Utah Saints CD Cover Analysis

This is an analysis of a 12" vinyl sleeve for Utah Saints smash hit number 1 'Something Good' which was released in 2008. I chose this cover to analyse becuase it matches the genre of my music track and also the music video itself has some similar message conotations as mine.

The first piece of this cover that draws my attention when I look at it, is the font of the name of the song which is very bold and colourful and by using a system of layers, looks as though it is at the front of the cover. The positioning of the Title font makes me believe that the creator was trying to show it as the most important part of the piece putting it in the foreground. The way it potrays the title as the most important part of the cover is quite unique and other covers made within this genre dont usually have such an emphasis on the title.

Major Lazer CD Cover analysis

This album cover is for Major Lazer's "guns don't kill people lazers do" abum released in 2009. I chose to look at this album as the Artist's songs are within the same genre of music as my chosen band, Major lazer is within the new elecronic sound and dance music genres, so the target audience for this album cover would be the same.
In addition, Major lazer uses animation as a brand, using this within his music videos and any other ways of promotion. For one of my ideas for my band, I was thinking of using stop motion animation.

This album cover uses an Andy Warhol style artwork to express the ideas behind the music.

The main character is easily identified on right hand side of the cover, due to the size of the character compared to the other figures within the picture. From the image of the main character, it is clear that he is a strong, muscular army character which is also backed up by the name "Major" as it could relate to his status within the army. Wearing shoulder pads, a amunition belt, hat, sun glasses his seriousness and "hero" status is made, due to the hero figure created by action films like "Terminator". The lightening bolts in the sky look as though they are coming out of the Major, which could be understood as how the character got his name "Major Lazer".

The entire cover is really quite agressive, uncovering the political issue of War. As the main character is walking into the scramble of people and objects in the bottom left hand corner it seems that he is coming to fight against the evil ideas of war that are apparent on the left hand side in the form of a skull, full moon and bats, with the lazer gun pointing at them. The bright colours and clear sky that is seen coming from behind Major Lazer shows us that he is bringing goodness with him.
The picture seems to be cut diagonally from bottom left to top right, uncovering the top corner as the evil and the bottom as a happy and joyful atmosphere, where the characters are dancing, listening to music and laying in beach scenes. The Lazers in the bottom left corner, seem to be coming from the dancing area and pointing towards the evil, becoming a symbol and metaphor for the sounds coming from "Major Lazer's" music. The zombie in the bottom right has a shocked and scared facial expression showing his terror of Major Lazer whilst running away from him. Showing that he is winning the battle between good and evil.
Althought dealing with political issues, the evil side is not portrayed as certain people, instead have been replaced with the original idea of evil. Creating a much more comical take on important issues. The animation also creates a much more layed back and less sinical approach to the views being expressed in the image.
The only words used on the cover is the name of the artist. The title of the album "guns don't kill people lazers do" is not actually present on the cover. I think that this is due to wanting to create a bold title that focuses on the image rather than text. As the cover is like a comic book, more writing would take more of the effect of the image away.
The font used for the title is a bold, stong sans serif, with a slight shadow, creating the idea that the writing os 3D and stands out. Using capital lettering, the name jumps out at the audience creating the feeling of it being shouted and loud that could be a comparison to the type of music being promoted. By using yellow as the colour for the text, it shows that Major Lazer is a good character, as yellow is a metaphor of good and happiness. Being placed at the top of the image, it is like the title found on a comic book, and I think that this is the effect the image wants to create. The font also does a very good job of capturing the attention of the audience when stacked in a shop.
Overall, the imagery chosen for the album cover is very successful in portraying the artist and genre of music. The animation works really well with the issues that are being shown and it is very eye catching and bold, allowing the target audience to pick it out.

Initial Storyboards

My predicted audience profile

Questionnaire into music video research

Gender? Male female

How old are you? 16-21 22-30 31-39 40+

Is your dress code influenced by your musical interests? Yes/ No

If yes, are there any artists or genres, which particularly influence you? Genre: Artists:

Do you go to Gigs, Clubs and Bars (Music)? Yes (circle one’s that apply) No

Do you like Dance Electronica Music? Yes No

If yes, what is your favourite sub genre(s)? Break beat Drum ‘n’ Bass Dubstep Electro Electro House Techno House Other......

