2. Introduction to Research For A2 Media Studies, our team have decided to use the music promotional package as our brief for our advanced coursework. Our full brief is: 'Build a promotional package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with a cover for its release on DVD and a magazine advert for the DVD.' We have chosen this brief for a range of reasons such as the experience of producing products different to what we completed in AS Media Studies and the chance to be more creative and expand my knowledge in final cut and other software on the computers that we will be using to create our music video. There is more detail to why we chose the music promotional package brief on my blog ( http://naomitroon.blogspot.com ). In order to complete this brief to a high standard we have completed some research on music videos and print products associated to artists. We decided to analyse three different types of products (music videos/moving image, album covers and magazine adverts) because we would have more knowledge of the product we would be trying to make for our own artist. By having this knowledge, it will make it easier to make as we will know the conventions for each product. I have also done some research into the history of music videos in order to know the development that the music industry has also made in technology and how artists have benefitted from music videos and print products.
3. Magazine Advert Analysis Lily is well known for her wild approach to life and this is often publicised and some what promoted in magazines using personal storylines and interviews with Lily.
4. Magazine Advert Analysis The generic conventions shown by Lily Allen are those that are often repeatedly shown by other female celebrities. In print publications, female celebrities in images are expected to show skin, be sexy, be beautiful and most of all look flawless. This repetitive image shown by many different female celebrities has almost become the minimum requirement in order to be successful to many and may be the start of the stars downfall. Magazines focused in the publication of articles which have been interviewed and researched often show celebrities in an unspoiled way whilst those articles published in gossip magazines have a purpose to show celebrities in non perfect ways. For example, Lily Allen is often seen in gossip magazines flashing cameras and people watching. Some artists feel that they need to produce and share every aspect of their life to gain publicity for their music and other work with their fans and critics through the use of interviews and stories in magazines. For example, in the front page opposite, ‘SEXY BEAST LILY ALLEN & HER WICKED, WICKED WAYS...’ may show Lily Allen as more of a sex kitten than a person and go into detail about her relationships and actions.
5. Magazine Advert Analysis In the magazine front cover opposite, the colour scheme is chosen to suit both Lily Allen’s features and dress style, and the seasonal colour schemes that most magazines follow. By using the colours red, brown, black, creams and whites, the designer is able to customize the front page to suit the issues seasonal release. For example, for these colours to be used I am suspecting the issue to have been released in Autumn. Also the coloured cream background brings the image to the foreground of the cover and makes Lily Allen's image seem 3D as well as making sure her outline is shown in the image and does not blend in with the subtitles. Most of the colour in the page is within the picture of Lily Allen, which is shown in the clothes she is wearing. The clothing choice shows a feminine, sexy approach as she chooses a corset, hot pants and fishnet tights with holes in them. This choice suggests Lily Allen is daring, sexy and her facial expression is mysterious yet inviting. This particular picture is probably taken for a magazine that is aimed at males because of the clothing choice and the use of the image on the page. In magazines aimed at women, I expect the image of Lily Allen would be more sensible with less a ‘sexy’ approach and would focus on other parts of her life, such as fashionable. The images on the magazine covers in this website are edited in order to make the image clear and look good to the audience and also have an image that Lily Allen and the record/management company agree with. In the image on this page, editing has been used to define the outline of Lily Allen against the background by using shadows and darkening the skin on the edges of the image. The colours in the image have also been brightened and touched up to make the colours stand out more. One of Lily’s signature poses is the 'hands on hips' which is shown continuously in many of the different front pages on this website. This makes Lily identifiable to fans and critics but also gives Lily a chance to look her best as she knows how to face the camera for a flattering picture. Another pose that Lily is often found making is when she has her body on a slight angle and her arms straight down her, this is pose that is often used in pictures for newspapers and gossip magazines when she has to quickly pose for her 'unexpected' shot.
6. Magazine Advert Analysis Lily Allen has a target audience of 'tweens' and teenagers that like pop and indie music. Lily Allen has her own style of music with influences of artists such as T-Rex, the specials and Happy Mondays. She is also well known for her stylish ways as the creator of the fashion label Lily Loves which is sold in New Look stores. Her clothes line is directed at a wider, female audience than her music as adults are also interested in her clothes. Lily Allen’s talk-show Lily Allen and Friends failed to reach its target audience because of the times it was broadcasted being unsuitable for most viewers that would watch it. Magazines that do features on Lily Allen often have the same if not a bit older audience than Lily Allen’s musical target audience. However, the features on Lily Allen in magazines with a higher target audience can and do improve the range of people who listen to her music and buy her products. Many of Lily’s fans would buy the magazine if there was a story on her or simply her picture on the front cover.
