location that we have chosen to use is a setting where the band/artist will be playing. We have decided to use a stage type location, however we want it to have an abstract feel so may decide on a basement, summer house type location instead which could allow us to be more creative and interesting, which will help the video. Lighting will play a big part in this location as we want to make the band/artist still be the focus, meeting the convention of an indie rock music video.
2. We also chose to use various locations to show the two main characters 'searching' to help meet our concept for the video. These shots will not have one set location, with a variety used to help make sure the locations don't become stale and redundant.
3. An outside location (such as a park) may also be used to show the two main characters running. This will again create the sense of 'searching' (matching out concept), however we aim to make sure that it will be mysterious and abstract as to what they will be searching for.

Costumes

Again, like the locations, we have chosen to use several different costumes in our music video:

1. The first costume in our music video will be for the main singer when he is performing. We have chosen to again follow the conventions of our chosen genre when it comes to what the people on screen will be wearing. We are looking to meet the geek preppy look, which is a formal and also casual look, which is used in many indie rock music videos. This look will contain items of clothing such as: flannel shirts, V-neck sweaters, chinos, skinny ties and boat shoes/plimsolls. 
2. The second costume will be very similar to the costume stated above. But because this time the costume will be for the concept section of our video (with characters 'searching'), the costume will be slightly more casual with skinny jeans replacing chinos and hoodies replacing V-neck sweaters, to not only give the costume a more casual feel, but also mix up the different styles of clothing to make sure the audience become tired of seeing the same thing.
3. The last costume used in our music video will be for the female character in the concept section of the video. The costume for the female will match that of her male counterpart, with sweaters, tights, plimsolls, shorts/skirts and 'geeky glasses' used to again give the video that indie and abstract feel.

Special Effects

In our music video special effects will not feature predominantly as it may distract the audience away from what the video is really about, the band/artist itself. However, slow motion and sped up shots can be used in the video (especially when instruments are being payed) to help mix up what is being shown on screen and to maintain the audiences focus on the video. We have decided not to use many special effects as it can sometimes make the video seem unprofessional if not done to a high enough standard and would also not meet the conventions of an indie rock video, as the main focus is one the band/artist themselves, rather than special effects such as contrasting colours etc.

Image Annotation

Below are a variety of images showing the type of fashion and clothing that me and my group are going to be using in our music video. The clothes that you can see will be used by not only the performer but also the characters of the concept that will be used in the music video.

The clothing that we have chosen to use in our video help to reflect the conventions of our genre well, when it comes to the clothing of the videos.
The clothes above can be seen as both formal and casual with ties and shirts worn, but the outfits are given a casual edge mainly by the use of footwear in the form of plimsolls and boat shoes. By meeting this convention it allows the image of the band/artist to appeal to a variety of different audiences with the two different styles of clothing incorporated into their outfits.
Colours of the clothing pieces are very plain, basic and earthy. This is to ensure that the main focus of the music video is on the instruments and the lyrics of the song rather than the audience being totally focused on the outfit of the band/artist.
The main focus of the image of our band/artist will be revolved around the instruments used in the video (predominantly guitar and drums), to allow the audience to get a feel for the music and lyrics of the song, which will help audience to remember the band and the songs they make.
Lastly, the clothes associated clothes with the indie-rock genre are very fitted, rather than baggy and loose. This is because baggy clothing is mostly associated with rap and hip-hop music, whereas having a more fitted style of clothing it allows the audience to instantly recognise the band/artist as consisting of the rock genre.


Below is several images, showing how this image and style is also used by bands/artists in the present day.

As you can see, the clothing and style of the bands in the images above also meet the conventions of an indie-rock band, and this is what we hope to shape the image of our band/artist around.

Research Teacher Assessment

Below is an assessment sheet from one of my teachers. As you can see the mark, level and grade of this assessment matches the peer assessment, also carried out on the research section of my blog. Although I am on the way to meeting my target grade of an A, there are still some improvements that have to be added to my blog to ensure that it is the best it can possibly be and that it also allows me to securely achieve my target grade.

Lyrics Annotation

Below is an annotation of the lyrics of my chosen song for my indie rock music video (which can be seen from the previous post:

Although many of the annotations are based on the narrative and concept of out music video, which will revolve around the idea of a relationship breaking down and ultimately coming to an end.

