In order to make an album for the artist, the group must decide on a house style of the album. The House style is the overall visual approach creating the design ethic of the album artist. There has to be a cohesion of the different elements looking as if they belong together. There will be an image and identity attached.
Below is the process of how in the music industry, a real band or artist would produce their album:
- Commission: You give the job of the album cover to someone such as artist etc
- The Brief: Collaboration between the album artist and talks with the music artist /band. They decide on the name of the album, lyrics, song names. Concept albums have a theme that runs out through the album which some artists use on their albums.
- The Roughs: Initial ideas based on the brief and the artists reaction to the music itself, there will usually be several "roughs" to show the band/manager who will often make the decision.
- the Presentation: Where the Roughs are shown to the manager/band
- The Shoot: Where they take images for the album work
- The Artwork: Where it all comes together
- Printing Process: This is the technological process of the images and the process of the quality of the pictures which would not be applicable when it comes to my groups album process.
I personally found the lip - syncing task challenging as I have never used the program before nor done a group film task before. The group came across a few problems throughout the exercise such as technical difficulties. As this is the first time i have done editing for a piece of film, i found it challenging at first, but i soon learnt the different features of the editing process and completed the task. However, these problems were solved and we were able to successfully complete the exercise. I now know that when it comes to the real music video, I will thoroughly make sure that I understand how to effectively use the program. It made me understand and learn how important it is to plan to make sure that when it comes to filming for my real music video, I will know exactly what shots and where to film which is something that i feel i did not do for the lip syncing activity.
Today, I typed up and blogged on the group blog the treatment for the song that we are planning to do "Kiss'n'Tell" by Kesha. The treatment was successful, however, I feel that as a group, we can still edit any of the ideas to improve the videos sequencing and any of the ideas that we originally have.
We have also started planning our storyboard for the sequencing of the music video. In the storyboard, we intend on mentioning the different camera angles that we will use in order to convey the best way of showing the artists supremacy and importance. We will also link each section by marking the from when the lyrics will begin to when they end, allowing us to see how long each shot should be sustained for.
The group spent a lot of time trying to decide on a song for our project. We already knew that we wanted to pick a pop song that had a fast beat to it, which would make our editing of the shots fast and kept the pace up.
Eventually, we were torn between "Kiss n Tell" by Kesha which i thought personally would be suitable, whilst my partner decided that the song "Backstabber" also by Kesha was a good idea. Finally, we both made diagrams of the ideas that we could do for each song. Therefore, we felt the song "Kiss N Tell" was to be the most suitable as we felt we could elaborate with different ideas for the song.
I decided to do the collage on the artist, Rihanna. The artist has changed throughout the five years that she has become a part of the music industry. It is evident that the artist has developed her image over the years in order to gain a star persona for her to gain recognition in the industry and make her stand out.
Rihanna has decided to change her good girl image into a notoriously looking r'n'b artist with attitude. This is because she does not want to look like stereotypical r'n'b artists and has gone for her own unique image.
When looking at the collage, from the left to the right, from the left, the artist is at the beginning of her career and to the right, the progress that her image has gone through. I have used theorists to show how the digression that the artist has gone through, via her image, is to gain publicity and a star image and is typical of many artists in order to appeal to their audience effectively.
Many album covers nowadays are very postmodern, in terms that they are extremely well used and are therefore, as a homage to the album, have been copied by another genre form that is well known. A well known example of this is the Nirvana album cover which has been copied by the program, The Simpson's with the character Bart Simpson (below). I feel that this postmodern example is more of a homage to the Nirvana album cover, than a parody. I feel that this is the case as "The Simpsons" translation of the album work is not mimicking the baby in the water, but paying tribute to the idea as it is very successful and well known as it does not change the message that the album cover is trying to portray either. Postmodernism of album covers is usually not for a meaningful purpose but just to show the creativity of different forms of media all collaborating together.
The Clash - London Calling
This album cover is also a typical postmodern album cover by the artist, The Clash. This album cover is similar to Elvis Presley's album cover which is a clear example of a postmodern album cover being formed in order to gain the album some recognition to something that is already popular from another well known artist. This is postmodern album cover is a homage to the original Elvis Presley album as "The Clash's" interpretation of the album cover is paying tribute to Presley as it is showing that they want to be musically successful as Presley.
