Candidate Information

Candidate Name: Allanah Whatling
Candidate Number: 3405
Centre Number: 14405

Brief: A promotional package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together will the following:

• A website homepage for the band
• A digipak for the album's release

Final Digipak

Final Website

https://avwhatling.wixsite.com/thethrone

Evaluation Question One:

Evaluation Question Two:

Production Development:

Evaluation Question Three:

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

For my audience feedback i decided to interview a group of people who fit my target audience. Although i did not interview anyone after the final product was finished, i did however gather some from the product that was nearly finished. I used this to gain an understanding as to what when well and what they thought could be improved in the video. As well as interviewing my target audience about my main product, i also asked them questions about my two ancillary products (digipak and website). In order for me to gather a solid amount of information i needed to ask questions that would allow me to gain an understanding and help improve my main product. 

Audience feedback is a key part of the production process as it allows us to improve our product before it is completely final. It also enables us to create a final piece that we know our audience will enjoy watching and want to watch. 

During the production:

This is feedback from our class after they first watched the video. 

My conclusion was that we needed to speed up the rest of the filming and editing process and also make sure that we put the footage together in the right order after editing it. 

I also discovered that i need to make sure that there are no mistake no matter how small, for example making sure everything is on time and that both the actors are on the right side the whole duration if the video. 

Post production:

Did you enjoy my music video? if so why and what was your favourite aspect of it?

Leila (18): "I really liked the beginning with the light bulbs, i thought that was clever and looked professional. I also thought it was clever how in sync the actors were and how well the video flowed. My favourite part was the beginning when both the actors look at the camera and then look away, i thought it was edited well as well and was easy to watch". 

Hannah (18): "My favourite part was the flashbacks, with the black and white effect, i thought they helped explain the story really well. I especially liked that the screen was split into two and both the girls lived their different lives at the same time, i also thought the colour effect that was put on made it look really good". 

Iman (17): "I liked how well the video flowed with the song and both the sides of the screen were in sync and both the girls did their actions at the same time. I thought it was clever how both girls are feeling the same but one is seen to be sad and the other was seen to be happy but in reality they're both sad and feel upset". 

Would you watch the video again and recommend it to others?

Leila: "Yes definitely, i really enjoyed it and i like the song anyway so yeah. i would recommend it to someone". 

Hannah: "Yeah i liked it a lot and thought it was done well and also helps provide an important message to others. I would also recommend someone else to watch it". 

Iman: "Yes i would watch it again, i loved it and thought it was done really professionally. I would 100% recommend it to someone else". 

Was there anything you did not like about the video? if so how could i improve it.

Leila: "The only thing i would say to improve on is maybe use the same colour gradient that you used at the beginning, use it throughout the video, aside from that everything was good".

Hannah: "urm, there was a bit of jerky/shaky footage in the middle which if you were able to edit that, that would help it a lot".

Iman: "It was slightly slow in the middle, but the pace picked back up after a few seconds".

In your opinion does the video convey the R&B genre?

Leila: "I would say it does, this was because of the style in which you guys did it and how it was edited. Also the song helps to show the genre of song as well".

Hannah: "not straight away, but after a few seconds i realised that it was R&B, mainly from the colour editing which i thought was a clear indication of the genre".

Iman: "Yeah i would say you are able to tell, for me i was able to tell straight away because i like R&B music and therefore was able to pick up on it straight away, also the song is as well"

Were there any aspects in the video that you would recognise or expect to see in other R&B videos?

Leila: "For me at one point i did actually feel like it could be a professional music video. I think this was because of the editing and the actual filming itself".

Hannah: "The split screen and the consistency of it and the slow motion, I've definitely seen that in other videos before". Also the story line  as well was a clear representation, cause even though most videos are about a couple, you got the relationship clear and easy to watch. 

Iman: "The colour and editing of the video makes it look so professional and i think just the way everything has been put together makes it look really good and legit".

What did you think of my website, did you like it? if so why, were there any favourite parts? is there anything i can improve on?

