We have created a rough shot list through a brainstorming session. I will organize this list though different parts of the video that we want in there.
The first part, when the boy meets the girls at the bar and gives her flowers. During this we wanted a low tracking shot of his feet walking to the bar, we wanted to start with this bit during the intro of the song and also because it gives some enigma. We then thought about having the shot pull away and become a stationary following shot from behind watching the actor move away from the camera at a long range shot. We then wanted a the same shot from the front, we also wanted varying shots from either side and possibly a close up on the flowers, then the boys face. We wanted to do it this way to create some enigma and make the audience ask questions, e.g. who his he? whys he got flowers? Cut through this we wanted a shot of the girl standing around waiting for him to start creating the story.
The next part of the narrative is seeing the 'couple' going to the cinema, this will include a long shot of the cinema which will become an establishing shot. We want a shots of the happy couple so close ups on happy faces and laughter, we also want stereotypical ways of showing attraction such as peoples eyes, holding hands, hugging and kissing.
Through out this, we would cut in the band playing the song in a different location. The first shot we wanted of the band was at the start of the intro with a close up of guitar strings. Then we wanted to add many shots, as we don't want to leave the camera still for to long, we want to make the band seem energetic and we could do this by having loads of shots.
For the final part, we are going to have the boy making a meal at home, this will mean we need shots showing how much effort he has put into the meal and how he out of depth. We will use quick editing and close ups to show how he is struggling and how he can't keep up.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Questionnaire Template
Target Audience Research: Questionnaire
Age: 5-12 13-16 17-20 21+
Gender: Male Female
What would you like to see in a music video from a new, up and coming band with a “fun loving” attitude?
A live performance of the song
A story/narrative
Both of the above in the same video
Footage of the band (on tour for example)
Other
Why? (And if you chose ‘Other’, include what?)
Do you like to see humour in music videos?
What sort of narrative do you enjoy in music videos?
Relationship issues
An adventure
Solving a problem
A narrative that follows the lyrics of the song
Other
If you chose ‘other’, then what?
What is your favourite ever music video and why?
Do you think it is important that the style of a music video matches the style of the song it is portraying? Yes No
Why?
Response to Questionaire
The questionnaire will not illicit the same in depth response as the filmed interviews so we decided to distribute the questionnaires to the anticipated target audience of the band i.e. the age range 17-20. When asking a mixture of genders about whether the video should have a narrative, a live performance, footage of the band in a naturalistic setting (on tour) or a mixture of all three, with six out of seven respondents demonstrating a preference to the blend of all three. From this information we concluded that we need to blend all three concepts to have a successful video as although we asked only 17-20 year olds for this questionnaire their interests, likes and dislikes varied thus the response covered a wide demographic. With the fun loving ethos of the band we also asked if the audience would want humour within the video, the overall response was “yes” if the song fits and the style of the song relates to humour and optimism. Analysis of the filmed interviews clearly demonstrated that the song ‘Happyface’ is of this style. So therefore we decided to implement the idea of humour within the video. One of the responses also gave an example of BLINK 182’s humour within a video. With the wide demographic we decided to ask what sort of narrative should take place during the video to see what the overall consensus was. This varied audience was shown as most of the responses had a different opinion. The most popular one, if there was one, was a narrative, which backs up the song and the lyrics. The questionnaire also asked the consumer what there favourite music video was and why. This was because if there were any similarities of why the consumers liked a certain video we could maybe apply these concepts within our video. Although there was no one clear preference the one feature, which all the responses concluded, was a preference for videos, which do not follow any stereotypical concept, or a video, which demonstrates a clear connection with the lyrics and themes of the song. Finally all the responses agreed that the video has to link to the song no matter how good the quality is, It needs to compliment the song.
Age: 5-12 13-16 17-20 21+
Gender: Male Female
What would you like to see in a music video from a new, up and coming band with a “fun loving” attitude?
A live performance of the song
A story/narrative
Both of the above in the same video
Footage of the band (on tour for example)
Other
Why? (And if you chose ‘Other’, include what?)
Do you like to see humour in music videos?
What sort of narrative do you enjoy in music videos?
Relationship issues
An adventure
Solving a problem
A narrative that follows the lyrics of the song
Other
If you chose ‘other’, then what?
What is your favourite ever music video and why?
Do you think it is important that the style of a music video matches the style of the song it is portraying? Yes No
Why?
Response to Questionaire
The questionnaire will not illicit the same in depth response as the filmed interviews so we decided to distribute the questionnaires to the anticipated target audience of the band i.e. the age range 17-20. When asking a mixture of genders about whether the video should have a narrative, a live performance, footage of the band in a naturalistic setting (on tour) or a mixture of all three, with six out of seven respondents demonstrating a preference to the blend of all three. From this information we concluded that we need to blend all three concepts to have a successful video as although we asked only 17-20 year olds for this questionnaire their interests, likes and dislikes varied thus the response covered a wide demographic. With the fun loving ethos of the band we also asked if the audience would want humour within the video, the overall response was “yes” if the song fits and the style of the song relates to humour and optimism. Analysis of the filmed interviews clearly demonstrated that the song ‘Happyface’ is of this style. So therefore we decided to implement the idea of humour within the video. One of the responses also gave an example of BLINK 182’s humour within a video. With the wide demographic we decided to ask what sort of narrative should take place during the video to see what the overall consensus was. This varied audience was shown as most of the responses had a different opinion. The most popular one, if there was one, was a narrative, which backs up the song and the lyrics. The questionnaire also asked the consumer what there favourite music video was and why. This was because if there were any similarities of why the consumers liked a certain video we could maybe apply these concepts within our video. Although there was no one clear preference the one feature, which all the responses concluded, was a preference for videos, which do not follow any stereotypical concept, or a video, which demonstrates a clear connection with the lyrics and themes of the song. Finally all the responses agreed that the video has to link to the song no matter how good the quality is, It needs to compliment the song.
Locations for Music Video
The Sugar Mill
The two pictures below shows where we played to film the 'Live Gig' aspect of the film. We initially liked this location, but once we realized the concerns about permission and lighting being to dark we decided against this idea to against to use this location.
Wood
The two pictures below show first impressions of the wood we are planning to use to film the band. We think this would be a good location because it has space to film but still is very much a wood, with a very good feel and look. The mise-en-scene of wood is very natural obviously and we like the concept of having a band that plays modern/electric instruments.
The two pictures below shows where we played to film the 'Live Gig' aspect of the film. We initially liked this location, but once we realized the concerns about permission and lighting being to dark we decided against this idea to against to use this location.
Wood
The two pictures below show first impressions of the wood we are planning to use to film the band. We think this would be a good location because it has space to film but still is very much a wood, with a very good feel and look. The mise-en-scene of wood is very natural obviously and we like the concept of having a band that plays modern/electric instruments.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Ideas for the Music Video
We have discussed a number of ideas for the music video. We have used the research from our questionnaires and the interviews with the audience and the band to help us with our decision.
List of Ideas
Shower/Bathroom Idea
This idea was basically to video people singing in the shower or in the bathroom as if it was being filmed secretly. We thought of this idea as it would appeal to many people in our target audience and most people in general as people sing in the shower, therefore people would enjoy/laugh by the video as they can relate to it. We also discussed that there might be a video like this but we hadn't seen it so it would be original.
Verdict:
At first we thought this idea would be successful, this is because we thought it would make the audience laugh, because it appeals to not only our target audience but everyone and because it reflects the bands personality, fun loving. However, we changed our minds because we decided it wouldn't show enough of the band and the bands style, especially because we want them to be shown as new, up-and-coming and different, and that from the video the audience wouldn't see this.
One Man and his Relationships
This idea was our favourite from the narrative side of things. The video would show the story of a man moving from relationship to relationship unsuccessfully, ending each story with him being dumped or slapped. The positive of this video would be that it fully relates to what's on screen, as the lyrics tell a story of a man trying to put his 'Happy Face' on after a bad relationship. We thought this idea would work and as it matches the lyrics it would be suitable to use.
Verdict:
The positive fact that the lyrics and the video would relate wasn't bigger than the fact that we need to show the band and how the band behave, their personality and style. From looking at media theorists we realised in youth culture 'style' is defined with a few things such as; behaviour, clothes etc, and that 'style' is very important to young people and they judge things differently. Therefore we decided against this idea.
Ping Pong
We nicknamed this idea the 'Ping Pong' because it starts with a ping pong ball. This idea was a very abstract was to simplily follow a ping pong ball with a happy face on, relating to the song, 'Happy Face'.
Verdict:
This was one of our weaker ideas, which we soon realised wouldn't make a good video for 3 minutes +, it would possibly show the band as being different but the idea was weak.
Pictures
This idea orginated from the new concept of videos which feature the lyrics or related things shown in pictures to 'tell' the song to you like a story. For example, a line out of the song 'Put on your happy face, Elastics gonna rock this place', when the word 'happy' was sung it would come up on screen and a picture of a smiley face, when 'Elastics' is sung maybe a picture of elastic, or elastics bands.
Verdict:
We decided against this idea because of three main reasons; firstly, we believe this type of video if just a fad, or a phase which will not last, secondly, because this phase looks 'cheap'. Its a easy video and only would take a couple of hours to reach the finished product, it would show the band as small time and unimportant. Finally, because we want the band to represented differently, not as a 'cheap' band who do 'corny' videos.
Live Gig, Rehearsal and Band Messing Round
This idea has three parts, and all three parts will mix together to show three different perspectives of the band. The 'Live Gig' will show the band performing and will show the band as the audience see them, when they have taken the full personality of the band and how they want to be seen, the rehearsal is the middle ground, they can show there actual personalities yet are still taking on the persona of the band. The 'Band Messing Around' shows the opposite of the band persona, its shows their off-stage style and persona.
Verdict:
This firstly was our main idea, for a time we had decided this was our definite idea. However after looking at the logistics we realized this idea wouldn't work. Firstly, we decided that the music video would be to bare with out a narrative, even if it only a small narrative, it would need some sort of structure and something for the audience to follow. Secondly, we realized that recording at a live gig would be tough, because of the lighting as it would be too dark, and also because we would need a written note from the venue allowing us to film, and even then there is still issues concerned around filming other people.
Final Idea: Narrative of Relationship and Band Performing
This idea has to parts, the first part; is a narrative, this shows a man trying to woo the girl he likes; we should show this using stereotypical techniques such as using flowers, a meal etc. The second part of video is going to be showing the band playing, not at a gig or rehearsal but in a location relevant to the narrative. We have narrowed this location down to a wood which will be used in the final scene of the narrative.
We picked this idea because it shows the band how they want to be portrayed, it also shows a narrative which keeps the video interesting giving the audience a structure to watch.
List of Ideas
Shower/Bathroom Idea
This idea was basically to video people singing in the shower or in the bathroom as if it was being filmed secretly. We thought of this idea as it would appeal to many people in our target audience and most people in general as people sing in the shower, therefore people would enjoy/laugh by the video as they can relate to it. We also discussed that there might be a video like this but we hadn't seen it so it would be original.
Verdict:
At first we thought this idea would be successful, this is because we thought it would make the audience laugh, because it appeals to not only our target audience but everyone and because it reflects the bands personality, fun loving. However, we changed our minds because we decided it wouldn't show enough of the band and the bands style, especially because we want them to be shown as new, up-and-coming and different, and that from the video the audience wouldn't see this.
One Man and his Relationships
This idea was our favourite from the narrative side of things. The video would show the story of a man moving from relationship to relationship unsuccessfully, ending each story with him being dumped or slapped. The positive of this video would be that it fully relates to what's on screen, as the lyrics tell a story of a man trying to put his 'Happy Face' on after a bad relationship. We thought this idea would work and as it matches the lyrics it would be suitable to use.