As you can see, the album covers are extremely identical to each other through typical conventions of an album cover. The use of the bubbly font of the artists name gives the album cover a non serious feel to it, contrasting the black and white image of the artist which portrays a serious feel to the cover. The image of the artists is used to portray the artists musicality such as Presley singing with his guitar and the guitarist of the band in The Clash is about to smash his guitar also, showing the similarity of the two albums. Also, the color of the font is unusual as green and pink which do not combine well with each other. However, the purpose of the colour is to make the background stand out from the font, allowing the audience to focus on the iconic picture.
Other album cover examples:
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream and Will Cotton - Cotton Candy Sky
By paying homage to this iconic Katy Perry image, Will Cotton has successfully achieved the portrayal of the "woman in the sky" with his own album cover, showing that he is paying tribute to Katy Perry's image, although it can be seen that they have used it to portray their candy theme, similar to Katy Perry's theme. This postmodern idea is a clear example how postmodernism has taken different media ideas and have implemented it into their own product which can be found in all different types of media such as film.
We have decided to do the song "Telephone" by Lady Gaga. We decided to do this song for many reasons. Firstly, as our group is all female, we felt that this song was appropriate and also the beat of the song was very fast, allowing us to edit the video, implementing the video with fast cuts. We will use an array of different camera angles from close up shots, medium shots, low angle shots to portray the different angles and to allow me and my group to get a feel for using a camera.
This album cover follows the typical conventions of a music album cover. Firstly, the main image on the album cover is the artist, Michael Buble. This connotes for the importance of the artist and for the audience to recognize the artist and nothing else.
The main image of the artist is in a still shot of the artist kicking towards the audiences position. The artists foot is in a different colour, brown, to the rest of the album cover as his foot signifies his success and how he has made himself successful in the music industry. This can also be shown through his facial expressions which is him smirking which suggests how he can keep calm and show off in front of the audience.
The colour on the album cover is mainly silver which connotes for a refined and professional look for the artist and connotes that he takes his music seriously. The artist is wearing a casual suit jacket and jeans which looks smart. The artist has been made iconic for his posh suits therefore, on this album cover, he is once again wearing a smart suit which allows the audience to identify the artist as Michael Buble. Also, his sense of wealth can be shown through the bottom of his shoe which looks Italian made of some sort, connoting his wealth from his music success.
The name of the artist and album is situated on the album cover as conventionally. The name of the album is in a bold font to make it stand out whereas the name of the artist is in an iconic font that the audience will recognize. However, the way that the names are positioned is on a strip that connotes for exclusivity for the album. Also, there is the iconic emblem of the artists initials that is on the album and has been on previous albums which makes the album personal.
This album cover breaks the typical conventions of a music album cover and was a groundbreaking in the music industry. Firstly, on an album front cover, it is expectant to find the album name and artists name. The name of the band, Oasis, is positioned at the top to allow the audience to recognise it immediately. However, the name of the album is not there which is unconventional. This can connote that the album name can be told through the images and tell the audience the message "Be here now". This also shows the bands popularity and their success, but also their arrogance.
This album cover also has references to the bands older album "Definitely Maybe". The references are from the globe and television which were evident in the "Definitely Maybe" album cover. This connotes for the band not changing personally but how they have become more popular and have more money as the globe and television are an upgrade. The globe is also on some kind of pedestal which may also suggest that the band have conquered the world, linking to their popularity.
The Rolls Royce in the pool of the luxury scenery also shows their huge amounts of wealth and success. For the band to plunge a Rolls Royce into a pool shows their arrogance and also the Rockstar lifestyle that they are trying to lead. Also, the use of one of the members of the band looking through a telescope into the globe on the pedestal connotes for the band looking down at the Earth and that they have their own world, in showing their success.
There is also the bike at the front of the cover next to Liam Gallagher, where is wearing a notable Mod jacket, linking to the bike. The Mod look was a very fashionable trend that everyone would aspire to try to look like, that Liam Gallagher is showing off the fashion trend he is trying to follow. There is also a a hand - less clock positioned to another member of the band. The clock without the hands connotes for the band being timeless and that their music will still be remembered for many more years to come and that they are always going to be iconic.
