Brand Identity

For our Brand Identity we didn't choose to design a logo as such, but keep the same theme running through our Video, Website and Digi-pak based on our chosen song 'Windowsill'. Our Video, Website and Digi-pak all include a windowsill in them, there is also the coffee cups, with the purple writing and the flower which is included in all three media products. The coffee cups that feature in the video are in front picture and are carried though the Digi-Pak, the same images are used on the Website. For the Digi-pak i created myself, i have still included the windowsill and thecoffee cups. This has kept a brand identity form the song though out both our main products and ancillary texts. Thesame colours are also used, and in the video the CD they have in the car also has the purple writing on it which keeps a common theme throughout and keeps it so they are easily relate together. 

Digi Pak

Our Digi Pak is based upon the Metallica – Unnamed Feeling limited edition CD case (Digi Pak). It consists of tree panels and two sides, based upon this layout we had to create 10 photo/images, to fill these panels we have used some duplicates. For example; the sides of the case (where the hinges would be located) are both the same image. This is a simple design; A white background with “Mixy Windowsill Limited Edition” wrote in the font, ‘Helvetica’ in italic. We have used this same font throughout our project (To create familiarity between the products)

Inside of the Digi Pak Middle-CD Holder

CD design



Left-Middle flap Middle-Back cover Right-Front cover

The inside consists of five panels. Two sides, a middle and then the sides (hinges). The inside panels are sections of the same one image, giving a nice consistent horizon going across the whole inside. This provides a nice simple look that is interesting and pleasant to look at but doesn’t have too much going on to distract the viewer. We have also included a sample of what it might look like to have some of the lyrics printing on the inside using the chorus of the song. We also created a CD that goes along with the internal panels. The CD’s image is the same as the image behind it. This is a very common lay out for digi paks (complying with codes and conventions). We intentionally used an image with the coffee cup from the front cover placing the word “Windowsill” in the middle so it will fit onto the CD.

For the front cover we decided to have the cups from the video (the ones that ‘The ex’ and ‘The girl’ used). This made the Digi Pak relate and connect to the video. Whilst shooting this picture we came up with the idea of writing the title of the song and the album on the cups, this allowed the image to be more interactive. We then also used an image of one cup on its own, we did this to represent the break up within the video. With the break up being the main narrative throughout the song and video, the two cups represent the first date the couple went on and the cup on its own represents how the ex went back to the scene and is now alone. Further symbolism comes from the flower. Without watching the video it may seem insignificant, however, within the narrative of the video the Ex buys a bouquet of flowers. This was to try and win back the girl. In one scene the ex throws away the bouquet but holds onto one flower. The last scene of the music video shows the ex walking towards the edge of a roof (looking as if he is going to jump). When he gets to the edge he throws the flower as a symbol of him admitting the relationship has ended and he is letting go.

Rough Digi Pak

MIXY
THE MMXI MIXTAPE

Reseach and Planning. This is a rough idea of what our digi pak will look like.
INSIDE OF DIGIPAK

This is a image of our finished Digi Pak, the left side is the same image as the front cover which was hand drawn using pen, using photoshop we have erased the writing 'Mixy The MMX mixtape', and we have added the lyrics to the song ‘Windowsill’. We have done the same with the middle image but we have also erased the photograph and mug. The right side is a image of Mixy which we got from the filming, this indicates who the singer of the single is, we have also edited this using photoshop so it fits in with the colours of the drawing.

FRONT COVER OF DIGIPAK

This image shows the front of our Digi Pak. The image is hand drawn, we have then edited the image using photoshop so the back looks like the back of the window, we have added in the bricks so it looks like a picture from the outside looking in. On the side of our Digi Pak using very simple lettering it says 'Mixy Windowsill' we have done this in a dark green so it fits in with the colours already used. On the inside cover we have used the same theme of the windowsill and the green coloured font. This page simply says 'The new MMXI mixtape from Mixy' This is so when people open it up they can instantly relate to the album as being new and they know who its by.

