Audience feedback on the first draft of the music video

Below is the audience feedback on the music video. I think it is very important to find out their opinions on the video, in detail because it will help me to make any changes that are possible in later dates. You will see that the feedback that I received is mostly positive, and the negative comments that I did receive will only help me more. I am very pleased with the feedback I received, especially on the third question, because they compared it to the original Sonnetanz video and picked up on the style of video I was trying to achieve i.e. an opposite style to the original.

What would you change?

• I think you could have filmed lip syncing rather than a lot of footage of the landscape, it would make it seem more interesting and give it variety
• I think you could have introduced different transitions into your cuts to break sections up
• You could have included some close ups of your talent
• There could have been some lip syncing in the video, not all the way through though because I think it would of ruined the style you were going for
• The second talent that you introduce towards the end, you could of took the opportunity to be more mysterious or on the other hand you could of had more footage of her and been more informative

What do you like most about the music video?

• I like how you have left the ending open and haven't suggested too much with introducing another talent
• I like the tracking shots you have used throughout, especially your tracking shot in the field because the background goes really well with your style of video
• I love the shot of the talent in the phone box and then how you have slowed it down as she is walking out of the frame
• I like how you haven't made your talent lip sync because I wouldn't expect it in a KlangKarussell music video
• My favourite part is when you have made quick cuts towards the end of the video, as it suggests the talent is looking back on where they have been. It also reminds the audience parts of the video earlier on
• I love the three reversed sections towards the middle, but I think they could have been more in time with the beat. (The reversed sections were meant to be in time with the beat of the song but for some reason when uploading the video to YouTube it became out of sync. I have now fixed this within the final draft).

Do you think that the music video fits well with the music/lyrics?

• Yes, I like how you have done the opposite as to what you would expect from a song like this, as the song seems very happy and the video is about how the talent isn't happy
• I think you have been very creative in the construction of the video because I noticed that when you have made a cut in the footage it is in time with the beat of the music, it lets you get really into the music whilst watching the video
• Comparing it to the original Sonnetanz video it surprised me in the direction that you went. However, I think that this is an advantage because you have still followed in the footsteps that KlangKarussell would take
• I do think it fits in well at the moment but I think for it to improve and to fit in even more, you could of contained lip syncing in the video

First draft on my music video

Below is my first draft of the music video I have been constructing. This has taken me some time to devise and construct, however with all the helpful research of existing texts and urban landscaping I feel I have done well to create this first draft. 

I have received audience feedback on this first draft with the blog post 'Feedback on the first draft of the video'. From this feedback I will take the comments that were made on board and also spot trends that can point out the strengths and weaknesses of the video. The weaknesses that are mentioned I will then change and turn them into a strength whilst keeping the target audience in mind.

Equipment I used for filming

I used three different pieces of equipment to help film my music video. They are the following:

• Panasonic camera - This was the camera that I recorded the whole of my footage on for the music video. I wanted to keep all my footage on the same camera so that I didn't lose any.
  
•  Tripod - I used this when I needed still shots when filming, it wasn't used as  much as I expected to use it. It was quite easy to carry around as it is light and easily made smaller.

• Bike - I used the bike so I could film tracking shots. At first I contemplated what to use and whether I should just have the camera handheld for the tracking shots, however I wanted it to be smooth and to get a clear image of my talent. Therefore, after talking to my teacher and considering my options I decided to use a bicycle. I put the camera on the seat of the bike by sellotaping it to the seat and making sure it was secure and didn't move during the filming. It wash't as smooth as I thought it would be, only because of the uneven floors that I was filming on. For example, the tracking shot where my talent was walking through the park, it was quite bumpy so I had to cut out parts when the camera wasn't smooth and consistent. The bike was very easy to move between areas of filming, however it got in the way when we were filming in the alley way as it was a narrow place to film and there were passing people.

Finished filming, now editing

Now that I have finished filming I plan to edit the footage I have gathered and then edit it, to make it into a music video. 

