Our CD cover

we've stared to make our CD cover and have decided to change our idea slightly as we feel that our new idea is slightly stronger, instead of focusing on the american flag and theme we have to decided to try and make our idea bolder and more of a girly theme, x

Re-Shoots

We are planning to re-shoot next tuesday the 27th of November. This is because we didn't get all the material we needed and we need to re-shoot some shots as they are too long and not varied. We also plan to film one last time on Sunday 2nd December, to make sure we have all the shots we need.

Filming

We filmed some of our music video at the weekend. We got a lot of the performance side of the video, however we had to stop filming after 2 hours due to the freezing conditions and it started to become too dark. One of our dancers couldn't make this date so we had to film without her. The filming went okay and we got quite a lot of material we can use however we will have to film again to get the rest of it. In todays lesson, between the 3 of us we have been editing the video and working on our web page/cd cover.

Wix

In todays lesson we have been on wix starting to create a website. We are looking at ideas for the layout and design for our website, we are trying to find a glitter background to match the glitter on the digipak however this is proving difficult as the glitter makes the text hard to read. We have decided on making the text boxes colour so we can see the text. The colour scheme at the moment is red, blue and white (to match the american flag on the cd cover) however this may change in the future.

Missed lessons

I have been off college for 2 weeks due to going holiday, however I have contributed to the group and have caught up on the work I have missed. I have helped with the written storyboard researched websites and digipak covers, as well as completing a textual analysis. I have tried to contribute as much as I could even though being absent for a few weeks.

Textual Analysis

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Directed by: Yoann Lemoine              Genre: Alternative

The video begins with Lana Del Rey hugging her love interest infront of a waving american flag. This is an animated version of the single's cd cover. The plot of the narrative is the artist and her love interest leave on a car journey where we see at the end leads to a car accident and their relationship going through a series of ups and downs.

Camera

Visuals and music: This video uses a range of camera movements and shots to keep the audience engaged. It is a mixture of performance and narrative. One shot of the artist sitting in a grand chair in the cathedral, it starts off as a long shot then the camera zooms in, getting closer to the artist and therefore allowing the audience to see more of the artist and her style. A tilt is also used when she is sat in the chair singing, so the audience are looking down at her in this palace looking location. A point of view shot is used when the couple are in the car heading down a long road, this makes the audience feel like we are part of the journey also. The last scene in the music video starts as close up with the man holding the woman in his arms, with blood all over her. As the camera starts to zoom out, finishing as a long shot, we see fire in the background suggesting a car accident. The darkness of the location emphasises the fire and this destruction could also show the destruction of their relationship.

Visuals and lyrics: When the chorus starts, the camera the zooms out again, showing the location and surroundings more than the artist herself. This helps to show the theme of the song, as she is in a posh gothic cathedral and it is emphasisng her class. When the video switches from performance to narrative, many panning shots are used to show the two lovers in the story and again the grand location that they are in. A two shot is used showing the couple in the car, this shot shows the tense atmosphere between them as they appear to have just had an argument and so are keeping their distance. The camera shots used link heavily to the lyrics of the song, for example, when she says 'come take a walk on the wild side' the camera pans, giving the effect that she is walking.   

Form and structure: We can tell this is a music video due to the amount of performance going on in the video. The narrative in this song also isn't very clear until the end where we realise that she is singing of bad relationships coming to an end. Also the shots that are used such as the zooming in and out shows the artist and location, making it obvious that this is a music video.

Genre: This video conforms to the alternative genre as the videos do not usually contain dancers but focus on the narrative and performance of the singer. Lana Del Rey's aim as an artist was to 'haunt' people when they listen to her music, which she certainly does here, not bringing in any happiness or dancing etc.

Mise-en-scene

Visuals and music: The location of the music video shows greatly the style of the artist. She is sitting in a throne type chair with two tigers beside her to represent the power that she has. This could link to the narrative by suggesting that she is the powerful one in the relationship. Costume is very important in emphasisng the genre of music here, with her wearing indie but stylish clothing. Her love interest in a very handsome man, with tattoos and stretchers in his ears which is a very popular look at the moment amongst indie boys. The lighting is particularly noticable in the second verse, where black shadows cross over the screen quickly, showing the artist lying alone, and then again with her love interest. When the couple are lying on the bed together, she is wearing white, suggesting she is the innocent one during all the fights they are having. Her partner on the other hands, simply wears a pair of jeans which suggests his rebellion, especially as all of his tattoos are on show. The other colours seen when performing are solid colours such as royal blue and white, again suggesting her power and innocence. Her make up is also perfect, with blood red lips, inspired by vintage fashion.

