Digipak

Magazine advert

Music video

Music video / editing

Digipak / draft

Magazine advert / draft

Preparation for filming

1. Dress rehearsal/location

2. Shopping list

• UV body paint
• UV eyelashes
• UV glitter
• UV light hire
• UV hairspray
• Roll of black paper

3. Body art designs

4. Outfits

5. Things to bring

• Food/drink
• Black paper
• White paper/sheets
• UV lights
• Blue lights
• Flood light
• Dimmer
• Camera + lenses
• Camera charger
• Laptop + cables
• Speakers
• Tripod/Steadicam
• Vacuum
• Sellotape/Blu-tack
• Scissors
• Print out of lyrics
• Hairspray (UV & normal)
• Hair pins/hairbands/comb
• False lashes (UV & normal)
• Eyelash glue
• UV paints
• UV glitter
• UV nail polish
• White eyeliner
• Brushes
• Basic make-up kit
• Baby wipes
• Long sleeved leotard
• Short sleeved leotard
• Black tights
• White tights

6. Different shots to film

Example of existing UV music video

Getting permission from the artist

Storyboard

Song lyrics

I’ve cancelled dinner, I can’t go on like this no more with you

The chemistry’s gone, dead forever

She said I thought, we were gonna take a holiday

Prepare the strain together

And I thought I, didn’t need you no more

But when we lay between these bed sheets

I know that it is gonna be incredible

We scream and we fight, but you stay by my side

Cos when we lay between these bed sheets I know that it is gonna be incredible

I changed but nothing lasts

Was gonna leave this place tonight

But I can’t leave without just one more time

Oh you and I, with you inside

I know I should just let go, baby

But the way you touch my body I just can’t say no

I said last time was the last time

But here we go again, round and round in circles in my bed

And I thought I, didn’t need you no more

But when we lay between these bed sheets

I know that it is gonna be incredible

We scream and we fight, but you stay by my side

Cos when we lay between these bed sheets I know that it is gonna be incredible

[instrumental part]

Mood board

Video inspiration

Target audience research

The next stage of my research involves looking into my target audience. I am going to investigate and try and find similar artists to David Stewart in music style and audience, but those that are hopefully more well known and so have a bigger following/fan base. I can then ask my established target audience a set of questions and find out more about what they want in a music video and the different ways they access this kind of media.

Similar artist: The Weeknd

The Weeknd is a Candadian R&B artist who released three nine-track mixtapes for free throughout 2011. He is of a similar style to David Stewart in the music he performs/writes and the way he presents it to his audience. The Weeknd first began anonymously uploading to YouTube in 2010 and now has over 400,000 subscribers and over 1 million Twitter followers. What is unique about The Weeknd as an artist and what makes him similar to David Stewart, is that before releasing any music into shops or on iTunes, he spent years releasing free albums whilst building up a fan base. If you look at the fact that The Weeknd built up his strong fan base before even releasing his first proper debut album in 2013, it is most likely he was able to do this through social media and the internet, suggesting his target audience is mostly young adults that are keen social media users and into a slightly alternative music scene.

Similar artist: Drake

Drake is a well known Canadian recording artist, rapper and songwriter. He has sold over 5 million albums worldwide, with 12 number-one singles, he has also won a Grammy Award. Drake's music is of a similar style to David Stewart, but he is an established artist worldwide and has a large following of fans. Compared to Stewart who has 8,000 Twitter followers, 5,000 Facebook likes and 2,000 YouTube subscribers, Drake has over 14 million followers, 32 million likes and 2 million subscribers. Assuming that David Stewart's music would appeal to fans of both these artists who have a much larger following, I should be able to produce a questionnaire aimed at those who listen to The Weeknd or Drake and find out information about my supposed target audience.


