Final Digipak analysis

Front cover

I decided on my front cover because i thought the setting of the artist in the middle of the field really captured the mise en scene and also the negative space of the sky allowed me to put text in which you could clearly see. I put the font in an viking style writing as we decided our artist was from Scandinavia and also put his first in black because black connotes pain and darkness and red to represent love and lust. It has the conventions of the image of the artist and his name as the title but doesn't have the conventional album name and the reason i didn't want it to have that is because i wanted it to be simple and not based on just one song.

Back cover

I chose the back cover image because it fits in nicely with the front cover as they feature the same setting and the artist looking a certain way (keeping continuity), i also managed to make the crop field end at the same place the front covers did to make it look more professional. It features the conventions of the mise en scene of nature and the song titles with song timings as well as the essential bar code. The song titles were done in a dark red to stand out from the sky and also connote love.

Spine

The spine features the artists name and an image of the artist both conventions of a digipak and also features iconographic shot of the artist walking through nature which is conventional of the chosen genre. It is in black and white with the artists second name in red to keep colour motif continuity with the whole of the digipak. The image came from an photograph i took whilst filming and i cropped it down to fit in to the spine size.

Inside covers

Both covers are in black and white to keep the colour motif continuity going and both feature the artist in iconographic backgrounds that represent the chosen genre of nature. The first inside cover is of him walking through the woodland with his guitar, both features of the iconographic of the genre. The second image is just of his guitar on it's own in the woodlands. It features the the guitar which is conventional within the genre and trees which is an iconographic shot of nature and represent folk.

Discs
Both the discs are done in black and white to keep continuety of the colour motif. Both discs feature trees within the mise en scene which represent nature and relaxasation. Trees are also iconographic to the genre of folk.

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Front and back cover drafts

This is my third idea for my front cover. It involves the conventions of a digipak with the artists name and album name but i decided on breaking the conventions by not using the artist and his style of genre on the front cover, instead i decided on an art design. I decided on using one of my photographs of an abandoned building, it has no relevance to the artist but appeals to me as an abstract art front cover. I especailly like how the title can contrast against the green wall so you can see the name clearly, unlike many of my other drafts.

This is a front cover draft for my artists digipak, it includes conventional features such as the artists name and the title of the album. The artist also features the artist in the centre of the composition with conventional folk features such as the guitar and the clothing he is wearing. The mise en scene is also conventional as you represent nature and the wilderness with folk music. I chose the font as it fitted in with the image and the genre convention.

This is another draft for my front cover and it again includes the conventional features of the artists name and title of the album but this one is placed to the right of the composition. The title is done in white to contrast against the dark trees but i don't really like the size or font included. Again the mise en scene features the stereotypical convention of folk, nature. But I'm not so keen on the font but like the picture so may have to change the font to make it more appealing.

This is a back cover draft for my digipak. It includes the conventions of the song titles, the song timings and the bar code at the bottom corner of the CD. The mise en scene is conventional to the genre as it features nature which relates to folk. The song titles and song timings have alternative colours so it makes it un conventional and a bit different.

This is another draft of my back cover and includes the conventions of the song titles and the song timing. The backdrop image is conventional to the genre of folk and includes an iconographic shot. The writing is in the centre of the composition which you could say is un conventional as most are down the side. The backdrop image is in black and white allowing the white font to contrast against it, making it easier to see on the eye.

This is my third draft of my back cover and again it includes the conventions with the song titles and song timings. The backdrop image is conventional to the genre of folk and includes an iconographic shot with fits in with the conventional mise en scene. The writing is in the centre of the composition which again you could say is un conventional. Ive made the writing white and thick so you can see it better against the backdrop.

Polls on social networking sites

To gain more votes on my poll I decided to post a status on two social networking sites that are popular with people of all ages. Putting my page up on different media sites will allow me to get a more majority vote and hopefully different opinions and views that will help me understand my target audience.

