Hi and welcome to my blog where you can see the research, planning and pre-production work of a new music video for Daft Punk's Around The World. You can also find on here sample footage, rough cuts, behind the scenes and other vodcasts, weekly podcasts, and ongoing reflection on the process. Please use the links list provided to quickly find what you looking for!

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Welcome to My Blog

Hello, this is a blog that contains all of the research and planning, as well as final versions, for the making of our music video for Daft Punk's Around the World. As well as the video, you will find everything that has gone into the production of our magazine ads and digipak. Links lists and a search function have been provided at the side of the blog for easy navigation.

Enjoy the blog,
Andy.

Saturday 4 May 2013

Final Cut

Here is the final cut of our music video for Daft Punk's 'Around the World'.

Final Magazine Adverts

Main Magazine Advert

Teaser Magazine Advert

WL - Final Digipak Design

Here is the final design for the digipak incorporating photos from the viral campaign. I used a combination of After Effects and Photoshop to finish the digipak with various tools and effects from each program which have been detailed earlier in my blog. You can also find previous drafts on my blog including a layout and the original concept design.



Evaluation Question 1

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



Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
  • It is unusual for one company to produce all 3 media texts as we have. Will usually be produced by 3 different companies.
  • A company to design and produce the packaging (e.g. Wewow); a company to design the magazine ad (e.g. Project 11); a company to produce the music video (e.g. Epik Music Videos) etc.
  • Target audience:
    • Core: 15-24 – most common audience for electro house genre; clubs and festivals most common audience 18-24.
    • Secondary: Tweenage (aspirational) & 25-40+ (original audience).
  • While products were primarily targeted at core audience, secondary audience was also considered e.g. no reference to drinking, drug taking or sex at any point – vid could be played pre-watershed.
  • Age of actors/characters reflect core audience.
  • Distribution of digipak would be online, such as on Amazon and Play.com, to reflect the buying habits of modern, younger audience.
  • Also in stores to be more accessible to an older audience as well as younger audience.
  • Music vid would be exhibited both on YouTube on the Daft Punk Vevo channel and music video channels such as MTV. This would allow it to reach a large audience.
  •  Mag ad would be placed in magazines appealing to core target audience such as Mixmag. http://issuu.com/mixmagfashion/docs/mm_mediapack_2012_03/10.
  • We used social media sites Facebook at Twitter to connect with our audience, sharing our development of products and asking for feedback.
  • We used this audience feedback to check that our audience liked our media products and thought that they worked together well.
  • Products linked by viral ad campaign – used QR code

Combination of Texts

  • Same 'Daft Font' used between magazine ad and digipak
  • All three products linked by our viral ad campaign – a QR code was used on the magazine ad that linked to the competition page and Photoshopped images of our magazine ad in different countries were included in the music video and on the digipak
  • The traveller (main character) in the video was represented on the magazine ad
  • Screenshots of 'Daft Punk' performing from in our video are featured on the front and inside panel of the digipak
  • There is a similar colour scheme between the magazine ad and the digipak, as they both incorporate 'earthy' colours along with a dark element to contrast
  • The magazine ads purpose is to sell the digipak (as well as the tour), so the digipak is clearly promoted on the magazine ad

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Evaluation Question 4

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

Blogger
  • Track our progress.
  • Share all of our videos.
  • Post video shoot updates.
  • Post podcasts.
  • Post vodcasts.
  • Show our research into existing ancillary texts, the genre and the act.
  • Links lists.
  • RSS feeds from other websites.
  • Hyperlinks within the text to external related links.
  • Image captions.
  • Embedding files.
YouTube
  • Post rough cuts and final cut.
  • Post vodcasts.
  • Used for Evaluation Question 1.
  • Annotations tool.
  • Thumbs Up/Down (used for audience feedback).
  • Comments (used for audience feedback).
  • View other music videos to study conventions.
  • Allows people to subscribe to us and us to subscribe to channels of interest.
  • View count.
  • Had individual YouTube channels and a company channel.
Twitter
  • Follow Daft Punk and related 'tweeters'.
  • Tweet our rough cuts and questionnaires for audience feedback.
Facebook
  • Share rough cuts and final music video to allow friends to comment on the video with suggestions and comments.
  • Communication with group members using Facebook Chat and Messaging.
Skype
  • Used to communicate with group to organise dates and share research and planning.
HD Cameras
  • Previously used mini-DV SD cameras but HD cameras offer many benefits.
  • Uploads to Final Cut Pro X faster as SD cards are used.
  • Respond better to light.
  • Better at filming moving footage.
  • Much better picture quality.
  • Footage is already split up when uploaded.
Final Cut Pro X
  • Used to edit our music video.
  • Previously used iMovie and Final Cut Express but Final Cut Pro X offers many benefits.
  • Automatically renders.
  • Lots of tools and presets to help us achieve our desired effect.
GarageBand
  • Used to record podcasts.
VideoBooth
  • Used to record vodcasts with the built in iSight function.
DivShare
  • Used to upload podcasts.
  • Able to embed the podcasts to post on Blogger.
Scribd
  • Used to embed word documents such as our treatment.
Adobe After Effects
Photoshop Elements 6
  • Used to create the digipak.
Photoshop CS6
Prezi
  • Used to create an interactive and interesting powerpoint presentation, used in Evaluation Question  3.

This extensive combination of new media technologies were all essential to creating what we have now. In the past, it would have been very difficult to produce and share what we did, but with O'Reilly's Web 2.0 our role as a passive consumer has changed to being an active producer. Technologies such as Blogger, YouTube and Facebook have played a vital role in the distribution of our products and have helped us to receive feedback and responses to our media products.

Friday 3 May 2013

TC - Daft Punk Final Cut Feedback

After screening our music video to a group of 25 male and female pupils aged 14 to 15 I gathered some responses and feedback and comments about the overall video and specific scenes/element.

  • 75% of a class would have been encouraged to buy track after watching the video
  • Different reading were to be expected but many of the group gave our preferred reading of, tickets being handed out for a gig or concert then showing the gig at the end.
We asked for some positive and negative point:

Positive: costume for the traveller was effective in setting him apart, The visual effects used really fitted the music video e.g the colour altering. Bike sequence was good the rewinding and jump cuts, not overusing the changing colour and effects. Layers, reflection shot, biker tricks was all good, tapping opening sequence and Live performance footage.Changing clothes was good but could have been improved if it were in another shop in charity shop.

Negative: Skateboard sequence didn't fit should have been filmed in a more open space, Bike sequence was confusing it was very fast.

Age appeal: Track choice was good, Skateboarding didn't fit or appeal to this age range, The SPFX were 'current' and appealed to us, the use of the car and public transport.


We asked about individual scene....

Charity shop scene 25 to 30% thought is was a good scene and fitted, a similare percentage were neutral in response and the remainder of the group disliked it.