Visuals and lyrics: The location also links to the lyrics for example when she says 'when the road gets rough' in the video it shows them driving down the road. 'I can see but once i was blind' during these lyrics the lighting goes from dark to light, suggesting that she has become enlightened to reality.

Form and structure: By looking at the mise-en-scene you can see this is a music video because of the setting and the style of the performers. The way that the performers interact with the camera, looking directly into it allows us to see it is a music video.

Genre: The location changes a few times during this video, but all places are what you would expect of an alternative music video, for example the cathedral or the long road. Also the clothing sticks to the style of the genre and allows the audience to see what type of music this will be, the block colours and the hat she wears whilst singing is very vintage and is not something you would expect to see from an R&B or pop artist.

Editing

Visuals and music: The average length of the shots in this video are about 4 seconds long. There are longer shots included when showing emphasis on certain aspects, for example when the couple have fallen out in the car, the shot is about 10 seconds long so the audience can see her facial expression and see that she is not happy. This music video has continuity, creating a sense of reality and authenticity, techniques such as eye line match and cross cutting have been used.

Visuals and lyrics: This video is edited with quite a slow pace due to the slowness of the song. It is important that the rhythm of the song matches the pace of the edit and the storyline. This gives varation.

Form and structure: We can recognise that this is a music video due to the rhythm of the song matching the pace of the edits. This controls the whole mood of the song, this particular song having a haunting effect on the audience, and the overall impression that the artist is trying to give.

Genre: The way in which this video has been edited shows the genre of music as it is quite slow showing it is an alternative track. If it was a dance song for example, the editing would be much more fast paced with probably shorter shot duration and more cuts. The pace of this video has been kept slow to match the song and genre.

I think this video is 50% performance and 50% narrative. This allows the audience to become familiar with the artist, but also have a different interpretation of the meaning on the song due to the narrative. 

Music Video Analysis (Holiday Homework)

Music Video Analysis – Rihanna

Rihanna is a pop/R&B artist, and you can see this through her music videos. She follows the conventions of her genre, to some extent as further on in her career her image and music videos became more controversial. Firstly, she is always very materialistic in her videos, wearing jewellery, driving expensive cars and flashing the latest technology. The locations which the videos are set are also typical of an R&B artist; the beach, clubs, the streets etc.

At the beginning of Rihanna’s career, her image was a lot more innocent, although still sexual as she was always wearing revealing clothing. In one of her first music videos ‘SOS’ the main focus of the video is the dance routines. Firstly she dances on the beach in a low-cut dress with female dancers and further into the song, it switches to another room and she is wearing a black lace outfit dancing with male dancers suggestively. The images below show these scenes, sex appeal is the most important factor in the music video as this will help the single to sell. Nothing out of the ordinary happens in the video, it is mostly just Rihanna dancing and singing. However, the song itself was criticised regarding originality, and she had been commonly be compared to Beyonce.

One of Rihanna’s most recent and controversial music videos to date is ‘We Found Love’. The video shows Rihanna in an up-and-down relationship and shows images of drugs, pills and pupils dilating. The main themes of the video are sex, drugs and violence and so received criticism, suggesting the video is a bad influence to young girls. The audience can see how much Rihanna has grown as an artist and how much she has changed, touching upon personal experiences and difficult issues that affect many of today’s population. It is thought that her love interest in this video is supposed to resemble Chris Brown, her ex-boyfriend who violently attacked her. This video reflects today’s society showing things such as skateboarding, shop-lifting, and a festival type party. Towards the end of the video Rihanna leaves her violent boyfriend when he is passed out on the floor of their flat, and it ends with her crying in the corner of a room. It shows how she has grown and is willing to face the issues that many people have to deal with. The style of music is also different from her earlier material, with this song being more electro/dance than R&B. 

In the ‘We Found Love’ video, the editing and camerawork has helped to create the chaos effect. The cross-cutting of the images of drugs and the pupils dilating shows the audience that the characters are clearly on drugs and the effect they are having on their relationship, making it more violent. It also a very fast-paced video, showing many things happening at once, with the music being very fast also it reflects the relationship in the story. In SOS while she is dancing with a male dancer, the camera jumps from a zoom to a wide shot continuously, showing the scene and changing in time with the music. Her music videos have become more controversial and sexual, with her video for S&M being banned in 11 countries. She is definitely a unique artist now, having changed her style of music and the way she represents her image.   



I chose to do my holiday homework on Rihanna as I was unsure on the artist and song I was going to use for my coursework. Although Rihanna is of a different genre to Marina and the Diamonds I think it has been useful to research her and analyse her videos as it has helped me to understand the meanings in videos and how narrative can change the audience's perception of a song. 

advanced portfolio: textual analysis.

