Evaluation Question 4

Pre Production;

Blogger - Blogger was important as this is what we used to be able to upload all of our research and planning. This was used as a data base of all of the information that we found out.

Animoto - We used animoto as this was great for creating an easy flowing pitch that could play on its own and have all of the pieces of information that we needed on it.

Twitter - This was used to be able to upload comments from our artist making them seem more realistic

Android phone - This was used to be able to communicate ideas to and from me and Hannah, this was useful throughout the whole process as this helped to communicate between our model and us.

Email - Email was useful because without it certain clips and images couldn't be sent to one and other, this is also where we received email from possible locations or where we ordered the outfits from to notify when they should be arriving along with other prop orders.

Internet - We used the internet 2.0 as this was probably one of the biggest factors of finding inspirational images and video clips, it was also where we could upload our digipaks, posters and music video to, this was useful for the whole entire process as we were constantly having to use websites in order to find out information.

Ipod - I used my ipod a lot throughout the whole process and found it very easy to use. This was because it was able to take photos and videos of what we were doing throughout the process, I also found that I could download a blogger app where I could write posts on the go and also check was going on, on the blog.


Production;

Still Camera - I used a still camera to take photo's of our model, this was used to put onto my digipak and poster in order to be able to photoshop and edit them on a computer or Mac. I found that by using a still camera I could take high quality images of the artist. Also we used a still camera in order to be able to take photos of the different objects that were in our music video as well as being able to take photos through out the process of what we were doing  e.g. filming, storyboard etc.

Video Camera - The video camera was a crucial piece of technology that was needed in order to be able to film the different clips needed for our draft video and our final video.

Photoshop - When I was creating my digipak and poster I used this programme to be able to create a convincing looking product. Once I got used to it, it was an easy piece of software to use allowing me to be able to remove any imperfections on the photo I had taken and remove the backgrounds as well. This software also allowed me to be able to add different layers so I could create the poster and digipak adding fonts and different colours to it.


Post production;

Final cut pro - Final cut pro was used to be able to put the whole of the video together, allowing for us to add effects over the top of it and also allowing us to put the clips in the order that we needed.

Youtube - Youtube has allowed us to be able to upload the video, animatic and draft video. This is a very useful tool as it also allowed us to view what other videos were out there in order to be able to create a convincing video.

Evaluation Question 1

EVALUATION 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The style of the makeup that we chose were down to the fact that the song's sounds very much as though it is from an era that is older than  the modern day music, this is because of the artists voice. Also the fact that she is singing about Elvis Presley who is from the 50's we wanted a style of clothing that fitted with this sort of girl who is obsessed with Elvis Presley. We used the 60's style makeup similar to Twiggy's on the eyes.

Also we used a 50's style red lip because of the fact that Elvis was from the 50's and it stood out a lot in front of the camera. This created the bold dramatic look that we wanted to fit in with the theme of the video.

The moving images at the start and on each Individual beat with no lyrics were taken inspiration from Fiona Apple's song criminal.

This Is a clip from Fiona Apple's song

This is a clip from our music video.

In order to make ours slightly different we placed two effects over the top during the editing process. These were one to make in look more old and sepia and the other to make it look more like it was being projects to add a bit more jumpy movement through out the video.

The inspiration for the sepia effect came from some photos that were up around my house and where I had seen other various different photos with a sepia filter over the top.

One of the images from home

A screenshot from our video

I then gained inspiration from the Charlie Chaplin silent films. I was looking at these because I thought of all of the music artists such as Elvis Presely from the 50's but thinking further back to old stars I found this inspiring and would work the vintage theme that we were going along.

Another really big influence for our video was where we were going to film the video, we wanted to film it in a room that had plain walls and preferable i wooden floor, this was taken from Birdy's self titled album art work. In this image you had a girl standing in an empty room with really decrepit old wall paper and a wooden floor, this was emulated in our video as we had a wooden floor and a plain wall, however, we decided to change it by having the room filled with objects that our artist could interact with.