Leila: " I love your website, i think it looks really professional and all the pages on it are easy and clear to read. My favourite page is the home page because i think the back story has been written cleverly so that as the audience you can link the video with the back story. The only thing i would say to improve on is put more pictures in the gallery".

Hannah: "Yeah i really like your website, i think it looks really good and has been done perfectly. i especially love the colours and all the pictures, they make it look so professional. I also really liked the 'shop' page, i think the merchandise looks so sick and could actually be real. I think you could out in some social media links maybe".

Iman: "The website looks really sophisticated, i think my favourite page would have to be between the shop and the music page. This is because i think it's really clever how you edited the song so that it has your artists name but the song actually plays out loud. The shop is so good as well, the variety of what you can buy makes it amazing. I think that the only thing i would say to improve on is the social media links, but apart from that its so good".

What did you think of my Digipak, did you like it? if so why, is there anything i could improve on?

Leila: "I think your digipak looks so good, i love the editing that's been done, the colour is so eye catching and looks really bold. The back cover could be clearer to read, but everything else is amazing".

Hannah: "The front cover and whole digipak is so colourful and the colours really pop. I also think it is really clever how you've named and ordered the songs so that they tell a story, from him being sad and in a dark place to being happy and positive. I think you could have made the writing a bit more clear".

Iman: "The digipak looks really good and i love the edited pictures, the colours as well stand out really clearly, i also like the song names. Maybe have the logo on the back bigger".

Evaluation Question Four:

Digipak Development:

Before I  initially started my digipak design I used this template in order to assist me as it provided me with a guideline of how to structure my design and enabled me to complete a professional looking Digipak design.


 

As you can see from the picture that have been provided, these are the images i decided to use for my design, I used a DLSR camera to photograph my artist. The pictures came out looking clear, with high quality due to the equipment i used. I found that using this specific camera enabled me to achieve high quality pictures that i used.
I decided to have him stand and pose looking into the distance as it made him look professional and create a 'Star Image'. It then meant that i was able to edit them and enhance the appearance of the photos. For the background I decided to have him stand in front of either a plain wall or the exotic leaves on the tree outside. This was so that there was synergy between the location and genre. 

Using Adobe Photoshop and illustrator, these software's allowed me to be able to edit and develop the images to complete the criteria and conventions of my artist and the genre.

On the front cover i edited the colour grading and layered the images so that they overlapped. This meant that it created a glitching effect, i also fringed the photo as it helped with the colours. I used contrasting colour grading to that the images really stood out and also so that the layers showed the colour contrasting.

The back cover I used a different photo however kept the artist on the page, I used the same effect and therefore was able to  replicate the design and editing. Using Photoshop again it allowed me to correlate the images. I then used illustrator to pick a font and style of writing to include the legal information and also the names of the songs. I have to admit however due to the image having many colours it did create a slight obstacle with making sure that the writing was visible, however i overcame this by having a contrasting colour of writing so that it was visible.

For the inside left and inside right, I used different images as it would create a sense of the genre in which the artist is. I used one photo of a crowd looking onto the stage of the performer, this was to show the perspective of the audience when watching my artist perform. The other image was of my artist which i created the CD to have his image on the CD. It was quite tricky trying to fit the image into the circular shape and making sure that it looked okay and neat. However I managed to complete this and make sure that the editing on the image was visible as well as it fitting the Digipak template.

Website Development:

About Page:

Today I decided to develop the 'About me' page on my website, this was because I felt as though it was a key part of my artist's back story and official image. The 'About me' page is also a significant element of my artist and genre as it allows the audience to be able to connect personally with the artist and for them to be able to understand his music even more. It also portrays a specific image of the artist and how the audience will view them.

Tour Page: 

The 'Tour page' in my personal opinion is significant because it illustrates to the audience that the artist is professional and also wants to expand his success. I developed my tour page by expanding the locations and venues on it and also making sure that the performance times and prices are displayed on the website as well.

