Monday, 1 April 2013

Evaluation 4:

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Throughout all stages of my video production I used a vast array of media technologies. Some proved to be beneficial, others proved to be difficult to use, and an ultimate hindrance to the creation of my music video and ancillary texts.

During the planning stage of my video production, I created a new blog using www.blogger.com, and labelled individual blog posts as I began planning my video and ancillary texts. I began by creating a blog post filled with all aspects of genre conventions, in particular, conventions of a Pop/Contemporary RnB music genre. This included imagery obtained from search engines such as www.google.com and YouTube. In order to crop imagery, I used the print-screen and 'snipping' tools in order to trim imagery to a desirable shape, using Paint.




In order to obtain our music track, we had to search for relevant artists using the internet. Ways in which we did this was by searching YouTube for contemporary rnb/pop artists. Fortunately, we had already discussed and decided which artists we were keen to use- thus being Tanya Lacey.




Once we had found the specific track we liked and wished to create a music video for, we decided to find a way to contact the artist's manager. Again, the internet proved very useful for this, as without it, it was highly unlikely that we'd have found any means of contact, and the actual track itself. This is where Web 2.0 is extremely useful!



YouTube provided us with a direct link to Tanya Lacey's official website. From this, we were able to obtain her manager's email address. As a result of this, we used another technology; Outlook Express Mail Service. This method of email enabled us to contact Tanya's manager with ease, asking him directly whether we could have permission to use her track. This was the email I sent to her manager, James Collingwood...


Fortunately, James Collingwood replied, clarifying that he was giving us permission to use the track. Once we had this confirmation, I was able to create a pitch in order to present to my class/focus group my plans for the video. This included costume, location, model ideas and messages I wished to convey through my media texts. I found that the most beneficial way to create a pitch would be to use SlideShare- a website that allows you to create slideshows using imagery and text from the internet.


After completing the pitch, I decided to create a timeline to display how I will manage my time over the following few weeks. I found that the most efficient way to do this was to use a website called www.timetoast.com
Using this site, I was able to create a digital timeline that could display all relevant dates, times and descriptions of the tasks I was to complete.


After this stage of planning, I decided I would start casting for the video and ancillary texts. I found that the best method of doing this was by using the social networking platform, Facebook. I searched through my friends list using the tool on Facebook, and found our model, Thea. I browsed her photos and uploaded some to my blog post.




Once Thea had agreed to model for my magazine advert, digipak, and music video, I booked out a DSLR Nikon D60 camera with plans to take some photographs of her in the locations already planned and recorded within my blog posts. This camera had many different settings that would improve the quality of my photographs, for example, I used the 'portrait' setting, adjusted the 'flash' settings so that it was automatic with every shot, and utilised the 'zoom' in order to focus my shot
more clearly, and crop some of the surrounding scenery from the photograph.
                                            

After several shots in the desired location for my ancillary texts, I decided to put together a rough draft of my magazine advert and digipak. For this, I used Adobe Photoshop.


Here, I was able to upload my photographs, create layers within which I would make changes to my images, crop, rotate, fix blemishes using a 'clone stamp' tool, add text, change colour schemes and in particular, edit the photos from colour to black and white.


Here, I have added text to my image, edited the photo in black and white in order to contrast with the colour of the model's lips and cigarette. I did this by using the History Brush tool. This tool on Photoshop allowed me to reverse the black and white edit on Thea's lips and cigarette. I did this to create a stark contrast between colour, and highlight the lips (my visual motif through video and all ancillary texts) and the cigarette in order to highlight themes of rebellion, and represent the current teenager culture that is evident in the UK. Photoshop proved to be extremely beneficial to my project, as without it I would not have been able to edit imagery and combine text with imagery.

One of the most beneficial media technologies that I used to produce my media project was Web 2.0. This includes social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I used Facebook to create a focus group, a group from which I would attain feedback regarding ideas for my video and ancillary texts. Here, I discussed font and stylistic ideas, as well as uploading images of the work I had done thus far. This focus group allowed me to add members- people from my Facebook friends list, aswell as Kiah's friends. The more people I added, the more feedback I was likely to receive. Without this social networking platform, I dont feel as though I would have obtained as much audience feedback- hindering my ability to improve.