Verdict:
The positive fact that the lyrics and the video would relate wasn't bigger than the fact that we need to show the band and how the band behave, their personality and style. From looking at media theorists we realised in youth culture 'style' is defined with a few things such as; behaviour, clothes etc, and that 'style' is very important to young people and they judge things differently. Therefore we decided against this idea.
Ping Pong
We nicknamed this idea the 'Ping Pong' because it starts with a ping pong ball. This idea was a very abstract was to simplily follow a ping pong ball with a happy face on, relating to the song, 'Happy Face'.
Verdict:
This was one of our weaker ideas, which we soon realised wouldn't make a good video for 3 minutes +, it would possibly show the band as being different but the idea was weak.
Pictures
This idea orginated from the new concept of videos which feature the lyrics or related things shown in pictures to 'tell' the song to you like a story. For example, a line out of the song 'Put on your happy face, Elastics gonna rock this place', when the word 'happy' was sung it would come up on screen and a picture of a smiley face, when 'Elastics' is sung maybe a picture of elastic, or elastics bands.
Verdict:
We decided against this idea because of three main reasons; firstly, we believe this type of video if just a fad, or a phase which will not last, secondly, because this phase looks 'cheap'. Its a easy video and only would take a couple of hours to reach the finished product, it would show the band as small time and unimportant. Finally, because we want the band to represented differently, not as a 'cheap' band who do 'corny' videos.
Live Gig, Rehearsal and Band Messing Round
This idea has three parts, and all three parts will mix together to show three different perspectives of the band. The 'Live Gig' will show the band performing and will show the band as the audience see them, when they have taken the full personality of the band and how they want to be seen, the rehearsal is the middle ground, they can show there actual personalities yet are still taking on the persona of the band. The 'Band Messing Around' shows the opposite of the band persona, its shows their off-stage style and persona.
Verdict:
This firstly was our main idea, for a time we had decided this was our definite idea. However after looking at the logistics we realized this idea wouldn't work. Firstly, we decided that the music video would be to bare with out a narrative, even if it only a small narrative, it would need some sort of structure and something for the audience to follow. Secondly, we realized that recording at a live gig would be tough, because of the lighting as it would be too dark, and also because we would need a written note from the venue allowing us to film, and even then there is still issues concerned around filming other people.
Final Idea: Narrative of Relationship and Band Performing
This idea has to parts, the first part; is a narrative, this shows a man trying to woo the girl he likes; we should show this using stereotypical techniques such as using flowers, a meal etc. The second part of video is going to be showing the band playing, not at a gig or rehearsal but in a location relevant to the narrative. We have narrowed this location down to a wood which will be used in the final scene of the narrative.
We picked this idea because it shows the band how they want to be portrayed, it also shows a narrative which keeps the video interesting giving the audience a structure to watch.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Music Channels
All these music channels we believe would match the song and reach our target audience.
From our interviews, research and questionnaires we believe our target audience is any gender with an age range from 16 – 28 years; they enjoy going out, having a good time and enjoy music.
MTV Hits
A music channel for new and upcoming music, usually features pop music but also features music with either a rap or indie feel. This music channel is the one that people use to hear new good music, and is described as being ‘the one you have to listen to’ by most listeners. MTV Hits will only ever play your song if you already have a big following behind that song, or they believe it will be a big hit.
MTV Two
The music channel with attitude for indie, rock and alternative music enthusiasts. An interactive music channel playing diverse and cutting edge music.
16 – 24year olds
NME
Stereotypically new music with a different vibe, normally consisting of indie and rock.
Q Music
Q music channel contains mostly indie music and has a mature feel, this makes it a good channel to reach our older target audience, e.g. 20 – 25year olds.
Stars
This music channel gives most it’s time to pop music but does feature specials more related to indie music, the target audience of this channel is therefore younger and more interested in pop music but we still believe that our song could do well as it has elements which are both categories of music, pop and indie.
Viva + Viva Two
Viva used to be an independently owned channel but recently got brought out by MTV. Viva states that it plays what it calls ‘hits’. While Viva Two ‘concentrates on lesser known and more independently produced music’. This would suit the band as they see themselves as different, and adding to the fact they are new and up and coming.
From our interviews, research and questionnaires we believe our target audience is any gender with an age range from 16 – 28 years; they enjoy going out, having a good time and enjoy music.
MTV Hits
A music channel for new and upcoming music, usually features pop music but also features music with either a rap or indie feel. This music channel is the one that people use to hear new good music, and is described as being ‘the one you have to listen to’ by most listeners. MTV Hits will only ever play your song if you already have a big following behind that song, or they believe it will be a big hit.
MTV Two
The music channel with attitude for indie, rock and alternative music enthusiasts. An interactive music channel playing diverse and cutting edge music.
16 – 24year olds
NME
Stereotypically new music with a different vibe, normally consisting of indie and rock.
Q Music
Q music channel contains mostly indie music and has a mature feel, this makes it a good channel to reach our older target audience, e.g. 20 – 25year olds.
Stars
This music channel gives most it’s time to pop music but does feature specials more related to indie music, the target audience of this channel is therefore younger and more interested in pop music but we still believe that our song could do well as it has elements which are both categories of music, pop and indie.
Viva + Viva Two
Viva used to be an independently owned channel but recently got brought out by MTV. Viva states that it plays what it calls ‘hits’. While Viva Two ‘concentrates on lesser known and more independently produced music’. This would suit the band as they see themselves as different, and adding to the fact they are new and up and coming.
Interviews with Audience
We interviewed 3 people in our research for the music videos. We interviewed 3 different age groups; 16 - 18, 20 - 30 and 50+. This is to get 3 different perspectives on the same information, from this we can see how to market the video and make the video better for our target audience and more accessible to a wider audience.
Details on 'The Elastics' Interview
The meeting was arranged for the 1st November 2010, we had the aim in this interview to find out about the band and what they see as their target audience, so hopefully we could match the video to the band and genre of music. We had a list of purposed questions, these were;
How do you want your band to be portrayed?
What do you believe your target audience is?
Why do you think this is your target audience is and does the album cover, song and video relate to this?
What band would you compare yourself to?
Can you see your band as mass audience, and if not how can you become mass audience, or do you want to stay in a niche market?
How can the video show the bands messages and personalities?
We also asked the band how they see themselves as a band, for example what representations to they give.
Their response was; 'we aren't interested in being representated as a pop band because we are completely different, we write our own music, and would not like to be signed by a mainstream label as our audience are people like us, who aren't a record labels normal audience. We like writing our own unique music and want to be shown to have a liquid representation; fun, different, pushing the boundaries, creative and merry, having a good time is a huge part of our inspiration, lyrics and lifestyles, which is what makes us, us.
How do you want your band to be portrayed?
What do you believe your target audience is?
Why do you think this is your target audience is and does the album cover, song and video relate to this?
What band would you compare yourself to?
Can you see your band as mass audience, and if not how can you become mass audience, or do you want to stay in a niche market?
How can the video show the bands messages and personalities?
We also asked the band how they see themselves as a band, for example what representations to they give.
Their response was; 'we aren't interested in being representated as a pop band because we are completely different, we write our own music, and would not like to be signed by a mainstream label as our audience are people like us, who aren't a record labels normal audience. We like writing our own unique music and want to be shown to have a liquid representation; fun, different, pushing the boundaries, creative and merry, having a good time is a huge part of our inspiration, lyrics and lifestyles, which is what makes us, us.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Interview with The Elastics
Interview with 2 members of 'The Elastics' (The band who's song we are making a music video for, and the basis of our album cover and magazine advert).
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Jack's CD covers
When looking at You Me At Six’s album ‘Hold Me down’ although it is a simple cd cover it reveals a lot about the band and what they are trying to say. ‘Hold me down’ is not you me at six’s debut album so when comparing it to the debut album one difference was the lines on the cover are a lot less definite and harsh maybe suggesting that with the band’s maturity the music has become more varied and the boundaries within their music are less definite from the original album. When looking at the colours used on the album cover this also shows some messages. The album cover uses a very bland green for the background then a totally contrasting middle with a lot going on in a range of colours; it also has a breaking through effect with the colours. This could be because the debut album put the band on the music scene, where this album was to make the band a massive rock band so the breaking through effect could be a metaphor for what the band is doing in the music industry. The bland green in the background could also represent the other bands in the music industry and how You Me At Six offer an alternative and are something new which is why the name of the band is located in the colour and not it the dark green. The album seems to give off a natural theme to it with the colour in the middle involving a lot of natural images like wings, clouds and flowers, which may also suggest that this band is still original and hasn’t become industrialised (it is still natural and un-affected by the mainstream of music). The writing on the album cover is very simplistic and stands out. It just says the name of the band and the album so it suggests that the music on the album will do the talking so there is no need for any pointless information. The colours and font of the writing also follow this simplistic style by having it in an opposite colour to the background so the name stands out and the use of capital letters to reinforce this message. Comparing it to the debut album the writing is a lot less over the top as again with the fame and maturity growing in the band the band do not need to be as loud and big because they already have a of fans. The colours within the album also reflect the band well as the use of bright colours show their up tempo optimistic music so the colours reflect the band well which is also a similarity to the original album. The band have followed their tradition of not having the band on the front cover and had more symbols of the band, this is following the convention of rock bands as not many have their band on the front cover.
Kids in glass houses.
This album cover lends itself to a simplistic approach, involving not many colours and a basic art design. This album contrasts to the debut album of the band a lot as because it was a debut the band needed to get attention and be noticed and now this has been achieved it has allowed there second album cover to be a lot more simplistic. This simplistic style is reinforced in the language as all that is included is the name of the band and the album, because of the lack of txt and detail it has allowed the writing to be large and eye catching although it is a simple cover. This means that the consumer receives the information that is important straight away. This eye catching language is also highlighted through the contrast in colour of the background to the writing. Through the bright lettering this also attracts the attention but could also give a metaphorical message similar to the You Me At Six cover, portraying Kids in glass houses are exciting and bright compared to the rest of the music industry. When looking at the development of the band this is also present in how there album cover has changed. On the original there is a large picture of a women with a lollipop and involves a of colour, this attracted the attention of the consumer but because of the colours where with the second album the attention is attracted to the name suggesting that people buying the first album would be attracted to the cover where with this album the name of the band and the music associated with the band will sell the product. The album also shows a contrast between the band and how this album may come across as the writing for the band name is very definite and harsh which is what the band are associated with as their music is rocky and raw, but through the softness of the font ‘DIRT’ it maybe suggests that this album shall show a different side to the band which may be a little softer, also shown through the femininity of the flowers. These flowers may also suggest that they are a very modern band and aren’t afraid of being feminine, but there is definitely room for interpretation as there is a juxtaposition created through the word dirt and the word being made up of flowers which are usual related to masculine dirt. This may suggest that the album is full of contrast within the music and now they are established as a good rock band, they can now be more experimental with the music. Through the lack of writing and the flowers on the album cover this to me suggests that they also believe the music will sell the album not the art so therefore it can be a simple beauty like in a metaphorical way a flower. The name of the band in that font is also increasing that recognisable factor as in any of the band’s merchandise their name is always written in that font so if that font is ever seen by a consumer they will instantly recognise the band.
