We now have merchandise?!

Hi Guys, I have an update on something really exciting... MERCHANDISE!
We have created a couple of different pieces of merchandise including, 2 options of hoodies, a phone case and a backpack! We feel these will be great staple pieces which will appeal to a wide audience. Our target audience is, as stated before, mainly the younger/teen bracket and the majority will typically be female, however, we don't want to block out any male viewers or reduce our audience in any way, shape or form; so the main aim of the merchandise was to make it appealing and wearable by all! I feel like we met this aim very well however, it did mean we had to keep the merch' pretty simple by having grey, white and black colours, with the logo placed in different locations on the different items.




Before the merchandise was created, we had envisioned including a range of different colours/patterns such as pastel colours, but this can massively reduce peoples interest in the items as they aren't seen as wearable colours when you compare them to the more neutral colours. We took into consideration what we, as teenagers wear ourselves, along with a vast amount of other teenagers and what we received from this was that, neutral colours are extremely more popular and seen a lot more frequently on a day to day basis. So, as a result of this, we thought we would keep our merchandise neutral to keep the appeal high.


Below you can see the items we have created and now our next step is to add these onto our websites! We have not yet mastered how to do this, but the research is in process and once it is on and accessible, I will update you on my 'Website' page of my blog and attach a link!

Why does an artist need merchandise?

Effective merchandising has a significant positive impact on sales. Pricing, product display, packaging, and promotional marketing can shoot sales upwards and give the customers a memorable online shopping experience, this can be done through easy access of our website. Customers are more likely to return in the future if they find our website easy to use and well organized.

Free Advertisement: When a fan purchases a t-shirt with your band logo on it, they are essentially paying you to advertise your band for you. When they wear the shirt, anyone they come into contact with throughout the day gets to read your band logo. The same goes for anything else you put your band name on and sell.

Revenue: With music piracy so prevalent, music practically comes for free; so much so that you have to offer fans another way to support you.

Customers are more likely to return to a brand that offers top quality products in a customer-friendly and easy-to-access setting. Offering fresh product arrangements online in appealing displays entices shoppers to return frequently, building long-term loyal customer and fan base relationships.

Research for editing skills

Hi guys.. quick update time! In terms of editing, the music video is going great. We are working efficiently both independantly and as a team to get the music video done as soon as possible but to the best standard. We know as a group the overall theme we are going for, meaning we are able to edit separately in our free time and don't always need to be as a group; this makes it a lot easier for us as we can get the video done in a quicker time gap in comparison to our previous work together - last years thriller opening - which took a lot longer as we mainly only edited when the whole group was present.

The video only has around 20 seconds left of editing to finish before we have a full sequence finished for the whole time length of the song. However, we may also go back in and change some areas or add certain effects if we feel it would make it better.

Anyway, I'm rambling! The whole point of this post was firstly, to give you a quick update and secondly, show you what I have been researching about. My research has consisted of a watching a lot of YouTube tutorials (easiest to learn from) along with reading articles and step by step methods on how to create an effect I want. The effect is based around a 'glitch' effect which I want to use multiple times throughout the video. I feel it will create a bit more interest through the middle of the video, as at the moment, I think the start and end to the music video are currently the best parts. 

The glitch effect will go in-between shots of the artist, Eloise, in a happy environment and then in a sad state to represent a great contrast of her feelings. The shots of Eloise upset will be have smeared lipstick on and her eye makeup ruined to show she has been crying, and the glitch effect will go just before these shots to create more emphasis on the shots and show their meaning. Here are some of the websites I used to help me create a glitch of my own. (Giving all credit to these for helping us):

https://www.provideocoalition.com/glitches-in-after-effects/ https://www.cinecom.net/premiere-pro-tutorials/create-glitch-distortion-effect-premiere-pro/ (Same as the 2nd YouTube tutorial but gives instructions below for more detail).

Marketing the artist and its importance

Website 'Gallery' Update

Here is a quick update on the website and the different sections I have been working on. This post will focus on the 'gallery' section of the website which shows pictures of the artists and her characteristics and personalities. Further updates will be posted on the other sections of the website as soon as they are completed to a high standard, but for now, enjoy learning more about the artist through the use of images!

Blog website gallery from savsalt2404

Why do artists need a website?

