Photoshop - Learning How To Use It

I am using photoshop for my magazine advert but I don't really know how to use it. So, I've looked at quite a few websites and YouTube videos e.g. http://www.photoshoplab.com/photoshop-tool-basics.html

Audience Feedback of Website

Audience Feedback

My Responses

I collected a small group of people together to look at my website so far.

The bit about the actors with their interests and aspirations etc was really well liked. They liked the fact it had both their parts as well as outside hobbies. I was worried people wouldn't like the differing backgrounds of the actor pictures but because they are symmetrical, people said it was still aesthetically pleasing so the background difference didn't matter. They also said the pages were really clear and easy to navigate. They didn't have too much writing or stuff going on that it was overwhelming. 

They liked the merchandise page but think they layout and font should be changed. They think the item descriptions should be more clearly linked, e.g. by both being in a box together rather than the item in a bordered picture and the writing just on the page in no box. They really liked the header at the top and think the font should reflect that. They did the prices were believable though and that the page was very clear and simple. There is a link to fanmade merch on the page and they liked the idea of it but thought it looked a little out of place. So, it was suggested that that link gets put in a little box by itself. I agree the font should match the title so that there is a continuum of themes and to make it look professional. I think putting the descriptions and ETSY link into boxes are also good ideas that I will probably do.

They thought the slideshow was a nice addition and liked the captions. However, I did have to explain what the slideshow was at first so I think a small explanatory bit of text next to it might be needed. They thought it would be a good idea to move the slideshow to the centre or make it the main feature of the page because there is a fair bit of blank space on the page and the slideshow could use the space better rather than being shoved in the corner like it is at the moment. I will definitely be adding some text to explain or just introduce the slide show and I might move the slideshow depending on whether I find other stuff to fill the gap.

They thought the contact bit was really simple and effective. They liked the colours of it. However, they think rather than having the address under the contact form, it should be in a bar on the bottom or something with more contact details to look more professional. I don't think adding extra contact details is necessary as there is a contact form. So, I think I will leave the contact section as it is.

Choosing the ancillary tasks

Magazine Advert

The song I'm doing would fit really well with Kerrang! magazine especially as Kerrang! has featured My Chemical Romance in the past. Also, Kerrang!'s target audience very much matches my own as it is mainly young people who like rock and emoish music.

Website

People are more often looking to the web for information about bands and music etc. So, I have decided to do a website. I also chose to do this because it can provide so much more to pull a customer in. For example, there is no limit to what you can have. You aren't restricted by pages or to one sheet of A4 paper. Also, you can show customers sneak peeks of videos, clips of songs etc which can't be shown with a digi pack.

Digi Pack

I chose not to do a digi pack because more people consume music by listening through online services (e.g. Spotify) or by buying it digitally. So, less people get CDs with digi packs.

Filming Progress

This is the link to the checklist of things that still need filming.

Ancillary Text - Website Planning

What I want to include

1. Black and red theme to fit in with music video and MCR's general themes
2. Easy to read font
3. Behind the scenes section inc photos and possibly vlogs e.g. photos from popular girl photoshoot
4. A merch page with the merchandise having a border or frame especially if I have a dark background to make it look more professional
5. Record label logo i.e. Warner Music Group and band logo
6. Link to iTunes or Spotify
7. A possible short clip of the song with a button on the front page
8. Contact form with possible FAQ or title "Got a question for us

Student Ancillary Texts - Magazine Advert Analysis

Demons

The star rating are a nice addition to the advert that would make a customer more likely to buy the album. However, I don't think the colours are bright enough or the font big and clear enough to really catch the customer's eye in the beginning. I like the bottom of the advert with all the ticket details for the tour. The advert overall doesn't give much away about the video so it'd make a customer interested. I do like the fact they used the same setting with the trees as they did in the video.

Mr Blue Sky

This magazine advert goes hand in hand with their video and has really bright eye catching colours which would really grab the attention of the customer. It clearly says when the album is available and shows where you can buy it at the bottom. I think the quote at the top is a really good addition to the poster but it would be nice if it said who the quote is from. I really like how the photo of the characters from the video blends in with the whole background rather than being separate. It makes it flow well and really does make it look like they are in the sky.

