Meetings - Miss Miller

It is important to regularly meet with our group to discuss ideas to ensure that everyone is up to date with how everything is being produced. Satisfaction should be felt from each group member and the regularity of meetings means that ideas can further be elaborated on if necessary. It also means that each part of the music video is planned and developed efficiently, in as intricate detail as possible. To organise our time, we made a table to give ourselves a clear structure as to what will be planned and when. This ensured that each group member was aware of the agenda of the meetings and could prepare ideas in which to share with the group relevant to the part of the video that were to be discussed. 

Overall, our group worked well together from the way that each member made contributions of ideas to apply to the music video. We created a group chat to ensure that every group member was aware of the times and dates of the meetings and what was to be discussed within them. Because of this, every member attended each meeting so there was no time wasted by rearranging meeting times, which was helpful as it allowed us more time to work on the filming of the video for example. It also allowed members of the group to alert the others on days they perhaps couldn't do or would find difficult making, allowing the group plenty of time to compromise on another date within the dates in the table. Having all of the members in one chat also meant that any queries or questions that someone may have had could be sent to all members with the hope in that any member could help with a relevant and helpful reply. The first meeting was in-particular was important and beneficial because it was a very important decision that needed to be made - the artist and song that we were going to use. By discussing our ideas widely, we were able to ensure that every group member could have a say in the decision and put across personal ideas of their own. It was beneficial to keep a record of what was discussed at each meeting as it allowed us to reflect on what had previously been discussed and let us make note of our ideas in an organised way. 

Photo Shoot - Miss Georgiou

It is important to take pictures of the artist as they are used to help promote and market the artist and the material in which they create. The different ways in which an artist can come across can be helped by the way they are portrayed in a picture, for example, if they are looking down this could suggest insecurity and a lack of confidence. The images that are captured are used for the promotion of the artist through magazine/newspaper adverts, general single or album posters, albums, singles, digipaks or merchandise. Anything that the artist is mentioned on/in, images are most likely going to be included and so the pictures need to be taken in an effective way in order to seek the intended representation of the artist. A variety of different pictures of the artist is important to have as it demonstrates versatility, interest and adds a different mood, atmosphere or interpretation to them in an effective way. The audience can also witness the artist differently from the change of location or pose, for example.

I chose to take this particular image as I needed a conventional close up shot of my artist for my magazine advert. I wanted an image that would capture the audience's attention, engaging them into reading the advert and taking notice of the album that is being promoted. It is conventional due to the fact that it is a close up, but also the pose in which the artist is doing. They are looking down which demonstrates a lacking of confidence and a sense of insecurity that is often found in soul artists. The way in which they are also holding their coat up to slightly cover themselves demonstrates restriction and a feeling of wanted to cover themselves - which also supports the lacking of confidence in which they seem to face. I like the way that the image allows room for information to be placed without causing distraction from the main image itself. I feel that I could put the artist and album name at the top of the image, whilst leaving the other information on when the album is out, etc, at the bottom of the image. The way that the artist is not looking into the camera is what I think is most likely going to intrigue the audience as it makes the insecurity in which the artist infers, to be relatable to the audience. They are able to build a relationship with the artist from the empathetic connection that is created here. 

The next image in which I took was this one of the artist on stage, looking down. I wanted to show the artist in their 'natural setting' demonstrating the passion in which they are intended to have for the music they create and the industry itself. Having the artist 'dressed up' with a glamorous but classic red lip makeup look also compliments the black, white and red theme in which I intend to have across my products. I want to use this image for the back of my digipak, where the track list will be displayed. I think that I would place the names to the left of the image, on the curtain, whilst having the artist placed on the right hand side. This makes sure that the artist ca still be viewed, however, so can the song names. Using this for the back cover links the songs to the setting in which the artist is placed in as it is as it creates the connection between the songs and the way that they would be performed on stage. The pose is quite natural and still links into the conventional representation of the artist being insecure from the way they are not looking directly into the camera. As well as this, it is clear that they are also not looking into the audience either, which illustrates a further lacking of confidence but a sympathetic effect is created as a result which is a way that connects the audience with the artist and allows a relationship to be built.

I wanted to take a picture like this one as it displays the artist not looking at the camera and looking out into the 'open'. Soul artists tend to write songs on personal experiences that link to negative feelings in which they emotively express. By having a picture which shows them looking out, it almost creates the affect of longing for something better, or longing to feel better in themselves and the emotions in which they feel. It could infer to symbolise hope and want in reaching a place where the past is behind them and they are hopeful for what is to come. I thought this would be an effective image for the front cover of my digipak. This is because on a CD shelf, I think it would be attention grabbing and engaging as it is intriguing to find out what the artist is looking at, but still demonstrates them as being a typical soul artist in which they are. I like the use of a shallow focus on the artist as it ensures that attention is on them and that this is where the central point of focus is for the cover. I feel that if I change the background to something more simplistic, it would go more well with the simplistic theme featured throughout my work and promotion materials or the artist. 

I wanted to take a picture such as this one because the more rareness of a black telephone box, rather than the classic red one was quite intriguing and complimented the uniqueness of a typical soul artist.The artist, once again, appears to be looking away from the camera further demonstrating the feeling of insecurity within the representations of my artist. The way that the telephone box is black, as well as the artist's clothing, makes it seem as though no matter where the artist goes, the negative emotions of her past are still with her and affects what she comes near to. I like the more cold atmosphere it supplies and want to use this for one of the images featured in my digipak. It suggests that the artist is in London and therefore is conventional as it is a personal setting to the artist for it is supposed to act as somewhere close to them in relation to where they grew up. This helps build a relationship between the artist and the audience as they feel more familiar with the artist and retrieve more of an insight into the personal meaning of the photo to them.

