ADVERT
FRONT OF DIGIPAK
BACK OF DIGIPAK
MUSIC VIDEO
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
FEEDBACK on Music Video
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
We decided to publish our video to YouTube before the final edit in order to collect as much feedback as possible, it essentially gave us an extra week before we'd completely finished to take into account any improvements that were suggested and we might be able to achieve. The original version is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CTycXjfRkw
I not only uploaded this to YouTube asking for comments, but I also showed the video to others and asked them questions about it while we all posted a link on facebook to get as many people to comment as possible.
The main concerns that were mentioned about the original upload where those that we were already aware, a bit of the lip syncing at the beginning was slightly out of time, some of the transitions between shots were too abrupt or rough and some areas didn’t have effects where they would be suited. A couple of people also mentioned the dancing and werent sure what we were doing in Pyjamas. The majority of the feedback from Facebook and YouTube was positive although individualy we didnt manage to recieve much of a response, luckily because all three of us each asked different people we were able to all use this and take it into account.
Positive comments:
'The voiceover is in time with the music'
'The fades look really effective'
The video had a 'Good Story Line'
'The bits with the bed [work] because the songs to do with dreams'
Negative comments:
'Needs some syncing'
'At the end you can see the boy and girl laughing'
'The dancing in Pyjamas is a little random'
'Guitar playing isnt very realistic'
We also received a few comments regarding the shots with the guitar as it was a little too obvious that Jess wasn’t really playing; this meant that in our final edit we experimented with a similar effect to the one we’d used in the dancing shots, this disguised the lack of playing a bit as we didn’t have any other usable footage to replace it with.
Most of the people we were asking were in the 15-25 age bracket, which, as I established in my previouus blog on target audience, is where the vast majority of her fans lie. I've made sure to send to both males and females as different evidence has shown me that both genders are interested in her music.
FINAL VIDEO FEEDBACK: Shortly after uploading and recieving response for the preliminary video, we had the chance to complete our editing. Due to the restricted amount of time we had to limit what we would change for the final video. The first thing we changed was syncing up the begining of the video, this meant very slightly changing the lengths and timings of some of the first shots. The next thing was to add the 'echo' effect to the first dance shot as we had overlooked this originally. We also added this effect to some of the guitar scenes where we'd changed the parts of the footage that we used in order to make it seem more realistic and hide that she wasnt really playing. We played around a bit with the timings in the final scenes to cut out as much of the laughing as possible and overall we smoothed out some transitions by adding fades and blurs. None of us had time to upload the video to YouTube straight away as it takes a long time, so instead I added it to Googledocs and posted a link on Facebook and our original YouTube video.
I also sent an email via facebook to all the people I could think of that either study Media, Art or Photography as well as anyone I thought would give feedback to try and get as many responses as possible.
Again, it was mentioned that the pyjamas looked random and out of place; I don’t think it was very clear that the majority of the video takes place in a dream. If we were planning this again then maybe we would look at ways of making it seem a bit more dreamy, for example if we were working on a large budget then we could easily create effects such as clouds to walk on that would emphasise this point more effectively than we’ve managed. Another slight criticism raised was that there are points in the video where the camera jumps quite quickly or moves in an odd pace; this would be fixed with possible reshooting or an extended amount of editing.
We did receive a lot of positive comments. For example it was mentioned that the miming was done really well and that the dancing on the table and repetition looked good.
It was also mentioned that by having the two bed scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end, it helps the video to have a story line. Another positive was that people thought the video was well edited and looked professional.
Another way of gathering feedback was to do mini interviews to determine what did and didnt work.
Interview One: Matt, aged 14
I did the first interview with my younger brother, meaning that he isn't quite included in the age bracket for the target audience and he wasnt really familiar with Ellie Goulding's music. The responses I recieved were brief but they were useful, for example it was yet again mentioned that the guitar scene seemed out of place.
