Completing my Album Cover

 

Here is the first mock up i have created on photoshop, it includes my choosen photograph of Grace in a woods, with her foot perched on a tree and her looking fiesty and rebellious with her statement look and her arm leaned down so her piercings and body is on show and she looks confident and her body language shows that she is fully open and looks fierce and effective. I have added the font, which is bold Cooper STD, and i think the font being bold reflects her personality and also stands out, its quite a fun pop art like font and is clearly visible on top of the photo and i have kept it consistent as 'Gra e' is also in the same font. I plan to take a photo of Graces lip and replace the 'C' with her pout, i think this will be effective and different and will give her a trademark feel to her name and will show on her albums and whenever she is mentioned, i have also made a 'Parental Advisory' symbol

 

 

 

Here is my finished CD cover, im very happy with the outcome and i think it looks professional yet fiesty. It shows her electic side with the 'parental advisory' symbol i made, but edgy with the funky pop art like font and her own lips replacing the 'C' in her name. I believe this looks unique and recognisable and relates to her image and attuitude, (like Rihanna). I need to see what my target audience thinks of it and want to get there opinion so my next step is to show it to them and get some feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first draft of my CD that i have created, on photoshop i cropped and moved the photo in a certain way so her piercing above her lip is on show and her teeth and bared and looking fierce. This connotes with her edgy style as her chain is also on show and the wired fence is the background and that relates to the consistency throughout as its in my actual music video. I believe this image fully supports her edgy style and will look fully professional when my album is all put together. I will also show this to a group of girls that would be in my target audience to get there opinions and views on how i can improve it and what is good about it.

 

 

Collecting Some more feedback and some Final Decision Making

Here are some emails from some of my peers and also my target audience, i asked for some positive feedback and some improvements i can make to enhance my music video and improve it further and fix any problems or faults that are still not working. From these emails, it shows i need to fix my lip syncing and make sure its completley in sync and not lacking or out of time. All 3 emails say how they like the clothing choices, the locations and the transitions which is very nice to hear and makes me feel confident about the transistions i have recently choosen.

 

I have been having second thoughts about the image i was going to use for my CD digipak and my advertisment. After browsing through some of the photos i previously edited i came across this image and realised the amount of potential it holds. I asked some fellow students in my class about there opinions of the photo and asked them a word that sprung to mind when they saw it. Edgy, Rebilious, Fiesty, Angry, Cool were all words that they used to describe the image and its exactly how Grace my artist should be portrayed, and is how i want my target audience to look at her.
The forest background connotes with the music video as it has that 'wild, natural' feel to it and im going to fade around her and make it less noticiable but still visible of her whereabouts, her grunge boots and big chain portray her 'edgy' image well in this photo and i think its very appealing to use for my anciliary tasks.
I want to place her name with a trademark kiss (lips) replacing the 'C' in her name and angle it so it looks like she is above it and her foot is placed just over it. And i will put the name of the album ' pour it up' above her so it shows the album name straight away and feels as if the album is actually in the edgy forest aswell.

 

This is the image i have choosen to have in place underneath where the actual album disk will be. I want to zoom in slightly so its just her main facial features on the album with the chain in sight aswell. I think this will look effective as the actual CD will be on top of her face and when the CD is removed her fierce facial expression will be on show.

 

 

 

This is image i am going to use for the insert booklet inside the actual CD, i want to include a short message personally from Grace to give it a personal touch with her trademark lip mark in her name to keep it consistent and im not going to include the song lyrics, just like Rihanna doesnt, in Graces message i want her to include something cheeky to her consumers saying how they should know the lyrics and they shouldnt need the words printed there for them, this would also bring out her fiesty side.

 

 

For the back of my CD im going to have the wires that Grace is shown infront of and behind alot during the video and in photos i have taken. This keeps consistentacy throughout the ancilary tasks and my actual video which i feel is important. I am then going to have the other songs on the album listed on the wired fence and then have the parental advisory logo i made at the bottom with the label companys and the website to get her merchadise from. As Graces album will be explicit it feels neccesary to include my logo and it shows how fiesty she is and that shes that much of  a 'rebel' there will be swearing on some of her tracks.

