Magazine Advert Research

 
Example 3:


This is a magazine advert for Ben Howard's album 'Every Kingdom'. Similar to Adele's and Birdy's, it is quite simple but still effective. The main focus of the advert is the photography of the person underwater. This is effective because it's ambiguous and makes people want to know more. Even though the genre of the artist is singer/songwriter, it does not follow the convention of having the main photography of the artist and using a monochrome effect. Subverting these typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre makes this different and draws audiences in as people like change and difference. The bold, white writing catches the attention of readers, and the text of the artist is bigger as audience will recognise the artist more than the album name, as he is the main selling point. The colours also draw attention to the advert, as the blue is quite vivid, but still quite subtle, and makes the white writing stand out as well against the blue. The advert includes information of when the album will be out, but not where it is available. The font is quite basic, which is effective as it doesn't take away from the photography but is still bold and noticeable.
The record label which he is signed to is not present on the advert, which may suggest he is an independent artist and maybe so it doesn't take away from the advert itself and what it is promoting.

Again, I feel this is a good example of a magazine advert as it subverts some of the typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre to show difference and draw attention. I will consider to use this subversion in my magazine advert as I want the advert to reflect how the main focus is on the narrative of the song I am using.

Magazine Advert Idea (unfinished)

This is a very rough, unfinished draft of my magazine advert. I've used original photography and used a unique font for the title of the single, which will be used on the digipak, as well as the artist's name, which will also be the same on the digipak. The image I have used for this advert has been zoomed in on the ragdoll to show the main focus of the song. Stereotypically the image on the advert for the genre I am doing a music video for would be of the artist, but for my advert I decided to subvert this stereotypical convention for the singer/songwriter genre, showing that the main focus is on the narrative and more about the song and lyrics. The font I have used for the title of the single resembles building blocks that children play with, I felt that using this font is quite effective as it is quite childlike which is what I want to convey with my promotion. The font I have used for the artist's name is elegant and quite contrasting to the title of the song. I have done this to represent the artist as a serious musician, and also to contrast with the title of the song so both of the texts stand out. I have taken inspiration from other magazine adverts, such as using a quote from another magazine about the single/artist, and I intend to use a rating, I have included information about when the single is out and where it will be available, which most adverts do.

To improve:

• I have decided that the image needs to be in colour, as it will stand out more, so I will retake the shot in colour
• The text underneath the artist's name, the quote, needs to be the same font as the artist's name
• Rearrange the text so it does not obstruct the image too much but also so it will stand out

Final Ideas for Music Video (Instead of storyboard)

Song: Ragdoll by Jennifer Rafferty

• Narrative based music video with some performance shots
• Lyrics of the song shown literally, a ragdoll being symbolic for the actual meaning of the lyrics
• Use of stop-motion: Some stop motion to show the ragdoll getting up after being thrown around by the girl. Also stop-motion at certain points as the girl grows up... Stop-motion shows the ragdoll as more animated and childlike

Narrative:

• A mother/grandmother buys a ragdoll for her daughter/grandaughter and at first she plays with it nicely and gently, which contradicts the lyrics
• After having it for a few weeks, the girl starts abusing and mistreating the ragdoll, showing her not caring, reflecting the lyrics of the song. This continues as she grows older.
• Flashbacks using monochrome effect will happen every so often between the girl growing up to highlight the contrast is the ragdoll's treatment
• End: mother/grandmother sees the ragdoll on the floor and puts it in a box labelled 'charity'/'carboot'/'for sale'...
• Another girl gets the ragdoll and is shown to love it instantly even though it is damaged and torn

Idea:

• Lyrics: "'Cause you want me to be who I'm not", as this line is in the middle 8, use a monochrome flashback of the girl cuting the ragdoll's hair or defacing it, wanting it to look different, mirroring the lyrics of the song
• Calendar to show passing of time, stop motion?
• Shots of posters/toys changing and disappearing to emphasise the change in the girl's bedroom and in her life as she matures.

Setting:

• In the girl's house, in her bedroom -- Most of the narrative shots will be set in the girl's bedroom as she plays with the ragdoll. As she grows older, her bedroom will change to signify the changes she is going through
• End of music video: setting will be a charity shop/garden/carboot sale where the ragdoll gets sold to the other girl
• Performance shots will be set in a well-lit room, (e.g.: conservatory) with a piano as the song only consists of vocals and piano.