The Website

Above is a screenshot of our final website.

We created this website through a free online service called Wix. They allow you create your own free website which is hosted on their servers. It won't carry a domain name e.g. Www.example.com but instead follows the format; Www.wix.com/YourUserName/SiteName. This is due to it being hosted on their servers so it carries their name.

The Wix method of creating a website is a very user-friendly, sandbox style. To implement anything we desired was clearly labelled and easily accessible. Thanks to this we were able to create a professional, sleek looking website without the hassle of coding, etc!

Our website developed through multiple attempts and rough edits, discussion and audience feedback. We created our initial website from scratch, which was very difficult and looked very unprofessional, bland and basic. We presentated it to Mixy and he approved of the layout but agreed with us that the design required more development. We continued to experiment but unfortunately could not achieve the results we wanted. This is when we switched to Wix.


The choices we made in designing the website however were very well thought out and each object has a specific purpose. For example, we have kept the font used the same throughout our production, both in the video, digi pak and the website. This was to create familiarity and for the products to show resemblance to each other allowing them to be easily associated with one another.
Because the main focus of our production is the featured song, just a single track not an album we made sure the most noticeable title on the website was the name of the track. The name of the artist we made smaller but in bold so it still stands out against the rest of the page. We placed this above the name of the track as it follows codes and conventions to have the artists name first.

We chose a simplistic, clean theme to our website, so it still looks professional and sleek whilst remaining uncluttered and easy to navigate for users. The theme carries meaning to the selected track. The background chosen is of one of the photos from our digi pak (The rear image). Also it is a picture of a windowsill linking into the track, and is from a location within the video. Through the use of this we have successfully linked all three products together. However, we also chose the image as we felt its gentle nature helped create the 'cool' calm look we was going for. We matched the text and overall colour scheme for the website around this to create gentle blending making it look very appealing. The photo is also 'empty' which provides zero distraction to the audience.
The navigation bar also follows the simplistic manner, with the navigation buttons becoming highlighted by blue when you roll your mouse over them, again matching the colour scheme but also provides effective functionality without being 'in your face'.

The website follows the standard codes and conventions of a music/artist's website by featuring the artists name, content directly relevant to them such as pages of 'About' providing information on the artist, a page of their albums, showing off their music and a contact page.

All the links on the website are fully functional, leading to pages with content. Whilst this was not required we went ahead and did it to give our website a more completed feel. One of the buttons leads to a page called "Albums". This provides working download links to each of Mixy's available albums, we also included this on the main page, as an extra touch.

We made our music video production the main feature of the front page, as this is what the website was about and formed around. Having it placed in the centre of the main page makes it the first thing seen by the audience, it is also set to auto-play. This was done to make sure it was the main focus of the audience visiting the page.

Overall, we are very happy with our website and how it has turned out. We feel that through the choices we made in theme, features and functionality that it effectively achieved the intended purpose of being nice to look at, informational and entertaining.


Link to the website: http://www.wix.com/blackdragon1994/mixy

Final Video

Above is our final cut of our music video production.

The video opens with a scene of 'The Girl' played by Zarina Rogalla and 'The New Guy' Played by myself meeting up, they then enter a car. This is to establish that they are together/familiar with one another. This also acts as an establishing shot/introduction.
We then cut to a shot of a CD labeled with "Mixy - Windowsill" into a CD Player, and this is where the music starts.
A film burn transition then follows into the introduction sequence of the characters. 'The New Guy' and 'The Girl' are introduced within the same car together, driving. This is to keep continuity as they was previously seen entering the car. The character of 'The Ex' is then introduced. In this shot he is seen smoking and with an angry look on his face, this was done to fit in with the fact he is the ex and is hurt/angry by what has happened. Thanks to these titles and what is contained within the shots, the audience can immediately grasp what the narrative is going to be about.
The track is introduced not by a title but by the name of the song written onto a coffee cup in a location where a lot of the later shots happen. This is because the coffee cup is featured highly throughout the video and carries significance.
We move onto another shot of 'The New Guy' and 'The Girl' together. They are seen smiling walking out of a lift and 'The New Guy' has his arm around 'The Girl' This is to further show that they are together and happy.
We cut into a shot edited with de-saturation to provide a washed out look of 'The Ex' smiling with an un-seen character, this creates enigma. He is also seen to be pointing to the sky, this links the lyrics in with the video due to the lyric saying "There was a time when our limit was the sky". This also provides suggestions as to who the person he is with might be. It then immediately cuts to Mixy to establish that he is the person singing.

