Making of part 8 

Today I worked on editing the video to make sure it was the closest to the final version. I went through the performance cut and the non lip sync. At this point the performance cut was the best cut I had done. I didn’t want to keep re editing the performance cut as constantly editing it would ruin the video as I'd just keep moving them around. Working on the non lip sync part was the hardest part and took the longest. This was because the effect I was trying to create wasn’t on Premiere pro so I had to find a way to make the effect work.









I found a technique that allowed me to create the distorted camera look the group wanted. To create this effect I created three layers of the same clips for all the clips that needed the effect. After creating the duplicate layers I added the RGB effect on the first clip and made sure it was 100% Red then did the same for the next layer but made it green and the next blue. On all the three layers the effect was colour burn light so that you could see the layer below. I also changed the positioning of the clips so you could see the glitch effect and the fourth layer didn’t have any effect on it so that the brightness could be seen in the clips.

Before the effect 

After the effect 

I also added a recording png to show that it was actually the camera recording and I added time stamps at the bottom to show it was running. I added the bar on the recording part as well to ensure that there is a clear difference between the performance and the camera parts.

Working on adding the bars and time code

After going through all of this I need to work on colour grading the performance cut.

Making of part 7 

On this day I edited more of the band hanging out through the video. I worked on the parts where the band opened the fridge as this had to be in sync but I also showed the fridge opening as it’s part of the joke that it looks like an amp. I also re edited the part where Molly and Georgie played the PlayStation to show the actual controls. I also added the fade out effect toward the end so when the lights go out they go out completely.

Making of post 6

After changing the music video slighting to show more of the lead singer I still had to think of incorporating the instruments to carry the music video so it doesn’t get boring constantly see the same face. To ensure it doesn’t get boring I added bits of the instrument.  In this version of the music video I mainly worked on the ending and this was because towards the end of the music it gets slow and begins to die down. This became slightly harder to edit as then the video itself starts to die down so I added more clips towards the end then I also re edited the recording studio part. I did that after thinking about it and re-watching the hand held stuff didn’t really work, especially because this part wasn’t going to have the bars or the effects on it. I added the clips that looked really good then cut it to the beat.

Making of post 5

Having taken into consideration the targets from the group feedback campaign I decided to go back and re-cut and edit the performance. This allows the video to develop and reach the standards it needs to reach. These standards are meant to meet the audiences expectations and cutting the performance cut to a fine cut will ensure that the audience are able to the band that we are trying to sell to them. For this I cut the durations of the shots slightly longer so the audience are able to see the band's talent and this way they are able to appreciate it. I cut some of the bits where we hear the lead singer sing to shots of the lead singer so that the video isn’t just centred on the band but the lead singer as well as he is the lead singer. 

I added the handheld camera throughout the performance as well as it shows that it’s not just a music video but it’s also them performing for themselves.

For the ending I kept the cut between set 1 and set 2 as I thought it was quite strong and it was a good link. I also added the part of them walking to the recording studio to establish where they were going before the recording studio. I added the hand held stuff from the recording studio as I thought it created a playful atmosphere that mirrors the music video itself. 

Group Campaign Feedback 2 : whole campaign

After looking at all three products I think so far the campaign is doing really well. All products are clearly part of the pop rock genre and they create a certain image of the band that is playful. They all create the image of the band we have been trying to create and they connect well together. The social media links to the digipak as they use the same images and same colours and both of them link to the music video by using the same cast throughout the campaign as if they were an actual band. The music video needs to be developed by more cutting, the social media needs more posts on both instagram and twitter and the digipak needs to be re arranged around. 

The social media uses the imagery as the digipak 

Targets 

Social Media - work on the colouring and how the legal information will be placed. 

Music video - make music video less random by cutting to the music

Digipak - Work on the placing and rearranging of the legal information.

Group Campaign Feedback : Digipak

For social media I gave feedback on what I thought Wendy did really well and what could be developed. The digipak links really well with social media as they both have the same images. With the music video it’s slightly harder to tell if it's part of the same campaign because of the colour scheme but the character around the lead singer lets the audience know it's part of the same product.

The four panels don’t work as they have different blues however having the band in little mugshots like a yearbook work really well. The legal information needs to be fixed as the barcode needs to be swapped and I also think that the tracklist would look better without a track list title.

The genre is quite clear through the drawing and the characters and the star image is clear as the characters floating around creates this playful image of the band. Because this is the draft she still needs to work on perfecting the whole album to look much nicer. What she has done so far is a really good base that I think the final digipak will be able to develop into really well. The drawings themselves look really good and the negative space around lets the drawing be the main centre of attention.

