This is the first draft of my poster, chose an image that was similar, but not exactly the same as my CD cover, as from my research I generally found that the posters were either an extension or an exact copy of the cover. Similar to the CD cover I chose an image where she had direct eye contact with the camera, so that a connection can be made between the artist and the audience. Again I stuck to the colour schemes and font that were previously chosen so that a house style continues, which is conventional for a set of products. Next I will gain targeted feedback and begin to improve on the products.
This is my first basic draft of my CD front and back cover. I chose a close up image as this is quite conventional for a CD front cover. I also chose this image as she has strong eye contact with the camera and therefore with the audience. I used the fonts and colours that my target audience chose so that it should appeal to them. Next I will ask my target market for there feedback on how to improve them, I will also begin drafting and developing my poster.
This is my first daft of my music video, the editing is all very basic, the draft was to get all the clips in order and to see if it all fit etc. It seems that after I uploaded the video certain clips didn't work. This is something that obviously needs sorting before the next draft. I will ask my peers for their feedback in order to further improve it.
Today I completed my filming for my music video. I used one actress throughout, as trying to get more actress's free all at the same time proved difficult. Today I also took some photo that will be used for the other products (poster, CD Cover). Next I will begin to edit my clips into a sequence and make them look more professional. Also begin to choose images that will be suitable for the other products.
These are ideas for what I would like my poster to look like. The images are of the real artist, but they have give me ideas of the kind of poses and colours I will be able to use in my own. From my poster research I found that generally posters have a single image and that the only text was the artists name. I tried this out on my first poster ideas, whilst changing the positions and colours of the text. I found that the posters looked quite plain and not very eye catching.
With the second set of posters, I tried similar ideas however this time I used a different image. This was the image I got most inspiration from and will base my images around. Again these posters looked quite plain, but yet conventional of what you would expect to see on a bedroom wall for example. My final idea was to chose a landscape image to see if this had any different effect, I also changed the 'Florence and the Machine' font to the same as the song title as my feedback preferred this look.
With my final poster I decided to do a conventional tour poster, this had various dates of where you can see the artist. This obviously made the poster less plain, although this is the kind of poster you would expect to see on a bus stop for example and in other public places rather than a personal poster.
Next I will ask my target market for there feedback on which ideas they prefer.
My initial plan was to begin filming at the beginning of October, however due to my actress's being unavailable for a lot of the time, this proved difficult. As as result of this I have chose to use one single actress to be in my video instead of a number of people. This may involves changes the plan, but the basic idea will still be the same. By using one single actress's it will be much easier to plan a recording day.
After asking my target audience about their favorite CD cover, I had mixed feed back. Most said that their favorite was the second one (the one with the font up her arm). They said that they liked the pose, and the font, also one person said how it links to my video idea with the leaves in the background. The overall least favourite was the first one, with the three different poses, this was due to it being quite conventional and plain. Much of my feed back said that this front cover was not very eye catching and appealing.
I will take my feedback into consideration and use the general ideas from the favorite cover.
These are 4 CD cover ideas, I have used the chosen font, and colour to represent what my products will look like. The images used are ideas of what poses I will ask my artist to do, so that they are similar. Next I will ask my target audience their feedback on which is their favorite, so I can take the images of my artist and begin creating my products.
This is my second story board, which continues on from the first one. These story boards show what I want in each scene of my music video and what camera shots will be used. I will try to stick to my story board as much as possible so my video can look as professional as it can.
This is my my first of 3 storyboards, it shows step by step of what will be happening in the scene, including the lyrics, camera angle and shots. By doing a storyboard I know have a clear idea of what will be needed for each scene and where the actress will be needed.
Today, I have begun drawing out my storyboard into separate scenes, when this is complete, I will have a definite idea of what is happening in each shot, in terms of camera angle, costume, positioning etc.
This is a rough idea of dates of when I will have completed certain sections of work, by doing this I should always have an idea of the stage I should be at.
Complete all research and planning: 3rd October Begin filiming:5th october First draft of video complete: 28th October Create mock-ups of CD cover and poster: 4th November Final products: 17th November Final draft of video: December 9th Complete evaluation: Jan 2012
The initial settingfor my video will be in a bedroom, looking into a mirror. As the song continues the location will move to outside this will be an area such as a garden/large field as I want the natural aspect, where everything is stripped back to the basics. This will be my main location through the video. When the chorus is on, I would like the location to be on a stage with her singing, to give the effect of live action.
In terms of props, I'd like them to be quite retro, for example an old fashioned microphone for the live action. I also want the extras to be wearing masquerade masks when outside to give a vintage edge.
