TO DO LIST - Week Commencing 28/10/13

To do list this week:
- Recieve feedback on digipak and magazine advert, make necessary improvements for the deadline of the 8th November.
-Complete first draft of music video, each of us (Jess, Phoebe & Meg) take it in turns to complete editing.

Digipak & Magazine Advert Draft Feedback

Before half term we had a deadline to hand in a draft copy of our poster and digipak. They have now been marked and we have received feedback.

Moodboards X
Examples of other texts/style models X
Analysis of music videos X
Analysis of digipaks/magazine adverts NO
Band biography/profile X
25 word pitch X
Pitch feedback X
Storyboard NO
Animatic X
Location shots/test shots X
Colour Palette X
Audience profile X
Risk assessment X

The 'X' represents the work that I have completed, and 'NO' represents the work that I have not yet completed. The grades that I received were two B's, 8/10 on the digipak and 7/10 on the poster.

 My digipak received the highest of marks, however needed many improvements. The main issue being the fact that the digipak was not set in the highest resolution of quality. I failed to ensure that the settings on Photoshop were set on the highest quality this made the final digipak look blurry and didn't give the final draft any justice. I also need to include the band name 'INFLUXX' on the spine along with the catalogue number. After completing these tasks, I aim to get 10/10.

There weren't many comments on my poster, as I didn't do enough research to bring up the grade to be higher. Therefore I need to research more posters and show how similar they are to my own. I had issues with the stretch and blurriness on the image as the original artwork was square, next time I will make the poster square with can be compatible within the CD case.

 

Digipak & Magazine Advert Draft Feedback

Over half term both our digipak and magazine advertisement were marked and we have now received feedback. As I created my work fairly quickly prior to my absence, I was aware that both weren't of a high standard and wasn't surprised to receive two C's (scoring 6/10 for both pieces of work). This process was helpful however as I now have direct advice which will guide me in the correct direction when it comes to improving my work.

In terms of my digipak, the feedback I received commented on the fact that the height difference between both the male and female models was very pronounced- to amend this I will have to retake the images, using a small platform for Ellie to stand on. It was also mentioned that the title 'Hurricane' should be altered so I will reconsider this aspect of the digipak and select a title that isn't a track list.

The main comment about my magazine advertisement was that it appeared disjointed from my digipak and so I will have to ensure that the styles correspond when I make improvements to it. In order to achieve this there are a few adjustments I could make- for example I could incorporate the text used on the magazine advertisement onto the digipak to create links between the two. I may also adjust the boarder on my magazine advertisement and make the background the same colour as the digipak.

During the course of the next few weeks I will work on the research for my digipak and magazine advertisement in order to justify some of the decisions I have made and ensure that the style I have chosen is clear.

DigiPak & Magazine Advert Draft FeedBack

Moodboards X
Examples of other texts/style models X
Analysis of music videos X
Analysis of digipaks/magazine adverts X
Band Biography/Profile X
25 Word Pitch X
Pitch Feedback X
Storyboard NO
Animatic X
Location shots/test shots X
Colour Palette X
Audience Profile X
Risk Assessment X

Comment:

DigiPak: I genuinely dont know, like the embossed INFLUXX, not sure if the blurred picture works, I'm happy to keep the panels white now you have proof, the only alternative is a panorama of something, (this is what London Grammar and Daughter do). I wouldn't name the album after a track.

Poster: Same with the poster, the Influxx works, the picture isn't quite blurred enough to be interesting. I'd be tempted to go all Beatles and leave it completely white.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Eventually it'll be 10/10 I am sure.

DigiPak: ?/10
Poster ?/10

DigiPak Analysis

Research on posters

As I am wanting to make a poster that is square, I am researching other bands and artists that do this, in order to gain inspiration from the layout and the way artwork or images have been presented. 

I have vigorously searched for bands and artists with square posters, but have failed to find enough. The only bands I have found that do this are The XX and Tame Impala. 

The reasons why I want to create a poster that is square, is because it doesn't follow the usual conventions of a typical poster. Most posters that I researched were A3. 

Tame Impala

The XX

I need more inspiration from other posters which fits with the genre of INFLUXX. Initially for the poster I don't want writing of any kind on the poster, I like the minimalistic approach to posters. I am also researching the more artistic side of the posters, in terms of editing and some conceptual photography. 

I found that most of the posters were extremely different from the the CD covers, therefore I could be taking a risk that it is too similar. 

Final Draft DigiPak & Poster

Poster Analysis

Final DigiPak Draft & Magazine Advert

DigiPak Final Draft:

Magazine Advert Final Draft: 

M

Poster Design Ideas



As I have mentioned previously, I will be using my own artwork for the CD cover and poster.
I have made a few draft copies of poster designs, tweaking slight details. One slight problem that occurred whilst editing the posters was the sizing of the artwork. Originally the image was square, but in order to create an A3 poster it meant that I had to stretch the image slightly. I feel that the stretch has lost certain details out of the image and seems slightly blurred. In my final poster idea I may consider creating a square poster that can fold out from the digipak.

 



Digipak & Magazine Advert Draft Update

After much contemplation, I have decided to change from using a 6 panel DigiPak to a 4 panel Digipak. This is due to the fact I want create a 'minimalistic' and fairly stripped back Digipak, this means leaving a panel or two completely blank, or with very little detail. If I still decided to continue with 6 panel Digipak it would mean leaving four panels blank, which would create a very minimalistic and simple look but it would look un finished and therefore unprofessional. This is why I have come to the decision to produce a 4 panel DigiPak, rather than a 6 panel.

