LAST Tutorial!

It was confirmed that my promo fim was ok and that therefore my project is basically complete, especially now that I have my reports and everything printed. The promo film could have been a bit slicker and loose ends on the clips could have been tidier or the look of each person's camera consistant throughout the film, but Penny understood how it would be difficult and how it was meant to add to the feel and point of the channel/project anyhow (homemade).

Since I have completed the necessary parts a week early, Penny suggested that I use this week to work on the weak points of my project. In this case, it was my BRANDING and LOGO DESIGN, obviously.  It was also suggested that I consider my marketing methods for now and the future. All this new work should then be complied as a small PDF to print and put into the reports as a loose sheet of paper, to add to the Critical Reflection.

It needs to look more like what the channel is about. A modern view of Shakespeare. All the serif fonts or quills aren't needed as the videos I've made are too new and old references aren't relevant. It all needs to come together more as a complete Graphic Design package. Channel Logo, Logo on end of promo film, Logo on flyers for marketing.

Various ideas about printing on post-its, and making the logo look more like a tattoo (as I originally intended) have already been considered and should possibly be looked into further.

Marketing Leaflets

I used the logo that I created from aspects of my mood board. This logo probably doesn't strongly relate to the channel, however it should feature in the promo film, and I feel the design of it looks like a tattoo and is therefore more playful, attractive to my audience, whilst also being relatable to the concept of shakespeare. It also, obviously, provides the information of the Bards Talk channel link. 

I designed them into medium and small sized leaflets with a short slogan on the top which is supposed to catch the eye and spark a little bit of curiosity which will hopefully get people to follow up with having a look at the website/ channel! I aim to locate these randomly, but of course with my audience in mind, so, for example, the uni library (where students will most like get bored or distracted at some point!), or the uni cafes, even sticking them on bus stops or "accidentally" scattering them around the local shopping centre haha! This is just to try and start some source of viewers for Bards Talk.

Promo So Far....

I have tried to keep the lo-fi, web cam look in this video, including titles with Shakespeare audio. The edit is a bit jumpy and perhaps I could have used less people, but I wanted to keep the pace going so that interest is maintained. The quality could have been improved, but that's the point, to make it so that it's relatable and that people at home could make it! I need to change one of the line entries and I also need to increase the whole audio of the piece using Audacity. I will aslo try to add some simple iMovie, unlicensed music, to cover all the silences in the video and give it more 'movement'.

Promo Lines

"Welcome to Bards Talk!

A new, interactive channel on YouTube, showing you a side of William Shakespeare we can all relate to. This isn't boring, this isn't confusing, and it won't go over your head. This channel is about making his characters into real people.

Take a look through our videos and see if there's a story you can't relate to. His plays are about emotions we all know. Love, hate, jealousy, greed. They appear in our favourite films, favourite series, in our own lives. Bards Talk was created so that you can enjoy Shakespeare for what he's really about.

We want you to join in, and take part. Give us your versions. Of a character, of your experiences, or even just your opinions. Because, when it comes down to it, Shakespeare's stories are about parts of human nature which never change."

Audio Tests

I wanted to test which camera I should use if I was to use the same one to film all the sections of videos for the promo film. I wanted the one hat would be able to pick up the best audio, especially from outside. I collated all the audios and put them together to best compare.

INDOOR

OUTDOOR (with me holding the camera)

OUTDOOR (with friend holding camera at slight distance)

I think I found that the flip-camera (1st audio bit on each video) produced the best audio quality. It is also the easiest to carry round, isn't an over complicated device and also has good picture quality. Whether this is the effect I want in the final promo film is yet to be considered.

Promotional Video

It was suggested that a promotional video should be made to introduce the Bards Talk channel. This would lead the viewer into the channel, and be the tool to help gain initial interest.

It needs to explain it's relation to Shakespeare, why this is a relevant topic of interest, and how the videos play a part. Another important part would be to make the viewer aware of the necessity of joining in and taking part, and hopefully make them want to take part!

