This is our final album advert cover which we had picked as we thought as a group this was the most efficient. We are happy with our final outcome as before the typography didn't go with our theme which was quite fun and quirky. We decided to use a close up of the lips for the main background image as it links with both the music video and the digipak and thought it would be the best idea to make everything link together which we found out in the digipaks and their album adverts that we studied from our research. We decided to distort the picture which we used for the background to give a more funky effect as we found out that from this genre most artists/ bands go on a 'trip' as if you were on drugs so we wanted to capture this in the album advert to draw people's attention to it and to sum up or artist. This reinforces the bands attitudes towards freedom and the use of free drugs.
We also decided to add some reviews to our album advert cover because we thought it would intrigue the audience to find out more about the album and persuade them to buy it. For the reviews we chose United Reggae Magazine which is a reggae magazine and Fader Magazine which is an indie music magazine, both linking to our genre that we had picked which is reggae indie rock. We gave the album a rating so it has a more realistic feel towards it and would hopefully persuade the audience more to buy it.
Our record label that we had chosen is Columbia Records as we thought this particularly linked to our genre we'd picked and we thought this made the album look more professional and realistic. We have included the release date of the album so that everybody is aware of when they get buy it and where to purchase it from such as Google Play and iTunes. This makes it easier and quicker for the customers when it comes to buying the album.
Overall, this album advert was the most convectional as it included the most important information such as the album name, the band name, where you can purchase the album from and a clear release date which the previous album covers didn't include. This cover did not also include magazine reviews so therefore we have rejected this album cover too as there is nothing to persuade the audience into buying the album which may lead them into not buying the album because they will not know what to expect.
Idea 2:
We also rejected this album cover for the same reasons, although this album cover has a release date on it however it is quite vague and wasn't made clear enough on the exact date of the release. We had picked the close up image of the lips and the trees for background as it linked to our digipak and connotes the environmental elements which the band promotes such as freedom and an outdoor setting.
Idea 1:
We rejected this album cover as we thought it was quite plain and not eye catching and therefore the audience wouldn't be interested in the album if the cover isn't intriguing and quirky. It also didn't include ratings from magazines or from websites so the audience doesn't have an insight into what the album is like. It didn't include a vital piece of information which was when the album was coming out so the audience wouldn't of knew when to buy the album and they wouldn't of been aware of when it was coming out. Although this album cover did include where you can purchase it from such as Google Play and iTunes.
This is our final digipak design which we are very pleased with our outcome.
We decided to pick this digipak design as we thought this one was the most effective and portrayed our artist the best. The overall theme which we have decided to create is very natural but effective as it links to the bands beliefs of being in a free society. The whole digipak has a purple tint to it to connote a quirky and unique vibe and links to the song 'Velvet Skies'. The purple tint is also included in our music video so they all link together. This links to our genre reggae indie rock as our research portrays the artists/bands as usually fun and careless.
The main colours which we have used are green and purple. Green is a very earthy and natural colour and purple links to our theme and gives it an edgy vibe and makes it stand out. The colours we have chosen chalange the reggae indie rock genre as the colours are usually red, orange/yellow and green. We thought the colours which we had picked shown the audience more clearly that the band are more natural and would look more unique and different.
The design of our digipak is very unusual and weird which we wanted to try and create as their is no main focus to it. For the front cover we decided to take a close up of the lips to link it together to our music video which we have planned where there will be scenes with just purple lips. We thought this was convectional as lips link to singing and music so would be perfect for an album and the purple glittery lips link to one of the main colours and the title 'Velvet Skies'. The front cover was dissolved into a background of trees to connect to the inlay where we have used trees to reinforce the idea of the band being very natural. In the inlay the setting is very open to connote freedom and the idea that they believe in a free society. The lips are also in the inlay with flowers to link to the front cover and the flowers also signify nature and and outdoor setting. The back cover has the track list on where we have came up with song names which we wanted to make conventional to the genre and the idea of our music video so we came up with names such as 'Free Us' to signify freedom and 'It Doesn't Matter' to signify they are careless and free minded. The front we have used is consistent to bring out common theme and the one we have picked looks like it is made out of twigs and branches to signify the naturalistic vibe to our whole digipak. This font fits in with the theme well and links to the images we have chosen for our digipak.
