A new pieces of software I have learnt to use is Adobe
Premier Elements 3.0 and Movie Maker, I found movie maker harder to operate and
didn’t really help me create the type of styled music video I was aiming for.
This was due to files not being supported, the files themselves took to long to
then go onto the software and was taking to long to edit. So after speaking to
other people and my teacher Adobe Premier Elements 3.0 was recommended because
people in my class have already used it I was quickly shown how to work it and
get the best out of it. I did however have to learn how to make it my own,
therefore I did research on how to use the software and used it in my spare
time so I could concur any problems I have with the software. The main problems
with Premier I found was that the clips I uploaded to the software would
sometimes freeze; I found that If you left it and then came back to it the
problem would be solved. Therefore I decided to change the software to Windows
Movie maker because I didn’t have any problems using this at all, it was easy
to use and got the job done! I think it was due to the amount of information
and jobs I was getting it to do. The main problem I had with every peace of
software I was using was that the files I filmed were on a AVCHD which Premier
doesn’t support. Therefore using SUPER converter I had to edit the file to a
MPEG, this made the picture granary however you could still make out what was
happening. I could have paid for software which would be more modern and be
able to work with my camera, however I don’t have that type of money to spare.
So I had to make do with the schools software.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
This Course Work
Throughout this peace of course work I have challenged
myself to use a variety and diverse range of software. This is so that I get a
good understanding on how to operate a variety off different and complex
systems to create a video that hits my target audience. However some of this
software I have already used through my AS pieces I’ve learnt how to operate,
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks and InDesign. These are mainly picture based
software, knowing how to operate these software’s were extremely helpful when
it came to creating a Digipak for my music artist. The main reason for using
those software was to change the lighting, frame, focus, filter and edit any
blemishes.
What I have learnt?
I’ve learnt that my music video and Digipak does suit and go
with the type of genre I have picked, however doing this feedback sheet I see
what improvements I could have made. It helps me criticise my own work and see
how I could make it a little better. I feel that the video itself isn’t too
bright I was aiming for a dark and gloomy scene therefore I disagree with that
statement. However I do agree that the
album cover would’ve been better if it was in black and white, I did think
about this however I didn’t think you’d be able to see the performer. I think
that the age range does suit the age range I was trying to reach therefore I
feel confident that I have reached my targets of creating a Alternative Rock
music video.
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Throughout creating the video I used a variety of HD cameras, this meant the images and videos I produced would capture clear and detailed images. The main problems I had was the software I had to use to edit the photo and trying to make sure that the photo I took was steady and smooth so it wasn't blurry. I over came the editing issue by converting the files into a file that the editing software can handle, I fixed the steadiness of the photo's by using my friends steadycam and tripods. This meant that the tracking shots and panning shots were smoother than what you'd expect from a handle held camera, however there are parts of the video where it isn't as steady as it could be. I started creating my video on Adobe Element, which wouldn't work for me and I had to keep converting files to use the software. So i decided to change the software I was using to Movie Maker, this is easier to use however the quality of the video isn't as good.
When it comes to editing my digipak I used Adobe photoshop CC, i used this software because I've used it a lot therefore it was easy to change the effects on pictures. Whilst making them stay as natural as I can, however making them stick to the type of genre they're supposed to be in. To make sure I was doing the correct thing I kept asking my target audience what they were looking for. Therefore I kept sending them pictures and getting feedback so I could change them to fit my target audience.
When it comes to editing my digipak I used Adobe photoshop CC, i used this software because I've used it a lot therefore it was easy to change the effects on pictures. Whilst making them stay as natural as I can, however making them stick to the type of genre they're supposed to be in. To make sure I was doing the correct thing I kept asking my target audience what they were looking for. Therefore I kept sending them pictures and getting feedback so I could change them to fit my target audience.
Audience Feedback
Audience feedback:
I decided to ask several people on Facebook, twitter and friends
to access my blog. After they looked at my blog I asked them several question
to get feedback on how well it is going. I asked several people bellow is a
table of the questions I asked and their responses.
1.
Male –
Aged 19
2.
Male – Aged 18
3.
Female – Aged 19
4.
Female - Aged 17
5.
Female – Aged 21
6.
Male - Aged 18
Do you think the ancillary texts shows off the typical conventions
that you would associate with the genre of alternative rock?
1. Yes
it does, however I think it could have been made better by having the pictures
in black and white. That would make them suit the genre more.
