Gaining permission

In order to shoot in the petrol station we had to ask for permission. The owner willingly allowed us to shoot in and around the premises as long as his or any of his co-workers faces were not shown. We ended up shooting a nice selection of shots and got all that was necessary in the space of around 10 minutes. The only delays were people coming in and out of the petrol station to purchase goods, what was time consuming however we were grateful we were allowed to shoot.

Cutaways

We found when shooting and editing, cutaways are necessary to create an effective, aesthetic, fluent music video. Therefore, when shooting we aimed to shoot at-least 5 minutes of cutaways to make sure we had more then enough footage. The subway scene we shot was entirely for cutaways and so far in editing, they look effective.

Color Scheme

We decided to go for a crimson and black color scheme, this is basic, easy and yet effective in creating the desired effect. Its a classy, vintage effect what suits the whole website and looks aesthetically pleasing.

Unused content

This is a promo we created however decided not to use it for the final website. We thought the more content we had the better, however it is frustrating creating unnecessary content. Although, the more we make, the more practice we have and the better the outcome of final ideas.

Learning with iWeb

Initially, we thought that in order to create a reflection, we had to manually create it through photoshop ourselves. Therefore, much more work was put in then necessary. Eventually we discovered you could do it through iWeb itself. Which was annoying however saved a lot of time.

This is how we were creating reflections for half of the project:

Website influence

We followed this website as a rough guide for how our website wanted to look. We both agreed it was an ideal website and best suited our band. As you can see it looks similar to ours in a sense that the header is very large and catchy. An ideal way to show off the band and promote the site.

Vintage Effect

We used various tutorials on how to add a vintage effect to our photographs. This is one of them:

We found this tutorial especially helpful and adapted the effect to best suit our needs.

Inside Cover

This is the inside cover of our CD. We used the bicycle as our theme for the inside. The basket and the wheel both compliment each-other. We added a vintage indie effect to all our photo's, the same method so that there is continuity throughout. After adding the effect, we cropped the wheel to the shape of the CD.

Website Footer

The footer of the website includes photos of the band members, these have been color corrected, adjustment layers added, to achieve a vintage, indie feel. We then added a reflection to each photo to add a contemporary, fluent effect which fits with the rest of the website.

Advert

To fill up space and make the site look more professional, we created a small advert, advertising the release and pre-order of the new single. We used our original front and back cover, perspective transformed them to create a contemporary look, added a reflection by duplicating the layer, lowering the opacity. We then added numerous logos along the bottom to make it look more professional.

Tweet Feed: In detail

We had an idea to create a tweet feed what would refresh and update to the most recent news of the band. We print-screened the twitter news-feed as it were, we then edited the text to make it in the context of the band. Added a border, and text explaining what the function was. Also an "updating..." section. We then hyper-linked the image to the twitter homepage. This was an innovative idea created by us. Unfortunately, our ideas were copied and spread by the entire class, and no longer seems unique. We were the first to come up with the tweet feed idea.

Merchandise

We have added posters to the website to promote the band and create a realistic, band like, website. We created the outline of the t-shirts, as well as the designs so the poster is 100% original content. We hyper-linked the poster to an official smiths website.

Tour Dates

We decided to create a table to show the tour dates and status of tickets for the band. We made this via photoshop. We used the font "American Typewriter" to keep continuity. We added the ticketmaster logo to add realism to the poster. With the font, we added drop shadow and altered the font color depending on the status of the venue and tickets.

Embedded Video

We decided to embed a video to make our website look as legitimate as possible. We took a screenshot from what we have already shot, the graffiti shot being a distinctive, interesting shot. We then added a player icon to add realism, we did this through photoshop. We then hyper-linked the image to Youtube and where the video will eventually be.

Website Text

The website text consists of information about the band, its history, influences etc. This is the key to the home page of the website as it explains the band. We used white text on a black background with the same font we have used throughout the project, "American Typewriter".

Website Header

The website header consists of a photo from our photo-shoot. We added color correction, adjustment layers and curves to create a vintage, indie feel. We also integrated various social networking buttons, twitter, facebook, youtube etc. These are to show our skills of media integration, we took the buttons off Google, added them and added drop shadow to create a nice, smooth effect.

Website Aesthetics

This is the look of our website, we used photoshop and iWeb to create diverse looks, we played around and experimented with our site to get the best looking image.

Screenshots

We have taken the following screenshots showing our editing and parts of the video.

Editing the video on iMovie for Mac. 

 Part of the subway scene, where the chav hangs around on his own.

Part of the intro for the video, where our indie lead walks down the road in a happy manner.

The introduction of our lead character, the chav. He is introduced by pushing the indie lead out of shot.

The pub scene, where to chav tries to get served at a pub.

... and then he gets rejected.

Facebook status advertising the party. This shows us utilizing modern technology and social networking.

Another part of the subway scene. The chav is barged into by a tougher youth and fails to stand up for himself. Even includes a director cameo!

Video Clip - Shop Scene

Here is a video clip of the shop scene, with the song audio in.

CD Front and Back

Here is our CD front and back cover:

Next Shoot

Our second shoot will be completed in the Christmas holiday. We will take our band, actors and instruments to Luke's house and film the performance side of the video, and also the extra parts of the narrative, such as the scene where the chav gets rejected from the party.

First Shoot - photos and round-up

We completed our first shoot of the music video on the 7th of December. We filmed most of the narrative sequence of the video, including the intro, shop, bathroom and Facebook sequences. We also included new scenes of our main character, the chav, hanging around a subway and trying to get served at a pub. Elliot assumed full direction of the video while Luke assisted and sorted out costumes.

