Media A2 Group Blog - Music Video
Friday, 27 March 2015
Matt's Evaluation Question 1
First screenshot |
First screenshot – Music
to visuals
The first screenshot is a snippet from one of our
performance shots. In the shot the lead singer is shown alongside band members
performing the song in time with the music, so as to look in sync.
This sort of shot is typical of many music videos of indie
rock bands and many other artists and bands. The use of performance in a music
video allows the viewer to see the band’s musical talent, their charisma and
personalities up close.
The emotions of the lead singer can be effectively shown
through performance shots and in this said shot the lead singer is looking deep
into the camera and engaging with the viewer in this manner. This is to both
show his inner pain that is portrayed throughout the video and to connect with
the viewer who will most likely be a fan.
This can also be a great way of representing the band as
they seem talented, very indie and different. This is one of the main features
of many indie rock bands and it is something that record label would definitely
want to see from an indie rock band’s music video. This type of shot can be
seen in the music videos of bands such as Blur, the Foo Fighters and The Arctic
Monkeys. This therefore shows that our video conforms to the indie rock genre
in this aspect.
Our use of this convention also links to one of Goodwin’s
rules, which is that there s a relationship between the music and the visuals.
Second screenshot – Relationship
of lyrics to narrative/visuals
In my second screenshot you can clearly see birds flying in
the sky. This is used when the line, “I could always fly, I could always fly,
bitter the birds that fly” is said.
Second screenshot |
This is done to clearly show the link between that line and
the feeling of freedom. The birds flying are a symbol of freedom that the lead
singer does not have.
The use of a link such as this is very common in many indie
rock music videos and many music videos in general. Videos from the likes of
Imagine Dragons use features such as this as simple visuals to lyrics linkages
such as this help the audience make connections much more easily. This again
shows how we are using a convention of the indie rock genre.
Our use of this convention also links to one of Goodwin’s
rules, being that there is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals.
Third screenshot –
Setting/location
The third screenshot I am going to focus on is one that
shows the lead singer alone in a field.
Third screenshot |
This particular shot makes use of the gloomy and foggy
surroundings and really emphasises the feeling that the lead singer is very
alone. The dreary and dismal tone is one that is set throughout all of the
narrative sections, especially on the field.
The gloomy feeling is a common one in many indie rock music
videos, but the use of an isolated rural setting is not. The field was
something that we wanted to utilise, as it was something very different to what
is usually seen in an indie rock video. Most indie rock videos are in urban
areas, our one on the other hand mainly focuses in a more rural setting. For
example, Blur’s music video for Parklife is based in an urban setting.
Our use of a rural setting therefore challenges a certain
convention of the genre.
Fourth screenshot –
Lighting
Fourth screenshot |
The lighting focuses on the centre, where the band is stood
so that the rest of the room is drowned out in darkness. This makes the
audience focus on the band and them performing, which reinforces the
concentration to the lyrics and visuals and also the subconscious thoughts
about them being talented musicians.
As this is very common in many indie rock music videos, we
can say that we are once more using a convention of the genre to our advantage.
One such example of a band that uses this in their video is Blur. They use a
similar setting and style in their music video for Song 2.
Fifth screenshot –
Representation of the band + record label expectations
In my sixth screenshot the band is shown together performing
the song. This is used to show the band as a talented group, which is something
that record labels would want to be shown in a band’s music video. The use of
lots of close-ups and extreme close-ups, in sections like this force the viewer
to focus on the band members and their instruments, which links the two
together for them subconsciously.
Fifth screenshot |
Our use of this in our music video shows that we are using a
certain convention of the genre to our advantage. Our use of this convention
also links to Goodwin’s rules, one of which being that the record label that
the artist/band is signed to tend to have a set of demands. They often want
lots of close-ups on the artist/band and a certain recurring style across all
of their work.
Sixth screenshot -
Mise-en-scene
Sixth screenshot |
The five key areas of mise-en-scene are:
Settings and props
Costume
Facial expressions and body language
Lighting
And the…
Positioning of characters and props
The use of the studio for this shot links them with the idea
of being a talented band. Studios are places that people with talent commonly
perform in and the band are shown in this screenshot as being in a studio by
the instruments, lights on the ceiling, the curtains and the use of previous
shots in the music video. This sort of studio setting is something that Blur
have used, as I have said previously, in their music video for Song 2.
