Finished

As I had a day off today,  I went into school to spend some time on my digipak and finalise it for the deadline. The last thing that was remaining was the panel and the back. I stuck to my initial idea of using the picture of me with my hair blowing, and I believe this works really well. I enlarged the picture to have it like a close-up of the artist to act as a way of introducing the artist. I also listed ten songs, but rather than boringly listing the songs, I decided to vary the colours and sizes of the texts. Last year I discovered the website www.dafont.com which is a very extremely good tool for us media students as we can download different style fonts for free. Today, I went on the website in search to find a really good bold, conspicuous font, which is easily read, and would fit in very well with the rest of the image. 

The font that I picked is called "Bebas Neue". It is really clear and bold, and I thought that it would work really work with the hard and dominant image that I am trying to create. I did not edit the background of the image at all because I like the fact that the artist is the center of attention with the background being neutral. I also included an image of a barcode to really make it more like a digipak. Overall, I really like the panel and I think it works well with the digipak as a whole. Although I have used a tough image on the front, this is contrasted with the vulnerability that is presented at the back. 

Editing

These two lessons we have been working on our digipaks. I started on the front cover and I decided to use the picture of me with my arm out, where I have written "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger". I believe this picture is really eyecatching because the eyelashes are really clear. I look very dominant in this image in contrast to other images where my head is down, and my posture a lot lower. 

I rotated it towards the left, to put the main attention on the arm, placing it in the center of the frame. This worked really well. However, once I rotated it, the corners were left black, leaving me to pick up the same colour as the background to fill them. This was not as easy as I though it would be, due to the flash that I used to take the picture. I picture has a gradient effect, it is lighter in the middle areas but darker on the outsides. It left me to consider cutting out myself, and putting myself on the background which was not an idea I really wanted to carry out. After spending some extra time at lunch I managed to clone the outside areas, and fortunately it fit in well with the rest of the background. I also added the name of the artist "Kassie" in the colour brown. I believed this works really well with the brown eyelashes. I also asked a number of people in  my class and they thought it would work better than a different colour such as bright pink, grey etc. 

I also started working on the inside panels. My initial idea was to use a screen shot of me throwing the glass. However, this idea changed when I realised that this would be a really bad idea, due to the highly pixelated image. It was extremely difficult to see what I was throwing, and it was really dark overall. I replaced this with an screen grab of me sitting down on the floor with my head in my hands. This image had better quality due to the brighter lighting. 

Last lesson I worked on the second inside panel. I did not want to use another image of me that I took recently with the eyelashes as it would be repetitive and would lack visual variety. Instead, I took a screen grab of the beginning sequence where there is a close-up of the book, and layered this with a few images from the music video. I wanted to use this as it gives the audience an insight into what the subjects of the songs may be etc. I worked on blurring the edges of the pictures so that the lines would be less defined, and would blend nicely into the background. Next lesson I am hoping to work the back panel. I want to use an image which I took  previously, but rather than being extremely similar to the front cover, I am using one where my fringe is covering my face, and where my hair is blowing  (this effect was created with the use of a blow-dryer). 

Here is the image below:

I want to use this image as it shows quite a vulnerable side to the artist, in contrast to the image on the front cover. The way my hair is covering a section of my face signifies a sense of secrecy which I think will really work well in the album. Despite my posture being quite lower than the other image, the eyelashes are still very clear, and the eye make-up is also shown in this section. I like the fact that this will add a sense of variety to the digipak rather than it being dull, boring and repetitive. 

Ideas

On Wednesday I ordered a pair of false lashes. The false lashes arrived yesterday morning, and this evening I took a large number of pictures. After having look at the results, I am extremely pleased with a few of them. Overall, I did not change the look I created with the make up. I was aiming for a conspicuous look, using dark eyeshadows such as dark brown and black, along with the use of the animal print false eyelashes, but paired this with a light pink lipstick rather than a colour such as red, in order to highlight that the girl is still vulnerable. My posture is quite low in some pictures to put emphasis on her vulnerability and innocence, but quite straight and strong in others to reflect the fact that she is a strong independent woman. My hair is straight in every picture to put the attention of the viewers on the girls face rather than other factors such as clothing etc. Despite keeping my hair straight, I did play around with a different style. I created a quiff in the front of my hair, to really highlight a sense of fierceness from the girl, which I was inspired to by a number of pictures of the R&B artist Rihanna where she looked very powerful using this hairstyle. Moreover, I wore a simple black vest in every picture to also take the audiences eyes away from any other aspect of the girl than her face which will hopefully evoke a sense of vulnerability through the way in which I was looking down. The next stage of the process is to get back to school and decide which picture will be the best for the cover of the digipak etc, and then start the editing process.

I was also really inspired by one of Shakira's album covers where she has written something on a part of her body. I think that is a really unique way of presenting something to the audience. I decided to write "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger". I believe this is a really strong quote and hopefully it will instantly leave the audience aware of the type of songs in the album. It will also present me as quite strong, and dominant. 