Kings Of Leon
This album reveals a lot about how the band works as a group. The blending of the four band members to create the one image of the eagle shows a unity within the group and also shows the family link within the band as they all create one image and this image could be a symbol of their family. Although the picture creates one image there is a disjointed effect to it and the four images do not blend completely together. This may be a metaphor for although they are close there are four clear personalities within the band and all of their individual qualities are what creates the band. The use of the eagle is also important as not only does it relate to where they come from (Southern North America) but the eagle is also a symbol of power maybe relating to their achievements within the music industry. This album goes against the convention of rock by having the actual band on the front cover as not many modern rock bands do this, but the band are still trying to follow the convention as although the band are on the front cover it is to create another image not just a picture of the band. They might be going against this convention to show their originality in music as another one of their albums did not have the band on, so this shows a versatility within their music like their album covers and they have changed with maturity as their new album cover shall be different to their stereotype. The font is very small and also follows the simplistic idea of just the name of the band and the album. Through the small font this shows that they can be recognised by their faces reinforcing the band’s achievements within music as rock bands are not as noticeable as pop acts so for a rock band to be noticed by their faces this shows their popularity and fame. The small writing could also show that the writing does not to make the album good the real creation will come from the music, so through this simplistic album cover the consumer believes there are no gimmicks. The bland colours used on the album cover also reflect this simplistic approach and the same colour being used for the whole cover also reflects the togetherness within the band. There are clear definite lines on the album cover which may be a metaphor for their music and the relationship between each other, as although their music is original a lot of the songs are similar showing there are clear definite lines within their music style and also these clear lines reinforce that they are all different people. The album seems to have a harsh feel about it through the definite lines and hard almost digital font, this may show their genre of music as rock is seen as raw and harsh at times, but I think the album does create a juxtaposition because there is the very man-made digital font contrasting with a natural image of the bird.
Jack's music video's
Analysis of Deaf Havana’s ‘Friends like these’
Through the song’s rock genre there are specific conventions the video has used. The band playing live in the video is one of these conventions, the director has linked the performance to the song as it is being played outside and uses pathetic fallacy, as through signifiers like the sun this relates to the optimistic mood of the song and links to the themes. The video has lots of friends at the live performance signifying togetherness and friendship therefore linking to the song as well as the song is about friends and summer. Through the lack of narrative within the song this is also shown through the video as although the video has cross cuts between the live performance and other sections the other sections do not create a plot, they are just a symbol of the song’s theme, friendship. The cinematography also relates to the video very well suggesting the music video is a stereotype and doesn’t try to create juxtapositions. The music video uses a range of shots from close up’s to long shots with quick transitions relating to the quick paced chaotic vibe of the song. There are also a lot of panning shots within the video, panning across the stage showing the band. These are used to introduce the band as there are an up and coming band so by using a variety of panning shots this allows the audience to recognise the band members and make them more recognisable. Also these panning shots show the atmosphere of the venue and show all the friends reinforcing the song’s themes. There are also high and low angle shots used, the director uses low angle shots on the band to show they are the main focus for the video and high angle shots on the crowd showing they are less important and making the band seem important. There are a lot of examples of hand held camerawork being used as well because this gives the video a raw, chaotic quality, which suits the type of music. The use of close ups within the video introduce every band member and also emphasise how much of a good time they are having. The long shots help contextualise the gig and also show the band as a close group of friends reinforcing the songs themes. The lack of any other sound other than the music means that the director wants the audiences focus to be completely on the music and not take the distraction from anything other than the music therefore no sound effects. All the editing techniques are aimed at showing the chaotic vibe of the gig, then the other narrative within the video which are the scenes showing friendship for example the beach scene. Through this style the editing in the gig scenes is fast paced and cuts between many different shots, where in contrast the friend scenes are slower paced and there are less varied shots.
link to youtube
Analysis of One Night Only ‘Say You Don’t Want It?’
Although this text is completely different to the other text I have compared, it still is classed in the rock genre so therefore once again this video uses the convention of the band playing the song or at least for parts of the video. This also reinforces the fact that this band are an up and coming band so by having the band playing during the video it introduces the band and the members to the consumer. Through the songs title and most of the lyrics the video portrays a idealistic life of fun then by relating to the song's lyrics 'say you don't want it' suggesting it is impossible to say no. This idealistic lifestyle is shown through the pathetic fallacy as the sun is shining therefore relating to this lifestyle. The video is highly related to love so although the video doesn't include really expensive ways of having fun, the video highlights fun through spending time with someone you like and the stereotypical buying food with each other and playing about with each other. This video has a specific narrative and also the band playing, the cross cutting between the band playing and the story line is clear as the contrast of the band (always at dusk) and the story line (changing through time) is noticeable so therefore easy to understand. The cinematography gets the balance of introducing the band and showing this idealistic relationship. There are a lot of two shots during the video of the lead singer and the woman showing their relationship and intimacy for example the 'hot dog' shot of them both around a hot dog stand showing how close they are. There are also a lot of long shots used in the band scenes which shows all the band playing reinforcing the introducing element and the friendship of the band. In the opening of the video the pace of editing is quick and shows a lot of the good things around the setting. By doing this it relates to the theme of say you don't want it and showing many ideal situations in a short space of time. Also the age of the band relates to this fast paced editing as the band are young therefore relating to the stereotype of youth and a fast paced lifestyle. There are examples of the camera going out of focus, this may relate to the confusion within the themes of a girl struggling to say no but there is a little feeling of doubt so the camera going in and out of focus may show this confusion. When looking at the sound in the video like in the other video there are no background sounds to focus the consumer's attention on just the music, but the director has chosen a good video as the feeling of the song is optimistic and happy and this comes across in the video. When looking at mise-en-scene it all fits together to give the impression of a good lifestyle and the element of 'indie' music so all the clothing of the band is very much part of the indie genre and the surroundings and situations are all optimistic highlighted through the sun shining and no pesamistic themes are shown such as arguments or conflict.
link to youtube
Analysis of Brandon Flowers 'Crossfire'
The video of 'Crossfire' introduces Brandon Flowers as a solo artist so the main focus is for the attention to be on him. The video opens with a close up on Brandon Flowers which has a sense of lingering through the editing. This allows the consumer to realise that there has been a change from band to solo artist and also the music has a slow pace so the editing reflects the pace of the music. The mise-en-scene also reflected this transition of band to solo as i thought the scars on his face showed two messages, not just the story of the narrative but maybe in a metaphorical way his life through the music industry as he has been in it many years and a lot has changed. There is also a relationship between the narrative and the music as in the beginning of the video there is a dreamy sound to the song before it kicks in which compliments Brandon Flowers waking up at the start of the video, which could also represent he is awakening or having a new beginning. The video keeps this slow pace of editing all the way through which creates a juxtaposition with the narrative because as the narrative progresses a lot of chaos happens, including fight sequences and explosions so it creates a contrast. This may be because the story is unusual as stereotypically a man would save the woman but in this it is the other way round so this un-stereotypical story may also be parallel with the unusual editing. The name of the song crossfire also relates to these themes because although crossfire suggests guns and action which is included in the video, the word cross suggests that the story could be crossed or the wrong way round. Stereotypically rock music tends to have the band playing the music during the video and The Killers were known for doing this but Brandon Flowers has also shown this contrast by having just the narrative and no band playing in the background, this is to highlight the transition within his music. The slow transitions within the editing also reinforce the love element within the narrative as the close ups and two shots of the woman and Brandon Flowers really show their love through the facial expressions which allows more detail to be noticed through the editing. This love is also reinforced through the shot reverse shot included in the video as their reactions are shown throughout the video side by side. The music juxtaposes with the video through the relaxed style of the music and the chaotic atmosphere in the video but the director uses climatic points in the song with climatic points in the video for example when one of the karate men gets chucked through a window a guitar solo kicks in this emphasises the song and makes it stand out as it is a point in the song which is impressive so through the climax in the video this emphasises it.
link to youtube
Through the song’s rock genre there are specific conventions the video has used. The band playing live in the video is one of these conventions, the director has linked the performance to the song as it is being played outside and uses pathetic fallacy, as through signifiers like the sun this relates to the optimistic mood of the song and links to the themes. The video has lots of friends at the live performance signifying togetherness and friendship therefore linking to the song as well as the song is about friends and summer. Through the lack of narrative within the song this is also shown through the video as although the video has cross cuts between the live performance and other sections the other sections do not create a plot, they are just a symbol of the song’s theme, friendship. The cinematography also relates to the video very well suggesting the music video is a stereotype and doesn’t try to create juxtapositions. The music video uses a range of shots from close up’s to long shots with quick transitions relating to the quick paced chaotic vibe of the song. There are also a lot of panning shots within the video, panning across the stage showing the band. These are used to introduce the band as there are an up and coming band so by using a variety of panning shots this allows the audience to recognise the band members and make them more recognisable. Also these panning shots show the atmosphere of the venue and show all the friends reinforcing the song’s themes. There are also high and low angle shots used, the director uses low angle shots on the band to show they are the main focus for the video and high angle shots on the crowd showing they are less important and making the band seem important. There are a lot of examples of hand held camerawork being used as well because this gives the video a raw, chaotic quality, which suits the type of music. The use of close ups within the video introduce every band member and also emphasise how much of a good time they are having. The long shots help contextualise the gig and also show the band as a close group of friends reinforcing the songs themes. The lack of any other sound other than the music means that the director wants the audiences focus to be completely on the music and not take the distraction from anything other than the music therefore no sound effects. All the editing techniques are aimed at showing the chaotic vibe of the gig, then the other narrative within the video which are the scenes showing friendship for example the beach scene. Through this style the editing in the gig scenes is fast paced and cuts between many different shots, where in contrast the friend scenes are slower paced and there are less varied shots.
link to youtube
Analysis of One Night Only ‘Say You Don’t Want It?’
Although this text is completely different to the other text I have compared, it still is classed in the rock genre so therefore once again this video uses the convention of the band playing the song or at least for parts of the video. This also reinforces the fact that this band are an up and coming band so by having the band playing during the video it introduces the band and the members to the consumer. Through the songs title and most of the lyrics the video portrays a idealistic life of fun then by relating to the song's lyrics 'say you don't want it' suggesting it is impossible to say no. This idealistic lifestyle is shown through the pathetic fallacy as the sun is shining therefore relating to this lifestyle. The video is highly related to love so although the video doesn't include really expensive ways of having fun, the video highlights fun through spending time with someone you like and the stereotypical buying food with each other and playing about with each other. This video has a specific narrative and also the band playing, the cross cutting between the band playing and the story line is clear as the contrast of the band (always at dusk) and the story line (changing through time) is noticeable so therefore easy to understand. The cinematography gets the balance of introducing the band and showing this idealistic relationship. There are a lot of two shots during the video of the lead singer and the woman showing their relationship and intimacy for example the 'hot dog' shot of them both around a hot dog stand showing how close they are. There are also a lot of long shots used in the band scenes which shows all the band playing reinforcing the introducing element and the friendship of the band. In the opening of the video the pace of editing is quick and shows a lot of the good things around the setting. By doing this it relates to the theme of say you don't want it and showing many ideal situations in a short space of time. Also the age of the band relates to this fast paced editing as the band are young therefore relating to the stereotype of youth and a fast paced lifestyle. There are examples of the camera going out of focus, this may relate to the confusion within the themes of a girl struggling to say no but there is a little feeling of doubt so the camera going in and out of focus may show this confusion. When looking at the sound in the video like in the other video there are no background sounds to focus the consumer's attention on just the music, but the director has chosen a good video as the feeling of the song is optimistic and happy and this comes across in the video. When looking at mise-en-scene it all fits together to give the impression of a good lifestyle and the element of 'indie' music so all the clothing of the band is very much part of the indie genre and the surroundings and situations are all optimistic highlighted through the sun shining and no pesamistic themes are shown such as arguments or conflict.