Band website from savsalt2404

Second day of filming

After hours of filming, we have finally completed day two of filming.. We could have carried on but the battery died and we had the wrong battery charger!
Todays filming consisted of the main 'studio' shots which will appear the most in the music video. To make continuity in the music video easier for ourselves, when recording a certain shot in a different angle, Eloise (the singer/artist) sang the whole song through from start to finish. This will make it easier for us in the editing stage as if we want to change/adapt the shot list plan we previously made, we are able to do this. By singing the whole song through for each angle we filmed in, it also means when we go to put the clips together, the continuity is likely to be at a better standard and flow much easier as we can put clips over one another, or extend or reduce them when needed.


The majority of the clips we filmed were located in Eloise's house in an empty room - the walls were purple which is essential for the editing part, as we are able to make the background into a green screen. Using this location was a very late decision as we had previously planned to use the green screen provided by school which you can read about in my previous filming blog update, but basically the green screen was not big enough for what we wanted/needed. The purple wall we ended up using was a great size and allowed us to fit in Eloise in any angle and shot we wanted - standing up, sitting down, close up shot, long shot and so on.

(Location of filming)

We filmed a range of different shots and angles of Eloise in two different outfits/looks. The first look being a very feminine theme with a dress on, lots of makeup and curled hair. The second look we went for was one of Eloise being upset; for this we smudged her lipstick and her eye makeup to make it appear that she had been crying. This matches the genre of the song and the lyrics which appear in it (which you will see when the final product is released). The shots we filmed will be used in a short burst throughout the final music video with most clips only being shown for a maximum of 8 seconds and some being used as little as 3 seconds.

As we have filmed in bulk for the majority for the past 2 times of filming, we will have very few filming days as we decided as a group that filming in bulk was better for the music video as it reduces the chance of having any continuity problems e.g. different lighting or different objects in the shots or different makeup on the artist. Our next day of filming will be in the next couple of days and it will be in this same location to get the rest of the shots we have planned (including, SNEAK PEAK, a shot of a glass falling and smashing), so make sure you're looking out for the 'Third day of filming' blog post!

Creation of Instagram

I know what you're thinking... why are you called 'SaltSisters11'?? Well, we thought that it would be better to use the company's name instead of the artists name. We can use posts to update viewers on the artists' progress via her management - because she is an 'upcoming' artist and doesn't yet have the biggest audience, she will gain a higher interest if her management promotes her. Salt Sisters can be promoted as a well known management company who manage multiple artists which are already very well known and because of this, it means they have a bigger following and can boost Savannah's following via the Salt Sisters Instagram and twitter.
Instagram is a simple, fun & creative way to capture, edit & share photos, videos & messages to any audience of your choice. It is very easily accessible via an app on either Android or iPhone and can also be accessed via the internet on a PC. For our Instagram we have used the same username as our twitter to make it easier to remember for viewers and creates a more professional appearance.


(@SaltSisters was already taken on both instagram and twitter which is why we added a number on the end)

The Instagram page will show updates in the form of pictures which for most viewers, can be more interesting than reading a portion of information without any images to help create an image in the viewers head. Updates via Instagram will usually be of the locations of where we have filmed for the music video 'Breathe Me' and will include pictures of the artist herself acting for the video.

Why is social media important?
The advent of social media has transformed the ways in which artists interact with each other, their public and the institutions that govern their careers. Services such as Facebook and Instagram have come to be regarded as essential spaces for emerging artists to share their work. Features on these social media links such as Instagram and the use of hashtags has "enabled collectors to instantly aggregate an artist’s content and also reveal public support for an artist."

With lots of people looking for careers in the music industry and with various contracts just moving around, there are channels created to allow those individuals on the outside to make their entry inside. There are new ways to get people hear your own music without the need to have the biggest recording company in your side. One of these is using social media to establish your music and your presence in the music business.

Social media is highly important to artists, especially to unsigned artists because this is a great tool to dispense their music to larger potential audience. This is something that artist aiming for promotion and exposure owe to the power of internet. With a big pool of potential music audience or consumers, promoting yourself and your music in social media sites is a real boom!
Moreover, there are numerous music social networking groups and organizations offering unsigned artists a chance to go with the flow of trends and competition in the music industry. Using social media and self promotion in this growing DIY music digital age is important especially if all other ways no longer works for unsigned artists.

In such way, you are able to get your music promotion back on track. Using social media and self promotion is proven to be an effective music strategy to brighten up your music career. If your music promotion no longer works, it is about time to tap on the power of social media to get the promotion and exposure that you have been long dreaming of.