'Twinkling music - up to 0.15 seconds complete a time lapse of multiple locations, i.e bridge, river, street. Time lapse will be filmed using a sturdy tripod. To produce an effective time lapse we aim to film for around 1-2 minutes.
2nd shot:
'Instrumental continues with the incorporation of different instruments, however still no vocals until 0.30 seconds' - Insert footage of decaying flower in black and white from 0.15-0.23.
3rd shot:
Side medium shot of Tallulah (female actress) sat on bench alone, looking down at her roses. (0.23-0.26)
4th shot:
Instrumental continues to play without vocals. Wide shot of actor (Joe) in the studio sitting on wooden stool looking at a rose he is holding. (0.23-0.30)
5th shot:
'Vocals begin' - (female vocals) - 'You mean that much to me and it's hard to show' > Medium side shot of female actress, Tallulah is positioned on a wooden bench in front of flower shop 'FLOWERZ' in Windsor/Eton. 6th shot:
'Vocals continue' - (female vocals) - 'Gets hectic inside of me, when you go' > Panning shot (close-up), from flowers to face - girl is still singing as shot pans to her face. Camera movement = relatively slowly. 7th shot:
'Vocals continue' - (female vocals) - 'When you go' > Medium side shot of actress placing roses beside her and walking out of frame. Camera Movement = remains stationary
8th shot:
'Vocals continue' - (Female vocals) 'Can I confess these things to you' > Panning shot, low to high of male actor 'Joe' either looking sad or adjusting his hair. Camera moves at an average pace, faster than panning shot before. 9th shot:
'Vocals continue' - (female vocals) 'Well i don't know...' > low angled shot tilting high - (long shot) - of Tallulah walking down stairs located alongside river river. Camera movement + remains stationary. Camera films un-sharpened and gradually clearer as actress walks closer towards camera.
10th shot:
'Vocals continue' - (female vocals) 'embeded in my chest and it's hard to hold' > close-up shot (medium- waist to just above head) - of Tallulah leaning arm on barrier overlooking bridge/river, on the lyrics 'hurts to hold' > Tallulah turns her body towards view of river and places both arms on barrier, singing out.
We initially noted these shots down in our notebook
On the 6th of July 2016, I constructed a formal email to band manager of the indie rock band 'The XX' - 'Emma Lomas'. Through carrying out research about the band, I came across a contactable address which allowed me to seek permission to use their song 'Nigh time'. Below are the screenshots of our conversation:
The reason why I’ve decided to use the XX's song 'Night Time', is because it advertises young bands emerging into the music scene and their music is generally very relatable and true to life. Indie music describes the major concerns of people. In order to create a music video based on my genre I need to understand who my main target audience is by researching who appreciates the music and in particular, who connects and relates to it.
My target audiences for my media product is mainly for ages 17-24 years old. This is because the music is relatable to teenagers who turn to music as a source of comfort whilst going through relationship problems. Many indie tracks are a narrative based story which discuss past relationships and poignant life events, they are easily relatable to peoples lives.
The XX have had a significant amount of articles written about them in well-known newspapers and magazines. This shows they have a large hold on the music industry and continue to influence. They are well reported about as well. The Guardian newspaper targets a well-educated, relatively young, predominantly male and liberal audience, the main target audience of the XX, and newspapers such as the telegraph have said how adaptable their music is, and how important they are to the development of Indie music.
Specifically, on the bands website there is a community blog and a merchandise store. The blogs advertise events which fund themselves through the widespread attention they receive. This helped them advertise for the release of their most recent album, 'Coexist'. The website is vitally important because the majority of the XX's target audience are young and regularly use the internet to discover new music and genres. Additionally, many of the XX's songs are used for TV advertisement and background music for movies because of their mellow sound and adaptability. The XX make electronic-edged music that's ghostly and enigmatic.This resulted in massive recognition on screen because it was heard appearing on live TV. This meant people were made curious of its origins and background behind the music, making them completely different in the world of music.
The XX released their new album by sending it to a small fan base who then sent the link on to fans all over the world through social media. Word of mouth aided the publication and people continued the trend cycle. Social media has helped them establish a target audience through constant advertisement and continual access and connections to their audience. Music downloading and social media have made the pre-release album stream an integral part of the modern music marketing scheme, and the XX have successfully drawn attention to themselves.
