Group Digipak - Miss Miller

When we went to create a group digipak we decided to alike the magazine advert conform to the same routine that we followed when we went to create our group digipak as a collective. We first opened up all of our digipak separately on each of the Mac’s then we compare each slide and took out the best ones for adaptation for the final digipak.

Colours, We have infinitely used a wide array of colours throughout the whole of the digipak.

These include slight undertones and bright bold colours alike. This is because we wanted to at the same time be conventional and subversive of the genre alike. This is to have a significant impact on both the genres prior audience and the wider audience as it in my view appeals to both sets of fans. The purple and dark undertones on the front and back covers, conforms to the genre strictly as these are colours that are frequently seen in digipaks that we have analysed. In addition from my personal view, as I do not deem myself a hard-core fan of the genre, I find these images visually pleasing as they are different from that of covers we see from mainstream items that we see. The inside covers may come as a shock for audience as they are completely different and are surprisingly different. This is due to the fact that they are images which have been made darker but the contrast has been increased to make the light on the image stand out. I wouldn’t say that these are at all linking with the genre but there are connotations that can be seen within which include the idea of hallucinogenic's and their effects on the body and particularly eyesight.

There are various conventions of the genre which can be clearly seen for example on the front cover there is a clear reference to drugs as we see a flying rhino with an altered in colour background which once again backs up this viewpoint.  This can be seen slightly on the inside covers have they have been altered as previously mentioned to stick to this theme. There are also some items which are not conventional to the genre which include the CD, although it links in with the front cover it has been stripped of its drug related colours therefore being a raw image that is unaltered and visually pleasing. The link made can be seen to represent the two views of drugs being the highs and the lows or even addiction and being clean. Finally the back cover is very unconventional as it is simple and it was is normally seen on rather mainstream genres as it displays all the necessary information which includes artwork of the artist also.

The layout seen of the digipak is of what is expect to be seen by audiences. This includes a front cover displaying all the necessary information which includes items such as the band name and album title. This again is replicated on the back cover which sees again some artwork of the artist himself and all the necessary items that the audience wants/needs to see such as the song lists and there indexes into where they are positioned on the album. On the inside covers we see some more artwork from the album that links in with the music video if the audience has seen it then it will be recognisable for them. Finally there is a panel dedicated to the artist in which a personal message is displayed to give the digipak a personal touch.

We have stuck with a consistent theme throughout with regards to font type. The font is very similar to that of old computer text when they were first invented so it already as some quirky connotations, which can be somewhat be related to the genre as it can be seen in some sense as a random collection of weird items. I feel due to the text being spaced out it  can be clearly read and therefore consequently all information is convey as intended.

Apart from wording that we have used to convey information to audience, we have used emotive language in order to create a bond between audience and the artist the message is as seen. The artist personally thanks the audience for being fans and then being loyal to them. The emotive section is where he states that he wouldn’t be in his position of it wasn’t for them therefore making them responsible for his fame which can be seen when he talks about the massive difference in his life and that he is true grateful for it.

We used at least one item from each member of the group. From myself we used one of the inside slides of the outside of Liverpool street station and the back cover which involves Jazz sitting on a wall with a fountain setting. From Luke we took the idea of the actual CD which had a sky setting on in. After this we decided to use the magazine advert as the front cover for the digipak as we felt that we needed to have some consistency within the relation between magazine and digipak to therefore consequently make it recognisable for audiences that are new to the band as it may be hard to find if there is no link whatsoever. From Ben, keeping with the theme of consistency we also decided to keep the relation of the inside cover towards the setting so we used an inside shot of Liverpool street. Finally from Jazz we decided to use the panel that involved the artists personal message to the fans. All of the panels were very similar but it was the personal message that sold it for the group as it was direct and meaningful.

Strengths and Weaknesses of each members digipak.

Luke, I feel that his digipak was very bland and did not fit under the criteria of any genre mainly as it was rather a collection of un-edited images. The images do not adhere slightly to the genre and there is a rather limited use of Photoshop. The images are mostly not in focus and have been stretched due to the size. His text style if very likeable, readable and consistent. Another positive would be his CD cover designed which would be arguable the best out of the whole groups. The only improvement I would make to it is the fact it doesn’t state that it is the White Rhinos CD and then therefore be easily misplaced by audience if they do not remember whom it belongs too.

Ben, I feel that his digipak is far less consistent than Luke’s as there are no corresponding links. The colours match in some slides and not others, which can also be said for the font of the text which is the same on some slides and not others. It in truth looks like a random collection of slides that have been put together. I feel that these inconsistency’s will disengage the audience and rather put them off purchasing the product entirely. I do like the way that he has edited the image that we used in the group digipak of the inside of Liverpool street as it directly shows the connotations of the genre with the bright colours and dark undertones of compete opposite which actually have an outstanding effect.

Jazz, his digipak strongly promotes the genre as it strongly conforms to the genre itself as we see drug related items being portrayed as well as the use of a Kaleidoscope effect which links remotely to the genre. I like the way he has taken the white rhinos and has transformed them in a sea of bright and vibrant colours which are the same as the mentioned effect. Apart from this his other slides are rather different as they have wobbly effects and other slides which lack colour or are not similar. In addition the font is not the same on all slides adding to his inconsistency. 

I think that our digipak partly adheres to the conventions of our chosen music genre, this is due to the fact that we have used bright bold colours with a balanced mix of dark tones also. In addition we have also subverted the genre as we have also used recognisable locations which are usually related to more popular genre, this is as we have tried to focus in onto that audience. In a line to this we have also used reliable images of the skyline that has been edited to make an interpreted link to the genre.

I feel that this will appeal to both sets of our overall target audience due to how we have laid out the structure of the digipak. The panels that will be seen by the audience when purchasing this product are the Front and Back covers, we have purposely toned them down to make them appeal to most of the demographic as they are quote plain and convey the message and information clearly. The audiences loyal fans are drawn in by the inside covers as they bear the ideology of the genre as they are heavily edited colour wise making them have the psychedelic connotations.

Once again I felt due to the process that we used in order to make the group digipak alike the magazine advert we worked together as a  joint venture and made decisions democratically so everyone opinion was heard, in addition improvements that were made in the same manner.  I found the process very collaborative and positive as no arguments or disagreement were made between members of the group.