7. Magazine Advert Analysis Lily Allen promotes products on the front page opposite in a variety of ways depending on the props she is using and also what she is wearing. For example, in the picture opposite, Lily is using the props to make her look childish but also to promote the food she is consuming. Also, the clothes she is wearing on the picture is usually talked about inside the magazine (if directed at women) and her wearing the clothes may promote it further. The articles inside a magazine may also promote products as during interviews they may contain information about her lifestyle, beauty regime, etc and thus promoting products that she personally uses. The promotion of her musical products are often moving image based and are therefore hard to talk about in this presentation. However, Lily Allen has previously used posters and advertisements in magazines to promote her new album or single to the public/consumer. Many of the images in the posters have references to the song but also the CD jacket information is often sometimes included.
8. Magazine Advert Analysis The representation of Lily Allen changes depending on the editor’s personal view of Lily and also the target audience of the magazine. In some magazines, the editor will show her as a fragile, timid and unruly character (as shown in the front page opposite) and in some it will show her as privileged, beautiful and a role model to others. This clear constant difference between the magazines story choices and how they reflect in the images chosen to be displayed they are able to reach to readers and attract readers that have not read the same story again and again. The representation of the magazine is also included in the way that they show their stories. For example, in the front cover opposite, they use the main image to attract the reader and invite them to buy the magazine through the text related ‘Lily Allen’s Most Outrageous Interview Yet’ this signals that the interview will be good but without giving the whole topic and story line away to buyers. Readers of the magazine will often buy the magazine through suggestion and committed readers that buy every magazine.
9. Magazine Advert Analysis In conclusion, Lily Allen's pictures in magazines are usually in similar poses in order to make her identifiable to her audiences as well as look good for her management company. On the images used to promote a different or individual side of Lily, she is often asked to pose differently in order to catch the readers attention, this is also similar dependant on the purpose and audiences of the actual magazine, for example, in magazines such as Q Lily Allen's audience is mostly males and therefore shows the sexy and daring side of Lily. In many of Lily's picture she is also promoting products which can often be found in the introduction/inside pages of the magazine with details of what she wore, where to buy it and how much. This can help promote other peoples products - in particular designer clothing brands - as well as her own products such as her new album/single or her clothing brand. By using magazine promotion, she has a constant attraction of potential buyers in everything that she is associated with and therefore is promoting herself well.
10. Moving Image Analysis Music videos have different conventions depending on what genre the music involved is and also, the band and record label involved with the music. I have chosen three different music videos from different genres so that I can find a few conventions between them for each musical genre. The videos I have chosen are Lady GaGa's Poker face (Pop), We are Ocean's Nothing Good has Happened Yet (Rock) and Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girl (R&B).
11. Moving Image Analysis In the song ‘Beautiful Girl’ by Sean Kingston, the producers use a range of different ideas and exploit these through the music video by using scene choices and props. Sean Kingston is an artist from the pop/rap/reggae genre of music and this is shown in the music video through his props and what happens in the scene. The producers chose to use comparisons of time using fashion and dancing styles in the video to show a difference between societies in the 50’s and currently. The producers use a wide range of camera angles in this video which follow the rhythm of the music and usually the same scene is used for a longer period of time compared to We Are Ocean’s music video. The video predominately uses close ups for the video which are usually on the faces of Sean Kingston but also the dancers involved in the video. Sean Kingston often looks into the camera on the scenes shown in the video which show confidence but also show him as the story teller and this makes the music video different to those in other genres. The sound in music videos are usually pre-recorded with no diegetic sound included from the filming of the music video. However, in this video the producers use diegetic sound at the beginning of the music video which sets the seen for the music as Sean Kingston sings acapella with sounds of girls giggling until the music comes in. Lighting in this music video is very bright with the use of artificial light making everything viewable in the diner. However, the producers make sure that there are also shadows shown in the music video to create a sense of realism to the video. The clothes choice also made in this video also follow the bright light idea as most of the clothes are bright colours but also fit with the setting of the video. Editing in this music video is different to that shown in the other music videos as the editing is discreet (unlike Lady GaGa’s and We Are Ocean) and uses extras to signal transitions between time zones, scenes and camera angle changes, for example, a woman walks across the screen changing the costumes from the 50’s setting to that of a 2000 style. The