Questionnaire ★

We composed a questionnaire to gather information from our target audience about the genres of music videos they watch, what they like to have included in a music video and their comments about our music video idea.

Here are the questions:

1. How old are you? (16, 17, 18, 19, other)

2. What is your favourite music genre?

3. How often do you watch music videos? (Often, Rarely, Never, Other)

4. Which music video is your favourite and why?

5. What do you like to watch in a music video? (Dancing, Narrative, Animation, The Band, Other)

6. Our Idea...
What could be changed or improved?

7. Do you think the idea fits with the indie/alternative genre of our song? Why/why not?

8. What would you expect a music video of this genre to include?

9. Do you notice CD print adverts? If so, where do you see them?

10. What do you like about them? What catches your eye? What do you like to see in CD print advert?

11. What is your favourite CD print advert and why?

12. What is your favourite CD cover and why?

We then gave them out to people we thought would have a diverse range of ideas and are creating graphs and charts to show these results.

Textual Analysis - Milow ★

Milow is a singer-songwriter from Belgium who's career started in 2004. He has three albums out, two of which went Gold in Belgium and the third went Platinum in Germany.

This is the advert for his 2009 tour:





From looking at this advert you can tell that it's from the acoustic genre because of the mellow, toned-down colours which are neutral, relaxed and has connotations of being warm and wholesome just like the genre.
Milow is the background of the advert which is a strong representation that he wants to be known, however having his eye diverted from the camera makes him seem vulnerable and humble which could also connote the genre of music behind the advert.
The lowercase font for the name "milow" has a friendly feel to it rather than if it was in capitals and may also have audience gratification and fans may recognise it. It's in white which makes it stand out from the background but is in a complimentary colour which makes the advert thematic and could link with CD covers or music videos. The background is wood which also connotes nature and simplicity which is also what acoustic music is about.
The table of tour dates is in the natural eye line and is clearly structured, the box above and below fit this layout and include the supporting band at the top and the web address and the production company logo at the bottom.

Textual Analysis - David Ford CD Advert ★

I found a David Ford CD advert whilst looking for a Plain White T's advert which was incredibly hard to find. I had to settle for this one but I'm sure it will have similar conventions to the Plain White T's as it's of the same or very similar genre.

This advert is very simple and sophisticated which is what appeals to me. It shows the name of the artist "David Ford" very clearly in block capitals in a light green which has connotations of nature, cleanliness and i think this fits with the indie/rock music genre that this advert is promoting. The song title is underneath, also in capitals which makes it clear and has more impact than it would if it was in lowercase.
The release date is the first thing on the advert, a central placement in capital letters is clear and precise, however it's in a small font which does make the artist name stand out even more and the date could be seen as a second thought.

The advert includes a quote from The Sun newspaper saying "Mesmerising. Album of the year" and they also gave it 6 stars, more than the usual 5. This is a good sign for people that aren't fans to see as it may encourage them to buy the album or research more about him.

The close-up image of the guitar is a denotation of the genre of music that's on the CD. The checkered shirt, surf-style bracelet, worn guitar and patch grass all give suggestions about the genre of the music as well. They could indicate a hint of country style music on the CD or they could connote the relaxed, naturalistic sound which David Ford's music has. The image is also in a sepia colour which gives the advert a classic look which country/alternative bands often have, unlike genres like "pop" which are much more vibrant and eye catching. This advert is subtly expressive rather than "in your face". The fact that the rest of the advert is black also shows this as it's a neutral, archetypal colour.

Textual Analysis - Plain White T's CD Cover ★

This is the single of "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's. I chose to analyse this CD cover as it fits the genre of indie/alternative/acoustic and so, our chosen track.

The image shows a stereotypical road in New York City and this is easily identifiable to the audience from the skyscrapers and yellow taxis. It has naturalistic lighting, showing that it's evening in winter which links to the video as it has the same setting. The cover also features a girl, who is also the main character in the video and is presumably "Delilah".
The girl is positioned in the centre of the frame but doesn't stand out as we would expect because of the dark lighting and tall buildings which make her seem small and slightly vulnerable.

The weather is hinted at in the image and this gives an idea of the how the song will make the receiver feel. As it's about two people being separated and both of them being alone in different cities it could also denote how "Delilah" is feeling.

The name of the song is in a central placement and in a big, clear font which is eye catching making it the first thing the receiver sees. The name of the band is underneath and much smaller, making it seem less significant than the name of the song. This is in the same clear font as the song title and by having them in colours such as light yellow and light blue which connote peace, relaxation and happiness this also connotes the genre of music at the same time.

