either BLOCK CAPITALS which suggests that the artist is confident
or light, which is mainly small case and modest
Also either condense/compact which shows an introvert style
or s p r e a d o u t which suggests that the artist is very laid back, which is more extrovert.
We have thought of using this kind of font, it is all in capitals, bold and spread out which shows that the band (Paramore) is very laid back and confident.
We have discussed having Tom on the back of the dvd cover as a silhouette holding the puppet cross and them somehow connecting the two pictures together.
On the draft, left, you can see Kate on the front cover as a puppet looking very sad, not in the centre but to the side which also shows that she is vulnerable. The back cover you can see Tom as a silhouette holding the cross in his hands, although the problem that we had was connecting the two photographs together like we said we was going to do at the start.
This DVD cover shows Kate not directly in the centre and not as big as the others this suggests that she is withdrawn and vulnerable. You can also see that the text on the front has been drawn by the string from the cross, which is maybe a little too pop for Avril Lavigne.
On the back cover is just a broken heart to show that this song is about the loss of their relationship.
Another idea that we was thinking of doing is the front as a picture of Kate and tom's faces merging together, both crying.
The back cover is very different to the one above though, as it just has writing saying that £1 from each purchase will go to the Avril Lavigne Foundation, which is actual a charity set up by Avril Lavigne. Like the picture at the top, the text is all in capitals.
For the front cover of our digipak we have discussed many ideas with regards to the photograph, font and colour scheme that we could use, our ideas are below:
We decided to have a photograph of the artist on the the front cover, one that we have taken when we were filming the puppet scenes, we have also discussed whether to have the male character in our music video on the back to symbolise a division between them, our first sketch is below:
As you can see from this DVD cover to the left, you can see the kind of shot that we were thinking of having on the front cover. On the back cover you can see that Tom (our boyfriend figure) is holding the cross and a pair of scissors, we are doing this to make him seem in control.
You can see on this front cover it is very red, this is to symbolise love and danger. Also the text is all in capitals to show confidence.
The lay out is very important when designing a digipak, this is because the composition that you choose shows how the artist is seen, e.g. if the artist/band is in the centre, they are seen as confident and in your face, but if they in the corner they are seen as quiet and withdrawn.
The photograph that we are going to use for our front cover is below:
The reason why we have chosen this photograph is because we believe that it fits in with the genre of the song, also because the text that we will have will look good on the cross going across the photo.
Also the artist is in the corner which shows that she is vulnerable and not in control, which is highlighted within the lyrics of the song.
Paramore - Misery Business (I am unable to find an image of the back cover and the inside of this digipak).
Iconography (signs)
The main icon and the first thing that you see is the head shots of the four band members, connoting importance. The close up creates a personal feel and a sense of confidence. The way that the lead singer (Hayley Williams) is looking in an opposite direction to her other band mates makes her stand out and brings a sense of mystery.
Colour
The light colours brings a soft and gentle feel to the CD cover. The lead singers bright orange hair draws your attention straight to her and displays energetic and lively qualities to the image. The dark black scribble in the top right corner brings a mysterious feel to it.
Typography (Font)
There is two different types of font used, the first it very simple and light and does not use any capitals in the text 'paramore', this creates a warm, gentle feel to it. Whereas the second font used is very bold and messy and looks handwritten, this brings a personal element to this CD cover. The hand written writing is in your face and is there to make a point, with it also being bold and in CAPITALS creates a confident impression on the audience.
Composition
The positioning of the text of the band name is high up with implies that it has importance, whereas the positioning of the other text 'Misery business' is placed at an angle, this provides it with power, also with it overlapping the messy scribble in the top right corner which links them together. The band is placed at the bottom of the image looking directly at the audience and smiling which is unusual for this type of genre, they normally have an stern expression which has lots of meaning.
