SD Evaluation Question 4

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

> During our music video project, we used many different media technologies to create our texts. Web 2.0 was the main influence when researching different rock/pop bands to see the conventions within their music videos, digipaks and adverts.

> The website Blogger.com allowed us to create our own blog and display the research we had done and everything we had created. We could then write comments on each others posts, talking about how we can make adjustments to our own music video to fit the conventions of typical rock/pop music videos.

> Youtube was also a very important aspect of research, as we could search for rock/pop bands music videos giving us ideas for our own and how the styles change throughout the music video industry. We could then embed these clips into our blog showing what kind of music videos would suit our song.

> Another way Youtube came in handy, was that we could upload our own videos onto it allowing the public to leave feedback which we could then take into account for our music video.

> Television was another media that let us study music videos, on channels such as MTV where there is constantly music videos being shown. Other channels such as Kerrang gave us a more precise look on rock music videos rather than just the mainstream music.

> For creating the Digipak and Advertisement we used Adobe Photoshop which lets us create the exact image we were thinking of in the first place. Making different layers for each image and text allowed us to design our perfect image.

> Adobe Premiere was the only program we used when editing our music video. It allowed us to capture everything we had filmed the allowed us to cut the clips to make the continuity perfect using the timeline. We were then able to change the brightness and contrast and also add effects such as dip to black.

> Microsoft Publisher was finally used to set the layouts for the Advertisement and also creating a booklet plan for the Digipak designs. We could then change it to the appropriate sizes for the magazine advert and digipak.

MD Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

>Audience feedback is a very important part of our ‘Take Off Your Colours’ production. It is important to know whether or not the audience believe the performance is authentic.

>The target audience of our music video is a younger age group of 13-21 and also the older generation who will be wanting to buy an honest, energetic album for a youngster.

>It is not just the video that has to be seen as authentic. It is important for the digipak design as well as the magazine advertisement to be seen as professional. The more professional these designs look the more likely it is to catch someone’s eye.

>We handed out written questionnaires to a variety of age groups and received similar results. We wanted to hand it out not just to friends and family, to ensure an honest response.

>Some of the positive feedback we received consisted of –
-Strong black and white image control effects boosts authentic performance.
-Good Angles on guitar and drum kit.
-Use of narrative promotes a happy band for passive audience.
-Cross fades when spotlight effect is on, makes for a passionate performance.
-Good range of shots and angles.
-Colourful – Good use of brightness and contrast.
-Strong acting makes for a believable performance.
-Consistent editing – Good lip synching.




>We also received a positive response to a question we believed to be one of the most important – Would you watch the video again? For this question we received a one hundred percent ‘Yes’ result.

>We decided on using printed out questionnaires and handing them out to people as it made our lives easier as we received them back a lot quicker for analysis.

>During the rough cut viewing we received some negative feedback including the fact that our visual introduction was too long. We corrected this straight away, and understand that it has made a big difference to our final product.

SD Evaluation Question 2

How effective is combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

> Within our music video production we tried to keep everything very modern and contemporary. The Digipak and Advertisement were both designed to appeal to the younger, teenage age group with their contemporary graphics and text.

> The authenticity of the performance was the key aspect of our music video, making it personal so the audience would feel a sense of para-social intimacy. This is then carried on to the Advertisement where the band is shown as a happy bunch, having a laugh. Teenagers can then relate to this and feel as though they are almost know the band members.

> Furthermore, the concentrated performance shots relate to the genre giving off a vibe that will further encapsulate the audience. The rock/indie feeling is spread throughout our music video production, helping to convey an image that is commonly given off in this certain genre. This offers consistency within our production again forming the band image.


> The band picture on the Advertisement as well as in the music video helps convey an image of the band members, making them seem youthful and a bit rebellious further reinforcing the common social myths of teenagers, being mischievous and generally larking about.

> Colours used in the Advertisement and especially the Digipak are attractive and vibrant showing how the band is modern-day and give off a joyful, adolescent mood. Even in the music video the lighting is red and blue showing more colour and therefore offering constistency within the production.

> In the Digipak the image used shows consistency throughout all the texts. The image represents a speaker blasting out colour which once again relates to the title of the song as well as showing youthfulness. This image of a speaker also reflects performance which is a constant theme in the video.

> During the production of the Advertisement, we adjusted the contrast of the band picture which directly relates to the video where image control effects are adjusted throughout.

> Within the "You Me At Six" production, we knew that consistency and continuity would be vital for a passionate and believable set of texts. Colour and band image is a constant theme that appeals to a younger age group as well as the older public purchasing it for family members because they can appreciate an authentic, non-offensive rock band.

MD Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

> When looking at Goodwin's Critical Framework we are able to deconstruct and analyse music videos with alot more detail. One example of 'features to look for' is genre characteristics. I feel that within our production such aspects as masculinity within a rock group and long hair on males conform to these genre characteristics. Another example of genre characteristics within our music video is the clothing, chequered shirts, jeans along with ties and scarf set up our band for audience interpretation.

> In our production rebelious connotations once again back up an ideological discourse vital to our performance video. Although our video consists of a male group there is no aspect of sexuality involved, it is obvious to the viewing audience that the group are friends enjoying a passionate performance.