The single cover doesn't have any stickers on it which indicate parental supervision as it isn't needed because of the genre of music and the wholesome content of the song. It also doesn't promote any bonus tracks as it's a single rather than an actual CD, but it also doesn't mention a website which could have been a good fan attraction - unless there's a mention of it on the back cover.

Textual Analysis - Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" Music Video ★

PLAIN WHITE T'S - HEY THERE DELILAH

As a group we decided to analyse the song Hey There Delilah by The Plain White T's because it's the same genre as our chosen track by Two in a Boat and the video was also inspiring to us and we want to create a similar effect with our video.

Screen Shots From The Video:

Our group liked the idea of having two narratives during the main section of the video. We thought about having a spilt screen in two or more frames, on focusing on Olly (the singer in Two in a Boat) sat in a room, alone, playing the guitar and singing and the other half/two sections of the screen follow the journey of a girl through the town, hopping on and off buses and trains after receiving a text from her boyfriend saying 'sorry'. The audience won't really know what she's doing until the end when she walks in the room where Olly's playing and sits down by him. When this happens the two/three frames in the video become one.

Mike, Chelsea and I discussed the fact that it's going to be a challenge synchronising Olly's singing in the video to the actual song but this is a factor that we're willing to take time with to get the best result for our video.

Here is the Plain White T's video of Hey There Delilah:


The lyrics of our song are:

Verse One:

You seem to go on and on, and it's driving me insane,
I don't want to hate you
You leave me no choice, when i hear your voice
And now, you're out to get me

Chorus (x2):

Take whats wrong and make it right,
You've gotta learn some to gain some sometimes,
No it ain't that easy, no it ain't that easy, no it ain't that

Verse Two:

If you listen then maybe you will never listen,
Take some time out, make your mind up now,
But only change if you want to change,
No it ain't that easy, no it ain't that easy to make this change, to make things change

Chorus (x2):

Take what's wrong and make things right,
You've gotta learn some to gain some sometimes,
No it ain't that easy, no it ain't that easy, no it ain't that easy

We thought these lyrics would fit with our story line as it's about a boy who's changing for the better after being a pain to his girlfriend who then journeys to find him whilst he's singing a song about people changing.

Textual Analysis - The Wanted "All Time Low"

This is an Internet advert for the new single All Time Low from The Wanted. The band's signature font has been used for their name and the fact that it's blue rather than black, grey or white makes it stand out against the rest of the advert.
Also, the fact that the "wanted" is in capital letters and "the" isn't makes it seem like a wanted poster and could make them seem desired or sought after.

The title of the single is also in capital letters which makes it bold and eye catching as well as the phrase "out now" which is slightly smaller but still visible however this is slightly less important information so this could be why. It also doesn't promote the CD; it promotes the single on iTunes which is a much more accessible service to the target audience of this band.

The photo of the band is a quite cliche image of a boy band as they're all wearing jackets or complementing colours and they're all relatively good looking, shown from angles that make them look their best. The city background makes them seem very current and upbeat yet still wanting to be ordinary and fit in with everyone else. I think the photo of the band is stereotypical of the genre of music as well because a male band from the rock genre wouldn't be so posed and fresh faced and fashion conscience so because of this i think it's obviously the pop genre. The grey tone to the advert also makes it look contemporary and modern which i think is what the band wants to connote.

Textual Analysis - Shakira "Gypsy" Music Video ★

SHAKIRA - GYPSY MUSIC VIDEO

I chose to analyse Shakira's "Gypsy" music video because i think her video is a real representation of her personality and background. I also think she's a great role model as she's very natural and has good influences her fans such as being involved with charities and being true to who you are.

The setting used in Shakira’s music video gypsy is very rural and looks like a desert as the ground is very dry and there is a low sunset which creates a mood. There is also a backdrop of the sky at the start of the video and clips throughout. The video features Shakira as the “gypsy” and Rafael Nadal as the person she’s singing about.

The costumes is the video are very simple for Nadal as he just wears jeans and a t-shirt which represents him as an ordinary guy where as Shakira is seen in a more floaty and ‘gypsy like’ outfit. Near the end of the video she wears a silver/gold dress as she’s dancing and this catches the light of the sun very effectively.

The camera work seems to be quite simple when first watched but when screenshots are taken it is more complicated. At the start the backdrop is used and Shakira is ‘walking’ but not getting any closer to the camera. There are also some close-ups of her here which are straight cuts. She is also often in the centre of the frame but she is also seen to the right as she plays the harmonica.

