Evaluation of Digipack, Advert and Music Video

Digipak Evaluation:

Here is my completed digipak.


























Firstly, the way in which real media products use conventions are through the use of having the band / artist on the cover of the digipak as this lets the audience know who the singer is before they have to read anything.
I believe that my media digipack challenges conventions of real media products rather than developing current trends in the following ways:

As discussed above, most music digipaks feature the artists on the front cover whereas on the cover of mine, we only see the bands name. Even though this is sticking to media conventions to a certain degree, it differs because you can't get idea into who the band are people and therefore have to base your opinions on the music or overall look of the digipak. I think this works well because the viewer can't make judgements on how the band look but have to judge them on the appeal of their music, therefore people who wouldn't usually consider listening to it may just do so.

However, the ways in which my media digipak uses real media conventions is through the use of a continuous theme throughout. Most real media products tend to follow a strict pattern to reinforce to point of what the digipak represents or to follow the theme of the music. At each section of my digipak the theme has always been the same. The theme was to show the relationship between the music video and the digipak itself. I had achieved this by having images that reflected street culture, either by having images of CCTV cameras or by having images that are associated with street culture such as street lights.

The effectiveness of the combination of my main product and ancillary texts are that they support each other. In my ancillary texts I have shown my different thought processes and looked at what I thought would look good as a digipak and also what current real media products are available.

The feedback I got from my digipak was mostly positive. Here is what one person had to say:

"The back round colour makes the title and the image the primary object in the CD cover directing your attention to these objects. The colour contrast of black and orange works well with the white title. It doesn't clash. The sketched style of the title makes it look more rugged and people will be more drawn to this as it looks like someone has personally hand drawn it."

I have learned from this feedback that as a whole my digipak works well and fits nicely with the genre of the music.

I used media technologies in the different stages of developing my digipak as this would allow me to see different concepts and what would look good when complete. In the construction stage of my digipak, I created flat plans to show the ways in which my digipak could turn out and to see what would look the best. The different media technologies I used at this stage would be by exploring compositions and how things would look in different positions by using techniques such as rule of thirds. This allowed me to discover how the layout of the digipak could influence the images I wanted to choose. At the research stage of my project, I looked at existing digipaks that were aimed at the same target audience to the band I had chosen. This gave me an in site into what was popular within the genre and what aspects of the digipak would work well. The only media technology I used at this stage was my analysing skills. This was still an important thing to do as it showed me how to put together a good digipak and also the different layers involved in designing the digipak such as font style, colours used, images and composition. At the planning stage of my project I had to decide what images to use and also what font would go well with certain images. After exploring various different layouts, I finally decided on what I would use for my front cover. For the front cover of the digipak, my reason for choosing this image was because I thought the layout worked well in terms of positive representation of the artist, as well as the simplicity of the photography and layout. Hard-Fi falls into the rock/pop genre so by taking inspiration from this image I am keeping with conventions of the genre. For the inside panel, using the image of a CCTV camera lens not only kept within the theme of the music but also allowed the audience to connect with the product as they felt like they were being watched. Just like the persona in the music video. For the back cover, this is where I put the media technology, rule of thirds, into practise. I think this composition works well because it allows the audience to clearly see the main image and also the text is easily readable.

Advert Evaluation:

The ways in which my advert challenges the conventions of real media products is through the use of the media techniques I have learned. The layout I have used differs from those real media products that are aimed at the same genre of music. Most adverts follow a set pattern either by having the main image on one side of the advert, and the text to another or by having the text separate from that of the imagery. However my advert incorporates the text with the image as I felt this made the whole advert flow better. Another reason how I think my advert differs from the conventions of real media products is that the composition is unique. The font used in my advert doesn't have a distinct pattern and therefore will stand out from it's competitors.

However, there are some areas of my advert that use conventions of real media products. An example of this is by having the digipak front cover in my advert to show what the advert is for. I got the inspiration for this idea from the Katy Perry advert I analysed. I thought this would be a good idea to re-create in my advert as it clearly shows the viewer what is being promoted. Furthermore, another way in which my media product uses conventions if real media products is through it's simplicity. The existing adverts that I analysed all had a very simple design but had the ability to grabs the viewers attention. This is an important quality for an advert because those that can stand out from the competition, will be the ones that the viewer will be more likely to take notice of.

I think that the combination of my completed advert and my ancillary texts are effective as they combine both my thought process into how everything would be created and how I turned those ideas into an actual advert. This shows my ability to plan things out and also realize weather or not those ideas will look good when put into practise. Whilst in the planning stages of my advert, I quickly deiced that I wanted it to be very simplistic as I found out, due to my analysis of existing adverts, that the majority of them were so and therefore would appeal to a wider audience.

