Evaluation Question 4

Modifications from Evaluation

From my audience feedback, I learnt that in order to make my product better, I needed to add my own original image to the poster, and add the fact there was a video on the digipak. 

From my original image, I decided to add the sunglasses. This was a quick process and I actually prefer the look of the panda wearing my sunglasses rather than fake ones! 
I had to insert the image onto photoshop, and using the magic wand tool I removed the background of the image, and made it onto a PNG image. From this, I was able to insert it on the poster, replacing the old sunglasses.

For my digipak, I very simply added a few words after the first song. I stated 'includes video', and I think this makes it more clear as to it being a digipak rather than a CD.

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

I ave 20 young people (14-20 years old) a questionnaire to fill in after they'd watched my video and seen the poster and digipak. Below are the questions and the answers in a tally graph to show who felt what way about my products:

1- Yes         3- Maybe         5- No

I also asked each person how I could improve, and what their favourite aspect of the product is.
some of the remarks from how I could improve were:

"You could have a used a better quality camera, or have used bright lights to create a better effect. Also using your own images would add more authenticity to your poster."

"One of the digipak pages doesn't match the rest of the package (the lyric book), I also think the digipak isn't clear enough, because there is no statement saying 'there is a video available in the package', other than that I really like it"

"I think if you used more special effects, the video would have been even better and more professional"

Ou of the 20 people I questioned, 9 said their favourite part was the poster, 6 said the music video, and 5 said the digipak. Some reasons for this were:

"The poster is my favourite part of the project because it is bright and really attractive to the eye, my attention immediately was drawn to the poster out of the whole project."

"The reason I love the digipak is because it's really unique and sells the artist really well. it is funny and also shows that the genre must be house, due to the bright colours."

"I love the video as it is unlike any music video that I have seen, not only is it funny but it also portrays a story of the panda's day out!"

From this information I have learnt that my poster is very popular, and people feel that it looks like a professional image. The only problem with my research is that, the people are young, so I think that that is why many of the people have said 'maybe' for the answers. This may be because they don't want to offend me. From the feedback I have realised that I have to use my own original images, and make it more clear that the digipak is a digipak by stating there is video footage on the CD.

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is your main product and ancillary texts?

From my my primary research, i think that my main product and my ancillary texts work well together. My main product is my music video, and my ancillary texts are my digipak and poster.
The reasons i think that they work well together are that;
- The themes of each product match, especially the poster and digipak.
- The musical genre matches the ancillary texts
- The glowing based effect in the video matches the bright, bold colours used for the digipak and poster.

A quote from someone i asked about the products said;

"I love the music video, its really funny and unique. It kind of reminds me of the Coldplay - Paradise music video. The whole set looks like a proper package advertising an artist. If I saw the cool poster on a wall I'd definitely want to hear the artists album."

Evaluation Question 1

Making the CD holder for my digipak

Making the CD holder for my digipak

The CD holder is for where the CD will be placed. Whilst the CD is in the case, the background will not be visible, so this is maybe the least important side of the digipak. I decided to go for a simple design, and only use 2 elements. I used fire as the background of the digipak, this shows the music is 'fiery'. The Panda over the top was cropped to be just around its head using the magic wand tool, and I edited the image to be red. I decided to place 'PANDAMAN' over the top of the images so that it can be advertised one more time.

This is the final digipak CD holder, I like how the Panda is almost the same size as the CD and how it relates to the music genre.

Making the lyric book for my digipak

Making the lyric book of my digipak

A lyric book is key for a digipak, it allows the fans to follow the songs and sing along to them. For the cover of the digipak I wanted to use a unique and different style. I used images of a Panda, food, a picnic blanket and a boombox. The background is of a field, and I used this as the first layer. I had to use the magic wand tool to crop around each item.

The lyric book doesn't have 'PANDAMAN' or 'EMBRACE THIS DAY', and this is because the lyric book will be inside the digipak rather than on the outside. I faded out all of the objects apart from the title and the Panda. This draws attention to the Panda, and makes it clear who the lyric book is advertising. The lyric book is different from the rest of the digipak as it isn't filled with bright colours, the reason I did this is because I wanted one element of the digipak to be comical rather than just about clubbing. 

This is my final lyric book, I am pleased with the result as it is different to the rest of the digipak.

Making the back of my digipak

Making the back of my digipak

Unlike the other sides to my digipak, this one does not have a panda on it. I decided to do this because the image is so clear and bright I felt that by adding a panda the image may be ruined. I also had the dilemma that if I added a panda there is nowhere it can go. I added the 'Available on iTunes' and the barcode to make the back of the digipak more realistic. I had 7 layers to this side of the digipak, this is because I had the font placed in a different way. The title of the artist is at the bottom of this side to the digipak, this is because I didn't feel a large title was needed as the title is on the front of the digipak. 

I used the same font that I used for the 'EMBRACE THIS DAY' throughout the pack. This was to add familiarity to the digipak and to avoid using too many different fonts.

