Meetings

Meetings

Meetings with all members of our group are essential throughout the filming process. The reason for this is so that every member of the group knows what is happening during the production process. It also allows our group to discuss ideas based around the task we have been given. Examples of discussions which have been based on during group meetings are deciding on the artist and the song, aswell as planning aspects of our music video such as mise-en-scene and cinematography elements. In which we recorded a list of every meeting we encountered alongside what the group have discussed and decided on so that we could refer back to our notes to see what we had decided or wanted to include in a certain aspect of the video. Furthermore, group meetings allowed individuals to express their ideas for our music video which may not have been thought of and could enhance our product. Additionally to this, it allowed other members of the group to expand and broaden the idea further, to create ideas which were more intriguing for the audience, or beneficial for the group. To organise our time efficiently, we made sure that we planned every aspect of our production to the best of our ability so that this would save time. This included which members of the group had a certain role in the task to help, so when individuals had done specific tasks they could continue with the next one. This saved alot of wasted time as different roles were completed efficient, with not every member of the group completing the same task which did not necessarily need all 4 members help.

Overall, I think that our group did work well together. This is because I felt as though we corp-orated with a strategy of completing different tasks either as individuals, and as a whole group which enabled us to use our time efficiently depending on what we needed to do. Our group showed good communication skills through taking on board each others individual ideas and suggesting ways in which we could incorporate this into our music video or planning. This was also showed us working well together as we could take into consideration others ideas, but also expand and broaden the idea to help out the individual but also benefit the group. It was beneficial of our group to keep a record of what was discussed in our group meetings as we could refer back to our notes if we had forgotten any elements which we may have wanted to include or expand on. This also gave us a plan of what we were hoping to create, or important notes on how to move forward in our next phase of the production. Meetings helped the entire group to stay on a similar page with everybody knowing what needed to be done next in order to develop the product, and see which role they needed to undergo in order to achieve this.

Photoshoot

Photoshoot

The purpose of taking pictures throughout our filming process, is so that we can include these images in other tasks of the course. It makes sense to take pictures at the time of filming so that we do not need to go back and take the pictures another time which can be time consuming. Instead, the artist will already be in the correct costume and location which helps to create the desired effect. The images that we took throughout the filming process have been included in our linked tasks to our music video, such as the digipak and our individual magazine advert. It is essential that we take multiple pictures which are varied. This is so that our group members can use different pictures to make the products individual, however all have a similar theme. Additionally to this, varied pictures are engaging for the audience as they do not want to be looking at something too similar throughout every side of the digipak for example. The varied pictures also help to represent the artist and convey different emotions, which may engage the audience as this gives them an insight as to what the albums content may contain. 

One image which I have taken is an image of the artist overlooking scenery of London, more specifically overlooking Tower Bridge. I intend to use this photo on my Digipak. This is because I do not feel as though the image is engaging enough for the audience to use as the main image on my individual magazine advert. However, this is a good image to use on one of the multiple sides of the digipak as this is conventional to the soul genre and allows the audience an insight to what the album may be based on. I think this specific image works well as it helps to build a relationship with the audience through the use of facial expressions and representations of the artist. Within this shot the audience can see the emotionless expression that the artist has, which could suggest how low and vulnerable she is feeling, almost as though she has given up. The audience may be able to relate to this as they may have been in a similar situation at some point, and can sympathise for the artist. The overlooking of the London scenery could suggest that the content could be a mix based on the surroundings, and the artists emotion, which is our aim as our music video to "Hometown Glory" is based on the artists low emotion, and reminiscing on her hometown and past life which is based in London. When I came to the editing phase of this specific picture, I decided to use multiple layers to keep some of the picture remaining in colour, whilst the rest remains in black and white. This suggests to the audience a contrast between positive and negative thoughts which could further suggest that the artist is reminiscing on memories. This also gives a unique edge to the photo as the audience are engaged, questioning why the photo is styled like this. 

The next image is similar to the previous which I have used, as this is overlooking London standing on a bride, however is surrounded by different scenery. I have taken this particular image as the scenery is simplistic, allowing the audiences attention to be focused mainly on the image and not diverted elsewhere. It also allows the audience to focus on the artists facial expression. I intend to use this picture on my digipak on a side where this just has one image on. This is because the image is not suited to the main cover of the digipak/advert as it needs to be mainly focused on the artist. I think that this image is conventional to the soul genre as it captures the emotion of the artist. It almost seems as though she is day dreaming, making the audience sympathize for her as this suggests the artist is trying to escape her surroundings for a short space of time. This could suggest a theme of guilt or unhappiness throughout the album and content of the lyrics, which may in turn build a relationship with the audience as it may seem as though the artist is singing for them, and they can relate as they may have been in this situation themselves. The image presents the artist as down to earth and humble as she is willing to express her natural emotion for the benefit of the audience, to empower them and make them feel as though they are not alone.

