Digipack Drafts

I have created draft versions of my digipack, which i will improve and expand on later,this has helped me generate a rough idea of what image i'm trying to project and how effective it looks.

Front cover

Back cover

Inside left

Inside right

Diary post 11

I have drafted my magazine advertisement which will be in the form of a poster. I sketched out how i would like it to look, placing my actress central to the poster, with her name placed on her chest in a cursive font which fits with the enchanting, magical theme. This theme is continued with the use of stars surrounding her, i hope to add these in using programme photoshop. I ensured that i also included release dates and details about online availability so that customers are aware of how,where and when they can purchase the artists music. The name of the song is placed in large cursive font which is clear and eye catchy hopefully successful in grabbing the audiences attention. This week i also completed my risk assesment which reviewed potential danger hazards to the actresses and producers on my shoot, and methods of avoiding these.

Magazine advert draft

Risk assesment

Risk Assessment

Diary post 10

This week i completed my shot list consisting of the different shots i intend to use in my music video. I tried to be versatile and include a variety of shots, angles and movements, with the intention to create an exciting music video which interacts with the audience. The shot list also includes details about timing, and how shots should correlate with the song. This week i also reponded to my audience feedback, hghlighting how it had been useful to me, focusing on the improvements i made as a result of recieiving it.

shot list

Shot List

What Have You Learnt From Your Audience Feedback

Diary post 9

Today i spent time looking at music videos to gather further ideas i can use whilst shooting. I have begun shooting some practice clips at home over the past week, focusing on naturalistic areas which is something that i want included in my music video. I particularly like the music video for 'Lana Del Rey- Video Games' and have placed it on my inspirations page. Her music video combines a range of clips featuring different people, places and eras. I  like the interesting, unique feel to the music video, so i have considered changing my ideas slightly and create a music video which combines different shots of various places, people,emotions, weather etc. However i want to have a particular theme, so I've decided to focus on 'things that make people happy' and film various activities occurring alongside the music.

Audience feedback

Today i recieved feedback from three of my student peers. This feedback  has been helpful in highlighting the areas require improvement. For example, one of my peers provided feedback on my digipack covers, pointing out that although the idea itself is original and interesting, the concept itself of burning a flower could proove unrealistic and difficult,therefore i may have to begin planning a back up plan.

The second feedback i recieved was from a peer reviewing my proposal. The response was mainly positive, indicating a favour to the planned theme and the broad audience it can appeal to. However the feedback also pointed out the location which i originally planned would be predominantly shot outdoors. The feedback made me consider weather, and how it possibly could make shooting difficult and slow down progress. From this feedback, i will begin to think of new ideas for locations indoors, perhaps using a green screen which i can later add effects to.

The last feeback which i recieved was reviewing my sketches,proposal and diary posts. Appreciation was shown for the clarity and informative style of posts, but it was suggested that the amount of texts posts were balanced with video/photograph posts also. I will ensure that i bear this in mind whilst creating future posts.

Music Video storyboard

These are my storyboards which contain ideas for my music video. I have included the different camera angles, movements, speeds and zooms that i would like to use. I also have included details about the mise en scene; the costumes that the actress will wear in each scene and the props that will be required. The background is detailed in the sketches showing the time of day i intend to shoot in. I also sketched out my plans to add in computer graphics. I wanted fantasy, mystical stars to be in one of the shots to introduce a child-like fun element, but realistically this would be difficult to achieve therefore i will hopefully use computer editing to do so.  My story board also provides details about screen transitions, what each shot is supposed to be showing and when the music/singing begins.