The use of dark and simple costumes that have no recognised
label is something that we wanted to incorporate throughout our music video.
The screenshot I have chosen shows three of the band members, all wearing
black, which fits in with the style we are trying to show. All members of the
band are coordinated together to show cohesion as a unit and to show a sort of
togetherness. The use of dark, unlabelled clothing is something that is
featured in many indie rock bands’ music videos. One such example is the Arctic
Monkeys’ video for why’d you Only Call me When You’re High? In this the main
character is shown throughout wearing dark, almost mysterious clothing just
like we have. This shows that we are conforming to this convention within the
indie rock genre.
In the screenshot the facial expressions of some of the band
members can also be seen, and even their body language. The body language shown
in the screenshot shows them performing, but not staying still and instead
getting into the music. When performing, artists need to show rhythm and tempo
as a person standing stock-still doesn’t give off a good impression of himself
or herself or the music. This is something that a record label would be keen to
see band members incorporate in their music videos as it represents them as a
high energy, enthusiastic and young band. One other band that incorporates
these high-energy performance shots are the Foo Fighters. In their videos for
The Pretender, Something From Nothing, Best of You, All My Life, Monkey Wrench
and Times Like These the Foo Fighters incorporate lots of shots showing the
band performing much like in our video.
In terms of lighting, the screenshot shows that the
spotlight is being focused on the band with the rest of the room being almost
entirely blacked out. This is so that the viewer focuses on the band whilst
they are performing and shows them as the centrepiece of the music video.
Another indie rock music video that incorporates this sort of lighting is in
the song, Good Days Bad Days by the Kaiser Chiefs.
The positioning of the band members is key in this shot, as
the lead singer must be shown in the centre as the main focus point. In this
screenshot the leader guitarist, lead singer and drummer can be seen
performing. Positioning shows cohesion and the fact that the lead singer is at
the front, as the focal point shows him to the viewer as the most important
member. This can bee seen in almost any music video, as the lead singer is 99%
of the time the main focus point. In terms of props, the instruments are the
only props and they are all positioned with each band member, naturally.
Seventh screenshot –
Camerawork and editing
Seventh screenshot |
This sort of shot isn’t too common in the indie rock genre,
and neither is the use of special effects in this way. Indie rock music videos
tend to be pure and without too many frills almost. Our use of special effects
in this way and the use of a long shot challenges what many indie rock music
videos incorporate.
Eighth screenshot –
Genre of music and how it is defined
Eighth screenshot |
In many indie rock music videos the lighting, cinematography
and editing is usually low-key and has a specific style to it. The screenshot I
have chosen shows the lead guitarist performing and representing the band much
like is many other indie rock music videos. The style of clothing we chose is
also important as it is laid back and minimalistic, much like in songs by the
Arctic Monkeys and The 1975.
In this respect, we are conforming to the styles of many
other indie rock music videos so as to appeal to a very specific audience.
Ninth screenshot - Influence
of other music videos etc.
Ninth screenshot |
Another direct influence was the costumes from The 1975. In
their music videos they usually appear wearing very dark, brand less clothing
that links with the indie rock genre.
One final influence was the use of lots of performance shots
and close-ups of the instruments being played. I took this directly from
Nirvana’s Smell Like Teen Spirit. Although it is a grunge rock song I took
influence from it as it showed the great musical talent of the band and forced
the viewer to focus on them performing.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Evaluation Question 2
Below, Evaluation Question 2, for a larger view visit http://www.gliffy.com/go/publish/image/7032839/M.png
Friday, 16 January 2015
Evaluation Activity 4
How did you use media technology in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Evaluation Activity 2
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Created using Cacoo
Evaluation Activity 1
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Monday, 12 January 2015
Final design for Ancillary task
We have chosen to combine our individual ideas for our final digipack.
This is the front cover of our digipack; it was designed by Matt. It is a representation of da Vinci's Vitruvian man. We took two photos of Matt- one standing with his feet together with his arms straight out to the side and the other with his legs separated and his arms raised up.
Juliette then edited the photos using GIMP 2 to remove the back ground and then added the 'sketch'.
We have included the bands logo (bottom right hand corner) to help the audience to link the album to the band. This is a common digipack convention because it is essential for the audience to be able to quickly recognise new albums form the band/artists they like.
This is the inside front cover of our digipck; it was designed by Juliette. It is a picture of the band performing- taken during a filming session. This picture shows the audience what the band looks like and links the album to the music video. The reflection effect has been used to represent the idea of reflections and mirror images used in our music video.
