Before completing the design for my digipak i first decided to draft out the placement of each image and text on the design. I decided that on the front cover i would have one single image taking up the whole of the cover. I then decided that i would have the band name in the top right of the cover and the album name in the bottom left, however this would be in a larger font to ensure that the audience still see it. I decided that i would have both spine's the same and have the band name and album title along the side, next to each other in the same font used on the front cover. I also decided the keep the back cover quite plane, to ensure the album tracks stand out clearly. I decided the place them along the bottom of the page in a bold font.
Within the inside cover i decided to include a pocket where the booklet (containing song lyrics, thank you's etc.) will go. I also decided to place an image in the middle of the cover. This image, as well as all other images used, will keep with the theme of the album. The second inside cover, i decided, would be similar to the first by having an image in the centre of the cover, however the image will be a different one. The third insde cover will also be the same. I also decided to design a layout for the CD/DVD and the space behind each. I decided that behind the CD i would feature the artist name, however the space behind the DVD will remain blank.
I decided to use the same image on the CD and DVD that i have done on the front of the cover, creating a distinguishable link between the two, however on the DVD the colours will be inverted to ensure the audience know which is which.
This is a 6 panel digipack, 2 CD template that will be used when planning and producing my own digipack. The design includes a front and back cover, two spines, the left inside cover and two sides for disks that will need to be planned and produced along with the designs for both the CD and DVD included.
When planning the design of my digipack it was important to look into existing products while noting the codes and conventions of what is typically used to produce a realistic digipack. While looking at the existing market i found that typically used throughout successful existing digipacks are things such as
a variety of images of the band/artist and logo's related to the band/artist. visuals such as instruments and live performances are also frequently used.
the band/artist name in a recognisable font and style used along the spine as well as the front cover.
band/artist information included within a booklet. booklet's also usually include song lyrics, set lists if live DVD's are included and information on the type of music the artist produces and audience that the music is aim at.
digipacks are also usually produced to release special edition's of the CD and DVD included so behind the scene footage and special features are also usually advertised/included within the digipak.
The third album cover I have analysed is 'Brand New - Deja Entendu'. The album cover follows the conventions of pop punk album covers, however contrasts with the conventions of what is stereotypically known for album artwork as there is no image of the band on the cover. The cover follows a 'man on the moon' type image and features a person wearing a spacesuit in the middle of the album cover as the main focus. The person is floating in mid air which connotes surrealism and mystery, and idea and connotation behind the idea of deja vu (this creates a link with the album title) as deja vu's are considered weird and out of the ordinary. A further idea that links with the mystery is the idea that the person featured is wearing a space suit and is therefore not visible, as a person, to the audience; we are unaware as to what the person looks like and also whether they are male or female.
We can not be sure of the specific target audience by just looking at the cover but it can be sure that it will appeal to someone who enjoys things that are out of the ordinary and does not follow the ideas of what is considered normal and popular due to the choice of image and colour shown on the front cover which, by someone who does not enjoy pop punk music, would be considered weird and not appealing. We can also be sure that the album appeals to no specific audience due to the face that there is no gender specified on the cover. As the gender of the person in the space suit is hidden is does not create a divide between males and females and therefore shows that anyone is entitled to listen to and enjoy the album as much as someone else.
The colour scheme that runs throughout the front cover is bright and eye catching, the two colours (green and orange/yellow) contrasting with each other. The colours link with space as the green placed at the bottom of the cover signifies the earth and the ground whereas the orange and yellow colours connote the sun. As the man is placed between the two (floating in mid air) it shows that he is between the two and therefore floating around not sure about what he is doing, another idea linked with the 'deja vu' and surreal concept. The fact that the colours are bright and eyecatching is important as it will catch the audience's eye and immediately attract them to it.
The band name is featured at the top of the cover, in a white font, making it stand out and contrast against the colours of the background. The style of font also makes the album recognisable as a 'Brand New' album as it is used throughout all of their album and single releases. The title of the album is placed under the artist name in a smaller font, however also in white text to ensure that the contrast is still there and making sure that the audience still notice the name of the album. As the album and artist title is placed at the top of the page, and also directly above the main image, it instantly becomes recognisable to the audience, despite the size, as the audience's eye immediately goes up and therefore, it becomes the second, if not first, thing that the audience see.
The album cover for 'Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life and Death' is in the style on an old fashion, leather bound book. The colour scheme, royal red, connotes class and wealth, while also giving the idea of mystery with the use of black. Linking with the idea of chronicles and past events and ensuring that the cover and ideology behind it does not give too much away is the idea that the band are not featured on the front cover. This, similarly to the 'New Found Glory' album cover, is not conventional as the audience are not initially aware of the band who's album it is. However, to ensure that the audience are still aware of the artist, the band name has been placed at the top of the cover in a colour that contrasts with the deep red background. The font is also recognisable to the fans and will therefore immediately become distinguishable as a 'Good Charlotte' album cover due to the font used being one used throughout all their album artwork and promotions etc.
The album covers colour scheme is dark red, gold and black which connotes wealth and superiority, giving an idea of elegance, a contrast to what the pop punk genre conventionally sounds like. This links with the ideas of the genre; you shouldn't be so quickly to judge people from the exterior as people are usually different inside in contrast to what they look like. For example, despite the cover using an elegant colour scheme, the music contrasts and becomes more dark. The use of two ghostly figures in the middle of the cover also links with the idea as it is showing that despite the colour scheme connoting high class, there is more to the album and it is most likely to sound dark, while also showing that you should never judge a book by it's cover.