Digi-pack cover designs

The top two boxes present my sketches for the design of the front and back cover. I initially decided that i would  place a flower in a vase and set it on fire if possible, but when i attempted to do so at home it seemed that this was not possible as the flower refused to be engulfed by the flames, instead only enduring a slight singed appearance. This means that i may have to rethink whole idea completely or consider other methods of creating the same image, perhaps using computer graphics.
I intend for the image on the back to relate to the front cover image, as a 'before and after' effect. I chose this image as it can be analysed and interpreted in many ways; metaphorically it could represent the destruction of innocence, a fall from grace, or the beauty that derives from the strange and peculiar. The image itself is quite strange, flowers are associated with nature, beauty and expressions of love. Whereas fire is an element which has connotations to anger,destruction and pain. These two images are almost binary opposites, so i thought that by placing them together would spark interest in the audience and draw their attention towards the abstract quirkyness feel of it.
As for the inside covers, i thought that i would liek to repeat the 'before and after' effect by initially showing her eyes open, then the following image showing them shut.
I plan to use an extreme close up on the actresses face, with empthasis on her eyes- this creates a level of personalism between the reader as in everyday life we often only have the opportunity to look at someone in this way when we are close to them; a family member for example. By using an image of her with her eyes closed in the back inside cover, ambiguity is introduced. It is difficult to know if she is sleeping, blinking or dead- this difficulty to understand what has occured is a metaphor for perhaps a misunderstood person, and suggests that the answer can be obtained through listening to her music thus attracting the audience to listen.

Diary post 8

This week i completed my story-board for my music video, and the design sketches for the digi-pack inside ,back and front cover. Whilst creating the story board i  included details about the different camera angles,shots,speeds and movements i intended to use alongside sketches to provide a general idea of the scene i hope to recreate. Storyboarding helped me to consider the props i'm going to need such as the actresses costume, candles and also encouraged me to consider which graphics i can use to add effects to the video- however this means that i may have to use a green screen.
As i will be shooting some of the music video outside, good weather conditions will be necessary , and i will need to shoot at the right time of day in order to achieve good quality lighting.
Sketching the designs for the digipack was quite helpful in establishing a theme which i can follow through and branch off from later on. I intend to get feedback from my peers upon my designs, and hopefully i can use this to improve and add more to the inital ideas.

Proposal

I have chosen to use song ‘Cosmic Love’ by Florence and the machine to build my music video with for the As Media Studies coursework.
The song itself is quite melodic, with gentle instruments throughout linking to the dreamlike theme that runs throughout; this led me to believe that I should direct the music video towards female audiences, perhaps playing on the fairytale, dreamy themes and ensuring that the design of my music video reflects this via props such as Fairy lights, candles and choose appropriate natural/scenic locations. I think audiences of all ages could enjoy this song and the music video I create alongside it but specifically focusing on a target audience I think that the best fitted would be females from the 17-25 year old age bracket, who enjoy listening to modern indie pop music, similar artists such as Fiest and Kate Bush who are solo female artists; a concept I wish to replicate in my music video via the use of one female.

During the research stages of the task, I analysed this song’s lyrics and noted in particular themes of love and heartbreak entwined in metaphors which create a mysterious feel; this is something that I personally found interesting, but also thought would be a great basis for the design and look of the music video.
I have planned some ideas in advance, firstly I would like my actress to initially appear interesting in order to allure and hold onto the audience’s attention. Dramatic make-up (glitter, light celestial colours) hair (striking, accessories, and quirky dyes/wigs) and costume choices will hopefully encourage this.
Pastel, natural colours will also be used, which are modern-day semiotic codes connotation innocence and goodness which is the underlining representation within the song; the artist being childlike and good, but the subject of the song damaging this by breaking her heart and trust.
I want her to immediately portray the theme of the video through her appearance; I want her to look quirky and somewhat eye catchy in order to intrigue the audience.
The underlining concept of the video is heartbreak, which is literally highlighted during the first few seconds where we can hear the non- dietetic sound of a heart beating, followed by the introduction of melodic instruments and the artists voice. I would like my artist to appear somewhat sombre, in order to reflect the lyrics, and give a sense of genuine emotion. During the introduction with the accompanied heartbeat sound, I would like to use an extreme close up of my actress’s eyes in order to achieve a level of personal ism, and a relationship between the audience and her. I plan to try out different equipment, particularly the Sony HVR A1E which I have used in the past and was quite impressed with.
In order to keep up to speed with the production, I need to be sure that my actress will be available for filming frequently, so I asked her to sign an agreement, which they are bound to from the start to the finish of the production; this will ensure reliability. Also, to guarantee my schedule matches with the actors’ and crew, I will draw up a timetable, wherein we dedicate times in the day to shooting. On this timetable I will note the time to meet, the location and any other details necessary, like which costume and props for that specific scene. I would like my music video to go viral, through social networking sites and YouTube, as my target audience are most likely to be a part of these sites. Also, I would like the video to be aired on the mainstream music channels, like MTV, KISS, Chart Show, The Box, 4music and VIVA. Therefore, my music video will be seen by not only the youths of my target audience, but the young adults as well.