For my main actress at the beginning she will be wearing dull black/grey clothes. At this point she will be wearing tracksuit bottoms and a plain vest top. Her hair will also be messy at this point and she will have no make up on. When the video changes to her being more glamorous, she will be wearing a little black dress, with heels and her hair all pinned up and with simple and elegant make up.
The other actresses will be wearing much simpler costumes, they will be wearing plain leggings and a floaty top of their choice. Their hair can either be up or down with minimal make up. This way they still look smart but will not over shadow the lead singer.
As my target audience is mainly females, it will be generally be females who appear in the video, also as the singer in Florence and the Machine is female, it would make sense to have a female appear in the video. In my video there will be one main actress who will be the lead singer, she will be the focus throughout the video. There will also be 3 other actors in the video that would act as extras, they will feature in some of the video in various scenes to complement the main actress.
This is the two chosen colour schemes combined together. I had to combine the two as many of the element of the video would be outside and so needed earthier colours. This shows all the colours together that I will use for my poster and CD covers.
After asking 25 of my target audience, the favorite colour scheme was colour scheme 2, however as well as colour scheme 2, I may also introduce elements of colour scheme 3, as my video will be set outside which also may include these colours so that it has a continuous style.
Font results: From the results the chosen font will be 'Girls are weird'. I am pleased this was my target audiences favorite font as I feel it is the one that most links to the style of Florence and the machine. As I think fonts such as 'airplane in the night sky' are quite childish and would be more suitable for a younger audience. Also the font 'Alice in wonderland' may alway be associated with the film and so people would not expect it to be on a CD cover & poster.
Next I will find out the chosen colour scheme so I can begin to plan out my CD cover and posters.
From this I will ask my target audience to choose their favorite font and favorite colour scheme, then I can begin to create my products (CD Cover/Poster)
In order to be able to use my chosen song, I need to gain permission from the record company and explain that I will be purely using the song for my studies and not to make a profit from it. I am currently researching for 'Universal Island Records' email address or contact detail, so I can contact them to explain why I need to use the song. I may not necessarily get a reply, but then at least I have asked for the permission.
After analysing some of the lyrics to the chosen song, I have come up with some ideas of costumes and locations, from this I will be able to generate a final storyboard so that I will have a definite plan for my video.
My initial idea for costume will be that she is wearing a party dress, with her hair all done up perfect. This will then be contrasted by a short sharp clip of her with messy hair and in scruffy clothes/pajamas.
I think the main location for my video would be in quite a rural setting, as then it is stripped back to the basics, also it is similar, but not the same as the origional version.
Her outfit in the 'rural' setting would be a plain white/black floaty dress, so that like the setting, it will be simple and basic.
These are the initial ideas, and are not definite, next I will have a meeting with the cast of my video and see what they are available to do, from this I will create a final storyboard so I can begin to film my video.
From my understanding, the song relates to her entering the music business, here I will write down briefly what I think the lyrics mean, and at various points I will write down any current ideas I have to help create a storyboard.
‘The looking glass, so shiny and new
How quickly the glamour fades’ This could relate to her entering the music business and everything seeming good, but it soon the novelty of it all wears off. At this point in my video the actress could be looking glamorous looking in a mirror, then it cuts to the same place with her looking quite rough.
'I start spinning, slipping out of time
Was that the wrong pill to take?' This could mean that the fame is too much to take and was it the right path to follow. At this point in the video she could be spinning around, with an effect to disorientate whats on the screen.
(Raise it up) In a different scene, close up of the mouth miming words with old fashioned microphone.
You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up
But will it ever be enough?
(Raise it up, raise it up) Close up of microphone and mouth, changing angle the second time.
It's not enough
(Raise it up, raise it up) Close up of microphone and mouth, changing angle the second time.
Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights
It seems I've made the final sacrifice This could be suggesting how scared she is, and that she's made the commitment. Here the actress could be crouching to the ground as if she's give up.
We raise it up, this offering
We raise it up
(CHORUS) This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight I would like the chorus to be set in a different location. Possibly on a stage so it creates live action. Raise it up, raise it up
Raise it up, raise it up
And in the spring I shed my skin
And it blows away with the changing wind
The waters turn from blue to red
As towards the sky I offer it Here the music slows down, so I could use a slow motion effect of her walking away from the camera
(CHORUS) This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight x3
These are the lyrics to my chosen song, next I will briefly analyse the lyrics in order to get some ideas of what I can do in my video, this will then help me create a final storyboard for my video.