> Another aspect of Goodwin's Critical Framework is the relationship between lyrics, music and visuals. Within our music video we knew lip syncing would be key in making a believable yet passionate video.

> Variety in shots and angles once again is vital for a proffesional looking music video. Within the production of 'Take Off Your Colours' i think that we have included a strong variety of different shots which keeps the audience interested in the performance.For example low anlges, long shots, mid shots, and pans.

> Intertextuality s one aspect of Goodwin's Critical Framework that sets the 'You Me At Six' prodction aside from other videos. The fact that it is entirely performance with a few shots of the band playing in the stands makes it different and stand out from other music videos. Simple effects such as cross cutting also help the video to become more independent infront of similar genre music videos.

> When looking into the semiotics of our music video it seems appropriate to look into the band sitting in the stands. There seems to be some form of hidden meaning behind this obvious close relationship between the members. It shows a familiarity with the location which is also re-inforced by the introduction and ending of the music video. The lighting connotes a different kind of performance. When the spot light comes down on the lead singer it could be interpreted as respresenting individuality which adds to the way in which the audience perceives the band.

> Strong filler shots also play a big part within the production, not forcing the performance onto the audience but keeping a strong and passionate band rehersal interesting.

> Angled shots are also key within a performance video and i feel that the production completes this aspect. Repition of shots is undoubtedly effecting an audience's attention. The 'You Me At Six' video keeps an audience on it's toes by using different speeds of shots aswell as angles.

> In production we also knew from research that layered shots of a lead singer singing in front of a drummer also keeps an audience interested. Throughout the video we keep this layered effect throughout of each different band member with something going on in the background whilst they play their instruments.

> Within the 'You Me At Six' production brightness and contrast also plays a big role along with a black and white narrative of the band playing in the stands. This difference in style of shot gives the audience once again more variety and keeps attention on the video.

Music Video

MD Planning Calender

Proof of hand written planning.

SD Final Designs - Digipak & Advertisement

SD Shoot Evaluation

We knew that we only had one chance to get all our filming done for the music video as it was so difficult to get the Trinity Theatre as our location. Planning was key so we arranged our band members to discuss the equipment needed and find out how to get it there. We realised it could be difficult to get a drum kit down to the Trinity so we arranged a larger car to take it. Once this was sorted, we retrieved two guitars from Mike's house and one more from Edd's. The Trinity were kind enough to supply us with a dummy microphone and stand with wires as well to make the stage look more authentic and realistic.
Once we had arrived at the Trinity, we set up all the equipment how we had planned and also were allowed to alter the lights to the setting we wanted them. We decided on a blue and red effect on the lights so it would give the whole performance a bit of colour. The idea of the dip to black sequence when the spotlight was just on the lead singer was also put across and tested before we actually started filming. Using the Trinity's sound system we were able to play our track through the main speakers so we could get a feel for the song and make it easier for us to lip sync for the editing.

The filming started with our introduction to the song which consisted of the lead singer (Sam) walking through corridors then down steps to the performance stage. We filmed each section at least 3 times to make sure that when editing we hadn't done anything wrong, such as leaving camera cases in view.

We were very pleased to find that the shots we had taken at The Trinity Theatre merged well for continuity. This was one aspect we were worried about in filming, but we were happy that we had shot for the edit.

SD More Digipak Designs

Here are some more designs i created to give us a wider choice when we need to decide on our album cover design. I used a variety of colours in the majority of designs as i feel it goes well with the title of the single, "Take Off Your Colours". From previous research, we decided to use a clear and simple font, which will still stand out and look contemporary.

SD Digipak Design

MD Digipak Design

(Research)

Here are some font styles which I thought looked attractive. What do you think?

Animatic

MD Pitch Evaluation

ViewPoint Pictures Powerpoint Presentation

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Within our pitch we explained many features of our production that we felt were important to not only our idea but the research that has taken place within our group. Bullet point notes were made on the slide show so that we were able to expand and analyse them to the class. After showing the first thirty seconds of our track to the class we went on to present mood boards and explain how our ideas have changed over time. We also presented ideas for album covers along with what our video will do for the band from a promotion aspect.

As a group we feel that our pitch went well and we made all the relevant points that we felt necessary. The only aspect that was bought up more than once in association with our location was exactly how we would create a strong lighting effect for performance. One option to overcome this challenge would be to take down a spotlight to our location so that the lights at the location will not have to be touched by any ametuer light operator. Overall we were very pleased with the way in which the pitch went, ideas were conversed and yet more conclusions were made about our production.

MD Sectioned Lyrics

SD Album Cover Collage

MD Album Cover Collage

MD Audience Research Evaluation / Results

Within the focus group that we held, a lot of potential ideas came up. One of the members of the group came up with an expansion of our original idea, where an empty venue slowly fills as the band perform the song. As a group we have seriously considered this idea but eventually disregarded it.

Without a doubt we feel that our audience research was vital, after playing the track and showing the group our preliminary task ideas were bouncing of the walls. Some members of the group also gave ideas for people to star in the video which has helped us as a group once again within the casting part of our production.

After showing the group our Brighton Preliminary Task, a large majority of the group made positive comments on some of the different shots used including the sped up crowd shots and 360 degree pans. We then handed out a questionnaire to the group, and it seemed as if after watching the preliminary task and listening to what i had to say about our ideas, people changed their minds in favour of having an entirely performanced based video.

