Music Video Draft

Digipack Draft

Website Draft

http://hazelsadler96.wix.com/daughter-the-artist

Audience Feed Back on Digipack and Music Video

I showed 10 people that fit into my target audience the draft of the digipack and asked them what they thought of it. These are the likes and dislikes they came up with as a group.

Likes:
-Consistant colours
-Bright colours, like the orange in the fire
-Helpful lyric pages
-Signed picture
-4 page booklet

Dislikes:
-Repeated images
-No information about the artist
-No information about record labels
-No price or barcode

I also asked them to watch the music video, and asked them if they felt the digipack was linked enough to the music video as well as general feedback on the music video.
The group decided that there was a strong link between the images on the digipack and the footage in the music video. They then went on to say that they liked the music video, especially the dance scenes around the fire, but that some shots were not as good quality. However a majority of them didn't notice the continuity mistakes that I could see, which helped me realise that they were not obvious. They also said they'd like to see the name of the artist and song at the beginning for a bit longer, so i'm going to extend that clip.

Digipack process

Here is the first two inside pages to the 4 page booklet, which sits inside the cd case.

The first to pages are lyrics pages of songs from the album. I have put the lyrics to the song I used for the music video on the right, as the audiences eye will automatically fall on the right hand page of the film. The purpose of the lyric pages, is to get the audience involved in the digipack, and make them want to watch the music video.

Digipack process

Here is the final two pages of the 4 page booklet, which is one large photo of the two actors in my music video, as well as a 'thankyou' note to the fans and record companys! In this section, I have also made a reference to the music video, to fully link it in with the music video.

I have made it on the side to allow them to use it as a poster, with the artists signatures to encourage the audience to buy it!

4 page booklet- Digipack

Here is the front and back of the 4 page booklet, I have used the same image on the front page as I have  on the slot section of the digipack case so there the digipack will look the same, with or without the 4 page booklet inside of it. I have used just plain images for the front and back, with filters and colour adjustments, so the audience can have images of the artist to look at.

I used different filters and images for the front and back to enable to audience to easily identify which is the front and pack. I used the filter on the back page image to represent the singers connection with the earth and to highlight the difference between the singer and the dancer, as the singer blends in with the natural surrounding, and the dancers blends in with the night.

4 Page booklet- Digipack

Here is the lyric page of the 4 page booklet. I have put the lyrics for the song 'Human' in it as that is the song I did my music video for. I got the lyrics to go around the two girls as they are the main feature of the music video. I used white words on a black background to highlight the main concept of the music video; the light and dark in everyone.

Digipack process

So far I have edited the images for the digipack and layered the album name, artist name and list of songs over the top of the images. I tried my hardest to find a font that matches the font I used for the beginning of the music video.

This is the first draft of the digipack. I still need to add the other detail, like the barcode, record label etc.  I am happy with how it looks at the moment, but it is only a first draft and there is much more to be done! I have also started working on the 4 page booklet that will sit in the pocket on the inside left panel. When I have completed the 4 page booklet, I will ask my target audience to give their opinions on the digipack.

Audience feedback

I asked 15 people that matched my target audience which website Design they preferred.

Design A:

Design B:

   

When I asked them which design and layout they preferred, 4 said they preferred Design A and 11 said they preferred Design B. I therefore decided that I would use Design B for the layout of the website as my target audience clearly prefer this format for the website.

Then asked the 11 people that picked Design B why they preferred this format and disliked Design A. Most of them said that Design be was more interesting and liked how the 'music video was the key feature' of the website. They also said that Design A was a bit simplistic and 'boring'. I agree with these reasons but also feel that design B is easier to navigate than Design A, and there are more elements of Design B that I can edit to make it personal to my artist than in Design A.

Website design

Here is the home page of the website for my artist:

This is just one possible layout for the website. I like this one because it has the same simplistic design as Daughters actual website, but has more content and an easier layout to navigate around. The important information, like the artists name, music video and place to buy the album are all clear and in a large font to draw the readers attention to them.

