Research Task 16) CD Cover research

Album cover/ Digipack Influences.

Fabulous Diamonds: 7 Songs. This album cover struck my attention because this photograph is so simple, yet very strange. I wouldn't use something like this as the artist is solo and not a duet.

I really like Santogold's album - contrasting Black & White and how she looks like she's vomiting glitter - it's giving out the feel that she's glamourous and has a slight edge. Very simple theme, and the font fits in with the genre.

I also liked Vega4's "You and Others" - very relative to my artist and the genre, with the simple photograph of forest trees.

Research Task 13) Genre Research 1

"I'm like a virgin losing a child" - Manchester Orchestra's first album. (Genre: indie-rock)

The concept of this album looks very much like an event depicted from teenage years and such, with the pink overlay added, it is giving out the feeling of remeniscience - possibly the intended theme.

However, the setting is in a bedroom and looks as if a young woman is turning the tv on/off. Very simple but easily explained as it must reflect the music thus giving out a very insightful, spiritful and even a nostalgic feel as a whole.

Research Task 14) Genre Research 2

"Plans" is the fifth studio album by the band Death Cab for Cutie. The genre for this band are classified under indie-pop and alternative rock. Also a continuation, or sister album to Transatlanticism, the previous album.

From what it looks like, the background is slightly blurred, possibly a building and the foreground of a top of a tree, being the main focus as well as the typography "PLANS" being upfront yet striking. Vignette effect around the corners giving out a pessimisstic and dawny/autumnal vibe, also relaxing, generally giving off a mature, charismatic feel which may consistently excite those who like the band!

Ben Gibbard (leading frontman) has quoted (about the theme) "I don't think there's necessarily a story, but there's definitely a theme here. One of my favorite kind of dark jokes is, 'How do you make God laugh? You make a plan. Nobody ever makes a plan that they're gonna go out and get hit by a car. A plan almost always has a happy ending. Essentially, every plan is a tiny prayer to Father Time. I really like the idea of a plan not being seen as having definite outcomes, but more like little wishes."

Overall, the album cover is relevant to my selected genre as "indie"; as there are rarely a photo of the band displayed; usually a photo like this with light coloured fonts - can be easily made for a low budget music video! (that was why I chose this particular album.)

Photoshop edits

After I had taken photos, I went onto Photoshop and created an example album cover, in some relation to the theme - I do like how it has formed with the head pattern, creating a trance look, not really in relation but it could be used in future ideas perhaps - sort of like the discography relevant to band Crystal Castles.

(THIS IS A FIRST DRAFT) <<<<<

This is the finished album cover design. Could be a possible design with the copied heads for a more alternate look.

Analysis of 2 music videos

4 Sour - Hibi No Neiro

• The style/concept of this video is very contempory and modern as it is set out like a social networking website and there are many shots set out as people communiticating to each other via webcams - one example of which four people are taking photos of each other yet they are in different locations. What I like about this personally is that this is very simple to do if someone is making a low budget music video and this has given me another perspective of how to construct my own music video. Also, there were not many shots used as there was one main narrative running through the video. Overall, I quite liked the theme and the simplicity throughout.
  
• What I dislike about this video is that there was a background story, and I like individualistic, original music videos, it didn't give me the "wow" factor.
  

8 Pop Levi - Semi Babe

• Not what I had expected - the style is a little too simple for my liking, but it looks as if a lot of effort had gone into the making of the video. There are no cuts or edits used; just one long frame used of a few people playing instruments, which is giving the audience the sense of dullness, yet intriguing as something else may happen (which nothing did happen). The style is simple, but more work should've have gone in - e.g. use different settings, locations, costumes, and more singing as it was a really late duration - almost 3 minutes! And what disappointed me again was that the man in the red jacket sang "Semi babe" and went away! There were hardly any lyrics used and that is uncommon (unless it were a post-rock band performing, such as Sigur Rós, who are well known for their use of made up language "hopelandic" containing no lyrics throughout some songs to express a feeling or emotion) and because the no lyrics used in thisvideo, I was disappointed and bored of the whole narrative and the performance being plain.

Research Task 19) Audience Research 2 (analysis)

So the results show that the RnB genre is the most popular genre, and Indie coming in second. Also, the results show that people prefer to watch music videos on TV rather than Youtube, which was unexpected. The bar graph indicates that 90% of people questioned watch music videos everyday and lastly it was 50/50 when we asked people what makes people watch music videos, resulting in abstract and performance.

Regardless of what the results show (that RnB is the most popular), my aim is to create a music video that isn't going to be stereotyped, degrading (e.g. professor green ft. lily allen, lots of girls dancing promiscuously) hopefully, this music video could be like an art piece, becoming very abstract and different to the typical music videos which are out at the moment!