Interview Two: Demelza, aged 18
The second interview I did was much more inside the target audience, and she was generally familiar with Ellie Gouldings work. I found she gave me some much more detailed and helpful answers although there wasnt any ideas for improvement. Yet again it was mentioned how well Jess acted the part of Ellie.
We decided to publish our video to YouTube before the final edit in order to collect as much feedback as possible, it essentially gave us an extra week before we'd completely finished to take into account any improvements that were suggested and we might be able to achieve. The original version is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CTycXjfRkw
I not only uploaded this to YouTube asking for comments, but I also showed the video to others and asked them questions about it while we all posted a link on facebook to get as many people to comment as possible.
The main concerns that were mentioned about the original upload where those that we were already aware, a bit of the lip syncing at the beginning was slightly out of time, some of the transitions between shots were too abrupt or rough and some areas didn’t have effects where they would be suited. A couple of people also mentioned the dancing and werent sure what we were doing in Pyjamas. The majority of the feedback from Facebook and YouTube was positive although individualy we didnt manage to recieve much of a response, luckily because all three of us each asked different people we were able to all use this and take it into account.
Positive comments:
'The voiceover is in time with the music'
'The fades look really effective'
The video had a 'Good Story Line'
'The bits with the bed [work] because the songs to do with dreams'
Negative comments:
'Needs some syncing'
'At the end you can see the boy and girl laughing'
'The dancing in Pyjamas is a little random'
'Guitar playing isnt very realistic'
We also received a few comments regarding the shots with the guitar as it was a little too obvious that Jess wasn’t really playing; this meant that in our final edit we experimented with a similar effect to the one we’d used in the dancing shots, this disguised the lack of playing a bit as we didn’t have any other usable footage to replace it with.
Most of the people we were asking were in the 15-25 age bracket, which, as I established in my previouus blog on target audience, is where the vast majority of her fans lie. I've made sure to send to both males and females as different evidence has shown me that both genders are interested in her music.
FINAL VIDEO FEEDBACK: Shortly after uploading and recieving response for the preliminary video, we had the chance to complete our editing. Due to the restricted amount of time we had to limit what we would change for the final video. The first thing we changed was syncing up the begining of the video, this meant very slightly changing the lengths and timings of some of the first shots. The next thing was to add the 'echo' effect to the first dance shot as we had overlooked this originally. We also added this effect to some of the guitar scenes where we'd changed the parts of the footage that we used in order to make it seem more realistic and hide that she wasnt really playing. We played around a bit with the timings in the final scenes to cut out as much of the laughing as possible and overall we smoothed out some transitions by adding fades and blurs. None of us had time to upload the video to YouTube straight away as it takes a long time, so instead I added it to Googledocs and posted a link on Facebook and our original YouTube video.
I also sent an email via facebook to all the people I could think of that either study Media, Art or Photography as well as anyone I thought would give feedback to try and get as many responses as possible.
Again, it was mentioned that the pyjamas looked random and out of place; I don’t think it was very clear that the majority of the video takes place in a dream. If we were planning this again then maybe we would look at ways of making it seem a bit more dreamy, for example if we were working on a large budget then we could easily create effects such as clouds to walk on that would emphasise this point more effectively than we’ve managed. Another slight criticism raised was that there are points in the video where the camera jumps quite quickly or moves in an odd pace; this would be fixed with possible reshooting or an extended amount of editing.
We did receive a lot of positive comments. For example it was mentioned that the miming was done really well and that the dancing on the table and repetition looked good.
It was also mentioned that by having the two bed scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end, it helps the video to have a story line. Another positive was that people thought the video was well edited and looked professional.
Another way of gathering feedback was to do mini interviews to determine what did and didnt work.
Interview One: Matt, aged 14
I did the first interview with my younger brother, meaning that he isn't quite included in the age bracket for the target audience and he wasnt really familiar with Ellie Goulding's music. The responses I recieved were brief but they were useful, for example it was yet again mentioned that the guitar scene seemed out of place.
