Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Planning editing styles - Miss Georgiou

Editing styles are vital in creating a music video as they play an essential role in creating the atmosphere and pace of the video. Editing also allows a link to be created between the visuals and music. Editing will play a very important role in our music video as pace is key due to the dance genre where the music is very quick.

The first piece of editing that we will be including in our video is slow editing. This editing style will be used at the beginning of the song when the music is slower. Here the timing of shots will be longer and this will mean that the music and visuals are linked and the video will therefore be conventional to Goodwins theory. Slow editing will also be used surrounding the male and female characters to show how boring and unhappy their lives are. I am also hoping that the big contrast between the fast and slow editing will attract the audience. The slow editing we will be using will not be used represent the artist as much, it will be used to represent the characters and portray the narrative.

The next editing style that we will be using in our music video is fast paced editing. We will create this editing style by putting together a sequence of shots with a short duration, this will mean that the camera is constantly cutting to different shots. This piece of editing will mostly be used when the music drops and the pace of the song increases, this will mean the music matches the visuals and it will be conventional to Goodwins theory. Furthermore fast paced editing is very conventional of the dance genre as it creates an energetic vibe. This piece of editing represents our artist as it shows that he has a fast paced and action packed lifestyle, which is something that will appeal to many members of the target audience.

Another piece of editing that we will be using is a time lapse. This piece of editing will be used when we film the female character sitting alone in a train station. We hope this will create the effect that she is isolated and lonely. Although this is not a conventional piece of editing for the dance genre, we hope that it will have the desired effect and portray our characters and the narrative effectively to our target audience.

In summary, I believe that the editing styles that we have selected for our music video will help the audience relate well with both the characters and the artist. Each editing style has been carefully chosen and we have made sure that it has the desired effect. I feel that the audience will be able to relate with the video through the atmosphere that we are portraying to them. Furthermore the link between the visuals and the music will appeal to them.


Thursday, 6 November 2014

Planning magazine advert - Miss Miller.


A magazine advert plays a vital role in the promotional campaign for an album. Creating a magazine advert allows an artist to get their album out to the fans, this makes them more aware of the product and there is more chance that they will purchase it. Furthermore a magazine advert allows the target audience to gain an insight into what may be included in the album such as songs and special features, this will create hype surrounding the album which is benifical for the artist. I will be creating a magazine advert for Sub Focus' album to make the target audience aware of the album. Planning is essential when it comes to making this magazine advert because I need to know what needs to be included on the advert to make it effective in targeting the audience.


The colours that I have chosen to include in my magazine advert are bright, these include orange, yellow and pink. I have chose these colours as they are bright and make the advert stand out, this will attract the audience as it is eye catching. Furthermore the bright and edgy colours represent the target audience and genre of the album and also look like strobe lights which are heavily related to the dance genre. This is likely to therefore persuade the target audience into buying the album as they can see that it is directly aimed towards them. This also means that the magazine advert is related to the dance genre, which will make it more effective in appealing to the target audience. The magazine advert is therefore conventional to the dance genre, which is good as the album is a very conventuional album.


There are minimal images on the magazine advert I have created. I researched the dance genre and found that there were not a lot of images on the adverts. As a result of this I decided to include minimal images in my advert. This meant that my advert was conventional to the dance genre and would therefore attract the eye of dance fans as they can see that it belongs to the dance genre. However I did include one small image of a clock next to the single name "Turn Back Time". I did this as it is a symbolises the song, this is somethong that will appeal to the target audience.


The layout for an advert is important in order to catch the eye. It is important that the advert is not cluttered with information as it could put someone off reading it. I decided to layout my main title "Sub Focus" at the bottom of the advert. I felt that this was the best position for the artists name as it allows space on the rest of the advert for the rest of the information. I also feel that placing the title at the bottom makes it clear to see for the readers and also does not interfere with the main images on the magazine advert. By not cluttering my advertisement with images of the artist it means that the advert conforms to the dance genre; keeping the design and layout simple yet bold. Furthermore through placing minimal images on my advert it means there is more room for other important information that will make the audience purchase the product, such as the album release date. 