Performance shots: Inserted into the video to showcase the artist and associate them with the song. CUs, MCUs and wide shots to show the artist playing the piano and lip-syncing. Panning camera work and zooming in and out to create variety in my camera shots

Transitions: Mostly consist of cross-fades in and out between every shot, performance and narrative. Unfocused to focused shots as well.

Stop motion: Use of stop motion of the ragdoll and calendar to give a more animated and childlike effect to the ragdoll. Mostly live action shots will be used though to make the audience really understand the narrative

Lighting: High-key lighting throughout as it is typical of the singer/songwriter genre, but will become a nit dimmer as ragdoll gets abused. Reflects the mood of the narrative and song, and also to manipulate the audience's feelings into how I want to make them feel. Will become lighter when ragdoll gets bought by the other girl, again to show how the audience should feel. Natural lighting.

List of shots:
Most of the shots will be quite long in length to show the narrative and give the audience more time to watch and interpret the story. Approx. 5-10 seconds long, but may very. Difficult to tell with the stop motion and how long that will take up...
Length of shots may vary, approx. timings...
Length of song: 3:09

• At very start, title of song and artist. Length: 0:00-0:05
• Performance shot, artist as piano. Type: Long shot to medium shot, zoom in slowly. Unfocused to focused. Length: 0:06-0:13
• Mother/grandmother giving ragdoll to her daughter/grandaughter, then child hugs them. Type: medium shot. Length: 0:14-0:21
• Girl plays with ragdoll instantly, very gently and carefully, drops other toys. Type: medium close up/medium shot. Length:0:22-0:30
• Performance shot, artist at piano. Type: medium close up or panning shot. Length: 0:31-0:39
• A few shots of the girl playing with ragdoll nicely again, showing how over time she still loves it for a while, building up a 'relationship', building up something to ruin. Type: Panning, medium close ups, medium shots, tracking. Length: 0:40-0:49, 0:50-1:00, 1:01-1:10
• Performance shot. Type: wide shot/long shot. Length: 1:11-1:17
• Back to girl and ragdoll, first time she throws the ragdoll as she gets annoyed, leaving it on the floor. Type: medium shot to tracking the ragdoll being thrown, slow motion effect? Length: 1:18-1:29
• Stop motion to show ragdoll getting up after being thrown, face changes slightly? Unsure length of shot(s), roughly 1:30-1:45? May be longer/shorter
• Performance shot. Type: panning medium shot. Length: 1:46-1:50
• More stop motion, calendar this time, signifying passing of time, circled dates for birthdays and other events. Live action shots of birthdays or events overlayed or separate? Type: Live action -- zooming in and out, medium, medium close ups, close ups. Length: stop motion -- approx. 1:51-2:15? Live action -- about 5-10 senconds each
• Back to live action shots, showing ragdoll getting more and more abused over time. Various shots. Length: 2:16-2:20, 2:21-2:30, 2:31-2:39
• Flashbacks included in between shots of the girl mistreating the ragdoll to show the contradiction. Length: about 5-10 seconds each
• Mother/grandmother finding ragdoll of floor one day and putting it in a box labelled 'charity'/'carboot'/'for sale'. Type: wide shot, then zoom in on word on box as she walks out the room. Length: about 10 seconds
• Another girls gets the ragdoll and hugs it, walks away clutching it to her chest/ragdoll of her shoulders/holding its hand...Type: medium/medium close up to close up of ragdoll
• Final performance shot, ending the music video. Type: medium close up/close up, focused to unfocused, like the beginning of the music video but reversed.

Magazine Advert Research

Example Two: Birdy

This magazine advert does not include as much information as the Ed Sheeran magazine advert, which is less helpful to potential buyers. For example, the advert does not include information about where it will be available and there are no ratings or quotes from other magazines or newspapers. However, it does display typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre which the artist, Birdy, falls under. Such as the sepia effect used, showing simplicity and professionalism, and a font which could be recognised as the artist's personal signifier, associated with the artist whenever she is mentioned on a visual media product, such as on television and on posters.

Furthermore, the photography on the advert is of the artist herself, showing she is the main focus of the album and it is more about her and her music. Also, her expression is quite serious, showing she is to be taken seriously and so is her music. This is also very typical of the singer/songwriter genre, where the artist is promoted and shown professionally and seriously. 