We have chosen to also include some information about the band because this is their first album so the audience will need to know more about the artist. Telling the audience that the band are from London allows the audience to relate to the boys because they can see that they are just normal people who enjoy performing music.
We have written this page of acknowledgements because it is a common digipack convention. We have written it in a friendly register to show that they band are appreciative of the help they have received. We have continued to use a dark background so that the white text stands out which draws the audiences attention to it.
This is the CD tray for our digipack; it was designed by Bruna. It uses an image of Matt walking, we took this picture against the green screen and Juliette edited it to remove the background and add a 'sketch' effect.
Matt is walking around the CD in an endless circle to represent the themes of the CD- loneliness and struggle.
The pattern created by his feet joining, is aesthetically pleasing and makes the CD look more interesting.
This is the back cover of our digipack; it was designed by Juliette. It uses the silhouette of a bird in flight to link to the theme of freedom which is sought-after by the artist in our music video.
The names of the other songs in the album where created by Juliette and Bruna, after making a list of possible album titles to unused titles were used for the songs.
We have used the front cover of our digipack in our magazine advert.
This is the front cover of our digipack; it was designed by Matt. It is a representation of da Vinci's Vitruvian man. We took two photos of Matt- one standing with his feet together with his arms straight out to the side and the other with his legs separated and his arms raised up.
Juliette then edited the photos using GIMP 2 to remove the back ground and then added the 'sketch'.
We have included the bands logo (bottom right hand corner) to help the audience to link the album to the band. This is a common digipack convention because it is essential for the audience to be able to quickly recognise new albums form the band/artists they like.
This is the inside front cover of our digipck; it was designed by Juliette. It is a picture of the band performing- taken during a filming session. This picture shows the audience what the band looks like and links the album to the music video. The reflection effect has been used to represent the idea of reflections and mirror images used in our music video.
We have chosen to also include some information about the band because this is their first album so the audience will need to know more about the artist. Telling the audience that the band are from London allows the audience to relate to the boys because they can see that they are just normal people who enjoy performing music.
We have written this page of acknowledgements because it is a common digipack convention. We have written it in a friendly register to show that they band are appreciative of the help they have received. We have continued to use a dark background so that the white text stands out which draws the audiences attention to it.
This is the CD tray for our digipack; it was designed by Bruna. It uses an image of Matt walking, we took this picture against the green screen and Juliette edited it to remove the background and add a 'sketch' effect.
Matt is walking around the CD in an endless circle to represent the themes of the CD- loneliness and struggle.
The pattern created by his feet joining, is aesthetically pleasing and makes the CD look more interesting.
This is the back cover of our digipack; it was designed by Juliette. It uses the silhouette of a bird in flight to link to the theme of freedom which is sought-after by the artist in our music video.
The names of the other songs in the album where created by Juliette and Bruna, after making a list of possible album titles to unused titles were used for the songs.
We have used the front cover of our digipack in our magazine advert.
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Magazine Advertisement Design Idea
My Magazine Advert Design Idea |
I have also told the reader when the album is out and the name of the album along with the name of the band.
Album Design Art Ideas
When coming up with some ideas and design concepts for our album's art I wanted to hark back to some of the key features of our band and specifically the song that we were covering. As an indie rock band doing things by the book and being part of the status quo just isn't an option, this is why I wanted to try and help make our album unique. I wanted it to stand out and make the viewer think about it for a few moments. Over the course of this blog post I will outline why I chose some of the artistic ideas that I came up with.
Front cover
The Front Cover |
The circular design around the two figures is also taken straight from Da Vinci's illustration and it's inclusion shows once more that the figure is trapped within a sort of bubble almost. The main theme of course is that feeling of being trapped which I feel has been expressed in a variety of ways with
this album cover design.
Inside panels and disc
The Front and Back Inside Panels |
The disc design is deliberatly blank to reflect the individualism of indie rock and the band itself. Fans of indie rock and indie rock artists don't conform and they don't buy into brands and labels. I believe that making the disc blank shows that feeling and reflects it effectively.
