Construction Post 6: Website post-production

The software we used to create our website was Wix. Once again, this task required a lot of our time and a lot of effort.

Summary of the process

1. We used a template to get our website started. We thought this would save time and as we knew that we wanted a black style, we liked the look of the template.
2. We decided what pages we needed to have and what would go on the navigation bar, and this was based on our flat plan 
3. We started to create each page and fill the website with information, links, music and photos 
4. We made the website as interactive as possible 

Useful tools

Here is some evidence of some important things we did in the process of making the website:

Adding content to our 'meet the girls' page

Adding content to our music page

Adding content to our tour page 

Adding content to our news page

The store page took a long time:

Overview of the store page process

List of the products that we created

Changes we made:

• Layout of meet the girls page
• Adding contact page 
• Not using rollover images(experiment)

Our original 'meet the girls' page had all four of us on the same page and was arranged in a box-like fashion. There was nothing particularly eye-catching about it and it was all very compact. Therefore we thought that we should rearrange the layout of this to make it more interesting and visually appealing. As you can see below, the new layout is much better as we have a page each and there is more to see. For example, we all have a large photo of ourselves in black and white as the background. Furthermore, the new questions - "What's your biggest fear?" in my opinion sounds better than the old one - "What superpower would you have?"

Therefore, there was no need to keep the rollover effects I had added to the old layout of the page. I had done this to make the old page more interesting but as we found a way to make it even better, there was no need to use rollover images at all. Moreover, when we showed the new layout to our target audience focus group. they agreed that the rollover image effect would be too much. However, this experiment was still valuable as I learnt how to add this effect on this website.

Rollover image effect

Finally. we added a contact page as a result of some feedback from a teacher, who said that this is something that most professional artists' websites have. We decided that we needed to follow the conventions of other websites and so this page cannot be located on the navigation bar. Instead, you have to click "contact us" at the bottom of the page. There are details of our record label - Soho Records but also Universal Music Group UK. I ensured that the number we used for our company was a fake one.

Problems and solutions 

My Contributions

• Whilst other members of the group focused on the album cover, I would say that I took a lead role in the creation of the website. I think that editing the website was one of my strengths and I felt much more confident using this software.
• I wrote a lot of the content for the website. This included: the tour page, the meet the girls page, creating the 12 products for the store page,the music page, the news page and helping with the contact page. I also edited some of the photos that we used. 
• We could improve the website by perhaps making it even more interactive. For example with the meet the girls page, we could have animated the pictures. We also could have added more links to other sites, for example iTunes to make it more conventional.

Construction Post 5: Digipak post-production

We used Adobe Photoshop to create our digipak. 

It took a very long time to create, which I had not expected. Below there is some information on how we made it.

Our album cover required a template which can be seen above. The green area represented the space for our photo, the blue line represented space for any text to flow over and the red line represented the cut off point - if something passed this, it would not get printed. 

Me working on the album cover 

The Basic Process

1. Creating a flat plan to use as a guideline 

2. Editing the photo for the front/back cover

3. Editing the background for the front/back cover

4. Adding text to the front/back cover

5. Editing the photo/background for the inside cover

Useful tools

Front&back panels

We made some changes as a result of our own observations and also those of our target audience. These included:

• Changing the background
• Changiing the image of our front cover
• Changing the framing of our front image
• Changing the font of our name 
• Changing the colour of my jumper

The initial problem that we had with the original image was that there was too much space between Gift and Angela. Our target audience focus group also observed this. Although we overcame this by removing the background and then splitting the image of us into two so that we could move it closer together, something still was not right.

After having done some research, we decided that it was more conventional to have an image of us in a smarter outfit. At first I was sceptical as I thought it was better to bring out our street vibe, however, seeing as bands similar to us such as 'Neon Jungle' also followed this convention made me change my mind.

Inspiration: Neon Jungle 

Therefore we used our smart outfit. Originally it was a long shot but some feedback from our target audience was that there was too much space surrounding us. As a result the image we went with was more of a mid shot which actually works out better as you can see our faces more clearly.

Our target audience focus group was not keen on the 'D4MES' font and said that it was too faint. Therefore, we decided to use a bolder colour and add a black outline. For the back cover, everyone really liked my outfit but by chance, all the others had chosen an outfit where they were wearing either dark colours such as black or white. Therefore we decided to change the colour of my jumper to grey so that there was a consistent look.

The colour of my jumper changed from
red to grey in order to match the others' clothes 

A new skill I learnt: using the brush tool to paint

Inside Panels

We also changed aspects of the inside panels as a result of feedback from our target audience and our own observations. These changes included:

• Changing the picture
• Changing the background

Original photo/background

The first picture we chose for our inside cover was one where we were all standing. Although we all liked our positioning in the photo, in terms of height, we thought there were better photos to depict the closeness of our group. Therefore, we chose a better photo (which can be seen below) that reflects not only the chemistry within our group but also our street style.

