I had a few difficulties uploading my evaultion because of my blog account. Because of this i created an evaluation blog to show my evalution ... Pleas follow the link
Evaluation blog
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Friday, 7 May 2010
Audience feedbackk
we created a questionnaire to review the feedback from our audience. We wanted to know what they liked and disliked about the video and what they thought we could improve on if we ever needed to repeat the task.
Audience Feedback Graphs
Audience Feedback Graphs
Final Products
The final music video as well as Album poster and CD inlays have been posted onto the companys facebook account and can be viewed via the link at the side. We have leeft everything open to the public to allow them to voice their thought, oppinions and feedback on the video as well as how we can improve or any other comments anyone would like to make.
Ancillary task Photo shoot and Editing
Our ancillary task was to creat a Poster and Album booklet to accompany our video. This will need us to perform a photo shoot to use original images for our product. We performed three photo shoots with different outfits, backgrounds and props.
With theese shoots we used we used photoshop first edit the photographs to a high contrast and brightness, making the patterns and darkness stand out against the brighter white colours. we used tools to mask the images and layer them onto a pre composed background to add the final effects and finished up by blending and bluring the edges which looked too sharp. We also airbrushed to give the maximum glam effect to the artist.
With theese shoots we used we used photoshop first edit the photographs to a high contrast and brightness, making the patterns and darkness stand out against the brighter white colours. we used tools to mask the images and layer them onto a pre composed background to add the final effects and finished up by blending and bluring the edges which looked too sharp. We also airbrushed to give the maximum glam effect to the artist.
Editing Process
We have started our editing using Adobe Premier Pro. We have started by lining up all of our performance shots and firstly cutting between them so that the entire track consists of some performance shot. The speed of our shots is quite speedy and cut quickly between the different shots. This is to entertain the audience and keep them interested in what is happening so they dont feel as if they are watching the same thing over and over. We will then lay the narrative shots over the top where we think they work best, in chronological order.
Some shots we have taken need effect to be added to them to make the lighting better, adjust what is in the shot and to make transitions flow with the video easier. We will do this once all of our shots have been put down in the right order as it is time consuming to render all of the effects whilst trying to place the video at the same time.
Some shots we have taken need effect to be added to them to make the lighting better, adjust what is in the shot and to make transitions flow with the video easier. We will do this once all of our shots have been put down in the right order as it is time consuming to render all of the effects whilst trying to place the video at the same time.
diary - shoot 4
Once we started to put our shots together we realized that we did not have a sufficent amount of performance shots and therefore went out again to film some more. We went back to Keynsham Park where we filmed underneath an urban bridge with graffitti around. We used a stripy jumper outfit to show an emotional side to the character rather than just black.
We shot from the front close ups and a mids shot as well as a low angle shot. We also tried something new by duoble timing the track to make the actions seem as if they were in slow motion but at the right timing.
We shot from the front close ups and a mids shot as well as a low angle shot. We also tried something new by duoble timing the track to make the actions seem as if they were in slow motion but at the right timing.
Diary - shoot three
The next shoot we carried out was to finish the narrative part. We first filmed in the bathroom infront of the mirror. We filmed the shoot about six times to get the right angles that we thought worked best. We them filmed leaving the house, low angles of the feet and following down the steps. We filmed Jon getting into the car, reading the text message and pulling away. We then filmed the phone being thrown into the back of the car.
We then went to Longwell Grenn car park to film the end part of the video. We started by filming parts of the car as the car got faster along one track, showing the steering wheel, gears and the dial pannel. We then filmed shots of the car from the outside and the shots of the female arriving in her car getting out and standing by the bonet of the car.
We then filmed shots of jon driving towards the female and both of our reaction shots to the situation
We then went to Longwell Grenn car park to film the end part of the video. We started by filming parts of the car as the car got faster along one track, showing the steering wheel, gears and the dial pannel. We then filmed shots of the car from the outside and the shots of the female arriving in her car getting out and standing by the bonet of the car.
We then filmed shots of jon driving towards the female and both of our reaction shots to the situation
Diary - Shoot Two
For the next shoot we went to Weston-Super-Mare. We went there in the dark when it was almost pitch black. Because of the darkness we used the headlights from the car on the beach to light up the performance. We shot a side long shot and mid shot as well as a mid shot from the front and a long shot infront of headlights. We also films the narrative shots of tearing up photographs. We also filmed establishing shots of the scene as well as shots of the road as we were traveling along to show the different lights.
Diary - Shoot 1
Our first location was at Keynsham park to film the first performance shoot. There is a bandstand in the middle of the park with a white backing. It looks very similar to a stage. We shot about six different times playin the song the entire way through. These were front on close up, mid shot and long shot as well as a moving shot following the artist and two low angle mid shots. After looking through these we only feel that three were a good enough shoot to put into the video.
We also filmed a random shoot of the guy in sunglasses on a bench with the sun in the background. This was for protection if we needed extra shots which we could not film if that was the case when editing our work later on.
We also filmed a random shoot of the guy in sunglasses on a bench with the sun in the background. This was for protection if we needed extra shots which we could not film if that was the case when editing our work later on.
Here we have created a story board of what we want our final video to look like. We have used shots from existing videos showing the exact angles and expressions we would like. The locations are not exactly the same but it give us a rough idea of what the video will look like.
Music Video Storyboard Planning
Music Video Storyboard Planning
Location Location Location!
There are many different location we can use that would fit the description we were looking for. However, there is a limit to which we can use purely because of travelling expenses and ease of access during the time that we have. Also because of weather condition it will need to be a quick decision on the place we use at the time.
For the performance shots we will go to the following...
Weston-super-mare beach at night film on the sand as well as several establishing shots of the landscape. As well as this we will film several shots of the road whilst in the car driving along. This can be used to bridge together parts of our music video.
Keynsham park. In Keynsham park there is a large band stand which has a white wall and is raised we feel it will be a very effective location and realistic setting for our music video.
Bath park during the day under an abandoned bridge which is covered in graffiti. This goes with idea that we should use an urban area like in 'The Way You Make Me Feel'.
