Thursday 8 December 2011
Monday 5 December 2011
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Poster
This is our poster. I really like it because i think the red of Katie's coat really stands out against the darkness. The leaves on the floor also stand out in the darkness i think this is a good effect and make the image feel very atmospheric. The text in this poster also stands out with being white and also the font fits in with the indie theme and also fits in with Birdy.
Friday 18 November 2011
Inlay Photos
Possible Digi Pack Photos
On set...
Brett Filming
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Filming
We filmed the rest of our scenes today with Katie and Oliver so we have now completed our filming
Thursday 10 November 2011
Filming Schedule
We had planned to film the scenes with Katie and Oliver on Wednesday 9th however neither of them were available, however it turned out that the weather would not have been suitable to film outside. Brett and myself need to try and complete our filming as soon as possible so we can start to edit. On the next shoot i also plan to take the photos for the digi pack so I can complete that as well.
Monday 7 November 2011
Piano Scene Filming
For this scene we filmed in a friends house who has a grand piano, this was a great location and the piano was beautiful and fit in perfectly with our scene. When we arrived it took about 30 minutes to apply Katie's dark eye make up and paint her nails red, we then dressed her in the black dress and she was ready for filming. We were losing light and didn't want to put a light on in the room as it wouldn't give us the effect we wanted so we used the spot light on the camera when filming so Katie's face and lip syncing was visible. We then set up the tripod and played the song so katie could lip sync to it and also it would then be easier when it came to editing to match the lip syncing with the track. Brett also did some free hand filming so he could get the close ups of katie singing.
Rough Cut
In our rough cut our male actor was not available, so we filmed scenes with Katie that we will then re film with oliver, however it was a great test of locations that proved to be successful and we though of some new shot ideas. We will however be able to use some of these shots when Katie is on her own looking at her and Oliver together in the past.
Monday 31 October 2011
Thursday 6 October 2011
Monday 3 October 2011
Friday 30 September 2011
Thursday 29 September 2011
Monday 26 September 2011
Friday 23 September 2011
Monday 19 September 2011
Initial Ideas...
Brett and I really like this song Skinny Love by Bon Iver however we have decided to use the vocals by an artist called Birdy. This is because it will allow us in our music video to portray the emotions from a females point of view and give the video a different angle, as we think this will come across better to our audiences.
Conventions of Indie Music
http://www.neardistance.co.uk/
Indie Music
In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by (real or perceived) independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach.
Definitions of "indie"
The term "indie" is often used to mean a sound that a musician presents, but when interpreted more literally, it is the way that sound is presented or made. "Indie" often refers to an artist or band that is not part of the mainstream culture and/or making music outside its influence. Though the sound of these bands may differ greatly, the "indie" definition comes from the do-it-yourself attitude and ability to work outside large corporations.
Indie meaning "not major-label"
One of the most common and simplest definitions of "indie" is the definition of not being connected with a major recording label (currently one of the "Big Four" recording companies: Warner, Universal, Sony BMG and EMI). This is the definition used by NME's indie music charts in the UK, among others.
The problem with this definition is that there is often little correlation between the commerciality or creative freedom offered by major labels and those outside the "big four". Most of the larger independent labels are run along the same business principles as the major labels, with A&R departments, marketing budgets and commercial considerations guiding their operations. Meanwhile, major labels often retain independently-oriented artists who are given greater creative independence, and who receive considerable critical acclaim. Some notable major-label artists of this sort include Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pulp and The Flaming Lips.
Indie and commerciality
A more puristic structural definition of "indie" would draw the line further down, not between the "big 4" major labels and others but between the "big indie" labels and smaller labels, considered by purists to be true indie labels. These small labels are typically run by a few people, often out of their home or garage, and often coupled with a mail-order service representing other labels. The people running the labels have a close connection to a certain scene; many labels are run partially or wholly by musicians in bands on them. A concern for the purity of the creative mission of the label takes precedence over commercial concerns; many labels close down or go on hiatus when the owners lose interest or (as often happens) run out of money (or sometimes close down when the owners feel their mission has been fulfilled, as happened with Sarah Records). Archetypal examples of such labels include the aforementioned Sarah Records, Factory Records, Dischord, Kindercore, SST and Kill Rock Stars.
The converse of this are independent labels that have been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being overly "commercial" or exploitative of certain artists or trends. Examples at various times include Fat Wreck Chords, Matador Records and Sub Pop. Epitaph was often the focus of similar accusations, however in 2005 label management signed an agreement with RIAA arguably making them no longer "independent".