The feedback I got for my advert showed that they understood the effect I was trying to put across, in respects to the simplistic feel of the advert, but also felt that it was unclear and could have been better achieved. This is what one person has to say:

"The fact that the colour scheme stays the same throughout shows good continuity and makes it seem more professional. The way that the picture is edited makes you unsure of what it is meant to portray so makes the target audience curious. The level of detail can be seen as minimal, but in this case it is refined to give just the right amount of information the poster needs, otherwise it would draw the attention away from the main imagery and text."

This feedback tells me that although my advert portrayed simplicity, it could have been more obvious in respect to the main imagery and the information displayed upon it. If I could re-design my advert, I would change the size of the main imagery as this seemed to confuse people and therefore they couldn't fully understand the advert. Even though my feedback suggests that the effect placed upon the image makes it unclear as to what it is, I felt that this was a good idea as it continued the theme from the digipak and allowed the audience to create some similarities between the two.

There were many media technologies I used at the different stages throughout making my advert. At the construction stage I created flat plans to show various ideas as to what would look good and make my advert unique from the other real media products. The media techniques I used at this stage were my ability to change the composition of designs and to see what would look the best. When I got into the research stages of my advert, I analysed two existing real media adverts to see what aspects made a good advert and also the different techniques used. The media techniques that came apparent were things such as rule of thirds. The main reason for observing the rule of thirds is to discourage placement of the image at the centre, or prevent a horizon from appearing to divide the image in half. This would allow me to see what compositions look the best and where certain images would look better off. Like at the planning stage for my digipak, I had to decide on which images to use and also what text to use to complement that image. My reasons for choosing the font type is that I used the same font on the digipak and therefore to keep a continuous theme, I used it on my advert to show this.


Music Video Evaluation:

I believe that my music video challenges conventions of real media products as most music videos within the same genre tend to feature alot of people. Whereas my music video only has one main character. This allows the audience to connect more with the persona in the video as they feel they can understand what is going on alot more than if there were alot of other characters. I also think that this makes the audience more aware of the story line as is only one character to focus on. Another reason how my music video challenges conventions of real media products is that it is shot in back and white. This is very unique because most of the music videos within the same genre tend to use a wide range of colours. I think this makes the video more gritty and realistic to watch. It also helps to capture the vibe of the music lyrics and therefore the audience will get a more indepth perseption behind the story line.

However, my music video does use some conventions of real media products in the way that the story line plays out the lyrics to the song. I believe that there is a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visuals within the music video, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics. My music video follows this convention as the story narrative consists of a day in the life of the persona in the music video, and the events that unfold before him.

Another aspect of my music video that uses conventions of real media products is due to the way in which my music video was shot. Like alot of real music videos within the same genre, the overall look that is trying to be achieved is one that is gritty and one that represents the streets as quite dull and lifeless. This is a common trate in these music videos because it represents the tone of the music within the genre well. The reason why is it used in my video is because it has proven to be a popular feature as the audience may feel that they can relate to that way of life.

I think that the combination of my music video and my ancillary texts are effective as they show the step-by-step process I had when designing the music video. It shows my ability to analyse existing real meida products and then to interpret those ideas and techniques into my own. It also shows the different ideas I had when desiding on what shots to use and also how they should be shot. My ancillary texts were very important in the design stages of my video as they allowed me to see weather the story line would run fluently and how long each shot would have to be.

The media techniques I have learnt in Media would prove useful in my music video as it gave my the chance to put them into practise. Here are a few examples of the different techniques I used:

The shot technique used here would be a close-up shot of the persona in the music video. This allows the audience to clearly see the expressions on his face which also gives them an idea as to how he is feeling at that exact moment. This type of shot is very popular in music videos as usually shows the audience who the main characters are. Also a filming technique that is used towards the end of this shot is pull focus. This is where you have two objects at different distances from the camera and as one comes of of focus, the other comes into focus. This is used to highlight the pace at which the persona is moving as he appears to have seen somehthing.

This shot shows the 'rule of thirds' shot being used. As you can see the use of the pillar to the left of the shot creates a good compostion and allows the audience to be drawn into what the persona is doing.

There have been many skills that I have gained throughout doing this task as it has allowed me to experiment with different shot techniques and to test my creativity when in the design stage of the task. I have also learnt how to set up a camera e.g by setting the white balence for indoor or outdoor footage, how to use the focus, how to adjust the shutter speed, apertureand video gain. All these things have allowed me to create the best shot posssible.