For the narrative shots we will be going to the following...
Bathroom at Fran's house for the first part of the video. It's spacious and will be easier to direct.
Outside Fran's house. On a main easy access to drive off and easy access to walking to the car.
Vue underground car park. As it's underground we will be able to film during the day yet still make it appear like it could be at night. Very spacious and empty during the day.
For the performance shots we will go to the following...
Weston-super-mare beach at night film on the sand as well as several establishing shots of the landscape. As well as this we will film several shots of the road whilst in the car driving along. This can be used to bridge together parts of our music video.
Keynsham park. In Keynsham park there is a large band stand which has a white wall and is raised we feel it will be a very effective location and realistic setting for our music video.
Bath park during the day under an abandoned bridge which is covered in graffiti. This goes with idea that we should use an urban area like in 'The Way You Make Me Feel'.
For the narrative shots we will be going to the following...
Bathroom at Fran's house for the first part of the video. It's spacious and will be easier to direct.
Outside Fran's house. On a main easy access to drive off and easy access to walking to the car.
Vue underground car park. As it's underground we will be able to film during the day yet still make it appear like it could be at night. Very spacious and empty during the day.
Roles and Responsibilities
Because there are only two members of our team this means that most of the work will be done together with both sides adding their thoughts and oppinions into the work to get the best result.
When filming it is obvious that when it is a male part jon will perform and i will film and direct while when it is a female part i will perform and jon will film and direct. We feel both these roles are equal parts towards out production.
I will take the photo shoot for the ancillary tasks as Jon will be photographed.
Jon will then begin editin the photographs whilst i write a video diary for our performances and we will both continue to edit for out cover and poster as well as the video once we have completed filming.
When filming it is obvious that when it is a male part jon will perform and i will film and direct while when it is a female part i will perform and jon will film and direct. We feel both these roles are equal parts towards out production.
I will take the photo shoot for the ancillary tasks as Jon will be photographed.
Jon will then begin editin the photographs whilst i write a video diary for our performances and we will both continue to edit for out cover and poster as well as the video once we have completed filming.
Performance Pitch
Shoot One - The performer will wear dark clothes, probably black jeans to make the situation more casual. He will wear leather gloves and black boots. We want this shoot to be outside agains a white background, as if he is performing on stage. We would like to shoot a close up, mid shot and long shot to show a variety of shot types as well as a low angle shot and a movemtn shot from left to right. We can then use a variety in the video.
Shoot Two - the performer will be wearing dark clothes again, similar to in shoot one but with a leather jacket. The shoot will take place at the beach, the same place as the last narrative shoot. We plan to shoot a long shot, mid shot and side shot from this scene. There will be a strong flood light to illuminate the performance and enhance the dark background.
Shoot Three - the final performance shot will be underneath an urban bridge, hopefully with graffitti around. In this shot he will be wearing a stripe jumper and jeans to contrast against the dark black from the other scenes. It will also show another side to the artist that shows emotion.
Shoot Two - the performer will be wearing dark clothes again, similar to in shoot one but with a leather jacket. The shoot will take place at the beach, the same place as the last narrative shoot. We plan to shoot a long shot, mid shot and side shot from this scene. There will be a strong flood light to illuminate the performance and enhance the dark background.
Shoot Three - the final performance shot will be underneath an urban bridge, hopefully with graffitti around. In this shot he will be wearing a stripe jumper and jeans to contrast against the dark black from the other scenes. It will also show another side to the artist that shows emotion.
Music Video - Narrative Pitch
We have put together a step by step pitch of what our video intends to look like.
Male - Max Black
Female - girlfriend
shoot 1 - male is in the bathroom looking in the mirror. Washed his face (see tap running). When looking back into the mirror he sees female. audience know that he racognises the female. Male looks behind him shocked as she is not there.
shoot 2 - Female pulls up in a car park getting out of the car and stands by the bonet as if waiting for someone.
shoot 3 - Male leaves the house walking down steps and getting into his car. audience think he is meeting the female.
shoot 4 - female send s text saying 'i'm sorry'. The audience no know that she has betrayed her boyfriend, making her the bad character and the male the good one. We then see the male inside his car recieve the text. Throws his phone angrily to the back and collapses onto the steering wheel, emotional. He pulls away.
shoot 5 - Female stood in the middle of the car park looking sure of herself, looking toward the entrance. she is wearing heels and a skirt, traditional representation of a female looking glam. You see the male inside the car headlights turn on. The car travels towards the female. Fast shots of male and female to show facial expression as well as inside the car to show speed of the car. Male runs over the female and looks back with guilty expression.
shoot 6 - Male on beach at night. holding photographs of the female and ripping them. walks away from the camera looks back before walking into the sea.
Male - Max Black
Female - girlfriend
shoot 1 - male is in the bathroom looking in the mirror. Washed his face (see tap running). When looking back into the mirror he sees female. audience know that he racognises the female. Male looks behind him shocked as she is not there.
shoot 2 - Female pulls up in a car park getting out of the car and stands by the bonet as if waiting for someone.
shoot 3 - Male leaves the house walking down steps and getting into his car. audience think he is meeting the female.
shoot 4 - female send s text saying 'i'm sorry'. The audience no know that she has betrayed her boyfriend, making her the bad character and the male the good one. We then see the male inside his car recieve the text. Throws his phone angrily to the back and collapses onto the steering wheel, emotional. He pulls away.
shoot 5 - Female stood in the middle of the car park looking sure of herself, looking toward the entrance. she is wearing heels and a skirt, traditional representation of a female looking glam. You see the male inside the car headlights turn on. The car travels towards the female. Fast shots of male and female to show facial expression as well as inside the car to show speed of the car. Male runs over the female and looks back with guilty expression.
shoot 6 - Male on beach at night. holding photographs of the female and ripping them. walks away from the camera looks back before walking into the sea.