The text is quite big at the top of the advert to grab the readers attention and show clearly who or what is being promoted. The artist's names uses a bigger font than the album title, maybe showing what the artist's name is and what the album title is.
At the bottom left corner, there is a small font which shows which formats the album is available on and, in the bottom right corner, there are the record labels which the artist is signed with.
Overall, this is quite a simple but effective magazine advert as it displays basic information of the album and shows conventions of the genre of which the artist is, giving potential buyers an idea of what genre to expect from the artist and album. However, it could be more informative with more details of where the album would be available and some reviews of the album, but still a good example.

Audience Research

My primary target audience will be predominantly female as I feel they could relate better to the narrative of the music video, and also because the artist of this song is female. The age group I intent to attract is teenagers and young adults as the video has a meaning behind the lyrics, not just the literal sense I have conveyed in my music video, and this audience I feel will interpret and relate to the lyrics of the song and also recognise the metaphor I am presenting in the video. Also, this age range tends to use the Internet more and be more interested in music, and the music video, than any other age groups. 

My secondary audience will be parents as they could relate to this fact as well, such as their children playing with these dolls and back to their childhood. Also, they will be able to relate to the lyrics and maybe even the narrative of my music video. This age group are only my secondary audience as they do not use the Internet as much as my primary target audience do, and this is quite important to gaining audiences for my music video. Also, my secondary audience will consist of teenage and young adult males, as they too will be able to relate to the lyrics of the song but not as much as females of this age group do, therefore not being part of my primary audience.

My tertiary audience will be from the ages 8-12, as they can relate to the idea of playing with a ragdoll and/or other toys, which is the main theme of my music video. This age group is only my tertiary audience as they will be too young to understand the lyrics of the song and interpret the real meaning behind the video, but will be able to relate to the obvious.

Magazine Advert Research

Example One: Adele

 

 

 

 

This magazine advert is for singer/songwriter Adele's album '21'. The advert uses monochrome effect, which is a typical convention of the singer/songwriter genre. Also, the photography is of the artist herself, showing another stereotypical convention of the singer/songwriter genre. The advert includes a picture of the album in the bottom left corner. The photography on the advert matches the photography on the album, as it uses the same monochrome effect and the lighting is very similar. The font is also the same. The white and green makes the text stand out and is quite big as well. The advert also advertises the fact the Adele is a '2 Time Grammy Award winner', which draws potential buyers in and builds a good reputation for her as potential buyers may think because she has won two Grammy Awards she must be talented and the album will be good. The font used is the reoccurring on her albums and promotion, so this is recognised as her signifier/motif. The sentence 'Available Everywhere Now' helps potential buyers know where they can buy it and when it is out. It also includes the information that her song 'Rolling in the Deep' features on the album, which draws in people who have heard and like that song, influencing them to maybe purchase the album because of this. Underneath the picture of the album, there is the record label the artist is signed to and their logo.  The advert is quite minimal and simple, but it shows the artist as elegant and sophisticated, so the advert does not need much production as it conveys that the artist cares more about the music than the production.

 

The information of the record label and the picture of the album in the corner are things I want to include in my magazine advert, as I feel these are quite important features to be included. I think the monochrome effect works really well on the advert, and might consider using this on my advert, and on the digipak when I use photography of the artist in my digipak. Overall, I think this is a really good advert that advertises the album and promotes the artist very well. It uses typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre, which is expected and shows the artist and album is more focused on the music and lyrics than anything else.

 

Treatment and Pitch

Statement of Intent:

My music video is going to be for a song I found on the website MP3 Unsigned. It’s called Ragdoll by Jennifer Rafferty. The song is about the artist not being treated right and trying to make her be someone she’s not. The genre of the song is singer/songwriter, so I am going to do a narrative based music video, with some performance based elements, as this is very often associated with the singer/songwriter genre.

Idea: My idea is to do a narrative based music video with some performance shots as well. The narrative is based around a child who gets a ragdoll from her mother and she loves it when she is little but as she grows older, she abuses it and throws it around. The passing of time as she ages I plan to show in stop motion to emphasize this fact. At first, the narrative will contradict the lyrics, as the little girl will love the ragdoll and treat it carefully. When she ages, the narrative will mirror the lyrics and will interpret them in a literal sense, such as “I’m just a ragdoll to you,” and “like a toy that’s been thrown to the floor”. Also, the line “smiling like a clown” can be shown literally as the ragdoll I will use will be smiling, and to show this I will use a brief close up shot of the ragdoll’s face. I intend to use the idea of flashbacks as well, which will have the effect of monochrome to indicate the flashback in the narrative. Again, these flashbacks will reflect the lyrics, such as “kiss me better just like before”. To finish the story of the ragdoll, the mother will see the ragdoll on the floor and puts it in a box to be sold. The video will end with another mother or father buying the ragdoll and giving it to their young daughter who shows that she instantly loves this ragdoll even though it is torn and broken. The ragdoll is meant to be a metaphor for a relationship, as the song is suggesting. 