Undoubtedly the questionnaire gave us more information about our target audience proving a useful tool.

(Research)

Take a look at this video, i really like the variety of shots as well as the strong lighting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRJ2Ky5IHic

SD Record of Ideas Development

Our final idea for our production consists of band playing to a empty venue being prepared for an event later that day. It is a casual yet happy performance that turns the heads of cleaners and other members of staff.

Possible ideas for costume include:
> Multi-coloured paint splattered t-shirts.
> All white/black outfit.
> Standard Indie look of chequered shirt and skinny tie with slim jeans.
> Casual jeans and T-shirt.

Possible ideas for props include:
> Cleaning equiptment for extras,
> Instruments.
> Speakers.
> Lights.

Within the casting we want to include a member of our group so that a truely passionate performance can be given in our style. Other members of the band will consist of friends that we know and trust to turn up on time to shoots. The general look of the whole band will be similar to the characters we have researched.

SD Music Video Analysis #2

Godspeed - Anberlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-HpHadZGLk

Genre and Narrative

For my second music video analysis, I have chosen “Godspeed” by Anberlin due to the variety of effects and location in this video. The song is very fast paced and sits within the rock pop genre. However by listening to the song you can tell from the electric guitar solos and quick drum beats that this song is swayed towards the rock genre. Songs within the rock pop genre tend to be part performance, part narrative based whereas looking at rock genre music videos, they tend to be mostly performance based. Rock videos like “Godspeed” are likely to have a fast cutting rhythm with performance taking place, with the use of handycam and multiple effects making the video seem loud.

The lyrics to “Godspeed” talk a lot about the higher class people but mainly drugs and the effect of them. The first example of drug use is the line, "When needles and lovers collapse on guilty beds," this is an obvious reference to people that use drugs and have promiscuous sex since it becomes a bed where they do their addicted actions and thus feel guilt afterwards or are afraid people will find out. The line "We’ll rest in our graves," is quite difficult to determine what it means, but I see this as a sort of battle cry for people that don't do drugs or compulsive sex or drinking and saying that they won't give in. Even the title refers to drugs as in the song "Godspeed to all you're after" is said. Godspeed is a an old saying, which has now become a sort of cliché, for telling you "good luck", yet here it looks as if he's saying it almost mockingly toward a person that wants to pursue a life of poor choices. "Tell them who you were, who you really were" this is quite an obvious lyric; it talks about how people change when they do drugs or bad habits. "Kill yourself slowly over time, fashion statement suicide" This is saying how drugs and drinking will kill you slowly over your life, and that a lot of people are obsessed about fashion and how they look, and in some cases, commit suicide because they feel ugly.

The song has a very loud and constantly fast drum beat accompanied by a constant electric guitar playing. During the video for “Godspeed”, you notice that the camera is continually moving around the band focusing on individual members, yet the cutting rhythm is so quick you can barely tell. This adds to the effect of the rock atmosphere, a lot seems to be going making the video seem almost hectic which the fits with the song. The shaking effect is added to the majority of the shots in the video making the song seem intense which then compliments the frantic melody.
This music video is entirely performance based. It takes place in the middle of darkness surrounded by woods and fog with bright lights glaring through. The location offers a dark atmosphere which fits with the genre and also the band who are dressed in mainly dark clothing. Flashing lights are used throughout the video to cause an almost delusional and epileptic effect. Yet again this will add to the rock impression making it seem as though a lot is happening at once. The use of debris or ash is also used within this song to make a little more unique. It could have been added to the video because of the lyrics, “Burning down bridges now, scatter the ashes” which reinforces what they are trying to say in the song. As it falls from the sky and floats around the air, it could make the band seem rebellious as they are playing with fire.

Media Language

Visual techniques are incredibly important, especially in this music video. There aren’t that many close ups of the singer in this particular video as the lighting and fast cutting rhythm don’t allow you to see anyone’s face very clear or noticeable. The majority of the shots are of a single person in the band with their instrument but there are occasions where the whole band is shown in a long shot. The record company is aware that showing the lead singer up close can promote the band, but they may want to make the audience want to know a bit more about them rather than showing them close up and exposed. Anberlin’s music videos tend to be very individual in their own way as their music varies from rock to pop to almost acoustic. They have a few that are very abstract with the use of green screen coming into the equation which represents their fun side. Although their videos vary in style, throughout all of them you can see the use of shakycam and parts that have slow motion. Both of these techniques are used frequently in the rock genre music videos as it builds atmosphere and helps create a powerful sensation.

Although it is difficult to see in the lighting, Anberlin’s costume is dark and nothing too extraordinary. As all the band members have that dark look to them, it gives you the idea that they are all part of the band. Camera work in this video has to be the most important feature as it helps create the atmosphere really well. Shakycam and a slight bit of slow motion combine really well together with the fast cutting rate emphasising the greatness and the significant moments in the song. There isn’t any sign of ‘looking’ in this video as he doesn’t even look into the camera either.