Once again, this is not so much a dichotomy as a continuum; some labels grow from such independent status and gradually become more commercially oriented (often prompted by the success of one of their acts), eventually becoming subsumed by a larger conglomeration or a major label. One example of this was Creation Records, a label Alan McGee started in the 1980s on a small scale, which, in the 1990s had success with Oasis, subsequently becoming much more commercially oriented before being acquired by Sony.
Indie and genres
The word "indie" is often used to refer specifically to various genres or sounds. During the 1980s, "indie" was synonymous in Great Britain with jangly guitar pop of the C-86 movement. During the 1990s a lot of Britpop bands were referred to as "indie", despite most of the movement being signed to major labels and dominating sales charts. More recently, the word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for new wave revivalist bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. The word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for alternative, a word which often bears the stigma of being associated with cynically manufactured mass-market teen-rebellion music from major labels. Such usages of "indie" may be considered inaccurate for various reasons: for one, stylistic qualities are often not accurately correlated to commercial independence or adherence to indie principles (this is particularly true when a sound becomes popular, its leading exponents are signed by major labels and more success-oriented bands and production teams attempt to imitate the style; this ultimately culminates in commercially driven artists sporting the same stylistic traits the "indie" artists of a year ago had). Secondly, however pervasive any style of music (even one as broadly defined as "guitar pop" or "post-punk rock") may become at a particular time, it by definition cannot embody all of indie music, as, by indie's nature, there will be indie artists, labels and entire local scenes operating outside of this style and its definitions.
Cultural and philosophical attributes of indie
There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what "indie" is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s, is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines. Indie often has an internationalist outlook, which stems from a sense of solidarity with other fans, bands and labels in other countries who share one's particular sensibilities; small indie labels will often distribute records for similar labels from abroad, and indie bands will often go on self-funded tours of other cities and countries, where those in the local indie scenes will invariably help organise gigs and often provide accommodation and other support.
Indie artists of any particular time often go against the prevailing trends (for example, the twee pop movement that started in the 1980s was a reaction against the testosterone-fuelled swagger of rock). A 'lo-fi' aesthetic (i.e., an often deliberate lack of polish and a more "authentic" roughness and imperfection) has often been associated with indie, particularly when slick, polished recordings were the preserve of the commercial music industry; this line has since become blurred, in a world where high-quality recordings can be made increasingly easily with inexpensive computer-based recording systems and where commercial production teams often deliberately affect a fashionably "lo-fi" sound.
In terms of music, many adherents of indie collect vinyl records, and consider them to be more "authentic" than more recent and convenient music formats such as CDs. Paradoxically, items such as MP3 players have also become popular, if only to some of the adherents of indie music, because of the practical benefit of carrying one's record collection in one's pocket. In such cases, the cachet gained by being able to express one's taste in music sometimes trumps the value of the authenticity of vinyl.
People into the indie lifestyle are commonly referred to as "indie kids", regardless of age, and often use that term for themselves. Other terms exist; the term "hipster" has, in recent years, become somewhat synonymous with this subculture. In Australia, adherents of the indie subculture/lifestyle are sometimes referred to as "coolsies".
Subcategories of indie
There are several subcategories indie music is often grouped broadly into. Indie rock and indie pop are the most common ones. The difference between these is difficult to pick up from the instrumentation or sound, as both genres include distorted guitar-based music based on pop-song conventions. If anything, the key distinction comes not from instrumentation or structure but from how strictly they follow cultural constructions of rockist "authenticity". There is also indie dance, which comes from a fusion of indie pop and electronic/dance music. Crossover between electronica (mostly glitch) resulted in so-called indietronic, electronic indie or indie electronic, for example some artists on the German Morr Music label, or The Postal Service. Another type is Post Rock, which includes bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or Sigur Rós. The idea behind Post Rock is that there are very few (if any) lyrics, yet the songs are long (sometimes upwards of 20 minutes), and the point of the songs are to paint an emotional landscape with just music and no words. Further expanding the original meaning of the term, when used in the independent.
Indie Music
In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by (real or perceived) independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach.
Definitions of "indie"
The term "indie" is often used to mean a sound that a musician presents, but when interpreted more literally, it is the way that sound is presented or made. "Indie" often refers to an artist or band that is not part of the mainstream culture and/or making music outside its influence. Though the sound of these bands may differ greatly, the "indie" definition comes from the do-it-yourself attitude and ability to work outside large corporations.
