Production Diary - Week 12

This week I have tried to focus on ideas for our digipak and advert. We each analysed at least one digipak and advert each to ensure that we were all familiar with them and knew the typical conventions. We then discussed some basic ideas which I have presented on my blog using kizoa. I am now planning to get feedback on these ideas so that we can decide which would best target our audience and we can begin to plan and construct our final digipak and advert.

Ideas and Inspiration

Digipak Ideas - Kizoa Online Movie Maker

We are planning to carry out a photoshoot in the next few weeks for our digipak and advert. We have multiple ideas of what themes we could follow for this.

Our first idea is to have our artist in a pool with the giant inflatable duck and other inflatables. The use of the duck would create synergy with our music video and shows our artist as very fun and original. We also had the idea of using a barbie doll rather than our artist, we would use a doll with brown hair that could symbolise our artist and show how people want her to be perfect but she just wants to have fun. We could add colour to this by using a bath bomb or food colouring to make the water pink which also creates synergy with our video and adds a fun and positive vibe.

Our second idea was to use powder paint to add colour and therefore relate back to the video. This would add a fun and fearless atmosphere and make our artist look daring. We thought that we could feature a large group of her friends or even the 3 from the music video in this photoshoot to show their close relationship and emphasise the message of how she needs her friends and not just boys that we tried to portray in our music video.

Thirdly, we thought that we could create a pillow fight scene. This would show our artist having fun with her friends and show the girly and fun side of our artist. An issue that could potentially arise with this is that it is only related to our video through themes and so for a debut album may not be appropriate.

Finally, we decided that we could hang colourful CDs around our artist. This would represent her love for music as well as relate to the music video through the bright colours. It would also represent the fun and positive side of our artist that we want to portray through our digipak and advert.

My group think that the pillow fight may be our best option because it is the most achievable and although may not directly relate to our music video portrays our artist in the manner in which we want her to be portrayed. We will gather audience feedback to see which idea they think would suit our artist and will decide from there.

Analysis of adverts

Katy perry advert analysis from naomi_pierce

Lana del rey advert analysis from naomi_pierce

The artists are both successful and popular in the music industry and pop culture. Some important ideas that I have found about adverts from analysing these is that eye contact can be important and that the image is likely to be the main focus rather than the album title itself. 

Analysis of Digipaks

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
I have previously analysed the advert that was created to promote this album, I think it is important to look at how they link together and compliment each other.

Front Cover 

The main focus of the front cover is on the artist's name 'Lana Del Rey' as well as an image of the artist. This is important in a digipak to show the audience who's album it is, it is also very similar to the advert that was used to promote the album. The colour scheme is mainly blue and white which provides a very calm atmosphere while also representing summer which is a common theme within the dance and pop genre. This colour scheme also contrasts the redness of her lips and hair which makes the image of her stand out more. The title of the album is quite small on the page and isn't as important as the main image or artist name however it is still important to include this on the front cover to establish what the album is.

Back Cover

The main focus of the back cover is the title of the songs that are included in the album.  They take up the most space on the cover and are written in a pale blue colour to contrast against the plain background. It is important to include the song titles on the back to give information to the audience as well as to entice the audience through pre released singles. The barcode and production company are also seen on the back, they are very small but give extra information to the audience.

Inside Cover

The inside cover shows only an image of the artist. These covers are often kept very simplistic so that the audience isn't overwhelmed. The image uses bright, summery colours which are a convention of the dance-pop genre and give the album a positive film. 

CD

The CD is very simplistic with pictures of roses around the edge on a white background. The red rose is symbolic of love and beauty but the deep colour also adds a hint of danger. The rose hasn't been featured anywhere else on the digipak which doesn't follow the typical conventions where it usually follows the main themes. 

