Insperational Texts for Ancillary Tasks

Digi Pack

• The main image is of the artist wich promotes the album to people who are already fans of Ellie Goulding. Also the fact that her name is large and goes across the image of her labels her and makes the album hers, making it personal and more appealing to my audience. After analysing this convention I may concider interpreting it into my own product as it does look cisually appealing and personal to have the artst on the front of the album. The picture is in colour, making the album look vibrant, helping it stand out on the racks in shops. Also, the photoshopped 'sparkles' in her hair five the image movement and also give it an edge against all of the other albums next to it. I hope to use this idea into my product by photoshopping a night sky into the back ground of my image, giving my album the same 'fantasy' look and Gouldings. Her pose and expression are not very natrual and therefore display her to the audience. This is also aided by the fact that her face is photoshopped to an impossible standard, to the point of making it look like a painting. this level of perfection (the flawless skin and golden hair) would appeal to both a male and female audience as she is aesthetically beautiful.
• The artists name 'Ellie Goulding' is bigger than the album name, as she is well know enough for her name to be a strong selling point. This would grab the attention of her existing fans and also give people who didnt know who she was the impression of importance. The font of the text on the front of the almub glows gold, relating to both the sparkles in her hair and the title of the album, 'Lights'. This makes the image relevant and by matching this it appeals to the target audience as the design makes sense. As this is for a pop genre and mine is for indie rock, my font and colour choice will be less brash and more gritty. The font is fairly plain and very easy to read, which would attract the target audience's attention, so I plan to use this when designing my own poduct.
• The framing and composition of the album cover is fairly balanced. While the image is left aligned, it is big enough to cover the album and not leave too much blank space. The text is centre eligned and stacked on top of eachother, so the eye flows easily to read it and this is also aesthetically pleasing as it labels the image.
• The word 'Lights' has possative connotations. It is light, upbeat and generally appeals to the audience as it gives you the idea of beauty, which is visually demonstrates by photoshopping lights in her hair.
• The back of the digi pack has a block of black colour whith white writing over it. in contrast to the front, this is quite dark, but it also looks very stylish and bold. I could encoperate this tecnique into my own product as it makes the track names and necissary information very clear and readable to the audience. The size of the track names also make it easy for the audience to scan read, so for example if they are standing in a shop choosing a CD to buy, the names are eclear enough to read quickly. Also, the track names may encourage someone to buy the product as they may see a favourite song or a song title they can relate too.

• This is my artists actual album cover. The main image is a chldhood photograph of a young boy and girl wearing face paint. In my research I have noticed that the Indie genre dont usually use the image of the artist but rather an interesting photograph, using the album cover as a selling point for the album. By using a photograph rather than an image of the artist creates mystery for the audience, as they wonder about the photographs relevance, the story behind it and weather the somgs can be related to it. The fact that the album doesnt rely on a famous face to sell it will relate to my own neche audience as sterotypically, the target audience for indie rock are inviduals interested in art forms such as photography and art. Therefore I plan to possibly encorperate this into my product. The image of two young children also relates to the title of the album, 'Wild Youth', making it relevant to the album. The word 'Youth' will also appeal to a young audience, which is my target audience.
• The text is small and simple, making it easy for the audience to read and also to prevent focus being taken away from the photograph. The artist's name is the same size as the album title but it is above it and also is in capitals, highlighting it as more important information. It is white to stand out aganst the dark black background. this creates a contrast so that the text is noticable. The composition of the album leaves little black space. The image is centre aligned, which balances the album cover and is also aesthetically pleasing to the audience as it looks well designed. The text fits into the blank space so it does not obscure any of the image and so looks well laid out. I plan to use this in my own ancillary task as it looks neat and well presented. It also has the simple look I want to go for.