Train

I don't think this advert has enough colour to attract the customer to look at it. It is quite dark and grey which may fit in with their theme but doesn't make it look very interesting. I think the photo is a good one, if a little dark. I don't like the font though. It isn't big enough to easily read and it isn't a clear font anyway. There are also blank spaces that look like something should be there but just wasn't ever added. This space could be filled up with a bigger title. I also think the ticket link should be a lot more visible.

Ancillary Text - Magazine Advert

This is my Canva presentation about the conventions of magazine adverts and my initial ideas for what I'd like to do with it.

Student Ancillary Text - Website Analysis

Bullet For My Valentine

I liked the strong black and white theme in this website and the same font was used continuously for titles which I thought was good. I liked how the main page didn't have too much on it but still had a video and information about an upcoming tour etc. However, I felt like the website had a lot of unnecessary repetition, such as the video being in two different places when it only really needed to be in one. I liked the idea of a photo gallery but I think captions would've been a nice addition. The Sony label in the corner is good as it isn't too in your face but is still there. I liked the store link but I think the tops with a white background looked a bit strange with the page background behind it.

From this website, I've learned that a background doesn't necessarily have to be white to work but if I'm going to have store merchandise with a white background, giving the images a frame or border could be a way to work around it looking unprofessional. I think I'll do the same amount of pages as this website has the right amount to be interesting but not overwhelming. I also really like the idea of having a record label logo on the page.

Regina Spektor

I really like the link to iTunes to buy the single. However, I think that the music should not play as soon as you enter the website as it could get a bit irritating for fans. It is good that the button to turn it off is very clear and easy to find. I prefer in this website that there is a link to the music video on another page of the website rather than just having the video there twice. I think the theme is quite cutesy and girly which fits the artist well. The layout of all the pages is also very good. There are lots of photos which I think breaks up the text really well and makes the website a lot more interesting and eye catching. However, there are some blank spaces in the background which I think would look better if they were filled with more photos or just a little butterfly like with the main title on the homepage. I think the shop looks really professional and the white background matching the merchandise background makes it all quite visually appealing. The contact page is a good idea but I think it could go well with something as simple as "Got a question? Wondering if Regina will be touring in your area?" above it to make it more clear why a contact form is needed.

I really like the idea of linking to outside websites such as iTunes so I think I'd like to do that. I like the idea of having the song available to listen to but I think I'll have a button or a link, that way the fan gets the option rather than just has it played to them. I'd also label the button to make it clear exactly what it is and what song etc. I really like the idea of having a contact form but with suggestions of questions that could be asked or even a FAQ of stuff that has already been asked and then a contact form with a title like "Got a question not answered here?"

Turning Days

I think having a page just for the sake of someone entering it is pointless and they should just go straight into the homepage. It would make sense if there was the option to sign in to a fan club or something but there isn't. I also think the background is a wasted opportunity because that could've been a photo of the band of the logo or something. However, when you do get to the proper homepage, it is very well laid out and simple without too much irritating blank, unused spaces. Having an email account is a good idea but the placement of it makes it a little hard to read. It would've been better placed on the next page where it is suggested that fans email them. I think the second page is also a bit too informal and has too much writing so fans would lose interest quickly. I think having a music page is a good idea but I think the titles all need capital letters and that it would fit website conventions if the audio clips were just short 30 second clips rather than full length clips because most bands would use this to promote their music and get people to buy the album but why would people buy the album if they can listen to the whole songs on the website for free? I think the events page is pointless because it just has one line on it saying "Events will be added." I don't see why they included it. The band page was okay but had too much writing and grammatical errors. It was interesting in places though.

This website has shown me the importance of getting other people to look over the website to see if there's too much writing. Also, I will make sure not to have grammatical errors in mine. I like the idea of having short audio clips and might use it but I don't think multiple full length clips are the way to go. I like the idea of having an email address and suggesting fans email. I also won't bother with pages that are just there for the sake of it because I think it just makes navigating the website more time consuming for the fans.