The main target for digipak is to work on the colouring and how the legal information will be placed.

Group Campaign Feedback : Social Media 

For social media I gave feedback on what they had done so far and I looked at what they could improve and what they did really well. Giving this feedback enables Millie and Maddie to develop twitter and instagram so they are able to get the band to our target audience and also possibly make them go viral.

Both social media’s link to the music video really well through the pictures that were taken behind the scene and the pictures that were taken on set. The captions worked really well showing that they were a playful no serious band however one thing that they need to work on is ensuring that on every device the captions can be seen as on the laptop they weren’t available.

What worked really well aswell was what they were posting on the social media itself. For example, the happy birthday posts show friendship and this more than just work and it also gives the audience an opportunity to connect with the band by wishing George a ‘Happy Birthday’.

One thing I said that definitely needed to be developed was the theme that they had. So far they didn’t follow a theme which makes it harder for people to tell that it’s following a campaign that's leading up to an album release. Having done research into social media I think that a theme is a key part of a campaign which Millie and Maddie should consider doing. I also think that they need to be more interactive on their platform like doing a q and a on their instagram story, going live or creating a space on twitter where they answer questions the audience has to ask. This way they are able to attract a wider audience beyond what they are trying to achieve.

The main target for instagram is to have a theme and to be more interactive with the audience.

The star image is clear as we see pictures of the band hanging out and in the twitter the banner shows the group showing that ‘Buzzkill’ is a band. Both social media follow bands that are pop rock showing the type of music they listen to and their personality. On twitter the band retweets and likes things that creates an image of the band.

On twitter the main thing that needs to be developed is more tweeting and posting.

Group Campaign Feedback : Music Video  

After working on the social media, the music video and digipak for a week the group decided to give feedback on all the products so that all of them can improve. Having this feedback enables us to develop our idea to reach our goal which is to create a campaign where all  the products relate to each other to promote the band. This feedback allows us to create the star image that the target audience would like to see.

For the music video I showed the group the editing I'd done so far which was the performance cut mainly and the ending with the recording studio. From this it was quite clear that the music video is part of the pop rock genre due to the colour scheme, lighting and props.

The star image is quite clear as the video shows their talent and the set which is a basement holds the idea that the group is close. The non lip sync parts of them hanging out also shows their friendship and the idea that the set 2 is them making it out shows how close they are as they stay together through their journey.

The beginning needs to be developed as it cuts a bit too quickly between three shots which is really confusing. The beginning could also be changed to a different opening where instead we use the footage of them walking to the studio instead of the hand held bit. Also remembering to cut to the beat will help to ensure the music video isn't random.

What works really well is instead of cutting to the studio part at the end of set 1I will cut to set 2 instead as it looks better. The ending could have either two alternatives either cutting back to set 1 to kind of show where they’ve come from or to let set 2 end it with the lights going off. The music video also works well with the digipak and the social media showing that they are pop rock bands that are easy going.

The main target from this feedback is to make the music video less random, to work on the beginning and the ending and also to see where the non lip sync parts would go.

Making of post 3 

On Thursday I went through the video again to make sure that the performance looked good. I also went back and re-edited the performance of set 2 as I didn’t do that the day before. Re - editing set 2 ensures that the lead singer is still being seen and I also began to add a bit of the lip sync where I tried adding the studio shots at the end of set 2. Because we don’t have many shots of set 2 I added those shots so it doesn’t become repetitive and boring towards the end of the video.

Making of post 2 

On Wednesday I finished the first version of the performance cut, however to make it better I rewatched it again and went back to re-cut the bits that needed to look better. I had forgotten to listen to the music and cut to that so in some clips when the lead singer is singing we see the drums or guitar instead so I had to go back and correct this in most parts. I also noticed that I had been cutting the clips a bit too slowly and considering this is a pop rock song the cuts need to be faster paced to mirror the genre and to also make sure the video doesn’t get boring. After correcting the pace and placing the clips in specific areas the video started to come together more and I also have to remember to take breaks as if I edit for too long then I start to mess with clips that are already good.

Making of post 1 

This allows me to reflect and look back on where I first started editing and it also shows the work and progress I am making.

Timeline of the music video

On Tuesday I began editing the music video. I started off by doing the performance and the three main things I had to remember is that the performance cut comes first, listen to the music and cut to that and group shots together.

