Research - Codes and Conventions

Codes and conventions of a music video vary depending on the genre of the music, the mood, and the beat of the song, also can effect the lighting, mise-en-scene and propps etc.

The main general conventions for a Music Video:

• The artist/band is shown in the video whether this is performing at a gig or concert that they are playing or they are involved in the narrative of the video this could save money for actors and is often done. Also a number of music videos now consist of basic ideas such as just walking and don't have a main storyline/narrative, a good example of this is coldplay where he won award for both his music videos which involved him in rewing for the whole of the video and also when walking along the beach which was done all in one shot, which does go against some people's ideas of the conventions of a music video, but this is seen as the new way.
• Lyrics of the song influence what is done/shown in the music video for example the lyrics from a song mention a boy playing football then a shot of that would be shown to link in with the lyrics and make the lyrics clear as it shows someone doing that.
• The pace of editing fits in with the pace of the music. A good example of this is the prodigy alot of their songs are loud and upbeat and alot of there videos involve alot of action and lots of short clips which are shown. What often happens is that the clips involve one shot then from a different angle and then the shot after goes back to the previous angle this prevents the audience from getting bored from seeing one clip for 5-10 seconds.
• The codes of mise-en-scene/dress reflect can show the audience alot of things such as the type of music they sing and what genre they might be in e.g. lots of cash and bling suggests a rapper. Also mise-en-scene/dress can show us the mood of the song.

The main conventions of a CD Package:

• A main image has to be used on almost each page of the CD package but the best image should be on the front cover.
• The front and backcover should use the same background, colours, text to keep the continuity and make it look as one as this is how it will be viewed when the Cd package is shut.
• The text on the front cover needs to be large, bold and stand out ontop of the background.
• The front cover is often simple, but it is key that it fill up most of the space on the page to keep it interested and preventing dead space on the page.
• Often the picture presented on the front cover involves the artist/band and any awards that they have won, or comments from well known sources.
• The back cover should involve copyright,distribution, production and exhibition information to make the audience aware.
• The inside page should use the same background, colours, text to keep the continuity throughout and make it look as one as this is how it will be viewed when the CD package is open.
• Inside page should have one main image with information presented along side it about the artist/band/songs/album etc.
• The right hand side of the page should be basic as it will most of the time be covered up by the CD and won't be seen often, but still needs to involve colour and image to prevent it looking dull and blank.

The main conventions of a Magazine Advert:

• This involves one large image that instantly can be recognised with the aritst/band, this could be a picture of the artist/band, a logo which is well known for them or even the same image that is shown on the CD cover.
• It need to be bold, clear and stand out ontop of a blank and basic background colour.
• A master head should be used at the top of the page to present the artist/bands name along with the album name, this makes it clear what they are trying to sell and who they are if the audience does not already know.
• Text should also be used at the bottom of the page explaing when the date of the album is out, the formats you can buy the album on, website information of the artist or company distributing the album.
• The text throughout the page often uses one main colour this is a simple and basic colour as the image should stand out and the text should be easy to read so basic is often the option.

Research - Target Audience

Questionnaire


I will produce a questionnaire which will give me an idea of my products. A questionnaire will provide statistical analysis which will enable me to produce my music video, Cd package and magazine advertisement to detail of my target audience.


Results

A total of 50 people have taken part in my questionnaire ranging from school friends, teachers, parents and the public. My questionnaire involved a large number of questions but it was easy to complete and only took a matter of minutes, as they were all multi-choice questions and you only had to ring the correct answer.

The questions are all about my products i have to produce but mainly my main product which is my music video with a few questions on and about CD packaging and advertisment of a CD.







Analysis















10. Here this shows that my participants prefer music videos that have a meaning and story to it rather than just seeing a live performance at a gig/show they have performed as there music video. They find it more interesting and relates to the song more and give the song and lyrics more meaning and feeling.











11. This shows that people that watch videos watch it more and concentrate more on the lyrics rather than what is happening in the video. So although the video does play an important part the most important thing is that the song is liked and that the viewer watches the video because of the song rather than because the video is good.
















13. This shows me that CD covers don't have to look amazaing and are not the most important thing for the buyer as long as it looks ok, and the music is good. So the CD cover needs to have a style to it and should not be left blank or empty but the most important thing is that the music is good and not so much what the cover does look like but sometimes can have an affect on whether the audience buy the Cd or not.














19. This shows that for my music advert i need to have a poster that is designed well and looks good but also explains and shows all the important and needed information. Their needs to be at least one picture on the advert which could be the artist/band or the cd cover it self and with information around it and it need to fill up a whole A4 page, with no blank spaces.


