Font Styles

After researching an album covers from various artists/ bands I decided that I need my very own font style which I will include in my product album cover. I had created list with different font styles and those which I include on dark red and text shadow I will consider to include in my album cover after matching them with an image which I will decide to include. I made the decision that if I will pick one font I will include it in both my album covers and magazine advert, because the artist/band name is an logo which should stay the same to help in promotion and to make an audience remember the logo and link it with an band/artist e.g. Metallica band has its really own logo which always stays the same, on album covers, posters etc… 
I decided that I will use the Modern No. 20 font style. 

Album Covers MoodBoard

I has designed a moodboard of an album covers from which I will take my ideas on how I want to my own album cover look like. I created an moodboard with use of PowerPoint programme, and also mostly the album covers included in the moodboard comes from alternative rock genre, same as my original song.  I had include bands such as: Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Nickelback, Imagine Dragons, One Republic, Green Day, Killer, Paramore and some others from mixed genre music.

After analysing all of the following album covers I had pick up the fact that the most common thing is the name of an band or artist what is stands out even more than name, title of an album or a song name.

In my opinion this is because the album is promoting the artist more rather than a name of an album as in most cases the title/name come from the main song from the album.

In some album covers we can easily stated who is the artist or a band as the main images of them are shown in the front, however, there are some albums especially in the alternative rock genre music which doesn't present the artist/band image but abstraction, or are designed to look abstractive or unique. 

This gave me an idea to create an artist name/logo which would stands out the most on the front cover of my album and under it I will include the name of the song as my album title. Also, I am planning to make some abstract design images which would be in black and white and colour to check which is more appealing and which matches more with my final product. 

In order to achieved the effect which I planned I will use the Adobe Photoshop with few design programmes. 

Shots List

Shooting Schedule

Test Shots

This video has been edited on movie maker programme and is presenting my initial shooting for #10 visual from my storyboard. After revising this shoot I had pick up mistakes which I had made and now I will evaluate them by shooting the same scene once again.

Whereas, this video also edited on movie maker programme has been shoot in Bilton Park for my #1 visual from my storyboard. However, the biggest mistake which I had pick up is that I hadn't use the tripod and the camera instead of been steady is moving with the flow of my hand. I need to make sure that this mistake wouldn't happen again while I will shoot the rest of the scenes for my music video. 

Also, I had made few more shoots to check the appearance of the location which I had pick up and to practise different types of shots which I am planning to applied into my project.

Weather Forecast for Test Shots

Two-Step-Flow Theory

In 1940, Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet conducted the first full-scale investigation of the effects of political mass communication.

Their research focused on the 1940 Presidential election campaign and their findings were published in 1944 in The People's Choice after more research had been conducted.

Their research was originally based on the simplistic hypodermic needle model of media influence, whereby it was assumed that a message would be transmitted from the mass media to a 'mass audience', who would absorb the message.

Lazarsfelds investigations suggested that media effects were minimal, and that audiences did not respond to a campaign as such but were more influenced by a person they knew or an opinion leader.

The conception of a 'mass audience' was inadequate and misguided due to individuals having opinions towards a message.

Social influences had a more effect on the process of opinion formation and limited the media's effect. The research found that we are more likely to respond to people we trust and know.

The study by Lazarsfeld et al concluded that only 5% of people changed their voting behavior as a result of media messages.

Our responses to media messages will be mediated through our social relationships, the effects of media messages being limited by interpersonal relationships and group membership. There are some people among the media audience who act as opinion leaders they see themselves and are seen by others as having an influence on others.

Animatic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-42PjBFj-o

Representation Theory's

Semiotics:

• Developed by Ferdinand De Sessure
• Studied how language created meaning
• Language doesn't reflect reality - meaning is constructed

SIGNS ------------------ >  REPRESENTATION ------------------- > INTERPRETATION OF SIGNS

Signs:  SIGNIFIER + SIGNIFIED = SIGN

Visual Pleasure + Male Gaze:

• Theory developed by Laura Mulvey
• Feminist Film Scholar - 'Visual pleasure and narrative cinema'
• Argued that female characters were objects for male characters sexual desire.
• The Male Gaze - male characters are 'the barer of the look' which is usually aimed at physically desirable, sexually submissive characters.
• Mulvey argues that spectators watch the films though the eyes of male due to 'The Male Gaze'
• Cinema offers voyeuristic pleasures.
• Women connote 'to-be-looked-at-ness'

Stereotypes:

• Stereotypes are often used as a cultural shorthand when represented by the media.
• Dyer had argued that stereotypes are only used to reinforce peoples differences and singling people out as this stereotype.
• Dyer had also argued that stereotypes are used to represent peoples differences as natural. 
•  EG: Stereotypes about youth represents that they are all wreck less and  irresponsible - giving the brand of 'youth' to everyone.  

