Photo Shoot- Miss Miller

Taking pictures was an important part of our production process. The use of these pictures in the digipaks and magazine adverts that we produced was important in engaging the audience and connecting them with the artist, myself. A variety of different shots was important as it stops the digipaks becoming repetitive and boring, and also gives the audience more variety to look at.


I feel that the quality of the pictures we took was very good and that the connection with the audience through the use of the close up is very strong. The representation of our artist that we created was one that portrays him as a strong character through his intense stare, which also puts him across as professional.


The clothing in the different shots is simple, with him pictured wearing plain coloured t shirts. The effect of this, rather than showing him in fancy designer clothing, was to make him seem more relatable to the audience and also more humble, not flash. This in turn could encourage people to listen to his music as they can see he is not just a show off, and is not flash like many other artists.


If we could have done things again I believe we could have got a wider variety of pictures. The main pictures that we are using in our digipack all include the same red background, with the same facial expression on the artist. When taking these photographs we felt the effect of this would be to have a running theme throughout our digipack and also throughout our magazine advert. However, we have now realised that this can be seen as quite repetitive and unadventurous, especially in the dance genre of music, something usually seen as more out there.


In our group the individual digipaks and magazine advert covers include similar styles of lighting and also include photos of the artist in both. This makes it easier when making our joint magazine advert and digipaks as we have both decided on darker colours being used in the background with an image of our artist attracting most of the attention in order to familiarise and connect our audience with the artist.

The pictures below are the ones we will be using for our digipack and magazine album advert. As mentioned they are similar shots, with different costumes used in each one. The desired effect was to create a running theme by using the same body language and neutral facial expressions in each picture. After finishing our photo shoot it was evident that the photo shoot may be seen as too repetitive and boring for an audience, so given the chance to reproduce our photo shoot we would use a wider variety of shots.

Filming schedule

A filming schedule is a table which plans out when each shot is going to filmed, at what time it will be filmed and what things are included in the shot and the equipment necessary. This is vitally important in terms of efficiency when carrying out the filming process. By having a planned out schedule it means you can make the best use of your time instead of not having a clear focus on what needs to be done in each day. It also makes sure that no shots have been missed out from your story board as you can go through the schedule and check that all of the shots have been carried out successfully.

Factors outside of our filming came into play and we were unable to film at the exact times we had planned. However we included all the shots we had scheduled in and followed the schedule very closely. We felt it gave us a clear indicator of what needed filming before the deadline and allowed us to prepare before each filming session and use the time as efficiently as possible to get it done.

Shot	Date & time	Location	Content /Action	Shot type & Duration	Costume/ hair/ make up	Iconography	Personnel	Equipment
1	13.11.14 8:00pm	Luxborough Lane, Chigwell.	A boy is walking down a dark deserted alleyway on there own when a car is heard behind them and they turn around.	Mid shot Artist head and torso. Switches to a long shot as the boy reaches the bottom of the alleyway.	Artist Costume: Cream jumper and grey joggings bottoms with grey trainers.	minimal iconography	Actor, Camera man, Location manager	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, Tape / memory card and the headlights from the car to provide a good light.
2	13.11.14 8:10pm	Luxborough Lane, Chigwell	Two people are seen in the car driving down behind the boy from the first shot.	A two shot is used from the back seat to show the back of their heads	as the figures are silhouettes there is no evident costume of make up visible	the inside of the car	Two actors and a camera man	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, Tape / memory card and the vehicle.
3	13.11.14 8:20pm	Luxborough Lane, Chigwell	The car then pulls up next to the boy and he gets into it	An extreme close up of his hand on the car door handle.	N/A	N/A	Actor and Cameraman	Camera and tripod.
4	14.11.14 9:00pm	The car	A time lapse of the boys journey back to the house which also cuts to handheld shots of the boys having fun in the car.	wide shot of the road and close up POV shots when the camera is held.	regular clothing such as tracksuits and jumpers.	balloons and cigarettes	3 actors	camera batteries and tape
5	15.11.14 5:00pm	My house	A series of still photos of the main character trying on different items of clothing.	mid shot of the main character	multiple different t shirts and shirts	plain background	main character and camera man	tripod and camera

Risk Assessment - Miss Georgiou

 

When filming a risk assessment is vital in making sure that the filming process is carried out safely. By identifying possible hazards and looking at how to prevent these, we can then prepare ourselves for anything that we may come across when filming.