The questionnaire

1.   How old are you?

          17 and under

          18-21

          22-30

          31-39

          40 and over

2.   Are you...?

          Male

          Female

3.   Have you listened to music by Drake and did you like it?

          Yes, and I didn't like it

          Yes, and I liked it

          No

4.   Have you seen a music video by Drake?

          Yes

          No

5.   If so, where did you most likely see this music video?

          TV/music channel

          YouTube

          Facebook/Twitter

          Elsewhere on the internet

          Other

6.   Do you think a music video contributes to the success of a song?

          Yes

          No

7.   What is your favourite style of music video?

          Narrative

          Live performance

          Artistic

8.   How would you most likely find out about the release of a new song, album or music video from your favourite artist?

          Twitter

          Facebook

          YouTube

          Elsewhere on internet

          Mailing list

          TV

          Radio

          Other

9.   How would you access a new single or album?

          Purchase from iTunes/Amazon store

          Buy the physical CD

          Spotify

          Download illegally

10.   Have you heard any music from David Stewart?

          Yes

          No

11.   What kind of advertising for his new single would make you most inclined to check it out?

          Music video

          TV advert

          Magazine advert

          Radio advert

Questionnaire results from fabiennelana

Digipak analysis 3 / Lights - Ellie Goulding

This is the CD front cover, back cover and CD design of Ellie Goulding's album 'Lights'. There does not seem to be a particularly obvious colour scheme for the design, but the three components are in general quite dark with lighter contrasting text, reflecting the title of the album and maybe its content too. The chosen typeface is quite a unique font and consistent with other Ellie Goulding albums and singles, providing a focal point that the viewer can associate with the artist. Most of the text is in an off white or gold, complimenting the colours in the main image and bringing all three components together as one. Similar to the previous two digipaks, the front cover simply contains the album artist and title, small print about copyright and record label information is situated on the back cover and CD itself. All parts of the covers and CD design are centred, making it easy on the eye and appealing to the reader. There is only one image which takes up the whole of the front cover, it is a close up photo of Ellie Goulding, most of her face is covered by shadow, but a bokeh effect has been used to add a point of interest to the image and reflect the meaning of the album title.

Digipak analysis 2 / 21 - Adele

This is the CD front cover, back cover and CD design of Adele's album '21'. The main colour scheme for the digipak seems to be black and white, giving the images and text a classic, timeless feel. The design is made more uplifting and unusual by the use of a contrasting lime green for some of the text on the front/back cover and the whole of the CD. This bright colour is memorable, eye catching and modernises the design. The chosen typeface is simplistic, with a thin and stylish design it compliments the overall feel of the digipak and it's colour scheme. Most text is in white, with the odd bit of information in green, such as the album title - because the typeface is thin this colour difference is subtle but still helps in distinguishing the album artist from the title of the album. All text across the front and back cover is capitalised making it easier to read and be digested by the viewer. Text on the front cover is minimal (only the album artist and title) which I think is important in ensuring you capture the viewer's attention from afar, and on the back and CD itself there is various small print regarding copyright and record label information. There are two images used on this digipak design, they are both black and white portraits of Adele containing her whole face. The image on the front cover makes no eye contact with the viewer and is quite reflective and thoughtful, whilst the photo on the back cover looks up at the viewer but with a similar content expression. Both the images are simple, conventional and capture Adele's style.

Digipak analysis 1 / Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

This is the CD front cover, back cover and CD design of Frank Ocean's album 'Channel Orange'. You can see the main colour used across all three components is a bright orange. This is a very bold colour and slightly unusual to see on a CD, but it might reflect the content of the album being quite alternative and daring. The main font used is white in colour, contrasting the orange, but in a more subtle way to if black was used. The chosen typeface is simplistic and used across all three components apart from the word 'Channel' (part of the album title). This is also the only word which isn't capitalised, making it stand out from all the other text. It is not only in a different typeface, but has also been given a sparkly glow and is in bold, adding importance and attention to the word, and distinguishing it from any other surrounding text. The layout of this digipak results in a lot of space around text and a very plain design. This puts more focus on the album title and track names and I think the minimalistic feel reflects Ocean's musical style. There is not much text on these three components other than what is really necessary. As well as the album title and track names, there is also copyright and record label information but not much else. In terms of images, there are no photos used for this digipak, and only one picture which is situated on the CD itself - an image which seems to resemble an upside-down eject symbol.

