Friday 15 July 2016
Magazine advert- Kodaline
Kodaline are a four person Irish rock band who released their debut album 'In a perfect world' in September of 2012. The song 'all I want', which is featured in the album, has had great success and been played in many TV shows and even blockbuster films such as 'the fault in our stars' and 'Love, Rosie'.The colour scheme of the picture on this front cover is bright and picturesque and fits with the theme of indie rock/pop which is the genre of music that they perform. People who enjoy 'indie' music often task an interest in fashion and art and so the visual appearance of this photograph would appeal to its audience.
The tranquil setting of water and mountains is often linked to feelings of harmony and being an idealistic location which links to the title of their album 'in a perfect world' because this picture looks like some peoples idea of a perfect world. It also helps the audience to visualise a mental setting or mind state whilst listening to their music and lets their mind wonder to a better, more relaxed place and this therefore makes their music more enjoyable for the listeners.
This is also unlike a 'normal' album cover of an artist in the charts or somebody who produces 'mainstream' music as a typical album cover would include the artists faces in direct address to show the audience who the album was by. This magazine ad is good because it shows the audience what the album cover looks like so they will recognise it if they see it again and focuses only on the name of the band 'Kodaline' and their album name 'in a perfect world'. The font is sans serif which is simplistic and works with the simplistic picture.
The track list is written in sans serif white writing and numbered 1-11 to make it easy to identify which track is which when listening.
Record labels 'song music' and 'RCA records' are listed and this makes them identifiable as signed to a well known record label and this also makes it look professional and legitimately.
The CD has the same image and style as the front cover of the album which makes it identifiable and can be easily matched if the CD and CD case get separated from eachother.
The CD therefore has the same connotations as the front cover of the album being of the indie genre and the music being chilled and for any audience but mainly being targeted at the younger generation as they're who are seen as preferring this sort of music.
Album analysis- Kodaline
Kodaline are a four person Irish rock band who released their debut album 'In a perfect world' in September of 2012. The song 'all I want', which is featured in the album, has had great success and been played in many TV shows and even blockbuster films such as 'the fault in our stars' and 'Love, Rosie'.The colour scheme of the picture on this front cover is bright and picturesque and fits with the theme of indie rock/pop which is the genre of music that they perform. People who enjoy 'indie' music often task an interest in fashion and art and so the visual appearance of this photograph would appeal to its audience.
The tranquil setting of water and mountains is often linked to feelings of harmony and being an idealistic location which links to the title of their album 'in a perfect world' because this picture looks like some peoples idea of a perfect world. It also helps the audience to visualise a mental setting or mind state whilst listening to their music and lets their mind wonder to a better, more relaxed place and this therefore makes their music more enjoyable for the listeners.
This is also unlike a 'normal' album cover of an artist in the charts or somebody who produces 'mainstream' music as a typical album cover would include the artists faces in direct address to show the audience who the album was by. This magazine ad is good because it shows the audience what the album cover looks like so they will recognise it if they see it again and focuses only on the name of the band 'Kodaline' and their album name 'in a perfect world'. The font is sans serif which is simplistic and works with the simplistic picture.
The track list is written in sans serif white writing and numbered 1-11 to make it easy to identify which track is which when listening.
Record labels 'song music' and 'RCA records' are listed and this makes them identifiable as signed to a well known record label and this also makes it look professional and legitimately.
The CD has the same image and style as the front cover of the album which makes it identifiable and can be easily matched if the CD and CD case get separated from eachother.
The CD therefore has the same connotations as the front cover of the album being of the indie genre and the music being chilled and for any audience but mainly being targeted at the younger generation as they're who are seen as preferring this sort of music.
Thursday 14 July 2016
Wednesday 13 July 2016
Theorist- Laura Mulvey
Laura Mulvey wrote about the film industry and we can apply her theory to music videos as well. Her theory is to do with the concept of 'the male gaze' which is the idea that orginated from traditional film but can be applied now, that the people 'behind the camer', so directiors, producers and camera men were all men and so therefore the women in front of the camera were objectified and sexualised. Male characters are much more developed whilst females aren't. This links into the idea of voyerism which is the pleasure others get from watching others have sex. This can be applied to music videos when women are showna acting in a sexual way or dressed in clothes which others could imagine in a sexualised way.
Videos which fit this idea include;
Brittany Spears 'Toxic'
Videos which fit this idea include;
Brittany Spears 'Toxic'
Fith Harmony 'All in my head'
Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking ball'
Theorist- Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin wrote the book 'dancing in the distraction factory' within which he identifies some key features of a music video to distinguish it as a form.
- Particualr types of genres have certain video styles and iconography , for example stage performace or dancing.
- A relationship between lyrics and visuals where the visuals illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics.
- A relationship between music and visuals linked to the beat and pace of the music as well as solo instruments featured.
- Demands of a record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and artists may develop motifs which reoccur.
- Frequently refernce to the notion of looking and voyeristic treatment of the female body.
