Digital Technology Essay Draft

“Describe and evaluate your skills development in digital technology from AS to A2”

At AS, I was involved in producing a two minute thriller film opening, it is clear to see at A2 level, I have developed my skills both individually and when working as a team. My progression in digital technology has enabled me to be part of creating a much more mastered piece of film.

Whilst creating my AS film opening, the digital technology I used was rather basic. We were fixed with using iMovie, as what we were producing did not require complex effects and we did not have the required knowledge to use specialised programs. This year, however, we were fortunate to have a Final Cut Express workshop to help learn about the full advantages we could get out of this in order to make our music video as original as possible. For instance, we constructed the split screen by using this in order to build a greater visual effect as well as it also being part of our underlying plot. I have used Photoshop to design my Digipak, as my skills in this program have developed, as opposed to AS where I made the film company logos using a simpler program, Paint and carried out straightforward operations such as converting an image into black and white.

As the Flip is not of great quality, we tended to only film the ‘behind the scenes’ footage of our music video, whereas last year we actually used it to film our opening. This year, my group and I filmed using various types of cameras in order to have the best standard of footage by using the new Panasonic HD cameras. For example, in order to conform to our Indie/Alternative genre, we established our settings by filming a variety of panning shots of city and scenic shots as we had previously seen in famous music videos on YouTube. The downfall, however, with this hardware is the fact they run out of battery and this can be a real inconvenience when filming in a deserted location. A piece of technology I had with me at all times is my mobile phone, this was extremely useful when finding practical shooting locations so I could upload raw pictures onto my Blog and it was constantly used when organizing filming days.

As part of my research and planning, I ensured that I found well-fitting secondary source pictures in relation to the music video we aimed to create. I used websites other than ‘Google Images’ and used quirky picture websites such as ‘We Heart It’ and ‘Deviant Art’.  Other than finding inspiring images, I used YouTube a great deal in order to benefit from other artists’ music videos and fully appreciate the approaches they have taken in order to attract certain audiences and reactions.

In order to form a more realistic result of our brand band for Hunt the Noise, I created a Twitter page for their fans. This technique would not only allow fans to ‘follow’ them to find out useful information e.g. upcoming tour dates but it also adds a personal aspect for fans.  This enables the public to see what their favourite bands are doing, view their uploaded pictures and even have the opportunity to ask them questions.

During AS, we did not have a chance to use the green screen, however, this year it has come in very valuable in our music video, particularly when experimenting with several backgrounds. Although, we did have some software problems when attempting to upload the footage and edit onto it, which resulted in a fault of the green fabric we bought.

In conclusion, my skills in digital technology have developed enormously in both the software and hardware that I have used when putting together my music video. I now have the capacity to carry forward the fundamental knowledge I have learnt from AS and A2 which will permit me to start my next project.

Similar Ideas

This newly released song caught my attention when I was watching the music video, as it seems to include quite of a lot of the techniques we've used as well as the ideas we already have! The idea of having quick flashes within our shots, the change from black and white to colour and the long scenic establishing shots of buildings. Theres a point in this video (around 0.17/0.18) where the colour changes from black and white to pink in quick flashes, which I think is particularly effective particularly if the change occurs on the beat of the song. I really enjoy the music video to this, as the beat of the song goes really well with the video and the timing of all the shots is really focused on, which is what we aim to achieve in our own. 

Tracklist

1. HEAVY
2. DREAMS
3. FIRE IN YOUR MOUTH
4. LOST 
5. UNDER MY SKIN
6. PREY
7. SAME OLD
8. ECHO MY SCREAM
I found it a little difficult finding ideas for my track list so I gained inspiration from NME's website, where I took a look around the type of words used and simply put them together for my tracks. I ended up with quite edgy sounding words, very ambiguous yet they fit our genre.

Analysis on Digipak

I decided to create a fish eye shot for my front cover, as I liked the idea of an onlooker viewing the a vulnerable woman through a shotgun. I didn't want any form of identity to be shown on my cover, due to the fact HUNT THE NOISE is are a DJ-trio, not an individual artist. The brick wall was used as a background in order to allow my audience to establish the genre of music we produce. In order to fit the style of my image, I used a chalky font, as if my band name was written on the wall. I was sure to include a parental advisory label, provoking the idea that our album will not be suitable for all ages.

My back cover is a layering of images in slow motion, implying the idea of running away and freedom which brings us back to the true meaning of our song lyrics. I wanted to keep the style of my digipak quite similar throughout so I used the similar brick wall. I included the record label's logo and HTC, presenting an abbreviated version of our name. I put this in a green colour, as I researched into other CD covers and many have a hint of green within them, implying the idea of money and success. 

I also included information on the right side of my back cover, stating my record company and manufacturer with a copyright, making it appear much more realistic. I also put contact information - the record label and band websites, allowing fans to get access to our music in other ways. 

The inside cover, where my CD also has the consistent theme of the brick background, however, the image placed ties in with the cover, where it only looks complete when the CD is in its cover. I used this image because it gives the impression that the girl is falling off the CD, provoking quite a humorous side to our music. I definitely had to include our band name on the CD to give the sense of identity and generally just because I prefer the CD having the artist name.

