Digipak Research part 4

Celebration - Madonna:

This is probably one of my favourite digipaks simply because of its punchy and vivid impact that it has upon the viewer. The incorporation of bright colours into the photograph of the female singer gives the image a much more contemporary and urban feeling which reflects the theme of the album as it consists of all her greatest hits. The vivid yellow, blue and red help unify the booklet as these colours are carried on throughout the rest of the pages. The stamp effect which has been used for the title and also part of the front cover image help enforce this urban/industrial theme which is predominant in the booklet's design. I love the vintage effect what has been used for the background throughout the digipak as it refers to the purpose of the album - bringing back old, classic songs done by the female artist but this effect also gives the visual design of the booklet a retro feeling. The print image of her in the centre of the booklet showcases the artist and also ties in with the print design of the front cover. I love the fact that it is placed over some of the wording as it is enforcing the predominance of the artist.

Digipak Research part 3

'21' album - Adele:

What I like about this digipak is the simplicity of its design. The front image of the female singer exudes strong connotations of femininity with her soft facial expression, her natural hair and the little use of make up which shows her natural beauty. The black and grey colour palette adds a sense of elegance and quality to the booklet (therefore reinforcing the feminine theme) but it also introduces the viewer to the album itself - its appearance isn't overly dramatic so therefore this suggests that the album is going to be relaxed, sophisticated but above all, focusing on the singing aspect of the album. I quite like the use of capital lettering for the title as it allows the viewer's eye to be immediately drawn to the title but also the soft edges of the text resemble the delicate nature of the album itself. The colour scheme is carried on throughout the booklet with faint grey colours used for the fonts and background which compliment the neutral photogrpahs of the female singer. I love the photographs used in the booklet as they all exude femininity but what is interesting is that they seem to expose her natural beauty, therefore showing her in a positive light for females around the world.

Digipak Research part 2

Beyonce '4' Album booklet:

What initially drew me to look at this specific digipak was the vivid impact created through the dominating picture of the female singer. The simplicity of the design helps emphasise this image and it is a very empowering symbol for women - it strongly reminds me of the statue of liberty. I love the contrast between the masculinity of the ripped, fur jacket against the femininity of her visual appearance. The soft neutral tone of the background compliments the intensity of the black fur throw across her figure but what it also does is suggest the theme of the album which is simplicity, to therefore create a vivid statement for the album itself. Throughout her booklet there are various photographs of the female singer in unique and individual costuming - what this does is visually attract the reader as the booklet is showcasing the artist in a number of alluring photographic images. What I really like about this digipak is the little text which is used as it therefore focusses more upon the creative, visual aspects of its design - the layout, the images, the font style. Its purpose is more like providing the audience with an in depth experience of the artists rather than simply showing the words to the song.

Digipak Research part 1

A Digipak is a little booklet which usually accompanies any CD, DVD or BD and it is a patented design of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company. The design of a typical digipak evolved from old fashioned vinyl record cases and so therefore the digipak resembles a book-like structure consisting of a paperboard or outer binding which holds the entire booklet together and it encases the CD therefore protecting it from damage. Digipaks were originally used as a cheap alternative to the usual plastic (jewel) case that we are used to today however one major issue with these digipaks was that they were easily vulnerable to abrasion and damage therefore ruining the visual appearance. Licensed digipak manufacturers such as domestic U.S. printer and disc replicator Oasis Disc Manufacturing recommended to other companies that they should apply a coating to the 'raw' paper with a protective UV coating, thus ensuring longer survival against damage.  Major manufacturing companies have sought to reduce their environmental impact and improve functionality of the jewel case by introducing recycled components into its trays, such as recycled bottles. Many printers use recycled or sustainable material for the board stock as well.