Through looking at different mujsic videos we discovered a Rihanna video -Russian Roulette. We both really liked the style and storyline in the video. It has a very synical style which fits with the style of mujsic which is similar to the style we are looking for. The particular part we liked was at the very end where Rihanna the main artist is ran over by her boyfriend, reasoning in unknown to the audience. In four different sinarios in the video Rihanna attempts to kill herself of succeeds. The part where she is playing with a gun intensifies the situation to shock the viewer. We both like this shock effect and hope to use it within our own video.
Initial Ideas
After discussing the lyrics and looking at other pop videos we came up with some points that we definitely wanted our video to show or follow.
1. The main focus will be on performance shots. We will include a narrative storyline but this will be second to the performance. Maybe a 75/25 ratio of the two.
2. The narrative story will involve the male artist and his girlfriend/ex girlfriend. The storyline will be about revenge because of her cheating.
3. There will be a minimum of 3 different performance locations with at least 3 different shot arrangements in each location.
1. The main focus will be on performance shots. We will include a narrative storyline but this will be second to the performance. Maybe a 75/25 ratio of the two.
2. The narrative story will involve the male artist and his girlfriend/ex girlfriend. The storyline will be about revenge because of her cheating.
3. There will be a minimum of 3 different performance locations with at least 3 different shot arrangements in each location.
Cry me a River song lyrics
To understand the song fully and help with our inital video idea we first looked at the song lyrics. From doing this we knew that there was a storyline where the male character (Max Black) would be emotionally hurt by someone. We decided this should be a female to follow common conventions of a pop video. We also decided that there should be water involved somewhere maybe as a small prop or extra part
The part near the end of the song claiming 'the damage is done' was a clear indication to us that there needed to be revenge in the video by the artist, which could change depending on the original circumstance.
You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no
You don't have to say, what you did,
I already know, I found out from him
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
And don't it make you sad about it
You told me you loved me
Why did you leave me, all alone
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me, on the phone
Girl I refuse, you must have me confused
With some other guy
Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn
To cry, cry me a river
Cry me a river-er
Cry me a river
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
I know that they say
That somethings are better left unsaid
It wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it
(Don't act like you don't know it)
All of these things people told me
Keep messing with my head
(Messing with my head)
You should've picked honesty
Then you may not have blown it
(Yea..)
You don't have to say, what you did,
(Don't have to say, what you did)
I already know, I found out from him
(I already know, uh)
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
(No chance, you and me)
And don't it make you sad about it
You told me you loved me
Why did you leave me, all alone
(All alone)
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me, on the phone
(When you call me on the phone)
Girl I refuse, you must have me confused
With some other guy
(I'm not like them baby)
Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn
(It's your turn)
To cry, cry me a river
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be... leaving
You don't have to say, what you did,
(Don't have to say, what you did)
I already know, I found out from him
(I already know, uh)
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
(No chance, you and me)
And don't it make you sad about it
Cry me a river
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river
(You can go on and just)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
Cry me a river
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river
(Cause I've already cried)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
(Ain't gonna cry no more, yea-yea)
Cry me a river
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
The part near the end of the song claiming 'the damage is done' was a clear indication to us that there needed to be revenge in the video by the artist, which could change depending on the original circumstance.
You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no
You don't have to say, what you did,
I already know, I found out from him
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
And don't it make you sad about it
You told me you loved me
Why did you leave me, all alone
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me, on the phone
Girl I refuse, you must have me confused
With some other guy
Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn
To cry, cry me a river
Cry me a river-er
Cry me a river
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
I know that they say
That somethings are better left unsaid
It wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it
(Don't act like you don't know it)
All of these things people told me
Keep messing with my head
(Messing with my head)
You should've picked honesty
Then you may not have blown it
(Yea..)
You don't have to say, what you did,
(Don't have to say, what you did)
I already know, I found out from him
(I already know, uh)
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
(No chance, you and me)
And don't it make you sad about it
You told me you loved me
Why did you leave me, all alone
(All alone)
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me, on the phone
(When you call me on the phone)
Girl I refuse, you must have me confused
With some other guy
(I'm not like them baby)
Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn
(It's your turn)
To cry, cry me a river
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be leaving
Oh
(Oh)
The damage is done
So I guess I be... leaving
You don't have to say, what you did,
(Don't have to say, what you did)
I already know, I found out from him
(I already know, uh)
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be
(No chance, you and me)
And don't it make you sad about it
Cry me a river
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river
(You can go on and just)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
Cry me a river
(Baby go on and just)
Cry me a river-er
(Go on and just)
Cry me a river
(Cause I've already cried)
Cry me a river-er, yea yea
(Ain't gonna cry no more, yea-yea)
Cry me a river
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Cry me a river, oh
(Cry me, cry me)
Live Online!
Dark Beat Records are now live online with Facebook, Youtube and Flikr accounts. We are using these to show our productions to the public and hopefully recieve positive feedback as well as criticisms on how we can improve our work. We have also shown inspirational artists on our youtube page.
Follow the links below to see each page, or look to the side bar where there will also be a link.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117391354944192&ref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/darkbeatrecords
Follow the links below to see each page, or look to the side bar where there will also be a link.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117391354944192&ref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/darkbeatrecords
Codes and Conventions of a pop video
For every genre of music around there is a certain style of music video. These styles can be extremely similar such as Hip-Hop and R&B which both have a glamorous urban style. In contrast different genres can have a distinctive style video e.g. Heavy Metal which is surrounded with dark clothing, dance pits and mainly performance based.
From the research I have done by looking at existing products I have come up with the following conclusions about pop music videos and their artwork. Not all of the conclusions are strict, but many of them are common patterns in successfull artists and their work
Men are commonly portrayed in a modern way, where they show themselves as glamorous and attractive, much in the same way that women do. They show emotion throughout their work which is also seen as a female trait. However in complete contrast they also come across as traditional characters by associating with women alot. There is usually always a girl involved within a male pop video and vise-virsa with women. Males also come across as dominant and in control of the situation, usually through dance or performance shots.