However, the singer/band themselves will also be a key part of the music video, but the use of the singer/band will be used as the main location and focus of the video, whereas the narrative will be second to that focus. 

So it was key to show the different aspects of the narrative in the annotations above, as we as a group have already decided that the singer/band will be the focal point of the video. 

Below is a short video showing a mind map that our group made showing the different aspects that we would like to include in our music video:

Song Details

Below is the song that me and my group have chosen to use for our indie rock music video:

As you can hear from the song above, it falls perfectly into the genre of indie rock, which ensures that the conventions that we have researched can be met when creating the music video.

We have also chose this song as the lyrics of the song can be used to create a clear concept to the video, which can help give the video itself some structure to it, and also make it interesting for the viewer to watch.

Another reason for choosing this specific song is that the beat is fairly quick and fast which can allow the editing to match the beat of the song, which will again make the video more fun for the viewer to watch.

Lastly, the song has a clear emphasis on the instruments, with parts of the song being just the instruments being played. This will allow us to meet the convention of the band/artist being the focal point and emphasis of the video, which will help to create a successful indie rock music video.

Technical Tutorials - Photoshop Practice

Below is a short video showing some of the techniques and skills that I have learnt from using photoshop. These skills include adding saturation to an image, how to blur an image, how to add text to an image, and how to remove the saturations placed on an image.

Below is a practice CD cover that me and my group made on photoshop, using the new skills that we had learnt from using the software.

The CD cover that we produced has some key features to it that match the conventions of our chosen genre:

• The background colour of our CD cover is an earthy green, which matches the convention of having natural and neutral colours as the backdrop of the CD.
• The font used is also very unique and catches the attention of the audience, which again is a convention of our chosen genre as it helps the CD to stand out from the rest.
• Although the colour of the font is black (which is a convention), an effect known as 'outer glow' was placed on the text to make it stand out even further and again try and catch the attention of the audience. The white glow also helps the text to stand out from the background colour also, which helps the audience to clearly see the name of the artist and the album title. By doing this is allows these two things to stick in the mind of the audience, which is a key thing when creating a CD cover.
• Mid shots of the artist is used, which makes conventions of our genre, especially when it is a solo artist and not a band, as the one person is the main focus of the cover and by using these mid shots it allows the convention to be met.
• The clothing used in the CD cover also matches that of artists in the indie-rock genre, as hoodies and chinos is a key part of their fashion, and again by matching this it also allows the audience to relate to the artist, as the audience will most likely have a similar taste in fashion to that of the artist.
• An 'under water' effect was also placed on the CD cover, which links to the colour used for the background of the cover as it helps to again give the cover a natural and neutral feel.
• There is also consistency of design throughout the CD cover, which helps the audience to gain a feel for what the audience is about, and also presents the cover itself as clear and understandable from the simplicity used.
• Lastly, barcodes and record label finish off the CD cover, and meet the last of the conventions of an indie rock CD cover, as these two things are essential to have when creating a CD cover.

Technical Tutorials - Green screen practice

Below is a test music video that we created using a green screen, although the quality of the editing and the shots may not be the highest, we had a very short time period to get it all done. And the main priority of doing this task was to help us gain experience with using the green screen (both setting up and in terms of the editing), which we can now consider to use in our final music video to help add another dimension to it visually.

The tasks helped me to learn a lot of new skills that will help me in the production of my final indie-rock music video:

• Setting up the green screen itself and the lighting, and also dismantling it, both quickly and safely.
• Having more of a consideration of how important lighting is in a music video environment, especially when using a green screen, as consistent lighting is very important.
• How to stay on schedule and keep to a strict time limit, as in my final music video I will have to make sure I am sticking to my schedule and getting all aspects done all time to keep the process efficient.
• How to use the chroma keyer effect on Final Cut Express, which allows you to insert any background you want behind the video, (which can be seen in the video above with the dance floor scene).
• I have learnt how to line up the video and audio of the music track, by using markers to help allow me to see when the singing may start on the audio and when the actor on screen will mime in time.

Roles

Below is a short video, showing me and my group stating the roles that we will be performing in the production of our indie-rock music video.

Although we will all be performing the roles of director, camera operator and editor, I specifically will be responsible for carrying out the props, lighting and I will also be participating in the video itself as an actor.

Initial Ideas

Below is a mind map showing the initial ideas of me and my group about certain aspects of our indie rock music video:

As you can see we have quite a lot of ideas of what we want to include in our music video.