Final photo

Our target audience also picked up on another issue with our inside panel idea: the background. Some comments that we got were that it was confusing as to what the link to the front panels was. I also felt that it was quite dull and unattractive. Therefore, we reassessed the background and thought a lighter colour would be better with patterns and so in the end we ended up using a grey geometric background.

Final photo/background

We also edited the photo in a black and white style and added our names to make it more interesting to look at. The inside panel is now much more similar to the front in terms of colour and so our album has a consistent look.

Experimental inside cover 

At one point when we were thinking of ideas to re-design our inside panel, Gift experimented with colours and similar effects to our final album cover. An important thing I learned in this process is the importance of experimenting to improve a product.

Problems and Solutions

My Contributions

I found creating the digipak the hardest and most challenging task as I have not used Photoshop properly before and so as a result I found it very confusing. The other members of my group were much more experience than I was and so I took a step back in order for them to put their skills to use. I still contributed but did not take a lead role in this particular task. What I did in the task:

• Helped to choose photos
• Helped to research and find backgrounds
• Helped to remove the backgrounds of the photos
• Helped to paint the photos

I believe I could improve by learning how to use Photoshop properly so that I could do more things and do them faster. I also would like to improve on my confidence and perhaps next time try and do things I am not sure how to do - perhaps by looking up tutorial videos on YouTube. As a group think we worked very hard despite being very tired as a result of how much time this task required. Next time we could improve by making the flat plan even more detailed so that we knew more about what we wanted initially which would have likely saved us time, as it would have meant making less changes.

Construction post 4: Music video post-production

The software that we used to edit our video is called 'Adobe Premiere Pro.' This software is equipped with both the basics and the more complicated components required in order for our video to look professional. I liked using it because everything is very clearly laid out and displayed and there were lots of effects to choose from. This was good as we wanted our video to contain lots of quick cuts and edgy effects. 

Adobe Premiere Pro

Myself editing at the edit suite 

Useful Tools

Useful Techniques/Effects

 

Cross Zoom

For the start of my opening scene I wanted an energetic effect to act as a 'grand entrance' but also to match the energy of my verse. This effect made it dramatic and exciting which reflects the music itself. Here's how I did it:

Film dissolve used for dinner scene

This effect works really well with the sound of the song for this particularly scene. It is the breakdown/slowed down part of the song before the climax and so this connotes a calm, relaxed atmosphere.

Grading was central to enhancing the look of our video as it meant that our footage could go from looking good to great by making everything look more defined. It allowed us to be creative and establish a certain visual tone to our project. However, we often had to manually tweak the different clips in order to get  the best exposure and balance of light for that particular shot, which of course took time. Key tools in this process were the three way colour corrector and Procamp. With the three-way color corrector (pictured below) we could balance the shadows, midtones, and highlights of the footage using color wheels. With Procamp (also pictured below), we could adjust the brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and split percent of a clip's image. 

Procamp

Three way colour corrector 

TARGET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

• Feedback at early stages: at times Thakshana's individual part seemed too jumpy due to there being too many cuts, which made it confusing to watch
• Feedback at middle stages: people were impressed by the effects that we had used, particular Angela's one that looked 'really cool'
• Feedback at final stages: people were saying that we had a consistent look and a good variety of backdrops; they also liked how they all tied in with the red theme

Problems & Solutions

My Own Contributions

• Choosing shots for and editing my verse
• Choosing shots for and editing the dinner scene 
• Giving my opinion on the way the others edited their parts

What we did as a group

• Choosing shots for the chorus 
• Choosing effects 
• Choosing filler shots 

What I can improve on

• I should challenge myself more by attempting to edit the more difficult parts such as the chorus which involved lots of cuts 
• I should experiment even more with the various effects available to use so that there is a variety of effects and also so that the video looks cooler and edgier

Construction post 3: Production Days 4-6

In the second half of our production week, we had the following scenes scheduled in to film:

• Laser backdrop (Angela's individual shots with and without her actor)
• Red silhouette (group poses)
• Industrial set up (my shot with my male actor, Thakshana's individual shots with and without her actor, chorus and dance routine, beauty shots)
• Graffiti scene (industrial set up+graffiti cans, individual shots)
• Red lighting  (dancing and poses)
• Dinner scene (chorus/dance routine)
• Club scene (re-took my individual shots)

A take of my individual shot for our graffiti scene

We were pleased with shots such as he one above that we did not get to do in the test shoot, partly because of the preparation that was required in making the backdrop and booking in equipment such as the ladder and scaffolding. Out of all the whole group backdrops. this one was probably my favourite so our hard work paid off. It ties in with our street theme really well. 

Myself and Will - my actor on set 

 We had definitely improved in giving our actors direction since the test shoot. I was amazed by how quickly I got my shots with my actor in the industrial set up done. It was because I was clear on what I wanted and how Angela needed to film the shots. It was great fun working with Will (as can be seen from us pulling faces at the camera in the image above), he's a good friend and so this probably contributed to the smooth process.

