FINAL COPY OF OUR PROMOTIONAL POSTER

THIS IS THE FINAL DRAFT OF OUR PROMOTIONAL POSTER FOR OUR CHOSEN SONG AND BAND

As you can see from the screenshot above, me and Chris have chosen to use our final draft as we felt it provided the consumer with more information compared to our first design. Although there was not much difference in the selection we felt this one looked more professional and also used persuasive techniques, including the quote, to encourage people to purchase the single, the whole reason for creating a poster in the first place. We have made slight changes to the one you saw in the previous post, including changing the words which show that the single is now available, changing it from ‘NEW ALBUM’ to ‘DEBUT SINGLE’. After much consideration, we felt  our new slogan was better, especially seeing the digipack which we had designed and was intending to advertise was not in fact an album but just a single combined with another few tracks, something which is common with a bands first song. This was one reason why our chosen quote was so fitting as is spoke about a particular song instead of a whole album, a thing which most of the quotes we could find did. We tried to create something eye-catching as that is what the research we carried out led us to find, that a poster must be eye-catching for a consumer to stop and consider, and this case purchasing the new single. We also managed to keep a continuous flow between our poster and digipack, using the same colour themes and the same images. This is a key convention we noticed when looking at a selection of digipack and posters so we felt it very important to include it in our own work. Although we have used some interesting fonts, we felt size was more important than design for important information such as tour dates and the the crucial reason for this whole advert so therefore we chose a basic font available on all Windows programmes and then just played about with the boldness and size of the font. Due to the colour of the main background and the colour of the wall, we had to find a similar colour theme which would stand out against both and white seemed like the most suitable choice although for the most important piece of information ‘OUT NOW’ we chose to use black as this stood out against the remainder of the font which included the band name and song.

Me and Chris have managed to combine the features of a promotional tour poster with similar features of a promotional single poster, creating something which is eye-catching, original and some which appeals to our prescribed target audience in the hope that if this was used for commercial use then it would indeed encourage the consumer to purchase the single/digipack which we have created This links back to the music video, which is also used as a promotional tool, discovered in my earlier research, as all 3 elements work together to create a star image and income for the given band.

EDITING OUR MUSIC VIDEO [trial 1]

Our first session of editing was very short, especially as our first attempt at filming had not gone particularly well. The first problem we had to overcome was the footage not loading on the iMacs, the facility we intended to use to edit our music video together as this is what is used in the real industry. Although it made editing very inconvenient as we had to be within school to use the editing program ‘FINAL CUT PRO’, this would provide us with the best results so it was necessary for us to achieve the highest grade. As the clips we had filmed were not the correct file type, we had to spend about 2 hours with an IT technician, attempting to convert them to the correct file type so that we could crack on with editing. What we found out at a later date, was that if we had removed the clips that we did not intend to use due to the lack of lip syncing from the camera then the converting would have taken much less time, therefore allowing us to edit for longer.

Once we had clips which were suitable for loading on the computers, we began watching them oallowed us to focus on specific detail and we n a bigger screen than the one provided on the camera as this allowed us to focus on specific detail and we could look at the quality of the footage much easier. Many of the clips that we had filmed were not suitable and we chose to delete them instantly, while others did not provide us with any chance to create match on action. It was at this point that we discovered the footage of Sam sitting on the brick wall was not appropriate as we had forgotten to make him lip sync to the chosen song. This meant the majority of the footage had to be discarded although we chose to keep a selection of it in the hope that we would be able to fit it into the music video at a later date. Although there were many negative clips, the clips which we had filmed of Sam walking towards the bridge were of a really high quality, especially where Chris had filmed Sam’s feet and we were really happy that if we could carry on filming to this high standard we would have a good chance of achieving a high grade.