- Intertextual references are made (films, tv programmes and other music videos.)
- Within the pop genre it is very typical of boy bands to dance and sing at the same time when performing in their music video. An example of this is JLS in their music video for the song 'Beat again'. The whole video is set in a balck room with neon lights hanging in the background and the focus of the video is on them singing and dancing
- The music video for the song 'Roar' by Katy Perry is an example of Goodwins second feature of a music video which is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The video is of the pop genre and is set in a jungle which is what the lyrics can be related to for example 'I've got the eye of a tiger, dancing around the fire' and this is shown on screen.
- An example of Goodwins third feature (a relationship between music and visuals) is displayed in Selena Gomez's music video 'can't keep my hands to myself'. This pop song is an upbeat song with a fast beat and this is reflected through the quick shot changes in the video.
- An example of his fourth feature of a music video (lots of close ups) is Jess Glynnes music video for her 'Take me home' which is a pop/soul genre. The whole video is composed of close up shots of her singing to relfect the emotion of the song.
- An example of his fith feature is Jenifer Lopez and Iggy Azaleas video for 'Booty'. This is a pop song and shows how womens bodys are displayed in a voyeristic way. Throughout the whole film the two women are dressed in very revealing outfits and sometimes with nothing on at all. They are also moving in sexual ways alone and with eachother.
- His final feature of a music video is intertextual refernces and an example of this is Taylor swifts music video for 'Love story' the song talks about romeo and juliette and the iconic love story by William Shakespear. The song is made to look like a modernised version of the story whilst also keeping some traditional features of the time such as the clothes.
Tuesday 12 July 2016
Video analysis- Jake bug- 'Two fingers'
Jake Bugg is a musician,singer and songwriter from Nottingham who creates music in the indie rock/folk rock genre. His debut self titled album reached number one in the UK album charts. The song 'Two fingers' is from this album and was released in September 2012, the music video was directed by Jamie Thraves.
The whole video is in the narrative perspective and the lyrics link to the visuals. For example Jake Bugg is from Clifton in Nottingham and there are lyrics such as 'I go back to Clifton to see my old friends' and we see clips of him getting on a bus and going to meet his friends. This is typical of a music video as we see the visual representation of what is being sung to help the video to flow. We also see that when he sings 'Hes with my momma, yelling and fighting' that the man and women are arguing and the woman hits the man. By showing visually what we hear auditory, it allows the audience to gain greater insight into what the song means and potentially the inspiration behind it. Goodwin says that a key feature of a music video is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals which this defiantly has.
Another feature of a music video, according to Goodwin is a relationship between the music and the visuals. This is a good example of this again as we can see him performing the song so singing and playing his guitar, this is a visual representation of the music being made. The pace of the video switches between quick shots and longer shots. The quicker shots are used towards the end of the chorus mainly when the lyrics 'I got out, I got out, I'm alive and I'm here to stay', this has a quicker beat and so the shots are quicker to mimic the music.
Close up shots of Jake Bugg are used to let the audience know who the focus of the video is on and who he is as an artist. He is dressed in a very ordinary costume, jeans, a polo top, a plain jacket and Adidas trainers. This fits with Negus's organic ideology which takes a naturalistic approach to artists and says that the seeds of success are within the artist and this talent is brought out by the record company. He is shown to be normal because he is and he can be well known and enjoyed by many due to his pure talent rather than any fancy advertising or gimics which may be pushed on to less talented artists.
An inter textual reference within the song is when him and his, who we presume to be mother, put up their two fingers and this is a reference to the song title 'two fingers'. It signifies them swearing at the bad parts and times of life and the whole song is about how he has escaped that and 'got out'. From watching the music video we can assume that he managed to get out due to his music career taking off and another reference to him as an artist within the video is that we see him preforming in a club/bar.
The video is mainly narrative based but has different narratives within it. One storyline is him visiting his friends, another is him at home watching his mum fall out with her partner and another is him advancing in his music career. However there are also parts within the narrative of his music career advancing which are performance based as we see him on stage with his guitar and singing the song to an audience.
Overall this video represents Jake Bugg as an artist and tells a story from his past. It gives an insight into his personality and shows where he comes from, both through lyrics, music and visuals.
Original video:
The whole video is in the narrative perspective and the lyrics link to the visuals. For example Jake Bugg is from Clifton in Nottingham and there are lyrics such as 'I go back to Clifton to see my old friends' and we see clips of him getting on a bus and going to meet his friends. This is typical of a music video as we see the visual representation of what is being sung to help the video to flow. We also see that when he sings 'Hes with my momma, yelling and fighting' that the man and women are arguing and the woman hits the man. By showing visually what we hear auditory, it allows the audience to gain greater insight into what the song means and potentially the inspiration behind it. Goodwin says that a key feature of a music video is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals which this defiantly has.