• The main image is of the artist but she is distorted by a black and white effect, making her face almost indistinguishable. This allows the digi pack to feature the artist and make it personal to her, yet does this in an artistic way so that she is not the main focus. the editing style makes it seem like a watercolour painting which makes the image interesting and allows it to stand out amongst the typical photographs used on other products. This also relates to the genre of music as it is Indie, and therefore art is often incorperated into indie products to appeal to the neche market. As I am aiming for the same target audience I will think about this artistic style when taking and editing my photos for my own acillary tasks.
• The artists name is larger than the album name so she can be easily spotted by her fan base. It identifys the album as hers, almost labeling it, which would appeal to her existing fans. The only colour on the digipack is within the loops of the font, which draws the audiences eye towards her name and thus making it the main font. This also looks artistic, like art deco, which ties it in with the 'painting' of the artist. The font is simple and in capitals, making it very clear to read yet could still be seen as fairly elaborative due to the colours within it. It is seperated from the album title with a thin like, making it seem old like on vintage book titles. This is aesthetically pleasing to the audience and also sets it apart from the track titles which are unusually on the front of the digipack rather than the back. This saves the audience from having to flip the digipack over and shows all the CD has to offer at first glance. This would help increase sales as someone who is not particularly a fan may see a song they like the look of and buy it, so I will concider this when designing my own product.
• The framing and coposition of the digi pack is balanced, as the text is in the upper left hand corner and the image is in the bottom right, effectivley convering maximum space yet still allowing the digipack to look clean and simple. I will take this into account when framing my photographs, trying out center and left/right alignments to see what will work better with my font style and size.
• As the track list is on the front of the digi pack, there is room on the back for interesting artwork. This convention is unique from my research into other digi packs and therefore makes it stand out on the market. The fact that it is different would apeal to my audience as they are a neche market and so assumingly like to be different from the mainstream themselves.

Magazine Advertisment



• The image is the same as the album, which would attract her target audience for the same reason the digi pack would. This also makes the advertisment relevant to the product, creating a campaign. By using the same image it is imprinted in the audiences mind, and when they are looking around the shelves and see the digi pack, they will remember the advertisment and be more compelled to pick the product up.
• The font is also the same, and therefore the name 'Ellie Goulding' will become associated with that font style, creatinging a signature for her to use on future products and therefore giving herself publicity. By creating something that fans can relate too, this advert effectivley gives them something to look for and also allows them to apply their past knowlage of her to her other products, such as merchindise or other albums.
• By using a star rating system on the bottom of the advertisment, the advert promotes the product by telling the audience that other people like it. Using big, respected names such as Q Magazine, the product gratifies the audiences need to have what other people have and to be involved in the hype. This may also attract an new audience as fans of the critics such as Q Magazine may feel copelled to buy the product.

• Again, the same image is used which ties the product and the advertisment together. My research has shown me that this is the most common way to design an advert and therefore I plan to use this in my on ancillary task. The same effect is used of putting colour within the artists name, setting it apart from the rest of the font and also the black and white theme of the page. The same font, colour scheme and editing effects are used on this advert which again would give the audience something to look for in the shops or it creates a subconcious image that the audience will remember when they see the product on shelves.
• The word 'Special Edition' would attract the audience as it implies that this album is one of a kind that they need to have before it is gone, which would increase sales. Information such as a webside and the word 'download' incorperates technology and other media platforms to the product, allowing it to hit a wider audience as some people prefer to download music than buy a digi pack. I plan to use this tecnique on my own ancillary task as it will allow me to cross onto other aspects of media, and the internet is becoming a growing part of the music industry.

• The main image of the arist is also used on the album, and therefore will aid the products sales for the reasons I previously mentioned. The image is feminine and full of rich colour, which will allow it to stand out on magazine pages and sets it apart from other advertisments. It is framed by a white line, making the advertisment seen fancy and elaborative, matching the fond of the artists name. This would therefore appeal to a predominantly female audience.
• The font of the necissary information is simple and in captials, making it easy to take in at a glance which is essential for magazine advertsiments and is something I will take into account when designing my own advert. It is centre aligned just like the composition of the image, keeping the page balanced and aesthetically pleasing to the audience.
• Infomation such as the production company logo are needed but not a focus of the advert and so are small and at the bottom almost out of sight. To make my product authentic and professional I will include these details, but like the adverts on the market already they will be insignificant to my main text and image as they will no activley help sales.