 

 

 

 

Changing and Editing my video.

I collected more feedback from my target audience and took all comments into consideration. To improve my video i decided to add some transistions and animations and make them look more effective. I have also been editing and cutting clips to make the lip syncing as intact as possible as the majority of my negative feedback was about this issue. Many postive comments were about the clothing and scenery which was nice to hear and before i had a few comments about my artist poking her tongue out to much. Although this is a statement pose i wanted her to pull off, i took there comments into consideration and took out a few of the clips were she was poking her tongue out.

I have made my second draft of the video and am now going to post it onto youtube. After that i will upload and process it on to the correct software 'Premiere' and made some last final changes, and then after that my video should then be complete.

 

This shot shows me adding animations on to some of my clips. I carefully selected approriate animations that emphasis my video and make it look more appealing and interesting to watch.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6s8cleBPJ8&feature=youtu.be

 

Heres the link from my music video, this is the second time i have posted it on to youtube. With the changes made from my audience feedback. 

 

 

Here is my video that i have imported on to the premiere programme, this shows that i am still editing and using a seperate software to experiment and try out different effects and transistions.

 

Posting my video

After completing my first draft of my music video, i was finally able to post it onto youtube and gather some feedback from my target audience.

This shows that i have posted my video on youtube and anyone can view it and watch it.
This is my first draft and i now need to review my feedback and make certain changes.

I had both positive and negative feedback, and both types will help me build and make the changes i need to, to ensure that my music video reaches perfection.

I am going to scan various parts of my feedback onto my blog to show and evaulate how i have changed and edited different sections of my video according to what my target audience think. Most was very positive which i was happy to recieve and made me feel good and proud of what i have achieved. The even better if parts i was also pleased to recieve and intrigued to read as i wanted to know what i could do to make it even better and what would appeal to them being the age range i am basing my video around.

 

This screenshot shows me changing and trimming certain clips that arent lip syncing correctly and well enough to fit in with Rihanna's singing. I am still currently making changes to my video to fix my 'even better if' feedback from my target audience. I am going through and trimming certain clips and slowing them down so Graces lips fit in with the singing in the song. This was the main problem that my target audience all picked up on which was to alter the lip syncing to make it look more realistic. This is what i am now currently solving.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc72DGSY2pM

 

Here is a link to my first draft of my music video i have created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Video Coming Together

 

Here is a screenshot of my video clips i filmed. This slide shows how i am placing my clips together and is evidence of me fitting them so they run through smoothly. This also shows that i am taking the time to edit and cut them so the lip syncing fits and it sounds and looks the best it can be.

This shows me adding the music into my video, and placing it from the beginning to the end, so it fits in with my clips. This now means i will have to go back and make sure all the clips fit and the lip syncing still matches Rihannas in the song.

I have had some issues with trying to post my video on to youtube, i am showing my video to a class of younger girls to see what they think and hopefully get some feedback and ideas of how to improve and make it better. I am intrigued and excited to hear what they have to say and i will take all of them critism on board and be prepared to change certain elements of my video.

2nd take of clips from filming

These are clips from filming that i will possibly use and edit, i have shot these in different locations

 

Magazine Advertisment Mock Up

 

Here are some magazine advertisments that are advertising a product related to the artist. For Beyonce there is a provactive image of her with her cleavage out which could connote a sexual feel about the image and her holding onto a object that looks similaur to her perfume bottle. There is a quote above the bottle saying 'Feel the Power' this is describing the perfume in a positive way which would persuade the consumers to buy it. At the bottom is her name which states it is Beyonces perfume, it is important to include the name of the artist incase people may not recognise who the artist is.

 

The Jessie J advertisment is promoting her new CD, there is a list of what the album includes and it lists popular Jessie J hits. It has a recoginisable photo of Jessie J from when she first started making music, The colours all work together and relate to the idea of the album being 'Platinum Edition' with the silver above and Jessie J's name is big curly font.

