Video Update 1

Reseach into our Genre

In order to create a successful music video and promotional package I have conducted some research into existing artists who are well known within the music industry. As we have already chosen our artist and song, we feel that it is important to look at conventions of typical music videos more specifically towards this genre to help us to create a video that identifies a certain genre but may also challenge it. After we asked some of our target audience to listen to the song they gave us feedback on who Jessica Drake sounded like compared to a well-known artist. Here are the artists that people said...


Kelly Clarkson - My life would suck without you:

The establishing shot begins showing only the feet of the female artist as she appears to be on a swing. This shot shows the theme of voyeurism suggested by Andrew Goodwin which engages the arousal of the audience, creating an enigma by not showing the face of the artist. The next shot reveals the artist, Kelly Clarkson who is on a swing and is smiling nostalgically. The shot is a medium close-up and she is wearing a plain black outfit, which gives an indication to a more indie/rock genre. Her hair appears naturally curly and to female audiences she is seen to be a positive role model as she is pretty but also natural. There is a cut to a shot of a children’s play area in a park. The mise-en-scene of the shot establishes two children, a boy and girl who are in the centre third of the frame conveying their importance. The next few shots are of the two children pushing each other but then they exchange friendship bracelets and hug. The music is still the introduction to the song so only a guitar is playing but gives the audience a sense of anticipation. The shots quicken as the scene of the children is juxtaposed with the shot of Kelly on a swing, which suggests that she is the little girl in the flashback. This is also supported by the fact that these two scenes cross-over as we see the little girl on the swing as she swings backwards and then Kelly is seen coming forward on the swing so it is like they are the same person, as if showing an ellipsis.

As the vocals come in there is a quick establishing shot of the next scene but then quickly goes back to the original swing scene but this time Kelly looks directly at the camera and sings. More parallels are drawn between the young girls and Kelly Clarkson as there is a quick zoom to the friendship accessory which the young boy gave to the little girl which has a ‘K’ on which then cuts and zooms out to the same bracelet on the older Kelly as she opens a door to see a male figure.

The next scene is established as Kelly’s apartment and her ‘boyfriend’s’ (aka the male actor. The playfulness of the song is suggested through the teasing the two characters running around the apartment in an attempt to get the keys. Each narrative frame is juxtaposed with a performance one but it is still in the apartment but Kelly is next to the window looking at the camera on occasions. She is wearing a new outfit in this scene, consisting of dark jeans and a light ‘floaty‘ top which shows her feminine side but also her pragmatic personality by wearing trousers, also shown in her hair style being half up and half down. The scene then diverts back the original shot of Kelly’s feet in the swinging scene however it is changed to a different angle from the other side, possibly suggesting a development in the plot. There is one point of view shot from the male actor’s perspective as we see a medium close-up of Kelly tempting the audience with the keys. This engages the audience giving a greater sense of inclusion in the playfulness. The performance at the window of the apartment is continually recalled in between narrative shots and Kelly only takes up one half of the frame which may be alluding to the song’s message of being not fully happy without her boyfriend.

The chorus then becomes apparent as there is a transition from the apartment scene with a bright flash to a performance new scene for the chorus. There is a medium close up of Kelly in the centre of the frame singing with a microphone and the band is seen behind her. The main first beat of the chorus is emphasised by a long shot showing the entire band and the numerous big flood lights behind the performers go even brighter. This is described my Goodwin as a “shift in emphasis” which they do in this video by the lighting and the authenticity of the band is portrayed showing more focus on the music. The whole chorus consists of the band performance but there are various shots from different angles such as sweeping forward on a crane and subtle zooms. There are many close-ups of Kelly singing and in this scene she is wearing dark colours but they convey the genre of the song as pop/rock. The whole of the scene is black, maintaining that focus on the music but the bright lights add a more pop aspect. To achieve a smooth transition going into the chorus, towards the end there are flashes which show quick narrative shots of the girl and boy and then a shot of Kelly and her boyfriend. Both of these shots show the same body language as the couples are far apart from each other suggesting they have a conflict. Goodwin’s theory of a conflict between three elements comes into play here as another conflict is introduced so that it can be resolved in the chorus.

