Prezi - Analysis

Evaluation - First Draft

Evaluation Questions 1 – 4

Media Studies

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

Throughout my video, there are numerous examples of the typical conventions and codes   used in existing indie-rock videos. One of these examples is the uses of extreme close-ups, close-ups, medium shots and point of view used on the protagonist throughout a large majority of the video. As the video begins, I have introduced the character through a point of view shot; portraying the characters use of a skateboard, linking the character to the theme of the digipak. Throughout the video, I have used various close-ups of the characters face to allow the viewers to become familiar with his appearance. Mediums shots are also used to observe the characters visual appearance and clothing style – vans shoes, skinny jeans, jacket, slick back hair...etc; all in which represent the genre of the track. These are both examples of the typical conventions used in existing videos within the indie-rock genre. In terms of the editing, each shot is cut or over-layered in sync with the beat of the track, creating a comfortable flow of continuity for the viewers to observe. This again is another example of a typical convention of any existing music video. One of the ways in which I have challenged the conventions and codes of typical indie rock videos is the lack of performance based shots shown used throughout the video. In almost every existing indie-based music video, there is a section throughout the video in which the band is shown to be performing. This is a feature I have left out during the production my video as I felt the narrative would be affected by this – Creating less of an impact on the viewers. I have used four main settings for the video; Staines, Wraysbury, Windsor and his home. I have used a wide variety of locations so that the video can deem realistic, and therefore portray the emotion and mood of the track more strongly to the viewers. Overall, I feel that I have used a large majority of typical Indie Rock video conventions, however I wanted my video to be unique, hence a lot of the ideas were not taken from other existing music videos. The demographic target audience of my media product for men is 30 – 54 years old and for women 13-25 years old. This is because I feel the audience for my music is quite broad, resulting in a wide variation of people having an interest in the genre. This is also because the rock/ indie genre is usually listened to by people of this age; appealing to both the younger and older generations – especially when it is hybridised with rock and roll. Everyone has experienced low points in their life, and this song expresses the emotions shown through depression and sadness. Through the use of Andrew Goodwin’s theory of music video analysis it is visible to see that my music video relates strongly to most of the conventions he identifies. One of these being that my video demonstrates clear genre characteristics that correlate directly with Jake Bugg’s genre of Indie Rock. I have also portrayed a strong relationship between the lyrics and visuals. In Jake Bugg’s previous video for the track “Two Fingers”, this has also been demonstrated clearly through the relationship between the narrative and lyrics.  – VIDEO.

In this video, I found that many of the lyrics were reflected through the images in the video. For example, “I go back to Clifton, to see my old friends”, “I drink to remember, I smoke to forget”, “He’s with my mama, they get into fighting”...etc. Throughout the video, the lyrics are continuously shown through the visuals and I felt that this was an important element for me to portray through my own music video.  I believe that the synchronization between the lyrics and the video is extremely important in that it will help the viewers understand the meaning of the track as well as creating a comfortable viewing.

2) How affective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?

I feel that I have portrayed a common theme throughout the process of both my media product and the development of my ancillary tasks. In terms of the poster and digipak, I feel that the genre and theme of the record has been portrayed successfully. It provides a relative perception of the character throughout all three sections of the ancillary tasks. To do this, I took various shots of the different filming locations, compared them and decided upon which shot was the most appealing and suited to the mood of the song. For example, on the cover of the album we have Fernando sitting on the curb with his feet on his skateboard. At the beginning of the video, we are introduced to the protagonist in this location, wearing the same clothing and skateboarding on the road; hence showing a strong relation to the video. This is shown throughout the rest of the digipak – a common them, helping the viewers familiarise themselves with the character portrayed in the song. I felt this worked well as it help the viewers identify the track through the images alone – a stong marketing technique that captures the viewers attention. The protagonist is portrayed in the same way throughout the digipak; depressed and alone, an emotion which links strongly to the track. The colour scheme used throughout both the advert and the digipak are the same, showing colours such as white, maroon and red. I felt these colours worked well with each other, whilst also creating a strong contrast against the chosen background - particularly on the back cover of the digipak. The genre of my music video is Indie Rock/ alternative/ acoustic, portraying many of the traditional stereotypes from the Rock & Roll genre. This is shown widely through the protagonist’s physical image - vans shoes, ear piercing, skinny jeans, dark clothing...etc. In terms of his appearance, I have tried to reflect Jake Bugg’s style through Fernando’s characteristic and clothing style - dressing in the same ways in which he does. I have tried to emulate this image through not only the video but the ancillary texts as well.  I feel I have accomplished this successfully, creating a constant theme/ pattern in terms of the characters appearance; both physically and lyrically.

