JS: Advert - Final

My print work is an advert designed for a newspaper - The Observer. It promotes the track 'Talk show Host' as a single, while it also promotes the band name 'Radiohead'. It is conventional in the sense that it advertises the band name in a large font. This helps publicise their star image and band name, making them more renowned. The font also is similar to the iconic font the Oxford band usually use. In addition to this, putting the band name at the bottom of the advert could be seen as a challenge to the conventional poster. As Radiohead are already well-know worldwide and do not have a niche audience, I deemed it more important to promote the track rather than the band name. The use of images for connotations is also common for artistic music groups. I have seen multiple examples, such as from 'Neutral Milk Hotel' and 'Radiohead' themselves, that use photographs to infer something to the audience and to promote band ideas. I used a photo of the man in a hospital mask and a shot of a tree in sunlight to act as an antithesis, to connote feelings of enigma and fear, then joy and hope in the two images to the consumer.

Our group explored a multitude of themes. Radiohead have a history of suggesting moral messages and exploring themes in their music videos, for example, consumerism in the song 'Fake Plastic Trees'. Themes looked at included social alienation and seclusion from reality. We focused on the latter, by linking nature with our three adverts. I have the inclusion of a tree, while my font colours such as brown and green connote woodlands and natural things. We used the same font for our pieces, which is similar to Radiohead's iconic font used on much of their promotional activity. In addition to this, or work is all disjunctive and open to interpretation, as they contain connotations to which each consumer would have a personal response to the adverts.

I used several tools on photoshop that included the move tool, gradient tool and eyedropper tool. These helped me create a piece that looks more professional. These tools allowed me to control the colours to help convey the themes we have used.

I first took an image of the mysterious antagonist as the basis of my artwork, as it has connotations of fear and is enigmatic to view. This would entice the consumer into buying the product, which is the purpose of an advert. I then re-sized the page to A4, for practical reasons when printing it in school, even though 'The Observer' would have different sized dimensions. I then found the iconic font and used the eyedropper tool to select relevant and striking colours from the page, that relate to our themes.

After this I included an image of trees and altered the colour grading to make it brighter and have even more positive connotations to act as a binary opposite to the image above. I decided to position the song name in a central position at this point and have an unconventional style in putting the band name at the bottom of the advert.

Finally, I used the clone stamp tool for the '20' to create a symmetrical effect which is aesthetically appealing to the consumer. I also changed the colours once again to connote the theme of nature, again with the eyedropper tool.  

TB: Visual Ideas

I saw an interesting visual technique used in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998, Ritchie), at the end of the gambling scene when 'Eddy' has lost all of his money and is in serious debt. To emphasise the feelings of shock and hopelessness felt by the protagonist, a high angle shot of face has been used. A similar shot was also used in "Requiem For a Dream" (2000, Aronofsky) where the characters face is always the centre of the frame but the background surroundings are constantly in motion. In this case transitions have been used such as fades, as well as 'ghosting' which adds to the feeling of being out of control.
0.37 onwards

Group: Visual Effects

To reflect the abstract and disjunctive nature of the reality we are trying to portray in our music video, one of the scenes we wanted to do was where the antagonist would suddenly disappear. We decided to do this across a road when a car drives pass, to give some concealment of the figure. Through the help of the media technician we managed to do this by first importing both clips (one with the figure and car, and one without) into Photoshop CS3 and used a corner pin with transparency to align both pieces of footage exactly. Then we got the first piece of footage and applied a mask that was attached and followed the car as it drove across the screen. This meant as the car went passed it revealed the 2^nd image behind it which had no figure in it; giving the impression that he has disappeared.

Group: Update On Editing Process

We decided to stay afterschool to work on the editing of our music video in Premiere. We mainly worked on the second stage of our piece, where we see the protagonist travel through the streets of an urban location to meet his antagonist. Although we found some difficulties, with the computer crashing and some difficult editing sequences, I feel it went really well. However we realised that we need to re-do some of the footage as our group has to make it fit better.

TB: Print Work

My initial idea for my print work (Advert), was to make use of the strinking images stills featured in our music video.

Such as this image here. I feel that it is interesting, inriguing and fits in well the bands metanarrative. However, I was inspired by a blog which featured different alcohols magnified under a microscope.

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2010/06/alcohol-under-microscope.html

From this I decided to take my own photographs through the lens of a microscope of a section of a twig and a butterfly wing.
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2010/06/alcohol-under-microscope.html

I am going to try to edit this image in Photoshop to create a simple, yet strinking advert that would work well with Radiohead's band image.