Here, I have uploaded a JPEG image of my final digipak, added a caption, requested feedback, and gained feedback with facebook 'likes' and comments from my focus group members. Facebook was able to show me how many people had seen my uploaded image, and notified me directly to the Facebook app on my mobile phone with comments and suggestions, so I was able to view feedback wherever I was- I didn't have to sit around at a computer and wait for updates.




My mobile phone, a Blackberry Smartphone, was also a useful technological device when planning and producing my media texts, for example, not only was I able to view feedback from facebook regarding my ideas/production work, I was also able to use another social networking platform- Twitter. This example of Web 2.0 provided another way in which I could obtain feedback, in this case, I used friends- not members of my focus group.


This linked directly to my mobile phone, and I was able to screenshot this tweet using a 'screenmunching' app- another way in which modern technology has benefitted the planning and production stages of my project.

Once all feedback regarding improvements had been obtained, I decided to create a storyboard for my video. I drew out the storyboard by hand, then went on to scan it into the computer I was using, in order to upload it to my blog later on. I used the all-in-on scanner/printer/photocopier at college to scan the images. I found this method beneficial, as I was able to draw it roughly and simply scan the photos digitally. Previously, I had attempted to draw up a storyboard using Adobe InDesign, technology used for creating posters/contents pages etc. I found arranging the text difficult, as well as having to formulate imagery using line/circle tools. It was time consuming and a method that ultimately hindered my progress, hence why I reverted to the simple method of producing the storyboards by hand.



 I was required to produce an animatic- a still-image sequence of events, filmed with a camcorder. In order to do this, I booked out a DSLR Nikon D60 camera again, from the media studies office. I disabled the flash setting as the image quality was not important in this case, and took close-up shots of my storyboard. Once all shots had been taken, I used the 'sequence' tool which created a stop-motion sequence- producing a slideshow of my shots, simulating a moving sequence.  

 Here is the animatic I produced using the DSLR camera. Without the use of this media technology, I would not have been able to produce this animatic, and would have therefore been unable to preview digitally, what my finished piece would look like. The animatic was essential for planning.



I later went on to create a shotlist. For this, I used Microsoft Word- creating a table from scratch, allowing me to choose how many colums/rows I wished to include.




The final stage of production revolved around actually filming the video. For this, I rented out a Panasonic HDC SD500 camera, two tripods, and a light reflector in order to improve quality. We set up the camera in various locations to obtain footage. The camcorder tool that I found to be most beneficial was the 'zoom' tool, as it allowed me to focus on different areas of my model and location without having to move the camera on the tripod. The camcorder was absolutely essential for producing a video, as without it we would not have been able to film moving sequences.




The most important and beneficial use of media technology lies with the editing of our footage. Adobe Premier Pro is a timeline based video editing software application. It enabled me to upload the video footage I had taken with the camcorder, and create an editing timeline where I could break down individual shots and edit them accordingly to how I wished for them to look, for example, editing certain shots in black and white, speeding up/slowing down certain shots, cropping shots, rotating the footage, and adding a variety of special effects that change the way the footage begins and ends, for example, using the 'cross fade' effect allowed for the end of a shot to blend into the next shot, as to avoid jump-cuts, and make for a more fluid sequence of footage.
 Here is my final video of Tanya Lacey's 'Born To Fly'.





1-4 seconds : flash-editing. I included multiple 0.5 second shots that featured only a white background, to give the effect of flash photography when shooting the footage.

4-7 seconds: shot-blending example of Thea's face appearing inside a photo frame whilst already featuring central in the footage, applying lipstick.

15 seconds: example of a fast shot that has been edited in black and white.

20-24 seconds: stop-motion sequence created with a DSLR camera.

Theorist, David Gauntlett emphasises the dramatic change between push and pull media. For example, he states that media producers used to have a hierarchy over the audience- traditional ways of broadcasting, and the selection of shows/music available to the audience were determined only by the producers- the media. Currently, we live in a society where we are able to determine what kind of media we consume through Sky+ for example, where we can record/rewind/pause/fast forward films and tv shows, even songs on music channels to suit us. Websites such as YouTube, Myspace and Wikipedia display content provided by the users, i.e- the audience. There is a clear blurring between producers and audience. Gauntlett believes the main cause of this is Web 2.0, where everyone contributes to one large media database- the internet. Traditional television broadcasts are now being replaced with online showings of media, for example, people are choosing to watch tv series' online, as opposed to watching them when broadcasted on national television. The ability to download media also contributes to this, as it allows people to save media on their mobile devices, tablets and computers to view whenever they so wish. A way in which to describe the old media culture is 'sit back and be told', currently, this has transformed into a 'making and doing culture'. Ultimately, the media has endured a movement from a 'push' media model to a 'pull' media model, where producers are no longer the only media providers- the audience/general public devise ways that they can create media using mobile phones and webcams etc, publish them to sites such as YouTube and provide entertainment for other members of the audience. Media is all too easy to consume, and the providers (producers) have lost power over their audience.