The album name we have decided on is called 'New Wave' to signify the artist is new and fresh so the audience will be attracted to this album as it is something they haven't heard before. This also signifies the genre reggae indie rock is becoming more popular in the music industry now and a new set of people are starting to listen to it more.
Another representation we have used is the spelling of 'Wylde Thyme' which is unique and different. 'Wylde' is no longer spelt this way so it signifies individuality and 'Tyme' is the spelling of the herb tyme to signify the belief if the free use of drugs.
Overall, we thought this was the best conventional digipak that represents our band the best from the colours used to the whole design we have picked.
We decided to reject this digipak design idea because we thought it did not portray the band as well as they could have been portrayed. We used a wide angle shot of a skyline for the inlay and soap studs for the front and back cover which turned out to look very plain and simple and didn't reflect the artists beliefs and it doesn't tell the audience anything about the artist as a person and would therefore be harder for them to relate to the band and their music.
Design Two:
We also rejected this idea because as a whole the digipak looked too 'full' as we had a medium close up shot of the lips blowing glitter for the inlay then the lips against a sky background, a mysterious person in mask for the back cover and for the tracklist we had a shot of flowers and grass. Overall this would of been hard for the audience to relate to and looked too overpacked for a digipak. The whole feel to the genre is quite 'edgy' and 'trippy' which you would not be able to feel from this album advert. Also the mask idea does not portray the band well as usually dark masks connote mystery and violence whereas the artist believes in equality and freedom.
Design Three:
This digipak design was the one which we decided to pick as the idea of the landscape of the trees connotes freedom and signifies that the band are more naturalistic. The colour scheme to this digipak is earthy which also conveys this as the main colours used are green and brown. Brown has connotations of wholesome and is quite organic and green has connotations of nature and has an 'outdoor' feel towards the colour. We included the idea of the lips in this digipak as it links to our music video and album advert idea which we have planned out and therefore it will be conventional and will all link together like the other artists/bands have done for the reggae indie rock genre.
This is the mood board for our artist profile where there are images of typical codes and conventions of the reggae indie rock genre such as bucket hats, shirts, patterned shirts, instruments such as guitars, smoking and messy hair. We have found these very commonly from other music videos and bands/artists such as might Oakes and Sticky Fingers'. These are the codes and conventions which we hope to include in our music video.
Here is our mind map of ideas that we could possibly include in our Music video. These ideas show that the band doesn't care about what anyone thinks and they are being themselves as all of the ideas are very 'out there' and wacky.
This implies they music video will include a lot of disjuncture scenes in which signifies the band are on a 'trip' as if they were on drugs. This reinforces the idea that they believe in the free use of drugs.
The shots here will be of animals in a field. This is where we will film our disjuncture part of the music video.
Victoria Square Waterfall:
Here we will film different shots of Harvey (main artist) singing verses of the song we have picked with the waterfall as the backdrop and we will also include shots around the waterfall.
Digbeth:
For this shot, we will be using the artistic graffiti walls as the setting to film shots of Harvey singing parts of the song. We will also be filming the balloon scenes here.
Kings Norton Playing Fields:
In this location will be used for the shooting of the main disjuncture part of the video where we will be shooting scenes such as the candle and flare scene.
These are our main settings that will be used in our music video which also link to our research by having an outdoor setting which was one of the main codes and conventions.
I am writing to you to ask for permission to use one of the songs produced by Sticky Fingers for our A level Media Studies coursework project. We would like to use the song as a focus for us to create a music video around therefore we are emailing you to ask for your permission in advance due to possible copyright infringement.
The song we would like to use is called Velvet Skies.
From looking at our results, we will try to include most of these elements in our own music video as we want to make our music video as conventional as possible.
One of the main differences we noticed was that the audiences prefers a narrative music videos, however we decided to challenge this stereotype so we are now creating a disjuncture music video were we feel we can be more creative and portray out band in a wacky light. Around 33% of the audience who we asked said they like a performance music video which we will also be including in our own music video so the audience can feel a strong connection with the band and their music by singing directly to them.
Our results shown that they prefer to see a colourful, artistic CD cover which we will portray for our own CD cover to signify their personalities are careless and free which also signifies them in a positive light whereas if the CD cover was dark this would portray them in a negative light as dark colours connotes death and violence.
