Evaluation and feedback of video

This project has required me to use and develop many different skills which are involved in the media industry. Before I could start my project I had to do a lot of research into the music industry. This involved looking at promotional packs and what they included. I had to look at various digipaks and adverts, analysing them in detail to help me gain knowledge of what techniques are used to create them and how they attract their particular target market. I also had to learn a lot about how music videos are created and how the camera works before I went straight in. I analysed various music videos from a wide range of genres to see how they differed from one another and how messages are conveyed to the audience.

I could then start thinking about my own music video and digipak so worked in a small group to decide upon an appropriate song to use. We chose a track by a band called Flamboyant Bella, I was a bit unsure whether this was the right choice at the beginning as they are not very well known so could be hard to gain research. We soon thought of some strong ideas and I became more confident about how the video could look and the song choice. We found that by looking at the Myspace and Facebook page, our target audience will be teenagers between the ages of 14 to 19. We looked at their music videos to see how they are presented which gave us ideas on how we can achieve popularity with the target audience.

We were given a task to recreate an existing music video, which was 'Teenage Dirtbag' by Wheatus. This gave us the chance to experiment and practice using the cameras before we filmed our own music video. I learnt a lot about how the camera works and how to use the tripod efficiently. By recreating 'Teenage Dirtbag' shot for shot meant that we had to take careful consideration when setting up the shots so that they were as near to the original as possible. It taught me the importance of preparation. If the shots are planned and carefully set up than it means in the long run it will save you time as you won;t need to re-shoot. We learnt about shooting scripts and storyboards and how this is vital for a successful shoot.

We began coming up with initial idea for our video, we did this by creating a brain storm and writing down any potential story-lines or interesting shots we could include. We pitched our ideas to the class using a power point presentation, this helped me develop my communication skills and improve my confidence. We then developed our initial ideas to a strong well planned idea for the video. Once we had our plan we could the think about mise-en-scene and locations to film in. We drew a story board of our ideasin detail, shot for shot. This meant that we could see clearly how we want our video to look. We took this on location with us so we knew what needed filming.

Before we could start filming we considered the health and safety risks which we might come across and found ways of avoiding these so that we kept ourselves safe on location. We created a shooting schedule so that everyone in the cast crew knew what was happening and when we were filming. We wrote down what we had been able to achieve in each filming session, this helped us to be organised and have structure to our filming. Due to lack of time and our male model not being available we weren't able to stick to our original ideas and had to change them slightly. It was a shame as we were really eager to see our ideas put to reality and were confident that it would look good. Never the less we managed to capture the footage we needed for our adapted ideas and began to edit.

I have learnt so much during the editing process as I had never used Final Cut Express before. I was able to work well in a group with Sophie to complete all the editing of the video. We worked well efficiently together to produce work of a good standard. I am very pleased with the final outcome of the video and am proud as we both worked to the best of our ability.

In what ways does our video use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Our video challenges conventions of real media products as we have given it a twist and reversed the footage. This makes the video more unique and stand out against other videos. Also we have represented teenage love which is not seen as much in the media as we often see more mature love. The song itself challenges media conventions as it uses drugs as a metaphor to describe love. We have played on this by not involving any drugs itself in the video but focused on the representation of their love for one another.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

The promotional pack I have produced is very coherent and the digipak, advertisement and music video all link well together. This is created by choosing to use the same costume and location for the digipak and advertisement shots as what is displayed in the video. This creates consistency and makes the promotional package look professional. I am really pleased with the photos I took for the digipak and advertisement as they are of a high quality and look professional. All in all I think they all combine well together and as an audience I would be able to easily see cohesion.

Audience Feedback

I gathered feedback for my music video by posting it to Facebook viewing comment that people had made. The image on the left is a screen shot of a few comments I got from the upload.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I think the way in which I gathered my feedback worked well as it enabled me to get quick responses from various people. I was able to get an accurate reflection of the artists audience as I got the right age range for the target audience. I found that the feedback I got from a lot of people was that they don't normally listen to indie music and are more into pop and R'n'B but after watching this video and hearing the track they are more intrigued by indie music. On the whole I got a lot of positive feedback. But it has helped me find out what I could do to improve it. I would reedit the ending so that it doesn't cut of so bluntly and maybe use a dissolve or fade. Also I would capture some more footage as people said it was a bit jerky at some points, this was the point of view shot taken to show the girl looking at the boy jumping on the rocks. I would film it so it was slightly jerky but not too much and have some footage of the boy looking at the girl so that the audience can see why we have used these shots.