This idea relates to my video, as I have intentionally created my own music video and published it onto a media-consuming website; YouTube. Along with the millions of other videos on YouTube, it is available for any audience member to see when they so wish. Guantlett is correct in his theory which states that the line between producer and audience is blurred, as I am making an example of this myself by creating my own video and publishing it to YouTube. I too believe that we live in a 'making and doing' culture, where media is now available for the audience whenever. It is worth pondering the notion that I could now be perceived as a producer, as I have created my own media video which has accumulated nearly 100 views on YouTube by other members of the audience. In the 1950's this would not have been the case, as only producers had the ability to broadcast media, and they would be indirectly dictating the audience how to live their lives- encouraging them to adjust their lifestyles around the media they broadcasted.


Friday, 22 March 2013

Evaluation 3:


What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I found that using social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allowed me to obtain good audience feedback, in the form of comments. In addition, I decided to video a focus group's initial reaction to my music video, and allow them to provide comments once the video had finished playing.

To begin, a focus group was created by myself and partner, on Facebook on the 21st November 2012.


I created a rough draft of my digipak and magazine advert. I decided to produce my ancillary texts based on the genre conventions I had previously researched within my research and planning stage. Once produced, I decided to upload the pictures onto my facebook focus group and ask for feedback regarding the style, imagery, and layout of design.

This is the original template for my magazine advert that I created using Photoshop and images I discovered online. It was created to display the colour scheme I wished to carry throughout my ancillary texts, and represent the lipstick/lips motif. The informal font portrays the urban edge, along with the font colour- bright pink. 



I then searched for different fonts using www.Dafont.com, and discovered a font relevant to my genre. I downloaded the font, typed the name of my track's artist (Tanya Lacey) and uploaded it to facebook to gain feedback regarding the style. Focus group member, Abbie, stated that the font was relevant, and looked 'almost barbie like', which connotes femininity and playfulness; two themes I initially wished to portray throughout my video and ancillary texts. I therefore decided to use this font for my magazine advert and digipak.

 
I decided to create another magazine advert, as I was not pleased with my original.
 
 
I uploaded this JPEG image to my focus group on Facebook.
 
 
I took this feedback on board, and decided I'd remove the bold, black box for my final magazine advert. The font is the same font mentioned previously, taken from website :www.dafont.com.
 
 
Abbie has stated that the facial expression connotes themes of playfulness and fun. This was my initial intention, and therefore planned to maintain this concept throughout my ancillary texts and video. Regarding the feedback concerning the colour scheme, I decided that the light pink font was not bright enough to connote playfulness. I wanted the font to stand out, and contrast with the surrounding imagery.
 
After receiving this feedback, I decided to begin my final draft of my magazine advert; taking on board the critique and suggestions. This time using photographs I have taken of Thea with a DSLR camera. 




As suggested by Will (a fellow media student and member of my Facebook focus group), I decided to avoid  a bright colour scheme, however, felt the bright pink font was relevant to the genre, thus being redundant, and therefore wished to keep the bright font. I did however, download a different font from www.dafont.com, called 'Reklame Script Regular', as it is informal, thus inkeeping with the 'urban feel' of my genre. A more formal font would have misconstrued the concept of my ancillary texts, causing it to lack the 'contemporary' look. 

The only colours visible are bright pink and green (only on the cigarette). Will's feedback regarding the colour scheme as 'tacky' encouraged me to edit my photos in black and white, creating a stark contrast with the bright pink font. I felt this was more effective, as it is more bold. The black and white also makes it look somewhat 'classy', which is rather entropic of my genre- pop/contemporary rnb.

This is the rough draft of my digipak that I created before obtaining any audience feedback. There is an array of facial expressions, and I decided to follow the concept displayed in my magazine advert of using colour for lips only, as to maintain a colour scheme/pattern throughout my ancillary texts.




