Costumes

The indie cultures/genre has it's own fashion trend that seems to be followed and is something that can be easily recognised. Below are a few images of what males of the indie genre will wear;

Possible Locations for our Music Video

When originally thinking of locations we looked at a lot of previous music videos to find out the most popular locations, these where;

• A basic performance room.
• Performing on a stage.
• Clubs/Bars.
• Parks.

The above locations are usually used to show the normal lives that they band lives. Unlike the Rap/Hip-Hop genre or the R 'n' B genre, foreign locations, mansions and cars aren't used, instead this genre tends to take a more realistic approach.

This is a convention of the indie genre that we will keep in mind and follow when it comes to creating our own music video.

Narrative with Performance

In order to make our music video more interesting we have decided that we will include both narrative and performance, also, it's something that most indie/rock band use within their music videos.

By using a narrative within the music video, the audience will be able to see how the band react to each other and to others, also, it will give the band the opportunity to show off their own personalities.

Having performance within the music video will show the audience the band performing with their instruments, which can also allow us to use different shots and be creative. As well as showing the band, if the performance is an actual gig, we'll be able to show the reaction the an audience has when they see the band live.

Target Audience

From looking at  previous music videos in the indie/rock genre, the target audience is generally for teenagers, aged 17, to adults aged around 26-28. Taking this into account I think that the target audience if effective for this music video we will be producing, therefore the age range should be around 17-25; which is very similar to that of the genre today.

The reason for this chosen age range is because the lyrics we will be using are about going out and drinking, therefore if the target audience is any lower, we would be advertising alcohol to children, which is illegal. Also, some of the lyrics can be read in different ways, and we don't want our song to be the influence of any underage drinking, drug taking or vandalism that may follow as a result of the video.

Photoshop - Editing an Image

When it comes to creating the cover for an albums release as a part of a digipak and the music advertisement for the digipak, the software that we will be using is Photoshop on the Apple Macs. The creative elements within this programme with allow us to design and creating something that looks professional.


Opening and Image in Photoshop

• If you have a document already open and want to add a picture to it, then you got 'file', 'open', which will open the picture in  a new document. You the click and drag the picture on the tab of your previous document.

Inserting a Layer

• Layers can make an image seem less crowded or it can enable a piece of text to stand out from the image.
• Adding a new layer gives you the ability to dim out any unwanted elements in the images or fade them out completely.
• In order to paint the image a different colour, you can zoom into it, this gives you the ability to see each individual pixel, which will enable any chnaged I make to look realistic and professional.
• Changing the gradient of the background means tge picture isn't effected. You can then use the original layer and edit the opacity of the layer, making an element such as the title.
• In order to crop something; click the crop tool on the left-hand side tool bar, draw a box around the image you want to crop, then adjust the sizing and place by using the corners of the box you have just drawn.

History

• By clicking on the history tab, it means that you can track any progress that has been made. It also means that you can reuse any previous creations. The history tab is also a way of getting back to your original image if you no longer like your new creation.

Saving

• To save any work, go to 'file', 'save as'. Saving as a Photoshop document means that you can keep all your layers together and you can easily go back at anytime to complete editing an image.

Adding and Editing

• The captial "T" on the left-hand side tool bar allows you to add text. You can change the font style, font size, font colour, and you can also make it bold, underline, italics, strikethrough etc.
• The 'move tool'/'show transforms control' allows you to edit the selected writing, either by moving it or changing its size. In order to save or remove any changes you've made you have to click either a red cross or a green tick on the top toolbar in order to cancel or confirm any changes.
• 'Blending options' allows you to invert colours, making them negative.

Filter Effects

• Enables you to portray an image differently by using different techniques.

Setting Instructions

• 'Image'-'Adjustments'-'Curve' > Edits images red, blue and green negativity.
• 'Image'-'Adjustments'-'Vibrance' > Image colour is more intense if increased.
• 'Image'-'Adjustments'-'Saturation' > Image colour is richer if increased.
• 'Image'-'Adjustments'-' Levels' > Edits the levels of the image.
• 'Image'-'Adjustments'-'Brightness and Contrast'

Photoshop - Rastorizing

'File', 'New'
A4 page - Height: 27cm x Width: 18cm
                Pixels/inch resolution: 300
'Image', 'Image Rotation' 90CW/90CCW


'View', 'Rulers'
'View', 'Show', 'Grid' - will tick it to give you the grid ot untick it to get rid of the grid.


