Editing Stages

 Here is the target audience feedback, I have interviewed members of my target audience during these editing stages to get ideas on what they think is working well and what expectations they have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7TXjKb7AUg

Editing

Within the editing I have done for this project I have incorporated Postmodern references, which  link my video to that of Goodbye Mr A by The Hoosiers - shown in my previous research, analysing music videos.

In the images below you can see my robot girl with an animated valentine heart emblazoned on her chest. This is the part of the video where she meets the boy and instantly falls in love. In the second image I have made the heart a little bigger and when put into the video and played together. these images create the effect of her heart beating out of her chest. This adds comic effect, and is an easily reconisable denotation to falling in love (cliched storyline).

CD COVER & MAGAZINE ADVERT

Today I created my final CD cover with an insert including the lyrics of the song + screenshot images from the video. We were given an introduction to Photoshop and given some tips on quick prompts to use with the software. We edited an image of a Japanese Geisha using different tools - such as the magic wand tool to crop the image  - and learnt about using layers to create an advanced looking piece of work.

After the refresher course on the software we then set to work on our CD covers. I took the image below and upped the contrast and lowered the brightness to create my desired look for the cover.                                                                                                                                              

 

 I then took another image of a sparkler I had, which shows the sparkler in motion creating a curve, and I manipulated the image into letters. I started off trying to find a suitable font for the cover but none really stood out and actually looked right alongside the image. I wanted something that stood alongside the image without overtaking the audience's attention but still interlinking with it. 

 

                                                                                                                                                                    

I then used the same image from the cover on the back, but a close-up instead and added in the song titles. 

 

 I also added small print in the corner which says the name of the band's myspace site, the production company (my name) and tells you that it is "manufactured and distributed in the UK. all rights reserved". I was inspired to put this text in the corner having researched the back of some other CD covers; I tried to make it as realistic as possible.

 I then worked on my magazine advert that I intended to be very similar to the cover of the magazine as I felt the look of them both was important to interlink as the purpose of the advert is to make the audience want to purchase the CD, and also so the audience could identify that one went alongside the other and make the CD easily identifiable if it were to be sold in shops.

I used the image of Ali - the robot girl - from my video  and edited it , changing the lighting to make it darker and erasing edges so it would fit just below the sparkler; as if she is looking up at it. Not only does this draw the audience's attention to the sparkler - as they follow her eyeline - but it also makes the advert fit with the video.

 Within the advert I have tried to use all elements that I have seen from my research into music adverts inside and outside of my lessons.  

I used the quotes I mentioned yesterday to grasp the viewers attention and to support the authenticity of how good the music and band are. 

 I also included information on where the music is available from and the date it is available to be purchased.  

I then  worked on my CD cover insert. This includes some images from the music video and the lyrics of the song Electric Shocks. I also placed some mini sparkler images to tie it in with the cover and back. I used a black background as it merged with the images to make them appear as if they fade into the background, and also white font as it stands out on the black background. I wanted it to all be black and white so it links with the cover with the only colour coming from the sparklers - giving them emphasis as they represent the shocks mentioned in the lyrics. I used different sized fonts to put emphasis on different words in the song, giving it an onomatopoeaic feel and also to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the target audience who might like to see something more quirky to fit with the quirkyness of the video.

Media Trip

Tomorrow I will be fully focusing on my CD Cover & Magazine Advert when our Media group go to the CLC to work on Photoshopping our images and creating the finishing pieces.

I have been researching on Robot Disaster's Myspace page ( http://www.myspace.com/therobotdisaster#ixzz15NcS1D1S ) trying to pick out some quotes from magazines and radio sources that I can use for the magazine advert. 

The few I think I will use are:

'Monstrous electro-popping experimentalism'
VENUE MAGAZINE

'Robot Disaster are on a schizophrenic musical mission to keep us dancing from dusk to dawn... and the look set to conquer'
CONVERSE MUSIC

 I have chosen these quotes as they stood out to me with their dynamic descriptions that I feel represent the band best - having listened to their music myself. I think these quotes will stand out and make the band appeal to their target audience.

The images I will be using have changed from my original sketches, I plan to focus more on the sparkler/shock aspect of the music video. I want to still link the images in with the 'robot' element however. In order to do this I will use images of the sparklers that I have taken...

 

POSTMODERNISM

 

Recently we worked on Postmodernism used in films, tv programmes and music videos. Postmodernism is a concept which has currently become popular, used as a way of describing & grouping styles of thought and culture. Most postmodern texts play with meaning and exhibit intertextuality (referencing to other texts that might be recognised by the target audience). They present a whole range of readings that can be interpreted by a diverse audience however the audience perceives the text - for example a children's film such as Toy Story 3 appeals to children for its funny characters and bright colours exhibited in the pictures below..

..however, the humour used is ultimately aimed at an older audience - maybe to attract the parents who take their children to watch the film - as exhibited in this preview from when "Barbie meets Ken". This interaction between the two characters shows stereotypical 'corny' romance which Disney is known best for, but pokes fun at the way these two famous doll icons were "made for each other". By using the humour to connect with an older audience, this makes the film appealing to a diverse audience and not just children for which it at first appears to be intended.

 Many sophisticated visual puns, as used in advertising, can be described as postmodern. This Burger King advert uses sexual connotations to appeal to an older audience - probably a more masculine dominated audience that would find these sexual connotations amusing with the references of this burger being a "super seven incher".

Postmodern texts also use referential techniques such as bricolage, using images or ideas that are entirely juxtaposed to their original function - such as the Stomp dance troupe which use every day items to create music.

With Postmodernism in mind, part of my task is to incorporate Postmodern references within my music video.

My Postmodern references come from the research I have done, looking into other music videos of similar and different genres and also from films I have seen that I think interlink well with my choice of audience.

Firstly I have chosen to link my music video with that of Telephone by Lady Gaga, previously analysed in my research. I liked the clever use of jump shots and transitions in her video which added to the narrative of the song. Within my storyboard on number 1 I have used a jump shot in shots 2 + 3 where my character sits up quickly in bed.

I will also use this same effect for the 'electric shocks' to exaggerate the reaction of the robot girl. I am aiming for my video to have comic book elements as I feel this relates well to my choice of target audience -teenagers aged 16-19. I have gained this impression of my target audience from my questionnaire after mentions that I should include humour and cliche's in my video. This lead me to the film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, a recently released film based on a Canadian comic book about a 23 year old slacker who falls in love with the girl of his dreams. 

He then has to battle off her league of evil ex-boyfriends to win her heart. This cliched story line grabbed my attention and having seen the film it references a lot to the comic book it derives from; for example the use of comic fonts and onomatopoeia to exaggerate the action in this action-comedy.

   

This also goes alongside my analysis of The Hoosier's video Goodbye Mr A which also is set to look like a comic book and pokes fun at well known comic book heroes with the references within the music video.

Within my video I plan to use similar onomatopoeia such as in the first sequence from number 1 of my storyboard, where she yawns on the bed I might use a large font such as the one used above, but saying YAWN! and during the sequence shot outside with people going past her on the street I will use hearts to show the viewer the robot girl's reaction when she notices the boy watching her in the street.