Matt's Evaluation Question 3

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

In this screenshot we can see the band shown performing the song in what seems to be a studio. The use of minimal lighting and the dark surroundings and mise-en-scene combines to create an eerie feeling that is very common in many indie rock music videos.

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

One other band that uses features such as this in their music videos are the Foo Fighters. In their video for Something From Nothing, there are plenty of shots that focus on the band performing the song in order to force the viewer to focus on them. This also again shows them as a very talented group, which is something that record labels of indie rock bands demand.

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

For my sixth screenshot I’m showing 3 members of the band pictured in the studio again, but this time focusing on the mise-en-scene.

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

The screenshot I have chosen for camerawork and editing is one that shows the lead singer and his alter ego together on screen at the same time. The shot shows him and two versions of his alter ego either side to show him as being followed and watched. The use of it as a long shot shows him as isolated in the field with fog in the background to add to the melancholy mood of the setting.

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

Indie rock is defined by being different and alternative. Not conforming to the norm and standing out to a niche is something that the indie rock scene prides itself in. In our video we decided not to include any labels on our clothing to avoid the mainstream brands. We decided against featuring any other characters other than the band and the lead singer’s alter ego to keep the video pure and different to what is usually available these days.

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

For our music video, when coming up with ideas I drew influence from the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, The Arctic Monkeys and The 1975. One such example of a direct influence was the use of an extreme close-up of the lead singer when he was performing. The shot of the mouth only is drawn from the Foo Fighters music video for the song Best of You. I saw this as a very effective shot for our genre as it showed musical talent and a high-energy style.

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.

Matt's Evaluation Question 4

Magazine Advertisement Design Idea

My Magazine Advert Design Idea 

For my design idea I included the names of two well know magazines that would have reviewed the album for their audiences. The ratings are very common for many album magazine adverts.

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

For the front cover I wanted to create a very unique and hopefully iconic design. I chose to replicate Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man illustration but incorporate our style with it. The basic idea is that the black silhouette is the darker subconcious side of the character that appears in the song Across the Skyline and the white, clear figure is the other supressed yet real character. In a way the design shows that the silhoutted figure is blocking the clear figure which is shown by his arms being held out in such a manner. The clear man seems to be trying to stretch and escape from behind the shadow which is shown in the song Across the Skyline. This design works with the name of the album, which is Trapped Reflections with the silhouetted man's dominance showing that he is trapping the clearer character. Both figures are the same person but two sides of the person, which is why they share the same face and head. The sharing of the same face shows that they are the same person to the viewer yet the vacant expression shows that the characters emotions are trapped and suppressed by the silhouetted figure once again.

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 image to right is of my front and back inside designs. For this I was aiming for a simplistic concept that represented the band in an indie sort of way but also reflected the name of the song and some of the lyrics within it.

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.

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 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.

Indie Rock Mood Board

My Indie Rock Mood Board ft. Various Artists and Styles

Audience Research - Popular Genres

For our research it will be useful to explore how popular our chosen genre is in the charts to find out whether it has a chance of succeeding. I took screenshots from the Radio 1, MTV and iTunes charts which are three of the most reliable charts available.

Radio 1 UK Top 40

In 1st-place is Cheryl with I Don't Care which is a pop/dance song.
In 2nd-place is Ed Sheeran with Thinking Out Loud which is an R&B/soul/soft rock song.
In 3rd-place is Meghan Trainor with All About That Bass which is a pop/doo-wop/blue-eyed soul song.
In 4th-place is John Legend with All of Me which is an R&B song.
In 5th place is Taylor Swift with Shake it Off which is a pop song.

This chart shows that at the moment pop and R&B are the most popular genres for people in the UK with no indie rock songs within the top 5.

                   MTV 

This is a screenshot from http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/charts/the-official-uk-top-40-singles-chart that shows the top 5 most popular songs in the UK according to them as of the 9th of November, 2014.

In 1st-place is Cheryl with I Don't Care which is a pop/dance song.
In 2nd-place is Ed Sheeran with Thinking Out Loud which is an R&B/soul/soft rock song.
In 3rd-place is Meghan Trainor with All About That Bass which is a pop/doo-wop/blue-eyed soul song.
In 4th-place is John Legend with All of Me which is an R&B song.
In 5th-place is Taylor Swift with Shake it Off which is a pop song.

This chart is almost identical to the Radio 1 chart with the top 5 consisting of exactly the same artists with just the top 2 in a reshuffled order.

iTunes Top 100 Songs

Below is a screenshot from the iTunes top 100 songs list as of the 13th of November, 2014.

In 1st-place is One Direction with Girl Almighty which is a pop song.
In 2nd-place is Gareth Malone's All Star Choir with Wake Me Up which is a cover of Avicii's original song which is part of the EDM/soul/folktronica genres.
In 3rd-place is Ed Sheeran with Thinking Out Loud which is an R&B/soul/soft rock song.
In 4th-place is One Direction with 18 which is a pop song.
In 5th-place is One Direction with Steal My Girl which is a pop song.

This chart shows us some new artists but none from the indie rock genre either. The top 5 is made up generally of pop songs much like the two previous charts.

Conclusion

In general the most popular songs in the top 5 of each chart I have investigated are pop songs from pop artists. There are not any indie rock artists or indie rock songs within the upper levels of any of the charts. This shows how niche the indie rock scene is. There's a hardcore group of dedicated fans that may not be in as many numbers as the pop fans but they are just as, if not more, dedicated to the genre and supporting its artist's.