Record labels
Young Turks -
An independent British record label, based in London. Founded in 2006 by Caius Pawson. The label owns other groups/artists like Jamie XX, Sampha, FKA Twigs, Koreless etc. The majority of their bands would be categorised under the alternative indie genre.
XL Recordings -
The record label are an English independent label founded in 1989 by Richard Russell. They own groups/artists such as Adele, The white stripes, Vampire Weekend, Dizzie Rascal, Låpsley etc. Due to the wide variety of bands, it is clear that the record label do not support a singular genre of music, unlike the 'Young Turks'.
To make sure myself and my partner produced a music promo which appeals to a wide range of people, we have decided to carry out a discussion considering the age appropriate features and messages we feel comfortable appealing to through our video. Having a target audience to present your findings and current work to is very helpful. It will enable our group to make positive changes to our work which we know will 100% be beneficial towards exceeding the 'appeal factor'. We hope to gain constructive criticism as it will head us towards the right direction. The main purpose of feeding back to a target audience is to gain a valuable assessment, presumably to shape our piece into a masterpiece which is fit for our set target audience.
Description of our target audience
We wish to create a gender neutral theme which will produce an equal balance of males and females viewing our product. Stereotyping and restricting a gender from viewing our work could possible result in us having a small audience, therefore we are not going to use stereotypical gender related colours for our advertisement. As we are working with a indie/pop rock genre, we hope to mirror the 'chilled' vibe within our product, and not apply too many constraints when it comes to showing our product to others.
Brief few points to sum up our target audience:
Age: 16-24
Gender: Male and Female
Personality: Typical teenager ( these qualities do not apply to all teens) - capable of feeling emotions, whether they show them or choose to hide them, insecure about themselves, rather rebellious. Our target audience needs to be genuine and honest to allow myself and my partner to make effective changes to our work.
Dictionary definition: a type of packaging for CDs or DVDs, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more discs.
I have chosen to deconstruct digipacks which link with our chosen genre of 'indie pop/rock', this will enable me to gather a good understanding of what type of styling our digipack and poster should follow. Understanding the right codes and conventions of a digipack of your genre needs, plays a significant part when trying to advertise the product and the band itself.
Below is a clear diagram found on Google images of a basic digipack template:
As you can see, a basic digipack consists of 4 panels, one being the front where the bands logo and title, along with an image of some sort will be presented. The second panel after opening the pack is the CD slot, where the bands/artists official CD will be located. Next we have the inside panel where the tracks or contextual information about the band may be displayed. Lastly, we have the back panel, often this panel provides an image and the record label.
The 1975's front panel to their digipack has a basic design which reoccurs in a few of their videos, for example in the music promo 'Girls' there are lights which glow around the band's logo, along with a frame similar to the albums which outlines the musicians as they perform. The black and white theme links with the time period of their title '1975' and adds a sense of mystery as the time period contrasts against their generation of music. The edgy style reflects their pop indie genre perfectly.
The inside panel provides information about the record labels and companies which contributed towards the production of the album. It is important that the digipack presents this information early on within the pack, as it highlights the fact that the band are authentic and have reached professional industry standards. The white font nicely contrasts against the black background, allowing the context to stand out clear and formally. The text is aligned central to the panel, this gives a similar effect to the layout of most credits and therefore emphasises the formality of the band.
The albums CD is rather bland. The title is in a black font, which against the grey background, does not stand out. Perhaps the designer has created this to generate a sense of intrigue.
The back panel presents an entire listing of the tracks, once again the font stands clear against the black background, the reflection of the frame on the ground could possibly resemble how the feelings within one side of the relationship, are mirrored onto the partner. The black and white effect creates this edgy look which link with the pop/indie genre of the band.
Monday, 19 September 2016
Analysing different types of digipacks
Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida' was released on the 12th of June 2008. 'Viva La Vida' meaning 'Live the life'.
This digipak particularly appeals to me as for the mixture of different colour tones and fonts. The pack is informative as it supplies the viewer with the a constructive list of tracks, alongside captivating images which gives you an insight into the overall success of the band.