3) What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Before filming my media video, I had discussed with my media professional the idea of making the video completely narrative based, so that the audience would be able to capture the full emotion of the character. As my chosen track perceives a high level of emotion through the lyrics and visuals, I knew that the acting would be crucial towards the overall outcome. Thankfully, I managed to find someone with a strong understanding towards the character I wanted to portray.  Having shared my finished draft of my video with my class colleagues, their feedback provided me with an even balance of points which they felt went well, and areas that they felt needed to be improved. My class colleagues felt the character was portrayed strongly, and that the narrative on the whole was a success. They agreed that there was a good balance of shot variations, keeping them interested and intrigued to watch on towards the end. These are points which both my colleagues and media professionals agreed with; leaving very little room to improve in terms of the editing. One of the points in which I needed to improve on was the portrayal of the story. Towards the end of the video, a majority of my colleagues became confused as to the characters appearance throughout the video. Because I had used numerous over the shoulder shots on the protagonist at the beginning of the video, it created a false perception of another character. As the video progressed towards the end, the viewers were provided with a number of close-up and medium shots of the characters face and body, therefore leading to suggest that there was more than just the one character. To save confusion, I then needed to re-arrange a variety of the shots into a different order. This took time, however resulted in a much clearer narrative for the viewers. Another negative point that I felt needed to be adjusted was that some of the house interior shots appeared too dark. As a result of this, I adjusted the colour correction of the house shots, improving the visibility of the shots and ultimately making the video a lot better and of a much higher quality. On the whole, the feedback helped me greatly in producing the best possible outcome I could have achieved, alongside the motivation I needed to proceed and to do the best I could. In terms of the ancillary tasks, I found the digipak the hardest to perfect. Having produced a separate draft of my final digipak cover, I was able to get the feedback I needed from my class colleagues. For this, I was provided with a lot of positive feedback to help me push myself to finishing it to the highest quality I possibly could. I was told that I needed to make sure that the “Indie-Rock vibe” needed to be carried throughout all sections of the ancillary tasks – Digipak, advert. This was an extremely important feature that I needed to pursue with as it is the main element that relates the ancillary’s to the music video. I feel I have achieved this successfully, carrying out a common theme throughout the ancillary tasks in terms of its text, font style, colour and image content; showing a strong relation between the digipak and music video. In terms of the advert, I discussed with my media professional that I wanted to use the same image as I used for the cover of my digipak, showing Fernando sitting on the curb. I felt that this image deemed the strongest in terms of its visual context and proportions on the page, therefore being the most eye-catching. We agreed on moving forward with the idea, as long as I used different editing techniques on the advert. In the end, this decision deemed very successful; shown on the next slide. I am grateful for the comments and feedback given to me by my class colleagues and media professionals, allowing me to progress further with my ancillary tasks and media video and motivating me to push forward and dedicate myself to producing the best outcome I could possibly do.

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

For the construction of my media video, I used Apples “Final Cut Pro”; software which I am relatively familiar with, having used it for the previous year during my AS course. The sheer fact that I was already experience with the software made the development of the video more efficient in terms of speed and quality. I began by importing the audio file of my chosen track, and placing the track beneath the video “input” column. Having already filmed all the shots I needed for the video, all I needed to do was connect the camera to the computer so that it was ready for uploading. The camera I have used for filming my video is the HD Everio memory camcorder, by JVC. The camera films in 1080p output, providing me with a high quality picture for filming and ultimately a more aesthetically pleasing outcome. Also, because the camera is portable, this made it easier for me to travel to various locations; without the hassle of any large bags or cases. During the filming process, I was provided with a camera tri-pod to use for the more steady shots. This was also useful for the pan shots and tracking shots of Fernando on the skateboard. The use of a filming schedule made time management easier for me and Fernando. Any spare time was used for researching different artists on Youtube, Google...etc; providing me with more insight towards the ways in which other existing music videos within the same genre are filmed – through camera and editing. Although this wasn’t a reliable source of research, it provided me with the knowledge I needed to progress. After uploading the shots, I then needed to distinguish the shots I did not need. This process took several hours, through constant trial and error; arranging and re-arranging the shots in time with the beat of the track. I also adjusted the speed percentage of the shots to a lower level, resulting in the sequence to slow down. Once the shots were arranged into an order, I then began to add the editing transitions between various cuts between shots. Transitions such as cross dissolve, fade, wipe...etc were used at various points throughout the video. This was performed to create a continuous flow of continuity between shots. I felt that cross dissolving created a sense of ease whilst watching; much more subtle than a jump cut or hard cut. This transition was used on the more melodic sections of the track, helping to reflect the mood and emotion of the song. Having completed the transitions, I then went through each section. At the end of the video, I used a fad to black. This simply fades the shot to black; a great visual feature to conclude the video with. Editing was a priority for me, as my video was only narrative based. The editing was the key factor in determining whether or not my video would succeed or not; making it my number one priority. For my evaluation, I have used an online site, known as Prezi. This is an advanced online system where you are able to present your ideas creatively, using a more professional layout. This was the first time I had used the site, so I had to sign up in order to begin. For me, the biggest advantage of using this site was the levels of creativity I was able to bring to the presentation; using various images and videos to back up my points made in the previous questions. Prezi provides a clearer understanding to the viewer through its vast media effects, colours and features. For my ancillary tasks, I used the software Adobe Photoshop CS5; another editing programme I am vastly familiar with. The reason I enjoy using this programme is due to its large range of features and tools that come with the package. During the development of my ancillary tasks, I frequently used tools such as; the magic wand (eraser), pen, masking, layering/ layer options, blending...etc; all in which came to use for constructing the digipak covers and magazine cover. In terms of effects, I used the more advanced tools such as; dissolving, drop shadow, blurring tools...etc, all in which allowed me to experiment with the covers visual aspects – colour, contrast and balance. On the whole, I feel that my video and ancillary tasks were heavily based around various types of media technologies, and that without the uses of these technologies, it would simply be impossible for me to produce work at a professional level.

Complete Digipak

Final Magazine Advertisement

Final Video - Draft 1 & Comments

Comments

Positive;

- Editing in sync with the shots.
- Good performance by Fernando; captured the character well.
- Good quality shots.

Negative;

- Had trouble understanding the plot.

- Make it clear as to how many characters there are within the narrative.

Ancillary Task - Final Back cover

Ancillary Task - Magazine Poster (Draft 1)

As shown above is the first draft of my magazine poster, produced using the Apple software; Adobe Photoshop. For the background image, I decided to use the same photo used for my digipak cover. This was decided because I felt the viewers needed to become familiar with the album cover, however I did not want the image to be exactly the same, so a number of the editing techniques used in the digipak cover were not used for this image. In terms of the text, the different text fonts and styles differ from each other however making sure the the colours used work well with each other. For example; pink and purple, red and white...etc. These colours portray a strong contrast against the background colours, making the text ideal for the viewers to observe. For the text "Jake Bugg", I have used a larger and grasping font; used to catch the viewers attention and to also establish the purpose of the advert. Just above this is the record company logo "Mercury Records" that signed Jake Bugg - more visual information on the background of Jake Bugg's sudden appearance to the music industry. I have placed a small image of the album cover beneath the text "debue album....released 3rd december". This is used to provide the observer of the magazine advert with more information of the albums release in terms of its appearance and date of release. 