Shop Page:

For my 'Shop Page' I decided to design my own merchandise that was specifically designed to suit my artists genre and music style, I also wanted to make sure that the merchandise represented my artists personality, therefore I stuck to a colour scheme. I developed my 'Tour Page' by expanding the range of different clothing items, for example including Hoodies, Hats, Phone cases ect.

Production diary entries:

Production Diary Entries:

Day 1 :

Today was our first day of filming, we decided to do the scenes where Becky was walking home and also the scenes Richmond Park. Unfortunately some of our time was not productive as we were unsure as to how to use the camera, this meant that we needed to figure that out before doing any actual filming. We did however manage to gather some good footage specifically of Becky opening her gate and going into her house. Today we attempted to film some additional shots from the inside of the house rather than the outside but the lighting was quite dark and we decided that the footage didn't look of a good enough quality to use in the video so we decided to leave it at the bit where the front door closes- this was from outside. Despite not being able to film a huge amount, we did however manage to achieve in getting some good footage that was a clear and standard quality. 

Day 2 :

Today started off well due to the fact that we all finished school early and we had all of the equipment ready to use. However, when we got to the park and attempted to film some scenes most of the park scenes, the camera kept stopping the recording half way through the shot and showing a 'Card Full' error. This was frustrating as it was cold and we didn't have many SD cards, however we did manage to gather some good footage of me and Becky looking into the camera, this was for the beginning of the video. 

We then went back to my house and swapped the SD cards and carried on filming, this allowed us to then film the rest of the footage that we needed. 

Day 3 - Today we all had a really  successful day - we started filming at around 11:00 am and with the help of our friend Sara, we managed to film chunks of me going home. We planned to film in Richmond Park today, however we didn't have enough time so the footage of me travelling home. Today we also managed to film my shower scene which is going to go at the beginning of the music video. The corresponding footage Becky will film in her own time as we don't all need to be there. Both of these scenes will be filmed on the GoPro.

Day 4 - With the deadline for the rough cut soon approaching we wanted to get most of the remaining footage filmed today, specifically all of the park scenes so we wouldn't have to go back as it is time consuming. This day we managed to film a fair amount -  all the scenes we filmed consisted of myself and Becky walking through the park. We also managed to film the footage that was needed after the scenes of Becky and her dad in their kitchen - this included her going upstairs to her room, crying on the bed, and finding the picture on the floor after throwing her books on the floor. This was a really productive day and we think we'll need to film most likely one more time however after then we should be finished. Ideally we would have wanted to shoot all the footage before editing however due to  various technical problems we have had to deal with, we have been editing the footage that we have as we go along. With the majority of the footage now filmed we hope to get together a decent rough cut. 

Day 5 - This was hopefully out last day of filming. After all staying after school to edit we left school at around 3:30 and went straight to my house to film the remaining footage which was the scenes of me greeting my mum and talking to her, and then finding the picture in my room. This was another productive day, although it was fun we hope to be finished filming now and moving our focus to editing in order to get the music video finished before the deadline. 

Treatment

Treatment Outline

We have chosen to use the song 1-800 by Logic feat. Alessia Cara and Khalid and the genre is R&B. Our target audience is teenagers and young adults and our main characters will be two teenage girls played by Becky and Allanah. Since we have decided to produce a narrative style music video, it will be linear as we will start at the beginning of their day and follow it to the evening. It will be an illustrative narrative as there is a obvious link between the lyrics and the visuals. The main themes that will be present in the music video are: friendship, happiness, sadness and nostalgia. We will be using the original song off YouTube which before using we will attempt to contact the artist/s asking for permission to avoid copyright issues. 

Synopsis

Becky and Allanah will be playing our two main characters who are both teenage girls who live very different lives from each other. Becky's character has an unhappy home life, relationships with her parents, isn't getting good grades and has recently lost her closest friend leaving her with no one. In comparison, Allanah's character has happy home life, good relationships with her parents, good grades and a supportive group of friends. The narrative will be presented using a split screen showing a day in their lives and how different they are however, near to the end of the narrative they experience similar problems and these problems are what leads them to cross paths and become friends. A key piece of information concerning the development of the narrative is that both girls were once close friends but this will only be revealed to the audience in the middle/towards the end of the music video. 