The background of the entire inside is also again deliberately a single colour. This is to contrast with the white of the disc to make it stand out but to also allow the birds to fit into the design on the left-hand-side. The birds are shown in the design flying off into the distance which relates to some of the lyrics within Across the Skyline and the name of the song itself. The song itself features the word skyline which has a connection to birds which we incorporated into our music video and which also features in the song. The lyrics "bitter the bird that flies" are reflected with these birds on the inside panel of my album design. The idea behind incorporating them within the album is that they signify freedom, which is something that our character doesn't have. This contrasts with the front cover and I believe forces the audience to think for a few moments about the meaning.
Back cover
The Back Cover |
The back cover of my design is again playing on the idea of being trapped and again focusing on our clearer character. The man is shown pushing up against the border between him and the song names list. The song names list is irrelevant to the image of the man but the border between them is not. It signifies a wall or a barrier. This barrier is trapping him and he is shown pushing with all of his strength trying to remove it. This again relates back to the concept shown in the previous designs and the theme of the song. The contrast of white on black makes it stand out visually and it fits in with the theme of the rest of the album design.
I haven't come up with any song name ideas to fill the list with at this stage and the text below the man shown with the lines is showing the credits and some extra detail we will be including. The barcode on the right of course is very recognisable and it's just a common feature of albums so I decided to incorporate it within my design idea.
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Alterations, Technical Difficulties and Story Board Changes
Above, some of our alterations and changes explained.
Saturday, 13 December 2014
Friday, 12 December 2014
Magazine Album Advertisement Analysis
Below is a magazine advertisement for the indie rock band The Horror's album called Strange House;
An analysis of the magazine advert using MindMeister;
Album Art Design Ideas
This picture is my interpretation of the music and my first initial ideas for our CD cover.
I have used colour- purple and blue. These are deep, dark colours which represents the pained and longing feel of the song.
The birds flying across the page link to the lyrics "bitter the bird that flies", we have included footage of birds in our video and including birds in the CD cover will link it to the song and lyrics.
The houses that I've drawn on the waves of colour represent a skyline through the eyes of our tormented artist. It creates confusion and disorientation.
I have also drawn pictures associated with our artist, I have drawn gritted teeth and a desaturated field scene with our artist standing in the middle. This link of our music video and would show the audience who the artist is.
The chain hanging down the centre of the page links to the themes of restriction and entrapment. Chains could be used on the CD cover as accessories or as a physical restraint trapping our artist.
My initial CD cover designs:
This is my design for the front cover.
The artist is in the centre of the page, he is wearing a dark jacket and dark trousers. The chains will be around the artist's wrists restraining him, holding him down. There will be chain hung in the top corners of the cover to emphasise the themes of entrapment -these could be digitally added.
There will be one light source illuminating one side of the artists face and body. This will make the artist stand out but also symbolically represent his inner struggle to be free.
This is my design for the inside front cover.
It will be a photograph of the whole band. Whilst filming we took photos of the band performing so that they were acting naturally. Using a photo of the band will help the audience to associate the band with the song and the album. Because the photo was taken during the filming process it will directly link the album to the music video. This could increase the number of views/downloads of the music video because the photo of the band will show the audience that we have created a music video to accompany the album.
This is my design for the inside back cover/CD.
The CD will have images of birds printed onto it, they will all have one wing pointing into the centre of the CD and the other wings pointing outwards. There will be around 6/7 birds on the CD arranged in a circle. This will link the album directly to the lyrics in Across the Skyline- "bitter the bird that flies". This should increase the lasting impact of the song making it more memorable.
This is my design for the back cover.
It includes birds again. The titles of the songs in the album will be moulded along the line of the birds wings. This creates an aesthetically pleasing effect and it is memorable. The use of birds will again link to the lyrics "bitter the bird that flies", but birds also connote freedom and space. These connotations contrast dramatically with the front cover of the CD which represents entrapment and suffering.
I have used colour- purple and blue. These are deep, dark colours which represents the pained and longing feel of the song.
The birds flying across the page link to the lyrics "bitter the bird that flies", we have included footage of birds in our video and including birds in the CD cover will link it to the song and lyrics.
The houses that I've drawn on the waves of colour represent a skyline through the eyes of our tormented artist. It creates confusion and disorientation.
I have also drawn pictures associated with our artist, I have drawn gritted teeth and a desaturated field scene with our artist standing in the middle. This link of our music video and would show the audience who the artist is.
The chain hanging down the centre of the page links to the themes of restriction and entrapment. Chains could be used on the CD cover as accessories or as a physical restraint trapping our artist.
My initial CD cover designs:
This is my design for the front cover.
