Candidate information

Candidate name: Rebecca Watson

Candidate number: 3160

Centre number: 14405

Brief: A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with the following:

• a website homepage for the band

• a digipak for the album's release 

FINAL DIGIPAK

FINAL WEBSITE

Website URL: http://rwatso10.wixsite.com/rhimusic

Screencap of the home page

FINAL MUSIC VIDEO

EVALUATION question 4

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

EVALUATION question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

For my audience feedback evaluation, I interviewed a couple of people who fit the demographic of my target audience: young adults- specifically girls. I showed them my video and digipak, and asked them to use my website. I then asked them questions about what they liked and what they would improve about the products, and how they measured up to similar products in the industry.

Audience feedback and research was crucial during production and pre-production, as it not only told me what audiences like in theory, but what actual people who I could talk to and interview like in real life. It also told me how to tailor my products to specific audiences in order to appeal the most to my chosen demographic.

Here is a questionnaire sheet that my classmates filled out in response to the initial screening of my music video during production:

Conclusions

Overall, I found some similarities in their answers and could see generally what parts of my products proved successful, and which I would definitely change if I were to make them again. Here are the key conclusions I have made and accuulated from all of the feedback that I collected throughout my project; both from this evaluation interview and from my initial surveys and feedback during the planning, research, and construction stages of production.

1.) Audiences like a mixture of narrative and performance videos

2.) My video was successful as an electropop video as it included conventions found in actual pop videos including: cinematic shots, the narrative/performance mix, multiple different locations, the singer being a part of the narrative as well as the performance

3.) My digipak conveyed the conventions of electropop music due to the focus on bright colours and the cover having a clear depiction of the artist as well as it being the main focus of the album cover

4.) My website was easy to use as there were clear navigation links, but it had less pop ups and interactive features than a real artist website. It could have also included more items in the merch store

5.) The criticisms with my video were mostly focused on improving the quality of the lip-syncing, but it was also suggested that I could have included more effects such as animation to add further interest and utilise that specific convention of electropop videos

6.) My digipak could have been improved by making the text (particularly the text on the front cover) bolder, and maybe have more of a focus on the pink/blue colour scheme that I introduced with the title text colour

7.) My products worked together effectively because of the overarching visual theme of the sky (that can be seen on as the background of my website pages and digipak panels, and frequently in my video), and the text colour (blue/pink for main titles and white for main text) that was present in all three of my products. All three products also had clear images of the artist which drew on conventions of the genre as well

EVALUATION question 2

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

EVALUATION question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real medai products?

https://rwatso10.wixsite.com/evaluation

Digipak progress 6

I'm adding the finishing touches to my digipak, but finding the right font and colour for the font is harder than I thought. To make sure there is continuity between all aspects of my digipak I will use the same font for all the major text on the digipak (including the title, artist name, and tracklist), but will use a simpler and more formal font for the copyright information on the back. I've also decided to include some logos such as my record label, a parental guidance logo, and a barcode. This will therefore make it look more authentic.

Digipak progress 5

One tutorial for double exposure I found was really useful in teaching me how to create the effect, and because I thought the end result was quite successful I'm probably going to end up using the image I made as the front cover of my digipak.

This is the tutorial I used for the double exposure effect, but I tweaked some of the steps to more suit the end result to my needs (being more colourful and not having some of the settings that appear in the tutorial probably because of a different version of Photoshop I was using).

This tutorial also introduced me to some techniques and features that I used for other images I edited such as the refine edge tool. This meant that when I had to remove the background from an image using the quick selection tool it wasn't so messy and the detail of things such as hair and fabric remained.

Before refining the edge                                                                      After refining the edge

I also experimented with the opacity settings as unfortunately I couldn't find a useful tutorial on how to blend images together and so just faded them into the background instead.