Once again there is another verse where the narrative takes the majority of the shots showing Kelly throwing her boyfriend’s clothes out of the video. Each shot is juxtaposed with a performance shot, varying between; the first scene of the swing, the second scene of her by the window and the chorus scene with the band. There is a strong sense of women empowerment which is almost Kelly’s iconography with Goodwin suggests such as her song ‘Never again’. This empowerment is used to attract female audiences to uplift them like the song. The chorus is repeated and the bright lights in the background are effective in highlighting the artist. The second time the chorus comes the video complies with another concept of Goodwin’s that is visuals in music videos illustrate, amplify or contradict the music. Therefore in the chorus as Kelly is singing the words “my life would suck without you” the couple are disputing and throwing each other’s things out of the window. This shows an irony and gives a unique twist to the video.

Another theorist Alf Bjornberg believes a strong convention of music videos is the ‘multiple centripetal process’. This is the verse-chorus form and so the video conforms to a cyclical structure. However there is usually always a part in the music that is different from the rest where the sound is stripped back to the vocals. This happens in Kelly’s video and it is used to make a greater effect of the final chorus. Therefore the pace of shots slows down and there are more close-ups of Kelly’s face and instruments. The backlights are dimmed which gives a greater effect and a fan is also evident as Kelly’s hair moves. The pace gets continually faster and then the performance scene shows Kelly who sings the upbeat then the lights become brighter, substituting for the editing on the beat. Many different shots are fast swopping and always moving when Kelly is singing. Like Bjornberg suggests, a typical convention of music videos is for the video to end with a resolution of events which is seen after all the contradictions to the song, that Kelly and her boyfriend kiss at the end.

This video is appeals to a mostly female audience because of the women empowerment icon and message. Kelly is seen as a positive role model showing her natural beauty and playfulness which engages the audience. The pop/rock genre is conveyed through the clothes that Kelly wears and the lights play a great part in creating a cathartic response in the audience. Therefore from this music video we will be able to use the idea of different scene and how to juxtapose them as well as creating a slowed down effect in the middle to make the final chorus an even greater effect.

Avril Lagvine - Smile:

Many people who we asked to listen to Jessica Drake’s song said that she had a similar sound to Avril Lavigne. Therefore, I thought I’d look at one of her latest videos to see typical conventions of her pop/rock videos.

The establishing shot is in a completely white studio, of a very long shot which shows Avril in the centre shaking a spray can. We see her writing graffiti on the walls and her costume supports her rebellious actions. She is wearing a short black dress with bright colours on and is wearing Doc Martin boots conveying to consumers the rock/indie genre. Her hair is also dyed a very unconventional colour of green in her fringe and she is wearing a lot of eyeliner which suggests her independent and anarchist style. There are then quick jump shots showing her writing on the white wall and putting up posters as well as the audience seeing wires and big amps. The concept of showing Avril setting up her set and writing on the walls gives an indication to her more artistic message of using a white wall as a blank canvas to express herself. She appears to subvert the idea of imperfection as the wall could signify purity and then she writes on it to symbolise that it is still perfect even though it has been written on. These are many conventions that Avril conforms to in her own videos giving her an iconography for her audience to identify her with. Therefore her existing audience will be attracted to this rebellious but also symbolic action. 

There is then a close up of her guitar which she plugs in and plays a chord whilst the camera zooms out. There are then a number of jump shots from different angles such as aerial  shots as she sings; some show her lying down, others show her freely dancing. The lyrics also represent the artist as they are explicit because she uses some swear words but this continues to convey her rebellious and free nature. Avril looks at the camera quite a lot and uses the studio space as the camera follows her. It is also important to notice that the camera is continually moving, panning. The scene then cuts to a narrative as the chorus begins which the audience is able to identify because they have used a greyscale filter to contrast the two scenes. The mise-en-scene establishes a typical ‘American’ street where Avril is walking down the steps of a house. She is wearing mostly black and her tour top, connoting the rock genre additionally as she is wearing converses which originally signified rebellion. It appears like many videos the new scene is established but then cuts back to the original scene but then the greyscale scene is shown in more detail. This effect seems to be a way of keeping the audience’s attention so they are drawn into each scene. The new scene shows Avril picking up a small red piece of glass which is the only colour in the scene but as of yet, the audience is unsure what the object is.

