Final Music Video and Ancillary Task

Final Music video

Final CD Cover

Final album advert

Q4) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research,planning and evaluation stages?

Q3) What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Q3 Evaluation


The video above explains the audience feedback for both the ancillary tasks and the music video drafts.

Q2) How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillarytexts?

Q1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge formsand conventions of real media products?

Group evaluation video

Real media text examples;

• Editing- Tempo of the cuts: 

Pop music videos generally consist of slow tempo cuts, often in relation to the beat of the visuals seen on screen.
Example- Katy Perry, Last Friday Night
 

Rock and other genres such as drum and bass show fast paced editing. This makes it visually more interesting and relates well to the low key lighting as conventionally seen in these types of videos. The clips also tend to cut to the beat of the music...
Example-Voodoo People (pendulum remix)

•  Mise en scene- Locations and costumes

Pop music videos are usually represented though bright and colorful visuals. Conventionally we see many costume changes within a pop music video and a 3+ locations represented, which is more than often achieved through green screens. 
Example- Ke$ha- Tik Tok




Rock music videos in contrast usually incorporate low key lighting, using much darker colours such as black. This is also the case in our drum and bass music video, in which we incorporated a brightness and contrast effect to all the clips to make sure they conventionally looked low key.
Example-Noisia- Shellshock

• Camerawork- Range of camera angles 

Pop music videos conventionally have a limited range of  camera angles limiting it to close ups and other angles to promote the artist, mainly during lip singing stages.
Example- Bastille- Pompeii
 


In contrast other genres such as drum and bass try to hide the identity of the artists, usually though masks, but also through the range of camera angles. D&B therefore would usually Incorporate long shots which hide the identity, if the artist is even shown. This is only conventional and not always used. 
Example- TC- Get Down Low

Ancillary task- final draft

Ancillary task- final

Ancillary task- First draft

Above we see the first drafts of our Ancillary tasks. These tasks required us to create both an album advert usually seen in a magazine or billboard, as well as a Digi pack. This is the album cover, including all six sleeves, the front, back, and 4 inserts. 

The first step in identifying how to best layout the two promotional materials, is in primary research. This was conducted during the planning stages and allowed us to gather an understanding for a conventional drum and bass album cover. This post can be seen in the planning stages...

The first draft featured pictures we screen grabbed from the video. Part of the mark scheme meant we were unable to use these images. However the first draft was due in before we had scheduled the photo shoot. These changes were made by the second draft. 

We used photoshop to make the promotion material and as you can see the results are basic. Our skills developed as we progressed through the creation. 

Photoshop is the best program to use in this creation, allowing professional functions to a small scale creation. The front cover, the record, is the most challenging. We got the idea from a similar front cover and implemented it to our cover. We had to use tools such as eclipse and colour fill, as well as text, to implement this. We changed the colours to make it more urban and old school. I think This is the most successful aspect of our first draft CD cover. 

Final draft video

Final Music video



Following the research, planning and construction stages of our media project, we finally completed the video. This video can been seen above...

We wanted to make a conventional Drum and Bass music video which i think we have achieved. Through the research of multiple music videos we identified the conventional aspects of this particular genre. We then implemented them into our music video. However what makes ours successful is the way we challenged some of these conventions. We don't see any extreme sports instead seeing more of the masked character and artists. Commonly see filler shots within a music video of sports such as skateboarding and free running. This is different from the norm whilst still being interesting for the audience. Further more we also don't have a narrative. In videos such as Voodoo people, another D&B music video, we see the a group of people running blind folded across a court. This encourages the asking of questions. Our video does not have this narrative/ storyline instead relying on the appearance of the masked character to make it appealing and interesting.

We have made a lot of changes to our music video between this copy and the first draft. I think the most successful difference is in the editing. If we compare the three drafts this video has a lot quicker cuts, cutting to the beat of the music. This makes it much more interesting emphasising the speed and tempo of the music. A further change worth noting is the removal of the storyline and the replacement of this with the fire effect and increased presence of the masked character. We felt this was more appropriate for our particular genre. Audience feedback also suggested the removal of the storyline as they felt it didn't make sense, didn't have any significance in the video. The introduction of the fire was a welcome extra as it highlighted the urban theme we wanted to achieve in our sequence.

The evaluation questions highlight these changes...

Editing log post- Day 5

Editing log post- Day 5





Here are two attempts of trying to visually show paint being sprayed onto a blank piece of paper. We decided to attempt this in order to develop and expand on the storyline. this is something we identified after previous peer comments, stating they want more of a story behind the actual performance. To conclude I don't think this is successful in portraying our music video, the effect we hoped for was not achievable, maybe because of the cameras we are using.

