Final Cut - Polarize

Evaluation Question 4

This is a video of me explaining howI used technologies in my planning, construction and evaluation stages:

Evaluation Question 3

This is a Interview chat show that I have created to talk about what I have learned from my audience feedback.

These are some images of the setup and the audience feedback forms I received

Evaluation Question 2

Evaluation Question 1

This is a radio show I have created to talk about the ways I have used and developed currnt forms and conventions of real media products.

Final Album cover digi pack

The theme I was using when making my album cover was 'Seeing things in a different way' I think this matches my song choice Polarize very well. I've also decided to stick with the black and white theme that I used on my practice album cover because I really like the effect it gives and It also makes my other effects look better as they are contrasting colours and allow me to use grey in between. It also works with the black and white effect that I use in my finished music video so this creates a link between all 3 pieces or work. My video, poster and album cover.

The actual title of the album is a cut-out effect on Michaels face and uses that instead off a fill in the text. This is because of my theme  'Seeing things in a different way' as we are seeing Michael's face in a different way. I also added a lens flare effect as it matches the song 'Polarize' as polarize sunglasses remove glare from someone sight and the song is about polarizing the way wee see. I placed it in the same position as I did in my poster for continuity purposes.

The back of the album consists of other 21 pilots songs and I found the record labels they are signed with and added them too. I found a barcode and a parental advisory image online as well to try and achieve a professional look. I have added some 'fake' copyright text on the back whereas my draft didn't include this. I wanted to do this to try to add even more professionalism to the whole digi pack.

I didn't want to use the same effect on Michaels face as the poster on  my album cover because I want to show as many different ways you can see the same image to match my theme of 'seeing things in a different way'.
 

The inside of the album resembles when Michael is happy and has 'polarized' so he can see vibrant and happy colors. I was trying to make it so that when you open the album you will be struck by such a contrast just like you are in my finished video.

I used Michaels face from the poster on the cd because this will improve the continuity between my album cover and my poster.

Outside cover

inside cover

Final Poster - Polarize

The theme I was using when making poster was 'Seeing things in a different way'  as I think this matches my songs meaning. The song is Polarize by Twenty One Pilots and the meaning is that a boy is distraught about his child hood and is trying to see his life in a different way, hence the name 'polarize'

I've decided to use a black and white theme because it goes hand in hand with the black and white effect that I use in my finished music video. This is great as the continuity from the video and the poster now overlap and that's exactly what I wanted to achieve. it will also hopefully compliment the album cover as I intend to make that black and white too.

The actual face is made from lyrics of the song 'Polarize' And I think that this effect matches the theme as its a visual trick and you are seeing his face through what he is singing. So you are in a way 'Polarizing' by seeing his face in a 'different light' just like you see Michael in the video in a different way.

I used a lens flare over the whole poster as it symbolizes polarize sunglasses that remove glare from the sun in your eyes. And as the song is called Polarize I thought that this helps get the message across to anyone that doesn't understand the message. I also plan to position the lens flare in the top left hand corner of my album cover so they have some sort of similarity between the two.

I didn't want to use the same effect as the album cover on my poster because I want to show as many different ways you can see the same image to match my theme of 'seeing things in a different way'

The meanings of the messages and content in my music video

This is a quick 10 minute run through of all the effects, hidden messages, meanings and shots and me explaining why I have used them.

PLAN - Evaluation Question 3 - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I am planning on making a interview style answer to this question. This will be the skeleton script of what I say in the podcast I make for my evaluation question 3.

Here are some of the positives that I learned from the feedback and that they particularly liked:

• The storyline
• The transition between the story and the live performance
• The ending (spray paint and fade to the sky)
• The song choice
• the framing of the shots "interesting and you can see the emotion on the actors face"
•  The wide screen effect

But also they gave me a few pieces of constructive criticism:

• Lost their attention - needs to be more vibrant
• lip syncing is out at he start
• didn't understand the hidden messages "like the hat and the bottle dropping"
• Titles at the start are a 'bit shabby' and can be improved on

I decided to change the starting titles and scene because of the audience feedback. They said that they didn't understand the meaning of the hat so I was thinking of ways to make it more apparent. After some consideration I thought that by making the screen black and white while he is not wearing the hat and then making it colour when he is wearing the hat will show that the hat is the catalyst in this change. This taught me that when I am making a video that includes hidden messages I need to use lighting, effects, framing, sound and mise-en-scene in an effective way. After applying the effects to my scenes involving the hat the feedback was much more positive as they understood that the hat symbolised his depression. I'm still not %100 happy with the way I showed these messages because I could have used my framing and camerawork in a better way to show this.
I will now keep this in mind when I want to get a message to the viewer and use all aspects of filming that are available to their full extent.

