How did
you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
PRE-PRODUCTION & PLANNING:
Internet based technologies
Blogger: to record the stages of
my research and planning throughout the process of creating my music
video/planning it I used www.blogger.com to
both keep track of this work and to store and publish this when
completed. I also used Blogger to post examples and inspiration taken
from other websites/sources (for example: music videos from YouTube and Vimeo).
I found using Blogger was a straight forward and helpful way to track my
progression of ideas and the overall 'construction' of my music video
throughout the whole process.
YouTube: I used YouTube to conduct
the majority of existing music video research, being familiar with this
website and using it regularly I found it easy to use and a good source
of existing music videos. This website also allowed me to upload the
videos directly to Blogger so meant a fairly straight forward process when
analysing existing videos for both ideas as well
as analysing conventions etc. The screen-grab above is of the
existing video for Wilkinson-Afterglow, wanting to get a sense of the target
audience for the video/track for when creating the video myself.
<This image shows an example of the tutorial I watched on how to use the camera and the different settings available to me. I found that doing this in the pre-production stage meant I was prepared for the production stage and had a rough idea of what I would be capable of in post-production stage when planning the main outline/shot breakdown of my Music Video. I found the use of YouTube allowed me to access/source a wide variety of different videos which meant I was a lot more capable of using the camera/tripod effectively when given the chance.
Google: For the majority of the planning and research stages
I used Google as the main search engine particularly with image based
inspiration. I also used this widely when analysing music videos for the
artists 'current news' when looking at how the videos are presenting them. The screen-grab
shows me researching one of the previous music videos I analysed (Rihanna-We
Found Love). When searching this in Google I found the video itself and news
about it as well as the artist. I found this very helpful and straight forward
to use. When creating mood-boards for inspiration and planning Google Images
was a great source to use with a wide variety of images both from Google itself
but also websites such as Tumblr an Flickr (but viewing these through Google
Images).
Pinterest:
The
use of Pintrest meant I could easily source images of any ‘subject’ with a wide
variety that I could use for both inspiration, moodboards and planning (e.g.
costume and makeup etc.). The use of Pinterest also meant that I was able to
create a new ‘wall’ that I could save a collection of images that particularly ‘inspired’
me, the website itself sending me ‘pins’ that I ‘might be interested in’
meaning that I had a constant ‘flow’ of inspirational images I could reflect
and use throughout all stages of producing my Music Video, in particular the
post-production stage.
Tumblr:
Tumblr allowed me to do similar things that Pinterest allowed me to do, but in
addition Tumblr allowed me to specifically select images and upload them
directly to Blogger as well as onto other networks (like Pinterest) where I
took my own personal ‘wall’ of inspiration ideas and inspiration-something I
found crucial in planning my video (all the aspects within it).
PowerPoint: Some of the photos I have
published I have displayed in a collage format (when creating mood boards and planning for both the video itself and the costume/mise-en- scene etc.) and by using PowerPoint to create these images in the layout I wished
and by saving them as PNG file meant I maintained a maximum quality to the standard I wanted (when displaying them on my blog). I also used PowderPoint when finishing my final Ancillary text designs, the ability to save the files as PNG and JPEG without damaging the resolution of the image (final design) meaning that when presenting them on my blog they look overall more professional and realistic. The particular screen-grab above of my Back cover is a key example of my use of the programme (PowderPoint). Furthermore when putting my final designs together to decide on my chosen finished DigiPak this format made the process more straight forward in comparison of the designs and meant when putting my finished designs together I could see if the design aspects went well together (as well as fitting with the music video and my Advert Design).
Facebook:
When planning when I would do the shoot for my Music Video I created a
Facebook event in order to make sure the whole cast could be free to attend the
two filming days. When creating the event I included where, possible dates,
costume and the plot of the video in order to give the potential cast a clear
outline of where, when and what the video would be like/shooting it, also what
would be expected of them. The use of the event was efficient and useful as it
is very easy to get hold of everyone taking part in my Music Video when giving
out information (e.g. costume changes) as well as discussing possible dates. I
found that through using Facebook I could easily ‘talk’ to my cast as a group
meaning they all felt ‘involved’ and of importance and I could get information
or any changes to people as soon as possible in time for the filming along the
course of two days.