Below is a video of how the first performance cut came out. In the making of posts I will be showing and talking about the progress that I am making with music video as the editor.

Feedback on draft digipak design  

After creating a draft design for the digipak I got feedback on what could be improved and what I did really well. Getting this feedback allows me to know what I've done well, if the audience would like the digipak and how I can improve it to reach audience expectations. Also having the whole group look at each other's design helps the person in charge of doing the album artwork have an idea of different elements that could be included from our work into the final version.




The first thing that was noticeable was the fact that the red throughout the whole digipak didn’t match each other. The red on the font was way too bright and gave off the impression that the band was heavy metal while the genre is meant to be pop rock. Making the red less bright reflects the upbeat sense of the song which gives the right impression

This gives a very heavy metal vibe.

The tracklist font really matched the bands vibe and how the tracklist was laid out was more playful than the conventional straight list. This connected really well with the genre showing how the band is both pop and rock.

The font of the tracklist 

The inside of the digipak is really simple which works because the back of the digipak is really busy. Overall other than the colour of the digipak all 4 panels work really well together.

Using the set in the background as one picture going from the back to the front works really well and using an image from the music video links it to the album showing it’s not just a single.

The front and back of the cover

The album name needs to be smaller as ‘buzzkill’ is what we are selling as this is a campaign so we try to sell the artist.

The album name

The digipak follows the pop rock genre conventions and by looking at it you are able to tell that it’s a band and not a solo artist.All the key information is included however I need more tracks in the back as from my research I should have between 8 to 12 tracks.

The elements everyone mainly liked was the band watching the set of the video and the font of the tracklist as those both worked really well.

Below are the other versions of the album artwork done by everyone else individually. From this Wendy ( in charge of the album artwork) will be able to see the best way to create the final digipak. Having looked at all 5 digipaks it’s clear that they all belong to a band. Each of the digipaks have an element that relates to the video like the instruments or the sets. We all used a tracklist , legal information, album name and band name which lets people know it’s a digipak.

Maddie's Version

Millie's Version

Wendy's Version

 Creating the draft album artwork 

To create the draft album artwork I used Adobe Photoshop. I used tools such as the mask  and opacity tool as they enabled me to create an album cover that is part of the pop rock genre. I started by working on the front cover where I had a silhouette of the band looking at the set. I had a picture of the set joined from front to back and having both these elements allows the audience to see that all products are related and are from one band. The inside of  the digipak was plain as the outside is quite busy and the inside also reflected the genre and the band  itself. 

I used the pen tool to draw the inside design and also to do the track list as well. By using photoshop I was able to work on my layers at the same time and I was able to place different elements like the bar code in certain places. This allowed me to achieve the album cover I was trying to create.

Front and Back cover

Timeline for the edit 

The day before editing I decided to create a timeline that I would cut the footage to. The timeline wasn’t detailed but I will use it to cut the performance cut which is the most important cut. This way the timeline will help me develop more of an idea on what the performance cut will look like and this links to the audience as they expect to see a well cut version showing the band performing. This allows them to see their talent and the band’s personality. 

Below are the four things I need to remember when editing the music video.

1.Performance cut first 

2.Group shots 

3.Listen to the music 

4.First line you must see the lead singer

The timeline

0:00 - 0:13 - Lead singer walking into the basement 

0:13 - 0:39 - Performance cut 

0:32 - Shot of Molly

0:39 - 0:48 - shot of George R 

0:48 - 1:08  - vcr 

1:09 - 1:15  - Lead singer

1:21 - 1:28 -  felix on guitar  

1:28 - 2:04  - Performance cut 

2:04 - 2:25 -  Guitar solos 

2:29 - GEORGE  R  

2:32  - SET 2 George 

2:45 - lead singer  

3:00 - Guitar  Molly 

3:20 - the end 

Building the set

As a  group we worked with the set designer to create the set the day before the music video.  We started off by looking at the space we had to work with and because it was smaller than we thought  it would be we improvised and worked with what we had. After putting the wall together we started to bring in all the props we wanted on set and placing them in different places.  We also looked at the lighting to see if it worked and through the monitor we looked at whether we liked the final  product. Setting up the set the day before the music video allowed us to see if the set would fit into the genre and whether it would be a set that is enjoyable to look at, this way the audience actually enjoy the music and the video.

Below is a timelapse of us creating the set.

Conclusion of social media research

Having looked at both instagram and twitter I have been able to see how social media is used  to promote an artist and how it’s used before and after an album.

