CD Back

This is our current back of our CD cover. We have created a song list by using an online song generator and picking out names. We decided to use the circle image that we created to keep the consistency between the front and the back. Whilst I wasn't too keen on the pink coloured text at first, though I like the fact that we are breaking conventions slightly. What's really cool (and worth a try) about the back cover is that we have our own QR code that can be scanned if an app is downloaded to an Android or Apple powered phone; this code gives the user information about the album.

Development Poster

I think these work really great, it's got the vynle cover as the poster and again has that feel that you've gotta be in the gang to get it. Otherwise, it only speaks to those interested in the genre - which is what a lot of these artists do. The only criticism I'd have, though still think is effective, is the colour of the name TWEEDA. If only to make it a bit more conventional it may be better white but I still think its extreamly great and effective. I think the addition of current alternative rock providers and social media, it's speaking to the youth of this genre further.

Development Vynle Cover

After researching into the possible return of vynle earlier this year, we decided that one of our products would also be a vynle cover. We've astablished that there's a distinct link between the album and the vynle, yet at the same time they can be two completely different products in style and look as well as art.

This is the one that Sean developed and I think the thing that keeps the album and this cover linked is the colours used in both. It's again (lacking the text) like the black album. I like the distortion of the circle which also reflects the themes of the alternative rock genre as it reflects how unity is broken in society and that there is isolation due to the 'themes' in the other album.

Development Album Cover

I love the album but really dislike the font - it's not conventional at all and is too 'childish'. It may look better in all caps but it sort of ruins the album. The best bit though however is the conventional stark contrast of black and white. The four icons in the middle reflects the 'themes' of alternative rock as well, drugs, alcohol and sex.

I must prefer the album without the font or name, its a lot like the black album in some reality. It's illusive and 'in the crowd' which is sort of what the genre reflects too.


Otherwise, there is alternatively this album cover. However I feel like they're too big in the album and most of all, isn't quite aligned and some boxes are larger than the other - it would be better if they were all the same size. However I like the fact that it still reflects the same themes.

Poster Examples

These are kinda icon poster examples of alternative rock, late 90's early 2000 when alternative rock was kind of at its height with culture and particularly the kids - it was that type of music back then. I think what's most icon about both of these prime examples is the name - its branding, its their logo, its iconography, and they each have their own conventions, black and white. Though both have a cooperation of colour as well as though it was going to make itself more lifefull fill. The font's are very stark and bold - unlike the ones sean and reece have been looking at whilst I've been away. We need to look more at this capital block font. Either poster reflects either the band or live performance or the 'fantasy' element of the album and how it reflects it.

I thought this was an interesting poster or advert for a magazine - still I'm using soical networking means to keep track of alternative rock music bands. Flyleaf are one of them, despite how unknown, though are a little darker than the music video version of our Blink 182 cover. Probably hensce why the poster is a bit darker too. Drowning Pool are Metal, though it's a nice incooperation. I think this is a cool idea for a magazine advert because if you think about it, KERRANG! would feature bands like these in posters. It hits all the right targets, iconography in both image and title though really appeals that 'artistic integrity' that the bands normally express through their music. What's more is the contrast between cool and warm colours, giving that edge of anti-socialisum and isolation, which are some of the themes which we have identified. Marketing wise to the audience, clearly its a ffective. Instead of just saving the image I decided to take a screenshot of the Facebook image to show that it obviously gains feedback from social network users. We have and are planning to do something different, though still it's interesting to compare our work against.

Retrospective

Research and Planning - Comparsion of the past 12 Months

Research for Decipher

Looking back at my research leading up to 'Decphier', it became apparent that quickly I had settled on a theme of thriller and had stuck to that confidently. The research, at first was basic as I analysed the opening squences to thriller themes of a wide range, though became more detailed as more were written. These looked into shots and broke down the squences, though now in comparsion are extreamly short; they look into the opening squences well, but not like the detail I have gone into this year when analysing music videos for alternative rock. Other 'Decipher' research was very basic, such as looking at title squences and the branding e.g. logo and studio. These are breif and marketing is hardly looked upon. However, the links between influences and film are very clear - particularly when we show our presentation of our research compared to our product. In some ways, I feel my research for Decphier was decent but not as great as it could have been. At the time I felt I knew the opening squences to thrillers, though I couldn't always justify something immediately as I can when working on the music video.

Research for All The Small Things

As previously stated, I felt my research for 'Decphier' was descent though compared to my research and analysis for the music videos is almost minimal. For a start, I looked into a lot more videos than just five, I looked at least in eight total if not more and only one or two were extreamly short analysises. All other analysis were very descriptive, showing screenshots of very little significant shot or convention or even branding I could find in the music video and begin to explain why this is conventional, why it is effective, how it is edited well to the music, the atmopshere of the music and even how the audience would respond, including links to the viewer. I was also quick in deciding what type of music video I was going to look at; immediately I had chosen to look at alternative rock and began with 'Sum 41 - In Too Deep'. Gradually, these have also become more and more developed. Two of the most icon analysises for me, which have helped me when creating All The Small Things is the analysis of 30 Seconds to Mars, due to the inclusion of band members in narrative, Linkin Park for editing and artystic style and Jimmy Eat World for the ability to easily connect to the audiences. By looking at the analysis of videos, I could find that I could identify the conventions of the genre of music video, such as isolation, drugs, sex, alcholol, revolution - a wide range of things that I could immplement into my planning.
This year, my planning was far more specific. Me, Sean and Reece created a treatment saying what we were going to do and how we were going to do it and most of all, why. What conventions would we include and why? How would this connect with the audiecne eand why? Things that would preper us on set and before hand to plan to create the music video. Just as last year, we created a log sheet, though there is one thing that we hadn't really prepared for in terms of plannign as compared to 'Decphiper': storyboard and script. We found it was really hard to write a script to a music video, so we outlined a basis of narrative and had chosen sets. The storyboard was done by Reece whilst I was fimling in Rothbury Residental over the October half term - this isn't the problem, but we didn't refer to it often. We had a check list and a basic shot list to tick off. What would have been an improvement when filming and planning would have been to get a cold of a clapper board so we were more organised during the process.
Product planning is something that I didn't have to do last year, though is just as effective. I spent a long while scanning in my own alternative rock albums, covers and digi books and all, and looking at them and why I think their affective as part of the audience that they try to reach. I used social networking such as Facebook to catch up on some of my influences, such as Linkin Park and looked into a different, possibly making a come back in convention, different type of product, vynle. I think I streched all of my extremes in the planning and research and rounded it up nicely so that now I know the conventions well, I can justify what I do and I can say why it works.

To improve this any further, I would say that I could get audience feedback. Being at a sixthform is particularly useful as a large percentage of the students here enjoy alterantive rock, meaning I have access to this audience. To improve my research, I could take tolls of favourite bands and look into albums and posters and magazines of them; even for this, when creating the album cover and the digi books, I could ask these peers to gain research and see how I can improve.