The only footage that we could really begin editing in was of Sam walking towards the bridge, although this was good as this would be what the song started with. We considered this greatly using our plan which we had created and Chris suggested that we use the effects available on the software to show time relapsing and speeding up as this would look effective. Although we did not use any effects in the end, we did use the same clip repeatedly [it was a very long clip] and cut it at different points to speed up the pace that Sam walks towards the camera. This created a great effect as it allowed us to show a long period of time in just a few seconds. It also showed some great editing skills and we spent approx 30 mins trying to ensure that the jumps were of equal length and it was actually noticeable to the viewer that Sam was jumping towards the camera. We also started to work on our match-0n-action by editing in the clip of Sam’s feet. Although we did not need to focus greatly on this joining in with the rest of the clips, we chose to try and make it look like he was walking down the exact piece of road. This required many small niggly cuts to ensure it was timed exactly right. We also chose to use an effect known as ‘CROSS DISSOLVE’ as it allowed us to blend two clips together, creating an emotional effect of Sam walking towards the bridge and then blending in to him sitting on the bridge. This was originally my idea although Chris took over as I was not entirely sure of where the correct tool was on the software we were using. Chris was also a lot more patient with editing that me, meaning when it came to editing together the lip-syncing with the original song he would be great at getting the timings right.

As we did not yet have a copy of the song it proved very difficult for us to be happy with our editing as we could not see how the present footage flowed with the song. Although we did attempt to download the song while at school, the school blocking system prevented us from doing this. We also used our subject teachers laptop although he did not have the correct software for the download to take place. This meant that we would have to add the song to the piece at a later date, although we both thought it was crucial that this was sooner rather than later as when we began editing the lip-syncing aspects we would need the song from the start. A friend of us did have the clip on their phone but for us to upload the song onto the computer we would have to remove all data off the mobile phone which was not fair on that partifcular student. As we still had time left in the lesson, we decided to watch the clip many times over to ensure that we were entirely happy with the filming and editing we had completed so far.

 

FILMING OUR MUSIC VIDEO [trial 1]

After much planning and disruption from previous ideas which have failed, me and Chris have began filming our music video – although not all has gone to plan. After filming a selection of different footage it has come to our attention that we have made a major mistake on the basis that in the footage, although we have many different angles, Sam is not lip syncing in the footage and therefore it is not suitable to be used in our music video. As a small selection of the footage is usable  including Sam walking towards the bridge where we do not require him to be lip syncing, I will discuss the filming process for trial 1.

After school me, Chris and Sam headed to nine bridges, our chosen location for filming. Due to the changing weather becoming much colder we decided we’d attempt to get as much filming done as possible so that we avoided any worse weather conditions. As a matter of fact, the weather conditions, slightly foggy, were perfect for the ideology of our music video.  The first problem we faced on this particular filming session was a faulty camera battery which meant we were only able to film 5 minutes before the camera ran out of battery. After spending much of the evening attempting to find a replacement battery at school, we only managed to get about 20 minutes of filming done before the sky began changing and it was too dark for us to carry on, not only for safety concerns but because of the falling temperatures and the lack of match on action this would create. The footage which we did manage to achieve today included Sam walking up the road towards the all important bridge and also many different shots/angles of Sam sitting on the bridge. As explained later on in my blog, this would have severe consequences as certain important aspects were missing from these particular shots and the camera was also taken away from us, providing us with a more suitable camera although this meant all footage from the first day was unusable.

As we had managed to do such little on the first day of filming, we carried out the same task on the next day, this time taking a fully working battery with us meaning we could film for much longer. As the footage we had taken the previous day had not saved due to many issues with the camera we chose to refilm the same footage once again and the plan was, if we had enough time, we would begin filming other important parts. As you can see from the image to the right, Chris was very involved in the filming which involved moving about with Sam, while the image to the left shows I was more involved in filming which involved standing still. This was largely due to Chris being a lot more sturdy with the camera than myself, meaning he was able to film high quality footage without using a tripod. The camera which we had to use today was very different to the one we had been using the previous day [we had to change due to the battery issue] meaning once again me and Chris had to figure out how the camera worked and how to get the best shots out of it. This did take some time although a small selection of our time was taken moving out of the way for passing cars. As me and Chris are both attempting to achieve the best grade we were willing to climb and enter very uncomfortable positions, including me climbing down a ditch, surrounded by stinging nettles, to film Sam from below, achieving a more exciting angle. Due to the bridge being in a very specific location it was particularly hard for us to get a large selection of different shots, especially the most basic [straight on mid-shot] as there was no where exactly in front of the bridge for us to stand ourselves or the tripod. This meant we had to use the zoom in feature a lot, although on this specific camera it was incredibly hard to get a good enough focus. As you can see from the image of Chris filming, a major part of this filming session was filming Sam walking towards the bridge and this was the main component of the start of our music video. To make the footage more interesting we chose to experiment with many different angles including filming on different levels, from the front and behind and also from a high and low level. This did take some time to match the footage so it did not require much editing although we felt it would be effective when finished. We also had to film Sam getting on the bridge to realise it looked really awkward, leading us to the conclusion that we would allow the reader to piece the story together, not showing the actor getting on the bridge as it would of looked to out of place. One idea which Chris did have when we were filming was for us to film Sam walking towards us in one long clip, roughly 3 minutes, and editing it later on in the process so that time jumped and it appeared Sam was walking towards the camera a lot quicker than he really was.