Pose and Expression
Again the band are the main element, and direct address is made with the close up of the four members who are asking for attention from the audience, the close up also provides a personal and intense quality. The open bodied pose includes cool and confident connotations with the main artist looking to the side when everybody else is looking directly to the camera this suggests that she holds the power.
Again the main conventions of a digipak are there, the photograph of the band, title of the song and name of the band and also a sticker on the front, 'featuring..'.
The CD cover below shows Pinks album cover for 'Please Don't Leave Me':
Iconography (Signs)
The main icon and the first thing that you see on the front and the back is the image of the artist Pink, she is displaying a laid back stance, which connotes an easygoing personality. The full body shot on the front creates an isolated and secluded feel. From her dress she appears fashionable and confident within her genre, but the pose suggests that she is not as confident as she seems within this digipak as you can tell from the title, Please Don't Leave Me'.
Colour
The light colours show soft, supple emotions, whereas the dark colours of the dress and text create intense emotion. The artists name 'Pink' is in a different colour to the rest, it is in pink, this grabs the audiences attention and helps them recognise who it is promoting.
Typography (Font)
There is only one type of font on this digipak which is very bold and mainly in black, except for the artists name and the album name, track numbers and website on th back this draws your attention to who it is promoting, it also highlights the key bits of information. With the text being in bold and in CAPITALS it shows confidence, it is also quite spread out which shows a laid back, extrovert style, unlike the pose which is being displayed. The main text (artists name and song title) is also very big compared to the rest of the cover which gives it a confident quality.
Composition
You can see that the main image (the artist Pink) is to the side of the frame on both the front and back cover, this shows that this is a very personal song for her as you can tell from the title 'Please Don't Leave Me'. The text it positioned to the left of the digipak in the available space and the artist to the right, and are both positioned centrally. The artists name is positioned higher than the other text, this provides it with importance.
Pose and expression
The artist is the main element of this digipak and is the first thing that the audience will see. The pose is very unusual with her being crouched down and not looking directly at the camera also the image on the back where she is curled up in the corner of the image shows that she is secluded and alone, you can see from these that she is not directly addressing the audience and asking for attention. The image on the front is very laid back and open bodied and includes confident and assertive connotations. The distancing provides a restrained and impersonal quality, which is also shown from the image on the back cover, although all of the text is positioned around her face, which draws you in to her expression which shows that she is vulnerable and sad and not confident like the front image.
Once again all of the main conventions that you would normally see on the front cover of a digipak are there, an image (usually the artist), name of the artist and name of the album/song that is being promoted.
The digipaks that I have chosen to analyse are all from the same genre as Avril Lavigne, below is Avril Lavigne's digipak for the album Under My Skin:
FRONT AND BACK COVER
Iconography (signs)
The main icon in this image is the artist herself, this connotes importance. The way that she is not directly in the centre of the image and it is a mid shot shows that she is not as confident as others, as they tend to be more the the centre and close up. The red cross on the arm of her jacket draws you in and grabs your attention. Also the outline of the photograph is broken, this suggests that she has an attitude in either herself or the song/lyrics that is being presented. Her black clothes suggests that she comes under the emo/punk genre, because of the colour (black), the puffy tutu and the odd bright colour, the red cross on her arm. On the back cover Avril is placed in the centre of the image and is looking directly out, this connotes confidence but because it is on the back cover is shows that she is not as confident as others.
Colour
The images are dark and in black and white which is usual for this type of genre, the colour white symbolises purity and innocence, whereas black represents death and evil. Avril shows both of these in this image, by the clothes that she is wearing (black dress) and by her expression which shows innocence, this implies that this is very personal to her. The bright coloured red cross on her jacket on the front cover is there to grab the audiences attention, this could suggest either danger or warmness.The same colour red is on the back as well on the track numbers .
Typography (font)
There is only one type of font used on both the front and back cover which is all in CAPITALS and bold but different sizes, this shows confidence and that she has a 'don't care'/ rebellious attitude. It is also condense and compact which suggests a withdrawn and reserved personality. The bold red text 'Under My Skin' is the same colour as the cross on her arm, this connotes a feeling of intense emotion.