I decided to describe the concept of my digipak, magazine advert and eventually, my video (which I was yet to create) using this focus group on facebook, in hope that members would comment on my posts.


I then went on to display this, by uploading photos of my ancillary texts.





 
 
 
 

We decided to use a HDMI camcorder to film some members of our focus group watching our finished video, and providing feedback.
 



 
 
 
Some questions included- 'what did you think of the synaesthesia', to which, Abbie answered 'really good, its edited really well'. Another member commented on the entropy of our video, clarifying that we had achieved entropy through certain shots within our video, in particular, the shot of Thea 'running away at the end'. I went on to explain that our intention was to create a music with a lack of narrative, as to maintain a balance between the redundant and entropic conventions of an rnb/pop music video. Another member, Charlie, commented on the editing effects we had used to 'blend' two shots together, adding a fluid element to the video and in certain areas, connoting a theme of sexuality.
 
 
The intention here was to emphasise the red lipstick, contrasted against the black and white background. This again displays the visual motif we aimed to portray throughout the video and my own ancillary texts.
 
Zoe, another member, stated that regarding the editing of our video, 'the flashes were really nice', and therefore implying that they were redundant of the genre, and fit the video well. Charlie commented on the voyeuristic techniques we used to represent Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory, where Thea is featured with an empty photo frame around her head.
 
 
Zoe also commented on the body shots that represent the Male Gaze, proving that they were sufficient enough to be recognised as a technique to implement this theory.
 
When asked if they thought our video 'represented our genre well', Abbie claimed that she believed we had achieved this by displaying many different conventions of our genre, such as 'fast editing', 'male gaze', 'lots of different visual effects; black and white', and as a result of this, regarding the intended target audience, Zoe later stated that she believed our video was intended for, and made appropriate for girls aged between 13 and 18, which is predominantly true.
 
I decided to ask my focus group a question about uses and gratifications, in particular
 
 'what uses could you see the audience making of that?'
 
In response to this, Abbie stated that young females may wish to copy the style of clothing/fashion that is portrayed throughout the video. Charlie claimed that it may simply be a clear representation of people Thea's age, giving an insight to the playful nature of girls aged between 16 and 20. I'm pleased that this has been the majority's perception, as these were our ultimate intentions for the video (to display style and represent the culture of teenage girls, connoting playfulness and fun, with hints of sexual connotation).
 
I went on to ask the focus group more questions regarding the entropy/redundancy of the video. As mentioned previously, the ending of our video was perceived as entropic, and here, Zoe claims that it didnt 'fit' the video. This was also an intention, as we had planned to disregard a narrative/story within our video, as to add entropy. Furthermore, Abbie claimed that our video displayed 'a bit of both', which was also the intention from the early stages of planning. The shot of Thea with a cigarette in the car was considered entropic, this is an important shot and we are pleased that it has been noticed, as we aimed for this specific shot to draw a line between the girly/playful connotations and themes thus far within the video, and the rebellious/non-conformist themes which we wished to incorporate into it. Zoe believed that it was important to maintain redundancy, as did we, as it allows the genre of music to be recognised- a necessity for our target audience.
 
This piece of feedback taken from my Facebook focus group regards the uses and gratifications aspect of my video. It is safe to say that my audience use my video for pleasure, as a member states that she 'appreciated the humourous touches, such as the face pulling'. The audience use my video as a diversion- something playful and fun that is easy to watch and doesnt hold much meaning (displayed through a lack of narrative). It genereated discussion, especially between my focus group, and also between my own friends, as they watched it and sought enjoyment from it. The fun, humour, and conventions of style and fashion were highlighted the most by my focus group and peers, which achieves my initial goal of creating an easy-to-watch video that encourages a passive audience to simply seek enjoyment in the form of mild humour. There is clear indication that the fashion sense of Thea in our video and ancillary texts could be desired by my target audience, meaning they have used it for personal identity.
 
 
 
More feedback taken from our focus group, regarding our finished video- this piece of feedback is important for relating to our target audience. It clarifies that we have appealed to early teens-early twenty year olds, which was our main focus when discussing target audience.
 
