Nat's Final Digipak

Nat's Final Advert

Digipak Journey Sanj

1. Images (1-3) My idea initially started with a simple, clean and efficient house style/ theme. Using a black and white design ensured that a form of class and sophistication was being represented, a feature that I want the artist to present.
The simplicity was also supported through a alternative/ pop theme and music genre. Helping to ensure that the design of my digipak linked together with the video would ensure that both products where successful for their purpose. Conducting further research led me onto a vintage theme, this was through the images that I had found and the music video's that I watched, I felt that this theme would be appropriate for the song that we had chosen for our video providing a middle and balance ground for the indie and pop music genre. It also allowed me to create a unique design that I know would appeal to a wide range of audiences.

2. (Image 4) Our focus for the music video was the dancer that we had included. Switching between the dancer and the artist provided mixture and helped ensure that the audiences attention remained.
This was a heavy part of our research, as finding a song that would work for the routine that we had chosen was difficult, it also had meant that we become reliant upon others rather than ourselves.
My digipak design has contained elements of dance, mainly through its design. The connection between dance would most likely be found in the videos that are produced and the songs that the artist preforms.

3. (Images 5 - 7) Once finding a dancer, we had to find a singer. This was crucial - the artist would appear in both the video and any images that were taken. The model/ artist that we had found was photogenic, confident and had experience working in photoshoots before. As a  professional singer, the person that we had chosen would be prefect for our needs.
When looking at the appearance of our model, we had wanted somebody that looked as much like Birdy as possible. Katie, our model was the best for this.

4. (Image 8 - 9) - Once finding the right outfit, and producing a variety of photos that would work for both mine and Nat's digipak, I was able to base my work around it.
Using previous research from artists such as Jessie Ware, I felt that having a white boarder surrounding my design, would be something that would reflect the music genre and artist that I had created and wanted to represent.
The white boarder, achieved a Polaroid looking effect, something associated with people of my target market, this would therefore entice the buyers while keeping my simple, clean format that I intended to use at first.
Our chosen model, would also reflect the market and music that was being produced. We picked outfits ourselves, and researched clothing that would look professional on the cover of a digipak and presented on a poster. Using shops that our listeners would go to would give us a accurate reflection of what they need.

5. (Images 10 - 12) Wanting to show the representation between the video and the digipak, I feel that including dancers is a good way to show the progression I have made.

6. (Image 13) Here I was able to look at the type of shots that I would wish to use on the panels of my digipak. These where taken from previous research and feature angles that are unfollowed conventions, making it unique and stand out from others.
I quickly became interested in close up's and extreme close ups. I feel that it attracts the audience in a sexualised way, depending on the artists appearance. This is how I have chosen to feature the pop music genre to my design.

7. (Images 14 - 15) Here, I was taking particular interest in the panels that would be featuring for my design. I felt that in order to create a sophiscated impression, the font style would have to be chosen accordingly. This meant I would be considering a sans-serif font that conveyed a more classic and timeless appearance. It also made the font I used easier to read, along with extra spacing making the overall design unified and ahereing to my simple house style.
Creating panels featuring lyrics, is something that is often found - usually in inserts. Having it printed within the case, helps to make my product diffentt from others and lowers the chance of the audience being dismissive of it. It will allow them to gain a greater respect  and understanding of the artist via the songs that are featured.

8. (See Image 8)

9. (Image 17) The research and many steps that I have shown so far have led to the creation of my draft digipak. This was submitted upon the basis that changes would be made in order for to achieve a better looking, and realistic digipak that would be linked together with the artist and the video.

10. Images (18 - 20) Upon receiving feedback from my work, I investigated into more depth about the type of music and digipak that I would be reproducing. Using books and the internet, I was able to find examples of existing work that could be applied to my design. Many included close ups/ and featured a pop music genre, something that drew my interest straight away.

11. (Image 21) Looking at the coursework that I produced last year was a key factor for my new design. The double page spread that I had created during AS contained the simple theme that I wanted to achieve in this new design. Boarders, and a white background was something that I realised I used and saw it easy to reproduce in my own work.
Many of the representations that I had made for my magazine, could now be applied to my digipak, suggesting that I had successfully created the plan that I wanted.

12. (Images 22 - 25) These are the mains steps used that were key for my final design. I ensured that there was a key focus on the pop genre for the artist, and ensured that the design of  the digipak and advert appealed to a indie/ alternative nature.
Using examples of music such as Loud helped me to achieve the look that I was attempting, my final digipak being the result of this.

13. (Image 26) Final digipak.

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

Nat's Feedback

Will Jones 

Alex Rhodes 

Angus Simmons

Brad Ryan

Jack Green 

Chloe Phillips

Krishna Chauhan 

Michelle Knight

Millie Leader

Molly Simpson 

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

Music Video Bloopers

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:

Digipak Inspiration 2

I have created another mood board, however this time it includes all sorts of images which inspire the reproduction of my digipak. After receiving feedback about my draft it became very clear that the the whole design didn't reflect the pop genre. Another thing which needed improving was the image of our artist. So therefore I have found images to inspire a new style of clothing and hair which will reflect our artist in the best way.

Nat's Digipak Feedback

It became clear to us both that our digipaks needed a rethink and restyle. This is because the photo we are using for a start ant in enough quality, as well as the whole staging of the photo. This means that we need to book the school camera to have a photoshoot this week with our artist to produce better photos. Also, the regular conventions of a pop digipak haven't been met by both Sanj and I with regards to layout. This means that we would both like to do some more research into layout styles to help us improve our drafts.

Nat's Advert Draft

Preliminary Task