producers also use a large amount of zooming in the video as this lessens the need to jump from different scene to scene as it still creates a different feel to the video and keeps it upbeat. During the music video they also use transitions from colour to black and white images; this is another reference to the ongoing push of society changes. Like the We Are Ocean music video, this video also shows instruments playing in the song through the use of the record player as the zoom in onto this page changes the scene. A lot of the scenes in this music video involve dancing and the producers seem to have chosen a ‘Grease’ style music video with lots of dancing and singing which fits along with the idea of society changing. The location of the music video shows this as well as they chose to shoot in an American diner which is symbolistic to the ‘Grease’ feel but also the American culture. The use of the car at the beginning of the music video shows the representation of wealth as the car is polished and not damaged. This could show that he is successful and also is a connection to the lyrical meaning to the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf0CkDCtb8o
12. Moving Image Analysis In the music video of ‘Poker face’ by Lady Gaga, the producers use a variety of different ways to attract, involve and show the viewers. Lady Gaga’s genre is shown clearly in the music video through use of editing, camera shots and also the use of props, extras and locations as these show an upbeat, dance feel to the video which shows the artists pop-dance genre. The producers use a range of camera angles throughout the video but most of this is shown through the repetition of some of the shots and scenes. The use of repetition for the shots creates consistency in the video and avoids the option of having many different scenes to the music video and causes the video to not tell the story in the lyrics. There are many close up shots of Lady GaGa’s face which she uses lip syncing to create the feel of a performance to the music video. The use of close ups in this video are to show her expressions and also to put across feelings in the music – this could be related to the expected generic conventions of a female celebrity. Lady Gaga relies a lot on the use of props in her music video to show a variety of representations of herself and what is expected from her as an female artist. For example, the use of the dogs at the start of the video show her wealth to the audience and that she can afford to have beautiful dogs. The use of dogs also show a second possible meaning of being secure, safe and protected as the dogs are large and are seen either side of her – possibly ‘protecting’ her. Also, the locations of the music video show wealth through the images of the villa with pool as to some audiences this may be seen as superior to what they have. A clear reference to the songs lyrics is made in this video by the use of cards and coins which are linked to poker. This is the only obvious link between music video and lyrics I have noticed in the music video. Lady Gaga is also known well for her eccentric fashion sense and this is shown clearly in the video by the use of costume choices. There is a variety of different clothes choices shown in the video and represents the artist as herself and possibly shows her personality. The use of mirrors, latex and other clothes that show a lot of skin show that she has confidence in her image and this is shown through the music video. The clothes choice may also reflect her genre of music as eccentric clothing is often a generic convention of dance and pop artists thus this may influence her choices in the music video. Editing in this music video is taken to the max with the use of mirror images on the screen and mist over the pool. This use of editing is somewhat expected from this genre of music as the generic conventions of pop dance music are all about lighting, props and showing confidence. The scenes in the music video are those expected by the viewers (dancing scenes and acting scenes) but the range of different scenes in this video are large because they use a variety of different locations at different times with different lighting. The different scenes combined together create an upbeat, fast moving image which the editing is used to maximum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngf5Oo_XrjI
13. Moving Image Analysis In the music video ‘Nothing Good Has Happened Yet’ by We Are Ocean, the producers of the video have focused on producing a video that performs the song rather than telling a story which is often used by bands from the rock genre. We Are Ocean use a lot of different ways to produce a strong music video which performs their song to the audience, for example, the use of close ups on the instruments used in the song/video. The use of camera angles in the music video are the majority close ups with occasional changes to medium and long shots. By using close ups on the band members, the producers are able to show and create energy through facial expressions and stage presence (through use of dancing, movement across screen, etc). There are also close ups on the instruments that are being used which advertise the product to the audience watching the music video as they may be inspired to get it if the artist uses it, for example, a marshal amp was shown in the beginning of the sequence before the dynamics of the music got louder. The lighting in this music video is different in the different scenes though this may just be a technical fault or something that was overseen during the process of production. The lighting is quite dark with small lighting coming through windows which are shown in some of the camera shots. Editing in the music video is used to create a fast, quick changing feel which is given in the song and also the performance the band are