Digipak Design

Digipak CD Designs

edit:

i chose to use this one as my CD design

Artist Profile

Representation in the Video

What issues of representation are found in the video?

Female representation conventions that are in the video:

·         Character is concerned about appearance

·         Lighting includes colours associated with women?

·         Atmosphere / mise-en-scene – most of the locations/deco is feminine orientated

·         Sound – song fits into Riot Girl genre, so female lead fits & corresponds

Countertypes in the video:

·         Female lead – unusual?

·         Independent – one of the only characters shown

·         Camera angles – often straight on and up close – direct – you are on the same level and forced to interact? Has to be taken seriously

·         Complex character – emotions are conveyed through actions/sound/lighting

·         Lighting also includes stronger colours – not often associated

·         There is no male gaze – character is not objectified

·         Image/appearance of the video is controlled by the woman

Age representation conventions that are in the video:

·         Lighting – vibrant and exciting / energetic

·         Sound – towards the end, the song gets louder and faster – also fits into representation that young people are energetic and loud

·         The song could also be interpreted as loud/offensive towards the end – young people can be the same?

Countertypes in the video:

·         Character doesn’t do bad / irresponsible things in the video

·         A lot of the video is filmed in the home – young people are often associated with streets etc.

·         Camera – stays still most of the time – counteracts energetic stereotype

Script

(page one)

(page 2)

(page 3)

(page 4)

edit: since writing the script I wanted to change it by adding more use of editing such as kaleidoscope effects, mirror effects, slow motion, split screen effects, strobe lights and possibly colour changes. I also wanted to add more locations like different rooms of the house, car parks and streets. This means that I may also remove some shots that are in the script like shot 2, 4, 6, 11, and 12. These shots will be replaced with more effect-heavy / interesting shots.

A practical issue was that I was unable to find an affordable and good quality star projector. This means that I could try and make something similar by cutting shapes into card and covering a lamp with it, but I will probably just remove the star projector from the script and do something else.
I also want to have faster editing towards the end of the video. The song gets quite fast and angry, so I want to emulate that properly. I might also add  a shot before the song starts to use as a title screen, with a text overlay.

Treatment

Treatment for “Part Heart” by Kate Nash

Narrative

The actual song is about “when you’re really down, and really affected by something and you feel like you’re never going to feel any different and everyone tells you there’s certain things you should do to feel better but none of them work”, so I would want to make a video that seemed quite sad/frustrated. I could emulate this by using a lot of short clips edited together so that the video seems to shift quite quickly, giving a jolty/fidgety feel.

Performance

I might try and make the video match the music by making it a narrative video (it would follow the lyrics – convert them to a visual form) – although I’m probably more likely to make it a conceptual video.
I decided I might make the video follow one person on their own to emulate the loneliness/frustration of the song.

Cinematography

I will try and make the video match the music by making it slow at the beginning then progressively faster (done through editing).

Mise-en-scene

The video will probably all take place inside a house (to coincide with the lyrics “how much I stay indoors, leave the house”).
I want to use strobe lights to emulate the irritation/frustration of the song. I was also thinking about experimenting with lighting – I wanted to fill rooms with different coloured lights, maybe to emulate the feelings in the song e.g. using red lighting when the song starts to speed up and get louder.
lighting: coloured mood lights, fairy lights, star projectors, sparklers, candles.

Generic Convention

I might make the video so that it is original work but still ties in/matches with some of Kate Nash’s other videos. This would also make sure that the video fits in with the music and genre properly.

Locations

locations to use:

i'm going to use a variety of locations in my video, including:

• local streets 
• carparks - may need permission
• my own house - primary location for the use of lighting

i wont be able to use lighting or change the appearance of the public places, but could do something in editing after filming

Costumes and Props

costume:

i want the actor to be wearing some kind of dress because i think that would fit into the aesthetic of the song.
i could use multiple outfits/costume changes to keep the appearance of the actor interesting.

some options:

  

all of these can be bought online and are reasonably affordable, so obtaining them would be realistic

edit: i now own one like the top right

props:

the main props that are going to be used in the video is the lighting methods because these will be interacted with by the actor. the script also includes a record player.
i would also use things found on location as props.

edit: added props - polaroid camera.
lighting methods will not be interacted with any more as I haven't been able to get a star projector.