Another image that I was inspired by was found on www.weheartit.com. I love how this image conveys a strong message and i would like to reflect that in my own text. I also love the fact that its unique and is not extremely common which would entice the audience.

Here are a few of my favourites which I believe will work well as a part of the digipak:

Digipak Annotation.

Below, I have annotated a few digipaks of existing and well-known artists to help me get a rough idea of the conventions of a R&B genre digipak. 

Rihanna Digipak

____________________________________________

Keri Hilson Digipak

______________________________________________

Leona Lewis Digipak

Digipak Research - What is a digipak?

Definition of a digipak - 

Digipak is a package designed for CDs consisting of a plastic tray pasted on a high-quality paperboard. They consist of usually four panels, and one of the advantages of digipaks in contrast to jewel cases is that it is stronger. If it is accidently dropped for example, it is likely to escape serious damage. Digipaks vary according to the genre of the artist who's album it is. For example, in a heavy metal rock album, there may be more use of colours such as red and black, to signify a sense of danger and the hardness of the music. Conversely, genres such as Pop will be more likely to use soft and vibrant colours such as blues, pinks etc. A similar effect is used with the font. The acoustic genre is more likely the use less bold, and conspicuous text, in contrast  to genres such as Rock. 

Additional footage, Editing, and Editing Completed.

The editing process is finally finished! This lesson we spent time making sure we are happy with the music video, filming any additional footage (if needed), adding effects etc. I used this lesson, along with a free period and my lunch time to change certain parts of the music video. For example, I took out a few cross dissolve effects as I believe it was getting a bit too repetitive.

Moreover, I also did some additional filming in the beginning of the lesson which took me roughly ten minutes. Although this may seem very short notice, I believe that it does benefit my music video and was worth the time. The clip consisted of the picture flying away with the wind and landing on the grass. This emphasizes the fact that she has let go of the photograph, and it is the final step to giving up the things associated to her past. I also slowed down the pace of the clip to add significance to the photograph falling.

I am generally happy with my music video. Although some aspects of it did not go to plan, such as the actress pulling in ill, leaving me to step in and take responsibility which was not the initial idea, it allowed me to experiment much more with the footage, and be more flexible with timing.There was also the issue of having a number of clips that looked lovely for example, the shots of me singing, but unfortunately because I had to film myself, I was not completely in the middle of frame.

It has been an extremely valuable project, as I have become much more comfortable with using Final Cut Express, familiarising myself with its effects, how to apply them etc.  I have had to tackle a number of difficulties, but have fortunately been able to overcome them. Overall, I have enjoyed every part of the project, and I am looking forward to the creation of the digipacks!

Symbolism and Justifications

Prior to the filming process, we spent a good amount of time planning our music videos, what we would include in it etc. An important part of our planning was thinking about including metaphors to give our music video some weight, rather than it simply being a video with a performance section and a narrative based performance. After brainstorming a few ideas, I came to the conclusion that I would use a broken glass. This would symbolise the girls broken heart, along with the idea that her life has fallen apart. In my music video, I have anchored this shot of the broken glass with a blackout just before it. I believe this really puts emphasis on the broken piece of glass and the blackout reflects the dark side of the relationship, reinforcing this depressing and forlorn mood of parts of the music video.



Secondly, I have also included a candle. The candle symbolises the girls and the boys relationship. When the candle is lit, is reflects that their relationship is still continuing. However, it also highlights that their relationship is dying out (as reinforced by the burning candle suggesting the fact that it will soon come to an end). There are certain aspects of the music video that include the candle at random points. This acts as a reminder to the audience that time is slowly running out.

 Moreover, I decided in the beginning of the planning stage, that it would be a good idea to use black and white. This black and white effect only intervenes when anchored with the shots of the past. For example, as soon as the establishing shots of Central London are shown, the black and white effect is shown, reflecting that we have gone back in time. I also believe that the lack of colours intensifies the sense of sadness in the flashbacks.



Motifs - A motif is referred to as a subject, theme, etc that is recurring. In this case, the motif in the music video is the candle and the photographs. Both of these things are included a few times in the music video to act as a reminder. For example, as stated above, the candle is repetitively brought up in the music video to remind the audience that time is running out, building a sense of anticipation and suspense. Similarly, the photographs are also brought up in the music video a number of times to reflect that the girl is stuck in a limbo. She is still considering whether to leave or whether to stay. It also reinforces the sense of happiness which the couple once shared, also fortifying the sense of sadness.

Cross dissolves - Cross dissolves are used a number of times in my music video. At first, I thought that there was too much use of the cross dissolves, making the music video less visually appealing. However, I have cut down a number of them which are irrelevant and do not create a effect for the music video. The cross dissolves are used  in the beginning sequence of the music video, to add a nice flow to the music video rather than shots just appearing and disappearing abruptly. I have also included cross dissolves in the section where the protagonist is looking at the picture frame considering reasons why she should leave or stay. I used this effect to establish to the audience that she is going into a thought and flashback of her past, and she is coming to a decision. I believe if I did not include such as thing there would be no distinction between this section and the rest of the music video to signify that there has been a shift in time.