2. Yes,
it was very clear. The use of a graveyard and the CD made it clear for me what
the genre was. I also liked the use of
projection to create a background on the artists body.
3. Partly,
however the colour in the pictures were quite bright you could confuse it with
another genre like pop.
4. Yes,
thought it could’ve stood out more though
5. Yes
it was very clear for me to see, I liked the styling and it reminds me of some
albums for this genre I have at home.
6. Yes,
I liked the idea of leaves I thought it goes well with the genre and the type
of song.
What age group do you feel the
ancillary text will appeal to?
1.
19-27 year olds male and female
2.
16 – 30 year old males
3.
17 – 25 year old male and females
4.
Teenagers
5.
17-26 year old male and females
6.
18 – 29 year old male and females
When looking at the album cover
would it encourage you to buy it?
1.
Yes it’s my type of styling, I would definitely
buy it.
2.
No but I’ll probably recommend it or buy it for
someone else
3.
No, an album cover isn’t good enough to final a
purchase for me.
4.
Yes, I’d probably buy it but I think I’d buy it
mainly for the picture.
5.
Yes, I like the detail put into it and I think it’s
amazing how the leaves are covering the artists body. Well thought out.
6.
Maybe, I might pick it up and think about buying
it but I don’t know if I would.
Do you think my video matches the
type of song and genre?
1.
Yes however, I think the transitions between the
shots could have been smoother.
2.
My laptop wouldn’t let me see the video.
3.
Yes the use of the lyrics and the link between
what’s going on screen is very clear, I feel like the styling suits both the
genre and the song.
4.
No, I thought it didn’t. It was too bright and
the actor’s facial expressions weren’t always the best. Didn’t really feel the
emotions that are in the lyrics.
5.
I think that your music video, suits the type of
genre and song. It’s clear and id expect the story to be used in other music
videos but in a different way.
6.
Yes it does.
What people on my course think?
I think that the photo you have used for your album cover is
well designed its eye catching and stand out from all the rest. I like the use
of bright colours and projecting them onto your white top, it really makes you
look transparent and therefore looks like you’re part of the picture. The
picture itself goes well with the type of genre, however i think it would’ve
been better if the picture was black and white and there was no shadow down the
left hand side of your body.
The back of the album cover is a little out of focus but the
idea of using a gravestone when the main song you’re using is called funeral is
well depicted and creates a good effect. However to suit your genre more i
would have made it again black and white, I would’ve used Red writing instead
of white. It looks like the stereotypical Alternative rock back of an album
cover so you’ve made it suit the type of genre you’re doing.
The text itself isn’t quite clear, but it does the job. The
font stands out and goes with the pictures you have chosen. I like the use of black and green when it
comes to your magazine article against the projection picture. It makes it look
like the writing is part of the scenery.
Do you feel that the digipak and magazine advert complement each other?
Do you feel that the digipak and magazine advert complement each other?
I feel that the projection style highlights that both of them are linked together for this artist. Using the same styling for both the magazine advert and front cover means that a correlation between the two will be made and therefore will connect the audience with the other image.
Is the text within the advert eye catching to make the audience buy or read the article?
The text itself isn't that eye catching it's more down to the image in the advert, however it stands out and links with the digipak quite well. I see you’ve used the same font but not the same colour, this is confusing and I think you should’ve kept the same colour throughout. The writing itself is well designed and easy to read, it does draw me in however because part of the writing being white on a picture which also has white in it defeats the object of it and makes it that little bit harder to read.
Is the text within the advert eye catching to make the audience buy or read the article?
The text itself isn't that eye catching it's more down to the image in the advert, however it stands out and links with the digipak quite well. I see you’ve used the same font but not the same colour, this is confusing and I think you should’ve kept the same colour throughout. The writing itself is well designed and easy to read, it does draw me in however because part of the writing being white on a picture which also has white in it defeats the object of it and makes it that little bit harder to read.
In what way does my media product use develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products:
When it comes to analysing my digipak I feel that it has
followed the usual convents when it comes to its genre. The genre I was going
for was Alternative Rock as I love that type of genre and relate to it quite
well.
My poster is a bit over crowded with information, whereas
current Alternative rock posters mainly consist of a well designed picture and
name of the band or artist. Whereas I’ve focused on providing information on
the new album and a hit new song, which i would expect for a new upcoming
artist.