When editing the footage I want to use some colour correction so that it is dull and keeps with the style that I want to achieve. The first thing I will need to do is watch the footage back and decide which parts I want to incorporate into the video, and parts that I didn't. I have learnt from previous projects that when it comes to editing I am a perfectionist, therefore it could take some time before I am completely happy with the finished video. However, I will use it to my advantage as it will help me to create an effective music video. I have an idea of what scenes will go where within the video, for this reason it could save me some time instead of trying to decide which piece of footage I should use in a specific place.

Whilst completing this task I will need to consider the digipak that I am in the process of making and the look it conveys, as my work needs to be consistent with the style. Once I have completed the editing and digipak I will create the advertisement for the digipak, therefore these are the next steps I will take.

Audience feedback on first draft of the digipak

Below is my audience feedback from my first draft of the digipak. For this feedback I asked four people to look at the digipak and then share their opinions with me.

Whats your overall impression on the digipak?

• Dark and 'dingey'
• Quite urban and reinforces the band by the constant use of the bands logo and band name
• Nice layout 

What would you change?

• The  colour of the writing stating the song names as it is hard to read on the type of image you have used
• The image on the far right on the inside because there is too much going on in the background to be able to read the writing
• The layout of the front cover because the band names writing looks like it should be against the left hand side
• Consistently use bright writing in every part of the digipak
• On the front page, the bands name and album title aren't in line

What do you like the best?

• The font 
• The logo page on the outside of the digipak
• The content on the far right, inside page. For example, the tour dates and venues

What do you think about the images that are used?

• They make it look like there is too much going on because there are so many different images
• The use of the images outside are very good and link well with each other
• The inside images are too different, as in the image of the talent and the phone box image
• The images that have been used are too dark 

Digital Technology

To create my music video I will use many different types of technology. For example:

• Panasonic video camera - This will be one of the main pieces of technology I will use to create my music video. This is because I will film all of it on this camera and no other  cameras, such as standard cameras or a different brand of camera. It is essential to me that I use the same camera throughout the process of filming my music video so that I can find all of my work on the same camera when it comes to uploading the footage to a computer.

• Apple Mac - This is another main piece of technology that I will use throughout creating the music video as it contains a lot of key software that will help me. For example, Final Cut Pro, Pages, Safari. I learnt how to use the software and basics of an Apple Mac last year, therefore whilst using it this year I am more prepared and well equipped. For this reason, I can consequently be more successful in making my music video. 

• Final Cut Pro - This piece of software is what I will spend most of my time on as this is where I will upload and edit all the footage I have filmed. Final Cut Pro allows me to trim clips, change the speed, change the order, add transitions, add music and separate original footage sound from the clip. Along with all of this it enables me to add colour effects, add text onto a clip, reverse a clip add photos and more. This software is very helpful and effective in helping me to achieve the very best whilst editing the music video. Below is a print screen of Final Cut Pro. It shows the edited video at the bottom, the transitions that can be used to the right, media that has been uploaded to the top left, the adjustable amount of effect on the top right and the showing of the video in the middle.
• Safari - I can access different websites through Safari that I will need throughout this project. For example, Blogger, Pixlr, YouTube etc. These websites I have just mentioned are the main websites I will use to find inspiration, edit pictures, and blog my ideas and processes. 

• YouTube - In previous projects I have found YouTube very useful in helping inspire me. It holds a variety of videos that you can search for on the website. In this case I will most likely search for dance music videos as this is my genre for my music video. I can look at different styles of dance music videos to find inspiration to help me film my music video and editing techniques. 

• Pixlr - Pixlr is the website where I will do all the editing for photos. I will need this website when it comes to the subsidiary tasks i.e. the digi pack and magazine article. It allows me to edit the colour of the photo, crop, rotate, airbrush, put different types of overlay on the photo and put a boarder around it. Below is a print screen of Pixlr, it shows all the editing techniques at the bottom of the page that can be used, e.g. adjustment, effects, overlay etc.
• Blogger - I will use Blogger to blog all of my ideas and process throughout the making of the music video. It will enable me to show how my ideas develop through time. I can explain why I have used a special effect, camera shots and transitions.