The looking glass, so shiny and new
How quickly the glamour fades
I start spinning, slipping out of time
Was that the wrong pill to take? (Raise it up)
You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up
But will it ever be enough? (Raise it up, raise it up)
It's not enough (Raise it up, raise it up)
Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights
It seems I've made the final sacrifice
We raise it up, this offering
We raise it up
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
I look around, but I can't find you (raise it up)
If only I could see your face (raise it up)
Instead of rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)
I wish that I could just be brave
I must become a lion hearted girl
Ready for a fight
Before I make the final sacrifice
We raise it up, this offering
We raise it up
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Raise it up, raise it up
Raise it up, raise it up
And in the spring I shed my skin
And it blows away with the changing wind
The waters turn from blue to red
As towards the sky I offer it
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
At the beginning of the video the colours are very low saturated, except for the artist herself, this makes her stand out and you straight away know that its about her. All the cast are also on classical motorbikes, this could reflect her rebellious, yet sophisticated personality. As the video continues it's what her fans would describe as a 'typical ' Lady Gaga video in the sense of the provocative clothes and opulent themes. As the video comes closer to the end, a story comes in to play, where Lady Gaga is portrayed as quite a violent character, however when her 'gun' turns to lipstick, this is again what we'd expect from typical Gaga. At the very end of the video, her outfit changes to a white dress, this simbolises pureness and weakness, which is a huge contrast to the rest of the video. What conventions does this music video follow?
Lady Gaga videos generally do not follow conventions as her image as a whole is very origional and unconventional. However this video does have a story throughout it which is a convention of a pop video however generally pop videos are bright and colourful to attract the younger audience, although this video is quite dark and has a quite a uncontional storyline for a pop video.
How does the video relate to the lyrics?
The lyrics to this song have quite a religious meaning. I have found religion a common theme throughout Lady Gagas work, such as posters. The video does, in some ways link to the lyrics, for example she is stood in crashing water all around her this is simbolic to that of Jesus walking along water. Also the majority of the setting is set in what can be thought of as a 'biblical era'. There are no direct links from the lyrics to the video.
Ideas and inspiration from the video?
I like the way the lyrics do not directly link to the video, but yet they are still linked in quite an abstract way. I also like the way the it doesn't follow all pop video conventions, but yet its still an effective video. Finnally I like how her outfit and make up are really over the top and eye catching. These are all ideas I will take into consideration.
How is the artist represented? At the beginning of the video, the colour of the setting is mainly white also the artist is wearing white and holding white flowers, this suggests pureness and innocence. This theme continues throughout the video. Her facial expressions also shows how than she is happy to be out of the relationship, with quite a happy and smug look. What conventions does this music video follow? There is a main storyline that the video solely focuses on throughout the whole video, this is both conventional and unconventional, as usually they do have a story but they focus on other things such as live action through the video. There is also quite a unconventional section where there is, what is made to look like, retrospective footage, this is a 'home video' effect where it shows how there relationship was. How does the video relate to the lyrics? The video strongly links to the video, in that the story line is linked to the lyrics, about her 'finding the good in goodbye' and ending in a relationship and the footage is of her in her wedding dress realising that she made the right decision with not being in the relationship anymore. Ideas and inspiration from the video? My favorite part of the video is how they use the retrospective footage to portray her feeling, this could be an idea I could use. The way the colours all link in are also something I will probably use.
At the beginning the lead singer is the only person in the video, he is neither presented in a positive or negative way. As the video continues more of the band members become present and bright coloured paints are used, this could reflect a happy and engergetic mood. Also how the paint is splashed over the walls could resemble the chaos in their lives. The scenery then changes to a dark room with UV paint, this could reflects a night out in a club and how they still like to enjoy themselves regardless of their busy life.
How does the video relate to the lyrics?
At the beginning of the video the lyrics are 'painted' onto the wall in a stop-motion way. However as the video continues the lyrics are in no way linked to the video, this is quite unconventional as they usually have a story that is portrayed though the video.
Ideas and inspiration from the video?
I like the way advanced stop-motion is used in this video, this may be some thing I wish to consider using in my video, however it probably will not be up to this quality, but it still may be effective during the chorus for example to spell out the words in a scene.
This poster has quite a mystical feel to it, which is created by the dark colour scheme and her positioning on the moon. The font used resembles hand writing which add a personal touch to the poster as it could be that she wrote it and therefore she has made to time and effort in order to connect with her audience. The image used is quite unconventional as its an extreme long shot, from the other poster I've analysed they have usually been medium/close up shots. By having an extreme long shot, the audience can see her whole body as well as a lot of the surroundings.