The music video I have chosen to analyse is Ellie Goulding “starry eyed”

 

Camera: shot/angle/movement.

 Visuals and music:

From the beginning of the song a lot of the camera shots are close ups, i believe this is due to the fact that this was Ellie Goulding’s first song and video therefore this is a way of the audience getting to know her. However throughout the video the shots do change which i again believe is to really familiarise with her. A variety of angles are used to keep the audience’s attention, there is a lack of camera movement as it remains quite stationary, keeping the video simple. I believe this is done along with the amount of close ups to help sell the artist as it fits in with the genre as well as creating Ellie Goulding as a product. Close ups are regularly used in the chorus’s during the main performance section to again help establish the artist.

 

Visuals and lyrics:
From the begging the lyrics are heavily matched with the visuals it’s a strong performance based video which throughout shows the artist performing. However there are times when the artist is shown with stars on her when the lyrics “everybody’s starry eyed” there is also other times where the lyrics strongly match the visuals this will be again a way of keeping the audience interested and excited about the song, another way of selling the artist is by making sure that the video is remembered as well as associated with different things.

 

Form and structure:
I think that this is very obvious that it is a music video due to the fact that the artist is heavily featured within the video as well as how heavy the performance side of the video is. There are two dancers featured in the video as well as special effects which are used also help to indentify this as a music video. The video follows a structure as the song plays out.

 

Genre:
I think this video complies with the genre really well as it is simple however has the artist personal twist. With most indie/pop videos they appear to be very low cost however elements of a high budget video have. The dancing and performance based sections heavily convey the typical conventions of the genre. The syncing of the lyrics with the camera work is really good and works really well.

 

 

Mise-en-scene:

 

Visuals and music:
Throughout the video it is a very similar colour scheme the use of blues, gold and silvers are very royal colours and Ellie Goulding is a very mid to high class artist. This is again shown through the setting which is a large grand building and she is wearing very, what look to be expensive, clothes.

 

Visuals and lyrics:
Throughout the song there is regular ties between the mise-en-scene and lyrics, for example when there is references to “starry eyed” or “bright” there is a change in light which helps to connote this. I think this is really effective as it helps to make it feel more tied in as a whole. When the song references to “hit me with lightning” there is again a use of light which shows this. The use of the stars all over the artist relates to the chorus of the song which is again really effective.

 

Form and structure:
 With the help of mise-en-scene it is noticeable that it is a music video due to its special effects as well as the use of setting as there is a strong performance on what appears to be a stage with two backing dancers there is also regular interaction with the camera which makes it obvious to the audience what they are watching a music video.

Genre:

The use of mise-en-scene helps with the conventions of this genre as it shows the artist as the main feature there is a few changes of costume within the video however each outfit is very similar for example every dress is a very vintage dress that again are all royal colours. The location changes within the video to different rooms within the grand building this is very similar to other videos within the genre as its again low budget. The one thing that this video perhaps challenges the conventions with is the lack of props or instruments, this however could be her way of making her unique twist as this video is about her establishing herself as artist.

Editing:

Visuals and music:
The editing throughout the song is very similar to the beats within the song and is quite fast paced when the song picks up. It matches the music more than anything within the song as the cuts are matched to the changes within the beats. This will be used to keep the audience interested as a change with something visually will keep the audience’s attention.

 

Visuals and lyrics:
as well as the editing being matched to the music it also has some relation to lyrics as when the shots are cut they often cut to something that visually matches the words of the song. The shots change a lot to things that are visually interesting which is really effective in making the video smooth running and not boring.

 

Form and structure:
The editing follows a typical form of a music video with editing changes that match the beat and lyrics of the song. With the structure also being really strong as as the song builds so does the pace in editing this is really effective and makes the video work really well.

 

Genre:
The editing is very similar to other videos within this genre there is use of CGI as however is kept to a minimal. The editing also makes the video very similar to the genre it falls under because when looking at other videos it follows the same pace and skills.

Overall i think that this video is 90% performance with 10% conceptual, i think this has been done to help show the artist that Ellie Goulding is and hopes to become and by including the conceptual part she is trying to convey the conventions of her genre.

Website Analysis and Research

Florence and the Machine
http://florenceandthemachine.net/

Images and Logo:
At the top below the navigation bar there is a slideshow of changing images of Florence. The logo is the trademark 'Florence and the Machine' font which is always used. There is also a gallery page showing images of the artist performing, behind the scenes and promoitional photos. The artist is shown in her unusual vintage clothing and in old-fashioned settings showing her genre of music.