Close up shots of Jake Bugg are used to let the audience know who the focus of the video is on and who he is as an artist. He is dressed in a very ordinary costume, jeans, a polo top, a plain jacket and Adidas trainers. This fits with Negus's organic ideology which takes a naturalistic approach to artists and says that the seeds of success are within the artist and this talent is brought out by the record company. He is shown to be normal because he is and he can be well known and enjoyed by many due to his pure talent rather than any fancy advertising or gimics which may be pushed on to less talented artists.
An inter textual reference within the song is when him and his, who we presume to be mother, put up their two fingers and this is a reference to the song title 'two fingers'. It signifies them swearing at the bad parts and times of life and the whole song is about how he has escaped that and 'got out'. From watching the music video we can assume that he managed to get out due to his music career taking off and another reference to him as an artist within the video is that we see him preforming in a club/bar.
Overall this video represents Jake Bugg as an artist and tells a story from his past. It gives an insight into his personality and shows where he comes from, both through lyrics, music and visuals.
Original video:
Monday 11 July 2016
Video analysis- Two door cinema club 'what you know'
Two door cinema club are a three person irish indie rock band. They have released 4 albums, their debut named 'tourist history' and their most recent is called 'gameshow' and was released earlier this year (2016). The song 'what you know' is from their debut album, 'tourist history', written by Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird, and Sam Halliday and was produced by Eliot James. It peaked at 64 on the UKs single charts.
There is a relationship between the music and the visuals as a feature of the video is that we see the band playing their guitars and also the lead singer, Alex Trimble, miming the lyrics. We also see clips where the music is mirrored with the visuals, for example a lady on roller blades skates past some drums, hitting them in time to when the sound of a drum is played. This is effective as it makes it feel like we are watching a live performace of the song rather than it being recorded, filmed and edited seperately.
Overall this video is entertaining, catchy and fits into the genre of 'indie pop'. It could easily be danced to as well as listened to in a chilled situation. It is individual in its video style and appeals to a certain type of audience which likes modern music but also likes retro features of fashion and trend.
The original video is:
There is a relationship between the music and the visuals as a feature of the video is that we see the band playing their guitars and also the lead singer, Alex Trimble, miming the lyrics. We also see clips where the music is mirrored with the visuals, for example a lady on roller blades skates past some drums, hitting them in time to when the sound of a drum is played. This is effective as it makes it feel like we are watching a live performace of the song rather than it being recorded, filmed and edited seperately.
make animated gifs like this at MakeaGif
Many close up/mid shots are used of the band to show the audience who is singing and performing the song. This allows the audience to gain insight into their style, appearance and personality, marketing them as a band and this may mean they gain followers and fans. Their style is quite retro, they are dressed in suits with old fashioned guitars which may be found in an 80s music video rather than one made in 2011. The whole music video fits in with this theme as the setting, costume, make up and action are typical of a music videos found in the 70s and 80s with bright colours, roller skates and dancing. This creates the representation that the band has their own unique style and shows them to be individual which is how they're record label promotes them.
Many close up/mid shots are used of the band to show the audience who is singing and performing the song. This allows the audience to gain insight into their style, appearance and personality, marketing them as a band and this may mean they gain followers and fans. Their style is quite retro, they are dressed in suits with old fashioned guitars which may be found in an 80s music video rather than one made in 2011. The whole music video fits in with this theme as the setting, costume, make up and action are typical of a music videos found in the 70s and 80s with bright colours, roller skates and dancing. This creates the representation that the band has their own unique style and shows them to be individual which is how they're record label promotes them.
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| The bands costume for the video. |
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| Example of video style and dancing. |
make animated gifs like this at MakeaGif
Whilst the artist isn't on sexual display, there are women within the video who are. The woman dancers switch between a costume of a red, tight top and short blue shorts to a tight yellow top and red skirt. There is also a women shown in a bath and later, two women in a bath together. These outfits show a lot of skin and Mulrey, who wrote about the film industry, would explain this using her theory of the male gaze, where the men 'behind the camera' objectify women who are infront of the camera. These women dancing around in minimal clothes may also be used to add appeal to the video as the band themselves aren't the stereotypical image of young and 'good looking' and therefore the directors componsate for this by including attractive girls so the video is more visually pleasing for its audience.
The video is mainly performanced based as we see the band performing the song and also women performing through dance. Andrew Goodwin wrote in his book 'dancing in the distraction factory' that video styles and iconography which use stange performance and dance is one of the six key features of a music video which distinguishes it as a form. The video doesn't really tell a story or link to the lyrics and so its main purpose is to entertain the audience and allow them to observe and listen to the music without having to understand how they link or what the meaning behind it is, simply enjoying the song.