The song Gypsy by Shakira has a light Latin vibe to it which includes earthy instruments like the banjo, sitar and mandolin. It’s carefree and organic ambiance is relaxing to listen to and is a more unique genre than what’s around most of the time in the charts today.

The lyrics of the song represent Shakira’s life as she travelled around a lot as a child and so that’s where the metaphor of ‘gypsy’ comes from. She also said that ‘gypsies are travellers of life always absorbed in different cultures and learning from them’ and this is quite like her as she grew up in Columbia. There is also a Spanish version of the song as there are with most of her music.

She said that she chose Rafael Nadal to be in the video because they can identify with each other as they were both travelling from a young age and working for their life goal.
There are other camera movements that show the relationship between Shakira and Nadal. For example, at the beginning of the music video there is distance between them however as the video and the song progresses they get closer and have close-ups of their faces together.

Before they are seen to be getting along, Nadal is filmed looking through a wire fence which could symbolise him not getting through to her or the words in the song. He is also the minor character because when Shakira is dancing and singing he’s just sat watching her.

Textual Analysis - Avril Lavigne "Alice" Music Video ★

AVRIL LAVIGNE - "ALICE"

I chose to analyse Avril Lavigne's music video for 'Alice' after seeing the new Tim Burton adaptation of Alice in Wonderland as this song was played in the credits of the film and takes its inspiration from it.

The editing in the video is complex with many jump shots between clips of the film and of Avril Lavigne singing/playing the piano. Near the beginning there is a fade through white from a low camera angle of the rabbit hole to a close-up of her singing.
There are also many transitions and fades in and out and layering of clips. This creates confusion within the audience and links to the Alice in Wonderland plot.

The mise-en-scene is a big part of the Alice in Wonderland film and so this had to be re-created in the music video. Avril takes the place of Alice and is seen running through a wood in a confused manner, often with mushrooms present which have connotations of hallucinations which also links to “wonderland”. There is also a section which shows a caterpillar, and one of these is also used in the film.

Her dress is very fairytale like and is worn when she’s in the forest. The other times she wears a t-shirt which looks like a waistcoat which is to do with the white rabbit. There is a white rabbit in the video but its real, not a substitute person. Avril’s eyes represent the Cheshire cat as they glow like his and there’s a part when her face is shown faintly in the background which then has the Cheshire cat’s face faded on top of it which links the two characters.

The camera work is used in an interesting way which gives different views of the rabbit hole from different people’s perspectives. There’s a point of view shot looking up the rabbit hole when Avril (pretending to be Alice) is lying at the bottom after falling down it. That then changes to a bird’s eye view shot looking down the hole at “Alice” on the floor. There are also lots of close-ups of “Alice” when the camera is spinning which always links back to the film. Lots of the camera shots and angles are canted to create a rushed, mystifying experience for the audience which portrays Alice’s emotions.

There are many clips from the film that introduce the main characters such as The White Queen, the Red Queen and the “fats boys”. Also, parts of the music video have been made to seem like Avril Lavigne was actually there, for example, the part with the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Here is a link for the music video... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyDRbx8nWFg

Textual Analysis - Eliza Doolittle CD Cover ★

ELIZA DOOLITTLE

THE FRONT COVER

The landmarks of London that she’s included on the cover makes her nationality prominent and shows she’s proud to be British. She also mixes the buildings she chose as she picked Stonehenge and the tower of London which are both historical monuments as well as using the Gherkin and the British Telecom tower which are modern. By mixing these generations of buildings she’s also hinting at the style of her music as she mixes the old with the new.

The ideology that is produced by having thundery sky giving out to blue sky is the idea of escapism which can be found in her music and this is also aimed at her target audience of females aged 14 – 30 who have an interest in pop/folk music.

The self named album’s font is original and looks like ‘bubble’ writing which gives a creative, scrapbook effect. It’s also solid black which makes it stand out from the background as she wants to be known.

There are many connotations of summer that come with this album, for example the use of bright, pastel colours. There are also literal denotations that can be seen such as the melting ice cream, Eliza’s outfit and the ‘sky’. The fact that the CD was released in July may have also influenced the design of the cover as it would have appealed to the target audience at the time.
Shows the artist – this could be because she’s a new act and she wants to become widely recognised so uses herself as a selling point for her debut album.