Lighting in a Music Video

one thing i've been thinking about a lot for the video is lighting. i want to experiment with different coloured lights, strobe lights, candles, sparklers, star projectors and fairy lights. 

filling a dark room with coloured light from a mood lamp would look really interesting and you could also use it to express certain moods in parallel with the song.

examples:

mood lamps:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008B4DCCU/ref=s9_simh_gw_p201_d15_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=13YGPZ1Q4XKP8ZV0AAYE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=429454147&pf_rd_i=468294

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Auraglow-Remote-Controlled-Colour-Changing/dp/B0047TP4CO/ref=pd_sim_light_11

star projectors:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Innoo-Tech-Night-Projector-Amazing/dp/B009ENX2SQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=lighting&ie=UTF8&qid=1380706057&sr=1-4&keywords=star+projectors

creating a visible spectrum would be really interesting too

using red, green and blue light

other nice images:

edit:

instead of buying expensive coloured lights, you could use transparent coloured plastic as a makeshift camera filter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SHEETS-ASSORTED-COLOURED-CELLOPHANE-SIZE/dp/B001V8P4AG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

if you put this in front of the camera lens then the image will come out in a different colour

acetate could be stuck onto the lens or held in front

Album Adverts in Magazines

JANELLE MONAE

What information needs to be on the advert?

You need to be able to derive something about the artist from it. Most adverts use an image of the artist so that you can see what they look like/how they present themselves and therefore get an idea of what the music will sound like. 

How does the design appeal to the audience?

The design appeals to the audience because it looks quite glamorous and exciting. You can tell that the music will be quite upbeat and fun to listen to because of the styling and bright colours, but may also have an interesting/intellectual edge.

What are the connotations of the design and how do they link to the artist and genre?

The design is very interesting as it is quite politically suggestive -  a group of black women are posing in 1960s outfits – they would have been the most underrepresented and oppressed group of people at the time.

PJ HARVEY

What information needs to be on the advert?

This advert does not include anything like the artists face or much about the album – this is probably because PJ Harvey is already a well established artist. It does however include the name of the album and release date, along with reviews from music magazines.

How does the design appeal to the audience?

the design doesn't give very much away - creates mystery that makes the audience want to buy the album and find out what its about/if it's different to older work.

What are the connotations of the design and how do they link to the artist and genre?

THE CLASH

What information needs to be on the advert?

from this advert (32 iconic tracks..."you can see that this is a "greatest hits" album.

like the PJ Harvey poster,this album doesn't really include an image of any of the artists, but again this is a very well established band, so the advertising can afford to be more conceptual.

How does the design appeal to the audience?

What are the connotations of the design and how do they link to the artist and genre?

The Clash are a punk band and this is emphasised by the design of the poster (kicking stuff).

How do these texts synergise with each other?

both the PJ Harvey poster and The Clash poster don't include actual images of the artist because everyone already knows who they are so they have more freedom with advertising. Janelle Monae, however, is a relatively unknown, newly-emerging artist and so it was a good idea for her to put an image of herself on the album and the poster to make her more identifiable and also attract new listeners.

Making a Song Choice

I've decided to move away from the synthpop genre and chose the song "Part Heart" by Kate Nash, which is more rock/riot grrrl oriented.

i decided to choose a song from this genre instead because i'm generally more interested in this type of music.
however, the types of videos (concept/narrative based) that i was planning would still work with this music so i wouldn't have to re-plan everything.

other riot grrrl bands:

Bikini Kill


Hole



Bratmobile



you could look at music videos from these bands as ideas/influence

Conventions of Rock/Punk/Riot Grrrl Videos

Audience Research

Target Audience Profile

The target audience is predominantly female and around the ages of 16 to 25. they would probably be interested in other synthpop/pop or alternative bands, as well as visual art. these people would probably be quite open minded and accepting of new ideas as synthpop and its associated genres can push some boundaries of music to create new sounds.
They would probably engage in social media sites like Tumblr (which can be used to find similar artists). they may also be interested in surrealist-style or cult films. seeing as women such as claire boucher hold a strong position in this genre, the target audience would be pro-feminism.they might buy art/photography/fashion/music magazines like oh comely or dazed and confused.they may also be interested in making music themselves.

Approaching Video Planning

1) Which two or three music genres do you like the idea of focusing on? 

Synthpop

i think that making a music video for a synthpop song would be a fun idea because the songs normally sounds fairly abstract, so you could make quite an interesting concept video for it. therefore, the video would not necessarily have to connect to the lyrics and you would have a lot of freedom in making it. However, the video could also be performance or narrative based if you wanted it to be.

Experimental Rock

Because this is rock music, you could make a performance based video. i think that a video that is a mixture of concept and narrative would be quite interesting and would fit in with the 'experimental' bit of the music. a concept music video for an experimental rock song would work quite well because experimental songs tend to sound quite unique and abstract.