Flat Plans and Rationales

Digi Pack Ideas

• I plan to make my main image take up the entire digipack as this is a convention I have seen in all of my insperational texts. This makes the didgi pack stand out amongst the rest on the shelves and makes it unique. The image also serves to attract my target audience, for example fans of pop music will look for a typically pop like album, where as mine will be more low key and appeal to a neche market. I have serveral ideas for my main image, none of which include my artist as as she is not very well know and this would not be a good selling point. Therefore I plan to use an eye catching image instead, which is a convention I have seen commonly used when researching into my genre. I want to encorperate stars into my image and I plan to do this using photoshop. I want the framing and composition of my image to compliment the postioning of my text, making the overall look of the digipack neat and well balanced.
• The artists name will be bigger than the album title as this is a better selling point. It will help to attract fans of the band, and also people who maybe havent heard of them will be interested in finding out what their sound is like. It is a common convention to have the artists name bigger and above the album title as this is more important information. However I do not want the artists name too large as to take over the main image, as like previously stated she is not well know enough for this to be a solid selling point.
• My colour palate will be sepia, as this will give it the old/vintage look that I want my album to have. This will make it interesting and engage my audience. Also, this effect is aesthetically pleasing and can effctivley catch my audiences attention without being to brash as I have seen in my research.
• The text and font I hope to use in my product will be a mix of simple and elaborative. The artists name, 'Daughter', will be in a handwritten style text that will match in with the vintage look of the digipack. However the album title 'Wild Youth' with by in a simpler, block text, which will also help it to look more modern and therefore appeal to my modern audience. This will also give it the alternitive look that I want, as to where the design of the digipack does not look over thought and is kept simple.
• The front of the digipack will be kept simple, while on the reverse will be the neccisarry information such as the barcode, track order, credits and thankyous, which are all conventions I have gathered from my research into insperational texts. This allows the front of the album to make an impact on the audience and to make an impression, yet still allow them to read all the important information on the back if they need too. Also, the back will also entice the reader to buy the album as it will be aesthetically pleasing to them. Not only will they enjoy the music, but they will have something attractive to have on their shelf.

Magazine Advertisment Ideas

• The main image will take up the entire advertisement as this is a technique I have seen the majority of advertisements I have collected for my research. With the advertisement being made up mostly of a visual image it will attract my audience’s attention as they flick through a magazine. It will also give my advertisement the edge against the rest of the information on the page which will likely be blocks of text, therefore increasing the likelihood of it being noticed and the album being bought. The main image will not be of my artist as she is not well known and therefore is not a strong selling point. I plan on using a photograph that is visually appealing and that will grab my readers attention. This is not a teqnique typically used in pop or r'n'b genres, but is commonly seen in the indie genre and so will attract my target audience.
• The texts 'Wild Youth' and 'Daughter' will be the largest on the page as they are the relevant information that my audience needs. I plan to use a simple font so that the writing does not take focus away from the image and also so that at a glance the information is digestable for the reader. My image will be sepa so depending on the overall coposition of the image I plan to use black or white for the font in order for it to stand out. The HMV logo will also be relitavley large, as it is idenifyable for my audience which will be music fans and so it will grab their attention. It also gives them the information they need to know where to buy the album.
• My colourscheme will be sepia to coincide with my main image, and i will also use black as it is a bold coulour that will stand out to my target audience. The colour black will also identify my information as important as it is an official colour. By using sepia for my photograph my advert will look unique and will stand out to my specific target audience. This will promote the sales of my album as music fans will get some idea of the genre from the style of my advert, encouraging them to download or buy the album.

Insperational Texts

Jamie T - Emily's Heart

Costume- The costume used for the main character of the little boy is casual; a scarf and warm coat, plain trousers and trainers. This works well with the genre and sound of the music, which is laid back due to the acoustics. His wooly hat and coat make him seem vulnerable. However, in the beginning he is putting them on himself in a confident manner, almost making him seem like a little adult. 

Lighting- The lighting in this video is very natural as it is shot outside. However there are a few shots where the sun is behind the main character, making the contrast seem harsh. This gives the feeling of it being cold, as their are blue undertones to the colour palate. There is not much contrast however between other colours, such as the wall and the boys coat, allowing them to blend into each other giving it a softer look, almost frosted.