Magazine advert analysis 3 / Damien Rice

This is a magazine advert for Damien Rice's album '9'. The general colour scheme is quite pale and rustic, natural & calm colours like yellow and brown are used, reflecting the genre of music being chilled singer/songwriter. The background is not one block colour, and it looks slightly old and stained, this makes the feel of the advert more relaxed and further reflects the style of Damien Rice. The brown text stands out from the pale yellow but is not a complete contrast in comparison to the two previous magazine adverts, so it doesn't make as much of a statement. However, it is still bold enough to read and is complimented by the blue used for subsidiary text which also adds some brightness and colour to the page. The content of the text on this magazine advert is quite different to that of the two previous magazine adverts, there is a lot more text on the page making it less visual. Most of the page is taken up by 8 positive album reviews from various different sources, they are all no more than 6 or 7 words long to ensure the viewer can take in the content quickly. Words like 'extraordinary', 'addictive' and 'beautiful' add positive promotion for the album and increase its desirability. The font used is not a traditional typeface and instead is similar to that of a typewriter, further adding to the natural, rustic style. In terms of the layout of this magazine advert, the top 1/5 is taken up by the artist's name and album title, this headers the whole page and makes it clear to the reader what they are viewing. All the text on the page, including the smaller album reviews are centred, giving the page a less structured and more casual feel. There is not really a main image, and instead the only picture is quite small in the left corner, and this is the image that features on the album cover, so it is giving the reader a visual reference of what the CD looks like.

Magazine advert analysis 2 / Plan B

This is a magazine advert for Plan B's album 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks'. The general colour scheme is quite similar to the previous advert I analysed although there is a lot more black and instead of gold text, here red is used, connoting danger, strength and power. This makes the overall feel of the magazine advert quite dark and atmospheric, potentially reflecting the content of the album being promoted. The red and white are also very bold against the black background and this draws attention to the text. The piece of text that stands out most on this magazine advert is the artist's name, this is due to it being so large and taking up the top 1/5 of the page. Underneath this, in a contrasting colour, to ensure it is read separately, is the album title. Other text on the page, which is all capitalised for clarity and emphasis includes 'The multi-platinum album of the year' and 9 five star reviews listed under one other from various sources - both these things add positive promotion for the album and increase its desirability. The main image is in black and white, and due to high contrast, blends into the background seamlessly. It has been taken side on and there is no direct eye contact so it is not necessarily the main attraction of the advert but more part of the background. Also due to the low key lighting and side angle, Plan B is not shown in full view, keeping some of his anonymity and making the page seem more mysterious. A small image in the left corner is a picture of the album cover itself, this gives a chance for the reader to get a preview of what the album looks like and also something they can recognise in shops or internet browsing. In terms of the layout of this magazine advert, it seems to be ordered in importance, with the artist's name at the top followed by the album name and reviews. Most of the text is positioned to the left whilst the main image fills the gap on the right, so no large blank spaces are left and the page is satisfying to look at. 