Another image that I have used is of the artist standing on a bridge, looking downward. I intend to use this specific picture on my digipak on the track list side. As again as previously mentioned I think that the image I want to use for the main side of the digipak will be a close up shot which represents the artist and the album in a unique way. I have taken this particular image as it has several typical aspects which represent the artist conventionally. The artist is looking downwards, this suggests that the artist could be day dreaming, possibly wanting to escape her thoughts and emotions which she is feeling at the current time or situation that she is in. This can be inferred to the audience that the artist is feeling guilty, possibly based around the subject of love and family. Not only does this make the audience sympathise for the artist, they could possibly relate as they may have been in this situation before and are looking for comfort in music to show that they are not alone. Additionally, the audience may admire the artist as she is willing to show her raw and natural emotion for every body to see in order to comfort others, this enables the audience and artist to begin to build a relationship as they feel as though the artist is humble and down to earth.

I have taken an image throughout the filming process of a candle holder, which has many different warm tone colours, which I intend to use on my digipak, more specifically on the message to the audience. I have taken this image as I feel as though this is a unique image to use on my digipak. Most of the sides on my digipak include some picture of the artist mainly a close up or her looking somewhere else as though she is day dreaming. I feel as though this image is both conventional and subversive to the soul music genre. It is subversive due to the fact that not many artists have chosen to do something like this before, because as previously mentioned most digipak are kept quite simple with a black, or dark background or with a picture of the artist to show the emotion and passion in the lyrics. However, I do believe that this is conventional to the genre due to the colours that are used. Pinks and red symbolize love and romance which is what the album is based upon, giving the audience an insight to what they can expect. Furthermore, the orange tones used throughout suggest positivity, which gives an insight to the artists personality as even though she is clearly in a depressive state and feeling low, she is still trying to remain positive in hope for the "light at the end of the tunnel". This shows the artist as strong willed, which the audience may begin to build a relationship with the artist as this is something that they admire her for.

Another image which I have included on my digipak is shown on the main, front slide. This is of the artist looking downwards. I have chosen this image as it again represents the artist stereotypically. It seems as though the artist is upset and down about a particular subject, which could suggest the themes which run throughout the album. This may interest and engage the audience as they may gain an insight to the humbleness and how down to earth the artist is. Additionally, may make the audience build a relationship with the artist as they feel as though they are not going through the situation alone, as though they have someone else who is also going through the similar situation. of the artist trying to forget about something she feels guilty about, by staring into space. Furthermore the picture is conventional to the soul genre through the representation of the artist. It could be portrayed to the audience that the artist is staring into space. This is where it is known to have "zoned out" of the current time not being intact and forgetting about their inner emotion. Inferring guilt which could be a possible insight to a theme which occurs throughout the album.

Lastly, I have taken this particular image to be the main image for my individual magazine advert. This particular image is conventional to my chosen genre of soul due to a number of conventional aspects. Firstly, the use of colour is conventional to my individual magazine advert through the main use of the colour black and white as this is the effect of the whole advert. The effect helps to represent the artist stereotypically. Black suggests the artists depressive state and emotions swell as the colour white contrasting this with connotations of innocence and vulnerability. The two colours combined allow the audience to sympathise for the artist as feeling both vulnerable and depressed must be difficult to cope with. Allowing the audience to build a relationship with the artist as they can empathise with her, or may have been in this particular situation themselves. This presents the artist as down to earth and ordinary which the audience can relate to as she is similar to the audience, just like a regular person. The use of black and white could also suggest to the audience how the artist is reflecting on her past life and reminiscing on happier times before she found fame, which could lead to an insight of what the audience can expect from the album. Another conventional aspect of the image i have chosen for my individual magazine advert is the positioning and facial expressions of the artist. The artist is seen to be looking down in the image, with an expression which makes her look fed up and upset. It appears as though the artist is day dreaming, which she is possibly trying to escape her current thoughts of guilt and inner emotion. This could be family or love based which makes this more relatable for the audience. In turn, this could begin to build a relationship between the artist and audience as it seems as though the artist is able to trust them with how she is feeling, this also may feel to the audience that they have somebody to talk to about a situation almost like the artist is the audiences friend, which may be comforting to them. 

In conclusion, I found taking pictures for the photo shoot an enjoyable and easy task to complete. This is because all we had to do was take several photographs of the artist in which she was already in the clothing from filming previous to this. We had taken photos even in natural states and random places to capture what may work well on our digipak. The more images that we had taken, the more chance we had of finding an image which would work well with our theme. We felt that the shots that we took worked well as we took images that helped to portray to the audience what our music video was based upon, this could be seen through scenery and facial expression of the artist which gives an insight to themes which occur. One problem which our group encountered with picture taking is that the majority of our group liked the same picture in which one would want to have for a specific reason. Looking back, we could have taken even more shots to avoid this problem and have planned out specific images we needed to take rather than the artist posing naturally as we had multiple shots which looked similar. 

Individual Magazine Advert Analysis

Individual Magazine Advert

Alongside creating our music video we also created our individual magazine advert. The aim of creating my own individual magazine advert is to promote the artists album to the target audience. The magazine advert includes many conventional aspects to the artists genre which will engage the audience as this is something they are wanting and expecting to see. Additionally to this, the aspects included in the magazine advert allow the audience to think about certain connotations which may suggest what the content of the album may contain, allowing the audience to decide whether or not they may be interesting in purchasing the album.

