Updated Alicia Keys - ' You don't know my name' music video

After all the feedback I received from my initial video I realised that I need to edit to make the meanings within in it clearer. So I did just that, using final cut to desaturate some of the frames in order to show a differentiation between what was happening in reality to whys what was happening in Marina's head. I also changed the ending so that it's clear she is thinking about what could've been which wasn't made clear in the original video. Another criticism I received was that I could add a bit more lip syncing so I also added more of this. I hope the updated video meets the requirements of a good music video.  Below is the link to the updated video:

http://youtu.be/82Dg9L-qq2A

Music Video Evaluation Q3

After finishing my Video I got my peers to give me feedback on what they thought went well and what I could improve.

The majority of people who watched my video said the shots were good as you could see Marina clearly while she was singing and see her facial expressions which revealed her feelings during a particular part of the song. The most popular shots were of her in the park, the shots in the beginning. People seem to really enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere the garden created describing it as 'beautiful'.
 People also spoke of the progression of the whole video saying, each scene within the video flowed nicely into the next one. The use of transitions allowed me to do this as it didn't create an abrupt effect but allowed a previous scene to transition nicely into the next one. This was also effective because the song is soft therefore using a transition which softly continues into the next scene matches the pace of the song.
The organisation of scenes was also praised, 'everything looked well put together'. I edited each scene so that it made sense and created a sequence. I think this created a clear image in the audience's mind and allowed them to follow the story.



The criticisms I received were very constructive also. The overall criticism was that it wasn't clear in the video that the phone call conversation between Marina and her male interest was a dream. Although I had sequenced all the scenes nicely that specific aspect wasn't made clear enough. For this reason I decided to edit my video again so that it was clear she was dreaming during the phone call conversation. To create clarity I desaturated the phone call frames into a different color from the rest of the video to show the difference between what was happening in reality compared to what was happening in her mind. I also decided to add more lip syncing then I had previously as this was another criticism I received. With the new video I hope to bring about more clarity then previously with the initial music video.

Showing rough cuts to my class mates while still in the process of creating the music video also helped to improve. One of the criticisms I received during the rough showing was use of transitions to flow into the next scene. This helped me as I understood which transitions to use to create a specific effect but also one that would conform to the mood of the song. I found that cross dissolves worked very well because they are slow paced and not abrupt as some of the other transitions which would've disagreed with the mood of the song.

After completing the music video we moved onto creating the advertisement for it which included a CD advert and a digipak. Using Photoshop as editing software I used images and props which linked to the video such as Marina in the floral background which links with the frame where she blows the flower petals to the camera. However I had to eliminate some of the images I had on the it as they were too distorted. So for this reason I cut around the shape of the rose flower plant image and used it that way instead of just putting it into a box which would make it unnatural.

Overall the criticisms I received helped me to make adjustments to my project which will essentially make it better.

Music Video Evaluation Q1

The 3 x 3 grid above shows frames from different scenes of the music video which represent different aspects e.g settings/locations or costume.

Frame 1 - This frame is representative of different aspects which we were expected to show throughout the music video. I chose this frame as it shows the two main characters of the music video, the male and female which is a common convention of the RnB genre. It is common in RnB videos for their to be a couple whose story line is revealed in the music video. I also feel the proximity between the two also reveals a prat of the story as they aren't very close to each other which is the theme reflected in the song. This shot also conforms to the conventions of the genre as in this scene you only hear the track, there is no lip-syncing and this allows the story between the people involved in this case (marina and her male interest) to unravel. This is common in RnB videos as artist usually pause the music to allow the action to happen. 

Frame 2 - This frame is very simplistic and naturalistic. Creates a harmonious feel. Here Marina is singing and thinking about what could be with her male interest. She's in white costume which shows her vulnerability and innocence, these feelings coincide with what is happening in the video and could suggest the feelings she's feeling for her interest are innocent, confused feelings. This is also a common convention of RnB videos especially with female artists. They tend to fiddle, stare into black space or smile when they are feeling someone. This type of representation of females is positive as a female who watches the video will be able to relate as they may have felt the same way at a time. The frame was also shot at a high angle to highlight Marina as the main character and show her importance as well as her actions.