Group: Evaluation of Editing

The coursework deadline is on Friday, so to edit efficiently is hugely important. We have done multiple filming sessions so the amount of footage we have shot has been very high. It is imperative that we select the shots that we will probably use and delete the ones that will certainly not feature, as this ensures the timeline is not too cluttered with an excessive amount of footage, which becomes confusing.

The editing so far has been largely successful. We have been pleased with the shots we have, which makes the task of editing simpler. We have cut footage precisely, being aware to cut when a specific beat in the music is noticeable. With more practise, our skill at doing this has increased significantly. Also, we have used a variety of tools on the editing software; 'Premiere Elements 9'. These include the use of 'time stretcher', which gives us the ability to speed up or slow down a shot for a specific purpose. The use of 'color balance' and similar effects provide our images with a sharper, more visually appealing look. It has the ability to make precise parts of a shot look better, by making the colour of the objects bolder, or fainter according to the look you wish to adopt. For example, we altered the saturation and added a darker look to one of the shots on the lilo, to connote a feeling of concern and trepidation to the viewer.

A challenge we face editing is the difficulty of getting it all completed before the deadline. There is a pressure to ensure there is continuity as we have a narrative based music video. Editing is a lengthy process, but to overcome this difficulty, we will as a group edit at lunch times, after school and during free periods to ensure we meet the deadline.

In evaluation, if we spend our time editing, we our confident that we can complete our music video and make it successful. Also, if we continue to include a variety of effects, we believe that our music video could be successful in creating an abstract and artistic look.

Group: Evaluation of Third Shoot 18/11/12

We went to London to film more of our music video. We spent 2 hours getting shots of the busy area in the capital, to show the part of the video in which our protagonist is preparing himself for work and walking through areas of London. This is an ideal location as it is a highly populated area and the buildings and scenery connote the business world.

We successfully filmed a variety of shots that included close ups, long shots, mid shots and establishing shots. We believe we can use some of these shots for our final piece, including one of our 6 key shots - the sped up shot of people within the area. The neagtives of the shoot was that it was not as productive as we had wished. We were informed that we were not allowed to film in a park so the number of shots we got were limited.

In conclusion, we would in the future be certain if we are allowed to film in an area before committing to that location. In contrast, the shots we did get will be used in our final piece and they were successful.

Feedback on blog

Boys, you need to ensure while you are editing that you update the blog regularly with screenshots, details of the techniques you are using, challenges you overcame, new ideas, reflection on what you have done and what you need to do to improve.

JS: Print Analysis - Advert

•       This music advert serves the purpose of promoting The Verve's single 'Love is Noise'.
•       The background is a shot of the sky, that looks scenic and visually appealing. Such a shot would usually have connotations of Heaven or divinity, but because of the grey colour scheme that also features black clouds and limited sources of light, darker connotations of struggle and pain are suggested. 
•       Due to the visual imagery shown, the advert is successful in promoting 'The Verve' as an alternative rock band, as the poster is subjective and different from a more mainstream music advertisement from other bands at the time.
•       The band's name is noticeably promoted in this piece of advertisement as it is in a central position, in a large font size. The name of the track is also largely promoted, as it has been capitalised. Also, the band's star image has been publicised here by the use of their 'signature' and iconic font to display their band name. 
•       The information about the release date of the single and other pieces of valuable information are displayed at the bottom of the poster, in an attempt to encourage the consumer to buy the single, which will aid the purpose of the poster - to make capital through download sales.  

Group:Concept Development

After filming at Bat and Ball lakes and nearly completing our opening sequence we made a final decision on the transition from the lake to London. To make the transition from a rural to an urban environment we are going to have to protagonist wake up in his bed suddenly after falling in the water. To make this unconventional and abstract from the mundane “dream” idea, the character is going to be lying in his suit dripping wet, creating an enigma of whether it was real or not.

Group: Evaluation of Second Shoot 13/11/12

For our second shoot, we went to Sevenoaks to film the opening to our music video, the shots that featured our protagonist on a lilo, who eventually sees a blurred figure in the distance. We filmed for 4 hours on Saturday 10th November and 3 hours on Sunday 11th November. We filmed using a variety of camera angles and shots, such as close ups, long shots, medium close ups, establishing shots and extreme close ups, with many of these coming from high, low, and canted angles.

