Digipak Analysis

I have analysed 2 different Digipaks,  one of which is from the famous Indie band 'The 1975'. I hope to use some of the abstract elements from these Digipaks into my own ancillary task.

ACORN Demographics

In order to understand my target audience in a more specific and detailed way, I have found a website called ACORN Demographics. This is a company which specialises in target demographics for other businesses by looking at tiny factors such as salary, age. postcode, hobbies and compiling all of them together to create an extremely specific target audience. The information that the website can easily be transferred to my target audience and has also helped me to decide my target audience. An infographic which describes their work is  shown below.

Potential Actors

George Hardy (Me)

17, Male.

Advantages: Available most time of the week, fairly good actor.

Disadvantages: Won't be able to film as I will be acting.

Sam Howard

17, Male.

Advantages: Has a girlfriend who could be used in the video, creative, can use a camera if needed which is useful.

Disadvantages: Has work so is unavailable at some times of the week.

Mitchell Oliver

17, Male.

Advantages: Great at filming, Creative, knows a lot about camerawork and editing.

Disadvantages: Has work some days so could be unavailable on some filming days.

Luke Hibberd

17, Male.

Advantages: Good actor, has a car so many more locations would be available to go to. Currently unemployed so will be easy to arrange filming with him. Also has a girlfriend.

Disadvantages: May make plans with his girlfriend so he wont be free all of the time.

Zach Adams

18, Male.

Advantages: Takes drama as a subject at school so is an excellent actor. Knows how to work a camera well.

Disadvantages: Works so may be difficult to arrange a time to film with him.

James Spencer

Advantages: Good actor, creative, knows how to work a camera. Unemployed so is free most of the time.

Disadvantages: Sometimes he can be unprofessional.

How to use a stedicam

I have found a tutorial that shows how to use a stedicam for filming. I will be using this as it helps my footage look steady and professional, which will be important as there will be many scenes which will be hard to shoot without this piece of equipment.

Risk Assessment

I have created a risk assessment for all of the potential dangers in my music video and gave solutions to them. This ensures that if any of these risks turn into actual dangers then I will be prepared up front and will be able to respond to them quickly and professionally.

Shooting Schedule

I have created a shot schedule for my music video and for my ancillary tasks. Creating one of these will improve my organisational skills and will also make my portfolio a lot easier to manage. I have created a grey area on my schedule so that if I am unable to do any filming on one of the days that I have typed in, I can do it on one of these days instead.

A2 Music Video Example

I have found a music video for an Advanced Portfolio which has received an A grade (Full marks). This music video has also gained 40,000+ views on youtube and also contains an abundance of good shots and elements. The video was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II which unfortunately cannot be provided by my school so I will have to use a different DLSR to record my music video. I will use many elements from this music video in terms of camera skills so that my music video looks professional and does not get a low grade. I particularly enjoy when the two characters are running, which should mean that the camera should be shaking heavily and out of focus, however it is almost perfectly still. Obviously there is some shaking to show how hectic the scene is however we can easily see that the footage has been stabilised so that it looks more professional. The use of shots in the music video are excellent, and the lighting is also of the same calibre. The music also matches the characters lip syncing, which is one of the main aims for my music video, as I am not really experienced in filming, especially with shot types and continuity. In general, this is a great example to take ideas from.

Research into the Indie Genre

I have looked into the genre of music that I am producing a music video a bit more, Indie music. I have done this so that the audience that listens to the genre can link with my video as it will contain key concepts of the genre.

Non Linear Narratives

I have created a mindmap which states many ways in which a narrative can be shown in a non-linear way. Although these methods are unconventional, they are amazing ways of showing a piece of media off as they challenge the audiences ideas. However, I believe that I am going to stick to a normal, linear narrative for my music video.

History of Audience Theories

Storyboard for my Music video

Ideas for My Music Video

(INSTRUMENTAL)

In the instrumental of the song, for every strum of the guitar the shot will cut to a different part of the music video (Foreshadowing what will happen?)

I fell straight

Into your arms

Like a drunk

Who's been on it

All morning.

And the sun's up

And my head's f*cked.

In this section of the music video the main character is going to be lip syncing towards the video and getting ready to go out. There is mainly going to be close ups of the character and objects that he/she interacts with as they are going to be in their own home.

And immediately I grabbed you

You go all red

Like the first time

I love it when you do that

Gotta love it when you do that.

Continued shots of the character getting ready to go out.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!

Cut to the character walking/driving to the city (still not decided). Journey towards the city recorded.

But f*ck it if they talk

Fuck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

Cut to the character arriving at the city, meeting somebody? Abstract shots of buildings and more.

Our cocoon

Run your shoulders

When you're half cut

And you're frozen

And you've got that visible grieving

You're depending on me again.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!

But f*ck it if they talk

Fuck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

F*ck it if they talk

F*ck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

And if you wanna track down and pose as positive

Hide smoking from relatives

Rest on me,

Honey, that's all right!

And if you wanna act more drunk than usual

To help you get away with more than

Rest on me,

Honey, that's alright!

Honey, that's alright!

Our cocoon

Shrug your shoulders

And I'm good

Yeah that's good.