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of all your products?

I used software such as Photoshop and Final Cut express make my media products. This enabled me to use my creativity and experiment with different editing and design techniques. This helped me bring my designs together in a professional looking way. I have used other media products to analyse which has helped give me inspiration for my video. For example Kate Nash used a lot of varied shots in her 'Foundations' video which really stood out for me. The close up shot of the feet under the table in particular gave me inspiration to involve a close up in our video of their feet on the steps. We also took further inspiration from this and used a close up shot of them holding hands, We went further with this idea and used close up shots of their feet walking and their phones in our video. Below is a screen shot from Kate Nash's video and a screen shot from our video showing our inspiration.

Screen shot from Kate Nash's Video

Screen shot from our video.

Screen shot from Kate Nash's video

Screen shot from our video.

Finished Video

This is our finished music video for Flamboyant Bella - Love has got me stoned.

Creative camera use

We experimented with different special effects on Final Cut Express to see what would make our video more interesting and exciting. We tested a variety of filters but decided that they wern't right for our video. We also experimented with changing the speed of the video by slowing some parts downs and speeding other bits up which gave the video a nice effect but we decided it looked better normal. We wanted our video to be straight foward and simplistic without the use of special effects distracting the viewer from the story of the the song. We still want the video to look interesting so all the shots have been carefully thought out to show the viewer different camera angles and view points. We have made sure that the clips are quite short and change regularly to avoid the audience losing interest. We used different camera techniques such a zooming and panning to create variety and also give the video a sense of movement.

We thought carefully about creating the shots of the singers running up the hill and had to position the camera in the right place so that it created fluency.

We lowered the tripod for this shot so that we only had view of their legs as they ran up the steps. We used a mid-shot so that detail was gained but also allowed room for movement. I panned the camera left as they moved.

We used shot-reverse-shot of the singers sitting on the bench together. This gave the viewer a sense that they are interacting with each other in conversation. It allowed us to show their connection with one another, the shots are close up so we can see emotions and expression.

Again using the shot-reverse-shot to show conversation and interaction with one another.

I shot a close up of them holding hands to increase the amount of variety to the shots. It makes it look more interesting and also shows their love for one another.

I also switched to mid-shots of them sitting on the bench, this helps to establish the shot so that the audience knows what is going on.

We used a transition to move from the bench to the male running around. This is so that it flowed and looked more smooth to watch. We didn't want the viewer to see a sudden jerk and change in scene as this would distract their attention away from the song and video. Our editing needed to be done well so that the viewer doesn't notice it.

We were creative in choosing to use a point of view shot of the girl watching the boy running and jumping on the rocks. We did this using a hand held camera which made it look more realistic.

Whilst filming we were thinking ahead to the editing process and effects that would look good when reversed. We filmed the boy taking off his jacket so that we capture him throwing it up in the air. This meant that when reversed it looks as if the jacket is thrown onto him.

I filmed this shot with the camera zoomed in so that you can see the singers clearer and as they walked closer to the camera I slowly zoomed out so that they looked the same distance from the camera all the time.

I panned the camera as they were walking to capture their movement and also help to establish the shot and what is going on. It enables the viewer to see more of the location.

I also used a pan on this shot to capture the fast movement as she turns the corner. It shows how excited she is to see him and gives the viewer a sense of urgency.

Sophie filmed this shot of her feet from a high camera angle. It creates a point of view shot which runs throughout the video. It makes the video seem more personal and put the viewer in the eyes of the characters.

For this shot I used the zoom on the camera so that when she jumped off the wall her whole body was still in shot.

I filmed over the males shoulder as he opened the gate to create a point of view shot. This puts the viewer in the characters eyes and helps to create a more personal feel.

Again keeping to the theme of point of view shots, I filmed this from the view point of the female character. It enables us to see things from her perspective.