In the distance to the right, another member of the band is holding a large gold key. This can connote for the band being highly successful and that due to their success they have lots of open doors and opportunities for them to become even more popular and more recognised.
The different objects in the background link to many different things from their popularity to their background. There is the calendar positioned at the front of the cover as the date on the calendar was the release date for the album which is very important as the album was th fastest selling album in the U.K where to record its sold 8 million copies.
The mise en scene of the album cover is in a typical English estate, which is evident through the vast land and grandeur of the building that is in the foreground that connotes for their success in the music industry. Also the blue sky in the background connotates for freedom and that the band have no limits as a result of their popularity and wealth.
This music album cover by the band, Maroon 5, follows the structure and conventions to successfully portray their message. Firstly, the bands name is situated at the top of the cover to make sure that it is visible. The font of the bands name is in an iconic font that allows the audience to recognize it as the band. The message of passion and intimacy in their music can also been seen through their name of the heart on the M of Maroon.
The album name is beneath the name of the artist which is typical of a music album cover as this allows the audience to be able to see the name of the album. The font of the album name is in a similar font as the artist name but is in a luscious red which connotates for love, passion and seduction. Also, the whole picture is tinted in a rose colour which is a connotation for love and optimism that reflects the albums message from the band.
The main image is not of the band but of another image signifying their music that revolves around love, relationships and intimacy. Therefore, the naked woman in the bed, being caressed with lots of arms reflects this message of the band. The woman being naked also connotes for intimacy and that the band are not afraid to reveal passion and sexuality in their music. This image takes up the whole of the cover so that the cover is very visible and makes it stand out to the audience.
Also, the way that the album cover name is situated on the left of the image which can allow the image to be portrayed as a piece of art and the idea that the act of love is like a piece of art. This is due to the still image of the woman in a sexual embrace to show the pinnacle of a relationship and passion which the artists wants to reflect through their music. The arms that are not the woman's suggests that it could be one of the band members and once again links to the idea of intimacy being expressed throughout their music.
This album cover successfully conveys the message and attitudes of the band through this well known album cover. The central image is not of the band but of a shocking image that the audience would not expect to see. The image is of a young baby in a pool, trying to chase an American dollar bill that he is being baited with on a hook. This image portrays the attitude that American society is corrupt and that the society is full of greed and materialistic and captures everyone, hence the baby chasing the American money.
The baby is naked to emphasis the corruption of society as the naked baby is a connotation for innocence, purity and gives a natural impression. Therefore, the audience learns that the band, Nirvana, have made an ideological album cover as it is powerful in pursuing its message and that the band are serious about their music and the message they want to convey through their music.
Also, as we see the baby in the pool, the colour blue surrounds the baby which connotates helplessness and coldness that are negative. However, we can also see the darker blue as a more comforting colour, but the baby is becoming distant from it and moving closer to the money but the audience is unable to see what the rest of the scenery is which connotates for danger. However, the vast blue background can also be code for the world and how it is a dangerous place, but the baby is already caught up in the world of greed and does not know this.
The conventions found in most album covers are also evident. The name of the band is situated at the bottom. The name is in the typical font that the band which is iconic, as it is used all the time and the audience recognizes it as the band “Nirvana”. The font used also gives the idea of equality, elegance and pride. The name of the album is beneath that and is in a watery font linking to the albums picture of the water.
This album cover by the artist “Good Charlotte” is a typical indie/rock album cover using the conventions that is usually expected. There is the evident name of the band at the top for the audience to see. It is in the typical font graphic that is used in merchandise and previous albums of theirs.
The colour of the font used makes the name of the artist stand out and also connotate for sophistication and elegance. The name of the album is also evident as is positioned at the bottom, below the main image. This is in a different font to the band name due to the band name font being their trademark. The gold/yellow colour is also evident as it links to the elegant font of the album name.
Linking to this, the main image is not of the band but the combination of a tree and heart. This relates to the message trying to be portrayed and the name of the album “Cardiology” and the heart can be a connotation of a new beginning for the band, in terms of genre and musicality. There is also an eye and an ear on the heart which may act as personifying the heart into a human form such as the members of the band being the new start, as a way of expressing their message.