 
 
 
 Overall I have discovered that my focus group liked these particular features within our video:
 
- the fast editing
- the synaesthesia and lip syching
- the entropy embedded into the video through random shots
- the red lipstick motif
- the sexual/playful/rebellious/fun themes and connotations
- the style/fashion of our model, Thea
 
within my ancillary texts, my focus group liked:
 
-the font
- the colour scheme
- the red lipstick motif
- the contrast between the black and white photos and red lips
- the fashion/style of our model, Thea
- the layout of the magazine ad (landscape)
 
 
There were certain elements that my focus group did not like. For example, regarding my magazine advert, a member from my focus group on facebook felt that I should have used only one font, as two fonts may add informality, unfortunately making the advert look unprofessional on some levels. I would rectify this now by sticking to only one font- the font downloaded from www.dafont.com called Reklame script. 
 
 
 
 
 Regarding my digipak, suggestions for improvement regard the colour scheme...
 
 
 
 
In order to rectify this, I would have only used the history brush tool on Photoshop to recolour Thea's lips, as they are the visual motif of all my ancillary texts and video.
 
Theorist, Stuart Hall, stressed the role of social positioning in the interpretation of mass media texts by different social groups. It involved encoding/decoding; the way in which an active audience percieve media. Hall's three reception models include the dominant model, where the reader fully shares the text's codes and reproduces the text's meaning- this may not have been intended by the author, in such stance, the code seems perhaps natural, or transparent. The second model is the negotiated reading, where the reader partly accepts the text's codes but sometimes modifies it in a way which reflects their own position, experiences and/or interests. The final model of Stuart Hall's reception theory is the oppositional model, where the reader understands the text's codes but rejects this reading, taking an oppositional approach, and distinguishing that they are not a passive member of the audience. I believe that my audience fit the role of the dominant model-readers, as they are usually passive in the sense that they accept all meanings of my video and ancillary texts, as the video/ancillary texts represent a generic pop/rnb culture, where meanings only run as deep as fashion, style and humour. It encourages for a totally passive audience who simply watch/see the video/ancillary texts in order to gain pleasure.
 
Uses and Gratifications: Theorists, Jay G Blulmer and Elihu Katz devised their Uses and Gratifications model in 1947 to highlight 5 areas of gratification in media texts for audiences. Three of which relate to my music video and ancillary texts; to entertain, a means of escape, and identification. As previously stated, due to the concept of fashion/style/humour and lack of meaningful narrative, my audience are more than likely to seek only escape and entertainment, however they are also likely to identify a part of themselves with the texts, as they can create a personal relationship with my model based on her fashion and style. As a result of this, it is safe to claim that my video/ancillary texts are Postmodern, as they were created with intention to promote the style, disregarding any substance/meaning besides mild humour. It can only be related to with regards to fashion and the appearance of the teenage culture (smoking represents rebellion, humour in face pulling etc); the video is only meaningful in such a way that it could influence my audience to change their lifestyles somewhat, to conform to the behaviour displayed within it by our model, Thea.










Friday, 15 March 2013

Evaluation 2:

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? (Digipak and Mag ad)

My idea was to produce a coherent package that carried a strong visual motif, thus creating a brand identity. The brand is a theme of sexiness, playfulness, rebellion and ultimately, fun. The visual motif I devised was an extreme close up of lips/lipstick. I aimed for my main product and ancillary texts combined, to attract my target audience of teens, age-ranging from 13 to mid-twenty year old girls and boys. The motif of red lipstick enabled my video and ancillary texts to attract my audience for various reasons- firstly, the brightness of the lipstick creates a redundant pop/contemporary rnb element, allowing my female audience to relate to the video/texts regarding fashion and the pop culture. Also, her visible nose stud connotes youth and a rebellion- a notion of non-conformism. It also connotes the fashion sense of this generation, and would undoubtedly appeal to my target audience.



Secondly, the use of red lipstick and extreme close ups was intended to relate and attract a male audience too- through the use of Laura Mulvey's theory of Male Gaze, and an attraction to the model.

Here, Thea is featured in an extreme close up, seductively licking her lips. This displays intertextuality- as Graham Allen claims 'it foregrounds notions of relationality', and 'every artistic object is so clearly assembled from bits and pieces of already existent art'. I have also edited the shot in black and white, to match Azealia Banks' shot, inkeeping with the musical genre and brand. I feel that Azealia Banks' brand is similar to my own that I have created for Thea, as she clearly displays elements of fun, rebellion, playfulness and sexiness.