From looking at other music videos, we found that they often had the latest gadgets which they promote. We took inspiration from this and used a phone to send a text message. I filmed this shot over his shoulder as he typed to create a point of view shot.

We experimented with different camera angles and thought that it would look aesthetically pleasing if we used the flowers to help frame the shot.

Rejected Footage

During the process of editing our music video we had to go through and cut out any unwanted footage. Whilst filming we took more than one take of many shots to insure we had satisfying footage. I have taken screen shots of the footage which we decided to reject.

We couldn't use this shot as you can see the tripod in the background. It is also too close up and the smile is overdone. Also because we didn't use makeup you can see the imperfections on his skin which is less appealing to the viewer. The sky is also over exposed therefore taking away the detail of the hair on the left hand side. The shot was also very jerky as it was taken using a hand held camera and no tripod.

This is a screen shot taken from a clip where the female singer was on the grass putting her coat on and then standing up to do the buttons up. You can see as she got up, her head went out of the shot which doesn't look very professional. We had shot this scene from different viewpoints. So we used this clip when she is on the grass putting her coat on, but as she got up we used footage captured from a different angle.

This shot was not used as the costume was not how we wanted it to be. The hood of the coat is facing outwards instead of inwards which meant we had to cut this out because it didn't look the same as in the other shots captured from different angles.

This is the shot where she is lying down putting her phone back in her pocket and then sits up to put her coat on. Unfortunately we couldn't use this shot as you can see a costume malfunction where her tights are visible. Also we wanted to capture her head in the shot and the jacket is not fully visible. We had to retake the shot from slightly further back.

When we shot our footage it was quite sunny which meant that it was hard to see the screen on the camera as it was too bright. We didn't notice that this was shot at a quite unflattering angle and also that her bra strap was off her shoulder. The sun light was shining across her from the left which meant that the right side of her face was in shadow, this meant that detail was lost.

This shot was taken of the male singer on his way to meet the girl. This shot was taken too far away and it is hard to see him clearly. It would have been better if we had put the tripod and camera where the grass starts so that he is more visible and there is not so much negative space. This shot is also underexposed and dark which doesn't look good against the rest of the footage.

The female singer was looking at the camera in this shot which made it look less natural so we decided not to use use this bit of footage. Also as they walked closer to the camera their heads went out of shot. We tried experimenting with some different camera techniques here and changed the focus so that it gradually blurred out. We found that this didn't work as good as we had hoped and didn't really fit in. Also the sign is also overexposed due to the sunlight shining on it which meant that the text was not visible. Altogether this shot didn't look very professional.

This shot was not used as the camera was not level which is very noticeable as you can see the line between the ground and the wall is not horizontal. Also I had zoomed out before she had jumped off the wall which made the whole shot look amateur. We re-shot this scene so that it was close up and zoomed out at the right time.

Advertisements

Here is an advertisement for Lilly Allen's new album. It's divided into two sections, one with an image and the other with text and information. The borders around the two different sections makes it look neat and tidy. I like the image chosen for this advertisement as it shows the artist clearly. The way it has been edited in Photoshop is really clever as a new background has been created. This ties in with her album cover as it also has these building in the background. The logo in the corner is typical for Lilly Allen's promotions and is recognisable by the audience. The colour scheme is kept minimal with very few colours which works as it is easy on the eye. The image has been shot in a classic style which reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. The album title is given in large font which makes it stand out and written underneath is the release date. Two different colour fonts have been used for the release date to seperate it from the rest of the text.

This is the advertisement for Rihanna's album 'LOUD' It fits in with the promotional pack by keeping with the same colour scheme of red and using Rihanna as the main subject matter to photograph. The choice of location is the same as in the music video to 'Only Girl in the World' which creates cohesion. The mise-en-scene used creates a connection with the target audience. The costume is made to look sexy to male audiences and desirable to female audiences. I like the soft texture of the long grass as this creates contrast with the harsh red colour which works really well. They have used a logo in the top left hand corner so that whenever the audience see it somewhere else they will connect it with Rihanna. They have used limited text as it needs to be quick and easy to read. This text includes the artists name written in large font, the latest single title and the new album name. It is important to tell the audience when it is available to buy so this has been written in large white font which stands out from the dark background.