Do you like urban setting music videos that involve real people? Yes No

If yes, do you feel it is because you can relate to them more? Yes No

Do you prefer Music videos with a story line? Yes No

Do you enjoy animation music videos? Yes No

Have you ever remixed or covered a song? Yes No

What way(s) did you do this? Reason Cubase Instrumentally Ableton vocally

How much did you like our song?
1 2 3 4 5

New Props and Locations *Revised*

This prop of a vodka shot glass was used during my music video to help represent the negative connotation of the abuse of alcohol in youth culture. I didn't use Vodka as the actors in my music video would have not been able to perform as well if they were intoxicated by alcohol.

This was the original white mask I used in the making of the masks for my Music Video. To make them look a bit edgy and link with the graffiti images that are present throughout my music video, I used paint splatters (colours red, yellow, blue and green) as pictured below. The masks will be worn by all of the characters in my music video and will be used to represent the influence being drunk, intoxicated by alcohol, which will hopefull derive a negative representation of alcohol abuse in youth culture.

These are examples of the effects of paint splatters and sploges on a white and a black background, this is a significant testing process as it allows me to see which is most effective and which ideas I will take forward to the creation stage of the masks. The white background is most probably the colour I will use becuase the masks are already white and the paint transfers look bolder and more eye catching on the white background.

Rumble Strips- Music Video Analysis revised *

Music Video Analysis
The Rumble strips: Not the only person
The Rumble Strips are a predominately alternative rock band, with a strong lead male vocalist. As a British band, it is clear through the mise en scene of the video that they want to express this with culturally specific British locations and props.
Set in the urban outskirts of London, we see the singer walks past train tracks, street lamps and walls covered in graffiti scribbles, all of which portray the culture and society within lower classed areas and social classes. As the video goes from dusk into night time, the vulnerability of the singer is increased, walking still in deserted areas, long alleyways, and larger exaggerated shadows. Finally a dead end of which he is trapped and faced with a gang of hooded lads which are often associated with the stereotype of people who mug, rob and perform other such antisocial behaviours, thus the video strongly communicates the contempory issues of youth knife and gun crime.
The narrative of the video is simple but well expressed. Using a linear narrative structure, the singer is being followed throughout the video by hooded characters, with stubble and in dark colours. As they follow, it is understood that they are thieves. The intimidation of the hooded characters becomes stronger as the number of them grows against the singer, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.
The opening sequence starts as a calm and peaceful equilibrium setting, whereby the character is walking alone with the sound of birds singing and the distant rumble of a train, an abandoned shopping trolley and the monochrome low key lighting connotate urban decay. As the tube train becomes closer, the sound becomes faster and louder; creating the pace and beat of the video, whilst indicating the bands cultural roots. The main character is faced by a hooded character and bumps into him. As this happens, the lyrics of the song are synchronised with the connection between the two characters. As the singer carries on walking, the hooded figure follows him silently. The camera tracks the singer as he carries on his journey, gaining more and more hoodies, following him. As the numbers of hoodies grow, the intimidation levels grow, creating tension for the audience. The Shadows are used to intensify the sense of menace and nightmare, one that the audience and identify with. As the character is constantly moving, so is the camera. None of the shots are static, helping to add to the pace of the video. The additions of hooded characters are captured in many different ways. The multiplying of these hooded men are shown using shadows, using high angled shots and strong chicascuro lighting. As the shadows draw into the main character it portrays the closeness and paranoia that the followers are creating for the main character. The characters journey is also shown using shots from behind him creating the feeling that we are seeing him from the hooded men’s point of view. A medium close up of the main characters hand is used to show him dropping a twenty pound note for the followers. This action can be seen as a way of getting the people to leave him alone, or on the other hand it can be used to usher them in. When we finally get to a confrontation between the main character and the hoodies, we see the hoodies become transfixed and paralysed by an extraordinary ray of power that explodes from the chest of the main character.
Throughout the video we are shown a run down, vandalised and area that is run by hooded people. The only people we meet within the video are aggressive and rough looking males, all of which are wearing hoodies and caps. This casual but well known look is usually associated with criminal behaviour and yob gangs. Creating the stereotype that all hooded and capped people will be aggressive and likely to commit crime. The world represented in the video is recognizable to everyone who watches as it deals with problems within society on criminal behaviour especially within Britain. The video shows a threatening situation, which could happen to anybody and raises social awareness to the problem. The video is appealing in this way as it can be related to whilst also portraying the situation as a tension filled dangerous situation.
As the main character is the lead singer of the band, people will notice him as the face of the band. Throughout the film, the singer does not show fear or react to any of the followers until he confronts them. These strong shots of constant walking give the band an image of being fearless, strong and iconic. The main singer has created representation of a messianic image where his status draws people in to his presence, taking them to where he wants them to be. Whilst showing a strong side, there is some implications amateur behaviour introducing a slight comic side of the video where the female supernatural presence stuns the thieves using a high pitched melody. Creating the joke that the singers voice is like a female’s vocals, therefore taking the mick out of his own voice. This creates a very likable brand. By using an interesting storyline, it draws more people to watch, as they get interested in who the hooded men are and what they want, allowing the audience to feel the tension that needs to be resolved.

