Thursday, 5 January 2017
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
Task 11: Print Artefacts: Updated Album Cover Designs
Target Audience Feedback on Initial Ideas:
Although I like this design, i feel that there are too many elements involved for this to be a suitable album cover. However, I may use this design as part of the inside of the CD cover, which I shall explore in greater detail on a different blog post.
For the island design, I have neatened the edges and enlarged the artwork to improve the quality of this design. I attempted to add an object such as a stereo to the island, but could not make it look natural so left the artwork largely as it is. Because this island design received the most positive feedback from every member of the target audience that I asked for feedback from, I will use this island design on the front panel of my final digipak design.
- "The island design looks better, It's easier to look at."
- "I prefer the one with the island on it, it's a lot more simplistic and I hate it when album artwork is over-complicated."
- "The design with the collection of pictures is nice, but it might be too complex for the front of a CD cover. Wouldn't it be better to have pictures of the artist elsewhere on the album cover?"
Updated Ideas in Consideration of Audience Feedback:
As most audience members found that the collage design was too complex, I decided to see if this was improved by adding a black and white filter to the images.
As most audience members found that the collage design was too complex, I decided to see if this was improved by adding a black and white filter to the images.
Although I like this design, i feel that there are too many elements involved for this to be a suitable album cover. However, I may use this design as part of the inside of the CD cover, which I shall explore in greater detail on a different blog post.
For the island design, I have neatened the edges and enlarged the artwork to improve the quality of this design. I attempted to add an object such as a stereo to the island, but could not make it look natural so left the artwork largely as it is. Because this island design received the most positive feedback from every member of the target audience that I asked for feedback from, I will use this island design on the front panel of my final digipak design.
Monday, 2 January 2017
Progress Update 2/1/2017
Due to the upcoming mock examinations, progress on my media coursework has been limited and slow in pace.
Over the winter break I have completed more work on print artefacts as I lack the editing software required at home.
I have also been planning some supplementary shots I believe might be needed in order to make the video footage last the entire duration of the song I have chosen. After going through the footage I currently have, a majority of it has been cut down in the initial editing process to remove mistakes/ bloopers .etc. Therefore, I have considered other possible shots that could be easily filmed and used if I encounter further problems during the process of editing.
I am also yet to film the performance aspects of the music video, as much of my creative process was postponed by the festive season and an increasingly demanding workload.
I intend to film these aspects as soon as I gain the opportunity of a clear background to film in front of.
Although my progress has been limited in terms of filming and editing, there is little I can do in relation to this aspect of my music video project until the storage issues encountered in the media studies editing suite has been resolved. Therefore, I feel that focusing on the print artefacts was the best investment of my time over my time off.
Over the winter break I have completed more work on print artefacts as I lack the editing software required at home.
I have also been planning some supplementary shots I believe might be needed in order to make the video footage last the entire duration of the song I have chosen. After going through the footage I currently have, a majority of it has been cut down in the initial editing process to remove mistakes/ bloopers .etc. Therefore, I have considered other possible shots that could be easily filmed and used if I encounter further problems during the process of editing.
I am also yet to film the performance aspects of the music video, as much of my creative process was postponed by the festive season and an increasingly demanding workload.
I intend to film these aspects as soon as I gain the opportunity of a clear background to film in front of.
Although my progress has been limited in terms of filming and editing, there is little I can do in relation to this aspect of my music video project until the storage issues encountered in the media studies editing suite has been resolved. Therefore, I feel that focusing on the print artefacts was the best investment of my time over my time off.
Monday, 19 December 2016
Task 11: Print artefacts: Initial design ideas for the album cover
Initial design ideas:
Creative Process of the First Design:
The first thing I did was to find two copyright free pictures (taken from the public domain) of black and white city skylines to create a skyline effect. The two above are the most suitable images I could find, and attempted the design with both options in order to decide between them. I have used Microsoft PowerPoint for this initial creative process, as I have a greater familiarity with the layout and options available when editing and arranging images and text. It was recommended to me to use Adobe Photoshop when creating my print artefacts, but as I have no access to this software when working from home and have little experience using the software, I have opted for a simpler option for the initial creation. If I find that the quality of the work created using PowerPoint is too poor in quality, then I will create my second attempt using software that is greater in complexity and options.
To create the island for the middle of the album artwork, I found a copyright free black and white image of a rock in the sea. To crop out the majority of the image that I did not need, I chose to use a "Soft Edge Oval" effect. In order to make the image of the rock look like it is part of the black and white image of the sea, I also added a soft edges effect of 2.5 point, which is located under the option "Picture Effects".
Next, I found some images of a palm tree and some grasses with transparent backgrounds. These were clip-art type images with no copyright restritions. This makes it easier to layer the images together in order to create the finished design. In order to make the images black and white, I selected the image, then chose the option "Format" at the top of the page's toolbar. Then I selected the option "Recolour", located at the bottom left of the options at the top of the screen. I then chose the option "Greyscale" to make the original image black, white and grey. This will then conform to the monochrome colour scheme used in the band "Have Mercy's" first album "The Earth Pushed Back".