Class Comments;

After showing the finished draft to my class colleagues, they identified the fact that I had not used any constructive editing techniques on the background image, making the poster    very plain from a viewers perspective. Also, we agreed upon changing the positioning of the album cover at the bottom; placing it more towards the right or left with the writing at the very bottom. This is due to the fact that the album at this point is blocking Fernando's feet, creating the illusion of him having thin feet. 

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Inside Sleeves)

Inside Sleeve 1.

As shown to the right is the first inside sleeve of my digipak. For this image, I have centered the attention on the protagonist - Fernando. This helps portray a common trend through all sides of the digipak, helping to distinguish the theme and mood of the record. In terms of the context of the image, I have used one of the settings shown throughout the music video, showing a strong relation to the records name "broken". The editing used on this image is fairly simple. Having cross layered two images, I was able to blend in two separate shots of Fernando skateboarding, split them and place them beside each other. This effect deems very effective, creating what almost appears to be a motion sequence of the protagonist moving from one place to the other; portraying direction and movement within the image. The lighting used is dark, creating a dull atmosphere to the image - effective in portraying the mood of the record.

Inside Sleeve 2.

As shown to the left is the second inside sleeve to my digipak. As shown, I have used the same setting for the cover as the previous sleeve, again creating a common theme throughout the digipak. In terms of the context, I have used a medium shot of Fernando from behind walking away from the lens. I have also cross layered another image over the top - again showing Fernando walking away from the shot however at a further distance. I feel the over-lay was successful, creating a sequence of movements from the camera's perspective. He is also shown to be holding a skateboard in his hand, showing a strong relation to the other sides of the digipak and to the video of the chosen track, "broken".

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Back Cover) - Draft 1

As shown above is the back cover of my digipak. I have once again used the protagonist from the video on the cover. He is presented in a sad, lonely manor, resulting in the viewers to feel sympathy towards the artists, also providing them with in sight as to what genre of music the artist is categorised (shown through the clothing, hair, body language...etc). Due to his body language and facial expression, this provides the viewers with a brief idea as to what the songs on the album may be written about - which in this case are about personal emotions and experiences.

Class Comments;

After showing my colleagues and media teacher my finished draft, they came to agree that the image is composed well, however they spotted that I have not mentioned the bonus material included with the digipak - making an album back cover rather than a digipak back cover. The backgound image is also to vibrant, resulting in a weak contrast between both the test and the image. As a result of this, I will reduce the contrast and brightness of the background image, making the photo deem darker and less vibrant. I will also make the written text at the bottom of the cover bolder, and more compact to make it more readable from the viewers perspective.

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Front)

As shown above is my final Digipak cover. As clearly shown, I have used the main protagonist of my music video (Fernando Rocha) in the front cover of the digipak. I feel that this image relates strongly to the narrative of the video, portraying the same clothing, setting, props and characteristics shown throughout the video. In terms of the editing contrasts, I have used a "motion blur" effect on the protagonists body. This has been used to show the characters emotion. The effect creates an uncomfortable, unsettling portrayal of the characters presence, relating strongly to the characters lyrical appearance throughout the video. I have positioned the text in the top left corner of the cover (beside Fernando's head). The color red stands out strongly against the background, allowing me to use a slimmer font/ text style for the album name - "Jake Bugg - Broken".

Location Analysis

Windsor

In this location (shown above), we will see Fernando sitting on his own watching the river bed. I felt this was an ideal location to use for Fernando's character as it allowed the viewers to see him at his most vulnerable; showing him to be alone and swept aside by society. 

Shown above is the tunnel; a location which I feel plays an important role towards the narrative of the track. In these scenes, Fernando will most likely be sitting or standing on the far ledge inside the tunnel. The image above was taken during the flooding, so the ledge may be unclear to see from this perspective.

Staines

As shown above is one of the many locations I used in Staines. My intentions are to perform a time lapse across this path of Fernando whilst he is walking; keeping the lapse in time with the beat of the song - Goodwin's Theory. I am however unclear as to whether this will be a success as I am unable to get hold of a tripod, making this effect even harder to perform.

Shows is the street in which Fernando will be walking down. I feel that the composition of the trees and houses on either side create an interesting and eye catching appeal. Also, the leaves from the trees will add that bit more to the picture, resulting in a more dramatic narrative.

Shown above is the street that Fernando will be walking down. This again holds a strong composition, allowing me to experiment in new ways to capture a video through various angles and movements.

Wraysbury (Home)

As shown above is the room in which Fernando will be playing guitar. 

This is the room which Fernando will be taking the drugs and alcohol. I felt this sofa was appropriate for the scene as it's depth allows Fernando to fall back a reasonable distance after taking the drug - resulting in a more dramatic affect on the viewers. 

Wraysbury (Outside)

As shown above is the car I will be using to perform the dolly shots. The plan is to have Fernando running down the street (shown below) and for me to drive along side him to film. To do this, I will roll the window down whilst driving and place the camcorder outside the window; holding it steadily so that the shot looks as professional as possible.

As shown above is the street I will be using to film the dolly shot of Fernando running.

Script

Fernando Rocha (protagonist) acting script

1) Home - Script

- Sit down
- Open pills and scatter on table.
- Grab Martini and fill up the glass....take several sips.
- Drag pills off, place in hand, put in mouth and swallow with the Martini.
- Fall back and close eyes.

- Sitting on sofa , playing the guitar.
- Tuning the guitar.
- Strumming the guitar.
- Placing the guitar on the floor and leaving.

2) Staines - Script.

- Walk in from far end of the street (hands in pockets)
- Walk on pavement.
- Walk on road.

