Music Promo - Evaluation of Shoot Day

On the day before our shoot day we went into the studio and began setting up some of the sets for the next day. We moved around lights, props and pieces of set, so that the studio was clear for our set builds. We set up the wheel, which was the first element we were going to shoot. Additonally, because of its size and weight we needed to film it first, then destroy it and build the next set. 

We tested out the lighting behind the wheel. We wanted to use the 'Pixelline 1044', because it can change to different colours and it can create complicated patterns and effects. The ‘Pixelline 1044’  compromises of long bars made of small LED lights, when put together they can form a pixel effect and can change colour and design. This makes it possible to have a light show made of LED lights. We selected the lighting effects we wanted, such as the turquoise blue, pink and blue/pink colour blend. 

 'Pixelline 1044'

However, we did run into some problems, the two main dancers who had spent several weeks perfecting the choreography, were sent home because they were ill; the night before the shoot. Due to the unforeseen cicumstances, we desperately looked for 2 dancers who could learn the choreography. We notified Charlotte Mcghee and Alice Marriott, who were in dance company.

 
Lottie (head of dance company) was incredibly helpful in taking time out of dance company rehersals to teach the choreography to the dancers. Nonetheless, the new dancers had only spent 20 minutes the night before the shoot learning the dance, they still needed to practice on the morning on the shoot, so that they could be in-sync.

I woke up the morning of our shoot feeling extremely stressed and anxious. There were a lot of last minute changes and problems that arose the night before and there were a lot of things to do before the shoot started. When I got to school, I made sure that I spoke to the rapper to inform him of what time we needed him. We also needed to find an armchair for one of the set builds. Saskia and I went up to the main school building and borrowed an armchair from the principals office. 

Lastly, the dancers and lead singer also had to get into hair and make-up; and the dancers needed to rehearse the choreography for the shoot.

When we got into the studio the wheel was set up, and the tall black curtains had been drawn over the wheel structure of the wheel; to block out the light from the back. We set up the camera and tested the lights behind the wheel another time. We found that the inside of the wheel, reflected the light very well, and created a soft light box effect on anything that was inside. We decided to also film the actors inside the wheel. This is because it lit them perfectly and created interesting shadows, which fit with mysterious concept of out music video.  In addition the wheel and silhouettes it created of the dancers, was exactly what we imagined in our concept.

 Before the shoot day even began we decided in our groups the roles we would do. Saskia would be in charge of art direction/playback, Ella would be in charge of camera and I would take the role of director. We were consistent and followed the roles we assigned ourselves on the shoot day. Additonally, we helped each other out in the roles; sometimes Ella would direct a moment; I would help Saskia with deciding on make-up choices and Saskia would help out with the camera. As the director, my role was to make sure everything was running smoothly. I also helped the dancers/actors, and gave them advice on how we wanted them to act. I stood behind the camera, giving dirctons to the actors and helping Ella. In total, we divided the roles evenly and everyone was able to try different roles throughout the day. 

 Saskia working on playback

Ella working on camera

I felt that I personally worked well with the actors and gave good direction on how we wanted them to act and behave infront of the camera. When the dancers were in the wheel I was behind the camera, doing dance moves and different poses for the dancers to copy. I also think that I had a good control on different aspects of the shoots, such as assiting the make-up artist with what type of make-up we wanted; and helping the artist and dancers with the acting. I also feel that I was helpful in choosing the shot type and style for the different parts that we filmed. In addition, after filming the shots we wanted I worked with Ella to experiment with the camera angle and movement to film more different and dynamic shots.

 Directing performers

 

Ella and I discussing during the shoot 

After getting the armchair from the headmasters office, we needed to alter the armchair to suit the video. The style of the chair did not match with our colour scheme and genre; I needed to find a way to cover it up. I managed to find some fur coats from students at the school, and used them to cover up the chair. This solved our problem and overall looked good on camera when we shot it. 

                     Before                                              After

One of the most successful part of the shoot was the wheel in my opinion. From the start of the project we encountered many problems with the design and construction of the wheel. We were extremely worried on how it would look in the end. However, I believe that the footage in the wheel was stunning. The long shot silhouettes and the close up body shots looked beautiful. Furthermore, the wheel is such a captiviating structure that added a much more interesting element to the video. The wheel, was also a piece of set that allowed the dancers and artist to play around with and try different moves and positions.

Dancer dancing in the wheel

There were a few things that I wish could have gone better. For the neon ‘maze’ set we wanted to shoot it in two ways, one way without a fan and the other with a fan, blowing on the artist. Because of time constraints we didn’t have enough time to shoot the fan blowing on the artist. I wish that we had gotten these shots because they would have added an interesting twist to the shot. Another part thar I wish could have been better would be structure of the wheel. Due to the weight of the wheel, it slightly caved in at the top. This made the wheel look slightly deformed at the top, because it is not a perfect circle. I wish that it could have been perfectly circular, so that it looked more professional on camera. Although this was not ideal, we figured out that we could re-shape and fix the errors of the structure, in post-production.