Colour Palate- The colours are pale, and the majority of colour is blue. This creates the feel of cold, which is supported by the characters attire of a hat and gloves. The video follows the little boys day out, and it begins with a dark blue tint over the shots, suggesting early morning. Towards the middle of the 'day', the shots are very bright and the colour blue, while still present, is paler. Later as the video draws to a close, the darker blue tint is back to suggest sundown. This is a very effective way of keeping the span of the video within a certian time sequience, and also makes the audience feel the cold that the little boy does.

Character(s)- The main character is a child. We follow him as he goes to the seaside alone. He doesn't speak to anyone or make new friends, apart from giving a stranger the gift of a peg doll. This suggests a withdraw from society, something I hope to incorporate into my own product.

Setting/Location- The story follows a little boy on a trip to the seaside. Locations include a block of flats, a train station, a train, and the seaside. This engages the audience as they can follow a chronological sequence of events. This is my most inspirational text as I plan to have my narrative follow a character in a similar way. The use of the train suggests a journey or moving on, and I can incorporate this imagery into my own product.

Camera Angles and Movement- The idea of being on a journey is supported by the amount of tracking shots that follow the boy running or walking. This engages the audience as  they feel they are following him too. There are a few shots that are hand held, which can be identified by the unsteadiness of the camera. This makes the video seem more gritty and down to earth, and reflects the childlike action of the character. This video looks low budget but works well with the song by keeping it simple. Also, there are slot of close ups to the boys face. This highlights his vulnerability and innocence and engages the audience as they are led to wonder why a boy so young is out on his own. This gives the video emotional value. There are also plenty of long shots of the boy playing alone on the beach. This gives the audience the feeling of voyeourisim- as if we are observing him, not actually with him. This distances us from the character and makes him seem even more vulnerable.

Ellie Goulding - Anything Could Happen

Costume- The artist is mainly shown in a long, flowing pink dress. This matched with her hair and make up gives her a very ethereal and dramatic beauty. It is also surreal- she is on a beach in a floating gown. This gives the video a unique look and would engage the audience as it is different and strange.  However when she is in shots where she is crying, she is shown in a plain black t-shirt. This could suggest being apart from reality; when she is in the gown, she is her surreal self, and when she is in the t-shirt she is her real self who is hurt and upset. I could encorperate this into the narrative of my own product, showing aspects of my characters fantasy then bringing her back to reality.

Lighting - There is use of high key lighting, making the video very bright. This fits well with the pop genre of the song, making the video relevant. Also, like the Jamie T video, their is little light/dark contrast, making the focus of the shots soft. This not only flatters the artist but also reflects the soft vocals of the song.

Colour palate - The colour palate is soft, and there is subtle undertones of pink in many of the shots, tying them into the dress the artist is wearing. This gives the video an overall style. When she is crying, the shot is tinted a soft blue, perhaps projecting the emotion of the shot. This use of colour to create emotion from my audience is something I could incorporate into my own product.

Characters - The main character is the artist who is in the majority of shots. The lyrics of the song suggest that she is singing about someone else, which becomes clear when a love interest enters the video. At first they are both intact, but it is later revealed that they have been in an accident, and the lyrics of the song begin to make sense. The shots of the artist in the gown are of her as an angel. This twist in the story would engage the audience as it is emotional and also a compelling narrative.

Setting/Location  - The setting of the video is again on a beach. However there are items of surreality, such as reflective spheres and triangles on the sand. This is visually stimulating for the audience and would appeal to them and it is artistic and makes the video unique. Also location of the beach makes the video dramatic as we are shown shots of crashing waves and vast expanses of sea. The crashing waves can be related to the nature of the song and also the heightening vocals as the artist sings the chorus.

Camera Angles and Movement- There is a lot of movement in the opening of the video and the camera does a lot of tracking towards the artist while she is stationary. This introduces her to the audience rather than her introducing herself. It also allows the audience to survey the setting and props, such as the reflective spheres. Also, when the camera shows shots of her dress moving in the wind, it also moves, making the shot very busy visually and allowing the dress to make a bigger impact on the audience. There are close ups of the artists face while singing. This shows her emotion and would also appeal to her fan base as she is 'up close and personal' to the camera, making the shot aesthetically pleasing to them. There are also a lot of landscape shots, such as when she is 'flying' at the end. These shots show plenty of sea and sky, making it dramatic and also allowing the video to be more about other aspects of beauty rather than just focusing on the artist.

