Final Music Video

Nat's Final Digipak

Nat's Final Advert

Sanj's Final Digipak

Digipak Journey Nat

1. My idea started with the hand written signature from Gabrielle Aplin's album

2. This lead me on to looking at particular artist's image I could replicate for my cover, which resulted in me researching into Birdy

3. A black and white theme was something I decided to incorporate into my design a I came across this theme significantly when on Tumblr

4. I researched into lyric booklets and panels to see if they would look good in my design, however I used the idea of having text and tiled this across my three inside panels instead

5. The idea of femenising this digipak played to mind which is why I researched into flower patterns (I ditched this idea after creating my below average draft version)

6. The Jessie Ware album began to make me think about the graphology features of the digipak and where I was going to place everything

7. The idea of an old styled record came into mind when planning my final digipak,as the vintage aesthetic was something which played on my mind from the beginning

8. The piano was something I debated on photographing with my artist for my cover, however I believed it would be too complex for the simplistic edge I wanted

9. Originally we had one female dancer in our video, and I tried to incorporate this in the album, as our single was the major song, however this idea wouldn't have created the correct image

10. After changing from one female dancer to a male and a female, I thought due to the album being emotional filled I could try to use this image to symbolise love. Unfortunately I didn't feel in the end this was necessary

11. I grabbed inspiration for lipstick from this image, as I believed this look would work for my artist, and make her more bold.

12. I used the large back combed hair look from this photo on my artist in the photoshoot, as the pop genre usually contains either big focal points of the eyes or hair to attract the male gaze

13. From this album it inspired me into looking at experimenting with fonts to create a smart aesthetic

14. This image from tumblr inspired me to have a white thick border on my cover, as it creates a neat simple aesthetic

15. The Taylor Swift album cover gave me the idea to thicken the bottom white blocked border to have the artist name. The image used also inspired me, as it was different to normal pop photo conventions

16. The photoshoot allowed me to play around with different camera angles and artist poses to see which worked. I decided to incorporate the Taylor Swift idea, and challenge the conventions of the male gaze

17. I finalised my font to Perpetua Titling which I also happened to use in my music magazine coursework at AS. This was because of its tidy aesthetic

18. I settled on a colour scheme of orange and brown because it was different, but I decided to focus on using colour for my final design as pop albums are mainly vibrantly marketed

19. I researched into autumn leaves as I decided to change my album name to this. It also made me think of how Gabrielle Aplin used the English countryside in her 'English Rain' album

20. I then decided to look into camera angle of leaves (e.g close ups) which would be effective to pan across my three inside panels, as this still created a simple aesthetic

21. My final digipak challenged conventions and met many conventions. I found it a long process of research to come up with my final design, because in my opinion the pop genre is difficult to replicate with a limited budget as it solely revolves around 'the perfect image', because how an artist looks will sell their music

Found Footage

Draft Music Video Feedback - Nat

Some Nice Shots: 
Some of the shots that we have used in our video are framed and with sufficient movement. However there is a limited amount of them which identifies that it took us a while to adjust the camera and the tripod to our comfort. We did struggle for time towards the end because we felt that we weren't as organised as we would have liked. This meant that we did rush shots to make sure that we got enough to use in editing. To overcome this e will make a list of things we need done in each time frame, and we will stick to a precise schedule to ensure that this is done to the best of our ability, to ensure we get good enough marks.


Costume is a real issue:
We have been notified that the costume attire we dress our artists in makes the performance look scruffy and unprofessional. We have decided with large research and thought that it would be a good idea to dress our dancers in similar costume to those in the Ed Sheeran - Thinking out Loud video. Even though the dance in this video is more lyrical/ballroom we still believe that with the costume being more formal in our video it would create a better aesthetic. We will overcome this factor by looking online and resourcing clothing from local high street shops to ensure that this is possible.

More lip sync required, especially the title sequence where the dance is overlaying with the singer:
We were aware after filming when looking at our footage that we only had Katie singing the chorus for most of our filming. Therefore during post production we were aware that we were limited on what we could do. This also meant that some parts of the lip sync do not match as we had to use a few different lyrics here and there to ensure we had a sufficient amount of footage of our artist. We would need to become a lot more organised before re-filming, but we have decided that re-filming everything is something that we should do to ensure we attain the best grade we can.


Make up needs attention, this needs work:
By watching YouTube tutorials it will enable us to gain a better understanding of how to present our artists and our dancers. In many shots both Katie and the dancers look washed out of the shots, and they look particularly young. We would like to completely get rid of this if possible as it means that the overall professionalism of the final product will look better. Unfortunately with pop, and the concept of dance it makes it extremely difficult of us as everything must be the idea of 'perfect' which will mean that effective planning beforehand and organisation is key for us to succeed as a pair.