The typography used in a magazine advert is also important. The typography helps catch the eye of the target audience and also can represent the artist themselves. I have chosen a bold and original typography in my magazine advert, as I feel it stands out well and therefore will attract the target audience to read the advert and therefore the chances of them purchasing the album is increased. I have also chosen this typography as I feel it reflects the artist "sub focus" well as they are very bold and original in the sense that they are conventional to the dance genre. The typography in the advert I have created is also all capital letters, again this makes the writing bold and therefore it is more likely to attract someones eye.  The album name "Turn Back Time" on the advertisement are in capital letters to symbolize the importance of the information, this is emphasized by the bold text  which makes it stand out even more. The use of bold typography implies that the music on the album is also very bold, which is stereotypical of the house genre, the music is very upbeat and exciting which mirrors the layout, design and colours used on the advert. 


The language used in a magazine advert is vital in persuading the audience to purchase the product itself. I kept the writing limited on my advert as I didn't want to overcrowd it as I felt it could deter an audience. However I included the phrase "number one album" and "number one single", as I felt it was important to inform the audience how well the album did in this charts. I believe this will mean they are more likely to purchase the album as they can see how good it is. The artists name in this advert is included as "Sub Focus" which informs the audience who the product is by and will urge them to buy it. In my actual magazine advert I will be changing the artists name to a name that me and my group have come up with. I decided not to include a personal message to the artists fans on this magazine advert. I made this decision as I believe that it keeps the advert conventional to the dance genre as you don't usually see dance artists communicating with their audience. Furthermore it keeps my artist mysterious, which will urge that audience to want to find out more about him and therefore purchase his product. 

The connotations of the magazine advert I created is that the album is going to be lively, upbeat and make people feel good. These connotations are made from the use of a variety of bright colours which boldly connotes the nature of the album, This is likely to persuade a consumer to purchase the product as they can see that the album is likely to make them feel good. It would also specifically appeal to the eye of dance genre fans as the bright colours connote that it is from the dance genre.  There is also a spectrum of light on the magazine advert, this connotes that the artist is very dynamic and versatile. This will appeal to the target audience as these are desirable qualities, and make them want to purchase the album. Further connotations that come from the advert are that the artist and his music is powerful, this can be seen by the use of the colour black and the bold typography, this conforms the dance genre as the target audience are more interested with the music than the artist. 

To conclude, the research i took into a magazine advert was very helpful as it enabled me to see how artists appeal to their target audience and get there albums out there. This has helped me in creating my own magazine advert. I feel that the magazine advert that I have created is very successful in appealing to the target audience. The use of bright colouring makes the advert very conventional to the dance genre which means it will appeal to fans of the genre. I also feel that the minimal amount of images that I have used makes the advert conventional to the genre as you don't see dance artists cluttering their work with images. This also creates a mysterious image surrounding the artist, making the target audience want to find out more about him.

Digipak analysis - Miss Miller.


The purpose of a digipak is to give the target audience and fans a further insight into the music artist. The digipak provides the fans with detailed information about the artist and album itself, this can include how the album was made and also the lyrics to some of the songs. A digipak is seen of being a much more exclusive product than a usual jeweled CD case as it provides the audience with a greater insight into the artist. Giving the audience the option to purchase a digipak allows them to feel although they are buying into the lifestyle of the artist. I have chosen to analyse David Guetta's digipak as I could not find one for Sub Focus. I chose David Guetta as he is from the same genre as my artist and I can therefore apply his digipak to my artist. 


In this digipak David Guetta is being represented as a cool artist. This representation is created through him wearing sunglasses, this portrays him as being an artist who is up to date with the latest fashion trends, making him appealing to the target audience. Furthermore the image of him on the front cover depicts to the audience that he is laid back as he does not look like he is posing for the picture. The artist isn't facing the camera in the image which shows he is mid action, and trying to leave some aspects of his image hidden from the audience, urging the audience to purchase the product so that he can reveal himself more. He is also being represented as a stereotypical DJ as DJ's often wear sunglasses when they do their sets to protect their eyes from the strobe lights, this allows the target audience to clearly see that the artist and product is from the dance genre and it will therefore attract fans of the genre. As already established there is only one image on the digipak, this is quite unconventional for any artist as digipaks often come with the advantage of displaying the artist through more and better quality images. However, here there is only one image which could be seen as a disadvantage, but some would argue that is shows that the artist does not want to be mainstream by over populating his digipak with images to show himself off.  
The choice of clothing worn by the artist are very basic and simple; a basic t-shirt and glasses makes it easy and simple for the target audience and fans to imitate the look of the artist and dress like him themselves. This also will appeal to the target audience as it shows that the artist is very much alike them so they can therefore relate to him more. The image of the artist is in the colour grey, again this means that he is hiding some of his identity to the audience which urges them to find out more about him. 