After watching The Escape Artist By Richard Walters, which
is a music video where he has a variety of different effect being projected
onto his face. I decided to create that same effect for my cover photo and
magazine article, so i used one of the schools projection boards and wore a
white top to make sure that the background picture was projected onto my body.
I turned out amazing, I looked transparent and part of the picture however you
could still see the outline of my body and the colour of my eyes. I kept the
idea of using the forest scene as my album cover photo, I did this because most
of my music is filmed within a forest therefore creating a link between the
main song and the album cover. The album covers design ties in well with the
music video because the time of year depicted within the video is the same in
the album as it is in the video.
The back of the album cover is a picture of a Graveyard;
this was taken by me outside a church in Compton. Unfortunately the picture I
took has come out grainy due to the sun sunning down on the camera, i put the
picture into Photoshop and tried to highlight the essence of the location and
help create the emotion of regret and being alone, throw a picture and the
choice of songs. The picture works well with the cover photo because; there are
trees surrounding the cover photo and trees in the background of the graveyard.
When looking at both my album cover and its back page i see
that i have followed the normal conventions of text and the amount of
information you see on the Album. The text itself is white, the font isn’t
something to out there it’s mainly there to help highlight the picture. I made
sure that throughout my digipak i used the same styled font; this is so that
the audience associate this font with the artist making it memorable.
I believe that having a transparent photo sets me out from
other Alternative rock albums because it unusual to see. Most Album covers
consist of
Problems when filming
The weather conditions at the time
weren't the best for filming, it was overcast therefore it was hard at times
for the camera to pick up features and be in the right light. Therefore I had
to reshoot on several different days to make sure that there was enough light
within the scene to see the performer. One of the main problems I faced was the
raining; at the time of filming there was a storm going over Berkshire,
therefore I could only film during certain periods of the day. I tried over
coming this problem by having someone hold an umbrella over the camera man;
however this wasn't effective enough because the fake blood and clothing would
change colour. Also the umbrella would blow around in the wind and get in the
shot sometimes. The problem that the performer faced during this time was
staying in role. This was hard to do because it was cold, windy and there would
be a constant poor of rain on his face. Therefore I had to film over several
days, so I had to make sure that the performer looked the same in every way
possible, clothes, hair style, body expression and facial feature and attitude.
This was done by looking over the previous filming and making sure each feature
is the same, I did this to make sure that there is a good and constant flow
throughout the music video.
The main problem I faced when filming was the rain, because I was filming most of my music video outside in a Forrest the rain would cause the Forrest floor to be muddy, slippery and would change how the location would look. Therefore I had to make sure that I took pictures of the location to make sure nothing changed and is something changed I would either fix it or change the location. What I found hard was keeping the costume looking the same throughout the music video. There were two points in the video where the performers fell over due to the slippery floor, due to the weather conditions. Therefore I would have to clean the clothes and make sure that any changes made were consistent and there was nothing that would be eye catching and ruin the video.
The main problem I faced when filming was the rain, because I was filming most of my music video outside in a Forrest the rain would cause the Forrest floor to be muddy, slippery and would change how the location would look. Therefore I had to make sure that I took pictures of the location to make sure nothing changed and is something changed I would either fix it or change the location. What I found hard was keeping the costume looking the same throughout the music video. There were two points in the video where the performers fell over due to the slippery floor, due to the weather conditions. Therefore I would have to clean the clothes and make sure that any changes made were consistent and there was nothing that would be eye catching and ruin the video.
Comparing Adverts
I tried to go against the normal conventions of the typical type of albums for this genre; for instance typical Alternative rock albums have plain black background. This is done because usually on top of this is an image or drawing, which is very stereotypical because I didn’t go for that look as I wanted my Album to stand out. When doing my research I walked into a HMV store which had the Albums placed in there genre categories, therefore I wanted to make sure that my picture stood out from the rest of this genre. I did this so if it was in a shop store it would be eye catching and draw someone into it. This is done so that people will pick it up and looking at the picture and decide to buy the album. I therefore made my album look that little bit different and unique by used a projection screen to put an image onto the artist cause him to look like part of the background, which made him look slightly transparent. The picture I used was of a Forrest which therefore ties in with the rest of the theme of being in a Forrest which as you can see actually flows throughout my digipak.
After looking at both of these magazine adverts side by side I feel that
I have created a good representation and I have followed my initial plans which
I created before, I also believe that I have tried to challenge the usual
conventions of a magazine advert and digipak to create something that I think
the audience would like or prefer.