 

Group Magazine Advert - Miss Miller

Prior to this task we all created our own individual magazine adverts. These were our own and reflected what direction we felt that we should take in regards to the final Group Magazine advert. To decide on one magazine advert that would then be altered by the rest of the group we all came together in a group meeting and proposed all of our magazine adverts to each other. We then discussed the positives and negatives of each one and then what was the overall majority approach that the group felt that we should be taking in order to conform or subverts the genre and how it should appeal to fans either the restrict audience of the psychedelic rock genre or as well wider audiences of which will be engaged and find a poster attractive therefore enticing them to find out more information and ultimately buy the songs/album.

Luke, His advert took a more simplistic view with a plain background of the sky with waves within the clouds which looks visually stunning. He also opted alike me for the information present being clear and effective but it was not bold and did not stand out. This in my opinion is very visually pleasing for the audience and will draw attention from the moment from it is seen.

Jazz, His magazine advert is rather plain and has no real links with the genre. We simple see a London skyline that has been distorted at the top to almost replicate fog or something similar. Beside this we see a plain text which has no style or meaning portrayed to our target audience.

Ben, His advert was rather a random collection of items which had no correlating sense or motif and therefore would have been meaningless to audience, and disregarded rather easily as it has no appeal. In the advert we see a desert location plastered with a grainy filter on top. In  addition we also see a army style writing in yellow stating the Band name and album title. Finally we see a plain photograph of a white rhino which has no correlating sense as this animal does not live in the desert. It doesn't not conform and somewhat subverts but due to its inconsistent look it was discarded from the start.

Once all entry's had been narrowed down we decided to use Luke's as a basis for the overall advert as we felt it was the most appealing and attractive for audience, but as a collective we all agreed that slight changes needed to be made in order for it to be conventional to the genre and also appeal to wider audiences. We also agreed that an icon or centre piece needed to be added to the poster because it was too plain at that given time. We then took my idea of using White Rhinos from mine and bens adverts as it directly relates to the band name that we decided on. We decided to incorporate as we felt certain elements from each of the posters what equal effective and by bringing them all together it would make it as appealing as possible.

We have decided to use bold colours with a dark tone that reflects the change in the night sky. These colours include a dark blue with a light pink. They somewhat reflect the colours of a 'shepherds delight' or Red Sky in the morning, Shepard's Warning, Red Sky in the night, Shepard's Delight. This symbolises belief in superstitions. This is not as intended but it adds an insight into the meaning behind the colour scheme and makes it relatable for wider audiences that are not familiar with the genre as it is an attractive and pleasing image to look at. Purposely we have opted for this colour scheme as it reflects the value of the genre as this can be seen consistently throughout prior adverts for that we have seen aside from the ones that we have analysed. The bright colours represent narcotics and particularly there influence on the body and altering thought patterns of the users which somewhat justifies the use of the Rhino and why it is distorted which we hope the audience will be able to interpret easily.

The two images that we used in the advert include the use of the background of the sky and altered clouds, and of a Rhino. At first they seem a bit of a mismatch but with way we have edited the images there relation can be justified. We opted for the use of the sky as it is rather alike one of Tame Impalas own except it uses a park of some sort. It alike due to its simplistic approach but effective repercussions as it is highly appealing to audiences due to the quality of the image and the fact it allows the audience to decide on what they think the images hidden meanings are, like my interpretation above. The other which has been used of the Rhino it to make the overall image not seem as simplistic as intended in addition we needed to add a motif to keep our overall package relatable, using this as a symbol/icon. We chose this due to the fact it directly relates to our band name and can be deemed as conventional to the genre as it links in with the idea of influences and use control under drugs as they may see a random collection of events that is not wholly understood by themselves, this is what we have tried to create as the two have no links whatsoever. When we first put the Rhino in without any effects it make our work look unprofessional, but with a quick brainstorm we corrected this as we decided to make it transparent, giving the idea that it is not real and a fragment of imagination in addition we wanted the images to be incorporated so we decide to blend the images together hence the wave effect on the upper body of the animal in question.

The layout of the poster is very simplistic but can be said is effective. From Top to Bottom we see first the name of the band/artist as this is the first thing that audiences will be looking for as they are keen to find out what it is the poster represents. After this we see the centre of the poster with the Icon which has a direct link with the first and therefore represents a connection. Finally we see the name of the album being released and the fact that the product is indeed out now giving valuable information to audiences and directly influencing if they buy the product or not. This information that is being presented is of that which is only needed. By doing this all information is taken in as it will only take minimal time to process. And because of this the audience can rather focus on the meaning behind the image seen as this is in fact the main focus point.


We chose the font that we did as it is simplistic and it gets the message across as efficiently as possible as all information is displayed clearly and in a bright white colour which is the complete opposite of what is seen on the background. The font is in bold and uses spaced out capitals so it can be seen clearly up front and far way.

Once again the only strong use of language used apart from the obvious choices and use of emotions is the language stating the release of the album "Out Now". It has persuasive connotations, influencing the audience to buy the product as they have no reason not to almost creates the idea that the audience have to buy the product now.

I feel that our  advert strongly conforms to the genre as we have stuck to conventions such as a bold and attractive colour scheme, have connotations of drugs with the Rhino and the waves in relation to mixing the two, also the font is particularly conventional as it is simplistic. I feel that this will appeal to both of our target audiences as it is of a standard and has certain items such as the colour scheme and Rhino which will appeal to the genres audience this is due to the fact these are what they expect to see when they think of the genre as similar patterns have been made due to the random links and vibrant colours , while wider audiences may be engaged by the image visually and colour and may be the slight randomness which may be picked up on due to narcotic references or related to the band name at the minimal after they have though about it for a period of time.

I found working as a group a easy and effective task as we all worked together rather well. We all agreed on a the approach that we should be taking of conforming to the genre but being appealing to wider audience also. We also agreed that on the process that we should be taking in order to mutual agree on what advert we should use as a basis and then what we should do to adapt it so that it can be as best as possible in terms of the groups ability on Photoshop and content that can be used. We all suggested ideas of how we could improve the advert implemented them, then had a communal vote if it should be appended or undone, we repeated this until we all felt as group no further improvements could be made. By doing this I felt we worked as effective and progressively as possible enhancing the time in which we completed the task and its overall look and consequently its effect on the audience.