The unedited signature leg from her single “Rollerblades” could produce a link to her other songs that fans would recognise. The version on the single had wheels added to the bottom of the shoe.
She uses some imagery which has a deeper meaning that what’s shown as an image. For example, the cat can be used to show love, harmony and peace or the dice could be used as a metaphor for ‘taking a chance’ or relating it to fate which is quite a desired topic to sing about in albums of this genre.

The use of bright colours and varied textures of objects of the cover could come from her unique fashion style which came from Camden Market, London as well as her choice of music genre. The symbolism used from the paint or nail varnish is an explosion of colour and life, like when you take the lid off a paint pot and it goes everywhere.

She’s made the cover seem symmetrical with everything coming from the centre and working its way out which is also a metaphor for what she wants her music to do.

The old radio is a symbol of her mixing the styles of music, especially in her song ‘Pack Up’ which features a sample of a song from World War Two.

THE BACK COVER

Eliza Doolittle is also featured on the back cover. It shows her from a long shot which gets her whole body in to show her style but can still show her facial expression. She’s looking up at the camera which makes it seem like she’s looking up at you, like you have the power of whether to buy her CD or not. She wants to be seen as new and shy which she does show by having her hands near her face and her legs crossed over each other. She wants to seem almost insecure and yet the font of the song titles indicates otherwise.

The fonts of the song titles are the same as the main name of the album on the front but they’ve been made more unique and different for each song. The title ‘Nobody’ has been written in white with no black outline or definition which makes the word reflect what its saying. This is the same with ‘Missing’ as it has been filled with dots which create the illusion of the word seeming broken up and not quote there which also reflects the name of the song. ‘Back to Front’ has been written with the ‘back’ up the wrong way which is a clever, funky idea which also links to the originality of the album design.

Eliza Doolittle isn’t actually her real name, it’s Eliza Sophie Caird and Eliza Doolittle was simply a pet name used by her parents. This name has links to the character of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady which Eliza Doolittle said she loved because of Audrey Hepburn’s portrayal.

The record label logo is on the back with the name underneath. There is also a paragraph of writing underneath which says about release dates, etc.

There is also a paragraph of information which says about the use of the CD. You can get bonus features such as exclusive songs and downloads when the disk is in a computer. This is a good selling point for the CD as you get things you wouldn’t if you downloaded songs from the Internet. Katy Perry did a similar thing by making her CD smell of candyfloss – something you don’t get with downloads. There could also be a website address on the CD which can keep fans up to date with tour dates, new songs and downloads such as screen savers.

All of the eye catching colours are on the front to draw attention to the CD and make people of the target market interested in the product. The back cover is much less interesting to look at but some paint/nail varnish is in the background, following on from the front. I think this is to keep the theme going but the lack of colour draws attention to the songs and the fonts they’ve been written in and also the image of Eliza herself.

The History of Music Videos ★

MUSIC VIDEOS

The music videos we see on television today seem to be a fairly modern invention, however it all began back in the early 1930's when people would make short films based on music. Many Warner Brothers cartoons were modern interpretations of classical songs which were made around specific songs for new Warner Brothers musical films.

In the 1940's Louis Jordan made short films for his songs which were then spliced together to create a feature film 'Lookout Sister' and these are said to be the ancestors of music videos.

In the 1980's Madonna and Michael Jackson were famed for their use age of music videos as they took inspiration from hit Hollywood films, for example, Madonna's 'Material Girl' which can be linked to 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend' from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, staring Marilyn Monroe.



As music videos became seemingly popular, music TV channels were created and in Britain in the 1970's, The Top of The Pops was born. In the 1980's - 1990's music videos became mainstream and the U.S had made a 24 hour music channel featuring the likes of Duran Duran, Adam and the Ants, Madonna and Queen.

In the past 10-15 years the Internet has become 'video friendly' and this has caused more artists to produce videos for their songs. This means more directors are needed and so the careers of people such as Mark Romanek and Spike Jonze were born.

Groupings ★

Today we chose our groups and I'm working with Michael Summers. I think our group has the right balance of different skills that we need to work well together and hopefully this will be shown through our work.

We're going to use our friend's band which is called Two in a Boat and is of acoustic, alternative pop genre, and of similar style to Jason Mraz. They have recorded a CD and got the chance to play at Glastonbury Music Festival in summer 2010 after winning a competition for unsigned bands.

The acoustic genre became popular in the 1990's due to the programme "MTV Unplugged" where Craig Conley said that this music "isn't cluttered by technology and over-production" it's in more of a natural state.