The front displays the albums title of 'Viva La Vida' which is overlaying a vintage styled background which consists of what seems to be the French perhaps celebrating victory.
The whitish font is ever so slightly transparent and seems as if it has been printed with a type of graffiti paint. The combination of vintage history (the french revolution) and modern styling really helps to resemble the bands uniqueness which is present throughout their tracks. The french flag is clearly being waved high and proud, this historical context gathered from the front panel, gives us a rough idea about the meanings behind their tracks.
The second panel provides four shots taken from a few of their performances on tour. Having snippets from previous tours highlights the success of the band and reassures the buyer that the album is appreciated and trusted by thousands. The colouring of the guitarist in this panel compliments the front cover, for example a red light mirrors the vibrancy of the red stripe on the French flag. A shot of the guitarist photographed in black and white resembles the harsh shadows occurring around the edges of the front panel. Lastly, the drummers saturated yellow top enhances the creamy light colours noticeable in the background. All band members are to be identified on this panel, i believe that the purpose of this is to highlight the fact that they are a group which rely upon each other to deliver spectacular albums.
The third panelling is entitled ' Coldplay, Viva La Vida, or death and all of his friends'. The text is formatted in a vivid yellow font which significantly stands strong agains the grey background. By sustaining a simplistic effect, the viewers are led to delve deeper by possibly making a purchase or carrying out research online about the album itself.
The back panel which presents the albums barcode supplies a list of the tracks. The tracks are neatly lined one after the other which contrasts against the chaotic art on the front panel. Creating a contrast allows the viewer to question the band and their intentions inside.
'The two door cinema club' released a digipack for their 'Tourist History' album. The first panel of the pack presents their band name in the foreground, and in the background a graphic art piece is layered. The title of the band is in a white font, which consists of bold and thin lettering. The purpose of the different styling of font is to allow the viewer to focus on the image behind the text. The image is of a greyish coloured cat with piercing green eyes, the cat seems to be wearing a golden party hat. The quirky graphic almost mirrors the unexpected, yet relatable lyrics the band deliver, enticing their young audience. The overall colouring of the cover is quite vintage, the dull purple/blue balance of colours ties in with the title of the album 'Tourist History'. Having the bands name in a large font size, will result in higher amount of sells as it stands out clearly.
The inside panel contains a list of the albums tracks, the unique font makes reading the songs rather difficult and therefore encourages the viewer to take a closer look and perhaps investigate into the genre of the band. The greyish background is similar to the albums front panel, havinng a colour coordinated album is often more appealing to the eye. The bluish font could be steretypical to the male gender, not restricting women from listening to their music, but instead higlighting the fact that they're a boy band.
The albums CD is a traditional CD style , however to partner the indie genre of the band, the designer has designed a smudge print of cat eyes which is printed either side of the positioned hole. The imperfect print suggests that their music has a chilled, almost relaxed vibe. The title of the band is listed below the hole, just above the albums official title. The printing of the eyes depicts a personal sense, a feeling that the songs may be overlooking of the life of another or even reviewing.
The back panel is once again exactly the same as the front, however this time there is the absence of text. The artist may have decided to use this panel design twice as the front cover prevents the audience from fully appreciating the graphic, as it is overlaid with a bold fancy font .
Image of 'Two door Cinema Club' digipack, found on google images
Foster the People digipack analyses
The front panel of their digipack “Torches” has an animated
image of quirky looking creatures holding torches, which is presumably their logo resembling their band. The background is white which portrays connotations of 'purity' which strangely juxtaposes one of their songs 'pumped up kicks' which discusses murder. Perhaps the flamed torches are purposeful for depicting signs of danger. The flames are reflecting a glow effect onto their faces, a few of the animations appear to be ghosts, so perhaps the animation is suggesting ideas of enlightenment within the tracks. The cartoons are hand sketched which mirrors the creativite mind of thinking which is noticeable within their tracks. The assortment of strange looking characters are sketched in black and white, possibly relating to the bands name 'Foster the People' where by all styles, looks and types are accepted and therefore unite as one.