Music in the 90's

Hip Hop:
This genre of music came around in roughly 1992, this is when Dr. Dre's album 'The Chronic' which provided a template for modern ganster rap which soon evolved into hip hop. By the mid 1990's hip hop had overtaken other forms of music with its huge commerical sales and advertising, and this was aided by some popular artists such as Fugees and 2Pac. The most signficant point in history for this genre of music was in 1998 when Lauryn Hill released her big debut album called 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'. The album won five Grammy awards and due to this huge success it went on to selling over 19 million copies worldwide. Lauryn Hill was used as the main promotion point for the hip hop genre and helped define what this music is - rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted to musical accompaniment.

Britpop:

Countering this movement of hip hop and rock, Britpop soon emerged from british culture which attempted to reject the themes of youth and freedom that came from popular American music. This genre of british music was heavily influenced by the 60's and 70's disco/hippy culture within the capital due to their relaxed and individual artists and also their unique material. Oasis was the most iconic and popular band within this new form of music as they regularly topped the single and album charts but were the only Britpop band to be able to tap into the American market. Towards the end of the 90's Britpop began struggling to compete with major artists so therefore this marked the gradual decline in this genre to the inevitable break up of groups such as Blur, Suede and Pulp.

Music in the 90's

Pop:

As the same time as pop punk, pop began to emerge in the early 90's. towards the end of the 1990's American teen pop singers and bands started to become very popular within the younger generation such as The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Jenifer Lopez and Destiny's Child. This was the first time in music where artists attempted to target a younger audience (teenagers) and towards the end of the 90's this was replaced by more dance pop music. Due to the huge success of this genre, there was an increase in young, female pop acts which was mainly caused because of the massive impact the British pop girl act 'Spice Girls' had upon the world. 


R&B:

R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk. The music usually incorporates  a polished record production style, drum machine-backing rhythms and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement.This music genre orginated from the arrival of strong vocal, female artists such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. What was new and interesting about these artists was that their music focused much more emphasis on melisma which therefore became a trademark of this genre. Janet Jackson's fifth album 'Janet' was the first major breakthrough for this genre as it sold over ten million copies worldwide therefore resulting in global advertising for this type of music. 

Music in the 90's

Towards the beginning of the 1990's music started to become hugely diverse with many different trends emerging, such as alternative rock, grunge music and the growth of hip hop and teen pop which started in around the 80's.

Alternative Rock:

This form of music came about due to the continual success and popularity of grunge and brit-pop. It emerged into mainstream music roughly in the first few years of the 1990's and because of the massive public interest in this genre of music, the music industry soon became very enticed by alternative rock's commercial possibilities so therefore major labels were soon competing to acquire certain bands including Jane's Addiction, Dinosaur Jr, and Nirvana. The most commonly asscociated band with alternative rock is The Red Hot Chilli Peppers who became very important in the rise of this music genre due to the release of their album 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' which brought worldwide attention to them but also the musical genre. Alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from independent music, such as grunge, Britpop, indie pop, and indie rock. The common theme throughout all these bands is the ethos of punk rock. 

Pop Punk:

The pop punk genre of music emerged into mainstream in the mid 90's however it struggled to become emergent before this because the genre was not commercially viable for labels to take it on. The major breakthrough for this genre was in 1997 when the pop punk band 'Blink 182's' was signed by a record label to therefore promote them into the mainstream. both of these factors therefore influenced the arrival of some independent music labels such as Lookout! Records and Fat Wreck Chords. The band which made pop punk popular amongst mainstream music was the Californian band 'Green Day' who released an album called 'Dookie' in 1994, which sold 10 million copies in the United States and 20 million copies worldwide. Another band called Offspring soon after that released an album called 'Smash' which sold just as well as 'Dookie' and because of the success of these two albums, major labels soon became very interested in this new music genre. 

 

Letter Of Permission

20th September 2011

Jamie T - CEO

Dear__Pacemaker Recordings___,

My name is ___Luke Moss___ and I am currently studying A-Level Media Studies at Aldenham School. 