Interview Two: Demelza, aged 18
The second interview I did was much more inside the target audience, and she was generally familiar with Ellie Gouldings work. I found she gave me some much more detailed and helpful answers although there wasnt any ideas for improvement. Yet again it was mentioned how well Jess acted the part of Ellie.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Evaluation
QUESTION ONE: In what ways does your video use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
QUESTION TWO: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
QUESTION THREE: Feeed back, see post above
QUESTION FOUR: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of all your products?
Here is the link to my PowerPoint presentation on the final question:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-MTZkZGU2MTItY2ZhMi00ZTM4LTlmNGUtMTk4YTk4ZTY5MWMz&hl=en
QUESTION TWO: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
QUESTION THREE: Feeed back, see post above
QUESTION FOUR: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of all your products?
Here is the link to my PowerPoint presentation on the final question:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-MTZkZGU2MTItY2ZhMi00ZTM4LTlmNGUtMTk4YTk4ZTY5MWMz&hl=en
Creative Camera Use
Blog 18 – Creative camera use
This should include clips of any interesting techniques or special effects you have used in the video. Explain how you created the effect and whether you think it has the desired effect.
Due W/C 28/03/11
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-MzkyZjE5NTItMDFiOS00ZWU0LTg2MzAtMmM2NDVjNjQ3OWVl&hl=en
This should include clips of any interesting techniques or special effects you have used in the video. Explain how you created the effect and whether you think it has the desired effect.
Due W/C 28/03/11
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-MzkyZjE5NTItMDFiOS00ZWU0LTg2MzAtMmM2NDVjNjQ3OWVl&hl=en
Rejected Footage
Clips from the video shoot that you are not using with explanations of why you have rejected them Due W/C 21/03/11
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-YjRhZDliZjMtNjFmZC00MGRiLWFiZDMtYWUyMjQwYWFiN2I4&hl=en
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2Xzmm6bQJK-YjRhZDliZjMtNjFmZC00MGRiLWFiZDMtYWUyMjQwYWFiN2I4&hl=en
Advert
I like that this advert seems to fade in from the black at the top, and it really draws attention down, while the white writing on black background stands out and is easy to read. The line accross the top emphasisises the importance of the title, while the capitals give the rest of the text an impact. The image is really eye-catching, while the symmetry is aesthetically pleasing; the thick black eyeliner around their eyes make them stand out and contrast to the paleness of the faces and shirts. I also like that the image is framed by the shape of the curtain in the background.
Again, I think the white text on black background is really effective, while the bright image also gives a good impact. This Advert was only half a magazine page in size, so I think the restricted amount of text is essential otherwise it would look to cluttered. The text that is there is pretty much the bare essentials, the name and statement 'OUT NOW'. The stars and marks out of ten are helpful with the 'advertising' aspect as it really bigs up the album, as does mentioning the 'Q Awards' nomination.
For my first flat plan, I went for a similar idea as ones explored in my digipack, inspired by existing images of Ellie Goulding:
I included a release date and star rating which i've found is included in a lot of album adverts and I've attempted to keep the same font and general brand identity.
My second advert took more inspiration from the other adverts i'd looked at, again I've added a release date and extra information. I've taken more of a graphic design approach to this as i'd like the eye to really attract attention so I'd enhance the blue colour while the rest of the image would be black and white, this way it stands out completely.
My third flat plan uses a double page spread design, rather than one magazine page. I used a background that would show a lot of open space and reflect the imagery we're creating in our music video. I've included a release date, star ratings, a quote and a small image of the front of my digipak because this format allows me more space than there would be on a single page advert.
I decided to use my second design as a base, but incorporated the star ratings I'd included in my other flat plans, I also changed around the text slightly and added a smaller picture of the front of the Digipak similar to what I'd suggested on the 3rd flat plan. I'm pleased with the outcome of the blue eye, and I think it stands out against the greyscale really well; I also like the text, it's the same font as I used for the Digipak and I wanted to keep the brand identity running accross.