eBay:
The
use of eBay was crucial in the preparation for the production stage of my Music
Video within pre-production (sourcing the Powder Paint to use on set). One
of the main props/aspects of my music video being the use of powder paint, with
a central focus of the video being on the use of it (other than my main artist)
meant that when finding Powder Paint that was the correct amount (in quantity),
most ‘cost-effective’ and vibrantly coloured with a large variety the use of eBay
was very effective in doing so fairly easily (and straight forward. I
found that eBay allowed me to check on the suppliers ‘track-record’ which meant
I could securely purchase the Powder Paint with little hassle and to the
correct quality etc. that I wanted. I could also ‘track my order’ on the eBay
app which meant I could be sure that it would come in time for the
filming/production stage of the Music Video. I also kept in close contact with
the supplier in order to check delivery times, quantity and colour variety. Furthermore through keeping in close contact I was able to get 'testers' of the specific colours I ordered which meant that when recieving them directly I was able to see if they would show up effectively against a white background (and on white/plain clothing) and the quantity I would need for the use of it to look effective before I ordered 500g in seven different colours (Supplier: 'ZingZingTree').
PRODUCTION:
PRE-PRODUCTION & PLANNING:
Internet based technologies
Blogger: to record the stages of
my research and planning throughout the process of creating my music
video/planning it I used www.blogger.com to
both keep track of this work and to store and publish this when
completed. I also used Blogger to post examples and inspiration taken
from other websites/sources (for example: music videos from YouTube and Vimeo).
I found using Blogger was a straight forward and helpful way to track my
progression of ideas and the overall 'construction' of my music video
throughout the whole process.
<This image shows an example of the tutorial I watched on how to use the camera and the different settings available to me. I found that doing this in the pre-production stage meant I was prepared for the production stage and had a rough idea of what I would be capable of in post-production stage when planning the main outline/shot breakdown of my Music Video. I found the use of YouTube allowed me to access/source a wide variety of different videos which meant I was a lot more capable of using the camera/tripod effectively when given the chance.
Google: For the majority of the planning and research stages I used Google as the main search engine particularly with image based inspiration. I also used this widely when analysing music videos for the artists 'current news' when looking at how the videos are presenting them. The screen-grab shows me researching one of the previous music videos I analysed (Rihanna-We Found Love). When searching this in Google I found the video itself and news about it as well as the artist. I found this very helpful and straight forward to use. When creating mood-boards for inspiration and planning Google Images was a great source to use with a wide variety of images both from Google itself but also websites such as Tumblr an Flickr (but viewing these through Google Images).
Pinterest:
The
use of Pintrest meant I could easily source images of any ‘subject’ with a wide
variety that I could use for both inspiration, moodboards and planning (e.g.
costume and makeup etc.). The use of Pinterest also meant that I was able to
create a new ‘wall’ that I could save a collection of images that particularly ‘inspired’
me, the website itself sending me ‘pins’ that I ‘might be interested in’
meaning that I had a constant ‘flow’ of inspirational images I could reflect
and use throughout all stages of producing my Music Video, in particular the
post-production stage.
Tumblr:
Tumblr allowed me to do similar things that Pinterest allowed me to do, but in
addition Tumblr allowed me to specifically select images and upload them
directly to Blogger as well as onto other networks (like Pinterest) where I
took my own personal ‘wall’ of inspiration ideas and inspiration-something I
found crucial in planning my video (all the aspects within it).
Google: For the majority of the planning and research stages I used Google as the main search engine particularly with image based inspiration. I also used this widely when analysing music videos for the artists 'current news' when looking at how the videos are presenting them. The screen-grab shows me researching one of the previous music videos I analysed (Rihanna-We Found Love). When searching this in Google I found the video itself and news about it as well as the artist. I found this very helpful and straight forward to use. When creating mood-boards for inspiration and planning Google Images was a great source to use with a wide variety of images both from Google itself but also websites such as Tumblr an Flickr (but viewing these through Google Images).
Facebook:
When planning when I would do the shoot for my Music Video I created a
Facebook event in order to make sure the whole cast could be free to attend the
two filming days. When creating the event I included where, possible dates,
costume and the plot of the video in order to give the potential cast a clear
outline of where, when and what the video would be like/shooting it, also what
would be expected of them. The use of the event was efficient and useful as it
is very easy to get hold of everyone taking part in my Music Video when giving
out information (e.g. costume changes) as well as discussing possible dates. I
found that through using Facebook I could easily ‘talk’ to my cast as a group
meaning they all felt ‘involved’ and of importance and I could get information
or any changes to people as soon as possible in time for the filming along the
course of two days.