The scene is juxtaposed with the previous one which has many close-ups of the artist. This greyscale scene acts as the narrative in the music video yet has a different feel to more mainstream songs such as Kelly Clarkson’s because rather than focusing on a narrative involving Avril as the main character she acts almost like a ghost. Therefore the narrative is constructed of ordinary people and the first scenario we see is a couple sitting in an outside café table clearly looking upset, assuming they have had an argument. There is an over the shoulder shot of Avril looking at the couple who are unaware of her; giving the impression she is a ghost-like character. She picks up another red piece of glass and the idea begins to appear that Avril is collecting these red pieces like a treasure hunt. As soon as she takes the piece the director cuts to a reaction shot of the couple who suddenly smile, linking to the song which appropriately fits at the end of the chorus. The pace of the song is less conventional than other pop videos as the shot in the choruses are not noticeably faster than that in the verses. Therefore there is a more laid back feel to the song because of this feature in the music video. Continually throughout the narrative, the initial setting in the white studio is referred to. This connects the two scenes but also keeps the audience’s attention and the studio setting is mostly dedicated to the artist performing with her guitar and lip syncing the words whereas the greyscale setting focuses on the message of the song.    

 The music video uses some editing techniques in parts, for example when Avril plays her guitar the shot is mirrored giving a variety to the video and suggests an alternative genre. Also when the music emphasises the guitar part, the shots reflect this by editing on the beat of the guitar strums which adheres to Andrew Goodwin’s theory of the video amplifying and illustrating the music. Like most of Avril Lavigne’s music videos, they contain a strong element of fun which she stands for in her music. This is shown when she emphasises her facial expressions to the camera and the camera moves in jump shots giving it a fun feel as well as looking at the camera and waving. In the chorus the pace of shots are unconventionally slower than the chorus however much more panning is used and there is more focus on the performance. The chorus also uses more editing techniques as Avril spins and this is reversed in slow motion possibly connoting her enjoyment which she wants to last- reflected in the lyrics.  

More episodes of seemingly genuine people are seen on the street that Avril is walking along and they instantly become happy after she picks up the red glass from near the person. This is an effective way of appealing to a large target audience as the people in the narrative are of different ages, races etc which widens her target audience. Additionally this places Avril in a positive lights as there are connotations of associating the female artist with unloading and ultimately making her audience smile. There appears to be a sense of Avril being the same rebellious artist yet she is seen to subvert stereotypes and still shows her caring personality which enables audiences to relate to her. As a more indie artist, Avril’s iconography is identified by her challenging typical conventions whilst not deviating too much from the music video camera shots. This is symbolised by the tiara that she wears on her head suggesting royalty and being like a princess however by slanting it in her hair, she conveys a subversion of the traditional which identifies with the her audience who acknowledge imperfection in a positive light.

Avril Lavigne’s music video also adheres to Alf Bjornberg’s theory of the ‘multiple centripetal process’. This is because of the structure of the song, the narrative can never be linear hence there are numerous cases of the same situation where Avril picks up the red glass and then the person is happy. To vary this there is a section in the music which is stripped down to only the vocals and in this video like Kelly Clarkson’s the lighting is used to emphasise this effect. Avril sits of the floor of the studio with the white dimmed. Then as the chorus comes for the final time, the lights brighten and Avril stands up and moves more around the studio space with the music whilst looking at the camera. Additionally Bjornberg believes music videos should have a resolution to the problematisation in the verses and at the end of the song the audience finally understand what the red pieces of glass were. The two scenes also connect as after seeing Avril collect all of the red pieces in the greyscale scene, we see her holding a glass red heart in the studio setting. She holds it up to the camera and smiles linking with the song. This maintains the audience’s attention until the very end and the heart which is not broken appears to be made from all the broken pieces suggesting the concept of a broken heart eventually being mended.

This video appeals to mainly a female audience as Avril stands for strong women empowerment however it appears she does try to reach out to other demographics through her use of characters in the video.

These videos have helped my group and I to identify typical conventions of music videos with the genre of music we are planning to use for our artist Jessica Drake: pop/rock. Therefore we will refer back to this research when we begin storyboarding to create a video that will apply to Andrew Goodwin and Bjornberg's theories and look professionally similar to music videos in the same genre.