I have also started to experiment with editing my photos to create a blurred/out of focus image, I did this by layering three images on top of one another, each with a lower opacity. I have also decided to change the image on the front cover of my DigiPak to be the same as the image I am planning to use on my magazine advertisement. Below are a couple of versions of the DigiPak showing what the edited version looks like.

Magazine Advert:

As stated before I have also been experimenting & manipulating the image on the magazine advert by layering three images on top of one another, each with a lower opacity.  I have also decided to change the 'INFLUXX' font opacity to different levels to achieve an embossed look. Below are a few examples of the posters I have produced so far:

I have done the same with the font on the front cover of my DigiPak:

DigiPak & Magazine Advert Drafts

This week I have been experimenting with my Digipak, rearranging different images and pieces of text in the lead up to the final draft deadline on Friday. Below are a few different versions (in working progress) that I have put together in the last couple of days making small changes to the features on the DigiPak.

Abscence: 15/10/13- 27/10/13

Unfortunately, I will be absent from the remaining three lessons this week as I am on holiday with family. Although this organisation isn't ideal in terms of my media work- I intend to take my laptop with me in order to keep up to date with posts over half term. As the majority of our work revolves around the blog, I will hopefully be able to upload posts which can instantly be viewed by both my teacher and fellow group members. Because we have already filmed our video and are now about to embark on the post production of our footage, there may be a few opportunities where I miss out on the editing- however I hope to catch up with the rest of the group when I return and put in extra effort so that the workload has been distributed fairly. Due to the deadline of our digipak and poster being this Friday- 18/07/13- I decided to complete both prior to going away just in case I were to encounter any problems with wi-fi or the actual production of both products whilst abroad. This has lessened my workload slightly, however there are a few tasks which are yet to be finished and will have to be completed while away, such as:

- The analysis of three digipak's
- Posts which document the creation of my draft digipak and poster: colour pallet's, the photoshoot, the making of my pattern etc.
- Amendments to my CHRVCHES music video analysis
- A post concerning the work experience I did on 27/09/13 (with attached reference) and the course I am currently doing at Hinckley college

Digipak and Poster Rough Draft

Digipak Draft

Poster Draft

Displayed above is a draft of both my digipak and poster which will accompany our final music video. Overall, I am largely displeased with both of these drafts and will make numerous changes to the products when revisiting them after they have been marked, proceeding half term. 

The digipak is probably my least favourite of the two for a variety of reasons. The image I used on the front cover isn't lit particularly well and the framing of the image is slightly off centre (a mistake that was made in the post production stage while cropping the photograph). Although as a group we aim to collectively market our band in a sophisticated, simplistic and minimalist manner, I feel that my digipak is too plain and appears unfinished and empty. When amending my digipak this is a problem I'll hope to solve by considering the design of the, currently, blank panels. I am also dissatisfied with the font I have used and will consider downloading one from DaFont as oppose to simply using those already on Photoshop. As a result of the poorly lit photo, I decided to make the rest of my digipak grey to correspond with the front cover. This is an element of my design that I also hope to change as I would, ideally, like my digipak to be white or black. Consequently, I hope to perhaps take more images of the models for our band- ensuring that the lighting is effective and I will also reconsider the fonts used and perhaps some aspects of the layout. In terms of the poster, there are also features which I hope to alter. Alike my digipak, I also dislike the fonts used on my poster and will research more suitable texts for the final product. Additionally, the pattern I created on photoshop for the text (by manipulating a photograph I had previously taken) may be adjusted on photoshop later so that the colours are more vibrant and the image sharper.

INFLUXX DigiPak & Magazine Advert Shoot

As mentioned in my post on Friday, last night I planned a photo shoot with INFLUXX for my magazine advert and DigiPak. Above are the 54 selected images i chose from the 200+ I shot overall. I feel that the photo shoot went very well and this was due to my planning and organisation. I wanted to continue the same style of photography from my AS year 12 Media Studies work as it received praise from my peers and the examination board moderator. I felt confident that this style of photography would work well and that I would be happy with the final outcome.
I planned and organised before the photoshoot the outfits that the band would wear, their make up & hair style plus poses that the band could emulate (taken from my previous AS work & existing band's photoshoots e.g. AlunaGeorge, MSMR). I ensured I had enough time to prepare the band before we started shooting (hair & makeup) and gave them a quick brief on what I wanted the overall style of the photo shoot to be like. Alex and Ellie are already good friends and they have great chemistry together which works very well in my favour as this is shown in front on the camera (during both the filming and the photo shoot) and therefore means they perform well together as a band. To also help them relax and get into the roles of INFLUXX band members I also put on a playlist of music within the same genre of Indie/Synth pop, this really helped then to overcome any awkwardness you would first encounter during a photo shoot.
About an hour into the photoshoot we were interrupted by the school fire alarm, this took about 20 minutes away from our time shooting but when we returned back into school we were able to get back on task and complete the shoot within the allotted time (the photo shoot took 90 minutes to complete well within our 2 hour scheduled time).

Below are a couple of images Phoebe took of me during the photoshoot: