Planning Editing Skills - Miss Miller

Planning Editing Skills

Introduction

Within a music video it is important to include different editing skills so the artist can be represented in different ways throughout. Editing skills means the audience will be engaged throughout and won't get bored of what is going on. Different editing skills can show different emotions from the artist, such as filters or specific colours which have different connotations. We have discussed as a group what different editing skills we will be including within our own music video and planned them out on a spider diagram so we can see them in a wider specific. Editing within music video's can also allow different emotional responses from the audience.

Analysis

The first piece of editing I have chosen to use is a black and white filter. The black and white filter is going to be used on the performance elements of the music video ahead the narrative concepts will be in normal colour. The black and white represents Amy's past, and how she is reflecting on it within the lyrics that she is singing to her audience. The direct address to her audience helps the audience to understand the lyrics by the use of a black and filter as they can see the low and depressing mood. The down mood being set for the audience to see shows the artist as being emotional and upset, the black and white filter In contrast with the normal colours that we will be using in the un-filtered sections, show her as emotional as we see her ups and downs through this filter as it flicks back to performance aspect throughout. The black and white filter being used on the performance aspect throughout and not just at the start shows a strong lead of emotion and that they stay the same and shows her audience instability in her feelings. The black and white filter over the images themselves will show Amy to be performing on stage and playing the piano in tune with the song Hometown Glory. This way because the audience are not looking at any bright colours that stand out to the audience as there will be none shown in black and white, the audience will be able to focus on her emotion from her face through the use of close-ups used in this part of the performance stages and body language being directed at Amy's target audience through mid-shots and long shots to keep the audience entertained and engaged.

The next use of editing we have chosen to include after discussion as a group is overlapping/layering of shots. These editing shots will take place throughout the whole music video to show different times and thoughts in Amy's life and how they reflect with each other and the lyrics being sung at that time. The picture on the left is a small example of what overlapping of shots looks like, although ours will look a lot different too this. Our shots will take place when performance is taking place for example our artist Amy playing the piano, and a London shot starting to overlap to change the scene, although this will have relevance to this part of the song and tell a narrative itself, or vise-versa. This will work effectively as it means a smooth changing of shots and allows the audience to see what is going on clearly. Overlapping of shots within a soul music video is conventional as build's up Amy's emotions to the audience, and allows her to express her emotions and feelings in a more subtle way. The building up of emotions will be shown as we will see her lyrics being sung with a overlapping shot over the top of her, almost justifying the emotions and lyrics, which will work well as soul songs are deep in meaning and feelings. I feel that overlapping and layering of shots will expand the viewing time for the audience as they will be able to see the fading image and the image on top being produced further onto the screen, allowing more understanding. This represents the artist overall as emotional, negative, confused and overwhelmed.

Slow-timing of shots is going to be included frequently within our music video as it can show deeper and more meaningful emotions. We have chosen to include these within the narrative and performance parts of our music video. Firstly the narrative side. Using slow-timing of shots and slow-paced editing within the performance aspect will mean the audience can see deeper emotions and meanings and more meaning to the body emotion that is going to be included. The slow pace will show how Amy feels her life is going at the moment, representing her emotions as sad and depressing, which the audience will see from her facial expressions, connecting to her looking down at the floor and away from the camera meaning no direct address to the audience at this point. This shows her negative outlook on life, and how she has no positive thoughts In her life at this time and everything is looking downwards for her. For the narrative side to our music video, we have slow chosen to include slow-timing of shots. These will take place when Amy is either walking in London or standing in London. For example, when Amy is walking down the street in London away from the camera, Amy will be at normal speed, whilst the people and cars driving/walking past will be in slow-motion to show how she feels her life is going, and how nothing is changing in her eyes. Amy being at normal speed and the background being at a slow-pace will show her outlook to the audience and how she is seeing things in her world and perspective, meaning the audience can create a relationship with the artist easily as they have a full understanding and able to see the shots for longer. Slow-timing of shots is conventional in a soul genre as is helps portray emotion and detail to the audience.

The final use of editing that we have chosen as a group to include is fast-paced editing. Fast-paced editing is a use of editing that is used frequently within music videos as it can show a rush of emotion and feelings being expressed towards the audience. Within our music video we are going to include this editing technique within the narrative side to the video. We are going to use this technique on London shots, where buses, cars, people walking past and showing an insight into everyday life in London will be in fast pace to show a hectic and busy life-style that Amy is leading. This will show her rush of emotions and how she is not in a happy place and not in her hometown where she is happy and relaxed. The fast-paced editing will represent her emotions and feelings hugely, in corporate with her facial expressions being shown in the narrative shots of her walking around London. Fast Paced editing is un-conventional of a soul music video as is shows the artist to be living a hectic lifestyle and doesn't allow for intricate detail to be shown, for example the facial expressions and emotions, meaning the audience cannot understand clearly unlike the other editing styles that we have included. I feel that although this editing style is unconventional for our genre it will work effectively and show the artist in a different light that reflects on the mood of the song, and the lyrics being sung at the specific time that this editing technique will be used.

Conclusion

In conclusion I feel that this post has allowed me and my group to oversee what editing skills we will use, and how they will work effectively. It has allowed us to plan out our music video in detail and where each editing style will go and for what reason. I am happy with our choices of editing styles as I feel that they help with the mood that is going to be set and help show specific emotions and feelings towards the audience helping create a relationship between the artist Amy and the audience. A relationship means good understanding and enjoyment of the music video, which is what we want to achieve. The styles that we have chosen will help portray the artist in a conventional way and be included well within the soul genre.

Planning lighting and colour -Miss Miller

Planning lighting and colour

Introduction

To use a variety of lighting and styles and colours within our music video is important as it adds to the effect of the emotions and feelings being portrayed to the audience. The difference odours will involve some bright and some dull, and both represent different things within the song. The variety of lighting will mean the audience will see the artist in a different way depending on the mood of the song, and how this will connect to the lyrics being sung at that time. Using more than one feature for lighting and colours means a range of values and messages will be sent out to the target audience. We discussed as a group what we are going to include within our music video and the screenshot above shows our spider diagram.

Analysis

The first colour we are using within our music video is a black and a white filter. The black and white will also be used o the artists outfits as the main colours the artist will be wearing throughout the costume changes is black, with elements of white. These are the main colours used throughout the whole music video, as the black and white also represents the colours on the piano as we are using a black piano, with white keys. The performance element of the music video will be edited in a black and white filter, in comparison to the narrative of the music video which will be in colour, this includes the shots of London, at the artists house with her friends and at a shopping centre. The black and white filter will be used on the camera shots of close-ups and long shots. This will help with the performance aspect as it will help the audience to engage the mood that is being set throughout the set, as the song itself is sad and emotional. The black and white filter will also help contrast the video as the black and white piano, the black microphone and the black background setting, so all of these will link together to create a good image for the audience to see. The black and white filter is conventional to the soul genre as it conventionally represents darkness, sadness and a emotional time that the artist is telling the audience about. The black and white filter helps with this as the emotions are portrayed easily. The black and white being used for the performance element and the normal colours for the narrative, shows the different aspects in the artists life and how her life is different when performing and the different emotions that she feels. 

The colour red is also going to be used frequently throughout our music video. the red will be seen most frequently when the artist is performing on stage and when playing the piano and this will be shown on her lips. The colour red is a connotation of passion and love, which has some involvement within our chosen song. This helps with the representation of the artist and the way she is going to be portrayed. The red also helps to show the artist as glamorous, prestige and talented as it shows her as a bright person who wants to stand out in her performance, which is conventional in the soul genre as we see the artist performing as a solo act, taking pride of the whole stage. Although on the other hand the large amount of make-up may show our artist amy as insecure and nervous within the performance element, this is conventional of the soul genre as we see as an audience soul artists wearing a lot of make-up to hide emotions or looking down or away from the camera. The red will stand out to the audience a lot and will be clearly noticeable in contrast with the black which is reoccurring throughout our music video.

The next use of lighting we are going to include within our music video is back lighting. Back lighting is going to be used in the performance aspects of the music video. The reasons for us choosing back lighting Is to create a silhouette feature for the audience to see. This will show the artist in her prime location on the stage, showing her talent and performance. Amy will be singing on stage, just like the picture I have used on the left to show an example of what we are going to try and achieve. The use of back lighting can show our artist in two different concepts. The first being shy, venerable and hiding her identity, as we wont be able to see any facial expressions or emotions, just an outline of Amy's features and body. This means we wont see any intricate detail of our artist, which is un-conventional of the soul genre as close-ups are seen to be used so the audience can create a wider and stronger relationship with the artist as they can see the emotions being expressed, as well as through body language. In addition, the other concept that can be portrayed of the artist through the use of backlighting is strong and independent. The silhouette feature will show Amy on her own on the stage performing in a strong light behind her. This is both conventional and un-conventional of the soul genre. Conventional because the artist will be performing alone, whereas un-conventional as she will be shown as strong, whereas soul artists are conventionally shown to be heart-broken and down in emotions. This will show her has an independent woman, with a lot of courage. These two sides that the audience will see, means that the audience can relate too either side of the artist, and can create a strong relationship with her.

The next use of lighting that we have discussed and decided to use is low-key lighting. Our whole music video will consist of using low-key lighting as it shows a dull and sad mood easily and can portray the artist in many ways. The low lighting will help connect to the artists clothing of black and white, helping to blend with the background and meaning the costume wont stand out at all, allowing the dark meanings from the outfit to still be portrayed. The low-key lighting will also connect to the mood of the song, as it portrays sadness through the lyrics and dark lighting on certain scenes will help with this, which Is the mood we want to create as it helps the audience understand the way Amy is feeling and why she is feeling like this. Low-key lighting is conventional to the soul genre as is can show the lower emotions that are normally portrayed, which are easier to grasp and understand through low lighting. The shots that we will be taking from London, will be edited darker to connect to the running theme of low-key lighting, although not so much as the performance stage as within this part, the stage will be covered in a black background and curtains whereas London will be very open and crowded, which will connect to Amy's emotions as confused and rushed.

The last use of lighting we have discussed and going to include within our own creation of a music video is high-ley lighting. The use of high-ley lighting is going to be displayed when Amy and her friends are in her house, having a good time and chatting. The high-key lighting will be displayed through the natural lighting coming through the windows and mostly all the lights on in the room. The picture on the left demonstrates an understanding of what we are going to try and create, showing a living room in a house with a lot of lights on. The high-key lighting will represent Amy the artist as positive, as this is a good and happy stage within her life as she is enjoying her time with her friends. The bright lighting also gives the impression of flashbacks, as the good times with Amy's friends shows her past and how she was really happy then. The setting will be held in the artists house. High-key lighting is un-conventional within a soul music video as it shows positivity and enjoyment, which is rarely seen within soul, as sadness and depressive moods are usually portrayed and demonstrated through lighting such as low-key. The lighting will fill the background with light, almost showing a glow of the artist at how happy she was at this point in her life and covers any dark areas in her life and the background.

Conclusion

Overall, I feel this post has led me to understand how planning before hand is useful and how important lighting and colour is within a music video. I have understood that specific lighting in certain scenes and area is vital as it portrays certain moods to the audience. The lighting and colours that I have selected are easy for the audience to create a relationship with the artist as they portray the artist in specific ways that the audience can understand easily. An example of this is low-key lighting, this clearly represents the mood as dull, depressing and sad and can be understood with meaning from the audience, as well as the artists expressions to comprehend with this. I feel that the lighting and colour techniques that I have included have lead me to have a full understanding and feel positive about including these in my own music video.

Digipak Analysis - Miss Georgiou

Digipak Analysis 

Introduction

There are many purposes of a digipak, these include; to promote an album, to list the content of an album, to make the CD eye-catching, to use art and images to express a message, to tell us something about the musician and the music behind it, to attract a wider audience as well-as the artists own and to finally to store additional promotional materials which includes booklets and posters. Digipak consist of a gatefold paperboard or cardboard outer binding, with one or more plastic trays for the CD, which allows fold ups to be in the plastic trays and seen easily by the audience when opened. This style of packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums, and these became popular among record labels and recording artists in the early 2000s. A normal CD case is called a jewel CD case and this is the original compact disc case that has been used since the compact disc was first released in1982. Within this jewel case consists of a three-piece plastic case, which usually contains a CD along with the liner notes and a back card. These are constructed into four sides, where most of the detail is solely on the front and the back. Within a Jewel CD case there is a plastic case that means the paper inside is protected and will last longer, which is an advantage for the audience as they can keep the CD for a long time and nothing will be damaged. Most of the detail is solely on the front and the back, meaning that it is more likely to grab peoples attention and make them want to buy the album, which is a technique of promotion as what the audience see is what they are going to get. A jewel case will often contain lyrics of the sings which are included, so the people who buy it will be able to learn the songs and relate to the artist more, making it easier for the artist and the audience to create a relationship. Whereas within a Digipak, they contain high quality images and contain a meaning that the audience can understand, also usually containing a letter or note from the artist which is aimed directly at the fans, allowing them to feel like it has been done personally for them, which is an advantage for both he artist and the audience. In comparison to the Jewel case, the digipak may contain bonus tracks, whereas the jewel CD case may not and the digipak has six sides so more opportunity for visible artwork, information or promotions. This way the artist has a better chance of attracting potential buyers as they will see the digipak as more than just a disc of music, it will also be a collectable item as well which means the buyer/fan can keep the digipak for as long as they want without it becoming un dated. In addition, a jewel case is easily ripped which removed or put back into the plastic grips, making it unappealing to remove, whereas this does not happen on a digipak and all the information is easily accessible, making it more long lasting. All of these points put into comparison means that the Digipak is seen to be better than a Jewel CD case, with more benefits and advantages.

For my Digipak I have used a similar artist to my own who is Duffy, also a singer who produces music within the soul genre. The representation of the artist shows her as insecure, down with her emotions and having dark and sad feelings. This is shown through various things within the digipak. Firstly, the connotations of the digipak. The connotations of this digipak is the colour black. The colour black is used throughout the background of the digipak as well as duff's outfit. The front cover, CD and digipak and covers inside the digipak all have the main colour of black which represent depression and sadness being shown throughout, a reoccurring theme. The front cover shows black on her top, her jacket and the background, whereas in comparison to the CD black is used all over apart from the typography which is in white. The white shows her as insecure, which links to the picture of her looking down, which may represent her as feeling down and sorry for herself. The white shows innocence, which also links in with her make-up which is very minimal. There are monotone colours used within the digipak, which is only white and black. Black is the reoccurring colour on the CD and inside every side of the case. The monotone colours add to the effect and emotion that the artist is trying to portray to the audience. This shows a simplistic lifestyle, and there is no colour in her life at this point of the creation of the songs and album. The repetition of dark colours shows that she has involved a strong meaning behind her songs and lyrics and this is the picture she wants to show to her audience about her album. The black and white together reflects a dull atmosphere and negative feelings that the artist is feeling and wants her audience to understand. The design of the digipak is simple, and hasn't got any overwhelming features that stand out to the audience. The picture of Duffy and the background on the front cover of the digipak links all together. in the picture of Duffy we see a background of a train, and then her sitting on the train. The background of this is what we see on the front cover which shows a white misted background of her going past. These linking together shows that she is telling her audience a story throughout her CD and songs, and this digipak is the way of the artist doing this. The design overall is simple, and this relates to how the artist wants her for her audience to see her, in a simple way, living a simple lifestyle just like any other normal person. The choice of images on the digipak is minimal. The artists face is used repeatedly on different slides to the digipak. One picture shows Duffy looking downwards, and the other her looking away. These two images can show her personality as insecure and shy as she doesn't want to show her face to audience, and show her emotions. This is conventional to see in a soul genre digipak as we usually see the artist looking away as they don't want to show their sad emotions to the audience as soul music is conventionally about love and heart-break. From the images shown we can tell that the album is about love, as she is looking away from the camera showing that she has been hurt through heartbreak and almost embarrassed to show her face, linking in with the white features within the digipak about being insecure. Both of the images shown are mid-shots showing the artist from the waist upwards, although the second image is a little closer. The first image shows Duffy sitting down looking away from the camera, in comparison to the second image where she is looking down. These shots are un-conventional for a digipak from the soul genre as close-ups are normally used to show feelings, expressions and emotions from the artists face, although this isn't the case within this digipak. The artist has been represented in a different way so we as the audience have to guess what the message is and how she is feeling. The typography used on all the sides to the digipak are very simplistic and minimal. When Duffy's name is written on every slide to the digipak is shown in fancy curly writing. This is conventional to a woman's soul album as is represents her as fancy and creative, as well as being glamorous. This is also like a signature which could help with promotion of the album, as it is also on both Cd's within the digipak. A signpost is used on a side to the digipak which shows the name of the album. The word rockferry is used on a street name, which shows the artist as ordinary within star and dyer's theory as she is within a town, and not somewhere such as a stage where soul artists are seen to perform. The simplistic features mean that the audience can relate more to the artist, and can understand the meaning behind the album. There is minimal amounts of writing on the digipak, but when there is writing it is all typed in white, connecting with the running theme of insecurity and sadness. The tracks on the back of the cover are listed singularly with examples of songs such as; Warwick avenue, serious and stepping stone. The style of language used within this digipak is straight to the point. There is no persuasive text on the front of the album cover, and simply states the name of the artist and the name of the album. This style of language means that the audience has to turn over and read more about the artist, and this being done as a promotion technique. This also may also mean the audience find this more attractive as they are not bundled with words on the album that will put them off, meaning they can understand the meaning of the album and what it entails. The language that is used is very minimal, although the CD's themselves do include small prints of writing, which state the writers of certain songs and who the album has been produced by and how. This digipak promotes the music genre is many ways. Firstly the digipak is very conventional to the genre, meaning the soul audience can understand meanings being expressed and the way in which the artist is being portrayed. The genre is shown in a good way, and expressed widely through the used of filters, camera angles and colours. The artist is promoted as depressed, and she is expressing this through the features used within the digipak and through the names and lyrics of her songs. The black and white features is the main style used to show the promotion of the artist, although this is a clear way for the audience to understand the meanings being portrayed. The digipak attracts the audience through all the things I have spoken about above. The digipak itself and all the information that is produced means the audience can have a wider insight into the album, which includes a booklet showing lyrics meaning its easier for the audience to get to know and understand individual songs, and getting to see the lyrics means they can look at the deeper meanings. The eye-catching image on the front of the album means the audience are attracted and take a closer look at the digipak.
Conclusion
Overall, from this analysis of digipaks I feel that I have learnt how important it is in what features you include within album covers and inside. The artist I chose was Duffy which is similar to my own artist, which I feel after analysis was a good idea and helped me see what works well and what doesn't. Although I couldn't use my own artist - Adele, I feel that this has still been a positive to me as I have seen what other artists use other than focusing on Adele all the time, it has allowed me to see a bigger picture to the soul genre. I will include many features that I have seen in Duffy's digipak as I feel that they work will with promotion as well as catching a specific audience, and I feel these will hit my target audience of all ages.

Planning Artist Representaion - Miss Miller

Artist Representation 

Introduction

The artist representation is essential within a music video as it allows the audience to see the artist in many different perspectives. This means different emotions and messages can be sent out to the audience through the image that is being shown, and connect tot he genre of the song. Different outfits throughout a music video can show scene change or a different mood that has been portrayed. If the artists representation is clear this will also help to bring connotations across to the audience of the artist which may help to build a relationship between the two quicker and more easily. We discussed our thoughts as a group, and wrote them down on a spider gram for us all to see clearly.

The first artist representation we have discussed using is the artist wearing black in different scenes. These scenes will include her playing the piano. The outfit will consist of her wearing black tights, black skirt, black pumps and a black top. The black is reoccurring throughout this image and represented her as ordinary linking in with star and dyer's theory. The ordinary side of her shows her before fame when she wasn't as famous as she is now and her leading her way to fame. The black shows no effort within her clothing, representing her to have a plain personality and a dull mood. This reflects on her emotion at that time in her life and how she is very down and not happy with her life, reflecting on the lyrics that are being sung at that specific time. The black will be worn when she is singing and playing the piano, the times when she is expressions the most as she is singing directly to her audience, creating a relationship with them. The theme of black will be reoccurring throughout the performance scenes, also connecting to the genre of soul which is conventionally seen to involve black as it has connotations linking to the mood and representations of the artist. The audience will be able to relate to the artist more if she is wearing all black as this will show her insecurities and opposed lifestyle, showing her clear emotions. The black outfit also relates to the piano where she will be playing. The black and white keyboard represent sadness and happiness and life and death. The sadness will be portrayed through her image of her black clothing, being a connotation of both.

A casual look will also represent the artist through our frequent outfit changes. The next representation we have chosen as a group to include within our music video is a casual look which she will be wearing in scenes such as London and spending time with her closest friends. The 'everyday look' which we have chosen to include  will consist of jeans and a top which will seen to be casual wear. The picture on the left is an example of this. The jeans will be light coloured and we will use a light coloured top, either pink or white, as well as the outfit consisting of an jacket or coat as our filming will take place in winter time. The make-up on the artist will be natural, as this will show her innocence, this will show that she is less insecure and doesn't need to hide her face with makeup. This way the make-up wont cover up her true emotions and the expressions that she is showing to the audience when she is singing. The audience seeing the artist as happy is unconventional to the soul genre as we normally see the artist as un-happy and emotional through their expressions, although if the artist is happy it means we as the audience can relate to her more. 

The next artist representation shows the artist to be wearing a black dress, with glamorous make-up that will stand out to the audience and be seen as extraordinary rather than ordinary. This costume-change/look will be worn during the performance scenes of her performing on stage. The costume that we have chosen to use is a long slim looking halter neck dress, also consisting of black heels, red lipstick and high hair that will be very noticeable. The glamorous make-up will connect to the connect to the performance side of things, and show the effort put into the artist and how she is happy with performing at this time in her life. This also shows a clear change from when she is having fun with her friends in comparison to when she is on stage, showing her two different lifestyles. This also shows the different change from the two different narrative scenes and performance scenes which means the audience will be able to seethe clear change that is taking place throughout. The red lipstick that will be used is a connotation of the colour red as is will represent love and and passion. This will help emphasise the artists feelings and emotions being sent out to the audience and help them see a clear picture of how she is being portrayed. The theme of love is represented throughout the lyrics of the song, as the song talks about her previous hometown including the theme of love of family and how she has moved on in life recently. As well as the red lipstick we are also going to be using gold eyeshadow as it shows the glamour of the artist and how she is shown through her fame and wealth. This can also represent her personality as wanting to be quite bright and stand out to the crowd. This will show the artist as being well-known globally and popular and happy within her music, this helps to represent her value and fame within the music video. This is conventional within the soul genre as artists usually show their fame and popularity through connotations, instead of coming across as big-headed or arrogant when it comes to fame. The amount of make-up being worn within the scene will be a lot in comparison to the casual look within the music video. this will show her expressions and emotions differently as she is trying to cover her emotions and face more, showing the artist as insecure during this time of her performance stage in comparison to when she is happy with her friends and everyday life. The black outfit with no other colours going to be used, the black shows her darker side and links to the insecurities. The use of black frequently is also a convention of the soul genre as we usually see artists wearing black or dark clothing to connect with feelings being portrayed. The black could also show her as being trapped within her own body linking to the tightness of the dress, as she is trying to escape fame, linking to the reason this outfit is going to be used within the performance aspect. 

Conclusion

From these pieces of analysis and my research into artist representation i have found that planning ahead of filming our music video helps to not only know what the artist is going to be wearing but the reasons why. There are many different connotations of colours that i have used and they help reflect on the artists feelings and emotions, deepening on the colours. For example, black is frequently used within our music video with the costume aspect, as this helps to show the low mood and how this is repeated in the video, giving the audience an insight into how she is really feeling deep down and the meanings being sent out. The representations through costume help the audience to create a relationship with the artist as they can understand her clearer and allow sympathy. The soul genre conventionally includes the colour black frequently. The target audience will be able to relate to the artist being upset as they may have been through the same experiences when growing up with the artist, this will be specifically for the older side of the audience.

Planning Cinematography -Miss Miller

Planning Cinematography 

Introduction

Cinematography is important to consider within a music video as it allows you to see what camera shots will be used for specific parts of the video. Different camera shots help show the audience different things about the artist, for example there costume, facial expressions or position in the camera. Writing down our ideas as a group and panning them on the picture above had allows us to see what camera shots we are using, what ones we need to include and the reasons for them. Cinematography also helps establish what is happening within each scene, within music videos when the camera shot changes this usually shows that a new scene is taking place.

Analysis

The first use of cinematography we have chosen to include within our music video is close-ups. We discussed this as a group and felt that close-ups within our music video will help to establish the mood and emotion being portrayed to the target audience. Close-ups within the music video will be used on the performance parts of the video rather than the narrative, which will include scenes of the artists playing the piano and singing on stage. The reason for choosing this particular shot is due to the genre our song is. Adele's song Hometown Glory is from the genre of soul, which conventional uses close-ups to show emotions and feelings clearly to the audience. This shot also allows the audience to look at the artist properly and familiarise themselves with the artist, looking at their features and facial expressions in detail. The picture on the left shows an close-up of a woman. From this close-up we as the audience can see she is happy and wants to catch the audiences attention as she is looking directly at the camera. This is the image me and my group want to create, so the audience can create a relationship with the artist quickly and understand the meaning behind the lyrics being sung. Personal experiences are usually sung about within the soul genre so close-ups conventionally allow us to see what has gone on in the past from a realistic look that is being given. Close-ups show emotions and feelings to the audience, although can also be un-conventional due to the fact that soul artists are seen to be insecure and shy, not liking to show there identity and face. Although our artist is Adele who is seen to be insecure as she sings about her bad past, we will be including close-ups within the creation of our music video. The performance aspect of the video will mainly include the use of close-ups although these may be used less frequently in the narrative side. This may be when she is enjoying times with her friends e.g. in the shopping centre to show her happy emotions just like within the performance aspect. This close-up is conventional to the soul genre, and is easily recognised by the target audience which enjoy soul. This is a good thing for my artist as she will be able to express her emotions clearly.

The next camera shot we have chosen to include within our music video is a high angle shot. A high angle shot means the artist can be seen from a different perspective rather than from the front of there action. This shot will take place when the artist is playing the piano in the performance element of the video. A high angle when the artist is playing the piano will show the artist using specific keys on the piano, to show to the audience that the performance side of the video is genuine and is actually taking place properly. The high angles will also show the artists as feeling small and being looked down on by her audience as the camera will be above her. This will represent her as venerable and insecure. By doing this it will also tell the narrative as she is feeling small again when performing just like she did when she was younger in her Hometown, this will reflect on her past, linking in to the black and white effect which will be used on this aspect of the scene. High angle shots are conventional to the soul genre as it shows emotion to the audience. The way that artists are conventionally represented within a soul genre music video is usually emotional and down, and the high angle shot can show this but not in a intentional way, but so the audience can still understand and gather what is trying to be said which is also the representation we also want to create. High angle shots within the soul genre allow the audience to express their emotion in detail, allowing the audience to also see a different perspective on things instead of a straight on shot from in front of the artist.

A panning shot is the third use of cinematography we have discussed and chosen to include. A panning shot is a camera movement that involves moving the camera horizontally to either the right or the left, the picture on the left is an example I have found. We have chosen to use panning shots when the artist is playing the piano. This will show the artist playing the piano in tune with the music, the panning shot will show her playing the keys and concentrating on the emotion she will be portraying on her face. The panning shot will be smooth and will create an elegant feel to connect to the elegance of the song, the piano will add to the effect of this as a piano is seen to be graceful within music. Seeing as the setting of the piano is located in a small room, this panning shot will emphasis the size of the room and disguise the background and focus on the piano and the artist itself. Linking in with this panning shots are conventionally used to focus on a particular thing such as the artist, and this is what we are going to do to make sure our artist is the main focus and the audience can build a relationship and understand the meaning to this. Many different talents will be explored through this camera-shot as we will see her in different lights and aspects. Panning shots allow a lot of different things to be seen at one time and specifically focus on one thing if they want too. A panning shot is conventional to the soul genre, as it can represent a crowded mind of the artist, expressing depression and sadness.

From more discussion as a group, we have also chosen to use a long shot. We will include long shots frequently throughout. These will include when we are filming different shots of London, when the artist is with her friends as well as when the artist is performing on stage. The shots of London will be edited with faced-paced to add to the effect that is being sent out to the audience. The London long-shots will show buses, cars and people walking past but in fast motion, the shot will show the world going by as the artists stands there and watches. This will represent her life and connect to the narrative as she feels her life has gone by fast and reflects on her past Hometown. All of this will take place in one shot. The fast paced will emphasise the fact that London is very busy and crowded in comparison to her previous hometown in a small village where it was quiet and close-connected. Within all of these shots we are able to see things such as costume and body language. Body language is very important for the audience to see as it connects to the feelings and emotions being portrayed through facial expressions. Body language also helps to tell the narrative of the story and express and emphasise emotions e.g. if the artist was angry then they would hold there fists and hands upwards. Within our music video we are going to show body language when the artist is on stage as she is expressing her sad emotions. This long shot will also show her as lonely as she is on stage by herself and no body surrounding her. This will show the artist as being un-happy as she sings about her past hometown. A long shot is conventional to the soul genre as is it emphasise the settings in music videos as a lot of things can be seen and taken from a long shot, as we don't just see the artist and background too, it is also an easy way to portray costume and body language and reoccurring colours.

The last shot we have chosen to include is the camera-shot of point of view. A point of view allows us to see the setting from the artists point of view. This shot will be used within our music video when the artist walks out on stage before her performance begins on the stage. The point of view will help the audience to relate to the way she is feeling and to follow her footsteps in the way she is moving up in the world. This gives the artist the opportunity to be in the artists shoes and get to gather the feelings that the artist is feeling at that time. These emotions will be things such as nervousness, vulnerability and shyness. The audience will be able to feel happy after these emotions as they discover how the artist feels within her own hometown. These point of view shots that will be used are conventional to the soul genre as they can show the narrative in a wider perspective within a soul song and allows the audience to see a wider picture. We aim to include this in our music video and let the audience share her experiences with her audience allowing a relationship to be made easily.

Conclusion
My research form this post has helped me to see why it is important to plan in advanced and how the cinematography aspect is so important within a music video. Our different points of cinematography show that we are going to use various amounts and all for different reasons to connect with the song and to show the artist in different ways. This has helped us to use different cinematography uses in specific places to help with emphasis and to show body language and emotions of the artist. I feel that this post has helped me a lot and i will include all of these things within my own music video as i will be ready and planned ahead. 

Planning setting and Iconography - Miss Miller

Planning setting and Iconography

Introduction
Locations and iconography elements are very important within a music video. The first thing is the setting because it can show the narrative that is being shown throughout the video. Changing the setting throughout the music video means its a good way to show how something has been altered or a mood change within the song, this can create a relation and connection between the artist and the audience as the change can often be emphasised in a particular way and if the setting has changed so represent the mood this means the audience can see the change more easily and quickly. The picture on the left shows a diagram drawn by me and my group which includes our ideas of the setting and iconography, how they will change and what effect they will create when doing this. I will be explaining this in full detail throughout my post.

Setting

The first setting we have chosen to use within our music video is a stage. The stage we will be using within our music video is within a school, but the school setting will not be shown or used, and this is just for the stage purpose. The reason for us choosing a stage is because its conventional to the soul genre, as most soul songs that i have researched into  include a stage, for instance the artist performing on stage in contrast with the narrative being told at the same time. Using a stage within a music video means that the artist has a wide amount of space to perform and the audience can see the artist in full picture. A stage also means the lighting that can be used is very wide and different amounts and colours of lighting can be used on and around the artist. Within the performance on stage, we have decided to used back lighting which will create a silhouette  feature of the artist adding to the conventions of the soul genre and the diversity of the music video. This dark image portrays sad feelings and emotions to the audience, although in a different light the bright lighting shows the artist as glamorous and shown as strong. These two in contrast show the artist as being realistic and making it easy for the audience to create a relationship wight he artist. The types of shots that will be included within the stage location will be long shots, showing a full body image of the artist of them singing on the stage and portraying them self  as a strong independent singer who is singing their emotions to their audience. For the use of the stage we are using the main hall within our school, although this could have a few disadvantages. Firstly the main hall where the stage is placed, is in use a lot of the time and in high demand with the expressive arts side of the school, this would be the same as any stage outside of school, where the demand of frequent use is constant, making it more relatable to the music world and soul genre. For this reason we would have to look into when the stage is free, and book a slot ensuring that the stage will be in use for me and my group for the full hour, ensuring we can take shots in plenty of time and in a high standard. Me and my group want to ensure we have a professional touch to our music video, so spending a few hours filming wight he setting of the stage may mean working around the schedule of the stage. Moreover, there are a few health and safety risks for us to be filming using a stage. Firstly, when the artist is performing on stage it is easy for the artist to easily to fall off or trip on wires etc on the floor. To ensure this doesn't happen me and my group will make sure the artist is places as far back as a possible in the centre of the stage, and no where near the edge to avoid any accidents. Secondly, interruptions from students in the school. When me and me group are filming, students may walk in on the production meaning we may have to re-start filming again. To make sure this doesn't happen, we will put a notice up on the door explaining that the stage is in use for filming and there can be no interruptions. The weather for this setting can not affect our filming.

The second setting we have chosen as a group to use is also within the school, but this time within the music section where we will be using a piano. The piano is in a small room which includes just a piano and a small stall to sit on, the picture on the left shows the evidence of this. For this setting we will be draping black material from the walls to create an effect that the piano is in a dark place, and not in the room that it is in. This dark effect will mean the audience will see that the black piano and black background will be in contrast with each other and there will only be a small difference between the two. The room at the moment doesn't look very professional, so the transformation will mean that the room will look professional and will be to a high standard, although this connects to the emotions that will be sent out the audience which is that she is trapped in her own life and wants to move on from her hometown. Although the room is small it will still allow us to produce the shots that we want too showing a young girl playing the piano starting the journey of her life, as her music career is going to progress. The lighting already within the room is just natural as there is a small window at the side of the room to the right of the piano. Because of this we will have to cover up the window and create out own lighting as the original lighting isn't very bright and doesn't create much of an effect towards the artist. The only limitation for the setting of the piano is the size of the room but we will be able to work on this, using shots from either side of the piano as we will move the piano out form the wall so we can stand behind and film. The health and safety risks within this setting are the stool/chair. This can be easily tripped over and because it is  only a small room, this can be dangerous. When not using the stool we will ensure that it is tucked under the table and not in the way of when we are filming and using the room as flashbacks. The radiator to the right of the piano may be switched on during the autumn times that we are filming, so we will have to ensure that the piano is moved away a sufficient amount so the artist does not burn themselves on the radiator if they was to turn around and look back at the camera. Seeing as the setting is inside the weather it will not affect our filming.

The third setting we will be using for the production of our music video is a underground station in the artist's hometown. The hometown we will be Theydon Bois station. The reason for us using an underground station is so we can film our artist walking in the station as if to be leaving her hometown behind and moving to the city where her life can be more exciting and move up in the world. We will also be using another underground station in central London, this will show the artist leaving her Hometown and walking out of another one showing a new start and connecting to the meaning of the song. This will show the artist as ordinary as she is using public transport to travel places, instead of a taxi or personal driver like any other celebrity would do. The limitations of using this setting will be the amount of people we can include in the background and be careful to not get anyone who is waving or looking at the camera, as we want an effect that the public and the artist don't know that they are being recorded. There are a few health and safety risks which are included on using the London underground station. The camera can easily be stolen, as there are a lot of people in London, as well as the camera being damaged due to people in a rush and pushing past. For this to not happen and exclude these risks the person filming will have the camera attached to them around their neck, so the camera can not be taken although shots can still be taken in a  high standard, we will also stay out of peoples way and try to select a calm setting but with a London urban feel.

The next setting we have chosen to include within our music video is central London. The meaning behind Adele's song references to London as she reflects on her past hometown. We have chosen to do the same thing as we felt as a group that the London setting showed a good meaning and reflected well with the lyrics being sung. This will work well with her Hometown as Theydon Bois is a quite village on the outskirts and London is in the city, where is is populated and crowded all the time, and is also known to include people will successful jobs and extraordinary buildings. This will show to the audience that the artist is just an ordinary girl. The camera shots that we will include within this setting are faced paced editing to over lap the narrative of the music video. We will be filming people walking past, different things taking place and cars and buses going past, and when the filming is finished, when we are editing our shots we will fasten up the shots to look like time is going quickly and the artists views are going fast, this will elaborate on her emotions and meaning being sent out that her life is going quickly. Using the shots in fast-paced editing editing will reinforce the artists the quickness of the artists rise into fame, as she has progressed over the years to becoming more successful and well-known. The use of this setting will also allow the audience to understand and familiarise themselves with the setting as most people within the UK have visited London and will be able to relate to the things being shown depending on our whereabouts within London. Oxford treat is