link to youtube
Analysis of Brandon Flowers 'Crossfire'
The video of 'Crossfire' introduces Brandon Flowers as a solo artist so the main focus is for the attention to be on him. The video opens with a close up on Brandon Flowers which has a sense of lingering through the editing. This allows the consumer to realise that there has been a change from band to solo artist and also the music has a slow pace so the editing reflects the pace of the music. The mise-en-scene also reflected this transition of band to solo as i thought the scars on his face showed two messages, not just the story of the narrative but maybe in a metaphorical way his life through the music industry as he has been in it many years and a lot has changed. There is also a relationship between the narrative and the music as in the beginning of the video there is a dreamy sound to the song before it kicks in which compliments Brandon Flowers waking up at the start of the video, which could also represent he is awakening or having a new beginning. The video keeps this slow pace of editing all the way through which creates a juxtaposition with the narrative because as the narrative progresses a lot of chaos happens, including fight sequences and explosions so it creates a contrast. This may be because the story is unusual as stereotypically a man would save the woman but in this it is the other way round so this un-stereotypical story may also be parallel with the unusual editing. The name of the song crossfire also relates to these themes because although crossfire suggests guns and action which is included in the video, the word cross suggests that the story could be crossed or the wrong way round. Stereotypically rock music tends to have the band playing the music during the video and The Killers were known for doing this but Brandon Flowers has also shown this contrast by having just the narrative and no band playing in the background, this is to highlight the transition within his music. The slow transitions within the editing also reinforce the love element within the narrative as the close ups and two shots of the woman and Brandon Flowers really show their love through the facial expressions which allows more detail to be noticed through the editing. This love is also reinforced through the shot reverse shot included in the video as their reactions are shown throughout the video side by side. The music juxtaposes with the video through the relaxed style of the music and the chaotic atmosphere in the video but the director uses climatic points in the song with climatic points in the video for example when one of the karate men gets chucked through a window a guitar solo kicks in this emphasises the song and makes it stand out as it is a point in the song which is impressive so through the climax in the video this emphasises it.
link to youtube
Jack's advert analysis
Plan B
The advert takes up the whole of the back page of the magazine; this makes the product seem more important than a little advert at the bottom of the page. Plan B’s fame in the music industry, has allowed his album’s advert to be very simplistic, as it does not name any of the songs or have any over the top art work. The lack of information on the advert suggests that this artist is already cemented as a popular artist so therefore the advert only needs to say is how many stars it is. The Layout is also simplistic. By having Plan B on his own in the middle this gives the impression that he is standing alone and he is different. The advert is also very retro and lends itself to the past so this also represents that he is different as he isn’t following the modern trend, he is making his own style. To attract the consumer’s attention the only important information is in Bold and the opposite colour of the background for example his name, the album’s name and how many stars it receives. Through this short and brief information it grabs the reader’s attention as there is not a lot of pointless information only what is needed and because it is the opposite colour to the background it is clear and eye catching. The font and the size of the font on the language also show a message about the advert. It is in a very simple bold font and is also large, this is because it attracts attention and also as soon as a consumer sees the name ‘Plan B’ it draws them in. By having a dark background and a picture of Plan B in the light, this gives a metaphorical message of he is the light in music and reinforces the theme of him being different. By having the stars at the bottom this does not only rate how good the album is but because the stars are awarded by high end music magazines this also reinforces the quality of the product and NME is seen as a magazine not for the mainstream so for it to be advertising a product which a mainstream magazine has awarded it well, this shows the quality of the product. Unlike some magazine adverts there are no song names listed or any other added information like a quote from a review. This also adds to the simplicity of the article and also gives off the impression that he is already a quality artist without having to say so, so there are no quotes needed because his music does the talking not the language for the advertisement, Which does contrast to his first album where information was needed to introduce himself as a new and up and coming artist.
New Young Pony Club
The advertisement for the New Young Pony Club really contrasts to the Plan B advertisement. The location of the advertisement is significant because unlike Plan B it is in the middle of the magazine which means it is easier to miss and therefore probably cheaper to put in this part of the magazine. This is because Plan B will sell magazines and although he is on the back cover this is still noticeable where if the New Young Pony Club were on the back because they are new and do not have as big a following, this would not sell copies. It also follows the stereotype of NME magazine as NME is known for discovering new talent through things such as the NME radar tour, but the newer bands tend to be advertised in the middle and the more mainstream artists in the front and the back. So although NME is not a mainstream magazine the bands which lend themselves towards mainstream are advertised at the front and the newer (debut album) bands are included in the middle. When looking at the design of the advert it is a very simplistic design but includes more information than Plan B's, this is also because Plan B is already established and the New Yong Pony Club need as much advertising as possible so they make the most of the advert and include everything from the website, to the songs included on the album. The songs listed links to the advertisement as because they are an up and coming band they may be known for their songs and not their name where Plan B's advertisement does not need to include songs as he is already established as a popular, quality artist. Through the style of NME (being known for its underground music) the colours of the advert are very simple and give the advert a raw underground feel to it through the simplicity. The contrast of black and white, although simple, make the advert stand out because they are complete opposite colours, this makes the information clear and attracts the consumer's attention. The picture of the band in the background also reveals their up and coming status as they are not recognisable so their picture is faded and the information is in bold, this is because this is the information which will get the band noticed not a picture of them as they are not recognisable yet. The use of capital letters is also interesting as the importance of the information is classed through capital and lower case letters, The use of song names being lower case and ‘OUT NOW’ being in capitals makes this stand out so therefore the consumers attention realises that this album is out now and the capital letters also adds a sense of urgency to it. The location of the advert is also important as compared to the other adverts at the bottom of the page it is the biggest one so although this advert is in the middle of the magazine, on the actual page the advert seems important because it is bigger than the other two.
The Gorillaz
The Gorillaz magazine advertisement is a very surreal advert. The picture is of a make believe world which is clearly meant to represent a contrast to normal life. This may be because it makes the advert stand out as it is different to any other cover so attracts attention, but it may also reinforce the bands make believe style as the band are never shown in the video, it is always four make believe characters so this unusual world compliments the unusual characters shown in the video's of the band. So by not having the band on the front cover this follows the convention of the band being slightly mysterious and different. This album follows Plan B's style of not much information on the advertisement; this allows the information that is included to stand out. This also reinforces that the Gorillaz are an established band so therefore their name can sell copies not a list of songs that are included. As the advert is a picture of the album The Gorillaz have followed the convention of not having the band on the front cover. The stars on the advertisement shows the bands quality as most of the reviews have given the album a full five stars, the quality of the album is also shown through what magazines have awarded this as it is not from a specific niche magazine it is from a mainstream company such as Q magazine and this also supports how established the band are as a mainstream magazine wants to review it and how well they have rewarded it. This is why there is no need to list the songs included on the album as it shows the Gorillaz are not known for a few tracks, there whole album is quality, Which contrasts to the New Young Pony Club's advertisement. There is a clear contrast of surrealism and a simplistic style as the picture is very surreal but the frame and bottom of the advert is a clear black and white. This not only makes the advert stands out as it combines both concepts (surrealism and simple) but also creates a clear contrast on the advert. The black background also makes the writing stand out as the contrast of black and white makes the writing clear and easy to read because there isn't a lot of information. The font on the advertisement also shows this contrast as the font on the picture is also very dream -like and surreal where the writing on the black background is bold and simple. The writing which stood out the most was the 'Out Now' this was because it was simple and Bold which made it stand out, this gives the advert excitement and urgency as the advert is saying this amazing album (through the star ratings) is out now so it needs to be purchased quickly.
The advert takes up the whole of the back page of the magazine; this makes the product seem more important than a little advert at the bottom of the page. Plan B’s fame in the music industry, has allowed his album’s advert to be very simplistic, as it does not name any of the songs or have any over the top art work. The lack of information on the advert suggests that this artist is already cemented as a popular artist so therefore the advert only needs to say is how many stars it is. The Layout is also simplistic. By having Plan B on his own in the middle this gives the impression that he is standing alone and he is different. The advert is also very retro and lends itself to the past so this also represents that he is different as he isn’t following the modern trend, he is making his own style. To attract the consumer’s attention the only important information is in Bold and the opposite colour of the background for example his name, the album’s name and how many stars it receives. Through this short and brief information it grabs the reader’s attention as there is not a lot of pointless information only what is needed and because it is the opposite colour to the background it is clear and eye catching. The font and the size of the font on the language also show a message about the advert. It is in a very simple bold font and is also large, this is because it attracts attention and also as soon as a consumer sees the name ‘Plan B’ it draws them in. By having a dark background and a picture of Plan B in the light, this gives a metaphorical message of he is the light in music and reinforces the theme of him being different. By having the stars at the bottom this does not only rate how good the album is but because the stars are awarded by high end music magazines this also reinforces the quality of the product and NME is seen as a magazine not for the mainstream so for it to be advertising a product which a mainstream magazine has awarded it well, this shows the quality of the product. Unlike some magazine adverts there are no song names listed or any other added information like a quote from a review. This also adds to the simplicity of the article and also gives off the impression that he is already a quality artist without having to say so, so there are no quotes needed because his music does the talking not the language for the advertisement, Which does contrast to his first album where information was needed to introduce himself as a new and up and coming artist.
New Young Pony Club
The advertisement for the New Young Pony Club really contrasts to the Plan B advertisement. The location of the advertisement is significant because unlike Plan B it is in the middle of the magazine which means it is easier to miss and therefore probably cheaper to put in this part of the magazine. This is because Plan B will sell magazines and although he is on the back cover this is still noticeable where if the New Young Pony Club were on the back because they are new and do not have as big a following, this would not sell copies. It also follows the stereotype of NME magazine as NME is known for discovering new talent through things such as the NME radar tour, but the newer bands tend to be advertised in the middle and the more mainstream artists in the front and the back. So although NME is not a mainstream magazine the bands which lend themselves towards mainstream are advertised at the front and the newer (debut album) bands are included in the middle. When looking at the design of the advert it is a very simplistic design but includes more information than Plan B's, this is also because Plan B is already established and the New Yong Pony Club need as much advertising as possible so they make the most of the advert and include everything from the website, to the songs included on the album. The songs listed links to the advertisement as because they are an up and coming band they may be known for their songs and not their name where Plan B's advertisement does not need to include songs as he is already established as a popular, quality artist. Through the style of NME (being known for its underground music) the colours of the advert are very simple and give the advert a raw underground feel to it through the simplicity. The contrast of black and white, although simple, make the advert stand out because they are complete opposite colours, this makes the information clear and attracts the consumer's attention. The picture of the band in the background also reveals their up and coming status as they are not recognisable so their picture is faded and the information is in bold, this is because this is the information which will get the band noticed not a picture of them as they are not recognisable yet. The use of capital letters is also interesting as the importance of the information is classed through capital and lower case letters, The use of song names being lower case and ‘OUT NOW’ being in capitals makes this stand out so therefore the consumers attention realises that this album is out now and the capital letters also adds a sense of urgency to it. The location of the advert is also important as compared to the other adverts at the bottom of the page it is the biggest one so although this advert is in the middle of the magazine, on the actual page the advert seems important because it is bigger than the other two.