making. Camera shots were highly edited, for example, many of the shots are choppy with the image on the screen for a few seconds at a time before changing. The scenes are edited with different band members on the screen at different times and usually the images switch to each band member in a circle motion/order. The producers also use transitions between the scenes that flow with the music and are often used at pivotal times in the song. For example, lines appear across the screen which changes the camera angle but is only used during quieter moments in the song. Also, later on in the music video, the producers use fading in and out of images to produce an eerie effect to the music video but also to transition it from being a performance (like at a concert) to a story line. At the end of the music video they blur the screen to show that the music video and it is in sync with the fading out of the music. The producers use a very small amount of props in the music video to make it a performance, for example, they use the technical equipment, instruments in the music video but little else. The producers sync the instruments with the music track to make it look like they are actually playing the song and this creates a realistic view to the music video. The location of the video is however, very different to any others in different genres as the producers chose to shoot in an empty factory. This is suitable for this genre of music as it reflects the type of music and also the type of places the bands originate from. The clothing choices of the website is much different to that of Lady Gaga – which may be an generic convention – as they dress more casual for the music video (t-shirts and jeans) and also have longer hair than other artists from different genres. The clothing and actions of the band members are all generic conventions of rock music as many people in that genre take the same approach. Also, fans of this type of music look the same and the generic conventions of this genre may have just raised from what they were originally – fans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTn8Sdt1cxc
14. Album Cover Analysis Lily Allen is a 24 year old Londoner with an eye for fashion and a talent at music. She is has been signed to Regal and Capitol in her music career and in total has released two albums in total which both contain singles that have reached number one. Lily also has talents as a talk show host (Lily Allen and friends). Lily is well known for her wild approach to life and this is often publicised and some what promoted in magazines using personal storylines and interviews. Her style and body language portrays her attitude to life and people which reflect back to her genre of music, (Pop, pop rock). www.lilyallenmusic.com
15. Album Cover Analysis Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English recording artist, talk show host and actress. The daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, she had a challenging childhood, without a stable residence and had been a pupil in thirteen different school institutions until the age of fifteen. Allen abandoned school and concentrated on improving her performing and composite skills. She, afterwards, created several demo songs, and near the end of 2005, she made a profile on MySpace where she made public some of her recordings. A contract was signed with the label Regal Recordings, as the views on MySpace rose to tens of thousands. In 2006, work began on completing what would be the first studio album of the singer, and its first mainstream single, titled "Smile", earned the top position on the UK Singles Chart, while her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received on the international market, selling over 2.6 million copies and brought Allen a nomination at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She then began hosting her own talk-show, Lily Allen and Friends on BBC Three. Her second major release, It's Not Me, It's You, saw a genre shift for her, having more of an electropop feel, rather than the ska and reggae influences of the first one. The album debuted at the number one position on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts and was appreciated by the critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the hit singles "The Fear" and "Fuck You", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse have been credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that has seen five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness long" nominated for the Mercury Prize
16. Album Cover Analysis In the magazine front cover opposite, the colour scheme is chosen to suit both Lily Allen’s features and dress style, and the seasonal colour schemes that most magazines follow. By using the colours red, brown, black, creams and whites, the designer is able to customize the front page to suit the issues seasonal release, for example, for these colours to be used I am suspecting the issue to have been released in Autumn. Most of the colour in the page is within the front page picture which is shown in the clothes she is wearing. The clothing choice of Lily Allen shows a feminine, sexy approach as she chooses a corset, underwear and fishnet tights. This choice suggests Lily Allen is daring, sexy and her facial expression is mysterious yet inviting. This particular picture is probably taken for a magazine that is aimed at males because of the clothing choice and the use of the image on the page. In magazines aimed at women, I expect the image of Lily Allen would be more sensible with less a ‘sexy’ approach. One of Lily’s signature poses is the hands on hips look which is shown continuously in many of the different front pages on this presentation. This makes Lily identifiable to fans and critics but also gives Lily a chance to look her best and to perfect her pictures when natural.