The artist is in the centre of the page, he is wearing a dark jacket and dark trousers. The chains will be around the artist's wrists restraining him, holding him down. There will be chain hung in the top corners of the cover to emphasise the themes of entrapment -these could be digitally added.
There will be one light source illuminating one side of the artists face and body. This will make the artist stand out but also symbolically represent his inner struggle to be free.
This is my design for the inside front cover.
It will be a photograph of the whole band. Whilst filming we took photos of the band performing so that they were acting naturally. Using a photo of the band will help the audience to associate the band with the song and the album. Because the photo was taken during the filming process it will directly link the album to the music video. This could increase the number of views/downloads of the music video because the photo of the band will show the audience that we have created a music video to accompany the album.
This is my design for the inside back cover/CD.
The CD will have images of birds printed onto it, they will all have one wing pointing into the centre of the CD and the other wings pointing outwards. There will be around 6/7 birds on the CD arranged in a circle. This will link the album directly to the lyrics in Across the Skyline- "bitter the bird that flies". This should increase the lasting impact of the song making it more memorable.
This is my design for the back cover.
It includes birds again. The titles of the songs in the album will be moulded along the line of the birds wings. This creates an aesthetically pleasing effect and it is memorable. The use of birds will again link to the lyrics "bitter the bird that flies", but birds also connote freedom and space. These connotations contrast dramatically with the front cover of the CD which represents entrapment and suffering.
Work is progress photographs of our story boards
These story boards show our ideas so far, we have listen to the song (Across the Skyline) and taken inspiration from the lyrics and mood of the music. Some of our ideas have been symbolic and some have been literal representations of the lyrics.
We have chosen to include narrative and performance in our video; peer feedback and research has shown us that this mix of music video genres is commonly used by Indie-Rock bands and artists.
Magazine Album Advertisment Analysis
The target
audience for this artist and the advert are males and female, early-mid 20’s.
This is shown through the use of a black and white image filter, this shows
that audience who the artist is but it doesn’t focus on his ‘star image’; this
effect is suitable for his audience because they will be buying his album for
the high quality music not because of his celebrity status or image.
The sketched
drawing on the front of the album is a child-like impression of the artist Joe
Zeffa. This ‘character’ has been used in the advert, he is hiding behind the
artists shoulder, and this may link to the mood of the album. The music may
include themes such as loneliness- this is indicated by the sketch of the
artist being alone on the CD cover, the songs may also use themes of longing
for companionship and friendship- this is indicated by the sketch being behind
Zeffa’s shoulder, it could be seeking protection or company.
The advert
highlights the artists name and the album title, this has been done to make the
audience create a link between the artist and his debut album. The title of the
album ‘After the Cake’ is quite obscure, unless the song focus on food and cake
the title does not reveal much about the content of the album. Zeffa’s
pre-existing audience know his style and understand any references that he may
be making in this title. If somebody has not heard his music before, this tile
may seem odd or random, this could make this new audience interested and
intrigued and want to listen to the album to find out the hidden meaning. But
it could just confuse them and make the album less appealing.
This is a
full page advertisement; this makes sure that the audience can easily see this
advert. Because no distinct colours are used the greyscale colour scheme will
stand out against the bright colours on the other pages surrounding it.
Because the
album cover has been put into the advert, the audience will know what the cover
looks like if they plan to buy it in a shop. The advert also states that the
album is available to download form his website, this is ideal for the
early-mid 20’s audience who use a lot of technology in their everyday life and
increasingly for music.
Half of the
artist face is shown; he has a stubble beard and shaggy hair. This is his image
which his target audience will recognise but he is not relying on his image to
attract this audience. At the very top of the advert it says “Manchester born”,
this represents his roots and background. It shows that he is a normal, inner
city man who has found success; his audience may feel that this makes him a more
down-to-earth and honest person, who they can relate to.
The artist’s
logo is large and bold. It dominates the top quarter of the page making it
stand out. This will draw the audience’s eyes to the artist name so that they
know who the album is by and who he is if they don’t recognise him.
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Album Analysis - Nirvana, Nevermind
The massively popular grunge rock group Nirvana released the groundbreaking album, Nevermind in 1991. It ushered in a new era of rock and music in general with the hit single Smells Like Teen Spirit taking the chats by storm for the many years that followed. In this post I will analyse the album and highlight the underlying message of it's strange and vivid artwork.