The Gorillaz
The Gorillaz magazine advertisement is a very surreal advert. The picture is of a make believe world which is clearly meant to represent a contrast to normal life. This may be because it makes the advert stand out as it is different to any other cover so attracts attention, but it may also reinforce the bands make believe style as the band are never shown in the video, it is always four make believe characters so this unusual world compliments the unusual characters shown in the video's of the band. So by not having the band on the front cover this follows the convention of the band being slightly mysterious and different. This album follows Plan B's style of not much information on the advertisement; this allows the information that is included to stand out. This also reinforces that the Gorillaz are an established band so therefore their name can sell copies not a list of songs that are included. As the advert is a picture of the album The Gorillaz have followed the convention of not having the band on the front cover. The stars on the advertisement shows the bands quality as most of the reviews have given the album a full five stars, the quality of the album is also shown through what magazines have awarded this as it is not from a specific niche magazine it is from a mainstream company such as Q magazine and this also supports how established the band are as a mainstream magazine wants to review it and how well they have rewarded it. This is why there is no need to list the songs included on the album as it shows the Gorillaz are not known for a few tracks, there whole album is quality, Which contrasts to the New Young Pony Club's advertisement. There is a clear contrast of surrealism and a simplistic style as the picture is very surreal but the frame and bottom of the advert is a clear black and white. This not only makes the advert stands out as it combines both concepts (surrealism and simple) but also creates a clear contrast on the advert. The black background also makes the writing stand out as the contrast of black and white makes the writing clear and easy to read because there isn't a lot of information. The font on the advertisement also shows this contrast as the font on the picture is also very dream -like and surreal where the writing on the black background is bold and simple. The writing which stood out the most was the 'Out Now' this was because it was simple and Bold which made it stand out, this gives the advert excitement and urgency as the advert is saying this amazing album (through the star ratings) is out now so it needs to be purchased quickly.
SC: Magic Numbers Magazine Advert
Product Analysis
Magazine advert: The Magic Numbers – The Runaway
This magazine advert is very basic yet at the same time effective. It uses intertextuality as it uses the same image from the cover of the album itself. The advert consists of one main image, the title of the album, the band name, release date, a small review and some basic information about the album.
The layout of the advert is tidy and centred, with a very professional look, all based around the image in the middle of the advert: a large finger print. This image draws the readers attention very well as it is set on a dull red/brown background which contrasts with the image and text on top of it which is light blue. The whole advert has a matching house style, with the image and text all in a matching light blue on top of the continuous dull background, this adds to the professional feel. The image itself could represent two things about the band and the album. Fingerprints are most commonly associated with identity, which suggests the band is attempting to create a new identity for them selves, and are presenting this to the audience using the fingerprint as a symbol of this, this would suggest to the audience that they style of music has changed or evolved some how, urging the audience to go out and buy the album. On the other hand, fingerprints can often be associated with the unknown, and create a sense of enigma in the advert; this suggests that the band are not telling the audience much about the album, attempting to make the audience curious about the album and hopefully buy it.
There is no image of the band itself in the advert, most likely because it is not their debut album and the audience will most probably know who they are already. This shows the band feel established enough to not front the album advert, something that most debut artists do.
This enigmas theme is added to by the lack of detail in the information at the bottom of the advert. There is only on small review at the bottom for example, whereas traditionally album adverts have several. Again the information on the album is very basic and limited, there are no song title’s advertised as would suit typical advert conventions.
The final aspects of the advert include where the album will be sold (major distributors) and the official website of the band to help promote both the band and the album; both are common conventions of album adverts in magazines.
Magazine advert: The Magic Numbers – The Runaway
This magazine advert is very basic yet at the same time effective. It uses intertextuality as it uses the same image from the cover of the album itself. The advert consists of one main image, the title of the album, the band name, release date, a small review and some basic information about the album.
The layout of the advert is tidy and centred, with a very professional look, all based around the image in the middle of the advert: a large finger print. This image draws the readers attention very well as it is set on a dull red/brown background which contrasts with the image and text on top of it which is light blue. The whole advert has a matching house style, with the image and text all in a matching light blue on top of the continuous dull background, this adds to the professional feel. The image itself could represent two things about the band and the album. Fingerprints are most commonly associated with identity, which suggests the band is attempting to create a new identity for them selves, and are presenting this to the audience using the fingerprint as a symbol of this, this would suggest to the audience that they style of music has changed or evolved some how, urging the audience to go out and buy the album. On the other hand, fingerprints can often be associated with the unknown, and create a sense of enigma in the advert; this suggests that the band are not telling the audience much about the album, attempting to make the audience curious about the album and hopefully buy it.
There is no image of the band itself in the advert, most likely because it is not their debut album and the audience will most probably know who they are already. This shows the band feel established enough to not front the album advert, something that most debut artists do.
This enigmas theme is added to by the lack of detail in the information at the bottom of the advert. There is only on small review at the bottom for example, whereas traditionally album adverts have several. Again the information on the album is very basic and limited, there are no song title’s advertised as would suit typical advert conventions.
The final aspects of the advert include where the album will be sold (major distributors) and the official website of the band to help promote both the band and the album; both are common conventions of album adverts in magazines.
SC: Kings Of Leon Magazine Advert
Product Analysis
Album Cover: Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
This magazine advert is very effective when drawing the eye of the reader. The advert uses mise-en-scene and colour to gain the audiences attention. The advert consists of one main image in the background; on top of the image is the band name, album title and release date of the album.
The main image is the silhouette of palm tree leaves against a blank background of sunset colours. It is a very calm image and perhaps represents the theme of the album. However, more effectively, the bright red and yellow colours grab the attention of the audience and draw them to the advert. The image is also slightly enigmas as well however, something that, again, causes the reader to be interested by and tempts them to read more.
If the bright colours and enigmas image do not draw the reader’s attention, then the title of the band (Kings of Leon) in bold capitals at the top of the advert certainly does. The Kings of Leon are currently huge and a household name in most of the country, they are an established band and therefore their very name can draw a reader. The layout makes sure that this is in a focal hotspot at the top of the page (where our eye naturally first looks when reading a page). This leads any fan of the band on to read more and at the bottom is some very basic language which gives details on the album. At the bottom (in the same text as the band name to keep in theme and create a house style) is the album title and release date. There are no details or reviews of the album which is very unconventional. This is another sign that the band feels they are established; they feel confident enough that this advert will sell the album without having to add reviews to the advert to help.
The only other texts on the advert are the bands website (to help promote the band) and an emblem of an online retailer which will sell the album. I think that this advert (when compared with the next advert I plan to analyse) shows just how much contrast there is between advertising for a debut band and an established band. The Kings of Leon don’t feel they need to rely on mise-en-scene and common conventions to sell the album, but simply use an intelligent layout to attract the reader to the name of the band.
Album Cover: Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
This magazine advert is very effective when drawing the eye of the reader. The advert uses mise-en-scene and colour to gain the audiences attention. The advert consists of one main image in the background; on top of the image is the band name, album title and release date of the album.
The main image is the silhouette of palm tree leaves against a blank background of sunset colours. It is a very calm image and perhaps represents the theme of the album. However, more effectively, the bright red and yellow colours grab the attention of the audience and draw them to the advert. The image is also slightly enigmas as well however, something that, again, causes the reader to be interested by and tempts them to read more.
If the bright colours and enigmas image do not draw the reader’s attention, then the title of the band (Kings of Leon) in bold capitals at the top of the advert certainly does. The Kings of Leon are currently huge and a household name in most of the country, they are an established band and therefore their very name can draw a reader. The layout makes sure that this is in a focal hotspot at the top of the page (where our eye naturally first looks when reading a page). This leads any fan of the band on to read more and at the bottom is some very basic language which gives details on the album. At the bottom (in the same text as the band name to keep in theme and create a house style) is the album title and release date. There are no details or reviews of the album which is very unconventional. This is another sign that the band feels they are established; they feel confident enough that this advert will sell the album without having to add reviews to the advert to help.
The only other texts on the advert are the bands website (to help promote the band) and an emblem of an online retailer which will sell the album. I think that this advert (when compared with the next advert I plan to analyse) shows just how much contrast there is between advertising for a debut band and an established band. The Kings of Leon don’t feel they need to rely on mise-en-scene and common conventions to sell the album, but simply use an intelligent layout to attract the reader to the name of the band.
SC: Brandon Flowers Magazine Advert
Product Analysis
Magazine Advert: Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
Brandon Flowers is a member of the band ‘The Killers’ and this is his debut album going solo. This magazine advert consists of one main image filling the page, with the artist and album title on top of the image along with reviews on the album.
This magazine advert follows common conventions associated with magazine adverts for albums, it is also very different from the last two magazine adverts analysed, as this is Brandon Flowers’ debut album whereas the two before were established artists.
The main image itself is a silhouette of Brandon Flowers in the middle of the shot, with his back turned to the camera, surrounded by white. The silhouette figure is often associated with mystery and creates a sense of enigma within the audience that draws the audience in to read more about the album. The silhouette also suggests that he is entering the unknown, representing his solo career and his disassociation with ‘The Killers’. This is emphasised by the fact that he is walking away from the camera, alone. The white background creates a contrast between the silhouette and background making it more noticeable to the audience.
The layout adds to the solo theme, with Brandon being positioned directly in the middle of the shot, both emphasising the representation of his solo career and representing the fact that he is now the star of the show and the focus point for the audience.
The artist name is at the top of the advert in bold black writing to draw in any readers that are fans of The Killers. The bold writing itself is very simple and keeps to the house style of the advert. Below are the album title (‘Flamingo’) and several reviews from established newspapers and magazines. These reviews are common conventions of album advertisements, especially on debut albums such as this. Other albums (such as the two analysed before this) feel they are established enough to not need these reviews, however, this advert uses the complimentary reviews as a selling point and presents them in bold to stand out to the reader.
The final common convention of album adverts in this particular advert is the emblems across the bottom of the retailers who sell the album. These stand out along the bottom of the advert promoting the album and making the audience aware of where it can be bought.
Magazine Advert: Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
Brandon Flowers is a member of the band ‘The Killers’ and this is his debut album going solo. This magazine advert consists of one main image filling the page, with the artist and album title on top of the image along with reviews on the album.
This magazine advert follows common conventions associated with magazine adverts for albums, it is also very different from the last two magazine adverts analysed, as this is Brandon Flowers’ debut album whereas the two before were established artists.
The main image itself is a silhouette of Brandon Flowers in the middle of the shot, with his back turned to the camera, surrounded by white. The silhouette figure is often associated with mystery and creates a sense of enigma within the audience that draws the audience in to read more about the album. The silhouette also suggests that he is entering the unknown, representing his solo career and his disassociation with ‘The Killers’. This is emphasised by the fact that he is walking away from the camera, alone. The white background creates a contrast between the silhouette and background making it more noticeable to the audience.
The layout adds to the solo theme, with Brandon being positioned directly in the middle of the shot, both emphasising the representation of his solo career and representing the fact that he is now the star of the show and the focus point for the audience.
The artist name is at the top of the advert in bold black writing to draw in any readers that are fans of The Killers. The bold writing itself is very simple and keeps to the house style of the advert. Below are the album title (‘Flamingo’) and several reviews from established newspapers and magazines. These reviews are common conventions of album advertisements, especially on debut albums such as this. Other albums (such as the two analysed before this) feel they are established enough to not need these reviews, however, this advert uses the complimentary reviews as a selling point and presents them in bold to stand out to the reader.
The final common convention of album adverts in this particular advert is the emblems across the bottom of the retailers who sell the album. These stand out along the bottom of the advert promoting the album and making the audience aware of where it can be bought.
SC: Plan B Album Cover: The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Product Analysis
Album cover: Plan B – The Defamation of Strickland Banks
I have chosen this album cover to analyse as to highlight just how powerful album covers can be when presenting the theme and character of an artist. This contrasts with the previous album cover of Plan B (which I have analysed previously) greatly and represents the change in the style and theme of the artist himself.
This album from Plan B is completely different from his first album, the style of music and singing has evolved from rap/hip-hop to soul and blues, this change of theme is represented through the difference between the album covers. “Strickland Banks” is a character devised by Plan B and this album tells the story of his life, this is important as it allows us to presume that the character on the front is Strickland Banks and not Plan B, however, I believe that Plan B uses the album cover to represent both himself and “Strickland Banks”.
