Final Product: THE DMND - Flawless (MUSIC VIDEO)

Website THE DMND

Link :http://maggiecampbell72.wix.com/thedmnd

We followed the black and white theme of our music video and decided to get on with it on our website as well. We've placed the logo and the name of the band on the top of the page to drug attention to it so it is easy to notice. Also we placed the music video on the HOME page to make sure that the first thing you see is bands style and music.  

Final Product: CD Digitpak THE DMND (EP)

 

 

Directors Commentary VIDEO

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Directors Commentary Script

Task 4: How did I use technologies in post-production?

We used online technology to gain important audience feedback and information.  Youtube let us know where people were watching our video and on what devices, while SurveyMonkey collected responses from audience members and automatically made graphs to categorise and explain the data.  Facebook was a good tool to advertise our video with, as we could share the link with thousands of people in one click.  Twitter made this possible as well, sending the video link out to even more people.  Microsoft Outlook, or our school email, let us get a very specific sample to test our product. We contacted them privately and directly to invite them to our focus group.  All of this feedback helped us edit and update our final products afterwards, particularly the CD Digipak.

Of course, it was essential to go back and proof-read our website on WIX to see if there was any room for improvement.  We also needed to go back into Tumblr to update our feed with photos of the shoot day to make it a more personal experience for the audience members using the Tumblr page.  

Cameras

I used a Flip video camera and an iPhone camera to record reactions from our focus group and individual interviews so that I could upload the videos to my blog and use the feedback to improve my products.  

Our music video could not have been achieved without the use of software.  After cutting the video in Final Cut Pro, we used After Effects to make the border and logo in our video.  On Final Cut Pro, we made the video black and white with the de-saturating tool.  This made the video fit into our campaign.  After receiving feedback on the CD Digipak saying that it was not the right size and also that they did not like the fact that there was no spine, I updated it in Photoshop.  In Soundtrack Pro, I edited the song to be shorter and fit within the three minute length of the video.  

Task 4: How did I use technologies in production?

In production, it was essential to use digital technology to achieve the look we wanted for the band.  This mainly involved using a high-quality camera.  We used the Sony FS100 camera with 18mm, 25mm and 85mm lenses for wide shots, mid shots and close ups respectively.  The quality was very professional and the camera was very sensitive to light and focus.  We also used an iPad to display the clapper to achieve the lip synch. The numbers on the clapper helped us in editing to determine where we were in the song.  The iPad was also used to take photos of the band 'behind the scenes' which we then uploaded to our website.  

OTHER TOOLS

We used a projector in production to project on to the torso.  This was just another element to our video that would attract different audiences.  The light desk we used was for setting up the spotlights, gobos, and backlighting that we used to layer the video.  

We used online technology to produce our website and social media campaign.  Using WIX, I built the website and included links to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr to appeal to more people and gain more publicity.  We posted images, videos and text posts on these to try to attract interest and buzz about the upcoming music video.

I used Photoshop to create the CD Digipak, after having designed it on paper.  It was a long and involved process to create a simple product.

Now that all the rough products were created, we needed to go back and edit, re-write and proof them...

Task 4: How did I use new media technology in the pre-production?

Pre-production:



The Neighbourhood

To research and find the inspiration for the final project we used range of New Media technologies as Google where we could find images that are supporting our idea or You Tube where we could find similar artists and look at specific effects and topics they are exploring in their music videos.

Our original idea was to create black and white indie/hipster video inspired by the band The Neighbourhood. We used their song "Flawless" which didn't have supporting music video. We looked at the style of video that the original band uses and then through suggested artists we found other band that will be interesting for us. For example The 1975- City music video has heavily influenced my decisions.

 I used cameras to record images of our band, our process and to film our storyboard to create the animatic.  We used smart phones with Internet capability to upload images we had taken right on to our website, Tumblr and Facebook promotional pages.  We learned how to use the Sony FS100 camera in preparation for the shoot day.

I used Soundtrack Pro to speed up the song to double speed so that we could film in slow motion.  The song would be at double speed with the film at half speed, meaning that the song would appear to be at normal speed while the movements of the band were in half speed.  I used Final Cut Pro to edit my animatic, and Word and PowerPoint in my research and planning stage, for example in researching into other bands. 

Task 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback? Pt.2

Task 3:What we learned from audience feeback? Pt.1

In order to get the response from our audience we uploaded the music video to YouTube. This was made to get the response if our ideas were clear, effective and successful. Right now we gained almost 900 views and we are waiting for more views and comments about the work that we've done.

 

This is the link to Hurtwood YouTube channel where you can watch our video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwyUDJGAjms&list=PL_P5ZEHuHS2azgyOhlhwVDYfbWkY-N47O

Task 3: Focus Group

A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.

 

Task 3:The SurveyMonkey

To get audience feedback we had to use Monkey Survey. This website allows to create questioners online and send it to people who you want to ask. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D2R9GB9 this is the link to our questioner below. You are free to follow it and answer those 10 questions to help us collect information.

 

 

YouTube Statistics

Reaction Group

We've chosen people with different music tastes to get range of reactions in order to find out how wide our music video's audience is. Here Is example of their reactions.

Task 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

THE DMND

Task 1: In what way do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Music Video

Link to see the video The 1975 - City

Link to the video Arctic Monkeys- One for the road

The 1974- GIRLS

Little Death- The Neighbourhood

Analysis of the conventions in my music video shows that in most cases I ether supported or developed them. It had all of the typical shots that you'll see in any performance band music video, it has attractive lead singer and a lot of attention was driven to him, it also had female character that can attract male audience as well as half naked body of a man which will attract female audience at the same time.  

Task 1: In what way do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? WEBSITE

I looked up on some indie alternative bands websites and most of them are black and white. Anyway, I would look at 3 of them.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The iconic B&W website with their most popular and recognizable video  "SWEATER WEATHER", promotion of their latest album "I LOVE YOU",  links to their profiles in social networks, videos, music, tours etc.

ARCTIC MONKEYS

Again Black and White website with a big name of their group on the top right, promoting new single from the latest album "AM" and latest video on "DO I WANNA KNOW"

THE 1975

This website is the most inspiring for me the style of the band is clearly seen trough the look of it and it also represents their music genre. I really liked the idea of connecting insagram account to the main site so fans can see their news, tours, cities etc. All of their pictures are in the same filter so it sums up their style.

Task 1: In what way do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? CD Digi Pack

 

Task 1: Conventions of CD Digipak

Researching inspiration for the album cover

The 1975

This group is very similar to the project that we are creating for the music video. Their album cover is very simple and plane. They use the logo and the name in neon light this is a suitable cover for an alternative band.


Bastille

 This is another alternative band which targets the same audience, style and genre as our project. As you can see they have a specific cover per each song but the pictures are not really stylised and I would say random.

The Neighborhood

 The NBHD cover is again very simple but attractive. They have a flipped picture of the cloud and the logo i the middle. 

Here is other examples of album covers that will inspire us for our own. This examples include some artist that are not in the same music genre and not targeting our audience but still is very interesting and relative to our aims.