eBay:
The
use of eBay was crucial in the preparation for the production stage of my Music
Video within pre-production (sourcing the Powder Paint to use on set). One
of the main props/aspects of my music video being the use of powder paint, with
a central focus of the video being on the use of it (other than my main artist)
meant that when finding Powder Paint that was the correct amount (in quantity),
most ‘cost-effective’ and vibrantly coloured with a large variety the use of eBay
was very effective in doing so fairly easily (and straight forward. I
found that eBay allowed me to check on the suppliers ‘track-record’ which meant
I could securely purchase the Powder Paint with little hassle and to the
correct quality etc. that I wanted. I could also ‘track my order’ on the eBay
app which meant I could be sure that it would come in time for the
filming/production stage of the Music Video. I also kept in close contact with
the supplier in order to check delivery times, quantity and colour variety. Furthermore through keeping in close contact I was able to get 'testers' of the specific colours I ordered which meant that when recieving them directly I was able to see if they would show up effectively against a white background (and on white/plain clothing) and the quantity I would need for the use of it to look effective before I ordered 500g in seven different colours (Supplier: 'ZingZingTree').PRODUCTION:
Camera Use/Filming
NIKON D5100: For a large majority
of the filming and photography throughout my project/creating this music video
I used a Nikon D5100. I found the camera very effective with a very good
quality and ‘user-friendly’ (being the first time I used the camera, especially
to film). The high quality of the camera both meant that the use of Powder
Paint became effective in that it was captured effectively within shots and with
a very high quality therefore meaning that in post-production where adding effects
such as slow-motion this looked professional with a very high resolution
(finish to the video). The use of this camera also meant that I was able to increase the shutter speed of the camera (on settings/set-up) which therefore meant that when using Powder Paint in specific shots (in particular the single shots I have used throughout the video as well as the main 'fight' scenes) looked a lot more effective, especially when using 'slow-motion' etc. in post-production.
TRIPOD: the use of a tripod meant that when using the camera I was able to record a steady and high quality shot from a range of distances and framing (as planned throughout the process specifically when looking at my shot breakdown). The use of this specific tripod meant I could adjust the height, tilt and also use a steady ‘pan’ when filming, meaning I both had more chance to experiment with shots (once producing the specific shots in my planning), paired with the high quality use of the Nikon D5100 meaning these were both high quality and effective in the use of Powder Paint/the variety of shots I used.
When shooting I ensured that the cast (specifically when shooting the shots of my artist ‘Luna’) that they were positioned specifically in front of one of the white walls, meaning that the A1 card wasn’t as visible (especially on the corners of the garage). This meant/means that the video will look more professional, the background looking more ‘block’ than as if it’s made out of pieces of card. I also found that having three walls meant that when filming had finished on day one the use of powder paint at the end of the first day didn’t affect my filming of my artist on the second day of filming. This is because the powder paint only went slightly one two of the walls, meaning that the white wall was used for the shots of my artist (without the backing cast or use of powder paint). This meant that the contrast between the powder paint shots and of my artist is very effective, the difference in background ( colour), use of powder paint and her costume (mise-en-scene) meaning a clear distinction throughout the video of the different shots.
When
filming using powder paint I used a plastic sheet in order to protect the
camera I used. This can be seen in the image above. When filming and using
powder paint I had to keep a slight distance meaning that the use of zoom was
used throughout filming. I kept fairly far back from the use of powder paint
(especially when being thrown) as it would both effect the camera but also the
quality of the shot. The image above is an example of the closest distance I
went to a member of the video’s cast when filming and powder paint was being
thrown at them (within the shot).
POST-PRODUCTION:
Music Video (Editing Software)
When editing my music video together I used Adobe Premier Element 13, being a new media technology available to I had very little experience with any video editing software other than very limited use of windows movie makers, however I was able to use the program fairly quickly and found it straight forward once beginning the editing process.
^The image
above shows me within the process of editing my video using the Software (Adobe
Premier), allowing me to create a more professional looking video in quality
and the editing of the shots once putting them together and editing them to
look more 'airbrushed', especially on the specific close-ups (as well as
mid-shots) of my artist lip-singing. The shot above is a specific screen grab
taken to show the specific shots I edited in terms of making the image (my
artist within the shot) look more like they 'belonged' in the video. In the
shot above, as well as with most of the one shots used throughout the video, I
used 'HollyWood airbrush' and increased the saturation and brightness of the
shot(s). This therefore meant I was able to make the background
appear more of a 'solid colour', instead of allowing the card I used to
create the background to become visible (as well as any slight discolouring of
powder paint), allowing the video to look professional in terms of
mise-en-scene (where the video is set/filmed).
(NOTE: being the opening shot I believed that the editing of this shot in particular was crucial in the introduction of the video/my artist (especially being a new/up-and-coming artist in a fast growing competitive dace music industry).