This particular filming trial was a large learning curve towards us completing our music video as it allowed us to learn about our camera, to look at the resources available to us and also make a massive dint in the high amount of footage we needed to film in such a short period of time. As I will explain later in my blog, when we watched the footage over again, especially the footage taken of Sam sitting on the bridge wall, we noticed a major issue. Throughout our plan for this particular idea, something which we failed to carry on us throughout this filming trial, we had stated that we wished for Sam to lip sync the lyrics of the song. Unnoticeable to us at the time, this had not happened, therefore meaning none of the footage was particularly suitable to us other than the footage where Sam walked towards the camera. To try and ease our annoyance at such an issue we decided we would still keep the footage as there was a possibility that we would be able to use it at later points in the video. Personally I feel this filming session was a great chance for me and Chris to bond and show that we could work as a team, especially after all the hard times we had been through. Although we may not of achieved as much as we could of, I feel it had been a great challenge, something which I would not of wanted to do alone, and we went away with a good selection of angles and knowledge of how to approach the next attempt at filming for our music video.

DIFFERENT DRAFTS OF OUR PROMOTIONAL POSTER

As you understand from my previous blog post, we spent a long period of time playing with the positioning of each component of the promotional poster, especially the images and specialized text. One slight mistake we made was creating a poster which was more suited towards tour dates instead of promoting our chosen song. Surprisingly, this did not lead us to make that many changes as you can see from the variety of images shown below. The first image, the one directly below, is the poster which we had created, seen by many to promote the bands tour instead of the actual single/album. This basic layout would remain very similar throughout the editing process and we would only slightly change  the layout of particular aspects.

The differences between our first and second draft were very easy to carry out, just simply adding the words ‘NEW ALBUM OUT NOW’! As Christopher was ill, I spent my time wisely, playing around with the different slogans that I could use, trying to create the most obvious one for the consumer. As Mr Zaidi and many other members of our target audience liked the eye catching appeal of our previous poster, it seemed suitable for us to just edit the factors which changed it from a promotional poster for a tour to a promotional poster for a CD. The only visible way which we could do this was, while also keeping specific dates about tours, adding a simple slogan which advertised the release of the new single.

After a talk with our subject teacher he really liked the changes that we had made but he felt it would be made better if we removed the ‘supported by’ section and replaced it with something more suitable to a promotional poster for an album instead of a tour. After this talk I left it a few hours and considered the layout without no extra information as you can see from the first of the two screenshots below. Unsurprisingly, the space where I had removed the information looked very empty so therefore I felt I must replace it with something.

We made some slight amendments to this second draft, adding an all important quote which will allow us to sell the album/single to the consumer as if they believe someone else has rated it so highly then they will assume that it must be good. This is a key feature on many posters of a similar sort as it is a type of promotional tool, encouraging the reader. Although this was very simple task, it was very time consuming as I had to consider the positioning of the text greatly to ensure it looked eye catching and professional. I also played around with the font, ensuring that the name of person providing the quote was in a bolder font than the rest of the  quote as if this particular person was famous for providing reviews people would automatically see this and know it must be a good single/album. The biggest issue I had in carrying out this task was attempting to find a quote which was suitable as much of the critic websites were blocked on the school system, meaning I had to be very particular with my searches, trying to find a website that provided me with a suitable quote which was not blocked.