The connotations of this digipak is that the artist is making happy and upbeat music. This is connoted through the use of bright colours such as red and yellow which are related to happiness. This connotation is likely to persuade the audience to purchase the album as the feel good factor is a strong convention of the dance genre. Furthermore the black and white colouring surrounding the artist connotes that David Guetta is attempting to be original. The colour gold used on the front cover also connotes the sense of being rich or wealthy, suggesting that the artist is successful and their music will be enjoyable because of his success as an artist; these connotations encourage audiences to purchase the product as to see what would be on the album. Again this connotation makes the artist appealing to the target audience as they can aspire to be as successful and wealthy as him. Furthermore the digipak includes two discs which is unusual as they normally include one. From this the audience can connote a number of things, such as the artist is so successful that he needs two discs to put his songs on. It also allows the audience to feel although they are getting more for their money.


The layout of the digipak is simple, as it includes the basic content of a digipak and is not cluttered with information. There is the front cover, the disc holders and a track list for both CDs on the back. This implies a form of sophistication which would appeal to an older audience. The layout is fun and bright due to the use of colours but it doesn't come across as childish because of its simple, stylish layout. The product also stays conventional by including a track list on the back of the digipak, providing the audience with a list of songs which will be on the album. The tracklist is clear and easily recognisable on this digipak which is important as it is what will persuade the audience to purchase the digipak. Also we can see that the artist is not positioned centrally on the front cover of this digipak, this is not what you would expect to see. This shows that the artist is going against the conventions and attempting to be different, Futhermore this shows that the artist does not want to be the main focal point of the cover and would rather let his music take the main stage.


The typography used in a digipak plays a very important role in attracting people to purchase the product. The typography used in this digipak consists of the artists name and album name. For the artists name we can see that he has used a recogniasable font that is often related to himself, this makes it more recognisable for the audience and they can easily see that the digipak belongs to him. The font he has used for his name is also somewhat diverse as the "A" is missing the arch. This informs the audience that the artist is attempting to be diverse and therefore means that he is conforming to the dance genre which will attract dance fans. The other typography is evident in the title of the album. The choice of font here matches the dance music genre, it is writing in a graffiti style which also matches the artist image on the digipak which is meant to be 'cool', this encourages buyers of the product as they will feel they own a cool product ultimately making themselves slightly 'cooler' by listening to the album and consuming the artist's products. Futhermore it also allows a potential consumer to identify that the album belongs to the dance genre. 

The digipak that I have analysed does not belong to the artist that I have based my project around, however analysing it has helped me develop my understanding of digipaks and how they attract an audience. I will take inspiration from the artist image that has been created within this digipak, attempting to create a cool image surrounding my artists through the use of imagery. In this digipak its also clear that the dance music genre keeps a lot a mystery from the target audience to encourage them to buy the product. If the artist does unconventionally feature on the digipak, I will use dark colours, glasses or positioning to make sure not too much is revealed and keep the audience wanting to find out more. 






Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Research into record labels - Miss Georgiou.

A major record label Large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels. Currently in the UK the major record labels are Sony Music, EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. These record labels represent many of the leading UK artists from a variety of genres.

Sony Music:
  • The Ting Tings
  • Ke$ha
  • The Clash
  • One Direction
Sony Music Entertainment also has it's own share in many smaller record labels which manage big stars in the music industry such as Columbia Records, RCA Records and Epic Records. Artists such as Paloma Faith of the Pop-Jazz genre, Kelly Clarkson (Pop genre) and Example (Dance genre) belong to these labels. Sony records is a more mainstream record label that features artists from many different genres. 