Final Digipak

Front Cover

Inner Cover 1

Inner Cover 2

Back Cover

Spine

Introducing Band at the Beginning

FUTURES appears and stays on the screen for a good couple of seconds after the video has begun. This is an effect we would like to include into our video.

Ageing our Shots

Having looked at Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans video, we gained inspiration with the effects we will be using for our music video, in particular the shots of the buildings and landscapes. The random flashes of clips throughout between the shots of her in front of a wall - with the contrast of black and white are inspirational and are what we were aiming to create. Below is the the video we have produced with all our best shots from the filming day with cutaway shots of previous filming - despite it simply being experimental practise, we will include the parts we like in our real thing.

Walking Shot

We need to still film the walking shot of our girl by a brick wall - which we were going to include at the beginning although we may switch the places of shots around a little bit according to what looks best. This video by Passion Pit contains the ageing effects as well as the shot of the girl walking in darkness. I hope we create something similar, which emphasises the girl's new found freedom.

My Digipak

Orginially, I planned to have some DJ decks on the front cover of my CD, however, after taking the photographs and deciding they looked too unprofessional and rather cliche for what I intended to achieve, I have gone for a completely different idea. Using the whole 'hunt' theme with our brand band of Hunt The Noise, I am going to use a fish lens and take a series of pictures - perhaps, 4 or if 1 looks more effective and experiment with having this as my front image. The images I wanted to take were to be not of faces but of maybe someone vandalising a brick wall - maybe even writing the band name in chalk on it.  Our storyboard did include some ideas of using a fish lens - as if spying on the male in our video - which ties in brilliantly. 

Artist CDs 2

CHASE AND STATUS
Chase and Status are a music production duo, with most of their music being Electronic or Dubstep. As they themselves – alike to Pendulum – are not recognised visually, it is not surprising they have chosen a symbolic image of a pit-bull to place as their background CD cover. Many of their songs could be considered controversial, aggressive and represent the youth of today, which is why the (rather miserable-looking) pitbull is a great dog to use alongside Chase and Status. Stereotypically, the type of youth who appeal to this music are young adults who attend raves and understand the issues spoken about in the lyrics that Chase and Status work with. 

The contrast between the close up, detailed image of the black and white dog underneath the bold yellow writing adds a brilliant effect. The connotations of black, yellow and white are typically danger and hazard, which is deliberate in the label they are trying to put across to their audience. The back of the CD cover is very basic - plain black with the distinct yellow writing on top aligned on the left hand side. After analysing Chase and Status' CD cover, I have confirmed that I definitely want to create an uncomplicated yet effective cover relating to the type of music my band brand would be producing. I like the idea of using neutral, toned-down colours as a main background alongside an eye-catching font/colour for the band brand name and CD name. 

Artist CDs 1

PENDULUM

Pendulum’s music is a cross between drum ‘n’ bass and classic rave music. As they are a band, whose faces may not be known to their audience – I think this CD cover is a perfect choice. There is definitely something quite surreal about the pastel coloured patterns and shades surrounding the eye, which is aligned with the CD name. The main colours used are green, evoking the idea of money and success of perhaps, the band. By looking closely at the cover, it appears as though the eye is lying on top of a tree growth, which could be representing musical wires and cables. The mystical focus on the left hand side by the band name can be seen to be enhancing ‘Pendulum’, adding a real electronic, rave-y feel and establishing their genre with their audience. ‘Hold Your Colour’ brings into mind Art and by using these water-coloured effects suggests the band’s creativity. The back cover is the exact same as the front and contains the track list – with numbers – aligned on the left hand side below the band brand. In my opinion, I would not have used the exact same image to the front – as it lacks variation, however, Pendulum may have preferred the simplistic option. They have also been sure to include their website, which will encourage their audience to continue viewing their songs and products to advertise their band further.  The use of a clear, bold font for the band name is powerful on a black background and the white writing is the focal point to catch any viewer’s attention.

Scenic Shots

Without realising, Wiz Khalifa seem to have shot similar building in similar ways in his Black and Yellow video! It was really inspiring watching his video, as it gave us some ideas as to where we could put our shots to enhance them within our video and ensure they were fully acknowledged by our audience. The opening shot of his video is a below shot of a building, appearing highly effective in setting of where the video is based. 

[outtakes to be uploaded]

Filming Day 2 - Scenic Shots

We had a very successful filming day today! Despite being freezing, the lighting was brilliant and we used this to our opportunity by filming all our scene shots. Lana drove Joely and myself around to various locations - starting from Ponders End right through to Cuffley. We were able to get some great shots of the flats and some scenic shots of Canary Wolf after climbing a staircase of flats to get the full view on camera. On Monday's lesson, we will begin uploading and editing the clips we have!

Hunt The Noise has Twitter!

Being a Twitter user, I follow many celebrities and music artists - as a group, we thought it would be a brilliant idea to make our own twitter to promote our band and let our 'fans' know all about the latest tour dates!