FEEDBACK:
Along with the Digipak, I uploaded my advert into an album on facebook in order to recieve feedback, this is draft the version of my advert which I added with the idea that I had time to change anything that really didnt go down well. The general response I got was that the advert was better than either of the Digipak images. A few people suggested that the 'Bright Lights' title was a little lost and the text would benefit from being different colour which I do agree with, but I didnt want to be just using black for all of the text. A couple of people felt the eye could've been more centered which is something that hadn't occured to me, but i can understand that from a audiences point of view that would be more attractive to look at. After posting the ad online I then edited it slightly because I'd missed a few details and this gave me the oppertunity to respond to some specifics raised in the feedback; I aligned the text better as was suggested and I slightly rearranged the layout in a way that I thought would be a bit better.
CHANGES...
As you can see, I changed the advert slightly to fit with some suggestions I recieved in the feedback, while I also added the 'Polydor' logo and the website which I'd forgotten previously. I did two versions of this and then asked around and uploaded to facebook to find which one was prefered.
Option One:
This one is very similar to the one I originally put on Facebook for feeedback, in reponse I aligned the text more acurately so that the lines were directly underneath eachother.
Option Two:
In this second one, I changed the colour of the 'BRIGHT LIGHTS' text to make it more readable making the web address white and placing it underneath. I also followed the suggestiong that the eye should be bigger, and in Photoshop, instead of making the whole image bigger I just increased the size of the eye area. I moved around a few of the peices of text to help it fit.
I'd only asked the people who had already commented on the other advert and digipaks to vote because I knew I was more likely to get a response from these people. Overall, I found that my second final version was the most well recieved, with almost all the responses being that it was preffered, I stopped the voting on Sunday 13th March and thanked everyone for their comments.
Digipack
A promo pack is any promotional material for a song or artist, it can include posters, adverts and CD/DVD cases. In our promo pack we're including a Digipak. A digipak is a card caseing that can hold a CD or DVD and lists the songs and videos included, these are usually the same amount of tracks as an average album and can include both music videos and other related media. Our digipack should be related to the video, using similar imagery and themes so that they follow Ellie's style.
Madonna:
Digipaks are becoming more popular in recent times, however it is still difficult to find many mainstream examples. There was very little choice so I couldnt necessarily analyse ones from the exact genre of 'Folktronica' but I have chosen two which are by well-known artists and therefore popular music. This one, by madonna is very similar to her video for 'Music'(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdz2oW0NMFk). This shows that whoever designed the digipak had a certain image in mind, and made sure they were all linked and had a strong association with the artist. This pack is very colourful and would be effective at standing out in a store. The text on the back is quite small but very clear as it is white on a darker background. There isnt really any track/video listings so i dont think it would be the best one to base my design ideas on, but i do like the way it keeps it's identity.
The White Stripes:
The White Stripes have created a Digipak using only red, white and black which is the same conventions set by many of their other products. For example, when you type in "white stripes" on google images (below), you get results that predominantly feature these colours; making it clear that this is part of the band identity.
The white writing on the black background means that the text is clear and easy to read, while the main heading on the front is the focus, making the image the second thing you look at. I think the repetition of the image rotated from the front on the back cover looks really effective and helps the imagery flow from cover to cover.
We're required to create not only the front and back covers for our Digipaks but also the inside, this presents a slight problem where research is concerned as it seems pretty much impossible to find these kind of images (particuarly as I don't own any digipaks myself). This requires me to be slightly more creative as I have to think about what I would expect to find on the inside.