Indie meaning "not major-label"
One of the most common and simplest definitions of "indie" is the definition of not being connected with a major recording label (currently one of the "Big Four" recording companies: Warner, Universal, Sony BMG and EMI). This is the definition used by NME's indie music charts in the UK, among others.
The problem with this definition is that there is often little correlation between the commerciality or creative freedom offered by major labels and those outside the "big four". Most of the larger independent labels are run along the same business principles as the major labels, with A&R departments, marketing budgets and commercial considerations guiding their operations. Meanwhile, major labels often retain independently-oriented artists who are given greater creative independence, and who receive considerable critical acclaim. Some notable major-label artists of this sort include Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pulp and The Flaming Lips.
Indie and commerciality
A more puristic structural definition of "indie" would draw the line further down, not between the "big 4" major labels and others but between the "big indie" labels and smaller labels, considered by purists to be true indie labels. These small labels are typically run by a few people, often out of their home or garage, and often coupled with a mail-order service representing other labels. The people running the labels have a close connection to a certain scene; many labels are run partially or wholly by musicians in bands on them. A concern for the purity of the creative mission of the label takes precedence over commercial concerns; many labels close down or go on hiatus when the owners lose interest or (as often happens) run out of money (or sometimes close down when the owners feel their mission has been fulfilled, as happened with Sarah Records). Archetypal examples of such labels include the aforementioned Sarah Records, Factory Records, Dischord, Kindercore, SST and Kill Rock Stars.
The converse of this are independent labels that have been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being overly "commercial" or exploitative of certain artists or trends. Examples at various times include Fat Wreck Chords, Matador Records and Sub Pop. Epitaph was often the focus of similar accusations, however in 2005 label management signed an agreement with RIAA arguably making them no longer "independent".
Once again, this is not so much a dichotomy as a continuum; some labels grow from such independent status and gradually become more commercially oriented (often prompted by the success of one of their acts), eventually becoming subsumed by a larger conglomeration or a major label. One example of this was Creation Records, a label Alan McGee started in the 1980s on a small scale, which, in the 1990s had success with Oasis, subsequently becoming much more commercially oriented before being acquired by Sony.
Indie and genres
The word "indie" is often used to refer specifically to various genres or sounds. During the 1980s, "indie" was synonymous in Great Britain with jangly guitar pop of the C-86 movement. During the 1990s a lot of Britpop bands were referred to as "indie", despite most of the movement being signed to major labels and dominating sales charts. More recently, the word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for new wave revivalist bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. The word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for alternative, a word which often bears the stigma of being associated with cynically manufactured mass-market teen-rebellion music from major labels. Such usages of "indie" may be considered inaccurate for various reasons: for one, stylistic qualities are often not accurately correlated to commercial independence or adherence to indie principles (this is particularly true when a sound becomes popular, its leading exponents are signed by major labels and more success-oriented bands and production teams attempt to imitate the style; this ultimately culminates in commercially driven artists sporting the same stylistic traits the "indie" artists of a year ago had). Secondly, however pervasive any style of music (even one as broadly defined as "guitar pop" or "post-punk rock") may become at a particular time, it by definition cannot embody all of indie music, as, by indie's nature, there will be indie artists, labels and entire local scenes operating outside of this style and its definitions.
Cultural and philosophical attributes of indie
There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what "indie" is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s, is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines. Indie often has an internationalist outlook, which stems from a sense of solidarity with other fans, bands and labels in other countries who share one's particular sensibilities; small indie labels will often distribute records for similar labels from abroad, and indie bands will often go on self-funded tours of other cities and countries, where those in the local indie scenes will invariably help organise gigs and often provide accommodation and other support.
Indie artists of any particular time often go against the prevailing trends (for example, the twee pop movement that started in the 1980s was a reaction against the testosterone-fuelled swagger of rock). A 'lo-fi' aesthetic (i.e., an often deliberate lack of polish and a more "authentic" roughness and imperfection) has often been associated with indie, particularly when slick, polished recordings were the preserve of the commercial music industry; this line has since become blurred, in a world where high-quality recordings can be made increasingly easily with inexpensive computer-based recording systems and where commercial production teams often deliberately affect a fashionably "lo-fi" sound.
In terms of music, many adherents of indie collect vinyl records, and consider them to be more "authentic" than more recent and convenient music formats such as CDs. Paradoxically, items such as MP3 players have also become popular, if only to some of the adherents of indie music, because of the practical benefit of carrying one's record collection in one's pocket. In such cases, the cachet gained by being able to express one's taste in music sometimes trumps the value of the authenticity of vinyl.