Full marks will be very very challenging:
We have been made aware the full marks will be challenging because of the music genre that we have chosen. Our contemporary dance video will need to be 'flawless' as any problems or misjudgments will be picked up on. As students, with the technical ability we have, have made it aware that this will be hard to achieve, but all those involved have been made aware how important the video is.

Draft Music Video Feedback - Sanj

Some nice shots:

•  Most shots that we have created, need work. During feedback stages most have been described as static (no movement). This will be changed during the final music video stages, as both I and Nat will be encouraged to move the camera more and experiment much more with the shots and angles that we use. Before filming our next video, we will compile a more detailed storyboard along with details of the camera and how we wish to use it. This will then be discussed with peers and staff in a hope to gain approval for we film our final music video.

Costume is a real issue:

•  This is something that we have been made aware of prior to our draft music video feedback. Our new design would feature a more classy, sophisticated mise en scene. All participants involved,feature a black tie theme that will give us the atmosphere that is needed.
• Our male dancer, will be wearing formal attire. Featuring black trousers, a smart white shirt and waistcoat. This will add both class and age for our dancer, in a attempt to give us the correct atmosphere that is required as well as making a professional impression for the viewers watching.
• All females involved will have a re-evaluated style of clothing, rather than dance equipment and t-shirt and jeans. During the stages of our current research, we have decided upon our female dancer wearing a lyrical dress. This can be sourced from most online shopping websites, meaning we are not restricted with the style that we need. Our main issue will be the colour, we will need to decide upon a suitable style that will work with the studio that we are attempting to hire as well as working in conjunction with the other participants costumes.
• Our singer/ Katie will be wearing clothes used during the second photoshoot/ final digipak. The choice of clothing here worked better for our needs. It made the artist fit the music genre that we needed as well as attracting a male gaze audience, something that is a heavy component of the pop/ indie music genre,

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA


More lip sync required, especially the title sequence where the dance is overlaying with the singer:

• This was an issue, as Katie (our model/ singer) had little knowledge of the music and lyrics, which became evident that the stages during the stages of our filming and is something that has been reproduced in our video. Our filming skills have also been questioned, as we limited ourselves to certain lyrics that were being filmed. This can be easily resolved, as Katie will be made aware that of our filming date with enough time for her to learn them, in addition - checking with Katie that she has learnt the words before the filming date will give us confidence that our video will be more successful than the draft.

Make up needs attention, this needs work:

• This can be done via researching tutorials that can be used to achieve the desired look at we are attempting to recreate. Birdy fan made videos and blogs (tumblr's) will have been created, providing visual aid towards the work that we are attempting to emulate. 
• Either Nat or I will focus on how to make the artists make up better, and will attempt to reproduce a style that works for the video and genre that we need.
• Particular attention to eye make up is crucial. As it allows us to have the desired strong, emotionally manipulating effect that we need. Focusing on the artists cheekbones, will be another primary focus. 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm5_2bTQwUc Using make up shading, will allow us to make the cheekbones become more defined, attracting the audiences attention towards the artists face, it will also make the model look similar to Birdy in a strong sense of appearance. 
• Smaller things such as foundation, concealer and eyebrow work will be applied to all those involved. This will allow use to achieve a flawless look for the participants, helping to make sure that the overall appearance appears professional. 

Full marks will be very very challenging:

• We have been made aware of this because of our chosen music genre and the style of video that we wish to produce. Creating a contemporary dance music video has meant that there is little room for mistakes, as these will be picked up in either the singing or the dance between our male and female partner. To secure as many marks as possible both Nat and I will put the work in to acheive the best standard possible. Making others aware of the importance of the video and how it will effect us as students will also put into prospective how professional the video must be. However, we are prepared to put the work and effort in to achieve the best.

Websites to support improvements:

Birdy inspired/ fan blogs: 

• birdystyle.tumblr.com/
• daily-birdy.tumblr.com
• i-love-birdy.tumblr.com/

Source: www.tumblr.com

Make-up tutorials:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x86Hc2LCjQg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtQjYP4VE1A
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R7Q7s1lpEc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfBp8GXF0gg

Source: www.youtube.com

Plans Before Filming

Below Nat and I have had discussed the timings that we plan to meet when we are filming, this will ensure that our video is efficient and we overall manage our time better.