Ancillary Text - Website

Conventions of Websites

• The band name and/or logo at the top which is normally big and eye catching
• Links to other pages - such as a photo gallery of behind the scenes stuff, a place to log in, a general information bit about the artist, a merchandise store
• A main feature on the front page such as a video clip
• A strong design that'll be recognisable to the band but could be minimalistic 
• A home page that is normally centred around their recent activities i.e. current tour or new album. It also needs to be easy for fans to navigate and simple so they can find exactly what they are looking for
• Advertisements e.g. banners or links

Ideas

I would like to have a strong black and red theme. However, I want the font to be easy to read so I am considering having the background as a simple white to make it easier for fans navigating the page. I don't want to have too many links because I want the page to be relatively simple. However, I will put a lot of detail into the links I do include. For example, I want to do a big section on behind the scenes stuff and add photos in of settings etc for the music video. The main focus of the home page would be the new video that is coming out. I will probably be using WIX to construct the website.

Split Screen Masterclass

My partner and I were assigned the task of teaching the class how to use the split screen technique. We did this by watching various videos to learn about it ourselves then made this video for the rest of the class.

Division of Labour

Preliminary Music Video Task

This was like a practice for our music video. We used techniques like green screens and key framing to practice these skills for the real thing and to see what techniques we liked using, which were aesthetically pleasing etc.

Our Meeting

Our Meeting

We had a meeting to get everyone together to discuss our music video. This is because our video requires loads of actors, and Facebook group chats just weren't working. Jess and I came up with an agenda which we slowly went through, addressing each point.

1. With this point we constructed a chart on the big white board and got everyone to write down their names, this is available to view on my blog.

2. With this point we did the same as point one.

3. Remi and James know how to work the lights.

4. Everyone is happy with this point.

5. Grace said she knows a drummer and bassist and will ask them, Maria volunteered as a last resort bassist. George said he is happy to be the disruptive guy and Chiara said we can borrow her siblings from year 7.

6. Everyone was given highlighted lyrics.

7. Maria, Steven, Laura, Kassidy and I volunteered for the corridor bit.

8. People will bring in red and black lipstick, quite a few people have it.

9. All is fine there.

10. All is fine there.

11. All is fine there.

This was everyone writing on the board when they were free to film. It was a bit chaotic, but we got everyone's names down.

This was the table full of notes and lyrics in which people took with them so they knew what lyrics to learn.

This is a group selfie of our meeting. From left to right, going up the table we have Abi Smart (extra), Remi Nicholas (extra), Lillie Phipps (extra), Josh Harvey (teacher), Holly Mckenzie (possible extra), Matt Gibson (extra), Ryan Gooderham (extra), George Hallewell (disruptive guy), Laura Collins (extra), Chiara Jenkins (extra), Emily Forsdyke (extra), Steven Rose (extra), Maria Cusworth (extra), and going left to right of the people not at the table we have Ben Land (guitarist), Kassidy (extra), Grace Trett (extra) and Dani King (extra).

Photoshoot for Photowall

Today we organised the taking of the photos for the photo wall in the popular girl's scene. We got Becky Mitchell, Emily Mitchell and Ben Land together and we went round picking interesting locations to do some action and posed shots. We managed to get some nice ones which slowly show the progression of Ben's character dumping the popular girl (played by Becky) for her friend (played by Emily). We also got some shots to show their friendship and how big a part of her life it is. 

Location Ideas and Photos

Location Ideas and Photos

Costume Ideas

Costume Ideas

Timetable of Availability

We had a meeting with all of our actors, and we made a chart, encouraging them to write down the times in which they would be free to film scenes etc.

October 2nd Onwards Schedule

Colour Scheme - Red and Black

Red and Black

Our video is going to have a red and black colour theme to match the rest of My Chemical Romance's videos and general colour scheme. It would also fit with the tone of the video as they aren't particularly happy colours, plus red has connotations of danger and blood, rage etc whereas black normally has negative connotations such as of death which we back up with the graveyard scene and we have rage when the student and teacher argue with each other.

We will be showing this through lights with the band performing and also in costuming. We will probably have some black and red nail varnish at some point along with red and black lipstick for the lip syncing scene. We might have the hands with painted nails holding hands to symbolise that it's okay that the characters aren't okay which would reinforce the video's meaning that everyone is going through stuff but that it is okay. We also might be spraying some of the band members' hair red to make them look more edgy and stick to the theme. We might also use red tints when editing on some of the footage to reinforce it.

We will also be using this colour scheme in our auxiliary texts to show continuity and recurring themes. 

Prop List

Props by Katie Colyer