Like a lot of rock music videos nowadays, “Godspeed” is purely performance based, with the singer and band as the main focus. Mainstream rock videos tend to have the whole band in the picture with a narrative based around the lead singer but Anberlin decided they would cut the narrative part and focus on the camera work and editing. Anberlin have followed this mainstream idea of solely performance based but have made it seem less revealing as the band’s faces can be barely seen in the darkness. The use of ash or debris isn’t commonly used, so in that sense the video is challenging the common expectations of a rock music video. The performance of the band isn’t over exaggerated yet rock dance moves such as head banging are brought in to continue the rock feel of the video.

Institution and Audience

The music video for "Godspeed" is most likely to be consumed on the rock music channels on television such as "Kerrang" as this would show the video to the more ambient viewers watching who are loyal to this genre of music videos. It would also be watched on website such as "Myspace" or "Youtube" as people would still enjoy to see it in their own time. Even though the video can be appreciated in a focused viewing style with the message it is trying to send, the video has many performance based shots which would also work well for the ambient viewing audience.
For this particular song the record label plays an important role concerning the promotional aspect of this video as they would send copies to music channels such as 'Kerrang'. Also MTV would be interested as Anberlin are a fairly popular band in the rock genre

Conclusion

I have concluded that “Godspeed” was a helpful music video to analyse due to the fast cutting rate and camera techniques adding feeling to the video. The use of fog, bright lights and also debris made this music video very individual and stand out above a lot of other mainstream rock videos. Few of the lyrics are illustrated in the music video with the performance based visuals, showing typical conventions of a rock video along with the dance moves and band presentation.

MD Music Video Analysis #2

Kiss and Tell - You Me At Six
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hHA7vBJUE4

Genre and Narrative

The song ‘Kiss and Tell’ is written and performed by ‘You Me At Six’. I have chosen to analyse this particular song as it is the most recent production released by ‘You Me At Six’, the band that we have chosen to create our music video for. I felt that it would be important to look at a music video starring the band, to understand the way in which they are being represented in the modern day. It is also helpful in looking at the different shots and special effects used, so that continuity can be an issue throughout all of the bands productions including our video that we plan to create following particular guide lines concerning ‘You Me At Six’. James Copeman directed the video, he also directed such productions as ‘5 Years Time’ by ‘Noah and the Wale’. The director shows the level at which the band is at, and it is obvious that they are on their way up the ladder as the video productions are becoming more and more recognisable as pieces of art rather than simple advertisements for the upcoming song as well as the band.

The music video is mainly performance based but with other conceptual shots around the performance adding to variety and the way in which the video is received. The video stays within the lines of the ‘pop rock’ genre, showing an exceptionally energetic performance along with scenes from a party that the target audience could be able to relate with. Within the video costume also plays a big part in keeping with genre characteristics, in this case the band are all wearing jeans and t-shirts which emphasis the location that they are situated. The costumes show how comfortable they are performing in the house party, this element of comfort that the band shows can appeal to an audience in a positive way. Even such small fashion statements as hair styles also play a big part in the way in which the band are represented, within the video the band are shown to have long hair which tends to fit in once again with genre characteristics. Another effective technique that James Copeman has captured well is the way in which the band communicates with each other, they are shown to be good friends throughout the video which once again can be seen as a strong and positive way to be represented as a young ‘pop rock’ group. The confined location also supports the genre along with the time of day in which it has been shot, which appears to be night. As the video is mainly performance based there is no element of notion of looking which is my opinion adds to the intensity of the performance.

One of the most obvious ways in which the lyrics within the song relate to the visuals is the way in which the lead singer ‘Josh Franceschi’ acts as he sings. As he sings the lyrics ‘everybody wants to be in your head and under your skin’ he acts along with it pointing at his head and scratching his own skin. It is not just the lyrics that play a part within the song relating to visuals, the actual music is a very effective. During the quieter parts of the song where the drums are the only instrument being played the audience is given a variety of drummer shots that relate perfectly to the tempo of the song, this simple yet effective technique is vital to the way in which the video is being presented.

It is also relevant to analyse whether or not the video can be considered art or advertisement, the sheer amount of performance shots used along with the confined location would imply a strong element of advertisement, but in my opinion the way in which the performance is shot is key to the way it’s represented, I feel that the shots used give it an auteur feel. Also, when looking at James Copeman’s other well know production of ‘5 Years Time’ it is obvious that he has visions within his videos that he intends to show and tell the world.

The video shows a variety of mid, long and close up shots. Each shot does a different job for example the long and mid shots are there to help the audience simply understand the meaning of the video and see what is going on within performance. The close ups are used to give audience satisfaction in seeing the lead singer along with other members of the band, along with a slight advertising feel in the sense that the video is showing the band and helping people to remember faces for future prospects. As well as showing shots of the ‘meat’ for the video the close ups show the energy that is going into the performance and also the emotions that the band feel. Throughout the video a fast pace of cuts are used keeping in rhythm with the song as well as the tempo. Although a slight background conceptual idea is bought in it does not change the tempo of the cuts which keeps the audience locked onto the energy of the song which has obviously been seen as an important element for the target audience. The video keeps in line with a lot of variety also, for example lip synching and continuity editing enable for a comfortable viewing which is, at the end of the day vital for the audience.

The video itself does reflect an element of today’s society. It shows social realism in the sense that a party is going on and the house is being ruined. This technique though in this case is used just simply for relation purposes. The band want to appeal to their target audience of a teenage to early twenties age group, and by sticking with certain features within the video they seem to have achieved just that.