3) The Avenue - Script.

- Run beside moving car (sprinting).

4) Old Windsor Forest - Script.

- Climb over fence.
- Walk up hill.
- Climb on top of concrete block.
- Sit on top.
- Pull out the lighter (light cigarette).
- Place lighter on side.
- Jump off block and look behind (looking beside the lens).

5) River Thames - Script.

- Sit on bench.
- Walk into tunnel.
- Climb on the ledge.
- Sit on the ledge - looking depressed, alone.

Costumes & Props Presentation

Casting

Having chosen my artist and track, I must now find a suitable cast. My cast will only consist of one person, meaning I must make sure my decision is decisive and that the person is suited to the character I wish to portray. After speaking to various friends and class-mates, I have narrowed my choices down to 2 people. My decision on the chosen actor is shown below;

2 Possible choices;

1) Karl Tedder - Age 18

I have known Karl since I was 6-7 years old, meaning that we have a strong friendship. This I believe would make filming with him a lot easier, providing a comfortable atmosphere rather that an awkward no-working atmosphere. He has also performed in many of the school plays during his time at the boys school, meaning that he has had a lot of experience with acting. Naturally, Karl's appearance and style suits well to the mood of the song, however as he is working full time it would deem an un-realistic task  to produce a reliable shooting schedule with him. As a result of this, I feel working with Karl would be a struggle; in terms of time and availability.

2) Fernando Rocha - Age 19 (CHOSEN ACTOR)

In terms of friendship, I feel that my relationship with Fernando is the closest, having known him since I was 12 years old. Fernando's style and appearance and style relates strongly to the mood of the song. Having worked with him last year for my AS project, I know that he is committed when it comes to time pressure and dedicated to the acting during the shooting periods. From this, it is clear that Ferrnando would be a suitable choice for my chosen character. Also, as he only works part-time at this point, time and shooting arrangements shouldn't be a problem.

Permisson Post (Facebook)

Risk Assessment

Having produced a shooting schedule for my music video, I must now become familiar with the level of risks I will be taking in relation to the locations I wish to shoot. These locations are listed on the chart below, along-side the dates, level of risk and the solutions and actions I will pursue to make sure these risks are under taken.

Shooting Schedule

In this section of development, I will be producing a shooting schedule; listing the days in which I will plan to shoot my music video.

Storyboarding

In this section of my development I will be producing numerous storyboard sheets; all of which portraying the initial layout of my final video.

Practice Digipak

Now I have analysed in detail two different types of digipak's, I felt it would be necessary for me to produce a practice digipak cover using the software Adobe Photoshop. As shown above is my finished practice digipak cover... 

Video Types

Narrative Based

Narrative Based music videos consist of a main story line, more than often relating to the lyrics of the song. This I believe is an effective style of filming and a strong technique to use for engaging the audience. These specific music videos are mainly used to promote a film, applying cut scenes from the film and applying them into the video. As shown below is an example of a narrative based video; Aerosmith - I don't want to miss a thing. This video was designed to promote the film Armageddon.

Performance Based

Performance based videos feature the band/ artist performing to either the cameras or an audience. This is a common style of filming used for rock bands, often filmed at one of their concerts as they portray high levels of energy, keeping the viewers enticed to the video - also making the video more interesting.    As shown below is an example of a performance based music video; Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait.

Conceptual Based

Conceptual based videos are known to be rather unusual, often basing the video on one idea - concentrating on one editing technique. They differ from other types of music videos as this is the only type that consists totally of one concept. As shown below is an example of a conceptual based music video; Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance.

Presentation Feedback

- Very illustrative/ amplifying.
- Well thought out. Very good.
- Make sure shots used help present the mood of the song - dark, mysterious...etc.
- Knows what he is doing.. the video should be a success.
- Could do split screen?
- Editing can be used to help portray the emotion of the song?

Jake Bugg - Class Presentation

Textual Analysis 3 - The Fray; You Found Me

What is the purpose and function of music videos in representing their artists?

There are many ways in which music videos use typical conventions and codes to represent their artists. In this essay, I will be analyzing the video "You Found Me", performed by The Fray. The fray are a piano-rock group from Denver, Colorado. The band first formed in 2002 and achieved success with the release of their debut album, You Found Me in 2003. You Found Me is the first single released by The Fray, taken from their second album, named "The Fray". The song was ranked #13 on the hot 100 songs of 2009 list, and #36 on billboards best adult pop songs of the decade list, making it one of the bands biggest hits. In an interview with the lead singer and pianist Isaac Slade, he expressed the meaning behind the lyrics of the song. He describes the song as being about the disappointment, the heartache and let down that comes with life. Its about belief, hope and faith. The video for You Found Me is shot in Chicago. The video was inspired by Wim Wenders film "Wings Of Desire". The video itself depicts various scenes of the band members in different roles - Playing on a steel bridge, alongside unknown people, on top of sky scrapers and at a car accident at which the band over see those involved.