Composition
The photograph on the front cover shows the main artist (Avril Lavigne) sat to the side of the image, with her being to the right shows that she is withdrawn and not very confident, as confident artists/bands would be in the centre of the photograph, being the centre of attention. The text is in the available space to the left with Avril Lavigne's name much bigger than the song/album that she is promoting, also it is positioned higher than the other text giving it importance.
Pose and Expression
The main artist is the centre of attention/ key element of this CD cover. Her innocent expression draws the audience in and the closed bodied pose shows that Avril is not confident, Avril is sat at distance on the front and the back, she is not directly in your face, which provides an impersonal and modest quality. On the back cover the pose is very unusual but highlights the distinct differences and the diverse interests between the genre which Avril belongs to and others, e.g. R&B and pop.
INSIDE
Below is an image of the inside cover for Avril Lavigne's 'Under My Skin':
From the image above you can see that they heavily concentrate on the red cross, as it is seen on the front cover on Avril's jacket as well as on the inside, this could be a way for the audience/buyers to recognise either Avril herself or the album which she is promoting. The image gets stuck in your head and is easy to remember and relate to this CD. Like I said before the edge of the photograph on the left is broken which suggests that she has an attitude and is rebellious.
The colour scheme is the same as the colour on the front, it is dull and dark with the bright colour red of the cross and the text on the opposite side. This colour stands outand grabs your attention. As you can see there is both black and white on the inside which I have said before shows death and innocence. I believe that this would be good colours to use on our digipak as Kate will be sen as innocent and Tom as evil, so the contrast between black and white will tells the audience exactly what our song/music video is trying to get across.
The text is the same as on the front, in the same font and colour scheme. The writing is bold and either in black or red, this indicates an attitude and shows that this album will be intense and that Avril Lavigne is an emotionel person, which is usual for this genre.
Unlike the front cover, there are no images in the inside of CD cover, but the text is placed at the bottom on the left which normally shows that it is not as important as other things, although this could be a way of expressing herself as she is being different and standing out from others.
The main conventions that you would see on the front, back and inside of a digipak are there, an image (usually the artist), name of the artist, the name of the song/album that is being promotedand the track list on the back.
This is a style of CD or DVD packaging that promotes the artist.
Below is an example of a CD digipak:
Here is an example of a DVD digipak:
My digipak will have between 4 and 6 sides, these include a front cover, reverse cover, spine and disk impression, and our digipak will be a DVD digipak.
Below you can see the digipak for Counting Crows - American Girls which is the same group's music video which I analysed:
Just from looking at the digipak you can see that they have all the relevant information and logos that is needed on a digipak, e.g. name of the band and song, image of the artist and characters, DVD logo, lyrics, etc. Also from watching the music video and seeing the digipak you can clearly see that there is brand identity across their media products. You can see this from the image on the front cover, which shows the main artist, the characters that are in the music video and the locations as they are seen in both the music video and digipak.
As you can see from the image above the main artist is situated in the centre of the digipak this connotes importance and confidence. There is a wire in the foreground of the front cover this could suggest that they are trapped. On the back cover there is a picture of the American flag which is also shown in the inside cover, this draws your attention to the song which is being promoted. The colour of the red guitar grabs your attention as it is the only source of colour on the front cover of the digipak as the rest is quite dull, this was done to emphasise the song which they were promoting, as it is quite sad. The background colour of the whole digipak is white and the text black which allows it to stand out. You can also see that the lyrics, on the back cover, are there to tell the audience what the song is about as they tell the story.
The font on this digipak is quite fancy and compact, it also has a shadow around the letters which helps people recognise the name of of the song and the name of the band. However they are both the same size which I believe is not as effective, this is because the song is what you are promoting, therefore it should be bigger than the band name.