'Photoshop', 'Preferences', 'Guides Grides and Slices'
    Gridline every 10cm
    Subdivisions   10cm


'Window', 'Path'   >  erases certains elements.
      To erase something drag 'work path' down to the dustbin icon.


Layers tab; 'create a new layer' (the image of a page with one corner folded up)
Paintbrush tool,


Brush - changes the thickness of the brush.
Paths - (empty circle) stroke path with the brush.



Text can be automatically aligned in a vector shape.


'Layer', right click, 'rastorize type' -> once the texr has been rastorized you can't change it.
     Turns the text into pixel data; you can then edit this like a picture.

City Lights - Tired Eyes Storyboard

The way in which we came up with the storyboard and ideas for the storyboard/music was mainly by listening to the lyrics of the song and the instruments within the song. We want to incorporate narrative and performance within our music video, and the storyboard below shows this.

City Lightz - Tired Eyes Written Storyboard

Instrumental 1
 - 15 seconds (0.00-0.15)
    - Shots of the locations.
    - Shots of the instruments.
    - Shots of the band members.
        - Names above them/holding a sign saying who they are in the band (e.g. drummer).

'Don't mean to terrorise I'm on one of those highs and I'm just trying to enjoy the day'
 - 3 seconds (0.16-0.19)
    - Girl walks around the bar, cleaning surfaces.

'and I need an excuse to get close to you so whose round is it anyway?'
 - 3 seconds (0.20-0.23)
    - Guy sings lyrics looking at the girl.
    - Girl lipsyncs 'whose round is it anyway?'

'The way you handle them pumps makes me come up in lumps and it just so happens to be'
 - 3 seconds (0.24-0.27)
    - Girl pulls a pint/shot, then exchanges drinks and money.

'that you're in the same place, same time, same night and you know you got your eye on me'
 - 3 seconds (0.28-0.30)
    - Shot showing them in the same pub.
    - Shot showing the clock.
    - girl puts down a drink and looks at the guy.

'now if you'd be so kind I got one thing on my mind now let me tell you who'
 - 3 seconds (0.31-0.34)
    - Guy sing lyrics into the camera.

    - Shot changes to the girl on 'who'.

'something in the girls eyes that makes me realise I need her its untrue'
 - 3 seconds (0.35-0.38)
    - Extreme close-up of the girl eyes.

    - Extreme close-up of the girls mouth.

'I can see you want to dance exchanging glance direct from across the bar'
 - 3 seconds (0.39-0.42)
    - Girl bobbing her head behind the bar to the beat of the music.

    - 180, camera moves from the girl to the guy, looking at each other.

'compared to all this gash Jack the Ripper wouldn't slash you're the best looking girl by far'
 - 3 seconds (0.43-0.46)
    - Spilt drink?

    - Close-up of the guys, pops his collar on 'Jack the Ripper'
    - Zoom into the girls face.

'Tired eyes, meets sunrise sacrifice more than life you're never gunna be the same'
 - 6 seconds (0.47-0.53)
    - Performance from the gig.

'Tired eyes, meets sunrise sacfrice more then life you're never gunna know her name'
 - 7 seconds (0.54-1.01)
    - Shot showing them in the same pub.

Instrumental 2
 - 14 seconds (1.02-1.16)
    - Shots of the instruments.
    - Shots of the band members.

'You can see Mic and Dan picking a fight on a man who's gotta be 7ft 2'
 - 3 seconds (1.17-1.20)
    - Jumping on a guy, getting him away from the darts board.

    - Guys fighting outside the pub.

'before the shit hits the fan I got to make a plan so where the fuck is the snooker gueue?'
 - 2 seconds (1.21-1.23)
    - Playing snooker, passing the snooker queues around.

'the bar girl proclaims without mentioning names that a girl's giving me the stare'
 - 3 seconds (1.24-1.27)
    - Playing snooker, looking at the camera singer lyrics, cheeky facial expression.

'holy shit that's my ex better back down my becks as if I even care'
 - 3 seconds (1.28-1.31)
    - Quick 360 round to see a new girl sat at the bar.
    - Shot of the guy downing a drink.

'okay that was a lie I'm not gonna deny that I haven't had a girl so far'
 - 2 seconds (1.32-1.34)
    - Sing lyrics into the camera while leaning on the window sill.