Women are also shown in a modern way because they have usually done something wrong to upset the man, which traditionally does not happen! Women are traditionally known to stay at home, cook and depend on their husbands. Relationships in general are shown in a modern light where sexual activity is widely shown and the tables are turned leaving the male in an emotional state because of the woman rather than the woman being upset or alone. Women can also be made to look dominant such as in the Alexandra Burke video where Alex was very powerful over men.
There are a wide range of shots used within the videos I looked at. Most commonly used shots were long shots from the from or a high angle where you can see the character fully, usually watching them dance of perform something, maybe with or to someone else. Most videos make full use of shot types using many different ones and placing them together in a fast way to see a snippet of each one. Close ups of the face are used a lot to show attitude and expression within the face. In the GaGa video this shows the ‘bad ass’ attitude of gaga and also shows how she dominates me to seduce them. In Justin’s Rock your Body there are many continuous shots used to make the audience feel as if they are moving with justin as he turns and ‘fly’s’.
Each video obviously has its own unique style or location however there is a common theme of using black or white backgrounds (studio shoots) to create better lighting and make the audience feel as if they are connecting with the artist, one on one. Other places used are night time locations, places that are abandoned at night such as a car park i.e. in the Alexandra burke video and the Michael Jackson video. Also props are used in the videos to add glamour or style to the artist which could be unique to them. For example GaGa has the glittery sunglasses and disco ball. Alexandra is wearing all leather which adds to her dominant style.
Within the videos I found that most of the shots were performance based. There are some story lines within the video however it is not usually the dominant part of the video. Also the performance shots are typically taken at the places within the narrative storyline, connecting the narrative and performance together. This is a clever idea as it keeps the audience connected with what is happening, and why the artist might be there.
From the research I have done by looking at existing products I have come up with the following conclusions about pop music videos and their artwork. Not all of the conclusions are strict, but many of them are common patterns in successfull artists and their work
Men are commonly portrayed in a modern way, where they show themselves as glamorous and attractive, much in the same way that women do. They show emotion throughout their work which is also seen as a female trait. However in complete contrast they also come across as traditional characters by associating with women alot. There is usually always a girl involved within a male pop video and vise-virsa with women. Males also come across as dominant and in control of the situation, usually through dance or performance shots.
Women are also shown in a modern way because they have usually done something wrong to upset the man, which traditionally does not happen! Women are traditionally known to stay at home, cook and depend on their husbands. Relationships in general are shown in a modern light where sexual activity is widely shown and the tables are turned leaving the male in an emotional state because of the woman rather than the woman being upset or alone. Women can also be made to look dominant such as in the Alexandra Burke video where Alex was very powerful over men.
There are a wide range of shots used within the videos I looked at. Most commonly used shots were long shots from the from or a high angle where you can see the character fully, usually watching them dance of perform something, maybe with or to someone else. Most videos make full use of shot types using many different ones and placing them together in a fast way to see a snippet of each one. Close ups of the face are used a lot to show attitude and expression within the face. In the GaGa video this shows the ‘bad ass’ attitude of gaga and also shows how she dominates me to seduce them. In Justin’s Rock your Body there are many continuous shots used to make the audience feel as if they are moving with justin as he turns and ‘fly’s’.
Each video obviously has its own unique style or location however there is a common theme of using black or white backgrounds (studio shoots) to create better lighting and make the audience feel as if they are connecting with the artist, one on one. Other places used are night time locations, places that are abandoned at night such as a car park i.e. in the Alexandra burke video and the Michael Jackson video. Also props are used in the videos to add glamour or style to the artist which could be unique to them. For example GaGa has the glittery sunglasses and disco ball. Alexandra is wearing all leather which adds to her dominant style.
Within the videos I found that most of the shots were performance based. There are some story lines within the video however it is not usually the dominant part of the video. Also the performance shots are typically taken at the places within the narrative storyline, connecting the narrative and performance together. This is a clever idea as it keeps the audience connected with what is happening, and why the artist might be there.
Matt Willis
Matt Willis is a well known pop artist who used to complete the trio Busted. In this Album cover we see a mid shot of him wearing a dark coat. He has dark hair and is set against a dark background which provides a contrast from his pale skin which is made to look paler because of the dark colours surrounding him. They have also made the photo black and white. We have found this to be a very common factor within pop music videos. They have used another an effect to make Matt appear another two times on the cover, faintly, as if a blur of Matt's previous or following actions. It could also look as if Matt is being blown away with the wind.
The Font for the Artist's name is very bold and bright with a neon blue light behind to enhance the writing and make it look as if it is glowing. I like this effect agains the plain black and white background as it adds and artistic element to the cover, making the audience think there will be some fun music within the album. The 'dont let it go to waste' title below Matts name is in a smaller and again in a white glowing font.
Matt himself appears lost or scared in the background images makeing him seem weak and vulnerable which is a modern way of representing men. However in the main image he comes across as annoyed or angry which then comes across in a comical way because of the motion he is doin with his fingers and mouth. He is showing the audience his attitude which is very feminine for a CD cover.
Lilly Allen
This Lilly Allen cover shows lilly in a cartoon world riding a bike. It is very different from all the other covers we have analysed where the artist's try to make themselves as glamouros and appealing as possible. Lilly is riding a bike where you can see her whole body wearing a black and white dress and trainers. She is wearing a lot of gold jewellery and has a 'chavy' hair style. she is looking down at the camera slightly from the side and is not posing as such but more trying a natural reation to a passer by.
The cartoon world Lilly is in is extremely artistic with a chequerd road floor and cloud bubbles of smoke around everywhere. Elements of the real world have been photoshopped in such as the Bull Terrier Dog and the traditional Cab. I thin the randomness of the objects combined with the style of art makes a very good cd cover. It has a unique style but still gives off a pop vibe, which helps because of the artist on the front.
The header 'Lilly Allen' is styled as if in a cartoon speach bubble, with the unique style of Lillys trade mark name inside. It fits in with the style of the cover without standing out too much. There is a common theme of black and white within the cover however there are a few things within the picture to contrast this adding a bit of colour. This works well with the theme of random art.