On the heart, there are also Latin words on the heart “Terra”, “Ignis”, “Aqua” and “Avra”. These four words translate to be Earth, Fire, Water and Air which links once again to the idea of nature and a new beginning linking to the idea of the bands new perception on music and their new beginning which is reflected through the new music in the album.
Also, this can be emphasized through the use of the tree such as the branches coming out from the top of the heart and roots at the bottom, which is also code for a new beginning and life. The audience is made to focus on the complex image which is shown through the low lighting that mainly focuses on the shocking image, whereas the rest of the cover is dark, which may connotate for the band giving life and hope to their audience which could be the message that they are trying to portray in their music and image.
Therefore, this album cover allows the audience to receive the impression that the band is trying to improve their music or change it in some way via connotations to portray the message through conventions of album covers.
In this album cover, certain conventions that are found in most pop genre album covers can be seen in this cover. Firstly, the evident name of the artist is situated at the top of the cover to attract the attention of the audience. The name is in a typical font that makes the artist recognizable. The font may connotate as the artist, Kid Rock, is bold with his musicality and is not shy of expressing himself to the audience. It is also situated in the clouds which may represent his music bringing peace of mind for the audience and calmness from his musicality. The album name is situated beneath this, to make sure that the audience sees it clearly and straight away, which is typical of a music cover.
The main image is of the artist and from the high angle position that the audience is subject to, we can become intimate with the artist as we can see what is in the car. The mise en scene is typically American and suggests wealth, linking to the American Dream idea that links to the album name “Born Free” which makes people makes them recognizable, linking to what the artist is also trying to achieve and the message he is trying to put across. In the car we see flamboyant leather furnishing the car, expensive snake boots, clean clothes and an expensive car. However, we also see guns around the car which could also represent that the artist is ruthless in getting what he wants which links to his image.
The background of the fields that do not end from the audience’s perspective also connotates for freedom and escapism for the artist and that could be the message that he wants to tell the audience through his music. The car positioned near the on going fields links to the idea of the artist heading that way too and also how the audience can join him if they listen to his music. Therefore, the artist successfully portrays his image to the audience by using the typical conventions of music album covers.
This album was released in 1967 and therefore it was revolutionary as it broke the typical conventions and boundaries of album covers. Many typical album covers were plain with just the album name and artist name with a simple image of the artist. Therefore, this album is revolutionary as it gives different messages to the audience. This cover was made by Andy Warhole and Peter Blake who were current pop artists and pieced the cover together. This was a revolutionary culture as it was a mixture of high, serious art emerging with popular culture at the same time that everyone could enjoy.
Firstly, the flowers that are at the front of the album cover is code for the time that the album was released which when popular culture was forming and hippies became popular. Therefore, the flowers are connotation for for peace and peace.
The mise en scene of the costume of the artist is very flamboyant and military orientated and bright which makes them stand out from the crowd of people and to the audience. This links to the juxtaposition of the band taking their music seriously and their facial expressions being serious but have wacky costumes and mise en scene, which shows their passion for music.
Linking to the mise en scene of the costume, the instruments that The Beatles are holding such as the trombone, give the impression and could be code for weapons that link to the military costume that they are wearing. The instruments are also code for the bands the musicality that they want to show off to the audience.
The use of iconic people in the background of the cover is code for how iconic The Beatles are. Due to the positioning of the iconic people are behind the artist is also code that the band are more iconic than those people and are the most current and important at that moment.
The use of the blue sky at the top of the cover is also code for freedom, summer of love and an exotic, heavenly place. This could represent what The Beatles want to tell their audience and thats what you feel when you listen to their music.
Throughout my project on researching and making my own music video, I will use the theorist, Carol Vernallis, to support the points that I make about music video and other ones. Vernallis’s ideas link to the method and conventions used by music videos across all genres, mainly quoting on the camera angles that music videos apply.
“Quick cutting on the beat”
-Every cut or edit in a music video needs to be in sync with the music. There are basic rhythms that clearly connect to the song.