Within my individual magazine advert I have included certain elements which I have aimed to engage my target audience to promote my artist effectively. An element which I have included in my individual magazine advert is the use of colour. The predominant use of colour in my individual magazine advert is black and white. This helps to ensure that other aspects of the advert are bold and stand out to engage the audience, an example of this is the artists lips, and the first letter of the title 'Amy' and the second part of the title '18' which is not obvious but can be seen if you look into the advert in depth. The colours black and white are a typical convention of most soul magazine adverts, as this helps to convey the artists emotions. The black used within the effect helps to suggest the artists depressive state and sadness. This allows the audience to sympathize as they may be able to relate in some way, additionally the artist is allowing the audience to see her true and natural emotion which shows her as down to earth. The white contrasts this and suggests innocence and vulnerability of the artist which could again make the audience sympathize for the artist as the combination of both vulnerability, sadness and depression can be a mix that leaves the artist feeling very low, in which the audience may be able to relate or realise this is not a state of mind which any person should be in. Furthermore, both colours combined help to suggest positivity and negativity which may infer events which have occurred in her life. This could help to show to the audience that the artist is reminiscing on memories in which she was most happy before she found fame. Additionally, another colour which I have included in my individual magazine advert is red which is subversive to the music genre. As apposed to the colours which are usually conventional, red is not the stereotypical connotation of a soul music genre as this suggests that the artist has a lot of self confidence, whereas stereo typically the artist may be perceived as shy. However, this suggests to the audience that the artist is a down to earth person who has determination to reach the 'light at the end of the tunnel' which may gain admiration from the audience as they then can believe in themselves to have the same motivation as the artist to get through a particular situation they may be in. Furthermore, the colour red represents the artist stereo typically because the topic in which the artist is singing about is based on love, passion and emotion which are connotations of the colour red. This allows the audience to have an insight of what the album may contain and whether this would interest them or not. 

A conventional aspect of my individual magazine advert is the image that I have used. It can be seen that the artist is looking down in the image, which has several typical connotations. The image which we have used is a close up shot of the artist which helps to convey her facial expressions and body language. This helps to show the artists eyes looking down, this could be seen as the artist is almost day dreaming, which is where it is as though you are not in the moment as you are thinking about something deeply for a short space of time and are not involved in your surroundings, inferring to the audience that the artist would like to forget about the current situation she is in. This pose also has connotations of guilt, which the artist may be feeling. Additionally, this could suggest not only guilt, but possibly regret as she is channeling her inner emotions which could relate to love or family. Not only does this represent the artist, it also enables a relationship to build due to the audience believing that the artist almost feels as though she can trust her audience by exposing her feelings and personal situations in a raw and natural state which the audience may admire as they see the artist in a different light, as a down to earth and ordinary person. This also helps the audience to gain and insight into what the artists music may be based on and consist of, as they may be able to relate in some way. Furthermore, the layout of my individual magazine advert is conventional to the genre. This is because although my image that I have used isn't central to the advert is is the most predominate feature which the audience will focus their attention on most. The reason for this positioning of the image is that the attention that the audience is focusing on the advert is mainly on the artist and isn't diverted away to secondary information such as the title or release date that may not be important as the recognition of the artist which will remind the audience to look at the album. This again allows the audience to focus on the emotion of the artist which reiterates how vulnerable she is again making the audience sympathising for her. Additionally, allows the audience to have an insight into what the album may contain. 

Furthermore, the font which I have included for my main title of "Amy 18" is in a bold, yet simple font which has also been written in capitals to capture the audiences attention immediately. The simplicity of the font ties in with conventional aspects of the soul genre as this relates to the music of the artist with the lyrics explaining simply how the artist is feeling, presenting her as down to earth and allows the audience to begin to build a relationship as they gain an insight to the artists personality. The black and white shades used in the title help to reiterate how the artist is mainly reflecting on her past throughout her album, as well as the subtle red shade behind specific letters enabling the audience to realise the album contains topics surrounding love and heartbreak, which engages the audience as they sympathize for her. This may also draw the audience in as they can relate to these situations and are looking for comfort in somebody who can relate to them. Additionally to this the secondary piece of information and the language used stating the artist "presents her new album" which engages the audience immediately as this could be a raw talent which is not discovered for many which they could possibly enjoy due to being able to listen about different voices and opinions on a subject that they can relate to. In relation to the typography used, the style in which I have made this font is similar to hand writing, which is conventional also as this again does not divert the audiences attention but is enough to engage the target audience due to the simplicity. The font style helps to give a personal approach and touch to the advert, as though it has been signed to the audience and written for the audience. This helps the audience to feel empowered as they feel as though the artist may be in a similar situation and have someone to relate to. This also represents the artist as humble and down to earth as it shows they have not let fame get to them, and showing that she wants to still keep in contact with her audience and show them that she is grateful for all support, in which the audience admire. 