'but I'm trying my best whilst in this drunken mess to impress the girl behind the bar'
 - 3 seconds (1.35-1.38)
    - Walking towards the bar, leans on it and gives the girl a cheeky smile.

'now every other day spend bashing away yeah redtube here we go'
 - 3 seconds (1.39-1.42)
    - Turns behind him and sing the lyrics into the camera.
    - Turns back around to the bar on 'here we go'

'but if you want to pick a fight you picked the wrong night cause I'm a black belt down't you know'
 - 3 seconds (1.43-1.46)
    - Shot showing them in the same pub.

'Tired eyes, meets sunrise sacrifice more than life you're never gunna be the same'
 - 7 seconds (1.47-1.54)
    - Performance from the gig.

'Tired eyes, meets sunrise sacfrice more then life you're never gunna know her name'
 - 7 seconds (1.55-2.02)
    - Shot showing them in the same pub.

Instrumental 3
 - 1 minute 11 seconds (2.03-3.14)
    - Close-ups of the band and their instruments.
    - Shots of the crowd.

'so you agree with me it's basic to see you don't want to be alone'
 - 3 seconds (3.15-3.18)
    - Bar girl and the guy chatting at the bar, he says lyrics to her.

'with all this on my midn I'm falling behind because the tired eyes have close'
 - 3 seconds (3.19-3.22)
    - Performance from the gig.


    - Finishes on a blackout.

Annotated Lyrics: City Lightz - Tired Eyes

[Scan]

City Lights Lyrics

Don't mean to terrorise I'm on one of those highs and I'm just trying to enjoy the day

and I need an excuse to get close to you so whose round is it anyway?

The way you handle those pumps makes me come up in lumps and it just so happens to be

that you're in the same place, same time, same night and you know you got your eye on me

now if you'd be so kind I got one thing on my mind now let me tell you who

something in the girls eyes that makes me realise that I need her its untrue

I can see you want to dance exchanging glance direct from across the bar

compared to all this gash Jack the Ripper wouldn't slash you're the best looking girl by far

Tired eyes, meets sun rise sacrifice more than life you're never gunna be the same.

Tired eyes, meets sun rise sacrifice more then life you're never gunna know her name.

You can see Mic and Dan picking a fight on a man who's got to be 7ft 2

before the shit hits the fan I got to makes a plan so where the fuck is the snooker queue?

The bar girl proclaims without mentioning names that a girl's giving me the stare

holy shit that's my ex better back down my Becks as if I even care.

Okay that was a lie I'm not gunna deny that I haven't had a girl so far

but I'm trying my best whilst in this drunken mess to impress the girl behind the bar

now every other day spend  bashing away yeah redtube here we go

but if you want to pick a fight you picked the wrong night cause I'm a black belt don't you know

Tired eyes, meets sun rise sacrifice more than life you're never gunna be the same.

Tired eyes, meets run rise sacrifice more than life you're never gunna know her name.

So you agree with me it's basic to see that you don't want to be alone.

With all this on my mind I'm falling behind because the tired eyes have closed

Idea 3

Due to all of the difficulties that have arisen in our previous ideas, we have to think of something that would be quite simple to create and use a band that we know we can rely on. Taking this into account we e-mailed a band, City Lightz. I have known one of the band members, Tom, for about 7 years and I know that he is very reliable.

Tom said that him and his band would be happy to help us out, but said it may be difficult to find time to get together due to them being at college/sixth form, having rehearsals and gigs to do. However, in order to persuade them into being the band for our music video we allowed them to decide the song, and will be allowing them to put forward any ideas that they have.



   About the band:
City Lightz are an indie band from Deal, Kent

         Jack Bowden - lead vocals/backing guitar.
         Tom Keenan - lead guitar.
         Connor Creedon - drummer.
         Patrick Lee - bass guitarist. 
The band have been together for two years, and they organise their own gigs, record albums and also support popular bands.

Difficulties - Idea Change

For our media coursework, we wanted to create a music video for Kate Nash's Mouthwash, some difficulties arose with this, so we though of a different approach - Vivid Nation, however, some difficulties arose with this band as well.