Whilst the artist isn't on sexual display, there are women within the video who are. The woman dancers switch between a costume of a red, tight top and short blue shorts to a tight yellow top and red skirt. There is also a women shown in a bath and later, two women in a bath together. These outfits show a lot of skin and Mulrey, who wrote about the film industry, would explain this using her theory of the male gaze, where the men 'behind the camera' objectify women who are infront of the camera. These women dancing around in minimal clothes may also be used to add appeal to the video as the band themselves aren't the stereotypical image of young and 'good looking' and therefore the directors componsate for this by including attractive girls so the video is more visually pleasing for its audience.
 | |||||||
| Example of how the women are sexualised. |
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| Example of how the video is performance based. |
make animated gifs like this at MakeaGif
The original video is:
Sunday 10 July 2016
Video analysis- Wolf alice 'bros'
The song 'bros' by wolf alice was released in may 2013. The band are a four piece indie/alternative rock band from north London and their music is described as mix of vintage '90s rock, electronics and moody atmospherics. The music video is a tribute to 'childhood friendship and imagination'. The track is listed from their debut album 'My love is cool'.
The narrative is based on two children exploring london and there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. Some of the lyrics include 'you are my best friend' and 'theres no one that knows me like you do'. These link to the visuals which are shown as it shows the two girls with their heads on one another which Sassure would say is a signifier that they have a close relationship and are important in the others life.
Another part of the video where the lyrics link to the visuals is where they sing 'I'll keep you safe,
You keep me strong' this is represented in the video where they are carrying an old television and one girl runs over to the other to help her lift it as it is obviously heavy. This shows the girls physically helping one another to lift the heavy object and shows that they are stronger when they work together but this can also be interpreted in a metaphorical sense of keeping each other strong when they are facing tough times. Adults or more mature people would most likely relate to the second interpretation and younger audiences the first.
via GIPHY
The relationship between the music and the visuals is mainly linked to the pace of the film. When the tempo of the music is slower, longer shots are used, for example; there is a part of the video where the music is mainly instrumental, with only a few lyrics and a shot is used for 10 seconds which is very long for one shot of a video. This creates the atmosphere of the video to be relaxed melodic as there isn't much to see so you focus on the music rather than what is featured.
via GIPHY
In contrast to this, when the music speeds up and more instruments are added to build the song up to its ending, the shots are quicker and switch between different parts of the narrative so as the music builds you are seeing different images which allows you to concentrate on a lot of things and the momentum quickens too.
via GIPHY
The artist isn't featured in this music video and it is purely focused on the two girls. This represents the artist within its genre of indie rock as they don't follow the mainstream trend of being in the video and having it focused on them and them singing. The way this track is represented is to allow older listeners, whether that be in their 40s or teenagers to find their younger self and remember adventures they've had but whilst also relating to some of the meaningful lyrics. The video itself is very innocent and allows the audience to interpret its lyrics as they please. Barthes refers to this as 'death of the author' as once the artist has finished writing the lyrics and the editors and directors have finished creating the video their influence is no longer relevant and the final product is open to interpretation by any individual.
This video is unusual for wolf alice as a band as their music videos usually include adults, who might be actors or themselves. Either way, their other music video have much more adult themes within them such as drinking and smoking in the song 'she' and the music video for the track 'freazy' is entirely of the band themselves. All of their music videos seem different and of different themes which adds to the artists appeal as they aren't repetitive.
The video is a mixture of narrative based and concept based. The narrative based sections are when you see the girls doing thing such as exploring, running, eating and this shows their day, we know that is is meant to follow a narrative as at the end of the video they get on a bus and this signifies the end of their adventure and going home. The concept based parts of the video are focusing on innocence and adventure which are portrayed through the narrative.
The full music video is shown below;
The narrative is based on two children exploring london and there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. Some of the lyrics include 'you are my best friend' and 'theres no one that knows me like you do'. These link to the visuals which are shown as it shows the two girls with their heads on one another which Sassure would say is a signifier that they have a close relationship and are important in the others life.
Another part of the video where the lyrics link to the visuals is where they sing 'I'll keep you safe,
You keep me strong' this is represented in the video where they are carrying an old television and one girl runs over to the other to help her lift it as it is obviously heavy. This shows the girls physically helping one another to lift the heavy object and shows that they are stronger when they work together but this can also be interpreted in a metaphorical sense of keeping each other strong when they are facing tough times. Adults or more mature people would most likely relate to the second interpretation and younger audiences the first.
via GIPHY
The relationship between the music and the visuals is mainly linked to the pace of the film. When the tempo of the music is slower, longer shots are used, for example; there is a part of the video where the music is mainly instrumental, with only a few lyrics and a shot is used for 10 seconds which is very long for one shot of a video. This creates the atmosphere of the video to be relaxed melodic as there isn't much to see so you focus on the music rather than what is featured.
via GIPHY
In contrast to this, when the music speeds up and more instruments are added to build the song up to its ending, the shots are quicker and switch between different parts of the narrative so as the music builds you are seeing different images which allows you to concentrate on a lot of things and the momentum quickens too.
via GIPHY
The artist isn't featured in this music video and it is purely focused on the two girls. This represents the artist within its genre of indie rock as they don't follow the mainstream trend of being in the video and having it focused on them and them singing. The way this track is represented is to allow older listeners, whether that be in their 40s or teenagers to find their younger self and remember adventures they've had but whilst also relating to some of the meaningful lyrics. The video itself is very innocent and allows the audience to interpret its lyrics as they please. Barthes refers to this as 'death of the author' as once the artist has finished writing the lyrics and the editors and directors have finished creating the video their influence is no longer relevant and the final product is open to interpretation by any individual.