Analysing my Digipak
After analysing all three of my
products I feel that they all link well with each other because of the way the
pictures complement each other. This was done through the use of colour within
the pictures, the font used, the person used, the styling of clothes and any
props. To edit the photo and create pictures that represent the correct genre
and style of my artist I had to make sure that I used Photoshop to create a
photo that kept the mood of the song and therefore the design of the album.
The pictures on my first post are my three finished aspects of my digipak, which I will now analyse to see how much they coincide with each other creating the links between the album cover, the inside poster and the back of the album.
In my digipak I also tried to go against the normal conventions of the typical type of albums from this genre for instance typically Alternative rock albums has plain black background this is done because usually on top of this is a image or drawing, which is very stereotypical because i didnt go for that look as I used a projection screen to put a image onto the artist cause him to look like part of the background which made him look slightly transparent. The picture I used was of a Forrest which therefore ties in with the rest of the theme of being in a Forrest wish flows throughout the digipak.
After looking at both of these magazine adverts side by side I feel that I have created a good representaion and I have followed my initial plans which I created before, I also believe that I have tried to challenge the usual conventions of a magazine advert and digipak to create something that I think the audience would like or prefer.
The font
Throughout my digipak I wanted to make sure that I used the same font which helped to make each part of my digipak tie in with the other. I did this so there wasn't any confusion when it came to the type of genre you’re looking at and using the same font throughout means the audience you’re reaching to are able to relate the texts to the images and then to the artist. The Font I used was California FB, which I felt complimented the genre of alternative rock. I think that the soft styling goes with the name of the album and highlights the name of the Artist; I also believe it’s eye-catching and this in turn means it will be memorable for the target audience. The font itself was either Black or White as it goes well with the pictures I used this helps attract the attention of the audience, it also helps make the artist within the picture look a little transparent. When it comes to the gravestone I made sure I kept the same colour as my aim was to try and keep the look of a graveyard, therefore I kept the writing within the headstone.
I made sure that I used different sized fonts throughout my digipak. I did this so the album cover would be eye catching; a variety of different sized writing catches the audience’s eye because they have to refocus their eyes to see the writing which keeps them interested. I feel that using different sized writing makes the image stand out more and doesn't ruin the overall styling of the album. I made sure that I included a copyright law section; I made the writing smaller as this is the usual convention for modern album covers. I wanted to make sure that my album stays with the usual conventions, however challenging it in parts by going against the usual styling’s of my genre.
Photography
The visual aspect of my digipak was done by using adobe Photoshop and Adobe in design. Here I had to make the picture suit the needs of my genre a little better. I did this by, changing the brightness and creating a little shadowing. The reason I did this was to hint or attract the audience to the main song of the album which is my music video. Before creating my own photo I made sure that I analysed a variety and diverse range of album covers and looked at the photography or visual aspects within their own albums. Doing this gave me the idea of using projection to create the cover photo as well as the poster. The gravestone however came from the idea of the title of the main song, funeral which I’m doing my music video on, highlighting this song to be the main one in the album. I think that the photos I have taken goes well with the type of genre I have picked, which is alternative rock, I think this because I consider that genre to be quite lost and dark which I’ve tried to recreate. The graveyard and wooded scenery makes the album stand out from other albums due to its uniqueness of the artist having a picture projected onto him. I felt that all the images link together well, because they generally have the same colour flowing through it and the scenery within all of them complement each other and keep the same kind of look rather than 3 completely different photos.
How I created my background:
I used a school room which has a smart board in it; this allows an image to be projected onto a board. Using this smart board I was able to take a picture I took previously this year and project the picture onto the smart board. Originally I was thinking about putting an image on top of this main image and then create a shadowy effect of a person within the picture; however I then saw a music video which had a piece of scenery projected onto the artists face. I took this idea and decided to have my artist wear a white top and stand In front of the projection screen. This had an amazing effect of making him part of the picture, the leaves covered his body, but you could still make out the detail of his eyes, his hair styling and the general shape of his body. The awesome effect it had on the picture was making the performer look slightly transparent. Which again goes with the nature of the song funeral, he's gone and not really there, which was my aim of creating some sort of ghostly effect.
Colour Themes
For my digipak I decided to use a wooden theme as it goes with my video and its colour scheme. When hearing my target audience’s feedback I realised that I could've made it better by having the pictures in black and white to create a darker looking album, seeing as I'm doing an alternative rock album. I wanted the picture to portray the emotion that is also in the music video hence the use of a gravestone; the colours within the pictures were brown green and black. Keeping this contrast allows me to link the pictures together and helps make it memorable.