The video fades to white here in an attempt to show that the de-saturated footage is memories. We see a shot of 'The Ex' and 'The Girl' together picking out some flowers. This cuts in and out of colour and them being together and the 'The Ex' being on his own. The shot of 'The Ex' purchasing the flowers is there to represent that due to the couple sharing a moment (shown in one of the clips) with these flowers he is longing to go back to that moment.
The footage moves onto 'The New Guy' and 'The Girl' walking together. 'The ex' however is standing in the background and both characters are oblivious to this. He is seen holding the flowers but once the characters walk past he lowers them, representing how his emotions just dropped.
More memory footage occurs of 'The Ex' and 'The Girl' together. The shots are linked in with the lyrics such as “Text your number and you came for a drink call it a date we sat down had a chat and it was great in the quiet little place I grew accustomed to your face” we used footage of ‘The Ex’ and ‘The Girl’ sat together in starbucks, coffee cups visible, talking, smiling and having a nice time. Also for the “grew accustomed to your face” we had a close up on ‘The Girl’s face. All this was done to develop more memory scenes between the two characters and to link the lyrics in with the video.  All this is mixed in with shots of Mixy singing to show that Connor playing ‘The Ex’ is symbolising Mixy.

Returning to where ‘The Ex’ saw the other two characters walk by together, we switch to a shot from behind ‘The Ex’ and see him walk away. There is a low down shot of ‘The Ex’ walking away throwing the flowers towards the ground and since the flowers were symbolising a moment between ‘The ex’ and ‘The Girl’, throwing the flowers to the ground represents the rejection and loss he has just experienced.
We now move to a long sequence of clips featuring Mixy rapping. This was to spotlight him as an artist and his talent. It mainly focuses on showing off his ‘flow’ in his words. This is following the codes and conventions of a standard music video by showing off the star.
He also says the lyrics “finger-tips slip on the glass”, for this we had Mixy gently run his fingers across the glass of the window he is sat next too, to link the lyrics in with the video again.

There is a shot of ‘The Ex’ in the same location that him and ‘The Girl’ had been sat in the memory scene only this time he is by himself. This shows how he is reminiscing about the past and how he yearns for them times back. He is seen twiddling a flower. This was placed as we intended for the flower to carry the representation of their relationship. He gently caresses the flower as if it was the girl. This links back to the scene of them together in the coffee shop when he caresses her face.  The footage pans up to ‘The Ex’ as he takes a drink of his coffee. This then fades into a shot of Mixy finishing off the exact same action. This is to further show how Connor playing ‘The Ex’ is representing Mixy throughout the video.

The end of the video comes to footage of The Ex’ walking aggressively towards the edge of a roof, suggesting that he’s given up and is going to jump and end his life. When he reaches the railings however, we cut to Mixy in the same position. He twiddles the flower over the edge as the song draws to a close. Diegetic sound fades in as the flower is dropped from the roof, signifying the end of the song and since the flower carried the representation of the relationship, the end of that too. The use of diegetic sound for this part of the clip was to add to the feeling of everything being over.

A title sequence of credits begins whilst the track is re-started to play over them. Since the intro of the track is purely instrumental it was perfect to use. Stereotypically music videos don’t tend to include credits on the end, so by doing this we have challenged the codes and conventions. An influencing factor on challenging the codes and conventions by doing this stemmed from the fact that since our music video was following a narrative throughout that it was going to be treated more like a short film.