The different filming techniques I have learned have also contributed to the overall knowledge and to the skills that I aquired. These techniques include such things as depth of field. This is the portion of the shot that appears acceptably sharp in the image. This is used to emphasize the subject while de-emphasizing the fore ground or back round. Another technique I have learned is focal range. This is where you have one subject that is in focus and everything else in the shot is out of focus, then you switch this around so the subject will be out of focus and everything else in the shot will appear in focus. This is used to highlight two different things within the same shot that might be of importance within a video.

DVD Digipack

Our task is to design a CD/DVD which will feature the song we have chosen and the video we have created to go along with it. The cover will be produced using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Indesign, and we can only use our own photographs/images.

'Digipacks are a type of CD packaging made out of card stock or other heavy paper/cardboard material. Digipacks can flip open like a book, or it can have three parts, so that one portion of the packaging opens to the right and one to the left, with the CD in the center portion. Usually, the portion of the digipack that hold the CD is made of plastic like a traditional jewel case CD - the plastic part is simply attached to the paper background.'
(http://musicians.about.com/od/ah/g/digipacksleeve.htm)

Other items that could go along with the digipack are promo packs. A promo pack is used for booking shows, looking for record deals and publishing deals and for gaining radio and television airtime. This links very well with the digipack as it gives information about the band and allows people to know where they can see the band. This is a good way of marketing as it can be seen by a wide range of fans and therefore the more people who hear about the band, the more likely they are to be successful.

I will now analyse two existing Digipacks from a band, here is the cover of the first digipack I will be looking at:


This is the CD cover for The Killers (released in 2006) called Sam's Town. On the cover we can see things that are associated with the country America. For example, to the right of the cover we see a women wearing a sashe which is what contestants get if they win a beauty pageants . Of course this is something that is closely related to the American culture.

Another element of American culture that we see on the cover is the goat. This symbolizes a group of people called 'hillbillies'. Hillbilly is a term referring to people who live in rural, mountainous areas of America. The term is used in celebration of their culture by mountain people themselves. The use of this image combined with the women wearing the sache creates a strong image of all things related to America.

The trailer used to create a back drop for the cover also gives a sense of American culture as this image represents 'trailer trash'. This is a derogatory term for poor white people. This goes hand in hand with the representation of the goat (hillbilly) as both these life styles are stereotypically seen as being a negative way of living.

All these images are used due to the title of the CD (Sam's Town). This title ref errs to an illustration called Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam is the national personification of America. This persona of uncle Sam fits perfectly with the chosen images as they all create a sense of culture.


Here is the back of the digipack:

Like the CD cover, this image is shot with the same back round to keep a running theme throughout. The band member on the left is wearing a sashe similar to that of the women on the cover. This again ties in with the American culture theme.

Also, it is important that the digipack shows a picture of the band so that it is easily recognizable and so that people know who the band are.

The black and white colour scheme that is continued throughout creates a retro feel to the digipack.


The facial expressions on each of the band members faces suggests that the music on the album maybe quite serious due to the fact that none of them are smiling.



This is another digipack cover for the band The Killers.

This is The Killers 3rd album called Day and Age. This cover has a mosaic look to it. It creates the impression of a relaxed vibe with the use of the big full moon and the tropical landscape. Maybe this reflects the vibe of the music on this album?

The title of this album 'Day and Age' also depicts and peaceful and tranquil image, which co-insides with the artwork on the cover.

It doesn't matter that we cannot see the band members on the front cover, as this would take away from the overall look of the cover, and the vibe it is trying to create. Just having the band name and album name allows us to focus on the image rather than anything else. However, it is still clear that this album is by The Killers.

The colours used on this album cover are very calming (with the use of purples and blues) which adds to the effect of a tranquil setting. It almost as if this album cover creates escapism for the listener.


For the back of this digipack, it's relatively the same as the front in respect to the back round image. We still see the tropical setting and night sky. There is not a lot going on in this image which could suggest a peaceful vibe. This helps to keep the viewers eyes attracted to the songs on the album, rather than the images used on the back of the digipack itself.

This back cover has a simplistic design because there is important information placed on it and therefore the viewer needs to know what everything says and by having just the back round image, this is very clear.




Flat plans:

For our music video, we had to create flat plans showing what our digipack would look like when completed. It also showed the different design ideas we had during this process. Flat plans are crucial when developing ideas as it clearly shows the thought process you had when designing the digipack, and also what images would work well together. Here is my first flat plan design:

I used the CCTV camera design as a continuous theme as it made the music digipack easily recognizable, even though it's a simple design.

For the front of the digipack i used a picture of a street with a CCTV camera on it. This again follows the theme but also relates to the music video as well.

On the inside panel where the CD will be placed, I designed a CCTV camera silhouette which relays a mysterious element to the overall feel of the digipack.