The composition of the back cover is straight forward and I believe has been done so that the audience know what to expect to hear in the song and to see in the music video. I believe this because the lyrics have been placed on the back cover and there are still shots of the main characters in the music video, however it does allow the audience to interpret it in their own way. You can see that the main artist is looking away from the camera and is in a sitting position, these are usual connotations of confidence and coolness, it also highlights his personality and shows that the song has meaning. Although the two people situated in the background, the two main characters in the music video, are not together, are not looking at each other and look sad, this makes the audience want to know more about what is going on between them, and therefore makes them want to watch the music video.
I am going to analyse another students music video from our school, this will allow me to see if our music video is up to the same standard as those done before, below is the music video which I am going to analyse, it is called American Girls.
What I like about this video:
As you can see above they have used lots of different techniques within the video, which work very well, for example, the reverse speed tool which was used with the photograph at the beginning, which tells the audience that their is going to be a story told.
The actors in this music video are very good which always makes it seem more professional. The editing is very clever at the beginning as it goes with the beat and the speed of the song. Also the close-ups of the artists and their instruments gives it a more personal feel and the transactions between each of the shots makes it run smoother.
The locations which they have used, e.g. the roof give the music video a rebellious feel.
I really like the technique used at 1.20, where there is a close-up of his hand playing the guitar in the background, I also like at 1.29 where you can see the time at the top of the screen, I believe it's effective as it draws in the audiences attention.
Within this video there is narrative and performance based shots which I believe to be essential, although the people performing are not playing the narrative shots as well, this may have been done to show that the lead singer is telling a story.
I like the parts of the music video which have been sped up, like the watch at 2.44, for example, this is clever as it shows time moving forward quickly and highlights the disappointment on his face. Also the ellipsis of time used at 0.45 makes the audience want to know where she is going so makes them keep watching.
Within this video they have used a variety of shots, e.g. high angle shots for the girls jumping up the rails, low angle shots, one at 2.49 to emphasise the sadness, and there has been angle shots throughout. They have also used a fade effects within this video to show that the couple are no longer together, which implies that they have lost each other.
Slow motion has been used to lengthen their happiness at 3.51 and with the drummer at 4.04 which fits well with the beat.
And finally they have used the same image at the beginning and at the end, I like this as it shows where the story starts and finishes.
What I dislike about this video:
I think that this music video could have benefited from another location for the band as it becomes a bit repetitive being in the same location every time when they come back to it. They could have used some different ways of cutting between each shot as they all zoom in and then out which also is a little repetitive.a
I think that the shot at 1.42 is a too long, because of this it gets a bit boring towards the end.
I also believe that the music video could have been improved if they had used a woman vocalist as well as a male, as there are parts in this song where there is a women singing.
The location at 2.46 could have been better as i don't think the location at the moment adds anything to the video.
Also the projected images of the guitar being played in the background may have benefited if they were the same, e.g. his fingers moving at the same time and on the same notes.
Furthermore the background in the mirror shots is not the best, as you can see all of the equipment usually used in that room. And finally, although I like the shot at the end of the male actor winking, I don't think it fits in very well with the song.
Overall I really like this music video, I think it has been done very well, and all of the effects/transformations that have been used all seem very professional, I also believe that it contains all the forms and conventions that would normally be seen in a real music video and therefore is equivalent to the original music video done by Counting Crows.
Today at lunch we filmed Tom in the drama studio with the puppet strings as he was not available after school on the 13th with Kate, although we didn't need them both together as Tom is seen as bigger than Kate so we didn't need a shot where they are both together.
This is the same light that we used when we were filming Kate, we stood it at the bottom of the wall on the floor facing up to Tom, so it had the same effect as when it was on Kate. During some of the shots the light kept flashingwhich had a great effect, as it made Tom look even more evil.