Individual Digipak - Miss Miller

I have created this digipak for the reason that, I can show my group my ideas and a visual representation of them ideas as a presentation to show how I feel the group digipak should look like and what route we should follow in relation to themes and general construct of it. This is only my ideas and it has not been effect by any outside influences. At a later date is the process of the coursework we as a group will lay out all of our digipaks together and pick the one we feel is most appealing to the audience and then add to it with other ideas and alterations that we all have contributed to, this is so that we as a group can make the most effective and desirable digipak as possible that is of a adequate standard that the audience would like to buy.  

 

I have used both bold and undertone colours in my individual digipak that will appeal to both set of audiences as I am attempting to engage both of them being both conventional and subversive of the genre at hand. On the outside covers I have chosen to use less extreme colours such as purple overall tone and light greens as I feel that they have a good contrast and will be appealing to most persons. In addition I have conformed by using bold colours alike to keep with a common them / motif as some audiences may become disengaged as otherwise it may come across as a random selection of colours and images. The main idea behind the colour scheme was to engage the audience by making it visually attractive which I feel as a whole I have achieved in some sense, with party recognisable images that have been dramatically altered.  

Connotations of the genre can be clearly seen throughout with the alteration of images with vast attractive colour schemes, this is rather the only strict convention that I have conformed too as I want the digipak to appeal to both sets of the audience so therefore it has been primarily dominated by unconventional items such as the font and choice of images used. Despite this there is always a subtle undertone that is seen with the used of filters to distort the image making them less clear but more visual attractive for audiences, and a set colour scheme that has been consistently used on the two outside covers.

 

The images used on the digipak reflect the locations that we have used on set in the locations of our filming. I feel that these image were a good choose to use as it is a rather relatable location for many with recognisable segments such as West India Quay Docks and the 02 Arena. I feel by using these it will increase the range of the audience that we have which is already very minimal. In addition I have opted to use two pictures of our artist one on the back cover and one on the inside. I have done this for the reasons that I feel it will be beneficial towards the genres audience as they will recognise the artist at hand whereas others will not, therefore I feel the need to include it as this is one of the key elements that they will be looking for when they go to buy the product.  

 

I feel my layout is rather clear and gives away all necessary information  that will be needed by the audience. The front cover clearly shows the artist/band name in a clear and colourful font alongside the actually name of the album itself. Meanwhile on the back cover we see all of the related songs and there indexes on the CD itself for quick access but all audience necessary information. On the inside covers there is not any other additional necessary information, because of this I have used two images that directly follow themes of the genre. Despite all necessary information that I have provided I have given some form of a bonus due to the use of a panel being dedicated towards the fans messages to fans which will be adored by dedicated fans and may appeal to ones that are new to the genre or the artist in hand.

 

When Typography comes to question I feel I have been slightly subversive and somewhat conventional of the genre on this topic as I have chosen a more professional font for usage as I feel that otherwise the final product will look cheap and that not a lot of thought and consideration has gone in to it when producing it. I have kept a consistent use of this font throughout the digipak for motif otherwise it will look random and will have no relation. Only on one occasion have I subverted this with the wavy writing of White Rhinos as it has connotations of that will represent the genre, of that when writing is sometimes hard to understand when under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, which will be in the use of the age range that of the audience we are trying to attract.

Language is not a strong point or common theme throughout the digipak with the only segment that I can common on is the use of emotive language on the panel from the artist which is his personal message to the fans where it can be said that he directly engages with them. This in turn creates a strong relationship between artist and audience as the audience are grateful alike the artist for the support they have been giving and song they have given back.

I feel that my Photoshop skills have dramatically increased since we have started to used it when we went to create our magazine adverts. I now feel more confident and feel comfortable with using the program as I now understand that I can be more experimental as errors can be undone with a click of a button or deleting created layers. I now can use the magnetic laso tool a lot faster and more effectively as I now do not cut off segments the part of the photograph that I want to take. In addition I have learned how to dramatically affect the colouring of images by altering Hue, Saturation and Colour Balance alongside Contrast to make the colour bold bright and in the sense of the genre psychedelic. I felt that this helped me to create a successful advert as I can do much more with the images and make them as conventional as possible to the genre and as appealing for the audience for their personal enjoyment. Finally I learned how to bend text so it arches and can be bent in multiple direction. 

I do feel that my digipak both conforms and partly adheres from the genres conventions, both  the back and front covers look like a Rock genres album as they usually slight subvert from that of the pop genre. Granted there are still some subtle tones of the genre such as the colour schemes of dark purple and light green which have some relation to the genre. It addition with the genre the artist is not clearly seen on the digipak or album with our we have not conformed and make him visible on the back cover as we feel this is necessary to engage a wider audience who may have not heard of the artist/band prior as the genre already has a limited demographic. On the other hand I have strongly conformed to the genre particularly with the two inside covers as the images have been filtered and have has there colours altered to be conventional to the genre which can be clear seen as the colours as the complete opposite of what they are of the original colours of the images. 

If feel that my individual digipak will appeal both to the target audience and wider audiences alike. This is due to the fact I have catered for both demographics. The outside covers that will be seen first by the audience and consequently they will be making there choice whether they buy the product or not based on what it is they are seeing they are not already a dedicated fan who would buy the product anyway. This is why I have opted to make the inside covers more radical and more conventional to the genre therefore appealing to genres existing fans and maybe being a shock to the new audience but from my view I feel this will be a surprise to some and may appeal although it is not expected. 

I feel creating this individual digipak is a good idea to increase the beneficial structure and overall look of the group digipak as we will brainstorm all of our ideas together and pick out the best ones from a visual representation which shows directly what a persons idea rather looks like than just killing it because it has not been understood clearly. Therefore by doing this I feel it means we will create the most successful digipak as possible.   

Individual Magazine Advert - Miss Miller

I have created a magazine advert it is the main way in which record labels promote their artists so therefore it is essential that we create one so that we can reach our demographic and appeal to them and in summary make them want to buy the product. I have only done this once I have conduced research in magazine adverts in relation to the band I am making them for. I took ideas from these and collaborated them with a few of my own to create the plan of what I wanted to create on Photoshop.  These included Bright bold text that is clearly visible and pleasing to the eye and the use of alternative colours to differentiate between different information.