The video opens with a helicopter shot of the city at night. I feel that this particular shot as a certain level of depth to the video, establishing a large setting to the viewers. Also, evening city lights create a sense of appeal to the video, keeping the viewers enticed to watch on. We are then introduced to the lead singer of the group. This is shown through a combination of a focus pull and close-up shot of his face in what appears to be the back of a moving vehicle. This shot allows the audience to become familiar with the lead singer in terms of his facial appearance and features. This shot is followed by an extreme close-up shot of the singer playing the piano. This shot shows strong relevance to Andrew Goodwin's theory of the relationship between the music and visuals, showing the singer playing along to the melody of the song. This is then instantly followed by a slow pan of the band standing on a bridge, holding their instruments and seemingly waiting for something to happen. In this shot we are able to establish their clothing - smart/ casual, presenting their own style to the viewers. This is then shortly followed by numerous establishing shots of the city - including street shots, high angled city shots building up towards a shot of the lead singer standing on the edge of a building, looking down towards the street. This is shown through a medium long shot, positioning the singer to the left of the frame so that the camera is able to capture the surroundings as well as the singer in the shot. This again can be seen as a way for the audience to capture his sense of style in terms of his clothing - dark jacket, jean and shirt; however is not too clear due to the lack of lighting in the shot. This is then followed by a low birds eye view shot of a young boy looking up from the street towards the camera lens, establishing     that he has seen the singer on the top of the building. As the music begins to intensify, we are then taken back to the bridge where the singer is playing on the piano. This is shown through a hand-held close up of his face as he sings. At this point, we are once again able to identify one of Goodwin's theories; music in sync with the visuals. In this case, the shots a cut in sync with the beat of the song, creating a comfortable flow of continuous editing. Numerous shots of the band are shown during the first verse of the track. This includes pans of them on the bridge, low canted angled shot of the singer on the piano and various shots of them standing on a building - shown through a wide shot, again allowing the viewers to capture the setting of the video. I personally feel that this is the first time the video is communicating the suggestion that they are "guardian angels", shown through their characteristics - looking down on everyone, standing behind bright light...etc. The bright light is used to emphasise their positions on the buildings, making it clearer for the audience to see them. As the chorus begins, we are taken to a crash scene beneath the bridge in the city. This is shown through a medium pan shot, capturing the seriousness of the situation as well as the people standing around her. In terms of the people seen in the shot, all four of the band members are shown to be surrounding her, however appearing emotionless alongside the other people in the shot. The characteristics of the other people lead to suggest that the other members of the band are un-seen in the shot, bringing a spirtual atmosphere to the video. A high angled close-up of the girls face is then shown, the singer with his hand on her shoulder, leading to suggest that he is there to guide her into the light. He then leaves her and the paramedics take her away - indicating that she is not dead, however seriously injured. Various hand-held medium shots of the surrounding crowd help evoke the emotional impact of the girls injury. As the chorus finishes, we are then taken to a shot inside a moving train. this is first indicated by the tracking shot of the train moving. This is then shortly followed by a pan shot of the singer, lead guitarist and bassist sitting on the train; each of them sitting beside a person. The way in which they are holding the persons shoulder creates the suggestion that they are "guarding"them, again promoting their roles as "guardian angels". The shots in this scene are fast paced, cross-cutting between scenes of the band playing and the narrative being told on the train - creating an even balance between both narrative and performance. As the second chorus begins, the band are shown to be standing together on top of one of the taller building in the city. This is shown through a medium shot, capturing each member of the band from the knee and above. The contrast between both the light behind them and the darkness of their clothing results in their presence to intensify. They are all shown to be looking down to the streets, again representing the characteristics of a higher power - guardians, leaders, angels...etc. As the song begins to mellow, we are taken to a scene in the early morning, with the band standing beside the train rails as the train leaves. This is shown through slow moving pan shot, with the focus pulling from the train to the band members. As the chorus begins to build, we are taken to the inside of the train again, showing all members of the band sitting beside a person on the train. This is shown through a medium shot, capturing all four members inside the frame. In this scene, everything begins to slow down and objects within the scene begin to float - shown through various close-up and medium shots of the people. This creates a sense of surrealism, in that the "guardians" presence is effecting the atmosphere - resulting in time to slow down and the effects of gravity to erase. This effect takes place in every scene that has been previously shown in the video, including; the ambulance scene, train scene and even the scene at the beginning where the young boy and his mother spot the singer standing on the building. These shots are all cut in sync with the music, again creating a comfortable flow for the viewers to watch the video. As the song comes to its end, we are left with a close - up shot of the injured girl opening her eye. This leaves the viewers to suggest that the reason for the change in the atmosphere was because the "guardians" were bringing the young girl back to life. Because this is an un-natural process, it resulted in an un-natural effect on the people surrounding them, suggesting that the young girl was important to them (the singer especially, as he was shown to be guiding her throughout the video). The video ends with the singer performing the last words of the song; "you've found me, you've found me". This is shown through a hand-held close-up of the singer, slowly moving the camera past him and into the blurred distance; the focus pulling from him to the background.

Overall, I feel that the band have successfully expressed their feelings towards their views on the depression that comes with life. They have focused highly on the impact that injury and the threat of death has on the victim and how it can also effect the people who love and care for them. Throughout the video, the band have positioned themselves within various situations where they can become infinite, watching over people and becoming guardians of the city - a metaphorical representation of "god". I feel that the purpose of this video was to show how they would change one of the many disasters if they had the power to do so, and what effect this would have of the people around them.
The video has also, to some degree, promoted their fashion sense, providing the viewers with a taste of their style in terms of clothing and hair.

9 Shot Analysis 2 - We Are The Ocean - The Road

The frames shown above are taken from the video "The Road", performed by the band "We Are The Ocean". This video is purely performance based, allowing me to now evaluate the key conventions of a performance based video - PERFORMANCE BASED.

At an instant, it is clear to the viewers that the video has been shot in black and white (grey-scale), limiting the color used in the video. This however can also be seen as a way of getting the mood of the song across the to the viewers.