Stats

Music Channels

• This graph shows the average number of people that watch music channels daily and weekly.
• I have selected 6 well known music channels, which play all different types of genres of music.
• Hundreds of Thousands watch these music channels daily. With Millions tuning into watch them weekly which shows music is popular and loads of people watch the music channels weather is it to listen to the songs, watch the videos or both.
• This chart shows that the box is the most listened to music channel and this plays all the chart music and up and coming music which could be the reason for the public enjoying it so much and prefering it to others. Listening out for knew bands, artists etc.
• Kerrang is the least favourite on the chart as it is specific to a certain genre so cuts down the viewers it could get, kerrang is heavy metal, rock which means that only people that like that type of music would watch that channel.

Music Stats for 2008 from Soundscan

• Music purchases in 2008 reached 1.5 Billion
• Marking the fourth consecutive year music sales, exceeding 1 billion

          1.4 billion in 2007 vs. 1.2 billion in 2006 vs. 1 billion in 2005

• Overall Album sales declined 8.5% compared to 2007
• Total Album sales declined 14% compared to 2007.
• Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” is the best selling Internet album for 2008 with 144,000 sale
• During 2008, more Vinyl Albums were purchased (1.88 million) than any other year.
• Downloading sales break the ‘1 BILLION’ sales mark for the first time with more than 1,070,000 downloaded sales. The previous record was 844 million digital songs purchased during 2007; an increase of 27% over 2007.
• Digital Album sales reached an all-time high with more than 65 million sales in 2008; up from 50 million in 2007; an increase of 32% over the previous year.
• Digital album sales account for 15% of total album sales compared to 10% in 2007 and 5.5% in 2006.
• 2008 is the first time a digital song broke the 3 million sales mark in a single year. Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” and Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop”.
• In 2008, there are 19 different digital songs with sales that exceeded 2 million compared to 9 in 2007.
• 71 Digital Songs exceeded the 1 million sales mark for the year compared to 41 digital songs in 2007, 22 in 2006, and only 2 digital songs in 2005.
• Rihanna is the biggest selling digital artist in 2008 with nearly 10 million track sales compared to Fergie in 2007 who only had 7.5 million track sales.

Research - Similar Media Texts (Magazine Advertisements)

• This advert is very basic and has a plain background, small writting and not a main image.
• A symbol is used here rather than a photo it is very simple and is of a black circle with lots of different coloured line in and going through the black circle outline.
• The artsits name is situated at the top of the page. The text used is very basic and not eye catching, with the first letter of the two words have a symbol rather than the usual simple letter.
• Black and white are the only two colours used on this page for the text.
• The picture of the album is shown on the advert on the bottom left hand corner, which is good and shows the reader what it looks like and what they should look out for in the shops.
• At the bottom of the page tour dates, company names and websites are all shown.
• This advert is very basic and not very eye catching and is boring to look at with no strong image and the text being small and lots of it.
  

• This advert is unliek most with the image only tkaing up a 3rd of the page, and most of the page being used up by large text.
• The heading is the artists name and it is presented in huge writting with the album name presented below, it has been presented well with a banner being used to keep it interesting and stand out.
• Again 3 main colours have been used red, white and black. With some of the text having a faded effect.
• Release date is shown and the different types of format.
• The picture is in black and white which makes the red text stand out more as it is the only colour other than the basic black and white. The image is not that clear but fits in with the album title.
  

• This magazine advert is very effective as the shot is very simple but effective as the light makes us concentrate on the artist in the shot playing the guitar.
• The picture is dark and this enables the writing to stand out on top of it and they have used white and gold. The gold used fits in with the light streets and highlight the main part such as the artists name the album name.
• The information is basic and only gives you what you need e.g. the date of release of the album and the formats you can buy it on e.g. vinyl, DVD, CD.
• The picture fits in with the name of the album 'To warm you through the Night' with the street lights being edited and given a golden glow.
• The bottom left of the page shows the companies involved in the print and distribution of the album.
  

• This advert is very strong and a graffiti design has been used as the main image with the album name ontop of the sketch in a different colour to anything else on the page.
• The font used has a graffiti style to it and makes it more interesting to look at and to read. This has been done as the background is a red brick wall with the main image also having a graffiti look to it, as these designs and texts are often found on walls.
• 3 main colours have been used for the text (white, red, yellow), all been presented in the same font and positioned centred.
• The release of the album is presented large than the other text apart from the band name as it wants you to see it and remember it, so you will remember to go and buy/download it.
• At the bottom of the page, a website is given.
  