In the cover Lilly is shown as a very traditional woman... showing flesh around her legs which shows a mor trashy style rather than an elegant woman. She is also riding a bike which is not usually typical of a woman to be doing.
Matt Willis is a well known pop artist who used to complete the trio Busted. In this Album cover we see a mid shot of him wearing a dark coat. He has dark hair and is set against a dark background which provides a contrast from his pale skin which is made to look paler because of the dark colours surrounding him. They have also made the photo black and white. We have found this to be a very common factor within pop music videos. They have used another an effect to make Matt appear another two times on the cover, faintly, as if a blur of Matt's previous or following actions. It could also look as if Matt is being blown away with the wind.
The Font for the Artist's name is very bold and bright with a neon blue light behind to enhance the writing and make it look as if it is glowing. I like this effect agains the plain black and white background as it adds and artistic element to the cover, making the audience think there will be some fun music within the album. The 'dont let it go to waste' title below Matts name is in a smaller and again in a white glowing font.
Matt himself appears lost or scared in the background images makeing him seem weak and vulnerable which is a modern way of representing men. However in the main image he comes across as annoyed or angry which then comes across in a comical way because of the motion he is doin with his fingers and mouth. He is showing the audience his attitude which is very feminine for a CD cover.
Lilly Allen
This Lilly Allen cover shows lilly in a cartoon world riding a bike. It is very different from all the other covers we have analysed where the artist's try to make themselves as glamouros and appealing as possible. Lilly is riding a bike where you can see her whole body wearing a black and white dress and trainers. She is wearing a lot of gold jewellery and has a 'chavy' hair style. she is looking down at the camera slightly from the side and is not posing as such but more trying a natural reation to a passer by.
The cartoon world Lilly is in is extremely artistic with a chequerd road floor and cloud bubbles of smoke around everywhere. Elements of the real world have been photoshopped in such as the Bull Terrier Dog and the traditional Cab. I thin the randomness of the objects combined with the style of art makes a very good cd cover. It has a unique style but still gives off a pop vibe, which helps because of the artist on the front.
The header 'Lilly Allen' is styled as if in a cartoon speach bubble, with the unique style of Lillys trade mark name inside. It fits in with the style of the cover without standing out too much. There is a common theme of black and white within the cover however there are a few things within the picture to contrast this adding a bit of colour. This works well with the theme of random art.
In the cover Lilly is shown as a very traditional woman... showing flesh around her legs which shows a mor trashy style rather than an elegant woman. She is also riding a bike which is not usually typical of a woman to be doing.
CD Cover Analysis
To help with the design and creation of our own CD cover we will look at existing examples to discover what codes and conventions are a necessity in the pop genre. This research will be extremley helpfull to understand what the audience likes in a CD cover and how the conventions can be followed and challenged.
Adam Lambert
This Adam Lambert album cover shows Adam himself on the cover. We see a close up of his face however it gives the oppinion of an extreme close up of his eyes because of his hand covering the rest of his face. He is wearing a hand/finger bracelet as wel as black nail varnish and a lot of heavy dark eye make-up.
The cover as a whole has a very dark feel about it which shows with the dark make-up and clothes together with the darkness of his eyebrows and hair. The cover is also in black and white where the only colour comes from the name at the bottom of tha album. This is in a violet colour with a bold capital font. It stands out well against the black and white background. The other writing on the cover is the title saying 'For Your Entertainment'. The title is in a smaller font than the artist's name which is unusual for an album cover as the title is usually the main focus. I think this is because Adam Lambert wants to show how he is more important than the title as he is the star of the show. The title also follows the style of the rest of the cover being in black and white. It is a white colour but stands out because of the darkness behind.
In the cover Adam shows a modern representation of a male by wearing make-up and jewellery. This is unusual for a male as it makes them seem less dominant and powerfull. however, In the photograph used the effect is the opposite as the pose Adam is showing is stern and in control bringin back the secure dominant feeling. I think it is the use of his eyes being the main focuse within the album helps to bring this out, which would explain the use of heavy eye make-up as it enhances the focus on the eyes.
Kylie Minogue
This Kylie album is similar to the Adam lambert album in that they both have a close up image of them self on the cover. The kylie photoghraph is a close up with her head tilted slightly to the side helping show her sexy side. She also has her hands framing her face with one finger on her lips again showing off her sexy side.
Kylie has her hair pinned out of her face, showing more of her skin. There are no clothes visible yet you still cannot see a lot of skin because of the angle of the photograph. She has red nail varnish and lipstick and as well as an artistic red and black eye pattern around what appears to be both eyes. The pattern is sharp and shows a contrast between the pose she is showing which makes her seem feminine, sweet and inviting, and the pattern which givers off a mysteriously dangerous feel.
The background used is a plain white backdrop however there are red material shapes around kylie which makes it look as if there is some kind of flower or material in the background and surrounding kylie. She is alos holding one of these material shapes in her hand which shapes her face well. The colour matches her make-up colour and also makes her look more feminine. The font of the title and her name are matching, and also match the eyes make-up she is wearing. It is a slashing blod italic font in black which stand out agains the background. The title has a black heart attached to the top which appears to be on Kylie's neck giving the appearance of a tattoo. The font seem to flow across the cover from the name to her eyes to the title in the way that she is signing an autograph.
In the cover Kylie shows a traditional representation of women in that she looks very attractive. She cares about her appearance and how people see her. In contrast she also shows us a tradition representation by looking very in control of her self and inviting to the opposite sex. This also shows because of kylie having her finger in her mouth in a sexual way.
Adam Lambert
This Adam Lambert album cover shows Adam himself on the cover. We see a close up of his face however it gives the oppinion of an extreme close up of his eyes because of his hand covering the rest of his face. He is wearing a hand/finger bracelet as wel as black nail varnish and a lot of heavy dark eye make-up.
