Research into target audience

Instead of simply handing out a questionnaire to my fellow classmates, I decided to post my questions on Facebook and ask all of my facebook friends various questions which would help me fcous more upon my target audience which is young teengaers to young adults. All I had to do was post the questions onto my wall and wait for people to reply. This I found very easy to do as it provided little hassle for me and also it was easy for my friends as they didn't even have to hand back annoying bits of paper. I also liked doing my audience research this way as it was using many forms of media that is predominant in modern society - such as the internet and social networking. 

The other method of research that I did was simply handing out a questionnaire to my family, neighbours, friends and also some school staff. It consisted of the exact same questions as did my facebook poll but I did it to simply increase the amount of feedback, allowing me to gain a better understanding of what my target audience specifically wants out of a music video. The results showed from both research areas that people were much more interested in seeing the artist than having a video with a predominant storyline, they would much prefer to see the video shot in London than in a different town location, they would prefer not to see a lot of dancing, they would rather watch a more exuberant and energetic video than a more emotional and meaningful video and many other factors.

My Questionnaire:

1. What do you expect more of in a modern day music video?

The Artist                                A storyline

2. What do you think is the best location for my video?

A quiet suburban area        A park       London     In town (e.g. Radlett)

3. Do you prefer to see dancing in a music video?

Yes                  No

4. What type of music video do you prefer?

Fast tempo/energetic               Solemn/gentle             other

5. Do you prefer colour videos or black and white videos?

Yes                  No

6. Which out of these female artists is your favourite?

Beyonce     Christina Aguilera     Adele     Katy Perry     Pixie Lott

7. Why is this?

8. How do you usually interact with music?

Television                    Internet                       Radio

9. What has been you favourite music video of all time and why?

Concept Change

For the past week I have been going around London and trying to find certain locations that I can film my music video at. The main issue that I have been having with filming it in London is the fact that firstly it is quite busy and of course if I was filming in broad public then people might stare at the person in my video so therefore I think it will massively reduce the realism of my video. Secondly is that filming areas of London and incorporating those shots into my video might confuse the audience as they don't seem to have a link with the artist or the song - from doing this it has made me realise that I simply want to focus upon the artist and showcase her by using a wide variety of shots that are constantly changing. However, I have decided to keep the urban and youthful theme for the video but instead of trying to create that through the environment and backgrounds, I thought it would be clever to create it through the technical aspects of the video - such as loads of cutting, photoshop editing and the composition/layout of the footage.

My Album Advert (Prototype)

For my prototype advert I have attempted to recreate the same design that I will use for my actual advert. The grey colour theme I have carried on from my digipak as it helps create continuity between the two but also makes the advert more easily identifiable. 

Digipak - initial stages

What I have done is created the general layout of my digipak however I have not taken my photographs yet that will feature in it's design so I have used pre existing images that have been used for modern CD booklets. At the moment I really like the design of my digipak as it incorporates the rough, urban appeal that I wanted to re-create (with the brick wall image that has been used as the background for two pages). The colour scheme is in keeping with the youthful and energetic nature of the song with the contrast between dark black and grey tones against vivid hints of purple. Photoshop has had a huge impact upon the design as nearly every image that I have used has had an effect put on it. The most common effect I used was called 'Neon Glow' which allowed me to apply the purple colour to some of my landscape and profile images. The only aspect of its design that I don't quite like yet is the first double spread which contains only photographs, the layout of these I feel looks too boring and rigid so therefore this is going to be the focus of my next design stage.

Photoshop Experimentation - part 2

I have now begun to apply various effects to certain album covers of recent releases and have carried on experimenting with them.

For this image what I have done is used two effects. Firstly I changed the colour saturation and balance of the image to emphasise the white tones of her face but also to make the black shadowing around her facial features stand out more however I feel that it is slightly over empowering and I feel that it does ruin the image as it is quite a peaceful and beautiful image. What I like about this effect is that it draws all focus onto the artist with the vivid black outline that has been created.

This is my favourite effect as it has produced an image that I want exactly the same for my album cover. I love the displacement of the photograph as it gives the image a much more youthful and urban appeal but also makes the photgraph creatively more interesting as it draws the viewers attention. Another effect that i used was yet again 'Neon Glow' which added a purple tint to the image, this emphasises the femininity of the photograph but also the album. The blurring of the image is occassionally annoying as it sometimes if I look at it too long makes me feel sick.