This is the another possible layout for the website. Again the artists name is in a large font, and the readers eye is automatically drawn to the large image of the artist, which is taken from the music video and digipack- linking all the products together. This website design is more similar to Daughters actual website, however it is slightly more easy to navigate around and there is more of a direct link to the other products.

Ancillary Text

I've started working on my digipack, using Photoshop. I've started editing the individual photo's for the front and back, and will soon start on the inside and 4 page booklet that will sit inside. Once I have a draft of the digipack I will ask my target audience to say what they like and don't like about it. The process is going well at the moment and I should have a first draft finished by the 15th December so I can get some audience feedback.

Music Video- Audience feedback

Now that I have done the first draft of my music video, I am going to get my target audience to watch it and say what they like and don't like about it! This way I can change and adapt the music video to suit my target audience and improve it so they will like it. Results will be posted shortly :)

Ancillary Texts

I have started making and editing my artists website using WIX. I have decided to try out two layouts and then ask my target audience to vote on which one that like most in order to make sure the website for the band is targeted at the audience correctly. I will post the results soon!

Font examples

I've been testing out different fonts and texts on Livetype for the music video title and if I can find a find a similar font for the ancillary texts, then I think I will use this one for it:

I like the idea of having whitish grey writing on a black background because my music video is very much about contrast and darkness. I have spaced the characters close together to represent the closeness of the two characters in my music video- one representing the tame side of people and the other presenting the more wild dark side of people.

Editing

My music video is pretty much finished now, all I have to do is tweak a couple of clips and add a few effects. I am now going to start working on my ancillary texts, for which I plan to do a website and a digipack. I have already been researching into real and past student ancillary texts. I have also already taken some photo's for these products while I was filming, but may have to take some more of my artist 'on tour' or with fans for the website.

Editing update

The final filming day/night went well and I have now started editing it in Final Cut Express. The only issue I had on Wednesday night is lighting as it was hard to get the right balance of lighting as it was really dark, but too much lighting was blocking out the emotion and idea behind the music video. Editing is going well so far and I will be starting work on my ancillary texts soon! I have been looking into split screen editing and colour manipulation for the music as these will be two key editing techniques I plan on using in my music video. I have done about 1 minute 20 seconds of the music video, so have about 2 minutes left to do and edit.

Preparing for Filming Day 3

As last weeks filming day was rained off, I have decided to film the final part of the music video tomorrow evening. I organised for my two dancers to arrive at the location half and hour before my main actress, so I can film the bits with just them first and then film the parts with all three afterwards. Tomorrow I will rely heavily on artificial lighting as it will be very dark in the evening. I have the costume sorted for my main actress and have asked my dancers to wear completely black. On the first filming day, I took pictures of my main actress in her outfit, so continuity shouldn't be too hard for tomorrow.

I should be able to upload the footage from tomorrow onto Final Cut Express and therefore will be able to start the 3rd phase of editing, by getting all the footage into place.

Editing

I have began to edit the footage from the second day of filming and putting it into place. So far I have added a colour tint to the footage of the dogs racing and have achieved the effect I wanted for the introductory music part, but still need to film the rest of the video. I will continue to edit the beginning of the music video, whilst I film the rest of it. I have also been looking at youtube video's of how to achieve the effects I want on Final Cut Express so when I come to edit the rest of it I can do it easily.

Past Student Ancillary Text

Again this Digipack is quite basic, but does contain all the information and conventions of digipacks. They have clearly edited the images used and the text looks fits the images. However I hope to do a bit more with my digipack and want to have more images and information on mine.

Here is the poster that goes along side the CD. There is a clear link between the digipack and the poster, for example the image and font used. The poster again contains the information needed for a poster, but it isn't particularly eye catching.

Past student Ancillary Text

I really like the editing of the images on this digipack and think the writing is really suited to the colour scheme and editing of the images. I like how some of the pages are simplistic, with very little writing, and then others contain a lot more information. However it is still very basic, and I would like to do more with my digipack. I would like to be able to reach the same level of editing as this text, but would like to have more information and images of the artist and fans.