Digipak progress 4

I'm trying different ideas that I had initially sketched out but they don't really live up to my expectations and so I've abandoned them and have moved on to other ideas. Some got further than others before I realised that I wanted to do something different, and as I spend more time on the digipak I find it harder to pin down an idea that I want to use as my final front cover. The whole process is also made more difficult by the fact that I'm still a relative beginner to photoshop as I had only used it briefly at GCSE and even then only used basic functions on it. A lot of time is being spent on looking up tutorials and getting familiar with the tools, but I've found some good step-by-step guides that will hopefully help me later on.

This was my first idea, and an idea that I sketched as part of my digipak plan. I used the quick selection tool to remove the background and replace it with several layers of different images of the sky. I then used the opacity tool to fade the sun into the image behind it and brightened the image using the hue/saturation tool. I also added a lens flare to make the brightness of the sun more realistic. I was going to have text on the tree in a 'carved' style to make it look like they had been chipped into the wood, but I abandoned this idea before I reached that stage.

A lot of the time I would create different layers and edit the colours of one without changing the other. This would give a surreal effect and incorporate the colourful theme that I wanted to have throughout all 3 of my products

Before I knew how to do the double exposure effect, I created another layer and reduced the opacity so that a background layer (a skyline) could be seen. Editing the colours of the image also allowed the background layer to come through. While I wasn't completely happy with this version, I knew the direction I wanted to go and what image I would use.

Website progress 6

Some features and details that I decided to go back and add after completing the initial bare bones of my website were to make my website look more like a conventional (and realistic) artist page. One of these was a subscription box where fans would sign up and receive updated via e-mail from the artist. This is located on the "Tour" page and features the blue/pink colour scheme in the text and button.

Another detail that I thought provided some more synergy between the website and the digipak/video was the text that I added at the sides of the screen that appear on every page. It again shows the colour scheme and advertises the album/music video. I noticed that some artists did this when new music has been released, and as this is true for my artist I thought that it would be an interesting promotional detail for my website to have too. I also animated the text to fade in from the side to catch the eye of the audiences.

Social media is a key part of any modern artist's persona, and so I added social media links at the top of the page which, like the title and navigation bar, appear on every page. The icons themselves are a minimalist black design which suits the theme of my website. Above the icons is a shopping cart item where audiences can see their purchases.



Digipak progress 3

I drew up rough sketches of some digipak ideas and found that a lot of the ideas- because they were centered around images of the sky- were quite similar. In this way I can combine different elements to create my final digipak.

Digipak progress 2

Creating my digipak has been difficult as I've found it hard to think of design ideas that would not only looks professional but fit with the design that I want all 3 of my products to have. Synergy is important, especially in pop music where the marketability of artists is extremely high and so continuity between products ensures that audiences can recognise an artist's style and display something about the genre. As I have mentioned before, the blue/pink text colour scheme is one way to do this, and so before I knew the overall design of the digipak I knew that it had to be based around these colours. A key feature of my website was aesthetic shots of the sky and the bright colours that went along with these images (as the background for the pages), and so I also knew that it would be a good idea to use these visuals in my digipak.

Some of the backgrounds of different pages on my website

Website progress 5

There are 9 items on the "Merch" page which gives makes the page symmetrical. This includes 3 'albums' and 6 other various items including a t-shit, beanie, flag and wristband. It took a while for me to link each item to a separate page with all the product information and instructions on how to buy the product but I managed to do it for all 9.

While the clothing products such as the t-shirt and jacket are quite standard for a merch store, I also decided to add some more interesting items such as a flag and skateboard skin to give the artist more personality and to build on her image and marketable persona. No matter what the product is, however, they all feature the "RHI" logo which is typical of artist merch as a form of promotion.

Website progress 4

I haven't created the main album artwork for the 'Roman Holiday' album (which will be my digipak) yet, but I know that I will include a picture of it on the "Music/Video" page of my website with a hyperlink in the corner which will take the user to the merch page. This not only provides an easier (and immediate) way for the audiences to 'buy' the album but also shows how the pages work together and are linked. The page will also include a link to my music video on YouTube once it has been completed and uploaded.