Genre:
It is difficult to identify the genre of music simply by looking at this website as the artist could be pop or indie. You can tell that this certain artist is indie due to the authentic styling, for example the stained glass windows effect used around the website and the styling of the artist.

New Technology & Links:
On the home page there are links to twitter, facebook, youtube and myspace. It also shows tweets by the artist, and people who have tweeted about the artist. There is also a youtube video on the home page of a Florence and the machine song, so the audience can listen while they are on this page. There is also a video page where you can chose a track to listen to, and see the video streamed from youtube.

Colour & Style:
The colours are pale and pastel, with everything being kept plain. The styling is classy and chic, reinforcing the genre.

Written Content:
There is little written content on the homepage however there are links to read the full stories. This doesnt overload the audience with information but allows them to find out more information if they wish.  

Font & Layout:
The font is kept simple and small, leaving the emphasis of the page on the images at the top. The layout of the website makes the website easy to use, with the navigation bar at the top of the page, with the information below it.

Target Audience:
The target audience for this website is fans of Florence and the Machine, so typically young girls, explaining the colours and style of the website, as this will appeal to them.
   
Advertisements:
There is an itunes advertisement below the navigation bar selling a Florence and the Machine song. There is also a charity advertisement on the right hand side involving music. Although they are advertising, they have kept it to the theme of the website, this being the music.

Ellie Goulding
http://elliegoulding.com/

Images & Logo:
There is a background image of Ellie Goulding, the image also used on her album cover. This image is in black and white making it contrast against the black background. There are many images of the artist on the homepage, all linking to other stories for fans to read.

Genre:
You can tell by looking at this webpage that the artist is indie/pop. This is due to the colours used and the way she is styled in the images of her.

New Technology & Links:
At the very top of the page, there is an option to follow the artist on twitter, or like her page on facebook, or watch her videos on youtube. There is also a video on the homepage of a new video from the artist, allowing fans to see it officially.

Colour & Style:
The background colours are quite dark but this allows the font to be brighter colopurs such as white and purple, showing the audience that this artist is a girl. The main source of colour comes from the images posted, allowing the fans to focus their attention on this.

Written Content:
There is little written content on this website, but the content that is there is kept short and simple so as not to bore the fans looking at this website, but still give them information. 

Font & Layout:
The font sticks to the same colours that are used on her album, and is quite small in size. There are many images linking the other stories posted on the homepage, making the layout a bit busy, we can tell from all these stories how busy the artist is in her career.

Target Audience:
The target audience for this website would be again mostly young girls. This appeals to them through the girly font colours used, and the many images posted showing Ellie's style.

Advertisements:
There are few advertisements on this webpage, but the ones that are there advertise this artist's music, for example the itunes advertisement selling her new album.

Lana Del Rey
http://www.lanadelrey.com/?country=uk

Images & Logo:
All the images on the gallery page of the website show the artist wearing a lot of jewellery, with flawless make up and her vintage style clothing. A lot of the images show an american flag allowing the audience to see where she is from.

Genre:
You can tell the genre of the artist by looking at the website due to the dark colours. As Lana Del Rey's music is 'haunting', the black background really reinforces this idea. The gold links with her urban background, and so gives the audience the idea that she will be an alternative/pop artist.

New Technology & Links:
The homepage simply shows the newest video from Lana Del Rey. There is also a videos page where you can select one of her previous videos to watch. At the very top of the page there are links to facebook, twitter, youtube and myspace, promoting the artist.

Colour & Style:
The background is black with all the writing being gold, allowing us to see the contrast between the two colours. This is because the album from the artist is called  'The Paradise Edition' so the gold re-inforces this idea.

Written Content:
The written content speaks of tour dates and upcoming albums from the artist, therefore promoting the artists work. However, there is only little written content on the website, it is kept short and focus' on images.

Font & Layout:
The font is either on gold or white and is in capital letters to catch the attention of fans. The images usually take up most of the screen with the text being at the side or below it. This allows us to see the styling of the artist better.

Target Audience:
The target audience for this website would be young girls in their teens or twenties. This website appeals to them because they can see many images of the artist, and they aspire to be like her.

Advertisements:
There is an advertisement at the top of the page to pre-order the artists newest album on a number of different websites. This type of advertisement will be noticed heavily on this website as it is a website for that artist and so more people will want to buy the album.