Fuck it if they talk

Fuck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!

Things to consider when shooting

I have created a mind map via www.text2mindmap.com that considers the factors when shooting my music video. The mindmap covers multiple areas that I need to consider, such as the arrangement of crew and cast, the continuity factors that I will need to consider during the video so that it looks professional and also the health and safety factors to consider so that all of the people used in my music video are safe.

Gaining Permission for my Song

In order to be able to use 'Cocoon' by Catfish and The Bottlemen, I must first gain permission from the record company, Universal Music Group, so that I will be able to use the song without committing Plagiarism. Here is the email:

My Chosen Song for my Music Video

The song that I have chosen to use for my music video is 'Cocoon' by Catfish and the Bottlemen. I have chosen this song because I feel like it would suit the shots that I would use for my music video the most compared to the other songs that I shortlisted. My music video is going to contain a slight narrative with some abstract elements.

"I fell straight

Into your arms

Like a drunk

Who's been on it

All morning.

And the sun's up

And my head's f*cked.

And immediately I grabbed you

You go all red

Like the first time

I love it when you do that

Gotta love it when you do that.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!

But f*ck it if they talk

F*ck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

Our cocoon

Run your shoulders

When you're half cut

And you're frozen

And you've got that visible grieving

You're depending on me again.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!

But f*ck it if they talk

F*ck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

F*ck it if they talk

F*ck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

And if you wanna track down and pose as positive

Hide smoking from relatives

Rest on me,

Honey, that's all right!

And if you wanna act more drunk than usual

To help you get away with more than

Rest on me,

Honey, that's alright!

Honey, that's alright!

Our cocoon

Shrug your shoulders

And I'm good

Yeah that's good.

F*ck it if they talk

F*ck it if they try and get to us

'Cause I'd rather go blind

Than let you down.

I remember when we

Swapped names and I thought maybe

You'd stay and try to out-drink me

Your friends, all hate it!"

Double Exposure

I have conducted a survey to ten people to decide whether I should use a nature theme or a urban theme for my digipak cover, and here are the results:

As you can see from the results the people that I surveyed (students aged 17-18) preferred the urban theme to the double exposure rather than the nature theme. Therefore, for my digipak I will be having an urban landscape to it. However, I will need to source my own images for this rather than using stock photos like I used for this.

Genre Questionnaire

I have created a questionnaire to ask 20 different people (aged 17-18  years old) about what genre of music that they would like to see for my music video. Their first choice was in black and their second was in purple, also they were not allowed to vote for the same genre twice so that the survey was not biased towards one genre. Here are the results:

As you can see from the survey the Indie genre won the survey with 12 votes, followed by the Pop and Rap genre collectively. I may choose another age group to partake in a survey due to the fact that all 20 people that took the survey were aged between 17 and 18 years old. I could ask an older group of people or a younger group, and would probably get very different results.

Double Exposure Attempt

After watching multiple tutorials on the 'Double Exposure' effect, I have decided to have a go myself. Here is the result:

I have used 2 different stock images to do this, however if i choose to use this method of exposure for my digipak or music magazine advert then I will have to source my own images, however I am pleased with the result. This only took me around 15 minutes to do, however I can take more time on it for my ancillary product so that it looks more professional.

Shooting Film at Night Tutorial

One of the principle ideas that I want for my music video is that I would like to shoot the video at all times of the day, I want to do this because I feel like the atmosphere in a video at night is much calmer and relaxing than the day. However, without using the necessary tools and features on the camera to shoot at night, I would have problems with lighting and the video might give off the wrong impression. There are multiple aspects of lighting that I could use in my music video, such as streetlights, lights from shops or buildings, and also lights from vehicles. I do not want to use forced light such as torches due to the fact that it may look too unnatural and I do not want the actors in my music video to feel uneasy. I have looked at several different video tutorials as I am quite new with shooting video, and have looked at this tutorial for the DSLR as they are the cameras available in school.


I may experiment with multiple lighting effects on my camera before I shoot my music video, then ask people which lighting mode they like the most and use that, and will also receive feedback from them as well.

Double Exposure Tutorial

I have researched into the practice of 'Double Exposure', where two images are merged into one. I think that this would look extremely effective on my music video. Here below is a video showcasing how to use Double Exposure effectively:

Some good examples of Double Exposure include:

My Target Audience

I have created a Prezi which highlights some of the target audiences in the music industry, this Prezi goes into detail about both genres of music and age group which can be used to profile my potential audience.

Altmant (1984) Semantic/Syntactic Approach

I have created a mind map about Altmant's Semantic and Syntactic Approach Theory. I can apply this theory to my work as I could choose whether or not my music video could follow a syntactic approach, where nearly every aspect of the video would have a very basic level of meaning, while following a semantic approach would mean that many aspects would have a much deeper meaning.

Source: https://prezi.com/rancc7ajhxlo/a-semantic-syntactic-approach-to-film-genre/

Self/Peer Feedback Form

I have self-assessed my research and planning and found out what I need to improve on. As well as myself, my teacher has assessed my blog from this point and has found multiple areas in which I need to improve. Two of the main goals for my blog would be to improve my time management skills and have a greater variety of digital ICT to present my research and planning.