My final produce individual idea slightly diverts from my initial plan, this is due to the fact of limitations and some advantages meant that I was able to do more than intended but also couldn't do as much either. Also we as a collective decided on a artist name from Tame Impala to White Rhinos therefore I had to alter the intended Impala to Rhinos for it to have any meaningful sense to the audience.

I have used a vast amount of colour on my magazine advert as I wanted to remain as conventional to the genre as possible. Colours include Black and White, Purple and two different tones of Green. I have chosen these colours for specific reasons which will now be explained. The black and white has been used for the 'Out Now' title and also the illusion background that will engage the audience. I felt this was best used that bold and bright colours as otherwise other items on screen would be increasing difficult for audiences to see, therefore by doing this I have a basis background that has character that can be layered on and experimented with. Keeping with the Psychedelic rock genre I have kept the bright bold colours Purple and Green I feel they are a good contrast in colour and are eye catching and appealing for audiences. In particular I feel the used of the Rhinos being two tones of Green makes it easier for the audience too see and with the Black relates to the background make it seem part of it rather than separate.

As already stated I have keep conventional with the genre which is very obvious when the advert has been broken down. This is particular evident with the style of the background which takes influence from illusions that are appealing and have a strong affect on the viewer. Obviously this effect is not as prominent as other but the idea is still reflected. This is due to the fact that I want the audience rather to focus on the information content of the advert rather than its style of effect on them. Again I feel that the name of the band and the album title is very conventional due to the fact that it not a standard text font that is usually seen, it has somewhat a 'circus' like feel too it which rather conventional as I have seen this theme used prior to the creation of this advert in the Little Fang video that I analysis on a previous blog.

The only image that I have used is that of a pack of White Rhinos. I have only used this due to the fact it has some relation to the name of the band. I feel that this will to both new and prior audiences as they will either not or will have some knowledge of the band and by not having a picture of the band it may appeal to wider audiences as they may be intrigued by the advert and what to find out more about the band which may be beneficial.

I have a very simplistic layout I feel that this is the most appropriate way to follow, by doing this it keeps the information central and therefore it gets conveyed as intended to the audience.
The layout is as follows: Release Date, Band Name, Album Title and Picture relating to Band.

I have used a wide array of different fonts on my magazine adverts. The first one used on the magazine advert it a rather simplistic font used on the Out Now text. It follows the same colour scheme as the background but can be evidently seen by the audience as it has a clear black outline which makes the white incredibly easier to see for the audience. As already mentioned the text rest of the text follows a 'circus' theme and is slightly harder to read but due to the fact the audience has already been engaged but using Out Now they will be looking for it and therefore will see what is essentially being advertised.

The only meaningful language aside from information provided is that of the Out Now text, this is very suggested to audiences and makes them feel pressured to see the product being advertise and also be in the mind-set to purchase the product also.

Aside from the content of the magazine itself, I had strengths and weaknesses with Photoshop when creating it also. At first I found the process quite deeming as I have used the program in over a year and a half, but I was able to re-learn some of the ways to edit and introduce new items/layers and much more after a refreshing session. I at first struggle with tools such as the Magnetic La-sue, and the Paint Bucket but soon found my feet after using them and persevering and asking for assistants. I particularly felt that I was very useful with the filter gallery and then applying certain changes to enhance there look such altering exposure, curves and hue among many other editing techniques.

I feel that my advert strongly conforms the Psychedelic Rock genre due to fact I have followed a similar style to that of ones research my myself in relation to the genre and the band specifically. I have included all of the major conventions of adverts under the genre which include the use of bright bold colours and an array of quirky fonts that appeals to the target audience in particular. In addition the illusion themed background adds character and is partially conventional due to the affect it has on the view which can be linked with narcotics and there effects. 

I think that it will appeal to the target audience as I have keep strictly to the conventions of the genre which will appeal to target audience as this is what they are looking for and will enjoy. In addition I feel the advert is very pleasing to the eye and will therefore appeal to wider audiences alike. The darker colours draw the audience in as they have to look specially close to see the name of the artist I have done this for that very exact reason as by doing this I grab there full attention and all the information in the poster is seen by the audience.

In summary I feel by doing this task it has been very beneficial not only for myself but my group also. This is due to the fact that we have all gained an insight into Photoshop with some of us being at different levels than other which  will make us more collective when we go to create our group advert as some of us are better at using the program than others. In addition we have also had some practice with the ideas that we feel should be implemented into the final advert so when we go to create the final one it can be done as effectively and efficiently as possible as we know what it is what have to do in order to replicate what we want to include from our own individual adverts,  

Photo Shoot - Miss Miller

It is very important to conduct a photo-shoot for our artist for the use in both our digipak and magazine advert, so that we have relevant and conventional images that we can use to display our artist to our audience. Conducting a photo-shoot allows us as a group to capture must needed shots that will be used in the mentioned items. This pictures will represent both the artist and the genre and will attract audiences to buy the product if they are appealing enough. Therefore this is a vital stage in producing the ancillary texts as we need to produce relevant images, they need to be of good quality so they can be clearly seen and understood, as it will promote the artist further than if not and if this is done correctly as intended then it will appeal to a write demographic which will be more likely to buy the product/album.

We have taken this picture due to the fact my group and I want to include the artist within the magazine advert/digipak. We felt this was one of the most necessary shots that we needed as without him, new audiences that we attend to attract will maybe feel a more personal connection with him as they have a visual representation of who the artist is. I intended to use this on either the front cover of the digipak or on the one of the inside covers. This is both conventional and subversive of the genre at the same time. In Tame Impalas digipak we see the artist on one of the inside covers, as I intend to replicate this. But if it is kept the way that it is seen in the first picture it is rather subversive, I will overcome this by by using a coloured tint so that it replicates the themes of the genre of bright and bold colours and possible add filters to enhance the picture itself and make it more difference and appealing to the audience. I like the way our artist (Jazz) is looking off into the distance and not into the camera. It looks as if he is rather trying not to communicate with the audience and rather look as if he has no care or is relaxed, which is rather more appealing to the audience as they begin to wonder what it is that he is looking at. I also like the way the shadows have cast on the wall/background. Due to where we located the shot and the position of the two light sources obviously two shadows have been cast. It gives the photo a rather unique touch as it looks as if he has two mirroring silhouettes of his body, which may replicate such themes as good and evil or decision making.