The cover as a whole has a very dark feel about it which shows with the dark make-up and clothes together with the darkness of his eyebrows and hair. The cover is also in black and white where the only colour comes from the name at the bottom of tha album. This is in a violet colour with a bold capital font. It stands out well against the black and white background. The other writing on the cover is the title saying 'For Your Entertainment'. The title is in a smaller font than the artist's name which is unusual for an album cover as the title is usually the main focus. I think this is because Adam Lambert wants to show how he is more important than the title as he is the star of the show. The title also follows the style of the rest of the cover being in black and white. It is a white colour but stands out because of the darkness behind.
In the cover Adam shows a modern representation of a male by wearing make-up and jewellery. This is unusual for a male as it makes them seem less dominant and powerfull. however, In the photograph used the effect is the opposite as the pose Adam is showing is stern and in control bringin back the secure dominant feeling. I think it is the use of his eyes being the main focuse within the album helps to bring this out, which would explain the use of heavy eye make-up as it enhances the focus on the eyes.
Kylie Minogue
This Kylie album is similar to the Adam lambert album in that they both have a close up image of them self on the cover. The kylie photoghraph is a close up with her head tilted slightly to the side helping show her sexy side. She also has her hands framing her face with one finger on her lips again showing off her sexy side.
Kylie has her hair pinned out of her face, showing more of her skin. There are no clothes visible yet you still cannot see a lot of skin because of the angle of the photograph. She has red nail varnish and lipstick and as well as an artistic red and black eye pattern around what appears to be both eyes. The pattern is sharp and shows a contrast between the pose she is showing which makes her seem feminine, sweet and inviting, and the pattern which givers off a mysteriously dangerous feel.
The background used is a plain white backdrop however there are red material shapes around kylie which makes it look as if there is some kind of flower or material in the background and surrounding kylie. She is alos holding one of these material shapes in her hand which shapes her face well. The colour matches her make-up colour and also makes her look more feminine. The font of the title and her name are matching, and also match the eyes make-up she is wearing. It is a slashing blod italic font in black which stand out agains the background. The title has a black heart attached to the top which appears to be on Kylie's neck giving the appearance of a tattoo. The font seem to flow across the cover from the name to her eyes to the title in the way that she is signing an autograph.
In the cover Kylie shows a traditional representation of women in that she looks very attractive. She cares about her appearance and how people see her. In contrast she also shows us a tradition representation by looking very in control of her self and inviting to the opposite sex. This also shows because of kylie having her finger in her mouth in a sexual way.
Record Company Logo
The idea of our project was to produce a music video and its accessories as if we were the production company. So, to make the situation more realistic we created the name and logo for our own record company which would then be used in any other creatin and advertisment we were planning to do such as websites and posters.
We first had to think of an appropriate name to call the company and decided on Dark Beat Records, purely because we both liked it and thought it had a professional feel to it. Then we had to design a logo. We started by looking at existing examples of Record company logos. Here are a few that we looked at...
You can see that most of the logos are straight foward with the name of the company and mainly a black and white style or on solid colour. They can have a unique effect such as the Major Label Records with the writing colour the same as the back of a disc.
We Decided to take the same black and white feel but give it a modern kick. We downloaded a font from the internet that we thought would look best in a black and white logo and gave it a simple glow on photoshop, spacing the letters apart appropriatley where needed. Here is out record company logo...
We first had to think of an appropriate name to call the company and decided on Dark Beat Records, purely because we both liked it and thought it had a professional feel to it. Then we had to design a logo. We started by looking at existing examples of Record company logos. Here are a few that we looked at...
You can see that most of the logos are straight foward with the name of the company and mainly a black and white style or on solid colour. They can have a unique effect such as the Major Label Records with the writing colour the same as the back of a disc.
We Decided to take the same black and white feel but give it a modern kick. We downloaded a font from the internet that we thought would look best in a black and white logo and gave it a simple glow on photoshop, spacing the letters apart appropriatley where needed. Here is out record company logo...
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Audience Questionnaire
As we are creating a pop music video our target audience will be teenagers and young adults. This will focus particuarly on females because of how our main artist is a male. It will be important to the making of our video that we find out, through a questionnaire, what our target audience would like to see within a music video. What they like and dislike about the way pop videos are made and what styles they enjoy the most.
We have produced a questionnaire for our audience to fill in asking specific questions which we feel will benefit our planning and over all video. Here our the results from that questionnair where we asked 40 people between the ages of 13 and 21. We made the graphs on Microsoft Excel and uploaded them using scribd.
Questionnaire Graphs
We have produced a questionnaire for our audience to fill in asking specific questions which we feel will benefit our planning and over all video. Here our the results from that questionnair where we asked 40 people between the ages of 13 and 21. We made the graphs on Microsoft Excel and uploaded them using scribd.
Questionnaire Graphs
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Justin Timberlake Rock your body
Rock your body stars with a room full of colourful electro lights. Through out the video Justin falls in from the ceiling dancing giving the effect of him flying and travelling through the room in the air. He is wearing a white outfit, combats and a jumper which is later combats and a vest. The contrast with the colour of the room and makes him stand out from the rest. Justin comes across as a dominant humorous character through his poses and quirky looks towards the camera while he is dancing. This follows the codes and conventions of a pop video because of the colour and the outfit just in wearing.
There is no narrative in the video which could make the audience un interested towards the end however the extreme high and low angles as well as camera movement and spinning keeps the audience hooked. I think the video could have some narrative to make it mor interesting but it does not necessarily fit into the video well. To break from the lights and then cut back would ruin the flow of the video movement.
The base line of the song kicks in strong from the beginning of the song. These heavy beats are a trade mark for Justin Timberlake as is his style of dancing which is shown in the video.
For our own video I think a dance style would work extremely well. Making a trade mark dance to follow the song like Justin’s however I think there would need to be some narrative within our video to insure the audience are kept entertained and want to watch all the way through.
Alexandra Burke - Bad Boys
The Bad Boys video starts with Alexandra pulling up in a sports car and getting out because she has broken down. She is wearin black leather with a red top showing through. She looks very strong and in control. She shows a modern representation of a woman, not wanting or needing a man in their life which shows through out the video, especially when she throws a man through a brick wall! The only other outfit we see her in is a complete contrast to the first, a silver dress. Although this look makes her come across sexier and more womanly, you still see the strong dominant side to Alexandra. I think this is because not a lot of flesh is showing, unlike in the GaGa video. Alexandra is also the only woman in the video which gives her extra attention.