Characters

As I mentioned previously, we have two main characters who will be played by Becky and Allanah. Other characters may include Allanah's character's friends who will probably be played by our friends Sara and Tyreke and also family members of the characters so Becky's mum will feature in the opening sequence and Allanah's. Richard dyers star theory apply's to our music video as he states that 'stars are constructed to represent "real people" and "real emotions". This relates to our music video because we made the main character with the intention of making her relatable to the audience through her emotions. 

Location

Our main filming location will be: Allanah's house, Becky's House, school, various roads and a nearby park (possibly Richmond Park). Our main aim is to film the house scenes in the daytime so we have automatic good lighting whereas we will aim to film the scenes in the park in the evening, specifically just before sunset so that it will be clear to the audience that it is towards the end of the day. For the scenes inside the houses, to be specific we will be using the bathroom for the beginning/opening scene and perhaps a bedroom for another scene. 

Visual Elements/Mise-En-Scene/Style Choices

All of our footage will be shot in colour and we aren't 100% sure what we will want the footage to look like in terms of colour - for example, for some scenes we may want the lighting to be a bit darker to reflect the mood. As we are filming the majority of the footage in the day, lighting will not be a problem, filming at sunset might be difficult so we will need to film quickly but mostly importantly experiment beforehand to see if this would work in terms of how the footage will look on camera as we still need it to be good quality. Possible props that will be involved in the music video include: Polaroid pictures, headphones which will overall contribute to the feel of the music video and make it realistic to the audience. In terms of costume, all of our actors and actresses will be wearing casual clothes like t-shirts, trainers and jeans) which will link in with the narrative. We will be using elements of performance, to show our skills and add transitions to the piece. 

Equipment and Resources

In terms of equipment and resources, we will be needing a camcorder from school along with an SD card and the charger for the camera and a tripod. We will also need our costumes which shouldn't be hard to get a hold of as they are basically our everyday clothes anyway so we will already have them. As for our props, we will need a Polaroid camera which we have access to and a pair of headphones which are easy to get as we all have a pair anyway. After getting all of our footage, we will then need Adobe Premier Pro to edit. 

Possible Struggles and how we will overcome them

A possible struggle that we could come across would be lighting in the case of filming at the park at sunset. Since it is the park, we wouldn't be able to use the lighting kit as there would be no sockets available. To overcome this issue, early on in production (as soon as possible) we will do a recce of the location and see what the footage would look like at sunset - based on our findings from doing this recce we can either go along with production assuming that there is no problem or decide to film this scene in the middle of the day so lighting isn't a problem. Another big problem that we could come across would be if the camera ran out of battery whilst we were out in the park because it would be a waste of time to go home and charge it up again - to prevent this issue we will make sure that the camera is fully charged before taking it out of the house.

Music Video Analysis:

Wild Thoughts - Rihanna, Bryson Tiller and DJ Khaled:

Wild Thoughts is a Hip Hop R&B son that was composed by American musician DJ Khaled, with the lyrics sang by Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Bryson Tiller. It was released in June 2017 and was by 'We The Best' and 'Epic Records'. 
Canadian singer PartyNextDoor assisted the artists with writing the song, with the production handled by DJ Khaled. Commercially the track reached number one in the UK charts, marking Khaled's second number one and Rihanna's ninth chart topper. 



Mise - En - Scene:


The video starts off with sowing the audience which record label has released the song, next is introducing on screen who the artists are, and the audience are then introduced to Rihanna and DJ Khaled as they appear on screen as the music starts. 
The audience is presented with low lighting, however this enables the colours in the video to pop and stand out. For example, the lighting around Rihanna and DJ Khaled is dark and has a subtle green colour, however it allows the colours from their clothes to stand out, Rihanna's orange top pops in colour.  

