Monday, 16 May 2011
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
My Final Website Design
http://www.wix.com/heera9/lifethruiris
I thoroughly enjoyed making my webpage as I knew the basic outline of what I wanted to create. Also as I had done the website research from before, it meant I had a guideline as to what I wanted to create; The Script's website was a source of inspiration for my webpage as they were an acoustic pop rock band whose music and values & beliefs were extremely similar to that of Life Thru Iris. Furthermore, when I designed my draft homepage on paper I knew that the colours I wanted to incorporate in my webpage were going to be earthy colours like browns and faded textures and The Script's website also had a similar colour scheme which I thought was very effective in creating authenticity and a sense of natural and calmness.
I ended up using wix.com as oppose to Dreamweaver as I felt that Dreamweaver was a lot harder to work with. More specifically, I know that I am never satisfied with my first attempt at something and so working with Dreamweaver was quite extremely time consuming for me as making changes was a far longer process than to simply move or alter an image box as with Wix.
In my draft sketch I had allocated the far right of the page to displaying an array of photography of the band, however instead of just placing the photos in a pattern, I thought it would be more interesting to use the polaroid template that I had used in my digipak. In doing this I had created a more homely atmosphere to the webpage and also had added an element of authenticity to the webpage. Moreover I had now created a direct link between my digipak and webpage which provided an element of consistency between my ancillary tasks which are being used to promote my unsigned band.
I thoroughly enjoyed making my webpage as I knew the basic outline of what I wanted to create. Also as I had done the website research from before, it meant I had a guideline as to what I wanted to create; The Script's website was a source of inspiration for my webpage as they were an acoustic pop rock band whose music and values & beliefs were extremely similar to that of Life Thru Iris. Furthermore, when I designed my draft homepage on paper I knew that the colours I wanted to incorporate in my webpage were going to be earthy colours like browns and faded textures and The Script's website also had a similar colour scheme which I thought was very effective in creating authenticity and a sense of natural and calmness.
I ended up using wix.com as oppose to Dreamweaver as I felt that Dreamweaver was a lot harder to work with. More specifically, I know that I am never satisfied with my first attempt at something and so working with Dreamweaver was quite extremely time consuming for me as making changes was a far longer process than to simply move or alter an image box as with Wix.
In my draft sketch I had allocated the far right of the page to displaying an array of photography of the band, however instead of just placing the photos in a pattern, I thought it would be more interesting to use the polaroid template that I had used in my digipak. In doing this I had created a more homely atmosphere to the webpage and also had added an element of authenticity to the webpage. Moreover I had now created a direct link between my digipak and webpage which provided an element of consistency between my ancillary tasks which are being used to promote my unsigned band.
My Homepage Draft
Website, Homepage Sketch
I deliberately drew this draft in a sketched way so that it would correspond to the 'home-made' and casual conventions of my digipak design and the bands music style. For me, the colours were also an important aspect of the website as I had decided beforehand that the colours were going to be natural earthy tones and brown to add to the natural and earthy feel of both the digipak and the band's music. I wanted images of the band to be on of the focal points of the homepage as it is an underground and therefore unknown band, so images would enhance their chances of appealing to a wider audience. I also decided that it was important to include the song that we had chosen as a group to undertake and work with as both of the artists websites who i had researched, provided a platform on their website were fans could listen to their music and as this is an unsigned band that I am promoting, I felt that there was a higher need for the audience to hear their song as majority of the audience will probably have not heard the band's music at all.
Monday, 25 April 2011
Website Research #2
The Script
Genre:
The Script is an acoustic pop rock band and their website is exemplary of this through its colours and images. More specifically the fact that faded stone and brown are the main colour scheme can fulfill the idea of acoustic bands being associated with nature and earthy tones of colour. Moreover we know that the band is a pop rock band as they have a lot of their website dedicated to their fans and informing their fans of what they have been doing in their concerts/everyday life/new music as these features are also evident in other pop/rock band websites such as Paramore. Also, the imagery used in the homepage conform to typical conventions of a pop/rock/acoustic band as they are commonly photographed while in a fairly derelict or unknown background such as deep in a forest or a desert.
Values and Beliefs:
For The Script their values and beliefs are very much unlike that of a rap star like Missy Elliot and would be based around the importance of their music rather than their physical appearance. They may not wear labelled clothing or expensive jewellery as a form of displaying the wealth but instead, they will wear casual clothes where they themselves are not solely the focus of the image and the audience must enjoy seeing the entire image of the band and what in their background or what they are doing. Furthermore the fact that majority of the photography in their gallery is based around The Script's concerts and other gigs rather than an array of images of themselves, can again reinforce the importance of their music rather than their image and how they look.