This picture was taken myself on location while we were filming at West Indian Quay near Canary Wharf which can be seen in the picture. I intend to use this picture on the back cover of our digipak which will be also connected with the different songs on the album.
This is rather subversive of the genre as pictures of locations at subject usually all have connections to the mainstream genre. Locations such as deserts or distant or unknown citys or towns have place within the genre but not recognizable locations such as London/Capital Cities as they are more prominent. I like the way this photo captures one of the finest and innovative areas of location in the finical district. It also combines this with London's history as we see one of the Quays old cranes that are no longer in use but are now considered part of the landscape. It represents the old and new city and how far technology and building have advanced. The lighting also profits a well lit photo the sees the buildings in there finest way with the addition of the fog high up in the sky which blurs the tops of the recognisable buildings. I do not feel this has strong conotations that will help further the relationship between artist and audience, but saying this is does influence the audiences ideas of the artist as they may have visited the location and because the artist has been there may feel some connection.

This photograph has been taken outside of Liverpool Street Station, near where we filmed the time lapse to many this will be a recognisable image as we see the renowned "Gherkin" Building.
I intend to use this particular photo on one of the inside covers of my digipak. Once again this photo is rather subversive due to the fact that it as mentioned does not fit into conventions or locations used in the genre and is more mainstream. I like the way that the background is the iconic building as mentioned which should be extremely recognizable by the audience. I also like the way that we have captured a moment in time as we see an amount of people walking in a normal manner of a crowd in addition the two white poles in shot are rather futuristic and and in relation to the building add a modern theme to the work.  Finally the lights from the restaurant on the left add a bright glow to the picture illuminating the foreground. I believe this will help the connection of artist and audience improve as the shot is rather Point of view like and reflects a view from the eyes of the artist being seen by the audience. Also more knowledgeable fans will recognize this location from the music video.

We choose to take this image as it is the complete opposite of the first photo. It once again shows the artist in a difference location. He is seen sitting on the wall next to a water fountain.I intend on using this picture either on the back cover or inside cover. I feel that once again this image can be both subversive and conventional to the genre if it is altered with either a filter or a tint. I like this photograph as it shows the artist not as the center of the frame but the left, despite this he is sit the focus of the photograph is on him. The 4 lights within the fountain also draw some attention away from the artist and represent the attracting location in the London setting. I feel that this will have a profound affect on the relationship between audience and artist as he is looking directly into the camera and therefore in a link between them and the audience, which is the opposite of the first photo.

I found that taking the the pictures for the photo shoot was a rather easy process as we done this while we were filming on location and took a selection of photos at the same time. We done this to utilise our time space, as time saved could be used to collect more footage or editing etc. that may improve our work further. I don't feel that we struggled with any particular elements as the process was done with ease. The only fault that I could possibly pick out would be the fact that the images are rather low quality due to us only using cameras on our phones to take pictures. They are rather average quality but if taken with a digital or SLR camera they would have been more HD and more clear when re-sized.

The photographs present our artist as one that is represented as rather normal that lives in the city and is a visual representation of what we deem our target audience to look like or actually be so it is very relatable for them. In addition to this we get to see a visual representation of the artist and what it is he looks like i.e distinguishable feature and what he also wears, which is rather normal clothing which can be said may be relatable for most audiences as the Nike brand is clearly seen, and as it is popular means its likely that a connection will be made between artist and audience.

With these photographs and with our various resources we will be creating our Magazine Adverts and Digipaks. Firstly we will be creating our own versions of the two via our plans and will be trying to make them as similar as possible and adapting them depending on the process and what is possible and also if we find any particular elements that we may like and append them to make them more appealing for the target audience. After this we will then be coming together as a group collective and will be creating versions of the two that we have all inputted and agreed on.  

Risk Assessment - Miss Georgiou

It is extremely important to consider all risks to group members before we start to film. We have drawn guidelines so that any serious injury can be prevented and therefore leading to further complications not planned for. It is professional to do this as this is the process that all major production companies follow before they go to film. As a group we collaborated together to brainstorm ideas that we felt were necessary to prevent any risks occurred to any members of the group, we mainly focused on locations specifics and then brought them together as one overall health and safety rules package.

I felt that we followed the guidelines very strictly, this is due to the fact that we wanted to prevent any injure to all members of the group and the only way to do this was to follow the guidelines we had set out. We said that if any one of the criteria failed that we would not filming at that particular part of the location and would search for one that would give us the shots that we required and was suitable under the guidelines, we also always had one member at least with the camera and they were never more than a couple of feet away from it to ensure that damage or it being stole was prevented.
The Risk Assessment does not prevent any injures occurring but it makes the occurrence less likely than prior if we had not made one. In addition we also had at all times a health and safety kit just encase someone had been injured so we could attempt to help or cover up any wounds or cuts from bleeding.

To concluded I feel that our risk assessment was highly beneficial to the group and due to its clear and strict guidelines it was highly successful in preventing an injury or serious accidents happening to any group member. We also encounter a risk that were not on the rules followed this is that we were quite close to or risk of falling onto train tracks while filming. We decided that the principles for the water risk rules would apply the same for this also. We would film a minimum of 3 metres and make sure the surface is not wet. On one shot we had to break this rule. But we appended it my making a member of the group hold the other that was filming. They also had to lean back so that if the person fell they would fall way from the tracks and not onto them.

This is the risk assessment that we followed.

Filming Schedule - Miss Georgiou

A filming schedule is important to have due to the it keeps the group in order as we know what shots we have to film every time we go out to film and at different locations. Without it we may forget massive segments of our music video and then will therefore have to re-film and re-edit if all shots needed are not captured. Assisted by the storyboard, the filming schedule includes the location, the time and date, shots that will be captured and their length, costume hair and make up, iconography, personnel and equipment used. The filming schedule allows us to have a strict guideline that we must follow and helps error not occur. Otherwise it is fairly easy to miss items out that are high priority and are highly needed for the music video. It also keeps track of all of the shots that we require. As this is a music videos there are hundreds of shots we need to collect so by writing them down it makes it easier for us to keep a schedule of the progression that we are making at each setting. A key factor in this schedule it is being organised, this is why it has been laid out in a table so that we can look through sections with ease maximising filming time.

