Task 4: Director's Commentary

Here is the video we recorded giving details on the media technologies used in our music video.

Task 4: Director's Commentary Script

 This is the script we wrote and recorded for our director's commentary, after the footage has been loaded on to the computer we will layer it over the top of our music video, by placing it in a little box in the corner.

 Hello I’m Liv

I’m Charlie

I’m Sophia

And I’m Mariella

And this is our music video

Liv: At the very beginning we were interested in creating an indie/rock style music video.

This lead us to looking up similar types of bands to Bombay Bicycle club and The Kooks on YouTube. This is where we gathered the inspiration for our main theme and narrative of the music video. We found the song ‘Naïve’ by The Kooks from one of the videos we stumbled across. 

Charlie: Every stage of production for our music video involved many different  types media technologies. We filmed with a Sony FS100 during the production of our video, which is a professional level camera that creates a crisp, bright image to give a very professional quality to our product. We used Zeiss 18 mm prime lenses for wide shots, 35mm and 50 mm for medium and 85 mm for close-up and extreme close up shots. We shot at full HD quality which is similar professional video. 

Sophia: At the beginning of the video we have a girl standing in a room looking confused to attract our audience from an early stage. This adds to part of our overall narrative which reflects on the lyrics in the song. We then used a variety of shots, such as close ups of all the band members to introduce them and to attract a female audience.

Mariella: In the post-production process we used a software called Final Cut Pro on the Apple Mac system, which we edited our shots on. This is a professional editing facility, which enabled us to create a unique and professional looking video. This professional editing facility is accurate to one twenty-fifths of a second giving us complete control in shaping the finished product. Thus creating a unique and professional looking video.

Liv: We used tools such as label logging to navigate through our footage in a much more organised and efficient way, and the blade tool to manipulate the shots and make them the exact length that we needed. Once we had fine cut the footage, we then used professional software called AFTER AFFECTS in order to make the transitions into the scenes more subtle and easy on the eye, these transitions were when we went through the walls of the rooms. Because we had kept the camera at the same height during the shooting, there was no need to further manipulate the image digitally in order to keep the girl on the same plain.

Charlie: A key aspect to the post production included lip syncing the visual footage to and matching this to the audio music track behind it. Through doing this we create a fluid and coherent media text where the actors actually appear to be performing the song which is essential for the band’s credibility. This was achieved by using a digital clapperboard when shooting.

Sophia: The overall feel of the video is generally quite intense in the narrative but very bright in the performance side. We created this by colour grading the different shots using a program called ‘color’ in the post production process.

Mariella: The idea which we wanted to communicate to the audience through our video is the life and the story of the naïve girl. This has been interpreted differently by members of the audience, which suggests that our product is polesymic. We collected feedback though a variety of online platforms like YouTube, Survey Monkey, online questionnaires and a digitally recorded focus groups. 

Task 4: What have I learned?

By using digital media technologies I have used technological convergence to ensure that I have produced three products as a part of a successful campaign.  My use of blogger, YouTube and WIX has enabled me to become a prosumer and a creator of media products to a near professional standard. 

The use of Final cut pro as a piece of editing software has taught me how to select and organise a music video to a very high standard using semi-professional media equipment. 

 I have also been able to share ideas and research global and industry standard products.  Digital technology has made available to me opportunities to upload, share and distribute my products using You tube as a free online broadcast platform.  It is also interactive – audiences have been able to feedback, like and comment on my products using features such as Facebook and SurveyMonkey as well as other online tools.  These new skills learned on this course have enabled to gain experience not only as a user of digital technology, but also to also become a producer – which is important to understand the media in the online age.

 Henry Jenkins is very interested in examining this ‘participatory culture’ and most specifically how the Internet has brought it to the forefront through offering opportunities for regular audience members to produce and upload their own products – something that I have achieved by uploading my music video and director's cut to YouTube, as well as blogging my process of the course on Blogger.com.

New Improved CD Digipak

This is the new and improved front and back cover for our CD digipak. After re-shooting and thinking about the concept further we decided that this was a much better route to follow.

We are so much happier with this and think it will appeal to a much wider audience now.

Changing the Digi-Pak and Website

After much consideration and feedback from peers, we have decided to go back and change our Website and Digi-Pak. This is simply because we didn't think that they were the best that they could be.

I did a redesign of the CD, which focuses on monochrome and the simplicity of the title and band name. We did really simple graphics that aren't too flashy.

I created a mock up of what we would like the front cover to be like, again keeping it really simple and following a geometric pattern.

Just imagine that the boys from our music video are in place of The Kooks. We like the idea of having sections of the boys' bodies all aligned together. This idea will look much more effective than our previous one.