This video is unusual for wolf alice as a band as their music videos usually include adults, who might be actors or themselves. Either way, their other music video have much more adult themes within them such as drinking and smoking in the song 'she' and the music video for the track 'freazy' is entirely of the band themselves. All of their music videos seem different and of different themes which adds to the artists appeal as they aren't repetitive.
The video is a mixture of narrative based and concept based. The narrative based sections are when you see the girls doing thing such as exploring, running, eating and this shows their day, we know that is is meant to follow a narrative as at the end of the video they get on a bus and this signifies the end of their adventure and going home. The concept based parts of the video are focusing on innocence and adventure which are portrayed through the narrative.
The full music video is shown below;
Friday 8 July 2016
Preliminary photography task
After learning more about the different camera settings I re-shot my preliminary photography task. This was a very beneficial thing to do as it allowed to to apply what I had learnt in a practical setting. I used a cannon 700D to take these photos and experimented with the different aperture, ISO and shutter speed settings.
Creative mode: TV 'time value'
ISO: 800
Shutter speed: 1/250
The theme of this picture was aloneness as it is one flower by itself, held by one person and this takes up thw whole shot. The shutter speed was low and this meant that the colours are very rich and more detailed. This is a reccomended setting for in daylight. The ISO was set at 800 and with the brightness of the outside, this means it wasn't overly exposed.
Creative mode: TV 'time value'
ISO: 1600
shutter speed: 1/400
The theme of this picture was again aloneness, taken for the same reasons as written above. The shutter speed was higher which meant that it captured the image as still even though it was windy. The ISO was set at 1600 which was too high for the setting and this is why the photo is overexposed and there isn't a very good focus on the flower.
Creative mode: AV 'Aperture value'
Aperture: F3.5
ISO:800
The theme of this picture is 'togetherness'. All of the flowers together show collectiveness. The aperture was set at F3.5 which meant that some light could enter the camera but also meant that it has quite deep depth of focus and most of the shot is in focus. The ISO was 800 so there is enough light to visibally see the image but it isn't over exposed.
Creative mode: AV 'Aperture value'
ISO:1600
Aperture:F4.5
The theme of this picture was also 'togetherness' for the same reasons as written above. The Aperture was higher than the previous photo which meant that more light was let in and this alongside the ISO of 1600 made the image very clear and bright. This also has quite a deep depth of field but flowers closest to the camera are best in focus
Overall this task was a very helpful task which will put me in a good position to create my digipak and magazine photos later in my project. Here is me shooting these photos;
ISO: 800
Shutter speed: 1/250
The theme of this picture was aloneness as it is one flower by itself, held by one person and this takes up thw whole shot. The shutter speed was low and this meant that the colours are very rich and more detailed. This is a reccomended setting for in daylight. The ISO was set at 800 and with the brightness of the outside, this means it wasn't overly exposed.
Creative mode: TV 'time value'ISO: 1600
shutter speed: 1/400
The theme of this picture was again aloneness, taken for the same reasons as written above. The shutter speed was higher which meant that it captured the image as still even though it was windy. The ISO was set at 1600 which was too high for the setting and this is why the photo is overexposed and there isn't a very good focus on the flower.
Creative mode: AV 'Aperture value'Aperture: F3.5
ISO:800
The theme of this picture is 'togetherness'. All of the flowers together show collectiveness. The aperture was set at F3.5 which meant that some light could enter the camera but also meant that it has quite deep depth of focus and most of the shot is in focus. The ISO was 800 so there is enough light to visibally see the image but it isn't over exposed.
Creative mode: AV 'Aperture value'ISO:1600
Aperture:F4.5
The theme of this picture was also 'togetherness' for the same reasons as written above. The Aperture was higher than the previous photo which meant that more light was let in and this alongside the ISO of 1600 made the image very clear and bright. This also has quite a deep depth of field but flowers closest to the camera are best in focus
Overall this task was a very helpful task which will put me in a good position to create my digipak and magazine photos later in my project. Here is me shooting these photos;
Learning about camera effects
I watched two videos about camera settings to help increase my knowledge about how to operate a camera and change the different effects to manipulate the final image.
Aperture
Aperture is the measurement of how wide the hole at the back of the lense opens to let in light. It is expressed in F/stops and the smaller the number, the more light coming ito the shot. This can be ajusted to change the depth of field.