Demi Lovato - Confident

Front Cover

The main focus of the front cover is the image of the artist. The Male Gaze Theory could be applied to this image as it is slightly provocative especially due to her costume which is revealing as she is shown in her underwear. This also shows the confident image that she wants to present as it is very courageous to show an image of her with little clothing. Her top is made of black leather and has tears in it to give her more of an edgy and strong appearance to suit the theme of 'confidence'. High key lighting is used to make the artist stand out and helps to reduce the visibility of her flaws. She has been photoshopped so that she has no flaws and appears very tanned and attracts the audience through the ideas of the male gaze theory. She is the only thing in the framing of the image and the background is a very simple white, this ensures that the main focus is on the artist which portrays her as very strong and confident to match the albums name and themes. Her make up is very defined to contour and shape her face which is very popular with young people today, we can also see that her eyebrows are very perfectly shaped which is also very fashionable and would appeal to a young audience. Her hair is slicked back which is also very fashionable, to show that she keeps up with current trends and appeals to a modern audience, this also creates a slightly wet look which makes her look very sexy and provocative. The artist and album names are written across the centre of the cover, they are written quite small so they do not take the focus off of the artist but as they are positioned in the centre still stand out. The capitalisation of the letters gives a strong and independent feel to add to the theme of confidence. The colour changes from black to white and then back to black to contrast against the background to make sure it is visible and stands out. In the top right we can see a sticker to say this is the deluxe edition, it shows two featured tracks which had previously been released and were very popular so may entice the audience. It also shows that there are bonus tracks which would make an audience member what to buy this version rather than the standard edition as they feel as though they are getting extra exclusives. The sticker also shows that it is her fifth album meaning that she would already have a large fan base and makes her seem like a success in the industry. The bottom right features a symbol for explicit content, this shows that her album is aimed at young adults and those in their late teens who would be comfortable with this.

Back Cover

The back cover includes another image of the artist in another provocative position and in the same costume to keep the same theme throughout the digipak. In this image we can see her shoes which are high heels with red bottoms, this is closely associated with Louboutins which are very expensive and show high class. The red colour also makes her seem very dangerous and represents the confident image that she wants to present. The track listing is written over the top in the same font as the album name and artist, this creates a continuity throughout the digipak and the capitalisation of the letters add to the theme of confidence. At the bottom of the cover we can see extra information such as websites, a barcode and production company which are used so the audience can find out further information. 

CD

The CD itself is very simplistic, it is black to give it an edgy and sophisticated look with the album and artist names written at the top in the same font as on the front and back cover to create synergy.  They are still written in capital letters to show this confident vibe and are in a white font which contrasts against the black background to stand out. The production company logo is also used at the bottom of the disc with extra information written around the edge of the disc.

Rihanna - Loud

The front cover of this album shows a close up image of the artist which shows her importance and adds intimacy to entice the audience. We can see that the artist has bright red hair and lipstick, this colour is associated with love as well as danger, it can be seen as a very seductive colour and so may entice the target audience through the ideas of the male gaze theory. Apart from the lipstick the rest of the artist's make up is very simplistic which brings more attention to her lips which can connote love. The artist name is included at the top of the page and the album name at the bottom. They are written in a white font which contrasts against the red and symbolises purity and innocence. They are written in rounded capital letters which make them stand out while keeping it soft and girly. The capitalisation also reflects the album title of loud because it can be seen to visually represent shouting. The inside covers show the artist lying across a bush of roses. Red roses also connote love and link with her red hair and lips. She is dressed in a white top and skirt which make her look very innocent and pure as well as quite girly which again uses the male gaze theory and the virgin/whore dichotomy to entice the audience. The CD itself also features the image of a rose however it is a paler pink, this adds a calmer feel to the album while still symbolising love and romance.

Back Cover

The back of the album has a much calmer tone to it with high key lighting and a soft filter. There is an image of the artist who looks much more vulnerable than on the front cover, this is also enhanced by the lighter shades of red that are used to take away from the dangerous image they promote. The back of the album contains a track list as well as the production company and barcode which is a convention of digipaks. The artist's eyeliner appears to be focused on the track list which makes it stand out the audience as the most important thing on the page. The image is also quite unfocused which helps to bring the audience's attention onto the track listing and extra information.