Our video was filmed with the use of a car so there were many dangers that we had to look out for when carrying out the filming process. The way we dealt with this was by being cautious whilst filming and making sure we were safe at all times.

Trailing leads whilst filming provided a hazard as they could have caused us to trip and become injured. By covering these in gaffer tape it eliminated the hazard and meant that we could continue filming safely.      

Our production included things like fireworks and flares which also provided hazards, such as burning or causing harm to others around us. By wearing gloves and other items of protective clothing when filming it eliminated this risk and helped to insure our safety

We eliminated the danger that was presented when filming in the car. Much of our presentation was filmed whilst in the moving car which meant there was ample opportunity for us to have an accident or to become distracted when filming. To eliminate this we made sure that the driver was never holding the camera or that the camera was not placed somewhere that could have been a distraction. This meant we could concentrate at all times and stay safe.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

music video storyboard

The purpose of a storyboard is to clearly plan scene by scene how your music video is going to pan out. By clearly laying out the timing of each shot and the type of shot it is going to be, the filming process is made much more easy and it also more time efficient knowing what you are shooting each day.

We collected primary and secondary research asking questionnaires on what people wanted to see in music videos. Once we had collected these results and also analysed other music videos from the same genre as ours we decided upon the narrative of our own video.

We had a storyboard template which made it easy to lay out and clear to understand. We shared responsibility by one of us drawing us the pictures and one of us filling in information such as timing of shot, type of shot, location of shot and who was in the shot. By using these specifics for each shot we were able to plan out our music video and properly prepare ourselves for the filming process. I found this very helpful as when it came to filming we had clearly laid out ideas of what needed achieving in each filming session.

By drawing the shots it gave us a way of putting our ideas on paper and then trying to recreate them as accurately as possible when we filmed. However one down side of this for example in our first shot we had an idea of a high angle wide shot to establish the scene. This however was not possible to create as the height and depth of the shot we wanted was not possible with the equipment at our disposal. 

Planning Digipak - Miss Miller

Digipaks serve the purpose of giving the audience a more in depth look at there artist. The Digipaks provide more than a regular album making it more personal for the consumer. The use of digipack grew in the early 2000's as artists realised its potential of allowing them to offer more to their fans and also make more, as the average price of a digipack is more than a regular album.

In my digipack I wanted to keep a similar theme to my magazine advert. The front cover and the drawing on the cd are the same as the magazine advert. It is a close up of Calvin Harris's face, who is coloured in blue. This repetition of the image is something which I felt would make the album and digipack recognisable and act as a sort of logo for the track.

The blue colouring further helped the digipack to stand out and attract an audience. The background of the track list is yellow. In my magazine advert the CD itself was yellow, so this again keeps the same theme. Bright colours means it will be eye catching for the audience and increase suspicion into the album and encourage people to purchase it.

We felt that a personal letter or message from the artist is something which set the digipack apart from just a regular album, so this was also included on ours. Using hand written typography for this element of the digipack it personalised each copy as it seemed as though the artist had written it themselves.

I feel that the formal font used and the different bright, eye catching colours give the digipack a feel of chaos and give it a care free element, while also a feel of professionalism through its actual layout. The close up images of the artist further the personalisation created with the letter all in all extended the experience of those who purchase it.

Digipak analysis- Miss Miller

The purpose of a Digipak to promote the album and give the content of what will be included within the Digipak. The Digipak is not only to attract fans but it can be used to attract a wider audience. It also allows the artist to use a range of colours and pictures to express their album which gives their target audience to understand the vibe of the songs and albums. A CD album only has the CD, front cover on the song promoting the song and the list of songs that are included on the album. A Digipak has three other slides that have other images to promote the artists, album and song. It allows the audience to understand more about the artist.