PROMOTIONAL POSTER RESEARCH

Due to time constraints, my research into promotional posters was much more limited compared to my other research but I still felt it crucial that I considered the reasoning behind such posters and particular conventions. Some of the basic designs I looked at are shown below in the print screens. As these two examples show, the comparison between the poster and the digipack is to a high extent so we want to ensure that this happens in our own product. Although we have not yet began planning our poster, I am already fully aware that we will use the exact same image that we used on the front cover of our digipack as our main image of our poster. We also considered the information which is present on these posters, including telling the comsumer where to purchase the song and also featuring a record label. These particular examples include a selection of tour dates for the bands/artists although at present I am not sure if I will include this information as I wish to create a poster to promote the song not the tour. I personally feel that these two examples are very plain due to the lack of colour, and also this may of worked for the digipack, I feel a poster should be much more colour so that it is eye-catching and appealing to the target audience.

The main things which I have discovered about the conventions of promotional posters, from not only considering different examples, but reading magazine articles such as NME and considering different posters which I had seen through my own research across the internet, I have acknowledge the conventions stated below:

• If the band who is being advertised has any upcoming tour dates then these are included to show the ‘movement’ of the band. This was surprising to me as I had planned not to include this information but I now will to show the wide diversity of my chosen band/song.
• The name of the artist/band and the song title is crucial as this is what the consumer will be looking for to understand what the advertisement is about.
• A selection of posters include reviews from critics and reporters to strengthen their star image so more people are influenced to listen/buy the song.
• Usually an altered image from the album cover is used in the advert to so cross convergence of media. This was shown in the above examples although I feel I want to challenge this convention and mke our image more eye-catching.
• Recommended popular singles which are related to the band/artist are sometimes included.
• It is key that the audience is told where they can purchase the song as this will make their mind up on whether or not to buy the song. This could involve using a logo of HMV or iTunes, whichever we feel will be more suited to our target audience.
• The record label logo will also be included as a way of branding.

This research will lead to us including the above conventions in our own promotional poster although the possibility of us changing/challenging certain things is high because I do not agree that certain conventions are necessary.

CREATING OUR PROMOTIONAL POSTER

On Friday 23rd November 2012 me and Chris began producing our promotional poster. This was a very time-consuming task as many disagreements occurred in relation to the design of the poster and the location of each individual component. We used a selection of facilities to edit our poster including Photoshop, paint and Microsoft Word as we are both fluent in the use of these programs. The main composition of the poster was carried out using Microsoft word as this allowed us to use and layer images with a minimum amount of fuss, something which we required due to the high amount of work still remaining to do on the course. After the research we had carried out previously about promotional posters, whether that be for the release of a new album or for a new tour, we saw many conventions which we must follow, including there being a connection between the music video, digipack and also the promotional poster. With this new-found knowledge and the determination to do well in the subject me and Chris sat together and began pulling aspects from both the digipack and the music video, as well as using outside websites such as dafont.com, to create a promotional poster which is fit for viewing by the general public, especially the fans of our chosen band/artist.

We used two different versions of Microsoft word. The original plan was for us to use Photoshop although after talking to a selection of people taking the same course as us, many had used Microsoft word, largely due to the fact that it was easier for people who were less technically able to create something of a high standard. Although Microsoft word does not have the same qualities as other programmes such as Photoshop, picasa 3 and paint, it does provide us with a large selection of tools. As we were intending to cut and paste the majority of images/text onto the main image anyway, it appeared appropriate for me to use Microsoft word as this allows me to manoeuvre images, shapes and text much more easily than other programmes.  There were also many other reasons for us using Microsoft word instead of any other program including:

• It was easier for us to access as both me and Chris have access to Microsoft word and paint on our home computers, meaning any outstanding edits could be carried out away from the school facilities.
• We have both had experience with such a program since a very young age meaning it is much simpler for us to use compared to a program such as Photoshop, which although we knew how to use it, we were not entirely familiar with the possibilities it provided me with.
• The new Microsoft 7 allowed us to edit the colour and shape of particular images we chose for the digipack, similar to other editing facilities we could have chosen. This was a new update compared to the other versions as this was not available on Microsoft 3 or below.
• It is much easier for me to add text such as tour dates on this particular software, which is crucial for this type of promotional poster.

Me and Chris had created a small selection of ideas for our poster, although when sitting and considering the possibilities, I came up with the idea that I could use the same image we had used for the front cover of the digipack and combine it with the colour manipulation I had used in the centre of the digipack. For this to be possible I had to use a separate program [paint] to remove the original background from the main image so that I could place this on top of the other chosen. As you can see from the print screen below, this was a very lengthy task as it required me using the up-to-date version which had a very small rubber tool. Usually I would intend to use the shape tool as this allows me to fill in the colour of a particular space in a much quicker time but due to the state of the pixels on this particular image this was not possible any I had to change the whole image individual. Once we had the image complete and all the background removed we began piecing our digipack together on Microsoft word.