First draft of digipak

For the making of my digipak, I went onto KlangKarussell's official website to look at the style of their writing of their band name so I could get an idea what style of writing I could use for their name on my digipak. I couldn't find a font that was like their font with the 'a' as a triangle, for this reason I ended up dragging the font and saving it as a picture so I was able to use it in my work. I also looked at their album cover for the song I am doing. Below are the pictures for the front and the back of the album. I have noticed that KlangKarussell put their name on the front and the back of the album, and the name of the song directly underneath the title of the band. Therefore I have tried this for my digipak. 

Below is the first draft of my digipak.

Outside

To the far left hand side I have placed the bands logo with an effect on the background. I have chosen to do this because I liked the idea of the audience opening the first sleeve (front cover) to the bands logo. The middle section will be the back of the digipak. Here I have made up some song names which I think would go well with the bands image and the style of the album as this is very important. The far right hand side is the front cover. I am not sure if like this as a cover for the album because it is lighter compared to the other images that I have used and therefore I think it gives off a different style to the rest of the digipak. To make my mind up I will ask a few people that I would consider to be listeners of the band and therefore the target audience.

Inside

The far left hand side sleeve, on the inside of the digipak, will be where the CD will be placed. I didn't want much on the inside of the digipak because I think putting too much over the images would ruin them. I think the images are good enough to have the digipak minimalistic, but intriguing at the same time. To the far right, I have placed a thank you message from the band with some tour dates underneath. I had the idea to put some tour dates on from looking at the bands website, however I have made up the dates and places where they will play so it is different from the bands actual tour dates. I made them different just in case someone viewing my digipak mistook this as the bands actual digipak. Again I am not sure if I like the inside of the digipak because it doesn't have much in it, other than images. The target audiences opinion is very important at this stage, consequently this is the next stage I plan to take.

Digipak research

When I was told that one ancillary task was to design a digipak for the album, I did some research before I chose which tasks I should do. I did this because I didn't know what a digipak was, or how to make one.

What is a digipak?
After doing some research online, I found a few definitions and descriptions of what it is. In my own words I have found out that a digipak is a type of packing that is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums. They typically consist of a gatefold book style that have one or more holders for CD's or extra information, attached inside.


What is the digipak for?
The front of the digipak will have some aspect of what the artist represents and what their predominate genre is. The digipak will most likely incorporate a theme and message about the artist. Therefore this emphasises the artists brand and image which could increase the popularity of the artist. It also demonstrates the creative approach that the artist is taking throughout the music and even music video. For example, if there is some futuristic idealism conveyed in the lyrics or the visuals of the music video, then the digipak wouldn't be very contemporary but more obscure.

How does the digipak benefit the artist?
Digipaks benefit the artist and their music as its promotional aspect of the music industry which helps bring awareness to the artist, and therefore selling the artist and encouraging consumers to buy and listen to their music. You could argue that buying a digipak establishes your loyalty to your artist.

Digipaks I like
I couldn't find a digipak for klangkarussell, for this reason I searched for other digipaks by artists.


I particularly like Rihanna's digipak as she keep continuity throughout all of the sides, which I believe makes it more visually appealing. Therefore, I will try and create a digipak that sticks to a sort of theme or continuity throughout.

 

Andrew Goodwin's method of analysing music videos

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Analysis is all about defining the characteristics of music videos.  There are 6 main methods of analysing music video such as:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 
2. The demand of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motif which recur across their work
3. There are frequent references to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic/erotic treatment of the female body
4. There is a relationship of lyrics and visuals
5. There is a relationship of music and visuals
6. There is often inter-textual reference

Colour correction

Below is an screen shot of a camera shot I have filmed. The day I chose to film this shot it was a sunny day and therefore I wanted to edit it so that it was darker and therefore is in keeping with the look I wanted to achieve, an urban

gritty feel.