Rihanna's poster has a definite colour scheme, with the bright red lips, hair and flowers in the background. The image is the main focus on the page, even the text is overshadowed as its quite small and plain colour so that it doesn't stand out on the page, which is quite unconventional as usually its quite prominent as the artist would want you to know its theirs, however Rihanna could have done this as she's confident that everyone would already know her. Rihanna is making eye contact with the camera with one eye, but the other eye is covered, which adds a sense of mystery to the poster.
This is a quite simple poster, the colouring is simple keeping everything black and white. This poster is an extension from one of her single covers 'telephone' allowing her fans to see more of her. Her pose could be seen a quite seductive on the sense that she's wearing no clothes, which would show her confidence. However it could also be seen as quite childlike as she has her finger in her mouth, possibly biting her nails which could suggest nerves and vulnerability. The two main thing that stand out on the page are her name and title and her hair. Her name standing out is quite conventional as its what the audience possibly first see, however having her hair stand out could show how she uses it a mask to portray who she is. Finally the 'T' in monster is a cross, which could link to religious references in the album or the fact that she may be religious herself.
As part of the digi-pack I need to create a music video, along with this I need a CD cover and a poster for the artist, I have already analysed various CD covers from my genre. Next I will find different posters, also relating to my genre to analyse in order to find conventions and to get inspiration for my own.
Along with creating the music video, I am also creating a poster and a CD cover as part of a digi-pack. Here I have found various CD covers from my genre and analysed them in terms of colour scheme/font/image etc to find out what the main conventions are and to give me inspiration on for my own CD Cover.
This is the album my chosen song has come from so could be where I get my main inspiration from. The artist is the main focus on the cover and she is presented centrally so she is the only thing the audience will look at. The image is also set in a natural environment and has a very elegant feel to it, which is something I would like to portray on mine. The colour scheme is generally tones of blue which portray a calm and natural atmosphere.
The cover is made up of a close up of Rihanna and a simple font along the bottom so that its doesn't detract from the image. The photo is also lacking eye contact with the camera which could mean there won't be a link between the artist and the audience, however in this case it may be due to her being confident that she already has the contact. The colours also link in, in the sense that her lip and hair colour match, this is common on album covers.
Similarly to Rihannas cover this is a close up where all the colours match (the hair/the nails/the clothes and the dark make-up). Whereas unlike Rihannas cover the text plays a bigger part, where it is more present and stands out more. The colour scheme is fairly monochrome which means other factors such as her eyes and the font really stand out and would attract the audiences eye if placed in a shop. Jessie also has eye contact with the camera meaning a connection is formed.
This is a quite unconventional cover as the image is a layered long shot, when usually they are a single close up of the artist to make them the focus. Similary to Jessie J's cover, this is in monochrome with the font in a bright red, by using this technique the audience streight away know who's album it is, it especially stand out as the red strongly contrasts the monochrome images.
I have created a list of possible song choices, I will ask my target audience which is their preferred song choice, by asking them their prefernce there will be more chance of them watching and enjoying the video.
Options:
Kate Nash-Mouthwash
Florence & the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)
This is a brief table giving an overview of different music video from a few different genres so I was able to compare the difference. Next I will look a more genre specific videos in order to get inspiration for my own video.
My target audience will be generally people aged 13-30. I will also be targeting both men and women, however this may change when I choose my song as song song can be percieved as more orientated towards females, EG Take Thats fan base is mainly women, however they don't completely disregard their male audience.
There are many different genres in the music industry. Recently I have been deciding what genre to use for my music video, after asking my peers their favorite about the most popular genre, these are the results I got;
-Pop: 12 -Rock:9 -Alternative:10 -Dance:2
Pop music is generally seen as commercially recorded music which target a mass youth audience. Pop music can combine many other genres such as rock but will still be classed as mainstream. This is possibly why it was my target audiences prefered genre as it's influenced by many other styles and generally has something that appeals to everyone.
From these results I will mainly research pop and alternative music videos and possibly compare them to the other genres. This will give me the ideas of conventions and the expected style for when I create my own video.
When beggining my advanced portfolio, I had the choice of either creating a music video (along with a poster and a CD cover) or a movie trailer (along with a poster, and a film magazine front cover). I have chose to make a music video as this intrests me more than making a trailer and therefore could mean it has the potential to be of better quality.
I will next conduct some research into different genres, existing professional music videos and past students projects.
