Flatplans of Advert

Flatplan 1 -

With this idea I thought an image of a woodland path would be a mysterious and intriguing background, which would be interesting in itself but not detract too much from the main text which informs the viewer of key dates e.g. the digipack's release. The direction of the path draws the viewer's eye upwards and at the same time makes them read the text layed over the pathway. The trees at the side at interest and make sure the advert links with the music video itself and is therefore easily recognisable. If I chose this image for the advert, I would slightly darken the image in photoshop using image adjustments to add tension and mystery. I would then make the font a contrasting colour e.g. cream, white so that it is easy to read. Although I have decided after deliberation, that this image is not interesting enough - it doesnt catch people's eyes or draw them in (as an advert should). Therefore I will not be using it as my final advert idea.

Flatplan 2 -
For this idea I used an image which is on the outer right panel of my digipack, meaning that, as a promopack should, the music video, digipack and advert all connect in some way. I feel that this image successfully conveys the song's title and is visually intruiging in the way the image reveals something new everytime one looks at it - for example, the sparkle on her eyelid, the tear rolling down her cheek. The layout is also different and original, the way the writing is layed out makes it easier to read because it isnt laying over an image but just one block colour. Also on the downside it could be argued that there is too much blank space on the advert and therefore for this reason I am not choosing this flatplan as my final idea.

Flatplan 3 -

This flatplan is striking due to the image of the girl's face on the right hand side that includes her eye which almost stares straight at the viewer capturing their attention and drawing them into the advert. By keeping the text on seperate sides but merging the ends of the words slightly with the image, means that it looks like a complete product but it is still easy to read the writing. The image implicately reflects the song title and also the theme of the music video. I may pick out key colours of the girls make-up and face to use for the font colour of key words - so as to make them stand out and further connect the writing with the image. I have decided to use this as my final design as I feel that it is bold and striking but also because the image is the same as the front of my digipack and therefore explicitly links the two, making it easy for the viewer to admire the advert and then find and buy the digipack on the music store shelves.

Music Video

Camera Shots
In this shot, in final cut pro, we layered two shots over the top of one another and varied their density so that they faded into one another, as we felt that otherwise the two shots were too jumping and we wanted to somehow make the editing softer and more original. Also as the first shot is a back view of the girl running away from the camera & the second shot includes the girl running past the camera we wanted to merge the two.


I especially think this shot is successful due to the composition. For example, the girl is slightly over to the right of the shot instead of being central and this is visually more pleasing for the viewer. The branches of the tree stretch over two thirds also. I think in videos it is effective if a number of the shots look almost like they could be photographs - like this example shot.

This is a shot that could be seen as between a close up and a mid shot as it shows some of her shoulder. It shows the girl's make-up which in turn draws attention to the mood and emotion of the girl and the whole video itself.

This is a long shot or could be considered an establishing shot, as it shows the setting well as the girl herself. The long pathway leads the viewer's eye towards the girl and beyond, while the trees at the side frame the shot and add interest preventing the shot from looking too stark.

Camera Mounting

To mount the camera we used both handheld and the tripod. We utilised the tripod when doing panning shots to keep the camera steady and prevent any shaking, although when we took the shots of the trees overhead we found it impossible to use the tripod and therefore me and jace stood opposite one another and both held the camera agaisnt our bodies to steady it - turning in circles as we went.

To set up the tripod we extended the legs to the required level then screwed the hole in the bottom of the camera to the plate on the top of the tripod. We then checked the level gauge on the top of the tripod to check if it was level - if not we adjusted the legs so that the 'bubble' was in the centre of the circle.

Camera Movement & Control

Some of the panning shots slightly jolt - even though they were carried out using a tripod. This may be due to the fact that they are too fast and therefore 'catch' alot. In future I would keep the panning shot slow when it is taken on set, then I would speed it up on final cut pro instead to minimise the shaking.


Camera Settings

Before each shot was taken, we checked the white balance setting - making sure it was on either indoor or outdoor. This allowed us to achieve consistency of colour and tone. Secondly, we altered the aperture when we needed more or less light in the shot as it adjusts the exposure. We used manual focus throughout our filming.