Audience Research: Interviews

After finding an artist and song that we liked, we decided to conduct more audience research to gain feedback on the song 'You You You' to see if it would appeal to our demographic. 


Naomi


Initial song feedback
"reminds me of Avril Lavgine"
"Very catchy"
"i like the ending bit where her voice is more exposed"
"really good song"


Questions
Q: What kind of colour scheme can you imagine it being set in?
A: Bold colours, possibly red as it symbolises love etc


Q: Where can you imagine it being set?
A: Possibly parts in a bed, similar to the Talor Swift 'teardrops on my guitar' 


Q: What weather do you think would best fit in the video?
A: Mainly sunny because its quiet up beat, bt possibly rainy in the reminissing parts


Q: What type of clothes could you imagine the artist wearing?
A: Maybe a flowery, floaty dress? not anything indescent


Q: Is there anyone inparticular you can imagine actinng as the artist?
A: Me (charlie)


Q: Could you imagine instruments being played in the video?
A: No, just her singing as it shows her strength


Q: Do you think we need to use bright lights or more dimmed?
A: I think dim lighting would be better because it reflects the song more.


Q:  We had an idea for the video: the artist would be walking forwards (filmed from a distance) continuously however the backdrops would be changing from and to famous cities for instance Paris, London, Singapore. Do you think this would fit with this song?
A: Yes, i think that would work really well because the beat is strong enough and also it kind of helps with the strength of the song- exaggerating her isolation.


Q: Another idea we had is having the artist in a white dress, and getting sprayed/ splattered in bright coloured paints. Do you think would work?
A: Possibly, however only for the chorus part as it's the most upbeat and relating



Louis


Initial song feedback
"Upbeat drum beat"
"vocals attacking"
"wants to sound like a typical american singer"
"Bass line follows guitar"
"chorus is catchy"
"generic"
"long and winey notes"


Questions

Q: What kind of colour scheme can you imagine it being set in?

A: Natural sunny pastel scene

Q: Where can you imagine it being set?

A: field with flowers, under a tree etc

Q: What weather do you think would best fit in the video?

A: Sunny

Q: What type of clothes could you imagine the artist wearing?

A: Nice dress, with a necker chief

Q: Is there anyone inparticular you can imagine actinng as the artist?

A: Me (charlie)

Q: Could you imagine instruments being played in the video? 

A: Yes, possibly a guy playing an acoustic guitar beside her

Q: Do you think we need to use bright lights or more dimmed?

A: Just natural lighting

Q:  We had an idea for the video: the artist would be walking forwards (filmed from a distance) continuously however the backdrops would be changing from and to famous cities for instance Paris, London, Singapore. Do you think this would fit with this song?

A: Yeh, i think it would fit really well because it fits with the beats

Q: Another idea we had is having the artist in a white dress, and getting sprayed/ splattered in bright coloured paints. Do you think would work?

A: No because it's not generic enough

Mollie

Initial song feedback

"like the song"

"catchy"
"good beat"

Q: What kind of colour scheme can you imagine it being set in?

A: I would imagine it to have bold bright colours

Q: Where can you imagine it being set?

A: A field or bedroom, park, perhaps multiple settings would be good.

Q: What weather do you think would best fit in the video?

A: Sunny

Q: What type of clothes could you imagine the artist wearing?

A: Rock Chic

Q: Is there anyone inparticular you can imagine actinng as the artist?

A: Carris

Q: Could you imagine instruments being played in the video? 

A: Yes I would like to see both instruments and the person

Q: Do you think we need to use bright lights or more dimmed?

A: Bright lights

Q:  We had an idea for the video: the artist would be walking forwards (filmed from a distance) continuously however the backdrops would be changing from and to famous cities for instance Paris, London, Singapore. Do you think this would fit with this song?

A: Yeah it goes really well with the idea

Q: Another idea we had is having the artist in a white dress, and getting sprayed/ splattered in bright coloured paints. Do you think would work?

A: It is a very good idea that would go well with the popyness of the song.

