Magazine Advert Inspirations

Here also are some album advertisements that appealed to me and that I may take some ideas from.

I have noticed that in advertisements it will state when the album is out or whether it is out, I have also noticed the use of a rating system much like films use - both of these I have decided I will use for my advert.
From the Linkin Park advert I have noticed it states some of the album's songs, I will also use this idea to try and entice my audience by using the more popular songs on my advert.

Location Shots

This is the neutral setting where the couple will break up, I wanted a typical scene of where people would have an arguement.
This picture shows a sunny scene, however when I came to film it was luckily overcast which helped add to the overall mood of the scene.


Here is the stage whereupon my band will perform, most of my shots will be close up to the members so most of the stage won't be displayed, I just needed a space big enough to set up the instruments. The blank background of the stage also worked well with my filming as it added neutral colours to the shots which made it easier to edit the colour/filter on the shots.

Discography Inspirations

In this instance I noticed the CD art is a continued design from the front cover of the album, this is a clever idea as it links all the album together with one theme.





The use of a digital piece of art on this CD is really effective and makes the disc stand out, I may consider using this style for my own - an image that will reflect the band



I like the simple approach Linkin Park has gone for on their CD design by using the initials of the band. I am considering using this sort of style for my own instead of using a reoccurring theme because the back and front covers already have that effect in my digipak.

Digipak - CD Art

This is my finished CD design, I decided to go for the simple approach like quite a few CD's I have looked at do. I have only written the name of the band and the name of the album upon the disc so as the audience know where the CD belongs!
I added in some star effects from my editing software to give a more playful tone to the album. I also tried to reflect the theme of the entire album, hence why the disc is also black.

Digipak - Promotional Advert

Here is my chosen photo for the magazine album advert as well as the original.
I have chosen this photo because of its dark background which is more effective to write the writing over as well as throwing the image of the band forward so as the audience knows who they are.

These photos are rejected ideas:

Digipak - Album Back

This is the back cover:



From studying other back covers I have noticed they are often pretty minimal in design as the main focus should be the track titles - this is what I have tried to achieve with my cover.
I have also decided to use this image of a bass guitar to represent the genre of music to a potential buyer.

Digipak - Album Cover

This piece is my final choice for the album cover and back.
I rejected my other ideas as, after receiving some criticism from other members in the class, we all felt the photos to be more suitable for a magazine cover rather than album.

This is the cover:



This photo is the original image:





Here were some primary ideas for my album front cover and/or insert.
In each I attempted the main focus to be placed upon the lead singer (Sam) whereas the rest of the band faded into the background of the picture, this idea has come about from the similar bands that have used the idea of front lining the lead singer, e.g. Billy Talent, The Rocket Summer etc

However whilst doing these photos the battery to my camera ran out so instead of getting the band members to wear the same clothing I will just do all the pictures again. I may choose to continue some of these photo ideas further but I will not be using these photos in the final album cover.

Instead of using these for the cover I have considered using them as inserts in the album to show the true nature of the band to those who buy the album.

Album Cover Inspirations

Here are some typical band covers. I tried to find bands that are similar in style to the band I have chosen, there is also a variety of some I chose that I could easily achieve & it'd still reflect the band.


I like this cover as it promotes the whole band, this has influenced my style of photography for my album cover as I have chosen to place my band as the central focus of the cover. I also like the fun and happy nature the band portrays, hence I have made my band reflect this by depicting a funny scene of their own.



Here I have decided to use the black background to place the image upon as it throws it forward more. The dark background also allows any writing on the cover to be more noticeable than if it were a white background.
The simple background of the back cover I would also like to use for my own idea as this would be easier to write the song list upon.


Here I like the simplicity of the cover, it reflects to me a typical boy band because of the paint ball splatters dotted around the cover. However I have also chosen not to use this idea as I feel placing my band on the cover would be more eye catching than this.


In the instance of Hollywood Undead I like the mix of the surreal with a photo line-up of the band, however this makes the band seem detached and dark which is not the idea I am going for. The anonymity of the band members I also do not like as I would like my target market to be able to see the band and be given a partial insight into what they are like as people - demonstrating them as the average person rather than something superior because of their talent.