Of course out chosen genre in indie rock, and we have centered all of our other ideas around the conventions of this genre.

Locations

For the locations of our music video we have decided to keep it fairly simple with a studio and stage location being the main locations used. However, we thought about using maybe a couple more different dynamic locations, such as a street (noted above) to make the video more interesting for the audience to watch, and also adding a more natural and real life element to it.

Low-key lighting

We decided to choose predominantly low-key lighting, with a lot of earthy colours used to help create a calm but also mysterious feel to the video. By using low-key lighting it also allows us to work with the shadows that it may create, which can help to make our video more creative.

Costumes

The costumes that we have decided on, is clothes that are both formal and casual, such as flannel shirts and boat shoes, which look smart but are also casual and fashionable at the same time. By using these types of clothes it will allow us to appeal to a lot of different audiences, each with different fashion tastes.

Props

Again in this department we have decided to keep the props simple with instruments and microphones being the main focus of the props. We have decided to include props that may be appropriate to the narrative/concept of the video, to again make it more interesting.

Artists

The artists that we have moulded our ideas around include both solo artists and bands. However they do have common factors in all of their images, such as the clothes they wear and the props they use (instruments being the main focus), which we also hope to follow in our video. The artists all have simliarities, but choosing the correct artist that matches our chosen best is key to creating a successul music video.

Research Peer Assessment

Below is a peer assessment from one of my classmates regarding the research portion of my blog. As you can see from the mark and grade from my peer, I am on track to achieving my target grade.
There are however some improvements that I do need to make to my blog to make sure that it is the best it possibly can be. The improvements can be seen by both images and as you can see improvements have also been noted on the back of the sheet, showing that there are a number of improvements that have to be made.

Audience Research 2

These two graphs show the demographics of the people who answered our survey. The age (right) and gender (left) can be seen below. These two graphs also show me that my target audience from this survey is females, aged between 17-19 years old, allowing me to gain a grasp of who the majority is, and what I should tailor my project towards.

These next two graphs, allow me to gain an insight to what kind of music listener and music fan my audience is. I asked in my survey how they find out about music trends and news and also how they purchase their music. The overwhelming response was that more digital and modern techniques such as radio and YouTube are used to find out about music instead of conventional magazines and also work of mouth. Furthermore this trend carries onto the other question of my survey, as another overwhelming response showed that people of my audience buy their music via iTunes etc. rather than buying the physical copy.

This shows to me that the music audience in today’s society are much more modern and technological when it comes to music, allowing me to use this when making my project.

Asking what the recipients favourite genre of music was, was a very simple but key question to ask, as it allowed me to see what the majority of people wanted (which was indie-rock) – which in turn allowed me to use their answers to following questions much more effectively, knowing that they were coming from a real fan of the genre that I am pursuing.

The next two questions referred to the music video that I will be creating and what the audience prefer to see in indie-rock music videos.

As you can see when it came to the story line and concept of the music video itself, the majority preferred to have a narrative with the band members being central characters in the story. Furthermore, having a live performance from the band was also a popular answer. This combination of answers means that by combining these two things may be beneficial for both me and my group and the audience, as it is what they want to see and allows us to create a successful video in meeting audience needs.

The second question we asked was to do with the editing of the video itself. Again the majority wanted a video that cuts on the beat, creating a sense of rhythm and tempo, with a lot of people also wanting a fast-paced editing style. Again by combining these two things it will help to create the best music video possible.

Next, I asked what the audience prefer to see on the cover of an indie-rock CD cover. This was a very simple but again important question to ask as there are two routes to choose when making a Cd cover, whether to have the band or an image on the front cover. 

However, the response was unanimous in favour of having the band on the front cover.

Lastly, I asked if the audience would like the advertisement for the band to match the design and style of that of the CD cover. Again like the last question the response was unanimous in favour of having both the CD and advertisement to match in design and style.

In conclusion, from looking at my results I can tell that my ideal target audience is female, aged between 17-19 and likes indie rock music. They also use modern techniques to find out about and also obtain their music, which tells me that they are very up to date with their music and thus may want to see modern techniques used in the music video.

Overall, by carrying out this survey it has allowed me to understand what the audience for the genre of indie-rock want to see in a music video, CD cover and advertisement. This is invaluable information as it allows me and my group to fully meet the needs and desires of the audience, ensuring the project is the best it can possibly be.