This video should reflect the other videos on the channel, in terms of its production methods, formatting and visual appearance. It should look like a home video recording, talking to the camera like it's a video diary. Elements of handwritten titles or lo-fi titles should be added to help structure it, and add to the message.

I thought I could film it all with me, but then realised that I want to keep the promo vid universal. Just using me would be too personal and make the channel not about everyone, which it is supposed to be open to. I also wanted to try and then film different people speaking the lines into the same camera, to keep the visual and audio quality constant, but I think that I may not get enough content to help make it that way, and it may loose the "home video" element I was trying to achieve. The most effective way to produce this may only become clear when I start testing and constructing it. However, I am running out of time, and may not get all the initial support I once had with all the previous videos, so how it turns out will all depend on this. Hopefully it will be ok.

A Selection of Final Videos

The "Bards Talk" channel

I have now created the YouTube channel for the Bards Talk brand/ initiative, which will host the videos created for this project, and further information on Shakespeare is provided.

Click HERE to view the channel.

www.youtube.com/BardsTalk

More Developed Idea (hopefully!)

Although I have kept the hand writing on paper approach, I feel I have developed the narrative and the concept of this intro-outro. This intro-outro will be unique for the character Juliet. Juliet's monologue is a personal confession and this makes sense to be kept in a diary or a notebook. You see the opening and closing of the book to start and finish the video. The lighting and look should also appear similar to how it looks in the video diary itself. I hope this is ok. I do not feel it needs more embellishment than this.

I will be asking each person/ character to make and provide their own intro-outro films, with help of a bit of suggestion and direction from myself. Hopefully they will be up for helping me out more! Each should be a different approach to suit the character and the concept of their vid, for example, I see Macbeth being filmed as him typing an Email, and altering the font size and style for each bit of type. I will try and do mini tests myself to send to people to show what I mean if I have to, though I want their personal taste to have influence....

Developing the Hand Drawn Approach

**DISCLAIMER**
For some reason my camera wasn't focusing in on the close up shots and as a result, some of these visual tests are very pixalated and can't even be read - balls.


Into & Outro Stop Motion

Intro with Diary and Stylized Font

Intro with Diary with Basic Font

Intro Paper Cut-Outs

Outro with Dairy and decorative Font

Outro with Diary with simple/rough Fonts

** This says "For more information, or to join in, click on the links below**


Thoughts
Well, it didn't help that my camera was playing up, but none of these ideas are done with huge "swishness" or finess. It's supposed to look lo-fi, it's supposed to look like the person making the video diary has made them themselves!!! In fact, I'm certain that even speeding the footage up is probably too advanced for some people!

The only ones that I could say I would take further are the cut-out paper rose one, making "Bards Talk" in cut out paper as well. The other being the writing in the diary. This wasn't executed well in the vid tests but the theory/conception behind it is that the character I play as Juliet is talking about something that is "confidential", she is confession her love and devotion as it were therefore, and where better to write something than in a diary. 

I have this idea that I will ask each person who has submitted a video for me, to make their own intros. It should be possible, especially if kept in this simple manner. They would all be different, done in a different manner, like the videos themselves. For example, I would get Macbeth to type in on an email, like he is at work or something. No?

Favourite so far....

This includes original Shakespeare audio, so that the concept of the videos are clearer, and the intro/outro titles are more 'lo-fi' to compliment the film style. I thought each character could produce their own titles in a similar way (which I will then edit and add), so that each video is different and hopefully relatable/unique to that person. 

Therefore the 'feel' of the production of the video is maintained and Shakespeare's role is more pronounced?

In terms of providing further information to things on Shakespeare, the play, or more character vids, in the presentation it was suggested to loose the concept of the website (especially as it is difficult for me), so I have decided to just presume that these videos could be hosted on YouTube. Therefore the links to this information could be effectively provided in the description boxes below the video.... 


Penny's Response!
yes I like this too.Good concept. Solid thinking. Think you should craft these ins and outs more - am sure they are only test - keep them hand drawn in style but more developed