Simulacra:

• Theory developed by Jean Baudrillard
• Representation is problematic
• Simulations of realities which don't exist
• Hyper reality - 'a condition in which what is real and what is fiction are blended together so there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins'
• Celebrity images are a good example of this.
• There is no distinction between reality and and representation, only the simulacrum.
• Baudrillard researched hyper reality, noting how humans accepted simulation as reality.
• Realized that many people now couldn't identify the line between reality and altered representation.
• Baudrillard questioned if anything was truly real in the age of mass media.
•  EG: The Only Way is Essex.  

The Marxism

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher who believed that material goods are at the root of the social world.

He said that dominant classes create dominant ideology: how culture is constructed in a way that enables the groups holding the power to have maximum control  with the minimum of conflict.

His theory looks at how society is built in ‘classes’ and argues that lower classes cannot better themselves and that upper class people are the powerful and control ideological views put to society.

He stated that power was held by a minority group known as the ‘elite’ or ‘bourgeoisie’ he said that these people have access to capital and because of this they could use their money and power and keep within their group to make more wealth.

He said that the majority of the population (us) the ‘mass’ or ‘proletariat’ had their labour to help them make a living.

Marx stated because if this industrialisation the elite were the only ones who had access to means of production.

Because the elite help the money and the power it meant that the mass were dependent on the elite, the elite took advantage of this power and to maximise their own profits and accountability they need to get as much labour for as little money as possible.

Because the workers were dependent on the elite for resources and money the elite group needed the mass of people to accept their role as powerless workers.

This basically mean the rich are powerful and have lots of money and the rest of us work for the rich to be able to earn a living, we have to accept their role in society. They use us to make money, if we don’t do it we have no role/purpose.

Mediation of media can relate back to this theory in a way that the people who are rich ‘hold ideological power’ therefore can present messages to the word in ways they want people to be perceive.

The media can control messages and what is shown to give messages about groups of people within certain classes. 

or

The Hypodermic Needle Theory

Hypodermic Needle Theory

Also, known as Hypodermic – Syringe model of communication and referred to us as a magic bullet.  The Phrasing Hypodermic Needle, is by giving the image of direct effect (embolism) and send an message to the individuals. The model is rooted in 1930s behaviourism and is largely considered obsolete today.

In other words, the hypodermic needle theory suggests that we as a passive audience are told what the media wants us to know. The idea is that the media tells us something and we believe in it, without giving it a second thought or even our own opinion.

Also, as a linear communication theory suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of a passive audience. It suggests that we’re all the same and we all respond to media messages in the same way.

The concept of "Magic Bullet" or "Hypodermic Needle Theory" of direct influence effects was not as widely accepted by scholars as many books on mass communication indicate. The magic bullet theory was not based on empirical findings from research but rather on assumptions of the time about human nature. People were assumed to be "uniformly controlled by their biologically based 'instincts' and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever 'stimuli' came along"

In the 1930s, many researchers realized the limitations of this idea and some dispute whether early media theorists gave the idea any serious attention at all.

Nevertheless, The Hypodermic Needle Theory continues to influence the way we talk about the media. People believe that the mass media has a powerful effect. Parents worry about the influence of television and violent video games. News outlets run headlines like ‘Is Google making us stupid’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto led teen to kill’. On the surface, events like these seem to suggest that the media can have a powerful influence on audiences.

Moreover, this theory can be easily applicable to the music videos in many different ways. One can be that the females look at female singers such as Rihanna or Beyoncé, and aspire to look like they are in their music videos. Also, this could be related to the relative deprivation. The main concept of the most music videos is sex and sexuality of it and what is presenting. This could possibly affect men behaviour forward the women e.g. treat them like an objects in the reason that they see it in the music videos and they might thought that this is appropriate to act as a “bad boy”.  This suggestion can be related to Laura Mulvey’s Theory of the male gaze. 