Audience feedback - Ancilary tasks

 

 

 

This is some of the feedback that I received when asked about my two ancillary tasks, the album digi pack and the poster.

The feedback consisted of many positive comments and especially the continuity between the two posters.

 "the poster looks really professional and is well edited" - Owen Smith

The poster's most frequent comments were about the use of the lyrics over Michaels face and the lens flare was praised too due to it working with the songs meaning and the continuity between the two pieces.

"its just a well-rounded and professional looking ancillary task" - James Huxtable

The digi pack received good comments too because the disc in particular uses the same image from the album cover and they liked that because the continuity between the two packs. They also liked the album cover and the used of titles and they understood that it represents the meaning of the song.

Audience feedback Final cut

'The idea of the hat works a lot better now' - Owen Smith A2 Media Student

"all the effects are really quite clever" - Natalie Sharman A2 Media Student

Most of the comments that I received were talking about how the final cut has improved the understanding of the hidden messages because of the new effects that are involved. They also seemed to like the new beginning and it use the black and white feature. Finally, Owen Smith commented on my casting because he thinks Michael fits the role really well because of his drama background.

Polarize Thumbnail

This is the thumbnail I designed for my Polarize music video. It will be the image you see as a small icon when browsing my channel on youtube. This doesn't add any marks to my final grade but I thought it was i nice touch to my overall piece of work.

Editing walkthrough

Changes from my rough cut to my final cut (and what they mean)

These are some of the changes between my rough cut and my final cut and why I made them.

I took into consideration the audience feedback towards the rough cut. The feedback was very clear and the points that I got from it were mixed.

Here are some of the positives that I learned from the feedback and that they particularly liked:

• The storyline
• The transition between the story and the live performance
• The ending (spray paint and fade to the sky)
• The song choice
• the framing of the shots "interesting and you can see the emotion on the actors face"
•  The wide screen effect

But also they gave me a few pieces of constructive criticism:

• Lost their attention - needs to be more vibrant
• lip syncing is out at he start
• didn't understand the hidden messages "like the hat and the bottle dropping"
• Titles at the start are a 'bit shabby' and can be improved on

After taking into consideration all the feedback and also based on my own opinion and what I think I should change here are 3 of the main changes that I made and why I changed them plus a conclusion of all the other small changes that I made:

1) Starting scene and titles 

Before (Rough cut)

After (Final cut)

I decided to change the starting titles and scene because of the audience feedback. They said that they didn't understand the meaning of the hat so I was thinking of ways to make it more apparent. After some consideration I thought that by making the screen black and white while he is not wearing the hat and then making it colour when he is wearing the hat will show that the hat is the catalyst in this change. Now, the actual reason fort the hat is to hide his insecurities and is his defence from the outside world. This is because after I did some research I found that most children have some sort of 'security item' when they feel unsafe. In many cases this item was a hat so I thought it would be a clear way to show that Michael (the actor) is using the hat as a way of self security. The black and white images show this as dark colours usually symbolise depression and the song lyrics explain the singer is depressed so I thought that this worked particularly well.

Secondly, the use of shots have changed for two reasons. The first reason is that I feel that the first 3 shots in the rough cut are just too shaky and doesn't show the correct emotions that I want to display. So I changed it to a tripod that is static  for the first 3 shots in the video.  The second reason is because I wanted to try and get the emotions of depression across to the viewer a bit more clearly so I included a slowed down shot of him walking through a puddle. I did this because walking through a puddle is associated with sadness, anger and most importantly depression.

Finally I decided to change the titles in this opening scene because I had some feedback and they said that they didn't match the video. So I thought to myself 'maybe I don't have to try and make the titles look generic and go for a professional look?'. After a quick look on the internet for some examples I found that most titles for a music video are completely different. So I thought I would make one that is creative and matched what the video looks like. And as you can see above thats what I came up with.

2) The drink and colour change

Before (Rough cut)

After (Final cut)

As you can see the appearance of black and white is back because Michael is not wearing his hat and you already know why that is from what I said earlier. But what has changed is that the drink has remained orange. This is because I was trying to make the audience understand what the drink meant after hearing their feedback on the rough cut. The meaning behind it is that the drink symbolizes childhood. The reason I wanted something to symbolise childhood is because of what the song is about. The whole song is about him reminiscing about his past and how he wished he could change it (hence the reason for depression) The drink is remaining orange though because its the only thing in this shot that is keeping him 'happy' because it reminds him of his childhood and it makes him feel like he is there so he can make a change to what his past was like. The drink is almost like a 'portal' if you wish and that it teleports Michael to a different place. And this works PERFECTLY with the meaning of the song as later on you will see that he teleports from one world to another after he has 'polarised' and seen the world differently through a new light.

