Website progress

Today I made much more progress to my website. 

(Original Website Design)

(Current Website Design)

The first photo is my original design plan for my artists website, and I tried to stick to this as much as possible as I believed it was a good and sophisticated layout and design. So far, I have largely stuck to my design and have created a good looking website so far. I have however had to change some aspect due mainly to the fact I was not able to do them using the programme 'Iweb'. Such changes I have made include the use of a photo slideshow to the right of the webpage. Unfortunately I found I was unable to do this successfully on Iweb, so I decided to abandon that idea and instead borrow an idea that I saw on Modesteps (the band who wrote the song I'm doing) website. I added a list of tour dates instead as I felt this will allow my artist to seem more closer to his fans by keeping them up to date with tours so they're able to travel and see him perform live.
I have also decided to remove the twitter feed that I originally had plan and instead just placed a Twitter icon (along with YouTube and Facebook) there instead. This would still allow for the fans to follow my artist and what he does via Twitter, with the added bonus of also being able to follow him via Facebook, therefore I'm reaching out to a wider audience. And the Youtube Icon will allow for easy access to my artists videos.
I have also added an icon below the album cover to ITunes where fans will be able to buy and download the album. Easy accessibility will mean that more people will be inclined to buy it.

How did you use technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

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

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

 My first question was to establish the age of my respondents, this was important as our target audience were people the ages of 16-22 year olds, which we decided would be our target audience after choosing our genre - Dubstep, as this age range is the general age of the majoritty of the people who like dubstep. From the responses, all of the respondents were people in our target audience, this is a positive as we can get an insight into what people in our target audience think of our product.



My next question asked my respondents to rate my music video out of 10. This was so we would be able to see if we created an overall successful product that people liked and enjoyed. The results are positive, as it shows 55.6% rated it as 9-10/10, with no one rating it as 4 or lower. This shows I have created a successful music video as my target audience enjoyed and liked the video. 



Following on from the previous question, I also wanted to find out from my respondents what they didn't enjoy, or what didn't work well. The most common answer was the lip synching. Unfortunately, the original footage of our artist singing was not that great. However we tried our best using what footage we had but it was not as successful as we hoped. If I had to do this again, I would use a different artist who was more comfortable and confident in front of the camera. 

I asked this so I am able to know if the editing was effective enough in attracting and retaining our target audience. Since I am aiming for the Struggler audience, I need to be able to instantly gain their attention and keep it as they'll easily lose interest if its not grabbed straight away. The responses are all positive, which shows my video is suitable for my target audience since my respondents are all from my target audience.

This question was asked because my original focus group said we should keep to the stereotypical conventions of Dubstep while also challenging some aspects of it. My responses show that we did keep to the conventions of a Dubstep video, most commonly occurring theme was randomness, which was a central part of our music video. Which means our video is a success. However, it suggests we did not challenge the conventions enough for people to notice, therefore, if I was to do it again, I would try and challenge the conventions of Dubstep more obviously such as changing the narration with something romantic, something not usually seen in Dubstep videos.

My respondents generally believe that the website design is suitable for a Dubstep artist, which is good as it means I have accurately used my research of Dubstep websites to create an accurate and realistic website design. One comment say it's easy to use, which is important as my target audience would want it to be as simplistic as possible. However one of the negatives labelled it as more of an indie metal than Dubstep. So If I was to do this again, I would consider a different sort of design to create an even more accurate website.

My respondents generally believe that the website Digipak is suitable for a Dubstep artist, which is good as it means I have accurately used my research of Dubstep Digipak to create an accurate and realistic Digipak. However this question has received more no's than the first question, so it suggest my Digipak is weaker than my Website design.

With this question, we aimed to find out how synergistic we were when it came to the representation of the artist. 66.7% of our respondents agreed we had successfully been synergistic when it came to the representation of our artist. However a third of those who answered disagree, so this means I would have to review all my media products and try and refine them. See what in my Digipak/website that doesn't match to the video, so it is as accurate as possible.

These two were again to find out if synergy was successful or not. Overall, I believe it shows my products were very synergisitic, the strongest aspect being the use of images, and then colour.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Today I created a questionnaire so I am able to get some audience feedback for my music video
<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H98GY3N">Click here to take survey</a>

I also created a second questionnaire so I am able to get some feedback for my website and digipak.
<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H2BPV57">Click here to take survey</a>

Me and Connor also plan to hold a focus group of about 2-4 people to ask them their opinion on our music video, website and digipak. 