As part of my coursework this year, I am creating and producing a music video to a song of my choice.  I have chosen  ____Hometown Glory____   by  __Adele__  as the song I would like to create a music video for, and I am writing this letter to seek your permission to do so.

Please note, this video will be used only for my coursework and will not be distributed or marketed in any form.  I would greatly appreciate your permission to use this song.

Many Thanks,

Luke Moss

Adele - 'Make You Feel My Love'

This is my favourite song done by this artist as it immediately attracts the viewers attention from the very beginning. The setting of this video is based around an exiciting, urban environment which provides a dramatic contrast to the femininity of the lead female singer.The wide array of different shots constantly keeps the viewers attention and the heavy use of close up shots upon the singer's face creates a sense of intimacy for the viewer - drawing them into the action. The long shots help enhance the realism of the video by showing off the surroundings and props. The lighting is immediately striking and vivid as it reinforces the gloomy and sombre atmoshpere - what this does is unifies the entire video by emphasising the theme throughout. Together both the lighting and shot types frame the female artist and also emphasise half of the commodity that is up for sale - the artist and the voice. Finally, the costuming throughout the video resembles negative emotion surrounding the situation of the song - so her clothing is quite dull and unflattering to represent her sadness. The atmosphere of the song is also represented through the use of quite dark tones of grey and black - symbolising the negativity that the female artist is trying to portray.

Adele - 'Rolling in the Deep'

The first immediate aspect of this video that draws me in is the sudden build up of orchestral string instruments which instantly create excitement and tension for the entrance of the song. The various backgrounds involved in the video create a modernistic and contemporary atmosphere with the unusual architectural features and unique set design (such as the floor full of drinking glasses) but they also help emphasise the female singer's unique costuming - the elegant yet sophisticated clothing reinforces the youthful and feminine nature of the music video. What I love about this video is the wide variety of shots used - the jump cutting and the constant change in shots keeps the excitement level high and maintains the energy throughout the footage, the close up shots draw the audience right into the centre of the action whilst the long shots showcase the lead singer and display her natural beauty and femininity.

Adele 'Hometown Glory' (My Song Choice)

"Hometown Glory" was the first single from Adele's debut album 19, in which it was released on 22 October 2007 in the United Kingdom. In 2008, the song was re-released as her fourth single attempting to increase the sells and promotion of her album. The song became globally popular with it being within the top 20 on the British UK charts.

What I love about this video is the delicacy and soft nature that is created through the low lighting and the simple set design. The unique composition of the video (the artist in the centre with the posters behind her) draws our attention straight onto the artist and maintains it with constantly changing shots that showcase the different backgrounds which move past her throughout the song. The shots which focus upon the artist seem to portray her in a delicate and gentle manner which represents her character.

Adele '19' - Hometown Glory lyrics

"Hometown Glory"

I've been walking in the same way as I did
Missing out the cracks in the pavement
And tutting my heel and strutting my feet
"Is there anything I can do for you dear? Is there anyone I could call?"
"No and thank you, please Madam. I ain't lost, just wandering"

Round my hometown
Memories are fresh
Round my hometown
Ooh the people I've met
Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of this world
Are the wonders of my world

I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque
I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades
I like it in the city when two worlds collide
You get the people and the government
Everybody taking different sides

Shows that we ain't gonna stand shit
Shows that we are united
Shows that we ain't gonna take it
Shows that we ain't gonna stand shit
Shows that we are united

Round my hometown
Memories are fresh
Round my hometown
Ooh the people I've met

Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of this world
Are the wonders of my world

Artist Research - Adele

Adele is an English singer and songwriter who became globally famous for the release of her debut album '19' which was released in 2008. At a young age Adele went to 'The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology' which gace her the ambition to become a performer. She produced a small collection of songs which were posted on Myspace which therefore led to her being discovered by a music label called 'XL Recordings'. From this moment she was becoming more involved in the music industry with her providing back vocals to many albums and songs such as Jack Periate's song 'My Yvonne' to performing at charitable concerts which invovled some top rated singers such as Will Young. As a result of this, she became the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. Adele's genre of music is considered as soul/jazz which is combined with modernistic pop traits - critics have stated that 'her vocals were more developed and intriguing than her songwriting'.