The group poses shot in red lighting

We found shots like these very easy to do as they took very little time. It was good because this was the last day -  Saturday and so it meant we could spend more time on the dinner scene which took a while to get ready for, set up and film.

Angela in her laser set up: lighting before

Angela in her laser set up: lighting after 

While setting up the set for Angela's shots, I got some technical advice as to how to improve the lighting. Originally the floor lamp was directly in front of the camera and so shadows were created which did look cool, in a way. But after trying the suggestion (which involved placing a floor lamp at the side, raising it and directing it onto Angela). the lighting looked much better and professional. Experimenting was key to mastering this shot.

A take of the dinner scene

This was also much better than the test shoot. We planned how we could improve it in advance and so this is probably why the outcome was so much better. The main areas in which we improved were: the lighting, the variety of camera movement/angles and acting. The main thing we agreed that could have made the scene better was to have had more accessories on the table to make it look more interesting.

Reflections
I was very happy with how the second part of our shoot week went but as expected there were a few issues that we faced, which can be seen below:

The second part of the week was even better than the first part as each day we became more experienced both technically and performance wise. By the end of the week, we were effectively professionals! I was  pleased by how everyone in the group had learned from particularly the test shoot; we were much more efficient with time which was reflected by the smooth running of the process. Additionally, the filming itself didn't take long at all, as we were much clearer on what we needed to do. This was a result of detailed planning. Considering we had to re-shoot some footage, we still managed to fit everything in, hence why we did not need to use any more days after Saturday. Overall, despite the shoot being stressful at times, it has been a fun experience and incredible learning curve for me and I am sure the rest of my group agrees.

My Contributions
I did a range of things including: filming angela's shots, setting up the different backdrops and sets such as the graffiti and the dinner table scene. I also performed and brought in props for the dinner table scene (lemonade and apple juice). Finally, I helped to pack up.

We could improve by having organised ourselves better earlier on in the week as it meant that we had to re-shoot some shots in the second part of the week. That said, we did not overrun. 

Construction Post 2: Production Days 1-3

In the first half of our production week, we had the following scenes scheduled in to film:

• White lighting set up (beauty shots, chorus/dance routine)
• Individual spotlights
• Red silhouette set up (dancing and poses)
• Strobe set up (chorus/dance routine)
• Panel backdrop (Chorus and dance routine in pairs & Gift's individual shots with  and without her actor)
• Club lighting set up (My individual shots)
• Black backdrop and strobe/dim lighting (My individual shots)

A take of our chorus/dance scene in the strobe set up

Originally, the plan for this scene was to just use strobes and minimal lighting to make it look like a party scene. However we decided to experiment by using the floor lamps  with red filters on the set in addition to the strobe lighting. This paid off as it makes this scene look very edgy as well as tying in with our red theme. Furthermore, the wires are clearly visible and this was intentional - to make it seem more natural and cool.

A take of my verse with the club lighting set up (before)

A take of my verse with the club lighting set up (after)

Even though I redid these shots in order to make it perfect, I was particularly pleased by how this set up looked, considering last minute experimenting was also required for this due to there being a lack of time in rehearsal week. I am really glad that I could experiment with the lighting and achieve a club scene look as it reflects the energetic sound of the verse.

Our Panel Backdrop - The floor lamps have a red filter and are positioned behind the material 

 We all danced in front of it and Gift used it for her individual part. Setting this up did not take to long as we just had to clamp the material down. We were pleased with the outcome - it looks really professional despite the fact that we made it ourselves.

Angela and I in our red silhouette lighting set up

We found it helpful to have someone behind the camera to take pictures, at least one person in front of the camera and one person at the lighting desk when testing how a shot looked. For example in the photo above, Angela and I were there to ensure that we were in silhouette before we started filming. 

Gift and I setting up the lighting for the spotlight 

Setting up took a little while but it paid off as we were pleased with how our shots looked. It was important to wear gloves as this light in particular got very hot.

Reflections

Angela and I reflecting on how we though day 1 of shooting went

Overall, I was very happy with how our team worked on the first 3 days of our shoot and impressed by the professionalism of everything - from the appearance of the set ups to our organisation of the set. We had a lot to do and we achieved 95% of it and this would not have been possible without hard work. I notice that our performances had improved since the test shoot as we had good facial expressions and our dance routine was more synchronised, I also love how much we enjoyed ourselves on set, we laughed a lot and I think it is good to have fun. Finally, we worked brilliantly as a team to get things done. As expected, there were a few issues which can be seen below: 

Problems we faced and how we dealt with them 

My Contributions

I helped to set up the backdrops and clear away the ones we'd finished using. I also performed and directed. At the beginning of the week I printed out the shoot-boards for everyone and stuck them up so that everyone knew what was going on and when. Setting up the equipment was something I did too and I got better as the week went on.

We could have improved by only redoing shots if we needed them. For example, Angela and I redid our spotlights when there was no need to.