This is the final product I came up with for the back of my digipak, I like the simplicity of the design and how it matches the rest of the digipak with the bright colours.

Making the front of my digipak

Making the cover for my digipak

Just as I did for my poster, I decided that for my digipak I would also relate it to my musical genre. I have used bright colours and the background is an image of a nightclub. The reason that I added a chain to my panda is so that the image is different and it adds an element of humour to the front cover. I only had to use 5 layers for the front cover, because it doesn't have too many elements in it. I had to use the magic wand tool to remove the background from the chain and the panda. I sharpened the image of the panda as the quality of the image wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. 

This is the final cover for my digipak, the bright colours and bold clear writing make it stand out and would hopefully mean that there would be more purchases of the digipak.

Poster for Digipak

Making my poster for my digipak

As preparation for creating my poster, I had to find images that would match my music genre. Because the music is house, and would be played in the club, I decided to use bright colours, giving it the feeling of being in a club. The obvious reason of using a Panda on the poster is because the artist is called Pandaman. I used the smudge tool to make the Panda larger and to make it more unique, rather than being an image I clearly did not take myself. I chose to put sunglasses and add a tongue to the panda to make it more human-like, as the artist does have 'man' in his title. In order to make the poster an advertisement, I added the images of the digipak, the record company 'Virgin Records', and the release date. 

I used three fonts for my poster, so that it adds originality, and because I wanted certain words and sentences to stand out more than others. For the head title 'PANDAMAN' I used Chalkduster, and for 'EMBRACE THIS DAY' I used the plain font News Gothic MT, I used both of these fonts throughout the making of the digipak aswell. For all the other writing on the poster I used Superclarendon.

I also added quotes from Radio 1, and 5 stars to show the quality of the music and to get more buyers of the digipak. The bold title at the top of the poster makes it clear who the artist is and what album you are purchasing. As you can see from the image below, I had to create many layers onto my poster to allow me to move items around without moving too many items at once. I used 14 layers in total. 

This is my final poster, I am really pleased with the results, and I feel like it looks professional, and I know that personally I would be attracted to this bright poster.

Digipak Research

Digipak Research

" Digipaks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside.
Since Digipaks were among the first alternatives to jewel cases to be used by major record companies, and because there is no other common name for Digipak-style packaging made by other companies, the term digipak or Digi-Pak is often used generically, even when the media holder is a hub or "Soft Spot" rather than a full plastic tray.
Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums and the tall DVD Digipak (DVDigipak) is used as a premium package for DVDs and DVD sets. Such packaging is less resistant to abrasion than jewel cases, so it tends to show signs of wear relatively quickly. Licensed digipak manufacturers such as domestic U.S. printer and disc replicator Oasis Disc Manufacturing recommend coating the raw printed paper with a protective UV coating, thus ensuring greater longevity.
Although less vulnerable to cracking than a jewel case, the disc tray inside the package (particularly the "teeth" of the hub which secure the disc in place) remains rather brittleand is prone to cracking if the package is crushed. Digipak-style cases grew in popularity among record labels and recording artists in the early 2000s. " Source - Wikipedia

Different artists sell themselves in different ways. I analysed 3 artists, Chase and Status, and Disclosure, which are of the same genre as my song, and Beyonce, who is nothing like my music genre.

Magazine Poster Research

Magazine Poster Research

I Googled 'House music Magazines' and many came up, these would be the main magazines that I would be aiming to advertise my artist in. These magazines specialise in the music genre of my artist, and would be the most appropriate for my artist. 
- House 
- till
- MixMag
- VIBE

I would also try to advertise my artist in other magazines such as the ones I listed on my target audience. This would create a larger group who would buy my products, and be better advertising for my artist.

Practising Using Photoshop

For my final piece of A2 coursework, I had to use photoshop to create a poster for my artist and a digipak. In order to use photoshop I needed to practise using it so that I could create my digipak. My teacher taught me the basics of using photoshop, as shown below;

Firstly, I had to choose an image of a setting that would be the background of my practise piece, I chose the beach as it is simple, and the images that were on Google were better quality than other settings. I imported the image to photoshop using an A4 size paper, and placing it onto 'Layer 1', and removing the layer called 'Background'.

Then I had to find a person/ object that would be the focus of my practise piece. I chose J Cole, a

famous rapper, and decided to choose an image with a plain background as this makes it easier to remove the background. I imported this image to photoshop onto 'Layer 2', to ensure that J Cole was onto of the beach rather than hidden behind it. Using the 'Magic Wand Tool', I removed the white background very easily. I then used the 'Eraser Tool' to remove the logo 'GQ'. After this, I was left with an image of J Cole with no background behind him.

After adding font on 'Layer 3', I then finished my basic practise piece.

My Final Music Video

This is my final music video, I hope you enjoy.

Editing My Production

Editing my Production with Final Cut Express

For the editing of my production, I used Final Cut Express, below is a list of what I done.