Past Student Ancillary Text

This is a past student digipac.

I personally think they could have done more with their digipac as its very simple and contains the bare minimum. I plan to have a more complex layout, with more information and pictures of the artist and fans. They do have the name of the album, bits of lyrics, list of songs, bar code and other important information on it, but they don't have any extra information, pictures, or lyrics. I don't think it's very well edited and could have been better if more time had been put into.

I hope to spend a lot more time editing the images and putting more information on my digipac as well as using a more complex layout.

Preparation for Filming Day 2

Tomorrow  I am filming the second location and theme for the music video, which is the dog racing. I am going up to Thetford Forest to film them racing in the evening. I will need a camera and a tripod, but I won't need any props, costume or lighting, as I will only be filming dogs and no actors.

Editing

I have started the editing process for the music video, using Final Cut Express. I have downloaded the music and footage from the first filming day and have started the process of lip syncing and editing to the beat of the music! I've found the lip syncing a lot harder than expected, but have managed to make it in time with the music really well. After I have filmed the second location, I will be able to complete the introductory instrumental, and the first verse of the song.

Lesson on Ancillary Texts

Created with Padlet

Filming Day 1

I filmed the first location on Monday night, and filming went really well! I have taken pictures of my actress in her costume so I can replicate on her on the next filming day for continuity.
I am now in the process of putting the footage on to Final Cut Express and start editing it until I have filmed the other two days/locations. The other two filming days will be spread out over the next couple of weeks, so I can have it all on final cut by the end of the October half term.
I got more footage than I needed so I have plenty of choice for editing. I got all the scenes and shots I wanted plus more due to spontaneous ideas whilst filming. I had a small issue with my actress not being able to sing the starting line in time to the music, but after a lot of practice she got it pretty much perfect so now synching it with the song will be easier.
One small issue I had on Monday was lighting as it was quite dark by the time I was ready to film, but that was fixed with outside lights and the low lux feature on the camera I used.

Preparing for Filming

Today I checked all the equipment, props, costume and lighting needed for the first filming day. I checked all the features on the camera worked and that the tripod was fully functional- the only thing missing was the memory card for the camera that I will get tomorrow. I checked the costume and props to make sure that filming would be quick and efficient. I charged the camera today and have fixed any costume and lighting issues. I should be fully prepared for filming tomorrow after school.

I have downloaded the song onto my phone and have printed off the lyrics so my actress can have a hard copy to look at before filming. I have already sent her the song and lyrics so she can start learning them before hand, but a hard copy is always helpful for filming.

Past Student Work

Filming Day Schedules

Production Schedule

As my music video will contain 3 different locations, I plan to film on 3 separate days. 

1. On the first day I will film the parts of the music video that feature my main character being in a cage as she is unavailable for filming between the 18th and 28th of October. As this section is of just her, it will be easier to organise filming at an early date.
2. The second day of filming will be of the dogs and dog racing I want to use in video, this is mainly due to the main actress being away for 10 days in the middle of the filming process.  Whilst she is away I will be editing the clips and organising the third day of filming for which I need for actors and dancers. The filming of the dogs will require little organisation of characters but mainly of finding the right camera angles to use.
3. On the final day of filming, I will record the ritual- dance scenes around the fire. As this is a more complex piece of footage, it will require more time to organise it properly and therefore I have decided to do this a later date than the other two filming days. This filming day will need to be done at night/dusk, which might require extra lighting other than the natural light of the fire. This means it will have to be an extremely well organised filming day, as the will be a time limit due to the nights getting darker quicker.

Costume design:

     

                

Storyboard

Dance routine ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXwV3m6shI4

For the ritual dance routine parts of the music video, I will ask 3 or 4 dancers to choreograph and do a dance with similar movements and themes as this one. This is the kind of dancing I would ideally like for the fire scenes I have planned. The first minute of this video contains the kind of movements and feel as I would like to replicate in my music video; the dance feels very ritual like, which is the effect I am going for.

To do list for the week!