The Software in itself allowed me to edit
specific shots to allow the saturation and brightness of the shot to
allow it to look a lot more professional as well as use effects such as
'HollyWood airbrush' meaning that my artist could look more visually 'suited'
to the track/my music video (looking more like a real artist). ^The shot above
shows the result of using Adobe Premier in terms of the quality (editing) of
the shot when focusing on my artist within it. The use of various different
effects (filters) meant I was able to make my artist look as if she 'belonged'
in the music video, in terms of making her makeup look more professional
(making her contouring and eye makeup look more effective) as well as
contrasting with the solid white background.
One of the key aspect of my music video as the
use of Powder Paint (as a prop), this software allowed me to use it in a way I
wanted, including slow-motion, re-wind and fast-forward as the ‘time-rapping’
tool meant that using powder paint became a lot more effective when editing it
in post-production (creating the final video). The two screen-grabs above are
my two particular favourite shots (edits) of the use of powder paint on my
backing performer Ellie. These were my particular favourite parts of the video
when using these effects as I believe both the colours of powder paint used,
the framing and editing used looks most effective-especially when
fast-forwarding the re-winding the shots in slow-motion giving a much more
developmental/stylistic feel to the video.
The use of post-production effects have meant
that my video has another aspect added to it when using powder paint, not just
having shots of the main 'powder paint fight' but also single shots that have
allowed me to do more explorative in the use of Powder Paint and when it came
to editing the video together-this style of editing going well with both the
music (cutting to the beat effectively) as well as fitting with the music it
has been paired with-having a 'dance'/fun feel to it. The use of Adobe Premier
allowed me to do editing such as this in a very high quality/professional way,
meaning that when using slow-motion (for example)-the powder paint looks very
effective against the white background/backing performers clothing. I found this the case when editing the majority of my video-particularly in the powder paint fight scenes and the one shots of my artist and backing performers throughout (especially when increasing the brightness and saturation in post-production on Adobe Premier).
The use of Adobe Premier meant that when including the powder paint fight shots I was able to cut/edit them together in time with the music (instrumentals within the dance song) which meant that not only does the editing in my video vary in length but also goes very well with the music (the music fitting with the visuals). A lot of the shots used in the instrumentals being less than half a second long meant that when using this software I was able to achieve this successfully and to a high quality that allowed the video to look overall more professional. When looking at the screen grab above this is a good example of me using the rewind time-rapping effect while fast-forwarding the shot, allowing a much more interesting aspect to be added to the powder paint fight (throughout the video giving a lot more variation) as well as becoming visually more interesting and fitting with the dance music genre of the video/track.
POST-PRODUCTION:
Ancillary
Texts (Editing Software)
When editing my Ancillary texts I used Pixlr Express (Web App) to edit the images and Adobe InDesign to put the Anchillary texts together (in terms of text positioning etc.) I had used Pixlr previously but only recently started editing photography on Adobe Indesign in Art and Design and for my E-portfolio, I found it very simple and easy to use and the software allowed me to create high quality, professional looking Ancillary texts. I taught myself new editing skills (for example how to paste more powder paint into certain images in order to create more of an effect/feel of the music video) watching Photoshop tutorials on the internet and through online blogging through Tumblr.
When using Photoshop I
was able to use my new and existing Photoshop skills to create images that
looked a lot more professional and with a lot more high quality colour (in
terms of increasing the saturation and ‘hue’ in colour settings). Learning to ‘paste’
parts of the existing powder paint within the image hitting my backing
performer to other parts of the image to make it look as if it’s a higher quantity-meaning
more of a stylistic effect and synergising well with the video in itself (reflecting
the use of powder paint as a prop and the ways in which they have been used
etc.). The use of Photoshop also
meant that I could zoom in and improve the pixilation quality (and overall
colour of the image)-meaning that when using the slight ‘grain’ effect on the
image-and throughout my Ancillary texts (synergising effective) the image was
still visible and of a high quality.
When using Pixlr Express I was able to
take images taken on set and editing them to look a lot more professional and
high quality that I had previously edited on Photoshop and create a more
stylised, developmental image that fitted well with my music video and the
representation of my new dance music artist (Luna Judge). This particular image
(screen-grab) is a good example of the use of Pixlr, using the ‘layer’ tool in
order to add another image I was able to create an almost ‘trippy’ feeling
image that synergised very well with my front cover and the overall ‘feel’ of
the album (DigiPak design) and music video. This image is a particular
favourite from within the Ancillary texts, introducing my new artist as ‘now/new’ and fitting with
the current trend of ‘individuality’.