The connotations surrounding the album cover is predominantly to do with contrast. The band name is written in a old English font, in gold, which once again, connotes elegance and wealth while also providing the audience with the font that is constantly used by the band making it a recognisable product. This contrasts with the font of the album name 'The Chronicles of Life and Death' as it is written in a more scripted style, connoting once more the difference of wealth with something more dark and mysterious. This also links with the idea of 'Life and Death' as half the album connotes something superior and alive whereas the other half of the connotations signify death and dying.
The album cover for 'New Found Glory's' self titled album features nine, single, different images, none of which are the band. This does not follow the conventions of CD covers as the artist is, stereotypically the main focal point of the cover. Each image relates to teenage 'rebellion' life and creates a strong image about the audience the band are aiming their music at. The target audience, from looking at this CD cover, are predominantly stereotypical teenagers that enjoy going out, drinking, having fun and having sex. This is made clear from the variety of images used such as condoms, food and gig tickets. However, because there is such a variety of images shown, it connotes that the band aim their music at a wide audience and this CD cover shows that many people can enjoy the album and music in general.
The colour scheme running throughout the cover is quite bright and includes a lot of reds and oranges. This contrasts with the ideas behind the imagery as it connotes a more bright side to the band, linking with the idea of pop punk music; guitar rifts with a more up beat and popular sound. The bright colours are therefore the 'pop' side of the music where as the rebellious imagery relates more to the 'punk' side of the music. The images also have a '90's vibe to them (roller blades, joy sticks and old style phones) linking with when the band were the most famous and most well known. As this album was released just into the new millennium, it acts as a way to remember the decade that has just passed, showing some of the best things to come out of the 1990's.
The band name (also the title of the album) is placed across the middle of the cover, making sure it is one of the first thing noticed due to it being one of the main focal points. This is important as there is no main image of the band and therefore would not be instantly known to be a 'New Found Glory' album by most people. However, the font size is not very large, therefore a background on each individual word has been added to help it stand out more and become more recognisable to the audience. Each of the backgrounds on each word also links with the colour scheme's of the images placed on each row of the cover e.g. the orange background on the word 'new' links with the colour scheme of the roller blades, whereas the black background on the word 'glory' links with the colour scheme of the joy stick and food.
Storyboard of shots 21-27 of my music video. These shots show each character looking happy with their life and smiling to the camera. In the two shots used the girls are portrayed laughing together and enjoying each other's company. There are also group shots used with all 5 girls showing that each one is willing to let people into their life again. The music video concludes with a shot of all five girls relaxed together and smiling, unaware that the camera is there. The shot then fades to black as the final notes of the song are played.
Storyboard of shots 1-20 of my music video. These shots show each of the girl characters looking sad and upset about the current situation. However, these storyboards also show the girls starting to look more optimistic about things (shot 14 onwards). Shots 18 through to 20 show the scenes of the part of the music video where all the girls are together and are shown looking happy and content with their life.
All five girls will tell the story of people suffering from heartbreak who don't believe they will ever be happy due to the fact that they have just broke up with their boyfriend. As the music video goes on they will begin to look more optimistic about the situation and will conclude with them all happily enjoying each other's company.
When first set the A2 coursework task I was set on the idea of making a music video and not a film trailer, website or any of the remaining brief ideas. Once decided that I wanted to produce a music video i had to decide on the genre of the song and come up with ideas of what to feature in my video. I had no certain thought about what I wanted to feature in my video and had many ideas before coming up with my final thought.
Initially I thought about doing a pop video with a performance element but soon decided against that when I couldn't find anyone to perform and also couldn't find an appropriate song choice. I then thought about filming footage abroad as I was going on holiday during October, however, decided that it would be too difficult to find the time and knew that if mistakes were made it would be impossible to re-shoot the footage.
I then thought about doing a dance track and filming a group of girls on a night out, but once again knew it would be hard to find the time and knew it would be difficult to find people to cooperate and agree with the ideas I had in mind (as they included being very loud and obnoxious) along with re-shooting the footage if mistakes were made.
Finally I decided on a pop punk track by Blink-182 as the track and band is one that I like and so know the audience well and therefore know what to include to ensure that it targets them right. I have decided to feature a mixture between a performance and narrative structure. The people who are performing within the music video will not be a band but characters singing. These will also be the people that are telling a story. This is not as conventional for pop punk videos as they usually have a band performance, however, i decided not to include this as i wanted to challenge the stereotype and thought that it would still be possible to make a successful and realistic pop punk video without featuring a band as the story it tells is one that is conventional of pop punk tracks.
I have decided to make the theme throughout my music video all about heartbreak and how the girl in the relationship is always the one to feel the most hurt and suffer the most during a break up. I plan to show this by having different female characters, portrayed in black and white and looking very plain, looking into the camera holding up cards with pivotal lyrics on them. However, as the music video progresses the colours will become more bright, the characters looking more alive and the all round mood lifted giving the impression and telling the story that life goes on after a break up and you don't have to suffer.
(introduction) 00.00 – 00.16 = screen will fade from black to a medium shot of a girl with her head facing the floor. slowly she will tilt her face up to face the camera with a clear upset expression on her face. Screen will then fade to another female character who will do the same thing. Shots will continue like this until all five female characters have been shown. Each character will be shown on the screen for approximately 3 seconds. As each character makes strong eye contact with the camera it will create an instant connection between them and the audience.
I swear that i can go on forever, again (00.16 - 00.25) = screen will cut to show first girl character who will be stood in a medium shot looking into the camera. As the lyrics 'i swear' are sung the girl will hold up a card that reads 'swear' on while still looking into the camera. The screen will then fade to show the second female character who will be in the same position, however this time she will hold the card up when the lyrics 'forever' are sung.
Please let me know that my one bad day will end (00.25 - 00.35) = Screen will fade into another character who will be doing the same thing, however they will look up into the camera and hold the card during the lyrics 'let me know'. The screen will then fade out again and reveal a fourth character. They will look into the camera and show their card during the lyric 'end'.