Lana Del Ray - Born to Die

Costume - The artist is shown in three different outfits which represent three different scinarios within the video: a long white ballgown and a flower head dress when she is shown the in the thrown room, a tassel jacket and short demin shorts for when she is in/around the car, and a white night dress (similar to the ball gown) when she is in bed and walking around the castle corridors. The use of different costumes helps the audience follow the storyline as they are aware of what part of the story they are now seeing. Also, it makes the video aesthetically pleasing to the audience and would appeal to a female audience as they would take interest in the beautiful clothes the artist wears. This style of clothing is also associated with this particular artist, giving her a style that would appeal to her target audience.

Lighting - The lighting used in this video is artifical. The director uses different lighting within the different sinarios. When the artist is in the throne room, she is verry well lit from every side and as is the set. This makes her and the set bright and makes the colours 'pop', such as the whites, blues and reds. It gives the shot a very surreal look and contrasts well with the scenes in the car, which are very darkly lit. This makes is harder to identify the artist and the actor, yet occasional flashes of light hit the artists face to make her clear to the audience. These shots look more realistic and could represent her reality, like in the Ellie Goulding video. Also, this lighting works well with her causal attire to make these shots look more gritty. Towards the end of the video, the director uses very dark lighting with a spotlight, which occasionaly flashes over the screen to highlight the actor, the artist or certian props. This makes the shots more mysterious and gives a sense of hightening action and tension.

Colour Palate - The colour palate for this video is very bright, with the use of rich primary colours such as royal blue and crimson. This makes the video very aesthetically pleasing for the audience and so I plan to encorperate this into my own product. it gives the video a very parisian look which makes it classy and unique to other pop videos on the market. The use of both light and dark colours represent the artists termoil between her lover, and so help the narritive.

Characters- The artist (Del Ray) and a love interest. The artist is the focus of the video, which is demonstrated in the opening and closing shots of her sitting on a throne. This makes her the foucs for the audience. The actor chosen to play the love interest is covered with tattoos and has an alternative hairstyle, which would appeal to a neche market, seeing as he is not your standard 'hollywood hunk'. This makes the video unique and gives it integrity. The chemistry between the characters is obviously love/hate, as they are shown in shots passionatley kissing and then fighting. This causes tension for the audience and would also appeal to them as it is a doomed romance.

Setting/Location - One location is an elaborate throne room, which is unique to this video and would appeal to the audience as it is different and surreal- something they probably havent seen themselves. This adds a feeling of escapisim for the audience. It also fits with the narrative and costume- her head dress looks like a crown, and so she could be a queen. Another location is a bonfire near a car and the cars interior. This is a gritty location that some of the audience could identify with and therefore makes the video relistic to them. We are also shown the interior of a castle or cathedral; the long corridoors, the throne room and a bedroom. Each of these locations are eloborative as they are decorated with many flowers and wall paitings, making the video aesthetically pleasing to the audience and also tying the location in with the artist, as she wears the same flowers on her head. This makes the video relevant to her.

Camera Angles and Movement - The beginning of the video shows one long tracking shot which then becomes a zoom to close in on the artist. The zoom, accompanied by the symetrical set, gives a very powerful and surreal shot. The camera zooms into the artist in quite a few shots within the video, making her look dramatic and helping her make a bigger impact upon the audience. There are very few stationary shots, as the director uses the tracking technique a lot thorughout the video. This gives the video a lot of movement, and also the smoothness of the trackingshots fit with the sweet dronning sound of the vocals, making the video relevant to the song.

Coldplay - The Scientist

Costume- Throughout the video the artist is wearing a dirty white shirt and black trousers. This is simple and does not take up too much of the audiences focus away from what is going on around him as this is important to the narrative of the video. I will bear this in mind when dressing my own model. Also, the costume matches his grungey surroundings as he is shot lying on a dirty matress, walking along train tracks and around city streets. This makes him seem like an advrage person and helps him blend in, unlike more elaborative videos like Lana Del Ray's Born To Die. Later, he dons a black coat which matches the colour of his pants, which could forshaddow the end of the video where we find out he has been in a car accident. This also sets an atmosphere whithin the video.