For the other inside panel, I was going to use an image of the band. However, I soon realized that this couldn't be done as the brief states you have to use images that you have taken yourself. So instead of using pictures of the band, I would have to come up with another idea.

For the back of the digipack, I used a picture of a brick wall as this again relates to the idea of being on the street and it therefore it gives people an understanding of what the music might be about. However, I will not leave the image of the brick wall as it is, I will add an effect to it (such as putting it in black and white) so it won't be as harsh and strong to look at.



For this flat plan, instead of using images that will relate to the theme of the song, i went for images that reflect the band. For the back of the digipack I used the image of abandoned band instruments (microphone, guitar, guitar amps and a drum kit) as I thought this created a powerful image and although its not clear as to the genre of the music, the bands name will be on the front so people will still know who the band are and therefore what type of music it will be.

For the inside of the digipack, I used an image of a CCTV camera as though you were looking straight into it. This is a bold image as gives the impression that you are being watched, just like a real CCTV camera might watch you when on the streets.

On the front cover, I thought it would be a good idea to use images of the band members as this type of front cover is very common and well known. Again I couldn't achieve this, as the brief clearly states I had to use my own images and therefore I had to use another idea. Although I could not use this idea, I could have done something similar by having the persona in the music video appear on the front cover.

I kept the inside page, where the CD would go, relatively simple by just having the name of the band along the top and the song title along the bottom.

I wanted to keep this flat plan design quite simple because using too many images and having too many things going on can distract you from what the digipack is about.

However, for the front of the digipack, i couldn't use the image of the band. Although we weren't allowed to use images from external sources (such as the Internet) I would use images from the persona in our music video to represent the band.



For my final flat plan design I incorporated some elements from my other designs as I felt they were very strong ideas and that they would look good when completed.

I still kept the idea of using the CCTV camera lens for the inside panel because I felt it was one of my better ideas and therefore look more appealing then anything else. Again, for the front of this digipack I used a similar idea to my first flat plan by having a picture of a suburban street as this clearly represents to music video by showing that the music has a rough edge to it.

For the back round of the section where the CD will be place, I used an 'establishing shot' styled image of what appears to be a city. This again depicts the mysterious feel to the music video as it's not clear as to what is going on in the picture. Also included on this section is the bands name down the left hand side and the album title down the other. I did this just to show what the CD included and also to alliterate further who the band are.
For the back of this flat plan I had the idea of using an image that looked similar the front cover as I felt this rounded of the digipack nicely. Even though this image isn't an exact replica of the image on the front, I think that it gives a good contrast of colours and is easy to see how to two covers are related.


Final Digipack Design:

To make the digipack I had to create it in Adobe InDesign. But before I did this I had to take pictures and upload them into PhotoShop so that they could be edited and improved. Below shows my digipack taking shape at each stage of the process:

Furthermore, the fonts I used for the making of my digipack were from the website dafont.com. This website contains a wide range of font styles and enabled me to pick a font that best suited the theme of the music, and also what looked the best.



Front of Digipack:

This is the picture that I have chosen for the front cover of my digipack. I then edited this image using Adobe PhotoShop to make it look more appealing.

My reasons for choosing this image would be due to it's simplicity. Some digipack covers can have too many things going on at once and confuse the viewer, however the image I have chosen has one bold element to it to show that it's the main focus.







After picking the image I wanted for the front of my digipack, I then edited the image using Photoshop. The effect I used is called 'cutout'. This effect makes the brighter colours in the image stand out by allowing them to run creating a more dynamic picture.

I decided to use this effect because I felt it added to the sense of mystery and fits the vibe of the music very well. Even though the picture I chose only had one main focus, it's still a very striking image and clear as to what it is. However, the font type I will have to choose will be a vital aspect in making this front cover more appealing as their is hardly any imagery to distract the viewer.



This is my finished front cover design. My reason for choosing this particular font is that I needed something that would stand out and be eye-catching. I felt that by having just a standard font style would be too plain and not look very appealing. This font (along with the other fonts used on the digipack) is from the website dafont.com.

I chose to have 'Stars of CCTV' written in a different font as I wanted there to be some variety in the cover. I felt that if the two fonts matched, it would have been too similar and therefore boring to look at. As I described early, the font style was a very important aspect of the cover because there isn't much going on so by having a font that looked unique and tied in well with the overall theme was crucial. My reason for having a black back round was that I felt it was a good contrast to the orange and that it allowed the title and the image to be the main focus as it directed for attention to these objects.


