Taking Your Original images

Today I have set out to take images for my Digipack and magazine advert. I have made sure my singer/male actor has worn the same clothes as he did in the music video and I have also made him wear the fairy lights as well. This is done not only for aesthetics, but also for lighting purposes.

These are the images that I took of Luke:

I was fairly confident when taking the images that I knew what I wanted to obtain by the end. Luke has also previously done some modelling so he was very easy to instruct. I managed to take my winning shot close to the beginning.

I then moved on to the other aspects of my digipack such as the back, inner and lyric book. I decided that I would probably want to use another shot of Luke himself on the back. However, on the inner parts I would want to use objects rather than him/another person.

Images of other objects:

After taking these images I liked the idea of using the guitar images as the lyric book, as a guitar would accompany vocals, and I liked the though of using some sort of chalkboard artwork as the CD inner underneath the CD. I would want this art to look romantic and as if its personal to the singer.

Photoshop Tutorial

In todays lesson we were introduced to the basics of adobe Photoshop. I have prior knowledge when using this program due to being a technology student and previous art student. We were asked to photoshop a edit a character or celebrity onto a beach scene. We used layers to separate the depth of the picture and the different parts of it. We also resized the images and used a 'magic wand' tool to remove backgrounds. After this tutorial, i am now aware of the importance of layers and how they act as a 'building block' when making the desired image. By using layers it allows me to select certain parts of the images and edit them individually without compromising the rest of the image. This is the image i photoshoped

Conventions of the Digipak Form

1. What is a Digipak and how is it similar/different to an album cover?

- A Digipak usually includes extras such as bonus tracks and video elements.

2. What does a Digipak net look like and how many faces are usual?

- A Digipak is a foldable case in the form of a net which can be constructed and folded in many various ways. It can have any where between 4-8 faces and it always contains the CD. 

3. What do we usually find on the various faces of the Digipak?

- On a simple 4 faced Digipak it would include:

• THE FRONT:  would be the image of the artists or in some instances a scenic shot if that links to brand identity. The front also includes the artist name and the album name. This makes it easier to spot when the Digipaks are on shelves or in stores even online. 
• THE MIDDLE 2 FACES: The left hand side might contain a lyric book which will have the lyrics to all the songs on the CD. This however can vary and different artists might want different things but this is the most common. The right hand side of the inside usually holds the CD but behind is a picture. Again this could be a shot of the artists of something that link to artists or any of the tracks in particular. 
• THE BACK: The back is where we have the list of tracks including any featuring artists and this can include, bonus tracks and videos. The back will also contain the record label, barcode and price for purchases in stores and in some cases a "Parental Advisory" icon if some tracks are explicit.

4. Does there need to be a connection between the faces on the Digipak?

- There does need a connection between the faces, this helps audiences to understand the brand identity and the album. Otherwise it would look random and unprofessional.




Below is an example of a Digipak:

Word Cloud

Targeting My Audience

I have targeted my audience through many different ways, I will show a few of these using screenshots from my video and explanations.

 Here I have made sure that my music video matched my album cover for the single, this will make the song seem a lot more recognisable to the audience.

 Here i have targeted my audience through the use of stylish current trends that would appeal to my ideal viewer. I have made sure my female character dresses and accessorises to make her image look desirable and relatable.

 Here I have done the same as previously stated, but I have done it with clothing instead of accessories.

 Here I have targeted my audience through the scenic mise en scene and my female actors carefree nature. This creates a role model aspect that my ideal viewer would find appealing and aspirational.

Here I have made sure my male actor uses direct mode of address as he sings the love song. This appeals to the female audience through sex appeal and makes them feel as if he is singing to them. I have also done the same below but with the female actor. This also can connect the male audience as they feel as if she is reacting to them buy lovingly looking into their eyes.

Challenges When Editing

Challenges when editing:
Personally, I did not come to many challenges when editing, apart from the back and forth between lip singing actors, and this was relatively simple to correct, although time consuming. I found the tutorial very useful and easy to follow, so therefore after that i found the editing process to be very simple. I used the locking key when editing to make sure nothing went out of time.
I feel as if my favourite part of the editing process was identifying the beats to edit to, I found this very rewarding to see working correctly at the end.

Where are your skills growing the most?
My skills have definitely grown the most in the editing department of this topic. I have increased both my speed and accuracy. I enjoy editing the most out of everything. I also feel as if my organisations skills and ability it take constructive criticism have also improved immensely.

Overall Footage Review

How did filming go?

Overall my filming was incredibly successful and quick. I really enjoyed working with all of my cast members, and at the locations. The only challenge met when filming/editing was having to change between male artists. However, I took this as a learning experience and have gained vital knowledge from it. 

Reviewing my footage.

Own Thoughts

I really love the variety of shots in my video, especially the contrast of nature and humans. I really like the natural colour of the shots and the general mise-en-scene is highly aesthetic. I am also incredibly pleased with the quality and confidence of both my actors’ performances. I also like the contrast between the darker, more night time effect of Luke's lip singing part, to Caitlin's very light, almost mysterious day time scene.

Audience Feedback
- Describe the brand image using two different adjectives:

• Grungy/dark colours
• Atmospheric
• Basic/smart
• Nature shots
• Emotionally charged
• Haunting

- What conventions of the form/narative can you see clearly?

• Fast paced element on beats repeated throughout
• Sad artist compared to happy Caitlin

- What is your favourite shot in the music video?

• Close up of Caitlin's eyes
• Beauty shots
• Nice close ups (Caitlin looks good)
• Focus pulls, sand shot, secret garden

- Who do you think the target audience is?

• 18-25- relationship-deep/spiritual connection