I think finding the settings for the pictures in the photo shoot went quite well, mostly due to the fact the settings featured were fairly simplistic, apart from the ones in London. Finding good lighting was something I found quite difficult, as most of the images taken for my promoting materials were captured outside, meaning that the weather could affect the way in which the picture turned out. On a couple of occasions, pictures had to be retake in order to result in better and more intended looking pictures that would be more appropriate for what I wanted to use them for. Overall, I think that the way in which the artist is not looking directly into the camera for any of the images represents them in a typically conventional insecure way. This creates consistency throughout my promotion material for the artist as the feeling of insecurity and a relatable nature is clearly featured throughout. The audience appeal to this as they are able to feel empathetic towards the artist and build a relationship with them as a result. The way in which the artist has also been placed in a setting personal to them and many others for being a popular capital city - London, makes her also more relatable. Places seem to have different effects on people and can have a personal meaning to someone - likewise with our artist as it is her 'hometown'. This shows her for being relatable and genuine, likewise with any other audience member giving them someone to look up to and aspire to be like. It is also appealing being represented in this intended way as the audience are more likely going to want to buy al album off of someone who is genuine and passionate rather than someone who is in the industry for purely the fame and money, etc.

Individual Magazine Advert Analysis - Miss Georgiou

Magazine adverts can be very important in relation to the promotion of an artist's album/single. I have created an individual magazine album advert in order to seek attention from different media formats to ensure that the album has the recognition it deserves in order to become successful. By creating a magazine advert, it allows a further more mass audience to witness the advert and be aware of the artist's album release. This increases the sales of the artists album and also reaches out to intrigue and attract a different audience. 

There are many reasons as to why I have chosen to use particular aspects for my advert, mostly of which to ensure conventionality to the soul genre. Deciding how the elements of the advert are illustrated is important in attracting the target audience, as well as representing my artist in the appropriate and intended way.

There is a strong colour theme of black, white and red within my advert which not only complies with the genre of soul, but also connotes representations of my artist in which I want her to come across like. The black and white applied as a filter to the advert is very reflective and demonstrates how the artist is very reflective of the past. This gives the audience a glimpse as to what to find on the album and helps to infer how the songs included are based on her past and experiences that she has faced. Black and white, being very monotone in colour also releases a saddened atmosphere and represents the artist as a conventional soul artist for the content of the songs are based on negative experiences normally associated with love or heartbreak. The black and white helps to reinforce the fact that these experiences are in the past and that the negativity is also in the past with the experiences. I adapted this editing feature by altering the contrast by 70% and brightening the filter by 10%, meaning that the artist's features are more prominent and visible, ensuring she is the main focus when first laying eyes on the advert. There are red aspects within the advert which connote love and passion - illustrating the artist in a way that makes the audience appreciate their efforts in delivering material that is passionate and relatable. This is an attractive quality to an audience as they feel as if the artist is just a normal person like them, who goes through the same or similar experiences to any other person. Red lipstick worn by the artist in my advert is a classic look and is conventional to the genre of soul. It could also arguably suggest maturity and a more 'grown up' look that makes the artist appear more sophisticated. By using the colour on the lips whilst the rest of the image is black and white allows for a link to be created between the image and the text within the advert as there are other red aspects within that are not part of the image. I used a second layer on top of the image for the black and white filter and so used the rubber tool to erase the lips to demonstrate them being the only red feature in the image. I then enhanced the colouring of the red lips by changing the saturation to have a red tint. I did this so that all the red aspects would match to the same colour red, to coordinate together successfully. Having this red theme could also show how the artist has many stories to tell and experiences to share with the audience i relation to love and passion in particular. The red colouring being in contrast to the black and white, is used in my magazine advert to highlight and emphasise particular information within. For example, the artist's name is in white which connotes innocence and purity in relation to the artist, but next to the name is the album name '18' which is in red. This clearly indicates a separation between the artist's name and album name but also shows how the content within the album relates to the connotations of red such as love, passion and maybe even anger in some cases. Also having 'number 1' and 'Hometown Glory' in red helps to emphasise that these are important points to recognise within the advert. The last text that is on the advert is 'Out Now' which is also emphasised through the way it is coloured predominantly red with a white shadow (likewise with the album name). Being the last part of the advert that the audience would read, it needs to be memorable. By colouring it red, it highlights its importance and aids to linger the fact that the album is 'Out Now' for the audience to go and buy and ensures that they are more likely to go out and purchase it. The simplicity of the colouring also conforms to the soul genre as it doesn't distract attention away from the artist or from the information that is displayed within the advert. 

I have made important decisions within my advert to ensure that it conforms to the genre of soul in the most accurate way possible. For example, the image in which I have used is conventional to the soul genre as the artist isn't looking directly into the camera. This represents the artist as having insecurity within herself and a lack of confidence is also illustrated. This is conventional because soul artists tend to be less extravagant as opposed to artists from other genres such as pop. They tend to be less flashy and see themselves as more 'in the background' of the industry, however manage to achieve success due to this quality. Many people go through insecurity and a lacking of confidence including most, if not all of the target audience. This makes Amy more relatable to the audience and they can empathise with the way that she is being represented, also reassuring themselves that not just 'normal', less famous people that go through feelings such as this one, consequently making them feel better about their situation and feelings. Soul artists often write songs based on personal experiences that are very reflective of negative times in their life, making them emotive, but relatable. Having a close up image is symbolised the way that the artist is willing to be exposed in a motive to demonstrate their true emotions through the content of their material. The artist appears more genuine in this light and the close up nature of the image makes the content more personal to the audience. Having a close up means that the artist is willing to accept the flaws that they may have and/or feels that they want tot he artist to be more familiar with them. The black and white nature of the advert is a further convention that also helps to convey this exposed, relatable type of representation that is more explained in reference to the colours in which I have used for my advert. Typically conventional of the soul genre is having a simplistic advert, holding a limited amount of information within the content. The target audience for our artist, Amy, doesn't exceed the age of 35 - making the majority being the young generation. Younger people tend to be more lazy than older in relation to reading any sort of elaborated text. If something is more simpler, they are more likely to wait and read it as they know it won't take long and that they are able to remember it. Therefore, by having a simplistic advert not only complies with soul genre conventions, but also attracts the target audience in a way that will make people recognise and take notice of the advert more closely, ensuring the audience only acknowledge the information relevant to what they need such as when the album is out and what track my be featured on it.