 

I feel that we conformed to the filming schedule as intended as we followed the guidelines set out when we created it, we also went further and adapted on this filming outside of the guidelines due to spontaneous ideas while on set, we felt this was needed as it gave us more freedom to express and air our opinions/ideas. 

Planning Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou

A variety of editing styles is essential within in a music video as it gives the video characteristics and appeal for the audience. If various techniques are not used through the music video it will just be a constant flow of shots that may become rather repetitive and uninteresting for the audience.  But by using various techniques it allows the video to flow evenly and smoothly throughout. Editing helps the audience to understand what is going on in the scene with relationship to its narrative, artists performance or any concept elements. Without a profound amount of editing the quality of the music video will lack its entertainment leading to audiences being highly unsatisfied with what they are viewing as the product looks like it has been fit together in a small space of time with no consideration for the audience themselves and feel they have seen a botched product with many faults. The timing of camera shots and the transitions between them have to flow otherwise the audience may become disengaged, while after filming edits can be added so that different perspectives and meaning can be interpreted by audiences that will keep them interested as they are conforming their own ideas while being visually entertained while watching.

Time Lapse, I would say that this type of editing is conventional to the genre, this is as it is footage that has been sped up in order for a couple of minute clip to be condensed into a couple of seconds. It cannot be seen naturally by audiences and is a result of a good editing technique, It does reflect the common theme of narcotics in the form of losing track of time and surroundings in which a person is placed. This editing style is one that represents our artist as person that is in continuous thought and wanting to create a bond with the audience as they will be constantly focused on him in the time lapse as he is the only one in the whole of the location not moving. This creating of a bond represents him reaching out for help as he has been highly damaged/altered by his relationship mentally.

Reverse of Footage, At the end of the music video we plan to reverse all of the footage and condensed it into a small time frame. This is conventional to the genre has it once again has references to drugs and reflects on the other hand, over thinking of particular subjects, also regret which can be associated with the negative side of drugs i.e. death or the drug down once the users high/buzz has disappeared. It represents the artist on the other had as wanting to go back to the life he once had before the end of his relationship, with the idea that this isn't the way he wanted his life to end, but he had no option. This is with the hope that some of our audience can relate to a situation like this or who cannot see the importance/need for help of drug users to set them on a straight path when they are most vulnerable.

Fast Pace or Slow Pace editing, I don't feel that these are conventional editing styles to the genre as they are seen throughout every piece of edited work but there are connotations of the both that can relate to our genre. Slow pace editing could be a reference to drugs but also reflecting the artists deep thoughts as he is creating and contemplating his ideas about the situation, while fast pace editing may reflect being under the influence, linking with the previous with his lose of tracking time.

Finally the last editing style we are considering using is the use of colour tints in some of the frames of footage.  This are going to replicate the use of drugs and place the audience in the motion that they are under the influence as well as the artist, creating a bond. This is the most conventional part of our video as it direct represents and promotes the use of drugs, this also is not mainstream and more siding with the genre itself. We have decided to do this due to the fact that we wanted for the familiar audiences to be engaged with the video and we felt this was the most suitable way to do it without taking it to far from the scale of mainstream. This represents the artists as one that is open to the use of drugs, in which some of the audience may relate to furthering the bond between the two.

The editing styles we have planned to use will help us to engage the audience while also building a relationship with our target audience as they get to understand the narrative. The different paces allow the audience to build a relationship with the characters within the scene as they become more sympathetic to the storyline and how each character has been affected in either slow or fast pace editing. The more advance styles of editing enables the relationship to further as the audience has to deal with more complex footage that may confuse them or give them time to conform there relationship at different stages throughout such as the time lapse in which they will concentrate only on the main character while the rest of the setting is moving for a sustained period of time.

Planning Storyboards - Miss Georgiou

The purpose of a storyboard is to allow a group of people of plan a film or music video in depth by planning in sequence of shots. Each storyboard will include a picture of what is going to be in frame, the type of Camera Shot, Iconography, Lighting, Actors, Sound, Editing and a Narrative Description. By making a storyboard it means that when we go to film we will have a clear idea of what we need to collect footage wise. This means that we will not miss the out what we have decide needs to go in the music video, this will avoid re-filming and wasting time, that could be used on editing the footage etc. This will ensure that the filming process goes as smoothly as possible, with the amounts of errors being dramatically decreased.

Our group a few weeks ago conducted some market research in the form of Questionnaires and Vox Pops. We asked a demographic of a range of 40 people and found that we needed to re-invent the Psychedelic Rock genre and make it more mainstream with this being directly seen in the music video. We found that the genre of our chosen song was not that popular as only 17% of the 40 had heard of the genre, this meant that we had quite a small target market. We therefore saw the need to expand our audience side my making the music video one that would be seen my mainstream audiences. We also need to consider that the audience want the music video to be mainly about the music with the Artists performance being the least needed segment of the music video. They also feel that the sexualisation of women is what mainly makes the music video enjoyable. This is something that we took into consideration but we feel as a group that is is not conventional nor fits into the lyrics of the video but the rest has been taken on board.  The demographic wants to see the artist all the way throughout the video for various reasons mainly due to this being the norm of most music video in this given period.

As a collective we decided on what our narrative would be clearly with a structure outlined of what was going to happen, from there we decided on what camera shots should be within each location and then outline the content of each shot including actors, iconography and the narrative description was considered. With that in consideration the transitions between shots what's considered also. After this we drew the pictures that reflect what was going on in each shot.

We shared the responsibility equally as we didn't just split the storyboard into sections on our own, we collaborated together and put all of our ideas together and appended some and rejected others to make the most effective video as possible due to all of our ideas being put together and making suggestions to improve them as well. By coming together every member of the group felt involved in the process, our ideas put down were therefore more clear and understood as they had been run by everyone before pen was put to paper.

I don't felt that we strictly followed our storyboards as we were rather flexible but used them rather as a guideline. We followed the shots that we wanted to collect, but while on location we started to collect shots from outside the storyboards and this theme start to continue throughout. We collected more shots than necessary, this means that we will not have to ref-film as we have collected more than enough footage need to construct a music video that has flow.  While we were filming we started to have more ideas so we decided to follow that specific root rather than other as we felt they were structurally  better.