People into the indie lifestyle are commonly referred to as "indie kids", regardless of age, and often use that term for themselves. Other terms exist; the term "hipster" has, in recent years, become somewhat synonymous with this subculture. In Australia, adherents of the indie subculture/lifestyle are sometimes referred to as "coolsies".
Subcategories of indie
There are several subcategories indie music is often grouped broadly into. Indie rock and indie pop are the most common ones. The difference between these is difficult to pick up from the instrumentation or sound, as both genres include distorted guitar-based music based on pop-song conventions. If anything, the key distinction comes not from instrumentation or structure but from how strictly they follow cultural constructions of rockist "authenticity". There is also indie dance, which comes from a fusion of indie pop and electronic/dance music. Crossover between electronica (mostly glitch) resulted in so-called indietronic, electronic indie or indie electronic, for example some artists on the German Morr Music label, or The Postal Service. Another type is Post Rock, which includes bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or Sigur Rós. The idea behind Post Rock is that there are very few (if any) lyrics, yet the songs are long (sometimes upwards of 20 minutes), and the point of the songs are to paint an emotional landscape with just music and no words. Further expanding the original meaning of the term, when used in the independent.
Friday 16 September 2011
Magazine advert analysis- NME
The magazine 'NME' is clearly the first thing the audience are drawn to because it's in bright red, bold writing and is situate in the top left hand corner which is where our eye is naturally instinctively drawn too.The magazine has cutouts from artists which are collaged together in an unorderly fashion.
The photos are in a sepia tone which related to the fact that this particular edition of 'NME' is about the classics of indie and rock. The 'britishness' of the magazine illustrates the fans are most likely all to be British. Indie audiences are stereotypical in that they prefer to break away from the normal trends and music tastes and the advert supports audience expectation by producing it in an unconventional layout and informally structured way.
Thursday 15 September 2011
This front cover is very eye catching due to the array of bright contrasting colours. There is also a worms eye view in the photo looking up at Jamie T. He has a cheeky smile on his face which suggests he's up to no good, this also fits in with the lyrics of his songs. The photo is in the shape of a circle which corresponds with the shape and idea of a CD and also the writing follows this shape therefore everything on the cover flows with one another.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
9 Frame Analysis - The Libertines
- Shot 1 is a long shot of all the band members stood in the middle of what appears to be a crowded town square.They are purposely seperated from the other people which may be cryptic of them being rejected by modern society. They are also singled out by the outfits they're wearing. They are wearing royal guards jackets which may reflect a passion and pride for the english monarchy, however they are unbottoned which may mean that although they are proud of their roots, or maybe their achievements but the fact they are unbuttoned may represent that they don't want to 'follow the crowd' British flags are visible, hanging from the lampposts, this gives off connotations that the band are very proud of their British roots.
- The camera then cuts to the band playing at a live gig. This shows there are two different parts to the narrative in the video so far and this adds an element of entertainment. Spotlighting effect is used to beam light onto Pete Doherty and Carl Barat to focus on their performance. This is a mid-long shot used to capture both of the musicians physical performance and adds realism to the video. The shot is drained of colour as the gig is quite dark and this is done to effectively frame the band as they play and put the whole focus on them.
- The third shot is a mid-close up of shot of Pete Doherty. The houses seen behind him shows he's in a shabby estate, which may portray he's not high class and proud of his english roots- which is again symbolised by the flags of St George strewn across the houses. However his costume juxtaposes the setting as he's wearing a royal guards jacket, which is a very high class job and seen of high importance.
- The fourth shot is a mid shot as we have a shot of Pete Doherty. He's wearing shades and framed by darkness, which may show the narrative and visuals are reflecting his troubled personal life as he struggled with drugs and that he hides behind the substances. He points at the camera which adds the visual hook use to drag the audience in, quite literally.
- Shot 5 cuts back to the bands performance. This shows the two narratives keep interchanging even though they have no relevance to each other and contradict each other. The narrative of Pete and Carl in royal suits is more of the amplification and metaphorical of the lyrics meanings whereas the band performance just adds authenticity and aids audiences expectations of generic conventions.
- This is a mid long shot of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. They are shown top carry on and have fun, which represents the pair have an 'off screen' relationship as well as being band-mates. There's evidence of deep focus as we see their environment and the narrow streets with tall buildings.