To create my individual magazine advert I used Photoshop, in which I encountered problems with using specific tools on the software. Firstly I struggled with the concept of using different layers on the advert in order to place different effects or titles which I wanted on my advert. The reason for this is so that it is easier to move and change the different layers instead of creating a confusion with what needs to go where. I did however quickly get used to this aspect of the software as I realized the concept which made sense and was easier as then multiple effects and layers would not interrupt the use of another. Additionally to this, another concept in which I struggled with was creating the desired effect which I wanted to include. For example, I wanted to create a vignette effect which is a darker, shadowed border surrounding the image which changes the feel of the image as it creates a focus on the main image. I did not know originally how I was going to create this effect as I had not used the software much previously to this task, and the multiple tools seemed very confusing. To overcome this problem, I researched what I wanted to add to my advert on the internet and came across a YouTube video which gave a step by step guide of instructions which I paused during every step and ended up with the result that I wanted. Aside from this, I did have some strengths in regards to using Photoshop software. As I came to grips with using the software it became clearer of how I would achieve my main aspect of the advert, which is the removal of the black and white filter to leave out the parts of red such as the lips. This was created by using the eraser tool on top of the black and white filter which left the original colour of the image, I feel as though this helped with creating a successful advert as it allowed the audience to think of the connotations of this colour and gave them an insight of what they can expect from the album.

In conclusion, I believe that by individual magazine advert conforms with the soul genres stereotypical conventions, as I have included aspects which are included in similar artists adverts to appeal to my target audience. An example could be the image used, which helps to represent the artists emotions, this may engage the audience as they can relate to the artist and feel as they may not be alone in a situation. Additionally, the handwriting style again makes it feel as though there is a personal approach to the advert almost as though the artist is signing the album over to them, or has written it for them, this engages the audience as this is an admirable touch which the audience may feel thought of during the process of making the album.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Risk assessments are essential for the process of any media production. The purpose risk assessments is to prevent potential hazards and risks occurring throughout the filming process. Once we have discussed all possible risks which we may encounter, we can then try to prevent these hazards from occurring, or make the chance of them happening lower. By lowering these risks, this will ensure every member of the group is safer, and makes the overall production a quicker process as all potential hazards are dealt with beforehand. A risk assessment not only allows the group to plan out potential risks and how to prevent them. But also suggests alternative methods which can be used in the filming process if the hazard will harm or jeopardize a member of the groups safety. 

One high impact risk which could occur during our filming process is the risk of falling of the stage during the acting and filming process. This could potentially harm all members of the group which may be on the stage itself, or helping to film by setting up the camera equipment on stage. To ensure that this risk does not occur during the filming process we will aim to put masking tape along the edge of the stage to make the edge clearly visible to all members of the group and that they are aware and apparent he edge of the stage is close to them, ensuring that they will stay slightly further away. An alternative to this, is to film on the ground instead of the stage and set the ground up as though it is a stage including all the props in which I would originally include. We did not find that this hazard was potentially threatening to any of the group members safety. We were all well aware of the wires as we had marked them with bright tape which made this obvious to all members of the group to be aware when walking near the wires.

Another risk which could occur during filming, however is a low impact risk if this does occur is the possibility of rain getting on our camera equipment which we will use to film our music video. To ensure that the camera equipment does not get damaged in the process of filming our music video we will also take an umbrella to hold over the camera to ensure none of the rain lands on it. We will also make sure that we take the case which the camera is held in, so that if the rain becomes too heavy and may severely affect the functions of the camera we can put the camera away until the weather has cleared up slightly. An alternative to this plan if weather conditions are too difficult to film in would be to film a different scene which is located either in a different place or preferably inside so that the equipment will not be damaged. However, we did not encounter this specific risk of rain damaging our equipment. This was because we filmed most of our scenes indoors, or when we were filming outside the weather was dry, and therefore was no risk of damaging the equipment. 

Furthermore, another risk which is possible, but not likely making this a low impact risk, is our group being separated and getting lost in London. To ensure that all members of our group stick together at all times, we will make sure we all have a contact for every member of the group in case one is lost, so a meeting place can be arranged. Additionally, a meeting point could be suggested before filming takes place were all members of the group agree to meet if a member of group is missing for a long period of time, which will be easily recognizable for all members and can carry on with the filming as soon as possible. Furthermore, whilst filming in London, a potential risk which we may have encountered is the loss of theft of our equipment due to the business of the location which we may not have noticed the missing equipment straight away. An alternative option for this is to remain in pairs within the group so no member will be alone at any point ensuring that they will not get lost in the filming process seeing as London can be a large place. We did not encounter the risk of loosing group members as we tried to ensure at all times each member of the group was still there, and ensured we all had a source of contacting each member of the group just in case of this hazard. The only hazard we had encountered was the business of the location. In which we ensured to use the equipment which holds the camera and tripod, to make sure they were secure and would not be able to be taken easily when walking down a busy street. 