In this genre, the audience expect to see drug related scenes which we will include in our music video to signify they are on a 'trip' and they also expect to see instruments. One of the props which we will include is a guitar to show the audience they care more about their music then what they actually look like.
From analysing the album adverts I have found out that the majority of the adverts link to their digipaks as the theme is consistent throughout both the digipaks and the album adverts.
This music video is sold as a performance video and therefore makes it seem as if the viewers are each getting a private performance by the use of a direct mode of address. Each performer is looking directly into the camera as if they are signing directly to you This helps the audience to connect with the band and makes them feel 'special'. This is a very stereotypical music video of a band as you can see a number of medium shots of them playing their instruments to give the audience a clear idea that they are playing and performing. This fits in well with the genre as there is a fun and upbeat base. The music is very loud as harsh guitar riffs and drum beats are used which links in with the music video as there appears to be a lot going on which connotes chaos. The audiences can signify this by the face pace editing and by the props used such as balloons and smoke machines. This connotes excitement and entertainment which tells us about the artists being fun and amusing. This sells the band as a rock band by the loud music and instruments used,
The editing is quite fast paced by using numerous amounts of straight cuts and when the beat gets faster the editing speeds up as well to match the video, this signifies a clear and smooth transition between cuts.
The overall mood and tone of the performance is quite eerie and mysterious as low key lighting and dark colours have been used which sells the band as very edgy. This also reinforces their clothing as they are wearing odd and unusual clothing which tells the audience they are quirky and they don't care about what anybody thinks. One performer is wearing a leather jacket to connote an edgy vibe and part of a punk aesthetic. They have scruffy and messy hair to reinforce the idea of them being a rock band.
OCEAN ALLEY - TWISTED
This music video is sold as a performance video as they are performing on a stage from one of their concerts letting the audience in on what they can expect to see if they were to go to one. This builds up excitement and a thrill as high angle shots and long shots are used showing the crowd having a fun time. This reflect on the performers as also being fun and amusing. Clear shots of the performers playing instruments are used to signify to the audience that they are playing. A split screen is used at different points in the music video to show different backstage footage to show what goes on behind the performances. This gives the audience an insight into their life and career and lets the audience in. This can imply that the band are very honest and open. A medium close up shot is used of one of the members having a laugh and one of them drawing a funny face, this signifies that they are laid back and have a stereotypical 'chilled' vibe.
At the beginning of the video the editing matches the sound of the music as straight cuts are used when the beat of the drum is heard. This gives the music video a smooth transition between cuts. The music is very soft and gentle which reinforces the stereotypical codes and conventions of a reggae indie rock band. The mood is very relaxed which could reflect their personality.
Sunglasses and hats have been used which is very stereotypical of a reggae indie rock band as it has connotations of them being down to earth which reinforces their 'chilled' personality. They are wearing floral shirts to connote they are laid back and rock t-shirts to connote they are edgy.
MIGHTY OAKS - JUST ONE DAY
Mighty Oaks 'Just one day' music video is a narrative and performance video as there is a clear beginning, middle and end but the audience can also see the band performing outdoors with their instruments. This follows one of the codes and conventions as an outdoor setting is commonly used for this genre. The story we get to see is about the band exploring the world and experiences great things. This links to Todorov's narrative theory as he explains that there is a clear beginning, middle and end. The music is very calm and soft which is reflected in the music as high key lighting is used to connote happiness and a sense of freedom. This could signify that the band are very relaxed and have a 'chilled' vibe about them.
The editing is slow paced and cuts between shots by using straight cuts when the beat changes to give the video a nice flow which creates a sequence. When the performer sings 'take the leap' we can see the band jumping in the music video which links to Andrew Goodwin's theory as he says the visuals of the song can match the lyrics which are sang. This is seen as a disjunctive.
Mighty Oaks are represented in this particular music video as a well-built band who have strong and overpowering relationships with one another as in the video they are portrayed as having fun and doing activities all together. This could relate to the audience and have a wide appeal as friendship and love is important to everybody and is something that everybody shares.