very popular and busy in terms of the public. The limitations include the public getting in the way of the camera, and doing things such as smiling, waving or moving in front of the camera purposely. this will affect our camera shots, and will mean we have to film the shots several times to allow for no mistakes to be shown. Also the cars and buses on the road, if something where to happen like an argument within the street or a car to break down this could cause us to have to re-film or move location. The health and safety risks involved within the location of London include the amount of people travelling and in London at the time. If the tripod is placed in the middle or side of the street, it will be easy for a member of the public to trip over the tripod or walk into it. Because of this we will have to ensure a member of our group stands either side of the tripod so ensure members of the public are aware that filming is taking place and to step around to sure they do not endanger themselves. In addition to this, the amount of time we will be filming in London will be for nearly a whole day, meaning will we also have to allow for this risk and move locations frequently to avoid any disruptions that may be caused. Due to the camera not being our own and it being lent form the school, we will ensure that the camera is well looked after and kept in a bag when not being used, do to the high crime rate in London and thieves that could be on the streets where we are filming. The weather could affect our filming due to it being raining or stormy weather, as the camera will get wet an the shots being taken will not be able to relate to the message being sent out to the audience about the artists new start to life. The weather we want is to be sunny or cloudy, as this will work well and can easily be edited.

The next setting we have chosen to use is a shopping centre. This location will show the artist hanging out with her friends and having a good time. This will show her socialising with her friends and showing a comfortable personality. This will be relatable for the audience as most people have been to a shopping centre of westfields specifically where we will be filming. The shots that we will be including are long shots and close-ups. The long shots will show the group of friends to be walking along the shopping centre talking and chatting and the close-ups will show them laughing and talking and their facial expressions showing there emotions and feelings. This setting will have some limitations. One of the public may get in the way of the camera, or do something such as wave, to prevent this from happening we will keep the camera out of the way and anyone that asks we will explain to them that we are filming for coursework and to act like the camera isn't filming is the best way. Risks that may happen within this setting is crime, the camera may be roped or stolen, so we will keep the camera with us at all times and in a bag when not in use to prevent any damage. The weather will not effect the way that we film due to the setting being indoors.

Iconography
The first piece of iconography is the microphone, this is the piece of iconography that is used the most. The microphone will be used when the artist is singing on the stage in the hall, which i have discussed above. The microphone is conventional of the soul genre as we often see in music videos that artists perform on stage with a microphone, as this connects to the performance side of the style. For our music video we would like to use an old style microphone as it gives an old school vibe and makes it look ore professional and shows that the artist has been singing for a long time and is experienced. The artist will be shown actually singing into it, and this gives the feeling that they are performing in somewhere like a concert or gig. The performance side means the audience can created a relationship easier with the artist as they can understand what they are singing, as the artist can create certain facial expressions towards the target audience. The microphone adds more of a realistic feel to the music video, as well as professional.

Another piece of iconography that we will be including within our music video is a piano. The piano will be in the music room which i spoke about earlier, but the piano itself is the piece of iconography. The piano being used shows the talent of the artist and extraordinary. Her extraordinary side connects with her ordinary side as the piano and when she is travelling on the train, snipping back from shot to shot. As we see the artist playing the piano it makes it seem more real, as we see the song being played in time with the song, creating a realistic feel, also reinforcing the song. The piano connects to the song as it creates an elegant feel to the song, and the piano is played the whole way throughout so the flashbacks help create the feel of the soul genre and allows the audience to understand what she is feeling. Instruments are key in the soul genre, so it is important they have some connection within the music video. The piano we are using is black, with white keys which can connect to the past and the future of the artists life.

Conclusion
Overall i feel this post has helped me to explore what setting and iconography i will use within my music video, and the reasons why. It has ensured i have a clear picture in my mind on the reasons i will be using these things and why. For example the reasons for using London and the risks that will take place. This has helped me and my group to think ahead and prepare ourself for what is to come. It has made me think about what setting will work well and what won't, and to look into the conventions of the soul genre again and refresh my mind.

Magazine advert analysis - Miss Georgiou

Magazine advert analysis 

Introduction

The purpose of a magazine advert is to promote the artist itself as well as a newly released album or single. If a artist is bringing out a new album then they will use promotion to tell there target audience the dates that the album is being released, and give them any information on pre-ordering or where is can be brought. As well as catching her own audience, it can lead to it being promoted to a wider audience, which is an advantage. Another purpose of a magazine album advert is to act as a constant reminder of the upcoming album, as well as to link in with other advertisements of the album to create more marketing.  This helps with the promotion from the marketing purpose. To get support from the other companies that could push sales further. 

Adele's '21' Album Advert
The first magazine advert i have chosen to look at is for adele's 21 album. This album was released on the 19th of january 2011. The representation of the artist shows her as depressed and having a lack of confidence. This is shown through this advert as she is looking down on her audience in both of the photos shown. In the main photo, which is the background shows her enlarged on the page looking down, which represents her as thinking or even shutting her eyes upset. This may show her also as insecure, as she doesn't want to show her face to the audience so she is looking down and hiding it. This may be for reasons such as her past experiences and restricting her emotion from being sent out to the audience and creating a relationship between the two. Depression is shown through the colour black being used frequently which is a connotation of the magazine advert, this also links in to the colour green being used, which shows jealousy linking in to Adele's songs about her past and previous boyfriends on the album. The connotations of Adele link in with the colours throughout. The colour black is also a connotation of her past, as the two colours black and white represent a cold and dark past, which is referenced within her lyrics within the songs on the album Adele 21. The colour green is used within the title on the number 21, the main feature of the word 'available everywhere now' which stands out on the black background and is shown clearly to Adele's target audience as it is in a clear font that is easy to understand and read. There is only three colours used on this magazine advert which is black, white and green, which are quite dull colours representing her feelings and how low she really is, linking into her looking down in both photos as her representation. The design and the layout of this advert is very simplistic. The layout shows Adele enlarged on the front as to be looking down at her new album being promoted at the bottom left hand corner of the magazine advert. The font is very simple, which is unconventional as the soul genre is usually original and qwerky, whereas the typography shows a bold font for the title which states 'Adele 21'. Seeing as this is a woman's magazine advert, bright colours usually catch the audiences eyes, with curly writing which women find attractive. Adele's use of simplistic features catches her audiences eye in a different way as it is noticed because it isn't bright and is unusual towards a magazine advert as they are normally promoted as bold. This says a lot about the messages Adele is sending out to her audience and the way in which she is feeling. Adele is sending out a message through the features used that she is feeling down and feeling insecure about herself. The style of language used on this magazine advert doesn't go into a lot of meaning and gets straight to the point. The language "available everywhere" shows that Adele is very popular and is very-well known to have her album released in all available CD shops in the UK, this also shows her promotion and wanting to be able to reach a wider audience as well as her own. But this doesn't express the UK, the word everywhere can mean globally, showing her originality and popularity all over the world. Furthermore, the word "featuring" expresses that there is a popular number 1 hit within the new album, helping with promotion and directing at the audience to buy the new album as it includes popular new releases and lurking the audience to look into what other songs are included. The style of language is very persuasive towards not just Adele's target audience but a wider one too. In addition, the album promotes the soul genre due to the dull and dark colours used which are conventional of soul. The soul genre traditionally incudes deep meaningful thoughts within the lyrics and meaning within each song, which  has been connected to the representation of the magazine advert. The advert is promoting the genre has being personal and easy to create a relationship between the artist and audience which is what Adele's target audience want. The advert promotes the artist as insecure and in a low mood. Adele is expressing her emotions through the colours being portrayed and the images and messages being sent out from her facial expressions, which show her to be un happy with no expression of happiness or direct contact e.g. eye contact at the audience. This shows that Adele wants the audience to understand her, and try and make out how she is feeling rather than tell them. This advert attracts an audience as the green title makes an impression on the target audience from the black background, and the black and white effect throughout shows meaning. Adele has an audience of between the ages of 16-30, and mainly women so this being represented in a magazine advert would normally appear in a women's magazine, which would be seen by frequent readers, especially if this advert was produced at a time such as Christmas were an audience would be prime.