EMI:
  • Iron Maiden
  • Spice Girls
  • Kate Bush
EMI Group Limited, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, was a British multinational music recording and publishing company, and electronics device and systems manufacturing company, headquartered in London, England.
At the time of its break-up in 2012 it was the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and was one of the big four record companies(now the big three). Its record labels included EMI Records, Parlophone, Virgin Records, and Capitol Records. EMI Group also had a major publishing arm, EMI Music Publishing, also based in London with offices globally.

Warner Music Group:

  •  Ed Sheeran
  • Wiz Khalifa
  • Coldplay
  • Katy Perry
The largest American-owned music conglomerate worldwide, it is one of the 'big three' recording companies (the third largest in the global music industry). The company operates some of the largest and most successful recording labels in the world, including its flagship labels Warner Bros. Records, Parlophone Records and Atlantic Records. Universal Records: 
  • Sam Smith
  • Chase and Status
  • Justin Bieber
  • Kanye West
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group. The label has been dormant since 2005, due to Universal Motown and Universal Republic Records being formed and taking all of the artists from the label.

Summary:
Benefits of joining a major record label is that it will be very well established already. This means that there will be a ready made audience for the artist to aim its music towards. Major record labels also have very large funds meaning that the artist will be able to promote their music as effectively as possible, this will mean that they attract their target audience. Major record labels will also have a lot of experience within the music industry, meaning that the artist will not be short of help when it comes to making a tough decision. Networking and Connections, In addition to the deep seeded connections that major labels have made in their many decades of being in business, their even deeper pockets allow them to get their foot in the door to most media outlets. However, a disadvantage of a major record label is that they will take a large percentage of the artists profits. They may also take control over the artists work meaning that it loses its originality and becomes less of the artists work. This could cause disruption between the artist and the label. Artists also Must Fight For Attention, contrary to popular belief, major labels do sign many artsts, but much of what is signed quickly gets turned over. If your music doesn’t immediately stick, you may find yourself having a hard time getting any attention from the label. If this happens, you may find yourself spending more time in a battle for attention than working to further your career. 

__________________________________________________________________________


There are also independant record labels, these record labels are less worldwide known compared to major record labels. They tend to manage one or two artists instead of a variety of artists. They also tend to specialise in one music genre instead of a variety like major record labels. 
An Indie Label is any music recording label that operates without the funding of the organizations of the major music labels. Typically, major labels are global in scale and operate their own distribution and publishing companies. Indie Labels, however, tend to either work with other smaller companies, either in long term partnerships or in smaller contractual relationships for their distribution and publishing, although many indie labels do pay for the distribution services that major labels have to offer.  Some examples of independant record labels in the UK are...

Boy Better Know:


  • JME
  • Jammer
  • Wiley
  • Skepta
Boy Better Know is an English grime music collective – a group of musicians, a grime record label and a brand. The collective was formed in North London by JME, his brother Skepta and Wiley. The label was established in 2005, and mostly focuses on Grime and Hip Hop. The label also has its own clothing line.

Rough Trade Records:

  • The Strokes
  • The Libertines
  • Destroyer
  • Arcade Fire
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk, very early indie pop and early post-punk bands.

Summary:
A benefit of individual record labels is that artists get the rights to their music. This is a huge benefit of signing a contract with an indie label. With the recent growth in exposure from indie artists, the possibilities of a hit single being reused for other things such as movie, TV and video game soundtracks are greatly increasing. By being allowed to keep the rights to the music, artists have the option to do what they would like once the song has been recorded. Another benefirt is that they sign you because they Love your music. Generally speaking, Indie music labels are smaller companies who are not pressured by a board of directors to sign a specific sound or promote a specific look just for success on the charts. Typically when you are sign a contract with an indie label, they trust that your brand will sell, and work to promote you, not the packaged image that they create for you. However a lack of funds, the most common issue for independent labels, being that they do range so greatly in size and success is funds. A lack of funding means a smaller budget for recording, production of physical disks, packaging, distribution costs, tour support, merchandise, etc. Another significant issue caused by a lack of budget is that proper marketing for the artist is sacrificed, making the artists promote themselves if they want to be seen and heard. 