The location needs to tie in with the theme of the music video, so I intend to continue the initial themes. When I first began the planning process, I thought that a quay side/harbour would be a useful place to shoot, but after consideration I think that it could be difficult to use certain types of recording equipment there, and also there would be difficult to transport all cast there.
I decided that my locations will both be indoor and outdoor, to match the visuals and the lyrics, as in Goodwin’s theory of music videos. The female artists will be filming in a studio location, using green screen, where I will create a background that is dark, enhanced with computer graphics symbolising nature and ambiguity.

diary post 7

I have been writing my proposial for my music video which i hope to complete soon. This consists of my current ideas for the themes, mise en scene, costumes, props, settings etc. I have mentioned the song that i am using, and studied the semantics of the lyrics which enabled me to understand the concepts of the story and ensure i include references to these in my own music video.
I have also began planning ideas for the costume of my actress which i want to relate to the style/theme of my music video, so i chose floaty, dark coloured materials which i hope will compliment the actress but also suit the concepts in the video suitably.

Costume being

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Test screens and shots

Today we spent some time in class editing our clips that we had shot last week, we were able to familiarise with the film editing programme Adobe Premeire Pro,and i tried speed altering tools, including a reverse option which played my clip backwards, causing an interesting effect that i've seen used in many music videos before and may decide to use in my own.

Diary entry 6

Today me and two of my classmates took the Sony HVR A1E camera outside in order to shoot mini clips which allowed us to gain experience using the equiptment, and become aware how to effectively capture videos in the most appropriate lighting, focus, angle and zoom. We shot different clips, including some outside amongst the trees, throwing leaves, doing cartwheels, picking flowers. These first basic practice clips which will hopefully be fun to edit next week. After using this camera, i feel a lot more confident than before as i now have an increased level of technical  understanding and i also think that i would like to use this camera to shoot my music video due to it's leightweight form and simplicity in regards to using it.

CD cover inspirations

In order to begin the design process of my CD cover, i required some inspiration and a general theme to base it's creation upon. I decided to create four different sections dedicated to different styles; Floral/feminine, Abstract/interesting, Lights/mystical, and Colourful/fun.
From these different styles i was able to distinguish those which i liked best, and will be best suited to my actress and chosen song.

I have been brainstorming ideas for my music video, and trying to build a solid idea.
This is the spider diagram i created in order to display all my ideas in a structured format.
I included song, setting and actor ideas, branching off to show extra detail.This has helped me think of new ideas also, and further progress through the project.

Planning on Prezi

Location

This is the harbour of Poole, Dorset, which i visit often and would be able to gain access to easily. I think this location would add flair to my music video, and enable me to be more adventourous with my ideas.

This is a large area of free spacey greenery local to me, which although appears quite boring, i think it could proove very interesting to use in my music video, perhaps with added decorations a fantasy-like setting could be created; a lot more possibilities are created.

This is my home, which i have been considering using as a location as there is a lot of area surrounding it, which could be something that would be useful for shooting my video, especially if i'm wanting to use large recording equiptment/ large amounts of actors/actresses.

Lyric analysis

I am hoping to create a music video using a mainstream , energetic pop song, so i analysed these long lyrics from a possibility Katy Perry- Teenage dream. I like this song because it's upbeat, appeals to young people and there's a lot of ideas that work with the lyrics. I analysed the lyrics to try and uncover hidden concepts/messages which could be useful to be aware of pre-production.

