Completed Inside Left Panel

After choosing my image, it was fairly easy to complete the inside left panel of my digipak as I had already written my message and decided on the text. I used photoshop to slot everything into place and now this panel is complete!

Change of image

After deciding on this image to use for the inside left of my digipak, I began to edit it and wrote the message from the band. However, after looking at this panel in relation to the rest of my digipak, I have decided that this does not fit with my colourful theme.

I have now decided to use this image instead. 

I believe that this image will fit in better with the rest of my digipak and with the video. I believe that the colourful balloons are the album's sale point as they are recognisable and distinct.

Research Inside Left Panel

After researching digipaks using actual digipaks from home and looking on line, I found that a popular convention is to put a message from the band in this section. I put this into my plan when planning what I wanted to go into my digipak. However, I would also need an image for this page as the messages never fill the whole page. 

I have decided to try this image as it connects well with the second half of my video which takes place at night and part of it takes place on the beach. 

Completed Back Cover

I have used photoshop to easily add text and images onto the image that I chose. I now believe that my back cover is complete. However, I will ask for audience feedback at a later date in order to ensure that this looks professional to my target audience.

Removing Numbers

As I started to add the list of song names to the back of my digipak, I automatically used numbers down the left hand side to order them. However, when I got to number 10, the lining looked strange and not as neat as I had hoped. 

I then researched other ways of doing this and found that a large number of digipaks do not include numbers before the song names. This has given me the confidence that I can not use numbering and my piece can still look professional.

Editing image

I used the same technique that I used on the cover of my digipak to add more balloons to the back of my digipak. However, this image did not need as much editing as I thought the balloons were in a very good place for me to place a song list up the left hand side.

Original Image

Edited Image

As you can see, I have only added a few balloons and cropped the image to the correct size.

Back Cover Image

I have decided to use this image for the back cover of my digipak.

I like this image because of the direct mode of address given by my 2 actresses. It is also quite a comedic shots and shows the band having fun which related directly to the album title "Ain't it Fun"

Back Cover Research

I have begun to create the back cover of my digipak. The conventions of the back cover are fairly simple and quite similar no matter what the genre;

1. A list of song names

2. An image

3. The Band name

4. Social Media websites

5. The company's Logo

6. Copyright/production rights in small writing

Digipak cover

After finishing with my image for the cover of my dijipak, I then had to decide what writing to use and what to put on the front. Looking at my plan, I will write "RENEGADE" which is the bands name and "Ain't it fun" which is the song name. I did not decide on a colour for the text during my plan because it will need to stand out against the colourful balloons, so that would be best to put in after.

I tried to find a font that I would like to use using photoshop's own fonts and also websites such as dafont.com. However, I could not find a font that fit my vision so instead, I decided to create my own font using the brush tool with a rough edge effect on it. This way, I could decide specifically how I wanted my writing to look.

I added this onto my image. I first tried the font colour black, however, this was not clearly seen because of the black in the background. Afterwards, I tried white and I have decided that this is the best colour as there is no white in the background. It also does not clash with any of the other colours and stands out well.

I then had to choose which font to put the song name. I wanted it to be a different font in order to make it stand out. However, I wanted it to still be white because the background image is very colourful. I tried a few different fonts but in the end I decided on a simple, capitalised font; Plantagenet Cherokee.

Shadows

After noticing that some of the balloons that I have added to my digipak cover do not look real, I tried some different ways to make them look more authentic. The way that has worked the most is to add shadows. The real balloons in the picture all have shadows; bigger if they are further from the floor.

Added Balloons (without shadows)

 I am currently working on editing shadows onto the balloons that I have added in myself.

As you can see, the orange balloon in the top left corner that I have added looks very fake and out of place in the image. I have used brightness/contrast and levels tools to create a darker section underneath the balloon. Because this balloon is placed to look as though it is sitting on 2 other balloons, I have made this shadow quite large.

Another balloon; the red one in the bottom left corner, is closer to the floor and underneath the other balloons. I have given this one a smaller, darker shadow to make it look as though it was originally in the picture.

Picture editing

I am currently editing the image for the front of my digipak.

Original picture

Edited picture

As you can see, I have added a few balloons using photoshop. Photoshop is becoming easier to use as I use it more and I have used online tutorials regarding photoshop in order to learn how to do different things. I will continue to add balloons as I can already see a huge improvement after only adding a few.

Dijipak Image

Now that I have completed my video, I have chosen the picture that I will be using for the cover of my digipak.

I have cut this image down to the correct shape. I like the effect of the balloons as it corresponds directly with my video, however, I think there is too much floor space within this picture.

I will use photoshop to edit in more balloons. However, I will have to use balloons from this image or similar ones so that the lighting and camera flash reflections look authentic.

Ending my Video

It took me a few days to figure out how to end my video. Originally, I wanted the group of sparklers to shine bright and fade to a blank white screen. However, I believe that this ending wasn't in keep with the narrative. I wanted the end of the story to reveal that the whole video was almost a daydream, so my actress needed to end up back where she started. 

I decided that the best way to do this would be to play the video in reverse in very quick motion. After adding all of the video in reverse order, I realised that it went on for too long and the song had already finished not even half way through the reverse. To fix this, I began to cut out sections of the video and kept the sections which were recognisable. Because the video was being played so quickly, it was hard to notice that some shots were missing. 

I think that this fits very well with my narrative and with the music in the background of this section. I also believe that this ending leaves the story open to interpretation of my audience as it is not fully explained.