Although I haven't got my main album artwork yet I mocked up a front cover for another 'acoustic' album which fans can 'buy'. This way it looks more realistic in that the artist has previous records in her discography.

 

I also created the "Tour" page in the same session as the "Music/Video" page as both were quite simple and didn't require as much time as other- more complicated- pages. The "Tour" page has a list of dates and venues of upcoming 'concerts' in the UK as well as a button that I linked to the Ticketmaster home page where fans can 'buy' tickets to the shows.



Editing

Using the software and creative effects

I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 to edit my video , which is a software that I have used before for my AS film opening sequence. However, I have had to almost start from scratch when using the programme because a lot of the effects, techniques and functions that I have used throughout this editing process I hadn't needed to use before. Music videos require a lot more creativity in terms of editing and putting clips together in a more abstract and non-linear way, especially as these were key for my own video. I haven't been able to achieve all that I would have liked due to the limited time that I had to learn the software, but some of the shots and transitions that I ended up creating I didn't think I could have before I started.

Widescreen effect using the crop tool

I found that cropping it by 12% was a good size: more or
less wasn't as effective

My video follows a narrative that involves characters going on a journey physically and emotionally, and due to the similarities between this style and narratives found in some films, I wanted the video to have the same feel. One way I achieved this was by creating a widescreen effect by cropping the top and bottom of every clip by 12% which meant that black bars would appear and make it look like it was shot in widescreen. One disadvantage of doing this however is that overall 24% of the clip would be cropped and some detail lost in the parts that were cut if they fell above or below the crop line. It also meant that if I wanted a detail to be included that would have been cut I had to spend more time adjusting the position of the clip and nesting it before re-cropping it. This was time consuming and meant that not all the details I wanted could be included in the frame, but I think overall it was successful in creating a more cinematic look.

Lens flares

Lens flares are also another technique that give videos a cinematic quality, and so I utilised this effect in the last scene of my video where the two characters reunite. The moment is quite emotional and adding a lens flare gives it a more dreamy and serene quality. So that the flare seemed more natural and as if it was originally part of the clip, I blended it with the original clip and also lined it up with where the sun was positioned. This meant that it looked like a product of the filming technique rather than a post-production inclusion.

Transition (film dissolve)

I positioned the footage so that the actress
was at the same place in the frame
for all three clips

The two main transitions that I used were 'film dissolve' and 'dip to white'; the former to for a more smooth fade between clips and the latter to indicate flashbacks or a change in time (which I will talk about later). The most key moment where I used the film dissolve effect is when I wanted to show a similarity between the clips and how they are tied together, such as the sequence where the character Alycia turns around. There are three clips in the sequence, and the motion of her turning round is repeated in all three but cuts in at different stages in the motion: from fully facing away to partially turned to fully facing forward. The action takes place in three different locations but the movement occurring in all three ties them to each other and by fading the clips together it shows the progression of the action more smoothly than if it just cut without a transition to smooth it out. The sequence and movement also visually represents (and subverts) the lyrics in the song "but I won't look back."

Flashback sequence

This sequence includes a combination of different effects- both video and audio- to create the impression of a flashback. I used the 'dip to white' transition (which I mentioned before) to look like the short one to two second clips were flashing from one to the other and disconnected rather than linked in a linear sequence. To make it clear that there is supposed to be a distinct change from one scene to the next, I included the sound effect of a camera clicking. The scenes themselves are mostly aesthetic and close up details of the locations that will appear throughout the video e.g. the park, the seaside, and the arcade etc. It is almost a way of foreshadowing what is to come as well as introducing the character of Alycia in the clips.