Overall all we are very pleased with our final product; by taking into account all feedback we have received we have tailored the video to receive nothing but positive comments!

Storyboard

We developed a story board of scenes we wanted to film after brainstorming ideas between the group, coming up with a series of shots which we hoped will create the quality final product we are aiming to achieve.
We took this with us when we went filming, as a guide line to follow of shots we needed.
This storyboard does obviously not cover all the shots we had in the end, as whilst on-set filming we'd come up with new ideas or new ways to do things.

Risk Assesment

Following below is our risk assessment, where we answer the problems that we may have had and how we prepared for them before the shoot.

Assessing the location – The way we went about making sure that our location was available to use was to phone up Starbucks and ask permission to film in advance. This meant that if they denied us access then we could ask another coffee shop. Luckily they agreed and gave us permission and informed us of what their least busy day is. This would hopefully allow us to get the seats that we would prefer to film. We also planned backup seating location however should our ideal seats become occupied and unavailable. On arrival to Starbucks on shooting day, our ideal seats were taken. We decided that we would wait for them to become free. This gave us time to set up our gear, talk to the staff about getting filmed and to discuss shots between group members. An hour and a coffee and half each later the seats were still unavailable. We decided to resort to our backup seating. We ended up finding that the backup seating provided nicer framing, allowing us to use the railings to frame the scenes. It also tied in nicely with the song title and lyrics due to being located directly in front of a window, so obviously including a windowsill.

Actors/Actresses – We had learnt from our mistakes last year and decided to come up with a set of substitutes in the event that one or more actor/actress was unavailable, ill or otherwise preoccupied. We considered many candidates and the main issue that cropped up was getting a real couple, who looked naturally comfortable together and would mind kissing when necessary. There was also another issue that we facing, this being that we needed to find a couple that didn’t look too young. Due to time restrictions the only couple suitable we could find within that notice that fulfilled the previous stated requirements was Connor and his girlfriend Zarina Rogalla.
They stepped into Fran and Ralphs place. A majority of the shots from the rough cut we kept the same just re-filmed with the new actors (I remained as ‘The New Guy’).

Equipment Failure – We are highly reliant on the equipment we are using, mainly the camera. The worst thing that could happen whilst filming would be a camera error of some sort, for example; battery, memory, technical and/or damage. We made sure to take all these possible failures into consideration. One way we made sure that these errors wouldn’t happen was by carrying a battery charger with us at all times and a spare fully charged battery. To deal with the memory issue we carried a box of spare memory cards. This meant that if we ran out of room on one card we could replace it with a fresh card. To cover us in the unlikely event that something was to go wrong with the camera (i.e. accidental damage) we had my Nikon D90 camera with us at every shoot on standby just in case. Although as not high quality as Connors D700 it would still be able to produce high quality video.

 Camera man – We had to take into consideration of all possible errors. We made sure that there would be a secondary camera man at all shoots, whether it was Connor, Cameron or myself. This meant that we could have someone recording behind the scenes, or even someone to talk to about technical issues and camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens choice). This proved to be a very good risk assessment as we had to activate our substitutes for actors and actresses it meant that Connor was unable to film a majority of the narrative. In these cases we used one of our backup camera men to take over.

Weather – We had to take in consideration what the weather might be like on the day of the shoot, as unfortunately the weather can never be definite. We began filming when the weather was a nice, clear day with sun and few clouds. However, whilst filming through the day the weather ook a turn for the worst, as it began to rain. To try and help us avoid being caught off guard we checked the weather schedules, which stated that it was going to be a clear day with the chance of overcast later. We deemed this to be good conditions, as the clouds would add a natural soft box, creating soft light for the shots. However, halfway through shooting when the rain began, this would have ruined our filming, but we took it in our stride and made it work for us. Filming outside when it was nice weather and shooting inside Starbucks when the rain was too heavy. Luckily we filmed most of the present shots in the dry and when it came to the memories we managed to shoot them out in the rain making it look as if it was two different days.