Communication on set

Firstly, whenever we shot on location e.g. in the woodlands, we made sure we took with us our storyboard, used for our animatic, as it helped prompt us as to which shots we needed and in which order we needed them - it was an extremely helpful tool. We also remebered to take an a4 pad of paper with us and a black marker pen which acted as our clapperboard, we noted down the shot no. and take - so that when we came to edit it each shot was easily identifiable, saving us time and therefore we knew which shots were successful and which werent.

Our production schedule was also extremely important as it helped us keep on target and meant that both me and jace knew our roles and what had to be completed when.

In turns of the roles we played, I mainly took on the role of director - as I had the loudest voice on set, I would count down from 4 everytime a shot was about to be taken therefore everyone knew to be ready and in position.

Link to music video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrDQMBavz3A

Link to video of practice shots -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKo-C_yxGNc

We took this video of practice shots because we wanted to learn what was effective and what wasnt - in terms of camera shots and techniques. I think that the shots which start with the fence and then pan to the left to reveal the girl are effective but for the real video we must get the girl to start running before the camera is on her - to make sure it looks natural and not so staged. Another aspect we thought worked well was the concept of having shots of the girl spinning and then quickly going to a POV shot of the trees above her, which are spinning - this is something we will use in the video. We tried many different ways of shooting her walking/running past the camera - just showing her lower legs and feet. Some were too zoomed in and others we forgot to use the tripod therefore after capturing back we realised how visible the shaking was without a tripod and we will not make the same mistake when shooting our real video. Another aspect, that may seem obvious but really isnt is the fact that the bags ruined some of our shots - therefore in future we need to carefully plan each shot so that we know the start and destination of each pan etc. so that we avoid putting the bags somewhere in the shot.

Music Video Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

After researching other music videos which accompany the artist, John Mayer's music I noticed that each video included him singing - therefore our video was a direct removal from this as we decided to do a narrative style video - simply to be unique but also because we couldnt get the original artist to mime to it therefore we felt it would look tacky and unprofessional. Although in similar ways, we have used a variety of panning, long and close-up shots which feature in many of his videos.

I suppose we have, in a way, challenged the convention of normally featuring the artist in the video - we didnt. We felt we could get away with this because John Mayer's music isnt considered mainstream and therefore neither should his videos be - therefore we had quite a wide creative scope.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

As the video is the main product, we used it as the inspiration for both our digipack and our advert - for example, the moods & expressions present, the colour scheme and the mise-en-scene. Therefore it was an almost foolproof way to insure they were linked and where effective as a combination as well as when they were viewed seperately. Finally, I feel that altogether they promote each other effectively.

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

Again in terms of research I used the internet to look at videos of other music videos - for example, on the website called YouTube, and looked at the features of each one but also how I felt they could be improved or how they could inspire my own video. During the planning stages, we created and storyboard, we then took photos of each possible shot and uploading them to form an animatic - a series of moving images formed from our original sketches, over the top of music. This helped us to see the order our video would be in but also to work out how the shots would fit to the music. During the construction we used a camera and tripod, but alternated between using it handheld or with the tripod depending on the shot type. Before each shot we checked and often altered the camera settings e.g. white balance and aperture. After filming, we used Final Cut Pro to edit the film we had taken and add the music - it allowed us to shorten or lengthen shots and alternate where we placed each shot, so that we could create our own unique order to form the video. It also meant we could add certain effects e.g. fading together two shots which we couldnt do using the camera alone. Finally, like the other ancillary products I used blogger to document my ideas for the music video, from 'conception' to 'birth'.

Digipack Evaluation

Digipack Evaluation - Facebook Feedback:

Comment 1 =

"I like this, the writing on the side is different which is what makes it interesting :)"

- I like the fact that this person found my front cover original and unique in terms of the way the text is place down the side.

Comment 2 =

"The writing on the side is bold and easy to read :) I think the image is striking and conveys the song title well and links with the back cover too"
- This comment reflects comment 1 in that it talks about the writing on the side.

Comment 1= "Another good image, but you could maybe add more information to not leave you with such a bit space in the middle. but think overall it looks realy good. i think the background colour goes well with the main image."
- In response to this comment, I went back to photoshop and using the arrow tool lengthways extended the textbox to stretch the writing over the blank background.