When looking on amazon.co.uk, other artists are shown that people who bought the rumble strips songs had also bought. Some of these included; The Maccabees, Florence and the machine and Franz Ferdinand, showing that all these band have roughly the same target audience. The demographics of the target group for these bands range from 14years to the late 30’s predominantly females, as shown on the Rumble strips comments on Myspace.com/therumblestrips. Though when looking at reviews of the band’s album, more males were commenting on the band than females. This shows that the band has a diverse target market. The band is successful as a diverse band due to their soft rock sound, as many people enjoy this genre of music, as the lyrics are usually thoughtful and about everyday problems, allowing the audience to relate to them. This video works well to attract their target audience, as the video includes a storyline. Storylines work well for these types of songs as the songs themselves normally have a narrative, which helps the audience to relate to them. The storyline used for this Video includes the idea of being paranoid and trapped yet breaking through this intimidation with comical and quite strange tactics. Most age groups enjoy these aspects, so therefore would be very popular. In addition, the band is fashionable, attracting all age groups due to their formal smartly dressed style that has a slight edge to it, allowing both younger age groups and older age groups to be attracted by it. The indie genre has become a very popular genre within the last few years, opening up a expectation that includes good fashion, soft rock, deep lyrics and interesting videos. The rumble strips tick all of them boxes, creating a good Indie band.
The band has all of the social network sites that their target audience would want to track them by, including “Facebook”, “Myspace” and “Twitter” along with their own official websites. All of which the target group can find information about new songs, videos and tour dates, also the chance to listen and download songs or watch music videos. These websites are the major way of the age groups to find out about bands and a very successful way of promoting, fast becoming the strongest tool of promotion used today.
The rumble strips are owned by Island and Allido record companies. These companies also own; Florence and the Machine, Frankmusik, The Bombay bicycle club, U2, and Keane; All of which are all from the same genre of music and are also successful bands. This shows that the company is a very good company to promote this type of music. Island Records are a major record label within the music industry, promoting mainstream artists and music. They have been very successful with making unknown bands big in the game.




Jakob Montagu-Shaw

Shooting Schedule

First Shoot- Friday October 9th- 2-3 hours

I was able to get most of the footage from my original ideas, including the park scene with just klinton and then a bit of the walking scene, but I wasn't altogether happy with the footage as I have already explained.



I went back to the drawing board and created some new ideas, with a major change in the props and try and use more stereotypical genre connotations for my mise en scene especially focusing on the setting and shot locations.



Second shoot- Thursday November 12th 3-4 hours

This will be predomintly filmed in the new locations: Wills bedroom and the Grapes Hill underpass. It will also inlcude the new props: Face masks.

Music Video Re-think

After doing my first section of filming I was a little disappointed as it hadn't turned out as imagined it, so I went back to start and thought of some new ideas. I didn't want to change the whole idea already existing, so instead I thought to improve and adapt my original plan.
I watched a number of Music Videos to get some ideas, here are a few that gave me most inspiration and had main influence of my new idea. The music videos I watched were by bands that I felt were in the same genre as my unsigned band: The Prodigy, Madness, Rumble Strips, this gave me some inspiration and some ideas to improve my music video.
I thought that my music video was a little bit bland so I decided to bring in some new props which would improve the mise en scene of the piece and also make it more aesthetically pleasing and interesting from audience. I tested my new theory to see if my new ideas would improve my video from the target audiences perspective, so I asked five people in my media group to watch the footage I had so far and then told them about the changes I was thinking of making and asked for their opinions. All 5 participants agreed that by adding the content I would offering it have an all round positive affect on my music video and improve the entertainment from an audiences perspective.

Is the Music Industry dominated by capitalist giants whose sole interest is making maximum profit?

Is the Music Industry dominated by capitalist giants whose sole interest is making maximum profit?