Camera shots I am going to use will consist of medium shots, medium close up shots and close up shots. These will be used in the performance shots as well as in the narrative, to show facial expressions and emotions that audience should be able to connect to and should be feeling. Other shots I plan to use will be long shots as well, such as when we see the girl playing with the ragdoll at first, and also two shots, such as when the mother gives the girl the doll. The use of these close up shots and medium close up shots are to influence the audience on how they should be feeling at a certain point in my music video, and this should help with the tone and atmosphere I am trying to create at different points in the video. My objective is to leave the lasting impression of the audience feeling happy for the personified ragdoll at the end of my music video.

Setting: I plan to set this music video in three different places according to the narrative. Such as when the first little girl gets the ragdoll, it will be set in the bedroom of the little girl who receives the ragdoll from her mother. This setting will last throughout, and the bedroom will change around her as she grows older, indicating the changes the girl goes through as she ages. For example, toys and teddy bears which she had when she was little will be removed and bed sheets will change, etc… But when the mother sells the ragdoll, the setting will change to outside at a car boot sale when the other little girl gets the ragdoll. 

Lighting: I intent to use high-key lighting in my music video, especially at the start of the music video as it will reflect the mood I want to create when the little girl first gets the ragdoll. As the video and narrative progresses, the lighting will fade just a little bit to show the change in mood and the fading interest and love that she feels towards the ragdoll. The lighting in the flashback shots will use high-key lighting, as this will indicate happier times. High-key lighting will also be used for the performance shots of the ‘artist‘ to highlight their involvement and so they are recognized.   

Target Audience: My primary target audience will be predominantly female as I feel they could relate better to the narrative of the music video, and also because the artist of this song is female. The age group I intent to attract is teenagers and young adults as the video has a meaning behind the lyrics, not just the literal sense I have conveyed in my music video, and this audience I feel will interpret and relate to the lyrics of the song and also recognize the metaphor I am presenting in the video. Also, this age range tends to use the internet more and be more interested in music, and the music video, than any other age groups. 

My secondary audience will be parents as they could relate to this fact as well, such as their children playing with these dolls and back to their childhood. Also, they will be able to relate to the lyrics. My tertiary audience will be from the ages 8-12, as they can relate to the idea of playing with a ragdoll and/or other toys, which is the main theme of my music video. 

I have followed typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre. My camera editing and camera movement will be slow paced so the narrative is apparent and clear for the audience. Also, the performance shots will be of the ‘artist’ playing the piano, which conforms to typical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre. The music video is mostly about the narrative, but with some elements of performance to showcase the artist, as I wanted to follow the stereotypical conventions of the singer/songwriter genre. 

Influences and inspiration: My influence and inspiration for the narrative came from the lyrics itself and just taking them literally. Other inspiration for my narrative came from the film Toy Story 2, as I feel the story of this film is quite relevant to the lyrics of this song. I was influence to want to use stop motion after watching the music video for the song ‘Her Morning Elegance’ by Oren Lavie. I thought it would be a very good and impressive technique to try and use as it looks quite simple but very effective and complex in the use of it. I thought it would fit well with the genre of the song I am using and fit in with the concept of my ideas for my music video. 

Roles and responsibilities: I plan to take all roles and full responsibility for my music video. I have decided to do this as I feel it will be easier for a film schedule, props, costumes, lighting, camerawork etc... This also gives me the chance to be able to adapt my schedule, if needed, in my own time. I have basic knowledge of using the camera and the editing programme/s I can use, for example Final Cut Pro and/or Motion, so I will be able to manage working with these programmes and hope to learn new skills in the process of editing and filming. 

Star Image: The star image I want to create is a dignified, sincere image of the artist, who cares more about the music, and music video, and the story it is telling rather than being the main focus. I still want to include performance shots of the artist as they should be connected to the song and recognised for it. 