The layout and design of my advert isn't complex, which matches the simplicity and chilled vibe of the advert. I have the image central so that the artist is the first thing that catches the eye of the audience and initially attracts them to the advert. This intrigues them into stopping and looking at the advert, taking care to read what is within. The first thing that the audience will read on the advert is the artist's name and then the album name which are placed next to each other at the top of the advert. This is where naturally we tend to look first and so this instantly familiarises the audience with who the advert is for and what it is promoting. The artist name and album, 'A M Y 18' does not however cause a distraction from the image of the artist as it doesn't interfere with the main focus of the image and only crosses over the artist's head. I have chosen to place the lasting information at the bottom such as the star rating reviews and what the album features on it. This acts as a way to intrigue the audience and promote the album in a attractive and successful way, also working like a climax to the 'OUT NOW' text featured as the very last thing on the advert. Making this central and at the bottom of the advert ensures that this is the last thing that will be read by the audience, meaning it is more likely to linger on their mind and leaves them reminded of the release of the album and the fact that they can get it now. This helps to make people more aware of the album and is more likely going to aid in increasing the number of purchases the album succeeds.

I have used different typography for different parts of the advert. For example, I have used a simple but classic style font of 'Times New Roman' for the artist's name, album name and 'OUT NOW'. This creates a link between the three aspects of the video, sending out the message that the album '18' by 'Amy' is in fact 'out now'. It also represents the artist in a way that makes them seem not too overcomplicated and complex, as well as the less extravagant appearance that they seem to have. The font is simple but leaves room for interpretation of the artist and so allows the audience to get the feeling of wanting to find out more on the artist as not much is given away. Then, by purchasing the album, they are able to learn more about the artist and the experiences that they have been through. For the mention of 'Hometown Glory' being included on the album, I have made this a different font ('Gadget') to create distinction and separation from the rest of the line in order to create emphasis on the name of the song. The advert describes the song for being the artist's 'number 1 debut single'  (which also stands out in the text from being coloured red, but uses the same font of 'Univers Condensed' as the sentence) and so by emphasising the song name, it creates familiarity with the audience. They are more likely to acknowledge and recognise the song, associating the success with the album and therefore making them want to purchase it. By promoting the album in a way that associates it with something already successful, ensures more sales as the audience believe that the album is likely to be successful too. This is attracting to the audience as it also creates interest within the advert, preventing it from being too simplistic to the extent where it is uninteresting an boring to look at/read. This general simplistic use of typography however, is conventional to the genre of soul as the artist is more elaborative and innovative which is demonstrated through their material, rather than their marketing. The audience feel more engaged and intrigued to find out who and what they are as an artist, seeking what uniqueness they provide to the industry. 

The language used throughout the advert is short and simplistic to match this simplistic soul genre style. For example, by keeping the reviews to uncommented ones, but as star ratings, this still proves the album to be successful and attracting to the audience however, doesn't mean that they have to read a lengthy review in order to find this. The star rating is a good way to create this effect as it allows for a visual and quick idea of how good the album is meant to be, especially when the ratings are from well known media sources, such as 'The Daily Telegraph' and 'Billboard' who are featured in my advert. This promotes the artist in an effective way as it shows it to be successful, consequently making it more attractive to the target audience, making them want to purchase the album.

When using photoshop I found it difficult at first to try and make the image black and white but change the colour of the lips to stay in colour. However, once changing around the layers and using the rubber tool, I found that I could complete the effect that I wanted to create. By zooming in on the image and also changing my brush size, I was able to rub out the black and white lips as accurately as possible, leaving a professional looking finish. The colour of the lips were slightly different to the colour of the red font features throughout. I wanted to ensure that all the reds were at a similar shade to improve the consistency within the advert and so I experimented with different colouring of the saturation, brightness and contrast in order to try and make the lip colour as close to the font colour as possible. Once exploring the different colour editing options available, I found a colour that coordinated with the font to an extent that I was satisfied with. I liked experimenting with the different fonts within Photoshop and the effects in which you can add to them. For example, on the artist's name and album name I added a black-based outer glow which made the name more evident and eye-catching within the advert. It gives the illusion that the text is slightly more forward in the advert, creating the same effect as a highlight would. This is important as it is the main promoting text that is features on the advert. 

I feel like the simplicity of my advert means that it conforms to the soul genre - the genre in which my artist is from. The room for interpretation of the artist is something that can be taken from a simple advert and allows personal interpretation from the audience. The audience also feel the need to find out more about the artist and the type of material in which they create, with the different experiences that they have faced. The representation of the artist as having a lack of self confidence and insecurity is also extremely conventional to the genre of soul as it links to the relatable nature of soul artists and also the negative feelings of which they base most of their material on. I therefore believe that this magazine album advert appeals to the target audience as the simplicity means that they are able to remember key information about the advert. In addition, they can feel empathetic towards the artist as they sing about experiences that audiences members would have likely been through such as heartbreak and insecurity. 

Risk Assessment - Miss Miller

The purpose of having a risk assessment allows for the possible risks to be outlined and discussed within the group. Once we recognise and discuss the possible risks that may occur during the production of our music video, we are able to manage the risks and ensure that there is as low chance as possible for them occurring. By making sure that the risks are low, it makes our production a lot more safe and quicker to film and edit. By creating a risk assessment table, it also helps to highlight the alternative options from filming in a particular setting or at a particular time, etc so if there is a change in filming day, for example, we know to make sure it is not a repeat of the original filming day. It's important to consider the risks before filming as it helps us to prepare for the aspects that need to be put in place in aid of eliminating the risks that may arise.

We followed the risk assessment as best as possible to eliminate any possible risks created during our production process. The risk assessment allowed us to prepare for our filming which made it better for us in terms of risks, as they have happened to shrink and now only are at a minority of risks. The risk of the wires on stage was one that we did find and had to ensure that because the artist was wearing heels, the wires had to be clearly visible in order to prevent the risk of a fall. This was an issue in the scene that we did not consider before, however made us realise how important it is to counter to each person who is in and working on the scene. By following the risk assessment, we found that there were no further possible risks that occurred when we were filming. Therefore, we did not have to work around our filming in order to eliminate the risks because there were no further risks in which we identified. The risk assessment holds an important role as it ensures that the risks are limited for filming and outlines any preparation that needs to be put in place before filming to prevent these risks from occurring. It also meant that we could recognise risks that we may not have thought to be of an issue beforehand and ensured that we were extra careful during the scenes where these particular risks were present. By breaking down each of the risks through detailing the columns that they fell to, it meant that each risk could be thoroughly analysed. For example, the 'impact' column helped us to recognise the most dangerous risk within filming, allowing us to be extra cautious when it came to attempting to prevent the risk from occurring. The 'risk management' and 'backup plan' columns helped us to prepare for a quick and known capability for if the risk became an issue. By preparing for possible outcomes of the risk and planning an instructive reaction, it meant that if the risk were to happen, it would be dealt with in the most efficient way with less impact caused as possible. This is very important to have this preparation in place because it not only limits the risk to people but also the surroundings that could be affected. 