Inside panels of digipack:

For the Inside panel I used a picture of a lens from what looks like a CCTV camera. This gives the impression that the camera is looking directly at you and that you are being watched, just like the person in the music video. My reasons for choosing this image would be that I felt it created a bridge between the viewer and the persona in the music video as you could related to what he was experiencing.






However, to make this image really stand out I edited it by making it brighter. Even though it is only a suttle difference between the finished image and the original, I think that it grabs the attention of the viewer more so.

I left the colour scheme the same (greys and blacks) because the rest of my digipack uses darker colours, apart from the splashes of orange on the front cover and on the back as this shows they are the most important pieces of the whole digipack.







For the inside panel where the CD will be placed, I used an image of whats looks like outskirts of a city. I created this look by adding the same effect that I gave the front cover (cutout) as I thought make the digipack flow better by creating similarities between each section of it. I also adding the effect of making it black and white. I did this because allong with the music video which will be shot in black and white, it creates a good resembilance between the two. I think this picture fits the theme well because like the front and back cover, you can see one particular part of the image that stands out the most (the lights which look like they are glowing).




This is what it looked liked completed. I think the use of the font style and the composition of the text sets off the main imagery well by allowing it to be clearly visible. The impact that the image has on the viewer is one that keeps you guessing as to what is going on. Due to the colour and effect on the image, it almost gives the impression of just being splashes of colour, but when if you look closely you can tell what the image really is.






Back Cover of Digipack:


Like the front cover, I used a similar shot in the sense that there is one main image that stands out (the street light) as I thought this was very fitting towards the theme of the music video. Another reason why I picked this image was because I felt it was almost a reversal of the image on the front cover. This then made the image more appealing because it felt like it made the digipack complete in the sense that it flowed together. I tried to encorporate some media shot techniques into my digipack and in this part of it, I used 'rule of thirds'. We can see that the street light is positioned in the final third of the shot allowing for that part of the image to stand out. However to make the picture bolder and blend in to the rest of the digipack even more, I will add the same effect to it as I did for the front cover and the other inside panel.


Here is the finished back cover. We can see that there is a continuous theme throughtout the digipack as most of the imagery used has the effect to it. There is also a continuous theme due to the same font style being used. My reasons for using the same font style on different parts of the digipack were that it creates some consistantcy to be seen throughout. The writing on this back cover is a cruical part because it informs the reader about what will be featured on the digipack itselfand also any special features that might be included. It must also contain the bands record label due to copyright reasons.






Advert:

Once I had completed the digipack, I had to design an advert to promote it. This would also be done using Adobe InDesign as it would enable me to create an advert that was original and one that was relevant to the digipack itself. However before making the advert, I had to analyse two other adverts from existing bands / performers to identify the key features of them and to see what would make my advert different it's competitors. Here is the first advert I looked at:

This is an advert for the band Kings of Leon. The first thing the eye is drawn to is the large image of what appears to be parts of the band members faces, along with the face of an eagle. It's a very strange image because you don't know which part of it to look at due to the breaking up of the different sections and therefore it is very eye catching. The image in this advert gives the impression of seriousness due to the facial expressions of the band members. This could have been done to represent to tone of their music. This advert represents the chosen genre well (rock) due to the small range of colours used. These colours fit the genre well because there is a mixture of pale and dark tones which along with the image itself, represent to vibe of the music well. Another reason how this advert represents the genre is through the font style used. The font is very simple and gets the point across clearly, there is no fussing around with fancy and comlpex writing styles. This in itself is symbolic of the chosen genre. Furthermore, the title of the album is written in a different, but still simple font style, to allow it to stand out and so that people know what the advert is for. I think this advert attracts its target auidence by having the image as it's main focus. The image is quite powerful as it looks like the different faces are starring directly at you.


talk about: how it represents the genre, how it attracts the target auidence and what the image suggests.


For my second advert, I desided to look outside of the chosen genre and see if I could use any techniques from other areas of music. This advert is for Katy Perry's album called 'One of the Boys'. This is totally different from the previous advert I analysed in respects to the colours used. This advert is very bright due to the wide range of colours used and would appeal to its chosen target audience (pop) because of this. It is easy to tell that this advert is to promote the specific album (One of the Boys) because it uses the same theme. This allows the audience to clearly recognize the album and therefore what the advert is about. Also, by stating what is included on the album and weather songs within this statement are big hits(in this case; "includes the #1 smash hit I kissed a girl"), this will entise the audience to by it as the songs on the album are very popular. This advert represents the genre well by use of bold colours. This is very stereotypical of the genre and therefore by doing this, allows the advert to be easily recognizable. The image suggests that the music on the album is likely to be up beat and quite fun because everything within the image gives the impression of happiness. This has been created by having bright blue sky, the performer being stood in front of a swimming pool and also by the clothes she is wearing. All these things contribute to the feel of the music. Furthermore, by having all of the information to the right hand side of the advert, this allows the main imagery to be seen clearly and also for the information to be seen clearly. This also makes the advert look neat and well put together. I think that the use of the vibrant colour scheme helps to attract it's target audience because not only does it reflect the music, but it could also represent how people might feel when they listen to the music.