The first impression we get when looking at this cover is that Strickland Banks is putting on a show, similar to Eminem album cover, but it also presents the idea of a flashback to the past, unlike that of Eminem. It gives us an introduction to the story of Strickland Banks before we’ve heard any songs on the album; the mise-en-scene hinting at the type of character he is.
Through the mise-en-scene, the cover gives the impression of a 50’s style stage show with Plan B as the star. The title shown on a 50’s style cinema board and the formal grey suit certainly give this impression. This 50’s theme is also used to represent the type of music itself, soul and blue being first heard in, and often associated with, the 50’s. Apart from these two features though there is little mise-en-scene to work with, however, the darkness surrounding the character represents something in itself. Firstly it creates a lot of enigma in the image, as the viewer we do not know what surrounds him; this enigma prevents us from knowing to much about the character on the front of the cover, it also suggests that the character himself is rather secretive.
This album cover is used by Plan B to create a new identity for himself, and for him to move away from the collective identity of the British grime culture that people often, stereotypically, associate him with.
Album cover: Plan B – The Defamation of Strickland Banks
I have chosen this album cover to analyse as to highlight just how powerful album covers can be when presenting the theme and character of an artist. This contrasts with the previous album cover of Plan B (which I have analysed previously) greatly and represents the change in the style and theme of the artist himself.
This album from Plan B is completely different from his first album, the style of music and singing has evolved from rap/hip-hop to soul and blues, this change of theme is represented through the difference between the album covers. “Strickland Banks” is a character devised by Plan B and this album tells the story of his life, this is important as it allows us to presume that the character on the front is Strickland Banks and not Plan B, however, I believe that Plan B uses the album cover to represent both himself and “Strickland Banks”.
The first impression we get when looking at this cover is that Strickland Banks is putting on a show, similar to Eminem album cover, but it also presents the idea of a flashback to the past, unlike that of Eminem. It gives us an introduction to the story of Strickland Banks before we’ve heard any songs on the album; the mise-en-scene hinting at the type of character he is.
Through the mise-en-scene, the cover gives the impression of a 50’s style stage show with Plan B as the star. The title shown on a 50’s style cinema board and the formal grey suit certainly give this impression. This 50’s theme is also used to represent the type of music itself, soul and blue being first heard in, and often associated with, the 50’s. Apart from these two features though there is little mise-en-scene to work with, however, the darkness surrounding the character represents something in itself. Firstly it creates a lot of enigma in the image, as the viewer we do not know what surrounds him; this enigma prevents us from knowing to much about the character on the front of the cover, it also suggests that the character himself is rather secretive.
This album cover is used by Plan B to create a new identity for himself, and for him to move away from the collective identity of the British grime culture that people often, stereotypically, associate him with.
SC: Plan B Album Cover - Who Needs Actions
Product Analysis
Album cover: Plan B – Who Needs Actions When you’ve Got Words
The album 'Who Needs Actions When You've Got Words' is the debut album from British grime sensation, Plan B. This is one of two of his albums I will be analysing, each from completely different stages of his career.
This cover uses different systems in which to construct a representation of the artist Plan B. Through mise-en-scene, typography, language and the layout, the ideology of Plan B and his culture are presented to the audience in this cover.
The first thing that’s draws our eye is the artist himself in the middle of the cover, emphasising his importance. This is part of the layout representing the album itself, and that Plan B is the focal point of the album. The layout is also very cluttered; the props in the image are in no particular or obvious order which reflects on the character of Plan B, and our first representation of youth identity, presenting the stereotypical idea that youth are untidy and informal.
The typography of the album name goes against common conventions of album covers as it is part of the mise-en-scene itself, and in the image itself rather than added afterwards. It alone represents a large part of Plan B’s ideology, presenting a theme of youth and rebellion to the audience. The use of graffiti on the wall represents rebellion, graffiti often being used to show mutiny against common systems within society – in this case, violence and war. The language used, in particular the use of “you” as appose to “you’re” (the word used in the official title) gives the impression of youth, and “text talk”, the abbreviation of simple words often associated with youth culture and identity.
The mise-en-scene is very important in this cover, as it is with most. Firstly the guitars on show represent the importance of music in Plan B’s identity and culture. This is then emphasised by the amplifier in the background and records on the floor. The room is pretty bare bar these musical symbols; this suggests that music is a massive part of Plan B’s identity and that nothing else comes above it. The dirty walls and the layout of the mise-en-scene add to the cluttered feel. The costume side of mise-en-scene also represents his character; the lack of a right shoe again adds to the cluttered impression, and the colours use keep to the theme of the rest of the album. Overall, the grey and black clothes give a very grim feel, grey and black often representing depression. This added to the dirty walls and cluttered layout, give the audience the impression that the album will be dark and grim (which it is). However, through the mise-en-scene we understand that Plan B feels this isn’t a problem as long as he has music.
Album cover: Plan B – Who Needs Actions When you’ve Got Words
The album 'Who Needs Actions When You've Got Words' is the debut album from British grime sensation, Plan B. This is one of two of his albums I will be analysing, each from completely different stages of his career.
This cover uses different systems in which to construct a representation of the artist Plan B. Through mise-en-scene, typography, language and the layout, the ideology of Plan B and his culture are presented to the audience in this cover.
The first thing that’s draws our eye is the artist himself in the middle of the cover, emphasising his importance. This is part of the layout representing the album itself, and that Plan B is the focal point of the album. The layout is also very cluttered; the props in the image are in no particular or obvious order which reflects on the character of Plan B, and our first representation of youth identity, presenting the stereotypical idea that youth are untidy and informal.
The typography of the album name goes against common conventions of album covers as it is part of the mise-en-scene itself, and in the image itself rather than added afterwards. It alone represents a large part of Plan B’s ideology, presenting a theme of youth and rebellion to the audience. The use of graffiti on the wall represents rebellion, graffiti often being used to show mutiny against common systems within society – in this case, violence and war. The language used, in particular the use of “you” as appose to “you’re” (the word used in the official title) gives the impression of youth, and “text talk”, the abbreviation of simple words often associated with youth culture and identity.
The mise-en-scene is very important in this cover, as it is with most. Firstly the guitars on show represent the importance of music in Plan B’s identity and culture. This is then emphasised by the amplifier in the background and records on the floor. The room is pretty bare bar these musical symbols; this suggests that music is a massive part of Plan B’s identity and that nothing else comes above it. The dirty walls and the layout of the mise-en-scene add to the cluttered feel. The costume side of mise-en-scene also represents his character; the lack of a right shoe again adds to the cluttered impression, and the colours use keep to the theme of the rest of the album. Overall, the grey and black clothes give a very grim feel, grey and black often representing depression. This added to the dirty walls and cluttered layout, give the audience the impression that the album will be dark and grim (which it is). However, through the mise-en-scene we understand that Plan B feels this isn’t a problem as long as he has music.
SC: Eminem Album Cover
Product Analysis
Eminem: The Eminem Show
Eminem is an American rap/hip-hop artist renowned for being the first white rapper to be a success. He plays on this view that white men cannot rap on a number of his album covers.
This album cover uses mise-en-scene, colour, lettering and the camera shot to represent both the album and the artist himself. The first impression we, as the audience to the cover, get from looking at the album cover is that Eminem is putting on a show, but when looking at it a little deeper we see that he is presenting himself as a one-off, unique rapper, playing on a “freak-show” theme and promoting himself as one of very few successful white artist in rap culture.
The immediate impression one gets from first looking at this cover is one of royalty and of a show being put on; this is emphasised through mise-en-scene by the use of the microphone, and it being lit up by the stage light – it also plays on the actual title of the album. The red and gold colours represent power, success and a royal status, however, looking closer, this is not here to represent the artist himself. Eminem is seen in the background of the image, behind the curtains and in the darkness, in complete contrast with the colours ahead of him. This is what creates the “freak show” theme, with the red and gold representing the dominance of power that the black community has in rap culture, and Eminem being shown behind them in their shadow. Through this, Eminem is shown to be separate from the collective identity of common rap culture.
The spotlight around the microphone presents Eminem’s love for singing, and the spotlight represents his focus on music as part of his culture and identity, again though, Eminem himself seems to be looking at the ground, shying away from the scene ahead of him. This again represents him as a “freak”.
Overall, through this album cover Eminem converges a number of aspects to create a synergy that represents his struggle to be part of the collective identity of the rap culture due to the colour of his skin. The royal themed “show” in front of him is where Eminem longs to be, part of the collective identity of rap artists; instead he is represented as a “freak” in the shadow of this show, emphasised by the contrast between the gold and red ahead of him, and the surrounding darkness around him.
SC: Roll Deep Video Analysis
Product Analysis
Music video: Good Times (song) - by Roll Deep ft. Jodie Connor
Roll Deep are a group of young hip-hop/rap artists who often come together to write ‘feel good’ songs. This ‘feel good’ attitude can be seen through out the video which depicts the group having a good night out. Through mise-en-scene, sound, editing and cinematography the video represents the group itself and the culture they are a part of. This music video is a very traditional one and includes almost all of the common music video conventions such as a direct relationship between the lyrics, visuals and music and a voyeuristic view of the female body for example.
Cinematography
The first shot is a close up of the time to tell the audience that it is a Saturday night and set the mood and theme for the rest of the video. After this are a series of close-ups (in a voyeuristic manner) of the lead female singer, the close up allowing the audience to see the happy and joyful emotion on her face. We can see an immediate relationship between the upbeat music and lyrics along with the visuals on screen through this close-up as well. These are two traditional conventions of music videos only a few seconds into the song shown to the audience through cinematography. Cinematography is then used through out the rest of the video using close-ups to emphasise the representations created by mise-en-scene such as champagne glasses and balloons. As well as this there are a few canted angles in the video to represent the chaos of a fun night out. The cinematography used also picks up and emphasises another common convention of music videos whereby the performer on screen “breaks the 4th wall” and sings directly into the camera as if singing to the audience. The video uses close-ups when the performer is doing this to show it more obviously.
Sound
There is no dialogue or intro to the video and the sound is simply the track itself. However, the lyrics themselves fit the visuals on screen and repeat what we are seeing on screen with an upbeat style and quick pace which fits the stereotypical themes of a music video.
Editing
The editing is fast paced and in time with the visuals on screen. This is a common video convention with the camera angle of scene often changing on each beat of the rhythm and this video does the same in many parts. The editing also splits the screen on a few occasions showing the same shot but across different screens (as seen below). This adds a bit of confusion to the audience and represents the feeling of being drunk and symbolising a good night out.
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene plays the biggest part in representing the theme and idea of the song. The happy attitude is shown through balloons (the most obvious symbol of happiness used in film) and champagne which represents two things; both alcohol and wealth. Telling the audience that they plan to have both a good night out and get drunk as well as showing they plan to spend a lot of money. The costumes used also represents the happy feeling, all the stars are dressed up for a night out and in a voyeuristic manner, the female singer in particular, a common convention of music videos. The sets are also important, matching with the lyrics when talking of nights out in clubs and dancing on the dance floor.
Music video: Good Times (song) - by Roll Deep ft. Jodie Connor
Roll Deep are a group of young hip-hop/rap artists who often come together to write ‘feel good’ songs. This ‘feel good’ attitude can be seen through out the video which depicts the group having a good night out. Through mise-en-scene, sound, editing and cinematography the video represents the group itself and the culture they are a part of. This music video is a very traditional one and includes almost all of the common music video conventions such as a direct relationship between the lyrics, visuals and music and a voyeuristic view of the female body for example.