Madonna:
Digipaks are becoming more popular in recent times, however it is still difficult to find many mainstream examples. There was very little choice so I couldnt necessarily analyse ones from the exact genre of 'Folktronica' but I have chosen two which are by well-known artists and therefore popular music. This one, by madonna is very similar to her video for 'Music'(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdz2oW0NMFk). This shows that whoever designed the digipak had a certain image in mind, and made sure they were all linked and had a strong association with the artist. This pack is very colourful and would be effective at standing out in a store. The text on the back is quite small but very clear as it is white on a darker background. There isnt really any track/video listings so i dont think it would be the best one to base my design ideas on, but i do like the way it keeps it's identity.
The White Stripes:
The White Stripes have created a Digipak using only red, white and black which is the same conventions set by many of their other products. For example, when you type in "white stripes" on google images (below), you get results that predominantly feature these colours; making it clear that this is part of the band identity.
The white writing on the black background means that the text is clear and easy to read, while the main heading on the front is the focus, making the image the second thing you look at. I think the repetition of the image rotated from the front on the back cover looks really effective and helps the imagery flow from cover to cover.
We're required to create not only the front and back covers for our Digipaks but also the inside, this presents a slight problem where research is concerned as it seems pretty much impossible to find these kind of images (particuarly as I don't own any digipaks myself). This requires me to be slightly more creative as I have to think about what I would expect to find on the inside.
In order for my digipak to fit with the 'identity' we've created with our video, we need to use the same locations and styling as planned in our story boards. These flat plans mean i know which pictures to take (and use) for the final one.
This one copies the same image for both the front and the inside, I've done this because I would like to emphasise her as the central part of this pack.
This one looks a bit too busy for the front part and then too empty on the inside, so i would have to maybe spread some features out a bit and move to the inside if it was to be produced.
I think the idea of using the same images for both the front and behind the disc helps to repeat her 'brand image' which highlights her identity.
I decided to change the background on the front to a shot of the clouds because that way it emphasises the 'dreamy' aspect of her music. I copyed the sky onto the back to give an easy base for the track listing.
My feedback shows that the bottom song on the inside is unreadable because of the text colour against the background image; but as this is the inside of the pack it doesnt need to be entirely legible as the information is already on the front.
This one copies the same image for both the front and the inside, I've done this because I would like to emphasise her as the central part of this pack.
This one looks a bit too busy for the front part and then too empty on the inside, so i would have to maybe spread some features out a bit and move to the inside if it was to be produced.
I put together the bits of my flat plans that i wanted to be my final plan in order to give myself a better idea of what i'm doing:
I think the idea of using the same images for both the front and behind the disc helps to repeat her 'brand image' which highlights her identity.
Main image I'm using on my Digipak
I decided to change the background on the front to a shot of the clouds because that way it emphasises the 'dreamy' aspect of her music. I copyed the sky onto the back to give an easy base for the track listing.
The inside cover is a repition of the front image and the track listing is also reflected in a different colour. I made the images on the inside seem more 'washed out' because it doesnt need to stand out to attract attention, and once again emphasises the 'dreamy' style we're looking to create in our music video.
Evaluation and Feedback...
I think my final edited digipack is succesful in the repetition of the main image and I am happy with the outcome of the front and back, while I think the inside could look a little more profesional. I made a photo album on facebook with my advert and digpak images on to collect feedback from my target audience, I tagged people in the pictures to get their attention and explained what it was all about.
The general feedback from the outside cover is that the sky background accross both the front and back is effective, although it was mentioned that its clear that there is two seperate images of clouds, which I was aware of but I couldnt get another image of clouds that was large enough to spread accross because of the time of year and lack of blue sky. Someone also mentioned that there are too many colours for the text, which to be honest i hadnt thought about until it was brought up. I think its a valid point and maybe it is a bit to many when the image is view in flat plan form, however i think if it was folded as it would be, then that wouldnt be as noticeable.
My feedback shows that the bottom song on the inside is unreadable because of the text colour against the background image; but as this is the inside of the pack it doesnt need to be entirely legible as the information is already on the front.
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