Audience Research - Promotion Strategies

When promoting videos YouTube gives you advice on how to build your fanbase, keep fans coming back and how to expand your audience amongst much more. You can find their strategy points here - https://www.youtube.com/yt/creators/music.html#yt-creators-topics-strategies-card-7

The image to the left shows the points that YouTube offers to content creators on how to build their channel.

Some of the key points are -

• The time of uploading the video should considered. Releaseing a video when it is most relevant will gain it the most views whereas releasing it when no-one is interested will not gain many views.
• Lyric videos are very effective at garnering interest as viewers prefer to be interactive with the video. Offering samples could also build up hype surrounding the video and this is a key tool we could use.
• Using effective and meaningful metadata can help gain lots of views as more will be searching for it. Having this is the description and title will help.

Audience Research - Vlogs

A video log or "vlog" is a form of blog that is produced in the form of a video. The first vlog was posted online on January 2, 2000, by Adam Kontras and since then it has become a hugely popular way of delivering various forms of media.

YouTube is a high-traffic site for vloggers who's main aim is usually to get as many views as possible on their videos. Out the 100 most subscribed to channels on YouTube, 17 are vlogs. The YouTube Partnership Programme has given many vloggers a great platform to increase exposure and gain money from making their videos. In 2013, the highest paid vlogger earned $720,000 for the year.

BFvsGF

One of the most popular vlogs on YouTube is BFvsGF who have over 5,000,000 subscribers with a total of 1.22 billion views on their videos. They aim for satire and viewers can follow certain parts of their lives through their videos.

Jenna Marbles

Another very popular vlogger is Jenna Marbles who like BFvsGF she aims to deliver funny and interesting videos to viewers with an insight into her life. She has over 14,000,000 subscribers with over 1.59 billion views on her her videos. Most of her videos are aimed at girls, mainly teenagers, who want to be like her.

Music Vlog example

A great example of a vlog based around music is Misty's Music Vlog, from the YouTube channel Clevver Music, which aims to bring music lovers the "hottest young adult pop hip hop music news every day".

She has a variety of videos on her account which focus on music news, predicting awards and responding to comments. 

Her account focuses on her love for music and this is shown in her image which is of her by her computer holding a ukelele. This instantly shows what she's about and it's an effective way of showing the audience that she enjoys music.

The vlog has a very logo that enhances the experience for the viewer who will be able to see that it's a serious and professional account. It's a good idea to have this to come across effectivley and understood well.

Existing Record Label Company Research

Case Study of Iconic Directors of Music Videos

Much like Hollywood movies need inspirational directors, music videos need visionary directors who can tell a story in just a few fleeting moments. As technology has advanced the music world has reshaped and evolved to fit in with what is available. Music videos have become more elaborate and extravagant than ever and in this post I will discuss one of the industry's most important figures.

David Fincher

He may be more well known for his world famous Hollywood blockbusters but just one look at his Wikipedia page and you'll realise how important David Fincher is in the music world. From Madonna to Aerosmith, Fincher has dabbled with the biggest names in music for 30 years. 

Fincher directed Madonna's hit single Express Yourself in 1989 with a budget of $5m, which made it the most expensive music video of all-time at the time.

The idea of the video was to show Madonna as a glamorous lady and a chained masochist, with muscular men acting as her workers. This was to show her a matriarchal leader and someone to respect.

Madonna on the video's development:

"This one I had the most amount of input. I oversaw everything - the building of the sets, everyone's costumes, I had meetings with make-up and hair and the cinematographer, everybody. Casting, finding the right cat - just every aspect. Kind of like making a little movie. We basically sat down and just threw out all every idea we could possibly conceive of and of all the things we wanted. All the imagery we wanted - and I had a few set ideas, for instance the cat and the idea ofMetropolis. I definitely wanted to have that influence, that look on all the men - the workers, diligently, methodically working away."

Green Screen Practice and Representation Analysis

My original image 

My first image is of our original photograph of me with the green curtain behind me. The green curtain is used to make the subject you don't want to be edited out - stand out. It's framed so that only I am in the shot and so that only the green curtain is in the background so that when it comes to editing we wouldn't have the problem of a spot in the frame being uneditable. I am also stood not too far away from the camera but not too close so that when I am put into the image I will look in perspective. I am posed so as to look like a pop singer and "cool". This is because my video is supposed to be a pop video with a cartoon theme.
The image that I used for the background is of an under the sea house which fits the style of my video. It is part of the genre and the style I was going for and it is very recognisable also.

The background image I chose

Me with the background image behind me

Here is my final image with me edited in front of the background. In the frame is the house, sea, sand and various underwater plants which show that it is an underwater environment. It's also clearly a cartoon which fits in with the genre and my representation within the video. I am positioned so that I am not blocking the main feature in the background, which is the house. The house is key as it is very recognisable and the shot wouldn't work well with it obscured. The angle and shot type which I chose is a face-on mid range shot so that I am clearly shown and not out of perspective with the background image. The colours used in the background are very vibrant and bright so as to create a cartoony feel to the video which fits in with the genre and the representation that I am trying to give off. I am dressed in contrasting colours, mainly black, so that I stand out and so that I am giving off that "cool" effect I want to get across.

The video I can compare my own image with is Busted's "Year 3000" which has a similar underwater cartoon feel to it. The boyband are going for a similar "cool" angle and they stand out very much within the cartoon background of the video.

Annotated Stills for Representation

Semiotics and Genre Analysis

Analysis of Music Videos Linking to Goodwin's Rules