Cinematography
The first shot is a close up of the time to tell the audience that it is a Saturday night and set the mood and theme for the rest of the video. After this are a series of close-ups (in a voyeuristic manner) of the lead female singer, the close up allowing the audience to see the happy and joyful emotion on her face. We can see an immediate relationship between the upbeat music and lyrics along with the visuals on screen through this close-up as well. These are two traditional conventions of music videos only a few seconds into the song shown to the audience through cinematography. Cinematography is then used through out the rest of the video using close-ups to emphasise the representations created by mise-en-scene such as champagne glasses and balloons. As well as this there are a few canted angles in the video to represent the chaos of a fun night out. The cinematography used also picks up and emphasises another common convention of music videos whereby the performer on screen “breaks the 4th wall” and sings directly into the camera as if singing to the audience. The video uses close-ups when the performer is doing this to show it more obviously.
Sound
There is no dialogue or intro to the video and the sound is simply the track itself. However, the lyrics themselves fit the visuals on screen and repeat what we are seeing on screen with an upbeat style and quick pace which fits the stereotypical themes of a music video.
Editing
The editing is fast paced and in time with the visuals on screen. This is a common video convention with the camera angle of scene often changing on each beat of the rhythm and this video does the same in many parts. The editing also splits the screen on a few occasions showing the same shot but across different screens (as seen below). This adds a bit of confusion to the audience and represents the feeling of being drunk and symbolising a good night out.
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene plays the biggest part in representing the theme and idea of the song. The happy attitude is shown through balloons (the most obvious symbol of happiness used in film) and champagne which represents two things; both alcohol and wealth. Telling the audience that they plan to have both a good night out and get drunk as well as showing they plan to spend a lot of money. The costumes used also represents the happy feeling, all the stars are dressed up for a night out and in a voyeuristic manner, the female singer in particular, a common convention of music videos. The sets are also important, matching with the lyrics when talking of nights out in clubs and dancing on the dance floor.
SC: The Streets Video Analysis
Product Analysis
Music video: Blinded by the Lights (song) – by The Streets
The Streets (real name: Mike Skinner) is a UK grime/hip-hop artist based in London. Blinded by the Lights is a story about a man (portrayed by Skinner) whose life rapidly changes for the worse all in one night due to girls, drink and drugs. The music video portrays this night using cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene to represent Skinners disastrous night. The mise-en-scene in particular is used to represent Skinners’ culture and the identity.
Cinematography- Throughout the film cinematography is used to show Skinners status as it steadily declines and to show emotions of the characters. The first instance where this occurs is at the very start of the video where we see two close-ups of both Skinner and Simone (his current girlfriend), through the close-ups we see that they are happy, equilibrium exists in the relationship and all is well. Disequilibrium however soon occurs after a series of bad decisions from Skinner. The cinematography also represents Skinners state throughout the video, fixed, straight camera shots steadily become hand-held shots with canted angles and point of view shots as Skinner gets steadily drunk. These shots could also represent his life as a whole though with the night slowly getting worse as we begin to realise his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend. This change is also emphasised by a number of close-ups of Skinner through out the video, the screenshot above for example emphasising the mise-en-scene in the scene such as the cigarette (representing the drugs) and the closed eyes suggesting he is not himself and perhaps doesn’t even understand what is happening. We also see plenty of 360 degrees shots as the night goes on to represent his increasing confusion. One more common convention of music videos that it shows is “breaking the fourth wall”, this is when an actor/singer looks directly into the camera as if to talk to the audience, this video focus’ on this with close-ups when this occurs.
Sound- There are only two scenes where the sound is anything other than the song itself, both at the very start and the very end, this allows the audience to concentrate on the meaningful lyrics which describe what we are seeing on screen as there is a direct relationship between the visuals, music and lyrics themselves (this is a common convention of all music videos). The start dialogue and the end dialogue represent the change in emotions over the night, from one binary opposition to another, joyful to angry. This juxta position strongly represents Skinners disastrous night on its own.
Mise-en-scene- Mise-en-scene plays a very strong part in this video as the lack of dialogue in the video means that all representation has to be created through the mise-en-scene. Through out the video it represents Skinners decline through showing the audience drugs, alcohol and the consequences of using them. We are shown a number of close-ups of whiskey bottles, pills etc. which together with the lyrics tell the audience what is happening and they both give an effect of disequilibrium and chaos. Through costume the mise-en-scene again represents the decline of Skinners status, from looking very formal and well-dressed in a suit at the start of the video to wearing his shirt unbuttoned and without a tie, emphasising the negative change he has gone through throughout the night. Lighting is also used for representation as high key lighting gradually fades to low key lighting as Skinner gets less and less sober.
Editing- The first use of editing occurs when a 360 degrees shot of Skinner is sped up to both represent the confusion Skinner is feeling and to give the audience a feeling of chaos in the club. Another instance of editing being used is when a close up of Skinner is shown in slow motion to emphasise the emotion on Skinners face at the end of the night, summarising his night by focusing on the mise-en-scene in the shot such as the cigarette in his mouth and bottle in his hand to represent the drink and drugs and the effect it has had on him. The editing is also fast paced and (using a common convention of music videos) in time with the beat, showing a distinct relationship between the sound and the visuals on screen.
Music video: Blinded by the Lights (song) – by The Streets
The Streets (real name: Mike Skinner) is a UK grime/hip-hop artist based in London. Blinded by the Lights is a story about a man (portrayed by Skinner) whose life rapidly changes for the worse all in one night due to girls, drink and drugs. The music video portrays this night using cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene to represent Skinners disastrous night. The mise-en-scene in particular is used to represent Skinners’ culture and the identity.
Cinematography- Throughout the film cinematography is used to show Skinners status as it steadily declines and to show emotions of the characters. The first instance where this occurs is at the very start of the video where we see two close-ups of both Skinner and Simone (his current girlfriend), through the close-ups we see that they are happy, equilibrium exists in the relationship and all is well. Disequilibrium however soon occurs after a series of bad decisions from Skinner. The cinematography also represents Skinners state throughout the video, fixed, straight camera shots steadily become hand-held shots with canted angles and point of view shots as Skinner gets steadily drunk. These shots could also represent his life as a whole though with the night slowly getting worse as we begin to realise his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend. This change is also emphasised by a number of close-ups of Skinner through out the video, the screenshot above for example emphasising the mise-en-scene in the scene such as the cigarette (representing the drugs) and the closed eyes suggesting he is not himself and perhaps doesn’t even understand what is happening. We also see plenty of 360 degrees shots as the night goes on to represent his increasing confusion. One more common convention of music videos that it shows is “breaking the fourth wall”, this is when an actor/singer looks directly into the camera as if to talk to the audience, this video focus’ on this with close-ups when this occurs.
Sound- There are only two scenes where the sound is anything other than the song itself, both at the very start and the very end, this allows the audience to concentrate on the meaningful lyrics which describe what we are seeing on screen as there is a direct relationship between the visuals, music and lyrics themselves (this is a common convention of all music videos). The start dialogue and the end dialogue represent the change in emotions over the night, from one binary opposition to another, joyful to angry. This juxta position strongly represents Skinners disastrous night on its own.
Mise-en-scene- Mise-en-scene plays a very strong part in this video as the lack of dialogue in the video means that all representation has to be created through the mise-en-scene. Through out the video it represents Skinners decline through showing the audience drugs, alcohol and the consequences of using them. We are shown a number of close-ups of whiskey bottles, pills etc. which together with the lyrics tell the audience what is happening and they both give an effect of disequilibrium and chaos. Through costume the mise-en-scene again represents the decline of Skinners status, from looking very formal and well-dressed in a suit at the start of the video to wearing his shirt unbuttoned and without a tie, emphasising the negative change he has gone through throughout the night. Lighting is also used for representation as high key lighting gradually fades to low key lighting as Skinner gets less and less sober.
Editing- The first use of editing occurs when a 360 degrees shot of Skinner is sped up to both represent the confusion Skinner is feeling and to give the audience a feeling of chaos in the club. Another instance of editing being used is when a close up of Skinner is shown in slow motion to emphasise the emotion on Skinners face at the end of the night, summarising his night by focusing on the mise-en-scene in the shot such as the cigarette in his mouth and bottle in his hand to represent the drink and drugs and the effect it has had on him. The editing is also fast paced and (using a common convention of music videos) in time with the beat, showing a distinct relationship between the sound and the visuals on screen.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Stu H - Magazine Adverts
Stornoway
The advert is situated on the top of the page and uses the all the width of the page.
The job of an advert is to grab your attention, then finally trying to make you act on it, e.g. buying the album. This advert is simple and has subtle ways of appealing to you by using enigma, e.g. different images which you wouldn’t normally see on an advert.
Some of the font is in bold or in capitals to emphasise the importance, for example, ‘The Debut Album’ is in bold and also using the word ‘The’ makes it seem important and the only debut album you need to know about. ‘OUT NOW’ makes it seem important and that you need to buy it soon. These are all conventions of adverts, another convention is also including song titles in case you don’t know the band, and you can find this on this advert. Also, advertising how good the band are by using recognised and well branded reviews, e.g. ‘The Times, NME and The Observer’, using trustworthy endorsements shows people that the album must be good. The advert also has what seem to be random black pictures; these create a sense of enigma as they seem to have nothing to do with the band or the songs. There is just a white background with no other pictures which creates enigma to, ‘who are this band?’ making you want to know them and find out what they are about. On the bottom of the advert it features one tour date in bold capitals, ‘LONDON SHEPHARDS BUSH EMPIRE’ + Full UK dates’, the advert does this as it believes most of its target audience is London based, it also gives people the impression that they are a new up and coming band promoting their biggest date.
Pulled Apart By Horses
This advert can be found in NME and is situated in the top left corner of the page.
The adverts background picture, light green, white and black is very abstract; this represents the style of music as very natural, down beat and with meaningful lyrics. The name of the band, ‘Pulled Apart By Horses’ is shown twice on the advert and is being forced to you therefore causing you to remember it. The colour of the font is very contrasting to the background which makes it stand out more, the font of the endorsements and single name is quite small, I think this is because it means you have to look closely to advert to read it and is a very good technique of getting the consumer to pay attention to the advert. Like the other advert, there are conventions such as; endorsements from trustworthy sources e.g. The Observer and NME, also it includes the name of popular single; ‘High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive’ again, so it you don’t know the name of the band you could know the single and therefore like the band. The name of band is in a pink circle and their tour dates on the bottom of the advert are also in pink, meaning you relate them together. The contrasting colours, using the pink and the light green background make the band seem interesting and different like the abstract image does, this can relate to the type of music they play making the band unique and different. This advert is very different and grabs your attention by using abstract images and endorsements.
Eels
I found this advert in Mojo and it uses a full page.
The advert is for the Eels and their album ‘Tomorrow Morning’. The name of the band and the album are on the top of the advert, the band name in purple, album name in pink. Having their name and album at the top of the page show you the bands style, making them seem a big and important band. Firstly, having this information at the top introduces you to what the advert is about, it also acts as an attention grabber, as the font is big and simple and also uses a different colour. The colours used are the house style with different shades of pink/purple used for all text, the main picture in pink and the background, gradient, with pink at the top going into white, this again attracts your attention as most of the pages are white, and if not white are a darker colour such as black or grey. Using a traditionally female colour shows that the band are challenging traditional stereotypes and have a different and unique style of music. The advert, like most of the adverts I have seen do not use a picture of the band, and instead have an image of a tree in blossom, trees are seen as very big and strong, with fundamental roots and a foundation of life. The advert has conventions such as; including the names of popular singles, and tour dates if you want to see the band live. The positioning of this information is at the bottom of the page and is there so once the advert has grabbed you attention, using the band and album name, a pink background and an abstract tree you naturally want to know more and therefore read the information at the bottom of the page. This advert doesn’t use endorsements which in some ways can be more positive than using them, this is because you get the impression that they don’t need to use them because they are already a big band and don’t need to be endorsed and ‘big-ed up’, and instead they let their music do the talking. However this advert does do something I haven’t seen, it endorses one of its own, new songs. They do this to relate to exclusivity which people want, giving them the attitude that they have the chance to listen to a new song and have the chance to hear it before it becomes a hit, making giving them more enticements to listen.