FLAT PLANS FOR MY ADVERTISEMENT

Flat Plan 1

I chose to have a large image of the two members of the band lying down holding hands. They will be looking into one another's eye to show the connection they have together. This will relate it to the music as it is about love and relationships. I will take the photo outside in the location where we will be filming so that cohesion will be created with the music video. The female will be wearing the same red coat as in the video and the male wearing the same jumper. Underneath the image will be a seperate box filled with colour. To make it blend in I will use the eye dropper tool on Photoshop to select a colour already used in the photo. The colour will light so that the text can stand out on top of it. 'Flamboyant' will be written at the bottom of the image in large black font and directly underneath will be 'Bella'. This needs to be kept central and in line with the rest of the text so that it looks neat. I have written ' new album and exclusive video' in a different font colour so that it catches the audiences attention, this will be red so that it matches the colour of her coat. I have included tracks which feature on the album so that the audience know exactly what they are getting. At the bottom of the advertisement I have written the email address for more information on the band. At the bottom left I have included the record company logo, Virgin which makes it look more realistic.

Flat Plan 2

I decided to use clouds for the background of this advertisement as it links in with one of my ideas for the digipak. Flamboyant Bella will be written in extra large font so the audience can see it clearly. I have written the title of the digipak underneath which will be in a clear, black font. I have written 'Out Now!' in larger font than the rest of the text so that it makes a statement. I have also included ratings from magazines and how many stars they give the digipak, this can motivate the audience into buying it. In the bottom left hand corner I have used logos for HMV and iTunes so the potential buyers know how they can purchase the product. This is aimed at my target audience of teenagers by using minimal text which is quick and easy to read. Teenagers can be lazy and not want to read too much information as they will lose interest.

Flat Plan 3

I decided to plan this advertisement landscape to create variety and experiment with new ideas. The members of the band will be photographed close up and placed side by side. Again the font will be kept simple so that it is easy to read from a distance and in a short amount of time. The name of the band and title of the album will be at the top of the advertisement so the audience will read it first and know exactly what the advertisement is about. The virgin logo will be in the corner to establish the record label and give publicity. Hit singles from the album are given to interest the audience.

MY ADVERTISEMENT FOR MY PROMOTIONAL PACK

This is my finished advertisement for Flamboyant Bella's new digipak. I chose to go with flat plan idea 1 as I felt it best portrayed teenagers and would engage with my specific target audience perfectly. I am really pleased with the shot I produced, it captures the connection between both members of the band and represents the style of music Flamboyant Bella produce (which is laid back, indie tracks, focusing on love and relationships) The costume and location used is the same as what is used in the music video to create consistency. I have used large black font which is easy to read for the band name. This draws the viewers eye towards it first before the rest of the text. I then chose to write 'New album and exclusive music video' in a bold red font which lets the eye follow on from the title. This is important information which needs to be addressed to the viewer so is made to stand out. I have included hit singles which feature on the album to attract the viewers attention as it is something they are familiar with and have heard before. 'Out May 15th' is written in large font to seperate it from the rest of the text. An website address is provided at the bottom for the viewer to access more information about the band. I have used the record company logo in the bottom corner to create publicity and the colour also ties in with the girls jacket. The background for the text is a light grey/brown colour, I chose this as it is neutral and doesn't distract the attention from the information and graphics.

FEEDBACK

I uploaded my advertisement to facebook to get both positive and negative feedback which will help me when evaluating my promotional pack. The screen shot on the left is taken from Facebook where people had commented on my advertisement. I only had positive feedback for this although it was suggested that the red font should have been black to fit in with the rest of the text. This was then disagreed by another viewer who suggested that the red font is effective and ties in with red virgin logo. I am pleased with the final finished advertisement and the response I received from the viewers. It has given me more encouragement for future projects and tasks.

I took a video interview for my promotional pack to get helpful feedback. I enjoyed recording this face to face video interview as it enabled me to receive a more in-depth response from the viewer. I also gave out open answer questionnaires to gain some detailed feedback. The video and example of a questionnaire is posted below.

Digipack

What is a Digipak?