Planning Digipak - Miss Miller

Digipaks are what is most commonly used by artists when they are producing a special edition of there album. Compared to that of a standard CD jewel case they are better in standard. They promote the artist further as there is usually a personal message inside from the artist to the fans which engages with them more directly that just the music itself.

I have conducted some research of my own into this field before I start to design what I wanted the digipak to look like. By doing this it enabled me to understand the codes and conventions with the Psychedelic Genre and then that being applied to a Digipak of the artist our song is from. From this I wanted to make (alike the Magazine Advert) it as close to the conventions of the genre as possible so that I would please the target audience who are highly familiar with the genre already. I wanted to keep to the same layout as seen in Tame Impalas actual digipak as I feel that it covers all of the necessary areas that the audience buying the product want to see.

The content of each panel will be as follows

Front Cover - There will be a display of the Bands Name and the album title.

Back Cover - This will show the content of the album in the form of the song content.

Inside Cover 1 - Artwork

Inside Cover 2 - Artwork

Inside Cover 3 - This will involve a dedicated panel to the artist with a personal message, we have decided to include this due to the fact we feel that we want to create a personal feel to the digipak making it more meaningful for the audience who buy the products.

CD - The CD will holds the band name and album title so that it has a link with the digital but also so that it cannot be misplace because it is not labelled correctly.

Colour, There has been a wide array of colours used that reflect the genre and my magazine advert as I felt there should be a connection between the two. I have opted to use different coloured stripes as it is very appealing and sets the colours apart from each other in an orderly fashion. I have chosen to use the element of colour completely on two panels of my digipak as I feel that it is highly appealing for audiences and eye -catching and will maintain the audiences interests for a sustained period of time. I have also used purely black and white stripes as too reflect the complete opposite of the bold and colorful panel as it is also gives the same effect to the audience and gives symmetry despite the actual colours themselves.

Conventions of the genre, I would say the main conventions of the genre seen in my digipak design can be seen by the colours mainly, as the genre does promote the theme and indirect use of drugs, seeing hallucinations of any form can be related to colour and the idea of self interpretation as everyone's perception of drugs is different with the same being true to reactions and what they see when under the influence. Only again I have done this for the reason it will please wider audience and the demographic that already listen to the genre. Another convention that can be draw is the way the artist cannot be clearly see n by the audience, In this genre the artist themselves it not always so apparent it can be said that I have replicated this as I have included a picture of the artist from the back so his face with all of distinguishable features are hidden from view. This is alike when artists wear excessive amounts of make up so the audience can question whether it is actually them. For all the audience knows the picture is of someone that looks like him and it has just been used because they will never know.

Images used, in my planning I have chosen to use the image as of the artist for reasons already mentioned but also because it creates a direct link between the artist and the audience as they can see him (although only from the back), and from that they feel they are becoming closer to the artist as they have purchase a piece of his work that bares himself. I also plan to used a picture of the setting of our music video of Liverpool street station or docklands on the front cover as it will relate to our music video and also wider audiences who are familiar with the setting may be enticed to buy the product even if they are not familiar with the style of music. In addition I plan on the artist panel to make look as if he is performing on stage so I will insert a picture of a crowd to give it an antithetic feeling. The use of the picture of the artist is to make them more recognisable for audiences, in addition my putting a face to a name it means that it opens up a personal touch for the audiences to bond with and recognise in the future.

Layout Design, I feel the layout is rather conventional to the generics of a standard digipak. I have included all the necessary information that the audience is expecting to see/ require and have dedicated that to difference panels to spread it out so it does not seem overloaded and cramped.
1) Front Panel (Title and Album Name)
2)Artist Picture (Personal Message to fans)
3)Coloured Art Panel
4)Black and White Art Panel
5) Back Panel (Song List with Numbers)
6)CD (Name of Band so it cannot be confused with other C-D and therefore be misplaced. )

Typography, Once again I have followed through with my idea of using Capital Letters to make the digipak standout to audiences but this time I have decided to only use the outline of the letter as I feel this we become too repetitive for audiences, as it is quite a reoccurring motif in my plans, I thought my slightly altering it, it would make it seem new and fresh while still looking alike the other text so it is apparent the two are related. I have also use hand written the Album title, Song List and Artists personal message as I feel buy doing this it reflects the purpose of the digipak as a special edition  of the standard CD Jewel Case. I have also keep the in relation to the genre as the handwritten text is all in difference colours making each song difference from each other which in truth is what each song is meant to be. I have also included the on the CD somewhat an abbreviation of the band name in thin Capital letters all in the same colour on differing colour backgrounds to make it the focus but also to prevent the C-D being misplaced by the audience as people who buy this type of product are probably fans of music and have many similar products.

Language, The language used in my poster is rather plain once again its gets all essential information across to the audience. I have given needed information such as the Bands Name but it has been abbreviated due to the fact otherwise it will take up the whole of the front cover also its a bit mundane to keep repeat the bands name as it may become to repetitive for the audience so by making it shorter it makes it more appealing as it seems the artist has been given a new look and style. I have also included a personal section directly from the artist to the fans. I have included this as this is what is expected by audiences as they have paid more money for this special edition product that will go directly to the artist themselves, so in return a personal message that is generic for all audiences seems an appropriate fit and bonding piece of language engaging the artist directly with fans.

Connotations that can be picked up on are the references to drugs in my digipak, these can be seen by the difference coloured bars/stripes which reflect being under the influence of narcotics but is open to the audiences interpretation. Also the idea of fame and the rise to it is seen through the artists perspective of performing on stage, with the personal message reflecting that the artist would not be in his position without his following.

I found by planning my digipak very useful as now I have an outline of what I need to include in the real one, this is on a template basis but also my own ideas as well. This will be very ideal for when I go to create by version of our digipak as I have a clear outline of what needs to be included and also I will not forget any of my ideas and the layout of how I have set up the digipak layout. I know what pictures I need to collect now for use on Photoshop. These include a pictures of Jazz from the back (needs to be cropped, background taken out), a picture of a crowd/audience, and a picture of the location that we are filming in so there is a direct link between Digipak and music video. My planning this has made me aware of the pictures I need and without it I may have had to visit multiple locations at multiple times in order for my ideas to be used on the final product.