“Edits in music videos come far more frequently than in film” and “Music video editing bears a far greater responsibility for many elements than does classic Hollywood film editing"
-Within music videos, there are always lots of very quick edits which help builds up a montage and often tells the narrative and progresses it.
"the editing in music videos works hard to ensure that no single element (the narrative, the setting, the performance, the star, the lyrics, the song) gains the upper hand."
-I will create my own music videos and will remember to create a balance between the different factors such as the song, narrative and the star. The narrative must not distract from the song but must also be able to engage the audience.
"Most music videos make such extensive use of the dolly that a static shot seems anomalous (when it is still it seems out of place). The dolly shot keeps the video moving, it starts almost invariably as soon as the video begins, and only ceases towards the end. It provides a simple way for a music video to catch and sustain a song's momentum."
-The use of dolly shots keeps the music video constantly moving, it is rare to see the camera work static. This is usually focused on the artist and reflects the message such as freedom. It also captures the intimacy between the audience and the artist, which gives a personal feel for the audience.
"Low angle shots are used more extensively in music videos, partly because they reproduce relations among the audience, performer and stage. Such shots confer authority upon performers and assert their sexual charisma, often crudely, by highlighting the erogenous areas/zones of performers. On the other hand high angle shots in music videos, as in film, give the viewer a sense of power and mobility."
- A low angle shot gives the audience the impression that they have less authority than the artist and that they have some sort of power over their audience. However, if the low angle shot is on the same level as the artist, it gives the impression they are at the same level and are involved in the narrative. The low angle shot can also be seen used constantly to watch the artist perform.
The music video for “The Kill” is based on the film “The Shining” so events that allow the narrative to move forward is intertextuality to the film. This is evident through the cuts of the shots, the mise en scene and the narrative. The music video has decided to copy the outline of “The Shining” as the narratives are similar but have different purposes. In the film, the narrative is about a man who is a caretaker for the hotel during the winter, where he also tries to write his own book. This makes him go mad and goes on a killing spree on his wife and child. Similarly, the music video copies the films, as the band are there to write a song and perform, staying at the hotel for a few days, which makes them go weird and mad. The opening shot of the video is similar to the film as there is non – diegetic music that is featured during the film to progress the narrative. The use of white on black writing with the same font is conventional of the film (below) and is therefore used in the music video. The use of these shots happens during the video of each day the band is there. Therefore, due to these shots carrying the narrative of the video to the climax, this is conventional of a music video.
There is an establishing shot of the building that the band will be staying in for a few days, which is similar to the hotel in the film, linking to the intertextuality, as it is large and historical linking to the genre of indie which portrays a gothic feel. This is a typical convention of a music video as establishing shots allow the narrative to commence and notify the audience what the narrative is about.
Many of the shots used in the music video are extremely similar to the film, due to the intertextuality. An example of this is the singer positioned similar to the film (below) through the use of a close up shot that focuses on the singers face which is very gothic. This video may be intertextuality very similar to the film, but it still keeps the conventions, which is the focusing on the band.
The pace of the cuts are also similar to the film. We hear a diegetic sound of a thud. The sound is in sync with the cuts of the shots from the notes to the typewriter to the singer bouncing the ball linking to the syncing of the beats to the cuts. This is once again intertextuality from the film, as the character does exactly the same to the film "The Shining" as a means of carrying the narrative.
There is the typical convention of a music video is also featured in the video of the artist performing on a stage. The low angle medium shot gives the impression to the audience that they are a part of the audience and the narrative. This is typical because the artist wants the focus to be around them and not so much the narrative. As Vernallis says "Low angle shots are used more extensively in music videos, partly because they reproduce relations among the audience, performer and stage” which supports that idea. Also, there are a number of close up shots of the different members of the band. This is a typical convention of a music video as it allows the band to show off their musicality toward their audience.
Also, at the beginning of the video, we see the use of low angle shot looking up the at the band in the car shows their power and control over the audience as Vernallis says "Such shots confer authority upon performers". This is typical of a music video as the artist wants to stay in control over the audience and to show their power.
The video is also very Gothic and this links to the film once again such as the naked woman that comes out of the shower in the film. Intertextuality is once again featured in the video, as the similar woman coming out of the shower comes out of the shower and is embraced by a member of the band. Also the cuts flash to other cuts of the Gothic woman covered in blood asVernallis says "Quick cutting on the beat”.