WILD BELLE - GIVING UP ON YOU
This particular music video is a performance video as the band are performing on stage were we can see them singing and playing their different instruments. The music video is in black and white to create an overall edgy mood which could reflect on the bands image. This gives the music video a very retro edge. We can see the crowd in the music video dancing and having fun which is portrayed through medium shots, long shots and many others. This makes the audience feel as if they are there as well as it's like a mini concert. A high angle shot is used when one of the performances jumps on the crowd which signifies the band are energetic, fun and entertaining. The pace and rhythm of this song is upbeat and fast paste which could represent the performers as being quite lively and enthusiastic.
The setting in the music video looks quite low budget which is one of the codes and conventions of a stock setting from the genre as we can see that no technology has been used in this particular video. This signifies simplicity so that the audience are more focused on the performers rather then on what's actually happening in the music video. Another code and convention that is used in the music video is their clothing and hair. Their clothing is very boho and chic and their hair is messy and untidy to signify a chilled and casual look.
'Giving up on you' is repeated throughout the song so it sticks in the audiences mind however the lyrics of the song do not match with the visuals in the music video. We can tell this because of the repetition used and their is no narrative in this video. Therefore, this is seen as a amplification as the visuals do not match the lyrics.
STICKY FINGERS - HAPPY ENDINGS
This music video is a narrative and performance video as one of the band members is seen lip syncing into the camera through the use of camera movements and camera shots. Tracking and a medium close up has been used as well as a direct mode of address to make the viewer think he is directly singing to them. This creates a relationship with the audience as they feel as if they are getting a private performance and it makes them feel 'special'. We can also see a very long shot of a different band member playing the drums to make the audience aware that they are performing. However, this can also be seen as a narrative video as clips are shown of a women and a men falling for each other but her 'boyfriend' catching them two together.
Parts of the music video is in black and white to give it a retro edge which could reflect on their style. The setting is outdoors in the streets, in a park and on top of a hill which is all common codes and conventions of a reggae indie rock genre.
Here are some typical codes and conventions of the Reggae Indie Rock genre. I researched into codes and conventions of music videos, the music and some artists that I had found.
Goodwin states their are 5 key aspects to a music video which contains:
Thought through beat - seeing sound
Relationship between song and visuals
Performance and Narrative of song
Technical aspects of music video
Star image (Richard Dyer's star theory)
Thought through beat:
First step - analyse the structure of the music video so that you can understand the verses and the chorus.
Second step - (main voice) the artists voice will be unique compared to others. This will give the person an identification which can either be related to the singer or the star person.
Third step - artist established as a story teller as their telling a story through their music. Music video can also demonstrate this by showing the audience the video through the vocals.
Relationship between song and visuals:
Illustration - The video tells the story
Amplification - Videos introduce new meanings which add meaning but do not contradict with the lyrics
Disjuncture - Connection between lyrics and the video or the video contradicts the lyrics
3-way visuals to promote a song - Technical codes such as camera shots/ movement, editing, mise en scene etc.
Performance and Narrative of song:
Technical elements - Visual style
Motifs used to get the message across and to stick in the audiences mind
Cultural representation by the use of visuals
Intertextuality used for the audience to have more understanding
Purpose
Promotes a single and usually an album, also the artist or brand
Entertains the audience
Sets 'meaning' of the song by images
Basic Structure:
Typical music video (3-4 mins) combaines live performances, narrative and visual imagery. This advertises this brand/artist and song.
Music videos contains a number of different elements:
Performance: Video includes performance of the artists (including live stage performance and them in 'real life' situations')
Close ups of the artists are usually used aswell as a motif
Artist can perform in unusual places e.g. a rooftop
Spectacle: Performers using a direct address
Males- Looking directly at the viewer and addressing particually you
Females- Object of erotic gaze and male desire which is a voyeuristic gaze (looking at someone for pleasure) Usually dressed and posed in sexual ways in music videos Narrative: Video tells a stroy, like a mini film using a beginning, middle and end
Can promote a film with clips from the film included to tell the story
Fast paced, lots of shots and cuts used
Inter-textuality with film, tv and other videos used
Thematic: Common themes used in mucis videos, depends on the genre of music
e.g. rap contains a lot of 'street' images
Symbolic: Symbols used to build up meaning
Montage used - imagery to create meaning
Lighting to suggest mood
Fast paced- few seconds per shot, builds meaning
Picutres can support or contradict the lyrics
Digital effects
Use of jump cuts- breaks rule of continuity editing
Cutting related to rythem of music
Intercutting between performance and images or story