A Digipak is a patented style of compact disc or DVD packaging. It will consist of a gate fold/book-style paperboard or card stock outer binding with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. They can flip open like a book or it can be separated into three parts so the front cover opens to the right and the inside opens to the left with the CD in the middle. They are used by major record companies as a way of advertising and telling their audience more about what they are selling. The paper will be covered in a UV coating which will help protect it from damage. This style packaging is often used to special edition albums and CD singles. Digipack style casing became popular with record companies and recording artists during the year 2000. Digipaks are used instead of traditional jewel cases as they are more aesthetically pleasing although they are more expensive to produce.

What is a Promo pack?

A promotional package enables the artist to show everyone what they're about and this can be then seen by agents, promoters and the press etc. A promo pack can be an actual package sent through the post or it can be electronic and sent via the internet.

What does a promotional pack include?

- A short demo of the band or artists music.

- A neatly assembled collection of any press which the band or artist has received.

- A press release detailing what they are presenting with the promo package for example a new album, tour or single.

- A short biography of themselves. If the promotional package is going to the press then a colour photograph can be sent.

My music video and Digipak need to be linked in someway so that the audience can make visual connections through imagery captured in both parts of the media. So in my promotional package I will have my music video, Digipak and also an advertisement.

Analysing Digipaks from other artists

This is the Rihanna's 'LOUD' promotional pack. The main thing that catches my eye is the vibrant red colour chosen. The colour of her hair, lips and the roses are all the same shade of red which creates cohesion. I like the varied shots chosen for this promotional pack as it makes it look more interesting. The close up shot of her face on the front cover pays close attention to detail and comes across very strong but is softened by her closed eyes. High key lighting has been used which makes it look bright, vibrant and colourful. This creates a happy and feelgood atmosphere. It's quite simplistic with little text apart from the title of the album but this works well as the audience are immediately drawn to the striking images. The inside photo is spread across the three sections and her body language creates a relaxed feel. The red roses give a hint of romance and seduction which reflects her music. I like the choice of image on the disc, again using a rose which gives connotations of love.

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This is the promotional video for Rihanna's new album. The music used for the video is an edit from one of the tracks on the album. It starts of quiet and gradually gets louder, this resembles the album name 'LOUD'. It also builds up suspense and makes the audience want to see whats coming next so it captures their attention. The lyrics of the song start after 1 minute of watching to give the audience a flavour of the album and what the music is like. The video contains clips from some of her the music videos produced for the ablum which again gives the audience a feel for the music and gives them an insight to what 'LOUD' is all about. Text appears on the screen, 'Get ready, get crazy, get excited, get... LOUD' This reinforces the name of the album to the person watching, it also sounds fun and exciting. There are shots of Rihanna smiling and having fun which makes the audience see that the music is fun and upbeat.

The Kooks

This is the back cover for 'The Kooks' album. The photo has been taken in black and white and shows all the members of the band. It's a very relaxed image which seems to capture the band off guard as they don't have eye contact with the camera and are busy playing their guitars. The image isn't a very sharp image and is a bit blurred, this might reflect the laid back feel to indie music. The text is written in a simple, easy to read black font which stands out against the white background. The bar code is placed in the top right hand corner which is unusual as they are normally in the bottom right corner. Underneath the bar code is the copyright information in a small font. The only colour used is red which is on the spine.

This is the front cover to 'The Kooks' album. It ties in with the back as the images are again in black and white and taken in the same location. The members of the band are wearing casual, everyday clothes which can relate to the target audience as they are likely to wear clothes of a similar style. To me this album cover shows that this band are very passionate about their music as they have been shot playing their instruments rather than posing in a glamorous way. I like the way the title had been written using black and red font, it stand out and catches the audiences attention.

Cover for my Digipak

This is the digipak cover that I have created for the band which I have chosen to make my music video for. Firstly, I did a photo shoot to get the shots that I had planned for on my chosen flat plan. I shot them on a sunny day so that my photos looked clear and bright. The song that I'm making the video for is all about love so I needed to portray this through my digipak. I wanted it to have an uplifting feel to it and this is why I have chosen to include bright vibrant colours. The front cover is kept simple with one image that fills the frame. I have positioned it so that it creates symmetry and looks neat and tidy. I have written the bands name at the bottom of the image where it is more visible to read against the background. I kept the font simple so that it is easy to read and chose black rather than a bright colour so that it looks reader friendly.