There is a number of reasons for choosing this topic, it is something that is highly influential for the shape and future of the music industry and it has only been over the last couple of years that artists most notable being Radiohead, have fought back against the monster record labels domination. There is a specific section I will be looking at in particular, the ways in which Indie Record labels compared to the big four, Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI handle their artists and their different attitudes and ambitions towards music. I am also really interested in investigating this topic, as I am unsure of the way my research will unfold and what answers I am able to find. The reason I have chose to compare the way Indie Record Labels look after their artists, as I imagine they are more interested in making good music, rather than making maximum profit and getting to the top of charts, as these are often not realistic goals. This topic compliments recent uproar in the media around sites like pirate bay and limewire making their artists tracks free and easily accessible through file sharing, which is dramatically lowering their profits from the days of CD sales. In many respects it is entering in a desperate time for record labels, both indie and major, with illegal download becoming an even bigger machine; major labels in particular are going to be exhausting all their options to gain the maximum possible profit from all their artists.

Are the big record labels more interested in sales rather than the music itself?
Including Case Study: Radiohead

The first point I am going to investigate around this subject is the actions of Radiohead in 2007 releasing their album “Colour in Rainbows” for digital download for whatever people wanted to pay for it (including a 45p credit card handling charge), which set the road in stone for other acts to follow in their footsteps taking a stand to the dominance of the major record labels. Radiohead are in a very able position to take this stand, where many other bands will not be able to follow as Radiohead have a massive financial backing of their own built up over a number of years, and already have a huge amount of publicity being one of the world’s biggest bands.

It has come to light in recent year that the majors are taking advantage of artists on their labels, especially those young up and coming artists who are seen as wonderful chances to gain a resounding profit margin. Many artists are being exploited but in some respects, upcoming artists have no real choice in the matter as it is the only way their going to get themselves known in the public eye. The big four don’t take risks, so to protect themselves from financial lose, the production costs are left for the artist to deal with, also it gets worse, artists can only begin to see a return from their hard work after profit has been made by the record which can be reduced further if the record label make any expenditure on promotion or marketing. The final shocking fact is that an artist can only see about 5% of any profit made by the record, so the label takes an astonishing 95% after minimal expenditure input. With this information you can see why the steps taken by Radiohead were so influential and important for the future of music.

The Group broke with their previous employers Capitol record label under the stream of EMI, which means they will not have to share any profits with a record label or shops. Radiohead success and impact went further than just releasing their album off their own back, this was not intended to be the main source of income for the group. Later on that year in December, they released the ultimate fan, limited edition box set which retailed at around £40; this was a huge success and sold around 100,000 copies, which results to £4 million pounds take away production costs, still a healthy profit. Another point which highlights Radiohead overwhelming independent success is that In Rainbows made more money in sales before its official release date on 31st December, than there previous album ‘Hail to the thief’ (2003). Warner Chappell (publishing company) who oversaw the work being done by Radiohead stated “It was a financial success”. Even the fans who paid little to nothing for the album and were not interested in the box set, they were still a key part of Radiohead’s new business model as they were now the target audience for future marketing operations because to make the free download they had to sign up with there contact details to the Radiohead online shop. A surprising success was making the album available for free download, maximised profits, by creating a wider audience for their live tours.

Prince who is one of the most famous solo artists of recent years also followed in Radiohead’s footsteps, with a bold move that kicked up quite a storm in the music industry. Prince in 2007 shocked the UK music industry by releasing his album “Planet Earth” away free with the Mail on Sunday before its due release date of 24th July. This courageous move saw the withdrawal of the UK branch of Sony BMG from the distribution agreement, although this was not such a bad thing as Prince still made millions from his album. The uproar stretched even further with many record stores across the UK threatening to remove his back catalogue, also being accused of “devaluing music“, yet he called it “direct marketing”. To put the situation into perspective Prince was estimated to make £300,000 with the album deal with Daily Mail, which is more than a advance he would have made through a record label based on current sales figures, also the idea was to not make the profit off the album itself, it was used more for promotional use of his up and coming UK tour which in fact sold out all 21 venues. The tour was estimated to have made a gross of £15 million, which isn’t including merchandise sales.

To conclude this section of my investigation many artists are beginning to use different platforms to promote, distribute and market their music and many, like Radiohead and in some respects Prince are using their own independent business models to promote their music. These new models are not too dissimilar from those of U2 teaming up with Apple to promote their single Vertigo in 2004 or Paul McCartney releasing his latest album through coffee shop chain Starbucks. One of the most notable messages coming out of my investigation thus far, is that if Major record labels are reluctant to allow for the growth and change of the music industry instead of channelling their sole interest through commercial profit driven pop, they are going to make themselves more susceptible to new competition in a variety of forms which will eventually result in their overall downfall.