Digipack front cover drawn drafts

Digipack inside cover drafts

Digipack disc cover draft

Digipack back covers

Arctic Monkeys digipak analysis

This is the digipak from the British Indie/Rock artists 'Arctic Monkeys' and their album 'Whatever people say i am, thats what im not'. This was their debut album and was released in 2006 and features two number one records.

Front cover

The image of the front cover includes a close-up of the main subject smoking a cigarette which could represent a 'bad boy' representation and stereotype of the band and their music. The main subject is sat in front of a black background so all the focus is on him and what he's doing and his facial expression. The cigarrete is the motif within the digipak and features a variety of times. The artists name is in the top left hand corner and done in a modern font which relates to the modern stereotpyical man who's been photographed.

Back cover

The back cover again the conventional song titles are in the top left hand corner with the text in white contrasting against the black background so it's easy on the eye. The main subject is the same and he is holding the cigarette to keep continuety with the front cover.

Disc

The disc has cigarretes printed on it to look like it's an ash tray and to keep the motif of cigarretes continious. It's also done in black and white to keep continuety with the rest of the digipak to make it look proffesional.

Digipak Analysis The Kooks

This digipak is of the British Indie/Rock band 'The Kooks' and was released in 2006 by Virgin records.

Front cover

The front cover shows the full band playing their guitar and wearing relaxed clothing that relates to their chosen genre and immediately gives them an identity for their target audience. The front cover is done in black and white and none of the band members make eye contact to the camera suggesting their passionate about their music and instruments. The band look very relaxed and comfortable which could link in with their music and personality's and also link in with their chosen genre. It also features the conventional title 'Inside in, Inside out' which is in red which could connote love? danger? romance? and it also contrasts against the artists name which separates inside in and inside out.

Back cover

The back cover is a similar image to the front cover and taken from the same angle. The image is blurred so the conventional song titles and the conventional song length can stand out more to the eye. It also features CD conventions with the bar code, credits and record label provided on the right hand side.

Spine

The spine features the name of the artists to promote them and the record label their signed to so the institution can be recognised. It's been put in red to contrast from the front and back cover.

Disc

The disc is in red which could connote love, passion, danger and the the artists name is in black to contrast against it, the hole in the disc is used as an O in the artists name ' The Kooks' and the album title is in white and doesn't fit on the disc which again could show their relaxed approach to their music and their promotion. It features the conventional credits and record label on it again to promote the institution.



Front cover analysis of Digipack

Johnny Cash- American VI: The Man Comes Around

The photo of Johnny Cash on his Album cover is long shot, showing Cash stood in a grass field with a long black coat with a dog on either side of him.  The photo has been developed in film therefore it's in black and white, it makes Cash stand out more as he is wearing a black coat and his dark hair that colour contrasts against the white sky. The title has been put in bold white against the negative space of the sky which makes it stand out to the viewer. I like the simplicity of this image and because of Johnny Cash's iconic status it doesnt have to be meaningful or arty, it just has to include the artist himself.

This image is from Johnny Cash's last ever album American VI: The man comes around, which was released in 2002 and won the country music association album of the year. At the year of the release of his last ever album he was signed to legacy recordings and included 15 cover tracks and turned out to be one of the most popular albums of his career.

In the photo Johnny Cash is stood in the centre of the composition with a white and black dog on either side which could connotate the angel and the devil conscience, he was a relegious man and the fact he's wearing black and is holding his black guitar could connote death or loss and the title Cash is placed in the sky which could connote him and his name belong in heaven.

The audience for this album would be fans of the legend of Johnny Cash. He is a country singer and they usually have niche audience but because of his iconic status he has a wider range of audience then any other country singer. He would appeal to an older generation rather than a young generation as he was popular to the older generation who grew up listening to his music but young people still listen to Johnny Cash due to his iconic status.

I think the cover of the album represents Johnny Cash's legacy as it was his last ever album, it represents life, death and relegion. It's a very dark image that represents the dark meaning of death. The fact that the title is just his second name Cash and not his full name really shows how iconic he was, the fact that people didnt need to know his first name but just his last, really shows what an iconic figure he was. It represents the genre of country music, his identity and his legacy.