ISO
ISO is how light sensitive the camera is, it can change the sensitivity and the higher the number, the more light sensitive it is. The numbers double as they go up, for example 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600. In a dark room you would need to use a higher ISO and outside you would want a lower ISO as there would be more natural light. The lower the ISO, the more detailed the picture.
Shutter speed
Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second and is to do with the amount of time the shutter is open for each time you take a photo. The larger the number, the faster the shutter speed. An example of a fast shutter speed would be 1/2000 sec. and this would be used to capture fast movement, such as sports where people are running around and the moment has to be captured exactly before they move. An example of a slow shutter speed woulod be 1/30 sec. and this would be used in low light situations. The lower the shutter speed, the richer the colours and the more detailed the picture. In daylight 1/25 is advised and if you use under 1/60 then a tripod is needed to avoid camera shake.
Photogrophers secret: Don't shoot on a shutter speed less than 1 on the focal length of the lens so on a 250mm lens no lower than 1/250th or faster and use a tripod.
Creative modes
The green triangle is full auto mode where the camera total control of the settings and chooses every setting.
Creative modes
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| Above the green box are 'creative modes' and below the green box are 'basic zone modes'. |
P (program)
It has a built in light measuring device called a 'light meter' which selects aperture and shutter speed based on the ISO setting and the light on the subject.
TV (time value)
This gives the shutter speed priority and automatically chooses the aperture. This is best for the control of movement for example avoids blurring on fast moving objects.
AV (aperture value)
This allows you to choose the aperture setting and ajust the depth of field or focus on a certain object. The camera then automatically decides the shutter speed settings. A low aperture settings mean there will be a low depth of field and a tripod is needed with this setting.
A-dep
This allows you to choose important areas in focus, for example objects close to the camera and keep the image sharp. This setting will automatically choose the aperture and it is important to pay attention to the shutter speed.
M (manual)
This allows you to have total control over the aperture, shutter speed and ISO using the display. This can be used best for under or over exposing images.
Thursday 7 July 2016
Preliminary photography task
For this preliminary photography task I was given the theme 'aloneness and togetherness' as a theme to use as inspiration for the photos.
However, I misunderstood the task and focused mainly on achieving the theme of the photos, rather than using the actual camera settings to experiment with photography. I didn't take not of the aperture, ISO or shutter speed settings and when I got on to the computer I used the editing settings to ajust the focus and filter to make the images look pretty. I therefore haven't learnt anything from this task and will re-capture these images after learning more about camera and using the aspproproiate settings.
However, I misunderstood the task and focused mainly on achieving the theme of the photos, rather than using the actual camera settings to experiment with photography. I didn't take not of the aperture, ISO or shutter speed settings and when I got on to the computer I used the editing settings to ajust the focus and filter to make the images look pretty. I therefore haven't learnt anything from this task and will re-capture these images after learning more about camera and using the aspproproiate settings.
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| Aloneness |
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| Togetherness |
The purpose of a music video
I brainstormed different ideas of what the purpose of a music video is. This was a useful task as it gave me some ideas and inspiration for my own music video. It also gave me insight into why an artist would make a music video and allowed me to get into the same mind set as them and this may influence how I produce my video.
Theorists
Adorno
Adorno was a marxist and believed in a cluture industry which produces unsophisticated and unsentimental products for people to experience 'true' emotion. He sees this as cathartic which means that people who are feeling in a low mood will listen to this sad music or watch the sad film in order to release their emotions and therefore feel better afterwards. He disagrees with this as he believes that it benefits the capitalists.
Hebdige
Hebdige argues that audiences are free to resist the power of large companies, for example, music videos by ignoring their products and finding alternatives by creating subcultures. These subcultures go against the 'mainstream' trends and examples of these include, punk, emo, ecowarriers, feminists and such groups.
Dyer
A 'star' refers to a set of meanings constructed around music performances. Some common values of stardom include:
Adorno was a marxist and believed in a cluture industry which produces unsophisticated and unsentimental products for people to experience 'true' emotion. He sees this as cathartic which means that people who are feeling in a low mood will listen to this sad music or watch the sad film in order to release their emotions and therefore feel better afterwards. He disagrees with this as he believes that it benefits the capitalists.
Hebdige
Hebdige argues that audiences are free to resist the power of large companies, for example, music videos by ignoring their products and finding alternatives by creating subcultures. These subcultures go against the 'mainstream' trends and examples of these include, punk, emo, ecowarriers, feminists and such groups.
Dyer
A 'star' refers to a set of meanings constructed around music performances. Some common values of stardom include:
- Youthfulness
- Rebellion
- Sexual maganatism
- Antiauthoritarian sttitude
- Originality
- Creativity
- Agression
- Disregard for social values relating to drugs, sex and polite behaviour
- Consumption of sex, drugs and material goods
- Success against the odds
His key idea was that some stars have key features which link them and these include; that a star is an image of a star and not a real person and that stars are constructed out of a range of materials including adverts, magazines, films, music videos and other such mediums.