We also further developing and expanded on our music video, experimenting with fire, again adding to the urban run down appeal of this music genre. we also edited the clips from the music video making sure we followed continuity editing throughout, meaning it all flows. In particular we had to speed up some of the cuts at the start of the video to ensure they related to the speed of the clips towards the end of the footage.

Secound draft assessment

We submitted the second draft of our music video to the teachers in order to gain secondary audience feedback. In the second draft we changed and edited the video in relation to the suggested responses as gathered in the peer assessment. I think the most noticeable change was to the tempo of the video. As you can see the clips are much quicker and successful in cutting to the beat, all together making the video more interesting and flowing for the audience.

when we received the teacher assessment, soon after the substitution of this clip, we acted on their responses. The general concern was that there was no meaning. They felt something else had to be present in order to make it look more urban and different. Through discussion we decided we should experiment with applying either a graffiti, spray paint effect or try and edit a fire to face effect to the lip singing. 

Our attempts can be seen in the following entries...

Editing log post- Day 4

Editing log post- Day 5

In order to finish the film for the second draft we edited the video so it looked more 'urban.' This was achieved through altering the brightness and contrast of all the footage, making it darker and therefore more conventional of the drum and bass genre. This is achieved in the effects tab, then selecting colour contrast, before adjusting the footage either to adding to the contrast or reducing the effects.
Furthermore we added in the footage we filmed on the previous day, to the edit, this made the beginning of the video flow, with quicker cuts and a more realistic and interesting look.
Finally we also added in videos we had previously gathered, featuring flashing lights and dancing. These were filmed on a phone, so we had to edit the clips so they filled the screen, achieved through mirroring the two clips before expanding the footage.
This edit i think was successful and the second draft looked interesting and defiantly a large improvement over the previous draft.

Filming log post- Day 5

Filming log post- Day 5

Following the audience feedback we gathered during the previous lesson, we decided we would go and film some new shots in order to replace the shots of the followed character.
The new shots are of the artist and the masked character, adding to the effect of the video, hopefully making it more effective and gives the video some meaning behind the storyline.
The shots we gathered are very creative showing a range of camera angles, as well as tracking shots to show the masked character hidden behind a wall.
To conclude the few shots we gathered were very effective in adding cut away to the deleted options making the opening more intresting.

First Draft Assessment

First Draft Assessment

We submitted the first draft, of which was peer assessed by the class. They all carried out a peer to peer assessment, helping us in identify what others think about our video. 

In general the overall results were good, giving us both strengths and weaknesses. The grades we got varied from D to a B, with marks on average being around the 25 out of 40 range. People said they particularly liked the quick cuts which occurred on the beats, additionally the audience liked the interesting framing and unique, urban looking locations; both conventions of the Drum and bass genre.

However we also gained thoughtful, developed feedback which should help improve our grades. A common trend was that the beginning had no meaning. The first shot we see of the single character walking is not seen in the rest of the video, making the audience question her exciting in the rest of the music video. to improve this we decided to remove the whole character from the storyline, making it more understandable, and also more conventional of the drum and bass genre. 

Additionally at the beginning the shots are very shaky and unsteady. These will be removed and we will re shoot the scene with a new different video which will be cut aways of different urban dereliction objects as well as the masked character being located in  a run down environment. This should make the opening seem more relevant and fit in with the overall look of the rest of the video. 

Finally we will be filming a lot more cut aways in order to replace the repeated shots, this also makes the video more appealing as the audience wont be watching the same shot and mise en scene throughout the video. 

Editing log post- Day 3

Editing log post- Day 3

This was the final opportunity to edit the video into a first draft. We had to make sure all the music is filled with footage, of an interesting and conventional music video. we also added effects in order to make the video look intresting, some of which can be seen in the video below;



Here we edited the music to be quick cuts, achieved through cutting the layers. Additionally we overlapped layers, done through premier. This is done by over laying two layers and then changing the opaqueness of the top to allow the second shot to be visible.

 
We also edited these shots to make them cut on the beat, this was done by using the 'c' tool to cut the video once it was on the stage, listening to the music in order to hear the cuts. Furthermore we flashed the footage, seen by the garage, to show a more fast paced edit. This is done in a similar way, cutting the clip, but instead leaving small gaps, emphasising the footage.

Editing Log Post- Day 2

Editing Log post Day 2

On the second day of editing we collected all the footage we had gathered and put it tint the program we would be using to edit the video. The footage we had included the storyline, live performance and narrative, including the footage filmed in London. 


Here is a tube chop of some of the editing we done, integrating the three days of filming we carried out. 

We reviewed all the footage and then decided on what should fit where. In general we thought that the start of the song should feature slow cuts, to fit the slow tempo of the music. then once the beat drops the narrative should start. Then when the lyrics we agreed that the lip singing should be the main thing the audience see. Finally in all the left over gaps we will see cut aways of either the artists, the masked character, or the scenery.