The picture below is the edited version of the same camera shot as above. I only used colour correction to edit this shot, the effect I used was called 'Cold Steel'. It allows the camera shot to look dull and dreary which is the affect I wanted to achieve so that it reflects the mood of being rough and urban, like Audio Bullies 'We don't care' music video.

The screen shot of the camera shot below was filmed on the same day and therefore made the shot look bright and gave the opposite feel in that shot that what I wanted. For this reason I edited the shot by using colour correction called 'Combat'. This was to reflect how the above screen shot was to look. 

Below is another colour correction edit that I have used for the same reasons as I have explained in the previous screen shots. The top picture below this text is the original picture and the picture below is the edited version. The effect that I used on this shot is called 'Combat', I also used 'Cold Steel' on top of the other effect to create a strong dramatic effect.

However, after I used colour correction of the camera shot I decided to crop out the car in the far left of the shot as it didn't look right. When I filmed this shot I didn't take the car into consideration, if I was to of staged this camera shot I would of also taken the skip and 'Sold' sign out. I chose to film this shot in this particular place as I liked the 'Cliffton Road' sign as it ties in with the rest of the video.

Pictures for digipak

The pictures below are the pictures I intend to use for my Digi pack. I am not sure where I in the digipak I will put the images, however I have taken as many as I can so I can choose the design and layout with plenty of images to use if I choose.

1.

Below is the same photo as above, after it has been edited. To edit it I have used the colour correction effect called 'Cold Steel'. I used this effect on Final Cut Pro by putting the effect on the part of the clip and screen shoting it and converting it to an image. I did this because I unfortunately didn't take a photo of the graffiti wall when filming there. As i liked the image so much I therefore screen shot it and edited it this way. I used the effect because I liked the darkness that it gave to the image, as throughout editing the music video I have stuck with the same colour scheme as in dark, dull colours. I think the original image is too bright to use for the digipak.

2.

The image below is the edited version of it. The effects I used were on 'Pixlr'. Firstly I used colour correction effect called 'Adrian', I also used another colour correction called 'Ldgrad'. These effects caused the image to look like the image below. 

After using the previous effects I added two more effects on top. They were also provided by Pixlr. They were an image overlay and are called 'Dusty' and 'Banded'. They caused the image to look like the image below. I also had to flip the image so that if wanted to use this image as a front cover there was a gap in the bottom right hand corner for the bands name and album cover. 

3. 

The image above is the original photo I took, I then edited it by putting two different types of colour correction over it. I used Pixlr photo editor to edit this image, the effects I used are called 'Yellow' and 'Nash'. I used these effects to make it look a bit darker and less natural. 

I then added two lots of an overlay effect called 'Smoky, I liked this effect because it added some texture to the image, which show up mostly in the lighter areas. For example, the top right hand corner is where you can see the effect most. The effect goes with the outdoors theme of the image as it gives the effect of tree branches. The reason I used two lots of the same effect was show it showed up more on the image and wasn't as faint with just one lot of the effect.

4.

The image above is the original photo I took. I like the image to use in the digipak because the floor is quite dirty and the bin is in the corner with the phone box. It could work quite well as an opening inside cover. The image below is the edited version, which I have used two colour correction effects called 'Hagrid' and 'Ldgrad'. This is to make it look a bit sharper and darker.

After adding these effects I then tried out adding some image overlays like the previous images, however I didn't like the outcome of the image because it made it look too edited and over the top which isn't the look I want. For this reason I decided to leave the image like this.

5. 

 The image above is the original photo that I took when filming. As you can see it is very green a quite bright, therefore I used some effects on Pixlr to darken the image. The effects I used was a colour correction effect called 'Bob'. It resulted in the image looking like the photo below.

I then added an overlay on top of the colour correction to give it some texture and to let it be similar to the other photos, effects wise. I like the result of just using the two effects, therefore I plan to leave the image how it is in this final photo below.