Frame 3 - This frame shows Marina on the phone in her room looking c. This represents Marina as a normal girl who sometimes enjoys spending her leisure time speaking on the phone. This presents Marina as positive but the same as every other female. Other females will watch her in the scene and feel a sense of relief because she's doing what they do. We edited this part of the music video with other shots of her on the phone from different angles to show a sequential scene. In this scene however what is occurring isn't reality but a dream so to introduce it I used a scene where she blows flowers into the camera which I thought was quite enchanting and would introduce the scene as a dream nicely. This frame is set in a bedroom which connotes a safe haven, relaxation, a place to get lost in your thoughts so this suggests Marina wants to be alone in her thoughts which is a common trait for females. So the representation of this is realistic. 

As the image above shows, the artist ' Ciara' is on the phone to her love interest. This shows that this is a convention of the RnB music video genre something that is common to see in RnB videos.

Frame 4 - This frame shows Marina dressed in black costume against a white background, it is a simplistic yet effective shot. Black and White although not colorful colors do conflict. Her being dressed in black costume suggests she's being secretive keeping something hidden which creates mystery. Whereas the white background suggests purity and innocence. Therefore this suggests Marina is feeling different emotions which she's confused by herself. This shows a realistic representation of female feeling and it is also revealed within the scene as Marina sings, lyrics such as ' I swear he don't even know what he's doing to me', ' got me feeling all crazy inside'. All these lyrics confirm how fantasized she is by this guy.  This is a common convention used in music video, especially with female artists. We shot her using a mid close up shot so that we could see her facial expression and denote what she's feeling.

As the image above shows Rihanna is dressed in black and singing against a black background. From this the audience is able to denote the message she's suggesting through the lyrics. Which is the same effect I wanted to create with Marina. 

Frame 5 - In this frame you see Marina in the supermarket and this is a positive representation of her as she is shown as a typical lady who enjoys going to shop for some groceries. It is positive because females will watch the video and be able to relate either to her predicament or to the fact that she is grocery shopping. Later on in the same scene Marina picks up a box of chocolates which is a common type of comfort food associated with females and is also a typical convention within music video to represent this stereotype.

Frame 6 - This shot reveals one of the locations of the music video.I think this shot conforms to the conventions of the RnB genre as she is outdoors and this type of location is usually used when someone is looking for someone or is going on a journey. This is what is happening with Marina throughout the music video. The location is very gorgeous and creates a complementary effect with Marina and this is also a common convention, unusual environments being used as locations which aren't common to see everyday. 

Frame 7 - This frame was shot as a close up shot and I thought it had a fantasizing effect. The flowers blowing into the camera as if they were getting blown in your face create almost an out of this world experience. We shot this scene using an extreme close up which revealed Marina's facial expression and feelings . Artists such as Rihanna have also used this type of enchanting creating effect within their videos to take their audience out of reality. 

In the image above is a frame taken from Rihanna's only girl music video. She is also shot close up and surround by flowers in the background, she creates an almost out of this world scenery, something you wouldn't come across in reality. This is similar to the frame of Marina against the flowers, it takes the audience to another place that isn't common to them. 

Frame 8 - In this frame I used slow motion whilst Marina passed her male interest in the supermarket. I also used the slow motion when he passed her to make the scene sequential but also to highlight the growing tension between them. The slow motion was very effective as it created a romantic as well as suspenseful aura which makes the audience more apprehensive to continue to watch and see what happens next. I also used a cross dissolve transition to introduce this scene which made it enter more swiftly rather then just appearing abruptly. The editing I did on this frame added to the story line of the music video as you could see the feelings they felt for one another through their actions. This is a common aspect in RnB music videos, the couple within the music videos often reveal their feelings towards each other through different actions within a scene. 

Frame 9 -  The final frame shows Marina singing on a white background once again, however in this shot she's wearing green costume. This creates fresher feel rather than those in the previous frames. The fresh feeling captured in the frame coincides with the position of the frame in the actual video, where she begins to reminisce on her male interest and her dream about him. The frame was shot as a mid shot so her costume and facial expressions could be seen. This is a common shot used in music videos of the RnB genre. 

Music Video Evaluation Q4

We used many media technologies whilst creating the music video and also for research and planning. All the different media technologies used contributed to the success of the music video. 

Blogger has been the source for the publishing of my research and planning. Through blogger I have been able to display every aspect of the research and planning from the initial ideas to the creation and progression of the video. It was also useful in showing the progression we were making during the process of creation. 