Media Language

Visual techniques are used throughout the video giving it an even strong auteur feel. Conventional fast paced shots fit in with the rock pop genre well. The pace of the song encourages fast paced cuts and the videos seem to work a lot better when shots are in time with the music. Other shots are also expected throughout a rock pop video, including canted angled shots as well as many handicam close ups which really do set this music video apart from the rest. Within the background scenes away from the performance many slow motion shots are used which once again fit in with the style and tempo of the music enabling for a relaxed audience viewing which is vital for a well created video for a popular band such as ‘You Me At Six’. This slow motion effect also works well for the audience being able to relate to the video and understand exactly the message that is being put across.

The start of the video consists of establishing shots of interesting items within the house of which the band are going to perform. This once again immediately creates a relationship between the audience and the video, enabling the audience to understand what is about to take place. The audience is also given an insight into the appearances of the band which is vital for advertisement as well as making the video work well as a piece of art.

Throughout music videos intertextual references play a vital part, if the audience can recognize a part of the plot they are able to relate and connect to the piece. Within this particular video, that I know of there doesn’t seem to be any intertextual reference apart from the conventional ‘rock pop’ performance given by the band in this confined area in a party. Because of this lack of intertextual reference it is logical to think that the video has become more of an original piece which is what was probably intended.

Representation

This music video could be seen as if it has come from a ‘meta-narrative’ which would imply that the song and video have been created about there own lives. In the case of the video, it could be showing past experience of the band, and just emphasising the fact that they want people to have a good time to their music and just to simply enjoy their original style. This idea of a ‘meta narrative’ would also help to sell the record, knowing that the band has influence the video with past experiences just helps to make the video even more appealing to an attentive audience.

There really are obvious social groups represented within the video, the main one being teenagers, they are shown partying and simply enjoying life. This feature could be appealing to the younger audience helping to sell records and make the band even more popular than it already is.

Ideological discourse issues raise important questions including that of gender which is represented throughout the video, although the band is of a male dominance the background shots within the party divides equally between male and female. The younger age group is undoubtedly the target audience for the video and are represented throughout, not only within the performance shots of the younger band members but also within the party shots of the teenagers that are having a good time. The dominant stereotype of teenagers being miserable is challenged within the video, where everyone is getting along and having a good time with each other.

Institution and Audience

This particular music video would be consumed through obvious media such as You Tube and My Space. Also, rock channels such as Kerrang and Scuzz play an important part in the promotional side of the video. Many loyal fans will tune in to these channels to see their favourite band’s new video. This video works very well for ambient viewing as it is quite simply people having a good time, which is easy for people to tune into half way through and watch.

The record label would also be involved within the promotional side of the music video, copies would be sent out to the music channels which is vital for selling records.

SD Technical Analysis

I have decided to do a shot technique analysis of the song “No More Room to Breathe” by “There for Tomorrow.” The band sounds very similar to the band we are choosing to use (You Me At Six) so therefore it includes many of the shots we would like to use in our music video.

The music video starts with an establishing shot of the band which is then frequently used during the video with XLS and LS to get the audience comfortable with the location and setting. There is also a blur at the beginning which goes really well with the music introduction, this would work well with our song as well as ours also has a gradual start.

The majority of this music video is performance based with a small narrative along side. This Song consists of many different angles and shot lengths, like you expect to see in a regular Rock Pop music video. The music video consists of mostly very quick shots lasting for about half a second or less, these fit really well with the fast paced track

Frequent CUs of the Lead Singer are commonly used. This provides the audience a good idea of what the Lead Singer looks like and gives an image to the band. This will also be a technique we would prefer to use in our music video as it is a very widespread method throughout the Rock Pop genre.

Throughout the whole music video for “No More Room to Breathe” the camera is constantly moving. This technique gives the video a professional look to it but also making it look hectic which adds to the Rock Pop atmosphere. This is again a common feature in the Rock Pop music video genre so we may try to include this in our video as much as possible.

In conclusion i feel this was an excellent video to analyse as the song is very similar to the one we are going to use. The shots used are very similar to ones we are hoping to use within our music video as well as focusing on the band which is what we hope to do. Shots such as close ups help focus on the Lead Singer whereas longer shots help show the whole band performing

MD Technical Analysis

The music video that i have chosen to analyse each individual shot in detail is performed by 'You Me At Six', our chosen band for our production. Within the video there is a small narrative within the background which we will more than likely not include within our video, but all the performance used within the video is vital to our research.

This mostly performance based song consists of many different angles and shot lengths, mostly longer than a regular 'rock pop' music video. The music video consists mostly of two and three second performance shots, which is very different to other videos that we as a group have come across within our research. Personally i think these slightly slower performance shots with interesting angles work well within the specific music video, although very fast paced the track still fits in well with the different shots chosen for the video.

Within the music video visuals also play a big part within the angles and length of shots which are used. Without interesting visuals to complete shots, longer performance shots could seem pointless. Lighting and slow motion are used to keep audience attention which is very effective.

Frequent close-ups of the lead singer also help to give the band a certain representation. It is also important from an advertising point of view as close-ups help the audience to recognise the band which at the end of the day is necessary for simply selling records. There are also shots where a crane is used to make the music video seem slightly more professional rather than a still camera positioned on a tripod. This effect also helps the video to seem as if more is going on within the performance, a vital effect for professional music video production.