• This is the same image used on the album cover, it is very simple with 1 ring blurred into lots of different colour ontop of a a plain background. This makes it look really effective and makes you think about glow sticks and a rave which is associated to the type of music.
• The ring is very simple but looks interesting as it has been blurred and effect have been used on it with the different colour being used and the brightness on them to make it looks like an unusual object/mysterious.
• Due to the image being so basic this allows the information to be read easily and clearly. The artists name is presented at the top with the album name next to it in a different colour to make them stand apart from each other and stand out.
• The title involves bold text with capital letters being used at the begining of every new word.
• At the bottom of the page it shows the different types of formats you can buy the album, which is good to show as different generations of there audience may want to have it on different formats such as a teenager download where as a older person may prefer vinyll and think about collection.
• Again the white and grey text has been continued through the page. It has been used at the top of the advert to seperate the band name and the album name, this has also been done to seperate information about the album and the different types of format with that being in grey and the information about the album is presented in white.
• The website is presented at the bottom of the page in small writing, which is usful information as customers may want to learn and see more about the band such as future gigs, concerts, new songs they are working on and existing work they have done. It even gives them the chance to buy it online and of the bands website so the customer knows the money is going to them rather than the shop.
• Eye catching words have been used and words that put thourght into your mind which is the main aim of the such as 'out now', 'the new album' all these words make you wnat to buy it.
  

Research - Similar Media Texts (CD Package)

• This CD inside package has used 1 colour throughout to make the text, pattern and image stand out ontop of the background colour.
• The colour used is a black which makes things stand out but it does make the inside page look dull and boring.
• The CD is the same colour as the background which carry on the continuity and fits in well with the inside page, but i think that it should be colourful standing out in the cover asking to be gotten out the cover and played.
• The left hand side of the cover has a image of the artist which has been edited and put on a seperate layer infront of the background colour.
• A patern has been used to divide the text from the image and fill in blank space and adds more to the page.
• Text is used which is all about the artist and her thought's on the songs and album. This is a good idea and is interesting for it's audience as they get to know the artistsviews of their favourite song, lyrics etc and fills in much unwanted dead space.

• This inside page has only filled one side of the cover. This makes the CD stand out as the behind it is very plain and boring so this makes the CD look very creative and enthusies what has been done on it, and makes you appreciate it more.
• There is one design which has been used throughout the inside page with the it being on both one side of the cover and the CD.
• This deisgn invloves a large bold title which is the name of the album, it has used a funky text which has different gradients of blue on each letter which makes it stand out more and brings it more to life and exadurates the 3d effect
• A colour scheme has been used throughout both pages, that is blue but they have kept it more interesting to look at with the different gradients.
• Pattern have also been used and been inbedded into the background colour to give the image more shape and effect and really makes the title stand out with the patterns shooting of the text.
• Green has also been used as a colour for the patterns and also for the title on the CD this colour is the closest associated colour with blue which is why it fits in well.
• On the CD the songs have been listed so when putting it into the CD palyer they know which song they want to listen to and which number it is.
• The title on the CD has been really clever and used the circle on the CD as the inner shape of the o.
  
  

• This front cover is very eye catching as the lines going away from the image makes it look important, looks like an sunshine. Which automatically draws your attention to the main image which looks like a tree with a hand mixed up and edited to it.
• The artists name are very clear as it is situated in the centre at the top of the cd cover and is in a white text. Again a graffiti like text has been used with some parts of the text missing and faded less white.
• The title of the album is centred in the middle of the page and is not clear or easily read as the colours used in the background are used for the text and the text has been given a 3D look to as the begining of the text is close and fades away in the middle and ends up being close again, which is clever and works but the text just can not be easily seen or read.
• The back has been split into two sections with the use of colours, a dark red had been used and the copyright, bar code and the people that designed the CD cover etc are mentioned with the music company's logo shown.
• The songs are listed and number and are all aligned to the right hand side of the cover, this fills the blank space with a sun shining towards the songs which fills up most of the space on the back.
• Red is used for numbering the songs, which is a colour that is easily seen and stand out and the track title is shown in a bold black which is easily read on a faded background colour.
• The CD also has a sun shining on it which is the theme of the CD package and it is used throughout the cd design.

FrankMusik is a new and upcoming artist that varies his style of music and is associtated with dance/pop music but also has been known for working with his rappers e.g. Tinchy Stryder.