Bob Dylan

The front cover image is dominated by the artist Bob Dylan, it features a close up shot of him looking in to the camera, holding his guitar. The plain white background makes the main focus on the artist and also makes the list of songs which is unconventionally on the front of the cover stand out as their in red.It also unconventially features the image of the record label Columbia, giving them publicity.

This is the front cover of Bob Dylans 1962 vinyl album and includes 13 songs. Dylan was signed to columbia records at the time.

The photo is very simple but Dylan looks straight in to the camera which creates interaction with the audience. It also shows him holding his guitar, providing evidence that he's a solo artist that plays his guitar, he also is wearing fashionable clothing in them days and set trends for his audience to follow.

The audience for this album would be fans of Bob Dylan and fans of rock,folk and blues music. I believe the audience would be from the older generation in which they grew up listening to him with the demographics of 35-70. Bob Dylan has also got a young following which like the meaning and style of his songs. Bob Dylan believed in civil rights and freedom and did a variety of marches in which he was followed by a number of people, this means people didnt just follow him for his music but for his beliefs and how his music helped them get their point across.

This photograph represents Dylans solo career as it shows him and his guitar, it represents his label as Columbia as they are upon his front cover. It represents his style by the clothes he whore and it represents his audience who choose to buy the album as it appeals to them.

Bruce Springsteen- Born In The U.S.A

The front cover of this Bruce Springsteen CD features a full length body shot of the artist playing his guitar. He has his arm and leg up showing us that he's in mid performance. His stood in front of the American flag with the title of the album in the blue square at the top right of the photo, his first name is in white to contrast against the red line and his second name in red to contrast against the white stripe.

The front cover is taken from the artists 7th album Born In The U.S.A which was released in June 1984. At the time Bruce was signed to Columbia records and a very popular rock musician. The album included twelve original songs and he was nominated as best male artist because of it's success.

The image comes across patriotic as the title is born in the U.S.A and we see the artist performing in front of the American flag. By the way he's stood you can see the artist is full of energy and passionate about what he does. The title is in the corner of the flag where the starts are usually located, this could suggest that the album and himself will become a star of a different type.

The audience for this certain album would be fans of Bruce Springsteen and his work and also the genre of rock. The demographics for this would be around 35-55 mostly males as Bruce Springsteen was popular back in the 80's so the young generation wouldnt have grown up with his music and had a very American masculine status. It may appeal to patriotic Americans as the album is about being proud of where your from.



The front cover represents Bruce Springsteen as a lively, confident person and represents his image and style. It represents his label Columbia and the genre of rock. It also represents his country America as if it had negative connotations then the album wouldnt have been a success, it represents patriotic fans of rock and roll.

Update

After uploading the footage and applying certain effects we came to the conclusion that certain clips needed to be improved because they didnt quite fit the video in sequence with the rest of the shots. Two or three of the shots were too dark and grainy and we couldnt make the effects make it look any better so we decided to shoot it again, this time in a lighter room.

• We have schedualed to film on Saturday the 3rd of December and hopefully capture all the clips we need and maybe more. 

Video faults

These are the two shots we want to re-shoot as our actor didnt play the guitar in a convincing way and we needed him to strum the guitar and not pluck. We did like the shots and the mise en scene but unfortunatly the guitaring isnt convincing enough.

These shots are going to be re-filmed as we believe they are too similar and we need something a bit more interesting and less boring. We were thinking of a different mise en scene as we believe we have very similar mise en scene in each of these shots. The angles also need changing to give the video more of a variety and more of a cutting edge.

Jump Cuts

For two sections of our music video we have used jump cuts. The first section is were euan is riding down the hill, without the edits it was a really long shot so we decided to use jump cuts to make it not only shorter but a lot more visually intresting. The first screenshot shows the clips on the timeline and you are able to see where the edits are in the clip. We cut certain bits of the clip out so euan rides so far down the hill then jumps a little further down. We also used jump cuts on another really long shot were we can see the owl in the trees at the top of the hill and the camera then zooms out so we just did the same thing and cut certain bits of the clip out, this is shown in the second screenshot.