End of school: 3:10 pm
Leave school premises: 3:10 pm - 3:30 pm 
Travel to 151 Films:  4:10 pm (35 mins)
Set up at studio: 4:20 pm (15 mins)
Dancer's, hair and make up/ costume change: 4:40 (20 mins)
Filming, dancers: 4:40 pm - 5:40 pm (2 hour)

Katie arrives: 5:15 pm
Hair and make up/ costume change: 5:35 (20 mins)
Filming, Katie: 5:40 pm - 7:00 pm (1 hour 20 mins)

Re-film of dancers: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm (1 hour)

Filming finishes: 8:00 pm  - 8:15 pm  (15 mins)

Leave studio: 8:15 pm

Digipak and Advert Commentary

The digipak I created was inspired by both Taylor Swift's album 1989 and Gabrielle Aplin's English Rain. The reason as to why I was inspired by these were due to the simplicity and delicate aesthetic which is present across both. Unlike the mainstream pop genre albums which focus on the male gaze predominantly, these two albums focus on the theme of the album, in a less 'in your face' way. This means that the professionalism of the product is in a way easier to recreate as a student, due to our artist not being of the aesthetic which Rihanna is represented like in the media.
The warm filtered theme which runs across my digipak and advert is based around the album title 'Autumn Leaves'. Like Gabrielle Aplin's adaptation of the English countryside I decided to keep a theme of the autumn season. A typical convention of a pop digipak and advert is vibrant colour, therefore I ensured I used this where possible to keep to the conventions. However, overpowering of colour is something I tried to divert from as our artist is known as being indie-pop, so simplicity was still key. Unlike most indie-pop digipaks and adverts they don't present the artist generally on either the CD cover or advert. This made it difficult to make the decision as to whether it was important to have the artists image on mine. Due to pop conventions of presenting the artist across both pieces of media I believed it was important to at least have use at least two different images.
Another convention of a pop digipak and advert is the artist's image attracting the male gaze. With research from Aplin and Swift's albums stating this isn't the case I decided to divert the photography away from the idea of attraction and more towards the tone and emotion of the album. I believe in my opinion this would attract the target audience I have, more so than a different 'in your face' gaze style would.
The inspiration of how our artist is dressed came from multiple artists such as Gabrielle Aplin, Birdy, Taylor Swift, Shannon Saunders and Hannah Grace. Regardless of only three of these artists having record deals presently, I believe the two YouTube starts Saunders and Grace put across an individual style which fits the genre they produce music in, and is effectively simply stereotypical. With a target market of teenage girls primarily, I believe the more simple she is dressed the easier the audience will relate to the artist.


My Digipak and Advert:

Photoshoot

https://www.flickr.com/photos/115382431@N02/

Evaluation Of Filming

When filming we were presented with a number of issues which made it difficult for us to get all the footage we needed. Firstly, the tripod equipment we took with us from school was broken, and therefore we had to borrow the professional tripod from 151 studios. This did work out in our favour due to the tripod being of excellent quality, meaning some of the footage we produced was better than it would have been with the basic equipment we took with us.
The second problem we had to overcome was shadows. Due to having three large filter lights it came increasingly difficult to get the right size shadow, and keep the continuity of the studio infinity walls the same at all times. We played around with the lights height and position so that we could produce the best overall aesthetic in our opinion.
A further problem we had to face was the size of the space we booked out. The dancers were struggling to complete the whole dance as the space was too small. This meant we lost the fluency of the dance in places which decreased the professionalism. The final problem which occured was the amount of time we had and the way in which we utilised it. We needed our dancers and our artist to look the part which unfortunately took longer than we were expecting. As well as this, we also had to go through the health and safety with the owner of the studio which took the, and we had to set up the studio ourselves. The time we had to film meant that we were cutting it fine to film all the footage we needed. unfortunately, we didn't capture as much as we had hoped from both the artist and the dancers which means that in post production, repetition of some shots will occur for our draft.

Sanj's Digipak Draft

Nat's Digipak Draft

Further Inspiration

This video of Ed Sheeran's new single which has just been released uses many camera angles whilst focusing on dance. The camera angles used are something both Sanj and I would like to look at using when filming, however we know that due to our budget we may not have all of the technology to allow us to do so. Another interesting thing about this video is the Mise en scene as a whole, and how it links with in the lyrics of the song. 

The pace of the dance is something we already have incorporated in our choreography, however this is something in ours which changes. We see consistent pace throughout this video which on film day is something we should consider to ensure it looks as professional as it can.

Edited Choreography

Both Sanj and I have worked today on editing the dance footage to see what works and what doesn't. This allowed us to develop our skills with this program, and also help us imagine what effects we would like to use in the actual video. We believe this was an important task to undertake because it helped us gain a better understanding of the capabilities of the software and what we could do to make our video more effective and give off the best impression.

The video below demonstrates the work we produced using Final Cut on a mac:

 

Final Choreography Piece

Roles For The Music Video

Due to the stage we are at with the development of our music video, we feel that it is appropriate to designate each other with the roles that we will be in charge of which will make a huge difference through production and post production.
Both Sanj and I created a short film before beginning our coursework which allowed us to demonstrate the skill we had with very little practice of using a camera and the Mac software. Therefore we have decided that Sanj would be director of the video, aswell as make up and clothing stylist, and I would be in charge of camera work, and lead the role of editing.
With this project previously created we believe we have an advantage over others as we have experience working together so we know where our strengths as a pair lie and where more work needs improving to improve our overall video.

Our Previous Project:

Storyboard Animatic

Digipak Advert Inspiration