Influential Material part 6

Marks and Spencer Advert:
This advert showcases femininity off to its best potential. Firstly the women used in the footage are all iconic models so therefore they immediately portray the female gender in a positive light. Their costuming throughout the clip is constantly changing and helps emphasise the women's figures but also the clothes themselves provide connotations of femininity with their soft, tonal colours, pretty embellishments and vivid patterns. The different sets used throughout the footage all reinforce the feminine nature of the advert and sometimes provide a masculine contrast - such as the plane runway and the royal guards sequence with Lisa Snowdon. The best aspect of this video I feel is the music - Cheryl Lynn 'Got To Be Real' it simply exudes femininity and provides a good tempo for the advert to work to. The strong female voice helps enforce the stereotypes of the women in the advert but also to draw the audience in to the clip. The reason why I am using this as inspiration is because of the high amount of feminine connotations used throughout the clip - the costuming, the music, the characters, the set design and the props.

Influential Material part 5

The Devil Wears Prada:

This film is an excellent example of showing the stereotype of the youthful, fashion conscious women. I am looking at this film simply because of the costuming which yet again exudes high amounts of femininity and this is what I want to try and recreate in my video as it will provide a good contrast with the industrial background which I plan to use (London). The vibrant colours emphasise the youth of the characters and help keep the viewers interest, especially as the film is based around a fashion magazine. The costuming I believe is the best aspect of this film as it helps emphasise the femininity of all the female characters and yet it does this in an understated way.

Influential Material part 4

Beyonce:

Beyonce is a world renowned superstar who shows the world just how strong and independent women can be. The reason why I am drawing upon her as inspiration is because she throughout all her videos provides the partygirl stereotype which I am trying to achieve. The costuming within her videos is a major aspect of her stereotype as they help enhance her natural beauty but also create a vivid and individual character for her videos - such as Single Ladies, Deja Vu and 1+1. Beyonce constantly exudes femininity whether it be in her costuming or her intricate dance routines however it is the way that her music videos portray this which intrguies me. For example in Single Ladies it is the costuming and her highly skilled dance routine which attract the audience and showcase her as an artist, in the song Irreplaceable it is the make up and soft textured clothing which put emphasis upon her feminine nature. What I want to take away from this is the charisma which Beyonce as a performer constantly exudes and portrays to her audience.

Influential Material part 3

Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music:

I have previously looked at this music video however this I feel is the perfect basis of what I want to achieve for my video. The immediate presence of femininity provides an intricate focal point for the video and a vivid contrast with the dark, urban environment. The vibrant hints of colour reinforce the party atmosphere and help maintain the viewers attention. What I love about this video is the constant and also erratic cutting sequences within the footage as they create a youthful and exuberant appeal about the video, however it also helps frame the lead female singer as we see her in the centre of many different shots. The storytelling nature of this video is also incredible as it provides the viewer with a visually stunning experience - this is seen for example in the costuming which exudes femininity and provides the partygirl stereotype which is portrayed throughout the entire video. What I want to take from this video is the storyline and also a few different shot techniques which I want to incoporate into my video.

Influential Material part 2

Pixie Lott - All About Tonight:

What I love about this song is the immediate sense of youth and vibrancy which is portrayed through the visual aspects of the female lead singer. Her costuming exudes femininity as it reinforces the typical stereotype of women in modern society - blonde, thin, tanned, fashion conscious. I love the fact that it is filmed in an industrial environment as this provides a vivid contrast with the female lead singer - the masculinity against the femininity I believe is a key aspect of this video. I love the make up of the female character as it is subtle and yet emphasises her natural beauty, therefore enforcing her femininity. Another inspirational factor of this video is the fast pace cutting which strongly reflects the intricate dance sequences. The articificial lighting helps make this video much more of a performance and frames the lead singer throughout the footage. The video yet again is reinforcing the party girl characteristic which I want to acheive in my video.