Health and Safety Hazard

The health and safety that I will have to take into consideration while I am shooting my video project, I need to make a special awareness while we will shoot on the roads and any other places where cars are able to drive. Also, I need to make sure that I will not disturb the traffic and any other drivers.

I also have planned that I will use a firework, and if so I need to make an extreme caution while doing it in case to don’t let anyone been harm or burn.

Video Statistics (Data found)

Initial Storyboard for my Music Video

Target Audience

My product is going to be an alternative/electronic rock genre music video which would attract a different kind of audience in the age range of 16-25. My product will target for both a male and female audience, however as the statistics from the questionnaires proved the females are more likely to be attracted by this kind of music genre.

The reason why I have targeted this range of audience is because those people are more likely to be working or have some sort of income which would allow them to buy or possess my product. Also, those people are the general audience for my music video as I am using the black and white cinematography with use of film noir which gives my product a more mature style. Likewise, as I had decided that I will try to appeal my product to this age group I had choose that my class group will be a working and middle class, as they would be able to afford my product.

Moreover, another reason why I have chosen that particular audience group is that the majority of them has answered that they are listen to the rock genre music which gives my product an advantage as the song which I will use is exactly this style.

My questionnaire also has find out that mostly people are attracted with narrative or abstract videos, my product would use some sort of both as its abstract but with a narrative sense.

I had also decided that my product would be distributed on the YouTube website and posted on my Facebook side as the resources and the results from my questionnaire proves that do not matter how old people are they are still using the Facebook and YouTube.

Audience Profiling

Focus Group Questions

1. What in your perspective is the best about music videos?
2. What possibly can be improved in the most music videos?
3. Which concepts do you prefer the most? (Narrative, Abstract or Performance)
4. What could appear more often in the music videos?
5. Which features are overused in the music videos?
6. Does the music video make you more likely to buy an album?
7.  What is the most appealing for you in the music videos?

Questionnaire Analysis

After analysing the answers which I gain from the questionnaire I had end up with following statistics:

Questionnaire analysis from DominikaWilczynska

Questionnaire Examples

Questionnaire

I had also created a questionnaire which I will give out to random people in order to get more accurate statistics and to compare it with my blog poll to achieve clearer view about the music video which I am planning to do.

Initial Ideas (3 Concepts)

List of Props, Locations, Costumes and Cast

Props List:

·         Camera (Sony Carl Zeiss, Vario-Tessar Optical Zoom 40x)

·         Tripod

·         Water

·         Paint (Black)

·         Cigarettes

·         Umbrellas

Costume Ideas:

Cast List:  

    Kevin Lyszczak– main character (protagonist)

 Adrianna Paradowska – shadow character (antagonist)

 Location Ideas:

Lyrics Analysis

Lyrics (Timing)

Radioactive – Imagine Dragons

Whoa, oh, oh (0.00-0.06 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh (0.06-0.12 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh (0.12-0.18 sec)

Whoa (0.18-0.28 sec)

I'm waking up to ash and dust (0.28-0.32 sec)

I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust (0.32-0.36 sec)

I'm breathing in the chemicals (0.36-0.39 sec)

(Inhale) (Exhale) (0.39-0.43 sec)

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out of the prison bus (0.43-0.50 sec)

This is it, the apocalypse (0.50-0.54 sec)

Whoa (0.54-0.54 sec)

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones (0.54-1.00 sec)

Enough to make my systems blow (1.00–1.03 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (1.03-1.06 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (1.06-1.10 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (1.10-1.16 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (1.16-1.24 sec)

I raise my flags, dye my clothes (1.24-1.28 sec)

It's a revolution, I suppose (1.28-1.31 sec)

We're painted red to fit right in (1.31-1.35 sec)

Whoa (1.35-1.37 sec)

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus (1.38-1.46 sec)

This is it, the apocalypse (1.46-1.49 sec)

Whoa (1.49-1.50 sec) 

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones (1.50-1.55 sec)

Enough to make my systems blow (1.55-1.59 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (1.59-2.02 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (2.02-2.06 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (2.06-2.13 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (2.13-2.20 sec)

All systems go, the sun hasn't died (2.20-2.27 sec)

Deep in my bones, straight from inside (2.27-2.33 sec)

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones (2.33-2.38 sec)

Enough to make my systems blow (2.38-2.41 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (2.41-2.45 sec)

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (2.45-2.49 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (2.49-2.56 sec)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive (2.56-3.03 sec)

(3.03-3.06 sec – only music)

Blog Poll Questionnaire

In order to get an idea which type of audience specifically I am applying to, I had created a blog poll from which I would take a thoughts what type of target audience I will apply my product to. Also, I made a decision that my questionnaire would apply just to 15 different people, if that would be possible to achieve. This questionnaire purpose is not only to determine my target group but also their age, gender, and every different aspects of the music video for alternative rock/rock. After enough amount of voted people I will create a charts which would present the results which I had end up with.