Attracting new listeners:
As an acoustic pop rock band, The Script have a lot to offer potential fans such as a forum page where potential listeners can communicate with other existing fans to learn bout and get to know the band from other fans. There is also a 'Media' section on the homepage where all of the bands official music videos are available to watch a listen to by anybody who can access the website. This can therefore give the potential audience an understanding of what the music of the band is like over a range of songs rather than just one and also allows them to exchange conversations about the band with other existing fans so they have the opportunity to become part of a 'fan community'.
Building and maintaining audience relationships:
The Script have a 'Blog' page where they regularly post event and adventures that they undertake for their fans to see and read which provides existing fans with a platform where they may feel closer to the band and they as posting things upon th website specifically for the bands fans. Furthermore being a member of the Scripts website fan club has become a community of fans as there are so many who can now communicate with eachother via the forum page and the members signup opportunity provides a chance for potential fans to become part of this community where they may collectively feel closer to the band through various opportunities and exclusives that the band make available specifically to their 'members'.
Genre:
The Script is an acoustic pop rock band and their website is exemplary of this through its colours and images. More specifically the fact that faded stone and brown are the main colour scheme can fulfill the idea of acoustic bands being associated with nature and earthy tones of colour. Moreover we know that the band is a pop rock band as they have a lot of their website dedicated to their fans and informing their fans of what they have been doing in their concerts/everyday life/new music as these features are also evident in other pop/rock band websites such as Paramore. Also, the imagery used in the homepage conform to typical conventions of a pop/rock/acoustic band as they are commonly photographed while in a fairly derelict or unknown background such as deep in a forest or a desert.
Values and Beliefs:
For The Script their values and beliefs are very much unlike that of a rap star like Missy Elliot and would be based around the importance of their music rather than their physical appearance. They may not wear labelled clothing or expensive jewellery as a form of displaying the wealth but instead, they will wear casual clothes where they themselves are not solely the focus of the image and the audience must enjoy seeing the entire image of the band and what in their background or what they are doing. Furthermore the fact that majority of the photography in their gallery is based around The Script's concerts and other gigs rather than an array of images of themselves, can again reinforce the importance of their music rather than their image and how they look.
Attracting new listeners:
As an acoustic pop rock band, The Script have a lot to offer potential fans such as a forum page where potential listeners can communicate with other existing fans to learn bout and get to know the band from other fans. There is also a 'Media' section on the homepage where all of the bands official music videos are available to watch a listen to by anybody who can access the website. This can therefore give the potential audience an understanding of what the music of the band is like over a range of songs rather than just one and also allows them to exchange conversations about the band with other existing fans so they have the opportunity to become part of a 'fan community'.
Building and maintaining audience relationships:
The Script have a 'Blog' page where they regularly post event and adventures that they undertake for their fans to see and read which provides existing fans with a platform where they may feel closer to the band and they as posting things upon th website specifically for the bands fans. Furthermore being a member of the Scripts website fan club has become a community of fans as there are so many who can now communicate with eachother via the forum page and the members signup opportunity provides a chance for potential fans to become part of this community where they may collectively feel closer to the band through various opportunities and exclusives that the band make available specifically to their 'members'.
Website Research #1
Missy Elliot
http://www.missy-elliott.com/
Genre:
Missy Elliot's homepage conforms to traditional depictions of a rap or hip hop artist through mainly the image of herself on the right above. She wears a gold and white Adidas jacket which typically connotes hip hop and rap music as they are known to wear expensive tracksuits in brands such as Adidas and Nike etc. Furthermore, rap artists are notoriously known for their extravagant method of displaying their wealth in the form of big jewellery that sparkles. In Missy Elliot's case, her big hoop earrings, her large stud at the top of her right ear and of course her long gold chain are evident of her wealth as with other rap artists such as 50 Cent and Nas.
Values and Beliefs:
The colour gold, is one that stands out to me in this website, and can be symbolic of a persons wealth and status. In this case the colour gold is the eye-catching colour in Missy Elliot's entire appearance and as the colour is present in her possessions - i.e. her clothes and jewellery - this may suggest that Missy Elliot is displaying her wealth and possessions as a focal aspect of her overall image. This may further reinforce the ideology of rap/hip-hop artists taking great pride in their physical appearance to their audience and enjoy showing off the possessions that they have worked for to obtain.
Attracting new listeners:
On her homepage, there is an opportunity for potential fans and new listeners to get a taste of what Missy Elliot's music is like. More specifically, she has put her most recent song up for the audience to listen to for free which gives the audience a sense of her more recent and current music.
