Initial FMP Ideas.

FMP

For my FMP (Digital Publishing) I want to create a small magazine that is very visual. I am going to look at existing famous magazine covers and layouts and then put my own spin on them. Paper magazine came to mind first as I remember it for its famous front covers. I have inserted two examples below, one with Lucy Hale, because I like the experimentation with lighting , then the Austin Mahone cover.

Secondly I think of Vogue magazine. Upon doing some simple research I noticed that the older, more iconic covers seem to have less text, compared to the issues in recent times that are packed with text on top of a powerful image. This was useful for me to recognise at such an early stage of my FMP as when I begin to plan and build my idea I will have examples of simplistic, or busy / chaotic covers, both of which are successful and still aesthetically pleasing.   

                                                                                   

In regards to my own magazine and twist, as mentioned before I want to make it very visual, containing a few written articles. I want it to be based on fashion/makeup experimentation, and I want to particularly do some shoots (maybe even test shots) experimenting with colour and lighting. For example with the Paper cover with Lucy Hale, and the image below.

 Then on the contrary to this I also like really raw images using the outside elements.

Course Reflection.

Presentation & Summary

 In my 'Prezi' I have displayed my thoughts on the course, and the projects in which I enjoyed, disliked found challenging etc. I can easily spot a pattern as I was producing my presentation, that being that I really enjoy publishing, and more so that I am not too keen on Audio and certain aspects of Interactive projects. I think this is because they don't necessarily interest me a lot, for interactive however I do enjoy learning how to animate and discovering news ways to produce things, however I find it rather tedious and I am no artist, therefore find it difficult to put the vision I see in my head, into illustrate, and produce a product in which I am happy with.

  

   Despite me not enjoying every single part of the course, I have enjoyed leaning new things and leaning why I do not like producing certain projects. In regards to my FMP I intend to create a digital and or printed magazine based loosely on fashion. I have researched some existing magazine covers and discovered that I like the aesthetic of adjusting and playing around with lighting, so therefore I plan to take some simple images -involving fashion-, and make the pieces very interesting and aesthetically pleasing for an audience. Ideally I think I would enjoy going into the publishing industry, perhaps producing magazines (articles,images)... this is something I will know more in depth once I have started and completed my FMP.

Logos.

Self branding.

In today's lesson we explored self branding and logos. Initially we were given the task to think of our 'Biggest Strengths' , 'Passions' and what makes us 'Unique'. From these words we were able to establish and see our brand and who we are as an individual. From here we then had to sum up our brand in six words, this seemed very simple, but was hard to put into words ' Aspirational to inspire and be positive' was what I came up with.

  Later we went on to sketch out ideas for a logo to represent ourselves / our brand. Starting with one rule in which was to not lift the pencil off the page, have one continuous line. My sketches (ass seen below) started off with my initial, partly because I liked the simplicity of it, easy to remember and also gave a wide range of changes that I would be able to do.

Initial sketches.

Digital Creations.

 After using sketch books, we were then able to use the computers ( I used Adobe Illustrate) to create a logo using only the font 'Helvetica'. Although at first I thought this would be difficult, however after realising how many variations of Helvetica that were available, I soon adjusted and was able to create a very simplistic logo using the given fonts.
  I played around with adding my surname, rotating the 'A', making the stroke thicker/thinner etc. In one design I also used the spiral tool, adding a gradient too it so it almost fades, I really liked the aesthetic and final product it gave, it is very build able and I like that.
 Underneath the logos I also played around with some of the shape tools. I kept the fill on gradient and created a circle with the initial 'A' inside, using only curved lines. I didn't like the outcome, however it was important for me to explore and experiment, as it then gave me confirmation that if I had a brand I would want the logo to be more 'font based' as opposed to 'image based'

Digital Logos

Interactive Evaluation.

Evaluation...

 Over the last term we were given the task to become comfortable and familiar with Adobe Animate (digital animation). We would use adobe animate to create a series of animations from scratch, however before doing so we did some research, this included exploring the different tools used in animate and how I would be able to adapt and apply these newly found skills to my animations.

  After the research was done, I went into photoshop and created a character in which I would drag into Animate, and animate. After this was complete we had a brief in which we were to complete, I found this interesting and challenging at times. I had not previously used Adobe Animate so it was an interesting journey to learn from scratch, which was some what enjoyable.

   Over all I would say this term has taught me alot about Adobe Animate and what you can really do with the software, I enjoyed making my character do a number of things, however I also wished I added some more detail in my animations, this is something I will ensure to do next time.