Advert Flat Plan designs:

For my first flat plan design I wanted to create a simplistic advert so that the information dispayed on it would be clear and easy to read. One way I achieved this was by having only one main image as the back round. I also incorporated the digipack cover onto my advert, to show what the advert was for and so it was clear what the product is. Like the two adverts I analysed, I used slogans which would give an insight as to how the media portray this band (Hard-Fi). For these slogans, I used the magazines from the target market as this is more appropriate and appealing to the auidence. The font style I will use will be the same as the one from the front cover of the digipack just to create more consistancy.



For my second design, I wanted to use the iconic image of the CCTV camera as my main focus as this plays an important part in the music video I have created. I placed the two CCTV camera images in the chosen positions because I felt it was a good composition as your eyes are drawn to what is in between them, therefore the first thing you notice will be the band name and what they are promoting. Like my previous flat plan, I have encorporated the digipack cover into this design because I found out it was a very popular thing to do and therefore is likely to be more successful.



For my final flat plan design, I wanted to create a cascading effect in the way that the writing fell across the page. This we the main focus for this design and for that reason most of the attention to detail will be with the font style, colour of writing and font size. Even though this design doesn't have any imagery, it's still eye catching due to it's simplicity. My reasons behind this design were that most of the adverts I have looked at have very simple designs but end up being the most eye-catching and therefore you are more likely to take notice of it.

This is the image I will use for my advert .My reason for choosing this would be that it fits well with the overall theme of the music and that it has good elements to it. For example, in the fore ground there is a strong image of the light (right hand side), and in the back round the strip of the town creates a nice contrast to this. Another reason why I think this image would work well for my advert is that it's easy to make the link between this and the other images used on my digipack.

Completed Advert:

This is my completed advert to promote the digipack. Looking at both the previous adverts, I feel I have created an avert that represenst my chosen genre well and that it is easy to identify why genre it is aimed at.

Following the theme continued on my digipack, I gave the main imagery on the advert the same effect (cutout) to show a link between the two. I also kept the font styles for the same reason. Some insperation I got from the looking at other existing adverts was to include the cover of my digipack people would then know what the advert was for. It also shows a good comparison between the two.

Planning our music video

Our task was to choose a song that didn't have a music video to it as we would be the ones to make the video. This proved a difficult task as most of the songs we liked already had a music video to accompany it. After searching through a wide range of songs, the one we picked was called 'CCTV' by Hard-fi. We were skeptical as to weather this would be the right song because Hard-fi are quite well known and the chances of this song not having a music video looked slim. However, looking on youtube we found no video for the song. Our reasons for choosing this band/ song would be that they are a well known band and that we have all heard this particular song before. Therefore we already know a little bit about the song and will be able to interpret what we think it describes, rather than picking a song what we know nothing about.

The target audience for this band are generally people who are fans of american rock music, usually aged 20+. I came to this conclusion as Hard-fi have appeared in such magazines as; NME, Mojo, Kerrang and Rollingstone. These magazines are aimed at these types of people and therefore shows that the band Hard-fi are also aimed at older generation.


These are the lyrics to the song:

And every move that I make
Gets recorded to tape
So somebody up there
Can keep me safe

I'm going out tonight
I've got my hair just right - At this stage the persona in our music video will be getting ready, (doing his hair in the mirror) to show that he is getting ready to go out.
I'm always looking good
For the spotlight

Stick 'em up
Give me the money
A winning smile
Up to the gallery
I'm gonna get my face on the 6 'o' clock news - For this part of the music video, we will shoot a 'news flash' scene to represent that criminal activity is in place.

We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?

On every corner, every street
Down every underpass you'll see
Somebody's stealing the show
Somebody looking like me

I'll see you out tonight
Just got the pose just right
We're always looking good
For the spotlight

We turn it on
And so we're full of speed - At this part of the video, there will be drug taking to show the persona getting ready to have a night out.
We fill the screen
Can't help but notice me
I'm gonna get my face on the 6 'o' clock news

We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
Flashing blue lights, camera, action
Watching my life, main attraction
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?

We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
Flashing blue lights, camera, action
Watching my life, main attraction
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?