The front cover of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind |
Initially the name of the album was set to be Sheep, which was a subtle joke created by Kurt Cobain directed at the people that would be buying the album. In the end however, Cobain grew tired of the name and settled on Nevermind as it as a metaphor for his attitude on life in general and that it was grammatically incorrect.
The typography of the name of the album, Nevermind, is written in a way that almost reflects water shimmering and bending. The name of the band is written in it's traditional style that is associated with them and that they use on all of their work.
The typography of the name of the album, Nevermind, is written in a way that almost reflects water shimmering and bending. The name of the band is written in it's traditional style that is associated with them and that they use on all of their work.
The album cover features a baby boy in a bright blue pool who is seemingly chasing a $1 bill that's on a fish hook. The artistic idea behind the image came from Cobain who had been watching water births with his fellow band member Dave Grohl. Cobain thought that it would symbolise how even at birth a person is chasing money, they're always after it. The nakedness of the child shows innocence and purity, this is enforced by the clearness of the pool and it's vivid blue colour. This idea of innocence is reinforced by the concept that the water is a associated with baptism.
Cobain wanted to create a memorable image that would challenge the business ideas of the time. The entire concept is a strange one as a baby of course doesn't understand what money is and how currency works. The baby chasing the dollar bill shows greed and avarice that is not possible in a child so young but it signifies how big business manages to reel us all in and have us chasing like fish.
One of the most striking parts of the album is the showing of the young boys penis. There was some concern initially from Geffen who though that if the penis was shown that the album would be received badly. Cobain however thought that it should remain. He refused to have it removed and his only compromise was that a sticker could be placed over the penis that said "if you're offended by this, you must be a closet paedophile".
It could also be said that the penis may symbolise an umbilical cord and that the image of the baby seemingly happy could remind audiences of babies in the womb. The deep blue of the water could signify danger despite it being clear that the baby is near the surface of the water. The deep blue could also however signify peace which relates to the name of the band, Nirvana. The Buddha described Nirvana as "the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger and other afflictive states (kilesas). The subject is at peace with the world, has compassion for all and gives up obsessions and fixations" via Wikipedia.
The back cover of Nevermind is very different to the front but it follows a similar watery theme. The background is a turquoiise blue that shimmers almost like water. This, like the watery theme on the front cover could symobolise innocence and purity.
The main image is a collage that Cobain made himself. The collage which has a rubber monkey superimposed over the top of it features images from Dante's Inferno paintings, photos of raw beef and pictures of diseased vaginas. Cobain used many of his collages and paintings in Nirvana's art work as he preferred it to what others came up with. Cobain also revealed in an interview that if you look hard enough you can see an image of the legendary rock band, KISS. Just above the monkey's head the band are shown standing on top of a slab of beef. The collage of images could symbolise an internal struggle or just the rebellious attitude that Nirvana had. Shops would have to show these images whether they liked it or not and they wouldn't know what the images actually were.
It could also be said that the penis may symbolise an umbilical cord and that the image of the baby seemingly happy could remind audiences of babies in the womb. The deep blue of the water could signify danger despite it being clear that the baby is near the surface of the water. The deep blue could also however signify peace which relates to the name of the band, Nirvana. The Buddha described Nirvana as "the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger and other afflictive states (kilesas). The subject is at peace with the world, has compassion for all and gives up obsessions and fixations" via Wikipedia.
The back cover of Nevermind is very different to the front but it follows a similar watery theme. The background is a turquoiise blue that shimmers almost like water. This, like the watery theme on the front cover could symobolise innocence and purity.
The main image is a collage that Cobain made himself. The collage which has a rubber monkey superimposed over the top of it features images from Dante's Inferno paintings, photos of raw beef and pictures of diseased vaginas. Cobain used many of his collages and paintings in Nirvana's art work as he preferred it to what others came up with. Cobain also revealed in an interview that if you look hard enough you can see an image of the legendary rock band, KISS. Just above the monkey's head the band are shown standing on top of a slab of beef. The collage of images could symbolise an internal struggle or just the rebellious attitude that Nirvana had. Shops would have to show these images whether they liked it or not and they wouldn't know what the images actually were.
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Music Press Research - MOJO
We looked through a selection of music magazines on Magforum.com looking for a suitable publication for our band. We wanted a magazine that was appropriate for the genre and reflected the band effectively.