Music Video Inspirations - Miss Miller

It is important to take inspiration from other music videos as it helps for your own video to be successful. This is because it helps to take parts from other videos that would have helped the video previously reached success which could then be reflected in my music video. There are many music videos that I have watched in which I have taken inspiration from due to the effective uses of the aspects within them. There are five videos that have in particular caught my attention and that I believe have inspired me for my video. 

The first is Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black':

The use of the micro element, editing is used in a particularly effective way. The use of a black and white filter in the editing creates an intended atmosphere and mood for the video. The black in the filter could connote depression and sadness whereas the whiteness of the filter could signify innocence and purity. This represents the artist as being innocent and pure, however, because of the addiction that Amy had, the black could signify her going to a 'dark place' as a result which would diminish the innocence and purity in which she once had. 'Black' also refers to heroine which Amy was openly addicted to and so reinforces this idea of her addiction having a negative effect on her. The video is based around a funeral and so, creating a sombre, dull tone on the video is appropriate as it matches the emotion that is portrayed throughout through the narrative. It also reflects the topic of the song which is personal and dark in the way that she is singing about a situation that she had got herself into that has affected her personally and negatively. The black and white filter can also be seen as representing the past, as older filming are associated with black and white monotone colouring. This is how we are thinking to use it in our video as we want to show part of the artist's past and in a negative way. This contribution of the black and white filter will help to reinforce the emotion portrayed here which is very conventional to the genre of soul, engaging the audience in the genuine emotions of the artist and so this is why I think it will play an effective part in our video. 

The second video in which I have taken inspiration from is 'Boyfriend' by Justin Bieber:

The artist is represented in this music video as being multi-talented and confident with performing. We are thinking of having a performance, as well as narrative style music video and so, by representing the artist in the same way as Justin is, it not only fits with our chosen styles, but puts a spin on relation to being conventional to the soul genre. Most soul artists tend not to be shown in this extraordinary light by playing an instrument, as this is more related to indie genre conventions. Soul artists want to be shown as ordinary in aid of being more relatable to their audience. However, we want to demonstrate passion within our video and to demonstrate our artist's contribution to the industry. By making them appear more talented, it makes them seem more dedicated to music and more passionate for something they love. Emotion can also be retrieved more easily in some cases as, the artist uses expression through playing as well as the complimenting facial expressions that she uses. Justin uses it in his video to show a different side to him -  maybe not only a more talented one, but also more sensitive as he tends to display more emotion when he is playing the guitar in the video. This is what we intend to show in our video as soul artists often expose themselves in reference to emotions and so, by an aspect that emphasises this, it also strengthens how conventional the artist is to the soul genre as it subtly demonstrates 'another side' to the artist. This means that the audience could feel more appreciative to the artist as they are sharing another side to them, with another reason as to why they are so dedicated to the industry and passionate in the music they create. Having them playing an instrument in our music video will also make their material seem more personal as it gives the impression that they have composed the music themselves - not just the lyrics, but also the accompaniment. Audiences praise this as this further illustrates extensive talent. 

Furthermore, my third inspiration is from Sam Smith's video for 'I'm Not The Only One':

The way in which the video follows a narrative and performance style structure is something that has inspired my music video and its style. We are thinking of having a mainly performance style video with incorporating narrative sections within to add interest and support the demands of the audience from my primary research carried out through questionnaires. The most popular styles for a soul genre music video were performance and narrative, and so by using these styles interweaving within my video, it satisfies my audience. This particular video from Sam Smith is more prominently narrative based, however I liked the use of performance in this video as I thought it demonstrated the genre of soul clearly and conventionally. I speak of this in relation to the way in which the artist uses a stage with a typical red curtain background to display this clearly. This is conventional to the soul genre as it demonstrates a genuine performance of  the artist performing to their audience. This helps to display the artist in an emotional and expressive way, which I think would be effective in our music video - especially as the soul artists sing about a personal experience. As well as this, it makes the video seem more professional and connects the artist with the audience more easily as it is as if the audience are watching the artist perform to them - making it more personal and direct. It allows he audience to witness the artist in two ways, one in their natural setting of performing, whilst also being included within a narrative. This is conventional as the content of soul genre artist's material is based around stories and experiences in which they are sharing emotively. By having a narrative within our music video, it will explain the story, whilst the performance scenes will portray the emotions that the artist links with the stories - which makes them a perfect combination of styles for this genre.

I was also inspired by Adele's 'Chasing Pavements':

For the editing of the video, the use of the slow timing of shots was an aspect that seemed very effective, as well as being conventional to the soul genre. I liked the way in which it emphasised Adele's movements throughout this video as it helped connect the audience to the artist in a more effective way. By emphasising and slowing the movements of the artist down, it allows for the intricate detail to be more noticeable. With this in mind, the audience can be more familiar with the artist as this gives them a more detailed view that they would likely not be able to see of them elsewhere, for example, in real life. This also exposes their emotions a lot more because the slow nature of the editing makes the artist's movements more noticeable. Because of the soul genre of the artist in which we are thinking of having, exposing emotions is important as the topics of their material are based around personal experiences and interpretations of the artist. By using slow timing of shots, it helps to also reflect other deeper ideas such as the way in which the artist feels that their life is progressing. Therefore, we can use this editing technique for more than just a literal and obvious effect. The audience also feel more attentive to the scene and what is being portrayed, meaning that they are more likely to absorb the emotion that is being conveyed by the artist in our video. This makes them more likely to be relatable and a better chance of the audience building a relationship with them,