 

 

Here is some print screens of me practising and playing around with the software. I am making myself familaur with the software and trying out different fonts. I want to make sure that my magazine advertisment looks as professional as possible and doesnt look tacky at all. This first layout doesnt work due to the big spaces, and the positioning of the photo.

 

 

 

Album Cover Mock Up

Mock Up Album Cover

 

Heres a mock up of my album cover which i created on Photoshop. The right square will be the fronto of my album which will include the Artist Name at the top so its the first thing consumers will see, i want to make the sure my artists name is big and bold and stands out above any other album covers. I will also have a shot of my artist on the front looking into the camera, i am yet to decide which photo i will choose. I also will create a name for my album like Rihanna has with hers like 'Rehab' and 'Good Girl Gone Bad'. This makes the album have a name, and promotes one of the songs from the album which is normally well known. Sometimes the album cover tells something about the artist or relates to a event that has happened recently.

 

Here are some copies of Rihannas Album covers, the first one has Rihanna's name clearly printed across the middle, where as the second one is a more recent so she is more well known so her full name is unessecary to print as most people recognise her as she has had nearly 10 years of being in the media limelight.

 

 

 

Here are some of my most sucessful shots and the ones that i like the most. My next challenge will be to look through them and edit them and then decide which one i want to use for my album cover. It may come to the point where i have to use more then one depending on how the design of my cover turns out. I feel confident and i am glad that i took a wide range of shots with different locations as now i have a wide variety to choose from and i can try different photos out. As you can see from the above shot, i have started editing some of the images in different colour tones, such as sepia and black and white as i am exploring what looks best and what will look best on my album cover.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the final photograph i am going to use for my Album cover. After looking at some of the best various ones i took i have decided that this one is the most suitable and looks the most effective. I have experimented with this photograph and changed the tone to a black and white as i feel this makes the photograph feel more edgy and the light shining through in the background looks really effective and it makes her look dangerous as she is peering through the metal bars.
I have changed the font and have placed it around various parts of the photo to see how it looks. This is my first draft of this album cover and i plan to change the font and move it to the side and see if that improves how it looks and i believe it is good to experiment and try out different things.

 

Here is the same photograph from above but i have changed the position, font and colour. Personally i prefer this compared to the last idea i had. I feel that the stencil font is more edgy and fits the mood more and position of the font in the middle stands out more.

I changed the position of the font, and brung the 'Pour It Up' song title and placed it underneath her name, i also changed it to the same stencil font. I believe that this looks more effective as all my target audiences attention will be drawn to the middle of the photo. Where as before it was seperated, it also connotes with the Rihanna album cover above as for her album cover she had her name centered in the middle and then the album name underneath. I also like the red, as the photo is black and white, the bright red really stands out and it draws a lot of attention to the middle and people will look at it straight away. It also looks fiesty,edgy and dangerous which are the 3 main elements i wanted to capture. I believe the font is street like from the stencil graffti look and the bright red could connote blood and danger and makes the image look even more effective.

 

 

 

I am unsure about what the colour of the image i should use for my magazine advertisment and cd cover. I am going to get some audience feedback to help me decide and influence my decision of what colour image works best. I like the black and white image best but does it have a purpose? and does it reflect my music video well even though theres no black and white clips in the video. But that is also something i could change. I want my target audience to give me their view and their opinions on what one will work best.