Image was found whilst researching the bands album on Google image
The inside panel contains the song listing of the album, the fiery orange colour theme continues throughout, as the tracks are coloured orange. The orange font against the white background creates a contemporary effect, which is also rather refreshing, resembling the nuance of this genre of music. The choice of colouring is gender neutral, suggesting that the band aim to appeal to both male and female audiences. This way of styling will broaden their acceptance between both genders. The alignment of the text is once again similar to the positioning of credits at the end of a film. The signed record labels are located underneath the tracks, their appearance within the digipack confirms the bands authenticity.
The bright orange colour which accents the album cover is used in its entirety for the CD. This may be because the CD itself is the source of excitement/entertainment within the pack, therefore the most bold colour is the obvious choice to enhance this.
The back panel is exactly the same as the front, maybe this panel is repeated to super enhance the message of the bands name which is 'Foster the People'. The individually designed characters are typically related to indie styling, as they are unique designs.
This poster is advertising 'Foster the peoples' event in Brooklyn, New York. The styling of their poster resembles their genre of music 'indie pop', as their quirky design represents the individuality of the band members. I presume that the three faces are members of the band and their fans would be capable of identifying the individuals from their face shape, hairstyle and whether they feature in their promos wearing accessories like glasses. The stars formed in the background could symbolise a sense of unconsciousness or dreaminess. This could resemble a few of their songs, as in their top seller 'Pumped Up Kicks' the young boy planning to kill his fellow class mates seems slightly psychotic and chooses to fantasy over his idea and the power he feels before taking action. The artsy patterns may be meaningful to a particular styling or culture, it almost helps to develop the 'indie' music as they're contributing their uniqueness to the genre. The choice of colours are gender neutral as the artist has contributed both blues and shades of pinks/purples into the poster. This clearly shows that they are not willing to restrict a particular gender to listen to their music.
'Girls'- 1975 is categorised under the category of: Performance
'The 1975' are an English indie rock/pop band. The band have released seven albums, their latest release was this year (2016), "I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It". Their songs tend to be based on relationships, drugs, sex etc, each video is produced with a grunge styling. The band are signed with the record labels shown below:
Song lyrics:
Bite your face to spite your nose
Seventeen and a half years old
I'm worrying about my brother finding out
What's the fun in doing what you're told?
I said no
'Oh give it a rest, I could persuade you
I'm not your typical, stoned eighteen year old
Give me a night I'll make you'
I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age
But girl I'm not your savior
Wrestle to the ground
God help me now because
They're just girls breaking hearts
Eyes bright, uptight, just girls
But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen
They're just girls
They're just girls
A pair of frozen hands to hold
Oh she's so southern so she feels the cold
One moment I was tearing off your blouse
Now you're living in my house
What happened to just messing around?
I said yo, I think I better go, I can't take you
You just sit and get stoned with thirty year olds and you think you've made it
Well, shouldn't you be fucking with somebody your age instead of making changes?
Wrestle to the ground
God help me now because
They're just girls breaking hearts
Eyes bright, uptight, just girls
But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen
They're just girls
They're just girls
I told her from the start
Destined to be hard
I told her from the start
I'll break your heart
Destined to be hard
Break your heart
I said yo, I think I better go, I can't take you
I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age
But girl I'm not your savior
Well, shouldn't you be fucking with somebody your age instead of making changes?
Wrestle to the ground
God help me now because
They're just girls breaking hearts
Eyes bright, uptight, just girls
But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen
They're just girls
They're just girls
'Cause they're just girls breaking hearts
Eyes bright, uptight, just girls
But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen
They're just girls
They're just girls
'Cause they're just girls
Song lyrics analysis:
The line ''Bite your face to spite your nose", creates this imagery of the girl being immature as she is oblivious to the consequences of her actions.
The fact that the girl is "seventeen and a half years old" provides reasoning for her immaturity.
"Worrying about her brother finding out" - Her brother is very protective or perhaps her relationship is only based off one thing?
"What's the fun in doing what you're told?" - Suggesting that the girl is rebellious and she does not have particular standards she aims to achieve, in terms of reputation.
"I said no 'Oh give it a rest, I could persuade you I'm not your typical, stoned eighteen year old Give me a night I'll make you''- in this line the boy is trying to persuade the girl to give him a chance.
"I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age, But girl I'm not your saviour" - Saying that he will not play the heroic figure of a saviour, and he is not hoping to have a serious relationship.
