Final Artefact: Magazine Advert

Final Artefact: Digipak and Booklet Insert

Booklet: 
Digipak: 

Final Artefact: Music Video

Evaluation Question 4

Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation Question 2

Evaluation Question 1

CD

This is a potential CD design here. It's not incredibly strong but it's better than the one on previous design trials. 

Developments: Booklet

Despite the nice comments from my parents, I have slightly adjusted my booklet. I have changed the ordering of the pages, and the fonts slightly on the page with the lyrics. My reason for this was because I didn't feel my parents were very convincing on the 'it's fine' - I have gone for a san-serif font for the lyrics, and used the same font as the artist for the title of the song.

Finally, I have changed the colour of the heading font 'The Cure' to a different colour used throughout my design work, and I have attached the graphic design of Jordan to the lyrics to add some 80s feel.

A Short Conversation: The Booklet

I asked my parents, one of which is a part-time freelance designer, for any feedback on my booklet design, as I was unsure of the font and layout on the lyrics page (X and XI) It was a very informal setting and unfortunately my pets were running rampage over us at the time of recording so excuse any random comments or noises.

Inserts Construction

So, for this insert as you open the digipak, I have decided to go for a professional approach and give some details for the audio/design. I think simple white text on a black background works nicely but I'll keep you updated! 

Above is where I'm at with the booklet insert. I've gone for a minimalist appearance much like the digipak - I think this has come across in a professional light which is what I'd hoped for, but I still need to work on it a little.

In terms of how far I'm taking the construction of the booklet, I feel it's not necessary to create the full booklet, but what I had imagined was a booklet around 16 pages in length which would have the lyrics and some exclusive photos of the artist.

The Key to a Professional Look

I have realised that the key to a professional looking marketing piece requires official information! This includes things such as copyright information, ownership rights, official website references, and so on. For most businesses this is fairly simple:
In the images above I have highlighted where the business info is, or where the production/marketing/distribution company logos have been stuck (always at the bottom of the poster).

However, my problem is I have no business to be marketing! I don't have a logo!! I am also not familiar with the legal terms used when it comes to copyright information, so I have no choice but to mirror official products'.

Above is the back of The Cure's album 'Disintegration'. Their copyright information goes as the following: 

©2010 Polydor LTD 

The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Fiction Records LTD and licensed exclusively to Polydor LTD. A Universal Music Company.

All rights of the owner of the works produced reserved.

Unauthorised copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited. Made in the EU.

The song 'Boys Don't Cry' was first released on an album released by Fiction Records so I don't think there's anything wrong with mentioning them in my copyright information like in the example above.

Development in Design

Okay so, my 'change of heart' was not as significant as I thought it would be, but here is my general idea so far. I've chosen to use the images involving the bottle as this has more meaning with it. The bottle covering the face warps the image, and in turn it says something along the line of a lost sense of identity. The bottle with the band name 'The Cure' also gives the message of alcohol being the cure to problems, which works very well with Robert Smith, but also links very well with the recurring drinking in my music video. 

The CD design is still under work, but I've just put in some bits to give a sense of the CD being present. I have also used a stock-image on the top right of a booklet to help give dimension to my design. 

As you can see, my front and back cover have come along nicely. I found the right fonts and have edited them accordingly. I've continued the use of pink to help bring this back to the 80s. 

One issue I've had is finding the right image for the 'DPS on the inside. In the image I've used in the above design, I wasn't quite happy with it and felt it was too obvious that I had just copy and pasted the same bottle from different images to stand above the sofa. So, in the image(s) below I have moved the bottle to lie on the floor, and I have deliberately made it look like I've stuck them on to give a slightly unprofessional/edgy/authentic feel. I then had the issue of deciding between colour, or sepia. I had a look at black and white but it made the image look too flat. 

I think I'm happy with this final design of the image here. I have brought the bottle up so they're more visible than they were before. I have also fitted the image in enough so you can vaguely see Jordan's face behind the bottle on the left hand side. I've also extended the row of bottles so it looks continuous.

Mockup Plan #3

First proper design for my digipak. I have just had a conversation with someone and received a suggestion resulting in a sudden change of heart with this design - hence it being half done. I'll get back to you with my next design.

InDesign and Digipak Layout

Here's a zoomed out image of my design layout.

Each panel is 125x140mm, and I have inserted the spines too which I decided are 125x7.5mm.

