Logos - UPDATED

Fonts - UPDATED

The stylised nature of this serif font, named Neoteric, could help to build a brand identity for our artist as it would be easily recognisable. However, I am creating a CD cover inspired by the minimalist art movement whereas this font seems more compatible with an art deco design. This would make the CD cover appear less professional because the different styles could clash and connote conflicting ideas surrounding our artist and his music. 

This font is called Leixo. The gaps in some of the letters could emphasise themes that are explored in our artist's lyrics, such as a loss of identity and slowly fading away as the letters themselves appear to fall apart. Furthermore, the wide kerning between the words could illustrate the separation between our artist and the subject of their lyrics. These themes are typical of the Indie genre and thus make this font appropriate for our artist. Despite conveying these messages, the font remains sophisticated and easy to read, therefore making it appealing to our upmarket and mainstream audience. The bold nature of the letters would make them stand out on both the CD cover and the magazine advert which would be important when competing with other artists for attention and audience interest.  

The simplicity of this font, called The Light Font, makes it easy for people to read but given its thinness, it might become difficult to make it stand out in contrast to the image on the CD cover and the magazine advert. This issue could be rendered by using reverse type because the contrast could make it more noticeable. This font connotes very little about our artist and his music, creating little intrigue. Alternatively, the lack of serifs or decorative details could appeal to our older teenage audience because it suggests that our artist's music is more relaxed than the upbeat and sometimes overwhelming pop music that is popular with younger teens. 

This font, named Caviar Dreams, is similar to the previous one, however, its curved nature could make it more eye-catching as its unusual and quirky. Its similar to a font featured on The Script's album cover that has become part of their logo, therefore creating a brand identity for the band. By using this font, it could remind people of The Script's music, perhaps making them eager to listen to our artist's music given the similarity between the two artists. This also makes the font conventional to the Indie genre and therefore more likely to appeal to our target audience. 

This font is called Paypa Sunrise. The handwritten quality of this font could add a more personal touch to my CD cover as its less corporate and instead, creates a homemade feel. This could work in reference to the roots of the Indie genre when artists would have to publish their music themselves because no record companies would take them on, believing that their style was too much of a risk for the company to take. This could, therefore, connect our artist to the genre, implying that he's returning to the roots of the music he is making. However, similarly to other fonts I have analysed, it would be difficult to make this font stand out from the image on the CD cover/advert because it's so thin and lacks any bold decorative features. 

In contrast to the previous font, this font, named Bebas Neue, is bold and would be visible when placed over an image. Additionally, the boldness of the font could link to the directness of the statement, making the title of the CD cover thought-provoking and, therefore, intriguing the audience. A similar font was used on Seafret's debut album, which could connect our artist to their style of music and help him gain popularity through association. However, the lack of serifs or decorative features attached to this font could make it appear dull to the audience because it implies very little about our artist or the music included within the album and instead relies on the mystery behind the title to make it appealing.

In conclusion, despite the merits of several of the other fonts, I'm going to use Bebas Neue because its bold and easy to read, therefore lending itself to clearly showing the album name as well as Finn's name. Furthermore, it is similar to fonts used by other Indie artists, therefore grouding the font in the genre. 

Audience Profile - UPDATED

Planning Costumes - Isabel Hurren

Our protagonist, Caitlin wore several different costumes throughout our music video. The first was comprised of pyjama shorts and a hoody that featured the logo of her high school as well as the names of her classmates. This choice of attire implies that she’s holding onto the past as she struggles to ground herself in a new era of her life. From this, it connotes that she’s trying to relive happier times.The grey colour of her hoody suggests a sense of melancholy as well as a lack of hope because it implies that there is no colour in her life. The smudged make-up around Caitlin’s eyes connotes instability because it implies that she no longer cares about her appearance, perhaps because she is weighed down by her pain.

The second costume that Caitlin wore was comprised of a black jacket, a black and white stripy top and a black skater skirt. The lack of colour in this outfit reinforces the fact that there is little excitement or joy left in her life and instead she is left living in muted tones. We took inspiration from the costume Sam Smith wore in his ‘Stay With Me’ music video, in which he wears a black and white checked coat. This suggests that the characters are trapped living in a life that lacks any of their previous happiness and instead they are forced to bear their pain in isolation. The style of clothing Caitlin wore would be familiar with our target audience of 18-21-year-old girls as it is currently in fashion. This would make it easier for them to relate to Caitlin and to imagine themselves in her position.

The final costume that Caitlin wore during shots of the past was comprised of a navy long sleeved t-shirt with maroon and mustard stripes paired with black skinny jeans. This introduction of colour suggests she was happier in the past and could express herself by wearing a variety of vibrant colours. This paired with her pink hair, that contrasts with her ash blonde hair in the present, implies that Caitlin’s life was once filled with excitement. The difference between her costumes works to emphasise how much the end of her relationship has affected her and how different she has become.