Also, the images and mise en scene that the music video is repeating and implementing from the film allows the music video to portray the Gothic and sinister feeling that is from the film. This is placed into the music video to get this Gothic impression also. It is made even more sinister when the member of the band sees his dark side, portraying their stages of madness. The idea of the video being Gothic due to the indie genre and the intertextuality is also seen through the flashing images of the naked woman, that through the flashes we see draped in blood. This is intertextuality to the film once again.
The audience is made aware of the editing process due to the different rules being broken throughout the video. An example of this is the 30 degree rule which is broken throughout the video. This is shown when the lead singer is walking up to the typewriter, but we see him get closer to the typewriter through quick cuts but are below 30 degrees which is not a typical convention of a music video, but is frequently broken often. These jump cuts are also in sync with the beat of the music as Vernallis says "Quick cutting on the beat”
The 180 degree rule is also broken in the music video which is not a typical convention of a music video. This can be seen when the singer of the band tries to follow his impersonator through the hotel and we see him from back and then we see him walk and then he is walking toward us as a match on action shot. The way that the rules are broken allows the Gothic theme to be successfully portrayed as the audience is disorientated as the audience is not sure which is the real band member and the confusing chash.
There is also the close up shot note at the beginning of the video that the band read, the note tells the band not to go into room 6277 which is reference how the characters are warned in the film about not going into room 237, once again intertextuality. The use of this shot is to move the narrative along and too also explain it to the audience, which a typical convention of a music video to keep the video moving.
There is also an aerial shot of the twins in the hall dancing and allows the audience to see a very clear view of the people in the room. It also gives the impression of the audience being involved in the narrative which is a typical convention of a music video.
At the end of the music video, where the narrative climaxes, the editing process is made aware to the audience. This is shown through the way the screen splits at the end, giving a double and disorientating image to the audience, which is typical in a indie genre music video. This also makes the audience aware that the end of the video and pulls them out of the narrative.
The mise en scene is evidently very similar to the film as the setting of the hotel is similar to the one in the film. Also, the costume of the band at the beginning reflects their image and the genre of music that they play as they wear black, jeans and have distinctive hair styles.
There is also the use of slow swipes at the end of the video which links to the slow beat of the music in the video. These use of the slow swipes as an edit to the next shot, gives a sinister feel toward the audience as the shots cut from the close up of a band and then to the other twins in the room. This links to the idea of the lyrics linking to the images as the lyrics say "What if i wanted to break" which gives the idea that the band want to break away with their twin linking to the cuts to the other twins in the room.
However, from that costume, when we see the duplicates of the band, they are dressed in a smart dinner suits. Conclusively, at the end of the video, we see the band performing in the dinner suits whilst the band also walk into the hall. This shows their change and how they have merged the two worlds and their impersonators, linking to the of the other twins in the place.
Throughout the video, there is constant intertextuality of different forms of media. This music video is a clear example of postmodernism as it references to lots of different art forms such as film and other artists.
This is shown through the video being based on the film "Thelma and Louise" through the way Lady Gaga and Beyonce become a duo and "punish" men for their behaviour toward women, as the film demonstrates through their toughening of femininity. There are also the shots of product placement such as the Coke brand as a means of advertisement. There is also the car used in the film "Kill Bill" that is also featured in the video.
There is a low angle establishing shot of barbed wire from a prison which is code for the hip - hop genre which reflects crime. The use of the low angle shot also gives the impression that the artist has authority over the audience and we can notget over the barbed wire as Vernallis says "Such shots confer authority upon performers".
The font at the beginning of the video is also reflective of the femininity trying to be portrayed by the narrative. The use of 1970's graphics that is bold in style and colour is also code for no nonsense and how femininity is changing, by becoming tougher, and that the font shows how the women do not care what people think of the change.
There is the high angle CCTV shot that looks down at the singer walking through the prison. This may resemble the audiences high position within the narrative. This shot also allows the narrative to progress as we are finally taken into the building. This fully emerges the audience into the narrative, which is conventional for some videos, but videos do not usually allow their audience to fall into the narrative.
