Using editing website 'PicMonkey' I created a collage of my favourite three images that Ive deided to use for the magazine advertisement. I cropped the images so they were an equal size and brought forward the centre image so it stands out more. I played around with a few effects and noticed that a dull background and brighter figure worked best.
I'd like to edit my images in the same style as my music video. I have chosen to do this mainly because of the idea change, I think album covers and advertisements look better when there's a clear link between them. I first used editing website fotoflexer and chose the 'retro' effect. This did give the image a vintage look but I think the layers in the photos are blended together too much it makes the image look quite plain and 2-3. It would be interesting to try and create a 3-D effect on them. In my final music video I have used a broken TV effect throughout, linking this to the images maybe by making the figure stand out against the background somehow.
In this edit I tried to highlight the figure and make it stand out from the background, I don't like this effect as much as the retro effect.
Old photo was another effect on Fotoflexer I tried out, its too dull for an advertisement or digipak. Its also not in keeping with the 1960s colour scheme.
I decided to next try and paint the figure into black and white and the background colour. I like the effect this has and tried it again this time in reverse. It does make the image look 3-D and with the background in colour is represents the idea of a 1950s TV (editing effect) and my 1960s character breaking away from that. It gives a sense of individuality too.
I decided to look at Marina and Diamonds music video 'Primadonna' because I like the use of editing techniques. A cinematic effect is used in certain shots throughout the whole music video. A filter is put over the footage that highlights certain lighting creating an almost kaleidoscope effect, this works really well with a mixture of different shots. Another aspect of this music video is camera shots filmed in an eye line shot this type of camerawork reminds me of handheld home videos. The use of this camera work with direct mode of address really engages the audience and the artist and makes the audience connect on an emotional level. The whole music video being put together with a mix of transitions and editing effects reminds me of a camcorder especially in the use of tracking shots. I really like the camcorder effect I think this is because it gives the footage a vintage feel. There is a short amount of footage towards the end of the video which shows Marina holding a camera this gives the music video that personal home video feeling.
When filming my music video I feel it's important to use eye line view as Id like to incorporate this camcorder effect into my work without overpowering the 1960s theme and without using the cliche camcorder effects such as the red recording button and battery symbols.
House style of Marina and the Diamonds is kept the same throughout her album. Here is the album cover from 'Electra Heart'.
The images used in this album are linked directly to the singles on the album itself. Here Marina is pictured wearing the costume from her music video 'Primadonna' giving a sense of unity between the album and the music video. With this album Marina created a character who is unlucky in love 'Electra heart' is a recurring theme throughout this whole album, with a different part of her life being released with each single. There is a very clear Vintage theme to the album and Marina said in an interview "the album is a very cinematic 70s style Americana style film"
With each song release a video was also released giving a sense of a story.
http://electraheart.tumblr.com/
I like the idea behind this but because I'm only doing one song it would be quite hard to create this story effect. However the vintage effect is definitely something to look into doing when editing my images. There isnt a huge amount of photo editing in a vintage style its more mise en scene which conveys that look.
The back of the digipak is probably more of the editing style I want to be looking at. Its a simple photograph with a cinema grain effect over top giving it that Hollywood vintage feel.
THE FAMILY JEWELS
Marinas first album 'The family Jewels' is very different in contrast with Electra Heart. Marina is well known for her style variation.
The album cover is the artist in the centre drawing attention to her and capturing the audiences attention. My favourite part of this digipak is the font, I really like the contrast of a plain image and block background with a detailed font, it really captures her style and the genre well as her music is very individual and bold. Thinking about use of titles and artist names on my digipak I m thinking about using this logo because it is so unique and it would be extremely difficult to find a font as distinctive. The back of the digipak is also very simple, with the same font linking to the rest of the digipak, the font is also used on Marinas 'I am not a Robot' single and is a reccuring theme throughout the whole album, its probably the main linking factor. Looking at these example has made me realise in my ancillary tasks I would like to keep the font the same throughout to ensure a sense of unity.
I have filmed my talent wearing the 60s costume and underestimated just how time consuming the preparation of filming would be; hair, make-up and setting up the location. Location is my back garden which was easily accessible however the weather was not on our side and it rained heavily for all but one day of the christmas break, because of this I planned to film during exam leave just into January however my younger sister had exams most days. If I was too finish my music video to the quality I wanted I have chosen to focus on the footage I already have. Thinking about my initial idea of three seperate eras combined and different editing techniques layered on top of this I think a simpler music video thats not crowded and overpacked may be a better way to portray the meaning of the song. Out of all the eras I had chosen to look at the 1960s is best suited with my song choice. "I am not a Robot" is all about breaking away from how others want to see you and being yourself. During the 1950s a post war society was trying to inject femininity back into households, as women during world war two took over male work roles and the 1950s saw the return of the stereotypical "perfect house wife" role for women. The 1960s was a completer break away from this, women because more independent and publicly opinionated breaking away from how society wanted them to be viewed and each becoming themselves.
After filming I took some images that were posed. I said previously I wante to challenge the male gaze theory and the idea of women being small and weak. I used a high angle shot by standing on a chair, high angle shots often make a person appear small I tried to challenge this by filling up the negative space around my talent. I do like these images however I feel they looked too posed and to go against the normal media conventions I wanted to use images that were more natural and different.
The second camera angle that I tried was a low angle shot, I decided to use this shot to portray power, I think its important my talent looks powerful because of the song meaning. I want my music video and images on the digipak and advertisement to be linked with the idea of independence during the 1960s. I think its important that the concept of my music video is clear through camera shots and angles so the meaning is not lost or misinterpreted.
I decided that posed photos wern't working as well as I had wanted them too, so I decided to take them while filming to try and capture emotion. I'd used this technique previously when photographing people during art and textiles GCSE. This first image isn't the best one but I do like the angle of the camera it adds depth to the photo. I asked my talent to sing and dance while the song played in the background and the next images are the most successful. By putting the camera on timer I was able to capture a range of motions in an order. These images would work well side by side to create a sense of movement. Movement is also well linked to my song choice and will help to portray the meaning as the 1960s movement of women being independeant and breaking away from societies boundaries was a turning point that has lead to todays society.
Using Mise en scene that was available I tried to again capture more natural images. Using a low angle shot for the same effect.
These images of my talent were taken accidently she wasn't posing she was talking to my mum and had to lean to see her! The images that are not posed have turned out to be the most interesting and useful.
You've been acting awful tough lately Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately But inside, you're just a little baby It's okay to say you've got a weak spot You don't always have to be on top Better to be hated than loved, loved, love for what you're not You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable You are not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just troubled
(1960s) Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot You've been hanging with the unloved kids Who you never really liked and you never trusted But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins Never committing to anything You don't pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings Don't be so pathetic, just open up and sing
(1980s) I'm vulnerable, I'm vulnerable I am not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just troubled Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Can you teach me how to feel real? Can you turn my power off? And let the drum beat drop
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House style of Marina and the Diamonds is kept the same throughout her album. Here is the album cover from 'Electra Heart'.
The back of the digipak is probably more of the editing style I want to be looking at. Its a simple photograph with a cinema grain effect over top giving it that Hollywood vintage feel.
The back of the digipak is also very simple, with the same font linking to the rest of the digipak, the font is also used on Marinas 'I am not a Robot' single and is a reccuring theme throughout the whole album, its probably the main linking factor. Looking at these example has made me realise in my ancillary tasks I would like to keep the font the same throughout to ensure a sense of unity.