Pictures of my ideas

Here are some of the pictures of scenes I intend to use in my music video. They are just basic drawing and ideas of how parts of the music video will look. They will help me with the storyboard and set up of the scenes. Obviously these are not necessarily the scenes that will be used in the video, but more than brainstorming, allowing me to get a better idea of how everything will look and if it looks right for the video. 

Album cover poll- Results.

From the album cover poll I did, 50% of people voted for the Bastille album cover for 'BAD BLOOD':

30% of people voted of the Rihanna album cover:

10% of people voted for the Kodaline album cover:

10% of people voted for the Gabrielle Aplin album cover: 

And nobody voted for the Christina Perri album cover:

These results would suggest that most people prefer less obvious album covers, that relate back to the hit music video for the album. However as 30% of people voted for the Rihanna album cover, it could also be said that people like the close up image of an attractive female artist. I would like to combine the top two voted themes, by perhaps having a similar 'less obvious' theme, with a close up of the female actor I plan on using in my music video- therefore attracting the type of audience that voted for the Bastille album cover and the Rihanna album cover. I intend to ask my target audience to vote on which album cover they like most for ancillary text I produce. I will make several versions of the album cover for this project and then edit and decide on one by asking the target audience for the band I want to use.

Research into Ancillary texts- Results.

Here are some of charts made from my audience research into what they think is important about the ancillary texts:

As you can see most people thought that the two most important things that should be on an album cover is the artists name and the the name of the album. The third most important thing they felt should be on the album cover is a picture of the artist, closely followed by the list of the 'hit singles' on the album. As 11 people answered this survey, its clear that everyone felt that the name of the artist, and the album name was important for the album cover. I will use this information to create an album cover for this project- I plan on putting the name of the artist and the name of the album clearly in the front of the cover.

 

A majority of people said that pictures of the artist and information about tours are the most important things to go on an artists website. Latest music videos and a bio on the artist were the next 'most important' information needed on the website. 

As you can see, 80% of people agreed that there should be a relationship between the album cover and the website. 10% of people strongly agreed, and only 10% disagreed this the statement. I personally believe that a relationship between the album cover and the website is important, and plan on incorporating this into my ancillary texts.

Again a majority of people (70%) agreed that their should be a relationship between the music video and the album. However this time 20% of people disagreed with the statement, while again 10% of people strongly agreed. I think I will try to create ancillary texts that have some kind of relationship with the music video. 

As a majority of the people that answered the survey were between 16-21 (fitting into the target audience for my genre of music) it is safe to assume that this information is accurate in ensuring that the audience for my project like the ancillary texts. The favourite genre of music of the participants in the survey was a mix of Rock, Indie and RnB.

Audience research

Album Cover Poll

Which is your favourite album cover?

Bastille- Pompeii

Rihanna- Talk that Talk

Kodaline- In a Perfect World

Christina Perri- Tragedy

Gabrielle Aplin

View results

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Bastille- Pompeii0%

Rihanna- Talk that Talk0%

Kodaline- In a Perfect World0%

Christina Perri- Tragedy 0%

Gabrielle Aplin0%

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Target audience

My Chosen Song

Ancillary Texts

Kodaline Album Cover
All three of these album covers have similarities that tie them together with Kodaline's Website. Their newer album covers all have 'KODALINE' in the centre, with the name of the album or single underneath it in smaller capital letters. Whereas their older album covers have 'KODALINE' written either in the bottom corner or near the middle of the cover. This shows how their image is progressed as  time has gone on and as they have become more well-known. Each album cover has the background of a quite iconic looking picture, often edited with filters to make the image look better and more out of the ordinary.

 

The website follows a similar theme:

http://www.kodaline.com/home/

All the writing on Kodalines website is written in the same font as the album covers, and on the home page, each link to another page is one of their albums covers. There is also information on tours, music videos, lyrics and a way of purchasing the music. This means they are marketing themselves as well as informing their fans. Their ancillary products work well together and help build a strong image for the band. The music also suits the ancillary texts quite well as the images on the album work with the genre of music. I like the idea of a continuated theme or font running throughout the ancillary texts and music video and would like to use that idea in my own project.