We also had to create a presentation about our chosen band. Here is the link:

(https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2jEyiO_iJPoZjNmNmJlYjMtMWY1ZC00MTUxLWEzZWQtNWE5YmY3OGIyMjcy&hl=en)

To get a good idea about Hard-fi, we looked at other music videos that the band stared in. The one I came across was called 'Can't get Along without You', This video consists of one member of the band running in chase sequence away from a police officer as a result of getting drunk and then having a fight with another man. Shortly after getting chased by the police officer, the man that was in the fight with him jumps over a wall and takes down the police officer seeking revenge on the band member. There is a low angle shot used here to demonstrate how powerful the man who took down the police officer is. This video starts off with a close up/ low camera shot used to show the band member waking up in a police vehicle, there is also an extreme close up used to show the band members face as he lays on the floor. The editing used in this video allows flash backs to be seen to show how the band member gets in this situation. As the video progresses, there are fast cuts used between how he ended up in the vehicle and him running away (past and present). Half way through the video, a wide shot is used as we see the band member run into an abandoned house where we see another member of the band playing the drums. We only see the drummer for a few seconds as it keeps the fast pace associated with the chase. However, it's still enough time to recognise that he is from the band. Towards the end of the video we see the chase progress towards an abandoned warehouse. After running through the warehouse the band member is picked up by a woman in a car to make a swift get away. For this piece of the video we see a wide/ medium shot to show that the car plays a vital part in this sequence. Although this video contains physical violence, our video will contain similar elements of criminal behaviour such as drug taking. We did this to create a running theme between the original Hard-fi video's and our music video.
Here is the video for 'Cant get Along without you'
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoNdgxPzSfc)

This video is totally different to the previous one (Can't get along without you). The first shot used is a mid shot to show a person laying on the floor with drink in his hand. From this shot, the camera tracks from left to right showing peoples legs until we reach a particular person. This shot could have been achieved by mounting the camera on a cart which travels along tracks. Then the camera pans from the floor to his mid section. The way this is achieved shows this this person is from the band. We then see a wide shot to show what the person is waiting for, which turns out to be a cash machine. Furthermore, an over-the-shoulder shot is used to show the persona looking into the screen on the cash machine, which shows his reflection looking back. This is an unusual shot type to use as it is usually used when two people are talking to each other. At 0:32 the rule of thirds concept is put into play when we see him walking away. The 1/3 of the shot is in the shadow so it helps draw focus to the person rather than the cash machine. The lighting used always helps to keep the eye concentrated on the person. More panning shots are used to go back to the cash machine. This shows that although its an object, it plays a vital role in this video. Once we regain focus on the cash machine, a zoom shot is used as this creates the illusion of being pulled into the machine. After this shot is used, a crossing the line (reverse shot) is created to show what we can see from the other side in respect to the camera. This then shows the other band members who are in the machine, handing out the money as if they work within it. The cinematography used at this point shows the band members wearing mining-type uniforms which represent how dirty and hard work it is in there. The camera then tracks out from the cash machine to the main band member. Here we see how the focal length affects the depth of field in this scene. When the band member walks down the street, everything around him is out of focus (such as the building on the right and members of the public on the left) with creates attention to him and what he is doing.

At 1:26 the main band member is pressed against a glass window. The clip then switches to the one of the band members who is in the machine, who also has his faced pressed up against the steel frame of the elevator. This shot technique shows what both persona's are doing at the same particular moment in time even if they are not in the same location. An establishing shot is used to show the location of where the band members are within the cash machine, which helps to set the scene. Even more tracking shots are used to show the intensity of the work load of each band member. When the camera reaches the main band member, a high angle/close up is used to show his face. After we see this close up, the depth of field changes so he is now longer in focus but the picture which was in the backround, is now the main piece of the shot. This picture could suggest who he is working for.

Here is the video clip for 'Cash Machine':
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ye43mKIcy8&feature=related)

Mise - en- scene:

The mise en scene includes everything within the scene. This includes props, costume / make up, setting and colour. We will have to apply these elements in our music video. I think that our music video will look good if it's shot at night time as it will add to the suspicious vibe of our video. However looking at the previous hard-fi video's, none of them have been shot in darkness so this will add a new twist to the rest of their music video's. Also, we are going to incorporate shots that look like they are being filmed from CCTV cameras into our video as this is a key theme running throughout.

The costumes that will be in our music video will mainly be urban clothing such as hoddies, jeans, plain t-shirt etc. We decided to use urban clothing as it relates to the music and fits well with the stereotyped image of someone who appears to be running away as a result of doing something bad.








The setting we are going to use will be a normal urban area as this will again fit with music well. The use of inner city streets is a perfect location for this music video as we will be filming a chase sequence. This will create a dark and tense atmosphere and will represent who the persona in the music video is feeling.