 


Saturday, 1 November 2014

Planning lighting and colour - Miss Georgiou.

Lighting and colours are very important within music videos as they help set the atmosphere and create the scene. This makes it easier for the directors to portray a certain mood to the target audience. Lighting and colours can also make the music video conventional or diverse. Therefore it is important that we carefully consider what lighting and colours we shall be using within our music video. As a group we have carefully reviewed our options and planned what lighting and colour we will be using in each scene in our music video.

Lighting:

There will be a lot of low key lighting in our music video, especially when we are showing our artist performing in a club. In this shot there will be a lot of low key lighting, this will make the audience feel more involved in the club atmosphere and they will be able to relate with the video more. Furthermore the low key lighting used in the club will make the music video more convetional to the dance genre, this is likely to appeal to the target audience. The low key lighting will be in the background of the shot and the artist will be flashing in and out of light. This will make the shot look like a club environment and also the identity of the DJ will be concealed because of the
flashing lights, this will make the target audience want to find out more about him as he seems mysterious.

 We will also be adding strobe lighting in the club scenes, which will again make the video conventional to the dance genre. The strobe lighting will be created by flashing lights on and off in a dark room. This will give the audience the effect of being inside a club and listening to music, meaning they will feel more involved in the music video. Furthermore the strobe lighting will create a dance atmosphere which is going to be in coordination with the music, meaning that the visuals and music will be in relation making the music video conventional to Goodiwns theory.

We will be using high key natural lighting in our music video when we are showing the female begging for money in the park. Here the lighting will be high due to the natural daylight. In using high lighting here the audience will be able to fully see the female character and see how vulnerable she is. This will allow the audience to sympathise with the female character and therefore they will be able to build a connection with her. This high key lighting will be in contrast with the dark mood that is being set in the narrative of the music video, and I believe that this will shock the audience as they can see how much the female character regrets where she is in life. The use of natural lighting in this scene will also add a sense of realism to the music video, making the narrative more believable for the audience.


I will also be using negative lighting in my music video. This piece of lighting will be used when the female character is filmed with a time lapse. I will include flashes of negative lighting in this shot. This will make the female character look more vulnerable as the negative lighting creates a cold effect surrounding her; suggesting to the audience that she is homeless and therefore cold all the time. This will again make the audience sympathise with the character and feel the pain that she is feeling. 



Colours:

The colours that we will be using in this music video will vary throughout. For both the male and female character we will be using dark and dull colours to demonstrate how they are not happy with life and wish they could "turn back time". The dark colours will allow the audience to identify that both characters are clearly unhappy, this will make the narrative more easy to understand for the audience. Furthermore the dark dull colours used surrounding the characters will set a dull mood during their scenes in the music video, emphasising how dull the characters lives are. We will be using these dark dull colours when the male character is on the train to work and when the female is sitting in the train station begging for money.

Contrastingly we will be using bright colours surrounding the music artist, such as his bright red hat, which will represent passion and make him more relatable to the target audience. We will also be using a lot of different colour tints when the artist is on screen to create that club setting and make the audience feel although they are actually in the club listening to the artist. These colours will be used when the artist is on stage performing. Using bright colours surrounding the artist will also show the difference between the artists lively lifestyle and the characters dull and boring lifestyle. In addition, the bright colours surrounding the artist will attract the audiences eye towards him, making him the focal point of the music video, allowing them to idolise him.

When the narrative goes back 'in time' to the conventional club setting, there will obviously be the use of the bright colours lights and there will also be coloured tints over the whole picture which is very conventional of dance music videos. These colour tints contradict the dull colouring that has previously been seen in the video, it will help to create the lively and upbeat mood that is being expressed by the characters to the audience. Colours will also be evident in the artists performance, once again the coloured lights and tints conform to the dance genre and create the lively atmosphere that the target audience want to see.

