These are our digipak sketches to show our work towards how we got to the final digipak design. The top one is the one that Rich had created, which was the nearest we got to the final digipak. The one below it is my digipak design, which was a bit less useful than the other design. I thought that the heart-box was a bit more interesting to photograph for the digipak, but it would've been hard to try and take the photograph because we'd've had to take an image of an empty box and then photoshop a heart into it later.
Final Design.
The top image is our covers for the digipak, whilst the one below it is the inside sectors of the digipak. This has been displayed as showing the same characteristics as the genre because of the main use of blacks and reds.
The top image consists of the image with a low opacity and the whole reason for the DVD on the left (the back) and on the right (the front) has the main image on it and the other associated aspects of a digipak (DVD logo, Record Label logo, etc) The reason why this works is because it shows the true meaning of the genre and how the music is reflected by it.
The other image consists of the lyrics on the inside of the digipak and on the right is the DVD. This is reflecting the style of the genre and also how the musicians are getting their material over to the target audience.
So far, myself and Rich, have filmed the majority of the music video, and edited a selection of footage. The video is our version of the 'Eyes Set To kill' song 'Darling'. Including:
Male Vocals
Guitar Sections
Breaking Objects
Editing:
Overlay Of Text With Effects
In-Sync (30 secs)
Song Title And Band Intro
Blending Effects
Male Vocals
For this , we have used a silhouette of me singing into a corded telephone, with a plain white back board lit up by a spotlight, which allows the filming to create a dark figure singing into the phone, but with an unidentified identity.
Guitar Section
We used a similar effect for this. First Rich filmed me playing along to the full length of the song, focusing on the torso and guitar, and not focusing on the face at all.
Secondly, I filmed Rich playing the guitar, which allows us to use different footage for creating certain effects in the music video
The effects we used for this was slightly different compared to the silhouette used for the male vocals, we used the same plain white back board, but placed the light infront of the guitarists, allowing a spotlight on the instruments, this also provided a nice shadow enlarged on the white back board.
Breaking Objects
We managed to gain various items to break for the music video, which included a mug, a 12" vinyl, a 7" vinyl and a 'fake' mobile phone. We managed to gain permission to use an empty part of the college's facilities, due to Health And Safety we were unsure about this originally, but we bought some safety goggles for this procedure.
We filmed in a remote corner, on a paved surface, set the camera on a tripod and started throwing, whilst recording, in an angered rage.
These storyboards are what we had originally based our video upon, which relates to the video that Eyes Set To Kill had used for theirs. We had originally intended to do a remake of the original video because we thought it would've been easier to film, but because we couldn't find people to act in the video, so we made the concept much simpler by using the group as the guitarists and me on male vocals, where we had also asked a female member of the college to do the female vocals.
Narrative.
The narrative is very simple. We replicate the original music video as much as we can. The narrative is pretty straightforward; it is a mixture of the band performing in a darkened room and a girl being examined by a masked ‘doctor’ whilst being strapped onto a vertical metal bed.
Visual style.
The visual style of the video is quite simple. The mise-en-scene of the video is split up into setting, costume, lighting and also some effects.
The setting of the video is in what looks like an abandoned mental asylum, which is dirty and dark.
The costumes for the male members of the cast will be the same as the fashion of Metalcore is, with the black T-Shirts; Denim jeans; canvas shoes and also the dark shoulder-length hair.
For the female members of the cast, there will be dark coloured dresses, necklaces, open high-heeled shoes and also a dark coloured skirt. This all needs to be used mainly because it is what is in the original music video, so we can replicate it as much as possible for accuracy.
The lighting for the music video is mainly focused in the background and not usually in the foreground, apart from the parts where the surgical instruments are in view.
The effects that we could use in the video are the same type that are in the original music video. The grainy effect would be good because it means that it makes it look dark and graphic, whilst making it look like a typical video from the film-age of cinema.
Another good effect would be the effect that looks like pencil sketches on certain parts of certain objects/people. This would be good because it gives the video a dark effect that also makes it look amateur and homemade.
The last effect that we could use would be the effect that makes flashes of light in certain scenes. For this to save time trying to make an effect like that, we could flash a light at the camera. This is a good effect because it makes a contrast to the rest of the dark, gloomy video.
The camerawork for the video would have to be fast paced and mainly out of focus, with close-up shots on quite a few members of the cast. This is useful because it is an accurate replication of the original music video and also that it shows the ‘operation’ taking place in a pretty graphic and timed method.
The editing of the music video would be pretty easy because all we do is we get the scenes that gel together to make the music video. The only problem we have with editing is the effects that we could use within the scenes and also the size of the snippets, mainly because most of them are up to a second long.
Cast.
·4 Band Members.
Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar(female)-
Bassist-
Drummer-
Rhythm Guitar/Scream Vocals-
·2 Extras.
Victim- Bassist
Doctor- Any member of the cast/crew.
Practicalities.
The filming location for the video will be in the photography studio, if we can book it for the media classes, If not then we will try and do it in some photography lessons.
The costumes are the same as in the costume section of the mise-en-scene section above.
The props we will probably be using is a case of doctors implements to replicate the scenes with the doctor and the victim. The only problem we have with these props is that it will be hard to acquire the specific implements because they are of a standard for hospital use, so we'll have to use other props, like normal pairs of scissors for example, that could be used as the implements. Another prop we will use is a projector that we could use by putting scenes on of human autopsies and transplants.