I have noticed from some album covers, such as the above, that often bands create a surreal scene to reflect what the band are like or how they perceive the music on the album to be.
I have decided to not follow this idea as it would be very hard to construct and photograph a scene like this - photographing the band is a much easier and less time consuming approach.

Band Photography Inspirations

Here are some photo line ups of bands of similar style to my chosen one.
If I decide to use a photo of the band for my magazine cover and album cover these will help me in understanding the style used for band photography.

Fallout Boy

Sum 41

Billy Talent

From my research into band photography I have noticed that they often take a line-up of the band, or show all the band members having equals amounts of the photo each.
However in the Fallout Boy example they have added a comical intertextual effect with the Star Wars Light sabers, this shows them to be immature and also quite "geeky". The line-up of Sum41 is also comical but this time through the expressions of the band members - it would appear to me that bands can often be described in their photos as fun and childish, this also reflects their music style as Fallout Boy & Sum41 are not necessarily serious artists. On the other hand, Billy Talent have more serious and unhappy expressions as well as poses, this may be a reflection of their music and lyric style.

Magazine Inspirations

Here are some examples of magazine covers from magazines that are likely to have my promotional album advert inside.
As my band play rock music I would like to use that genre of magazine to reflect their image.

Kerrang

NME

RockSound

These three magazines are the most likely examples to display my band on their cover, as the image I am using for The Arrivals and the own image they have created of themselves is very similar to styles such as Blink 182, Muse & Biffy Clyro.
Therefore I will be advertising my chosen band upon the template of one of these magazines as they are appropriate for the style of music.
It would appear in each of these covers the artist is placed over the title so as they are centre of attention on the front cover, I have decided to mimic this effect in my own cover.

Music Video Pitch

Name of Artist: The Arrivals

Track Title: Turn the Page


Outline of Ideas

As the lyrics suggest a break up I would like to describe this in my music video by filming a boy and a girl in separate shots to signify the separation.

I would begin by showing the two in the same shot with one walking away from the other, this will be the only shot where the two appear together and it will be when the boy is breaking up with the girl.

My idea will mainly follow the girl around and display her reaction to the break up as the lyrics themselves are from one person's point of view.
The song is called "Turn the Page" so i would like to go with the idea of using a photo album - containing photos of the couple - and the album is shut when the lyrics "turn the page" are sung.
I would also like to use shots of objects/words etc that remind the girl of her ex-boyfriend. (maybe a few shots of him being behind her but he isn't there when she turns round, to suggest an emotion of longing.)

I have noted from the narrative videos I've watched from other bands that shots of the band are also used in the video, therefore I will try and use shots of a band in my video.


Resources

I will be using a camera and a tripod.
I will also need a girl and a boy to include in my filming to represent "the couple".

I hope to film inside a house - particularly a bedroom - where the girl "lives" as this would be where someone would typically go after being upset, I would also be filming on empty streets to amplify her loneliness and heartbreak.

I will be constructing the prop of the photo album with photos of the pair to suggest to the audience what they once were.
I may also need to construct other items to fulfill the idea of the girl seeing reminders of her ex.

I hope to film a friend's band to include in the music video so as to replicate music videos of similar narrative style.

Goodwin's Theory:

Andrew Goodwin identifies six features of music videos, these being:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performances in rock band videos, or dance routines in girl pop bands.)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals.

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop a visual style that recur across their work.

5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (e.g. films, TV programs, other music videos etc)


Goodwin's Features in my Music Video:

1. My music video demonstrates a stage performance as the band is a typical rock band. I have shown this through the use of a lead singer (miming) and shots of generic instruments being played (Guitars, drum kit etc)

2. At times I have taken the lyrics literally and shown this in the video, a prime example:

"When I look in your eyes..."


"...tell me why you can't look back..."

I have also demonstrated this point by using a break up as the main focus of the video because, after analysis, this is what I believe the lyrics are saying.
Initially in my pitch I was going to use a photo album to represent the singer not being able to "Turn the Page", I still used this idea however as a reoccurring image and not as the main focus, I feel the repetition insinuates the singer's emotions going round in circles.