The music video then progresses to a both artists walking together through what looks like the streets and markets of their exotic location, the video then shows a crowd of people dancing. In the shot of the crowd dancing, the undertone of the video is a orange/reddish tone that radiates a warm atmosphere. One aspect that is clever it that the artists themselves have the warm orange ton on them, however the green tone is behind them.


It is clear to the audience that the location of the video is exotic, this is conveyed through different aspects. For example, in the background of the start of the video, you are able to see that there are clothes drying on a washing line, this indicates that the location is hot and possibly traditional due to the fact that in modern day society, most people use technology for everything. Another indication of the location would be the clothes that the artists and extras are dressed in. For example Rihanna is dressed in a cropped orange peasant top, massive gold door knocker hoops, green floral trousers with matching boots, a Versace belt and a head scarf to match the trousers and top. DJ Khaled also wears floral prints as he is dressed in a floral bomber jacket and white trousers. Both artists attire suggest that the location is exotic due to the fact that floral patterns aren't as frequently worn in states such as LA or NYC. As well as costume and props to hint the location, another factor would also be the constant visual references to nature, for example it is shown in the background of each shot.


Camerawork:

The camera work that is included within the video is done very cleverly as the shots that are used are constantly switching between filming the artists from the front and then the side. This is done smoothly, therefore the audience see from both views and perspectives, however this is done smoothly enough that they don't notice it as its only for a few seconds.

The shot that is mainly used throughout the whole duration of the music video is a medium shot, this is so that the director is able to capture what is happening in the shot but also to capture the location. This specific frame also allows the director to include the extras in the back of the video as well as making sure the artists are the main focus of the frame; it also allows the director to show specifically to the audience what they want them to be viewing.


All three artists share the center of the frame. For example at the beginning of the music video, DJ Khaled and Rihanna share the center as they both have vocals at the start and therefore carry on through the rest of the shot. Later on the audience is able to see Bryson Tiller as he has a solo during the song and therefore is unaccompanied when in the frame.


Sound:

In terms of sound, with this specific song, the aim is to listen to the music and allow it to take over your body, almost empower you to dance freely. At the start of the song, there are almost the sound of ocean waves which indicates the location of where the video is set. It then progresses to the sound of a guitar and then the beat of the song slowly comes in. DJ Khaled then announces the production company "We the best music", which is his signature phrase and therefore immediately provokes the audience to know exactly who they're listening to. 

The lyrics of the song are about both artists singing to their lover who is on their mind. This is therefore conveyed to the audience through the lyrics. The mixture of guitar, bass, tambourine, and light drum compliment each other nicely and illustrate an exotic vibe. The electric guitar at the chorus generates a dance atmosphere, which enables the audience to want to dance.  

Both Rihanna and Bryson Tiller have very chilled, subtle tones to their voice which produces a relaxed feel. Towards the end of the song, DJ Khaled announces his name over the song, which then echos- however each time  his name is repeated,it becomes quieter, which then generates a build up for the upcoming chorus. 

Editing:

Through the aspect of editing, the music video is cleverly edited to create the illusion that everything is natural and aesthetic, however each shot has been upgraded. For example, in the very first shot, the colour gradient has been edited so that each colour within the frame and the shot is bright and stands out. At the beginning of the video, there are slow motion shots of the artists to introduce to the viewer who is going to be in the duration of the video. 


Quite a large amount of the shots are slowed down and in slow motion, for example the shots of the crowds of people dancing. There are also shots of Rihanna being slowed down and sped up at the same time, this creates the effect of the shot being blurred. 


The colours are also edited so that they are more dramatic to the eye and therefore memorable for the audience. Each frame and shot is edited so that the colour is dramatic. 

Additional:


At the end of the video, all artists are united and are filmed together to finish the music video. This allows the audience to view the artists and listen to their vocals at the same time. The video fully ends with all three artists facing the camera, with a star night time background. This allows the full focus to be on the artists.