 The first step involved us placing the manipulated image onto the document as a background so that the remaining images could be built up on top. This was a pretty simple task as it just involved us going to insert and inserting our chosen image. Once we had background we could insert the main image of Sam sitting on the wall [the exact same image as the one used on the front cover of our digipack]. This was a little more complicated as when we first inserted the image, using copy and paste, the white background overlapped our other background. A fellow pupil showed me how to rectify this situation, using a tool on Microsoft word which allowed me to blend the white in the other background, leaving the image of Sam in front of the other background. Once we had got these main two images on, the job became very simple with just finishing touches and layout to consider. Although we did consider many different fonts using dafont.com, after a discussion between myself, Chris and our subject teacher, it became apparent that to show continuous flow between all our media texts we would be required to use the same font. Although at first we were not best pleased with this decision it was obvious it was needed for continuous flow. This was specifically important with the bands name as that forms part of the star image, something which fans consistently choose to follow, so therefore we could not remove such a significant concept. For the title of the song, we decided to play about with fonts a little more, attempting to make the poster eye catching and clearly visible to the target audience. As you can see from the screenshot below, we chose an original font, one we found on dafont.com which we felt related to the song as the squiggles coming away from the front showed free souls escaping.

Once we had the main concepts such as the ones explained above, we had to add some basic images, such as the iTunes logo, taken from Google images, and piece it all together, adding a selection of basic terminology which is required on posters. This included a small selection of tour dates, including who was supporting the act, and some form of slogan showing the fans that the album [or digipack design] is out now. We did not want to draw too much attention to the writing so therefore we played around with the font size and location of the images so the first thing which caught the consumers eye was the artist and the title of the album, something which would be required for them to purchase such as image. The decisions we have made, including the positioning of images and text, the use of particular words and using relevant information found on a selection of researched posters has allowed us to create an eye catching promotional poster, which is used for commercial use, would increase sales for our particular band to a high extent. We particularly liked the colours we used in the background as this makes the poster stand out a lot more than other examples we have seen from both commercial use and by fellow students.

COSTUME PLANNING

Before we could begin filming anything we had to style Sam so that he appeared to look like a famous music artist. We also considered the clothing worn in the digipack as this would be important later on when we had to have a similarity between all 3 of our media productions. We considered the different outfits and styles used in modern music videos and took ideas from these. As you can see from the selection of images below, much of the clothes worn by musicians these days are very casual and laid back. They are also very  bright in colour although this largely varies when considering the genre of the song and also the beat.

As we are doing quite an emotional song I wanted to consider colour meanings so that our costume had real meaning while also be styled to resemble modern music. I did some quick research over the internet to gain knowledge on the different types of colour and what they meant, this can be seen in the image to the right. I really wanted to involve white in the costume as this represented purity and peace, something which the song tries to portray as this person is trying to find peace so that do not kill themselves. While trying to bring together my own outfit I considered what the singer in the actual video for this song wore and I was surprised to see that he also wore a white t-shirt and black coloured trousers. Although our idea is slightly different from the original music video, we did not want to draw too much attention to the costume so therefore this seemed appropriate for what we were trying to create. Instead of using a normal curved t-shirt, we decided to use a v-neck as this looks a lot more styled that other options. We advised Sam to choose his own trousers, as long as they were of a plain colour, as we did not expect to see them much during filming. Although we paid much attention to the outfit shown below, we allowed Sam to choose a more comfortable and laid back outfit for the scenes occurring in the bedroom. Not only was this because it would not be screened as much, but also because we wanted him to look relaxed like a normal teenage boy would around his girlfriend. Although we were all happy with the costume design, shown below in comparison to the outfit worn by Isaac Slade [lead singer of the Fray], we were filming in the winter months and this meant Sam was consistently cold and we had to deal with this problem and explained in the risk assessment.

THIS IS A COMPARISON BETWEEN OUR OWN COSTUME FOR SAM AND ISAAC SLADE

RISK ASSESSMENTS

Before we could carry out any filming we had to carry out a risk assessment for both of our chosen locations: a house and Nine Bridges. This task is put in place so that no problems occur including risks to persons or to equipment etc. As you can see from the tables below, i considered many risks, some more obvious than others, and considered how we could prevent such a risk. This was a lot more complicated for nine bridges than the house as not only are we open to more danger outside, but the hazards in the house are preventable.