Editing the CD Cover main image: this image was taken at the same
time as I took the CD cover un-edited image. Taking them after the shooting of
my video means that all the colours are visible, the ladder that the powder
paint is almost ‘layered’ on giving a more ‘textured’ feel to the image. Almost
looking somewhat urban and individual (not just a picture of normal powder
paint etc.). The predominate colours of green and yellow means that tones of
happiness etc. are given through the colour and give a more stylized,
expressive feel, colours both ‘layering’ on top of it and being visible around
the specific predominant colours of powder paint within the image. I have used
similar images for the back cover and CD cover as I believe that it will like
the digipak together effectively and give a more overall ‘expressive’
feel-including both images of the artist and more stylized designs of images
taken from the set giving an overall ‘now’ feel to the artist. On Photoshop I
started by decreasing the hue and increasing the saturation of the colours
within the original image meaning I created more predominant colours of blue
and pink. I then added leaks and overlays
to the image to add another aspect of colour and almost enhance the existing
colour within the image (once being edited). This also adds to the
‘alternative’ feel of the image/CD cover and adds another ‘layer’ of
design/texture (reflecting a similar ‘feel’ to the artist/the new album
content). Finally I added an
overlay of the ‘paint effect’ (on Pixlr Express editing software) which both
meant a clear link to the CD cover artwork (using the same overlay) and also
enhanced/enforced a contrast of colours within the image (adding colours of
light blue and white within the paint effect). This also gives off a more
‘artistic’ feel adding to the ‘new’ feel of the artist (Luna) reinforcing the
image I am trying to represent for the up-and-coming artist.
Editing my final Ancillary Texts (DigiPak)-The Process//Animated
NEW SKILLS & PROBLEMS FACED:
NEW SKILLS
Over the course of this project
(throughout my planning and production) I have learnt mainly Photoshop
skills, and also filming with the use of the Nikon D3100 and Tripod. I
have never used a professional editing styled editor so this was a completely
new experience and I gained a lot of knowledge throughout the process, for
example using Pixlr Express and Adobe Photoshop I was able to explore
different saturations and brightnesses as well as the ‘Paste’ and ‘Layer’ tool
which allowed my Ancillary text images to look to a high quality and
professional. I also used the cloning tool and pen tool to create the sections
of Powder Paint that I manipulated over my DigiPak pull outs and Magazine promo
Advert when editing images of Powder Paint being thrown on set.
^The image above shows me using Adobe Photoshop in order to edit my DigiPak images before using other softwares such as Pixlr Express and Adobe InDesign to finish the construction of my Ancillary text. I used Photoshop in particular to edit the image quality (in terms of colour and pixilation) and when 'cloaning' parts of the Powder Paint to make the image/throwing of the prop look more realistic and effective when synergising with the video etc.
PROBLEMS FACED
The main problem faced within
pre-production where slight uploading issues on blogger due to file sized, but
I could resolve these through the use of PowderPoint and making the file size
and type smaller and easily uploadable. Within production I faced several
issues-on set when filming I had the wrong charger for the camera I was using,
fortuanatly I was able to borrow the same camera from one of the backing
performers I used in the video. This didn’t cause too many problems just a
slight delay with filming etc. I also faced a problem with the set, using large
pieces of card meant ‘hanging’ large pre-made ‘walls’ to the celing which posed
problems in the powder paint fights (if being knocked etc.), on the technology
side of things this also meant that when filming the pieces of card were
visible. I solved this by increasing the brightness in post-production of Adobe
Premier to make this less visible-particularly on the single shots of my artist
lip-singing. (The image to the left shows the set after being used to film my Music Video, the use of card to make the set 'walls' is visible. I was very pleased with my set and was able to edit any difficulties it posed in post-production with the use of Adobe Premier software).
This image (to the right) shows an example of me editing a shot to make the background of the set look more of a 'solid' background (without the visibility of the card I have used to make the set walls). By increasing the saturation and brightness I was able to keep a high quality picture/film (when focusing on the artist within the shoot), but also make it look more professional with the edits used to make the set look 'real'. I found the use of Adobe Premier allowed me to make my video look a lot more professional and helped me overcome issues in the production process that my set etc. posed. This meant that through overcoming these problems I was also able to gain new skills in the process.
One of the main issues I faced
in the production stage was the use of Powder Paint and capturing it to the
standard that I wanted when considering post-production and the effects I
planned to use in the planning stage of creating the video. To overcome this I
filmed specific shots more than once with slight variations in terms of the
Powder Paint used (whether this was colour, quantity etc.) and slightly
adjusting the shot if needed in terms of positioning of the cast and the
camera/tripod. I found that the shutter speed settings on the camera I used also
became temperamental which meant that when filming specific shots throughout
the course of the two days I found I had to do shots several times which I
found at times challenging considering the fairly limited supply of Powder
Paint (time I had with the set-being within my family garage).