I cannot wait to see the footage of the wheel and of the dancers dancing infront of the screens. These were some of my favourite shots and I think that they will look amazing . I also can’t wait to begin editing the footage altogether in my group.  

Overall, I think that we worked extremely well as a group. We had clearly outlined the scheduale of the shoot and were always on the same page. The labour was divided evenly amongst us all and I feel that we all contributed equally to the shoot. Furthermore, we all put our different strengths together and helped each other out, which I think led us to film some great footage. One of our strengths throughout the whole production was that we were extremely organized. Even though there were last minute changes and problems, we worked efficiently through them.  

Perhaps, the biggest lesson I was reminded of was continuity. In the shots in the wheel the dancer and artist kept wearing their hair ands and jewellery around their wrist. We forgot to tell them to take jewellery and bands off and didn’t notice them until we had taken the footage. This is one issue that I will definetly consider in the future; to be more attentive to the small details and to remember continuity. 

When we come to design our album artwork and website, I don’t think we need to make any major changes. For our album artwork, we might incorporate the element of the fan blowing her skirt, that we didn’t manage to film for the video. We also might include the snake motif around the website and album. This links in with the snake jewellery used in the music video. We want there to be a link between the album, website and music video, to create a cohesive campaign. On the other hand, we don’t want all three products to be the same, because we want to show a different side to the artist. 

Furthermore, the website and digi-pack represent the entire album of the artist, not just the music video that we shot. 

In conclusion, I feel that it was a successful shoot day and that it was a learning and growing experience for our knowledge in media. It also gave us an opportunity to work in a group and work with a crew of people, which is a good skill to learn and have.

Behind the Scenes: Our Music Video

I have created a behind the scenes slideshow and attached other photos of the behind the scenes of the music video shoot.


The photos below were collected by Saskia Tarn:

Video by me of dancers in the wheel:

Final choice of Album Artwork

Today we got into our groups and discussed the choice for our final album artwork. We discovered that we used very similar camera angles (technical conventions) and symbolic convention, such as the snake.  We decided in our group to continue with my album artwork for the digi-pack. We agreed on all the sides for the digi pack and will go forth with these designs. We will organise a shoot day soon, with Nandi Clark our artist. We will also use the same white mesh dress we used in the music video for the cover. This is so we link the music video to the album cover so that it is a cohesive music campaign.

This is the front cover: 

This is the inside:

This is the CD side of the digi-pack:

This is the back of the digi-pack:

My First Album Artwork Draft

I designed a digi-pack for our artist as part of her music campaign. The most important element of the album cover is the artist.The style I was going for was a mysterious, seductive and enchanting digi-pack that celebrates the artist.

For the colour scheme, we wanted to continue a similar colour scheme to what we had in our music video. These were neon blues and pinks. 

I used Adobe Colour Wheel to select the colours I would like to incorporate into the album artwork. I liked the different shades of blue and pink to incorporate into the album artwork. However, just like the video, I want to have low-key lighting to give a mysterious and chiaroscuro effect to the photo. 

On our shoot day we didn't have enough time to film the final shot of her dress being blown by a fan. Therefore, I decided to incorporate the element of the fan into the digi-pack. I want photos of the artist wearing a dress that is being blown by a fan. I want the front cover to show the artist's dress flowing in the wind, this will also cement her iconic 'godess' image. Then I want to incorporate the snake element from the intial music video concept. Additionally, she wore some snake inspired jewellery in the music video, so I would like to further exhibit this element.

After researching similar album artworks, It has given me an idea of how I should present the artist on the album. I want a digi-pack design that showcases the artist as being seductive but also as mysterious. For example: The pose and blowing fabric on Mariah Carey's album cover. 

Our artist is of the R&B genre and is female. Therefore she is most likely a synthetic artist-according to Negus's theory. In that case, the artist should be marketed based off her looks and personality.

I was inspired by famous synthetic artists who are marketed on their looks and personality. 

That is why I designed the front cover to showcase the artist. The long shot angle, glorifies her image and presents her as being a big artist.

 I also wanted to showcase her confident and diva personality. So I decided to have her skirt blow dramatically, this showcases her glamorous style. This will appeal to our target audience of females 18-21 years old; because it reflects their ideologies of looking good and being feminine. Additionally, her posing on the cover connotes that she is powerful and independent which will attract young adult females who believe in the same female empowering message. The audeince will also be interested by the front cover because the front cover is a long-shot this suggests to the audience that she is open to them; because her whole body is in the frame. 

                                   

For the sidebar, I wanted it to be simplistic but still convey the artists persona. I used a snake motif on the side bar and also used snakes to spell out her name. The name 'Zoe' is not definite and was only as a suggestion.

Across the digi-pack their are mid-shots of her body which allows the artist to be connected to the audience and share a close, intimate experience.

I also incorporated the snake element on the CD side of the digi-pack. The snake symbolizes the artists seductive, alluring and dangerous nature. This is appealing to audiences because it presents the artist as defying the norms and being different/rebellious. 