The advert is situated on the top of the page and uses the all the width of the page.
The job of an advert is to grab your attention, then finally trying to make you act on it, e.g. buying the album. This advert is simple and has subtle ways of appealing to you by using enigma, e.g. different images which you wouldn’t normally see on an advert.
Some of the font is in bold or in capitals to emphasise the importance, for example, ‘The Debut Album’ is in bold and also using the word ‘The’ makes it seem important and the only debut album you need to know about. ‘OUT NOW’ makes it seem important and that you need to buy it soon. These are all conventions of adverts, another convention is also including song titles in case you don’t know the band, and you can find this on this advert. Also, advertising how good the band are by using recognised and well branded reviews, e.g. ‘The Times, NME and The Observer’, using trustworthy endorsements shows people that the album must be good. The advert also has what seem to be random black pictures; these create a sense of enigma as they seem to have nothing to do with the band or the songs. There is just a white background with no other pictures which creates enigma to, ‘who are this band?’ making you want to know them and find out what they are about. On the bottom of the advert it features one tour date in bold capitals, ‘LONDON SHEPHARDS BUSH EMPIRE’ + Full UK dates’, the advert does this as it believes most of its target audience is London based, it also gives people the impression that they are a new up and coming band promoting their biggest date.
Pulled Apart By Horses
This advert can be found in NME and is situated in the top left corner of the page.
The adverts background picture, light green, white and black is very abstract; this represents the style of music as very natural, down beat and with meaningful lyrics. The name of the band, ‘Pulled Apart By Horses’ is shown twice on the advert and is being forced to you therefore causing you to remember it. The colour of the font is very contrasting to the background which makes it stand out more, the font of the endorsements and single name is quite small, I think this is because it means you have to look closely to advert to read it and is a very good technique of getting the consumer to pay attention to the advert. Like the other advert, there are conventions such as; endorsements from trustworthy sources e.g. The Observer and NME, also it includes the name of popular single; ‘High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive’ again, so it you don’t know the name of the band you could know the single and therefore like the band. The name of band is in a pink circle and their tour dates on the bottom of the advert are also in pink, meaning you relate them together. The contrasting colours, using the pink and the light green background make the band seem interesting and different like the abstract image does, this can relate to the type of music they play making the band unique and different. This advert is very different and grabs your attention by using abstract images and endorsements.
Eels
I found this advert in Mojo and it uses a full page.
The advert is for the Eels and their album ‘Tomorrow Morning’. The name of the band and the album are on the top of the advert, the band name in purple, album name in pink. Having their name and album at the top of the page show you the bands style, making them seem a big and important band. Firstly, having this information at the top introduces you to what the advert is about, it also acts as an attention grabber, as the font is big and simple and also uses a different colour. The colours used are the house style with different shades of pink/purple used for all text, the main picture in pink and the background, gradient, with pink at the top going into white, this again attracts your attention as most of the pages are white, and if not white are a darker colour such as black or grey. Using a traditionally female colour shows that the band are challenging traditional stereotypes and have a different and unique style of music. The advert, like most of the adverts I have seen do not use a picture of the band, and instead have an image of a tree in blossom, trees are seen as very big and strong, with fundamental roots and a foundation of life. The advert has conventions such as; including the names of popular singles, and tour dates if you want to see the band live. The positioning of this information is at the bottom of the page and is there so once the advert has grabbed you attention, using the band and album name, a pink background and an abstract tree you naturally want to know more and therefore read the information at the bottom of the page. This advert doesn’t use endorsements which in some ways can be more positive than using them, this is because you get the impression that they don’t need to use them because they are already a big band and don’t need to be endorsed and ‘big-ed up’, and instead they let their music do the talking. However this advert does do something I haven’t seen, it endorses one of its own, new songs. They do this to relate to exclusivity which people want, giving them the attitude that they have the chance to listen to a new song and have the chance to hear it before it becomes a hit, making giving them more enticements to listen.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Stu Harrison - Video Analysis
Arctic Monkeys - F.A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9I9VBKPiw
Camerawork and Editing
Though-out the music video the editing is very fast paced and with canted angles to show chaos and confusion, this is because the video is very action packed. During these times, they are broken up with flashbacks which are a comparison, you music video shows clowns fighting with men, in the flashbacks you see the clowns and men getting on well together as kids, the flashbacks are slow paced and have mid and long shots used to show a comparison as they are getting on. The action packed video also has a match with the song title, 'Fluorescent Adolescent', being an adolescent/teenager is seen as bright, fun, action packed and troubled time. The video to some people would seem a joke, however from the use of close ups on the main character, one of the clowns, shows anger, disappointment, showing his reactions makes the video have a meaning.
Mise-en-scene
The location the video is set is an abandoned factory near the riverside, the signifier, and signifies the metaphor that a person might have been a lively big factory, but now has decayed and is unwanted. This again is shown as the clowns represent a lively happy person, like the working factory but now the men wearing official clothes, e.g. suits, the colour black. The clowns have very bright colours and this represents being young, happiness, and is a massive comparison to the men.
Sound
The lyrics have a relationship to what happens on screen, not directly showing you what the lyrics are saying, but putting the lyrics into a different situation, an emphasises situation so you can identify the point of the video. The music is upbeat and matches the video, which has a fast tempo.
Conventions
There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. There is also the 'upbeat' link between the music and visuals, however this doesn't change when the music slows down, the video doesn't slow down at the same time. Conventions A convention it breaks, is the fact there isn't any close ups of the band for the record label, the band aren't featured at all in the video which is very unusual.
Example - Vile (Lily Allen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9I9VBKPiw
Camerawork and Editing
The camerawork through out the film consists of a number of close up and mid shots on the singer, Example, this is consistent with the conventions of music videos. The music video is of normal pace and there are no strange camerawork, e.g. canted angles, this is because there is a clear link between what you see on screen and the lyrics which match perfectly, therefore you want to see what's happening on screen at a normal pace and easily else the video wouldn't make much sense. The camerawork also has to show the puppets with mid shots and are often included in shots with Example, this is to show and emphasis his real feelings about what happening to him in the video, this makes the video seem like a short story/narrative. The editing features shot reverse shots throughout to show the conversions of the people and puppets.
Mise-en-scene
The video is set in normal places, a street, restaurant, pub and living room are some of the featured locations. This is to make the song believable and attract the right audience. To match this the video also has characters dressed in casual clothes to match this. The video is directed at the new casual modern man. This can be proven as the purpose of the video is to be a story and the mise-en-scene makes it believable. The clothes consists of; a plain white t shirt, open jacket, jeans and trainers giving him a casual look, added to this is his long hair which makes him an unconventional rapper but more of a down to earth pop singer, which appeals to a younger generation. This matches the genre of the song, a slightly hip hop genre.
Sound
The pace and genre of the music matches the video completely, there is medium pace and the genre, a mix between 'rap' and 'pop' matches this, a slightly hip hop song. The lyrics in the song also match the video, what you heard is what you see, e.g. you see a Example arguing with a woman and in the lyrics, you heard what is being discussed in the argument. Conventions This music video matches all conventions of a stereotypical music video, the music, lyrics and on screen action match completely, although this is stereotypical I have only seen this in one music video that I have studied for this research task. The inter-textual reference is shown as its a remix of a another song by a different artist. The music video matches its genre of hip hop by showing the story of man that you are interested in, idolising him, with lots of close ups and mid shots showing you him, this will more than likely be a record label demand.
The Streets - Dry Your Eyes Mate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHOf3s70w-c
Camerawork and Editing
The slow editing emphasises his depressed mood and the pace of the song. Also long shots with long takes makes it awkward to watch and emphasises how alone he is, and again matches the pace of the song. Using still pictures at the start of song sets you up for the rest of the song, the shots show isolation and linger matching the pace of the song. The video is entirely made up of very still shots making the video different and slow paced.
Mise-en-scene
An empty snooker room shows his isolation as its very quiet and would normally have other people in, this is the same for the empty restaurant. Staffordshire bull terrier is a stereotypically masculine dog associated with working class people, the dog is used to reinforce the masculinity of the male singer as the song it very depressing and focuses on the singers (Mike Skinners) feelings. Also, the singers look; short hair, 1980's football casual dress shows him to be masculine but unstereotypically singing a depressing song. The lighting used is low key lighting, this is because you associate low lighting and depression.
Sound
There is no non-digetic sound. The music matches what you see on screen throughout, as isolation is shown throughout. However a specific example would be; when you computer game says on screen 'you lose' relating to the music. Conventions The slow editing shows the relationship between lyrics and screen. There are close ups on the singer showing his reaction and his body movement as its unstereotypical to see this, a an open up about his feeling. Mike Skinner has had the video set in a place for his 'look', for example the snooker room, and working class living room.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
SC: Chase and Status Video Analysis
Product Analysis
Music video: End Credits – Chase and Status ft. Plan B.
Chase and Status are two drum and bass artists who have come together with rapper/soul singer Plan B. This song was released as the theme song for the film “Harry Brown” which is about one mans struggle against a group of abusive youths on a rough London council estate (in which Plan B stars). The music video keeps to the theme of the film and includes clips of it, however, Plan B appears in these clips as an alter ego to his character in the film (an abusive, violent thug). The theme and culture of the rough London estates is portrayed and represented throughout the video using mise-en-scene, sound, editing and cinematography. These tools are also used to portray a fight between the main character's good and bad side, as well as a theme of life and death.
The video starts with a slow motion image (using editing) of the main character falling, in time with an acoustic sound. He eventually hits the floor and as he opens his eyes as the song progresses from a slow acoustic sound to a more lively one, showing a direct link between the visuals on screen and the music itself, a common music video convention. The video creates enigma in the narrative due to a lack of sound other than the backing music itself as we don’t know what or who has hit the character; the mise-en-scene doesn't give anything away as to what has made the character fall either. The cinematography emphasises the expression of the character as he hits the ground using close-ups and extreme close-ups.
We are then shown different clips from the film, Harry Brown, with some dialogue over the music to represent the character's attitude and behavior. However, the character from the music video is in the room as well with a look of sadness, and the cinematography focuses in on actions of the alter ego as if to plead with his other self not to be so aggressive. It gives the impression that the character in the music video is looking back on his former self with guilt. We are shown several of these clips throughout the video, of the main character looking back on himself and begging himself to stop. This fits with the lyrics themselves (showing a link between the lyrics and visuals on screen, another common music video convention) which are about hoping people will be sad when you are gone.
The rest of the video is filled with clips of the film representing a very stereotypical culture and attitude of young people in modern times. Using costumes, sets, props and the characters actions they are portrayed as violent, aggressive and undisciplined. For example, a gun is used to represent violence and blood on a boys face represents the presence of death or murder. The costumes used are stereotypical, hoodies, jeans track suit bottoms etc. which together play to the common stereotypical representation of lower class youth today. Overall the mise-en-scene creates a very negative representation of youth.
Images of the main character (from editing techniques used) rising represent death, his ascent to heaven, having shown guilt for his actions in life. This use of editing adds to the life/death theme. The final scene is of the character being found dead, hinting that we have just seen is a stage between life and death, his fall at the beginning of the video having killed him.
Sam Crimes
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