Photoshoot

At 4.00pm, I walked half an hour to get to Jordan's house only to find him not home from work. My phone had run out of battery on the walk, so I had no choice but to wait. I waited for half an hour outside very cold before he came home. I told him to go and get changed and I'd set up, only to realise I had forgotten to bring an SD card and so my camera would not work.

After warming up, I walked back home and Jordan left to go to football practise. He returned at 9.30pm and I had no choice but to head back up and carry out a photoshoot with my lighting equipment.

These photos are very hit and miss, but I'm reasonably happy with the turnout of some of them, and the quality I managed to get out of my little camera. The photos in general have come out quite dark as I was avoiding turning up the ISO on the camera and decreasing quality, but I figured I could just edit the photos I liked via Camera Raw and Photoshop. 

Edit of Previous Mock Up

I've added the same text I used in the music video. A lot of artists have their name in the same font/style for every album/advert/etc and so this could be part of my artist's symbolism - the recognisable name and look.

On further thought with this mock-up, I don't think it works. There's no relevance with this design and the music video I've made, and so I think it's unavoidable now that I plan a photoshoot to take place. I'll need to plan out some ideas before I take any photos, but this weekend would be the perfect time!

Typography Research

Mock-Ups (Initial Ideas)

My initial idea was to have a pattern-heavy design with some references to the music video, like beer bottles or the recurring peace lily, but after using these stock images I realised it probably wouldn't work. Even if I took lots of photos of different materials and made up a collage it would look like a tacky unprofessional student design, which although would be true to me, that's something I want to avoid. 

This idea below uses a more simple idea that I think is a very 80s 

The background image is a photo I took as part of a series in photography, but I thought it could work nicely as a digipak design. I personally really like it but on reflection it doesn't reflect my music video at all, except for the illustration of Jordan.

Album Advertisements: Magazines

Another part of this coursework requires me to create an advertisement for my artist/album as an A4 page in a magazine. So, EXAMPLES:

Photoshop and Tracing

As I began brainstorming for my music video, the video to A-ha's Take On Me sprung to mind. The video uses a comic strip which is then animated to tell a narrative. This was and still is a very well-known song and music video making it a significant motion-picture of the 80s. This is a video that reminds me of the short Christmas film 'The Snowman', 1982, also a very well known video from the 80s. 

As a project, I decided to give the animation idea a go. Below is a picture of Jordan taken in a nightclub. This photo has good lighting with contrasting highlights and shadows so I thought it would be perfect to use as a template. 

Although it wasn't necessary, I have uploaded an image below showing the process I used on Adobe Photoshop. As you can see I created sections and filled them in black on places of darkness on Jordan's face. I didn't want to make the design too complex in a way you wouldn't a logo, so I kept it tidy. 

Once I was happy enough with the outline, I carved the eyes out and the final image was then made!

And here we have it, an action man in the makings! 

'Mood Board' for Digipak and Magazine Design

Feel free to click on any of the pinned images to check out my reasons for adding it to the board.

4th Music Video Edit and Class Review

So this is my fourth edit, almost identical to the third edit except for some subtle tint changes on the band shots to give a slight sepia look. I had initially titled this video as 'Final Edit' and posted it on my Facebook page which is why the sudden spike in views, but then we had the class viewing of the edits so far.

As I took to the front of the class, I quickly gave context that the video is meant to be set in the 80s, and I wasn't entirely sure if the narrative was as easy to follow as it is in my head. As I pressed play, the overplayed music began blaring in to the room and was projected on the wall. I sat with my eyes awkwardly avoiding the class, and instead looked between the floor and the computer screen in front of me.

As the video ended, the silence in the room felt like it lasted forever and so I politely cleared my throat and asked for any feedback. Eventually someone was brave enough to speak, which sparked a couple other small voices to break out. The feedback I was given is summarised as followed:

- It's 'good'
- The narrative is easy to follow
- The clothes aren't 80s enough, and so that takes away most of the potential 80s feel
- There's one point with Jordan obviously not lip-syncing/knowing the words
- The typography font is off at the beginning of the video

And so, I quickly renamed the video to 'Fourth Edit' and swiftly removed it off Facebook out of embarrassment. The comments were very constructive remarks and so I know I must address what I can, while avoiding reshooting anything.

Physical Digipak Examples

While none of these examples are of the same genre as my band, I have decided to look into their use of booklets and inserts as this is something I'd like to put in my digipak.