The image to the right shows
my shot-breakdowns I had on set (preparing these in pre-production), creating a
specific one for each of the cast member meant that I could track and make sure
I completed each specific shot planned-this also meant I had time to film
extra/extended Powder Paint ‘fight’ scenes (shots) and other experimental shots
with the use of Powder Paint with a focus on the backing performers. The use of
these shot breakdowns also meant that my cast could pre-read the specific shots
they would be doing etc. so they briefly knew what they would be doing and
when. This also meant that the specific cast
members had an idea of what was expected of them, giving each of them a copy of
their shot breakdown in the pre-production stage allowing them to both get a
‘feel’ of the video and be more able on ‘set’/in production. The image also shows my notes I took throughout of specific ideas/inspiration I got from being on set/when using Powder Paint in accordance to my overall 'idea' (that I wanted to create)-this meant that after the specific shots were filmed I was able to consider and film these shots/ideas. This not only meant that I had more variation of shots (being more developmental, different to my existing shots/ideas from the planning/post-production stage) but also more shots to choose from in the post-production stage.
<This shows how in post-production before editing my
Music Video together I avoided any problems with finding specific shots from my
shot breakdown, sorting them in order in a document on ‘my computer’ meaning
that when using Adobe Premier I was able to simply add them to the software in
order, making the editing process in post-production far more straight forward,
especially when adding in extra shots that weren’t specifically planned. I
found that by doing this just after the production stage it also ensured that I
was sure I had every shot I needed before taking down the set-something that I
was very time-conscious of (having limited time to use the set due to location
and of Powder Paint).
A critical issues I faced in the production
process was the after effect of the use of large amounts of Powder Paint at
once-leaving almost a ‘mist’ that was visible when filming meant varied delays
in order to film (having to wait for the Powder Paint to clear from the air to
get a more high-quality, clear looking shot). This also meant in
post-production the editing process was a lot straighter forward (not having to
edit the clearness of the picture etc.). The image to the right shows a period
of waiting to film after single shots of Powder Paint being thrown over a
backing performers. The image reflects how the use of Powder Paint effected the
time in which I had to film both the main fight scenes and lip-singing shots of
my main artist throughout the course of the two days.
When editing my Ancillary texts I used Pixlr Express (Web App) to edit the images and Adobe InDesign to put the Anchillary texts together (in terms of text positioning etc.) I had used Pixlr previously but only recently started editing photography on Adobe Indesign in Art and Design and for my E-portfolio, I found it very simple and easy to use and the software allowed me to create high quality, professional looking Ancillary texts. I taught myself new editing skills (for example how to paste more powder paint into certain images in order to create more of an effect/feel of the music video) watching Photoshop tutorials on the internet and through online blogging through Tumblr.
When using Photoshop I
was able to use my new and existing Photoshop skills to create images that
looked a lot more professional and with a lot more high quality colour (in
terms of increasing the saturation and ‘hue’ in colour settings). Learning to ‘paste’
parts of the existing powder paint within the image hitting my backing
performer to other parts of the image to make it look as if it’s a higher quantity-meaning
more of a stylistic effect and synergising well with the video in itself (reflecting
the use of powder paint as a prop and the ways in which they have been used
etc.). The use of Photoshop also
meant that I could zoom in and improve the pixilation quality (and overall
colour of the image)-meaning that when using the slight ‘grain’ effect on the
image-and throughout my Ancillary texts (synergising effective) the image was
still visible and of a high quality.
When using Pixlr Express I was able to
take images taken on set and editing them to look a lot more professional and
high quality that I had previously edited on Photoshop and create a more
stylised, developmental image that fitted well with my music video and the
representation of my new dance music artist (Luna Judge). This particular image
(screen-grab) is a good example of the use of Pixlr, using the ‘layer’ tool in
order to add another image I was able to create an almost ‘trippy’ feeling
image that synergised very well with my front cover and the overall ‘feel’ of
the album (DigiPak design) and music video. This image is a particular
favourite from within the Ancillary texts, introducing my new artist as ‘now/new’ and fitting with
the current trend of ‘individuality’.