• This is a simple album cover it involves a close up of the artists face, this is very simple but effective CD package as it shows the arists and also is interesting to look at due to his hair etc, also you could recognise the album through seeing him.
• The photo is in black and white which also contrasts with the black background. The picture is clear and really stand out infront of the dark background.
• The artists name is shown in bright pink which is unusual but this colour gives the album cover that little bit extra as it stands out soo much and is not often seen. The front is done in a funky graffiti style which is now known and always used when advertising his name, album, shows etc. The text is positioned centrally and fits the whole of the width of the album cover which means there is no empty space left which is good.
• The title of the album is positioned below the artists name in a small fine white font in the same font but jsut small and positioned to the left unlike. The white text is in front of the black background which makes it well presented and easily seen.
  
  
  

• This CD package has a theme all the way through it having the same colours used on the front and back of the cd case but in different pictures. The semiotics of these colours are warm, heat and summer time.
• The album cover is in a different colour which makes it stand out infront of the cover which is important as this picture has a lot of things happening in it, so the text is need to stand out. Green and black are used as they are bold colours and both are easily seen ontop of a redish background colour.
• Pattern have been used to make it more interesting and fill up any large spaces which could effect weather it is considered a good cover or a bad one.
• A bar code is used and postioned alongside the copyright, company name and everyone associated with the band and making of the CD cover. This is done vertically which is different but it works as it seperates this information away from the picture and the track listings, it is easily seperated just through using a darker red.
• The songs are listed on the back and number in a green circle so the buyer knows what the song name is and what track number it is. Their is a lot of space on the back which is not very good but this is not so important as the most important thing is having the track listing.
• The CD also uses the same pattern which are on the cover using the black and green for the name of the album.
  
  

This is Akon's latest album called 'Freedom', he is again another well known artist who has made many big hits and been in the chart often.

• The album cover has been made with two seperate pictures, one of the background, the sea and the other of just the artist Akon.
• This cover gives it a fresh look with the clear ocean and the blue skies, this could symbolis the type of music such as slow, calm and relaxed.
• The mise-en-scene used from the artist is unusul as he is wearing a smart suit that is not recognisable near the sea side, and is more associated with in towns or cities. The sunglasses represent the sunshine and the reason for being near the sea and this can be shown from the sun reflection in his sunglasses.
• The title of the album is small but all the letters are in capital letter to make them stand out also the text is a different colour to the artists name, with the album name smaller but easier to read as it is horizontally presented. The colour of the text is blue like the colour used from the sea and it stands out due to it being posioned in front of the sky which is a lighter blue.
• The artists name is also positioned on the left hand side of the CD cover, in a large, fine text which is presented in white but it is postioned vertically which is harder to read and would not be easy read from a distance.
• The album title is presented in the 'K' of the artists name, which is clever and draws your attention as it is the only writing that is presented on the CD horizontally, so you immediately read it.
  

This is the world famous rapper Dizzee Rascal, who is huge in the music industry and this is his first album, 'Boy In Da Corner'.

• It is very basic and not much is happening on the cover it shows the music artist, his name and the title of the album.
• Involves 3 main colours, with a bright yellow background which automatically draws you in and catches your attention, with the person in black which makes him stand out infront of the background.
• The title in the top left hand corner is in a black stencil/graffiti look. The title of the album is very hard to see as it is in yellow with a orange outline this and could affect the customer from finding the cover.
• The mise-en-scene used is very simple and basic, as this is his first album and he was not big until this album was produced he is wearing normal clothes that he would be seen in trakis, nike and hoodie. This would not be the case now as he is a big artist and has since his first album he has produced many great songs with 2/3 making number 1 in the chart.

Research - Similar Media Texts (Music Videos)

Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart

http://www.muzu.tv/taiocruz/break-your-heart-music-video/279239?country=gb

The video is all about a couple and they do not think they should go out or their relationship will last, due to them always being with the other sex and being rich in flash cars, nightclubs and on yacht boats with 3/4 girls/boys all around him, they both get jealous but still love each other and wants to be with one another. At the beginning she is following him and he is not that bothered about her but then starts seeing her feelings for him when is surrounded by other girls but concentrates on her instead showing his love for her has grown, this is also the case when she is surrouded by men and he is just watching her and at the end they are together on a boat like a couple and now have stopped making one another jealous.

The artist is lipsinging in the video, lots of camera shots are used mainly the master shot to show which environment they are in and also medium/close up shots of the main two characters to show their facial expression. The video is edited together with lots of shots from different environments, and showing one another and their actions to make each other jealous, shot reverse shot is used as well to make sure and show the viewer that the character sees the other characters actions to make the other one jealous.

Leona Lewis - Run

http://www.muzu.tv/leonalewis/run-music-video/55768?country=gb

This video is very simple and basic it is situated in one place so it was quick to make due to only having to film in one environment. It was cheap to do as it was doen in a forrest and natural place which had no cost to rent out or on propps etc.