The beginning of the video has a track over it of wildlife and nature sounds to fit with the opening shots of Rhi standing in the woods

Opacity

Layering clips played a large role in my video for mostly an aesthetic purpose, especially in the first chorus. I had to experiment with the opacity of the clips to make sure that the visuals were balanced and enough of each clip could be seen. I filmed some extreme long shots of various aesthetic settings such as sunsets and blurred city lights and then slowed them down to 1% of its original speed so it was more like a picture than a video clip. Usually I only layered two clips, but on other occasions I layered more and so finding a balance with the opacity was a challenge. As mentioned before, layering was usually to create an aesthetic purpose and to give the clip a 'double exposure' look, but other times it was to illustrate the visuals described in the lyrics of the song and link them together. An example of this is in the first chorus when the words "till our wide eyes burn blind" are sung and the image of the actress' eyes are are shown with a sunset behind them so that her eye lines up with where the sun is in the image.

Text

The titles and clips cut with the beat and last for the
duration of the intro synth of the song

I decided to include text in my video in the form of credits and the name of the song appearing at the beginning. This draws more on the conventions of a film than a music video, but as my video is extremely narrative based it is appropriate and adds another level of interest as audiences are introduced to the characters. The shots of the characters themselves are mid shot side profiles and fill the right side of the frame while the left displays the text. The writing is white so as to stand out against the background and is in a font which isn't too blocked or rigid which would make it look too formal for the subject matter of the video. It also looks a bit like the handwriting on the note at the beginning.

The title of the video is in a different font and colour so as to distinguish it as the main focus.The blue and pink colours introduce synergy as these same colours will appear on my website and digipak. The block letter font (and capital letters) again emphasise it as a title and make the words easy to read. I decided to place the title over the bright shot of the sunset and sea. The scene appears later on in the video and so introduces it as a somewhere that will be revisited, and the horizon lines up with the placement of the text to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

Website progress 3

 I haven't written the bio yet but I know that it will be a brief overview of the artist's life leading on to her accomplishments as a singer (e.g. her previous albums and tours).


Different to my original plan I put a "Gallery" section on the "Bio" page as I thought it was more appropriate here than on the homepage. After consulting with my peers and gaining their opinion on what they thought was best, I made the images able to be enlarged so that the audience can get a clearer look at them. I also included captions for the photos to offer more context which was also a suggestion from my peers.

Editing progress 6

After showing my first rough cut to the class, I decided to make some changes to my video, but nothing too drastic as most of their feedback and criticism was about aspects that it was too late to change such as the lip-syncing. The most noticeable change I made was that I decided to move the opening text (song title) to when the music started rather than have it right at the beginning during the scene at the park before the flashbacks and music. The pink and blue colours looked more appropriate when placed on top of a colourful background (the sunset) rather than the blank white of the sky. It also then comes directly before the actor credits, meaning that all the text is kept within the same sequence and can smoothly transition into each other.

Other changes I made involved lengthening the transition time so that the clips faded into one another more gradually rather than always being a hard cut, and brightening some clips so that the detail in the shot was more clear and not obscured by shadow.

Initial video screening feedback

My class and I did screenings of our videos to see where we were in the editing process and to gain feedback to aid with smoothing out the issues we had and see what went well. My video was still in the process of being edited so there were a few blank spaces, but the majority had been edited and so I was able to receive some useful critiques from my peers and teacher.

What went well with my video (according to feedback)

- The beginning transitions with the combination of the sound effects and flashes makes it clear that the clips are part of a flashback and was a creative inclusion

- The transitions between the clips overall flowed well

- The visuals sync well with the music (cutting on beat, visuals illustrate lyrics)

- Good narrative idea and well executed (locations, acting, SFX e.g. overlays)

- Camerawork looks professional (shallow depth of field, different types of shot) and aesthetic

- The pace was good and story made sense and developed well while fitting the feel of the song

- Including the actor and character names at the beginning was interesting and made it feel like a drama

Issues/improvements

- Some transitions weren't smooth and too sudden

- Some shots not exposed enough and it is hard to see the details

- Some of the lip syncing wasn't clear enough and does not quite match

- Use slow motion to give the lyrics more effect