Paloma Faith

The next magazine advert I have chosen to analyse is Paloma Faith who I have chosen as she is very similar to my chosen artist Adele and both produce music within the same genre which is soul. This magazine advert is also very similar to my previous analysis, showing that they are both conventional to the soul genre. my first instinct of analysis is the representation of the artist. Paloma is shown on the front of the magazine advert positioned in the centre of the advert, showing her authority over her target audience who is very similar to Adele with the ages of 16-30. Paloma is represented looking away from the front of the advert, and up and to the right at something else. This represents are mysterious and insecure. Her insecurities means she can not look at her audience and want to keep them guessing what type of message she is going to be sending out throughout her album and the songs that are going to be included and for what reasons. The connotations of the advert show the dark colours as her have dark feelings, which shows the representation of black, and the white in contrast of the black and represent past and future and life and death. The white colours over the top of the background shows that she wants to be bold and make a stand. The connotations of her strong makeup, shows Paloma on this magazine advert to be wearing bold red lipstick and an highlighted face. The lipstick represents her as being strong and wanting to show her personality as bold which will jump out and be noticed. The main colours used throughout are black, white and orange. The orange is used on Paloma's hair as well as her outfit and the small album cover shown in the bottom centre of the advert. The orange outfit it faded out as the background and overlapping is used for the text. The outfit shows her to be wearing a feathered dress in front of an dusky dirty room behind her. This works well as we see Paloma in a stronger light. The red lipstick may show her to be insecure and wanting to show herself differently towards her audience, and trying to catch a wider one. The white typography is used to overlap the whole background in this magazine advert. This stands out to the target audience, and isn't easy to miss. Paloma's name is typed in swirly font, which represents her as having a girly personality and trying to hit a target audience of women, as this is what women enjoy seeing within a magazine advert. The white font may represent her as insecure and ...... . The style of language which is portrayed shows words being used such as "soulful", which clearly shows what type of genre the music being played is. The word "British" after this also shows that Paloma is a British singer and is very popular within the UK with her soul music. A metaphor is used within the language on the front of the magazine advert; "will cast a spell on America". A spell is not actually going to be cast, this is used within the vocabulary as a persuasive way of telling the audience the songs included are powerful and Paloma's voice is enjoyable and recommendable. This also catches the target audiences attention when reading and gets her audience thinking about what could be so great. The style of language overall within this magazine advert is very powerful and uses strong language to seek the audiences attention, which is a positive as this is a way of promotion and good advertisement. The choice of images used within this advert shows Paloma being full screen of the advert, with the important things covering the bottom half of the page. The choice of this image doesn't show Paloma to be happy, but to be looking up thinking. This gives the audience a feeling that to create a relationship between them and the artist they need to buy the album and listen to the song being promoted through the advert to know what she is feeling and what message she is sending out to her audience. This advertisement promotes the soul genre in many different ways. The soul genre is clearly shown through the words "soulful", presenting her music as deep and meaningful. Also the colours and the use of the close-up to portray the artist are both conventions of the soul genre which can be seen by the audience easily. The advert promotes the artist as it shows Paloma as a person as well as her upcoming performance in America, showing she is globally famous. The advert also promotes her as reviews from the evening standard and glamour magazine are written on the front, meaning her audience can see a wider picture of how good her music is and this also helps with the promotion aspect. This advert attracts an audience due to the bold colours being reflected off of black and white. Paloma's hair stands out the most to the audience, and certain types of vocabulary explained above means her audience can relate to them. The magazine advert would normally be found in a women's magazine as this is what women enjoy reading about and finding out information about artists and when there upcoming singles or performances are being released. This advert mainly attracts the gender of women as certain aspects such as the fancy writing is enjoyed by women rather than men. Her make-up and hair is also perfect, which attracts the audience more as they want to read more and look at what style Paloma has used to look so good.

Conclusion

Overall my research has helped me to understand how different features used on a magazine advert can be so important and how they effect how the target audience is approached. The first magazine advert for Adele helped me to understand that sometimes bright colours are not the things that catch the audiences eye and make the advert stand out. Adele's features of black and white throughout the first advert lead me to see that this works effectively with the messages being sent out to the audience and how these things link together to create a strong relationship between the audience and the artist. Whereas In comparison to the second magazine advert I chose to analyse of Paloma showed me that the typography can make a difference with the target audience that you try to hit, and how different effects of a black and white background and colours in front can make a bold up front. Both of these pieces of analysis will help me with my planning and after comparing with the two I feel that I will use features form both as they both work well depending on what image you are trying to represent to your audience and how you want to portray yourself. This post has helped me to elaborate on my ideas for my music video analysis and what features I will include as I am producing a video from the genre of soul, just like the two magazine adverts above. This blog has been beneficial for me and has allowed me to further research my ideas which I will now be discussing with my group members and other indivuals when creating my own magazine advert.