Dyer says that a stars image is based on two paradoxes;
- 'The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary'. This means that they have to seem ordinary enough for their fans to relate to them but extraordinary so that they can idealise them.
- 'The star must be present yet not present'. This means that they should be present so that their music and information about themselves is easily accessible but not present enough that anybody could contact them very easily.
Negus
Negus identifies two distinct ways of thinking about potential artists from within the music industry. These ideologies shape the way that artists images and careers are developed and the way that they are marketed towards specific target audiences.
The organic ideology of creativity
This takes a 'naturalistic' approach to artists and says that the seeds of success are within the artist which are brought out by the record company. The artist is enhanced by the record company and is given time to evolve and progress through their career. The profits generated by this type of act tend to be part of a long term strategy by the record label.
The synthetic ideology of creativity
This takes a combinatorial approach to artists and material. The image of artists is often constructed by the record company and artists are given a short time to prove their success before other combinations will be tried out and these artists are often aimed at younger, less sophisticated audiences.
Wednesday 6 July 2016
Magazine Advert- Amber run
Amber run are a four person band from Nottingham who sing indie pop/ rock music. Their most recent album '5AM' was their debut album and to go along side this release they also announced a UK/European tour in 2015.Their album cover for '5AM' was used in magazines as advertisement for their album. The trees on either side of the album cover act as natural framing for the light which weaves in and out of the trees surrounding them as well as the band name, logo and album title. The bright streak across the front of the picture could be interpreted as a signifier using sassures theory. The light in the middle of the dark woods could be symbolic for how their music inspires and uplifts their listeners even if they were feeling down. Their music is generally up tempo and uses their instruments and vocals to produce a unique sound.
The sans serif font is simple like the picture. The band name 'amber run' is written in a larger font than the album name '5AM' because although the band to have a lot of followers, they are not hugely popular on a national or international level so people may not be overly familiar with specific details of the bands career movements such as album names and tours. This means that people are more likely to recognise the band name if they see it advertised in a magazine opposed to their album name. It will also be large and visible for people who haven't heard of them before to read and remember.
The logo of their band is also part of the image and helps to promote them. The white outline contrasts with the dark background, making it stand out and the picture of a lion it positioned inside a circle outline. The lion represents bravery and fierceness which could represent how their music stands out as different from mainstream chart music.
Tuesday 5 July 2016
Magazine advert- Coldplay
This ad promotes the album as modern and alternative. The bright, contrasting colours represent moderninity and the grraffiti targets the attention of the younger generation as they are more likely to enjoy making and viewing grafitti walls.
The name of the album and the name of the band are written with just the outline of the sans serif font and you can see the background behind it. This shows that the focus of the album isn't on the name and the band but more the actual music and the theme of it.
The advert lets you know where you can buy and access the album which is useful information to be able to gather at a glance of the advert in the magazine. It also offers information about preordering which could increase sales once again.
Much like other inide rock/pop bands the main image of the poster isn't of the artists face looking straight at the camera but an arty image that will appeal to an 'indie' audience. This advert is used to promote the album to people who already like and follow their music aswell as enticing new audiences through the appearance of the ad and this could potentially boost album, singles and tour sales which will make them more money and allow them to grow in popularity.
Magazine adverts
Magazine adverts are used to advertise artists in magazines and online via digital magazines to promote a band/artists album, single or tour. They can be very beneficial for artists as if it is published in a popular magazine, with readers around the same ages as their fans then they could potentially gain more fans and increase record and album sales. If they are advertised in the right sort of magazine then the readers will all have similar interests and therefore similar music tastes.
Monday 4 July 2016
Marketing for Florence and the machines 'lungs'
Florence and the machine are a band mad up of Florence Welch who is the front face of the band and singer, Isabella Summers who plays the keyboard and a collaboration of others. Their first album is named 'lungs' and was released in 2007, debuting at number two in the UK album charts. Their music is described as indie rock, alternative music although this album achieved great success in the charts which isn't overly common for music of this genre.
The front cover of the album 'lungs' reflects Florence Welch as an artist in terms of her appearance, personality and music style. The cover is arty with its use of colour and style and it looks like a painting which could be featured in a gallery. This look shows that the band are into art and fits with the 'inide' genre. The flowers and birds in the background have connotations of being relaxed and the imagery is almost poetic which fits with her vocals as they are soulful and emotive. The Cover reflects image/text cohesion as the picture of lungs strapped around Florences neck act as a background picture for the title 'lungs'. The bands name is written at the top of the album in the iconic font that represents them and is an an unusual serif font,
The back cover to the 'lungs' ablum is of a similar style to the front cover except that it is completely black and white. This colour scheme is typical of inide/ indie rock bands and so signifies the genre of the CD. The image of a pair of lungs is relevant to the title and looks like something which could be found in an old textbook. Images like these are found to be linked with multiple indie bands as they use old bands and images as inspiration and put a modren twist on it. This is similar to the image on the front cover as it could quite easily be an old painting and isn't time stamped to be from the modern age. The back also features all of the songs but side by side rather than listed which isn't typical, again showing their individuality and not going along with mainstream trends.