Analysing Magazine Advertisements

Analysing Magazine Advertisements from GeorgeH140799

Examples of Effects- Final Cut

I have created a video in Final Cut Express that showcases some of the many effects that can be used on video. I plan on using some of these video effects on my music video so that it looks more abstract and unique.

Final Cut Express Tutorial

Because I created a music magazine for my AS portfolio, I have little to no experience with video editing software such as Final Cut Express, therefore I have watched these tutorials so that I can have a basic understanding of the software.

Places where I'll be shooting

These will be some of the places where I am going to film my music video. I would like to film during a busy time so that I can contrast the hectic connotations of the city against the peaceful connotations of the countryside.

How to Make a Music Video Tutorial

I have watched this YouTube tutorial on how to make certain aspects of a music video look professional. The video touches up on lighting, camera shots and manoevers and in general ways in order to make a music video actually look like a music video. I will definetely be using some of these aspects in my music video, especially the lighting section of the tutorial.

Action Plan

For my coursework I have created an action plan for the rest of my research and planning. I am going to tick the boxes once I have completed each task. This will allow me to be more organised and focused on the task at hand.

Songs for My Music Video (UPDATED)

I have managed to narrow down my choices of the song that I am going to use for my music video to two songs. Even though these songs are of a similar tempo, they are of a different genre which can massively change the type of music video that I make for it. I will have to have a good think about which song I would like to use for my music video as it will have a big difference on my music video.

Analysing Existing Examples- 1 (Heathens- Twenty one Pilots)

The first existing example that I have chosen to analyse is Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots. I have chosen this example to analyse as it shows a different perspective to a music video as the song that I am going to use is upbeat, however the mood for this song is quite dark and gloomy.

Analysing Existing Examples-2 (I Bet my Life- Imagine Dragons)

Imagine dragons 'I bet my life' Analysis from GeorgeH140799

I have analysed this music video as I feel that it is very creatively done and has many connotations that I am going to have in my video.

Inspiration for my Music Video- Coldplay (Hymn for the Weekend)

Coldplay- Hymn for the Weekend

[Beyoncé:]
Drink from me, drink from me
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Symphony
Then we'll shoot across the sky
We're on a...
Drink from me, drink from me
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Symphony
(So high, so high)
Then we'll shoot across the sky

[Coldplay:]
Oh, angel sent from up above
You know you make my world light up
When I was down, when I was hurt
You came to lift me up
Life is a drink, and love's a drug
Oh, now I think I must be miles up
When I was a river, dried up
You came to rain a flood

[Coldplay & Beyoncé:]
And said drink from me, drink from me
When I was so thirsty
Pour on a symphony
Now I just can't get enough
Put your wings on me, wings on me
When I was so heavy
Pour on a symphony
When I'm low, low, low, low

[Coldplay:]
I, oh, I, oh
Got me feeling drunk and high
So high, so high
I, oh, I, oh, I, oh
Now I'm feeling drunk and high
So high, so high
Woo!

[Coldplay & Beyoncé:]
Oh, angel sent from up above
I feel it coursing through my blood
Life is a drink, your love's about
To make the stars come out

[Coldplay & Beyoncé:]
Put your wings on me, wings on me
When I was so heavy
Pour on a symphony
When I'm low, low, low, low

[Coldplay:]
I, oh I, oh I
Got me feeling drunk and high
So high, so high
Oh I, oh I, oh I
I'm feeling drunk and high
So high, so high

[Beyoncé & Coldplay:]
I, oh I, oh I
La la la la la la la
So high, so high
I, oh I, oh I
I'm feeling drunk and high
So high, so high

[Beyoncé:]
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Then we'll shoot across the...
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Then we'll shoot across the...
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Then we'll shoot across the...
Then we'll shoot across the sky
Then we'll shoot across the...

I am going to take certain aspects out of this music video as it has connotations of travel and freedom, two connotations that I definitely want in my music video. The video is based in India and contains many cultural aspects from the country. India has developed from quite a rural country to an urban country, because of this there are many urban areas. I like the shots used in the music video, especially the handheld shots that make you feel like you are in the video. The places that the artist visits for the shots are extremely vibrant and colourful which I really like. Overall, the music video is really good and contains shot types and themes that I really like.

Choosing My Song for My Music Video

For my music video I have shortlisted 5 songs to use. These all are of a similar tempo and mood and contain elements of indie music.

CHVRCHES- We Sink
I have shortlisted this song as I feel that I could easily create a music video around this song. The tempo is quite fast, which I want for my music video. I want a song with a fast pace so that I can use a lot of cut transitions in my music video, and I think this song is one of the best to use for a lot of jump cuts and a variety of scenes. 

Catfish and the Bottlemen- Cocoon
I have shortlisted this song because at the beginning of the song, there are lots of opportunities for jump cuts. Also, I like songs of an indie genre and I think I could make an excellent music video from this song. It would contain lots of shots of the city and travelling.

Twenty One Pilots- Tear in my Heart

Foster the People- Call It What You Want

Miike Snow- Paddling Out