Advert flat plans

This first plan I did and I feel it links to the video well with the wooded setting which would enable the audience to reference these together. Placing the band names text at the top of the advert stands out in my opinion and an important aspect of the advert would be for the audience to immediately notice who the advert is for. The font sizing is also crucial as too much standard text on an advert can appear less appealing as adverts are there to be viewed on the go. It also separates the more important text like the band name and the product name (album) which are the main points that the audience would need to see. After analysing several adverts I've ensured that all the vital information needed featured on the advert is included. Review quotes and ratings from reputable names is also an optional feature that shows the audience an opinion on the album and may influence them to make the decision to purchase it. Overall I think the advert conveys Mumford's style well and the tree with connotations of the wilderness will appeal to the indie folk fans who appreciate the traditions of the band over the more 'urban' mainstream bands.



This plan differs in the way that it is horizontal and uses different dimensions to my first plan. Again, the plan includes the typical conventions of an advert which is vital. It also includes an image of a band member/character playing the guitar. This will appeal to music fans who appreciate live playing and instrument based artists, which is especially true for Mumford who are renowned for their live performances. Using this image conveys that to people who may not know Mumford and could attract new fans for the band. It's effect is also emphasised as it is the only image on the page and this means it will be a main focus point when viewed. Also included on the adverts are logos for sites/shops that sell the product which inform the audience of retailers where they can purchase the product.



My third plan uses one main image which fills the entire advert. It shows the three band members used in the video in a park-like setting. Their poses convey their folk-indie style and cool demeanor which would appeal to the target audience. The band's name acts as a masthead at the top of the page and clearly displays who the advert is for. The name of the album, 'The Awakening' is centralised which maximises the viewing capacity for the advert's purpose of selling this product. At the base of the page I've added information, such as showing that it is a digipack edition of the album which adds a unique selling point and may give an extra incentive for people to purchase the album. After thinking about this feature, I feel that adding more information to the advert about the features of the digipack would be necessary as the audience may not fully understand the benefits of buying this version. This is something I may look to include in my final advert and shows how planning can aid you in weighing up important decisions to produce the best design possible.

Completed Digipack

I wanted to link the theme of the album to its title and I feel that 'The Awakening' has connotations of mystery and of the 'unknown'. The image I used for the front cover shows this, in my opinion, with the character out of focus and surrounded by darkness. I used a dark colour scheme for the album as I felt it would add to the mystic feel and compliment the album name and theme of the songs. It may be viewed that this is going against the usual style of this genre but I feel that doing something different from the norm can be effective and would appeal to the indie fans . I also think the style of the album still represents Mumford and their music well which is important. For the inside of digipack I used one image across the two panels as I felt that this would be viewed open like a book and that it was more effective than using two different pictures. I edited the photo used so that the colour showed some continuity and the colour scheme fitted in with the outside covers as this is something I noticed from analysing other digipacks. The font I used for the band type on the front cover is traditional and this represents the folk genre well as the instruments are acoustic and their clothing takes a vintage theme.

In this task I acquired an advanced understanding of Adobe Photoshop CS5, the program I used to design my digipack which was complex and initially very challenging to use. I also improved my editing skills using iPhoto which helped me manipulate photos to give the effect I desired and achieve the design I wanted.

Feedback:

Digipack flat plans

Before beginning to produce my digipacks through photoshop I drew rough plans to try and get a better idea of how they would look and so that I had something to work with when it came to making the digipack. However, My drawing incompetence stopped me from fully developing my ideas onto paper which was a drawback of the task.

This is the first plan I did. I chose to only use one character on the front as I felt this may enable the audience to connect the album title 'The Awakening' to this figure which would emphasise the meaning. Having a simple background would also keep the focus on this character and wouldn't let the audience get distracted by an object or scene behind him. The back cover has a slight design that clearly outlines the track listing and bonus features. Mumford and Sons are a very traditional band, as the folk genre shows and I feel that this simplicity suits their style and what the target audience would expect. The inside cover shows and image of a bridge over water which fits in with folk connotations of the environment and freedom. Adding some information based around the album would also add a unique aspect to the digipack and attract fans who may have interest in this. Again, I went for a simple design on the CD section as it would normally be partially covered by the CD itself and not a place of much focus. I would choose to feature the 'M & S' in a traditional font to suit their style as they play very traditional instruments with no electronic sound used so this would reinforce this culture to the audience.

The front cover to this plan shows a vast contrast from the first with an image of the band playing. Mumford and Sons are a renowned live band and this would appeal to the target audience who appreciate this aspect of the band. The countryside style background links well to our video and also to the folk genre and the background alone would tell people about the band with their style. The back cover is again very simple and the border adds a vintage style to the digipack. I did this because I don't think exuberant designs or colours would represent the band as they should be and is not an aspect that Mumford fans would find appealing. The inside cover would be sectioned into quarters and feature a variation of shots linked to the band and this would enable the audience to connect to the members more and add something that an album wouldn't offer. The CD side of the digipack would have an image of the sky. I feel that this would link to the album name as the open sky has connotations of freedom and this could refer to the experience the audience may feel with the album titled 'The Awakening'.

Copying existing video

Our version: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0DnGj06WOfoNGUyYjRmYTUtZGFmZC00NGJiLWIzM2MtNGYxODBhOTJjNDE3&hl=en&pli=1
Official Wheatus video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jJVRcCdvyY
Before starting our own project, we decided to copy an existing video. This is so we could get used to the recording and editing equipment, and also become familiar with directing and constructing shots. The video we chose to replicate was 'Teenage Dirtbag' by Wheatus because of its college setting, which suited us as we were able to copy eveything that happened in the video.

One of the most important things we learnt from this was the basic use of the camera.
This involved the initial set up, with the shutter speed needing to be at 24 frames per second and the mode in PAL.

Before starting to shoot the video, we had to learn how to adapt the cameras lighting to suit the conditions, whether you're inside or outside. There are many different settings for the white balance such as 'daytime filming', for outside, and 'artifical light' for filming inside where there may not be natural light available. We also learnt how to change the depth of field on the shot which enabled us to bring people in and out of focus and give more layers to the scene. This was a skill that we needed in certain parts of the 'Teenage Dirtbag' video.

We then went through the different ways of using the camera in terms of its placement and movement. A tripod is always needed when the camera is still as it prevents unsteady shooting and allows small intricut movements horizontally or vertically. We learnt how to attach the camera to the tripod 'plate' properly so there was no risk of the camera becoming loose and getting damaged.

Communication on set was shown to be important as the cameraman and director needed to make sure actors were placed correctly, and then make them aware when the shot was about to start and when it was finished. Organisation was also important, for example, shooting scripts and clapperboards. This made it easier when it came to editing the video as seperate the clips easily and decide which was the best.

The editing process was very complex, we used Final Cut for this. This involved setting the linear structure and then uploading our footage onto the software. We went through the different types of edit:

Assembly edit: pick out good shots, put them in correct order
Rough edit: add soundtrack, make sure shots flow into each other
Final edit: add effects, transitions etc, complete video

For my group's section I was mainly an 'extra' in the shots we filmed as many were needed to create the school atmosphere that the 'teenage dirtbag' video has. However, in some shots I did direct actors and placed them where they were needed to re-create each shots as best as we could.