Finished Editing

FINAL DIGIPAK

FINAL HOME PAGE

Final Logo Design Change

I have reviewed my final logo design in light of my Digipak, Website and Music video. I decided to add a fire element to my logo in order for it to be synergistic. Fire is a key theme throughout my band, as its closely related to destruction and rebellion. Which is the message my artist is going for. The florescent colours are still visible so it still creates a club/party vibe and adds to the 'caution sign' triangle, connotating danger along with the fire. Overall, I still believe I have created a successful logo that is suitable for a Dubstep artist. 

Music Video - Peer Review

Digipak Finished

Today I finally finished my artists Digipak and I am very pleased with it. I originally planned to do a 4 panel Digipak but I chose instead to do a 6 panel Digipak. I initially created a 4 panel one but I felt this wasn't good enough, it didn't really look effective enough to me. I had also edited many pictures for my Digipak and so I would only have room for three more pictures, as I had already decided my logo would be on the CD tray. So a 6 panel Digipak will allow me to use more of my pictures.

This is my final Digipak design. It is synergistic as it keeps to the fire element that I have been incorporating in everything. It is very simplistic and eye catching, something that will appeal to our 'Struggler' target audience. They would not like to read lots so I had to keep as simplistic as possible, even using slang terms such as 'Famalam' to engage my audience and using as few words as possible. I have also incorporated as much as I have learned about dubstep digipaks into my digipak, for example I used very simplistic shots of the artist, this builds on the 'star persona' as a lot of emphasis is placed on him in the album. This is a common feature for a lot of dubstep digipaks. I have also used the same colour scheme on all the pictures in the digipak in order to make it look professional and eye catching. 

Front Cover
I chose this picture for the front cover because I believe it was the most suitable out of all the photo's we took that day. My artist is posed on a skate park, which had 'Life is to Live' sprayed painted onto it which was the inspiration for our album title. Unfortunately, because of my choice of colour scheme and adding a fire element to it, this was covered up. So I instead used the 'Cracked' font to write it instead, which I think works just as well. I also incorporated the mask in order to place more emphasis onto it, especially when the fans get round to watching the music video. The smiley face, the font, and the fire background make the front cover look very eye catching which is my desired affect.

Back Cover
I added this photo as the back cover as I believed it was an interesting shot to use. I like the double view you get of Dean, through the camera and just in the background. I would have been happier if I could have the focus on the camera screen and have Dean in the background blurred as I think this will look better but I am happy with how it is. I then added the list of songs to the side as it would still allow fans to see the artist as he's performing in front of the camera as it doesn't obstruct the focus of the image. The yellow font is also clearly visible and easy to read there where as this was unsuccessful in other photo's I tried this on. 

Left Cover
This was an interesting choice as dubstep usually has a playful aspect about it. As part of my research, I watched "Skrillex - Ruffneck" which had Santa doing drugs, but it still had a fun element to it despite the seriousness of the video by using drugs, i.e. the use of Santa and the slow motion run they do when the guys are chasing Santa. From that, and other research into dubstep, I realised dustep is very self aware, it doesn't try and take itself seriously, it like to be fun and random So I thought a shot of the artist and the figure who had chased my artist, playing like kids on the swings together would add a comical aspect to my digipak which the audience would appreciate.



Cover Inside
When I was experimenting with all the different affects on Phixr, I found the eye template and began playing around with various photo's. I wanted to have the eye template for both the 'Cover Inside' and 'Left Cover' so it would give the effect of the two eyes from the same person looking at you when you open the digipak. I added the fire effect to the eyes and added both a picture of the chaser and a picture of my artist in the mask. This again places emphasis on the mask and creates synergy through the use of the mask, the fire effect and images i.e. Artist and chaser.



Left Cover
When I was experimenting with all the different affects on Phixr, I found the eye template and began playing around with various photo's. I wanted to have the eye template for both the 'Cover Inside' and 'Left Cover' so it would give the effect of the two eyes from the same person looking at you when you open the digipak. I added the fire effect to the eyes and added both a picture of the chaser and a picture of my artist in the mask. This again places emphasis on the mask and creates synergy through the use of the mask, the fire effect and images i.e. Artist and chaser.



Back Inside
I used the logo as my back inside in order to create synergy so people will be able to associate the logo with my artist. I wanted to place my logo somewhere on my digipak, but I thought placing it as my back inside would be the most effective as they'll always see it every time they remove and put back the CD. I had originally planned to place it on the front cover of my album but when I tried it, I felt it didn't look right and the dark read fire of my logo clashed with the bright orange fire that was on the front cover. So I opted instead to put it as my back inside.