YouTube was used to upload and publish the music video. As well as this during the research and planning process YouTube helped as I was able to view videos from the same genre and other genres to familiarize myself with the common conventions which make an RnB music video. 

Photoshop  was used to create the ancillary tasks. It was a basis for photo editing for the CD advert and digipak for the music video. 

Survey Monkey was used to create a survey which asks specific multiple choice questions to the target audience, to gain feedback which would allow me to create my music video catered to their preferences. 

Google was a major tool when researching into the RnB genre. The information it provided me with helped me to understand what RnB videos should have. Also when I was unsure of something on Photoshop especially I was able to research which tool I needed to use for a specific task. 

Music Video Evaluation Q2

FINAL ADVERT

As well as creating the digipak and finalising it, I also created my CD advert which I also used Photoshop for. Similarly to the digipak I used my plan as a basis for my advert. To begin with I had to set Photoshop up so that it was only an A4 sheet of paper as the template and not the square grid as I used previously for the digipak. This was much easier because it meant I was only working on one piece not three as before. 

As the image shows I wanted to keep the red color theme of the digipak as this was a common convention. The digipak and advert usually feature the same things, so I decided to use the same image which is featured in my digipak to represent this convention and also the writing in red font to keep the feeling of love and passion running through.  

As well as those included the song 'you don't know my name' as the main selling song as this is the song the consumers are familiar with and will encourage them to purchase the whole album. Instead of putting an official date I decided to make the audience anticipate the album more so I put a future date which will excite the consumers into buying the album. I also put the album name 'The Diary of Alicia Keys' as well as the record company logo which will entice fans who enjoy their products. The image of Marina is also a common convention for artists when creating adverts  as the fans will connect more and feel excited about hearing 'her' music. 

FINAL DIGIPAK

 

The images above show my final digipak design. This is the finished product of my digipak which I created using Photoshop. Using the initial plan I made on paper I began to create the digipak on Photoshop. To begin with I started with a three square grid type template which were the same dimensions as the squares in my design, this allowed me to organise content of each square the same way I planned it during the planning stage.

The digipak creating process has taken a while with having to figure where and how to use the tools, things getting mixed up in different layers and how to manipulate an image so that it creates meaning which is valuable for the whole product. However as you can see from the images above I made sure that each frame complemented one another and the whole digipak made sense. As you can see my digipak consists of a floral theme and the frequent color is red which symbolizes love and passion which is the recurring theme running in the album.

CD Advert

After looking at different examples I created my own CD advert to coincide with my digipak. By looking at all the examples beforehand I was able to include the conventional things necessary for a successful CD advert. These included the album name,the name of the artist, an appropriate image of the artist which makes sense with the digipak, record company name, date of release etc.

Below is my CD advert:

I wanted to follow the conventions of a typical CD advert so i kept everything simple and minimal. The only colour on the poster is the font which spells out her name, i kept the rest of the font black just to keep it bold but not to bright. I included her album title, and added a slogan which I believe would draw the consumer audience in more and make them feel like they must purchase it. I added a date so that the audience will know when to purchase it. The image I used of 'Alicia' shows her laying peacefully with her eyes shut and her hair out, she's also in white attire which adds to the minimal feel of the advert but also shows her as pure and vulnerable. I drew the image at a 90 degree angle as i felt it was more effective, it grabs you and draws you in.

The image I used as the main body for my CD advert is similar to the one that is on my digipak, where she has flowers in her hair. I decided to strip the image down to just her and her white clothing, no flowers, and this specific facial expression as i feel it reveals more, it shows she's deep in her feelings and because the digipak reflects love and passion through all the red symbolism, I feel because that this image will draw the audience into purchasing the album as you want to understand the emotions she's feeling, you want to go on the journey with her. That is why I kept the font colour of her name red to coincide with the red which is being shown throughout the digipak, so that the elements of passion and love are still being presented.

I also feel the Digipak already gives the consumer a vivid idea of what 'Alicia' feels throughout this album and the title of the songs also give an aura of the emotions being reflected in the album so for this reason i felt the advert had to be minimal and simple yet still emphasize the mixture of emotions being felt by her. You get lured in by the advert as you want to feel what she's feeling and understand and relate your own similar feeling by listening to the songs.