 

Clips from Filming

Below are some short clips from filming with my music artist Grace, these are potential clips I want to use and will eventually put them together to make my video. Some of the videos show grace walking behind a caged fence which I feel looks effective and edgy and this relates to the song and the style that grace is dressed in. Its also something that would be likely to appear in Rihannas music videos. There are some other clips of Grace lip singing into the camera, I feel that these clips work because its focusing on her singing the song, her face and is introducing her to consumers that are watching. The backgrounds are all isolated, empty and consist of green and dark colours, im happy with these clips and will be producing many more within the next few days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography Continued

 

 

This is the exact same image, the top is the orginial and the bottom is edited. I have changed the lighting in the bottom one and the colours. I kept the original because i feel like the mix of colours really works and there is a wide range of bold colours that create a really interesting image to look at. Where as i have completley changed that for the bottom one by making it darker and wiping out the original colours. These are both long shots and allows the audience to see the complete outfit that Grace is wearing and it shows the double denim clash that many artists pull off and the grunge doc marten boots with the blue bandana, red lipstick and gold chain. This is Rihannas style completeley and i feel that i have styled my arist in the right clothes and right colours.

 

 

 

 

Heres a fun shot of Grace with her leg perched on the branch and her pulling a face baring her teeth, i have created a light blue effect on this photo, which creates a night time effect and makes it look secretive and enclosed. You can also see the clothes she is wearing again although her face isnt so clear. She looks fiesty and fierce by the way she is standing and the background of the image looks private and creepy from all the fallen trees and leaves.

 

 

 

This is another shot i have edited in black and white contrast colours. You can see Graces body posed slightly at a angle and standing with her arms back and body forward, this makes her look bold and confident and her clothes are clearly shown. The background is plain and empty with grass and trees and has captured the isolated feel again.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography of My Artist

Before the shoot of my video i dressed my artist in the clothes i selected and started a photo shoot, taking photos of her in the location that my video was gonna be set in. I took various shots of her doing different things, if the photos work and look effective i may even use some of them to create my magazine spread and my cd digipak. I was pleased with the outcome of the photos i took, and i believe some of them capture the exact look that i was planning to make.

 

I changed this photo to black and white because i believe that it makes the original photograph look more poweful. Grace crossing her arms and looking straight into the camera makes her look fierce, confident and controlled. Her oversized denim jacket and thick gold chain relates to Rihannas style and the paleness of her face stands out against the dark background. Its a mid shot so you can see half of Graces body but also the background around her which is isolated and empty which adds to the 'urban, street' feel i wanted to capture.

 

 

 

Here is a close of shot of Grace i took with her standing infront of a wired fence. Her teeth baring and the gold chain are on show which connotes with the rigid background and makes her look chilling. I edited the photo in black and white to make it look more intimidating and urban. Her piercings are also on show which shows her confidence and her independence.

 

 

 

This is a original shot with no editing. The background also looks empty and isolated and the bright bold colours really make a statement in this shot. Its also a mid shot like the first with half of her body on show and the gloomy sky with the healthy greens around her. Her outfit colours work well togeher and work with the red lipstick and blue bandana. I felt like her straight face pose makes her look tough and fierce and her arms folding relates to this aswell.

 

 This is also a original shot and i felt like no editing was nessecary. Its pretty similaur to the one above and i think the empty background adds to the photo because it creates a more isolated and dangerous feel as she is completley alone. The clouds in the sky create a unerving feel and it still has that urban edge i wanted to portray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Storyboard

 

Here is a storyboard i made, with images summing up my sterio typical audience member. These images include many social networking sites and technology. Most young girls aged 13-19 are on rather facebook, twitter or instagram and sometimes all 3. Fashion, clothes, makeup are also a huge part in young girls lifes and Rihanna has her own clothing range in River Island which has been very popular. My target audience also normally meet up, go shopping, cinema and have sleepovers where they play music and chat about boys and there favourite celebritys. Although the girls in my age range go to school, music plays a massive impact in there social lifes and even in lessons.

 

 

My Artist

To give me some inspiration when styling my artist iv been researching different hairstyles and makeup that Rihanna has when starring in her music videos. I have also been on various clothes websites such as Topshop and Rihannas River Island brand. I want to make sure that i create the right look and style her correctly to make sure she fits in with the video but relates to Rihanna's style.

 

Here is a collage of the many hairstyles Rihanna has had, she is constantly changing the colour and style of it. She has had fringes, side fringes, long perms and short bobs. Any style i choose should relate to Rihanna somehow as she has probably had it at some point!