Advanced Portfolio Digipak Cover Research

Florence and the Machine - Lungs

 This is Florence and the Machine's cd cover for the album 'Lungs'. This digipak is appropriate for the artist and genre of music. The genre is indie, explaining why the image is unusal, having the lungs shown outside the body. The mise-en-scene also reflects the indie genre in elements such as costume, the top looks vintage and not typical of an artist of today. The background image makes it seem like the artist is caught in some kind of woods, however the pattern looks like wallpaper, crossing the two images over creating the vintage effect. The font used for the artists name is the same font always used, so we recgonise this trademark. The album title is in slightly bigger writing so we can see it over the image. This cover suggests that the music on this album is quite unusual and indie. The back cover is simple, with black and white colours and the track list going from left to right on the bottom half. There is an image of a brain with lines pointing to certain parts labelled with the track numbers. Although this is simple, it creates effect as labelling is something we expect to see on an image of the brain, however we dont  expect to see this on an album cover which is unusual.






Lana Del Rey - Born to Die


This CD cover shows the artist from a mid-shot angle, she is wearing a white blouse suggesting innocence, she shows little expression on her face. It is appropriate for the genre, as it doesn't give too much away about the artist or the music, it leaves you wondering. The location is not very clear however it is outside and there is a bright blue sky and green trees, the artist is stood infront of some kind of building, again the image doesn't give away too much. The font is in capital letters, making it eye-catching and the colours for the album title and artist name contrast each other. The artist looks glamorous in this image and is presented in this way, selling the artist like this. The back cover is again simple, with a red background and white font. The font is again in capital letters, and the track list covers the whole of the back cover. There is nothing signifcant on this album cover to suggest the genre or the iconography of the artist.












Ellie Goulding - Lights


 



 Ellie Goulding's digipak for her album lights has a close up image of her face. There are small gold lights surrounding her and flowing through her hair. This is appropriate for the alternative genre and is something you would typically expect of a alternative artist. The image also reflects the name of the album which is written in small illuminous writing underneath the artist's name. There is little mise-en-scene to be seen on this image cover, the lighting being the main effect. The black background contrasts with the gold lights making them stand out even more so. The image and styling connects with the general public, as the artist looks like a usual girl. The back cover is again black, making the illuminious font of the track list stand out. This is a simple cover, simply showing the track list.


Kate Nash - Made of Bricks


 

 

This album cover shows the artist walking up to a house, looking back at the camera. The house is quite grand, with unusal things in the garden such as hedges cut into horse silhouttes. This mise-en scene suggests the artist is quite wealthy and that her music may be of the indie/pop genre. The costume is a red dress with black heels, red suggesting danger may lie ahead or love/lust. The font is quite unusual, looking like untidy writing, stating the album name in small writing, with the artists name in larger writing underneath. The white writing contrasts with the blue background, making it stand out. The styling of the artist isnt unusual for a pop artist, however it is the mise-en-scene that suggests the indie genre. A childlike theme runs through this cd cover including the theme, the innocent pose and the large flowers and colourful house. It is appropraite for this genre as it is something you would expect from this type of artist. The back cover is simple, with the blue background used again, as well as the childlike, white font, the tracklist covering the whole cover .


Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart




 

This is an album cover from our chosen artist Marina and the Diamonds. It is appropriate in representing the genre and type of artist that she is. The mise-en-scene is kept simple, the make-up and hair being the emphasis in this photograph of the artist. She has gone for the 60's look here, with rollers in her hair and bright red lipstick. She has the signiture black love heart on the side of her face, making the audience able to identify her. The whole image has been blurred slightly creating the effect that she is a vintage artist. The text is illuminous and in a standard bubble writing font, it blends well with the background and image all together. The back cover of this cd again shows an image of the artist, but this time a close up shot. Her hair and make-up is kept the same from the front image, nothing has changed to suggest anything else about the artist. In both images, she is not smiling and shows little expression. The track list is again in the illumionous font, overlapping the image and covering the whole side.


After researching previous cd covers, we would like our cd cover to have an image of the artist being the main focus. The colours will be kept neutral/pastel as this fits in with our genre of music. We would like the artist to be being vintage clothing to allow the audience to see the style of the artist. The artist will have glitter under her eyes and there will be an american flag on the back cover to represent the artist and where she is from. Our font will be kept simple, but with a bit of an edge, with the title of the song at the bottom and the name of the artist at the top in slightly larger font.

Primary Research (Holiday Homework)

Dikipak Design Research (Holiday Homework)

shooting dates

The deadline for our first shoot is the week of 3rd December. 


When we are filming !

• We are planning to film on 18th November and we hope to film everything on this date. 
• this is a sunday which we found was the day most of our cast had free

what we need to bring !

• camera
• tripod
• animal props
• sparklers
• glitter
• american flag
• costume
• microphone stand
• microphone
• masks
• drum