Learning Comment:
By completing his task I now have a solid understanding regarding what Digipaks are, how they are made, their specifications and why an artist would want to use them. Before doing this task, I was not unaware as to what Digipaks are and their purpose, now however, I can see and understand their benefits; particularly when compared to the traditional jewel case that often cracks and breaks. Digipaks are also more eco-friendly and very versatile as almost any shapes, colours and designs can be put on them. This is very beneficial as you can really channel your creativity and produce a product that fits you as an artist and the music you create. Furthermore, they can also be as small (or large) as you want, their size contributes to reducing shipping costs which combats the slightly more expensive price of buying them. I feel as though I have a good grasp on what makes a Digipak effective and all of it's advantages. This puts me in a good position when it comes to making my own one where I will apply everything I have learnt to create an effective product.
Learning Comment:
Through doing this task, I now have seen and analysed a wide range of music and band websites from all different genres. This has made me very aware of all the varying codes and conventions that accompany these kind of websites and thus I know what to look out for and to include in my own band website. Many of the websites that I have looked at have been very effective and inspiring. One of the things I have noticed is the importance of creating a brand identity and a coherency through the website, products and artist itself. If it is disjointed or confusing then the overall effect is ruined and it is incapable of holding your attention. Minimal words or information are needed on the main home page as the images, colours and layout used should do the speaking alone. It is the first thing you see so it is crucial that it is eye-catching and engaging. This is the most common and important convention when it comes to band websites. Also, it is essential that the artists' personality and type of music comes out in their website, whether through images, layout, colour scheme etc. Regardless of the genre, the whole purpose of the website is to engage their target audience. When the website is first clicked on it should become immediately obvious as to who this artist is, their music genre and that this whole place is dedicated to their music.
Learning Comment:
Doing this task was quite challenging but also very enjoyable as it tested both my filming and iMovie editing skills. To begin with I found it quite tricky to sync the lyrics with the visuals of me singing it, it took a little time to get your head around where you can cut and split the clip so that it would work better. After a few minutes however I got the hang of it and it became fairly simple. This was mostly also down to the fact that we had a lot of footage, filming each scene multiple times, so when I had difficulty matching a certain frame, I could just use a different piece of footage that synced better. It was fun filming the first video around the school and thinking up ideas that aligned with the lyrics, the second video however was holiday video where my friends and I were singing along to a song. We decided we would test our lip syncing editing skills further by using this video and adding the songs soundtrack behind it. If we had thought ahead and organised clothing we would have gone with clothes that mimic the Disney characters we are portraying to make the video more fun and realistic. I feel this was also quite successful and this practice will undoubtedly help us when it comes to editing and trying to lip sync in our final product music video.
Learning Comment:
This is my second attempt at doing a lip sync video and I feel that it was very successful. It felt a lot easier to film and edit as I had practice from before and therefore the whole process went a lot quicker and simpler. We were slightly pushed for time when filming it so there aren't as many varied shots as I would have liked but I feel we had fun and created some engaging and interesting shots that corresponded with the lyrics of the song. During this video, I feel I have improved at editing on the beat but another time I would like to try editing on the off beat which could be just as effective. Reflecting on this task, I see now that I should have split up some of the shots and to keep them short and punchy as some of them are a bit to long. Doing this would have given it a better pace and maintain your attention. Also, we were unable to play around with costumes during this task so it lacks the effect it would have had if we had involved this part of mine en scene. If we had the chance I think we would have gone for suits for the boys to create the idea of binary opposites and the laid back song being at odds with the smart clothing. It would also connote that these people are breaking free of their stereotypes and usual uptight behaviour to show off their happiness that they 'can't stop'. For the female part a bright and colourful dress would have been effective as it conveys the message of happiness. Through doing both these videos for this task, I now feel confident at lip syncing and that I will be able to apply it effectively when creating my own music video.
Learning Comment:
Through doing this task, I now have a solid understanding and appreciation for the history and development of music videos. I have looked from the very origins of what could be classed as a 'music video' up to the dramatic and movie-like ones we have now. Through studying this progress I can see and understand as to why music videos are like the way they are today and know the various different events and milestones that took place that really revolutionised the art that is music videos. Nowadays, a music video is so much more than just a filmed performance or collection of images that accompanies a piece of music. It is now a great product within itself that has often surpassed the actual song. The shift from performance based to narrative music videos, I believe, is monumental as it really set the tone and path for how videos are now created and produced. Having a strong narrative or plot is crucial as it retains the audiences interest and competes in popularity with the actual song. They also bring in a secondary audience who may not be fans of the artist or song itself, but instead wants to watch the video purely for it's aesthetic and cinematic value. In this way, some music videos have evolved to become more similar to that of short films than how they were first originally created. I have seen what makes a music video so popular and effective and thus will go on to try and implement what I have learnt into my own product.