The product gives off a R&B feel because of the Flo Rida rap in the middle of the song. This is not Alexandra’s part so it does not give her an R&B impression… just for the video. There are only two locations used in the video which makes the audience feel more involved with the situation. The are also not many effects used in the video, only lights to create more of a dancing scene in the car park.
I think this video is a good example of what we want to achieve with our own video because of the focus on one character as well as the dominance and presence of that character. We can not use a lot of effects because of lack of funding and time. We would also like to se a lot of dancing and routines within our video which is the case in the bad boys video.
Lady GaGa - Just Dance
Lady GaGa’s video for Just Dance shows her entering a party which we instantly see is very wild. GaGa strips down to show a lot of flesh which is a slightly challenging to the conventions of a pop video because pop songs are generally aimed at younger teens aswell as elder people. Later in the video we see lots of sexual action between GaGa, objects and others at the party. None of this is extreme but give a shock factor to the audience watching and is a challenge to the pop genre. Party scenes are often used in pop videos such by people such as Britney spears and Miley Cirus. It can give a slight R&B feel to the video as does the glamour and bling worn by GaGa in her performance shots.
The shots used are very quick probably 2 seconds at the most and can be shaky at times which give the audience the effect of being drunk or tipsy, as well as dancing. All of the shots however are performance, the narrative is shown by the location and atmosphere around the performance. This is interesting for our own music video as we plan on having mostly performance shots and are thinking of combining both to have performance whils in the narrative scenes, similar to what GaGa has done here. In most of her shots she is looking straight at the camera in a dominant pose whilst dancing. Ther are a variety of mid shots and close ups with the occasional long body shot. One shot where it is from a high angle shows GaGa entising to the camera. These shots usually make the characted look weak and innocent, but in this case it works in the opposite way.
Some good effects are used on shots to make them blur, as if looking through GaGa’s eyes and everything being blurry. I can imagine it would be hard to ass effects to such a fast pace song and this one works very well with the video.
Micheal Jackson - Billie Jean
We think it is important to analyse a Michael Jackson video as he was known as the King of Pop and inspired pop music through out the world. His music is classically pop and in this Billy Jean video he follows the tradition conventions of a pop video where the main artist (MJ) is the dominant role, looking you handsome and attractive to the audience. He is wearing black trousers, a black leather jacket with a red shirt, suggesting that he is ready for a night out although you do not see him go anywhere. Even though this video was released in 1983 there are good effects used to add to the story.
Michael is walking down the street and everything he touches glows, including the pavement he is walking on. This is not a huge visual effect which shows that something small can be very effective. They have also used freeze shots whilst splitting the screen into three to make the audience feel as if there is a lot going on when in fact there is not. The video does not challenge the pop convention much, it sticks to a basic narrative and is well balanced between performance and narrative. It also shows a traditional representation of a male female relationship, with michal being the 'stalker' preying on a woman whilst the woman is innocent and powerless to even know what is going on.
Genre
Genre will play a huge part in the planning and production of our music video. We will have to think about what fits within the codes and convention of our genre and what challenges it well. We can do this by looking at existing music videos and analysing how they have challenged and stuck to the conventions of the genre and thinking about whether it would work in the video we plan to create.
Rick Altmans take on genre was that media text fit into specific genre whether it is with music, film, radio, web pages or any other form of media. For example, music can be classified as Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Classical, jazz etc. Film can be classified as horror, comedy, science-fiction, fantasy etc. This then means that genre is restricted to the set conventions of the genre where there is no room for hybrid genres. This is when a genre challenges the codes and conventions by adding bits of other genres such as a Romantic Comedy film.
Richard Maltby disagreed with this saying that the success of Hollywood relies on predictable elements of a genre with variation. It suggests that to follow the codes specifically to the conventions would bore the viewer and not be as entertaining. Following this advise would be very good for our project as the song we have chosen has hints of a sub-genre.
Jon Friske said that a genre will contain the main characteristics of its genre but will also include some from others and to but each genre in a category would only be possible by deciding which aspects are most important.
I think Jon Friske and Richard Maltby both have theories which would help in the production of our music video. Taking into consideration the song we have chosen, I think it necessary that we research into adding aspects of other genres (mainly R&B) into our video. This will also ensure that we do not bore the audience by giving them a video the same as many others.
Audience theory
When researching into audience we need to look at different audience theories which could possibly influence our media product.
"All the world's a stage and the mean and the women are merely players." As the audience we can be manipulated and can be persuaded to buy products or follow corrupt leaders through propaganda.
The Hypodermic Syringe
The media acts as a syringe which injects ideas, attitudes and beliefs into the audience, who are then a powerless mass as to stop it. The most obvious example of this is when somebody watches something violent, and then does something violent. It is also expected with traditional roles where you watch a woman cleaning then a woman feels they need to clean, or a man expects the woman to clean.
The Culmination Theory
Culmination mean to accumulate or gather over time. One piece of media text will not have a huge effect on you but a constant exposure to a certain thing will make you immune to that one thing. You might not necessarily agree with it but it takes the shock out of seeing it. The first time you see nudity or violence will be a completely different reaction to seeing the same thing for the 100th time.
Two Step Flow
This is another theory which suggest that it is the discussion after seeing a piece of media which effects you, not the media its self. It says that the discussions and other peoples opinions effect or influence you to change or widen your own. This can be very different depending on the strength of character and other aspects of your life such as experiences.
Uses and Gratification Theory
This theory suggests that you use the media to choose what you want. We all have certain expectations and expect to be gratified by what we have watched. The Choices are…
Information - For gaining knowledge and understanding e.g. documentaries.
Entertainment - Purely for enjoyment purposes such as sit-soms or soaps.
Social Empathy - To have a connection with a character and give sympathy. Following someones feelings.