2) Identify your chosen genre, and briefly analyse 2-3 music videos from this genre with a focus now on gathering inspiration.

Synthpop
1st Video:

Grimes - Oblivion

this video is sort of a concept video although it does tie in with some of the lyrics at times. the song itself is about being assaulted, and in the video, grimes is shown as being the most dominant figure in a crowd of men. this gives a kind of political message as it is also a role reversal of most pop music videos where women are shown as passive objects.

especially this bit at the beginning which shows grimes all fully clothed in the middle while the men are frolicking around semi naked.

2nd Video:

Purity Ring - Lofticries

this video show loads of totally weird things happening while people walk past and act indifferently to it. this appears to be a concept video because it's pretty hard to figure out what's going on in the song but it's probably connected somehow. the video was made by a series of continuous takes put together in editing with a wobbly transition.
the video seems to be conveying a message about how we react to other people's suffering and that we should have more compassion and empathy for other people.

3) Explore artists from this genre

Grimes

Albums
Geidi Primes (2010)
Halfaxa (2010)
Visions (2012)

Grime's genre are said to be a mixture of synthpop, electronic, experimental, dream pop, dark wave, industrial and witch house.

emptywhitecircles

song: positives

i read the lyrics of the song before i heard it and i imagined it would sound very different.
i thought that the song would sound quite upbeat and energetic although not completely positive in tone, similar to some songs by Mumford & Sons. 

the lyrics sound negative and positive at the same time, but the song is very slow and quiet/soft.it is almost difficult to make out some of the lines. overall the positive and negative elements give an interesting feel to the song but i think that it is a kind of niche style which is not overly marketable.

plan for a music video:

the video for the song could be performance based similar to this song:

you could use a setting that fits the image of the band. however, you don't want the video and overall image to look too similar to other bands, especially popular ones.

because of the american members you could market the band towards other Americans by using symbols or aesthetics that they recognise and identify with.

because the tone of the song sounds slightly disconnected to the lyrics,a concept video would also work.

i might use a colour scheme composed of fairly dark colours or film the whole video in black and white.
this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kxrG5XPlLw

is filmed in black and white, so filming the video for Positives in black and white or a dark colour scheme would correspond with it and match their general style.

in order to market the band through the video, you could give close ups of each member throughout the video and generally try to focus on them, particularly the lead singer (this tends to happen a lot with bands but it makes them more memorable, and therefore more marketable). additionally, you could gear the video towards a certain target audience such as teenagers or young adults.

Music Video Analysis

David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
Directed by Floria Sigismondi

What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?

The visuals depict younger versions of both David and Tilda earlier on in their careers. this is linked to the lyrics as they are about "stars" (in reference to celebrities) and being haunted by the past as well as the media's fascination with celebrities. ultimately, the video helps to communicate the lyrics even more because they are closely related.

What is the relationship between music and visuals?

the genre of music fits the type of video because they are both alternative and are a medium for conveying messages. the takes within the video also fit into the rhythm of the song.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?

there is only one close of David and its purpose is mainly to show his reaction to the celebrities. there is a kind of colour motif that focuses on soft colours which contrasts with the colours of the celebrities clothes - they often wear black. 
David's image is presented as being more mature due to his relatively "normal" looking clothing, but still clever and creative due to his insight into the media and its corruption.
this video is very different to his previous work such as Life On Mars

but this may be because of developments in technology as well as Bowie's style.


Is there reference to the notion of looking?

Bowie himself is not sexually represented. this is probably due to the fact that men are not often over sexualised in music videos and films because the majority of film makers and directors are men themselves. although the director of The Stars is actually a woman, David is still not presented in a sexual way. however,towards the end of the video the women start being presented in a sexual way. 

interestingly, the video for Marina and the Diamonds - How To Be a Heartbreaker has been deemed "controversial" due to the sexualisation of men rather than women.marina chose to make the video this way in response to the over sexualisation of women and to shock the audience as they would not expect to see men presented in this way, whereas seeing a woman presented like this is perfectly normal.

the "notion of looking" is also presented by the television showing Tilda and David at home and the Stars acting as paparazzi and staring/photographing them in the supermarket 

Are there inter-textual references?

There are references to Bowies' earlier career throughout the video.




Iselin Seiro plays a younger Bowie and clearly represents him.this is possibly used to highlight the message in the video as David is being haunted by his younger self and stardom. there don't appear to be references to separate texts.


Is the music video performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based?

I would say that the video is narrative based because the video fits into the song, connects with the lyrics and tells a story like a narrative video.