 

This effect is called 'Exposure' and it simply allows you to create a certain 

Photoshop Experimentation - part 1

I have begun experimenting with the various effects on the software programme Photoshop. I simply adore this programme as it has allowed me to alter my quite dull and boring photographs and give them a much more contemporary and urban appeal, what I am aiming to create for my entire album. What I have done is taken some photographs of areas in London and have added certain effects to them to see which ones porudce the best result.

This is a photograph of the iconic London landmark, St. Pauls Cathedral and the effect that I have used is called Neon Glow. This is probably my favourite effect as it completely changes the colour scheme of the image, enhancing the object itslef by introducing vivid backlighting in a specific colour. I love this image as the effect has given it a much more aged and withered look which links in well with my urban theme. The yellow tint emphasises the impressive structure of the building and also the vivid contrast between the light and shadow areas of the photograph.

This effect is called 'cut out' and what it has done is given the image a graffiti like style with the segmentation of different tones of colour. What I like about this effect is that it removes the detail of the image but still leaves the general outline (which I feel makes it look like a stencil).This effect I think I shall use in the actual design of my digipak because it exudes a rough, urban appeal that I am aiming to acheive however the only issue with it is that when I was experimenting with it sometimes the images would come out too basic as I had taken away too many layers.

This effect seems to have enhanced the black tones of the image to make them more predominant within the image's composition. I love this effect as well as the others because it yet again gives the image an industrial feeling with the rough surface that has been added to the image's design. The black intensity has made the image seem much more dark and less visually attractive however for what I want to do this is exactly what I want to re-create.

My Initial Digipak Design

For the rough outline of what my Digipak is going to look like, I have included six pages with most of them incorporating unusual and intricate photographs of the female artist. I have decided that I want as little text as possible because through my research into Digipaks I have seen a general trend within more modern albums - showcasing the artist with a variety of a photographs. 

Digipak Research - part 12

Michael Buble - Crazy Love:
Yet again this advert is closely linked to the album itself by incorporating the cover into the design of the advert. The font 'out now' is bold and central within the poster so therefore your eye is iimedaitely drawn towards it. As I mentioned before when I was looking at this albums digipak, I really like the two vivid yellow banners at the top and bottom of the advert as they easily display the artist by framing his photograph but they also instantly tell the viewer who the artist is and what the album is called(with emphasis upon 'crazy love' as it is in black). The unusual photograph draws the viewer in and enhances the visual appeal of the advert as the image is original and exiciting - however this is good because it represents what the artist is like, fun, exciting and exuberant.

Digipak Research - part 11

Jessie J - Who you are:

What strikes me about this advert is  the urban and youthful appeal that is created due to the graphically designed title. The gold effect that has been added to the title and also the over exaggerated font style provides many connotations of modern day youth with all of their 'bling'. The gradual fading of the gold colour grabs the audiences attention and funnels it into the centre of the advert where the album cover is placed. I love the basic font that has been used for the text 'OUT MONDAY' as it reinforces the urban theme with its graffiti style and the black provides a strong link back to the artist. The artists appearance has a vivid appeal towards the youthful generation with her gothic styling (black nails and lips) and the close up photograph simply showcases the artist.

Digipak Research - part 10

Beyonce '4' album:

This is the advert which accompanies Beyonce's most recent album '4'. For me this is a very striking poster as it is simple yet very powerful with the prominent image that is central to the layout. The overlay of the image on top of the artist's name gives the advert much more of a contemporary and professional appearance. The pose that the female artist is in is very high fashion and exudes femininity which is strongly linked with her unique outfit. The best aspect I find of this advert is its simplistic design - it isn't over crowded and this therefore enhances the visual impact upon the viewer. The 'out now' text stands is the first thing that hits you as it is in a vivid white colour which contrasts with the rich, black tone of her outfit. I also like the text used as it seems quite formal and yet provides a great contrast with the rest of the advert - the formal and controlled nature clashes with the ferocity and uncontrollable appearance of the female artist.

Digipak Research - part 9

Who The Hell Are You - Madison Avenue:

What I love about this booklet is the storytelling nature that it portrays through its high amount of photograhs that have been incorporated into its design. The front cover now emphasises the male DJ of the band as he is the most predominant aspect of the front cover photograph, the fact that he is looking directly at the viewer therefore draws you in and immediately captures your attention. The setting of the photograph (in a back of a car) provides us with connotations of the city - urban, industrial, modern and this setting I feel represents the bands unique style of music. The heavy use of the colour blue throughout the digipak enforces the more masculine nature of this CD, whereas with their first single the design of the booklet was more feminine with the pink and purple shades. The title of the song and band's name is much more noticeable in this particular design with the basic font style but in a crisp, white which contrasts well with the dark blue background. For the rest of the digipak we see a wide variety of photographs showcasing the band in a more slightly sexual manner and the cold blue and black theme is occassionally incorporated into the photo itself.