LookBook Feedback.

Feedback

 Upon creating my final look book and first draft printed, I was able to collect opinions and feedback from peers as to what they thought was good and what could be changed about it etc. I created a google sheet in which I asked 7 questions, these included 'what things do yo particularly like', 'do you think the font is appropriate?', 'would you buy any of the items' etc. Asking these questions allowed me to gain constructive criticism on my project which will help me next time I create something like this.

 

  What two things do you like about the look book?

  This was the first question I asked, the feedback I received was hat the layout of the book was good, the images used made it look professional and also gave it individuality. In addition to this, one peer liked the colour theme I used. These are points in which I agree with, I was really happy with the photographs and editing I done on them, I also really enjoyed it.

  Do you think the font is appropriate?

 The font for the brand was described as 'classic', however in addition to this point, the peer also said that it doesn't however flow throughout the look book. In my opinion the font for the brand should stay consistent throughout, so when writing my blurb and brief description I wanted to use a different font, this would differentiate between the clothing, and other pieces of text. Saying this, if I didn't use such a 'classic' and 'old style' font I would consider having the captions, descriptions and other pieces of text in the same font.

  Lastly I also received points that the classic old style fits in well with the brand and aesthetic and that the formal look and font fits well with the overall layout.

 What do you like about the layout?

 I gathered feedback that was very similar for this question, all of the feedback said that the use of full images gave it consistency and a quality look. The double page spread was also described as 'fitting really nice'. By having multiple images on one page it also gave readers a good variety and a lot to look at. I would like to agree with these points as I wanted to ensure I had a page or two which consisted of multiple images layered, this gave the finishing aesthetic I wanted.

 What two things would you change/improve?

 The comments for this question were very similar and consistent, they described the different use of fonts and how it doesn't link together, as previously explained. In addition to this I was told adding more text to describe and elaborate on the brand would be useful, this is a point I agree with the most. In my opinion I wanted to add some more text to the images and I wasn't happy with my last page as I rushed it. Next time I create a project like this I will ensure to provide more information on the brand itself as well as the images, almost like a description. 

 Do you think the imagery is appropriate? 

 All feedback for this question was positive, all saying yes and that the model,logo and pieces of clothing fit nicely together. When creating this project this is something I wanted to ensure I did as a look book is all about visuals, I wanted to make sure the colour theme, locations and over all layout all linked together and would represent the brand in a way I envisioned.

 Would you buy any of the items of clothing?

 This was a mixed response, half of the peers said that they would purchase the clothing as they have been well edited together, and the other half said they would not. One reason being because of the gender of the peer. When creating this I didn't actually assess and think about what gender I am aiming my clothing at, as my ideas progressed and I realised I was creating a t-shirt and black hoodie, I would like to think it would be appropriate for male and female, however I can see that it is a more feminine brand, including the logo and choice of colour for the logo and over all aesthetic and colours for the look book were more feminine than masculine.

 Is there anything you would add to the look book (texts, images)?

 One point said to add a few more shots of the garments, a point in which I agree with. The other feedback point said to perhaps extend the clothing line itself, adding more hoodies and a winter coat. These suggestions are very useful as I now know that for next time I will include a lot more shots and angles of the clothing to give a better idea. The suggestion of adding more clothes itself is interesting as I will add this to a future look book or project.

Final LookBook.

LookBook

 After the photoshoot had taken place I went on to edit the photos using 'VSCO' cam and photoshop. The initial edit I did was to change the exposure, shadow, tint and general appearance to fit the aesthetic I wanted to achieve, a few of these can be seen as below:

  I next went onto photoshop to edit my branding on the images from the shoot, this was very simple so I was able to quickly go onto In Design to do my final look book. Upon looking at my plan and then the final execution of the project was interesting as I decided to do the layout different to how I planned. Initially I wanted to do it horizontal, however when editing the images I discovered that when it will be printed I think it would look better in portrait. A few screenshots of my final look book are as below:

      On the third page I decided to add some more text, this included where the clothes come from, however due to time restraints I didn't get the final layout and look I wanted, so I made it work. If I were to go back and improve this I would add more text on another page and ensure there wasn't a white background as it doesn't look good and I personally do not like it.
  Through doing this project I discovered that this has been the most enjoyable for me, I enjoyed every aspect of this, including the planning (location hunting) as well as taking the photographs myself in the locations, then editing them and putting them in to the right layout that looks aesthetically pleasing. I would be more than happy to do this again, or a different version of this, for example a video type look book.