(This same effect is applied to the other shot with the bottle falling on the floor for the same reasons)

3) The hand portal

Before (Rough cut)

After (Final cut)

This change is quite simple really, its basically there to show that he is seeing the world in a different way (which was the theme I was going for when making this music video)and it also acts as a portal for Michael to go through. It was my intention while making the rough cut for this to happen but the time it took for the effect to be made was very long so I put out the rough cut with text saying what the effect will be.

The  rest of the changes:

Final cut

The rest of the effects consist of Michael exploding and reappearing into dust particles, particles appearing on the drum kit and the new layered clip that you can see above.

The reason for Michael disappearing an reappearing is because I want to give the viewer a bit of mystery. The viewer is shocked when he disappears for the first time but when he reappears they will assume he has teleported into the new world they have seen through his hands. They may assume the whole thing is a dream? or maybe its just to show transitions in his location and time? so what one is it? well actually the answer is both. I wanted to add a little bit of mystery and I didn't want to spoon feed the viewer so i left a bit open for discussion and this may even make them want to re-watch the video to try an figure out why.

The reason for the drum particles is because the second world Michael is in is actually meant to be a dream world and i think by adding these particles to the drum kit it makes that a little more apparent.

Finally the layered clip that you can see above is to try and show what is going on inside Michaels had. The shot is a close up and the faded image of Michael sining is resembling his thoughts. The reason why the close up matters is because it places the singing Michael directly over his head and its almost as if we are looking into his thoughts.

Effects walkthrough and tutorial

Filming Review

The filming took place on 3 separate days. The first day was in Hethersett and we filmed all the live music performances. Filming was hard a the ground was wet so we needed to get a floor mat for the drum kit. Then during filming it started raining and we had to stop for a while. There we no other issues apart from dog walkers and other people sometimes walking into shot by accident so we had to re film some of these shots. We also filmed to shots inside the shop that day. We got permission and were in and out within 15 minutes as we didn't want to disrupt the shop and its customers.

The second day consisted of the black and white shots seen at the start of the video. These were in Wymondham and only took 20 minutes to film. everything ran smoothly and the weather was kid to us that day. Apart from the fact that we had to make our own fake puddle!!! we found a relatively small puddle but it wasn't big enough to make the splash i wanted when Michael walks through it. Then we filled it up with water from a bucket near by. We also had a slight problem with one of the SD cards but I had a spare one at hand so it was alright.

Finally on the third day we filmed the rest of the shots in Hethersett. These consisted of the tennis court shots, the spray paint ones, the ones in the house and also the ones in the field. The spray paint shots seemed to be the hardest to film because getting to the tree and the pathway was a long walk through a muddy track! its safe to say Michael wasn't to pleased about that one. The rest of the shots were perfect and went really well and smoothly. but again, there was the occasional dog walker that we had to stop for.

What have can I take away from this experience?

The weather is not in your control. Always have a backup plan if you are filming outside.
Bring a spare SD card and any other equipment needed.
If filming in public then I need to be aware of the people walking about and making sure not to get them in shot by accident.

Draft of my Album Cover digi pack

This is the draft of my album cover.

The theme I was using when making my album cover was 'Seeing things in a different way' I think this matches my song choice Polarize very well. I've also decided to stick with the black and white theme that I used on my practice album cover because I really like the effect it gives and It also makes my other effects look better. It also works with the black and white effect that I use in my finished music video.

The actual title of the album is a cut-out effect on Michaels face and uses that instead off a fill in the text. This is because of my theme  'Seeing things in a different way' as we are seeing Michael's face in a different way. I also added a lens flare effect as it matches the song 'Polarize' as polarize sunglasses remove glare from someone sight and the song is about polarizing the way wee see.

The back of the album consists of other 21 pilots songs and I found the record labels they are signed with and added them too. I found a barcode and a parental advisory image online as well to try and achieve a professional look.

I didn't want to use the same effect on Michaels face as the poster on my album cover because I want to show as many different ways you can see the same image to match my theme of 'seeing things in a different way'.

 

Research into music video posters ancillary task

Here are 4 important rules that i learnt and think I should follow when designing my poster for my music video.