Indie (independent) Vs Major; Friend or Bully?
There are a huge menagerie of differences between these two groups, but there is one topic in particular that I am very interested in that makes one of these groups stand out and shine above the other, their attitudes towards music. Indie Record Labels are often small independent business ventures which help and support up and coming and less mainstream bands/artists create their own individual music. My description of an Indie record label would be: Unconventional, new music, vulnerable, lover of music, rebellious and exciting.
Here are some other points of view when I asked a random sample of people for their opinions:
1. Individual, unprofessional, alternative music and cheap gigs.
2. Small, Independent, different, creative and niche.
3. Experimental, more risk-taking, young groups, less funding.
Independent record labels are known for treating the artist a lot of fairly, often choosing to befriend them, more than seeing them as a product they are trying to sell. A participant of from my questionnaire described Indie labels as risk taking and in many respects this is true as they often have nothing to lose, they also share risks with their artists and also share the rewards. There is a case study very close to home I can use; once students from the heart of Norwich, Jack Foster and Archie Lamb created the own record label Takeover Entertainment now a branch of Universal Island records. They started off as an independent record label with the minor financial backing of Norman Lamb Liberal Democrat MP and other elderly relatives; they were a tight knit bunch with a lot of the family involved in the operation. The artist these young entrepreneurs were managing was none other than the now famous Tinchy Stryder. At one point it looked like these two 6th form drop-outs were going to pack it all in, because they were running out money, although their fortunes took a turn for the better when Stryder’s May 2008 hit Stryderman caught the attention of one of the majors (Universal). Stryder’s first opinion of Archie and Jack: “Just the two of them, with nothing behind them, it felt like we were just doing it all together. It didn't feel like I was dealing with some big record label." This is a perfect example of how the music industry works, and shows the difference in attitudes and actions taken by the indie and major labels. All the descriptions collected from participants in my questionnaire come together and describe the early “Takeover Entertainment”, but since they have moved over to a Universal branch, the main difference you can see is the success, two number 1 singles and a handful of top 10 hits. Archie and Jack got a very good deal and were extremely fortunate to stay part of the management team of Tinchy under the new label and also still own the rights to the merchandise chain selling tens of thousands of “star in the hood” clothing every month. To conclude this case study looking at Takeover Entertainment shows the differences of how Independent and Major record labels differ in the actions they take and their ambitions and attitudes towards music itself.

The Proof of the Big four Domination

1. Syco- Sony

2. Cash Money- Universal

3. Atlantic- Warner

4. Capitol- EMI

5. Capitol- EMI

6. Def Jam- Universal

7. Atlantic- Warner

8. Atlantic – Warner

9. Zomba- Sony

10. La face- Sony

Questionnaire for Investigation project

Questionnaire Investigation

Describe an Indie Record Label in 5 words?....................................................

Describe a Major Record label in 5 words?.....................................................



What was the step taken by Radiohead in 2007 with their colour in Rainbows?




How much out of the profit do you think a band gets when working with a Major Record label? A) 25% B) 50% C) 5% D) 75%


When was the last CD you bought and how much did it cost?



Do you download digital music (MP3- Internet)? Yes/No


If so, is it illegal or legal or both?....................


Do you think artists should make their music available for pay what you like? Yes/ No


What is you’re opinion on illegal downloading (short sentence)?



Do you think the mainstream music industry (chart music) is too similar? Yes/No


Do you think the mainstream music industry is in need for change? Yes/NoExplain why?..................................................................................................................................................
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Bibliography

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6256732.stm
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2816893/Radiohead-challenges-labels-with-free-album.html
3. http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/40444
4. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3666664/How-a-free-album-makes-millions....html
5. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/25/tinchy-stryder-rapper

Location Scouting- 23/09/09

This is a prime location for my music video, with so much opportunity for a range of shots, an example being high angle shots from the bridge or long shots up the hill from the darkness of the underpass. It also adds that edgey, mysterious feeling walking into the darkness, and there also is a suprise when they reach the underpass, as the tunnel is full of amazing street art which link directly to the stereotypical punk scene, for example in the music video by The Prodigy "Take me to the Hospital" .