- Shot 7 cuts to a mid shot of all four band members. Only Pete and Carl are wearing the royal suits which may signify that they are the 'meat' and selling point of the video as they are the two vocalists and are given majority of the screen time. Their costumes contrast with the plain and boring background which may be a representation of their bright and bubbly personalities clashing with the rest of society which is painted out to be boring and dull.
- The camera cuts back to the band performance. We are shown the performance through a long shot. The video has been edited to include a majority of mid shots and long shots. This may reflect the overall meaning behind the lyrics that echoes Pete's social life and how he begins to be pushed away by the rest of the band because of his drug troubles, the mid shots and long shots mean he is shown further away which may reflect that.
- The last screenshot i took was off Pete and Carl walking through a busy crowd. There's cutaways to people giving them peculiar looks but then the camera cuts back to the pair of them having a laugh through amid close-ups. This may be representing that although they may not be everybodys preference, they still remain friends and stay true to the genre of garage rock revival regardless of peoples opinions on the matter.
9 Frame Analysis
The First 3 shots of the video are close ups and introduce the audience to each member of the band, there is a black background and their clothing is quite bright so it makes them stand out and the audience to pay attention to them.
This then shows all the band together with their guitars. This is very common in a indie music video. All their clothing fits i with the indie vide and also allows them to stand out from the black background. However they have a different edge as they are not stood up but laid down.
This is a close up of the man singer. His image fits in with the typical indie look. Also he is lip syncing here and this is one of Andrew Goodwins conventions of a music video.
The word 'basement' flashes up when the group sing the word. This goes with Andrew Goodwins idea of the relationship between the lyrics and visuals.
There is this coloured material that drifts through the next few shot, and the band members are turned upside down. This wouldn't normally be seen in a indie music video as they are normally dark and roughly edited, therefor this video is slightly different and shows different versions within a genre.
This shows the band in the negative light which give them a more pop and modern look rather than indie however the guitars then reinstate the genre intended.
Over all this video doesn't fit in with many of the theorist, however i think this is because it is from the indie genre therefor the gaze theory and dance routines and a star image are not as important as say they would be in a pop music video.
Digipak Analysis for Biffy Clyro - Many Revolutions
This is the Front cover of Biffy Clyro's album Only Revolutions. It is different to a lot of other Indie bands front covers as it contains colour and is not in black and white. The colours red and blue are a good contrast and make it stand out. Also the band name may only be in small font but with it being at the centre at the top it instantly catches your eye.
This is the Back cover of the album. It two has a flag however this one is green. There is then the list of the songs which are featured on the CD inside. The small print is located across the bottom of the digipak along with the barcode situated in the bottom left. The bands label is made bigger than the small print.
This is the CD that is found inside the case. It matches the front cover of the album by the use of the red and blue flags however this time they are intertwined. Also like the back cover the CD has the names of the songs included and the bands record label, name and name of the album. Digipak Analysis (indie)- Bloc Party- Silent Alarm
The front cover shows a lot of white background. The deserted, eerie surroundings mirror the album title 'silent alarm' and shows the image is anchoring itself to the albums meaning.
The bands name is in grey bold letters which contrasts greatly with the white, pure background scale and helps the bands identity stand out more.
I think the audience will ost probably be niche indies who don't like to go with mainstream and choose to go for more underground artists who aren't as well known as some mainstream artists. The 'parental advisory' caution shows evidence that there is going to be bad language and expletives in the tracks and may show that the band has a older target audience.
Digipak Analysis (indie)- Arctic Monkeys- Whatever people say I am, that's what im not
Front Cover.
The front cover is very simple and plain in analytical terms. The image is of Chris McClure, a friend of the band and frontman of 'violet may'. It shows him looking drunk, sweaty and smoking a cigarette. This is representative of indie audiences as they are stereotyped to be heavily influenced by smoking and drugs. It's in black and white and the image of the man is centralised whereas the bands name is in the top left hand corner . The bands brand stands out because it's in a white box which contrasts with the background. The bad name is in the top left hand corner, the natural place our eye is initially drawn to.
Back Cover
The song titles are structured to go with the shape of the mans head which adds visual structure to the layout. The main central picture is again of Chris McClure. He represents the album and the genre of indie music as he seems really intoxicated or drugged up, which relates to indie audiences. The small print is located across the bottom of the digipak along with the barcode situated in the bottom left. The bands label 'Domino' is made bigger than the small print. The label is not well known so it shows it is either underground or niche. It also reflects indies, because they tend to pride themselves on not being mainstream and try to go into underground as much as possible.