Digipaks serve the purpose of giving the audience a more in depth look at there artist. The Digipaks provide more than a regular album making it more personal for the consumer. The use of digipack grew in the early 2000's as artists realised its potential of allowing them to offer more to their fans and also make more, as the average price of a digipack is more than a regular album.

This is daft punks digipack for there album, human after all. There is a theme, with the computerised effect tying in with the electronic genre. The technological theme looks professional and simple, which reflects how they see their music. The layout is both simplistic but also intricate with the design of the writing showing an attention to detail. The attention detail may also be showing the audience that there is an attention to detail in the music of the group also, as well as the professionalism portrayed in the font.

The use of white font on the black background clearly shows the information that the group want to show to the viewers.  The song names along one side provide information on the CD's songs with the letter from the group entitled 'digital love' providing something extra. The letter gives the album a personalised feel and sets the digipack apart from a regular album. This is something I find effective in making the digipack more attractive for an audience and is something I would like to see in my own digipack.

Planning Editing Styles

A variety of editing styles is essential within a music video because it keeps the audience engaged. Having a variety of editing styles stops the video becoming repetitive and creates different effects with each style for the audience.

Three editing styles that we want to use in our own music video are;

• A time lapse
• Fast timing of shots
• Slow timing of shots

The slow timing of shots is something to conventional to our genre of music. The effect of this editing style is that it engages the audience from the outset, usually by setting the scene. This will be used at the very beginning of the video when the music is building up as the beat quickens. This ties in with the theory of Goodwin as it provides a link between the music and the visuals. Slow timing of shots also allows us to introduce the narrative, and familiarise the audience with the main character of the video through longer shots showing the characters face and costume.

The fast timing of shots will be introduced when the beat quickens and the chorus comes in. This will provide a link between the music and the visuals, just like the slow timing of shots. The pace and timing of the shots, will represent the action that is going on within the video. As the night picks up and the characters are seen driving the car and going to clubs we hope the timing of shots will portray the fast paced, wild feel to it.

We wanted to make the night seem never ending and give the audience a feel that they are on the journey with the main characters. Through the time lapse we feel that we could show a long period of time passing and possibly suggest that the main character is under the influence of alcohol or possibly drugs. We felt this gave the video quite a unique feel and by not particularly conforming to the genre stereotypes made the video more attractive to viewers.

Through the use of editing styles we want to establish a strong link between the visuals and music. We want the pace of the song and pace of the editing to match in order for us to completely engage the audience and create the strongest effect possible.

Planning magazine advert

Magazine adverts can be vital to an artist in terms of promotion for an album. The use of a magazine advert is that it can raise awareness for the upcoming album and maximise sales by putting the release in the view of the public. The advert can also reach a new target audience and attract fans that may otherwise not be interested in the particular genre of the artist. By keeping the news of the album in the public eye, a hype around the album can be created, which in turn will make more people want to purchase it once it has been released. I created my own magazine advert for our song we will be using for our music video, which is blame by Calvin Harris and John Newman.

I wanted to create something unique and something which engaged the reader when looking at the advert. The design of my magazine advert includes a central image of Calvin Harris. By featuring the artist in the advert it can attract more listeners and fans to the music as it provides a more personal connection between the artist and the fans as the shot of him is an extreme close up of his face. Other albums of Calvin Harris included similar images to this, so by also including this I felt it was conformative of the genre. Albums by 'example' and 'avicci' also include close up images of the artist which give the advert a more personal feel, showing the artist and his emotions through the close up.

The colouring of Blue for the face of my artist gave the poster a unique feel, and this partnered with the yellow colouring of the picture of the cd, meant that this advert would stand out to all those reading it. The promotional aspect of the advert was clear, both with the central large image, and Calvin Harris's name clearly visible in big bold font. The Typography meant that the artist and song name stood out amongst its background.