Magazine advert analysis 1 / Jessie J

This is a magazine advert for Jessie J's album 'Who You Are'. The general colour scheme is quite bold with the contrast of black and white, and the gold text adds a point of interest for the viewer and connotes money, fame and royalty. The colour scheme of the text is carried on into the main image with the contrast of Jessie's pale skin to her black nails and hair, along with gold glitter on her lips. This links the different aspects of the magazine advert together and makes it appealing as a whole. The main image itself contains the whole of Jessie's face, her arms and shoulders. She has direct eye contact with the viewer and her mouth is open in a slight shocked expression - both these things engage the viewer and helps maintain their interest. The positioning of her arms help with the layout of the magazine advert as they ensure there is no large white blank space. Everything on this magazine advert is centred, including all text and the main photo, this makes it easy reading for the viewer and pleasant to look at. Jessie's name in her signature font is positioned in the exact centre of the page making it the focal point. Underneath this is the name of the album being promoted, so the two most essential parts of the advert are in the viewer's direct point of view. At the bottom half of the page, a black box covers the image and makes subsequent text such as included tracks and her website very clear to read. These pieces of information are separated by lines as they are not directly related and it is essential that the information on an advert is quick to process.

Music video analysis 5 / Take Care (feat. Rihanna) - Drake

This music video begins with a slow motion shot of someone falling. This is followed by further slow motion shots of different animals and a pan of a snowy mountain landscape. This is a very different outset in comparison to the four previously analysed music videos, as inanimate objects are introduced before the artist/main subject. Shots of Drake and Rihanna are then shown, both separate from each other, but they are connected in the way that the shot of Rihanna slowly zooms out and the shot of Drake zooms in, linking them in a very subtle way. Both these shots have a very plain simple background and this continues when the lyrics begin and the focus is on Drake (using a mixture of medium and long shots). Then there are cuts to the animals and scenery shown at the beginning, suggesting to the viewer that they are definitely of some significance to the lyrics and message of the video. As the song progresses, the plain background stays the same but the colours begin to change and intimate shots of Drake and Rihanna together are shown. In general it is a slow paced song and the music video is quite simple to reflect this, but different angles and a variety of filler shots make sure it is still engaging for the viewer. Zooms are used quite frequently throughout this music video to emphasise important lyrics and add subtle movement to the shots. During the fast paced section of the song, the editing quickens dramatically and the idyllic nature shots from the beginning and middle change to pictures of fire and violence. However, the pace slows and the shots return to their peaceful state to finish.

Music video analysis 4 / Tennis Court - Lorde

This music video has by far the most simple concept out of the four I have looked at, but its extreme simplicity makes a bold statement which I like. The only thing that changes throughout the whole music video is the lighting and facial expression of the artist, everything else including the camera angle, shot type and clothing/make-up stays the same. This is quite an unusual thing to see, along with the fact that it seems to have been shot in one take with very little editing. I feel this reflects Lorde's unique style by defying the normal conventions of modern pop videos. There is no lip syncing throughout the video with the exception of 'yeahs' as part of the background, this puts more focus on Lorde's facial expressions and is also very engaging for the viewer as its so unusual. I feel the lighting is an extremely important part of this music video, it is the only thing that changes much with the progression of the song and it gradually becomes more dramatic as the song develops. I think Lorde's hair and make-up help make the video more engaging as the lack of mascara and white eyeliner brightens the eyes and her pale face contrasts from the black background. Overall I have found this music video very inspiring, it is different to any mainstream music video I have seen before and I wish to use some aspects from it when creating my own.

Music video analysis 3 / You Need Me, I Don't Need You - Ed Sheeran

This music video is also simple in its style. It is in black and white, putting more focus on the general concept which is the lyrics being narrated using sign language. This isn't something I have seen before in a mainstream pop video but I like the effect it has. It begins by fading in on a long shot of the main subject who appears to not be the artist of the song. Then a few medium close up shots appear of a guitar being played - you cannot see the face but it is suggested by the trademark guitar and the mystery that this is Ed Sheeran. Before the lyrics begin, a close up of the main character's hands emphasises their significance to the music video and its concept. There are cuts between these shots, a close up of the subject's face which engages the viewer and then the lyrics begin. A mixture of long and medium shots at different angles (side and face on) using the same background and similar lighting puts focus on what the hands are doing. As the pace of the song quickens, so does changes in the lighting and pace of editing - they both become in time to the beat of the song. The camera also starts to move more, quick pans and zooms are used which give the music video more energy and helps the song build. Quick shots of Ed Sheeran's silhouette keep the viewer engaged as they want to see the artist in full. At the half way point of the song, there is an introduction to objects that relate to the lyrics and dancers. Both these aspects add more meaning to the lyrics and fast focus pulls quicken the pace even more. The editing gets very fast for the last verse, but the main focus is still on the sign language. The final shot of the music video reveals Ed Sheeran in full to the viewer, so similar to the previous two videos, the ending satisfies the person watching. I like this music video a lot, and I especially love the concept of not necessarily using the artist of the song for their music video, instead focusing on the storytelling of the lyrics through different forms.