Pitch:

Digipak Research

Duffy -- Rockferry

Looking at the digipak, the first impression of the genre it might be is singer/songwriter. This is because it has a clear picture of the artist on the front cover of the digipak. The effect of monochrome is used to create serious and respectable image of the artist. Her expression also reflects this seriousness and may present the star image of being taken seriously as an artist and that she cares a lot about her music.
The obvious main focus of the digipak cover is the artist herself, showing how she is deeply associated with her music, which is a typical technical code/convention of the singer/songwriter genre. Also the monochrome could be a typical convention as it conveys a sincere star image which is what some singer/songwriters want to create.
Looking through the booklet found on the inside, there are no other images of the artist or anything else for that matter. There is just bold, white writing on a black background, which makes it stand out. The text on each page of the booklet is presumably one line of lyrics from each song which is track listed on the back. This further presents the image of how it is more about the music and lyrics than image and production. In addition, there is a tracklist on the back of the digipak.
The font used on the digipak for the artist's name 'Duffy' looks like it's written in fountain pen. This could be the signifier for the artist, the font associated with the artist.  Also, it is quite elegant maybe to reflect the music. The font used for the title 'Rockferry' is quite classy and simple as it shows white text on a black background. Moreover, it is quite bold and stands out on the digipak which draws attention to it.
There are no reviews, quotes or ratings from newspaper or magazines.

This digipak is quite simple but effective and is a good example of a well put together digipak, as it emphasises the fact that the music and lyrics are more important. However, it could be said it is quite boring and more could have been done with it.





The Kooks -- Inside In the Inside Out

This digipak displays conventions of the rock genre, as the colours of red, black and white are quite typical of this genre. The red, white and black all stand out against each other, which catches the attention of potential buyers. Also, there is photography of the whole band used playing their instruments and also a photo just showcasing the band as themselves, which is another convention of the rock genre as the band are displayed as a whole showing they are as important as each other. The font used on the disc is very big and bold, not fitting all of the title of the album on the disc. A monochrome effect is used for the photography of the band, conveying a serious image of them.
The back of the digipak shows a reel of different shots of the band performing, this is quite typical of the rock genre as it is connected a lot of the time with live music and concerts. This attracts audiences that enjoy going to concerts and watching live music, as it will show the band as frequent live performers and what they are associated with. The digipak also includes a list of the tracks, which informs potential buyers of what tracks are included on the album and what they should expect. It also may make people want to buy the album if they see a song/songs on the digipak that they like and have heard before.

Overall, this is another good example of a digipak. I like the idea of using the photography of the band, and will consider using that on my digipak. It uses many conventions of the rock genre, making it a good example and good inspiration for a rock band's/artist's digipak.

Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

There are three main types of music videos:

• Narrative
• Performance
• Concept

Narrative: Narrative based music videos tell a story using the lyrics of the song and the visuals. Sometimes, the main character of the video is the artists, which allows them to lip-sync the song as well as tell the story, but this is not always the case. For example, Katy Perry does this in her music video for her song 'Roar'.
Camera shots tend to vary with narrative based music videos as it depends on the situation the characters are in. If a location needs to be shown, establishing shots will be used, or if a couple are having an argument a medium close up might be used to show their body language and facial expressions etc...


The genres that typically use narrative based videos are pop and country music. Artists that tend to use this type of video are Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lana Del Ray and John Newman. There can be exceptions as sometimes genres such as rock, R&B and electronic use narrative based music videos.
Normally, these types of music videos are quite big budget, so artists that are more established can afford videos such as these.




Performance: Performance based music videos show the artist performing the song in a concert or just to the camera. The artist will be lip-syncing the lyrics and, in the case of a band, they will be playing their instruments. The artist will mostly look directly into the camera and peform the song. The setting of these types of music videos can vary, such as on a stage or in a studio setting. An example of a performance based music video is You Me At Six's video for their song 'Lived A Lie'. These types of music videos tend to consist of close up and medium close up shots of the artist/s to show them lip-syncing and maybe close ups of an instrument if they are playing one. Long shots might be used to show all of the artist, or if it is a band, to show all members of the band.

The genres that typically use performance based videos are rock and sometimes pop. Artists that tend to use this type of video are You Me At Six, Foo Fighters, Thirty Seconds To Mars and Green Day. But, again, there can be exceptions. Performance based music videos can be low budget, so independent artists and less established artists can afford to make these types of music videos.