In conclusion i think that this video was a good choice for analysing as it is starring the band that we have chosen as well as focusing on a performance base. The shots used are effective and have helped us as a group to make further important decisions for our production. Personally i feel that lighting and stage presence also make a big difference between professional looking and low budget visuals, so if it is at all possible to get hold of any kind of strong lighting for our video it would enable a lot more of a professional look to our video.

MD Audience Research Planning

For our audience research, we have decided we will conduct a Focus group and also a questionnaire to find out what our audience expect to see in a music video from our genre. We will start by finding a group of about 5 people who will often watch Rock Pop music videos so therefore they will be aged from teenagers to early 20s. Giving each of them a questionnaire we would have created, will help us find out what the public like to see in a music video from the Rock Pop genre such as costume, location and camera techniques. After each member of the Focus group has completed the questionnaire, we will gather their answers and discuss any ideas they might have come up with during the questionnaire. This will give us an even better idea of what our audience looks to see in a music video from the Rock Pop genre. We feel that a group discussion between us and members of our target audience is vital to create a well put together music video. Within our questionnaire we will have a mixture of question styles along with potentially more open and precise answers. The advantages of using both a focus group and a questionnaire are that we as a group are able to discuss original answers written on the questionnaire and then go back to them at the end and see if any ideas have changed after a discussion. Some of the disadvantages when using a focus group is that some people may not take it seriously, but we will be able to overcome that by using a questionnaire with a wide variety of open and precise potential answers.

MD Brighton Reccie

The Brighton trip helped our group a lot when it came to deciding on a location. Although we feel Brighton is not the place that we wish to film, the experience has opened our eyes to the wide possibility of nearby locations. Not only did the trip show us a large place with potential places to film, it bought the group together enabling conversations to take place on ideas and possible actors that could feature within our production.

Some of the pictures taken as shown above are but some of the eye catching images of Brighton. For certain genres of video Brighton would work well as a location. ‘You Me At Six’ are a ‘rock pop’ band that we feel need a slightly more bright primary coloured setting rather than a windy sea side city that could suite more of a low budget style of Music Video.

The Brighton trip was also a good location for practicing different styles of shots, including MLS panning establishing shot for narrative/performance, use of high/low angle for performance, footage for sped up shot of character in crowd, POV handicam shot, 360 pan, tacking shot of character/performer walking in first person mode of address, a range of a CU’s suitable for instruments and at least two other shots of your own design.

In conclusion we as a group feel that the Brighton trip has been very helpful to our ideas of both locations and performance based shots of our chosen band. Also, the shots that we have practised have given us usage of equipment that is vital to the creation of our production.

SD Possible Locations

For our Music Video we have realised that the location we use it vital. We have an idea of the sort of place we are looking for, a photographic studio would be the perfect location but we understand that it will be very difficult and expensive to occupy one for a long period of time. Also it is hard to find a studio that is large enough to hold a drum kit, etc so a studio is probably off limits.
The other idea we had was possibly using a warehouse of some sort such as “The Big Yellow Storage Company.” A location like this is appropriate as it is large and plain so we can customise it to make it look how we imagined it to be. Money also shouldn’t be a problem as I’m sure the company will not mind us using it for an hour or two if we give them plenty of notice, as the place is so large as well we will hardly be noticed whilst in there. The only problem we might have is that it is quite out the way so it may be difficult for other members of the band to get there.
The last location we were thinking was a hall in Bidborough. The hall is fairly large and plain with the added bonus of having a fairly big stage as well. This could be a perfect location for the music video as the equipment will easily fit on the stage and/or in the hall. The stage also has a lot of room in front of it, so we will be able to move around the front with the camera getting some good quality low angle shots. We already know the person who has the key to the hall, so booking the place should be really easy and cost free. It is also a local hall so getting to it should not be a problem for our members.

SD Mood Board

Feedback #1

Well done - complete, first deadline met, posts of excellent standard. Keep it up!
CF

MD Mood Board

SD Print Media Analysis

POSTERALBUM COVER

The album cover for "There for Tomorrow" is very basic yet attractive making it difficult to tell which genre they belong to. The cover shows "There for Tomorrow" in large letters which roots coming out of the bottom. The simple text and colours give you the sense that the band is a new band possibly in the indie/rock genre as they aren't necessarily trying to show their faces just yet, and initially just trying to catch the public eye. Large font in the centre of the album cover shows the band is trying to promote themselves through their name rather than their image. This again gives you the sense that the band is new as they want people to notice the large lettering on the front. The general layout and colour scheme of this album cover appeals mainly to the young, teenage audience as it is fairly straightforward and therefore making it look modern. Visual techniques are non-existent in this album cover. The only thing to attract the audience is the title in the centre of the cover with the roots coming out of the "O". The title is positioned bang in the centre of the square taking up the majority of the space, ensuring that people will notice their name. I don't feel there are any meanings generated through the cover as barely any techniques are used. There is only one use of words on the self titled album "There for Tomorrow" which uses the linguistic device of alliteration, creating an appealing title that audiences will remember easier. I believe that this album would be consumed by a young audience, aged between 12 – 20 as from the cover it connotes a modern, indie, rock sound. I also believe that this album would be consumed by a more curious music audience, looking for new bands and trying to find something different, due to its simple use of visuals on the cover.