The pictures on my first post are my three finished aspects of my digipak, which I will now analyse to see how much they coincide with each other creating the links between the album cover, the inside poster and the back of the album.
In my digipak I also tried to go against the normal conventions of the typical type of albums from this genre for instance typically Alternative rock albums has plain black background this is done because usually on top of this is a image or drawing, which is very stereotypical because i didnt go for that look as I used a projection screen to put a image onto the artist cause him to look like part of the background which made him look slightly transparent. The picture I used was of a Forrest which therefore ties in with the rest of the theme of being in a Forrest wish flows throughout the digipak.
After looking at both of these magazine adverts side by side I feel that I have created a good representaion and I have followed my initial plans which I created before, I also believe that I have tried to challenge the usual conventions of a magazine advert and digipak to create something that I think the audience would like or prefer.
The font
Throughout my digipak I wanted to make sure that I used the same font which helped to make each part of my digipak tie in with the other. I did this so there wasn't any confusion when it came to the type of genre you’re looking at and using the same font throughout means the audience you’re reaching to are able to relate the texts to the images and then to the artist. The Font I used was California FB, which I felt complimented the genre of alternative rock. I think that the soft styling goes with the name of the album and highlights the name of the Artist; I also believe it’s eye-catching and this in turn means it will be memorable for the target audience. The font itself was either Black or White as it goes well with the pictures I used this helps attract the attention of the audience, it also helps make the artist within the picture look a little transparent. When it comes to the gravestone I made sure I kept the same colour as my aim was to try and keep the look of a graveyard, therefore I kept the writing within the headstone.
I made sure that I used different sized fonts throughout my digipak. I did this so the album cover would be eye catching; a variety of different sized writing catches the audience’s eye because they have to refocus their eyes to see the writing which keeps them interested. I feel that using different sized writing makes the image stand out more and doesn't ruin the overall styling of the album. I made sure that I included a copyright law section; I made the writing smaller as this is the usual convention for modern album covers. I wanted to make sure that my album stays with the usual conventions, however challenging it in parts by going against the usual styling’s of my genre.
Photography
The visual aspect of my digipak was done by using adobe Photoshop and Adobe in design. Here I had to make the picture suit the needs of my genre a little better. I did this by, changing the brightness and creating a little shadowing. The reason I did this was to hint or attract the audience to the main song of the album which is my music video. Before creating my own photo I made sure that I analysed a variety and diverse range of album covers and looked at the photography or visual aspects within their own albums. Doing this gave me the idea of using projection to create the cover photo as well as the poster. The gravestone however came from the idea of the title of the main song, funeral which I’m doing my music video on, highlighting this song to be the main one in the album. I think that the photos I have taken goes well with the type of genre I have picked, which is alternative rock, I think this because I consider that genre to be quite lost and dark which I’ve tried to recreate. The graveyard and wooded scenery makes the album stand out from other albums due to its uniqueness of the artist having a picture projected onto him. I felt that all the images link together well, because they generally have the same colour flowing through it and the scenery within all of them complement each other and keep the same kind of look rather than 3 completely different photos.
How I created my background:
I used a school room which has a smart board in it; this allows an image to be projected onto a board. Using this smart board I was able to take a picture I took previously this year and project the picture onto the smart board. Originally I was thinking about putting an image on top of this main image and then create a shadowy effect of a person within the picture; however I then saw a music video which had a piece of scenery projected onto the artists face. I took this idea and decided to have my artist wear a white top and stand In front of the projection screen. This had an amazing effect of making him part of the picture, the leaves covered his body, but you could still make out the detail of his eyes, his hair styling and the general shape of his body. The awesome effect it had on the picture was making the performer look slightly transparent. Which again goes with the nature of the song funeral, he's gone and not really there, which was my aim of creating some sort of ghostly effect.
Colour Themes
For my digipak I decided to use a wooden theme as it goes with my video and its colour scheme. When hearing my target audience’s feedback I realised that I could've made it better by having the pictures in black and white to create a darker looking album, seeing as I'm doing an alternative rock album. I wanted the picture to portray the emotion that is also in the music video hence the use of a gravestone; the colours within the pictures were brown green and black. Keeping this contrast allows me to link the pictures together and helps make it memorable.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Monday, 13 January 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)