Interactivity & building and maintaining audience relationships:
Aside from the opportunity to sign-up to Missy Elliot's 'mailing list', there is no other form of interactive opportunities for her fans and potential fans. However the fact that Missy Elliot has made her new song readily available to her website viewers can be a way of both attracting new fans and also providing a reward for existing fans as they have a first hand opportunity to listen to her new song before its official release date.
http://www.missy-elliott.com/
Genre:
Missy Elliot's homepage conforms to traditional depictions of a rap or hip hop artist through mainly the image of herself on the right above. She wears a gold and white Adidas jacket which typically connotes hip hop and rap music as they are known to wear expensive tracksuits in brands such as Adidas and Nike etc. Furthermore, rap artists are notoriously known for their extravagant method of displaying their wealth in the form of big jewellery that sparkles. In Missy Elliot's case, her big hoop earrings, her large stud at the top of her right ear and of course her long gold chain are evident of her wealth as with other rap artists such as 50 Cent and Nas.
Values and Beliefs:
The colour gold, is one that stands out to me in this website, and can be symbolic of a persons wealth and status. In this case the colour gold is the eye-catching colour in Missy Elliot's entire appearance and as the colour is present in her possessions - i.e. her clothes and jewellery - this may suggest that Missy Elliot is displaying her wealth and possessions as a focal aspect of her overall image. This may further reinforce the ideology of rap/hip-hop artists taking great pride in their physical appearance to their audience and enjoy showing off the possessions that they have worked for to obtain.
Attracting new listeners:
On her homepage, there is an opportunity for potential fans and new listeners to get a taste of what Missy Elliot's music is like. More specifically, she has put her most recent song up for the audience to listen to for free which gives the audience a sense of her more recent and current music.
Interactivity & building and maintaining audience relationships:
Aside from the opportunity to sign-up to Missy Elliot's 'mailing list', there is no other form of interactive opportunities for her fans and potential fans. However the fact that Missy Elliot has made her new song readily available to her website viewers can be a way of both attracting new fans and also providing a reward for existing fans as they have a first hand opportunity to listen to her new song before its official release date.
Post-Production
What challenges did I face while editing my footage?
When we had finished shooting the first blocked plan/schedule, we thought it would be almost enough footage for the entire song as we had 30 minutes worth of footage to edit. However when I got into the editing room and began to cut down the shots, I realised that there was not enough footage at all, which is why we decided to expand our concept and filming. Furthermore the editing that I wanted to initially do in my first concept plan was another difficulty so as a group we decided to film more footage that would create a better narrative rather than attempting to acquire exceptional editing skills in such a short span of time.
What affects did I use and why?
During the editing process I tried to experiment with the effects I could possibly make use of in my music video such as changing the overall image colour to effects such as 'desaturation', 'sepia' and 'negative'. However when i played the clip through I thought that the change in colour had no real implication and may actually confuse the audience; using the 'desaturation' effect caused the image to become black and white which may confuse the audience into believing that the narrative that the music video was conveying may have occurred in the past, and this wasn't something i wanted to pursue. When I had finished cutting and placing all the shots in order, I decided to use a tool that reverses a clip. I used the technique to end the music video with a reversed clip of roses being dropped on the floor, so the roses were disappearing and the music video finishes with a shot of an empty carpet floor. I wanted the video to end with this image as it was a way of conveying emptiness and the absence of love in the characters lives causing emptiness. As this element of emptiness is present throughout the song and in its words, I thought it was important to include subtle hints of emptiness such as the bare carpet without the roses. Furthermore I thought it was important to show the floor becoming empty (without the roses) as the roses are symbolic of Dan and the roses on the floor as a representation of Dan in Dilara's life. However the reversal of the shot and the roses disappearing suggest that Dan is the cause of the emptiness in Dilara's life. So as opposed to there just being a plain shot of a bare floor, the audience can see the transition and the disappearing of the roses (and Dan) in the characters life.
How have I developed my concept further during post-production?
The editing process was the deciding factor for my music video because after sorting and editing all of my shots in my sequence I decided that instead of having a happy ending as I had initially planned in my concepts, I was going to end on an unconventionally sad thought. As opposed to ending with the make-up of Dan and Dilara as a conventionally happy couple who have arguments but eventually live happily ever after, I decided at the very last minute that it may be more interesting if the narrative were to be left on somewhat of a cliffhanger or a more truthful depiction of 'love', where we cannot tell what the couple's destiny is.