I didn't want to over complicate the design of my magazine advert so kept it simple. The main points I wanted to put across were the name of the song and the name of the artist, which I felt are clearly communicated to the reader. The plain white background I felt allowed these pieces of information to stand out more clearly than if there was an intricate of more brightly coloured background.

The language used is also minimal and simplistic with no adjectives or sentences used. The effect of this is that I want the audience to be enticed by the lack of information and possibly enquire for themselves and go and listen to the song.

Cinematography

The purpose of cinematography is to help add to the effect that we are trying to create. This is different when trying to show a concept, narrative or performance technique. For example when showing a performance scene, we will use a certain shot such as a mid shot. This might be to show the characters/artist dancing and focus the scene on them. Also, cinematography is used to provoke the emotions of the audience. This could be using a hand held shot in order to give the audience the point of view from being in the scene. This makes it more relatable and interesting for the audience as they feel like they are in the music video.

One camera shot that we will be using is a panning shot of the sights over the lake where the boys are sat at the beginning of the video. The purpose of this is for the audience to establish the scene of of the opening to our music video. When filming in London we will also use this shot to show all the famous landmarks such as the London Eye, The Gherkin and London Bridge, which will be recognisable to the audience and they will therefore know where the scene is set. They will therefore be grasped by the video immediately as they can identify this eye catching scenery and they can relate to it. This is conventional to the house genre as the music has not yet started at this point and many dance artists show a scene before the start of the music.

Another camera shot that we will be using is a low angle shot, to show the busy workers walking around the streets of London. The camera will continuously film the same street for 5 minutes and this footage will then be sped up to create an effect of time passing. This will relate to the fact that the characters are out partying and the time is going by quickly, which may also suggest to the audience they have taken drugs.

The next camera shot that we will be using is a close up on the main characters face. At the beginning of the video during a family argument the use of a close up, also partnered with a high angle shot can make the main character seem vulnerable and therefore strengthen his relationship with the audience.

The final camera shot that we will be using is a two shot of the two characters sitting in the car as they drive through London. This will be from the back seat of the car and will show the friends to be equal. This will be used a couple of times during the video and has the effect that the audience is in the car with the two ain characters, which therefore further engages the audience in the video.

Planning lighting and colour

Planning lighting and colour

Lighting and colour is important for a music video as it helps the audience believe that the scene is realistic if natural lighting has been used. If colour filters have been used it could make the scene more effective as it if we put the dance scenes in black and white it will make it stand out more than the rest of the scenes that we will use in our music videos. The use of colouring and lighting can also be used emotively to provoke fear in dim lighting or happiness when showing the bright lights of a club. Examples song watch the sun come up, gives off a happy vibe, which is achieved through frequent shots of sunsets and bright lighting on the beach/

We are going to use strobe lighting during the club scenes as this relates to the dance genre of the song. Stereotypically dance scenes are included in music videos to make the video appeal to the target audience, as already shown through my research into many Calvin Harris songs and also into songs like Right here by route 94. The effect of the lighting is that it will make the audience want to replicate what they are seeing in the video and stimulate them as the watch the video, as they will also be wanting to go clubbing.

We are going to use natural lighting when we are walking and driving around in London as this will make the audience see the real hustle and bustle in the city by using minimal effects and relying on actual lighting from building and vehicles and street lights to give the scene a more authentic feel. This is stereotypical as it makes the music video seem more realistic to the target audience and it also relates to the lyrics with reference to the night.

We will be have natural low key lighting for when the boys are in the car at night. We will use this to make the scene feel more real and give the audience the feel that they are in the car. We want the audience to be able to relate to the car journey scene and we want them to want to re-live the party scenes that will be included in our music video. This is conventional to a dance style music video as it normally includes a party scene. This will the allow the target audience to build a relationship as they will want to be in the music video as they see that everyone is having a good time.