Digipak / Magazine Advert Draft

Filming 16/10/13

My second time filming at the studio went much smoother than first. I booked the Orange Room from 5 until 7, as I knew an hour was not enough time to organise myself. The extra hour meant that I could set up the equipment and the camera without rushing, as well as having time to re-shoot footage which I wasn't sure about and being able to experiment once I was used to my surroundings. I made sure that my actors were comfortable in their positions and brought along a docking station so I could play "Where Is My Mind" out-loud and the actors would be able to play in time to the song. I knew that one of my actors had to leave at 6:30, and so shot all of the footage which required him to be present before this time.
The whole process was a lot more relaxed and I got a lot more done because of it. I finished early and so was able to experiment with different shots of the drummer, and filmed from different angles and at different parts of the song.
One thing which could hinder the quality of my filming, however, was the lighting in the room. The only light was hung, as you can see in the images, not in the middle but to the side of the ceiling. It only occurred to me whilst I came to a close that I could use the flash on my camera, and so most of my footage I shot may well be a little dark and need to be enhanced during the editing process. Overall, though, the experience was much better than last time and I was able to capture everything I had set out to.

 

Filming 13/10/13

The filming which took place in Leire was much more beneficial than my previous experience, and I think I managed to capture everything I needed for my draft video.
I filmed on a Sunday, which meant that we could shoot for the entire afternoon until it got dark, and as the location was outside and in a public place, it was free of charge. I could re-shoot entire scenes without the constant pressure of a time limit, which was a great relief.
My actors brought their guitars/bass etc. to the location and were dressed accordingly. The fact that we were outside and were continuously moving around meant that we couldn't bring a drumkit with us, but I brought along a set of drumsticks for the drummer (replaced by another actor who was more accustomed to playing the instrument) to carry around with him. Stemborough Lane was a great place to shoot because the path turned off and led to a field which was overlooked by a lake, and we were almost completely uninterrupted by passers-by. This meant that there was plenty of room to film and also a variation of scenery.
I used a Samsung camcorder when shooting, as this created the shoddy, homemade style I wanted to capture. However, the downside to this is that a camcorder works using a tape, and therefore cannot be imported to a computer as easily as footage from a video camera can be.  If I cannot find a way to transfer the footage to a disc, I will have to re-record the shots on my video camera, using the camcorder's LCD screen, as I don't think re-recording the shots themselves using a video camera would look as good. There was a black and white setting on the camcorder which I used, as I had originally planned to incorporate a monochrome palette within my video, and also because this made the footage look more grungy and would be easier to work with when editing and adding effects.
I was able to shoot everything I wanted to, but I may decide to change and re-shoot some shots.
Here is a sample of my favourite shot. I played the footage on the LCD screen, rewinded and re-recorded it using my iPhone.

I wanted to test out some effects using my iPhone, and so also shot some footage using the app "Video Star". My favourite shot is the double effect which is applied to the final actor.

The Best Opening Credits Ever

From the film "Scott Pilgrim VS. The World". I like the variation of performance shots, and the editing and effects which have been used.

Filming 10/10/13

Admittedly, filming at the studio on Wednesday did not go too well.
As previously stated, I had booked the Orange Room from 5 until 6, and so arrived beforehand to set up. However, upon arrival, I had to find missing cymbals, sort out which shots I needed to focus on and become accustomed to using the video camera I had borrowed from college at the last minute, as I couldn't use the camera I had originally planned to. I was unorganised and it showed in the quality of my footage.
One of my actors was late getting to the studio, and was then scheduled to play the drums, but wasn't very strong in that area musically, which messed up a lot of the shots and wasted time. By the time any proper filming could take place, the hour was almost up. I didn't want to waste the opportunity and so asked if it was possible to stay an extra hour, but someone had already booked out the Orange Room from 6 o'clock. However, I was able to use the Blue Room, and so decided to move into there. This wasted more time, however, as we had to move all of the equipment into another room and set up once again, and obviously the room was a different colour, therefore creating inconsistency within the shots.
Another of my actors had to leave half an hour later, limiting what I could do within the short amount of extra time I was given, and the shots which were good in terms of camerawork were once again ruined due to the drummer not looking comfortable.
Overall, there is very little footage, if none, which can be saved and used from this experience, and therefore I have re-booked the studio for the 16th, as I was pleased with the location.

Advert Analysis

This advert is the most minimalistic of the three I have analysed, but is effective because of the contrast between the monochrome palette and the splashes of colour. The advert is not overcrowded with text, drawing the eye to the few vital pieces of information included, and focusing on the album cover at the top of the page. The black and white artwork is made to stand out against the dash of pink in the background. The album cover itself is simple in its design; the artist name and the album name are placed over a grey-scale photograph of waves breaking on a rock. The pink text used on the album cover is repeated on the advert, in keeping with the colour scheme, advertising the release date of the album and the release show date only. I like the layout of this advert, and intend to base my own advert, similarly, on the album artwork.

Advert Analysis

This advert was also found in Mojo magazine. Once again, this advert is quite colourful, and contrasts a rich orange with a deep green. The artwork is reflective of the album cover, bearing no relation to the music but attracting the audience to the advert and the album. 

I don't particularly like the way the text has been placed over the background, as it obscures the audience's view of the artwork and makes the advert look too busy, although the light yellow does stand out from the darker colours underneath. The name of the band is written in dark purple and stands out against the orange background, but the album title is larger on the page and is a lighter colour, therefore insinuating that this is the most important piece of information and drawing the eye firstly to this. 

The block of text includes more information than that of the previous advert, stating the release date of the album, availability and featured singles. As before, web addresses are present on the advert for extra information about the band. The lack of variation in the text font and size, as well as the layout, however, subtracts from the information which is being retained by the audience, as it looks like it is quite a lot to read at first glance. 

At the very bottom of the page there are ratings from critically acclaimed magazines, thus boosting the album's reputation and persuading the audience to purchase the product.