To conclude, the planning that I have taken into lighting and colour will help me a lot when it comes to creating my music video. This will allow me to create a music video that appeals to my target audience through the colours and lighting. By incorporating the conventions of the dance genre in the lighting and colour categories, the audience get to see exactly what they want, this helps create a relationship between the audience and the artist. Finally I believe that the colour and lighting that I have chosen will be very effective in creating the artists image and portraying the characters in the narrative to the audience.

Planning artist image - Miss Georgiou

An artist representation is important in a music video as it makes a music video more appealing to the target audience. It also enables the audience to create a relationship with the artist as they can share similar interests.  Through giving the artist an image the music video also has its own image as it seems more unique and tailored to the artist. This is something that would attract fans of the artist, who are attracted to the artists image.

Our artist will wear:
Red Baseball Cap
Plain Black T-Shirt
Headphones
Sunglasses (Provisional)

We have taken a very conventional approach to our artists image as we have tried to make him seem as conventional as possible. The red baseball cap has been chosen as it is something that will appeal to young people, which is mostly what our target audience is made up of, this will make it easier for them to relate with him. Furthermore a baseball cap will depict the artist as being cool and up to date with the latest fashion trends, making him seem more desirable to the audience. The colour red also connotes passion to the target audience making our artist seem passionate and the target audience will therefore warm to him. A plain black t-shirt has been chosen as it makes our artist seem original and he is not tied down to any brands. This is something that may appeal to an audience who attempts to be diverse in an era when it is essential to have all the big name brands. Headphones are an important accessory in creating our artists image. Headphones are very conventional and this will make it easy for the audience to identify the artist. We are not 100% sure whether we will be putting sunglasses on our artist as of yet. We feel that this could benefit our artists image as it will make him look cool which will appeal to the target audience, however there is a risk that it could make the music video too conventional.

Planning cinematography - Miss Georgiou

The cinematography used in a music video is essential as it allows the audience to connect with the artist. Different camera shots create different effects within a music video, this helps portray the atmosphere to the audience make them feel a certain type of way. I will be discussing the different camera shots that I will be including in my music video and what effect I hope they will have. 

The first shot that we will be including in our music video is a close up. This shot will be taken on both the females face and our artists face. This is a conventional shot in music videos as it allows the audience to fully see the emotion in the characters face, this helps them connect with the artist more and therefore feel more connected with the music video. We will be using this shot to show the unhappy emotion on the girls face making the audience sympathise with her. We will also use it when the artist is performing on stage; here a close up will allow the target audience engage with the artist. Using a close up on the artist also enables the audience to gain full visibility on their idol, this is something that will satisfy them. 

The next shot that we will be using within our music video is a high angle shot. This shot will be used when we are showing the female character and will show her sitting on the floor begging for money. Using a high angle shot here will make the female character look more vulnerable as she looks weaker because the audience are looking down on her. This will help the audience connect with the female character as they will sympathise for her as she looks like she needs help. Furthermore it will help us portray the female character to the audience as we want to make her seem vulnerable. 

Another shot that we will be including in our music video is a long shot. We will be using a long shot when we see the artist performing on the decks to the rest of the crowd. We hope that this will make the audience feel although they are in the crowd as the camera will be positioned where the crowd would be standing. This will make it easier for the audience to relate to the music video as they will feel although they are at the actual performance. Furthermore this shot will allow the audience to see the artist performing which is something that will satisfy them.

We will also be using a tracking shot in our music video, this shot will mostly be used on the male character as we follow him on his daily commute to work. Through using this shot the audience will feel although they are going along on the journey with the character, this will help them relate with him. Furthermore using a tracking shot will help give the audience an insight on the characters life and they will be able to see how fed up he is of having a boring life.

The final shot we will use in our music video is a point of view shot from the female characters point of view. This shot will show the male character cross paths with the female character and put money in her hat however as the male character walks past he doesn't look back. This portrays many things to the audience that relate to the narrative we have created. The point of view shot we will use will also show that the girl is below him as she is positioned on the floor looking up at him.

To summarise, I believe that we have carefully selected a variety of different camera shots that we will use in our music video. The shots we have chosen will help depict our characters to the audience and also help our audience relate with the artist. I also believe that the camera shots we have chosen will fit in well in our music video as they are conventional to the genre, this will make our music video more conventional overall, which is something that will appeal to an audience.