Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Digital Storyboard

Digital Storyboard

I have created a digital storyboard for my final music video. 

1)

The establishing shot features a wall with street art. The word 'Star' written across the brick is made to look like foil balloons, while a crowd of silhouttes sit behind. The floor is covered with leaves, rubbish and discarded canisters. 

 2)

To the beat of the music, the words 'Esthxr We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off Whipped Cream Remix' fades in. The typography is the same as seen on the digipak, and the same blue has been used throughout my products. The typography then fades out on another beat.

3)

Esther then walks into the centre of the long shot, from the right hand side. She then turns to face the camera and begins to perform. 

4)

While Esther sings, the background changes 3 times behind her. These backgrounds include red telephone boxes, a historical building and a modern architecture. 

5)

As the beat gets louder and faster, Esther begins to dance.  With every dance move the background changes behind her, while Esther remains in the same place on screen.

6)

Esther continues to dance until 1:04. The background changes many times behind her, and  a wide range of mine-en-scene is displayed.

 7)

As the beat slows down, and the lyrics say 'Just Slow Down' I cut to a close up shot of Esther performance. The first shot features a green graffiti background.

8)

On the beat, the background changes as Esther performs to the camera. Behind Esther on the first change is an iconic London underground poster, and the second is a graffiti wall again.

9)

Then as the beat gets faster and louder again, I cut back to a long shot. The pace of my editing and change in location increases dramatically.

10)

Esther dances and sings through out the music video.

11)

The beat changes again at 1:53, and Esther begins to dance in a circle. (Long shots are used throughout)

14)

Esther continues to dance in circle, as the beat of the music slows down. 

 15)

Then Esther stops dancing and begins to sing towards the camera.

16)

Once Esther finishes performing, she walks out of shot to the right hand side (the side she entered on).

The camera is static throughout to make the changes in locations as smooth as possible, and only long and close up shots have been used.

Poster

Creating Poster

In order to promote my star 'Esthxr' I created a poster. 

 I had originally planned to have a long shot of Esther on the poster, therefore I started by removing the background. However, the more I edited the more I didn't like the idea. It soon became apparent that there wouldn't be any shadows where Esther was leaning against the wall. This looked false and wrong. 
At the point, I did consider creating shadows in photoshop but I eventually decided against this.

I then copied in the same font I used on the CD cover, on to my poster. I removed the white areas, and replaced the black areas with the same graffitti background as on the CD cover. However, the writing was hard to read and was too busy. Therefore I changed the black area to white, which was much more aesthetically pleasing and suitable. 

I then copied in a twitter, Facebook and Instagram logo. I re-sized them so they were all the same size. I then removed the backgrounds in the images, and removed all colour to make the symbols white.
I think the simplicity works really well, and looks quite professional. 

I then copied in the front cover, and rearranged the typography. As you can see, I removed 'Esthxr' and put 'Feline' and 'Out now' on a slant. The wonky writing is fun, and is consistent with the rough and messy style of products I have produced so far. 

Final Poster

Before editing, I adjusted the canvas size to 42cm by 29.7cm, which is the dimensions of an A3 piece of paper. I think A3 posters are more eye-catching, and can be scaled down to A4 if needed.

I like how the the style of font is consistent throughout my products. I also the white font against the blue background. 

Final Music Video

Final Cut

Using feedback from other students in my class and my target audience, I have made alterations to my initial edit. I think these changes have improved the overall quality of my music video and therefore I am happier with the final product.

If you were to compare my initial edit to my final cut, It would be clear which shots have been added, however I think I was able to incorporate recently filmed footage without the viewer being able to notice. 

Green Screen Typography

Green Screen Typography

Now that I was happy with my final edit, I experimented with various different fonts available on Final Cut Pro. However, I didn't think any font available would be suitable for my music video. Therefore I decided to make an image which had a green screen background with the typography I used on the digipak, in Photoshop. 

I firstly copied in a green screen background so I could get the right green. I then made the canvas bigger to minimize the chances of needing to stretch the size of the image - which will cause it to pixelate. 

I then used the typography from the front cover, and a 'Berlin Sans FB Demi' for the name of the song. I adjusted the size, to make the Esther's name bigger than song name, as I thought this composition looked professional. 

I then imported this image into final cut, and replaced the titling with the image. I listened to the beat of the music, and put a fade in and fade out where I thought was most appropriate. I then removed the green background by selecting 'Video Effects' then 'Keyer'. I then adjusted the automatic settings, as seen in the screen shot to the left, so the writing was more visible and readable. 

