Friday 30 March 2012
Thursday 29 March 2012
Equipment & Technology used
To record:
- FujiFilm FinePix A400 Digital Camera
- 4 Megapixel. 3x optical zoom lens.
- I used the Finepix A400 to record the footage for the video and also the images for the ancillary products. As the camera is a simple model, the video record mode is unable to capture sound alongside the video, and so made it easier seeing as though it'd save me time and effort gating and removing excess noise once I entered the editing phase. For the images, the quality was great, I didn't need to do anything with them at the stage of capturing the pictures, I knew I was going to edit them pretty heavily for the finished versions. So everything took off the camera became the bare bone structure of my work.
To edit footage:
- Windows Movie Maker
- Having used this program in the past, I knew it well and was comfortable with it's features and limits. The original footage and the audio track were imported and it became a case of fitting the shots in order to the timeline and getting them synchronized with the song so that both ran fluently and in unison. I added a 'Smudge stick' effect to the video, this allowed me to relate the video to the CD's artwork. Each clip also had a fade in and out from and to black, this gave the video more smoothness through the transitions of each frame instead of jump cutting to every separate clip.
To edit imagery:
- Macromedia Fireworks 8
- Again, like Windows Movie Maker, having used this program a great deal in the past, I was at home using Fireworks rather than having to adapt to Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software. All the original images were edited heavily through changing the hue/saturation, brightness/contrast and I too manually edited the curves and leveling. Zoom effects were also added to most of the images to help give me the abstract theme I longed to achieve. To further edit the pictures used and to create alternate versions of my products I saved each file twice, one as a .PNG file, that served as the template for all further workings, and the other as a .JPEG file, in it's highest quality as I could possibly set.
Computers used:
- Dell Optiplex 980
- Dell Inspiron Mini
- FujiFilm FinePix A400 Digital Camera
- 4 Megapixel. 3x optical zoom lens.
- I used the Finepix A400 to record the footage for the video and also the images for the ancillary products. As the camera is a simple model, the video record mode is unable to capture sound alongside the video, and so made it easier seeing as though it'd save me time and effort gating and removing excess noise once I entered the editing phase. For the images, the quality was great, I didn't need to do anything with them at the stage of capturing the pictures, I knew I was going to edit them pretty heavily for the finished versions. So everything took off the camera became the bare bone structure of my work.
To edit footage:
- Windows Movie Maker
- Having used this program in the past, I knew it well and was comfortable with it's features and limits. The original footage and the audio track were imported and it became a case of fitting the shots in order to the timeline and getting them synchronized with the song so that both ran fluently and in unison. I added a 'Smudge stick' effect to the video, this allowed me to relate the video to the CD's artwork. Each clip also had a fade in and out from and to black, this gave the video more smoothness through the transitions of each frame instead of jump cutting to every separate clip.
To edit imagery:
- Macromedia Fireworks 8
- Again, like Windows Movie Maker, having used this program a great deal in the past, I was at home using Fireworks rather than having to adapt to Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software. All the original images were edited heavily through changing the hue/saturation, brightness/contrast and I too manually edited the curves and leveling. Zoom effects were also added to most of the images to help give me the abstract theme I longed to achieve. To further edit the pictures used and to create alternate versions of my products I saved each file twice, one as a .PNG file, that served as the template for all further workings, and the other as a .JPEG file, in it's highest quality as I could possibly set.
Computers used:
- Dell Optiplex 980
- Dell Inspiron Mini
Audience Research
This was a vital element for my product, due to my video and the story behind it being aimed at somewhat of a niche audience, I devised a questionnaire that would allow me to take what my target market prefer in music videos of my genre and thus create a video that would appeal. I gave the questionnaire out to 100 people, dividing it equally between gender. Before they answered, I stressed that their answers should revolve around the genre in which my song is in and the video meant to follow.
Here is the submitted questionnaire:
Here is the submitted questionnaire:
Understanding your audience is one of, if not the most important aspect of research before the creation process of the product. As it allows you to further base your work off your target audience.