Editing the CD Cover main image: this image was taken at the same
time as I took the CD cover un-edited image. Taking them after the shooting of
my video means that all the colours are visible, the ladder that the powder
paint is almost ‘layered’ on giving a more ‘textured’ feel to the image. Almost
looking somewhat urban and individual (not just a picture of normal powder
paint etc.). The predominate colours of green and yellow means that tones of
happiness etc. are given through the colour and give a more stylized,
expressive feel, colours both ‘layering’ on top of it and being visible around
the specific predominant colours of powder paint within the image. I have used
similar images for the back cover and CD cover as I believe that it will like
the digipak together effectively and give a more overall ‘expressive’
feel-including both images of the artist and more stylized designs of images
taken from the set giving an overall ‘now’ feel to the artist. On Photoshop I
started by decreasing the hue and increasing the saturation of the colours
within the original image meaning I created more predominant colours of blue
and pink. I then added leaks and overlays
to the image to add another aspect of colour and almost enhance the existing
colour within the image (once being edited). This also adds to the
‘alternative’ feel of the image/CD cover and adds another ‘layer’ of
design/texture (reflecting a similar ‘feel’ to the artist/the new album
content). Finally I added an
overlay of the ‘paint effect’ (on Pixlr Express editing software) which both
meant a clear link to the CD cover artwork (using the same overlay) and also
enhanced/enforced a contrast of colours within the image (adding colours of
light blue and white within the paint effect). This also gives off a more
‘artistic’ feel adding to the ‘new’ feel of the artist (Luna) reinforcing the
image I am trying to represent for the up-and-coming artist.
NEW SKILLS
Editing my final Ancillary Texts (DigiPak)-The Process//Animated
NEW SKILLS & PROBLEMS FACED:
NEW SKILLS
Over the course of this project
(throughout my planning and production) I have learnt mainly Photoshop
skills, and also filming with the use of the Nikon D3100 and Tripod. I
have never used a professional editing styled editor so this was a completely
new experience and I gained a lot of knowledge throughout the process, for
example using Pixlr Express and Adobe Photoshop I was able to explore
different saturations and brightnesses as well as the ‘Paste’ and ‘Layer’ tool
which allowed my Ancillary text images to look to a high quality and
professional. I also used the cloning tool and pen tool to create the sections
of Powder Paint that I manipulated over my DigiPak pull outs and Magazine promo
Advert when editing images of Powder Paint being thrown on set.
^The image above shows me using Adobe Photoshop in order to edit my DigiPak images before using other softwares such as Pixlr Express and Adobe InDesign to finish the construction of my Ancillary text. I used Photoshop in particular to edit the image quality (in terms of colour and pixilation) and when 'cloaning' parts of the Powder Paint to make the image/throwing of the prop look more realistic and effective when synergising with the video etc.
PROBLEMS FACED
The main problem faced within
pre-production where slight uploading issues on blogger due to file sized, but
I could resolve these through the use of PowderPoint and making the file size
and type smaller and easily uploadable. Within production I faced several
issues-on set when filming I had the wrong charger for the camera I was using,
fortuanatly I was able to borrow the same camera from one of the backing
performers I used in the video. This didn’t cause too many problems just a
slight delay with filming etc. I also faced a problem with the set, using large
pieces of card meant ‘hanging’ large pre-made ‘walls’ to the celing which posed
problems in the powder paint fights (if being knocked etc.), on the technology
side of things this also meant that when filming the pieces of card were
visible. I solved this by increasing the brightness in post-production of Adobe
Premier to make this less visible-particularly on the single shots of my artist
lip-singing. (The image to the left shows the set after being used to film my Music Video, the use of card to make the set 'walls' is visible. I was very pleased with my set and was able to edit any difficulties it posed in post-production with the use of Adobe Premier software).PROBLEMS FACED
This image (to the right) shows an example of me editing a shot to make the background of the set look more of a 'solid' background (without the visibility of the card I have used to make the set walls). By increasing the saturation and brightness I was able to keep a high quality picture/film (when focusing on the artist within the shoot), but also make it look more professional with the edits used to make the set look 'real'. I found the use of Adobe Premier allowed me to make my video look a lot more professional and helped me overcome issues in the production process that my set etc. posed. This meant that through overcoming these problems I was also able to gain new skills in the process.
One of the main issues I faced
in the production stage was the use of Powder Paint and capturing it to the
standard that I wanted when considering post-production and the effects I
planned to use in the planning stage of creating the video. To overcome this I
filmed specific shots more than once with slight variations in terms of the
Powder Paint used (whether this was colour, quantity etc.) and slightly
adjusting the shot if needed in terms of positioning of the cast and the
camera/tripod. I found that the shutter speed settings on the camera I used also
became temperamental which meant that when filming specific shots throughout
the course of the two days I found I had to do shots several times which I
found at times challenging considering the fairly limited supply of Powder
Paint (time I had with the set-being within my family garage).