The poster for "There for Tomorrow" is very similar to the album cover. The same text and picture is used in both prints which helps promote the album and band even more. This time the band has decided to show a picture of themselves at the top of the poster. Just from looking at the band you can tell that the band sits within the rock/indie genre due to their long hair swept to one side across their faces. The band are made up of young, teenage males with long, "scene" hair who would be most loved by teenage girls due to their attractiveness. This is a typical representation of a young teenager who is rebellious with his long hair, not caring how adults think of him. Also the tape across his mouth connotes a sense of disobedience as teenagers are always thought to swear a lot and not allowed to speak their minds. Showing a picture of themselves would help with promotion as they are a good looking band, girls would think they are cute and guys would think they are cool.

MD Print Media Analysis

POSTER

ALBUM COVER

Genre

The genre of the artist is evident within the album cover, mainly through lighting effects. The album cover shows a dark and dingy set of houses but there seems to be life within one of them. Brightly coloured patterns on the walls inside the house, lit up to full potential certainly represent more than interesting personality of the album cover designer. An album cover's colour scheme makes a noticeable difference when determining the genre of an album, in this case the dark colour with a hint of life and excitement sets the indie rock genre up with perfection. Another noticeable effect is the use of font within the top right hand corner of the album cover, the abstract font used on both the band's name and the album name have strong elements of the indie genre. The colour used for the font is that of a dark yellow, keeping with the general colour scheme of darkness surrounding individuality and character.

Although similar to the animated effects of the album cover, the promotional poster tends to give off an almost opposite sensation. The use of what at first glance seems to be a dancer with a lions head and tail represent the genre as having a glamorous front, but in reality there is more to find out. This effect also plays it's part for advertisement well as it entices the target audience to listen to the Arctic Monkey's music, simply in order to find out just what that element of reality is really all about.

Media Language

The album cover uses visual techniques throughout to create effect. The rule of thirds is used to position the title and photograph, this straightforward but efficient technique makes it simple for the audience to follow the animation down and across the page. Texture and colour also play an important part within the design, not only do they help to represent the genre they aim to attract potential buyers of the album. Having an attractive creation is important to the record label as well as the band as this advertising technique can make even more money. The general tone of the piece also plays its part within advertisement and style. To a fan of the band, the tone of the album cover will be seen as artistic flare. In this case the tone seems to do just this. Keeping consistency throughout an animation is very important to both the band and audience. Being able to show an expert and composed attitude towards the music business is admirable to an audience, and simple things for example the tone of the album cover can prove these elements of professionalism. Mise-en-scene within the album cover is also very effective for emphasising the genre of the album along with pleasing a dedicated audience. If an album jumps from genre characteristic to genre characteristic the focused audience could become less committed.

The poster uses similar effects involving visual techniques revolving around texture, colour, tone and mise-en-scene. The rule of thirds is also used once again making the poster flow well, so that at first glance the audience can understand the new album and also be entertained by the artistic animation. The abstract font used for the poster is exactly the same as the album cover, but in this case set out slightly differently. The used of continuity within print media is vital for a focused audience. The colour scheme, tone and texture within the poster also shows signs of continuity with ideas taken from the album cover or visa versa.

Intertextual references are shown throughout many pieces of artwork created for the Arctic Monkeys, but in this case none are shown. The originality of both pieces put the band in their own league and enables the audience to respect and admire the bands wants and needs for inventive success. In that sense the pieces could be considered post-modern, an attractive and smart image for a band to share.

Representation

The album cover represents the band in a way that could seem appealing to a focused and attentive audience. Fans of the Arctic Monkeys will know that their success came about through honest hard work and persistence. The album cover uses a picture of what seems to be a relatively poor housing estate, showing that the band still have that sense of reality and have not been tempted by money and fame.

Both the poster and the album cover do not seem to be particularly high budget art works either, this once again shows that sense of the band being in touch with normality. Not spending thousands of pounds on scenes for a photo shoot is recognised by most fans and help the band to communicate with the everyday people that they grew up with as youngsters.

Institution & Audience

The developed poster is a rectangular shape, this intricate construction shows an audience that it could quite easily be a page in a magazine. The outstanding image on the poster of a dancer with a lions head and tale immediately catches the eye. The way in which the page is set out also helps the audience to take in information about the new album by reading the band’s name and album title in a font that is instantly recognized by certain focused members of the audience. The poster would also almost certainly be put up on walls and even bus stops, the simple design is attractive and recognisable, passer-bys are able to acknowledge the fact that a new album is being released without having to read into detail, this shows just how affective posters can be for album sales.

The album cover on the other hand would be distributed in a slightly different fashion. When the CD is bought it would play its part along with the internet on socially popular sights such as You Tube and BBC Radio 1. This is the image that is a step up from the poster, an image that persistent fixed fans would see as iconic in their lives, where as ambient viewers would acknowledge the poster more as they would see a lot more of it around public places and in magazines that they simply flick through.