Ancillary research
Front cover:
As my video is a soft acoustic based song, I wished for the album art to be a little more abstract, following in the footsteps of the following:
As my video is a soft acoustic based song, I wished for the album art to be a little more abstract, following in the footsteps of the following:
The one to the left inspired the idea for mine to be high in contrast in terms of the colour. The clash of the blue with the red provides a feast for the eyes. And the one to the right I focused on the background instead of the foreground, the zoom effect adds a great feel to it, allowing the atmosphere to be be created, yet keeping it from focus. I was inspired to believe that if I could combine both aspects of the albums into one cover art of my own, then I'd be able to not only capture the attention of people, but too allow them to decifer what exactly the image was and what meanings it conveys, I hoped for each individual to find that they could reflect on it.
The back cover & Poster:
The back cover and the poster both followed deep inspiration from the 2 front covers shown above. Though with the poster I decided to forego the zoom effect and maintain the image's sharpness. The back cover however I wanted to level down in terms of it being to busy due to the fact that text would be added, therefore, I made it more minimal in it's appearance.
Reflection of the shoot & Description of the shooting schedule plan
The shoot was to be held in the same location, though unfortunately the initial plan to obtain the footage in 1 sitting failed. However I was forced to work around this. The weather played havoc with my schedule. I planned for it to be done in one full day, of which the weather had to be nice. I had multiple dates available to record, though most of the time these dates failed to meet my necessity and urgency of recording. Once I had obtained half the footage in 2 weekends, I had to ensure there would be little, most preferably no continuity errors, the weather then had to remain the same or very similar each time recording took place. Once I was achieving to get the footage, it ran smoothly, though admittedly the quality is not to the standards I required due to both me and my helping camera woman busy in other areas of work. The video also had to be cut down, the original song and footage would last around 5 minutes, though I had to cut the product to 3 minutes. This turn of evens meant that I had to find a suitable place within the timeline of the song and footage to create a decent cadence. As abrupt as the finished version may be, I made sure the song finished on the root note, allowing more of a feeling that it had ended.
Shot list, Casting decisions & Shot reasons
1) Tracking close up to long shot with tilt upwards.
2) Stationary long shot as character walks away.
3) Close up tracking shot of arm with pan & zoom to focus on the photograph.
4) Small montage edit close up.
5) Over the shoulder asymmetrical mid shot with focus on character's arm and photo with pan & tilt.
6) Medium close up with pan.
7) Extreme close up of unfolding the photo.
8) Medium long shot with pan left.
9) 2nd small montage edit.
10) Close up tracking shot with mild pan to over the shoulder shot, additional slow zoom.
11) Close up slow zoom to extreme close up.
12) Extreme close up of torn photo.
13) Close up tracking shot with tilt to mid shot.
14) Mid shot of character's final descent.
Casting Decisions:
Casting the video was not a hard choice, I wanted the video to focus around the narrative, thus I needed only one character to reflect the story told through the lyircs. Due to the face the song was my own, I thought it best for me to play the character. And so, had a close friend record the footage under my direction.
Shot Reasons:
The repetitive use of the shots was too help reflect the sense of the character's mental state of mind, a visual manifestation of his entrapment. The smudge effect added was to create more emphasis and too reflect on the album's abstract theme.
2) Stationary long shot as character walks away.
3) Close up tracking shot of arm with pan & zoom to focus on the photograph.
4) Small montage edit close up.
5) Over the shoulder asymmetrical mid shot with focus on character's arm and photo with pan & tilt.
6) Medium close up with pan.
7) Extreme close up of unfolding the photo.
8) Medium long shot with pan left.
9) 2nd small montage edit.
10) Close up tracking shot with mild pan to over the shoulder shot, additional slow zoom.
11) Close up slow zoom to extreme close up.
12) Extreme close up of torn photo.
13) Close up tracking shot with tilt to mid shot.
14) Mid shot of character's final descent.
Casting Decisions:
Casting the video was not a hard choice, I wanted the video to focus around the narrative, thus I needed only one character to reflect the story told through the lyircs. Due to the face the song was my own, I thought it best for me to play the character. And so, had a close friend record the footage under my direction.
Shot Reasons:
The repetitive use of the shots was too help reflect the sense of the character's mental state of mind, a visual manifestation of his entrapment. The smudge effect added was to create more emphasis and too reflect on the album's abstract theme.