3. Like most bands performance plays a key role in their videos, I have also chosen to do this which therefore shows a link between my visuals and music.
In my video I have used a band of people to mime the playing of instruments for me so as to add realism to my piece and make it a stereotypical and effective video for my genre of music. I have also achieved this realism through the use of a lead singer miming the lyrics so as it feels to the audience that the song is actually being sung.

4. I tended to focus upon the face of the lead singer mainly as he is to be my voyeuristic image for young female audiences. I used close-ups of the singer when singing to try and get across the emotion he is portraying through the lyrics.
Each of my band members wore befitting clothing for the genre of music, for example, skinny jeans, spiky belts, baggy t-shirts etc to create an image of the band for the audience, this style also reoccurs in my digipak with similar clothing being used to create consistency.

5. Although there was no female voyeurism in my video, as this was not the style, I tended to focus mainly around the lead singer for the purposes of attracting a young female audience (typical of bands like this, examples being 'All Time Low', 'The Rocket Summer' etc). I also used the lead singer within the narrative to further promote this idea and create pity for him from the attracted audience.

An example of the singer being the forefront of the band:


6. Unfortunately my video makes no intertextual references in my video apart from the advertisement of the phone Sam uses to ring Maddie.

Auteur Theory

Translated from the French, auteur simply means "author".
In film criticism, the 1950s-era auteur theory holds that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision. Auteur theory has influenced film criticism since 1954, when it was advocated by film director and critic 'François Truffaut'. "Auteurism" is the use of auteur theory to analyze films or to understand the characteristics that identify the director as auteur.


"There are no good and bad movies, only good and bad directors"


Auteur Theory suggests that the best films will bear their maker’s ‘signature’. This may manifest itself as the stamp of his or her individual personality or perhaps even focus on recurring themes within the body of work. Alfred Hitchcock plays this idea up in most of his movies where he makes sure that he appears on screen in a brief cameo spot.

Music Video Theory: Voyeurism

This idea comes from Sigmund Freud and has been used in media to explain the gendered pleasures or cinema.
Voyeurism refers to the idea of looking in order to gain sexual pleasure, for example it has been argued that the male viewers gaze can be captured by the objectified female body on display. Similarly in male dominated music videos they will use scantily clad females as their dancers to flatter the male star's ego.




Voyeurism can also be shown in music videos via characters watching performers on TV, webcam, CCTV etc within the narrative.




My Video:

I will be trying to incorporate voyeurism in my video as boys in bands are classed as voyeuristic to females watching. In particular I will front the lead singer as this is the generic member girls prefer to watch.

Richard Dyer's Star Theory

"Richard W. Dyer is an English academic specialising in cinema."

'Stars' was Dyer's first full book. In it he developed the idea that the viewers' perception of a film is heavily influenced by the perception of its stars, and that publicity materials and reviews determine the way that audiences experience the film.


His theory suggests a 'star's' construction takes several forms:

The Star is a Construction:

The image of the star has been developed by the star themselves and/or the management team across a wide range of media (advertising etc). It helps if the star has a USP (unique selling point) for example, Lady Gaga's range of headpieces, Madonna's Leotards etc, this construction brings with it connotations of the artist i.e. Lady's Gaga's hats suggest she is eccentric and wants to stand out from the crowd, whereas Madonna's leotards show she wants to be a voyeuristic icon who relates best to the 70/80's style of dress as this was her best era for music.

The Star is a Commodity:

A record company will listen very closely to audience demands and will construct stars that will appeal to the likes and tastes of various different audiences. Stars are constructed to meet audience demand, for example, Girls Aloud were constructed to appeal to a female audience who would most likely try and copy the band's fashion and dance moves. Whereas the Kings of Leon were constructed to appeal to more grungy and down to earth audiences of both males and females.

The Star is an Ideology:

The star represents a set of values and attitudes that reflect audiences own values. For example, Miley Cyrus gained lots of media attention after claiming she is a virgin and wouldn't have sex till she is married - young girl audiences might follow her lead and this could be beneficial to society and its problem of underage sex etc.
Stars are very often connected to religious and/or moral beliefs which connect them to their audiences, an example being Eminem's raps about his life.