We will make a time plan schedule that we will abide to as much as possible. This means that we can keep on track as much as possible, without considering technological mistakes.
The way we are going to do the casting for the video is to try and find some friends of ours who are free when we are filming the video.
How does this link back to my research into other media products?
This links back to my research because we have incorporated the connotations of the Metalcore genre, whilst keeping the plan of the video as accurate as possible to the original music video by Eyes Set To kill.
New Plan.
We have changed the ideas on how our video is going to be set out. The reason why we have decided to do this is that it has been too hard to try and find people to act in the video.
We have changed the concept of the video by having the male singer in a silhouette singing; the guitarists playing into a light on a white background; the female vocalist in the same position as the male vocalist, apart from having her positioned looking the other way to the male vocalist, so it looks like they are looking at each other; and also a scene where the male and female vocalists are having an argument and they walk off in different directions.
The different aspects we have changed include: . Having one male (me) to play the male singer, the actor of the argument scene and one of the guitarists. . Having one female to do the female vocals and the actress of the argument scene. . Having the other member of the group filming and playing guitar, in which them scenes I will be filming. . Having a drummer playing the drums in an over-exaggerating manner.
Random Filming
The initial ideas for our filming includes: . Breaking things- Mugs, bottles, vinyl records, etc- Show heart-break . Burning something: Toy (Cuddly toy) . People- Lonely people, sad . Writing on wall- Of heart break . Signs of main words- 'Darling'; relates to "Subterranean Homesick Blues"- Bob Dylan
The location of the image would be in the photography studio that we will be filming the video. The subject will be a boy and a girl embracing whilst the boy holds a knife to the side of the girl. The pose is the same as the subject. The costume will be the typical costume that is a connotation of the genre, with the jeans, the dark coloured clothing, the canvas shoes and also the dark coloured shoulder-length hair. The angle of the image will be straight on at the boy and girl because it then makes them an even more powerful subject for the image.
Photography
Equipment
Camera: Nikon D3100 w/ Tripod.
Backdrop: White.
Image Itself
This section will be about what photography we shall need for the digi-pack we're creating, it shall include:
·Locations
·Subject
·Poses
·Costumes
·Angles
·Emotions
Location
Hopefully we'll be able to find a location with a plain background, which we'll be able to edit later on to darken and with a faded out effect. So we shall either use the dark room, or choose to use a plain room with the featured wall for the photography.
Subject
The photograph we're looking for will need two models (Male and Female) who shall attempt to cover a range of poses, feelings and what ever shall come naturally.
·Pose - The pose we're hoping to achieve by the models will include a male and female, where the male stands behind the female the the side, and puts his left arm around her, with the female, whom is infront, holding her right arm up towards the males hand, where they meet creating a heart with their hands/fingers.
·Costumes - For the photo shoot, we'll require the two models in plain clothing, hopefully dark clothing which can be easier to edit for the digi-pack. Wearing a jacket, T-shirt, studded belt, jeans, these will be all dark, except the belt.
·Extras - We're going to add a prop into the photograph, of a knife which will appear slightly to the side of the female model, being held by the male model, maybe dripping with blood.
Angles
We'll photograph the models from head on, maybe take various images to give a general idea and a range to choose from, we'll also use a couple of long distance, 30 degree angles and empowering shots, to give off a range of effects.
Emotions
Hopefully we can have a range of emotions from the models to choose our preferred photograph, this can range from no emotion, sad, happy, maybe even crying to give extra emphasis to the song.
Examples from other photographers.
Paul Harries
Paul Harries is a music photographer who is the chief photographer for music magazines like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Big Cheese and NME. His style of photography is mainly studio based, like the image of Amy Lee from Evanescence. He has also done some outdoor shoots as well, like when he went to Iowa to photograph Corey Taylor from Slipknot before he went to the 'Psychosocial' music video shoot.
This image shows the subject sitting on the ground with her dress spread out and looking down at the floor. This is very good because it shows that she doesn't care and to show a darker side to her life. The effect that the photographer has used on this image links into the effects in the Eyes Set To Kill music video to make the image look like it is scratched and decayed and also to enforce the darkness of the pose. The pose of the subject is very simple because she is looking down at the floor, whilst she is sat on the floor dress spread out. This is very effective because it shows from that very simple pose that there is a lot of emotion in the image.
This image shows the subject (Corey Taylor) in a cornfield in Iowa with the sun setting in the background after Slipknot had produced a take for the music video for their song 'Psychosocial'. The background is of a cornfield, which is good because it shows the stark backdrop that is based upon the Slipknot album of the time. It also creates a background where is shows darkness and isolation. The lighting of this photograph is from the setting sun in the background and also a battery pack-powered light behind the camera pointing at Corey Taylor. This is a good aspect of the image because it shows darkness in the background as part of Corey's past with him looking towards the light of the future. The expression on Corey's face shows the pressures of his past and also to back up the isolation and darkness created by the setting sun and the cornfield.
Target Audience.
The target audience for the product is teenagers and adults from the age of 15 upwards, preferably male, who like Rock and Metal music, especially loud, screaming-based Rock and Metal.