I will go down as your lover, your friend (00.35 - 00.46) A fifth and final character will be shown as the screen fades once again and they will show their card during the lyric 'go down'. The screen will then fade again as the first female character is shown. She will hold up a card again during the lyrics 'your lover'. The shot will fade again and the second female character will be shown and will hold up their card during the lyric 'friend'
Give me your lips, and with one kiss we begin (00.46 - 01.00) The screen will fade once more to reveal the third character again, she will hold up her card during the lyric 'lips'. The screen will fade again to show the fourth character who will hold up their card during the lyric 'one kiss'. The shot will then fade for a final time and show the fifth character who will hold up their card during the lyric 'begin'.
Are you afraid of being alone (01.00 - 01.04) Screen will cut to shot the first character who will still look upset, however more positive about things. She will hold up a card during the lyric 'alone'. Character will look to the side as the screen wipes across
Cause i am, i'm lost without you (01.04 - 01.11) The second female character will then be shown similar to the first, but will hold up a card during the lyric 'lost'. The character will then look up as the screen wipes up
Are you afraid of leaving tonight (01.11 - 01.16) The third female character will then be shown similar to the two previous but will hold up a card during the lyric 'leaving'. They will then look to the side as the screen wipes across.
Cause i am, i'm lost without you (01.16 - 01.28) The fourth female character will then be shown holding up a card during the lyric 'without you'. The screen will then quickly cut between all character who are now slightly smiling and appear to have more make-up on and are dressing more vibrant.
I'll leave my room open 'till sunrise for you (01.28 - 01.38) First character will be shown again, however this time she will be shown with a smile on her face. Character will hold up card during the lyric 'leave'. This lyric connotes change and therefore links with the ideology behind the music video. Second character will be shown on screen, she, too, will be smiling and looking happy. She will hold the card up during the lyric 'sunrise', a word also connoting change and linking with the ideas of the music video.
I'll keep my eyes patiently focused on you (01.38 - 01.49) The third character will be shown, also looking happy and content. She will hold up her card during the lyric 'patiently'. The screen will then fade into the fourth character (the fade representing that, despite not being the way they once were, things are slowly changing) who will hold up the card during the lyric 'you'.
Where are you now I can hear footsteps I'm dreaming (01.49 - 01.59) The fifth and first character will be shown as the shot fades in, looking happy and content being within each others company. The fifth character will hold up the card during the lyric, 'now' and the first character will hold up their card during the lyric 'dreaming'
And if you will, keep me from waking to believe this (01.59 - 02.10) The shot will fade again to reveal the second and third characters. Character two will hold up the card during the lyric 'waking' whereas the third character will hold up her card during 'believe'.
Are you afraid of being alone (02.10 - 02.15) shot will cut to show all five characters laughing and enjoying themselves. The shot will now also be in colour, helping contribute to the idea of change. Character five will hold their card up during the lyric 'alone'
Cause i am, i'm lost without you (02.15 - 02.21) The shot will continue from previous, however, this time character one will hold their card up, showing it clearly to the camera during the lyric 'without'
Are you afraid of leaving tonight (02.21 - 02.26) The shot will continue from previous, however this time character two will hold their card up, giving the camera a clear view of it, during the lyric 'leaving'
Cause i am, i'm lost without you (02.26 - 02.33) The shot will continue from previous however character three will hold up their card during the lyric 'you'
Instrumental/Ending notes. (02.33 - 03.20) The shot will fade out to show clips of the five girls having fun with each other, connoting that they are over what has happened and their life has gone on. The shot will then cut back to show all five characters in the location where all the music video has been shot, laughing and having fun. The shot will fade to black while the girls are still joking around, showing that this process is on going and that the girls have left the situation better people.
The video opens like the start to a movie, as an institutions name appears on screen. This gives the audience an idea as to what the video is going to be about as ‘Hopeless Sports Network’ is the institution ‘channel’. As the word ‘hopeless’ is featured is shows the audience that this video is going to connote something being a disaster. Shown underneath this is the band name ‘All Time Low’, giving the audience recognition as to whose video this is. The music playing over this shot is up tempo and unrelated to the song. As this shot goes off screen the music comes to a halt, as though a disk is being scratched, the music to the song then starts to play.
The first shot is a long, establishing shot of a gym locker room, shot through a fish eye lens. This gives the impression that the audience are trespassing to somewhere where they wouldn’t normally be allowed. This gives gratification to the viewer as they feel honoured to be able to see somewhere where they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to go. The shot then cuts to a long shot of the band in a steam room, linking and keeping with the theme of a locker room/gym and then a long shot of one single band member in a toilet cubicle, keeping with the theme of the video further. The shot then cuts back to a long shot of the band in the steam room and the drummer is shown mimicking playing as though they were drums there. This gives the impression that the band is relaxed and enjoys doing things normal people would i.e go to the gym. This makes them more relatable with the audience and gives them a wider target audience. The band are represented as normal people further as when they are shown on screen they are sat playing and singing between normal people. These people look oblivious to the band, reading and writing etc., giving the impression further that these are normal people. As the band are shown either wearing just towels or casual clothing (ie black hoodies and jeans) it shows that they are comfortable with who they are and don’t feel the need to conform to what is stereotypically known as ‘celebrity’, a convention of pop punk music and videos.
The narrative structure to the video is then introduced. The first shot we saw is brought back, however this time it introduces the first event that the band will be competing in. The shot then cuts to an extreme long shot, showing the area where the band and their opposing team will be competing. A medium shot is then shown to give the audience a good view of the bands rival, which also shows how professional they look and denotes a strong juxtaposition between them and the band. The shot then cuts again to a long shot so we can see the gymnast running towards the vault. The shot becomes a low angle shot, making the competitor look more superior than the band while also showing her jump and spin over the vault. A medium long shot of the judges is then shown to show to give the audience an idea about how good the gymnast it. It also provides a strong juxtaposition between how good the professionals are compared to the band. The shot then cuts back to the steam room where the lead singer of the band (Alex Gaskarth) is performing, once again the other men around them ignoring them, adding to the fact that they are considered as normal people and not the stereotypical idea of 'celebrity'.