Improving and Replacing Shots

Editing

Today I have downloaded the footage Esther and I filmed on Sunday. I then started to edit my music video again by replacing the shots which could be improved. 

I started by editing the close up shots, as this was one of the main reasons I filmed again. I found it difficult to choose shots were Esther's performance was consistent, while considering the colours visible in the background. 

I then started playing with replacing various clips which could be improved. I mainly replaced the shots from 1:47-1:51, so Esther's dancing would look consistent. I also placed another shot within this time range to decrease the duration of each shot. 

Filming Overview - Day 4

Shoreditch - Sunday 29th November

Esther and I decided to go back to Shoreditch as we found it really easy to find different, brightly coloured and unique backgrounds. I left my house at 9, and went to Esthers and then we went straight to Epping train station. We had planned to refilm the train shot at this point, however the train was packed with christmas shoppers and tourists, therefore we decided to wait until the journey home. 

Pretty soon after we got into London it started tipping down with rain, therefore I made the decision not to film until it had stopped raining. I made this decision as I did not want Esther's appearance to be compromised for when we found a location suitable enough for a close up shot. Though this wasted time, I am glad I made this decision as it only took about 40 minutes for it to stop. From this point, we tried finding a variety of shots such graffiti walls, statues and more. 

In this shot I aimed for quality over quantity, therefore If I felt Esther's performance could be improved I would show her the video we just filmed, so she could see for herself what could be improved. I think this worked well, as it is easier to see what you can do better for yourself then it is for me to explain what to do. 

As well as filming went, the light faded quickly. I knew there was no point filming in compromised lighting, as I had done this previously and I was filming today to replace those shots. 

Final Digipak

 Final Digipak

Once I had created the front, back, and 2 middle covers I decided to start positioning them together in the template I found in my digipak research. This caused me to make a few adjustments.

 As I wanted to use a white font on the lyric page, the yellow symbols looked out of place. Therefore I clicked 'Select' 'Colour Range' and selected the symbols. I then adjusted the curve, to make this selection much brighter which caused the symbols to turn white. 

I also decided to use the same graffiti selection on the four binders on the digipack as I this selection featured most the colours on the graffiti wall, meaning is tie in all the colours from each side.  

Above is my digipak. I have made alterations throughout editing, such as adjusting the colour of the symbols, re-positioning and refining the border around 'Feline' on the front cover, changing the main picture on the back of the digipak, and more. This small and subtle details have made the overall aesthetic of the digipak more professional and consistent. 
I printed my digipak on to an A3 page, which means the size if not accurate but it allowed me to see how my target audience would see the digipak. The quality of the image was also compromised at it wasn't a very good printer, but I am glad I did this.
Below are photos I took of my printed trial. 

Digipak Editing - Middle Cover 1

I firstly selected the section of blue painted wood that didn't have any yellow graffiti on it.

I then covered up the areas with yellow spray paint other than the peace, heart and smiley face symbols. 
I had to transform the images to ensure that the lines created by the separate wood planks were in line with the selection I had moved to cover the yellow spray paint.

I had to adjust the brightness for the selection I used to cover the top half of the image, as it was darker than the blue in the top half of the image.

I then used an eraser and the spot healing tool to blend the original image and the area I created. This way no-one would be able to tell that I duplicated a section if the image to cover up other graffiti. 

I then covered the image with a blue box (the same blue used on the front and back cover), and then changed the layer from 'Normal' to 'Lighten'.

Above is the first of many middle images. I am really happy the outcome of this, as I have continued the theme of graffiti from the front and back cover, but also incorporated the blue from the front cover as well. There is also texture within the plain blue background, such as the white specks - similar to the rough texture of the graffiti behind Esther on the front cover.

The symbols represent Peace, Love and Happiness which all have positive connotations will appeal to my target audience of young teenage females. 

Digipak Editing - Back Cover

Back Cover

I decided to use the long shot image of Esther against the same graffiti wall. This way the front and back cover would have a consistent aesthetic. This is typical of a CD cover, as I learnt in my digipak research. 

 I firstly made separate image with the correct sizing, and copied the long shot of image into this image. I found this much easier and quicker than cropping the image to correct size. I pressed 'CTRL'+'T' then held the shift key to prevent the image from being distorted as I adjusted the size of the image. 