Part of our video will be shot in standard colour, but for the shots that are meant to look from the perspective of a CCTV camera, these parts will be shot in black and white as this will create a realistic feel to the video. The coloured parts of our video will also be used for the flash back parts as this will give a good contrast to the black and white.

The props used in the video will be fake drugs as there is a reference to drugs within the lyrics. ("And so we're full of speed"). We will be using sugar for this prop. We will also be using a car (head-lights) for a particular scene where the persona in the music video falls over in the middle of the road.

The location of our music video will be in areas of Lewes as we know this location very well and therefore we will know where certain parts of our music video will look good being shot. Another reason we chose to shoot our video in Lewes was because it was a sub-urban area which suited to vibe of the music well.



Story Board:

Before making the music video, I had to draw up a story board showing what each shot would include and what the shot technique would be. This is a vital part when planning a music video as it allows you to see how the video would look at each step and weather or not each scene would flow together creating a good video.

The main idea of this music video is a chase sequence. The persona in the music video seems very on edge whilst he is trying to run away from something or someone, although it is not clear until the end of the video why he is running.

Following the name of the song "Stars of CCTV" I incorporated scenes which looked as though they are being shot by an actual CCTV camera, as this fits the chase aspect of the video. The persona will be running through streets and back alleys so having scenes which look like shots from CCTV cameras also create a vibe that he is in some sort of trouble.

The opening shot used is one from a CCTV camera's perspective which already gives the impression that its watching someone or that something might happen.

At this stage of the story board, we can see the introduction of flash back scenes as to how the persona in the video got into the situation that he faces. To make sure that everyone knows where the flash back starts and finishes, there will be short sections in the music video where the screen will go black and say "earlier that day" just like you see in TV dramas. Without this feature the video would confuse the viewers and therefore it would not make sense.

The shots used in this section of the story board are a continuation of the flash back sequence in which the persona in the music video is just leaving the building (shot 1) and begins to run from something (shot 4). The introduction of the 'news reader' scene is very unique and lets the viewer know that the persona is causing trouble and being rebellious. It is clear that the persona in the video is the person being talked about in the news reader section because in the top right-hand corner of the shot, we can see him up to know good. The following shot used is a mid-shot of the persona's lower half which lets the viewer know that the chase sequence has begun.

To conclude, this section of the story board shows that the main idea for the music video (chase sequence) has just started and the suspense surrounding this is building up.

In this section we see another flash back which reveals more information as to why the persona is running, and maybe an insight into what from. We see the persona getting ready to go out. We incorporated 'CCTV' camera style shot in shot 5 in this part of the story board to reinforce the fact that this was the main idea behind the music video. It also gives the impression that he is even being watched form inside his own house.

The last shot used in this section of the story board is an important one because it gives the viewer a good indicator about the plot to the whole music video, even though they may have not realized it.

















The chase sequence get even more intense at this part of the story board as it is shown at a faster pace. In the second shot there is a close up of the persona's face and there appears to be something not quite right. This shot should correspond the previous shot of the drugs and therefore show that he has taken them. The use of the mid/ low angle shot in shot 4 helps to set the scene and let the viewer know is going on, and where it is happening. Again there is a close up used for the side of the persona's face in shot 6 to again show that the drugs are taking control and that something major is about to happen.

In addition, this part of the story board is supposed to an even better understanding as to what is happening and to what is going on with the persona.

In this final section of the story board, the twist is revealed as we see and understand the events unfold. We see that there is wide shot used to show the persona jumping over the bonnet of a car. Following this shot is a close up of his face showing his facial expressions (thats he's just regained consiousness). The last shot in the story board reveals that the whole chase sequence was just an hallucination due to the drugs the persona had taken.

Animatic Evaluation:

Before making the video, we had to create an animatic to show the shot we would include in the final video and also to show how it could look when finished. An animatic is essentially a series of illustrations or images displayed in a sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture.

My animatic shows what my finished video should look like and also how well the shots work together. This is a cruical stage in the process of developing my music video as I would be a clear a indicator as to how my music video would look when finished.

I think that my animatic and ancillary texts are effective as they both show what the final video should look like and also how storyboard will look once uploaded onto a computer. This allowed me to see what shots flowed well with each other and also what shot techniques would be achievable. The animatic is very important because it showed me how the story board looks in motion and therefore I could get a better understanding and idea about how it could tyrn out. It also gives you a better knowledge about the timing of each shot as you need to make sure it follows the correct lines of the song lyrics and also that it finishes when the song finishes.

A benfit from having an animatic is that it allows me to work out camera positioning, shot list and timing issues that may exist within the current story board.