An extreme close up of the gym area is shown once more, however, this time when the shot cuts into a medium shot, one of the band are shown, looking slightly more unprofessional than the previous gymnast. The shots follow the same pattern as before which amplifies the difference between the two competitors and the reaction from the surrounding people and judges.
The next event is then introduced (balance beam) and, different to before, each contestant is shown directly after each other in a medium long shot, helping to create a further difference between the two. The shot then cuts to show the professional contestant performing on the beam and then the band member, who proceeds to lay on the the beam and pretend to swim whilst blowing kisses. This, contrasting with the previous contestant, provides humour for the audience. The medium shot of the judges is then repeated, showing the difference in scores and creating the juxtaposition between each contestant further.
The next event is 'uneven bars' and shows the band becoming in control as the long shot shows them greasing the bars up in order to sabotage the other competitor. The low angle shot of the band watching the girl on the bars show further that they are in control of the situtation and also lets the audience see a clear shot of their expressions and reactions to the girl falling off the bars. The band are then seen in a variety of long and medium shots performing throughout the locker room, steam room and showers. As the band are performing whilst in the shower it gives the audience a view of places they'd never usually see and lets them explore the band in palces that would usually be out of reach. This also continues the idea that the band are ordinary people who enjoy making music and enjoying things normal people would.
Following on from the idea that the band are in charge of the situation continues in the steam room where, whilst singing, Alex Gaskarth grabs the camera and sings into it. This connotes, not only, that the band are in charge of the situations throughout the music video but also that they are in charge of their music in general and that they are not manaufactured i.e they make and sing all their own music. This links with the idea that they are not conforming to the known idea of celebrity.
The final event is introduced on the screen in the same way as before. A variety of medium and long shots cut in with each other to give the audience a good, clear view of the gymnasts routine. A long shot of the band is then shown next to the judges table, who are unaware that the band are planning to sabotage the performance. The shot then shows the band picking up a mirrored object and aiming it so it shines in the girls face. The shot cuts to a close up of the girls face to show her shocked expression that something has happened to wreck her performance. The shots cut quickly to the beat of the band performing in the steam and locker room, connoting a success at what they have done to the girl as the tempo is upbeat and congratulating. The shot then cuts to a low angle medium shot, connoting superiority and high levels of control. A long shot is then shown to give the audience a clear view of the performance that's about to come. The band member performing plays up to the camera and puts on a show. This could be interperated as him acting for the audience at home, thus making them feel involved or him acting to the judges to ensure that they give him a good mark. After the performance the medium shot of the judges is seen once more, this time with perfect scores, contributing to the control and success the band are achieving. A long shot of the judges and band celebrating is then shown to tell the audience of the success they have had. This could link with the band's lives as they are showing that at the start things will be a struggle and there will always be people that are going to look and act better than you but if you are persistant and constantly try you will get what you want, become successful and people will give you the recognition you deserve.
This video, although not following the same story as the Paramore one, is similar in the story and morals they tell as they both are saying that, despite being different it doesn't mean you should not be treating or be treat differently than others. Coffee Shop Soundtrack by All Time Low shows that even though you do not fit the norm of what is considered successful and talented. However, by having a successful music video the band are able to make fun of this concept and therefore show that you can be successful in whatever you want if it is what you enjoy and are passionate about.
This video (Misery Business - Paramore) follows predominantly a performance structure but also has parts of narrative structure included. This is typical of pop punk/alternative music videos, as is the story that's being told. The narrative tells a story of someone who thinks she has the right to pick on everyone else in the school because they are different from her. The story concludes with the band arriving at the school where the taunting is happening and making fun of the girl bully, showing her a lesson and saying that even if you're different, you shouldn't have to put up with people making fun of you.
It opens with several long shots showing each band members quickly, cutting each time to the beat of the track. This immediately shows the audience the genre of the track as they know it is going to be one lead by a variety of instruments. This is also shows by the close-ups of guitars throughout the introduction of the song. The shots of the band also vary between close-ups of their faces, giving a detailed view of each member and long shots of the whole band to give the audience an over all image. The shot then cuts and pans up and back down to show a long of a cheerleaders, connoting the difference in the two groups of people (the band and cheerleaders) and giving the audience an idea about what the video is going to be about. There are also close ups of cheerleader iconography(pom poms, short skirts etc.) which juxtaposes with the music iconography (guitars, microphone's and drum kits) of the band, emphasising the difference between the two further. Adding further to the juxtaposition is the lighting of the shots. The lighting appears to by quite dark when showing the band, however, as the shots change to focus on the cheerleaders, the lighting brightens. The choice of costume also helps emphasize the differences as Paramore are dressed in black and red/orange, connoting a fiery personality, appose to the cheerleaders who are dressed in blue and yellow, connoting more of a happy-go-lucky personality. A brown haired girl who is introduced to the narrative later is also shown wearing blue, however the connotations are different as it gives the impression of her being quite boyish and having more of a manly personality, as blue is stereotypically associated with males.