The graffiti theme feature throughout, but this is the point were we first see it the the video. This is a key signifier for the music video as it represents rebellious attitudes, and popular culture, the audience will be interested in the underground theme, and it also links to the Indie record label- unsigned bands being unproffesional, risk-taking and individual.

This is a shot from inside a car, again I would use it as an onlookers point of view going past at a normal speed (30 mph) then slowing down and maybe reversing to take a closer look at the group, observing there strange behaviour .

This is a good location to shot from at the end of this road, the still shot looking down the hill, shows a brilliant vantage shot looking across norwich into the direction that the group are going to take. Also the end of this road opens up into a T-junction with plenty of opportunity for a range of shots, i also know a few friends that live around this area, so I able to use their houses to get high angle shots from second floor windows like the house oppostite on the road.

the various shots above are the first roads that the main guy from the music video walks down this is a shot from the start of the video. This location was selected as the road is in a relatively quiet and has alot of access, also as you can see from 3 shots above, the window photopraghed is that of my friends, and is one of the locations i was going to use, for a shot from inside the house looking onto the street.

Track Link- Changed my mind (Heavy Duty Remix)

http://www.myspace.com/stebzinsession

Locations Map

This is the planned route for the filming of my my music video, including all the areas and locations that i have taken pictures of in my blog. The reason i have used such a large area for my Music video as i attempting to make a continuous feel to it, as the characters are constantly walking throughout the video. I have also decided to use these specific locations for a number of reasons which i will explain:

1. Firstly, i will be filming out of the window of one of my friends houses which is upon this route (shown in my locations pictures)
2. Secondly, the start of my music video needs to be in a place with wide open spaces and trees near a road, their is an ideal location in the form of Heigham park which is a location i know well so will make shot choice easier to plan.
3. As the band are from Norwich i felt including a famous monument of Norwich would add a nice touch but in a subtle way that will be noticeable by local audience members.
4. The final reason for choosing this location is that their is a small underpass i am going to use, which has some really good street art on the walls and will change the contrast of the video.

Character ideas- Casting- Revised*

Main Guy- Klinton English

Masked ?- Nick Smith

DJ ?- ME

Masked ?- Will Flynn

Masked ?- Klinton English

During the first plan of my production I had planned to use about 8-10 cast members, which for a small production like mine is a rather large cast. This would have meant at the time I would have not had the option to do auditions or be to selective about my cast. The role of the majority of the cast is very similar to one another and doesn't require great deal acting skill so I decided the best method for casting was to do a volunteer system, I found alot of people in my media class were willing to help as they are in similar situations and understand the importance. Although after I decided to re-think my music video plan, one of the major changes I made was to revert to a smaller more manageable cast size which would only involve 3 cast members including myself which wasn't ideal but it hadn't possible to implement such a large cast size. Also having an all male cast had not been what I wanted and from an evaluative perspective would be a weakness in my music video.

Killmonjambo- changed my mind (heavy duty remix)

I actually came across this version of the song by accident, at first I wanted to make a music video of the original track, but unfortunately for me they already had a music video. Although this wasn't such a bad situation, after getting in contact with the lead singer of the band, he sent me a remix that the band had had done to go on their EP coming out on the 3rd of October. The remix was of the genre of breakbeat/dubstep which is a interesting and useful genre for me to make a music video of, as it is the main type of music I listen too and also not many music videos have been made around this genre, which gives me the opportunity to work without conventions.

Electronic music is often linked with anination music videos, a prime example being the hit dubstep track, by Benga & Coki- Night, two of the pioneer DJ's of the Dubstep scene and something else interesting about this track, is it also the first Dubstep song to ever be played on radio one in 2007 and was also voted track of the year by Radio one's Gilles Peterson and his listeners.

The idea for my music video does not involve animation, but doesn't drift to far away from the Electronica Genre conventions . Utah Saints released Something good 08 which involved a fantastic music video to go along with it. It involves a man dancing in a peculiar fashion to the song in a bar and without any communication or interaction people begin to join him mirroring his exact dance moves. The feel the main characters in my video and in Utah saints play similar roles, like they are both possessed by the music with the most important part being no interaction with anybody else. The Utah Saints video did inspire me and I pay close attention to the shots used in this video when designing my shooting map.

costumes/props

The costumes for the characters in this piece are going to be pretty similar, to help show the sequence of all the characters doing the same actions in the video.