Influential Material part 1

Sex and the City:
For me this is a huge influence upon my music video as I want to recreate the party girl stereotype which exudes from the hugely popular Sex and the City TV series and films. What I love about this show is the strong portrayal of the female character within modern society. They all reinforce the young, energetic woman and this is shown through their lives - such as partying, drinking and simply having fun but also this is shown through their costuming which is extremely feminine and exuberant. The setting of the show - New York is exactly the type of background setting I want to acheive in my music video - the rough, urban environment I feel will create a great contrast with the feminine character.

What I want to take from this medium is the femininity which is created through the visual aspects of the show, mainly costuming as I want to try and recreate the party girl stereotype.

Generic Conventions of a Music Video

The conventions of a music video:

• Fast cut sequences - no shots longer than five seconds
• Having the star or band do some action sequences which are then intercut with them performing the song.
• The use of multiple locations throughout the video
• Main artist singing throughout the video (optional)
• Dance sequence (optional)
• The use of many long shots, close ups and medium shots. This creates heavy emphasis upon the artist, the location they are in and the various emotions which are portrayed. 
• Some music videos are shown in black and white which is done to emphasise the certain mood of the footage and other videos have the inclusion of artificial lighting which creates an enhanced look for the artist.
• The inclusion of props help enrich the plot and whole experience of viewing the video as it also increases the realism of the footage (optional)
• The main cutting technique used is jump cut as it maintains the excitement and youthful appearance of many modern music videos
   
   
  

Music Video Directors - Dave Meyers

Dave Meyers is an American music video director in which he has worked for many iconic female solo artists such as Pink and Missy Elliot. Many of his music videos have got global recognition - for example the video 'Get The Party Started' for Pink won Best Female and Best Dance video at the 2002 MTV Music Awards. His style has also been slightly criticised for being too futuristic and bizarre, and iconic example of this was Missy Elliot's video 'Ching-a-Ling' which was produced in 3D, the first ever music video to be made in 3D. Meyers has generally worked with more recent and upcoming artists such as Britney Spears with her song 'Radar' - therefore he is considered to be a more youthful and energetic director due to his famous clientelle.

Music Video Directors - Davd Fincher

David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director who has directed videos for some of the worlds famous artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, George Michael and Michael Jackson. In the early beginning of his career, Fincher joined a video production company called 'Propaganda Films' in which he began directing music videos and commercials and after some experience he then moved onto feature length films. Fincher has directed some very influential films within the thriller genre for example Panic Room, Fight Club and Seven. After this success he then began to direct and produce various music videos that have become iconic pieces of art within modern society such as 'Vogue' for Madonna and certain videos for The Rolling Stones. Due to his access to a wide variety of huge celebrities this then allowed him to make a predominant name for himself in the music industry.

Music Video Directors - Jonas Akerlund

Jonas Akerlund is a Swedish film and music video director who is well known for his unusual style and approach to music production. Akerlund was a member of an eighties rock band called Bathory for a few years before he left and became a music video director. He mainly became famous for the role of video director to the popular Swedish band Roxette, however he created quite a bit of controversy within the media due to his direction in the video 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy, which involved the crude depiction of drugs, violence and small amounts of nudity. Akerlund has been associated with some the most famous musical acts in the world such as Madonna, Christina Aguilera, U2 and even Lady Gaga. He has done quite a lot of work alongside Madonna such as the videos 'Music' and 'American Life' however yet again this video was heavily criticised and banned due to the intense, graphic content. Overall Akerlund is a very contemporary and creative director however there are occasions when his work pushes the moral boundaries of what is acceptable within society. An example of this is the hugely popular song 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga.