Comment 2 = "Another great photo,I like the textured look a modern slant on photography. Love the flowing dreamlike font."

-Im glad this person has picked up on my use of font and the way in which it reflects the theme of the music video and song.

Comment 3 = "This is my favourite , i like the way the hair has different tones and shades which gives the image a better texture. I also like the eyes and the eye brows where you've added different colours, which makes it stand out more and therefore gives emphasis to the emotion that your trying to portray. Altogether, the image itself is an excellent way to attract an audience and shows what the music itself is about."

- This person has directly stated that they feel it will attract the audience and successfully shows the meaning of the song - altogether my main purposes when designing the digipack.

Comment 4 = "this is a really good back cover, because the information is clear, and the picture doesn't draw away attention from the writing"

- Its nice to know that both the text and the image work well together and neither overpower the other.

Comment 1 = "Like the layered effect and font style it compliments the front and back cover."

- This affirms the idea that the whole digipack must look 'together' and each image must link with one another in some way

Comment 1 = "I like the effect you'v used in this image, looks very peaceful , and theres a connection to the main image of the girl."

Comment 2 = "I agree with the other comment, like the inside front cover it links with the other covers well"
(see reply to comment 1 of left inner cover)

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In terms of using existing media products I learnt from my research of other digipacks e.g. one of John Mayers, and one of Coldplay's, in the way they are created and how the inner covers are usually keep simpler than the outer and the way in which the outer front cover is the most important part of all - therefore it must not be over complex e.g. not too much writing but still stand out from other products that may be vying for the audience's attention. I developed my research by using exisiting ideas eg. the colour scheme from my digipack is quite similar to those used in John Mayer's 'room for squares' digipack but on the other hand I have used original images which I feel are a removal from his usual style but still compliment his music and would appeal to the target audience.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

I think the digipack successfully compliments the music video, as the settings are linked e.g. nature and the key element - the girls running mascara is present in both products. One enriches the other in the way that they are explicitly linked but also both offer something different - in the way that the digipack is a series of still images that can be kept and looked at, while the video is a series of moving images that last a few seconds and are then gone. I am confident that if someone saw the video on a music channel and as a result wanted to buy it, they would find it easy to identify the corresponding digipack.

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

As with my advert I used the internet to inform me of existing digipacks and how i would make it conform and look professional but at the same time look unique. I also scanned in flatplans which helped me to put my ideas into images so i could see what worked and what didnt - a sort of template for my real digipack. Again I used photoshop to create the digipack, applying the effect Poster Edges to each image - so as to match the advert and vice versa. This is as well as many other techniques that are detailed in the post titled 'My Digipack'. Finally, in the evaluation stages I used Blogger to document every stage I went through to get to the end product.

Advert Evaluation

Advert Evaluation - Facebook feedback:

I decided to upload both my digipack (see post titled; Digipack Evaluation) and my advert to Facebook, as I feel at the present time it is deemed the most popular social networking site for individuals who are the same age as those within John Mayer's target audience - this became clear after carrying out my prior research.

I asked people I felt fitted into the category above to comment on my advert - telling me what they liked about and what they feel would improve it.

Comment 1 =
" I really like the image, its really bold and eye catching, the effect you have used on image also looks really good. one thing u could change might be the font of the writing, as it could be clearer to read. "
- After reading this, it confirmed my previous opinions of the image being striking and eye-catching, and after reading about the font and it being unclear to read I went back onto Photoshop and made it bolder and therefore easier to read, therefore using the feedback to improve my advert and appeal more to its audience.

Comment 2 =
"excellent use of colour and contrast.I think this cover will appeal to the John Mayer's target audience. love the font style."
- I was pleased to read that this person felt the advert fitted its intended audience and liked the font style.

Comment 3 =
"The picture really illustrates the name of the album , and the picture of the girl looks really good, as her eyes show a lot of sorrow. But the font and the colour is a little difficult to read , but if you made the font of the writing more bold or eye catching it might draw attention from the image."
- This comment states again that the font was difficult to read, therefore again after reading this I made the alterations necessary.