The first shot introduces the lead singer of the band as he sings the first verse. This is shown through a close-up, hand held shot of his face, allowing the viewers to become more familiar with his appearance - complimented strongly through the shallow focus on his face. In the next slide we are introduced to the band. This is shown through a wide/ long shot of all four of them performing in a room - also allowing the viewers to establish the setting of the video. During the length of the video, many hand held shots are used on each individual member of the band. This is shown in the third slide above. As you can see, this shot provides the video with a sense of perspective towards the viewer, allowing them to feel as if they are there watching the band perform. As shown in the next slide, the viewers are then introduced to the other members of the band individually. This is shown through a close-up shot, with a shallow focus - shown above on the lead guitarist. This is also shown in the next still shot, however this time used on the drummer. I believe that the variation of shots used on the individual members on the band provide the viewers with a better understanding of the song; through both the rhythm and the beat. The next frame shows the lead guitarist singing into the microphone - shown through a medium close up. I felt this frame was important to the video as it allows the viewers to see the backing vocals being performed - again showing understanding and creation towards the video. Another feature I felt deemed important to the video was the closeups of the instruments being played. As shown in the next frame, a close-up of the bassist guitar as been used. This provides the viewer with a detailed shot of the instrument being played; an interesting and more appealing shot added to the video. Towards the end of the song, as the beat becomes more intense, the camera begins to slowly circulate around the room, showing a little more insight to the setting of the video - shown in next frame. This frame shows a shallow-focused medium shot of the bassist from behind. The next frame shows one of the final shots in the video. The video finishes with another wide shot of the band, providing the viewers with one last glimpse of the band performing together before the video ends.


Overall, I feel that both Narrative and Performance based videos have an equal ability to portray the story of the song across to the audience. Performance based videos allow the audience to see the band in their state of mind whilst performing the song, where as the narrative based video provide a narrative of the story behind the song. Many narrative based videos do have performance based features - band interaction...etc.   I do however feel that Narrative based videos have more to offer on top of just portraying the meaning of the song. In this case; more color, a wider variation of shots, a visual narrative of the story of the song...etc. From this, I feel that a narrative based video would be a more appropriate and effective way to portray the meaning and story behind my chosen song.

9 Shot Analysis 1 - Linkin Park - Lost In The Echo

In this section of research, I will be analysing two music videos, from which I have captured nine still shots showing different sections of the song. From this, I hope to gain a stronger understanding in terms of the variety of shots I can use for my own video. I may also be able to spot various similarities and differences between the videos shown. For my first nine shot analysis, I will be looking at Linkin parks video; Lost In The Echo - NARRATIVE BASED

As clearly shown, the video has been shot in a high key lighting. This provides the video with a degree of depth, in terms of portraying emotion through the visuals.

As shown in the top right shot, we are introduced to the antagonist of the video, shown through a medium shot of his face and neck. This shot allows us (the audience) to become familiar with the appearance of the antagonist - casually dressed, shaved hair, beard...etc. This shot also allows the viewers to gain a feeling as to what the setting of the video will be like throughout a majority of the video - dark, depressing, mysterious...etc. We are then introduced to the main setting of the video; the setting that will dominate a large majority of the video - shown on the next still shot. As shown, the setting deems to hold a historical essence in terms of its appearance. The large columns and extremely large ceiling instantly suggest to the audience that the song is related to a historical event - in this case, war. The worn down walls and ingrown scenery helps suggest this; all of which can be observed through the extreme long shot used for this particular scene. In the next slide, we are provided with a little insight towards the story. In this slide, the man is shown to be handing out various photographs taken from the suitcase he brought with him. The surrounding people appear happy to see the photos, however we as the audience are not yet shown what is on the image. This scene is shown through a hand-held shot. In the next still, the audience are provided with a point of view/ over the shoulder shot of each person holding up the image. In this case, it appears to be a young boy. The characteristics and context of this scene suggests that something bad may have happened to the people within the image, resulting in the viewers to feel sympathy for the characters shown. The next still shot shows a young man and woman, with the man holding the photograph in his hand. This is shown through a medium/ two shot, allowing the audience to observe the context of the scene - setting, characteristics, body language...etc. I felt that this scene held strong importance to the plot of the video, in that the people on the photographs are now suddenly appearing in front of the holders, creating a spiritual atmosphere towards the video. This is then followed by the photos beginning to fade - shown in next still shot. This is again shown through a point of view/ over the shoulder shot, resulting in a more intimate shot from the viewers perspective. Because the people in the photographs are fading, it becomes clearer to the viewers that these people are being perceived as personal memories for the photograph holders; people that they have lost due to the war and that they are unable to let go of their loss. This is shortly followed by the photo holders beginning to scream at their lost ones (shown in next shot), shown through a medium shot of each character. As they continue to scream, their bodies begin to crumble into ash as they fall. This is shown in the next still frame. For this particular scene, I feel that the two shot deems very effective, allowing the viewers to not only observe their bodies falling, but the reaction it has on their loved ones before they disappear also. The video then finishes with the protagonist, collecting the photographs up from the floor, capturing a glimpse of the new pictures before they are placed back into the case - The pictures consisting of the ones that had collected them from him at the beginning. The video then ends with a close up of the protagonists face, shown in the last still shot above.

Magazine Analysis 2

For my second magazine analysis, I will be analyzing an issue from Q Magazine; as shown to the right. The cover consists of a close-up of Paolo's face, providing the viewer with a little more depth into his facial appearance.  This shot also allows us to establish the difference in Paolo's eye colour - the left being green, the right being red. I am un-clear as to the reason this effect has been applied, however may have been used to provide an even color balance across the cover; the red Q logo matching the color of his left eye. The background of the cover consists of a faded white/ blue color, creating a strong contrast between Paolo's face and the background of the cover. This effect results in Paolo's face to become more clearer in terms of his appearance, creating a more visually appealing and eye catching cover towards the viewer. In terms of the cover layout and text context, the Q logo is positioned behind the right side of the artists head, along side the quoted text saying "The music that changed my life". The Q is presented in a bold fashion, making it obvious to the viewer what the name of the magazine is. The text below it is again presented in bold text, however with a different color variation; this time consisting of black and yellow. Above Paolo's head in brackets is the text;-"25th Anniversary Collectors Edition", providing the consumer with a little more information about this particular issue and what is shown inside. This is presented in black capital letters, limiting its ability to stand out on the page. The text at the bottom of the cover says "Plus; 145 albums to discover", again providing the consumers with a little more insight in terms of what the magazine has to offer. This is written in a bold, grey, capitalized text, with the "Plus" presented in red; use to grab the viewers attention. Towards the bottom of the cover, there is a list of 25 different artists. These are presented in a blue color (slightly darker than the background color to allow the text to stand out). At the bottom of the cover is written "Paolo Nutini" (the name of the artist displayed on the cover). The color of the text is bright yellow, with the size of the text being rather large in comparison to the other texts displayed on the cover. The issue number of this particular magazine (13) is shown to the right of Paolo's face; again written in a bold black text with a yellow box around it - used to help the text stand out on the page. This number however isn't used particularly to show the issue number, however is used to show that this is the 13th cover of 25 collectors edition covers. This information is displayed just below the number in the same font and style; however, a little smaller in terms of its size. The bar code is displayed at the top right of the cover along side the date at which this issue was released. This feature is purposely kept towards the corner of cover to keep it out of the way and to simply provide more room for the more important information to be placed.