The main reason that we have decided to change our idea is because of communication issues with the band. We e-mailed them and spoke with them on many occasions in order to discuss our idea. We spoke to both Luke and Rhys who each said they'd be up for helping us out for this coursework, and that they would speak to the rest of the band. I waited around 2 - 3 weeks and never heard back from the boys. We thought that if we can't rely on the boys now to get back to us then we might not be able to rely on them when it comes to actually making the music video.

Another reason that we have decided to change our idea is due to the other commitments that the band have, for example, college, rehearsals and gigs.

Vivid Nation - Logo Ideas

Annotated Lyrics: Vivid Nation - For The Weekend

Vivid Nation - For The Weekend Lyrics

The days are getting longer,

everytime I step outside the door.

Mornings just get better,

everytime I look outside.

Take me away,

for the weekend,

'cause I need a change of scenery.

My mind has gone to overload,

and now it's time for you and me to get it on.

The days are getting shorter,

everytime I close my eyes.

The nights are getting darker,

because my body's trading yours.

We need a weekend,

for a place to go,

to get away from this hole

that is dragging me down.

Take me away,

for the weekend,

'cause I need a change of scenery.

My mind has gone to overload,

and now it's time for you and me to get it on.

Idea 2

Due to us not wanting to make this piece of coursework too difficult for us, and in order to get a good grade, we have decided to use a local unsigned band that I know, Vivid Nation (myspace address: www.myspace.com/vivnation).

 About the band:
Vivid Nation are an alternative/rock band from Canterbury, Kent.
          Rhys Taylor - lead vocals/guitar.
          Luke Welch - lead guitar/vocals.
          Jack Morgan-Payne - drummer.
          Alex Porro - bass guitarist.  
They recently gained a place in the regional finals for Live and Unsigned competition, and then going to the southern area finals as well.
They've performed at lots of venues such as 229 Club, London and the O2 Academy 2, Islington.

Difficulties - Idea Change

For our media coursework, we wanted to create a music video for Kate Nash's Mouthwash, however some difficulties arose and therefore we are having to change our idea.

The main reason that we have decided to change our idea is because of copyright reasons. In order to create a music video for this song we would have had to get permission from either Kate Nash herself or her production company, and it might've taken them a while to get back to us which wouldn't help with our deadlines.

Another reason for wanting to change our idea is because we felt like we wouldn't have had enough time to create a music video with so many locations, extras and animations. We thought all of these elements would prevent us from creating a professional looking music video.

Kate Nash - Mouthwash Storyboard

Kate Nash - Mouthwash Written Storyboard

Instrumental
 - First 6 seconds
    - Animation of a piano moving.
 - Second 6 seconds
    - Piano keys moving.

'This is my face'
 - 6 seconds
    - Extreme close-up of someones lips singing the lyrics.

'covered in freckles with the occasional spot and some veins'
 - 6 seconds
    - Medium close-up of a girls face.

'This is my body'
 - 6 seconds
    - Extreme close-up of someones lips singing the lyrics.

'covered in skin and not all of it you can see'
 - 6 seconds
    - Medium close-up of a male body, tilt to medium close-up of his trousers and feet.

'And, this is my mind'
 - 6 seconds
    - Extreme close-up of someones lips singing the lyrics.
    - On 'mind' a blank white card.

'it goes over and over the same old lines'
 - 6 seconds
    - Lyrics written on white cards;
        - Card 1: 'it goes over'
        - Card 2: 'and over'
        - Card 3: 'the same old lines'

'And, this is my brain'
 - 6 seconds
    - Animation of a brain moving.

'its torturous analytical thoughts make me go insane'
 - 7 seconds
    - Girl laying on her bed, sits up, then sits on the side of her bed, head in hands (quick shots).

'And I use mouthwash, sometimes I floss'
 - 6 seconds
    - Sining, looking into a mirror, mouthwash and floss are animated moving around.

'I've got a family'
 - 3 seconds
    - Family sat on a sofa, blank expressions on their faces.

'And I drink cups of tea'
 - 3 seconds
    - Family drink cups of tea in unison.

'I've got nostalgic pavements'
 - 3 seconds
    - Walking down a street reminiscing to herself.

'I've got familar faces'
 - 3 seconds
    - Watching people walk past her.

'I've got a mixed-up memory, and I've got favourite places'
 - 5 seconds
    - Camera spins around, as it in a state of confusion - 'I've got a mixed-up memory'
    - Laying down with her ead on someones lap looking content.

'And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night"
 - 4 seconds
    - Laying down, high-angle shot, singing into the camera.