Roles and Responsibilities

When we were filming in London we tried to ensure that we all had important roles. The other members of my group are featured in some of the music video shots so I took on the role of filming as we were walking through Camden and London while they took shots such as location shots and any shots that they were not in. Along with the shots that we had originally planned in our storyboarding we filmed some spontaneous shots such as our artist feeding a squirrel in Regent's Park which we would also like to incorporate into our video. Below are some examples of the shots that I filmed myself.


We decided it would be most convenient and appropriate to take handheld footage rather than using a tripod and we thought that this would also make the audience feel as though they are out with them. This technique can be seen in Ariana Grande's music video 'One Last Time' where we feel as though we are viewing the artist through the eyes of Matt Bennett.

 

We also thought that this technique would make the audience feel as though they are looking into our artist's personal life as it feels more friendly and welcoming.

Production Diary - Week 11

This week we have completed our second day of filming. It was a very successful day of shooting, we spent the day in Camden Town and Regent's Park. We ensured that all planned shots were filmed as well as a few spontaneous including one of our artist feeding a squirrel that we encountered in the park which we would like to include because we think it is quite effective. The weather started off quite well however it did begin to rain as we moved into Regent's Park, we found ways to use this to our advantage and managed to film a shot of our artist in front of a rainbow which we would definitely like to include in our video. We are hoping to begin editing next week as well as beginning to look into adverts and digipaks and hope to have the first draft of our music video completed in the next 2 weeks.

Props and Location - London

Props and Location - Kizoa Online Movie Maker

Hair ideas - London

We have decided to follow this tutorial because it is quite simple and yet looks attractive and bold so reflects the theme of our video and the character of our artist. The tutorial is based off Ariana Grande's signature hairstyle who is in some ways a similar artist to our own so we know that it may attract our target audience and be suited to our genre.

Make Up Ideas - London

For our London shots we are planning to use this make up tutorial. It has quite a glamorous feel but does not appear too extravagant for a day out in London with friends. It also fits well with the autumn vibe that we are hoping to give off in the London shots with the berry coloured lips. This style of make up is very popular with teens today so would be appropriate for our target audience and would make our artist appear stylish and up to date with current trends.

Costume Ideas - London

London Costume by naomi-pierce featuring a tribal print cardigan

Release Form - London

As our artist, Leanne Davidson, had signed a release form before we began filming at the beach we did not to complete another for her. We did however need to obtain permission from any other actors that may be in our video for our second day of shooting so we obtained permission slips from Emily Watson, Laila Jaleel, Sam Tomlinson and I to show that we were ok with being filmed and photographed.

Risk Assessment - London

Risk Assessment - London from naomi_pierce

London

The second location that we are planning to film at is London. We are hoping to go to Camden, the Southbank, Regent's Park and a graffiti tunnel as well as filming shots of telephone boxes and shops. We think that we may have to film in this location on more than one occasion to film all of the shots we want to.

Roles and Responsibilities

While filming at the beach yesterday we had to ensure that we all had equal roles. We decided to take two cameras to ensure that we could get multiple angles of the same shots, we therefore decided that we should assign one person to each camera for the day. I was responsible for using one of the cameras to get long and wide shots of our artist and the other camera was used for close up shots, meaning that I took on 50% of the workload for filming on this day. Below is a few of the shots that I was responsible for filming.

 

I was also very involved in sourcing the props that we used and found props including the large inflatable duck. I had seen this duck used during Miley Cyrus's performance at the summertime ball and think that it worked very effectively to show the fun side of our artist.

We used tripods to film because we wanted the shots to look steady and professional and we all shared responsibility in ensuring that these and the rest of our equipment were kept safe during our time filming.

Production Diary - Week 10

We have began filming this week. We spent yesterday filming at the beach after spending the week planning what shots we needed to have done and the mise-en-scene so that we were prepared. I think that the day went really well, we got all of the shots that we wanted to as well as many extras because it will be difficult for us to go back and refilm or film new shots in the future due to the weather. I think that these shots will be very effective in our video because they are very representative of the genre and bring a positive vibe to the video. We are planning to film in London next week so we will spend the next week ensuring that everything is planned for and organised. Below is a video of us on location at Walton Pier, overall it was a very successful shoot and I look forward to future filming and post production.