Types of QUESTIONS:

1.       What is your gender?

2.       In which age group are you?

3.       What is your favourite music genre?

4.       What is the most important convention in a music video for you?

5.       Which type of music video do you prefer to watch?

6.       How do you watch the videos (what type of resources do you use)?

7.       Which cinematography do you prefer?

8.       How often do you watch the music videos?

Genre Conventions “Music Video”

Andrew Goodwin in Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) identified the following features of music videos:

·         There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals

·         There is a relationship between the music and the visuals

·         Particular music genre may have their own music video style and iconography

·         There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist

·         The artist may develop their own star iconography

·         There is likely to be reference to voyeurism

·         There are likely to be intersexual references

Whereas, the Pete Fraser stated that:

·         LYRISC – Established a general mood, key lines may only play part in the visuals.

·         MUSIC – Tempo of the track drives the editing.

·         GENRE – Reflected through mise en scene, themes, performance, editing and cinematography.

·         CINEMATOGRAPHY – Camera may move to accompany performance, or circle them, to create a drama. Lots of close ups to create viewer intimacy and emphasize voice.

·         EDITING – Generically fast-paced, but slow-paced could be used to establish mood.

·         INTERTEXTUALITY – “Music video as incorporating, raiding and reconstructing” (John Stewart). Music videos often incorporate what a viewer will be familiar with.

·         NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE – Suggest storyline, and offer fragmented, non-linear narrative. These leave an audience with a desire to re-watch the video clip.

The conventions for music videos depend on their genre:

·       Rock/Metal - The hue of the videos are usually quite dark, but with high contrast levels, to give the video an overall dark and edgy tone. The music videos are usually incredibly performance based, shots covering the whole band playing, yet focusing mainly on the front vocalist. Narrative music videos are also used; however I would say it is very likely that a narrative video would also show many shots of the band performing. The story lines are usually dark, to match the dark sound of the music, and dark meaning of the lyrics. The performance it's self usually has a dark and 'scary' tone to it, the performers are usually dressed in completely in black, appearing as stereotypical rock/metal listeners/performers with multiple piercings, dark makeup, and a dark and edgy demeanour. The editing is usually snappy and fast paced, to match the normally fast tempo of rock/metal songs.

·       Pop - Music videos that belong to the genre of pop are usually extremely performance based, with the singer, or band lip syncing throughout the song, as well as performing via dancing or in a narrative story that reflects the meaning of the lyrics. The overall tone and hue of the video will be very bright, with the artist wearing bright trendy mainstream clothing. If the lyrics are or a more sad nature, the overall tone of the video may be brought down a little, but will still be quite bright. In pop music videos the main artists are almost always present in their music video in some shape of form. Pop music videos are usually fun and light hearted to appeal to a younger audience.

·       R&B - This genre of music video usually has a light tone to it; the hue is usually bright similar to pop videos. Typically the video will involve the artist in a narrative setting or simply performing in a setting such as a nightclub, mansion, beach etc. There are usually dancers present, to reflect the sound of the music. The clothing is usually revealing on women, and shows the wealth of the artist, with lavish jewellery and expensive cars. The narrative of the story usually reflects the lyrics of the song, and like pop videos usually the artist will lip sync throughout the video. Again similar to pop music videos RnB videos have a good, positive, light-hearted feeling to them.

·       Indie - This genre of music videos has a huge variety of conventions; the hue can be dark, bright or black and white depending on the tone of the lyrics. Indie music videos are also split generously between being solely narrative, and performance based, sometimes the artists do not even feature in the music video for their songs. However Indie music videos can be performance based either featuring the entire band, or simply featuring the main vocalist. Narrative music videos in the Indie genre are typically quite arty, and symbolic, rather than spelling out exactly what the lyrics say.