Both social media accounts become more active right before the album is released and they both have a constant theme throughout their campaign. Cold play followed their astrological theme throughout their instagram once it began and 5sos had the same pink theme throughout. They both keep their followers engaged and constantly remind them of important information like upcoming tour dates and album release dates

A clear theme of the vamp's twitter 

Coldplays instagram

They both use the same technique of constantly posting throughout the campaign, both very visual and they both build hype for their album throughout the whole campaign till the end.

The vamps engage their audience by interacting with their tweets. For example on the timeline there’s a screenshot of them appreciating and acknowledging fanart done for the album. Cold play engages their audience by posting consistently.

I think that they both effectively sell and engage their audience as actually interacting with your audience makes people want to follow them and creating filters such as  Coldplay did makes fans more excited as they interact. 

From this research I've been able to see that there are three main stages of a marketing campaign. The first is beginning to post on their social media a few months before the album drops and this is where you see the band encouraging  people to buy merch and pre-order. In this stage we also see the band releasing songs in the album to give the audience an idea of what it’s like and to build hype. Merch is also released and the purpose of the album is revealed closer to the date of  release. The second stage is the release of the album and this more on the audiences side as they consume the product. The third stage is looking to perform the album in as many locations as they can. For example Colds play did an international tour and the vamps did a tour in the uk. This brings them more money outside of just the music they put out.

This can be applied to my campaign as using this strategy shows an organised and well thought campaign.

In conclusion, I think that both bands were successful in marketing their album and the way they use their social media ensures that their audience is constantly informed and engaged making people want to follow them and listen to their music.

Research into social media

In this post I will be looking at two pop rock bands which are Coldplay and The Vamps. For Coldplay I am looking at their instagram and the star image created and for The Vamps I will be looking at their twitter and the kind of information they tweet. I choose to look at their twitter and instagram as these are the two apps that pop rock bands are most likely to use. I will be looking at their social media 2 to 3 weeks before and after their albums drop. I am doing this timeline to show how social media is used to market a band.

Coldplay - Instagram

The Vamps - Twitter

 Social Media : How is it used ?

Social media is interactive technology that allows the sharing and exchange of information, interests and ideas through networks.

The main forms of social media are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Snapchat. These platforms allow people to communicate with each other from across the world as they share their interests with each other.

However before social media was there marketing was done through traditional media which is radio, tv/film and print.

Social media came along and this was easier to use, cheap, personal, interactive, uses targeted marketing and it is spreadable. Spreadability links to Henry Jenkins theory as he states that “if it doesn’t spread it’s dead” meaning if the content that has been created isn’t being shared then it isn’t interesting.

Social media is used to sell the artist or band, a product and build the star image. This then constructs a band or artist that the audience consumes. Once the audience costumes this artist they are able to generate money through merch, music, selling concert tickets, etc. This is done through the use of social media where artists will promote their music encouraging their fans to buy their products.

Social media is also used to sell artists or bands as different platforms allow them to show an image of what they think their audience would like.An audience will follow a band/ artist if they want to be more engaged in their life and to follow what the band does during their personal time. The artist's main goal is to engage and entertain their audience in order for them to keep following them and to possibly attract more people to follow them

Most times before a band is about to make a release they’ll use their social media to bring attention to them. Using social media it’s likely to see an artist make headlines and soon after this they then go on to realise an album and music. Because they have attention on them it's most likely that a lot of people will then go on to listen to their album to bring them even more publicity as everyone will be talking about it making them more money.

For example, before Summer Walker's album 'Still Over It' was released in November 2021 and this was right after she had publicly announced her break up with her ex.

Before the album was released their break was constantly being posted on several platforms like instagram and twitter and because of this everyone was so excited to hear the album.

Because of all the publicity beforehand and being  a good artist she was able to break the Apple music record for most album streams in a day by a female identifying artist and she had one of her songs, ‘Bitter’ as number global top 100. This shows how social media has been used to bring attention to an artist right before their release giving them more attention.

The main use of social media however is to create the ultimate star image.  An artist/band’s social media should always reflect the bands genre and their style. Because social media is open to everyone it makes it a good form of marketing as it allows a huge and wide variety of people on various platforms and allows artists/bands to target their audience. This means that bands and artists have the opportunity to create an image that gains them more and followers that are interested in the content.

Creating a star image allows the target audience to interact with their artist, this lets marketers know their likes, dislikes and interests so that they are able to create a marketing strategy to attract more followers.