Song Choice

Today we found an artist which we have decided to use for our final piece.
After looking at numerous artists on the internet, we have discovered an unsigned female artist who released an album in 2009 which has the right sound for our video. Her name is Jessica Drake from North Carolina, USA. Jessica is 24 years old and is an award winning songwriter and her song 'You you you' is filled with her pop/rock genre. She also has a rock chic look which reflects her album. 
The following link is a presentation of the process we undertook to choice an artist and then her song:

The song which we have chosen to use is 'You You You' as it has an upbeat, empowering sound which we believe we will be able to reflect in a visual format.



Here is her official website:

http://www.jessicadrakemusic.com/Jessica_Drake/Jessica_Drake.html

We were able to contact Jessica via Facebook and she gave us her email address. We therefore asked permission to use her song and she accepted.
Below is the email confirmation....

Audience Research: Questionnaire

To decide upon ideas for our music video we decided to conduct a questionnaire to our target audience of 12-19. The aim of our questionnaire was to see what typical consumers prefer in the music industry. This would then help us to see what we should incorporate into our own video and also enable us to choose a certain genre of song.



The first question was aimed to solve our initial choice we had of either using a band or solo artist. This was an important factor as it would determine the outcome of our video and the genre we would choose. After asking our sample we found that a solo artist was preferred to a band. Although, this result may not be true to the whole population of our target audience as we only used a fairly small sample. However we have decided our demographic to be female teenagers and so more females said they prefered soloists to males. Hence we will begin to look for unsigned solo artists. 

Our second question aimed to see what genre of music our demographic preferred and we found that the majority liked Pop music. This is not necessarily surprising as popular music would be more preferred in the sample and it is important to note more girls enjoyed this genre of music. Therefore popular artists of today would be such people as Rihanna and Pixie Lott. The second most preferred genre of music was R&B which consists of artists like N'dubz and Nicki Manaj. It is important to note that artists can cross over these categories and it is relative to how our sample categorise certain genres. Therefore we must consider when we choose our song that it may have aspects of different genres and so can satisfy a larger audience when they listen to the song. The third most popular genres were Alternative and Indie. These genres include more instrumental sounds and we feel we would like to find an artist that may incorporate these traits into their song. Therefore this question has been useful in determining what song we want to look for and that will attract our target audience. We aim to look for a song that is mainly a pop genre but with other genres also integrated such as alternative. 

The third question we asked to see if people in our target audience liked upbeat or mellow songs. This was important to see what style of song we wanted from an artist and it would help us see if teenagers would agree with us on our initial ideas of having a more upbeat song. As this proved to be true with the majority of our sample liking upbeat songs more we will use a song with an upbeat feel so that we can use fast editing on the beat. 

With this fourth question we wanted to see whether people preferred more focus on the vocals or the instrumentals in music videos. It was not such a distinct divide between the two however vocals came out at most preferred. This enables us to shape our music video according to our sample's preference. However we have decided that for our video we will have the majority of the piece on vocals but we will reflect the results we received and have some areas of the video focused on the instrumental sound. 

Our final question was aimed in terms of our music video to see what audiences like and expect from a video. The majority appear to like performance based videos such as Beyonce's Single Ladies. However over a quarter preferred a narrative such as Ed Sheeran's The A Team and over another quarter preferred both. This gives us a fair amount of choice when we come to storyboarding as the results are fairly even. It appears that the main majority of our video should be performance based but it should also include some sense of narrative as well. Examples of these videos are Katy Perry's California Girls. 

Therefore from this questionnaire we were able to determine certain aspects of our music video that appear to be liked by the general public. This will also help us in choosing a song and genre that will appeal to the majority of consumers. 

Music Video Theories

Andrew Goodwin's Theory


Andrew Goodwin has dedicated numerous theories of the "fusion of sound and image" of music video in his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory. Goodwin shows how musicology can illustrate the visual and believes visuals in music videos illustrate, amplify or contradict the music. 
Goodwin dismisses "the suggestion that music itself lacks a visual component" as he states that a variety of techniques are used to visualise the tempo of the music: camera movements, fast editing and post-production visuals. 
Goodwin believes that a music video must balance three elements: the voice, the rhythm and the backing. A "shift in emphasis" is seen when songs vary between the verse and chorus. Therefore Goodwin believes that there is a continual conflict between the three elements and a harmonic development resolves this at the end of the song. This is seen visually, lyrically and musically as the final cadence of a song is played. 
Goodwin also believes different genres have their own musical style which is reflected in the iconography of the music video and this makes the artist identifiable to their target audience. He believes close-ups must also be used in a video and this links with a common theme in music videos of voyeurism.
Goodwin refers to the importance of musical repetition and believes that the visual aid should reflect this. 
Goodwin ultimately believes that a music video is created to further promote the track and this is useful in our research so that we can create the best possible reflection of the music that we will choose as a group. 