Lyrics on Prezi

Holiday post

Throughout the holiday i have been deciding the location and style of my music video, and i think that i'd like to create a fun video, with elements of other popular music videos such as dance routines and editing on screen.
Artists that have influenced this idea include Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Pixie Lott and Beyoncé. I also looked at music videos from bands such as The saturdays and the wanted who appeal to young audiences, and create energetic, dance tracks, which is the type of song i intend to use. I think that i will use a song from the pop genre.In regards to the set-up and editing of my music video, i was able to take a look at the recording equiptment currently available, and from that i decided that green screen would be something that would look professional and make the editing process easier for me.However, at the same time i want to avoid the cliche, boring effect that the green screen often creates;it can come across as lacking the originitalty that other music videos with real settings portray.
Therefore, i haven't made any final decisions, and i have been considering perhaps shooting some parts of the video on locations around London which isn't too far, but interesting and fresh. As well as london I knew that shooting at my home would save money and time via travel, and also enable privacy during shooting, which would be more difficult in public places such as Central London.

Diary week 5

I have been looking at iconic music videos, and taking screen shots which have helped me build ideas of potential themes/locations for my music video. I have been able to make final decisions about the style of my music video from doing this, so it's proved very useful. I need to still analyse song lyrics.

Iconic stills

Music video iconic stills on Prezi

Diary week 4

I have taken pictures of the equipment I could possibly use whilst creating my music video.
Being able to take a look at the equiptment has helped me further plan what my music video is going to be like, and what i can use to create the right effects.Initally i thought that i might choose an adventourous outdoor setting, but after looking at videos created by other past students, i think it could be better to use green screen, so that i can edit/reshoot easier without having to keep returning to far out locations which might slow down production.
I have also created a reverse storyboard which consists of screen-shots ofBoat beam- Rain pauly, with discussion on its camera movement, editing and technique. I specifically chose this video as i personally enjoy it, and i think that the use of different camera angles such as underwater make an interesting video which i'd like to use as inspiration for my own.

Music video research

Iconic music video stills on Prezi

Diary week 3

I have now analysed the music videos of Beyonce 'Run the world', Nicki Minaj 'Superbass and Bruno mars 'The lazy song'. I have uploaded my analysis of each video as a prezi.
As well as this, I have analysed the album magazine adverts of various artists, all slightly diffeerent to broaden my ideas.
This, along with the 3 digipack covers has provided me with a good insight in the codes and conventions and certain styles of real-world products which will help inspire and direct me when I come to create my own product.

Magazine advertisements

Magazine music advertisements on Prezi

Music video analysis on Prezi

CD cover analysis on Prezi

Diary week 2

29/6/11

I have been carrying out research which will help me build a stronger idea for my music video. An inspiration page has been added to my blog which hopefully will inspire me whilst creating my own. I have decided that it would be beneficial to me to use green screen whilst recording, as this will make the editing process easier, and also enable a professional feel to my video.

Conventions of music Video's

I will be making a video and discussing these points in more detail:

Purpose of music videos
Development of music videos
New technologies/directions
Conventions of music videos
Generic elements to music videos
Technical features of music videos
Issues surronding representation
Theoretical approaches to music videos
Contemporary issues surronding music videos

Brief

1. A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following two options:

2.a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package);
a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package

I decided that this brief seemed rather interesting, and enable me to be creative and explore programmes used in AS coursework further, such as Adobe Premier Pro which i will use to compose my music video on. I am looking forward to the planning process, and taking inspiration from other artists music videos. I hope that my creative skills will be expanded by this project, and that the final product itself will appear professional and interesting.

Resource audit

A2 Media coursework:Research via prezi on Prezi

Diary entry 1

Introduction

I plan to research music videos looking for inspiration in order to create my own. I intend to take a look at different genres and types of music in order to design a music video which is interesting and creative.I will later record a video to present my ideas.

post one