A2 Advanced Media Portfolio: 2011

The brief I was given for this project was to come up and design a promotional package for a music video to be released from my chosen song.

beginning my research for this brief, I thought of the genre, age group, class and more. To help me create good ideas for my project I researched some codes ad conventions of a music video. This helped to look at the difference between genres. I looked through different music videos, to see how some videos focus on the band or singer making a performance clip and others having a strong narratives. Just like the music video for Artic Monkeys, “when the sun goes down” . a narrative being the struggles of being in the working class, creating a relationship between a prostitute and a “scummy man” while also showing many close ups to see the expressions on the characters faces, depression of being stuck in their status. Looking through these videos helped me to gain some ideas and good influences for my own work in this project.

later on in my project it was time for planning, at this point I had thought of a song and a idea for the video but planning was important to see if the idea could work or not. The song choice being “broken home” by Paparoach. I began with looking at the lyrics and writing down the time line to how long my video would be. After I would work our how long the video would be then it would be easier to plan the narrative for the video. For the narrative I thought of how there would be disappointment and anger within the story as the song describes anger towards the parents and himself. Watching the crumbling relationship for this story-line.
The idea for the video I came up with was a one shot, pan out. Starting from a close up of the singer and slowing moving away from him to reveal the anger he has for his situation of a terrible relationship with his mother. I liked this idea as I thought it would fit well with the song, making it a performance clip but with a strong narrative.

After I finished for my planning and making lists for cast, props and location for my video. I then made a time plan for when my video was to be shot. For my video I was using a digital hand held camera. Using digital would make work easier and faster to work with then using analogue as I was able to go back to the filming when I needed to.
In total I filmed 47 minutes for my video, this meaning I had plenty of footage to work with when editing the clips together.
For the editing, I was new to this but I was to use the program, premier pro. Again I was using digital programs as it’s a huge advantage to using analogue as I was able to go back and forwards in-between my video, making edits and fast cuts whereas if I was working with analogue then if there was a mistake I would have to begin from the start as I wouldn’t be able to work on certain clips and timeline. I struggled using this program, it was something new to me and I hadn’t used before but I improved my skills as I learnt to use some tools on the program. I learnt about using my clips and dragging them into the time line, cropping and also learnt simple effects like turning my video black and white, like I used for some clips in my video. Usually representing a memory, a time from before.

as I had my edited video complete, I began to work on the digi-pack and poster for my project. Again I decided to look up the codes and conventions of creating a cover for a rock CD. I looked up previous covers from my chosen band and others that fit into the rock genre. Looking at the previous covers from the band I see that they have mostly worked by not showing themselves but images that contain rather objects or just the logo as though they are promoting just the song and not themselves. In other CD covers, there was the similar work apart from the HIM album where the singer is shown from a mid shot wearing all black with a cig in his mouth showing the audience the typical rocker look.

With these images in mind I began to draw up my drafts, keeping the idea of only using objects that connect with the video then using the performer. Although for the poster I used the idea of showing both the performer and the cover for the marketing of my digi-pack. Also making IT drafts to see in a sharper way of how my design will be.
For the cover I decided to continue working with the chair that I used for my video. I thought it was a good way to connect with the video and also thought of how the chair fir in well with the meaning of “broken home”, the chair that no one will sit in. I started by taking photos of the chair in two environments, indoors and out. To show two different situations.
For the images I took only a few photos, total of 15 photos. The photos I liked more where the ones that where outside. They show this dark and messy environment where this chair would normally be placed.
For editing with images I used photoshop, I was confident with using this program as I have used it plenty times before, example being my foundation portfolio. I started with working out the size for a CD cover and began editing.
I enjoy using photoshop as I know about many tools on the program and enjoy changing the filters but for my cover I wanted to keep my image simple and be able to recognise the image of the chair. I made the image black and white, hoping to create the abandon look.

With my poster I wanted to include the singer I used for my video. As for marketing I wanted to be able to sell my performer as well as the digi-pack. So I took more photos of medium shots with the angle slightly looking up. For the mis-en-scene I kept the scruffy and messy look on the artist like he was in the video, on a simple background. On the poster would be the release date and details of downloading the new release and details of downloading the new released song. This is because of how most music today are bought from downloading of the internet.

For the end products for my project, I feel I did reach out to my target audience, from what I learned from my audience feedback. I admit making the video wasn’t my strongest point through out this project but I did get to experience and learn for myself about using video editing. Overall I think I kept to the brief very well in production a pack to sell to an rang of audience. Being able to do my work all digitally and on the blog i have learnt has a massive advantage.