Another inspiration in which I have taken is from Paloma Faith's 'Picking Up The Pieces':

The mise-en-scene used within this video was very much inspiring, especially in reference to the costume, hair and makeup. The artist wears red lipstick in some of the scenes within this video which has many connotations and is conventional to the genre of soul.  For example, the red connotes love and passion which is something that is very appealing in an artist. The audience feel more appreciative for the passion in which they display as it shows dedication for their career and the material in which they produce for the industry. The boldness also reflects the uniqueness of their personality which is typical for a soul artist as they are seen as being different and more 'standing out' in the industry for their difference to any others in the industry. By demonstrating this in their music videos, it helps to reinforce this and makes audience feel more engaged into them and the material in which they produce. They are more appealing also because of this and so, the red lipstick helps to also display a different side to them. The lipstick not only demonstrates the artist in a classic and glamorous light. We will use this element within the makeup of mise-en-scene in our video to demonstrate the love and passion in which our artist will be shown to supply to the industry. This means that they will 

Three artists in which we are considering for our my own production is Adele, Paloma Faith or Duffy. These are successful soul artists that have created songs which could be effective for us to use. I feel that these artists tend to express a lot of emotion that can be interpreted in different ways trough the visuals that can be produced in a music video. I feel that we can use the theories of Goodwin and Dyer to comply with the conventions of a typical music video and also to follow the generic conventions in order to create a successful and effective video. I will share this with my group by discussing what artists I think would be effective and why. I will also check whether other group members have considered the same or similar artists to me and then compromise an artist between us to find out what artist will be most favoured and successful for us to use.

Filming Schedule - Miss Miller

A filming schedule is important to have as it creates deadlines and ideas for when filming needs to be done and when particular shots need to be done. For example, we found that the stage is difficult to make use of because of the fact that it is set in a school and so it is in high demand for events such as assemblies. By having a schedule, it makes us prepare for the iconography, costume, hair, makeup etc in which we need for each shot that needs to be filmed. It also allows us to know who needs to be at particular filming times and who doesn't, as well as checking the availability of these group members to ensure that the shots will definitely get filmed. The time of day also needs to be considered, for example, we want to capture some London shots during the night, and so, with this in mind, it means we need to make sure we capture these shots at the right time to ensure that it is not too light outside but not too dark to the extent where you cannot see much of the scene and for the shots to appear grainy. In addition to these reasons, a filming schedule is important as it allows us to prepare for where we need to be, for example, as we are filming in London, we need to know where in-particular we want to film, for what time and for how long. By having the filming schedule, we are able to plan our journey beforehand to ensure that we don't waste valuable filming time and to ensure that the shots we capture are as close as we intend them to be as possible. If there are various shots in the same setting, we can note this in the filming schedule to ensure that all the shots from this setting are filmed in one day, instead of having to go back and fourth to the same setting and essentially wasting time. The filming schedule also means that we can consider what order to film in due to maybe the importance of the shots or the most easiest to film or which is most easily able to start editing. Therefore, a filming schedule is overall mostly important in order to prepare for filming and creating the most effective shots possible.

The filming schedule was mostly followed by during filming however, some changes and alterations had to be made due to particular unexpected reasons. For example, the hall was obviously used a lot during the school day and so we had to reschedule our filming plan due to the lack of the idealistic availability. We decided to change the filming day in which we did the stage performance shots due to the fact that we wanted as much time in the hall as possible to enable us to get the best shots and as close to what we intended as possible. Having more time allows us to focus more on the shots we would capture and also gave us time to set up the stage for example, removing any items that may have been on there from the previous use of it. This allowed us to ensure that our shots looked more professional and idealistic for the video in which we want to create. We decided to capture additional and altered shots during the stage performance in an attempt to hide any parts of the setting that doesn't need to be in shot and any glimpse that would make it appear unprofessional. This also created more variety as we resulted in retrieving a mix of different types of shot of which we could use for the same scene. Due to weather conditions, the shots in London were postponed, also when complimenting with the fact that it got too dark for filming at the time we wanted. The weather affected how quickly it became dark, so this caused us to make alterations in terms of our arrangements for filming. We had to therefore film these scenes later than intended, however, still managed to capture what we wanted. We did however follow the filming schedule for the music room scenes as we had time to sort out arrangements for it to be available for us to use. The role of a filming schedule is therefore important to an extent as it sets a guideline as to when to film and what needs to be present for filming also. Although, we did not completely follow the schedule, it still gave us a good idea of the shots we need to film and when the best time to film these are. 

Planning Individual Digipak - Miss Georgiou

A digipak has many important properties for their extra information that is included within, as opposed to a general jewel CD. It allows for more of a relationship between the audience and the artist to be created as the audience has more access to material from the artist. Digipak's offer a more exclusive product of the artist's for the audience to access, even making it a possible collector's item. The audience feel special and appreciated as they feel as if the artist has taken into account their feelings and the appreciation in which they feel for exclusive products and material accessible to them. Digipak's also are better in relation to quality as opposed to a jewel CD case as the content within such as the images are of more high definition and the packaging is also more sturdy and sustainable. The jewel CD has flimsy and easily damageable plastic casing which is very much in contrast to the hardware more strong packaging of the Digipak. The artist is more exposed in the Digipak as it contains content such as a personal message from the artist to the purchaser. With this included, it makes the audience/fan feel more directly approached by the reader and adds a personal touch to the product. This creates a better relationship between them as it makes the audience feel more engaged with the artist and as if they are more familiar with them and who they are. It also allows the personality to of the artist to seem through, as well as the appreciation and love in which they feel towards their fans. This is important for the fans to realise because they feel more appreciated and can understand the passion that the artist feels towards them and their career. I have researched other Digipak's such as Duffy's and have recognised different content within that makes it appealing to the audience. This is actually where my inspiration came from, especially due to the fact that Duffy's Digipak complied with the soul genre conventions - one of these being the black and white filter used. I will eventually be creating a Digipak on photoshop for our artist, however, this is my drawn plan. I have considered the different colours, layout, typography, language, etc when designing my Digipak, and have tried to make it as realistic as possible. Planning the Digipak is important because it allows me to visually illustrate my ideas and gives me an opportunity to see what looks appealing and what doesn't. Furthermore, time is saved as my ideas are generally all covered and only minor alterations may be needed when creating the actual Digipak. This gives me more time to work on the quality of the Digipak to ensure that it is how I want it to look. Considering the aspects of the Digipak during the planning will help to ensure that my Digipak is successful and effective as it means that each aspect has been thoroughly thought of, not carelessly rushed or thought of in an unorganised way.