Alf Bjornberg's Theory


Bjornberg, like Goodwin, believes a music video acts as a visualisation of musical structures. Bjornberg however stresses more emphasis on the time of the music video being limited to three minutes which consequently leads to narrative ellipsis. This restriction of time also leads to the structure of the video to "go round in circles" so the narrative cannot be linear. 
Bjornberg describes the verse-chorus form as a "multiple centripetal process" this is done musically by the cadential effect of the chorus and lyrically by changing between the problematisation in the verses to the confirmation in the chorus which Bjornberg believes is a common convention of music videos.
Bjornberg believes editing on the beat to be a significant characteristic of music videos which acts as a visual aid for the music however these conventions can be subverted to create an alternate effect. 


From these two theories my group and I will be able to incorporate these ideas into the planning stages of our work. When creating our music video we must consider Goodwin's theory of the video being used to illustrate, amplify or contradict the music. Similarly, the structure of our video can use the typical conventions of the "multiple centripetal process" whereby the verse-chorus form have a cadential effect. 

Initial Ideas

Research

To aid the development of our own promotional package, we have researched into existing products.

  

Existing Promotional Packages:

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Katy Perry's latest album, Teenage Dream, has a simple yet controversial cover. The artist's figure is the main central focus of the cover and her promiscuous pose shows her to be very revealed. The mise-en-scene of the image shows Katy to be lying on a cloud which is presented to be like cotton candy (this is identified through the blue sky in the top left corner). The use of the cotton candy reveals the beginning of a strong theme throughout the album of sweets; connoting her personality to be more child-like, sweet and fun, whilst suggesting a mainstream/pop genre. 

The image of the cotton candy cloud continues onto the back of the digipak. The back is quite plain but suggests a female demography as the song names are written in bold pink. On the other panel of the digipak is a close-up image of the female artist. The album appears to rely heavily on the appearance of the artist as she is wearing make-up and is shown in numerous promiscuous poses.

The inside of the digipak carries on the close up images of the artist with a black background so that she is the main focus. The CD's are visually appealing to audiences as they are unique and colourful. One of the most interesting concepts about the digipak is that it does not show the name of the artist or album. This suggests that Katy Perry is very identifiable and this could even add to the attraction of buying the CD which is seen to be aimed at young people however of both genres. 

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream Poster

 Katy Perry's poster advertisement for her album Teenage Dream, has a different look to the digipak. This makes the synergy less obvious however as she is a mainstream artist her appearance is recognised in the audience. Showing the importance of her appearance, she is seen again with little clothing. Katy's feminism is portrayed as she is wearing a lot of make up and there are many bright colours of pink and purple (including her hair) which shows the main target audience to be females. Her appearance like her hair is very unique and therefore is not able to relate to the audience as it has a futuristic look however because of her well-known background, people are likely to be intrigued by the new album. There are also bright colours in the background on a black backdrop which makes them stand out. Katy's actual pose takes up the majority of the poster and she appears to be looking up to something out of the shot, which creates an enigma. Her familiar name logo is shown at the bottom of the poster as this does not have to be large as many people instantly recognise her. The album name is in the top left corner and this could connote her pose of looking upwards to be reminiscent of this. Therefore this poster, although in a different appearance to the digipak, is able to show synergy between the products through its bright colours and the knowledge of her as a celebrity, which instantly encourages consumers to buy the new album. 