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR ‘NINE BRIDGES’

POSSIBLE RISK	HOW TO PREVENT THIS RISK
Sam falling off the bridge	We have advised Sam to be very careful when manoeuvring himself across the bridge, especially as we require him to sit dead in the centre to show the audience, when we film long shots, that he is so upset that he wishes to jump. Luckily for us, Sam is not scared of heights so therefore is very cautious of his placing on his bridge and has ensured that he will remain as safe as possible. We have used the lowest point of the bridge so that if Sam was to accidently slip then he would have a gentle landing in the water below.
Passing cars causing obstruction to our filming	Although the area we have chosen to film is a very quiet area, we have to be aware that there may be some passing traffic. As we will require the camera to be in the middle of the road at some points during filming one of us will concentrate on filming while the other will keep watch to make people aware of the oncoming traffic. This will hopefully give us enough time to move all actors and equipment out of the way of any harm. It will also mean that we do not get any unwanted vehicles in our footage.
Passing cars are a possible hazard	Although the area we have chosen to film is a very quiet area, we have to be aware that there may be some passing traffic. Much of the filming we are going to carry out will be off the road and actually filmed in a field although there are parts which require our actor and camera person to walk up the road. For this particular piece of film we will have to be very particular with our senses as we need to prevent anyone getting injured by passing vehicles. Therefore we will take more people with us to film so they can work as spotters.
Damage to the equipment while outside in winter months	Much of our filming is going to occur in the winter months which will not bother us when filming inside but when we are outside will need to be very careful with our equipment so that we do not cause water damage or anything or the sort. This will not only cause damage to the camera but we would risk losing any footage we had already filmed. We will use the correct carrying equipment when transporting the camera and tripod and only remove the camera when we are due to film.
People stealing the equipment	To prevent this problem occurring either me or Chris will remain with the equipment at all times, especially the high value equipment such as the camera as this will be crucial in us completing the project.
Travelling between each location	As both I and Chris can drive we will be responsible for transporting ourselves, the equipment and our actors between each location. This is a big responsibility and we will need to keep a great amount of concentration so that everyone arrives safely. As I have been driving longer than Chris, it is very likely that I will do the majority of driving.
Not being seen by passing vehicles	If we are filming any of our footage late at night then all members of the team will be required to wear high visibility clothes as this will make us visible to any passing vehicles. This is exceptionally important in the winter months as it gets dark very early and much of our filming will have to take place after school, meaning we will have to do a lot of our filming just before dark.
Incidents with the stream	As we are working near water, although it is not that much water, we have to be careful that none of the equipment falls in and also none of the team members enter the stream as we do not know what is in the water. To keep the equipment from falling in we will use the hand strap on the camera, meaning we are able to keep the camera attached to us at all times. As we are all grown-ups, we will be aware of our own safety near the water.
Actors and aid being too cold	The winter months means that the weather will be very cold so therefore we will need to ensure that we are all wrapped up warm in however many layers we feel suitable. One issue we will have to overcome is Sam’s body temperature as we require him to wear a costume without a jacket, meaning that he will have his arms out to the cold weather and we do not want him getting ill so therefore we will have to try make time for filming in the warmer times of the day.

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR ‘HOUSE’

POSSIBLE RISK	HOW TO PREVENT THIS RISK
Any misplaced cables may cause people to trip up	If there are cables out of place then we must be sure not to trip over them. To prevent this particular risk occurring we will be sure to tidy away any cables or the items which the cables belong to. This will prevent any unnecessary injury occurring.
Someone could trip down the stairs	As we will be working upstairs, very close to the stairs, we will all need to be careful so that none of us fall down the stairs. As we are responsible adults this should not be a problem although it is something we should be aware of.
Tripping over any rubbish/mess on the floor	Before we begin filming, it is crucial that we clear the floor as this will prevent any accidents occurring. Stereotypically, many teenagers bedrooms are very messy, with stuff all over the floor so we need to ensure that this does not cause a hazard for us. If we are to clear the floor, it will also make it easier for us to manoeuvre the actors and equipment.
Breaking personal belongings	As some of the scenes we require to film are quite outgoing we will ask that all expensive personal items are moved so there is no possibility for us to break them. As we will be filming in one house we will have to respect people’s belongings as if they were our own.