This magazine ad was used to promote Florence and the machines album lungs. It uses the same image and text as the album cover and this means that people may see the ad and then recoginse the album when they see it in store or online. It also lets the audience see in which forms they can purchase the album, 'CD, deluxe CD, vinyl and digital'. This means that they could potentially boost their sales from purchases on different media platforms as not everyone may know it is available for example, on vinyl. The fact that it is available on vinyl also suggests to the audience that the artists is indie as you don't often find really mainstream, pop music available on vinyl and in record shops.
The back cover to the 'lungs' ablum is of a similar style to the front cover except that it is completely black and white. This colour scheme is typical of inide/ indie rock bands and so signifies the genre of the CD. The image of a pair of lungs is relevant to the title and looks like something which could be found in an old textbook. Images like these are found to be linked with multiple indie bands as they use old bands and images as inspiration and put a modren twist on it. This is similar to the image on the front cover as it could quite easily be an old painting and isn't time stamped to be from the modern age. The back also features all of the songs but side by side rather than listed which isn't typical, again showing their individuality and not going along with mainstream trends.
This magazine ad was used to promote Florence and the machines album lungs. It uses the same image and text as the album cover and this means that people may see the ad and then recoginse the album when they see it in store or online. It also lets the audience see in which forms they can purchase the album, 'CD, deluxe CD, vinyl and digital'. This means that they could potentially boost their sales from purchases on different media platforms as not everyone may know it is available for example, on vinyl. The fact that it is available on vinyl also suggests to the audience that the artists is indie as you don't often find really mainstream, pop music available on vinyl and in record shops.Research into indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Bands who play indie rock music are characterized by their use of less common instruments, voices and visual appearance, making them less 'mainstream' and more individual, where the name 'indie' derives from. Indie rock music has become particularly popular with the younger generation in more recent times as this music is often expressive and allows teens and young adults to identify with the artists and the songs. Indie rock artists were commonly associated with being unsigned or known as 'underground' which means not being known by the wider public because of independent record labels.
Some more popular known artists who create music classified under the 'indie rock' genre are:
The 1975: A four person band who have has two successful albums and are increasing in popularity, especially among the younger generation.
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Bands who play indie rock music are characterized by their use of less common instruments, voices and visual appearance, making them less 'mainstream' and more individual, where the name 'indie' derives from. Indie rock music has become particularly popular with the younger generation in more recent times as this music is often expressive and allows teens and young adults to identify with the artists and the songs. Indie rock artists were commonly associated with being unsigned or known as 'underground' which means not being known by the wider public because of independent record labels.
Some more popular known artists who create music classified under the 'indie rock' genre are:
The 1975: A four person band who have has two successful albums and are increasing in popularity, especially among the younger generation.
Arctic monkeys: A four (originally five) person band from Sheffield who have released five successful studio albums.
Music videos
Typical features of an indie rock music video include a very simple setting as indie rock bands, through the nature of their genre don't have lots of money from mainstream co-operations and are therefore on a low budget. Such locations could include inside a studio, in a park, in a city etc. as these can all be visited for free and as frequently as need be to make a good music video. This simple setting allows for the main focus of the video to be on the artists themselves and the story being told. The artists identity is often expressed through their costume and makeup and this is often classified as 'indie' as well as their music as they aren't typical clothes that you would see a mainstream artist wearing or your average person walking down the street, this is often a retro look.
Friday 1 July 2016
Evaluation of preliminary task
Overall I am pleased with how our preliminary task went and how the final version looked. I feel like Abi, Tammy and I worked well as a team and each of us contributed to the project in different ways.Our video was never going to look exactly like the real video due to a very limited budget and amount of time but I think that we made it look very similar through costume, acting and editing. As we used a good quality camera (Cannon 700D) and a new computer (which took some getting used to but worked well for us in the long run) for the editing, our version looks professional and the shots change in time with the real video.
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| Example of lip synching. |
Doing this task has allowed my confidence to grow as I feel like creating my own music video is an achievable goal and with my knowledge and practice of editing and filming over the course of As and the start of A2 media, I will hopefully be able to produce a good quality music video which is enjoyable to watch.
A problem I did find when doing this task was when it came to editing. We struggled to upload our footage to the computer as it was new and none of us had used it before. However, with help from our teacher we learned which format the clips had to be imported in and how to use the new system of adobe premier pro. Another problem I faced was that again, none of us knew how to create the split screen effect like it is edited in the original video. With help from our teacher (again) I learnt how to resize each of the clips, crop them and move them around to create the layout of the footage the same as the original video.
As well as finding this task beneficial from an educational point of view I also found it fun to work with my friends to create this section of a music video and in such a short space of time it has taught me how to deal with time pressures and work efficiently. After doing this I am excited to start planning and creating my own video later on this year.
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