Katy Perry Music Video - California Girls: 

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Mika's album has a great contrast to Katy Perry's suggesting a different genre. The front of the album is brightly coloured and gives an abstract but fun feel. There is a lot of detail within the bold coloured images which gives a suggestion of an indie genre with more unique songs and themes discussed in these songs. The sheer randomness of the cover may appeal to both genders however slightly more towards niche audiences. The effect of the artist's name being slanted, gives connotations of deviation from mainstream ideas and there is a unique aspect of all of the interesting objects being pulled into the yellow 'warp' in the centre of the cover which draws the eyes to the artist's name but also the album name. Also this is from an aerial view which almost makes the audience feel like they are being pulled in, like the other images which is an interesting marketing scheme. Some of the images on the wall are of tribal pictures which may connote the unique genre which is emphasised by the tribal image being enlarged onto the actual CD. The album title of 'The Boy Who Knew Too Much' gives an indication to the juxtaposition of the boy's bedroom items and then the images of space. There may even be a metaphysical suggestion to the audience as the boy's face is hidden by a book conveying his obliviousness to his surroundings which take up the biggest proportion of the cover. 

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much Poster 

Mika's poster is very similar to the front cover of the digipak. The synergy between the products is very obvious and this will encourage audiences to recognise the products as a whole which will encourage sales. The poster, like the digipak, shows an indie genre and there is no particular target to one gender. The name of the artist is more prominent than Katy Perry's because he is not as famous and is aiming to draw the audience in to the detailed poster. An interesting factor of the poster and digipak is that the cover does not show Mika's face. Even though not as famous as Katy Perry he is well known and so this may have been done to attract a new audience to the music and maybe show more importance to the music rather than just his image (possibly conveyed through the three dimensional text of Mika, in revealing another side to the artist).

Mika - We Are Golden Music Video

Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight

This album cover connotes a much more serious mood. The colour is in complete contrast to Mika's album as this cover is in black and white. The majority of the cover is the white background however there are six figures placed in the bottom half of the cover which are the band members. The black silhouettes show a large contrast from the white and the consumer is led to believe the genre is  rock. The obvious contrasts in colours suggest rebellion and create a sense of mystery. The actual logo of the band is in the top centre of the cover and the rebellious nature can be interpreted through the logo deviating from the box theorem.   

The inside of the digipak shows the synergy of the front in the black figures. However behind where the CD's are placed there is more colour which shows an abstract look. The CD's mainly show the bans's logo. This album is not particularly aimed at any gender however it may be targeted more at 18+. This is because the band are depicted as more serious and may have more depth to their songs which they believe should be the main focus for their demography.      

Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight Poster

Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight Poster, is also very similar to their digipak album. The strong contrast between the black and white can be argued to be just as eye catching as bright colours. The poster differs from the album as instead of seeing just the outlined silhouettes of the band, there is a medium close up of the members taking up the bottom half of the poster. The band members are all wearing black which connotes a rock genre and the central focus is towards the middle band member who we can assume to be the singer or who plays an important role in the band. Each other member then stands behind the previous one as these are classed less recognisable. The poses of the band are fairly solemn and serious possibly reflecting their music. Also many of them have their hands in their pockets which may suggest a more casual and 'cool' look to their fans. This poster again has the band name which is very bold and so the poster is most likely to attract existing fans who recognise the faces of the band members. 

Linkin Park - What I've Done Music Video

Research and Planning Schedule

To ensure we are covering all the aspects that we need to conduct for our music video, we have written a research and planning schedule which will help us with our organisation of time management. 


Research

- Initial ideas of artist and the song to use. 


- Audience Research (questionnaire, graphs, analysis, interviews)

- Choose an artist and a song.

- More existing music video research (specific to our genre)

- Audience research - feedback on song choice.

- Requesting email permission to use the song (print out of the email chain)

Planning

- Casting (auditions and audience research)

- Discuss main concepts of the video such as predominantly performance or     
   narrative.

- Choose our settings and find locations

- Discuss initial storyboard ideas

- Initial Storyboard (hand drawn)

- Audience feedback - ask what our target audience think our storyboard ideas

- Photographic storyboard with description

- Animatic storyboard 


- Audience Research - show people our animatic storyboard, gain feedback 
  and alter in necessary


- Camera Experiments and Shots 


- Lighting Experiments


- Multiple costume, makeup and hair styling analysis (referring to our audience 
  research

- Health and Safety considerations

A2 Task

Our task for A2 is to create a promotional package for a music artist. 
Included in the package will be:
                                            - a music video (approx. 3 minutes)
                                            - a CD digipak
                                            - a poster advertisement