Learning Comment:
By completing this research task I have learnt what elements and features are needed to make a digipak effective and successful. The things I have discovered need to be included in the digipak are:
An image of the artist to show their identity and reinforce it to the audience
An engaging and creative image for the digipak for example something unique and different so that it engages the audience by attracting their attention.
A sense of synergy throughout the whole digipak so that it creates a clear and united branding image
Include a CD and a disk tray
From doing this research I now can apply what I found out from my analysis when I design and create my own digipak, to make sure that it fits all the necessary codes and conventions such as including a disk tray and from completing this research task I have also found some inspiration from other digipaks which I found to be effective at engaging my attention.
Learning Comment:
From this research I have learnt what codes and conventions I would adhere to if I were to create a website for my music artist.
There are many elements that I would include in my own website, these features include:
>An image of the artists in the centre of the screen, so that it creates a strong brand identity, I will aim to use a interesting and different picture so that it engages the audience.
>Information about up-coming tours and up-coming albums, so that the audience will be able to easily book and order CD's, digipaks and tour tickets.
>In my opinion, the fan section is an important feature on the website as it includes the audience and makes them feel a part of the singer's life
>I would make sure that the artist's genre fits the colour theme for example if it was from the pop genre I would use a white colour theme to connote fresh, new and modern music.
Learning Comment:
From doing this task I learnt how hard it is to be able to match the music and lyrics with the lip syncing on screen and how many different shots to be able to get a varied music video.
One issue we found was that it was quite hard to make it interesting, for example the camera angles we used were all very simple which meant that even though the video we have is quite engaging for the length it is, it would be too simple and boring if it continued throughout the whole music video as it would be too repetitive.
Another problem we found was that if the words weren't exaggerated enough it looked as if the singer was mumbling and it was very obvious that it was lip syncing. This caused a very dull atmosphere as it seemed as if the singer isn't bothered.
Thirdly, if the actor wasn't familiar with the lyrics the syncing got slower and out of sync with the music, therefore the actor would need to learn the lyrics before we began filming. This also links to another issue we found about the actors, the actors who were in our lip syncing task got camera shy during filming and therefore we would have to use an actor that was quite confident so that we get a convincing singer.
From completing this task I realised how important lip syncing and the effect it has over the whole music video, if it isn't done properly it can severely reduce the quality of the music video and make audiences not want to watch the music video.
After completing this task, I wanted to redo my footage and the video in order to create a higher quality video. From doing the second video I found that by taking more time to plan and try different shots and gathering more footage we had more to choose from and therefore could choose the higher quality clips to use which raised the quality of the overall video. From trying all the different angles, shots and movements which made the video more engaging and interesting.
Another thing I learnt from filming, editing and producing both of the videos that practising the lyrics before shooting the video made it a better quality and more accurate when it comes to editing as it makes it easier to match the lyrics and music with the lip syncing,
Another thing we did differently during the second filming is that we changed different locations which added more energy and interest to the film.
Repeating this helped me as I am able apply some of the tips I've learnt through filming for this task, to my final product. Secondly, before I begin filming my own music video I will make sure that all the actors know the lyrics and the movement and action within the shot so that it will look crisp, professional and neat.
Learning Comment:
From doing this task I have found that some of the most famous music videos came from Micheal Jackson such as 'Thriller' and 'Billie Jean', these became popular because they had a narrative that the audience could engage with, another reason they were popular because they were new for their time.
Another music video that is very well known is the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen, it is highly regarded as it used high and low key lighting in a way that was new and interesting for the 1975 release year.
This task has helped me as I have begun considering what I will include in my own music video, such as
An entertaining plot. Michael Jackson is an music artist known for having a strong narrative and an interesting plot such as in the music video 'Thriller' that features the narrative of Michael Jackson being turned into a monster and chasing his date.
A unique and interesting feature, yet again Michael Jackson used these to engage audiences the 'Smooth Criminal' video used advanced and unique dance moves such as the 'anti-gravity lean' which gave the video edge and therefore more engaging for the audience.
Consider all the elements such as lighting, mise-en-scene, camera angles, I will consider these when planning and filming my own music video so that everything creates a state of synergy with all of the elements working together. When it comes to planning my own music video I am going to try and using the elements in an interesting and new way such as the way 'Bohemian Rhapsody' used lighting.
Another factor that I will consider when it comes to planning my own music video is the length of the shots. Usually pop and rock music videos tend to considered more interesting as they are more fast-paced, meaning the shots are quicker and the transitions tend to be cuts rather than dissolves, fades or longer transition as cuts are better at keeping the fast pace of the music video. I will consider the length of the shots and the pace of the music video, I will aim to create a fast paced music video with shots between 1-3 seconds however to make it more diverse and dynamic I will also try to use shots of 4 or more seconds.