The shots alternately cut between Paramore and the cheerleaders until it stops on a long shot of the cheerleaders and begins to zoom, preparing the audience for something coming from behind. The shot gives the impression that it will carry on zooming until passed to cheerleaders to focus on something behind them, however, is interrupted by a girl, dressed obviously different, pushing her through. The shot then cuts to a long shot of the girl pushing her way through (previously a medium close up) to give the audience a clear view of who she is. It then cuts back to a close up, showing the girl from different angels and giving the audience a further view of the girl. The shot then cuts to an extreme close up of Hayley Williams, contrasting with the girl previously shown, which gives a strong juxtaposition between the two characters. The shots then cut quickly, alternating between the close up of a girl and the close up of Hayley Williams, giving a further juxtaposition and also, connoting a rivalry between the two.
The narrative continues to show the girl parading through a school corridor until she comes across a girl stood at her locker with long blonde hair. The shot shows a close up of the girls plait, giving the audience an idea of what will happen next, creating a sense of dramatic irony. As the girl is wearing pink and has long, blonde hair, it is clearly opposite to the girl who is pushing her way through the school. This difference is amplified when a close up is shown of the blonde girl turning round so her face is clearly shown and then the shot cuts to a close up to the brown haired girl. A two shot is then shown to show the strong difference in appearance further. This also backs up the story in the music video that because she is different, she thinks she has the right to taunt others (the difference is shown here clearly). Once the blonde girl realises that the brown haired girl has cut her hair off without her knowing her expression is shown in a close-up to emphasize the expression and give the audience a clear idea, making the reality more believable and therefore making the audience have empathy for the character. Close ups of the affects are then shown, giving both audience and character a clear realisation of what has happened. The brown haired character is then shown walking away from the camera, the close up giving the audience a clear view of her smug expression, connoting an impression that says she does not care about what has just happened. This is amplified when the camera shows a medium shot of the blonde girl screaming (after the brown haired girl has left), showing that audience the damaged left. The shot then cuts to a long shot of the band and then back to a close up of the blonde girl screaming again. This connotes a long lasting damaged due to the shot of the band performing in between each shot.
The second part of the narrative is shown in the same way as the first. As in the first part, a close up of something that gives clues as to who the next 'victim' is going to be is shown. The brown haired girl is similarly shown parading through the school corridor, a determined look on her face, shown in medium close up to give a clear view of her expression. A close up of a sign leading to the nurses office is also shown, creating dramatic irony once more. A medium shot of a boy coming out of the room is then shown. The shot pans up from his pot/sling to reveal his face which looks anxious as to who might be outside the door. The effect of having a close up of the pot shows the audience why this boy is the next target (he is already vulnerable). When the track climaxes this is the point where the brown haired girl is 'ready to strike' once more. The boy is then shown backing away from something the audience cannot see (but will correctly presume to be the brown haired girl) before the shot cuts to a medium long shot of the girl approaching and pushing the, already injured, boy into a wall cabinet. This goes against typical stereotypes that girls are the weaker sex as the roles are reversed and the female is the one doing the bullying. Similarly to the previous incident, the boy is shown in a medium shot whimpering due to the after effects of the girls actions. A shot of the band is also shown between two shots of the boy in pain, connoting passing time and giving a realisation to the audience about how much pain has been caused. A close up of the girl's reaction to what she has done is also shown, once again showing that she is not bothered about what she has done and people should not be so pathetic.
A third scenario is shown, introduced by a two shot (medium shot) of a couple stood at a locker. Previous to this shot a close up of the brown haired girl is shown, once again, walking through the corridor with a stern look on her face, connoting that she is ready to 'strike' once more. The shot of the couple at the locker then cuts to a close up of both the male and female, smiling and looking happy and in love, this lets the audience see clearly how they're feeling, making the reaction once the brown haired girl does something, even more intense. Once again as the track becomes more up beat the girl is seen approaching the scene. She then grabs the face of the girl in the relationship, shown in a close up (for emphasis) and proceeds to kiss the boy. This shot is an over the shoulder shot, giving room for the audience to see the girl's expression and the way she is feeling. However, the girl is blurred to ensure that the full attention is on the brown haired girl kissed the boy. The shot alternatively cuts between the band and the narrative structure, once again showing passing time, connoting that these actions have gone on for a while. A close up of the girl (in the relationship) is then shown so the audience can see her hurt reaction clearly. The shot then cuts to a close up of Hayley Williams (lead singer of Paramore) who is looking smug as though she is ready to do something like the brown haired girl. The shot then cuts back to show the brown haired girl licking her lips, connoting something that she's enjoyed/sucess and leaves to scece. Similarly to the previous incidents within the music video the shots cut between the band and the couple to show the lasting affect the girl's actions has had on them; close ups are used for emphasis and to show the audience a clear image of what the characters are feeling, in this case the boy looks shocked and the girl upset.
A long shot of the band walking out of a room in the school is shown, followed by the ever too familiar close up of the brown haired girl walking through the corridor, as if she is ready to destroy someone else. A two shot is then shown of Hayley Williams and the brown haired girl squaring up to each other. A close up of Hayley Williams removing chicken fillets from the brown haired girls' bra is then shown. This is shown in a close up for emphasis and to show the audience that the girl that has been tormenting all the other people is getting what she deserves; humiliated herself. A medium shot of Hayley Williams with the chicken fillets in her hands is then shown to show the audience exactly what has happened, adding to the pay back towards to brown haired girl. A close up of the brown haired girls' reaction is then shown, as it was with her own 'victims', creating irony and giving the audience a clear view of her distressed reaction. The shot cuts to a medium, point of view shot of Hayley Williams wiping make-up off the brown haired girl. The band are then shown performing and Hayley Williams is shown in a medium long shot holding a 'RIOT' sign. This not only links with the title of the album that the track has been released from but also connotes what Paramore have caused by giving the brown haired girl a taste of her own medicine. Hayley Williams is then shown in a medium shot holding up the wipe she used to remove the make-up which is full of make-up, showing the audience that despite her being so different and feeling the need to bully people she is still fake and not being herself. A close up of the brown haired girl is shown to, once again, show the reaction, as it did when she was abusing others. The shot cuts to Parmore in a medium shot, ensuring the whole band are seen, laughing and walking away, mirroring what the brown haired girl did once she had finished. The video concludes with the band performing and Hayley Williams dropping the microphone, connoting the end of the song and the end of a successful narrative. The final shot is a long shot of the back of the brown haired girl left in the school corridor, looking distressed. As the shot has gone back to her more times than it went back to the people that she had been bullying, it shows that she will have the longer lasting damage that will be harder to overcome and has therefore got everything she deserves.