Concept: Concept based music videos are usually simple ideas that have been developed and will have no relation to the music or lyrics or the song. This may mean that the artist does not feature in the video at all, but this is not always the case. If the artist does feature in the video, there may be lip-syncing. An example of a concept based music video is OK Go's video to their song 'Here It Goes Again'. Camera shots that tend to be used are long shots, and sometimes wide shots, to show the whole picture. These types of music videos make audiences want to watch the video as well as listen to the song.

Genres such as alternative rock, indie and pop tend to use concept based videos, but, again, there can be exceptions to this. OK Go are known for often using concept based music videos, and fans of the band will know this and look out for this. Gotye's music video for his song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' is another good example of a concept based video.













Motifs:
In general, some music videos include a motif or reoccurring theme that associates with the band or artist. This attracts the audience to look out for this in their other videos. For example, the motif of OK Go is that their music videos are choreographed in one shot, which is what the audience will look out for and will be what the band are associated with and recognised by. Another example of a band/artist using a motif is Thirty Seconds To Mars. They use this 'triad' in their music videos as a motif. Motifs like these are used for artist's merchandising as well to promote their image and how they are recognised.

Textual Analysis of This Too Shall Pass by OK Go

The music video I am analysing in this post is This Too Shall Pass by OK Go. It is directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs . The genre of the band is alternative rock and the music video shows some characteristics of this genre. There is lip-syncing in some of the video, showing some performance and the whole band are shown which is normally what happens in a rock video. However, the video is abstract based and doesn't relate to the song and lyrics, showing no narrative. Usually a rock video would mostly be performance based, but OK Go go against this to create an abstract and exciting music video.

The visuals have nothing to do with the lyrics as the video is abstract based. But the visuals sometimes match up with the music. For example, there is a point where the music cuts out and a guitar with spoons attached taps some glasses with water in to fill the silence and fit with the music.

Also, when the silver ball enters the little tunnel, the pictures are lifted to the beat of the music to let the ball through.




It could be said that the video builds up momentum with the music. Such as when the middle eight is playing, the things that are happening in the video calm down a bit, for example with the water pouring into the jug to open the curtains to the little tunnel. As the music builds up to the last chorus, there is more happening with the various objects ad a lot more is going on to signify the song coming towards the end.

There is a lot of reference to the band in the music video. In certain points in the video, the band's name appears in different places and this happens throughout the music video. This could be a motif for the band. Another motif of the band OK Go is that their videos are all done in one shot. The video itself is very creative and makes the audience watch intently to see what is happening. This could be a way they want to sell the track as it stays in your mind. All the band members are in the video to show them as a band and present their image. This video showcases their creativity and originality, and this may be the image they want to create and how they want to achieve sales. The amount of effort spent on this music video shows how the band and record company want to sell this track, through the video itself as well as the song.

There are intertextual references in the video to a previous video by OK Go. For example, when the hammer smashes the screen of the television, the music video of their song 'Here It Goes Again' is playing on the screen. The screen within a screen shot could be seen as voyeurism, although it is not in a sexual way. This could be to promote the music video for 'Here It Goes Again', and people who are their fans will get the reference and people who do not understand the reference will look for it, therefore increasing their views and fan base.


In conclusion, the band have created a very eye-catching and compelling to not only make their audience listen to their music but also to take notice of the video and remember it. The idea of doing an abstract based video is innovative. It also subverts all codes and conventions of a music, this keeps their audience interested - however this is what the audience have come to expect of OK Go. It also employs the technique of promotion by the video becoming viral as many people will find it interesting and through 'word of mouth' by people telling others of this video.

Textual Analysis of Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

The music video I am analysing is Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. The video is directed by Oren Lavie, Yuval and Merav Nathan. The music belongs to the singer/songwriter genre and the music video displays characteristics of this genre. Such as that it follows a narrative throughout the video and is minimalist but in an effective way. The video uses the technique of stop motion, which makes it look quite simple even though this technique is quite complex. It follows a woman in her bed who doesn't actually move from it but illustrates she goes on a journey in her bed.




In some parts of the video, the lyrics match the visuals. For example, when the line 'And she fights for her life on the train' is playing, the woman in the video is 'on a train' in her bed. Another example of this is when the line 'A cello lying in its case' is played, a cello slides across above her head. The visuals that sometimes reflect the lyrics are effective as they help the audience to understand the narrative and get a better idea of what the song and the music video are displaying.