When we had finished shooting the first blocked plan/schedule, we thought it would be almost enough footage for the entire song as we had 30 minutes worth of footage to edit. However when I got into the editing room and began to cut down the shots, I realised that there was not enough footage at all, which is why we decided to expand our concept and filming. Furthermore the editing that I wanted to initially do in my first concept plan was another difficulty so as a group we decided to film more footage that would create a better narrative rather than attempting to acquire exceptional editing skills in such a short span of time.
What affects did I use and why?
During the editing process I tried to experiment with the effects I could possibly make use of in my music video such as changing the overall image colour to effects such as 'desaturation', 'sepia' and 'negative'. However when i played the clip through I thought that the change in colour had no real implication and may actually confuse the audience; using the 'desaturation' effect caused the image to become black and white which may confuse the audience into believing that the narrative that the music video was conveying may have occurred in the past, and this wasn't something i wanted to pursue. When I had finished cutting and placing all the shots in order, I decided to use a tool that reverses a clip. I used the technique to end the music video with a reversed clip of roses being dropped on the floor, so the roses were disappearing and the music video finishes with a shot of an empty carpet floor. I wanted the video to end with this image as it was a way of conveying emptiness and the absence of love in the characters lives causing emptiness. As this element of emptiness is present throughout the song and in its words, I thought it was important to include subtle hints of emptiness such as the bare carpet without the roses. Furthermore I thought it was important to show the floor becoming empty (without the roses) as the roses are symbolic of Dan and the roses on the floor as a representation of Dan in Dilara's life. However the reversal of the shot and the roses disappearing suggest that Dan is the cause of the emptiness in Dilara's life. So as opposed to there just being a plain shot of a bare floor, the audience can see the transition and the disappearing of the roses (and Dan) in the characters life.
How have I developed my concept further during post-production?
The editing process was the deciding factor for my music video because after sorting and editing all of my shots in my sequence I decided that instead of having a happy ending as I had initially planned in my concepts, I was going to end on an unconventionally sad thought. As opposed to ending with the make-up of Dan and Dilara as a conventionally happy couple who have arguments but eventually live happily ever after, I decided at the very last minute that it may be more interesting if the narrative were to be left on somewhat of a cliffhanger or a more truthful depiction of 'love', where we cannot tell what the couple's destiny is.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Development of My Concept
How my concept has altered from the initial concept
When I drafted my first concept I wanted the music video to be based around one character and take on the same principle that is used in Paramore's 'The Only Exception' i.e. I wanted to incorporate the idea of doorways leading to a completely different location to the previous one. However after shooting the first blocked plan I realised this would be a lot of hard work and the outcome may not be the best. Therefore I decided to include a my female character more, to provide a more empathetic narrative.
Furthermore, the idea of various gaps and doorways leading out onto different settings/locations would've been very hard for the audience to actually understand the concept unless it was done at a professional standard. Instead it would just seem as though the character is randomly walking in and out of odd places that don't piece together. The fact that there is a narrative running alongside this complex concept would make the overall music video seem very cluttered and disorganised, almost as though a bunch of ideas have just been thrown together without any thought.
So I decided to use both characters to show two parallel perspectives on the same situation that reflect the words and meaning of the song. My final music video can be an interpretation of the songs meaning through a male and female view and response to a certain situation when in a relationship and supposedly 'in love'.
Maroon 5 - 'Goodnight Goodnight'
Maroon 5's song 'Goodnight Goodnight' became an inspirational music video in developing my concept and altering areas of the initial one in the sense that I decided to almost disregard the idea taken from Paramore's 'The Only Exception' and incorporate this new idea of displaying parallel lives. In Maroon 5's video, the main concept is to depict the difference between Adam Levine's life with a girlfriend and what it has become now he is without her. As opposed to using exactly the same concept of a split screen showing the same person's actions just in a different time period, I thought it would be interesting to Give Dilara's character a role that was equally as important as that of Dan's. The link to 'Goodnight Goodnight' is the way that Dilara's and Dan's journey through the day parallels to show how different each character is in their thoughts and actions although they as supposedly both in love with each other.
Maroon 5 - 'Goodnight Goodnight'
Maroon 5's song 'Goodnight Goodnight' became an inspirational music video in developing my concept and altering areas of the initial one in the sense that I decided to almost disregard the idea taken from Paramore's 'The Only Exception' and incorporate this new idea of displaying parallel lives. In Maroon 5's video, the main concept is to depict the difference between Adam Levine's life with a girlfriend and what it has become now he is without her. As opposed to using exactly the same concept of a split screen showing the same person's actions just in a different time period, I thought it would be interesting to Give Dilara's character a role that was equally as important as that of Dan's. The link to 'Goodnight Goodnight' is the way that Dilara's and Dan's journey through the day parallels to show how different each character is in their thoughts and actions although they as supposedly both in love with each other.
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