As an audience we can immediately see the difference between the genre of this track (Fake Tales Of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys) compared with the first R'n'B track that i analysed, even from as little as the introductory shots.
This song opens with a long, establishing shot, shot from what looks like a hand held camera, this automatically gives the impression that this band are more laid back and enjoy touring due to the fact that the shot looks as though it could be a piece of footage one of the band members shot whilst filming (a reflection from a car window can be seen). The next shot we see is a medium shot of a drum kit, this sets the audience up for the indie genre as it shows that the band are instrument based (as most indie bands/artists are) and enjoy playing their own instruments. The beat of the drum is also shown to match with the beat of the track which gives the idea that the band are live and enjoy live sets. The next shots we see are what looks like a band member backstage at a live show and another shot of a band member down the local pub, showing further that the band are relaxed and are just normal people who enjoy music. These two shots are shot with a fish eye lens, giving the audience a clear view of the surroundings to amplify the fact that they're normal but also to give the fans an insight into their life, making it relatable and giving them what they want. The next shot is a further shot of a drum kit, however this time is it shot from a low angle, making the player look more important. As a shot of the drum kit is shown twice in a short amount of time it shows further how much live music is a big part of the band and how important it is to them as individuals. A long tracking shot is then seen, which also looks as though it's been shot by one of the band from a car window whilst they're on tour. This emphasizes the love for music greater as the band are including shots from their shows within their music videos. As all the shots used are from the bands' own footage it immediately shows that they are low maintenance and their main love is for the music, not fame.
As the lyrics start the shot cuts to a live performance of the bands' frontman, Alex Turner, in a low angle shot. This shows that the band are music orientated even more, and the use of the low angle shot connoting that the band are still successful and should be respected. The shot then cuts to fans waiting outside the arena where the band are playing, showing that the band are thankful for their fans and as much as the fans respect the band, they also respect their fans for making them the band they are today. The shot then cuts back to another medium long shot of Alex Turner on stage at another gig, connoting further the love for music.
The shots continue to alternate between shots of different live performances and shots of fans in the crowd. However, clips of backstage antics are also shown, still from a camera that looks as though it was shot and held by a band member or manager etc. This gives the audience i look into the life of the band, something fans would find very interesting and therefore, taking them places they wouldn't normally be allowed to go. Despite the majority of the video being performances, close-up's of band members are used throughout to ensure that a recognition is made to the audience about what band it is. This also creates a link between the band and their love for live music.
The video follows Todorov's theory that music video's don't always have to work in linear and, during the montage editing used constantly throughout the video we see a shot of a sign that reads 'SHEF' representing where the band are from (sheffield) and therefore connoting that British lifestyle is important to the band and where they are from is an important part in their success.
Throughout the video we see more shots of live audiences and backstage clips make up the video. This goes against stereotypical indie videos, as they tend to follow a typical narrative structure and tell a story, showing individuality which is generally what indie music represents and is about. There are also more close-ups and extreme close up's of the band playing musical instruments, connoting the importance further of how important live music and not being artificial is to them. Despite not following the typical narrative structure the video does, however, link the footage with some of the lyrics. The song title in general links with the idea of the video even. As the track title is called 'Fake Tales Of San Francisco' it's connoting that the majority of people that are from the UK are acting as though they are American. Therefore 'Arctic Monkeys' are showing, throughout the video, how much they like Britain, how proud they are to be a part of they roots and how much respect they have for their home town. The lyrics 'You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham' and 'He talks of San Francisco, he's from Hunters Bar' also links with this point and the idea behind the video as a whole.
Dim lighting is used frequently in the video. This represents the low maintenance the band have and shows that despite the editing and lighting not looking as though it has been professionally done, a good video can still be created. The bad lighting also reflects their love for Britain as glitz and glamour is stereotypically associated with America (Hollywood/L.A/California etc.) and so by using dim lighting shows their love for their country as well as connoting Arctic Monkey's laid back attitude.
The laid back attitude of the band is also reflected through the clothes that they wear. Throughout the video the band are shown wearing casual clothes such as jeans and polo tops, even joggers and sports wear. This is not a typical feature of music video's as artist's are normally styled to their best ability. However, this links with the indie genre of being your own person and not conforming to what people consider 'normal' and also the fact that Arctic Monkeys are a casual band who are more interested in the music they make and not the way they look.
The genre of this track (The Sky's The Limit - Jason Derulo) is R'n'B. The video opens with a long, establishing shot of the artist, which tells us immediately who the song is by. The shot is also a low angle shot making the artist look superior and important. The shot then cuts to a medium close up of Jason Derulo to ensure the audience know exactly who the artist is. The title track also appears on screen along with the artist name, all within the first 15 seconds to give recognition to the audience about the track. When the name of the artist appears on the screen, within the letters there is an image of Jason Derulo, bringing the attention to the artist even further. There is also a 'Jason Derulo' jingle played faintly over the track to add to the recognition as the same jingle is played on every Jason Derulo track.