"Wrestle to the ground" - sexual implication
"God help me now because" - Realising he has made a mistake, because he is developing stronger feelings towards her.
"They're just girls breaking hearts Eyes bright, uptight, just girls But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen They're just girls They're just girls" - The boy is reflecting and reassures himself that they are just young 'girls' and the fun times he may have with a girl at her age of seventeen, is unlikely to develop into anything serious.
"But she can't be what you need if she's seventeen They're just girls They're just girls" - Remembering that the girl is still young, and her immaturity wont lead to a strong relationship.
"A pair of frozen hands to hold" - The boy is singing about there being no warm hearted feelings towards the girl, instead their feelings are cold.
"Oh she's so southern so she feels the cold" - He realises she senses his cold feelings towards her.
"One moment I was tearing off your blouse Now you're living in my house What happened to just messing around?" - The boy has reviewed his relationship with this girl, and has decided that they're moving on too quick.
"I said yo, I think I better go, I can't take you" - Arguments are are emerging as their relationship has turned serious.
"You just sit and get stoned with thirty year olds and you think you've made it" - The girl thinks she is doing well in life, simply because she is getting lots of attention from older men.
"Well, shouldn't you be messing round with somebody your age instead of making changes?" - He is feeling guilty about what they have done together, and he is trying to convince the girl to change her mind.
Tumblr gif - from music video
(Verses repeat)
Mise-en-scene:
(Location, lighting and colour) - The opening of the music promo is located in an empty white studio. The purpose of the simplistic set may be to allow the audience to make a visible connection with the vocalists, or perhaps to mirror the song lyrics. The lyrics present how rebellious and free their relationship was at the start, the vivid props and lighting gradually become more dynamic throughout the change of scenery, to resemble the development of argument and feelings of guilt within their relationship. At 1.10, the scenery changes to a staged 'pool party' set. The primary based colours and the fact that the band members are positioned awkwardly alongside the (seventeen and a half years old) girls, draws attention to the age gap. 'Pool parties' tend to be associated with those in their late teens/adults, which links with the 1975's target audience. The bright assortment of props like the bright yellow watering can, blue tables and chairs and the beautiful yellow roses all contribute towards creating this young, pop-art styled genre. Later on within the video, we have a very modern street styled set, mainly consisting of just black and white colours. The plain choice of colouring may be purposeful to mirror the seriousness of their relationship, almost as if all the colour has drained from their feelings for one another. The last setting within the video is similar to the empty white studio, however this time there are fluorescent purple/pink lights glowing onto the set. The colours are not too harsh or overpowering, they instead create a neutral feeling which could symbolise unity togetherness.
Make-up and costume:
All band members are dressed in black clothing, this choice of colour makes a dramatic contrast against the white background. The majority of the band are wearing skinny jeans and a black t-shirt underneath a leather/corduroy jacket, their choice in fashion is stereotypical to a young pop/rock band. When the back-up dancers first make an appearance they are clothed in black underwear and high heels/boots. The girls are dressed provocatively, which could perhaps provide a sexual intrigue for the audience - commonly known as Voyeurism . The purpose of wearing minimal clothing is to almost display how free and flirtatious they can be, however they blend into the styling of the band by wearing a formal colour 'black'. In the pool party scene, the girls are dressed in their brightly coloured bikinis to represent their childlike behaviour. There seems to be a theme of flowers on either the dancers necklaces, swimming costume and frilly hat. Flowers are often linked with 'love' as they are used as gifts on occasions such as valentines day. At 2.21, the actress in the bright red dress is pretending to drive a static car. The fact that the car is not moving enhances their juvenile behaviour as they're seen to actually be having 'fun' whilst playing out a fantasy scene. The colour red has connotations of 'danger' and 'meanings of love', her dress colour therefore foreshadowed the upcoming crash which she was responsible for. The girls also have dark smokey eye makeup accompanied with red lips, this once again triggers connotations on love.
Dictionary definition: noun
1.
the practice of obtaining sexual gratification by looking at sexual objects or acts, especially secretively.
Camera Work
- Analyses from 0.00 to 1.00
0.00 - 0.14 - Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the band, the purpose of this shot is to initiate the setting and cast of the music promo.
