Now that we have refined our digipak design we not only collated our images into a digital file but also busted out the printer and scissors to slide our pack into a plastic CD case to give the full, realistic effect. Our second draft can be viewed below.

NET:

CD CASE:

Targets:

• The background image of the front cover appears too busy and we should use editing to draw further attention to the band.
• The copyright box on the back cover needs to be blended into the image more as it draws attentions away from the song list.
• The images on the inside left cover need to be aligned better to eliminate any gaps.
• Possibly add borders to the images on the inside left cover to give it more definition.
• Make the smoke on the back cover look more authentic and less jagged
• Experiment with the positioning of the band logo on the front panel.
• Alter the inside right panel to a learner plate as to be more relevant.
• Make the bands logo on the spine larger.

Following the creation and feedback from our digital digipak mock up we collated the best shots from our photo shoot and formed the first draft of our digipak, in can be viewed in two forms below.

NET:

CD CASE:

It is now time to reflect on our final media shoot where we collected images for our CD digital packet.

What went well?

• We had a large amount of free time before our shoot was scheduled with all the performers which gave us ample time to set up camera equipment and move the motorcycle to the filming location so we could maximize shooting time.
• All the correct mise-en-scene was brought on the day which meant our actors looked desirable and reflected the Ska genre.
• We were able to get a plateau of different shots, angles and distances for all for panels of our digipak meaning we will not need a second shoot.
• We used multiple different cameras which meant plenty of shots in a short amount of time making us work as a effective efficient team.

What went wrong?

• One of our performers was severely late to the shoot which meant we had to delay taking the front cover photo for almost 45 minutes meaning we had to rush those shots quickly before we ran out of time.
• One of our camera batteries was running low which meant we had to be conservative with how many shots we took on that particular camera.
• The motorcycle was extremely heavy and took a few people a short while to move it around school premises and position it precisely where we wanted it which wasted some shooting time.
• We found it difficult to get some close ups on elements of the motorcycle which reduced our variety of choice for our inside right cover of the digipak.

The function of a contact sheet is to allow the producers to visualize all the images they have obtained from a photo shoot to decide which are best. We have therefore uploaded all our digital images onto the computer and collated them into one document. This will allow us to easily select and edit the best images for both our advert and digipak. Our contact sheet can be viewed below.

Since our performers have already signed a risk assessment form for filming permission it is not necessary they or us complete another one. This is due to the fact we are filming once again on school premises in school time and therefore senior members of staff will be present.

In preparation for our digipak shoot my group and I formulated a production meeting agenda which allowed us to quickly and clearly delegated different responsibilities for the shoot on filming day. This includes determining who will bring in specific props and costume articles for our performers in order to ensure the star image for the Ska genre in constructed correctly. You can view the documents by clicking on the images below.

Side 1:                                                  Side 2:

After completing our digital mock up of our digipak we sought out precious feedback in order to see what works and what doesn’t when it comes to conveying the genre and creating an appropriate star image.

What’s good?:

• The mise-en-scene is fun and contributes well to the star image of the band.
• The black and white checker is conventional and the close ups of the band show exaggerated emotion well.
• The track lengths on the back cover help the consumer.
• The front panel is energetic and the fonts fit with the band and the digipak design.

Targets:

• Improve the editing on the front and inside left cover to make it more polished and professional.
• Fix the scaling of the spin so that it correctly fits inside the CD case.
• Make the front cover image black and white apart from the band members themselves to show they are colorful and diverse individuals and to draw attention to the band themselves.
• Considering changing the font of the band and the album title on the front cover as it appears too “romantic” and “old” rather than relenting the progressive and dynamic feel of Ska.

Following our drawn up mock up of our vision for a digipak we took to the Photoshop studio to produce a rough mock up using borrowed images online to give us a better sense of what our product may look like. We are very happy with the result and the entire digipak inside a CD case can be viewed with explanation below.

Front Cover:

Our front cover features our lead singer spinning out of control on a lambretta motorcycle in an industrial location. The other band members are chasing after him all with their own individual reactions and emotions.

Inside Left:

The inside left color will build upon the front cover, featuring a close up of each band members face and reaction whilst also highlighting the togetherness of the band. To fulfill genre conventions we made the background an alternating black and white checker.

Inside Right:

Here we see the speedometer of the motorcycle which will hopefully be at max revs indicating the speed at which the lead singer was travelling, again we have used the iconic black and white checker.

Open Case:

This is our CD case open without the CD itself, of course.

Back Cover:

The song titles will be present as being kicked up in a smoke cloud by the exhaust and the tyre. We have also included space for copyright information as well as a bar code and the logo for the production company.

Spine:

The spine features the name of the band but predominantly the name of the album. This is accompanied with the black and white checkers as well as the production company logo.

Following on from our digipak research we had gained sufficient inspiration and knowledge to come up with our own idea. We decided upon an industrial setting and the key piece of mise-en-scene will be a vespa motorcycle which reflects the mod sub-culture of the time of ska. To give our design a comedy feel we decided to put the lead singer on the motorcycle, spinning out of control and this is communicated to the audience through the inside right cover which shows the bikes rev counter at maximum. The rest of the band will be chasing after him and their reactions are highlighted through the cu of their faces on the inside left cover. The back will feature a smoking tyre kicking up the song titles into the air.

We thought carefully about how we want to construct the star image of the band, and this is highlighted through their mise-en-scene in their costumes. They will be wearing an assortment of mod related clothes such as parkas, polo shirts, denim jackets, shirts and ties, union jack jumpers and boots. You can view our digipak drawn designs by clicking on the image below.