 

 

Rihanna also is known to change her hair colour alot, she has dyed it different shades of blondes, reds and browns through the years. My artists hair colour is brown so it is unessary to change her hair colour as it will relate to Rihanna as it is her current hair colour and is her natural colour. I dont want to copy Rihanna but i want to be inspired and include some features from Rihannas look into my own artists look.

 

I want Grace to have her hair up decorated with bandanas and bows to show her style and it also links to Rihanna as in most of her music videos her hair is styled differently.

I tried to portray Rihannas style in this image, with the matching bandana and similar denim jackets with consistent colours such as red and blue. Also i have styled graces hair to be up in a bun which is how Rihanna normally has her hair.

 

Final Outfits

 

 

Here is a full outfit that my artist Grace will wear for part of my music video. I carefully selected each item to ensure it was right for my genre and artist. The grunge doc marten boots are a key item to this outfit as there a pair of shoes Rihanna is normally seen in and relate to my artist being edgy and dark. The basketball socks add a fun and sporty element along with the red and blue basketball top which uses the two key colours I want to use on my artist throughout. The acid wash denim shorts are a fashion item that many girls are seen in and they are also Rihanna's favourite type of shorts aswell, I feel that they compliment the outfit and add a element of street.The blue bandana and red lipstick also keep the consistency with my colour scheme and the gold chain adds some bling to the outfit which is vital for a edgy street look. I feel like this outfit works and will fit in great with my music video for when I start my filming.

 

 

 Here is my second full outfit I created for the other half of my music video. I have changed some elements of the outfit but kept the era of the style the same. I have kept the striking red lipstick there as its a trademark look for Rihanna and it feels necessary to keep it throughout the video. I have also kept the grunge Doc Martens and the edgy chain to compliment the outfit and keep a part of it the same throughout. I have replaced the acid wash shorts with some gothic leather leggings to add a different twist but have brung it back to my themes with the blue Aztec top. This outfit is also something similar that Rihanna would wear and is current and edgy.

 

 

 

Here is a comparison showing the fur gilet Grace will be wearing with the second outfit and a photograph of Rihanna wearing it. Fur gilets are a statement accessory for any outfit and Rihanna pulls them off all the time, my aim is to do the same with Grace in my music video. Its also a current piece to match with a outfit, and should look good with the outfit I have planned to match it with.

 

 

 

 

Here is another comparison photograph showing Rihanna wearing an oversized denim jacket which I am going to include in the first outfit with the basketball clothing in. This again shows that I have based my clothes and styling around Rihanna and that Grace will be dressed in the video how Rihanna would be dressed in hers. Rihanna is also wearing a lot of red, blue and black and so is Grace, I thought carefully about colour schemes and certain items of clothing so it links to Rihanna as much as possible. The oversized jacket will make Grace look tough and masculine as the denim jacket I have is for males. This will relate to the theme of my artist being edgy and tough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location for Filming

For my music video i want it to come across as fiesty,dangerous and dark and i want my artist to come across as independent and strong as throughout the song she seems to be comparing herself to someone and saying how she has more money and its always on her mind. The beat to the song is also quite low which could relate to the dark background i want to use.

Heres a shot to the opening of the woods, from the park i want to use. The big enclosed trees will work well as it will seem hidden when i am filming as i am planning to go deeper into the woods. The dark colours will also work well as the colours around this area consist of greens and browns. And it fits my description of wanting the location to be dangerous and dark, my aim is to film when the weather is rainy and windy to make it look even more overcast and gloomy. I have even thought about getting my artist to sit high on one of the tree branches to make her look authorative and higher and will show her power more as she will look more tough and mighty.

 

 Heres a more open shot of the location i want to use,  it shows a wide open piece of land and the main colour is green with a dark fence along the side this connotes to my dark theme and contrasts the music video because my location is natural where as my artist is highly unatural with dyed hair, covered in makeup and piercings. I wanted to do this to create a different feel and put a fiesty artist in place.