0.16 - 0.18 - Medium close-up - high to low shot, of the guitars, allowing the viewers to focus on the movements/gestures and to make the viewers almost appreciate the instrumental instead of just the vocals.
0.18 - 0.20 - Central medium-shot of lead singer. This shot allows the lead singer to become the focal point of the video, and to inform their audience on their different roles within the band, i.e the lead singer, guitarist, drummer.
0.20 - 0.22 - (repeats) - Medium close-up - high to low shot of the guitars. This once again gives the audience an opportunity to appreciate the instrumental and vocals which form the band.
0.22 - 0.24 - (repeats) - Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the band. The wide shot helps to establish the individuals as if they're uniting as a group. This is because all members are made the significant subject of the shot.
0.24 - 0.27 - (repeats) - Medium close-up - high to low shot, of the guitars, allowing the viewers to focus on the movements and gestures. Repeating this shot almost mirrors the repetitive song lyrics, this will appeal to their audience as the song alongside the music promo will become memorable.
0.27 - 0.29 - Medium central shot of drummer, the musician is positioned beyond a black thin frame which is slightly blurred as camera is focusing on the artist. The director has purposefully positioned the drummer within the frame to enhance his role within the band, and to highlight his presence as he the one member of the band which is the furthest from the camera.
0.29 - 0.32 - (repeats) - Medium close-up - low angle shot, of the guitars, allowing the viewers to focus on the movements and gestures. The low angled shot increases the size of the guitar and clearly depicts the guitar as being the main source of sound at that time.
0.32- 0.33 - (repeats) - Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the band.
0.34 - 0.37 - (repeats) - Central medium-shot of lead singer
0.37 - 0.40 - (repeats) - Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the band.
0.40 - 0.42 - (repeats) - Central medium-shot of lead singer
(The reasoning for repeating certain shots: Repetition can suggest 'desperation' which reflects the state of the girl who is attached to the guy. It also reinforces an idea to the point where it is visually memorable.
0.42 - 0.48 - Wide shot/establishing shot of girls in the studio, quickly changes to lead band members. The constant change between the shot of the boys to the girls creates segregation between the two genders, and persuades the audience to recognise the contrast between each side of a straight relationship.
0.48 - 0.50 - (repeats) - Close up, Mid-shot Central to the lead singer. A close up mid shot almost frames the singer, giving the viewers a chance to make an impression on the artist.
0.50 - 0.52 - (repeats) - Wide shot/establishing shot of girls in the studio, quickly changes to lead band members. Once again the shot is dividing the genders, and because the girls and band members aren't yet to be seen on screen together, it foreshadows this idea that they have not spoken about their true feelings to one another. Instead they are expressing their emotions amongst the same gender, which feeds back to this sense of immaturity which is to be expected as for their age difference.
0.52 - 0.54 - Medium Non - central shot of girl playing the guitar in focus, the other girl playing the drums in the back ground is blurred, therefore the Director intends to make the girl in the foreground the focal point of the shot. This suggests that the girl who is made to be the focal point, may be the girl within this relationship
0.54 - 0.55 - (repeats) - Medium central shot of drummer, the musician is positioned beyond a black thin frame which is slightly blurred as camera is focusing on the artist.Once again the director has purposefully positioned the drummer within the frame to enhance his role within the band, and to highlight his presence as he the one member of the band which is the furthest from the camera.
0.55 - 0.57 - (repeats) - Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the girls performing, set stays the same however the girls are replaced by the boy band. This shot is purposeful for creating a division between the boys and girls.
0.57 - 0.58 - (repeats) - Medium central shot of drummer, the musician is positioned beyond a black thin frame which is slightly blurred as camera is focusing on the artist. The black square frames the drummer and highlights his presence.
0.58 - 1.00 - ( repeats) - Central mid-shot of lead singer. To put emphasis on the fact that he is the lead singer and therefore main source of vocals within the band.
The repetitive shots are purposeful for mirroring the repetitive song lyrics, and to perhaps resemble the continuos errors approaching within their relationship.
Examples of shots mentioned:
Wide Shot/ establishing shot of the band.
Medium close-up - high to low shot, of the guitars, allowing the viewers to focus on the movements and gestures.
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