Additionally, a high impact risk during the filming process could be the factor of filming during the dark conditions. This could impact all members of our group as we would all be filming in these conditions at some point which could lead to possible injuries due to not being able to see where you are going. To try and prevent this risk from occurring we will ensure to take other sources of light with us whilst we are filming in the darker conditions, this could include a torch or the use of a phone light. However, if the visibility is too poor on an occasion were we need to film it may be possible to rearrange the filming time and day, or a different location which may work just as well. We did not encounter this risk throughout the filming process. This is because the majority of filming which we did was throughout the day time, in which we had daylight and were able to see any obstacles on the floor which may jeopardize the member of the groups safety. 

The fifth factor which may cause risk during the filming process is trailing leads. This is a high impact risk as all members of the group can be affected as this could result in tripping/falling over the wires as they may not be noticeable. To try and prevent this risk from occurring we will apply masking tape over the wires which will make them clear and obvious to all members of the group which allows trips and falls to be avoided. Furthermore, if the wires are attached to the iconography which we are using to film and cannot have tape over them as this will ruin the shot we will insure that all members of the group are standing well behind the wires to prevent any incidents. We did not encounter this risk throughout the filming process as masking tape clearly helped to point out the wires, in which all members of the group avoided the wires in order to prevent any hazards occurring.

Lastly, another risk is moving the piano for the filming process. This is a high impact risk as this could possibly affect all members of the group as lifting could result in injury. In order to move the heavy iconography we should lift the piano in the correct position to maneuver the prop without it falling which could result in injury for members of the group. A back up plan for this if the object is too heavy to move is to leave the piano in the same place which we found it in, but if we need a different backdrop for filming purposes we could use different coloured sheets such as black for the performance scenes which would create the same effect, also resulting in not injuring a member of the group. We did not find this risk affected any members of our group. This was because when moving the piano we did not have to move it very far, only a few centimeters forward. In which all members helped to move the piano so this was not too heavy and did not injure any members of the group.

Overall, I think that creating a risk assessment was beneficial to the production of my music video, as this allowed me to see that even minor hazards could effect the groups safety. Furthermore, the risk assessment helps to plan ahead and think of ways in which we could prevent these possible risks in order to keep everybody safe. We did not encounter any major risks throughout the filming process.The only minor risk was the location of London. This was how we had to be extra careful in looking after the equipment to make sure it was close to a member of the group at all times, in case throughout the busy streets it went unnoticed that a piece of the equipment was missing.  The risk assessment additionally helped with planning our filming schedule. This is because it helped us plan around problems which we could possibly encounter to save us time and plan ahead to create solutions before the problem occurs. Furthermore, we have also thought of back up plans which we would be able to use in case filming can't go ahead due to a particular safety risk and ways around this in order to still complete the filming process for our music video.

Filming Schedule

Filming Schedule

A filming schedule is a projected plan of each day's shooting and is important in preparation for any production as this states when and where the production is taking places and what resources are needed. We created our filming schedule on a word document, in a chart style format. The chart explains what date we will be filming along with the location which particular shots will be filmed. The table also includes the shot type which we are hoping to film with the iconography which will also need to be included in the shot. A filming schedule is beneficial to our production because this helps us to decide which scenes we will be filming on particular days. For example, if we have more than one shot/scene located in the same location, we will film all scenes together in order to save time and make sure we use our time given efficiently. Furthermore, as there are certain scenes which are located at a location which is a sufficient distance from the majority of scenes we are filming, such as London, we have organised our filming schedule so that we will try to film all of the scenes which we need on one day so that we do not need to travel back and forth to the location and can use our time wisely and efficiently and could continue with the editing phase of our music video.  

In conclusion, my group have found planning a filming schedule very useful, as this has help us to set out a structure on the basis of deciding when to film specific shots and how to use our time that we have efficiently. This enabled us to realise that it was beneficial to film all scenes that are in one particular location at the same time as this is less time consuming. We planned which location we would shoot first based on our storyboards, the location which requires the most shots we went to first to ensure that we could film these first as they would take up the majority of our time. These scenes were filmed in London. After this, we went on to film the scenes which we could easily access such as in our School hall for the use of the stage. By organizing a time and date which we wanted to use the hall we were able to negotiate times as the hall could have been in use at a particular time and we need to schedule when was the best time for us to use it. After we had filmed the majority of scenes, with timing left over we have realized that the scenes which we filmed in London do not create the effect that we wanted to in our music video and we feel as though they are not engaging enough for our target audience due to the scenery being dull and full of buildings and construction. Since we have used our time wisely with our filming schedule we still have time to re-shoot our scenes of London in a different location which we will think carefully about to include scenery which is engaging for our target audience and can help to make our music video look professional. We did not follow our filming schedule completely. The changes that we made include not being able to film the London scenes due to a variety of reasons. We originally planned to film in London, and the change of weather changed our plans as this was to dark, windy and rainy to film in and would not have created the effect that we wanted. The second time we wanted to film these particular films the camera which we were hoping to use was in use from another group, so the back up camera did not have enough battery so could not continue with the filming. Furthermore, we added additional scenes which were the artist performing on the piano, we decided to add more of these particular shots because the entire music video was more than 4 minutes long and we needed shots which we could add in to continuously change the shot, so that the music video is more intriguing and engaging for the audience to watch. Throughout this process i have learnt that a filming schedule is important to the filming process. This is because it sets out days in which we could possibly film particular scenes and allows us to see what scenes can be filmed altogether to save us more time. Also allowing us to go back and re-film certain scenes if need be.