Our antagonist, Pippin, wore a black jacket, a grey t-shirt and black jeans. By wearing similar tones to Caitlin, it implies that he has experienced the same pain as her and he is still struggling to overcome the end of their relationship. However, the fact that his t-shirt is grey whereas Caitlin’s outfit consists of black and white could suggest that he views the conditions of their breakup differently and doesn’t see it in the same clear-cut way as Caitlin. We were inspired by the costume design in the film ‘Baby Driver’ in which the protagonist’s t-shirts gradually become darker shades of grey as his view of the world is tainted and warped by what he is forced to endure.

In shots of the past, Pippin wore a light blue t-shirt and black jeans. Traditionally, blue is a colour that represents honesty which could further emphasise how hurtful his betrayal was because he always appeared to be candid and loyal. 

Potential Images

I think the first and third images are the most successful because they have the clearest focus while the use of direct address would catch a viewers attention. Furthermore, the fact that both images are close-ups of our artist's face would help to build a brand identity because it would connect him to his audience. The framing of the photos makes them effective because it makes Finn the focus of the image and draws the viewer's eyes to him. 

Print Productions Mood Board

Fonts:
The sophisticated nature of the fonts would make them appropriate for our CD cover, with the serif details conforming to the artistic nature of the Indie genre. One of the issues I could encounter with these fonts is the thinness of the letters which could make it difficult for them to stand out on a CD cover. To render this issue, I could either pick a broader font or use effects in Photoshop to make the text more prominent. 

Colours:
The colour palette of neutral greys and black would create a professional CD cover while conforming to the minimalist art style which is reflected in several CD covers of artists who belong to the Indie genre. While the lack of vibrant colours would create a connection to our music video and thus help to construct a brand identity, it could also make it difficult for our CD cover to stand out.

Images:
The fractured and fragmented nature of the photos could make for an intriguing and thought-provoking CD cover. It would also reflect the idea of a lost identity and heartache that is present in our music video. While creating this image might take time to achieve, I think the overall effect would be successful. 

Explanation of Planning

When we were first presented with our planning tasks, we equally divided them among the group so that we all did the same amount of work. This meant that we were all able to manage our workload effectively while also being able to offer one another assistance if a post proved to be more challenging than expected. By doing this, we have been able to work efficiently as a group to complete our planning tasks. Additionally, there were some tasks that even though they were completed by an individual, we discussed them as a group beforehand. For example, we decided which actors to chose and what their costumes should be as a group, ensuring that everyone got to offer their opinion on what we were doing. This has allowed us to explore a variety of different ideas before finally picking a single direction to take our project in.This has improved our teamwork skills and has prepared us for working together while filming. 

Inter-textual References - UPDATED

When planning the opening of our music video, we were inspired by the opening of the Charlie Pluth 'We Don't Talk Anymore' music video which follows two characters preparing for the day ahead of them. The seeming mundanity of this conveys the idea that heartbreak is a universal thing as both characters appear to be burdened by some unseen trauma. We wanted to include this in our music video to suggest that when you have your heart broken, it affects every aspect of your day to day life, including just getting out of bed in the morning. 

We were also inspired by the costumes in the Sam Smith 'Stay With Me' music video. Smith is consistently shot wearing costumes that consist mainly of blacks and greys. This connotes a sense of grief and heartache because the colour has been drained from his life. We replicated this in our music video by having our protagonist, Caitlin wear costumes that were mainly comprised of grey and black during shots of the present. When contrasted with shots of the past, during which she wears more vibrant clothes, this creates the same effect as demonstrated within the Sam Smith music video. 

Shooting Schedule - Shanelle Dwyer

Selecting Actors - Isabel Hurren

We decided to use Caitlin Mapes as our protagonist because she has previous acting experience both in a lead role of a high school production of 'Little Shop of Horrors' and our AS media coursework. This meant that she had the acting ability to realistically portray the range of emotions that are explored within our music video. Furthermore, she is the same age as our male protagonist, Pippin, making it seem more likely that they would have had a relationship in the months leading up to the events of our music video. In addition to this, Caitlin is the same age as our target audience, meaning they will be able to relate to her and the troubles she is experiencing. 

We cast Pippin Casbourne as our male protagonist because, much like Caitlin, he has had previous acting experience. He played the lead role in a performance of 'King Lear' and is an avid public speaker, giving his the confidence to be comfortable in front of a camera and able to engage with an audience. This meant that he was able to confidently perform his scenes while conveying the desired emotions.