This is how we set the camera up in the shop scene. We put the camera on the tripod and attached it to the dolly, which gave us smooth tracking shots, which is shown in the shots where the chav is walking down the aisle of the shop, stealing products.

The costume for our main actor, Tom.We dressed him in a typical "chav" outfit of tracksuit bottoms, windbreaker, dirty shoes and flat peak cap. We dressed him like this so he would fit with the audience expectations of a typical British figure. He will also stand out with the rest of the band/characters in the video.

Our other actor, Sean, is dressed the complete opposite to Tom. Sean is dressed in a clean, smart "indie" outfit, which fits with the genre expectations and is recogniseable with the target audience. He wears a denim shirt, chinos, a smart jacket and his hair is quiffed.

The petrol station which we filmed the shop scene in. We thought this location was ideal due to it's wide aisles and urban setting. We asked the owner for permission, and they gave it us as long as they were not in it. Luke played the part of the "shopkeeper" who chases the chav out.

The pub/bar where we filmed the "ID" sequence. We asked permission to go behind the bar and film. Despite the fact that this section of the pub was closed, we did not get permission to use the bar and instead had to improvise with a POV shot. I actually think the POV shot works better than if we had used an actor behind the bar.

This is the subway we used for cutaways. We thought this place had a real urban, gritty feel, and that it would be perfect for some extra shots. We filmed our actor performing various actions here, such as smoking, dancing to himself, and being barged around by a tougher youth and not standing up for himself. We thought this scene would be funny, as our target audience would enjoy seeing this cocky no-hoper being brought back to earth by a "hard" individual.

Website Components - Tour Dates

To make our website seem more like it is for a proper band, we have added a list of tour dates that our band will go on. Including real locations and venues, and showing certain locations as sold out, this looks realistic and like a proper band. We have also added the Ticketmaster logo so it looks like you can really order tickets for the bands live shows.

Website Components - Tweet Feed

Here is a component of our website, a "tweet feed". Here, all the latest tweets that our band's fictional twitter account, @TheSmithsband, have been tagged in. This shows us as a modern band utilizing social networking and new technology, and fits with our target audience's obsession with this technology.

Shooting Schedule

We will shoot the narrative side of the video this sunday, 4th of December. We are also nearing completion of the website and should be finished within the next lesson. We will take photos of our shoot to supplement the blog and provide evidence and information about our shoot.

Past Student Video Analysis

Student Music Video 1: This House Is A Circus

 This is a very impressive music video. It seamlessly combines a convincing performance and an interesting narrative, balancing them perfectly throughout the video. This is what I am hoping to achieve in my music video. I have taken inspiration from this video, such as the idea of combining the narrative and performance in the video. It also has a very interesting, unique concept behind it that makes it compelling to watch.

Student Music Video 2: Party In A Forest (Where's Laura?)

 This is an average music video. On the plus side, it does include a solid performance, if the syncing is a little off sometimes, and the location fits with the songs lyrics. However, the narrative side of the video is a bit of a mess. The narrative is not clear, and, without an explanation as to what is happening, makes no sense. It should be made clear that the guinea pigs at the end are meant to be wombats, thus fitting with the name of the  band. This is not made clear, neither is the fact that the lead singer and the female lead are meant to be these wombats. Again, the reason for this is not explained, and makes for a confusing video.

Website Header

Just finished editing and completing the header of our website, happy with the results. Incorporated social network hyperlinks what will allow users of the site to access all aspects of the bands internet presence.

Shooting

Our first official shoot date will be on Sunday 27th November. We will be filming the narrative part of the video, which includes the story of the chav, up until he sees the party on facebook. We will conclude the shooting sometime in the next couple of weeks when we film the performance/narrative conclusion part of the video. We will be posting photos and parts of the video to show our progress in filming.

Photoshoot Results

 This is the photo we are using for our back cover for the album, we will use a vintage hue to give this an 80's feel, fitting with our "retro" indie theme.

 This is the photo we will use for the main photo on the website, as it is large and shows all the members. This fits with the genre's conventions as it is set in an urban location and the band all look "moody" and grim. Turning the colour down on this photo may make it even more effective.

I personally like this photo a lot, I think this could possibly be the album cover if our original idea cannot be made in time. I really like the way that the focus is not on the band, but on the detritus on the floor. It is a very "indie" concept and so fits with the genre effectively.

Back Cover Finished

Just finished the back cover of our CD. We decided to use a picture of the band complimented by the signiture font. We also created a barcode to add realism to the CD cover.

Website Design - T-shirts

Merchandise is a big part of the modern music industry, and so I thought it would be a good idea for a band to sell merchandise, and advertise this on the website. These are our designs:

Past Student Website Analysis

This is a past student website for the indie band The Wombats. Overall it is a well made website, with a clear layout and bright colour scheme that fits with the sound and tone of the music. Another interesting idea is the use of band merchandise, which is a big part of modern music and an idea we could use on our website. The photo of the band is also well shot and well used on the website. However, the fonts used are quite dull and do not scream "fun indie band" at me.

This is a website for the Arctic Monkeys. It is a very well made website, with an interesting, original layout and a style that clearly fits with the "homemade" indie feel. The music video is clearly advertised, the text is well written, relevant and fits with the genre, and the logo is original and interesting. However, the two random black boxes spoil the website. Whether these boxes are there as a glitch or just accidental is not known,.

This website, for the metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon, is very poorly made and seems half-finished. There are only four items on the website: the band's actual logo, which is not allowed anyway, a description/biography of the band seemingly lifted from Wikipedia, a picture of the band's tour dates, again, taken from an existing website and clearly not the original work of the creator, and a seemingly random photo of a person. Whether this person is a member of the band or not is unclear, and makes the whole thing seem, quite frankly, laughable. A very poor website.