Here is a tube chop of the narrative at the start of the music video.

Editing Log Post- Day 1

Editing Log post- Day 1
15/11/13

Today we edited the footage we gathered on the previous two occasions. The program we used to edit the footage is adobe premium, similar to final cut, using the same controls and layering method of editing.
Once the footage was exported we had to insert the soundtrack and then layer the footage onto to create a first outline of our video. This is achieved by double clicking the video to play it in the left stage. we then use the I and O shortcuts on the keyboard, to select the 'in' and 'out' points we require. this has then been cut, and can then be dragged into the layers.
Once the clip has been inserted we can add effects such as dissolves, cut aways and black and white effects. Furthermore we can cut the clips using the 'C' shortcut to get the blade and the 'V' shortcut to return back to pointer

I personally feel the program is easier to use than final cut and is clearer and quicker as it does not have to render the image and audio together. Furthermore the shortcuts are much more user friendly and the design of the program is less cluttered.

We played around with the cuts in particular trying to cut the scenes on the beat of the music, a conventional aspect of the drum and bass genre. The cut aways and narrative we had available suit the soundtrack and we will be setting effects to turn them into low key lighting.

I think the edit will be improved once we have a copy of the full video in terms of soundtrack all the way through. This gives us foundations and something that we can then edit the  narrative and cut aways around.

Day 4- Filming log post

Day4- Filming log post

After the previous day of editing we identified that we would need to film some more lip singing in order to complete the lip singing points in the video. 

we decided to quickly go and film the whole song the whole way through, helping us in any further editing we had to do. The location was local and we found a run down, blue container that looked urban and we think will fit our needs. we also decided to film it twice, using a brick wall as the background the second time around. Both these locations looked good and when we edited them they fitted in well with the graffiti found in Leake street, London. 

The framing of the shots were also successful, we all agreed to do both close ups of the artists lips as well as mid shots of the artists looking around whilst singing. These are both successful and reinforces the genre of the music video as drum and bass. 

  

Day 3- Filming Log post

Day 3- filming log posts 

Day 2- Filming log post

Day 2- Filming log post

On the second day of filming we further developed our library of cut aways and 
narrative, whilst we wait to be able to travel up to London to film the lip singing and the song the whole way through. Once we have completed this we will have a backing giving us something to base the narrative and cut aways upon.

Today's filming was a lot more successful than the previous day, the weather was better and we were more prepared meaning we had the correct costumes. Additionally we had a better understanding of our requirements, identified through the issue we had in the previous day filming.

We went to a near by alley and park to film today's shots. we chose this location as it looks dark and mysterious a typical convention of the drum and bass genre. In general i think the shots we gathered were successful and provide us with a lot of cut aways and narrative for our music video helping us in the later stages of the development.

My individual contribution was to act and to film some shots. I wore the mask, trying to emphasis the mysterious, and hidden identity we want from the masked character. I also filmed a couple focus pull shots used to represent the followed character.

We tried to follow the storyboard we set in the planning stages of the music video creation. However on the day we can sometimes decide to change some shots to suit the current situations. An example is in the shot of the masked figure standing behind a garage, seen during a 360 rotation around the location. This was not planned however when we got to the area we decided that this shot was achievable and could look good in our music video. 

Here are some of the key shots we gathered on the second day of filming;

Day 1- Filming Log Post

Day 1- Filming Log Post

On the first day of filming we experimented with the camera, getting used to adjusting the focus and zoom of the SLR.
We done this by filming cut aways, framing them in an interesting way, making sure the mise en scene is correct for the drum and bass genre. 

In terms of the storyboard, we followed the rough plan making sure we achieved all the shots needed in the location we visited. We visited Sutton, in particular around the bus garage. We chose this location as it features conventional stereotypical aspects of the drum and bass genre. In particular it looks run down and abandoned. There is a lot of graffiti and broken down signs. 

We also encountered a few issues. Firstly the weather was very windy, causing the camera to shake, this could be overcome by re-filming the shots on a different day, or editing them to avoid the viewer from seeing the shake. Additionally because of the time of day, the lighting was high key, unconventional of the Drum and Bass genre. This issue could be overcome by editing the shots to make them black and white, or again re filming the shots during the evening to ensure low key lighting. We also want to change the costume of the followed character to ensure they look vulnerable and reinforce their importance in the video storyline.

My individual contribution was to film some of the shots. This required me to adjust the focus and zoom of the lens and frame the shots ensuring they meet the requirements of the storyboard. 