First attempts at the album cover's design:
I prefer the way that the second skyline looks, as it has a greater level of complexity and detail than the first. I also think that the design requires a plain white outline, to create a boarder. This will allow for a space for the text, making the name of the band and album title easier to read. By introducing a white boarder, this will also make the new design conform to the album artwork for the band's first album "The Earth Pushed Back".
Updated Design of the Island Album Artwork Concept:
Evaluation:
I am happy with the font size and choice in this design. The edges of the image will need to be cleaner. The city skyline looks better than the other options that I have tried, but I still feel that there is too much dead space in the artwork, so more details may need to be added or the skyline element will need adjusting. The island in the sea looks fairly well integrated, but may need to be bigger in order to clarify that this is the center of attention and the "place of our own" discussed in the title.
Creative Process of the Second Design:
The other design I had initially sketched was inspired by the following image used to advertise the second album "BLUSH" by the band "Moose Blood".
As "Moose Blood" produces music belonging to a similar genre to "Have Mercy"and Polaroids are in the midst of a revival alongside vinyls, I thought that it may be a good idea to attempt creating a Polaroid collage related to the band "Have Mercy" and to see if this would work as a suitable album cover. The band has even mentioned on their website that they are "going to be documenting this journey through polaroids with @ugg #UGGOffStage", making my idea for an album cover design relevant to the band's current actions on tour.
To start I found this Polaroid template online:
Then, I found images of the band "Have Mercy", taken for promotional reasons or during performances. I also took some screenshots from the band's music videos and fan art. Once I had a collection of these, I edited some to fit inside the black square in the Polaroid template. After grouping the image of the band to the Polaroid templates, these can then be arranged to form a collage. Although these images are not my own and do not have clear copy right restrictions, I felt it would be necessary to include them as it adds an aspect of reality to the product and links my own product to the actual branding and image of the band, conforming to codes and conventions that album artwork often links to images used when the band is touring the album. If this was an actual product not made for a profit free, educational purpose then I would seek permission to use these images, like I did for the suse of the song in my music video.
First Attempt at the Album Cover's Design:
I have made two versions of the Polaroid collage design, one with a boarder, and one without. Both versions have pictures that are in colour, but I may change these to black and white using the method described above, that was used when making the first island design.
Now that I have prototypes of these two versions and a template for the actual structure of the CD cover, I will gain feedback and suggestions from members of the target audience before continuing this creative process.
Creative Process of the First Design:
The first thing I did was to find two copyright free pictures (taken from the public domain) of black and white city skylines to create a skyline effect. The two above are the most suitable images I could find, and attempted the design with both options in order to decide between them. I have used Microsoft PowerPoint for this initial creative process, as I have a greater familiarity with the layout and options available when editing and arranging images and text. It was recommended to me to use Adobe Photoshop when creating my print artefacts, but as I have no access to this software when working from home and have little experience using the software, I have opted for a simpler option for the initial creation. If I find that the quality of the work created using PowerPoint is too poor in quality, then I will create my second attempt using software that is greater in complexity and options.
To create the island for the middle of the album artwork, I found a copyright free black and white image of a rock in the sea. To crop out the majority of the image that I did not need, I chose to use a "Soft Edge Oval" effect. In order to make the image of the rock look like it is part of the black and white image of the sea, I also added a soft edges effect of 2.5 point, which is located under the option "Picture Effects".
Next, I found some images of a palm tree and some grasses with transparent backgrounds. These were clip-art type images with no copyright restritions. This makes it easier to layer the images together in order to create the finished design. In order to make the images black and white, I selected the image, then chose the option "Format" at the top of the page's toolbar. Then I selected the option "Recolour", located at the bottom left of the options at the top of the screen. I then chose the option "Greyscale" to make the original image black, white and grey. This will then conform to the monochrome colour scheme used in the band "Have Mercy's" first album "The Earth Pushed Back".
First attempts at the album cover's design:
I prefer the way that the second skyline looks, as it has a greater level of complexity and detail than the first. I also think that the design requires a plain white outline, to create a boarder. This will allow for a space for the text, making the name of the band and album title easier to read. By introducing a white boarder, this will also make the new design conform to the album artwork for the band's first album "The Earth Pushed Back".
Updated Design of the Island Album Artwork Concept:
Evaluation:
I am happy with the font size and choice in this design. The edges of the image will need to be cleaner. The city skyline looks better than the other options that I have tried, but I still feel that there is too much dead space in the artwork, so more details may need to be added or the skyline element will need adjusting. The island in the sea looks fairly well integrated, but may need to be bigger in order to clarify that this is the center of attention and the "place of our own" discussed in the title.