Planning Magazine Advert - Miss Miller

Magazine Adverts are a vital factor in the promotion of an artists album, they are used to raise awareness of the band or artist at question, to make them question themselves if they should buy the product, this in turn increase the sales of the product by reminding their target audience and branching out to wider audiences that may have seen heard of the artist or the genre they are part of. An effective magazine advert should clear display what it is trying to promote and use images that are in relation to that or what the audience would expect to see if they have any prior information on the band whatsoever. If they do not include these two vital aspects among the much wider criteria that does not necessarily need to be included then it will not being meeting its preliminary aims set by the record label or the artist.

I will be creating a mock-up or starter poster that we can adapt from my own inspirations and what I have learnt from the research that I have done into these advertising materials. This will include the elements that I feel will be needed to make our poster as effective as possible to our demographic in order to gain their attention and increase sales.

 

In my poster I opted to keep it as plain and simple as possible attempting to get the main points across to the audience as possible, as in reality they will only be looking at the advert for a few seconds and if it is to detail in my opinion they will lose interest from it as it is not sticking to the point that needs to be conveyed. This information I felt needed to be present to the audience in a more engaging manor from that of what we see in Tame Impalas real advert that had been analysed.

Colours, I have used a wide array of colours as I feel this is will be eye catching for the audience rather than just using one. I feel that this is needed as it keeps the advert interesting and is open to audience perspective of why this colour scheme has been chosen. I have also chosen a black and white background due to the fact I feel that it contrasts the bold colours and makes them stand out more. I want the colours to represent the artist as one that is fun and lifelike rather than normal and dull.

Conventions of the Genre, There are two conventions in my poster this can be seen by the colours used as they are ones that represent the genre as a whole, the genre includes connotations of the wide use of colours to promote the theme of drugs, this is why I have included it as I feel the video the boldness of the colours will be missing, so to keep the prior audiences pleased I feel our advert needs to  be fully in link with the ideas of the music and the genre otherwise we may lose a sizable amount from our already small audience size. Another convention is the drawing of the Impala which obvious has a direct link to the band name. It again follow a very similar colour scheme otherwise I felt that the poster would have mixed messages for the audience which may confuse them to some extent, once again it promotes the Psychedelic theme that the audience wants to see, and is more attracting that using the considerably quite bland colours of the real animal white, brown and black. Finally the background pattern is very illusion like so therefore it can be said my poster is sticking to the conventions of the genre.

Images, I have opted for the use of an Impala in my music poster as it has a direct link with the band and actually has an apparent purpose, this is unlike the magazine advert that I have seen for the band at this given time, to keep the image conventional to the genre I have decided that it should be coloured in out of bold and bright colours instead of the actual colours of an Impala as otherwise the Band Name and Album Title have no relation to it.

Layout Design, I think by having the text and picture being hand drawn it somewhat Illustrates it poster being more personal and direct to the audience as it looks as  if someone has spend quite a vast amount of time in order for it to be created which will make them think twice about the product and whether they should purchase it as they can clear see that time and effort have gone in for the product to be promoted by the record label.

Typography, the font stands out completely as it is Bold Capital Letters, this amplifies the message trying to be displaced by the advert to the audience. Tame Impala is the biggest, after all this is the most important piece of information that needs to be displayed otherwise audiences will not at first glace see  what the advert is promoting and choose to skip the page because the font and meanings are not clear. The second biggest is the Out Now slogan as this is to provide the information that the product is out on the market and can be brought at this given time, finally the album title is third as it is the name if the product and in my opinion the least necessary information after the two mentioned as without the others Lonerism has no context or meaning.

Language, the language used in my poster is rather plain as I want to give the audience as much information as need and not put any in there that is excessive of what is only required. This is why I have only used the Band Name (who the product has been released by), Album Title (to advertise what the product actually is that is being sold and promoted.) and finally when it is released (to tell the audience when the product can be brought). The only other information that I feel could be used is reviews of the album as they will show the audience what specialist reviewers think about the product, but obviously if they were not good they would not be included as it will most defiantly have a negative impact on the audience.

Connotations, There are various connotations that can be picked up upon in my advert for example the references to drugs which can be picked up upon by the difference colours and the Impala also being out of real life context and being made also to the reference as it is abnormal and almost fantasy like. Also in addition the bright bold colours do in fact represent lighting that is used throughout the genre. This has a particular reference to the use of drugs and lighting seen in music videos such as colour tints and strobe lights with the use of the background. Finally the use of the Impala in reference to that of the band name (Tame Impala will not be the final band name but something along similar lines will be used and an a similar image will be used in relation.) The impala has been transformed by the way in which I have inverted its colours to almost make it seem unrecognisable as it distinct colours have been removed and replace with bright and bold colours which reflect the ideas of the text in relation. In fact the impala is apart of a wider context which is aimed at one of the effects, or side effects of drugs when people see what they want due to there thoughts and or etc.

When it comes to creating our final magazine advert I have a outline of what needs to be included on the advert itself. In addition I have quite an extensive knowledge about Adobe Photoshop, from prior experiences in GCSE Photography, so therefore I will be quite prepared for this task compared to that of someone with no knowledge at all. I know how to alter the colours of images, crop images, make images transparent, merge images together, how to shade and edit images also. I don't actually need to take any pictures to recreate the poster that I have designed. This is due to the fact the only image that I would use is a picture of an Impala, obviously I can't actually get a picture of one, so I will have to find a copy right free image if I wish to use it. But obviously the task of creating a advert will be a collective of the good who may have different ideas which including a picture of the artist themselves or a particular location that we have used in our music video. My layout is clear as I have mentioned and I want to keep it this way as it seems to be the most apparent order of how different pieces of text should go as mentioned. By doing all of this it will save a considerable amount of time when it comes to actually creating the advert as I know some skills of the software that we will be using, have a clear idea of what I want the advert to look like i.e. layout and will have collected all needed resources (images) that I will need in order to produce a final piece. By doing this I have increase how effective my advert will be, this is due to the fact that we will have a relatively small time space to produce this piece of work and by planning it means that half of the process is already completed, leaving all allocated time for me to spend working creating it.