• I uploaded all my footage from the camera memory card into 'iMovie' as a new event.
• I then opened Final Cut Express and imported all the files that I needed for my footage.
• I dragged all my pieces of filming onto separate levels and moved them around accordingly.
• Using the lock tool, I aligned the music to the footage to ensure all the miming footage matches the music.
• Then, following the beat, I cut the random clips to the beat of the song.
• After watching my rough cut I decided film some extra shots, so I then had to go to the local park and film the panda having fun!
• After then repeating the process of adding the shots onto final cut express, I had to find places where to add them.
• I then thought my piece was done, so I asked classmates to watch my piece and tell me how i can improve.
• The feedback I got was to make sure all of the shots were cut to the beat, so after doing this I ensured my piece was done by watching it over and over again to make sure everything was fine and it all looked good.

Filming and Adding Shots

Filming and Adding Shots

I filmed my music video from the 17th - 19th October 2014. During the filming I had to consider the risk assessment factors and the weather, so the camera would not get damaged. At around 4pm, me and my friends had to leave central London on the Saturday due to the bad weather. This was a disappointment as we had not captured all of the footage that we (me and Karolina) wanted. After I finished my rough cut on Final Cut Express, I saw that I didn't have enough footage for my 2minutes:14seconds song, so I had to film extra shots. So, therefore me and Karolina decided to film the panda in the park for fun. This footage suits the music video as the song is energetic and feel-good. The footage is also really good as it gave us more opportunities to fast forward and rewind the panda doing certain things, e.g. rewinding on the roundabout.

On the 27th December 2014, I decided to add more shots onto my music video because I felt that it did not portray the genre enough. I decided I wanted to film the Panda playing musical instruments and dancing, but only seeing his silhouette. This would add to the mystery of the music video, who is the panda?

Storyboard

Storyboard

As a rough draft for how to film my music video I made a story board to help me plan my day and to help me when I edit my final piece. The way that I have cut the shots reflects the beat of the music, this makes the video more energetic and upbeat, just like the song is. This helped to remind me how to use final cut express and I hope it will make the process of editing my actual piece of work a lot easier and faster.

Risk Assessment

Risks Assessment for filming

Risks I may encounter when filming...

Weather - If the weather is wet then there is a risk of the actor falling and injuring themselves, and if the weather is too hot, the actor needs to stay hydrated to prevent them from falling over ect. especially with a mask on.

Locations - Travelling into London creates many risks due to the fact it is such a busy area. The actor and I must not lose each other or any of the filming equipment. In the woods the actor may fall into rivers, lakes and may injure themselves from the debris on the floor.

Wearing a mask - This restricts the view of the actor so increases the chance of falling and becoming injured. The actor must be told where to go and must move at a slow pace to reduce chance of injury.

Other Risks - Filming near roads or train tracks; the actress must stay clear of these two places as they can be busy and very dangerous.

Casting

Casting

Choosing who to use in my music video.

What age group is best suited to this song? Why?
I think young people are best suited to my song, because of the fast tempo and strong beat. It is quite a modern song, so I would like to use a young person in the video to attract a younger audience.

What gender of actors should be in my video?
I think the song is suited to both genders, but by using a female in the video it will attract more people due to 'the male gaze'. This means that men will be tempted to watch the video as the girl will look attractive, and therefor gain more of an audience. Girls / females will also watch the video as the song is unisex and the girl will be nicely dressed, persuading girls to watch the video due to her fashion, and the humour of the video.

Who do I know that would be willing to be in my video?
I have numerous people who want to be in the music video, but I am not sure if many of them are able to lip sync or dance, so I have asked them some questions to make my final decision of who will be the panda and singer.

Who has agreed to be in the video?
Daniella Iouannou and Rikki Caiger both want to be in the video, and they are both good dancers, however I needed to ask them to mime to the song to see if they're good at lip syncing.

Is she capable of miming?
Daniella could not mime at all, she kept on laughing and smiling and said she felt awkward, so if I used her for my video, it would be time consuming waiting for her to calm down. I have decided to use Rikki as she performed the task well and didn't feel awkward at all, she is the perfect person to be in my music video.


Rikki Caiger - Panda and girl singing for my pop video.

Locations

Locations 

For mine and Karolina's media production, we want to show off our city - London. London is the most magnificent city in the world and it has some of the most iconic buildings and tourist attractions.  Some of the places I wanted to film in would involve getting permission from the owner and government, so I have had to choose very carefully where I would like to film my music video.
Some of the places/objects we are hoping to film for our media production are:

• The London Eye
• Telephone box 
• Tower Bridge 
• Tate Modern 
• The South Bank
• Camden Town 
• Hyde Park
• St. Pauls Cathedral 
• London Buses
• London Tubes
• Trafalgar Square
• Black Cabs
• Buckingham Palace, the soldiers and horses
• Princess Diana Memorial Playground
• Soho
• Leicester Square