Below is my design for my Digipak:

Certain elements have been used within my Digipak for various reasons, whether that be to comply with genre conventions or to comply with the typical features within a Digipak. For example, the colours I have used within my Digipak are simply and basic. A black and white filter has been applied through the whole six sides of my digipak, however, aspects od red scatter the product in particular sides. I have chosen to use a black and white filter for my Digipak as it was inspired by Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak and created a negative, reflective effect which I also wanted to create for my own. Whilst the black symbolises negative, sadness and depression, it is balanced out by the white which connotes innocence and purity. The artist is shown as being a mirror of the white colouring whereas her surrounding and the situations in to which she falls are more associated with the black colouring. More obviously, the black and white filter shows the reflection on the past as most past videos or general situations are set in black and white. This reinforces the personal experiences that the artist sings about as it emphasises the exposure that the artist is allowing for the audience to seek into the artist's past and life. By having elements of red within the Digipak when complimented with the black and white filter, creates interest within. It also emphasises the connotations of the colour red as it is most prominently noticed from its contrast to the black and white displayed. Red connotes love and passion which is reflective of the contents of the songs included within the album. It allows for some insight into the artist's material before the audience proceeds to buy the Digipak. They are able to acknowledge whether they would feel that they would like the style of this artist's work or whether it is something that may not fully satisfy them and their taste in music. Love and passion are very much theme conventions of the soul genre as they are personal to the artist and are expressed in a way that may expose them into a different light than what the audience would originally associate with the artist. The red is used to emphasise certain aspects of the Digipak for example, the first letter of the artist's name. This makes the name more noticeable, eye-catching and different to others in the industry. This specific colouring makes the audience more aware of how the artist is being represented as it makes them seem as if they have experienced a lot of situations that have allowed them to express themselves through music. This further makes them seem creative, but also very emotive which allows them to be more relatable in particular situations. This therefore appeals to the target audience as they feel as if the artist is just like them and reinforces the fact that they are just like a normal person and any audience member. This is also why the artist is aided to be promoted effectively, as the audience feel relatable and empathetic towards Amy as the content of her material may express how other audience members are feeling about the same or a similar situation. 

Soul genre conventions have been conformed within my Digipak as the black and white in which I have discussed is conventional to the soul genre, for its meaning for reflecting on the past as well as connoting negative feelings or atmospheres. A further convention is the way in which throughout the images that have been used the artist is not looking directly into the camera at any point. In some images such as the 6th side, the artist's face isn't visible at all within the image. This conventional idea reflects the artist's insecurity and allows their lack of confidence to be illustrated through this visual aspect of the Digipak. This also compliments the inferring of content within some songs for example, the idea of Amy looking away from the camera makes her seem insecure which, when in relation to love, could also further reflect paranoia. From one of the song titles on the album 'Rumour Has It' supports this idea, as it makes the artist seem as if they have heard something that may be untrue, however, their paranoia has convinced them that it is the truth to an extent that they want to express it. Insecurity is a feeling that is widely and commonly experienced and that includes most, if not all, the target audience. Therefore, the artist expresses something that is relatable and makes them again seem normal, like the audience member witnessing these images of Amy. This makes the artist more appealing as it promotes them in an effective, relatable way which results them into being quite inspiring to some audience members. This is from the way that she is represented as being such a normal and relatable person and so, she is made to seem extraordinary from the way that she has reached so much success in her career. The audience instantly feel as if she is someone to look up to, as although she has faced struggles along her journey to where she is, she has still made herself to be a successful and genuine artist in which she is. This therefore, builds a stronger relationship between the artist and the audience as they become more appreciative of the successes of the artist and their work. 

The images used within the Digipak have been designed  and chosen especially in order to create intended effects. For the front cover of the Digipak, I decided for a close up of the artist to be evident due to the fact I have found in research that a close up attracts the audience a lot more easily. In my primary research of carrying out a questionnaire in relation to the content within my music video, the participants favoured the including of close up shots. I thought that I would maintain this idea within my Digipak, as, although it is different to the music video, it is obviously still an aspect of cinematography that attracts the audience to the product. The audience can also familiarise themselves better with the artist as the close up enables the intricate detail to be exposed. This makes the audience feel more connected to the artist as they can also witness their emotions and expressions a lot more clearly and therefore percept the artist in a more accurate and intended way. As well as this, another image in which I have used is an alternative to a simple text of personal message from the artist. Although I have still included a personal message from the artist, I have displayed it in a more creative way in relation to the representation of the artist. I have done this by having the image display the artist holding the message to make it more personal as if they have just written the note directly for the fans. By holding it, it makes the message seem more genuine and raw, creating a more strengthened relationship with the audience. This makes the audience/fans feel more special and noticed by the artist which also is appealing to them as they feel that the artist has considered how they feel and is appreciative of the support in which they display. This personal touch is very conventional to the genre of soul as it is often mirrored within the content of the artist's work. The 6th side shows an image of the artist playing the piano which shows the artist in an extraordinary light. This could be unconventional to the genre of soul as they are usually seen as being ordinary and relatable to any other audience member, where artists playing musical instruments are more conventional to the indie genre rather than soul. However, in some soul music videos, the artist is seen as being talented as it gives them a unique persona and gives them more of an impressive perception for the audience. It also displays them in a way that the audience may not have realised existed for example, they may not have realised that our artist could play piano. This outlines them from other artists in the industry as it illustrates their further talent and dedication to the music industry, strengthening the passion in which they have. Their unique representation promotes them as an individual artist which is conventional to the genre of soul as they are shown as being different and quirky. This makes the artist more successful as well, due to the fact that they give the impression that all of their music is written by themselves which makes them more appealing to an audience. 