Overall, the weekend was a success. The lilo shots filmed were exactly how we imagined them to be while the acting was also very convincing. Our protagonist used facial expressions to connote concern and disillusion to his surroundings, which unsettles and demonstrates to the audience his lack of understanding of his surroundings. This adds to the enigma of the opening.

A difficulty we ran into was the issue of lighting. On the Saturday, the day was grey, while on the sunday, light was prominent as the sun was shining. Due to this we had to adjust some of the Sunday shots with editing software, to make the shots appear darker than they actually were. The gloomy atmosphere suggests a feeling of uncertainty to the audience.

In hindsight, we would have checked the weather forecast closely, as although it is not always accurate, it would have increased our chances of knowing how sunny it would have been on the two days. This would have helped avoid the issue of lighting, while it will also have saved us editing time.

Group: Next Shoot

We are planning to shoot for a full day this Saturday and this Sunday. We are going to London on Saturday to film the central section of the video. We are hoping to use the track on both days. On sunday we are going to film the lake footage, and hope to finish this on that day. We have worked out that on on Wednesday 14th we all have a half day due to our timetables so have time to finish any shooting then.

Group: Evaluation of First Shoot

During the half term holiday, we identified an opportunity to start filming our music video. Our group with an actor went to London to film parts of the video, such our chase scene as well as some of the artistic shots. We approximately 3 hours filming in the capital.  However we ran into a few difficulties that in hindsight could have been avoided. We used our own SD card as well as our own camera, although this was not sensible as we found that the SD card was not working properly in the camera we had. We should have taken out some equipment from school as a back-up, so for our next shoot we will make sure that our equipment will not be an issue.

In contrast, we managed to film some of the footage on a different digital camera, where the SD card functioned properly. The list of shots completed included close ups, mid shots and establishing shots which had the potential of being used in the final piece. However, the quality of the camera made the shots look at a lower quality, while the weather was also an issue, as patches of rain persisted which limited our filming time. For our next shoot, again we will make sure that we have the correct equipment needed for effective and professional looking film. Also, we will check the weather forecast before filming next time, and hope that the weather remains positive for our next film shoot.

Group: Lyrics

Lyrics to our chosen track - Talk Show Host by Radiohead

I want to 
I want to be someone else or I'll explode 
Floating upon this surface for the birds, 
The birds 
The birds 

You want me? 
F****** well, come and find me. 
I'll be waiting
With a gun and a pack of sandwiches, 
And nothing
Nothing
Nothing

You want me? 
Well, come and break the door down. 
You want me? 
F****** come and break the door down. 
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, 
I'm ready, 
I'm ready

Group: Evaluation of Location Reccie

Where did you go and what were your aims?

• We embarked on a location reccie to Brighton - a setting that features beautiful and varied scenery which include a beach and a pier
• We aimed to experiment with potential shots that we could use in our music video
• We practised a dolly zoom shot, which connotes a feeling of disorientation. We also tried to execute a shot that featured somebody standing still, with cars speeding past him in both directions, as well as people walking past. This was a mid shot, in which editing afterwards would create the illusion that the character standing is in normal time, but objects around him are sped up. This is an example of time compression.

What did you achieve?

• From this reccie, we analysed which of our experimental shots would be successful for our music video. As a result, we have a clearer understanding of what shots will be included in our final piece, which will improve our storyboard
• We made a montage of ours shots from Brighton which featured a variety of shots, including close ups, mid shots, establishing shots, POV shots and extreme close ups

What problems/ obstacles did you encounter?

• There were a multitude of hazards to be wary of with the main concern being the weather. Luckily, the weather was not a great problem as the rain disappeared after a brief downpour in the morning. 
• We had to be wary of pedestrians within the area. Brighton is a hugely popular seaside town which attracts many tourists, so we had to make sure we did not disrupt others around us when filming

What did you learn that you can take into the next shoot?

• We have learned that a reccie is vitally important so you can judge how good the area will be when you film. Brighton contained many visually fascinating places that would be suitable for our music video, but the busyness of the location is something we have to take into consideration for the next shoot. Therefore, we would be more inclined to film on a weekday than a weekend for outing if we went to Brighton again
• We have learned that planning your shoots is more effective than improvising shots on the day. We managed to complete the list of shots we intended to do with time to spare, which shows the importance of planning. For our next shoot, we will complete a storyboard so we can complete shots from that, as by doing this, we will get more done than if we do not do this.