Magazine Advertisements

As part of this project, I will be creating a promotional poster advertising the album. I am happy about this as I will be able to use some of the photographs I wanted to use when creating an album cover. I had to be very selective.

I wish to create something similar to this.
It will feature the album cover at the bottom of the page alongside details. I dislike the way they have used the same image twice. I plan to use a similar photograph, not the exact same.

Timelapse photos

I haven't blogged for a while. Been either busy or ill.

Above are two photographs from two different series that I am going to be using.

Photograph #1

ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 0.6
Aperture: f/14.0

The first photograph has been taken from the first batch. My first attempt was the generic long exposure shot that many people have done. I felt the need to do this just as a starting point. Before getting a successful shot, I had to experiement and test different shutter speeds, ISO and aperture.

Photograph #2

ISO: 3200

Shutter Speed: 1/40

Aperture: f/5.6

I prefer the second shot. In recent years I have grown to love out of focus photographs. I never understood them before, As I was going to be working with a subject area that has been explored many times, I decided to also take some out of focus shots. I wanted to make the most of the location while I was there as I probably wasn't going to find any more time to re-shoot if I needed to. I am definately going to use the out of shot photographs.

I plan to use about five or six in a short sequence. It will appear quickly somewhere in the middle of my music video. I am also eager to play the sequence backwards.

Timelapse Shoot.

Yesterday evening I took the still photographs that I will be using for the timelapse.

It was very, very windy and there was light rain. Luckily, all the heavy rain happened earlier. I went out about eight in the evening, but I should have gone out later as it was not really dark enough.

I stood on a bridge over a motorway - there was so much light around: the light from the cars, and the street lights.

It took me many attempts to get what I considered a successful shot. I wanted something quite dark, but not too dark I guess.
In order to get my successful shot I chose to use a short exposure as there was a lot of movement in the photographs.

Album Covers

Everytime I create an album, I'm never happy with it so I am either going to do:

A simple yet unqiue cover with just text.

Or use a really obscure shot from a photoshoot.


I am warming to do promoting a band, but I'm not too sure.

The missing link!

So I delivered my pitch to my class Wednesday as planned, and it seemed to me I was missing just one element from my video, something to tie it all together.

I have piano footage and shots of gritty stuff.
I plan to do shoot some long exposure stuff tomorrow evening.

Throughout the song the lyric "When I was a child..." appears again and again, I was thinking of using some footage of a child or perhaps Hannah's home videos if I can get hold of some. I think this could possible be the missing link to my video, as I wanted a juxtaposition and as the song is slightly creepy the happy footage of Hannah's childhood could work quite nicely out of context.

Concept Albums

Wikipedia tells me that concept albums are usually unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical.

The first concept album I ever came across was Alice Cooper's Welcome to my Nightmare, my dad used to play it when I was younger and I remember it very vividly.
Released in 1975, this was Cooper's first solo album.
1 Welcome to My Nightmare
2 Devil's Food
3 The Black Widow
4 Some Folks
5 Only Women Bleed
6 Department of Youth
7 Cold Ethyl
8 Years Ago
9 Steven
10 The Awakening
11 Escape

The songs form a journey through the nightmares of a child names Steven.

A year later, the sequel album was released.

Alice Cooper goes to Hell

1 Go to Hell
2 You Gotta Dance
3 I'm the Coolest
4 Didn't We Meet
5 I Never Cry
6 Give the Kid a Break
7 Guilty
8 Wake me Gently
9 Wish You Were Here
10 I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
11 Going Home










Welcome to my nightmare
I think you're gonna like it
I think you're gonna feel... you belong
A nocturnal vacation
Unnecessary sedation
You want to feel at home 'cause you belong

Welcome to my nightmare
Welcome to my breakdown
I hope I didn't scare you
That's just the way we are when we come down
We sweat and laugh and scream here
'cuz life is just a dream here
You know inside you feel right at home here

Welcome to my breakdown
Whoa
You're welcome to my nightmare
Yeah

Welcome to my nightmare
I think you're gonna like it
I think you're gonna feel... you belong
We sweat laugh and scream here
'cuz life is just a dream here
You know inside you feel right at home here
Welcome to my nightmare
Welcome to my breakdown
Yeah



Get ready for the lady
She's gonna be a treat
Simmer slightly 'til ready
Make her soft too
Make her sweet

I kiss the tears off from your chest
[ Alice Cooper Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
I felt the poison fright that's in your breath
I knew your precious life and I know your death
I squeeze the love out of your soul
All the perfect love that's in your soul
You're just another spirit on parole

Devil's food
Devil's food
Devil's food

& so on.

Album Attempt, #2

After experiementing with layers, I was tempted to do the same with a black and white image (as I wanted to use a black and white image in the first place).
I decided to use a photograph of JUST Hannah's face. I used my one of my favourites from the black and white series and cropped it, so only Hannah's face was visible.
For the layer I used this photograph: http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleblackcloud-in-a-dress/4085694486/ and made it black and white.

These two attempts are my first, although I am happy with them I feel like I can produce something so much more better. I want to pay homage to an artist or a musican or something.

You can see that on my first attempt there are no track names.
I quite like the idea of producing a concept album, but I do not know how I would go about it.

Hmm.