Research Task 19) Audience Research 2

These are the results from the respondents in which myself and Laura asked sixth formers a number of questions to fill in on the questionnaire we'd given them. There were multiple choice answers; such as "What is your favourite genre?" and the majority of people put down RnB.

Research Task 18) Audience research 1

This is the questionnaire I had used to conduct the study.

Research Task 1) Brief

The task I have been set is to create a "promotional package" for the release of an album, and to include a music promo video together with two of the three options:

- Website homepage for the band/artist
- Design a album cover for the band
- Magazine advert for the band/album

The aim is to create your own artist, and using the original song, but recreate the artist for the music video.

Research Task 17) Record Label research 1

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group. The label now operates as a division of The United Def Jam Music Group in the United States and as a standalone label in the United Kingdom (also known as Island Records Group or Universal Island).

• Myself & Laura have decided to use Island as our record label due to their vast range of popular artists, who were previously not well known. Artists such as Ladyhawke, Florence & The Machine, Tori Amos, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Killers, and Brandon Flowers are all associated with this label and I felt that our artist would be well suited to this record label.

Research Task 17) Record Label Research 2

Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It started in 1978 by Geoff Travis. The label grew out from Rough Trade Shop in West London after records found in North America and shipped back to the UK and then became independent in 1982 but went bankrupt in 1991 and re-launched in 2000. Rough Trade specialised in European post-punk and other alternative rock.
Many bands are signed to this record label, a wide variety. Arcade Fire, The Libertines, The Moldy Peaches, Mystery Jets and The Strokes are signed.

Research Task 17) Record Label Research 3

XL Recordings is a British independant record label which was launched in 1989 by Tim Palmer, Nick Halkes and Richard Russell, with Beggars Banquet Records to start launching Rave and Dance music. The label has grown into one of the most commercially successful and influential independant records in the world.
XL Recordings have moved on from Dance and Rave music, and had recently starting signing into other genres such as freak-folk, alternative rock, hip-hop and UK Garage. Also, they have signed into the indie genre. They have signed up a range of bands such as Basement Jaxx, Friendly Fires, Sigur Rós, The xx, Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead and Vampire Weekend.

Poster Analysis

Album Analysis #1

Research Task 10) Theories 2 (Vernallis)

Carol Vernallis' theory explains the "kindest cuts" functions and meanings in music video editing.

Editing in Pop videos: The editing must keep the audience in the present moment e.g. aims to stop the audience from focusing on the image rather than the music itself, or music over image.
Uses small sections of continuity editing; montage and juxtaposition. The rules od continuity editing are usually broken. There are, however, shots that compare up in a complimentary way such as edits that anticipate a gesture in a shot that tracks through. e.g. shot of artist dancing and fast edits are used inbetween.

Graphic match is also used in pop videos
Shots such as the dolly, track, high angle shots are the most common to use in Pop videos.


Alejandro is a good example that matches to the theoy due to Lady Gaga as there are constant use of track and quick cuts used in the video. It also fits in with the theory due to her constant change in costume.

Research Task 11) Theories 3 (Goodwin)

"Go Do" - Jónsi

Research Task 12) Low Budget Ideas

• Slow motion
• Tracking
• Lighting - spot lighting/natural lighting/ high key and low key
• Mise en Scene - change of costume/make up/location
• Close ups - lip syncing, interaction with the audience
• Location photos
• Sped up music track
• Cameras
• Use of lights

Research Task 8) Conventions of a music video

The conventions of a music video are the elements which are needed in order to to create a good music video.

• Long shots of the band/solo artist - this is vital because the audience would want to know who is performing in the video.
• Close ups of music instruments - this is needed in music videos to show what the artists are using
• Cuts to the beat - dictates the speed of music video/duration of each shot
• Props - change in costume, concept and location: this is vital otherwise the video would be boring and pointless.
• Cutaway - montage editing variety - doesn't show the full story
• Muted footage with soundtrack
• Camera focusing mainly on vocalist - audience gets "moments of pleasure"
• Narrative may be told, but the concept of video is more necessary.
• Actions and patterns flow with the beat
• Performance - instruments, dancing, singing
• Lots of cuts - lots of footage; cutting should be very rapid
• Constant match on action - continuity through singing
• Camera always on the move - dynamic; energetic; performers are active
• Overlaying of images, performance, types of editing
• Refers to lyrics - story, concept, performance, location
• Video should relate to the genre; and how the singers are dressed to fit into the genre
• Duration of video is normally 3-4 minutes long.

Research Task 9) Theories 1 (Bordwell &Thompson)