There is also a point of view dolly shot as Lady Gaga walks down the prison corridor, the camera turns to the cells that Gaga is walking past to allow the audience to see what the artist is seeing. As Vernallis says "The dolly shot keeps the video moving, it starts invariably as soon as the video begins". This is a convention of a music video as videos want their audience to focus on the narrative, but not to be too emerged.
The mise en scene of the singer, Lady Gaga, is iconic in terms of her costume. This is flamboyant and overdressed which is conventional of a music video as the artist wants to make sure people understand why she is iconic in the first place and what makes her different. This links to the videos such as Eminem who wears the iconic white vest in his videos. Lady Gagas costume also links to the setting of the prison as it is black and white stripes. The mise en scene of the costume juxtaposes the realistic mise en scene of the scenery such as the prison.
There are also a mixture of still images in the video when the artist is in the car with Beyonce. The use of the still images allows the audience to see the bizarre and overdressed costumes that the artist has come up with. This once again links to the idea of the video wholly focusing on the artist which is conventional. Also, this makes the audience aware of the editing process of the video, not emerging the audience thoroughly into the narrative.
There is lots of phallic imagery throughout the video.The medium shot of the guards walking from the cell, clearly points out the swinging truncheon which may represent a penis and therefore is code for how Lady Gaga has been "abused" by the guards, linking to the idea of femininity getting tougher throughout the video.
Also, there is the code for femininity being tougher which is also shown through the artist Beyonce eating a sausage roll in the car. She carelessly takes a chunk out of it and then the camera does a high angle shot of Beyonce chucking the sausage roll on the floor. This gives the impression that the sausage represents masculinity and that woman are destroying it, as the code shows and that the high angle shot makes the sausage roll look weak and vulnerable.
As the music begins to start, we see the artist on the phone and we become aware of the editing process of the video as the camera become jittery, flashing in time with the music. This is a typical convention of a music video as it gives a disorientating feeling to the audience and also makes the audience once again aware of the editing process.
As the artist begins to dance there is the frequent use of low and high angle shots on certain areas of the dancers and the artist. Vernallis says "asserts their sexual charisma, often crudely, by highlighting the erogenous areas/zones of performers" which is what the use of the shot implies linking to the message of femininity becoming more dominant.
The 30 degree angle is broken in the video as there are cuts that move below 30 degrees. This is not a typical convention of a music video. We see this happen when Gaga is thrown in the cell and there are jump cuts between each shot but moves very slightly less than 30 degrees, breaking the typical conventions of a music video. This allows the audience to see Gaga in an "uncontrollable state" and makes the audience aware of the editing process.
The 180 degree rule is also broken in the scene where Gaga is in the prison yard and the actor walks up to her. We see the actor from behind the artist and then we also see him from the position of being in front of the artist. This shows how the boundary is being broken and is not a typical convention of a music video, but is widely used nowadays.
There is also dialogue during the video as the song is playing which is unconventional of a music video. The dialogue interrupts the song, but plays the part of extensively portraying the narrative of the video. Also, with the scene in the cafe, the actors behind begin to dance with the artist, where before they did not. This sees the merging of the two worlds as the actors before were not a part of the narrative, this too is unconventional.
As you can see, the album covers are extremely identical to each other through typical conventions of an album cover. The use of the bubbly font of the artists name gives the album cover a non serious feel to it, contrasting the black and white image of the artist which portrays a serious feel to the cover. The image of the artists is used to portray the artists musicality such as Presley singing with his guitar and the guitarist of the band in The Clash is about to smash his guitar also, showing the similarity of the two albums. Also, the color of the font is unusual as green and pink which do not combine well with each other. However, the purpose of the colour is to make the background stand out from the font, allowing the audience to focus on the iconic picture.
Other album cover examples:
There is the high angle CCTV shot that looks down at the singer walking through the prison. This may resemble the audiences high position within the narrative. This shot also allows the narrative to progress as we are finally taken into the building. This fully emerges the audience into the narrative, which is conventional for some videos, but videos do not usually allow their audience to fall into the narrative.
There is also a point of view dolly shot as Lady Gaga walks down the prison corridor, the camera turns to the cells that Gaga is walking past to allow the audience to see what the artist is seeing. As 