 I then used the same technique as my front cover to cover up the rubbish on the floor. I selected areas near the rubbish and copied and paste this selection, and covered the rubbish. I then used the rubber and spot healer to blend this layer to the original image. 

 I used the same font as the front cover, so I had to screenshot the name of each song individually. Then reduce the amount of background, remove the white area by using 'Select'+'Colour Range' and then re-size the writing. 

 I then positioned them in a straight line, and merged the various layers together to create one layer. I then tried this against the background, however it was very hard to read.

 Therefore, I copied the text against a white background, and merged the two layers. I then inverted this layer, so the white became black, and the black became white. I then removed the white background.

 I then tested it against the image, and I was much happier with the result. I then adjusted the positioning of the image, and text to make room at the bottom for more text and details. I also changed the black to the same blue colour that features on the front cover text.

I copied in a barcode and the Virgin Emi Records logo. I then removed the white background from the Virgin logo, and turned the red into the same blue as the text. 

It was at this point, I decided to show some of my friends. Their opinions confirmed exactly my worries - the font is too hard to read. As a result, my CD cover look unprofessional and unattractive. 
I considered changing to a more simple font, however the clarity wasn't improved much. 

 Therefore I decided to select just the graffiti section of the original image, and cover the whole of the 15cm by 12cm image. This meant that Esther was cut out of the back cover.

I then retyped the list of songs in a separate image, using one of the default fonts in Photoshop. I decided to this as I thought it would be easier to read, as it is better quality.

I then search 'Rough Borders' in google and found the black image, as seen in the screeenshot to the left. I made the font white, so then I could remove the text easily and with a higher quality result. 

I then copied the text image into my main image. I then removed the white from the image, and made the black the same blue colour used on the front cover. 

Above is my improved digipak back. I think the text is easier to read, and the rough border of the blue border is more consistent with the aesthetic of the front cover. 
I like how different areas of the graffiti wall is visible, and it makes the background image more interesting to look at.

I intend to show more friends, teachers and potential target audiences so I can improve the quality of this image. I personally believe my front cover is better, but as a pair I think the back cover will work. 

Digipak Editing - Front Cover

Front Cover

In lesson time I decided to go a PC computer in the study centre, as I am well practised in photoshop on these computers. I took screen shots while creating my front cover to explain how I created the image:

 I started by selecting a section of image near the split between the two pieces of wood that were covered in graffiti. I then copied and paste this selection into my image.

 I then moved this selection and to cover the black line, and then erased the edges to blend the colours together. 

I then flattened the image, so there was only one layer in photoshop. I then used the spot healing tool to blend the colours together. 

I then made the image the correct size. I then adjusted the amount of background space of the image by cropping the image while holding the shift key. This keeps the crop frame proportions to scale. 

I then found a modern, messy, arty font online and screenshot it. I then erased the white area within the text by hiding the other layer, and then selecting the white area on 'Select' 'Colour range' and deleting it. I then changed the colour of the black area, using a 'Cool Blue' filter. 

I then enlarged the text to fit the width of the CD Cover. I then duplicated the image of Esther and erased the background. I then put this image above the text layer. This made the text look like part of the background. I then used a similar technique as above to create the text 'Feline', however I inverted it. 



Here is my initial CD cover edit: 

I purposely kept the scratched and chipped paint as it was as it shows the audience that Esther is actually standing in front of a real graffiti wall, not a studio wall. I think this detail links in the rough messy font style I chose, which makes the overall front cover have a consistent and unique but fashionable style. 

I am really pleased the composition of the image. For an example, I like how pink arrow is pointing at Esther's face. This arrow leads a viewers eyes to Esther's face which leads the target audience to acknowledge Esther complies to a pop's audience ideology. Esther is attractive, fashionable and independent.  As a result, I think my Digipak front cover effectively creates a star image for Esther. Details such as Esther's undercut, her long eyelashes and relaxed posture work really well together. I think by studying photography at A level, I was able to direct Esther in a way that enabled us to work together to capture an image that reflected a stereotypical female pop artist. 

The only design judgement I am unsure about is the colour of the font. My initial idea was to use a similar blue to the blue in the graffiti, however this made it hard to read the text. I experimented with various other colours, but eventually decided on the colour above. I have saved the image as a TIFF file, meaning I will be able to adjust the different layers (images and text) if I change my mind.

My next step is to continue to edit my digipack, and talk to my teacher, peers and target audience. I hope to receive constructive criticism and their opinion, so I can improve upon this initial edit if I need to.