Changes in my Concept Idea!

I have been somewhat indecisive when coming up with a final idea for my concept, as I was struggling to make much progress with my stalker/forest idea. Although, in theory I liked the idea, when trying to create a storyboard I found it difficult to develop it into a proper concept. I started thinking again, listening to my song and reading through the lyrics over and over. As I was browsing through some old school documents of mine, I came across a presentation I made on representations of women in the media. In this presentation I had particularly focused on the pressure young girls are put under to look beautiful and slim and how many aspire to be like the models so commonly seen in advertising. What with Kristie's modelling, I thought I could base my video around this concept, tying in some of the ideas I already had!


I also remembered an Evanescence music video for 'Everybody's Fool':

The pressure conveyed in the video is really clear and I really like the contrast of the character's real appearance and feelings compared with her bright and happy roles.


The concept also fits really well with the lyrics! I feel that I can make a better narrative out of this idea. 

Digipak Styles

These are a few examples of the different panel designs you can use for a digipak. I found these on a really great website, which makes all of the digipaks from 100% Green Forestry Practices Certified board stock and high-quality vegetable based ink on both the boards and the discs. What I really love about these digipaks in particular is the custom designs people have ordered. I especially like this one: 

I really like the unique idea of the middle panel having a pocket in it for a small booklet. This would be great for a booklet featuring the lyrics of the songs, which you often see with albums. I would also like to use a 6 panel digipak as there is more opportunity for adding different features such as a list of tracks, the lyric booklet, disc tray and plenty of images. I'm really excited about creating a digipak and can't wait to decide what I would like the end result to look like!

Digipak and Album Cover Research

I have started to look at different digipak designs to help me form an idea of what I would like my own digipak to look like.


The traditional and more common form of CD packages are jewel cases. The clear plastic cases are made up of three pieces of plastic. Digipaks however, typically consists of paperboard or card panels with one or more plastic trays to hold the disc(s). You can also get digipaks which have 'soft-spots' rather than a plastic tray, usually a small circle of felt which you can pop the CD onto. Digipak editions of albums are often of limited edition and contain bonus tracks.


I began by looking at a few different digipaks from all genres, to compare and contrast them, as it's quite difficult to pin-point just what alternative rock is as a genre. It's a pretty vast area as there are so many sub-genres within it. I feel that my track is most likely 'noise-pop'. Also, through my band and record label research I realised that often alternative rock groups and artists use a fusion of many different genres to create their own 'unique' sound. 

My favourite cover out of these is probably the Dead Weather: Horehound cover. The darkness and tree like shapes in the background are similar to the sinister theme I wanted to convey in my own video. Though, if I wanted to base my digipak on a lighter tone I also like the Paramore cover featuring the butterfly as it is simple yet effective and the bright butterfly wings really catch your eye.

Shot/Lighting Inspiration

Saw this music video through a friend today and really loved the first few shots that are used! Not sure if I could incorporate some like this into my video but would like to.

Record Labels

In order to create a realistic and professional digi-pack I have been researching record labels which would be likely to sign my band. I started out by looking at bands and artists who had a similar sound and genre to my track. The six main bands I looked at were Muse, Primal Scream, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Autolux and Biffy Clyro. The SlideShare below shows my research and final decision.

Band and Record Label Research

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Ancillary Tasks

As well as making a music video, we are also required to produce two of three ancillary tasks. The choices are:

1. Digipak
2. Magazine Advert
3. Website

The digipak is for the album's release, the magazine advert must promote the digipak, whilst the website is to promote the artist/band. At the moment the digipak and magazine advert appeal to me most. I definitely feel confident about having the Photoshop skills to create them. Hopefully I can make them look really professional and interesting!

Digipak

This is a great example of a student's level 4 digipak

Poster

The poster to promote the digipak



Film Inspiration

In Her Skin is a 2009 Australian thriller about the search of a missing girl. Her killer turns out to be someone her family least suspected; her ex-baby sitter.



It think the idea of using a female as the stalker figure is a really unique idea. Especially if her identity isn't revealed until the end!