Although we have carried out very thorough risk assessments, nothing is completely preventable. We are all very responsible and will support each other throughout the process and with this in mind I hope no major incidents occur and we all remain safe so that we are able to complete the task in the shortest amount of time.

FINAL DIGIPACK DESIGN

After a lot of different drafts and ideas, my group has finally decided on a digipack which we think is appropriate and suitable for sale. After gaining a large amount of audience feedback and making several changes to the digipack including changing the actor and many of the images many times we have created something which many people felt would be suitable for sale as it is professional, attractive and of a high quality as well as being totally original to our group. As you can see from the many stages described in my blog, the final thing for us to do was add the appropriate writing, shown on the spine and back cover of the digipack. This was time consuming as it required me researching what was required, finding out the details of the record company and also fitting all the relevant information in to such a small space. Me and Chris were not fully aware of how to insert each particular image on to the template so therefore we required help from the media assistant Michael, who showed us the best way to do it, ensuring all of our images fitted the guidelines snugly. Now that we have produced a digipack that everyone is happy with it will be sent off to the manufacture with the remaining ones from the rest of the class, ready for printing.

We took a lot of influence from existing media products to make such a digipack. Although we had previously considered album cover design, our front cover does not particularly fit any of the ideas we looked at although I prefer it this way as not only does it include a position for the artist but this means the typography is also positioned in a particular style. As you can see from the examples provided below, many artists choose to do this if they wish to have a mid shot. My idea is also very similar to the Calvin Harris example as the wall is a major part of the image and they have been very particular with detail, including a clear sky exactly the same as I have.  It works well for our particular idea as we have chosen a background colour which makes the remainder of the image stand out, therefore encouraging the target buyer to consider who the artist is and the name of the band and song also stand out, alerting them to what this particular album is.

The colour manipulation image which we have created for the image behind our CD is very similar to other designs out there which are actually being brought by the consumer. Many bands/artists choose to try and use colour to sell their album as people are more likely to purchase something which stands out. The problem with ours is that this particular image is in the inside of the digipack so therefore people would not see it until they purchased the item. This was one of the reasons we were more wary about the outside images as once a consumer had brought the album they would be less fussed about the inside cover. As you can see from these selections below, colour is a major part in many album covers and we have adapted this idea to work within our own idea.

 

EDITING OUR DIGIPACK [trial 3]

For the final editing to our digipack I took the two images I took in the final digipack and used the software, Picasa 3, and edited the images on my laptop, As the photography was so good we did not really need to do that much editing although me and Chris wanted to add effect to the image taken in the school grounds, especially in relation to lighting. The first image we edited was the front cover as this was the most important as we were required to show an example of our artist on our digipack. As the image we had chosen to used had a slightly uneven bridge in it, we decided to tilt the image so that it was parallel to the sky. This was a very simple task and once done made it much easier for me to add the text and get it to also be parallel to the bridge. Choosing the right text, as explained in a previous blog post, was a very time consuming task as we wanted a very specific type of font. Once we had chosen the correct font for us [Batang] we needed to choose where to position the font. We both chose for it to go in the large free space although me and Chris disputed whether it should be sat on the wall or floating in mid air. In the end we went for Chris’s idea to sit the text on the brick wall as we felt this was more stylized and would be more liked by the target audience. As the sky in the image was already very white which made the remaining image stand out, we chose to leave the colour of the image, as the white created a very peaceful idea.

The other image which we needed to edit, the image required for the inside page of the digipack, was more complicated as lighting was a big issue. While Chris was busy dealing with personal problems, I began editing the image trying to find something which affected the lighting. I created two designs, one which blurred the image and one which had the centre of the image focused and the rest of the image made darker. I appreciated both edits although at first I did prefer the blur as it created really good effects, especially with the bushes which added a lot of green to the image. In the end we chose to use the bottom image out of the following too as this had much better lighting. It also drew more attention to the image of Sam walking away from the camera as well as the guitar which is the main element of this image as we wanted to bring in something which resembled music.

We have decided to use this image as it is a lot more suitable for the idea we are trying to create bringing music and design to one single image.