Main Character(male)- I have an image in my hood of what i would like this character to look like, and making sure his costume is appropriate will be influential to the success of the music video. A list of key items needed:

• A black hooded jumper is essential (opening sequence of video)



• A pair of jeans or maybe tracky bottoms either will be fine.



• A pair of trainers, although the design or style is not really important.



• A pair of headphones(part of props)

There will be approx. 9 other characters all together in the video, they will be wearing similar outfits to the main character, quite casual clothes, although some uniqueness is also required.

At this moment in time, I only have a few props i wont to use in my music video, the first being a trumpet, a trumpet is important as it is a key signifier of the original band throughout the track. The trumpet will be played in a variety of sections of the video, some points being the beginning and when the trumpet is played in the track.

The other main prop I will use is a bike, in more detail a man riding a bike. This will be used in the music video when a man rides towards the walking group but stops when he has passed them gets off his bike, takes off any equipment, leaves it all and also begins to follow them.

storyline- Music Video

The music starts with a hooded figure sitting upon the ground, at first it seems that he is acting strangly, almost disconnected from the rest of the world. He sits on the floor, holding his knees close to his chest, seemingly waiting for something. He abruptly stands to his feet, and draws back his hood revealing his face for the first time, he also withdraws some headphones from his ears, it at this point that the music starts. Again, completely still he stands like he is waiting for something or someone, all of the sudden he starts walking at a rather brisk pace, in a hurry to get somewhere.

The next scene sees him walking down a street pavement, again not interacting with anything or anyone, not stoping, acting like he is possessed. He turns into another street and keeps on walking, then someone walks out of a house behind him and starts to follow, although does not seem to interact with him at any point. The follower acts in the same possessed way as the first man. They turn another corner and are on a new street, more people this time 2 walk out of different houses, and follow with the first follower. The group begin to draw attention to themselves and people are looking at them funny, a few shots from inside peoples houses highlight the group strange activity.

Treatment for your music video

Name of Artist: killamonjambo

Title of Track : Changed my mind ( Heavy Duty Remix)

Outline of ideas: The scene starts with a hooded figure sitting on the floor with his hood up holding his knees tight, alone, the camera slowly rotating round him focusing on him at all times . no music can be heard at this point.

As the guy stands to his feet and takes off his hood the music starts playing he stands and stares for a few seconds, then he starts a brisk walk. The camera follows him hanging about 10 metres behind.

The scene cuts to him walking down a pretty standard street then out of nowhere some walks out of a house and without any contact with the man starts following him. They walk like they are in a hurry to get somewhere with only the want to reach there destination on there mind.

As he walks down different streets/ road people come out of their houses and start following him, with the same attitude as the first follower and the guy. Posessed by the music leading them somewhere.

It will also have occastional cuts to instruments and people singing the words when the play in the song .

They keep on walking till they reach a door they all go inside and the door closes behind them. then the camera point of view opens the door and walks in behind them to find themselves at a gig with everyone dancing.

Prodigy-Take me to the hospital- Analytical Essay

Prodigy- Take me to the Hospital

This is the third release from prodigy’s new album invaders must die and I will be analyzing the representation of the band in this video. The video take me to the hospital by the prodigy represents the group as dark, aggressive and rebellious. Prodigy have always been known for being a bit different in their image and there style of music, mixing their 1970’s punk-style dress codes and attitudes with a more modern style of electronica-punk music which has put them in some what of a league of their own with few bands in the genre being able to replicate their overwhelming success.

In this section I will be explaining my reasons behind describing The Prodigy as “Dark”. The setting of the music video in parts is a derelict mental hospital, which is rundown and gives an unwelcoming sense to the audience. The lighting in the video also helps create a dark atmosphere, with the only light in the video coming from unnatural light in the form of strobe and full beam lights. Also the description of “Dark” fits in with their lyrics; with one in particular that stands out “along came a spider he was creepy like Dracula”. Also there are a number of people with creepy bear masks and black hoodies, the majority with their hoods up which is associated with threatening behavior, they are also portrayed in a dark menacing way with an example being a shot of their shadows on a wall as a group runs past.

I also described the prodigy as being

Early Problems that arouse when choosing my unsigned band!

I have had some bad luck to the run up for selecting a unsigned band for this years A2 media coursework. My first problem arouse finding a good enough unsigned band to use for my video, the reason for the importance to have a good band is that i am going to have to make a music video for the song I choose. An example being a boring song is going to be difficult to turn into an interesting music video.