Lighting- Artifical lighing is used within the first shot we get of his face, which makes his skin pale and his eyes vivid. Concidering the ending to the video, this could have angelic conotations, effectivley suggesting his character is dead. Also, the clear, well lit shot of his face has a dramatic effect on the audience. As he is shown walking around the city, mid shots of his face and torso are well lit and this suggests arifical lighting although they are outside. This again gives us very clear shots of his face, making the artist the focus of the video and therefore appealing to his fans. It also gives the video a very good quality. There are examples however of him being in darkness, as he is not well lit as we walks under bridges or through a forest. This could suggest he is torn in some way and adds intregue to his character, helping along the narrative.

Colour Palate - The colours used in this video are very vivid, and usually one or two colours dominate an entire shot, such as the orange of the undergrowth as he walks through the forest, or black when we see shots of him and a female in the car. This assists the video to make a bigger impact on the audience as allowing certian colours to be dominant the shots look very bold and powerful. I will concider this when choosing backdrops for my filming.

Characters - For the majority of the video there is just the artist, who is walking through out the city. This leads the audicence to wonder who is is and where he is going. The people surrounding him make it clear that he is in reverse, and so is walking back to somewhere. This creates mystery as the audience are wondering what the significance of this is. Later, we see another character, a female and therefore prehaps a love interest, in a car with him. By introducing her there is an emotional response generated from the audience and we see that she has died in the car accident. The video uses characters to create mystery and drama within the video.

Setting - There are a number of different locations, such as urban streets, a train track, and a forest. By showing the character moving from one location to the other creates a sense of journey which is what I hope to portray in my own video. Also, the use of locations creates the narrative as they give the audience time to wonder what the final destination of the video is.

Camera Movement/Angles - The first shot of the video is significant as it is a high angle looking directly down at the artists face. This firstly disorientates the audience as it is an exteme close up and we are not aware he is lying down. It then zooms out to reveal he is lying on a matress. This introduces the theme of mystery immediatley which is carried on throughout the video. This angle also makes the character seem vunerable or observed, which gives the audience a feeling of voyeurisim. A shot that is often refered back too is the mid shot of the artist showing his head and torso. This shows him walking around the city yet is more personal than a long shot as we get a better view of his face as he sings. Returning to this shot repeatedly creates familiarity with the audience and therefore gives them the gratification of knowing the shot well. I hope to incoperate this into my own product.



Proposal

I propose to write, shoot and direct a music promo video, together with a cover for its release as part of a digi pack, and a magazine advert for the digi pack. This blog will record my research, planning, and evaluation. By creating this blog I can keep track of my progress and incorporate different areas of technology.

My chosen song is ‘Youth’ by the band Daughter. This song is from the Indie Rock genre and I therefore plan on reflecting this in my video with my use of shots, colour palate, narrative and costume. A lot of my choices will be ‘alternative’, which dismiss the conventions of mainstream music videos, and appeal to the niche market of my particular genre.

Daughter - Youth

Conventions of an alternative or indie music video are the following:

• They have a narrative.
• They display cultural aspects that will appeal to an alternative audience, e.g. Clothing and hairstyles.
• They contain powerful imagery and do not solely focus on the artist- my research into videos by Jamie T and Laura Marling show artistic shots of landscapes and objects rather than just the artist.
• Interesting colour palates such as sepia or pastel colours, softening effects, make the video look abstract or vintage. Very artistic.

I plan to use these conventions within my own video to allow it to appeal to my target audience and also to help it compete with other videos on the market of the same genre.

Conventions of other videos on the market I do not plan to use:

• A studio- would not appeal to my target audience and I want my video to accompany the music in being artistic.
• Heavy focus on the artist – like other indie videos, my video will have a narrative and will therefore not include the artist. Eg. Jamie T – Emily’s heart.
• CGI – I want my video to be very simple and natural as this is the style I see commonly in alternative music videos, special effects are mainly used in Pop videos (eg. Lady Gaga).