Digipak Research - part 8

Everything You Need - Madison Avenue:
What Not To Do

I don't really like this digipak simply because it looks rather cheap and slightly bizarre. What immediately sttikes me about it is the weird and in my opinion slightly disgusting pciture which has been used as the front cover. The female singer is in a tight, sequin outfit whereas the main in the background is standing there in a a plain blakc outfit. From this the two individuals do not look like a band at all, this I feel is also reinforced by the fact that there is more predominant lighting upon the female than there is the male - and this was the one major confusion with the band was that everyone thought that Cheyne Coates was a solo artist with a back up musician. The pose that she is in also makes her seem quite futile and may be considered as sexest as she is portrayed lower than he is - whereas in there first song 'Don't Call Me Baby' they are sitting side by side. The background of the photograph I think looks very cheap and 'tacky' as it doesn't suit the band's style and it just mkaes the quality of the cover look pretty bad. The one positive point which I have to say about this digipak is the font which is used throughout the enitre booklet - it follows the same concept as before, simple yet effective and especially as it is in this gold colour which makes contrast well with the white background.

Digipak Research - part 7

Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue:

This is the album cover to the song that I am going to use for my music video. When I initially saw it I thought that it was a bit too plain and boring however as I look at it more I start to think that it maybe boring but it is also effective and is direct towards the viewer. In the centre of the cover we see the two band members in quite a normal looking photograph, allowing us to see what they look like. Then the rest of the cover is yet again simple - the text and font style resembles the normal 'Arial' or 'Candara' font on a word document but the dark colours used help make the wording stand out more for the viewer. The dusky pink colour used as a border for the photograph provides strong links with the female singer as she is wearing clothing in the shame shades of colour - connotation of femininity. For the rest of the digipak this colour theme is carried on with the pink and purple tones being used for the lyrics  however on the very last page there features a striking photograph of the lead female singer in a skin tight costume which reinforces the contemporary nature of the band but also emphasises her importance within the band as she seems to be the more predominant character. What I love about this digipak is its simple yet practical design - it may not be as creatively inspiring as more modern CD booklets however it does 'get the job done'.  

Digipak Research part 6

Madison Avenue - The Polyester Embassy:

The first thing that strikes me about this album cover is the unusual and heavily masculine background for the front cover image. The heavy use of metal for this image provides many urban and industrial connotations which contrast well with the high amount of femininity which is being exuded from the lead female singer. The simple, black costumes allow the band to be easily identifiable but it also unifies both of the characters representing them as one group. I love the font style used for the front cover as it reflects the urban theme of the background - the bands name at the top is bold with it being in the black banner and simple with the straight forward font style whereas the title of the album has a much bigger visual impact upon the viewer because of its placement, its size and its more contemporary font. The colour theme of black and beige are carried on throughout the entire booklet and this allows the pages to merge well together. The rest of the booklet is used mainly for the lyrics to their songs, therefore showing us that it is more practical than visual - this allows me to see the progression from earlier to later digipaks as now, in modern society, they are used more for promotion of the artist with the inclusion of many photographs of that band/artist. Overall I think this is a very good digipak, especially for this particular band as it strongly reflects them and what their music is about - the unusual and 'funky' design relate to the band's up tempo, hip hop and urban style of music.

Digipak Research part 5

Crazy Love - Michael Buble:

The first thing that strikes me about this album cover is the artists vivid glare directly at you. This immediately draws you in and captures our attention with the bright highlighting of specific areas of his face. The two yellow bars at the edge of the album help frame the central image and also funnel your attention into the centre of the page (which is the artist). The incorporation of his hands into the front image adds an element of surprise and yet again funnels our attention to the artist. Throughout the rest of the booklet we see a wide variety of photographs showcasing the artist but also showing off his unique and humourous personality. The font style also reflects the artist with it being contemporary but also quite 'relaxed' in appearance as it looks slightly like handwriting therefore reinforcing the simple nature of the design. The grey background keeps everything simple and yet clean, crisp and professional whilst also creating more focus for the text and photographs. In my opinion this is one of my favourite digipaks simply because it doesnt just show pictures of the artist, but it attempts to show the artist normally - without having to do extravagent photographs or include eccentric colours and fonts. As the artist is so 'down to earth' then this is what I feel they are tring to portray with this CD booklet.