Design Research

The Cure have undergone several stylistic changes in their career. While they're better known for their later work with albums such as Disintegration, 1989, and The Head on the Door, 1985, my favourite album is probably their first album, Three Imaginary Boys. In this album lies Boys Don't Cry from several different recording sessions. What I love about this album is that it's not great. The raw and authentic sound to all the songs, some okay, some not great, shows The Cure in their teens still working things out. Their style is under-established, sweet and naive to what they'd be facing in their careers. Below I have embedded the album so you can have a 30 second preview to the songs, unless you already have Spotify downloaded. 

In the past, I have done a photo shoot similar to the image on the cover of the album. These photos were taken to express empty space, but I think for my own digipak cover, I'd like to reverse this and create something concerning more lack of space. The Cure in 1979 were young and fun, and I think that's something I feel more inclined to picture.

Music Video Edit 3

Following the peer feedback, I realised what I really needed to focus on was capturing an 80s style. Youtube came to my saviour with some fabulous people sharing their ways of using post-production editing to create the effect they want

Digipak Plan

Here's a clearer layout of what I'm planing! (https://www.discmakers.com/templates/digipaks.asp)

Digipak Intro and Analyses

Peer Review Feedback

Peer Review Feedback

Comment on the use of camera - are shots in focus, white balanced, framed?

Frames are shot well and are clearly presented. Your use of camera shots and movement are nicely edited together, with fluent transitions onto each scene.

Shots are framed well, they’re all in focus and the movement of the camera is good

The shots are all well framed, the movement of the camera is really good, how it shows the band playing you can get into the vibe of the song, they are all in focus.

All the shots are in focus, Brilliant use of camera and effective camera movement. The shots are framed really well and white balance brings out the colour nicely.

Please comment on types of shots, variety of shot types, angles and movement

My favourite part was the match-on-action take of the dart board. But overall you have use a various of shots throughout the music video, that are well thought out and edited together. Can’t critique anything; it was overall very professional.

There is a wide variety of shots, both types and angles, they’re all edited together well, looks good.

You’ve used a wide variety of shots and angles, they all work together really well and there is a smooth transition.

Good variety of shots. You’ve got a mix of high and low angles and long shots and close ups which makes it look really professional.  

Have close attentions been paid to MES? Does this affect the genre of music/artist?

Watching your video, I would associate the style and narrative of the video with being in the rock genre. Indie rock or soft rock. The setting of the brick background or garage is very fitting for the genre of rock.

Shooting in the garage for the performance clips works well with the song and the overall genre of the song.

Yes I would say it has, you can clearly see through mes what genre of music it is.

Yeh, it looks banging. You can’t go wrong with live performance shots and it works well with the lyrics and the narrative side of it. MES is really detailed and accurate and gives it an Indie vibe.

Does this video - through the MES and editing - look as though it's set in the 80s?

I didn’t get the feeling of the 80’s, but the attire and use of garage and pub appeals to the older form of rock music

Kinda, like the shots with the girl in look kinda 80s, like with the grainier shots and the mise en scene of the shots but in the others it looks like more modern.

I think It does, through the use of the plants and in the kitchen scene, it looks very 80’s especially the grainy shots outside.

Absolutely. Denim jackets and bottled larger is very 80’s. The slight graininess on some of the shots helps give the video that feel as well.

Does the video tell a readable narrative?

I loved watching it all the way through. The story was clear and matched effectively with the lyrics.

Yeah you can follow the narrative and understand what is going on.

Yes you can clearly follow the narrative.

Yeah. You can follow the narrative easily. 

Second Edit

So what I've done now is used the footage I already have to make up the blank spaces you saw in my first edit. The band I had used are unfortunately very busy with gigs and general life and I feel I may be unable to have another chance filming with them.
In this edit I've tried to colour correct all the scenes so that they don't look detached, but instead give a continuous flow. I've also added an ending.

My next steps are to get reviews from peers so I can get an idea of what else I need to do. Sometimes having someone else's input is the best way!

Personal

To do list:

- Re-shoot the band shoot as soon as they're able - push them into it being asap

- Further edit my footage for a more 80s appearance. Look at my research from 80s.
- The post called 'storyboard' should either be deleted or added to
- I need to create a casting thing for Georgie
- 'Perhaps include more theorists in evaluation'