'And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night"
 - 8 seconds
    - Sat down, camera in front, singing to camera. Stands up and takes a step forward.

'And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night, and I hope everything's gonna be alright"
 - 4 seconds
    - Camera facing her as she takes a step towards a microphone.
    - Medium close-up of her face.

'And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night, and I hope everything's gonna be alright"
 - 6 seconds
    - Girl singing into the camera, medium long shot.

Annotated Lyrics: Kate Nash – Mouthwash

Kate Nash - Mouthwash Lyrics

This is my face, covered in freckles with the occasional spot and some veins

This is my body, covered in skin and not all of it you can see

And, this, is my mind, it goes over and over the same old lines

And, this, is my brain, it's torturous analytical thoughts make me go insane

And I use mouthwash

Sometimes I floss

I got a family

And I drink cups of tea

I've got nostalgic pavements

I've got familiar faces

I've got a mixed-up memory

And I've got favourite places

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I hope everything's gonna be alright

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I hope everything's gonna be

This is my face, I've got a thousand opinions and not the time to explain

And, this, is my body, and no matter how you try and disable it yes I’ll still be here

And, this, is my mind, and although you try to infringe you cannot confine

And, this, is my brain, and even if you try and hold me back there's nothing that you can gain

'Cause I use mouthwash

Sometimes I floss

I got a family

And I drink cups of tea

I've got nostalgic pavements

I've got familiar faces

I've got a mixed-up memory

And I've got favourite places

I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I hope everything's gonna be alright

And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night

And I hope everything's gonna be

Oh oh oh oh oh oh:

Music Video Idea

For our music video project in media studies, we're going to create a music video for Kate Nash's song Mouthwash. The reason we have picked this song is because it's a fun and quirky song and we belive that there is a lot that we can do with it, and it'll give us the opportunity to experiment with new things.

Storyboarding

The purpose of a storyboard is to act as a visual plan with written directions;

• Image which provides a narrative.
• Cinematography - shot/angle/movement.
• Lighting (shown with arrows).
• Audio - dialogue/soundtrack/ambient/sound effects (SFX).
• Costume notes.
• Props.
• Editing - length of take.
• Transitions.

Breaking the Conventions of the Indie/Rock Genre

In order to show some creativity within our music video we will try and break some of the conventions of the indie/rock genre. However, we will have to be careful with this and only break the conventions if it's appropriate.

For example we could;

• Keep the convention of referring back to previous shots/locations that have been used, but change the shots roughly every 1-2 seconds, instead of 1-4, or even make some shots a lot longer than 4 seconds long.
• We could also use more of a percentage of the music video on a narrative built around the lyrics, instead of showinfg a lot of clips of the band/artist performing.

One convention that we won't breake is the use of medium close-ups of the bands faces/instruments or medium long-shots of individual band mebers, this is because it's the main convention of the genre, and something that everyone will recognise. Thus by changing it, the music video will no longer look like it's a part of the indie/rock genre.

Conventions of the Indie/Rock Genre

• Mainly consists of medium close-ups of the frontman's face.
• Some medium close-ups of the rest of the band faces/instruments.
• Medium long-shots of individual band members.
• Generally 80% of the music video is of the band members, either performing individually or as a group, while the other 20% is a narrative that has been built around the lyrics.
• The shots change roughly every 1-4 seconds and often refer back to previous shots/locations that have previously been used.

Music Video Genres.

Alternative

Emerged in the 1980's and becoming popular in the 1990's. Changed the fashion of the 80's.

Indie

Also known as 'Independant Music'. Is the "do-it-yourself" approach of recording and publishing.

Pop

Flexible genre of music as it is constantly changing. Most successful genre of music.

Rap/Hip-Hop

Usually about real-life experiences - a way of expressing emotions. Have a quick pace and a strong beat.

R 'n' B

Stand for 'Rhythm and Blues'. Popular from the 1940's-1960's, principally performec by African-Americans.

Rock 'n' Roll

Entered the mainstream in 1960's. Its sound revolves around the electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboard instruments. Usually features a guitar solo.

Creating a Good Music Video.

