CD packaging Research

This is the cd packaging for Ed Sheerans album '+'. It is a basic 4 panel cd case, with a cd slot and a booklet inside. 

The cover is extremely basic, with a close up of Ed Sheerans face, and the album name '+' in the bottom right corner. His name is on the top left of the cd case. People would have to have knowledge of Ed Sheeran to know that this is his album at a glance. 

This is the inside of the cd case. Again, it's very simple. The black cd contrasts with the bright orange booklet. If the cd was orange too it may have been too much, because it a very overpowering colour. The black looks more professional and sophisticated. It also stands out against the orange because the two colours contrast so much. 

This is the deluxe version of '+'. The cover is very similar to the normal album, except the text is different. The name of the album '+' is still located in the bottom right corner, but it is slightly bigger and easier to notice.

His name is also a lot more distinctive than the first cd packaging. It is very bold and clear at the top of the case, above everything else. It is also central, which makes it the main focus.

The information about the deluxe edition is positioned in the bottom left corner. The white makes it stand out against the orange background, however the orange text against the white doesnt stand out as much because font isn't very bold. 

magazine advert research

This first magazine advert is very simple, yet effective. Only three colours have been used-orange, white and black. The orange really stands out, which will catch the audiences eye. 

The image from his album cover has been used. I think is an extremely good idea because the audience will be able to easily recognize the album after seeing this advert. 

The image of Ed facing towards the reader makes it look like he is giving eye contact. This creates a sort of an imaginary personal connection with each reader. It seems quite intimate in a way; he is almost interacting with his audience himself. 

The image is the main focus, so the text has been enlarged to draw some of the attention away from it, so readers take in the information. 

No costume can be seen in this image. If clothes and jewelry were shown, it could detract from the close-up and the facial expression. 

This advert contrasts massively to the first one. the same colours have been used-orange, white and black. This time the background is black rather than orange. It doesn't stand out as much as the first advert, because it is not as bright and eye catching. 

The image is the main focus of this advert, because it is a lot larger than the text and it is in colour this time, rather than blended with the background like the first one. 

The album cover is still displayed on this advert, however it is less distinctive. Only people that take time to look at the advert will easily recognize the album. 

The way the image is positioned over the text, gives the illusion that Ed is looking down at the text. This indicates the audience to the bottom half of the page to read the small text underneath.

Ed seems to be wearing a plain black t-shirt, which blends into the dark, shadowed, black background. If he was wearing a colourful t-shirt it would detract attention from the actual information underneath. He also seems to be wearing some sort of necklace, which is a common look for Ed Sheeran, keeping to his identity. 

Rough Cut & Audience testing

Here is the link to my rough cut:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8j1esjYFC8


This is an extremely rough version of my initial ideas. Different actors and locations will used. I am also aware that the shot is slightly stretched so I will use a different camera to record the footage too.

Audience Testing

"Really like the idea that you have added effects to the video to slow it down, and make it appear old. One MAJOR thing I picked up on is the warping of the shots, they appear to be very disorientated. Another thing I picked up on is the shadows of the person filming the person sat in the chair, this should be changed, taking into account the weather. I also like the way you have changed the colour of the video to add to the ageing of the shots. 9/10"

"Overall your rough cut is really good, I like it!. I like the effects you have used to make the video appear old. I like how the clips flow from one to another and how they have been slowed down to go with the song. I like the ending and how you have repeated some clips and show all of the clips again at the end. The only problem would be that some clips appear stretched."

I will need to use a different camera when filming my actual video, because the picture is stretched, and disorientated when uploaded to iMovie with the camera I used. I have another camera that I will try out before beginning to film. 
     I will definitely use the 'aged-film' theme for the footage that depicts his memories. It was really successful with the audience, and creates a clearer contrast between the past and the present. 
     Lighting is also something I need to look closer at, as someone noticed my shadow on the floor when filming the 'present' footage. 

Shooting Schedule

We will be filming mainly on Tuesdays. This is because me and the actors have to attend sixth form/college and have weekend jobs. Tuesday is the only day that both me and the actor have free time to concentrate on filming. 

Evenings will also be used for filming scenes like the gloomy room with the male character, and the necklace scene which will also be filmed in low lighting. 

Actors auditions & props

The female character, Alice, will be played by Kate Kenyon. She is 17 years old.

I have chosen Kate, because she fits the usual appearance of the females usually starred in Ed Sheerans music videos-blonde hair and very natural.

As I said previously in my costume post, I will keep her make up and hair very simple, similar to the photograph above.

Kate is very outgoing so she will be perfect for the role.

The male character will be played by my family friend, Lewis Bailey. I have chosen Lewis because He has short, light hair that won't show up very much in the dull lighting. If I were to use someone with dark hair, they could not resemble Ed Sheeran because his hair is fairly light. He is also very tall, so his masculinity will be prominent.

Location Choices

I am going to feature a number of locations in my music video.

One scene will be located in a woodland scene. There is actually a wooded area behind my house, which I think will be perfect for some footage, as I know it very well and where all of the lovely landscapes are.
     Another great place I know of for this location is Sulham Wood near Tilehurst. This woodland/farm area has areas of dense wood, and wide stretches of farmers crops, and fields. This will create a good contrast of footage.


 

Here is another location I will be using.

  This is a small park on Linden Road, Reading. It is a good park to film in because it's always very quiet, so there will be less disruptions, such as people walking past or dogs running around. The rocks will be a great place to film because it looks slightly more exciting than just wooded area. Another location is needed for my music video is a gloomy room with low lighting. I have a few ideas for this scene. One of which is my bathroom. There is a small light above my bathroom mirror, which creates a dull, orange low-lighting when switched on. This lighting would be ideal, however the bathroom is not big enough for this footage.
 

iMovie Learning

What have I learnt? 

In the edit tool bar, you are able to trim the selected clip, split the clip, and detach the audio. Trimming the clip allows you to view the clip more precisely and trim a lot more accurately. Splitting the clip allows you add a transition or another clip in between. Detaching the audio means you can edit the audio separately to the footage, or delete the audio completely rather than reducing the volume.  

This is an example of what it will look like once the audio has been detached. The purple line under the clip is the audio, that can now be edited separately. 

In this screenshot, the audio has been shortened. The beginning of the audio has been cropped, so the footage has stayed the same but the audio doesn't start until a few seconds in. 

You can edit the transitions separately too. 

You can actually activate the advanced tools which allows you to do more. 

You can analyse the stabilization of the selected clip, however it may take some time to analyse.  

A quicker way to correct the clip stabilization is to select 'Smooth Clip Motion'. This usually takes only a few minutes. 

You can also adjust the speed of the selected clip in this section. It can be adjusted using the slider, or you can edit the percentage more accurately in the small box to the right. 

Here can also add an effect to the selected clip. This allows you to change the appearance of your clip, for example if you wanted to change the mood the clip reflects.