Here is a GIF of some of the shots we gained from the first day of filming;

Track permission

Track permission

We emailed the distributing company who make and produce the music soundtrack we want to use within our new video. The email that we sent is asking permission for the use of the soundtrack, here is the email that we sent to the distributor;

The owner of the company also replied to the email we sent. Critical music, the owners of the soundtrack agreed to allowing us to use the soundtrack, offering to view the video giving us feedback on any improvements we could carry out.

Talent release form

Talent release forms 

A talent release form informs and declares that the character allow themselves to be represented online media. This release form is therefore essential in the planning and release of the music video, otherwise we could not distribute the video without the viewers permission.

Photo shoot plan

Photo shoot plan 

Here is the plan for the Photo shoot, needed for creating the album cover and the advert. We will closely follow this in order to ensure that we meet the deadlines in terms of finishing and completing the scheme of work. The main artist will be the face of the video and album cover, and we have assigned them with a costume and the equipment we require to shoot the music video.

CD Cover and Album advertisement Ideas

CD Cover ideas

These are initial ideas we have had, for creating the album cover for the CD. We will then discuss these ideas and decide on a final plan. The genre of D&B commonly have dark, low key lighting CD covers with mysterious, computer generated aspects adding to the effect of the D&B genre. 

Additionally because we are using the idea of being watched, eyes are very important and should be a major aspect of the CD Cover. 

Album Advertisement Ideas

 

 Here is an image of a possible album advertisement for a magazine. The advert is very conventional, with the album title and artist title boldly displayed in the centre of the screen. Additionally the theme of this advert also follows the previous CD covers, using a similar colour scheme and text font. This is my idea and the other members of the group will also create an advert. we will then discuss the ideas and decide on a final version, incorporating many aspects of each advert. 

Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedules

We also created a shooting schedule aimed at allowing us to identify and plan out our filming. A shooting schedule incorporates the date on when we plan to film, It also states what shots we will be filming on a particular day in comparison to the storyboard we created. The location also is incorporated in the plan reducing time wasted to find a suitable location. We finally wrote down the equipment, actors and props needed to shot the video on that specific day.

Props and Costume

Costume and prop ideas



We also researched the typical, conventional props and costumes as found in the Drum and Bass genre. We understood that typically people wear black clothing, hiding their identity and characteristics. This convention is meet in the fact that all the characters will wear black clothing, while the main followers are wearing masks further hiding their identity. Our music video will have very few props mainly due to the typical theme seen through other D&B videos. However all the props present are relevant to the storyline and reinforce a point made in the video.

Animatic

Animatic
Here is an animatic video of our storyboard. This video gives us a visual view of how the music video will look whilst also allowing us to see the timing and flow of the video. Through editing this we can see and trim the cuts making sure it flows to the music. Therefore in the creation of the actual video we can just film the the scenes, making sure they fit the timings and overall cuts of the video. Additionally we were allowed to see how the storyline and narrative fit together whilst allowing us to ensure it flows to the music.

Here we are holding the storyboard we created. In total we have 84 shots, which provide quick cuts and edits for the song which last 2;32. This large amount of shots to time ratio means we can have quick cuts throughout making it cut on the beat. 

Location ideas

Locations shots

• The first location is of the Leake Street tunnel, this is a tunnel close to london waterloo station. this is a good location as it is covered in graffiti  a typical location of a colourful drum and bass music video. The idea for this location like the other locations is to see a character being followed by a masked man. This location looks scary and different from the norm, whilst the lighting is low key providing prime conditions when it comes to the overall mise en scene of the shots.

• To ensure continuity amongst all out shots we also decided to film in a dark, mysterious looking forested area, located in South Sutton. This location will ensure the 'urban' look is carried through all the shots, a typical convention of the drum and bass genre. I think this shot is very successful in making a spooky, empty looking environment, potentially giving us something to fill the gaps when it comes to editing.

• Another location we will be filming in are the local alleys. These again are conventionally associated with a run down urban environment, ensuring continuity amongst all the shots. The alleys we have chosen are also wide and single tracks, designed for cars. Graffiti and over grown weeds again add to this spooky, run down atmosphere. 

Music Video Concept

Music video concept ideas



We made an still image slideshow video, featuring the soundtrack and some common images we associate with the drum and bass genre, forming a concept of ideas. The images are things we discovered during the planning process, and things we would like to incorporate in the final video creation. These ideas and patterns developed through the audience feed back we gathered as well as the online questionnaire we conducted. 

The video answers the following four questions; 

- What kinds of locations do you plan to use?
- What kinds of costumes do you think are necessary?
- Are there any post-production effects/editing techniques that you think will be important?
- Have you already visualised important moments/key shots?
 

The first step of planning the video was to firstly mind map and plan all our ideas onto one map, allowing us to develop and expand on these initial thoughts and opinions. Through this we can picture and imagine what the music video will look like, giving us a better understanding of how it will fit into the Drum and Bass genre.