Magazine Analysis 1

In this section of research, I will be analysing various types of magazines in terms of their style, font, context and content. However, because my chosen artist is fairly recent, he has not yet been promoted on the cover of any music magazines to this day. As a result of this, I will be analysing an artist that is similar in terms of his genre and style of music. This artist will be Paolo Nutini.
The image shown below is an example of a magazine cover, published by "The Big Issue" on 6th June, 2011. As it is clearly shown, this particular issue has been published to promote the artists album release, awards and personal life experiences. The overall context of the image consists of a shallow focus of paolo on a motor bike, looking towards the lens of the camera. This allows the viewers of the magazine to instantly become familiar with the artists appearance; or in some cases become more appealed to the magazine if that particular person happened to be a fan of his music, drawn to the context of the magazine. The image also promotes the artists style in terms of his fashion physical appearance. The magazine name and issue number are placed behind the artists image, with his name positioned in front of him, providing the cover with depth. His name is presented boldly in bright yellow, a colour which works strongly in front of brown; a colour which appears to have dominated the pallet of this particular cover. The content of the magazine is promoted above the artists name and towards the bottom right of the page. These features are presented in a smaller font, however still bold with their combinations of yellow, white and brown to keep them standing out from the background image. The price of the article is also shown at the bottom right of the page; in this case, the magazine is £2, promoted in a bold white font.

Calender

Calendar Schedule; OCTOBER

11th October -

Storyboarding completed, so that I am ready to pursue with filming. I will also be announcing my chosen actor - Fernando Rocha.

12th October -

Begin video shoot. Will drive to first location (Datchet car park) with Fernando and equipment to begin my film. During this time, I will be taking various shots of Fernando using his skateboard - performing numerous tricks and walking with the board in his hand. In the evening, I will be analysing existing music videos within the same genre and producing this as research on my blog.

13th October -

Second day of shooting. Will be driving to next location (Staines - Soverland Grove). At this location, I will be filming Fernando walking down the street. I will be performing over the shoulder shots and low/ high angles shots of him as he walks. At my third location; The Avenue, Wraysbury. I will be performing numerous dolly shots and tracking shots of Fernando as he runs down the street. This will be achieved through the use of my car; placing the camera out of the window as I drive along side him.

14th October -

Today, I will be travelling to my fourth location - Old Windsor Forest. At this location, I will be filming Fernando as he walks up the hill through various shots,  including; over the shoulder shots, medium shots, tracking shots and close- ups. Once this is completed, I will be analysing all my existing clips and removing the ones which are not worth keeping.

16th October -

Final day of filming. Today, I am filming the house scenes - at my own home. During this time, I will be asking Fernando to be performing the overdose scene - through the use of drugs and alcohol. This scene should take no longer than a hour to shoot.

18th October -

Ready to begin editing. This will be achieved through the use of Apples "Final Cut Pro".

Digi-pak Analysis 2

For my second digi-pak analysis, I will be looking at the album named Because Of The Times, produced by Kings Of Leon - Front cover shown to the right. As clearly show, the cover consists of a dark background, skull, smashing light bulb and the name of the band and album. I believe that the skull and bulb are used to show the stereotypical representation of an "idea", hence the bulb above the head. The way in which the bulb is smashing however may have been used to symbolize the intensity of the music on the album, representing the genre.
This is also suggested by the skull- adding a dark, almost uncomfortable impression to the image. The contrast between the colors has worked extremely well, allowing the white to work off the black.
This also helps the viewers identify the name of the band and album clearer, a feature which is also helped strongly by its placement on the cover; being placed just above the center. The back cover also consists of a dark background (constant theme), showing the smashing lightbulb as it appears to have hit the floor. This add a little excitement to the cover, keeping the observer interested. Beneath the image is the list of tracks on the album, shortly followed my the producer and record label - bottom left. The text throughout the albums cover is presented in bold, white capital letters - allowing the words to stand out from the darkness in the background even greater.
The contrast between colors allow the observer to read the information on the album with ease - a useful feature that I will consider for my album. Overall, the context of the album is extremely simple however extremely well presented in terms of its combinations of color, and contextual arrangement.                                            

Digi-pak Analysis 1

In this section of research, I will be analyzing the first of my two digipak examples - These are simply CD's that have been released by the artist with extra content/ bonus features as well as the tracks. From this, I will be producing my own digi-pak; aswell as a practice digi pak to help me experiment with the different tools required to do so - Adobe Photoshop.

My first digi-pak example (shown to the right) is the 3rd CD produced by the band "You Me At Six"; named Sinners Never Sleep. As clearly shown, the general pallet used for the cover is mainly black and white, creating a strong/ bold contrast that becomes appealing to the observer. The text used stands out clearly, again contrasting itself against the dark background; also making the image more understanding and clear to the viewer as to its name and content. The font used is the same throughout the digi-pak, again making content clearer and the generic theme continuous. The picture on the front of the case represents a woman being arrested, holding up a sheet of card, explaining what is supposed to be her personal details; however, the band has chosen to replace this feature with their name and album name.