Planning Individual Digipak

Planning Individual Digipak

A digipak is a paperboard or cardboard binded book style which contains one or more plastic trays within. Digipak style cases were not used until the popularity grew when artists began using them in the early 2000's. They are often used for special editions of CD albums. This is in comparison to a Jewel CD case first released in 1982 which is a compact disc which was a three piece plastic case which contained the CD and a back card with liner notes also. This type of CD is constructed into 4 sides, with most detail located on the front and back which means that this is most likely to grab peoples attention and make them want to purchase the album. The Jewel CD case is plastic which means all paper and contents inside of the case is protected and would last much longer than a different material would. Additionally, the Jewel CD case contains lyrics of the song in case the audience may want to learn the lyrics to feel closer and more relatable to the artist. In comparison the Digipak is a special edition CD containing higher quality images and helps to display further meaning. The Digipak will contain a letter or a note from the artist which is directed to the audience from the artist which helps to give a personal feel for the audience and they feel as though they get to know the artists personality. The digipak occasionally contains a bonus track to the album whereas a CD may not include this, therefore it is more beneficial for the audience to purchase this version instead of the original as they can hear more music from the artist which they like. The digipak also has 6 sides to it, this allows opportunity for the visible artwork to be seen more clearly and engage the target audience, as well as leaving room for information or promotions of the artist. The digipak is not easily ripped when compared to the Jewel CD case as when the case is removed it may cause damage. Lastly, on a digipak all information is easily seen and very easy to access which makes this more appealing for the audience to purchase.

My task after analyzing Digipak from an artist from our chosen music genre was to create our own individual Digipak for our music video. The digipak contains a front cover, a track list of the artists album and songs that the audience can expect to hear when they listen. The CD that of the chosen artist, after this a note is included from our music artist which is written from the artist, to the audience which are her fans. The last two sections of the digipak and pictures that we will have taken before hand and used on Photoshop. The two pictures relate to the music video and may be recognizable to the audience from the music video. The first element of my digipak which I thought about were the colours which I was going to include. The main conventional aspect shown in my individual digipak is the representation of the artist. This is because through the use of imagery the artist is seen to be sad, and feeling down about her current situation. Furthermore, My digipak will be mostly in black and white, however I could not show this through my drawings as there was no way to illustrate this. These particular colours help to suggest and portray to the audience the artists emotion, how low and depressed she is currently feeling. This representation of the artist could illustrate to the audience that how she is feeling may reflect in her music content, so they may now know what they can expect. Contrasting this, the colour white is used additionally to create the black and white filtered effect. The colour white usually suggest innocence, which immediately makes the audience sympathize for the artist because when they compare the innocence to how low she is feeling, the artist can be represented as vulnerable and may not know what she is thinking due to mixed emotions. The two colours contrasting each other could also suggest that she is reflecting on her past, the black and white suggesting positivity and negativity which could remind her of her life before fame and after, giving the audience a taste of what they can expect to see within the music video as well as the digipak. The use of these two colours are stereotypical of the soul music genre because it helps to show the artists feelings which they are commonly seen to feel low and down, this also presents the artist as down to earth as she is willing to show the audience her true, raw emotion that she may not necessarily want to be seen. Furthermore, I will also use a variation of colour within my music video which have connotations to help represent the artist stereo typically and subversively. Aspects of red will be used throughout my digipak, this helps to portray the artist as a strong willed and fiery character, which is not stereotypical of a soul music artist as they are usually quiet due to their low emotion and vulnerable state, this could gain the artist respect and be seen as admirable from the audience as they see how she is trying, and is determined to make a change to how she is feeling, and not letting her situation get the better of her and may understand the feeling of not wanting to give up on something. However, in contrast to this representation is stereotypical to the soul music genre because it suggest what the audience can expect the artists music to be based on, love and romance. The re occurrence of the colour red could also suggest an issue that keeps arising in the artists life which she can't seem to forget. This could reiterate to the audience the narrative of the song which we have chosen in regards to the artist keep thinking about her past life before she found fame and how much happier she was previously. Additionally, I have used several different images throughout my digipak which help to represent our music artist. The main image in which I will be using on the front of my digipak is the artist looking downwards, which from this the audience can infer that the artist is feeling low and vulnerable as this is a natural expression for somebody who is upset. This could be due to the topics which the artist is addressing in her lyrics. Connotations of looking downwards also can be seen as somebody feeling guilty, which the audience could infer that a theme of guilt runs throughout the album when the album addresses family, love and her personal life, the audience could relate to this in some way as they also may have own personal regrets involving their personal life which relieves them of guilt as it is comforting for the audience to know somebody else is also feeling this way which helps to build a relationship between the two of them as the artist is represented as a down to earth, ordinary girl as she is willing to show her own emotion in order to comfort her audience. Furthermore, the artist not being able to look at the camera and instead is looking downwards suggest that the artist has a low and and lack of confidence. This helps to build a relationship between the artist and the audience as they can see that she is struggling to handle her emotion, as the artist seems as though she is "staring into space" to avoid her emotions so she does not have to constantly think about this, this suggests to the audience that the artist is weak and vulnerable as she is wanting to escape her surroundings for a short space of time to forget what she is thinking and going through currently in her mind. Another image that I will include on my digipak is one of the artist playing the piano from a sideways view. This helps to suggest that the artist is multi-talented an can do more to engage her audience than just sing like a lot of artists do currently. This helps to gain respect from her audience as they can she the passion she is putting into her music from performing the instrument herself and from the facial expressions which can be seen slightly from the angle that is used. Most of the images used are set out conventionally to the soul music genre in a simplistic way which does not distract the audiences attention from un-focusing them of the image which has several connotations which helps to represent the artist. The image is laid out central to the layout as this will be the main focus for the audience as they are most likely to recognize the artist first which will immediately draw their attention in. The second part of the digipak the audience are most likely to focus on next is the use of typography. The way I have set out my digipak uses minimal typography due to the conventional aspect of simplicity and not wanting to draw away the audiences attention. The main title is in a bold font, but will be centered behind the main, focal image as this is what I would like the audience to focus on last, however make it known who the artist is and intrigue the audience. Below this, I will also include a slogan for the artist which helps to present the album, which I hope to use an italic, handwritten font. The use of this particular font gives a personal touch to the album and makes the audience feel as though the album is creating for them only, which possibly makes them feel happier and empowered as they may feel if they are in a similar situation or can relate to the artists songs that they are no longer alone. The style of the writing helps to present the artist as humble and down to earth as it is clear that thought and effort may have gone into this album and is wanting to produce something that the audience will want, in comparison to many artists who have let fame "get to them" and are interested in the profit of their album. Lastly, the language which I have used has again remained simple on the front cover of the album as I am not wanting to divert the audiences attention. However, the use of the term "presents" in the slogan which I will include makes the album more personal to the audience, as though the artist has created this album for the audience and giving it to them personally. This helps to represent the artist as unique and down to earth as it comes across that she has taken time to create something that she hopes will be personal for the audience. Following on from this point, the letter to the audience also helps to create a personal approach due to the unique and quirkiness of the letter of the artist including her own songs to create a message. This also helps to build a relationship between the artist and the audience as they get to see a glimpse of the artists personality and how she is trying to interact and engage with her audience and not remain ordinary like other artists.