My video


Azealia Banks- '212' (above)

It is important to create a brand identity when producing a music video, magazine adverts and a digipak for many reasons. Firstly, it is something that can be recognised and ultimately associated with the product. For example, my brand identity is presented well, in the sense that it reflects the latest style and designs related to my musical genre, inkeeping with the urban 'feel'. The red lipstick featured throughout my products contrasted with the black and white shots used for the digipak and magazine advert in order to stand out, and be noticed and recognised by my target audience.

Playful: Below, the shot features Thea putting lipstick on at the beginning of the video. It intends to portray sexiness, in conjunction with the playful element of Thea sticking her tongue out to the camera, posing through a black frame. This is the initial creation of the brand. Also, it features voyeurism, again touching on Laura Mulvey's theory, where she believed that women 'being captured in this gaze are valued primarily for their ability to be looked at. This was the intention of blending the two camera shots using Adobe Premier Pro editing software- allowing for two shots of Thea to be seen, one connoting sexiness (applying lipstick), and the other connoting a more playful aspect.



Rebellious: Below, the shots feature Thea pulling her hood up in time with the beat of the track, thus using Goodwin's Synaesthesia of linking image with time of music, and Thea rolling a cigarette. The hood and cigarette both connote rebellion and non-conformist attitute to society. This creates a brand, something that can be recognised and associated with my musical genrem and ultimately, Thea, as she is the main focus, and only character within my video.




Rebellion is also displayed in my magazine advert (Below, left) where Thea again, smokes a cigarette. The only visible colour is that of her lips, the bright red visual motif I have carried through my products. (Below, right) The front cover of my digipak, featuring only Thea's bright red lipstick conveying sex appeal.



Fun: Below, Thea is featured pulling odd faces and unchoreographed dance moves. This adds an element of fun, an aspect of my video that adds to the overall brand, inkeeping with the redundant conventions of my musical genre.





Below features my digipak, a shot of Thea that connotes fun and playfulness, using red lipstick again to add sexiness. Her nose piercing connotes rebellion, and a non-conformist attitude toward society. I decided to include the colour of her sweater aswell as her lips by using the history wand tool on Photoshop. The colour adds fun, inkeeping with the brand I have created.




Below- Azealia Banks' '212' video, unchoreographed dance moves connoting playfulness and fun, contributing to the brand of her video, similar to my own. Element of sexiness is also featured, as she is wearing shorts; revealing the majority of her leg.


Below- Rihanna's 'Rudeboy' video, featuring playfulness, fun, and sexiness with the use of bright colours (attire and background), revealing clothing, and provocative dance moves, mainly consisting of her lower region (bum).


I decided to replicate this feature of The Male Gaze with Thea, in order to add redundancy and sexual appeal to my video, inkeeping with the elements of the brand. Below, the camera shot is a close up of Thea's bottom. She is wearing tight jeans, again adding to the sexual element of the brand. This shows intertextuality again, regarding the aspect of provactive dancing, which is a mimic of Rihanna's, however Thea's clothing isnt so revealing.






If my product were to go on sale, it would more than likely be placed in the urban/rnb section of a CD shop such as HMV. This is because the majority of the elements of the video and the song itself feature redundant conventions of this musical genre. It would ideally be promoted in a music magazine such as 'VIBE', as it appeals to my target audience more so than magazines such as NME and The Rolling Stones; the genre being the main cause of this, also the age and style of my model.

The locations of my products vary, for example- the shots for my digipak and magazine advert were taken on college grounds, in a wooded area. This was somewhat entropic, as this location bore no relevance to the genre of music, nor the style of costume my model was wearing.

Spetchley Woods- located next to college, in Worcester.




Shot of Thea taken in Spetchley Woods. The location is more likely to be associated with an indie/folk genre of music, not rnb/pop, allowing for it to become somewhat entropic.


Regarding props however, my model was featured in both my magazine advert and my digipak smoking a cannibis joint. This connotes rebellion and displays a non-conformist approach to society and legislation, (cannibis is illegal). It is also illustrative of the title of the track- 'Born To Fly'. I was intending to relate the word 'fly' to smoking cannibis, in a way of describing the effects of the drug. It was also a stylistic technique that I aimed to become associated with my model and in particular, the musical genre.  

 -Taken from the digipak

 - Taken from the video.