On the back of the digi-pack she is in a silhouette's and is darkly lit. This follows Dyer's star theory that 'the artist must be both present and absent'.  Therefore connecting with the audience by being mysterious and elusive which make her more desirable.

Process of Designing Individual Digi-packs

I have taken some photographs of my process of designing the individual digi-packs.
 Below are some photos I captured:

Overall, I feel that I have incorporated the elements I initally thought of; such as, the snake element, and dress being blown by the wind. I also think that the snake element further connotes the artist's image as being mysterious and dangerous.

Research into Similar Products - Album Artwork

In the initial stages of designing our album cover, we were all asked to individually research the album artwork of four artists who are in the same genre (R&B) as our artist.
The four albums I chose are listed below:

1. The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey
   
2. My Love is Your Love - Whitney Houston
   
3. B'DAY - Beyonce
   
4. Share My World - Mary J. Blige
   

One thing all of these album covers have in common is that it involves women posing for the camera. By posing for the camera it connotes at their glamorous and diva personality, which is what they are marketed as, by the industry. Additionally, they all items of clothing that connote at their fashionable and glitzy lifestyle.

 On Mariah Carey's album 'The Emancipation of Mimi' she is wearing a gold dress that blows in the wind, the colour gold connotes wealth,fame, grandeur and luxury.

On all the albums the artist dominates the frame. On Mariah Carey's album she is in the center posing. On Whitney Houston's album cover she takes up most of the cover and is again positioned in the center. Although the other two album covers have the artist posing to one side of the frame. The camera is at a mid-shot which allows them to take up a large amount of the album cover. They are the main feature of the album because they are synthetic artists, who are marketed off their looks and personality.

The first album artwork I will look at is Mariah Carey's 2005 album 'The Emancipation of Mimi'. 

On this album cover she is positioned in the center of the frame. This indicates that she is the main focus. This is a common characteristic of album covers for synthetic artists because they are marketed based off their looks and personality. They create this diva, glamorous star ideology which people want to be part of. Thus attracting her fan base. The way she is posing and is positioned, having her legs spread apart, hints at her domineering and confident personality which attracts audiences to her ideology.

The gold dress and shoes, also contribute to the overall glamour, elegance and value of the artist. This because gold is universally associated with wealth. The lighting seems to be coming from above her, this causes some parts of her body like the neck, stomach and insides of legs to be dark while the outline of her dress and body reflect the light. The shadows on her body connote at her mysterious and seductive nature, a common representation of women in R&B music.

The next album cover I will be looking at is 'My Love is Your Love' by Whitney Houston. 

We can see her crouching, her positioning makes her look like an ordinary person but she is still the mega-star 'Whitney Houston'. This follows Richard Dyer's Star Theory paradox, where its said that 'The star must be both ordinary and extraordinary'. Behind her the tarmac road is wet, however it is dry where she is crouching. This connotes that her icon image is untouchable. It also targets her target audience, who are females in their late 20's ( 25 - 30 years old). She seems down to earth and comfortable with herself; her clothes are stylish and new and she exudes a sense of maturity. This reflects with her target audience of adult women who are not young and not old. The lighting is mainly from her side and above, this gives a glow to her skin and lights up her face. This connotes that she is being celebrated. This is a common lighting characteristic with synthetic artists, it glorifies their image, which is used to market and sell their albums, this concept is based of Negus's Star Theory.

The next album cover I will be looking at is ' B'Day ' by Beyonce

On this album cover, Beyonce's hair is placed in an up-do, it is styled to look natural and slightly messy, her make-up is simple and her clothing in not over the top. Her styling on the cover follows Dyer's Star Theory paradox that "a star is both ordinary and extraordinary". Her obvious star status and name make her extraordinary but the way she looks on the cover is made to look ordinary. This is so her target audience can identify with her and feel connected not only by her music but by her looks. This means her fans will be more dedicated to her and try to emulate her, this in turn will bring more fame to the artist and more money to the record company. Additionally, by having the mid-shot, she is framed much closer and this creates an intimate experience between the artist and the audience. 

The last album cover I will be looking at is 'Share my World' by Mary J. Blige.

On Mary J. Blige's album cover she is looking away from the camera. This hints at a sense of mystery, making the artist appear alluring. This is a common convention in the R&B genre, to portray women as seductive enchantresses. By wearing all white it connotes at her purity and elegance and further emphasizes her image as a confident woman and a diva. Her target audience appreciate her image because not only do they look up to her but they try emulate her ideologies. Which in turn increases profits for the record label as peoples obsession with her grows, therefore more money is spent by the consumers on: merchandise and albums. 

She takes up most of the cover like all the synthetic artists of the R&B genre, this establishes her image to her target audience. However, her body and face are slightly out of the frame. This may connote that there is more to her than at first glance. It also may highlight Dyer's Star paradox, "the star is both present and absent". She exists and is discussed in the consumers life, however she is physically not there and is unreachable. 

Mary J. Blige is wearing 'FENDI' glasses a high fashion clothing brand. Therefore, emphasizing her status as a star.