Changes to music video

Q4) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Research

During this stage of my coursework I used a lot of technologies. Probably the most used technology during this stage was the website YouTube. Although this may be seen as a very simple technology to use, it did allow me to scope out the conventions of the indie rock genre, which allowed me to see what had to be included when I started to create my own video. Also, because of the huge size of YouTube, it allowed me analyse a wide variety of video from my chosen genre, giving me a full picture of what was needed.

Another technology I used was Google Docs. This allowed me to create a simple survey which was then sent through email to a large number of recipients, all of which fell into my target audience. Because I was able to send this survey to such a large variety of people, it allowed me to see exactly what the audience wanted to see in all three products I had to create. These points I then made sure were implemented into my music video, digipak and advertisement to some degree as it is what my target audience wanted to see.

Planning

During this stage I got to put my editing skills to the test through the production of an animatic through my storyboards. By creating this animatic it not only gave me some experience with the Final Cut Express software but it also allowed to visualise what order of shots I wanted to see in my final music video.

Blogger was also particularly during this stage as it allowed me document all of my work, which I could then look back at to follow. Without this documentation of work and ideas I may have forgotten some aspects, however Blogger eliminated this possible risk.

Another technology that was prevalent during this stage was the extensive use of email. Between me and my other group members, emails allowed us to be in constant contact with each other to plan dates to film etc. Emails were also used with teachers and other students who would be used in our music video. Again, emails allowed us to document any important messages, such as the dates and times for filming to ensure they were not forgotten.

Construction 

The video camera was one of the most important technologies, along with the digital camera, in this stage. Without these technologies, gaining the footage to work with in post-production stages would not be possible.

Post-production software, such as Photoshop and Final Cut Express were also just as important as they allowed me to alter photos with effects and layers to create a certain mood and look to them. The more detailed software of Photoshop, compared to similar packages such as Paint, allowed more effects to be used, allowing to create a more professional overall product. Final Cut Express can also be compared to iMovie in the fact that it is much more professional and allows the user to edit clips more effectively.

Lastly, lighting rigs were also used in the construction stage of my coursework as they helped to create a more effective mise en scene for filming in. The use of this technology helped to give locations used in my music video a different dimension that would have been lacking without the use of these lights. It also helped to develop my skills in how to use these lights and also how to consider mise en scene when filming.

 The video below shows all of the technologies that I have used during all stages of my productions.

 

Q4) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Below is an overview of the technologies that I have used during my A2 coursework.

Q3) What have you learned from your audience feedback?

The first piece of feedback I received was when I carried out my Audience Research before I started my projects. From gaining this feedback, which was aimed at the target audience for my genre, I was able to draw up similarities in the answers from my Audience. Below shows how the majority of my audience wanted to see dark colours in both my digipak and advertisement. They also wanted to see the band used extensively in both of these products as it reflects the conventions of my chosen genre, and also helps to clearly show to the audience who is involved in the band.

Also, by further studying these results I found other questions that were answered very heavily for one side.

For example, 90%+ wanted to have some sort of link between both the digipak and the advertisement.

Through seeing this, it helped me to realise that what the audience wanted would help to make the style and image of the band much more recognisalbe, and would also make both the products look more professional.

This aspect I feel I may have ignored at first when creating both of these products, as although I felt they had a fairly professional look to them, there was no link between the two. 

However, I soon realised that following the audience feedback that I had received would make my products much better for not only the audience to look at, but also for the band to gain more publicity as their style could now be easily recognised. 

Before:

After:

As you can see, before the two products had no real link between the two, excpet for the fact that images of the band were present in both.

However, after a few simple changes, the two products look more of a set rather than totally different. This meets the audience feedback and also makes the products more effective. 

Q2) How effective is the combination of your main product and your ancillary texts?

Q1) In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

On the left you can see the six different panels of my digipak, whereas on the left is several indie rock CD covers.
As you can see, there are several things that mine and the professional CD covers have in common, however there are also some differences between the two which help to distinguish them apart.


 


Firstly, my digipak does not have an image of the band members as it's front cover, which is seen as a convention for most indie rock CD covers. Instead I have an image of a smashed light bulb, which helps to play off of the album title of 'Illuminate'. This theme off of the word 'Illuminate' is reinforced through the use of fairy lights on some of the digipak images. I feel that this helps to give the digipak a flash of light throughout, which allows is to have a dynamic edge that is needed to create a successful digipak. This challenging of this convention allows my digipak to have a clear sense of identity and uniqueness about it.

Although my digipak may not have the band on the front cover, this convention is met to some degree as several images of the band are used throughout the other panels of the digipak. It is also important that these images of the band do not include them using their instruments. This is because this is one of the conventions of the indie rock genre (which can be seen by the gif on the left). This is because the digipak tends to give off a more relaxed and laid-back feel compared to a music video for example.

This feeling of a laid-back attitude in the digipak can also be seen by the back cover of my digipak. The image on the back cover is of the band members laughing and having a good time. This meets this convention used in other professional digipak's. Meeting, rather than challenging this convention means the digipak maintains its clear image of the indie rock genre.

Lastly, my digipak has a clear colour scheme running throughout it. These colours are of a brown/black tone, which meets that of the professional CD covers on the right. This again helps to give my product a clear image and makes it easily recognisable as a product from the indie rock genre. This is very important as making sure the audience can instantly recognise which genre the band is from which is key to creating a successful digipak.

Q1) In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Q1) In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Digipak and advertisement progression

Below is our current digipak and advertisement design. A few changes have been made, especially to the digipak design. The most notable change is the inclusion of the wooden background in the digipak, which will keep the design and theme running throughout both products.
Also, we have decided to implement images such as the light bulb images and the images with lights. This is used to play off the fact the album is titled 'Illuminate', and these black background images also match the similarly lit shots in the music video, to help keep some consistency throughout the different products.
Lastly, the track list on the back cover of the digipak has been placed on top of images of masking tape. This matches the use of the same tape in the advertisement, which helps to keep some level of consistency between the two products.

Music video draft 2

Below is our second draft of our music video. Many changes have occurred compared with the previous version, most notably the inclusion of a second performance location. However, I feel the video can be made better by the inclusion of more dynamic shots and a clear concept throughout.

Digipak/Advertisement progression

Below shows the progression from our second draft of ancillary tasks.
The advertisement has seen further change, with the wooden background changing to a more natural looking shade of brown. This makes the colours throughout the advertisement consistent throughout.
Also, the text and record company logo have been re-adjusted to make it look better as a whole product as before some items of text were too big, such as the website, when they didn't need to be that big.
Lastly, a masking tape image has been used on two of the corners of the image (which has also changed), to give an even further 'indie' feel.

For our digipak, some of the pictures have been changed, which was a problem I identified earlier. This makes it seem more interesting and ensures it doesn't look stale to the audience.
Again, some changes ill have to be made, most notably the lower left and upper right images as we have identified these as the weakest images of the product. I feel these changes would make the digipak look much better.

Digipak/Advertisement draft 2

Below are our current digipak and advertisement designs. Not much has changed with our digipak design, however our advertisement has seen a big change.
We have decided to use one of the pictures from our digipak and place it on a wooden background to make it seem more interesting and eye-catching for the audience. This also meets the conventions of our genre as the indie rock genre tend to use unusual and different styles, and this wooden style I feel meets this.
However, there are changes we have to make, especially to our digipak, where a few of the pictures have to be replaced with something much more intriguing for the audience.

Music video draft 1

Below is the first draft of our music video:

 

As you can see, it is far from finished. Many more shots need to be included in the video, such as the concept, other locations for the performance scenes and also more shots in general for the performance scenes of the band.

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.