Videos that have Inspired me

After listening to the song by my chosen band I went off searching around YouTube for similar music genres, this are the videos I came across that inspired me the most:



This video inspired me as it is very similar in context to that of the song I chose to use. I found the band members playing the piano in the snow an interesting idea, I presume it was done to reflect the cold emotions felt at seeing "Katie" with another man. I also like the use of a blue filter to again represent the emotions of the scene.
The lyrics are very cleverly done for example, the oxymoron title demonstrates the conflict of emotions felt by the singers through the contrast of words used.



This video inspired me for the use of constant performance throughout with small references to some sort of narrative.
The direct mode of address used by Avril Lavigne works really well to get the message across in her lyrics, it feels as if she is singing directly to someone.
I also like how the video changes pace when the music does.



I particularly liked the use of "cue card" lyrics written upon the hands of many different people, it felt as if an audience were being involved. This techinique also provoked curiousity for me as to what the next hand would say and who it would be.

Animatic

"An animatic is a series of still images edited together and displayed in sequence. A rough dialogue and/or rough sound track is added to the sequence of still images to test whether the sound and images are working effectively together."

Here is our finished animatic with the original video, we used the first sixty shots of "Hero" by Chad Kroeger & Josey Scott.
I worked with four others to produce this animatic, we also took it in turns editing so we all had an equal amount of experience with what an animatic consisted of.







We feel as a group that this animatic worked as the timing of the shots worked well with the music in comparison to the original video. We also found ways of using effects on the computer to reflect when the cameras zoomed in on the original video, we feel this was effective too.



These were the storyboards used:



Shots:
-Establishing Shot
-Long shot
-Long shot to Medium shot
-Medium shot to Long shot
-Long Shot with the use of Kens Burn to initiate a zoom-in effect
-Medium Shot
-Aerial Shot
-Medium Shot


Shots:
-Medium Shot
-Medium Shot
-Long Shot with zoom-in
-Medium Shot
-Close Up
-Aerial Shot
-Medium Shot
-Close Up


Shots:
-Close up
-Long Shot
-Close Up
-Extreme Close Up
-Medium Shot
-Close Up
-Close Up
-Close Up

Target Audience

As I have said before, I believe my target audience to be both young males and females as the band I have constructed is of mixed gender, e.g. Paramore, Skillet etc.
The attraction for the female side of the audience will be the lead singer as I am using his voyeuristically as the main focus, however the music genre appeals to both males and females in today's modern society.
The brand image I have created with the clothing the band wears and the instruments used would appeal to a more grungy type of audience who are likely to attend festivals, concerts etc.
Here is an example of my target audience (this is also the age group I will most likely attract):



The lead singer will also have a very direct mode of address so as the audience can connect with him, as they feel he is singing directly to them.
I will try and appeal to my audience by studying their favourite music genre and clothing style and trying to get my band to reflect this - creating a brand. I will also try and reflect any attitudes/beliefs of the audience, hence females are more likely to relate to this song because its a sensitive topic, but males may do also if they have ever been in the same position.

Hayley Williams from Paramore is very often voyeuristically used, hence her male fanbase:



Her orange hair is her USP and makes her a memorable figure for the band.

Sale:

Internet plays a big role in modern society, especially for teenagers, therefore I will most likely post the song and video upon the internet through these sites:

-Myspace: (because my band in unsigned) this is one of the biggest sites for unsigned artists to display their music in hope of getting signed. This site is also able to display videos and people all around the world can view them and become fans of the band.



-Youtube: The most famous site for posting videos, Youtube has millions of viewers each day so it means I have greater chance of someone watching my video and spreading the word about it. Videos can also be commented on and "favourited", "liked" and "disliked" so viewers offer good criticism of my video but can also offer a fan base for my work.



-iTunes: The favourite site for downloading both songs and videos, although it now costs to download off this site, again it offers good advertisement for my music video and would reach my target audience a lot easier