DVD Cover - implicit version

For sake of this package, I decided to create two versions, one version the more explicit (the previous blog post) and this one, the more implicit. This is to avoid rules and regulations from disallowing the cover.

Destruction Preventer DVD cover and analysis

From the research and knowlegde aquired through the research, I have been able to create what i think is an accurate representation of the band, but also targets the desired 'rock' audience through a simple gritty design with some added effects. For example, effective techniques i have used:

- Black and white background so that the logo and fonts stand out over the rest of the cover.
- A consistant colour scheme which consists of black and white, with the use of bright red. Red connoting aggression, blood, violence and danger.
- Including all band members through the use of photographic images instead of a primarally graphic design.
- Parental Advisory and age certificate to: 1. inform the audience of the nature of the DVD's content, and also 2. add to the 'image' of being obscene and rebelious.
- Graphic effects and photo editing, such as blur's (lens and gaussian), black and white, croping and feathering while using layers to layer pictures over others and merge using the opacity tool.

DVD Cover Research Deconstructions

I have taken some examples from the Destruction Preventer 'Influences' and the bands they are inspired by according to their Myspace, and used them to identify techniques that i may want to apply when creating a DVD cover for them myself.

This DVD cover clearly shows the lead singer during a possible live performance. A yellow strip is used across the bottom of the design to show the official logos and important details. The colour of the clothes and background are fairly dark, which is useful, as it makes the colour and font stand out over the top. The purple colour may possibly represent the band and act as their motif.
The spine itself is made up from the title of the DVD and the band name, accompanied by a visual aid, the image on the front cover.

The back is not much different, just with another member of the band in the photo, still with a dark background so the white text is clear over the photo.

This design lacks any real graphic designs and uses text effects over photos of the band to create its representation.

This album cover is different from the above as there is a mixture of both graphic designs and photos of the band themselves. For example, the largest image on the front is a photo of the lead singer with the band below him. Yet on the back the main image is of a skeleton, in cartoon form, with images of the band playing live in smaller pictures below. The white text on both front and back are visible due to the blue background that runs as a theme throughout the whole cover and spine.

The spine uses the white text on the front and back as well as the blue backgound and the megadeath text, which stands out being larger than everything else on both front and back. The yellowy - orange text works well with the blue as they are complimentary colours.

This once again is a mixture of both graphic and photo editing. For example the front cover is made from graphic effects. All text is either white or yellow and in a rather gothic looking font to help represent the band. The spine also has a graphic image with text and the official DVD logo.

The back cover shows the a photo of the band that has been edited to be intergrated with the background, and the text has been layered over the top of them both. Iron Maiden are fairly known for their use of cartoon effects on their covers and even in their music videos. Therefore this cover follows the representation they are trying to pursue throughout and works as a specific motif for the band.

This cover uses back and red as the main colour scheme. This may connote blood due to the font style. The AC/DC logo is presented on the front and back (lighting between letters) with a photo of the lead singer on the front.

The back image also is a photo but has been edited for a grainy black and white effect, much like my music video for Destruction Preventer. The design itself is very simple and personally i don't think it would look hard to recreate.

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Initial Views and Opinions

- Simple designs for the genre
- Usually including a live performance picture
- Use of a photo of the band members
- Graphic designs to support whatever the album title or song representation
- Text fonts and colours usually have 2 styles, 1 for the main title and band name, and 1 for other infomation
- Complimentary colours are effective when considering house styles
- Black and White works well especially with coloured logo's / text over the top

These functions will aid me when thinking about what i may want to create for Destruction Preventer.

Extra Shot - Cards

During the solo I felt that there needed to be another shot which wasn't linked to the current narratives running throughout the video. I decided that a another gambling motif may look appropriate to cut out to during the climax of the song itself.

This was created by using a black sheet on the floor, and dropping some cards from a fairly high off the ground. The camera being positioned at a birds-eye view.

Then the contrast was increased, so the sheet isn't so obvious, and provides a subtle flickering effect, much like the live performance clips.

I did try and create more clips, but when i tried to use them in the video, they didn't fit and look right, no matter how i tried to crop / edit them. I think this shot is effective however, but i will be leaving it out of my final video.

Final Video

Final Video - with opening / ending complete, everything is now synchronous.

Video with Improvements: 2nd attempt

This video has everything i want the video to have. Yet there are two things that are possibly wrong with it that i can see:

1. There are very little special effects used within the video, other than basic contrast editing and transitions. The pace of the video is built from the pace of the editing, not so much from the actual effects used. Yet i need to possibly consider dropping something in to make the video more diverse.

2. Some of the timing is wrong in the video. After the solo at 3:12 to 3:18 is out of time with the vocals. This needs to be changed. 

Overall i like the grittiness of it, and the realism that it represents about the culture, but also the group themselves. 

FINALLY..

FINALLY I have permission from a local casino, to film their roulette wheel. 

This is paramount, due to my friend telling me that he had broken his roulette wheel.

25/11/09

After being able to speak with the manager, I asked to only film the roulette wheel, and the word 'CASINO' on the outside of the building. His only concern was of the filming people who might not want to be filmed. However after ensuring that I only needed the wheel filmed, he gave me a time slot between 1:30 to 2:00 in the afternoon. This will be plenty of time to collect the footage needed, and it won't take long to finish the desired structure of the video, ready to input special effects.