This feature is used again on the back of the case, presenting two sheets (one on top of the other), with the tracks featured on the album written on them. The image shown bottom left is the slide-out featured within the album sleeve, showing six images; five of which featuring each member of the band, providing the consumer with some insight to the bands appearance. They are also presented in the same way as the girl on the front cover, again holding the albums generic theme throughout. The image below is also shown on the inside sleeve, again showing a group photo of the band and again presented in the same contrast as the rest of the album - black and white. I believe that this generic theme is used to symbolize the genre of the band - punk rock, and is a feature that I will keep in mind whilst producing my own digi-pak.

Jake Bugg - Broken (Lyrics)

I'm waiting for you
For I'm broken down
Coming down this time
For my heart lies
Far and away where they took you down
Let them over to your house
Where I'm broken.
Down by the people if they let you breathe
Don't give a damn if you still can't see
Still my heart beats, for you
Have become, all I love,
And all I hoped for.
But I, must carry on
Always one
Never broken
Run to the lobby where I saw you try
Don't give a damn for your reasons why
Where sophie's(?) down in the valley where the church bells cry
I'll lead them over to your eyes.
Woah, I am one,
I am one.
Pray, story eye/I(?),
Peace and love,
In a future
Bright, sacrifice,
Came around, never broken.
Down by the people if they let you breathe
Don't give a damn if you still can't see,
Travelling a street that I did not go,
_____ lifetime to the winter load.
Down in the valley where the church bells cry,
I'll lead them over to your eyes,
Woah, I am one,
Woah, I am one,
I am one.

Target Audience Research

Target Audience

Target audience is an important factor in relation to how my project idea will be produced, developed and eventually led to a final outcome.

To help identify my target audience, I will be studying 10 different songs on Youtube; all of which will relate to the genre of my chosen track – Jake Bugg - Broken. From this, I will hope to gain a stronger understanding of how the various artists have been presented and categorized in terms of the tracks gender. This will be done by identifying his/ her clothing, body language, setting, prop’s…etc. 

Jake Bugg's music is categorized within the Indie-Rock genre, placing him along side many other similar solo artists. Having listened to 20 different solo artists; including Brandon Flowers, Brandi Carlile, Paolo Nutini and Jack Penate, it has become clear to me that they all share a common theme. One of the ways that this is displayed is through the clothing. For example, throughout the video for Jack Penate’s track “Pull My Heart Away”, the artist is shown to be wearing his own clothing. This is again displayed throughout Jake Bugg's track “Lightning Bolt”. This I believe is a common trend used for the indie – pop genre, and is something I will need to consider for my own music video. Another trend, which I feel is common within the Indie-pop genre, is the performance-based videos. For example, Jake bugg's - "Two Fingers". Throughout this video, the producer has used a combination of both narrative-based and performance-based shots. This, I believe creates a more entertaining video for the viewers, allowing them to observe both the artists identity and the links between the lyrics and the video (story behind the lyrics). This again, is another factor that I may need to consider for my own music video.

Below are some statistics on the video for Jake Bugg's track “Two Fingers”- Statistics taken from Youtube.

As you can see, the video itself has received a total of 1,635,014 views;  11,887 likes against 285 dislikes, meaning that the ratio in terms of people who enjoyed the video against the people who didn’t is a lot greater. To the right of the chart, it explains the locations where the video has been viewed the most and what audiences (gender/ ages) have the greatest interest in the song alone. The top three locations that listen to his music remain to be United Kingdom, Ireland and Scotland, with the top demographics in order from top; female 13-17years, male 45-54 and female 18 - 24.  This gives me a clear indication as to the types of audiences my music video will appeal to the most.

As shown below are more examples of existing artists within the same genre, showing how their demographic statistics stand at this point in time.

Jack Penate - Pull My Heart Away;

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - The Death Of You and Me

Jack Penate - Pull My Heart Away (Female 13-17 years, Male 25-34 years)
Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds - The Death Of You And Me ( Female / , Male 25-34 years)
Blink 182 - Whats My Age Again (Female 13-17 years, Male 25-34 years).
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away (Female /, Male 25-34 years)
The Killers - Human (Female 25-34, Male 25-34)
Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire (Female 17-24, Male 25-34)
Miles Kane - Re-arrange my mind (Female /, Male 25-34)
The Drums - I Want To Go Surfing (Female 17-24, Male 17-24)
The Black Keys - Sister (Female 25-34, Male 25-34)
Mumford & Sons - Lover Of The Light (Female 17-24, Male 25-34)

From the research shown above, it is clear to me that the demographic ages that my video will be targeting for both male and female audiences are; Female 17 - 24, Male 25 - 34.  In terms of my overall target audience, I am aware of the age range my music video should be appealed to. I have thought strongly about how to reflect the audience through the props used throughout the video. Props such as a skateboard and guitar approach a wide range of younger audiences, and will hopefully capture their attention to listen to my chosen artist.

Stereotypes;

- A typical young man (teenager) experiencing a rough stage in his life - whether it be because of breakup or personal problems, this will allow many of the younger teenagers in society to relate to the character in the song.

- Props such as a skateboard, drugs, alcohol...etc all relate to the younger audiences - both male and female.

- The narrative is one which will reach out to my target audience, allowing them to relate themselves to the given situation.

- In terms of the cinematography, I will be using many interesting and intriguing shots through various movements and angles. The editing will be slow-paced to allow the video to capture the mood and emotion of the song.


Given the information above, I have come to the conclusion that my target audience for my video is teenagers and young adults between the ages of 17 - 25; both male and female. In terms of the ratio, given the short list above I was able to work out a rough estimate of 65% male to 35% female; a 3:1 ratio. As my video consists of only one male character, I felt that I must consider and allow content which will address and connect with both genres. In order to do this, I must rely heavily on the narrative to portray that connection with both the male and female audiences.