Peer Assessment || Castles In The Air.

Pre-Production

 This blog post will be my self evaluation of my project, discussing my experience with pre-production, production and post-production. It will include peer feedback and what I would like to do differently.

  Starting with pre-production I believe I was well organised and I knew exactly what I was doing as I had prepared the necessary documents which are all linked in my brief and explained in a previous blog post in which can be found here. 

Production

  When it came to the production of my film I had hired out a DSLR camera, tripod and microphone as instead of filming in given lesson time I filmed on my day off ( Friday 27th). I needed to do this because my locations for filming was inside a house and therefore required me to be filming in Trowbridge, rather than college. The positive thing I took away from this was that there weren't necessarily and time restrictions and I was able to film as many takes as I wanted, it also of course allowed me to film in the place I wanted to, to fit the aesthetic and visual I had of my film. Upon reviewing this decision I also came across some negative points, for example in the lesson time we had to film I could only complete the pre-production part of the brief and help others film. When reviewing my decisions I feel like I could have put my time to better use and tried getting some shots in college, rather than completing more 'theory' than 'practical' tasks. On the other hand by helping out my group I was able to give my opinion and film for one of my peers. So although it wasn't 100% on my project it was interesting to interpret others' scripts and see my style and how I could incorporate it into theirs with the given locations etc. 

   When it came to filming I was more than happy with the shots I had, the only downsize was that I came to the realisation that I didn't actually have a lot of footage. The only shots I got was the scientist writing and 'figuring' out the formula and waking up in bed, which in my treatment, scripts, storyboard etc seemed to be perfect length for a short film I felt it was too short. However to contradict that point, from the very beginning I knew I would need to have news reports playing and interrupting the film, in addition to the multiple cuts to the clock ticking etc so I thought at the time it would be enough. In my opinion, when I next create a film I want to be more adventurous than 'playing it safe' and use multiple locations, both internal and external. This will give me more to think about in regards to audio and more difficulties to deal and overcome. 

  I rather liked the idea of having no dialogue in my film as it made it seem like an advertisement and short snippet of the film that would engage the audience to want to watch more and know more about the character. So I personally wouldn't want to say next time I want to have a large script and multiple characters, however it would be nice to have the variety, it would also open up more options for more interesting shots to use and things to keep and eye out for (for example the 180 degree rule).

 When on set it was just myself and the character, as previously mentioned I did this outside of college hours so therefore didn't have a massive production team to help out with lightning etc. Together I was able to direct her and allow her to interpret the storyboard and script I had provided as well as film and ensure I got the shots I wanted. I enjoyed the filming process of this project, however when it is just me filming on set I realised it is nice when working in larger groups. I found this because when I worked closely with my group inside college we were able to share opinions and different options, as well as keep an eye out for things on set that might not look right or take away from the aesthetic, this would have been helpful and nice to have when filming my film.

Post-Production

Once I had edited all my footage in Premiere Pro I was able to show my peers the final project and gather their comments, both criticism and constructive criticism, along with other artistic opinions on the way I filmed and edited it together, taking into consideration the footage, audio and general execution of the project. Before the film was completely edited however I was able to get advise and comments along the way, for example a peer discussed how they like the fact I used news reports, it added interest and makes it also relatable as the issue that happens in my film is genuinely happening.  I was also given some advise on how to make my film slightly longer, for example having more suspense (black screens etc) as this would make my project slightly longer but without it being bad, this was very useful along the editing path as I believe opinions and constructive criticism helps me open my mind to others and their artistic views, rather than just sticking to my own and my preferences.

  When the film was completed I uploaded it to YouTube and got peers as well as others to view it and gather their comments and opinions. I received feedback that included the fact I should include more locations. It is clearly filmed inside a kitchen so next time I will film in various locations. I agree with the point as that is the main thing I wanted to improve myself for my next project.
  Another constructive criticism I got was to make it longer as currently the length is just under two minutes. This is understandable as currently I myself think it is too short, despite this I feel like I also have enough footage to make the story flow and make sense.

   To conclude, this project has been very interesting and enjoyable to complete, it has made me realise how much pre-production and thought goes in before filming anything, and that I actually enjoyed the pre-production side of the project. When I next create a film I will use various locations and more characters as this will lengthen my film and also make it more challenging for the Pre-production, Production and Post-production.