Evaluation of our Progress

We have made the first draft of our music video and so far we are happy with it. There are only a few shots we are not entirely happy about and we plan to shoot these again, as well as other shots that the feedback indicates we need changing.

We are unhappy with the attic shots as we do not feel it ties in with the theme of our video, therefore we plan to shoot those in an exterior location, similar to the ones also used in our video. After already re-shooting the attic shots once due to incsuffiecient light, we thought these were more imporved and appropraite to use, however when watching them with the rest of the footage, we can see it doesn't look right and doesn't portray the ideas we had for the video. We plan to keep the same outfit for the refilm as we really like the burgandy dress that Rosa-Leigh wears.

 

 

We may consider re-shooting the fuzzy & blurred nature shots that we used to create a homemade, vintage effect, to see if they make the video look like a better quality.

 

When editing the footage we found no major problems arose, and we were able to successfully create our draft before the deadline. Because the footage was on George's iMac we could not edit the footage in school, so we used free periods and after school time to create our video, whilst working on our Digipak's and blogs at school. We found this was actually a good thing as even though we could only edit at home, we managed to get everything else done, and finish the video with days to spare. Editing the video, although fun, was stressful at times because shots we had taken did not look good at first, but with editing and transitions, cutting at appropriate times and coordinating it with the music, we managed to make it work.

 

We both think that working as a team on this project so far has been beneficial, as the work load has been shared, and time has been spent together editing and working on our joint blog.

Changes to Magazine Advert and Digipak

After evaluating the feedback from Mr Ford, I made appropriate changes to my designs. I have amended only the front and back covers to ensure that they look professional and neat. I have changed the image on the front cover and have removed the volume button, as Mr Ford advised this. I have also made the font smaller on the back cover, so it's not as close to the sides of the digipak. I have done this so the layout is more effective and the words can be easily read without fear of bending or being cut off in production.

 

I also removed the volume sign from my magazine advert, as Mr Ford advised I should. I definitely prefer the new design, as looking back on my old advert I can see that the volume button does not fit in and is too large for the page. The largness of the image is down to the image being stretched and it therefore looked distorted. Instead I have used the swirl featured on the inside of the album digipak, and I think this looks much better. I have included two star ratings instead of the one, and I have altered the sixing of the text to make them easier to read.

 

 

 

Music Video - FIRST DRAFT

Problems that ocured when filming

When filming on various days and locations, the time constraints added pressure to filming, however even though we managed to stick to filming deadlines, working with Rosa-Leigh there were several incidents of laughing and messing around. This hindered the amount of footage shot in a specific time frame, however whilst having fun on set we also managed to stick to the plan and shoot the video. Even though the distractions meant we were not as focused as we could have been, we feel we got the balance between work and having fun right, meaning that not only was the video enjoyable to film, we managed to get everything done. 

When filming the attic and garden shots, towards the end of the day the camera stopped working. We weren't sure of the reason for its malfunction as the camera had only been recently charged; therefore that eliminated the possibility of the battery having run low. The camera itself had never done anything like that before, therefore it was unusual, and because the screen and settings were still visible, we decided it was more likely the SD card that was faulty. We took the one containing the footage out and swapped it for Holly's camera SD card, and found that we could commence filming. When George got home he found the footage was lost, and after a few hours of trying to regain it back, he managed to restore everything on the SD card. The problem only occurred because it was full. 

After viewing the attic shots on the iMac we decided they needed re-shooting as the lighting wasn't right, causing the footage to be slightly blurred and fuzzy. We re-shot the attic shots using and extra lamp, and found the results were much better. 

When filming at Rosa-Leigh's house in her garden, when in the process of filming, her pet Cat entered the shot, causing all of us to be distracted, as well as ruining what we had filmed. Because the cat was adamant about staying we thought about incorporating the cat, adding more of the 'home-made' style to the video; however, after watching the footage we are not likely to include it. 

 

When creating the shot with bubbles, we were using a hand-held bubble wand, which unfortunately was broken when George stood on it accidentally. Luckily only the handle was broken and it was still able to be used, however when we were almost ready to film our last shot, the bubble wand became disconnected from the handle, meaning we could not remove the wand from the container. To fix the problem we had to pour the bubbles out into a jug to get the wand out. We were then able to film. 

The weather on the day of filming was slightly rainy, meaning the grass was wet. This made it difficult to obtain to shot of Rosa-Leigh lying on the grass. To overcome this, we laid down a blanket so only her head was touching the ground. Also, it was too bright for her to look straight at the camera, so we had to use an umbrella to block out some of the light, allowing Rosa-Leigh to keep her eyes open for the shot. 

Feedback for Digipak and Advert

Digipak:

 

I was given 9/10 for the design and draft of my digipak by Mr Ford, and the feedback he gave me was to change the volume button as it was too distinctive as being Apple's. This links to verbal feedback he also gave me a few days before the deadline, in which he said I could ether remove it or attempt to create my own. Verbally, he also mentioned changing the size of the text on the back cover, so the first and last track names weren't too close to the edges of the panel.

 

To accomdate this feedback I have changed the front cover so that the volume button is no longer included. I understand how it was recognisible as Apple's, and therefore not suitable to use on my final digipak and have attempted to create a professional album cover using only the background photo, text and the blue sticker effect. To create a plain background instead of the volume button image, I have used the same photo on the front as is included on the back. This means the back and front cover are essentially the same, just including different styles of text.
 

 

Magazine Advert:

 

I also got 9/10 on the magazine advert; just like the digipak , Mr Ford felt the volume button was the problem. However, after looking at my advert again, I also felt that the volume button was too large and distorted due to the blurred effect created by stretching the image. When developing ideas for changing the volume button on my magazine advert, I sought advice from George as we both knew eachothers ideas and felt we could help one another. He suggested that I include more star ratings, to not only break the magazine advert up a little and create more room, but to also give Rosa-Leigh more credibility and make her an even more esteemed artist.

 

When deciding on how the change my magazine advert I knew I had to remove the volume button, therefore decided also to use the image above on the advert, as a background. I then knew I needed to change the layout to compensate for the gained space within the layout. Because the image ties the digipak and advert together, without the volume button I also decided to play around with an added link; the swirl featured on the inside of the digipak.

DRAFT MAGAZINE ADVERT

DRAFT DIGIPAK