Comment 4 =
"This is well good, although its the same font, much easier to read and the contrast of colour really makes the eye stand out."
- This comment contrasts with comments 1 & 3, regarding how easy the font is to read, although I did also take this into account e.g. that the colours contrast well together ( and therefore didnt change this aspect), but I agreed with the former comments and decided to change the font to make it bolder.

Comment 5 =
"i should have plucked my eyebrows before this shoot :P i love the effect you've used to make the hair look drawn on and the eye looks real. love it :)"
- This comment proves that the effect I applied on Photoshop - Poster Edges, does have an impact on its own and was worth applying as it adds to the advert as a whole.

Comment 6 =
"I love it! I like the font, but maybe make it bolder, so it stands out more?"
- Again this reflects comments 1 & 3 and strengthened my resolve to make the font bolder and stand out more.

Finally, after reading these comments I resolved to make the font bolder and clearer to read but kept the image and image effect the same as it was evident that this aspect was effective in attracting the target audience.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My advert developed from a wide range of research of various adverts from the same genre as my chosen artist - John Mayer (see post titled: Advert Research) during which I analysed and looked at two different adverts. Piecing together what I felt was effective and noting down what aspects to avoid in my own advert, in this way, it could be said that I used and developed exisiting media products in order to inform and inspire my own product. In terms of challenging the conventions of a real advert, I tried to use an original, unique font that successfully presents the whole theme of the promopack - the handwritten style, made bolder so it is easier to read from a distance, is whimsical and romantic - a direct reflection of our music video.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

It is essential that the promopack is linked together in some way - for example, the digipack must link with the advert, the advert must link with the music video etc. It is therefore obvious that one must enrich the other and vice versa. I tried to make sure that there was a continuous theme running through all three of my media products - the advert, digipack and music video. This theme was, as stated above, whimsical, romantic and mysterious mixed with some sadness and despair. This theme is present in the images in both my digipack and advert and stills in the video e.g. running make-up, facial expression and colour scheme.

As the digipack, advert and music video exist to promote each other, they must work in accordance with one another. The viewer may first encounter the video and want to buy the single etc. therefore the front of the digipack must link with certain shots in the video, so that they can identify it on the music store shelves easily. This is similar to the relationship between the advert and the digipack - this is why I used the same image on both products in order for them both to be easily identified.

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

(see above comments & replies in terms of what I learnt from audience feedback, and how I changed/altered the advert to accomodate the comments)

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

In the research stages, I used the internet to look up different adverts from the same genre as John Mayer, I then analysed them in terms of their composition, colours included, typography and image (amongst others). When planning my advert, I drew three flatplans and scanned them into the computer meaning I could therefore comment on them and easily flick between an open window of the scan and the Photoshop window when creating my advert - to get inspiration and remember my original ideas. When constructing my advert, I used the program Photoshop because I already have some experience from Photography AS of using the program and wanted to expand on my priror knowledge. I firstly changed the canvas size to the required size for an advert, then added my original image, went to image adjustments and altered the light/darkness filter and used the effect called Poster Edges to add interest and originality to the image. Then, I used the paintbrush tool to make the left-hand side of the advert black to contrast against the cream coloured font. Finally, during the evaluation stage I uploaded my advert onto facebook and asked people who I felt where in John Mayer's target audience to give me feedback on the advert - telling me what they liked about it and what I could improve. Therefore I could tailor my advert to the target audience - the people who would, in theory, want to buy the product I'm trying to promote.

My Advert

I decided to use the same image as the one on the front panel of my digipack because I felt that it was the most striking and would captivate the viewer's attention , it feels almost as if the girl's eye is staring right at you - drawing you in. I also used the same font as my digipack to give a sense of continuity, as this means that if someone saw the advert and then wanted to buy the single etc. it would be easy for them to locate it amongst the other CDs in the store. I changed the colour of the words 'out now' to make it bold and stand out, I also made sure it matched the colours of the girl's face and therefore looked professional.

When uploading it to facebook for feedback purposes I noticed that the colours on the left-hand side were wrong and therefore went back and rectified it.

BEFORE AFTER

Email to Columbia Records

<---- A print-screen of an email I have sent to Columbia Records (John Mayer's record label) to seek copyright permission to use his song - Dreaming With A Broken Heart, in our music video.