The layout/design of the Digipak has fully been considered as the Digipak has 6 sides for the artist to access. The first box shown inn my drawing is of the front cover - this is important for being effective and eye-catching as this is the initial siting that the audience will witness and attract them into buying the Digipak. I chose to use a close up image of the artist for the front cover with the album name in the background of the artist, however allowing it to still be visible. This adds a slight hint of creativity to be reflected onto the artist which is also shown through the material of their work. The second side of the digipak displays the back cover, showing the track list, the third side shows the CD design, the fourth side shows the personal message and the fifth and sixth side shows extra exclusive images. On the front cover of the Digipak, I have chosen to place the artist's name underneath the image to clearly show familiarity and a labelling. It being quite large also attracts the audience to the Digipak as it clearly labels the artist and what they are about. Positioning the artist to the left in the front cover rather than central, promotes the artist in a way that they feel they do not want to be the centre of attention. When in compliment with the fact that the artist is looking away from the camera, this demonstrates insecurity and a seeking to hide into the background. The positioning of the album name behind the artist makes it seem as if the album is exposing the artist as it is making it appear to be pushing the artist more towards the audience. Having the artist seem as if they don't want to be in the limelight makes them seem less arrogant than how some artists can easily come across as. This makes them appeal to the target audience as they come across in a more genuine way, illustrating how fame has not got to them and changed them in a negative way. 

The typography is demonstrated in a way that helps to make the Digipak successful and effective in relation to our artist and the soul genre specifically. The personal message will be shown in a handwritten type of don't which makes the note seem personal and genuinely written from the artist. The way it is also in a letter format makes it more direct to the audience/fans who have the Digipak and makes it seem as if the artist has taken time to dedicate themselves to the fans to show their appreciation. The handwritten font also makes it mirror the way that the artist writes their own songs and illustrates them in a creative light. The simple font of the artist allows for interpretation of the audience and creativity of the artist to be portrayed in different ways. This makes them be promoted in a versatile but classic way, which is very conventional to the soul genre. This also makes them appeal to the target audience as they expect a classic representation from the way the artist is from the soul genre. This is effective because although the artist is shown to be versatile and different, they are also shown as being familiar and relatable. 

The language contained in my Digipak is very simple, which is what also makes it very conventional to the soul genre. This is demonstrated in Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak which is an aspect in which I wanted to include in my Digipak, especially as the target audience is a young one. The younger generations tend to be lazy when it comes to reading large content and so, by having simple language it not only allows them for a better understanding but makes them more likely want to read the Digipak because they don't have to read lengthy content. The simplicity also adds to the way in that the audience are able to make their own perception of the artist. This makes it more personal and direct also as the simple language ensure that only the important and main, relevant information is exposed to the audience. This is conventional as the audience feel as if the artist care more for the audience and what they want.

I found this planning useful in relation to taking pictures for my Digipak as well as preparing for the use of Photoshop as it has outlined how I want my Digipak to roughly look. It will now save me time as I will be able to focus on making the Digipak look professional, rather than worrying about what I want included in each side as I have already decided on this. This planning has also allowed me to recognise what aspects are needed where, for example the colouring - black and white filter but to ensure that the red aspects are illustrated within the Digipak. The images in which I need have also been demonstrated to me through the use of this planning as it has given me more of an idea as to how I would like the artist to look and pose in the pictures for my Digipak. As well as this, it enables me to prepare for these pictures to be taken for example, I need to make sure for side number 4 I have the artist holding a blank piece of paper and for side number 6 that I have access to a piano. I have tried to create a relationship between all of my three products in order to demonstrate similarity between them. The link is created through the consistent use of colour reference to a black and white filter, complimented with red aspects including red lipstick. I found that not only does this ensure that the soul genre is featured strongly throughout my products, but also allows the mood and atmosphere of a depressed, insecure and reflective artist representation to be displayed. The audience can recognise this and also recognise other products from the artist as the consistency of the features such as the colour use means that they will begin to make links between what they have seen before. Moreover, this is appealing to the audience as it shows that the artist is not changing their style and are 'sticking to what they know'. We want our artist to be very stereotypical in relation to soul and so by complying with conventions such as this one throughout the products, it helps to reinforce this particular representation in which we intend to show. The way in which the images show the artist looking away rom the camera also demonstrates her in an insecure light. This is portrayed throughout my three products as the images consistently include the artist looking down or not directly at the camera. In the digipak, the artist's face isn't featured at all in one of the images - side number 6. This illustrates her lack of confidence of looking into the camera and so makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the artist but also makes her relatable, which is consistent throughout the products. 

Storyboards - Miss Miller

The purpose for having a storyboard enables organisation and structure for when it comes to film a production. By creating a storyboard for our music video, we are able to recognise which shots need to be filmed at what times, where and how. The way in which we have planned a storyboard ahead of filming means that it saves time and ensures we only capture shots that will be relevant, flowing and generally make sense when it comes to editing our video. As well as this, it also helps to outline the mise-en-scene featured throughout each shot, giving us time to prepare anything that may need to be accounted for in order to carry out the shots in a way in which we intend. Storyboards also aid to accord timing and allows us to recognise where to adjust shots to make them fit the timing of the song or enables us to acknowledge where particular shots need to take place - matching the lyrics and visuals, for example. Having this organised element as part of planning ensures that every shot is counted for, editing is outlined and mise-en-scene is considered. Not just for filming, when it comes to editing the video the storyboard is purposeful as it demonstrates what scenes need to have particular lighting for example, or effects such as filters. Additionally, it is an opportunity for all group members to combine ideas and have evidence of this, rather than just going off to film whatever a member feels would look effective. It ensures that the video can be planned and filmed as successfully and efficiently as possible as all group members are satisfied with the structure and know to raise an opinion on the choices made.