SD Music Video Analysis

You Are The One - Shiny Toy Guns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5P69IdscM

Genre and Narrative

I decided to evaluate the music video for “You Are The One” by Shiny Toy Guns which is directed by Masashi Muto and produced by Kazutomo Tanjo. I chose this song due to its video and the use of wind and rain to create an atmosphere which adds to its uniqueness. The song is a fast paced tune and sits within the rock pop genre due to its heavy drums and electric guitars. Songs within this genre tend to have a performance/narrative based music videos but there are occasions where concept has been brought in to make it individual. Rock videos are very likely to have fast paced actions taking place with uses of handycam and a shaky effect.

The lyrics within this song refer to a man who is frustrated by his girlfriend as she is cheating on him, yet he still loves her. A few examples of lyrics throughout the song show his anger. For examples, “your cover melting inside,” this is saying that he can see through her lies as her cover ups are “melting” and becoming old. Another example of betrayal is when he says, “Your God knows who’s faithful,” meaning God knows who is faithful and the girl is not. One of the best lyrics in the song is where it says, “You so believe your own lies,” which is implying that she has been lying so much to him that she is now beginning to think that the lies she is telling him are true. The chorus shows how he does still love her as it says “You Are The One,” but he doesn’t want to as she cheated on him.

The tune itself has a loud drumming beat and constant electric guitar playing. It is generally fast paced until it slows down about two thirds into the song, before it builds back up again. The main thing you notice about this video is the camera is always moving when it is focused on the group, this adds the feeling the something is always going on, which then builds a rock atmosphere which then compliments the tune. Another effect used makes the whole video seem like it is shaking, this adds to the rock mood, making it seem as if the music is so powerful that the camera is moving. The tone is further emphasised by the fast cutting rhythm throughout the video due to the rapid tempo of the song which only slows down for a few seconds.

This music video is part narrative based yet mostly performance based. The narrative feature begins with a girl trapped in a large bubble of water with the band then shown to be playing in front of her. The bubble in the video could refer to the lyrics “you’re more than in my head” meaning she is trapped inside in his head and he can’t stop thinking of her. Throughout the video, she looks around inside her bubble, until the song's bridge, at which point the lead singer touches the bubble and it explodes. This could symbolise that he has finally forgot about the girl and has stopped loving her. Heavy rain then starts falling on the band, and intense winds begin to blow. These elements in the music video really emphasise the rock genre atmosphere and make the video seem a lot louder and more intense. The girl, now free from the bubble, is taken away by what appears to be an angel. The video closes with the band walking toward the camera.

Media Language

Within this music video, visual techniques play a very important part. The frequent close ups of the lead singer help give the audience a look at what he looks like and also longer camera shots give them an overall view of the whole band. The record company is aware that this can help promote the band as it gives an image to the band. Other music videos by Shiny Toy Guns are very different to this one, as they tend to be more abstract and they even have one which is entirely cartoon based. Although their videos vary in style, throughout all of them you can see the use of shakycam and parts that have slow motion. Both of these techniques are used frequently in the rock genre music videos as it builds atmosphere and helps create a powerful sensation.

Costume throughout the video isn’t bizarre but has amounts where it is abstract. The band are wearing simple white clothing which isn’t too unusual but the fact they all are wearing the same makes them look like a band. The characters in the narrative on the other hand, are wearing dark lacy clothes which is contradicting the bands pure white uniform. An angel of some sort is also shown within the music video, so wings on a human body are quite diverse in the sense that you don’t see that every day. I feel that the camera work is the most important element in the whole of the music video as the shakycam, slow motion and use of a crane each add individual effects to it. The shakycam shows the intensity of the song whereas the slow motion emphasises the loud guitar moments within the tune. The crane is also very significant as it never lets the camera be still which is another technique that will build mood. There is no sign of ‘looking’ throughout the video assuming him looking into the camera isn’t taken into account.

Like most rock music videos, “You Are The One” is a mixture between performance and narrative based, with the singer and band as the main focus. Mainstream rock videos tend to have the whole band in the picture with a narrative based around the lead singer. Shiny Toy Guns have followed this mainstream idea but have altered the narrative to be more about a girl than the actual lead singer. Also the use of wind and rain is not commonly used in the way they have done, so that makes the video slightly more unique. The performance of the band isn’t over exaggerated yet rock dance moves such as head banging are brought in for a small time to continue the rock feel of the video.

Institution and Audience

The music video for "You Are The One" would most likely be consumed on one of the many music channels on television but would also be popular on 'Youtube' and 'Myspace'. Due to the genre of the track, channels such as 'Kerrang' would show this video more often as the focused or ambient viewers watching are loyal to this genre of videos. Even though the video can be appreciated in a focused viewing style with the message it is trying to send, the video has many performance based shots which would also work well for the ambient viewing audience.

The record label for this particular song plays an important role concerning the promotional aspect of this video as they would send copies to music channels such as 'Kerrang' as they tend to play a lot of rock music videos but also channels such as MTV would pick up on it. This is due to it being a fairly popular song as it has featured on the game FIFA 2007 which has already boosted it's popularity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, “You Are The One” is a very interesting music video to analyse mainly due to the camera techniques used and also the use of natural occurrences such as wind and rain. Its shakycam method combines well with the face paced, energetic melody as well as the fast camera movements and quick cutting rhythm. Few of the lyrics are illustrated in the music video, but the title could resemble the girl in the bubble and “she is (or was) the one.” The performance/narrative based visuals are a typical convention of rock videos along with the dance moves and band presentation.