Inlay
Again, the label has been used but this time in the top left hand corner, which is where our eye initially gets drawn to, naturally. These are all acknowledgements to people who had anything to do with the album, such as band managers, producers, recorders, families and supporters. It also contains information of where the album was recorded and who designed the cover.
CD
This is the CD thats found inside the album . It has the bands record label along the edges and small print of the labels address and other information. The CD is supposed to look like an ashtray judging by the amount of crushed cigarettes. It links to the front an back cover because Chris McClure is holding a cigarette. Cigarettes represent the bands audiences throughout the albumwork and almost seems as if the band are glorifying cigarettes.
Back Cover
Inlay
CD
This is the CD thats found inside the album . It has the bands record label along the edges and small print of the labels address and other information. The CD is supposed to look like an ashtray judging by the amount of crushed cigarettes. It links to the front an back cover because Chris McClure is holding a cigarette. Cigarettes represent the bands audiences throughout the albumwork and almost seems as if the band are glorifying cigarettes.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Shot Count Task
In this music video there is blatant repetition of the shots they use. However, with this particular song it works quite well. The first shot we see is an image of light which we later see is light from a projection. Then the second shot we see is a medium long shot and this gives us a view of the whole band and their instruments. The third then diverts to a close up of a band members face and then slowly moves down to their hands playing the guitar. The fourth then comes out and moves to a medium close up showing us the two lead singers only. The fifth and sixth shots are more close ups of mainly just the instruments in time with the music. Then as we watch more of the video it repeats itself panning the band singing and playing their instruments. There is an other meat shot of the lead singer and then this swiftly moves to a low angle shot showing the whole band and the background also, this gives us an insight as to whats going on and also allows us to see the band. Usually if the band is attractive this is appealing to the audience. More repetition of the same shots are used such as medium close ups and long shots and there is also a variety in the angles of meat shots showing the singers.
Young Rebel Set - If I Was
Young Rebel Set are a band from Middlesbrough. In the video we can see that it only consists of meat shots of each band member. Most Indie artists have them performing in the majority of their videos.
The audience for this band and the music video would be of the younger generation, from 14-30, as the video acts towards the band playing live and these are the average group that attend concerts. The gender of which would be both as male bands fan base is normally female based, this is why the band would place a lot of shots of themselves in. However to even it out they added close ups of hands and guitars so its not all just meat shots.
I think the fact the bands costume is just basic clothes adds a real sense of normality to them. It represents the band as down to earth and casual as opposed to the famous diva pop stars. I also feel that the lighting effects and editing are very fast, this could represent the rush you get when you go see one of your favourite artists live.
Monday 12 September 2011
Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
The video opens on a close up of a girl. The lyrics immediately illustrate this- "who's that girl there?". She is very pale and has her hood up and is stood facing the camera, with her back to her surroundings. This may reflect that she's wanting to move forward and leave this place behind but her emotional performance gives connotations that she's being held back.
The video is edited to be in black and white and the weather is cold and snowy and she's dressed in a scruffy hoodie, this may be symbolic of the girls current lifestyle and mood.
The lyrics are illustrated on screen "she don't do major credit cards, I doubt she does receipts" when the camera tracks a car into the next sequence who pulls up next to the girl and we are shown her leaning into the window of his car through a long shot. The video is given voyeuristic qualities here as we are placed in the shoes of someone else watching it unfold.
The lyrics combine with the visuals here which give connotations that the girl may be a prostitute.
The next sequence places the camera on a low angle, looking up which slightly canted. We are looking up at a very tall set of stairs that spiral upwards and never seems to end. We see the girl coming down the second last flight of stairs. The staircase may be symbolic of the girls troubled life as it never seems to end and even as she's near the bottom, we don't actually get to see the bottom of the staircase so we don't know how far from the bottom she is, or in metaphorical terms- we don't know if she's any closer to escaping her hell despite how far she's came.
The music video is a direct reference to a gritty British film called 'Scummy man" and also the line "he told Roxanne to put on her red light" is a reference to the Police song 'Roxanne'.
The music relates to the visuals when the bridge into the main beat kicks in and the camera becomes canted and there's a lot of handheld shaky shots which makes it hard to see what's going on and the lights are all blurry and flashing. This reflects the fast pace of the song as the rhythms pace increases. It also mirrors the girls confusion as she doesn't know what's going on as she's just been threw in the back of a van.
There are no meat shots or close ups of the band, this may be because at the time, the Arctic monkeys were not as well known.
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