Primary and secondary research that I have carried out has helped to plan my music video and the storyboard in different ways through different aspects have inspired me. The answers retrieved from the questionnaire that was carried out as part of my primary research were considered when creating our storyboard. When carrying out this particular research, after knowing the genre and artist in which we wanted to make a video for, we wanted to retrieve more information on this basis from our target audience. The results showed how a narrative and performance style music video were favoured, and so by evenly integrating the narrative and performance scenes within the video, as reflected in our storyboard, this enables us to satisfy our target audience. It also more generally allows the styles portrayed in the video to be more evidential and by storyboarding this, it helps to distinguish how we could link both the different style scenes together. As well as this, if emotion needs to be illustrated on a certain lyric maybe a performance style shot could fit in whereas if there is a part of the song that suggests a story, a narrative style shot would fit better here. By taking note of this while storyboarding, it allows us to ensure that a consistent balance of the styles are maintained, as well as keeping the target audience satisfied. Slow timing of shots and filters were very much favoured editing styles of the audience that were questioned during the primary research. Evidently, the storyboard reflects use of slow timing of shots, for example at frame 1 to emphasise the movement and dramatic nature of the artist - also creating a climax to where she appears on stage. As well as this a black and white filter will be applied to particular shots such as the narrative scenes to reflect the past, for example frame 18 and 23. We chose to include these editing styles for effect but also to show consideration for the target audience and what they request to see in a soul genre music video which also enables us to strengthen the conventionality to the soul genre. The stage was the most popular chosen setting for a soul genre music video that was picked by our participants of the questionnaire. This setting is displayed in our storyboard as part of one of the performance style settings, where the artist is literally filmed on stage as if she was performing at a genuine concert. This idea seemed to be appealing to the audience as they feel it gives a more realistic and raw vibe where they feel they can connect with the artist more and easily. Secondary research inspiration was taken from all the soul genre music videos in which we had watched previously before creating the storyboard. For example, in Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black' the shots changed fairly quickly and frequently, however, the video still managed to maintain a flowing and soulful effect due to the use of editing. In this particular video, the pace is slowed by the slow timing of shots rather than the more contrasting frequent changes of shots. We have ensured to also incorporate the narrative and performance scenes together by interweaving and switching between one another - this was taken from inspiration from Paloma Faith's video for 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This'. We found this most effective when watching this music video as it allowed the audience to follow a narrative but at the same time as retrieving genuine and raw emotion from the artist that matches or contrasts the emotions portrayed by the artist in the performance scenes. In Gabrielle Aplin's 'Power Of Love' the artist plays the piano which demonstrates further talent and an unexpected one for the audience to recognise. Although this artist is not from the soul genre, we were still inspired as we found that it would look really effective in our own video to use as the minimal instrumentation that is used, meant that the artist could really make use of this and portray emotion in a particular way. This also enabled us to create interest within the performance scenes, preventing it from becoming disinteresting. By having two settings, it also shows how the artist can perform and express their emotion anywhere - which makes them seem more talented and appealing. We incorporated these shots throughout the video as we found that this also helped to link the performance scenes throughout. 

My group and I discussed the different ideas in which we had for the storyboard - from the basics of the simple ordering of shots, to the lighting and editing within each one. We managed to create a group storyboard by finalising the ideas in which we developed and inserted them in a particular way that we felt would be successful and flowing for the video. For example, we all favoured using a black and white filter, likewise with our audience, and so we included this editing style within allocated shots within the storyboard for effect. We chose to apply the filter to the scenes that are showing the artist in the past which is when she is with her friends. Lighting was another feature that was discussed within the group. We managed to agree that we would like high-key lighting on the positive scenes (narrative scenes) and low-key on the more negatively emotive scenes (performance scenes). An inspiration was taken from Ella as she suggested that using frequent appearances of close ups, that this would help the artist to express as much emotion as possible. For soul music videos, a lot of emotion needs to be portrayed in order to achieve audience engagement - a very important aspect and intention. Kane suggested that panning shots helped to reflect deeper connotations such as how the artist feels that their life is progressing. The smoothness and wide nature of a panning shot allows much of a setting to be shown which reflects how much the artist has going on in their life as it captures numerous different content material all within one shot. We were inspired by this idea and so have chosen to use panning shots of London and during the performance scenes as we found that this shot would most effectively be used at these parts in our video. As a group, we found the decisions we made quite difficult because we want to make the video as successful as possible, with a full audience understanding of the video and its narrative. By making a risky decision it could loose the audience's understanding and lack the emotion that is intended to be put across to the audience. 

In order to be fair and allow each interpretation of the audience member to be counted, we took it in turns to draw the pictures and label the headings for the storyboard as it allows each of us to visually show the idea that they had. However, the roles were generally allocated in the end to save time and act efficiently. Hannah and Kane drew most of the pictures for the storyboard whereas, myself and Ella wrote most of the labelling and details of the shot below each frame within the storyboard. The pictures are important as they help to visually portray how the shot is going to appear and allows us to match up to the camera when filming. The detail labelling of each shot is also important as it shows how the shots will look, for example what lighting it will have and what actors will be included within the scene. This saves tim when filming and editing because everything is planned and we know how to prepare for capturing each shot that is shown.

The storyboard is shown below:

The benefits overall of having a storyboard generally help to save time when it comes to filming. This way, we can be fully prepared for the shots in which we need to film and will help us to also be successful in them as it gives us a good idea as to what we want to capture. In addition, we are not only able to know the general details of each shot but we can visually see what type of shot in which we want to create. Therefore, when it comes to filming, instead of having to read all the information about the shot, to save time, by visually seeing what the shot generally looks like, we can just capture what we witness on each frame within the storyboard. When filming, the storyboard wasn't followed 100% due to the fact that some shots were difficult to achieve effectively. For example, in the shots of the artist walking out of the telephone box, it was difficult for us to capture a high angle shot due to the surroundings. It could have also put a group member at risk whilst trying to capture it and so this was replaced with a mid shot as we still found that this showed how the artist exited the telephone box. Furthermore, we found that the shopping centre setting was too unprofessional as many members of the public tended to be open to waving in the camera. We cut this setting out but still carried out the hometown Theydon Bois setting shots that are noted in our storyboard. At frame 23, we put in the storyboard that we wanted a long shot of the artist up against the greenery background, however, when it came to filming, we found that this shot wasn't exactly flowing and as effective when placed within the other shots. We decided to just use a panning shot of the artist and then a close up as we found this more effective. Storyboarding our ideas helped filming as it saved time and allowed us to recognise what we needed to get prepared before filming particular shots. For example, we needed to ensure that we had a microphone for iconography for some performance scenes.