This is Tom, the costume we chose for him was just to wear a black top as you could only see his head and shoulders over the wall, so didn't really matter what else he was wearing.
This photograph was taken whilst we were filming Tom for the puppet scenes.
After school today we also filmed Kate in the graveyard. We shot some performance shots of Kate singing in the graveyard in different positions with and without the guitar, below are a couple of photos of what we were doing:
This is one of the locations we chose for Kate's performance shots.
We had her in many different locations around the graveyard.
Whilst we were are the graveyard filming we decided to take some photographs of Kate for our digipak, below are some of the photos we took:
As you can see in this photograph, Kate is crying, we did this to make her seem innocent to the audience.
We wanted to get a shot with the gravestones in to make the audience aware of the location, and so they know that this song is about the death of a relationship.
We took this photograph to make Kate look smaller than the gravestone to link in with the puppet idea as Tom is seen much bigger than Kate.
I particularly like this photo as the sun is on Kate's face, and you can just see a gravestone behind her, which helps the audience to understand her situation.
Today we filmed the puppet shots in the drama studio. Below is the drama studio. We used the white wall (below) as the background, you can see that Simon Corby, the media technician is helping us out by moving the light fixtures as we wanted a spot light on Kate.
I was standing behind the wall as I was the one who was pulling on the strings to make Kate look like a real human puppet being controlled. You couldn't see me pulling the strings though baceuse when Sarah was filming she framed the camera so you could only see Kate and a part of the strings.
In the image to the left I am attatching the string/rope to Kate's trouser belt loops to make it look more realistic.
These 3 photographs below show you the camera angles which we were filming:
I really like the image to the left. We were thinking of using either this photograph or the one below for our digipak and magazine advert.
This image is of me filming Kate layed on the floor. I was telling her flop everywhere like a puppet would. I then zoomed in really quickly as she raised her head, we believed that this would be a great shot to introduce the puppet character.
This is the puppet strings and wooden crosses which we used.
Below is the camera that we used: This is a Panasonic nv-gs500b.
We also used tripods and still cameras to capture our location shots and to take stills whilst filming.
Throughout the process of filming and editing we have used Premier Pro, Photoshop and Google:
Google helped me a lot when I was researching and planning for our music video and digipak as it allowed me to search for inspiration. Also YouTube helped me at the beginning as we needed to search for songs which we wanted to turn into a music video for our A2 Advanced Portfolio.
Below is all of the technology and programmes which I have used whilst designing my music video, digipak and magazine advert:
The software we have used for editing our music video is premier pro
The screen shots below show the decisions that we have made and explain why we have made them:
This shot of Kate at the piano is one of the four shots that we started with, we had a long shot, wide shot, a mid shot and a close up. We got all four of these shots onto one screen, we called this piano multi. We then pressed the record button and as the song played we clicked on any of the four shots that we wanted, we mainly did this on the beat, to create more impact, this tool is like a vision mixer where you choose which shots you want at that particular time. When we had done the whole song with the piano multi shots, we filmed more footage and then built it up by placing the shots on top, where we thought it fitted best.
The screen shot above shows Tom cutting the rope which is attached to Kate, we slowed this part down to have more of an effect, also so the audience could see the evil smile on his face.
Above is a screen shot of Kate as a puppet moving her head back onto the white wall in the drama studio, we sped this part up so it has more impact, also she moves her head back to the beat, this shot also zooms in very fast, which shocks the audience. We then added a dip to white effect as we thought it worked best when cutting between each of the shots.
This screen shot of premier pro shows how we rewound our rose shots. We placed them where we wanted and made sure that they fitted properly to the music, then clicked onto speed/duration slowed it down and ticked reverse speed. Once this was done, we swapped the footage around, as there were 2 shots that we were using, so that it fitted. After this we added a dip to white at the beginning and end as it is a flash back.
We have thought of using this kind of font, it is all in capitals, bold and spread out which shows that the band (Paramore) is very laid back and confident.