The visuals also reflect the music at some points in the video. For example, when a cello is played in the song on its own, a cello slides across the bed above the woman's head to indicate the few second solo of the cello. Furthermore, as soon as verse two starts, the singer appears on the first word of the verse as soon as it is said, it shows cutting to the song and also shows the words being lip-synced.




The visuals very much fit in with the music and show a form of musicality. Because the video uses the technique of stop motion, the cuts are not really on the beats as stop motion is lots of individual pictures, but it does work well with the music. However, there are certain areas in the video where the visuals do match the xylophone part towards the end of the video. Such as when the artist and the woman create a circle, they move round the bed to the tap of the xylophone.



The image this music video presents the artist as is that it is not so much about him as he doesn't feature in it as much as the woman does, she seems to be the main focus as the song is about this character. The fact that he does feature in it at all shows that he still wants to be known as the artist. It gives the image of the artist being more about the narrative and the song than about himself. The video is very clever and showcases his creativity as an artist and as a director, as he helped direct the music video.


Overall, this music video is done very well and shows originality and creativity which matches with the song itself. The idea of using stop motion works in its favour, and is something I would love to corporate into my music video. Although the visuals do not always match with the lyrics, the concept and execution of the shots and editing have come together perfectly to create a very effective and successful music video.

Textual Analysis of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

The music video I am analysing is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. The genre of the band Nirvana was recognised as rock and/or grunge. The music video very much reflects the characteristics associated with the rock/grunge genre. The grunge genre was very popular at the time this music video was released, 1991, and it appealed to many teenagers and confirmed the stereotype of 'teen angst' because of the genre's angst-filled lyrics which teenagers could relate to.


The title, Smells Like Teen Spirit, shows that it is directed at adolescents and the contents of the music video reflect the title as it is set in a high school gym, with teenagers on the benches and cheerleaders, enforcing the words 'teen' and 'spirit'. Also, there is smoke surrounding them in the gym which could relate to 'smells' in the title.

The lyrics and visuals sometimes correspond with each other. The visuals amplify and emphasise the lyrics of the song. For example, the line 'Here we are now, entertain us' the camera is focused on the bands audience on the benches, maybe reflecting what the audience might be saying in the video.

Also,when the line 'Oh well, whatever, never mind' is sung, the lead singer looks disinterested which mirrors the lyrics.

Furthermore, it could be said that when this line is lip-synced, 'With the lights out, it's less dangerous', the visuals contradict the lyrics as, though there is light in the video, it is very dim and the teenagers on the benches have got up and surrounded the band in the centre of the gym and have formed what seems to be a 'mosh pit', which isn't very safe and quite dangerous.






The pace of editing from the very start varies. There are some shots which are longer than others. For example, as soon as the video starts, there is just one guitar playing and the visuals are slow paced, the camera is zoomed in and then zooms out while panning to see the audience first, the cheerleaders and then finally the band. As the songs picks up, the pace starts to quicken but not the shots still vary in length, maybe reflecting there is no order and relating the lyrics of teen-angst and letting loose. The shots do not really cut to the beat of the song and it feels like the editing and the camera movement is all over the place, this could also support the idea of no order and letting loose.

The verses of the song are quite quiet and the visuals reflect them as the crowd are still in their seats and listening to the song in a polite manner. As the song builds up in the chorus', the crowd become more lively and get out of their seats to dance to the music, becoming more rebellious throughout the music video.
There is a brief shot during the solo which focuses on the soloist, but it only lasts a couple of seconds. There is no indication of the solo when it starts, or when it finishes. This shows how there may be no real focus on a narrative or particular band member but on the event as a whole.


There are close-ups and medium close-ups of each of the band members in the video to show the whole band and promote them as equals. The band are casually dressed and look like they have made no effort to dress up. This relates to the grunge genre as it is typical of the genre that the artists do not make such an effort with fashion or appearance and care more about the music. Also, the fact that the video is based very much around the idea of partying and letting loose appeals to teenagers, which may be the image the record company want to promote through this band to make money.
Other music videos from this band are very much performance based, which, in a way, could be their motif as a band as it is a theme that kept reoccurring in their music videos and maybe what they became associated with and known for in their music videos.
Furthermore, the letter A inside the circle on the cheerleaders vest tops could relate to Anarchism, which maybe the band are trying to reinforce and create as their image.


