We have chosen to use MOJO for our magazine advertisement. This is because the magazine covers a wide range of genres but it encapsulates the indie/alternative style. Here are some examples of previous covers:
We have chosen to use MOJO for our magazine advertisement. This is because the magazine covers a wide range of genres but it encapsulates the indie/alternative style. Here are some examples of previous covers:
The Smiths |
Nirvana |
The Black Keys |
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Chorus Lip-Syncing: Practice and Analysis
What went well?
Shooting the clip was successful as the lyrics were well rehearsed and we managed to film without any problems. As a group we chose a suitable spot for the filming of the video; a wooden background which complimented the Indie Rock feel that we were aiming for, for this reason, we may end up using this in the final video. We found that the pronunciation was correct and we managed to stay in time with the lyrics as the music during the chorus was not too fast paced.
What did not go well?
One of the final lines was very quick so it would be better if we had a backup singer for that line so it would work in time with the music better. Also, it would be better if the performance was dynamic with potentially more people in the shot to enhance the video.
What have I learnt?
The artist should be more aware of the tempo of the music and the lyrics and how they should be sung to do this we need to immerse ourselves within the feel of the music in order to get into character and give a more dynamic performance.
What sections will we lip synch?
We will lip synch the chorus and verses that are not needed for narrative purposes. We’ll be more selective about verses which include backing singers, this will overcome the problem of overcrowding the shot.
Initial title ideas
We have used Wordle to create a representation of our initial ideas for the title of our album.
This is a Wordle of our title ideas.
This is a Wordle of the key terms and phrases associated with our song.
This is a Wordle of our title ideas.
This is a Wordle of the key terms and phrases associated with our song.
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Album Cover Analysis
A look at album covers of different genres:
A look at album covers from the Indie Rock genre:
A look at album covers from the Indie Rock genre:
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Health & Safety
Above: our set of health and safety considerations. It includes our filming locations, issues that may appear in each location and how to deal with the issues.
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Peer feedback of rough cuts
This feedback sheet shows that we have met most of the criteria to a satisfactory standard. They feel that we have produce very steady shots but we need to increase the binary opposites in our video. We will do this by increasing the amount of narrative in our video so that we can continue our use of binary opposites.
This feedback shows that we have performed strongly in a majority of the criteria including variety of shot types used, variety of angles used and inclusion of binary opposites. But we didn't perform as highly in our use of a variety of shot movement, framing and semiotics. We will improve in these areas by using more camera movement during the performance sections of our video, taking more time to check the framing of each shot and think about how to include more semiotics.
This feedback shows that we have performed well in some criteria; steady shots, variety of shot angles and framing, But we have not performed as well in the other criteria including variety of shot type and variety of shot movements. We can improve these scores by, like above, increasing shot variety and movement.
This feedback shows we have performed well in the top 4 criteria, including shot type and movement. But we need to improve the framing in our shots, semiotics and binary opposites. We can do this by, like above, taking time to checking the framing of our shots, including more semiotics and binary opposites.
This feedback shows that we have performed well in all of the criteria and very well in one criteria- our variety of shots. This shows that so far we have created a varied and interesting video.
This feedback shows that we have performed well in a majority of the criteria including steady shots, shot variety and framing. But there is room for improvement in the shot movement, we can do this by using more movement. We also need to improve on our use of semiotics and binary opposites, we can do more research and planning into these criteria to find inspiration.
This feedback shows that we have performed well in two criteria, steady shots and framing. But we need to improve on the other criteria including variety of shot type and shot movement. We can do this by trying out different and interesting shot types and movements.
This feedback shows that we have performed well well with our variety of shot type and angles.
We could do work to improve the shot steadiness by increasing our use of the tripod. We have performed less well in the other criteria including shot movements and framing. We can improve in these criteria by increasing our use of movement but ensuring that the shot is steady and we should take time to check the framing of each shot.
This feedback shows that we performed well in just over half of the criteria including shot angles and movement. But we need to improve our framing, semiotics and binary opposites. We can do this by checking the framing of each shot, increasing semiotics used and adding more binary opposites.
This group feedback board shows that our peers felt that we used a good variety of shots, had good content, had a good balance between narrative and performance and high quality editing technique.
This group feedback shows what our peers feel needs to be improved. They felt that we needed more footage that's linked by a running theme, more binary opposites needed, develop narrative further, speed up some narrative shots, move boxes from behind curtain in performance shots (framing) and use more close ups.
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