Personal Identity - to show relation to every day life situations, feelings and appearances. Reality tv shows.
Escapism - to completely escape reality and forget about every day lives and situations.
Similar Artists
To gather ideas and inspiration we took time to look at other artists who we thought had a similar style to what we wanted to acheive with our artist. We mainly looked at well known artists whos work are similar to Justins (Pop with and r&b style music). By doing this we can see which trends go well and can also look at how others have stuck to and challenged the codes and conventions of their genre.
Justin Timberlake
In this cover JT has chosen a plain white drop background. He is wearing a tuxeido with hat and stick to show his sofisticated side. However, he then challenges this my wearing black boots and tucking the trousers into them and holding a military pose. This gives of a humourous side to the album making the artist (Justin) come across very likable.
'Justin Timberlak' is written across the middle in a blod font and the surname has been mde orange which looks good and makes his name sound important. The again underneath his name is written again instead this time sayin 'Mr. Timberlake'. This is a clever co-ordination with the photograph, where it shows two different sides to the same person, the sofisticated adult and the funny laid back guy 'Justin'
Rhianna
Justin Timberlake
In this cover JT has chosen a plain white drop background. He is wearing a tuxeido with hat and stick to show his sofisticated side. However, he then challenges this my wearing black boots and tucking the trousers into them and holding a military pose. This gives of a humourous side to the album making the artist (Justin) come across very likable.
'Justin Timberlak' is written across the middle in a blod font and the surname has been mde orange which looks good and makes his name sound important. The again underneath his name is written again instead this time sayin 'Mr. Timberlake'. This is a clever co-ordination with the photograph, where it shows two different sides to the same person, the sofisticated adult and the funny laid back guy 'Justin'
Rhianna
This Rhianna cover shows theartist in a low light black and white shot with just and initial as any writing. The shot works well with the music on the album as alot of it is dark and minor key'd. Rhianna is known world wide as a pop star but we feel that this cover challenges the convention of her genre hugely by being dark and mysterious but Rhianna being on the cover herself, looking attractive follows them well, wich shows that challenging the conventions drastically can work out for the best and could be something to consider for our own product.
Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson looks attractive, strong and dominant in this album cover which we have noticed has been a trend with the exaples shown. She again has used black and white images however this cover has used alot of image modifying to give an amazing effect of the chair balancing on water. The colours have also been enhanced and changed to give the entire photograph a purple tinge which looks very clever. We both really like this cover and hope to use it as inspiration for our own cover and poster.
Lady GaGa
Lady GaGa is known everywhere not just for being a pop diva but also for her wild clothing and accessory choice! We love the GaGa look and way and hope to use influences of her madness within our work. In this cover GaGa is crawling out of water dressed in black with a mirror head piece on. We think the idea for this cover was for her to be a thief or other villain as gambling is often associated with bad people (Poker Face). She again looks dominant yet glamorous at the same time.
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl's first album '3 words' looks very simple and elegant, as does the portrait used. She has also used black and white photograph just like rhianna did with hers, however it has been given a completely different effect because of the highlighted shading and props used (head piece) to make Cheryl seem elegant. We think the picture really works for the album being produced as the music invoved is not out of the ordinary and does not challenge any conventions. This is one of very little albums where the woman is made to seem weak and small, a traditional take on pop music.
Chris Brown
This album gives more of a R&B feel rather than pop but we thought it important to show which vibes were meant to be within our artist, and in our case it is R&B. Unlike alot of R&B covers chris has not used alot of glamour and bling but kept it simple with a black an whte theme. The water drops give a good effect as does the sharpness of the words used. We like the way Chris Browns pose sends off an attitude, much like the first justin timberlake cover. An essence of R&B will be used within our work much like this album.
This album gives more of a R&B feel rather than pop but we thought it important to show which vibes were meant to be within our artist, and in our case it is R&B. Unlike alot of R&B covers chris has not used alot of glamour and bling but kept it simple with a black an whte theme. The water drops give a good effect as does the sharpness of the words used. We like the way Chris Browns pose sends off an attitude, much like the first justin timberlake cover. An essence of R&B will be used within our work much like this album.
Choosing a song
Initially, Jon and i were thinking of creating our own track to co-operate with our music video making the entire product our own. We both have musical backgrounds as well as high GCSE music grades and one of us (Jon) with a talented singing voice. However to do this we would need to spend alot of time creating and tweeking the track to make sure it is of a good quality, as well as creating lyrics and melody and then eventually editing it to create a better sound. This meant that it would be easier and kinder to our main project to choose an already existing track which then gives us time to focus on the smaller details within the film. We also thought that creating our own track would give the music video a more ammature feel, where using a big well known track would bring out the video more.
Cry me a River - Justin Timberlake
After much discussion Jon and i came to a conclusions on the song we were going to use. Justin Tiberlakes Cry me a River. We chose the song because we both liked the beat and rhythm within the song and also felt the lyrics gave us a lot of ways to narrate the video and add a good story to. We asked many people what they thought of the choice to ensure we were choosing a well liked popular song and had mainly positive feedback. Most people said that they really liked the song and that they enjoyed the original music video.
One problem with choosing Cry me a River is that we need to acknowledge copyright rule. Because of this we emailed Justin Timberlake's UK label SONY BMG to ask for permission to use Cry me a River in our music video. We also sent the email to his US home company Jive.
Cry me a River - Justin Timberlake
After much discussion Jon and i came to a conclusions on the song we were going to use. Justin Tiberlakes Cry me a River. We chose the song because we both liked the beat and rhythm within the song and also felt the lyrics gave us a lot of ways to narrate the video and add a good story to. We asked many people what they thought of the choice to ensure we were choosing a well liked popular song and had mainly positive feedback. Most people said that they really liked the song and that they enjoyed the original music video.
One problem with choosing Cry me a River is that we need to acknowledge copyright rule. Because of this we emailed Justin Timberlake's UK label SONY BMG to ask for permission to use Cry me a River in our music video. We also sent the email to his US home company Jive.
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