After getting some advice from my subject teacher my first choice was not going to be appropriate to allow me to get what i wanted out of my music video, so I started to look again to not much more success. I looked at bands like the Kabeedies and the Neutrinos but i found that they were both signed to record labels and both already had music videos for some of their tracks.

Then finally, I found a group which were great: Killamonjambo, a Norwich based band, who in fact the lead of this band I knew reasonably well as he was a family friend. Although another problem arouse when i found out my first choice song from them changed my mind, they had already made a music video for, so I hope I am still able to use them, except I will have to use another song which I am investigating currently.

A Music Video that I like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj8JrQ9w5jY
I was not able to embed this video as the record label YouTube would let me.
LCD Soundsystem- Daft Punk is playing in my house
The Music video uses Quick fast forwarding and rewarding as its main effect, and does this to great effect with the other reoccurring theme in the video being the traffic light system of colours. At the start of the video we see the the red green and amber lights and then it links to a section of the video at 0:23 where it zooms in on a mixer, still using the fast forwarding and rewarding effect, and the sound gage moves from green to amber to red and back a few times. Another superb feature of this video is the way, when the camera focuses on the singer even though he is moving constantly, it still looks like he is singing the words in time with the song. The lighting in the video, really helps compliment the Mise en Scene of the piece, for example the dark streets, allow the traffic light system to work and link in well with other sections of the music video, an example in 0:57 there are people dressed in morph suits in the colour scheme of Red, Amber and Green. The way the traffic light people work is also clever, and is similar to a section at the start of the video 0:23 as both the mixer and the people move in the same way with the same colours. There is also a repeating section of the video which goes in turn with the lyrics of the song; there are a variety of the of people in different fancy dress costumes, one being a skeleton suit and they are dancing in his house which would be normal if daft punk was playing in your house.

Is the music industry dominated by capitalist giants whose sole interest is making maximum profit?

Reason for choosing this topic?

it is a question i have a great interest to investage the answers that arise.



What do you expect to find out?

Answers that support my question also answers that go against the question, to create a final piece that has for and against arguements.



How will you express your findings?

I will display all of my findings on my blog, in the form of video interviews aswell as audio podcasts, along with written interviews, research, essays, quotes.



what research will you carry out?

1. Internet Research- research main major record labels and look at how long acts stay on their label-(turnover) Example: Kelly Rowland

2. Peer Reseach- What my peers think about the question(opinions)- Using a qustionnaire + interviews

3. Financial Reseach- See how much the major record labels make and how much successful acts make.

Conventional Music Video-(Strokes)

The Strokes- You Only Live Once.

I believe this video is a conventional video as the mise-en-scene of the music video itself seems to fit with a Narrative which links to the name of the song and combines in with the lyrics as well. The shot you see in the opening of the sequence is the band in a small room that looks a bit like the inside of a submarine, all wearing white outfits with their instruments to hand. The lighting is a feature you are immediately drawn too as it is very bright light illuminating the bands all white outfits. Their is a number of very quick cuts through out the music video, although in the opening they are more frequent, cutting to and from each member of the band, also drawing attention to the big holes in the side of the room. A fish eye camera lens is used from about 0:45 onwards this gives the effect of people closer being bigger than people further away, The lead singer Julian Casablancas is always the biggest (at the front) showing his importance in the band.

At about 0:57 as the song drops into the chorus, oil begins to run out of the holes on either side of the wall, there is a very interesting contrast you are automatically drawn too, that a think black staining liquid is beginning to fill up the room, where there is electrical equipment, musical instruments but most importantly the whole band are wearing white outfits. My perception of this contrast is that the song is about only living once so they have a i don't really care attitude, they don't mind their white outfits and instruments getting ruined. They continue to play without a care in the world despite being submerged by oil. They battle against the oil, trying to carry on playing their instruments, lifting their guitars above the liquid, and at later stage 2:45 they even use their instruments (guitars) and push them against holes to try and stop the oil torrent. Eventually the oil completely submerges them, with a wonderful close up shot of lead singer lifting one finger to his lips as he sings final line.

At the end of the video, all that can be seen is the bright lights shining down on the glinting oil surface with a few instruments floating on its surface and the lead singer face down seemingly dead. I believe that the narrative and song title link brilliantly with a simple message of make the most of it because you only live once.

First blog of Music Industry A2 Unit

This is my new media for the A2 unit of the course which is based around the music industry. There will be certain sections in particular we will be focusing on the effect of music market and industry as a whole, and the development of new technologies, we will also be looking at the use of music to form personal and group identities.