In order to make a good music video I must make it interesting, so that people will want to watch it, and memorable, so that they will recommend it to their friends. I also will need to show that the characters within the music video are having fun with what they are doing; if they don't look convincing or look as though they don't want to be there, then people will not want to watch the music video. Taking this into consideration, my music video must contain;

• A decent song choice, that is catchy and will be good to work with.
• Excellent lip syncing (this will make the video seem more realistic).
• Mise-en-scene should fit with the lyrics/genre.
• Editing must be slick.
• Interesting camera shots/movements.
• A narrative that they audience can relate to or be interested in.

Analysis of Magazine Advert - NME Rader

• This magazine advertisement takes up half of the page, making it extremely difficult for people to miss.
• It contains an image of what the album cover looks like, which means that anyone wanting to buy the album will know what to look for.
• There looks like a lot of text for the advert, however, their isn't too much, the font size is just quite big.
• The advert contains 7 key artists/band that are featured on the album, by doing this is makes fans of these particular artist want to buy the album; this is a good feature in order to guarantee album sales.

I like that this advertisement is quite simplistic, even though it's quite large. Black and white are good contrasting colours, so putting this against each other creates a good effect. Also, by having the small splashes of colour makes the advert more interesting and fun.

Analysis of Magazine Advert - Chapel Club

• This magazine advert is placed at the bottom half of the page in the right hand corner; it's small, so could easily be missed.
• The black background means that the image and the text can stand out, especially as contrasting colours have been used.
• The text is written in an upside-down pyramid, the band name is in a bigger font size to stand out in order for people to recognise the name, also the mustard colour used stands out on the black background, drawing you in to read the advert.
• The image, in my opinion, is a little strange as it shows a girl side-on wearing a mask, this could be a metaphor to emphasize how many artists don't truly express themselves, instead they hide behind their music.

I like this magazine advert as it contains all the information that is need and the image makes the audience think more about the band and their music.

Anaylsis of Magazine Advert - British Sea Power

• The dark green and mustard yellow colours that have been used, link to the first part of the band name "British Sea", as the weather in Britain isn't great, making the sea a dark and murky colour.
• Using white text colour on this dark background means that it will stand out more, drawing the audience into reading what it says.
• The image to the left of the text contains a lightening bolt, this could be an image to represent the second part of the band name "Power".
• The magazine advertisement contains both the band website and the record label website, giving the readers the ability to get more information on the band or album if they want to. This could also be a way of buying the album.
• The advert isn't bombarded with colour, pictures or information, everything is minimal and simple, which I like as it's easier to read.

This isn't my favourite album advert as the colours don't stand out a lot and therefore aren't too eye-catching. I do however like that it's simple. Which I think is an element that we will use when it comes to creating our magazine advert.

Analysis of Magazine Advert - The Ting Tings

• I found this advertisement in NME magazine, it's a double page spread, using the bottom 1/4 of each page. By doing this it makes the advert more eye-catching and unusual, like the band and the songs that they perform.
• The colouring for this advert is extremely eye-catching, the yellow, red and black are all contrasting colours that shouldn't really work together, however, the way in which they have been placed in this advert allows them to work.
• "The Ting Tings" is written in black text with a yellow background, highlighting the text, which makes the band name stand out. This is very eye-catching, drawing readers attention to the band name, which is recognisable.
• Due to the band being well-known just from their name, no image has been used, which is an element of this album advert that I like.
• The album advertisement is simplistic and minimalistic, which I believe is more effective than being jammed with pictures and information.

I really like this album advertisement; it's eye-catching because it's so simple, and it contains all the necessary information that any readers need.

Analysis of Magazine Advert - Magnetic Man

• Using the whole page to advertise something, especially an album, usually means that the album is quite special. It is also a guarantee that people will see it.
• The background image if quite strange, and even though it's in black and white, it's still very eye-catching. the silhouettes of the three band members presents them as individuals and as a band as being quite mysterious, this could reflect the music that they perform.
• What makes this advert very different to the others I have looked at is the fact that it have three reviews, which are all good, showing the anticipation for the release. By having positive reviews on an advertisement means that people are more likely to want it or like it if others have. Also, the three reviews are from media institutions, such as magazines and newspapers, which are things that most people trust.

I like that this album advertisement is simplistic (like the others) but also it creates a feeling of mystery. It contains all the necessary information (e.g. release date and band name), as well as some extra information (e.g. reviews and collaborations).