In conclusion, I feel that researching and planning my individual digipak is beneficial as it allowed me to think about conventional aspects which I would like to include in my own digipak in order to gain attention and engage my target audience. Additionally, I found that planning my individual digipak has been useful in regards for preparing me to decide what pictures I would like to use when we come to the stage of using Photoshop. This is because I have set out my Digipak in the structure it is usually set out in, and have drawn pictures which I would like to include. I now know when taking pictures for my Digipak what i need to take. This is beneficial of my time as I can try to get an accurate shot as possible to the ones that I have drawn as I feel as though these shots are the most recognizable for the audience as these shots are seen frequently throughout our music video. Furthermore, If I then if I have time left take several different shots in case I do not like the originals that I had taken to try and improve my Digipak. 

Music Video Inspirations

Music Video Inspirations

This task involved analysing many different styles and genres of music videos which contained many different conventions and aspects which have in turn, given me inspiration when creating my own soul music video. The inspirations that I hope to include have not been taken from my selected genre, but from a varied range of genres in which I think will achieve my desired effect in my music video and help to engage the audience as they are watching.

Music Video 1: Charlie Puth - Marvin Gaye

The first video in which I have analysed is Charlie Puth with his music video of "Marvin Gaye". From analysing this music video it can be seen that the style of the music video is a combination of both a narrative based video and performance based also. I have taken inspiration from this music video and hope to include this when I begin filming my own music video which is based on the soul genre of music. This style of music video usually includes both narrative and performance based music video styles, as this allows for the audience to understand what is happening in regards to the narrative of the music video as well as the artist being able to portray their emotion behind the lyrics to the song through the use of performance. This also helps to build a relationship between the artist and audience as they can see through the use of close ups and body language of the artist throughout the performance scenes how passionate the artist is of their music. 

Music Video 2: John Legend - All of Me

The second music video which I have analysed is "All of Me" by John Legend. The first aspect of the music video which I noticed supports my first point and inspiration which I will include in my music video, of the artist including two style's in the music video, including a performance and narrative based music video. Again, I would like to include this within my music video as I feel that this is more engaging for the audience to watch as it not only allows them to understand the lyrics of the song more clearly, but also enables them to relate to the artist on the basis of how much passion the artist displays through the performance aspect of the video. Additionally to this, another aspect of the music video which I would like to incorporate into my music video when I come to planning this is the use of a black and white editing filter. This can be seen throughout the entire music video from the artist John Legend, but I would want to incorporate this technique throughout certain aspects of my music video so that it is more engaging for the audience and has a purpose. The use of different colours in the music video can be intriguing for the audience as it suggests different moods, or possibly different time periods which could be significant to the narrative of the music video and make it easier for the audience to follow along. The use of the colours black and white could also represent the artist within our soul music video conventionally as this helps to portray their low and depressive state in regards to the lyrics which is stereotypical of a soul music artist.