The image to the right shows
my shot-breakdowns I had on set (preparing these in pre-production), creating a
specific one for each of the cast member meant that I could track and make sure
I completed each specific shot planned-this also meant I had time to film
extra/extended Powder Paint ‘fight’ scenes (shots) and other experimental shots
with the use of Powder Paint with a focus on the backing performers. The use of
these shot breakdowns also meant that my cast could pre-read the specific shots
they would be doing etc. so they briefly knew what they would be doing and
when. This also meant that the specific cast
members had an idea of what was expected of them, giving each of them a copy of
their shot breakdown in the pre-production stage allowing them to both get a
‘feel’ of the video and be more able on ‘set’/in production. The image also shows my notes I took throughout of specific ideas/inspiration I got from being on set/when using Powder Paint in accordance to my overall 'idea' (that I wanted to create)-this meant that after the specific shots were filmed I was able to consider and film these shots/ideas. This not only meant that I had more variation of shots (being more developmental, different to my existing shots/ideas from the planning/post-production stage) but also more shots to choose from in the post-production stage.
<This shows how in post-production before editing my
Music Video together I avoided any problems with finding specific shots from my
shot breakdown, sorting them in order in a document on ‘my computer’ meaning
that when using Adobe Premier I was able to simply add them to the software in
order, making the editing process in post-production far more straight forward,
especially when adding in extra shots that weren’t specifically planned. I
found that by doing this just after the production stage it also ensured that I
was sure I had every shot I needed before taking down the set-something that I
was very time-conscious of (having limited time to use the set due to location
and of Powder Paint).
A critical issues I faced in the production process was the after effect of the use of large amounts of Powder Paint at once-leaving almost a ‘mist’ that was visible when filming meant varied delays in order to film (having to wait for the Powder Paint to clear from the air to get a more high-quality, clear looking shot). This also meant in post-production the editing process was a lot straighter forward (not having to edit the clearness of the picture etc.). The image to the right shows a period of waiting to film after single shots of Powder Paint being thrown over a backing performers. The image reflects how the use of Powder Paint effected the time in which I had to film both the main fight scenes and lip-singing shots of my main artist throughout the course of the two days.
One of the main issues I faced
in the production stage was the use of Powder Paint and capturing it to the
standard that I wanted when considering post-production and the effects I
planned to use in the planning stage of creating the video. To overcome this I
filmed specific shots more than once with slight variations in terms of the
Powder Paint used (whether this was colour, quantity etc.) and slightly
adjusting the shot if needed in terms of positioning of the cast and the
camera/tripod. I found that the shutter speed settings on the camera I used also
became temperamental which meant that when filming specific shots throughout
the course of the two days I found I had to do shots several times which I
found at times challenging considering the fairly limited supply of Powder
Paint (time I had with the set-being within my family garage).The image to the right shows
my shot-breakdowns I had on set (preparing these in pre-production), creating a
specific one for each of the cast member meant that I could track and make sure
I completed each specific shot planned-this also meant I had time to film
extra/extended Powder Paint ‘fight’ scenes (shots) and other experimental shots
with the use of Powder Paint with a focus on the backing performers. The use of
these shot breakdowns also meant that my cast could pre-read the specific shots
they would be doing etc. so they briefly knew what they would be doing and
when. This also meant that the specific cast
members had an idea of what was expected of them, giving each of them a copy of
their shot breakdown in the pre-production stage allowing them to both get a
‘feel’ of the video and be more able on ‘set’/in production. The image also shows my notes I took throughout of specific ideas/inspiration I got from being on set/when using Powder Paint in accordance to my overall 'idea' (that I wanted to create)-this meant that after the specific shots were filmed I was able to consider and film these shots/ideas. This not only meant that I had more variation of shots (being more developmental, different to my existing shots/ideas from the planning/post-production stage) but also more shots to choose from in the post-production stage. <This shows how in post-production before editing my
Music Video together I avoided any problems with finding specific shots from my
shot breakdown, sorting them in order in a document on ‘my computer’ meaning
that when using Adobe Premier I was able to simply add them to the software in
order, making the editing process in post-production far more straight forward,
especially when adding in extra shots that weren’t specifically planned. I
found that by doing this just after the production stage it also ensured that I
was sure I had every shot I needed before taking down the set-something that I
was very time-conscious of (having limited time to use the set due to location
and of Powder Paint).A critical issues I faced in the production process was the after effect of the use of large amounts of Powder Paint at once-leaving almost a ‘mist’ that was visible when filming meant varied delays in order to film (having to wait for the Powder Paint to clear from the air to get a more high-quality, clear looking shot). This also meant in post-production the editing process was a lot straighter forward (not having to edit the clearness of the picture etc.). The image to the right shows a period of waiting to film after single shots of Powder Paint being thrown over a backing performers. The image reflects how the use of Powder Paint effected the time in which I had to film both the main fight scenes and lip-singing shots of my main artist throughout the course of the two days.