In our room we have more objects.

For my digipak I believe that it really isn't challenging any conventions, this is because I took a lot of inspiration from two different album covers. As I did this it meant that I was sticking to something that I knew worked, because of this I hadn't really challenged anything.

I decided to stick to a one work title for the name 'Lines' I did this for a bold impact and also to go with the fact that the artist only had a one word name, this again gave it a more strong name, I took this inspiration from Kimbra's album called 'Vows'. I chose to do a picture of the artist on the front of the album as well as the inside of the cover, this was to help show the identity between the artist in the video can be related to the artist on the front of the digipak. The writing was placed in the top left hand corner of the front cover, this was again taken from Kimbra's album 'Vows'.

The paisley pattern that was placed in the CD holder was also taken inspiration from album cover because of the way that she is covered in different patterns. The chosen pattern was taken from this image which I thought had the right shapes and style that could go on my digipak.

I then decided that for the tracklisting on the back I would have it going continuously across with no number down the side, this was so then it was centred. I didn't realise this at the time but only now that I am doing this task that I have a similarity between the back of my digipak and the back of Bastille's Bad Blood album.

Although mine is slightly different because I have placed the titles going continuously, I have centred it and made it symmetrical placing circles at the end so that I have seperations between each of the titles. Although I have changed mine compared to what the Bastille album's tracklisting looks like I have no way created that out of my own imagination and it would be found on many different albums or wherever there is writing.

My poster has also stuck to the conventions as it has followed the style of the digipak's tracklisting on the back by having everything centred. This includes the image and the writing.

The circles are continued into the date which is when the album is released.
I have continued the same theme with the same image on to the poster helping to create a brand which cant be mistaken this was taken from Kimbra's Poster for Vows and the album as they had the same image and font on the poster as they did the album.

Final Music Video

Poster and Digipak FINAL

This is my Final digipak and poster which have been updated from the previous versions. 

Feedback for digipak and poster

For my digipak the feed back I have recieved is that I need to have an image with eye contact on the front cover. Also I needed to make sure that the dots that were in between the different titles of songs on the back were in the middle and not near the bottom of the words. I also need to make gem for the GEM Records a lot clearer as it was quite small. The image also wasnt well cropped or cut out so I will need to change that or tweak it.

The feedback I recieved for the poster was that the layout wasnt very symmetrical and needed to be changed. Again the image was badly cropped and also there was a lack of eye contact.

For some self feedback I feel as though I need to make the continuity flow throuh both pieces of work and I dont feel as though parts of the poster are on the album or parts of the album were on the poster.

Improvements to digipak

The improvements I have made to my digipak are because of the fact that it was unfinished due to the problems that had happened the previous time of my blog having an attempted hacker.
I have now changed it from a 6 panel digipak to a 4 panel digipak, this is because I found that there was too much open space or what I wanted to create, which was a simple but with each page filled with a different image or pattern.

I originally had on my digipak, a crinkled old paper design in the background, however, this didn't look as old as I wanted it to. The card design also didn't turn out how I had wished it to, this didn't create a very good look on the digipak cover, the black writing again didn't stand out against the brown paper background.

I have now changed the background to a pure black one, this means that the white writing will stand out on it really well. This also meant that Sammy's blonde hair stands out on the digipak cover, it also means that hair red and blue top stands out as well.

For the part where the CD would actually go I have created a paisley pattern that goes there, this is in black and white to go with the theme, this was originally another design that I created for the digipak that was to have Sammy's face made entirely out of the paisley pattern design that I created, this didn't look as effective as I had hoped though so I started over a again with the bold and quirky image of Sammy looking at a flower. This helps to go with the quirky object theme as this is another object that she is looking at.

I took the images with my camera and wanted an indie quirky style for them, I then transferred them into photo shop and edited them , removing stray hairs etc. this added a more professional quality to them. I then placed them on two panels of my 4 panel digipak. The photos are on the front cover and the inside left.