Rotating the horizon

On one of the shots we filmed where Euan was running over the hill, the horizon of the hill was tilted and it didnt look right, so using the editing software we were able to tilt the horizon and make it straight. Below are the step by step screenshots of how we tilted the horizon.

1) In this shot we can see the horizon is tilted

2) Here, we clicked on the shot which brings up the box around it which allows you to drag it or make it bigger or smaller.

3) Here we have pulled the shot down slightly, this allows you to hover the mouse above the middle square on the top of the box, this allows you to rotate the shot.

4) Here we have rotated the shot to make the horizon look straight.

5) And here we have pulled the shot back up to fit properly in the screen

Reverse clip

As our music video was meant to be surreal and part of a dream, we decided that at the end of the video just before the main character wakes up from the dream we wanted the whole video to reverse backwards at a fast speed to add more abstract elements to the video. Below are screen shots of the steps we took to acheive the reverse clip.

1) First of all we had to highlight all of the footage on the timeline that we wanted to put in reverse

2) Once we had highlighted all the footage we wanted, we had to put it all on to a seperate sequence

3) Once the footage was in its own seperate sequence we had to export it and then important it again as a seperate video.

4) We then dragegd the video on to the timeline and placed it where we wanted it.

5) To then speed it up and put it in reverse we had to right click on the clip we wanted and select 'speed/duration'

6) Finally, we had to tick the 'reverse speed' box to put it in reverse and change the speed in the top box

Matrox editing

By uploading all the clips and putting dissolves in between we discovered that video needed some more effects to make it look more like a conventional folk music video. We wanted the video to look quite vintage and natural just like a conventional folk video, it also made the iconographic shots and mise en scene look more proffesional and overall gave the video a better quality.

By looking through the matrox colourasation we managed to find a variety of different colour effects for our video, we experimented with a few but found the one that fitted our video and our genre the most and that was the sepia tone. The sepia tone gave the video a warm/natural vintage look in which it makes the video more appealing to our target audience and their genre of music. Before we uploaded the colour effects the video looked a bit un proffesional, boring, plain and grainy so having the oppurtunity to improve our video with these effects really helped us out.

Transitions

After uploading all our film on to the computer we decided to experiment with the editing software and see what suited our film best and would help us achieve a conventional folk music video.

This is a screen shot of the transitions we thought worked best for our film and fitted well within the video and the conventions. Cross dissolves allow the film to flow nicely and allow the clips to link well together giving a relaxing and smooth feeling just like the genre conventions. We didnt want abrubt and sharp editing as it wouldnt have flown as well as a cross dissolve.

Day of filming update

The day of filming was successful as managed we to get the majority of shots we wanted. We aimed to get the most important shots done first (The iconographic shots and the conventional folk mise en scene) and then moved on too finding areas and locations that would look best and have the right mise en scene that would fit the conventions of our music video. We did run out of tape in the end but overall we got most shots and now just need to improve on a couple more and the video should be complete.

Hazards

The only people who may have been affected and were at particular risk were the artist himself and us the cameramen. Their was low risk and the only risk was that of the main prop the bicycle.  He may have suffered hazard if he fell of his bike, possibly harming himself if he got knocked off.  We reduced the risk of hazard by checking the roads for any cars of civilians and also made sure he road in safe settings, instead of steep, slippy or rocky surfaces. To get to certain locations we needed to climb high hills and were in danger of falling from a high height but we worked round it and went the safest way possible.

Pictures from day of filming



This image shows part of the mise en scene in our video and shows the iconographic image of nature in which you see in conventional folk music videos.

 

Euan taking a minutes breather before climbing the steep hill behind him.



Zak getting ready to film

 

 

This shot is one of the shots included in our video. It includes the conventional trees and guitar within it, both conventions of a folk music video.

Me filming the sunlight coming through the trees for an iconographic shot that will help us achieve a conventional folk music video.







Zak and Euan walking to the next filming destination.





Zak and I discussing the next shot and what was needed. We were discussing whether the mise en scene would be appeal to our target audience.