 In conclusion, the music video is very much performance based and enforces the typical conventions of the grunge/rock genre. It gives the message of not really caring, rebellion and just letting loose. I think the video, even though it is not narrative based, still shows the message of being a teenager and the feel of the grunge genre. The idea of the editing not really matching the song and not cutting to the beat works well with the music video and the message of not caring. Although, it could be said it is quite a boring video and is a lazy idea and more could have been done to make it more interesting.

Star Image -- will.i.am

Star Image: will.i.am 

 William James Adams, better known as will.i.am, is an American recording artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, voice actor, DJ, record producer, and philanthropist, best known as one of the founding members of the hip hop/pop band, The Black Eyed Peas. He is the recipient of seven Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a Teen Choice Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, and three World Music Awards all won with the Black Eyed Peas.

 Acting: Will.i.am has also ventured into acting. Will.i.am first started acting alongside the rest of the members of The Black Eyed Peas in the commercial series "Instant Def" to advertise Snickers. He starred in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa as the voice of the character Moto Moto. He contributed a number of tracks to the movie's motion picture soundtrack in collaboration with industry heavyweight Hans Zimmer. will.i.am played John Wraith in his major film debut, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the X-Men film series. He also guest starred on the CBS drama Joan of Arcadia as God, one of several actors who played this role during the series. He also starred in the 2011, animated film Rio, as a rapping red-crested Cardinal named Pedro, and like Madagascar: Escape to Africa, he contributed his singing voice to the film's soundtrack, along with his fellow co-stars. will.i.am played a fathering role in The Urbz: Sims In The City, which uses The Black Eyed Peas' songs as its soundtrack. He briefly played himself in the Tina Fey and Steve Carell Comedy Date Night.

 The Voice UK: Will.i.am has been a coach on The Voice UK and will continue to be for the next series. This promotes his image and shows who he is as a person to the audience. He explained why he joined The Voice UK rather than the X Factor: "I won’t be a judge on X Factor. The Voice is different. You can’t even compare the two. One, you have people in the music industry, current and legends, coaching the next generation. The other format you have judges critiquing, giving their opinions on things when they don’t really know, other than Randy Jackson on Idol”. 

 Fashion: Before joining The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began designing his own signature clothing line, i.am, which made its official debut in 2005 at the Magic Apparel Trade Show in Las Vegas. In 2007, will.i.am teamed up with Blue Holdings to design a premium denim collection, i.am Antik, that was scheduled to debut in August 2007 at the Project Show in Las Vegas. will.i.am instead had new partners and was launching i.am. will.i.am is currently being sued for $2 million for abandoning the project for which, the label states, he was obligated until 2016, but will.i.am insists is already over.

Other Activities: Will.i.am appeared at the kickoff event for the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition, Logo Motion held at Southern New Hampshire University. He stated that he is "a big fan", and that the newly unveiled game was "dope". During his interview, he said that "his mama will work with yo mama". He also performed a concert for FIRST at the 2011 FIRST World Championship at the Edward Jones Dome. will.i.am appeared in concert with the Black Eyed Peas as a part of a special concert for 2011 FIRST Robotics Championships. It was recorded for a special aired by ABC on August 14, 2011 at 7 pm. will.i.am continues to support FIRST, and at the 2013 FIRST World Championship he became the first recipient of the Make It Loud award, which is given to the person who has contributed the most in increasing the awareness of FIRST to the general public. In January 2011, Intel Corp. named will.i.am as Director of creative innovation, with input in developing smartphones, tablets and laptops. In January 2012, he appeared on the BBC TV series Top Gear, as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, where he revealed he will be starting his own car company called IAMAUTO. Will.i.am is the founder of i.am angel, a non-profit dedicated to "transforming lives through education, opportunity and inspiration." In an interview, the performer said "I hope none of the kids I send to school only want to do music. The world doesn't need another musician. They need another Bill Gates." Will.i.am has made history by being the first artist to stream a song from the surface of Mars on August 28, 2012. The event took place at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT) Tuesday, Aug. 28, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. Song title: Reaching for the Stars. Expanding his forays into iPhone accessory development, will.i.am has announced plans to release a camera enhancer that will "dramatically enhance the clarity and definition of iPhone photographs," by making the 8-megapixel sensor into an effectively 14-megapixel one. Termed the i.am+, the device is said to be the first in a series of "digital real estate" for the singer.


 Will.i.am is known for his fascinating range of glasses and his hair. His clothing also stands out, such as this blue jacket with his logo on the front. It gives a sense of individuality and originality, which encourages young people to be unique and creative.