Types Of Music Video

There are a number of music video types which each contain and use different techniques, features and shots. 


The five catergories of music videos are:
-showcase
-spectacle
-narrative
-intertextual
-crossover

Initial research - The History of the Music Video part 4

The Music Video and The Internet:

2005 saw the creation which would completely revolutionise the way that we interact with music in modern society - YouTube. The website allowed for the public viewing of music videos across the internet quickly and cheaply and soon artists saw this as the main method of marketing themselves online - the more views the video got, the more famous they became. For example the band 'OK Go' acheived fame through the online distribution of two of their music videos - 'A Million Ways' and 'Here It Goes Again'. In 2009 the music video '30 Seconds to Mars' produced by the band Kings and Queens was uploaded onto YouTube on the same day of its retail release and it gained over one hundred million views in that day. Another example is Lady Gaga's hit single 'Bad Romance' which became the most viewed song on YouTube - this therefore shows the power of the internet and how crucial it has become in the progression and market dominance of the music industry.

Initial research - The History of the Music Video part 3

Music Video Progression:
Around the mid 1980s there were two major developments in music video production. Firstly the creation of inexpensive recording and editing equipment which has allowed many artists to produce promotional video clips quickly but also at a fraction of the cost if it involved professional film. The second development was computer software which incoporated special creative effects such as image compositing that allowed music videos to become much more visually impacting and exciting for the viewer. Soon after this directors and the artists whom they were working with pushed the technological aspects of the video further by incoporating my effects into their video - they also began to add storylines to the video. By 1983 Michael Jackson produced probably the most influential music video of all time - Thriller. This video completely revolutionised the industry through so many creative areas such as costuming and set design and it had a huge impact upon the purpose of the music video - instead of simply promoting the artist it created a spectacle for which the viewer was immersed into. The video was made for around 500,000 dollars which in that time period was a lot of money however this cash injection into music production was a turning point in music all around the world.

Initial research - The History of the Music video part 2

Music Television:
The Austrialian television shows 'Countdown' and 'Sounds' premiered in 1974 and were very important as they helped popularize the music genre all over the world but also they reinforced and established the heavy importance of the music video as a means of promoting an artist. The show 'Sounds' was created by local DJ Graham Webb who approached Russell Mulcahy (working in television) and asked him to film footage to accompany the show - 25 clips were made. Due to the huge success of the pilot episode Mulcahy soon began producing films for famous Australian acts such as Stylus and Hush. Towards the end of the 1970s a British version of the Australian show was created - Top of the Pops. However, this show wasn't as influential to british music as the british rock show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' which produced videos for some of the most famous artists of the time such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. This show mainly focussed upon the audio rather than the video so therefore most artists often recorded their song the previous day to the performance and then just mimed the words to therefore produce a faultless experience for the viewer.

Initial research - The History of the Music Video part 1

Promo Film Clips:
The first major step into the development of the music video was in 1964 when The Beatles starred in a feature film called 'A Hard Day's Night'. Throughout the entire film there were various combinations of dialogue and musical sequences and these musical sequences became the basic template in which nearly all music video's were then based upon. In 1965 the band soon began to produce filmed inserts which were used to promote distribution and broadcast in foreign countries - mainly in America as this offered them a huge demographic to appeal to. This new method soon allowed them to promote their new songs and albums without having to physically promote themselves, for example by performing a concert. At this point promotional clips soon became the most important aspect in an artists career and due to The Beatles new innovation in music advertising major bands and musical acts soon followed. For example The Who began to produce promotional clips in 1965 such as 'I can't explain' and another clip called 'Call Me Lightning' which was produced in 1968 shows how the drummer (Keith Moon) joined the band - so therefore this manages to advertise the band in a new and creative way. By roughly 1967 bands in Australia and New Zealand began to follow the trend which was being created by Britain and America and soon they were producing 'promo film clips' on a regular basis. As a result of this the global music industry began to produce music videos which accompanied an acts new single or album.