DVD Disc Label - Template

I have created a DVD Label template in Adobe Illustrator. Unlike the template constructed in Photoshop entirely with simple guides added by entering the position value into the gui the Illustrator template will be more involved.

First a centre point needs to be created. This will be achieved by adding straight guides to the vertical and horizontal mid point. The canvass for this 210 mm hight and width, so the mid point will be 105 mm. The guides are added by clicking on the ruler and dragging to an approximate mid point. Once released the exact position can be set in the path control panel. This creates cross-hairs at the very centre of the canvas.

Next I select the the ellipse tool, and while pressing alt I click on the very centre of the cross-hairs. Pressing alt while clicking forces the shape to be centred at the position of the click, where we want the circle to be centred. Clicking rather than dragging brings up the menu to create the shape, I input 8.7 mm height and width for the inner part of the hub.

This process is followed for the edge of the hub where the stacking ring is, this time the diameter is 16.7 mm. The mirror band is ignored as the disc label is normally printed over. A decision will need to be made about whether the label will go all the way to the inner part of the hub or just to the outer. The next ring is the outer edge of the label, which is 117.5 mm in diameter. The last is the 4 mm bleed edge, which is 125.5 mm across.

Now all the shapes are in place on each ring I click to select the ring, then right click on the ring and select make guide. This turns the shapes into guides that can but used to create the label design, they can be used simply as edges but also to make clipping masks and other useful processes.

DVD Case Cover - Template

I have created a template of the Amaray DVD cover in Photoshop. The template will be used to develop the cover within specifications needed. The case this cover is for is an Amaray keep case, manufactured by Amaray. The front and back covers are 129.5mm wide by 183mm high, the spine can be up to 14, I have chosen 12. This gives a total width at twice the front/back cover plus the spine, 279mm. The bleed edge, necessary to allow for a less than perfect cut out of the paper, will be 4mm all around.

CD Cover Practice

I have created a CD cover as a mock up. This was not intended to be too pretty but a demonstration of how to use separate areas of the page.

Below you can seen the guide lines marking out the edges and divisions of the CD case format.

CD Cover - Photoshop Screenshot

Each area has been marked out using vector drawn rectangles. To the right and left are the
spine edges, given an over-done bevel and emboss layer style set to hard chisel and full depth and size. The long panel to the left has a less extreme version of the style added, this gave it a more normal raised area, such as normal embossing.

The large blue upside-down L shape at the top and left has a slight bevel, inner shadow, inner glow and satin effect, I adjusted all of these to try and get a very smooth raised effect, almost as if it was moulded plastic.

The bar code has no effects placed on it as this is how it should be for a CD cover.

A small area at the bottom has been made for the legal jargon, substituted with bla bla bla, given a reflected gradient overlay of black to white, blended with the dark blue of the original rectangle.

A highly embossed red rectangle is seen to the left of the legal box, this was constructed similarly to the title rectangle to the left of it.

The yellow rectangle had a satin effect with the distance extended to produce an almost retro effect.

The picture in the middle was placed below a rectangle set to screen blend mode. The rectangle had an inner shadow effect with a multiply blend mode on an 0 px distance, 45% coke and 250px size, creating an grainy, darkened effect.

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CD Cover - Complete

Thanks to the the phonogram comic, rue britannia, for the image found in the cover gallery. 
(phonogram comics, accessed 18/2/14, http://www.phonogramcomic.com/ruegallery.html)

DVD Idea

The first port of call is to decide what the DVD is to be about. Here I am going to jump the gun as I already have the idea, I will make a paranormal activity/entity type movie. There are actually several good reasons to do this, other then my own enthusiasm for this type of movie.

These types of movies are horror movies based on seeing the movie through the characters cameras in their homes, seeing the paranormal activity increase as the movie progresses. This relies on simple unassuming sets and costumes, with lots of effects added afterwards to turn a normal home into a house of horrors. There's things moving on their own, ghostly figures appearing in mirrors and foot print appearing one by one on the ceiling.

This is fantastic for the project, it relies entirely on digital effects added to normal scenes, turning washing up into a brush with death himself. Transparency, layers and many other effects will need to be used in abundance.

Below is a trailer image for Paranormal Activity, which gives a good idea of the effects that could be used to give the effect I'm after. 

Paranormal Activity 4, 2012. Paranormal Activity 4. [electronic print] Availble at: <http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/paranormal-activity-4-beats-tyler-perrys-alex-cross-at-weekend-box-office-20122110> [Accessed 17 February 2014]

Introduction

Welcome to my Digital Imaging Software blog, here I will detail my progress in this module. The assignment is to create a DVD package for a movie or game consisting of a DVD case wrap, DVD disc label and a trailer for the movie or game.

DVD Cover

• To be created in Adobe Photoshop.
• To fit an Amaray style case.
• Set up to be the correct size and DPI.
• Created using selection tools, layers, transparency, levels, guides and effects.

DVD Label

• To be created in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Created using the pen tool, type tool, placing images, brushes, clipping masks, guides, layers, transparencies and text wrap.

DVD Trailer

• Create a 1 minute promotional video for the movie or game.
• To be edited in Adobe Premiere, may use elements created in Photoshop or Illustrator.
• Set up to have correct frame size, rate, and aspect ratio.
• Import video and images.
• Edit using trimming, transitions, adding title.