Weather - beach

Despite filming in November we want to ensure that it appears as though it is summer. We have been regularly checking the weather to ensure that we can film on a sunny day. Fortunately, it is sunny today which is when we had originally planned to film. We are lucky in that the sky is clear and even though it is slightly cold and windy we will be able to get aesthetically pleasing shots which look sunny.

Props - Beach

Make Up Ideas - Beach

We want our artist to be very current and up to date with fashion trends but also to be original and make fashion statements of her own. We decided to focus the main make up inspiration on her eyes to make a really big impact. We are going to follow this tutorial to give our artist an edgy but natural look that make her eyes pop. Unlike the video, we are not going to use false eyelashes because we don't want our artist to look too fake and overdone for a day at the beach. Highlighting and Contour is very popular at the moment to define features, we will ensure that we do this. We have decided to change lipstick colours throughout the day for a variety of shots, some will be more natural nude colours where as others will be more bold to make a statement about having fun.

Costume Ideas - Beach

Beach Costume by naomi-pierce featuring a black kimono

Hair Ideas - Beach

We think that both of these hairstyles will be suitable for our video because they are quite casual and are suitable for an artist but also appear casual enough to make our shots at the beach seem realistic. They fit our genre and our artist's image as they are quite simple but trendy.

Release Form - Beach

This is the release form to obtain permission from Leanne Davidson who will be the artist featured in our video. 

Risk Assessment - Beach Location

Activity assessed Filming	Activity Location Beach (Frinton-On-Sea)	Assessment Date  1/10/15	Who’s at Risk  Group Members	Assessed By Group
HAZARD potential for harm	LIKELIHOOD /10	SEVERITY /10	OVERALL RISK likelihood x severity	CONTROL MEASURES
Drowning	4	10	40	Be cautious of sea, stay away from sea when possible.
Damaged Equipment	6	5	30	Keep equipment away from water and sea, Watch equipment at all times.
Lost/Stolen Equipment	6	5	30	Ensure someone is always with equipment, Keep check of all of the equipment taken.
Falling Over	8	4	32	Be cautious and don’t rush, share equipment load equally, watch where you’re walking, have first aid equipment to hand.
Make Up - allergies	2	6	12	Only use make up that artist has used before or complete a patch test before hand.
Cars - getting in way of traffic	4	9	36	Follow the green cross code, watch out for traffic.
Pedestrians - getting in shots	6	1	6	Be aware of pedestrians and refill if necessary, politely ask them to walk around or wait, don’t take up whole space.
Broken Glass - treading on any glass on the beach	3	4	12	Watch where you are walking and wear shoes if possible.
Nearest Telephone mobile phones	Nearest 24hr Doctor/Hospital Clacton&District Hospital

Beach

The first location that we are planning to film at is the beach. Over the next week or so I will begin to plan all of the different aspects for filming here, including make up, costume, shot types and risk assessments. This is important so that we are prepared when we film there.

Production Diary - Week 9

This week we have focused on creating the star image of our artist including her name as well as planning our storyboard for our video. We have chosen the name Sasha which I think is really representative of our artist and works well for our audience. We have progressed in the storyboard and have put it in time with our song so that we can follow it more closely. Throughout the next week we are going to be planning to film at the beach to ensure that we are fully prepared.

Storyboard

Equipment List

Creating our star image

We wanted to work out what our artist would be like to ensure that we have created someone who could be a superstar as well as to get to know our artist better. The deeper understanding that we have of our artist will mean that we can present her image well to our audience and ensure that we can market our artist to them effectively. Her style and inspirations are important so that we can capture her image and grasp a further insight into her through the people that she idolises.

Questionnaire and Results

We have decided that as Sasha was the most popular name and the audience thought that it represented our genre that it would be the best name to use.

Our Name