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Acillary Alternate/Un-used Versions; Poster
The 2nd edit (The alternate final version) stood out greatly. I took the original image and manipulated its brightness and contrast in order to establish the sharp image. The fonts remained the same, only I changed the colour, and by doing so, it added a 'warmer' feel to the poster whereas in the 1st draft, the dark orange colour gave a harsh look. Instead of following with the colour scheme of the album, I allowed the picture to remain in its full colour form, just with the additional tweaks. The image's multiple colours provide a feast for the eyes and the lighting helps construct the atmosphere.
Tuesday 27 March 2012
Costumes & Props used
Though not a great deal of props were used, and there were no costumes, I did make use of a few minor items:
Rope:
-The rope was a signal of things to come, from the very beginning it is used as a sign. A clue almost as to why the main character is carrying it with him. Due to the fact the rope was also red, that gave outstanding connotations of it signifying blood, thus too being a further clue.
Photo:
-The photo of the couple that the main character holds tight in his grasp is the physical manifestation of his lingering anguish. A direct link to his past, the last item he holds for his repentance. Though the tearing of the photo reveals the characters state of mind, consumed by hate and dwelling on what could of been, yet never will, thus this action shows him giving in to hope and choosing the only way out he thinks is the only route to take.
Stick:
-With it's very minor appearance, the throwing of the stick signifies the character's descent into his darker self, enraged by the turn of events.
Rope:
-The rope was a signal of things to come, from the very beginning it is used as a sign. A clue almost as to why the main character is carrying it with him. Due to the fact the rope was also red, that gave outstanding connotations of it signifying blood, thus too being a further clue.
Photo:
-The photo of the couple that the main character holds tight in his grasp is the physical manifestation of his lingering anguish. A direct link to his past, the last item he holds for his repentance. Though the tearing of the photo reveals the characters state of mind, consumed by hate and dwelling on what could of been, yet never will, thus this action shows him giving in to hope and choosing the only way out he thinks is the only route to take.
Stick:
-With it's very minor appearance, the throwing of the stick signifies the character's descent into his darker self, enraged by the turn of events.
Song Lyrics & Analysis
Error Of Ways
The colours on your photograph are running,
we both knew this would never last, so stop crying.
If only this was just a dream I'd wake up happy,
if you could just see the simple things, you'd know how I feel.
Your beauty, divine as it may be, prevents me.
Your love, as great as it may seem, traps me.
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
A thousand times that I have said, I'm sorry.
So many times that I have begged, forgive me.
In all this haze I fail to see, the light.
You think I listen when you say, it's alright?
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
Those sleepless will end now.
I'll soon see the light.
It's a bitter pill to swallow.
Soon this will be alright...
....soon I'll sleep.
Analysis
The lyrics follow one man's journey through depression to the end. They, in a sense are the narrative, allowing us to follow in the steps of the main character. After a harsh break up with what he believed to be his one true love he was overcome with depression, it constantly tore at him, until the inevitable happened and he took his life feeling unable to live on being tortured by the remnants of his once perfect past.
The colours on your photograph are running,
we both knew this would never last, so stop crying.
If only this was just a dream I'd wake up happy,
if you could just see the simple things, you'd know how I feel.
Your beauty, divine as it may be, prevents me.
Your love, as great as it may seem, traps me.
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
A thousand times that I have said, I'm sorry.
So many times that I have begged, forgive me.
In all this haze I fail to see, the light.
You think I listen when you say, it's alright?
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
I'm trying to break free.
I'm trying to forget.
Please someone release me,
from this hell in which I'm kept.
Why is it you can't see
the error of ways?
It's my past that haunts me.
I'll take this curse to my grave.
Those sleepless will end now.
I'll soon see the light.
It's a bitter pill to swallow.
Soon this will be alright...
....soon I'll sleep.
Analysis
The lyrics follow one man's journey through depression to the end. They, in a sense are the narrative, allowing us to follow in the steps of the main character. After a harsh break up with what he believed to be his one true love he was overcome with depression, it constantly tore at him, until the inevitable happened and he took his life feeling unable to live on being tortured by the remnants of his once perfect past.
Ancillary drafts: Front cover.
 |
| Early Front Cover Design |
 |
| Early Back Cover Design |
 |
| 2nd version edited image for the inside |
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