Music Video 3: Duffy - Warwick Avenue




Furthermore, I have watched the artist Duffy's music video for her song "Warwick Avenue" which consists of the artist seeming upset in the back of what appears to be a taxi as she is being taken somewhere. I am wanting to include this, and have taken inspiration of this idea as this is how I would like my artist to also be represented throughout our music video. I would like the artist to appear emotional and low which will help to build a relationship with the artist and the audience as the audience feel as though the artist is not trying to hide her true, and raw emotions that have been provoked due to the subject which she is singing about. This presents the artist as down to earth and genuine which will in turn gain respect from the audience. Not only this, but it is also engaging for the audience to watch as they may be able to relate in some way to how the artist is feeling. This would not be interesting to watch for the audience if the artist carried out a monotone expression whilst singing lyrics with meaning and emotion. 

Music Video 4: Ella Henderson - Yours

Another music video which I have analysed is "Yours" by artist Ella Henderson. The first inspiration that I have taken from this music video is the use of a black and white filter throughout the music video. I have taken inspiration of this technique from previous music videos and have noticed it also in this music video. The different colours such as black and white help to represent the artists depressive state and also allows the audience to think deeply into the narrative questioning the purpose of the filter, whether or not this represents a different time period for the artist. Additionally to this which I have previously mentioned, is also the use of a combination of music styles. In this music video the artist includes both narrative and performance based music video styles. This is more engaging for the audience to watch as they can see the emotion and passion behind the artists performance alongside the narrative style which helps to make the narrative more clear for the audience. Lastly, another inspiration in which I have taken from this particular music video is the use of an editing technique. This is when the artist seems to be layered over a building. I would like to use this technique within my music video as I feel as though this helps to represent the artists emotional state and her feelings, also representing the artist as vulnerable which is a conventional representation of a soul music artist. This could suggest that the artist has many different mixed emotions and is confused in the way that she is feeling, making the audience sympathize for the artist as they may be able to relate to the artist in some way.


Music Video 5: Birdy - Skinny Love

The fifth music video which I have analysed is from the artist Birdy and her song "Skinny Love". From analysing this specific music video I have taken inspiration from conventions in which she has included. The main inspiration that I would like to incorporate into my music video is the use of different styles of lighting. Within this music video, the lighting changes dramatically from being low key lighting, to high/natural lighting. By incorporating this into my music video this helps to represent to the audience the different moods and emotions which the artist is feeling. This could suggest that one moment the artist may be feeling okay and not so emotional, then the next in a low, emotional and depressive state which is conventional of the soul artist. The mix of emotions and state that the artist is represented as could suggest vulnerability which is another conventional representation of a soul artist. This in turn may make the audience more engaged as they are focusing on different key lighting elements which suggest the artists mood and emotions which may make them sympathize for the artist.

Music Video 6: Rihanna - Stay

The last music video in which I have analysed is "Stay" by artist Rihanna. From this specific music video I have taken inspiration as I would like to incorporate multiple close ups within my music video, which typically is a tight frame to capture a person or object. I would use this when the artist is singing as this helps to display the passion and emotion that she feels towards her lyrics. This helps to establish the relationship between the artist and the audience as they see her true, raw emotions up close which most people would not usually be able to see as this is something private which the artist may not want to share with the outside world. This presents the artist as natural and down to earth as she is willing to share her emotion with the audience which gives them an insight to her personality which nobody has seen before. The audience feel as though they are beginning to know the artist as they have shared their emotions and feelings which is something you would usually do if you were close to somebody and felt as though you could trust them with her emotions. This particular shot is conventional to the soul genre because it helps to illustrate the artists vulnerability and sadness through the facial expressions, which reiterates what the artist is singing about, and how this makes her feel. This makes the audience sympathise for the artist as they may have been in this situation before.

Our group have already selected the genre of soul to be what our music video is based on. Knowing this, I am considering choosing one of three separate songs from soul music artists. The first includes, "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" by artist Paloma Faith. I have taken this song into consideration on the basis that I think that my group will be able to come up with a unique narrative which matches the meaning behind the lyrics which also can be easily understood, yet engaging for our target audience. Furthermore, the next two songs which I have taken into consideration to use for making our own music video are from the artist Adele. I have considered both songs "Someone Like You" and "Hometown Glory". Again, as previously mentioned I believe that both of these particular songs allow my group to come up with a narrative which relates to the lyrics of the song, in which the target audience may also be able to relate to and understand easily, which is the main concept we are hoping to achieve with our music video, this is the audience remain engaged throughout with a narrative which they enjoy and can understand. However, both of these songs can contain a concept which I have been inspired by from several music videos. This is to include both a narrative and performance based music video style which allows for the audience to become further engaged as they can also see the passion and determination as they see the artist perform the lyrics. I am going to share all three songs which I have selected to my group, in hope that they will have also selected similar songs for similar reasons which will allow our group to include several concepts which are stereotypical to the genre of music which we have selected.