Editing process

For the last few weeks, we have been editing together the shots we got for the music video to create our final piece. It is now close to being complete, with only minor tweaks to be made. Throughout the process we have showed it to friends and adjusted shot lengths to try to create as good a product as we can.

The first thing we did was put the clips in place. We used the audio file to match the cuts to the beats as exactly as we could, because we realised that transitions felt wrong unless they were synced to the music. Once this was done, we moved on to colour correction, Giving most shots a cool blue using the fast colour corrector to compliment the natural orange hue. We used a pre-set but adjusted each accordingly, so that the colour correction looked best in every shot.

Before and after colour correction for one of the most orange shots. It makes the colour less agressive and gives the shot a calm, hazy look.

We then went through looking for issues. some of the cuts felt unnatural, and we noticed it was because an action was started (turning a wheel, lifting an arm) but the cut came before the action was over. we changed these so they looked better. We then noticed one shot was crooked, and so we adjusted it slightly to be level.

Changing the orientation fo the shot was an easy fix, all we had to do was zoom and rotate the shot slightly.

once this was done, and we were waiting on getting final shots, I decided to try out an idea we had earlier considered, a glitch effect. We eventually decided not to include this, as it is not a motif we had time to incorporate fully. However, I still used after effects to create the shot, using this tutorial.

My first attempt, within Premiere Pro, was not particularly successful, which is why I used the tutorial to find a better way.

Following his instructions, I created a glitch reminiscent of broken VHS recordings, yet still distinctly digital. This encompasses both the electronic and futuristic taste of our audience as well as the 90s analogue nostalgia.

The last adjustment we made was to the colour of the fight scene. Instead of a cool blue, we enhanced the orange tones to create a sense of danger and aggression. to further this, I increased the contrast slightly, making the colours stand out more, which makes the scene feel stronger and more vibrant.

Finally, we added light leaks over the top of a few shots to channel the 90s nostalgia. This was simply a matter of lowering opacity and using a blend mode that looked good, then roughly matching the leaks to light sources in the shot.

The shot after lowering opacity; the light leak is much clearer when moving; we did not want it to be too distracting.

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Digipak Process

We ended up with 214 photos for the digipak. Many were out of focus, or repeats, but it still took a lot of deliberation to eventually decided on two we would use for the digipak and promotion. We chose these because we thought they had the most striking colours and patters whilst still maintaining a minimalism that fit with our brand. The circular oil drop was chosen more for how it would lend itself perfectly to the circular pattern of the digipak cover. Before we began to use them, we adjusted the colours to use cool blues and pinks rather than the strong orange, which fit better with the overall tone we have been going for and the colour palette of the music video

The original images (above) compared to the edits (below)

It quickly became clear it was much more difficult than we originally thought to create the parabolic curve we wanted on Photoshop. Instead, we used the old fashioned technique of pen on paper. We drew the curve using a ruler to be as accurate as possible, then scanned it so we had the digital file, which we then traced with the pen tool on Photoshop so we had a tangible Photoshop layer to work with.

 We used the Marquee tool to cut a circular hole in the background layer, and then placed the image of the dye behind it so as to create a perfect circle about the curve.

For the second page, we kept the design very simple, echoing designs from bands such as The XX. We simply used the other ink image we had selected. not only is the simplicity striking, but the visual contrast against the hard geometric lines opposite create an enthralling juxtaposition. 

 When it came to the third page, we decided to repeat the use the same parabolic curve as on the cover, so that the design was repeated somewhere. We thought it would be interesting to wrap the curves around the CD portion, one in each corner. To do this, we put the curves in each corner and placed a black circle in the middle of them. then, using the warp tool, we moulded the curves around the circle perfectly.

And last but not least, the back cover. As the back was text heavy we searched online to find an appropriate font. We chose Rambla Standard for its simplicity and bold style. We also quickly checked what kind of legal information is usually included, and downloaded a barcode and the record label logo to include on the back, for the sake of making the design look professional. Because Photoshop has guideline features, we were able to create an excellently symmetrical design that really appeals to the eye.

(ps. Pretty much every one of the song names (minus You Took Your Time) were created by randomising pages on wikiquote and finding a cool combination of words.)

Digipak: Ink Patterns Process

Today, we took photos for use in the digipak. We mixed water with dyes, then poured small amounts at a time on a shallow pool of milk, taking photos of the resulting interactions.