The main structure of the video is a performance, a running theme throughout R'n'B/Hip Hop videos, therefore no story is being told and the main features are song and dance. The backdrop on the video is an enclosed mirrored/silver room with strobe lighting, giving an image of class, along with vanity, a further theme that stereotypically is associated with the R'n'B genre (i.e Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake). Another convention in the 'The Sky's The Limit' video, that is also used throughout most R'n'B videos is the use of strobe lighting and laser beams which connotes being in a club which is related with having a good time. Also, in most club's R'n'B music is played, linking with the use of it in the videos.
As the track starts to get more upbeat the editing cuts with the beats, cutting images of Jason Derulo with the backdrop and also an attractive girl, another running theme throughout many R'n'B videos. The shots also frequently cut between long shots (of both Jason Derulo and the girl featured) to give the audience a good and clear view of the artist. The idea of having the video shot in a mirrored room also gives the audience a clear and thorough view of the artist, therefore satisfying their needs.
Throughout the first part of the song Jason Derulo also wears mirrored glasses so the audience are kept hidden to who he really is, and his character seems some what of a mystery. This is also linked with the idea that during the first seconds of the video, when cutting from a long shot to a close-up the screen cuts down from a clear view of the frame to a complete black screen in stages. This connotes mystery further as there are parts hidden to the real him, represented by the glasses and also the black between a far away image and a close up image. Similarly, Jason Derulo also changes the colour scheme of his outfit mid way through the track to an all black suit, when previously it was a more casual blue outfit. Likewise, when the artist is wearing an all black outfit the lighting is not as bright and appears quite dark. This adds to the mystery of the artist and connotes further that there are two different sides to him (good and evil, perhaps) and he is willing to use either in order to impress and get the girl.
The audience of this track and genre would be most likely to be young people who enjoy going out and having fun to up beat tracks, predominantly aged between 15 and 25, therefore a mainstream audience. I believe that the audience would be both males and females as most video's, including this one, features both males and females, therefore attracting both genders.
The song chosen for my music video is the track ‘I'm Lost Without You’ by the pop punk band Blink-182. Pop punk is a music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music. The genre can be described as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with a speedy punk tempo, frequent chord changes and loud guitars that have ‘a radio friendly sheen to their music, but still maintaining much of the speed and attitude of classic punk rock’. Pop-influenced pop rock as been around since the mid 1970’s but it wasn’t until the mid 1990’s when the California pop punk bands Green Day and The Offspring achieved world wide success that pop punk became popular.
The target audience for my music video will be both males and females aged between 17 and 25. I have decided to aim my music video at people this age as they are not too young, however still at an age where they can relate with the ideas portrayed in my music video. My target audience will predominantly fall within the demographic group C2-E as many of my target audience will be unemployed (due to still being in education) or in a small part time job. Therefore my target audience will be people who are either unemployed/students, semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers and skilled manual workers as some people in their twenties are in full time jobs but are not skilled enough to be classed in the C1 (and above) group.
Language - The language in music videos is shown predominantly through the editing. For example, in a heavy metal track the camera movements can be fast and shaky, however, if the same was done in a romantic slow song the effect would not be the same. Language is also shown through the amount of cuts used in music videos as they usually cut to the beat of the track and keep up with the pace. Therefore, there will be more cuts in a fast (perhaps metal/rock) track than a slower pop track. As my track falls between the two genres (pop punk) i will combined different elements of both types of music video when producing my own.
Institutions - The institution for my music video will be small as i am producing it, therefore my ideas have to be well thought out so i can ensure that they will look good when i shoot them. As i am not working with a larger production such as Warner Bros, my ideas have to be simple and realistic, for example, i cannot have a crane shot coming in from a high angle, tracking down to the ground and into someones house as it is not possible to do with the budget i am on.
Ideology - As my music video is for a song by Blink 182 the ideology will follow the stereotypical ideas for the genre. Therefore the ideology throughout my video will have elements of rebellion but will also have elements of seriousness accompanying it. This links with the ideas of the song and also conforms to the original ideas. The ideology will also link with modern day ideas and stereotypes as when in relationship's it is predominantly the women that are seen most hurt after a break up. However, as my music video goes on it will portray women in a stronger way as they realise that they do not need a man to be happy.
Audience - The audience for my music video will be younger people and those who have an interest in pop punk music as this is the genre of the track i have chose. The audience, i presume, would be predominantly male as the track is by a male band. However, this could go the opposite way and the majority of my audience could turn out to be female as the people featured in my video are female. As i have chose to feature females in a video for a song by a male band, it broadens my target audience by attracting both genders. My target audience is also backed up by the fact that my video will feature people in their late teens/early 20's. This, i hope, will relate to the audience as most teenagers have experienced a feeling that is portrayed throughout my video. The social class of my video will be predominantly groups E and D, perhaps a few in group C2, as those who i am targetting most are students and therefore mainly unemployed (group E)
Representation - The people in my video will be represented as typical teenage girls who have gone through heartbreak and therefore are hurt and don't know what to do with their life. The diegesis will therefore reflect this as i plan, when editing, to change the contrast so it is featured in black and white. The costume will also reflect this as all my characters will be dressed in plain t-shirts with natural make-up. The lighting will be predominantly dark with a lighter patch shining on the character. However, as the video goes on and the characters realise that they do not need a man to be happy and realise that what they are doing is not worth it, the lighting will become brighter (while also transferring into colour from black and white) and the costume will become more vibrant, as will the make-up.
Todorov was the finder of the narrative theory which said that music videos do not always necessarily work in linear. Narrative structure is the way that a plot unfolds and can have an open or closed ending. An open ending leaves the ending with no resolution (a cliff-hanger) and so leaves time for a sequel whereas a closed ending sums everything up and makes sure everything is resolved. There are three types of structure within narrative which are interactive structure, where the audience is involved and decides on the ending e.g. 'x-factor', multi-stranded structure, where several narratives are happening at the same time such as the films 'love actually' and 'lock, stock and two smoking barrels' and POV structure, which is where the narrative is taken from one characters perspective. Music videos predominantly take the structure of multi-stranded structure as throughout music videos there are several things happening at once and the clips alternate between them.