Website complete

 

Today I manged to finish my website and I am very happy with it. I have kept largely with my original design, I have extended the website from what I originally planned in order to create more space to accommodate for my music video and more news links, otherwise everything would be cramped and look very amateurish and unprofessional.
I have gained some peer review on my website and they thought it looked very good and professional. They said I have spaced everything out very well which makes it looks more professional and the conent makes it seem like a dubstep website, such as the use of slang words like 'Famalams' and the font style also is very suitable. The news feed they thought was especially good as it looks like my artist is engaging the audience and talking directly to you. So overall I believe I have created a successful website that is suitable for my dubstep artist.

Gradient colorize video talk

Gradient Colorize effect

After reviewing our footage so far and what we've managed to edit, me and Connor thought it would look great if the music video was done in black and white, and when the pace of the song picks up, we started blending in coloured footage with the back and white footage until the bass drops, from then on the footage used would be in colour. We thought this idea would look interesting for our target audience and would be very effective. We used gradient colorize and after some peer assessment, we decided we will stick to this idea.

Dip to Colour Transition

Today, as me and Connor worked tirelessly on the beginning of our music video, we needed to add a transition so we can avoid it looking like a jump cut, so we added a Fade in Fade out transition in order to bridge the gap between the first clip of the river and the clip of Dean singing. However it didn't look too great, so I suggested we add a Dip to Colour Dissolve. This worked very effectively as it looked like the white light transition came from the sun which is the last thing seen in the clip. 
It did not look as effective on the other clips as a transition so we decided we will just leave the Dip to Colour Dissolve for that clip and to use Fade in Fade out transition for the other clips. 

Cracked Font

 

Today I decided to add the 'Cracked' font to my website, this is because I believe it was the most suitable font for my website based on it's graffitti like appearance. This sort of font will appeal to my target audience and looks very street and professional. I will use the 'Cracked' font on my other media products such as the music video and digipak in order to create synergy and so people will associate that font with my artist, like other bands have done like the Beatles and the Who.

Starting my website

I began by placing the logo in the top left corner of the webpage where I had originally planned to do it. I had two different versions of my logo which I wasn't sure what one looked better. After some quick peer review of both logo's, I decided to use the one placed in the top left of the image above, as they felt it gave off a much more club vibe, which is a large aspect of the dubstep genre. Now I had the logo in place, I could carry on with the rest of my website.

         

Filming talk

Filming - Risk Assessment

With what we plan to film today i.e. Smashing items, we needed to make sure we was somewhere where it would be safe for us to do it, without causing any harm to us and anyone else. Firstly, we decided to do it in an open park, although this is a public area, we would be able to find a safe place to do it where it wont cause harm to us or any member of the public. Doing it in a room in school would be more dangerous as it is more enclosed, therefore increasing the risk of us being harmed. Measures were taken in order for this to be safe for both us and the public.

We made sure firstly that we was at a safe distance before any smashing of items commenced, this was so no broken objects would be able to harm us. Once an item had been smashed, we would pick up all the pieces carefully and put them in a black bin bag. This is so we are not leaving dangerous pieces of glass or other parts in the park where it could harm a member of the public.

Where fire was involved, we done it near the river so we would easily be able to put out the fire if it got out of hand, luckily this did not happen and of course once the fire was out and cooled down, the wooden plank was removed and put in a bin, we didn't want to leave any rubbish.
After all the filming was done, we did a sweep of the area, making sure all pieces were picked up and put in the bin bag. Once that was done, the bag was placed in the bin.

 I think this was very successful, as well as gaining all the shots we needed, neither us nor any member of the public were harmed, we managed to be very efficient with this and made sure this was all safe, including picking up all broken pieces on the floor so no trace of us were left on the site.

Filming

Filming yesterday went very successfully. We initially planned to film in the school, doing the chase scene and smashing the items all on site. However upon discussion, we decided doing the filming on school site would be very inpractical and wouldnt look good altoghether. It would also be hard to film with people constantly going around the school. The recording studio is also now unavaliable so we didnt have an alternative to film the performance part of the video. Even with this major setback so close to filming, we managed to quickly overcome them and found new possible locations. For the performance, we were able to get a practice room. Initially, it was slow to begin the filming as we were decorating the room to look appropriate for the video and our performer was slow to start. But we managed to get a some good shots, plus spontanous shots such as using the flash on the camera whilst filming was good. We decided on the park for the narrative. It would be an ideal site with many possibitites i.e. Able to smash items safetly, randomness (something important to a Dubstep video) such as playing on the swings. It went very well, we managed to obtain all the shots we needed and did it safetly. Overall I was happy with the filming we did.

Location shots

Blog update - 9/1/13

Today, me, Connor and Dean recorded the performance part of our video. It went very well considering we was initially set back as we could not use the recording studio and we was a man down. However we managed to quickly find an alternative and set up fairly quickly. We experimented with different shot and camera angles, including some shots where we had the lights off, and used a cameras flash whilst recording.

Pre Filming talk