Anaylsis of Stereophonics' Album Cover

• The black and white is a good effect to use on an album cover. The background of this is light which makes the band stand out as they are all wearing black tops and trousers.
• One band member is stood in front of the others and is more in view, this shows that he is the front man of the band, which is a convention used in this genre.
• The band name "Stereophonics" is in a bold black colour, making it stand out on the background. It's very eye-catching and is the first thing you see when you look at the album cover.
• The background looks real and doesn't have any props or extras added into the background, this could be a metaphor for the bands music and the band as people.

I like the simplicity of the album cover and that the band name is what stands out the more, this might be an element that we use on our own album cover.

Analysis of Razorlight's Album Cover

• The four corners of the cover are used for each of the four band members, which I like as it means the facial expressions that they use is their own and could be to show how they feel the album should be presented. It also shows that each band member is an individual, which is an aspect of this album cover I like.
• In the top left-hand corner, the guy is wearing lighter clothing and stand out more compared to the other three band members who are wearing black, this could be to present to anyone who is unaware of the band that he is the front man, and they usually stand out more compared to the rest of the band.
• Each of the three guys are standing in a spotlight - this could be a metaphor for their lives, now that they are a part of a well-known band they are constantly in the spotlight with the media.
• The band names and the album name are written in the centre of the album cover in a bright red colour, this makes them stand out against the dark background.

This album cover is similar to that of The Plain White T's as it contains all four band members and is quite simplistic. I like the colouring of the red on black for the text as it makes it stand out a lot, drawing peoples attention to it.

Analysis of The Kooks Album Cover

• Most of the album cover is a dark black/grey colour, which is a contrast to the band name (written in white), the album name (which is written in a bright blue/white colour) and the band (who are lit up in a spotlight).
• Where the band are stood looks as thought it's the doorway to a club - this shows the lifestyle of the boys and gives a real insight to how "the other half live".
• The band are placed as a group to one side of the album cover, showing that they are united as a group and not just a front man being followed by his fellow band members.

The way in which the band are placed is my favourite aspect of this album cover as it doesn't show the band as one person that lead and the rest follows, instead they are shown as what they are - a group.

Analysis of Plain White T's Album Cover

• The black and white colouring of this album cover is a contrast to most album covers, as they are usually bright and colourful in order to stand out more. I think that this shows the band are more about their music, rather than producing an outlandish album cover.
• The image of the band is in the focus more than the title of the album - the band are easily recognisable by their looks. Also, by having the band on the front, their female audience are more likely to buy it because the guys look good.
• The front man is placed in front of the other band members and is facing straight ahead, while the others are more facing in towards each other. His stance, and having no other band members standing in front of him portrays him as being more authoritative - the more dominant male of the group.
• Someone seeing this for the first time is likely to know who the front man of the band is, and the hierarchy of the band.
• How the band are standing and interacting with each other and also what they are wearing gives a slight insight to the music that they perform.

I really like this album cover as it is very minimal and simplistic. Even though it doesn't look as thought it's had a lot of work on it, the album cover is still eye-catching. I also like that the whole band is used on the cover, not just the front me. This is something I would like to do on our album cover.

Analysis of The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way

The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way on MUZU.

• The shots within the music video change around every 1-3 seconds, with the beat; this is typical of the indie/rock genre.
• Medium close-ups of the frontman (lead singer) are used mainly, as well as a few medium close-ups of the rest of the band performing with their instruments.
• Most of the music video shows the band performing in different locations; on the streets, on their tour bus, by a swimming pool, on  the balcony of a theatre/cinema. This represents how as a band you are always on the road and the different locations you are able to perform at, it could also be to show the locations that the band have enjoyed performing at.
• The music video also shows the band going round different places having fun together and with the local people, which is one of the perks of the band. Also, showing that the band are enjoying themselves in their music video makes people want to watch it, and means that the audience will enjoy what they are watching.
• What is shown in the music video soesn't match to the lyrics of the song, unlist most music videos. I think that the reason The Kooks have done this is to show how they aren't like most band and that they are a little bit different and quirky and do not need to create a narrative within the music video to make it appeal to an audience.
• The basic story behind the music video is how the band has fun and interacts with each other while on tour/away from the stage and studio.

I really enjoyed this music video because it doesn't follow a narrative of a storyline; instead it just shows how the band reacts together and how they gel as a group, which makes the music video more realistic. It also doesn't come across as being stage by choreographers, instead it feels as though the band have had a lot of imput into their music video.