Friday, 19 November 2010
Treatment upload and my response:
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Inspiration behind track choice/ thoughts about choice:
Monday, 15 November 2010
Rihanna: Transforming her star image
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Postmodern Album covers:
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Lipsyncing exercise
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.
Michael Buble: Crazy Love Analysis
Oasis: Be here now Analysis
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.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Maroon 5: Hands All Over Analysis
Nirvana: Never Mind Analysis
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.
Good Charlotte: Cardiology Analysis
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.
Kid Rock: Born Free Analysis
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 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.
Friday, 5 November 2010
The Beatles: Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Analysis
Carol Vernalllis - Theory for music video
- 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.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill
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.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Lady Gaga - Telephone Analysis
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.
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.