Opacity - In the beginning sequence of the music video, I changed the opacity levels for two images to look overlapping, but still be visible at the same time. I think this  a beautiful effect, and the reason why I included it is due to the fact that it really helps signify that as soon as the girl sees the photograph lying in between the pages, it would instantly help draw her back to her past.

The beginning sequence - Although this idea did not spring to me in the planning stage of the project, I did spend a lot of time afterwards thinking whether I should include it or not. After a while of thinking, and asking those around me, I came to the conclusion that it would be a really nice thing to establish what the music video is about. I believe that this would really emphasize the growth that the girl has made, through the fertility surrounding the girl on the balcony. I also thought that the balcony would really help enhance the idea that she is no longer down, but is rather high, which is emphasized through the use of the low-angle shot looking uo at the balcony. This highlights her status, and power at this point of the music video. Furthermore, rather than using the black and white effect, I decided that I would leave these shots with their initial colour, as the shots look extremely visually appealing. There were a number of colours consisting from green to pink, and hiding these colours with the black and white effect would not be a wise idea, and a good way in reflecting the changes in time.
                                                                        

I also took the lighting into consideration. The lighting varies in different areas. For example, the point where the girl is near the door, the lighting is very dark. This reflects that as she gets closer to the boy (on the other side of the door), her life gets darker. In contrast, when she is on the other side it is a lot brighter.

More Editing.

This lesson I focused on tightening the music video, quickening the pace, cutting out the irrelevant shots and cutting down shots that are too long. The purpose of this is to make my music video more visually interesting, rather than leaving the audience bored. I have also added in some more affects, for example, I have been playing around with the opacity of the clips, showing 2 clips at the same type. I did this particularly in the beginning sequence of the music video to highlight the fact that the picture which was lying in between the books, sparks a number of memories of her past. The shots with I have used on top of the previous clips are those of her birthday, the candle, the Big Ben and her playing thumb wars with her previous boyfriend. I have also anchored these shots with the "cross dissolve" editing effect in the beginning and end of each clip, to make it look more professional, rather than it instantly appearing and disappearing out of the music video.

Another thing in which I have been editing is the lip-syncing shots. I have been cutting out some bits of those as some shots would go on for quite a while. I believe this will strengthen the visual variety in my music video.

This weekend I plan to make a plan of what aspects of the music video I need to touch upon in order to make it better, just in case I forget when it comes to the lesson. As the deadline is coming up soon, it is vital for me to make sure I make the most of my editing time, and time in school, to priorities my editing. 

More editing.

This lesson I have spent the majority of my time adding some more clips towards the end of the music video, such as the one of the girl blowing out the candle to reflect her letting go of the relationship. I have also been adding in some more performance based shots in between certain parts of the music video to quicken the pace, making it more like a music video rather than a fully narrative based production. This also strengthens the visual variety in the music video. Moreover, I have been including some more "cross dissolves" to change the repetitive simple cuts that I use throughout the music video. I also use this effect in the section where the girl in holding the picture frame, sparking the memory of her life at this point in time, to highlight that time has passed.

The return to school - Editing and Reactions.

On Tuesday we returned to school, which meant that editing was on the way again. The first step I took was to upload my footage and view it, gathering an overall opinion on the footage that I have taken over the holidays.  I was quite happy with my footage, particularly the "balcony" shots which consisted of me sitting down, studying, and coming across a picture in between the pages, triggering memories of the past. This shots are exactly how I wanted them to be; bright, colourful, and clear.The lighting is perfect, and I managed to include a lot of the flowers in the balcony, to really emphasize the sense that her life has grown, in contrast to the rest of the music video. I also filmed some establishing shots to set the setting of the music video, in the flat. These shots consisted of low-angle shots looking up at the balcony to emphasize her higher status in her life at this point in time. The shots also include the blue sky, as I really thought it would symbolise her happiness through the bright colours.

I was also quite happy with the footage of me singing. I aimed to find a blank wall to video infront of, as I did not want anything to be a distraction to the audience, making the girl the main focus of these shots. The shots consist of me showing quite a bit of emotion, for example, through putting my head in my hands, suggesting that she is stressed, looking around her (in order to imply that she is searching for a way out, and thinking about what the next step for her is to take). 

The next step for me was to start with fitting in the new footage with the rest of the music video. I started off by putting the balcony clips in the beginning of the music video. I wanted to separate the starting sequence from the whole of the music video to really highlight it as a pivotal moment, for the audience to realise that she is going to look back on her past. I also added in the clips of me singing to enhance the idea that it is actually a music video rather than a short film. Moreover, I added a few more editing techniques such as the overlapping effects in the beginning sequence to show that she is getting flashbacks of her past in her head.