I made the writing on the back different as well because this helped to create a more quirky style for my digipak cover.

Poster - Final

Final digipak

Issues with digipak

I have left the memory stick at home with all of my digipak and poster on, this will be uploaded ASAP.

Risk assessment

Risk assessment

Hazard - Falls of equipment or crew
Answer  - Yes
Severity - medium
Likelihood - medium
Who is at risk? The actress, the crew, the equipment.
Precautions - Make sure that all of the risks are minimal and that the actress is in a safe position and that the equipment is securely placed in the room.


Hazard - Temporary Structures
Answer - Yes
Severity - Low
Likelihood - High
Who is at risk? The crew, the equipment and actress.
Precautions - Make sure that the wallpaper is taped firmly to the wall and that people keep checking that the paper is securely to the wall and will not fall down.


Hazard - Tripping over
Answer - Yes
Severity - Low
Likelihood - Low
Who is at risk? The crew, the actress.
Precautions - Make sure that everyone knows where the equipment is placed and that there is nothing placed in the walk way or the path that could be easily tripped over.


Hazard - Hitting head
Answer - Yes
Likelihood - medium
Severity - medium
Who is at risk? Crew and actress
Precaution - Make sure that everyone knows where abouts the prop hanging from the ceiling is, also make sure that in between takes it isn't dangling so that people could hit their heads on it.


Hazard - Vehicles
Answer - No


Hazard - Special effects
Answer - No


Hazard - Weapons
Answer - Yes
Likelihood -Low
Severity - Medium
Who is at risk? Crew, actress and equipment
Precaution- The weapon doesn't work however it is fairly heavy, so it could cause damage to the crew, actress or equipment if dropped or thrown.


Hazard - Burns from lighting
Answer - No

Digipak so far - technical issues

In my digipak on the three squares that are blank I will be putting some image's on to them. I also will be adding all of the legal parts and the logo as well.

Clare Maguire album cover analysis

Birdy Album cover analysis

Kimbra Album cover analysis

Account change

Due to the fact that someone has tried to hack my old media account I have had to create a new one that I will be posting from, it is still Isabelle Zanker although my posts will now just be from a different address.

Inspiration for digipak images

 These are some pictures from a book all about Vogue
front covers. I really like the way that these are bold statement images and also the makeup used on the models. I have taken inspiration from these as I think that they are bold statement images and I think that I would like to use a bold statement image on my album cover. When I come to o my album cover I think I am going to use two different images of the same person but possibly in different outfits looking the side, but, making sure that it is an interesting and bold image.

Digipak ideas

I have drawn out a sort of mock up sketch of what I want one of the inside panels to have on it. I took inspiration from the Alice In Wonderland swirls. I think that velvet elvis would look good in a font that's going in a swirl and the font getting smaller and smaller the further you get to the centre.

Annotated Image - Digipak

This image shows a picture of an annotated image. This helps me to understand how I think my front cover will be. I think that having the track listing behind the main image of the artist will be the really effective and in a sort of italicy faded writing. Where the joker is written I am going to write down the artists name of Sammy. Where the label of the hat is I think That I am going write the title of the album and finally where the last image is I am going to place a mirrored image of the artist.

TrackListing - Digipak

I have thought up the different names for the track listing on the album. I went with kind of a quirky theme to go with whats going on in the music video and the style of the artist that we are going with. The names are as follows ;

Velvet Elvis
Mirrored
Butterfly Eyes
Like it's lost
In the streets
Violey spy
Your picture frame
Bold - faced silence
Black dice
Lightyears.

Digipak inside left idea

I have decided that for the inside left panel for the digipak I will put the name of the album cover on it going in a swirl getting smaller and smaller in size. I have been inspired by this picture to do this as I feel as though the swirls in it are effective and quirky for the video.