Michael Shore (1984) argues that music videos are: recycled styles, surface without substance, simulated experience, information overload, image and styles scavengers, ambivalence, decadence, immediate gratification, vanity and the moment, image assaults and outre folks, the death of content, anesthetization of violence without chic, adolescent male fantasies, speed, power, girls and wealth, album art come to turgid life, classical story telling motif.
Andrew Goodwin (1992) argues that in music video 'narrative relations are highly complex' and meaning can be created from the individual audio viewers musical personal taste to sophisticate intertextuality that uses multi-discursive phenomena of western culture. Many are dominated by advertisement references, film pastiche and reinforce the post-modern 're-use' tradition.
Sven Carlsson (1999) suggested that music videos in general fall into two rough groups: performance and conceptual clips. When a music video mostly shows an artist singing of dancing it is a performance clip, however, when a clip shows something else during its duration, often with artistic ambitions, it is a conceptual clip (abstract, interprets mood and tone etc. e.g. No Surprises - Radiohead) However, music videos can also fall into a third group; narrative, where the clip follows and tells a story.
A music video is a short film that accompanies a piece of music or song. Modern music videos are primarily used as a marketing device to help promote the artist/band. Although the history of music videos go back much further they only began to come into their own once MTV (and later with the launch of VH1) based their format around the medium during the 1980’s. It was then when the term ‘music video’ came into popular use. Prior to that time terms such as “promotional (promo) clip’, ‘promotional (promo) film’, ‘film clip’ and ‘filmed insert’ were more commonly used. Many music videos use a wide range of styles for filming technique e.g. animation, live action filming and documentaries, however, most music videos do not interpret images from the songs lyrics, making it less literal than expected.
In 1981 MTV was launched and so began the age of 24 hour music television. The first song played by MTV was ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’. Singers such as Madonna not only used music videos to promote their music but also to create their image, a common thing that has carried on into the 21st Century with artists such as Lady Gaga also using music videos for the same purpose. In 1983 the worlds most influential and successful music video in history was released; the 14 minute long video for ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson. By 1997 MTV had expanded their channel and were world wide with channels such as VH1 being launched in 1985 (which played more mellow and softer music for an older audience) along with MTV Europe (1987), MTV Asia (1991), MTV Latin America (1993), MTV India (1996) and MTV Mandarin (1997). MTV launched the MTV Video Music Awards (which were later knwon as the VMA’s) in 1984, an annual awards event that would soon come to underscore MTV’s importance in the music industry. By the mid 2000’s MTV had stopped showing a large number of music videos and began showing reality TV shows instead and in February 2010 they official dropped the 'Music Television' tagline to signify the change towards Music Video Airplay. However, music videos have played a huge role in the success of many artists and the music industry, which without MTV would not have been possible.
Two of the most expensive music videos to ever be made are the video for ‘scream’ by Michael and Janet Jackson which cost $7 million to produce, followed by Madonna’s video for ‘Bedtime Story’ which cost $5 million to produce.
In the late 1970’s the long running British TV show ‘Top of the Pops’ began playing music videos, however the BBC placed strict limits on the number of ‘outsourced’ videos they could play, therefore, a good video would increase a songs’ sale as viewers hoped to see it again the following week.
Two of the key music innovations in the music video development were the development of easy to use and relatively cheap video recording and editing equipment. This along with the development of visual effects created with techniques such as image compositing enabled many pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply.
By the 21st century the internet had become video friendly and Napster, a peer to peer file sharing system that ran between 1999 and 2001 enabled users to share videos with ease. By 2005 ‘YouTube’ was released making the viewing of online video faster and much easier. MySpace’s video functionality also used similar technology when it was launched in 2007. Websites such as ‘YouTube’ and ‘MySpace’ had a profound effect on the viewing of music videos and bands and artists noticed the success of releasing videos mostly or entirely online. The videos “A Million Ways’ (2005) and ‘Here It Goes Again’ (2006) by the band 'Ok Go', exemplify this trend as both first became popular via online viewing. The internet has become the primary growth income market for record company-produced music videos.
However, some videos made are too explicit to be shown at a time when a mainstream audience would be watching (or at all), therefore video censorship was introduced resulting in various videos being banned. The first video to be banned by MTV was Queen’s 1982 hit ‘Body Language’ due to thinly veiled homoerotic undertones, plus lots of skin and sweat which was deemed unsuitable for a television audience at the time.
Madonna has been the artist associated with the most video censorship throughout her career. The controversy started with the video for her track ‘Lucky Star’ and amplified over time due to clips such as ‘Like a Virgin’. The subject matter discussed in ‘Like a Prayer’ caused further outcry due to it’s sexual, religious and racially oriented imagery. In 1990 the video for ‘Justify My Love’ was banned by MTV for it’s deception of homosexuality, cross-dressing and group sex.
The most recent video to be banned was the video for ‘Telephone’ by Lady Gaga as MTV stated that the content was not suitable to be shown with their programming, however it soon began to be shown on European channels. Previous Lady Gaga videos such as ‘LoveGame’ have also attracted criticism for things such as sexual content.
Create a promotion package for the release of an album that includes a music promo video, together with two of the following three options: - A website homepage for the band; - A cover for it's release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package); - A magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).
You must create your own "identity" for your artist or performer. You are able to use the title of the track but must produce a new, original branding for the artist or band. This must be constructed to reflect the genre and appeal of the performer. Therefore, if your song is by Beyonce then you can't use the name Beyonce or images of her on your DVD/CD covers or any of your production pieces, however, you can still use the name of the track.