Music video analysis 2 / Silly Boy - David Stewart

This music video is slightly more narrative than The Weeknd's, but the style is similar in that is is quite simple and the lighting is generally low key and dramatic. The opening shots show feet walking and inanimate objects slightly out of focus, this creates mystery to the music video and avoids introducing a full body image of the artist/main subject from the outset. There is then an establishing shot to introduce the main background and also a full body image of the artist is shown for the first time. Jump cuts of the artist with different positions and actions are edited to the beat of the song and this compliments the production and quickens the pace. There are a lot of shots throughout the music video which contain focus pulls, this distorts the image for the viewer and this effect is used frequently when parts of the song warp from the usual sound. The lighting is in general low key, giving the video a dark, atmospheric feel. There are some very fast cuts from shot to shot as you progress with the video, and I like this effect as it helps the visuals build with the audio. Close up shots are used for emphasising important lyrics but there are many times in the video when you can see no facial features at all and simple a silhouette - this adds further mystery and this dramatic look adds a new dimension to the song. The music video finishes with a fade out, what I consider as a viewer to be a satisfying end.

Music video analysis 1 / Live For (feat. Drake) - The Weeknd

This music video is quite simple in its style. It is not very narrative and instead I feel the engaging factors are the editing & lighting. The beginning shots follow through a long, dark tunnel mixed in with random fast paced edits and text. This opening creates mystery and a sense of confusion which I like as it then seems as if the video has more progression when it starts to develop. The artist when introduced is under a single spotlight and positioned in the corner of an extreme long shot, giving the viewer a sense of perspective and ending the mystery of the opening. When the song begins to become more upbeat, flashing lights start and the pace of editing quickens. Although it is quite a slow song, the fast, inconsistent editing style speeds up the pace naturally, whilst not seeming strange or unusual. Both subjects in this music video are dressed in simple, quite plain clothing, putting more focus on the harsh lighting and editing. Throughout the music video, low key lighting is used, adding drama and mystery. The general feel of the video is quite dark, though the flashing lights add dimension and engage the viewer. At the end I noticed how the last few shots are a reverse of the beginning few shots and I think this is a satisfying way to end for the viewer. I love the way this music video has been edited and shot, the inconsistent fast paced editing along with the low key flashing lights create a very dramatic atmosphere which compliments the song well.

Initial ideas

I have chosen to go with the song Incredible by David Stewart. This song is pop in genre but quite slow paced and has interesting lyrics. From listening to the song multiple times and brainstorming a few basic ideas the following aspects come to mind:

• low key lighting
• blue tones
• UV light/paint
• ballet/modern dancer
• simple style
• lyrics told through choreography

Possible song choices

1) Milk - Sea Oleena

2) Incredible (feat. Yasmin) - David Stewart

3) Places We Should Be - Daniela Andrade

Beginning research

Today I begun conducting my research into music videos by watching a variety of examples on the internet. I was able to narrow down to a genre of interest and 3 or 4 possible songs for my video production. Brainstorming rough video ideas is what follows from this so I can then decide on my chosen song and conduct detailed research relating to the specific video style, genre & target audience.

The main task

To create a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, with two of the following three options:

• a website homepage for the band
• a digipak for the album's release
• a magazine advertisement for the digipak

Preliminary task