Plan for CD advert

As well as the Digipak we also had to create a CD advert to go alongside it. This CD advert had to promote the artists' album as well as give the consumer audience information on the release date of the album.
Researching into CD adverts i noticed that there were many conventions, things that correlated between all the CD adverts I looked at. All the adverts contained the release date of the album or something that suggested that the album was on its way or already out such as 'out now' or 'coming soon', some had critical acclaim quotes from different sources, some also had the names of other artists that would feature in the album. Another feature of the CD advert was the images used were either of the artists or something which related to the digipak had been incorporated in it. The colours used in the adverts were also very minimal, colours such as white and black,however some of the adverts would use a very bright colour as the main body of the advert then use black for the font or image but it still remained very minimal.

below are various examples of CD adverts:

Another similarity that is present with all these examples are the record company logo printed at the bottom of each advert which makes it known who produced the album. Some also have the company or artists website. 

Planning for digipak

Part of our research and planning involves us creating a Digipak. A Digipak is a style of packaging often used for CD singles or special edition CD albums.From the research I have done online I have found different examples of Digipaks from various artists.  Below are some examples:

Purpose of a Digipak 

The purpose of a Digipak is to promote an artist's music. It also fulfills other purposes such as listing the content of the album, making the CD eye-catching, the use of imagery and art to encode a message to the consumers about the artist and music which is featured in the album. It also tells us something about the musician/artist for example Rihanna's Digipak has a red coloured theme and the inside of it shows her laying in roses this suggests that she's feeling emotional, feelings of love and possibly hurt. The image of her on the cover shows her looking down which suggests she's emotional and helpless with her feelings. Digipaks are an effective tool for these  purposes and draw the artists' audience in. 

From the research I did online and the examples we looked at in the classroom I have come to the conclusion that Digipaks reveal the tone and mood of the album as a whole. Images of the artist or nature or even special effects are chosen intentionally to create a feeling and set the mood of the album. 

Final Music Video

The process of filming was very extensive as we found that many of the clips we had already filmed and uploaded onto final cut were not to our satisfaction so we decided that the best way to re-do the clips and make sure we all got the specific clips we needed was to write down a list of all the particular things that were missing in a scene which would enable us to gain all the footage necessary. For example, the scene where Marina is on the phone saying 'Thursdays perfect', the initial clip for this part was blurry and unclear so we rerecorded it so that it was much clearer.

Another obstacle I had to overcome whilst editing my video was the gaps in between scenes. This was either due to the fact that we hadn't recorded enough scenes so I was unable to fill the gap with something new, the scenes would just not make sense being edited together. To fix this problem I used some of the scenes from the current footage we had and edited it into the video and made it make sense within the music video.

Overall the process of filming was really good and I realized how much work artists put into their craft to produce quality music videos for us the consumers.

Please kick the link below to watch my music video: 

http://youtu.be/Wz6CY03Lrtw

Music Video Progress - Filming Process

For the past few weeks my group and I have been in the process of filming our Music Video. Since beginning filming there have been many changes to the filming itself, the people involved in the music video and the group.

To begin with the group consisted of three people including myself, however due to unfortunate circumstances we lost a member and this did pose a problem as all the planning we had done for the filming process of the video had to be rearranged to fit the two of us that were left in the group. Me and my partner Chantelle filmed a scene for the music video with our male actor and the filming we did went thoroughly well. We filmed scenes in Brockwell Park to emphasize our male character's photography occupation. In the park scene he is seen taking pictures of the scenery which we purposefully decided to do to showcase his photography occupation.

After having filmed these scenes Chantelle and I joined forces with our fellow classmate Kristal as her partner left so we explained our music video idea to Kristal including telling her about who was involved and this where we all decided that it would be best to assign the role of Alicia to our peer Marina as she was already involved in the making of kristal's video so this would be easier then having to ask around. We also listened to any ideas Kristal had to contribute to the making of the video as incorporating all our ideas together will allow for a successful music video to be made.  

We began filming with Kristal and filmed scenes with Marina in the park to show how she's looking at her male interest, we also filmed scenes in Marina's bedroom, and also at Chantelle's house so that we have a contrast of backgrounds and scenery. To also add to the different emotions being felt at different parts of the song, e.g the lyric 'you don't know name' at this stage of the song the emotions being felt are sad, disheartening but also hope that he will find out. So at this stage we could incorporate one of the backgrounds such as the white or the black.