Ideas

This is another idea that I have had to convey imagery of technology and how it links to science - This screen 'fuzz' is supposedly because of the big bang which relates to evolution and the constant exprension and progression. This progression represents the constant human desire to constantly move on, to upgrade, to advance - The Upgrade.

The name of the album ‘version 1.0’ could represent the human desire for change, not wanting to stand still, constantly moving on to new forms. This is because ‘version 1.0’ suggests more versions are to come, such as ‘version 1.3’ or ‘version 2.0’ which also denotes that this is just the beginning. This reflects technology itself, the background being a TV, as the technology we have discovered so far may only be the first version, ‘version 1.0’, of what is soon to come. However, the static of the TV may represent a more sinister idea about technology, that we are blank, mindless, repetitive drones who are simply following technology. The static gives feelings of absence, which suggests that our personalities are absent and have been replaced by technology.

CD cover development ideas

This cover - Only Revolutions by Biffy Clyro is a very open picture with a low horizon - much like that of my picture below, doing this creates space and atmosphere. The ambiguity of the red and blue sheets in the wind add to the artistic element of this cover. The fire in the background also hints a more generic connotation of the Rock genre and how it is defined and refined from rebellion. I hope to achieve a similar effect with the development of this picture - one of my original ideas:

This cover below - Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers has a sense of augmented/messed up reality. This concept suggests a difference and an originality. This also represents a suggestion of the artists opinion being of surrealism and a world turned upside down - we therefore anticipate this in their music. This idea suits The Upgrades style and connotations within their lyrics (in B.N.R.F for example) with the addition of a political and industrial sense. I used this idea, developing my favorite original idea (because of its strong industrial links) to create the image below the Californication cover.

To make the image above, I used the clone stamp tool to remove the copied and inverted smaller rig to remove the complete symmetry of the image to remove the cheap sense of 'copy and paste' I then merged the background layers and then selected a strip in the middle which I then used the 'enhance' options to make the middle strip black and white - these colours suit the lifeless and industrial image fitting the name and style of music. The title I had as a separate layer so that I can experiment with font, placing and the title its self.

Intertextual reference to several of my digipak ideas

This video below has connotations of a medical nature as well as shots of a surveillance camera, this suggests that a link can be made between the two concepts that I have made possible covers for to potentially work together to have an even more unnerving and creepy image. In this video by Drowning Pool there is an extreme representation of medical situations and imprisonment. Although a very inter-textual and connotative cover would be made by these ideas, I feel that they are too sinister to match the bands style, sound and image.

These are the cover Ideas that I am referring to above.

This is a development on one of my cover ideas, the idea of surveillance. I edited making black and white versions to create a more lifeless and robotic image, this compliments the name of the band being 'The Upgrade' suggesting robotics, computers and a similar lifeless element. I tried to get a closer up shot, however without an optical zoom and with most cameras being well out of reach for good reason it was hard to get a closer shot.

Here is a second edit of my favorite album cover picture. I have been using the clone stamp tool on the left to erase the top right oil rig after inverting a copy of the image and the merging the two layers. I have then used the black and white option on the 'Enhance' menu at the top to make a strip of black and white across the middle of the cover.

The black border and unusual colouring of the sea and sky I edited on Instagram on my Iphone.

I have been experimenting with title fonts, having made a new layer so I can put effects on the font/words themselves.

Music video shot choices

When looking at music videos of similar genres to that of The Upgrade, I figured that many videos of this style use quite extreme angles in their shots and have a lot of movement in them. Therefore I tried this. It was a bit risky but it worked surprisingly well. I already wanted a similar angle of shot in my video and so I experimented with how to get a good shot of the guitar an have good movement as well as a good focus on the guitar it's self.

Producing the music track

For my music video, when I recorded the track I then played it with the music video simultaneously and used the mixer in cubase to make an automation of each instrument track hence trying to incorporate Michael Scorsese's technique from 'shine a light'.

Lets get this show on the road...

This is my completed video.

CD cover analysis - Deaf Havana

The "Smiles all round" single front cover by Deaf Havana is quite different to the other covers that I have analysed. It consists of creams, browns and yellows. These organic colours compliment the heavily photoshopped image of a tree The font and varying angles of the text and background lines all add to the natural look of the cover.
The 'Deaf Havana' font is very freehand and is orientated vertically. This suggests that the band are natural, another 'tree' standing next to the one on the right. This style usually relates to folk, a genre very much proud of their roots. This cover therefore relates Deaf Havana to a similar confidence in their roots and culture.
The bands music video for this song is also very organic, full of greens, browns and yellows interweaving with traffic shots and streets at night, linking a more generic rock/metal genres. This natural colouring contrasts from most other images of rock and metal genres.

Music video decisions

The song I have chosen to make a music video for has strong political and economical connotations "new lands, new battles, new resources to reap, innocents to kill, their fuels to keep" "divide and conquer, destroy and deplete, conscriptions a bitch, lives are yours to delete".

Because of this, I went looking for ideas, thinking what I could do to incorperate this into my video. I came to an idea which was brought by recent events: the london riots. I found youtube clips of dramatic and violent scenes. I found these and thought similar things would fit in my music video perfectly.







I felt that these shots, some in slow motion would be perfect in my video but I was disheartened to find that I could not use those shots (because they are not mine). I pondered over the idea of making my own replications and trying to create a similarly effective atmosphere. I decided however that it would have been too hard to construct effectively and so i persued this idea no further.