Creative Process of the Second Design:
The other design I had initially sketched was inspired by the following image used to advertise the second album "BLUSH" by the band "Moose Blood".
As "Moose Blood" produces music belonging to a similar genre to "Have Mercy"and Polaroids are in the midst of a revival alongside vinyls, I thought that it may be a good idea to attempt creating a Polaroid collage related to the band "Have Mercy" and to see if this would work as a suitable album cover. The band has even mentioned on their website that they are "going to be documenting this journey through polaroids with @ugg #UGGOffStage", making my idea for an album cover design relevant to the band's current actions on tour.
To start I found this Polaroid template online:
Then, I found images of the band "Have Mercy", taken for promotional reasons or during performances. I also took some screenshots from the band's music videos and fan art. Once I had a collection of these, I edited some to fit inside the black square in the Polaroid template. After grouping the image of the band to the Polaroid templates, these can then be arranged to form a collage. Although these images are not my own and do not have clear copy right restrictions, I felt it would be necessary to include them as it adds an aspect of reality to the product and links my own product to the actual branding and image of the band, conforming to codes and conventions that album artwork often links to images used when the band is touring the album. If this was an actual product not made for a profit free, educational purpose then I would seek permission to use these images, like I did for the suse of the song in my music video.
First Attempt at the Album Cover's Design:
I have made two versions of the Polaroid collage design, one with a boarder, and one without. Both versions have pictures that are in colour, but I may change these to black and white using the method described above, that was used when making the first island design.
Now that I have prototypes of these two versions and a template for the actual structure of the CD cover, I will gain feedback and suggestions from members of the target audience before continuing this creative process.
Thursday, 15 December 2016
Music Video Progress Update
I have begun the editing process, but as I have encountered problems related to storage space on my student area, I think that most of the process will need to be completed at home.
At this point in time, most of the editing has consisted of refining the eisting footage I currently have. This involves cutting out any bloopers and mistakes and removing any audio, as the only sound needed is the song for the music video.
I am still analysing a designing print artefacts. I have constructed a template for a CD case and I have designed two possible album covers. Evidence of this will be uploaded to my blog as soon as my analysis of existing products is finished and I have created a neater version of my potential designs.
At this point in time, most of the editing has consisted of refining the eisting footage I currently have. This involves cutting out any bloopers and mistakes and removing any audio, as the only sound needed is the song for the music video.
I am still analysing a designing print artefacts. I have constructed a template for a CD case and I have designed two possible album covers. Evidence of this will be uploaded to my blog as soon as my analysis of existing products is finished and I have created a neater version of my potential designs.
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Music Video Progress Update 8/12/16
On Saturday the 3rd of December, I began filming the main narrative scenes of the music video with my two actors Lauren Cannon and Reece Humphreys.
Because the sun set when I was filming outside for my AS media project last year, in order to ensure the lighting levels would be of a suitable quality in my A2 music video, I filmed the scenes outside first. This meant that there was suitable levels of lighting within the scenes set outside as well as those set inside. By filming the scenes of the male character exiting the house and the female character giving a tarot reading after the scenes set on a park bench outside, I ensured that the quality of light available in each setting would remain consistent and would not directly affect the quality of the video footage.
I am planning to begin the editing process over the next week and will begin to upload posts on print artefact analysis and production. As my documentation of the editing process and the evaluation of my AS media project last year were poor, I will be placing a greater emphasis on these elements in the blog for my A2 music video. I intend to embed screenshots of the editing process in order to easily describe the techniques involved and how my skills of editing and using the editing software have developed. In order to ensure that my analysis of my A2 project is of a better quality of the one i produced last year for my AS film opening sequence, I have begun writing the responses to the four evaluation questions. I will continue to add to these and improve them as my creative process continues, with the hope that this will allow me to include the greatest level of evaluative detail available.
Because the sun set when I was filming outside for my AS media project last year, in order to ensure the lighting levels would be of a suitable quality in my A2 music video, I filmed the scenes outside first. This meant that there was suitable levels of lighting within the scenes set outside as well as those set inside. By filming the scenes of the male character exiting the house and the female character giving a tarot reading after the scenes set on a park bench outside, I ensured that the quality of light available in each setting would remain consistent and would not directly affect the quality of the video footage.
I am planning to begin the editing process over the next week and will begin to upload posts on print artefact analysis and production. As my documentation of the editing process and the evaluation of my AS media project last year were poor, I will be placing a greater emphasis on these elements in the blog for my A2 music video. I intend to embed screenshots of the editing process in order to easily describe the techniques involved and how my skills of editing and using the editing software have developed. In order to ensure that my analysis of my A2 project is of a better quality of the one i produced last year for my AS film opening sequence, I have begun writing the responses to the four evaluation questions. I will continue to add to these and improve them as my creative process continues, with the hope that this will allow me to include the greatest level of evaluative detail available.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)