The artist lipsings the song throughout the whole video, it is a slow song it this is shown from the video from not much happening if this was not the case then it is unlikely that the video would work with lots of quick, shots of different people or places due to the beat and speed of the song. The camera editing in one stage when walking down a long track/road it fades out and the next clip is where she is seen in the forrest, the lighting throughout the video is dark and as the song goes on she moves closer to a light and the light is shone brighter, this also works with the song as the end of the song is stronger and louder than the begining where it is quiet and slow. A high angle shot is used to show her situtated in the middle of know where in the middle of the track. When in the forrest medium shots are mostly used and close-ups when the main chorus is played and she singings it loud and meaningful and the close-up is used to catch the meaning of the lyrics and her emotion.

Little Boots - Remedy

http://www.muzu.tv/littlebootscdlikvntdf/remedy-music-video/281251?country=gb

This video is set in a music studio i can tell this by the propps used such as a keyboards, volume control, glass window etc. The lighting is quiet dim in the video as expected in a music studio with one main light. Her clothing and jewellery she is wearing is silver and diferent to a normal dress or jewellery they are both weirdly shaped and this fits in with the effects used and the camera zooms in with her large triangular clip in her hair and it is then zoomed out into a special effect. Effect are used on her face, to exadurate her singing, the keyboard/hands to show her playing and even just her lips to show her lipsigning to the song.

The editing is very quick and we see her lipsinging to the song when lying on her keyboard this is the longest part of editing then we see lots of shots in a short space of time, these are all the effects used in the editing of her face,l ips, playing of the keyboard and lighting in the room from a birds eye room. In the effects the lighting is very important and lights are flashing all over the place in the effects part which enthasises the effect as, so much is going on with the bright lights and the weird effect so it is hard to keep up and it looks a little bit weird.

The Prodigy - Omen

http://www.muzu.tv/theprodigy/omen-music-video/61723?country=gb

This video is a very simple and basic idea, it is of a live gig that the band have played, it involves lots of flashing lights, effects, showing the artists signing, the drummer hitting the drums and the crows going crazy.

The song is very fast and upbeat so the editing is very quick and any one clip does not stay on for long, it is all edited very quick to keep up with the song and the beat. The lighting used varies from green, red, blue or yellow. The camera quality is not great as a steady camera was not used but this adds to the type of video they have used and as it is live having it steady would not fit the critera for the song nor the video as it is at a live gig where the viewer will know if he has been to a gig that you never just stand still when seeing someone like the prodigy and you are jumping all over the place.

At the begining, the middle and the end the song is inturrupted due to the type of instrument used in the song a xylophone is used and the footage from the gig stops for a few seconds and the camera moves in on a girls holding and playing the xylophone. The camera moves in on the girl and it finishes with a close up and moves into the gig. This automatically strikes the viewer as a young girl would not be associated with the prodigy.

Bloc Party - I Still Remember

http://www.muzu.tv/BlocParty/i-still-remember-music-video/470?country=gb

This video is situated on train, it is very clever and plays with the viewers mind, the camera moves down the train with each time a singer from the band walking towards the camera and down the train. The people sitting down on the train are often the people from the band and usually the person walking down the train with 4/5 duplicates of them sitting down each doing something different from listening to an i-pod, reading the newspaper, holding instrument or playing with a football, just what you would expect and see in normal life.

The video uses computer editing due to a camera not being able to duplicate people, blue screen is used as the train is always the same. The editing is continuous in stage one where it follows the signer walking down the train through each carrage, and also when it stops and starts videoing from outside of the train and we see it going through a number of trains side way on, but with the same but just at different times and in different scenarious such as whether he is on his own with friends and also the weather outside liek sunny, snowing or raining.

The begining and the end are from real life and are real train stations the first clip shows you what you would naturally see when leaving a train station looking out the back and then the camera moves back into the carrage. Mise en scene is used for the first person we see is a man in a officer suit looking for people to check tickets. At the end the video zooms at out the last carrage where the band is playing and it zooms out into the country where the train is lost and stops in the middle of know where.

Task

1. 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 cover for its release on DVD.
• a magazine advertisement for the DVD.

I have decided to this for my A2 coursework as a music video, CD package and advert all links in well with my AS coursework last year which was to make a music magazine. So i already have a background about this industry how it works and what the codes and conventions are, although the main part of the project is a music video i would say this is my weakest part but i will work hard and look in detail about the codes and conventions of videos and look to make a really good one which hopefully will get me a high grade.