I have chosen to use the same costume for the band members as what they will be wearing in the music video so that it creates cohesion. The location is also the same as what will be seen in the music video. These features link the digipak to the video and the audience can then see continuity between them both. This is important as when the audience see the digipak in the store their mind will automatically link it with what they have seen on TV and will be drawn towards it.

For the spine, I wanted to use one block of colour so that the text will be clear and stand out more. I experimented with different colours, using the eye drop tool on photoshop to select specific colours from my images. I decided that red was a bit too harsh, green looked too dark and white looked too bright. I then chose to make it the same colour blue as the sky as this way it flows into the image. I kept with the same font that I had used on the front cover to write the name of the band and album name, 'Love has got me stoned' vertically along the spine. Again I used black font to create contrast against the light blue.

The image I have used on the back of the cover is of the members of the band on a hill. I chose to use this as it will relate to my music video as we are filming in this location. I like the way the hill creates contrast between the two different colours, blue and green. I shot this image on a cloudy day so had to edit it by changing the colour balance to make the sky blue. I have written the track list on the right hand side in black font to make it stand out. I chose not to have the track number and running times as I feel it would look messy and this way it looks neat. I have written the bonus disc on the grass using white font as black wouldn't show up on this dark background.

I have positioned the barcode at the bottom left hand side of the page and put the logo of the record label next to it. I also used an image for DVD so that the product buyer can easily see that there is also a video inside as well as audio tracks. From researching into digipaks from other artists I found out what copyright information I need to write.

INSIDE

This is the inside of my digipak, I chose to include the lyrics of the song 'Love has got me stoned'. I used the same font which I had used on the front cover and chose to write it in white. The background is plain as I wanted the lyrics to be easily read without different shapes behind it making it difficult to read. I chose to have the background grey as it is a neutral colour which doesn't draw too much attention away from the lyrics. On the right hand side I chose to include another image of the band. I felt text wasn't appropriate here as the discs will be placed over here and you wouldn't be able to read it. The photo I chose is of the point which they will be meeting in the video. This creates continuity with the digipak and music video. Again the costume is the same as what will be in the music video and I've kept it simplistic to avoid it looking amateur. I took inspiration from other digipaks I looked at such as Rihanna and noticed that there were just images on the inside. It gives the consumer something to enjoy without being too busy.

shooting Diaries

Session 1

We shot both the journeys of the singers on their way to meet each other. This was done by choosing paths and grassy areas which we thought looked asthetically pleasing and would link together well. We used different shot types to make it more varied. This includes point of view shots, for example when the male opens the gate and also of both the male and the females feet when they were walking. We used long shots to help establish the shots and mid-shots to get more detail. I filmed the shots of the female character and Sophie filmed the male character. We had to ask our actor for the male character to film his feet as this made it look more realistic. We were happy with the footage we captured on this day so far and became more confident with the camera.

Session 2

In this session we filmed all the shots we needed of both the female and male together. We filmed them meeting at the wall and walking away together holding hands. We then filmed the shots of them walking up the steps and running up the hill.

Session 3

In this session we filmed the female and the male characters both together on the bench with close up shots of them holding hands. We created shots that showed they were having a conversation by using shot reverse shot. This helped to show the connection they have with one another and the way they look in each others eyes.

Session 4

Originally we had planned to have a shoot in houses with the singers waking up out of bed and brushing their teeth in the mirror but we were running out of time and found it hard to travel to this location as we both live in opposite directions. Also the male character only had a small amount of free time to film so this is why all our filming had been done in Lewes so far as it was convinient for everyone. So we decided we had to change our plans and take out the part of them waking up and have it from them already dressed and outside. We had to rethink what needed to be filmed and decided to have more footage of them together. Sophie filmed a point of view shot of the male singer jumping off walls and running around. I filmed them both together and the male character taking off his jacket. We filmed the male sending a text message to meet her and then the female lying on the grass receiving a text message and getting ready to go and meet him.

Session 5

We had planned to have another session of filming but we didn't have time and after changing our ideas we had all the footage we needed. We didn't need the footage of them going home as we decided to end it on them together at the top of the hill. (Once reversed it will start with them at the top of the hill)