1. Challenge Yourself to Try New Techniques in Production

Limited funds mean that the financial implications of experimentation are lessened greatly. Now is the time to take a risk or two on the production side, without a multi-million dollar corporation over my shoulder wondering if this is going to work or not. I could mix in a spot varnish, split fountain, tweak the opacity of my ink and just experiment in general.

Here is a good example I found that uses different layers, varnish and a split fountain:

2.Typography ALWAYS Matters

a successful poster depends on the typography that comes with it. Readability depends on the artist and their audience. Don’t forget that a lot of these posters are intended as merchandise, as opposed to items to promote the album. 

Here is an example that use good typography:

3. Would You Hang This On Your Wall?

This is the hardest thing to quantify, but there is no escaping that a poster is expected to be cool. Cool enough to be the only piece of art on your wall. Cool enough to let everyone that walks in to the room know a little about you and your tastes. This is the rule of poster law. 

here are 2 examples that I believe follow this 'law' and i would be happy to have on my own wall.

4. Listen to the Band You Are Designing a Poster for

Sounds simple, but you can easily see when a designer has abandoned the studying part of the job. Your poster can reference a lyric in a beloved song, or exist as an abstract piece of art, but it needs to appeal to the audience for the band to have any worth. These are the people who you want to buy your print to frame and cherish it forever. Respect that and they will respect your work.

Here are some examples of poster that i think are suitable for their relevant artists:

So what does this all mean?

basically, I need to make it relevant to the band, make it worthy of going on my bedroom wall, use typography, use imagery and finally challenge myself to new techniques when designing it and try to be original.

I have a few ideas in mind and they include using texts and typography on photoshop to resemble a face....

Final Locations

This is an update from my old post of my initial location ideas on the 02/12/15. This one now includes the park in Wymondham as I decided to film in this location instead because my rough cuts footage wasn't suitable for my final cut as you can tell its filmed at the village hall in Hethersett and i wanted to add some more diversity to the locations i uses.

The final locations have been chosen for my music video. I have decided on 6 separate locations and they are all located in Hethersett apart from one. I chose Hethersett as I know the area very well and to make the filming easier as it reduces the amount of travelling needed.

Corner Shop

I used a corner shop in Hethersett called 'Premier' to film in. The reason I chose this location is because I knew the shop owner and he has given me permission to film inside. It also has a wide range of  products inside and they all had vibrant colours so it went well with the music video as it is a shot that is relating to his childhood.



Tennis court

I chose to film a part on a tennis court in Hethersett as a tennis court relates to a game played by 2 people and him being alone is showing that he has no friends and he goes there in the hope of finding someone else or to recall his childhood when he did play there with his friends.






Hethersett skate park


I chose to use the skate park in Hethersett as it represents his childhood and there is a vantage point that I can use to get a good low angle shot when the happy part of the song comes in.







Village Hall field

I used the Hethersett village hall field for two main reasons. Firstly, because it is close to the tennis court and the skate park so this saves time and travelling. Secondly, because it is a wide open space and it suits what I wanted because there is a wall nearby that I can use when I want the character to lean against it.






House

I used my own house purely as it was easy to use. The location isn't that important for this shot so my own house works well enough.






Park in Wymondham


I used the park in Wymondham as I needed a pathway to use at the start of the film and my actor wasn't able to make it to the park in Hethersett so I decided to use the park in Wymondham as he could get there ion short notice

Storyboard - Final design

This is the storyboard I have made for 'Polarize' - the song I have chosen to make a music video on.

I went for a 6 panel approach and went into more detail with the sketches as this was the final version of the storyboard.

they all feature a brief description of what is being shown in each box.

the difference between this one and my previous design is

1) more detail - more professional.
2) panel 1 shows him walking right to left instead of straight at the camera.
3) panel 5 shows him looking down at his hands.
4) other small adjustments.

Heres the storyboard:

Prop list

• Drum Kit
• Black wooly hat
• bottle of sunny D
• Red washable spray paint
• mic stand 
• microphone
• drum sheet

Audience feedback for my rough cut

Here are some of the positives that I learned from the feedback and that they particularly liked:

• The storyline
• The transition between the story and the live performance
• The ending (spray paint and fade to the sky)
• The song choice
• the framing of the shots "interesting and you can see the emotion on the actors face"
•  The wide screen effect

But also they gave me a few pieces of constructive criticism:

• Lost their attention - needs to be more vibrant
• lip syncing is out at he start
• didn't understand the hidden messages "like the hat and the bottle dropping"
• Titles at the start are a 'bit shabby' and can be improved on

I think all the feedback is fair and constructive and I will try my best to resolve anything that they didn't like about it.

I will make a different post that shows any changes that I decide to make between my rough cut and my final cut.