19. Album Cover Analysis Lily Allen has a target audience of tweens and teens that like pop and indie music. Lily Allen has her own style of music with influences of artists such as T-Rex, the specials and Happy Mondays. She is also well known for her stylish ways as the Creator of the fashion label Lily Loves which is sold in New Look stores. Her clothes line is directed at a wider, female audience than her music as adults are also interested in her clothes. Lily Allen’s talk-show Lily Allen and Friendsfailed to reach its target audience because of the times it was broadcasted being unsuitable for most viewers that would watch it. Magazines that do features on Lily Allen often have the same if not a bit older audience than Lily Allen’s musical target audience. However, the features on Lily Allen in magazines with a higher target audience can and do improve the range of people who listen to her music and buy her products. Many of Lily’s fans would buy the magazine if there was a story on her or simply her picture on the front cover. The media portray Lily Allen as a bold different artist, she is shown to the audience as different this may be because her music is a mixture of different genres or she is the first artist who introduced this types of music to the audience.
20. Album Cover Analysis Lily Allen has given a variety of interviews on different chat shows; Graham Norton, GMTV, the Charlotte church show. I have found an interview with Jonathan Ross and Lily Allen. The reason for the interviews is that Lily has a new album coming out so she is advertising this by giving an interview and also performing to showcase her music to the public. She is also adverting the fact that she is doing concerts in March. The interview allows Lily to showcase her music and her as an individual artist, her fans can learn more about the artists and her personal life. In the interview with Jonathan Lily discuss her private life and is questioned about her partying and drinking ,relationships, Her current tour and the release of her new album ‘The Fear’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GfRbKQ36yg&feature=related
21. Album Cover Analysis The promotion of her musical products are often moving image based and are therefore hard to talk about in this presentation. However, Lily Allen has previously used posters and advertisements in magazines to promote her new album or single to the public/consumer. Many of the images in the posters have references to the song but also the CD jacket information is often sometimes included.
22. Album Cover Analysis In conclusion, Lily Allen has a number of different images and this is shown through each magazine individually as they all have their own different view and perception of Lily Allen. She promotes herself as a product as well as her music and fashion lines by using magazines to draw in and attract new consumers. Her lyrics are often about relationships and love her language reflects her attitudes towards them “But you were F***kin' that girl next door”. Lily shows features of her personality in her album covers as they are all artistic featuring different pictures and doodles. I have also found that in images taken of Lily Allen she stands in a certain pose (hand on her hip) this reflects her personality and shows her attitudes by doing this Lily is promoting herself as a different individual artist and also her music as her attitudes fit with her target audience and her genre of music.
23. History of Music Videos The first origins of music videos were from the old musical films in the 1920's onwards where dancers, vocalists and bands was involved throughout the film to create a sense of spontaneity and creativity along with the movement from the silent film era. The musical films are said to be the closest thing to a music video at the moment as the creation of single music videos (not embedded in an scene in a film) were made from animation and still pictures organised in a slideshow fashion. Producers of the next origins in music videos were by producers such as 'Spooney Melodies' with their 'shorts' which usually lasted between 5 to 6 minutes of clips of music with animations. Other producers such as Walt Disney made music videos as television programmes and used animated cartoons with music the Warner Bros. had previously used in their musical films. The band 'The Beetles' had a large impact on the music of music videos for artists to promote themselves in new ways using the new technology available (the television and visual jukeboxes). The Beetles, in particular, used music videos to gain their world wide fame with the release of 'A Hard Day's Night' as a feature film in 1964 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkKra3_pfBY ). This release started a craze for artists to create music videos and have them distributed to the public at cinemas and televisions. Nearly all of The Beetles greatest singles released had their own music video/feature film released which made them different to other artists in the era. With the advancement of artists creating music videos being shown at cinemas, television channel providers began to take advantage of the act with the development of new programmes such as Top Of The Pops in the UK and Sounds in Australia. These shows followed the popularity of new music videos (also known as the music charts today) which in return made pressure for artists and record companies to produce more extravagant videos as the more the video is played on the television the more chance that sales will increase as it is publicized. With the growing popularity of these shows in other countries, America made the first big step as the new television channel MTV was broadcasted for the first time in August 1981. MTV was focused on 24 hour music on television sets in order to meet the demand of music videos and new music. The big success of MTV grew as MTV launched channels in Europe and Asia which spread their popularity world wide within A matter of years where they later began to make specific channels and programmes suited to the different music genres Popular music had produced such as 'Yo! MTV rap'. The production of music videos made it easier for new and upcoming directors to get into the creative industries as the production of music videos gave them the experience they needed to move into feature films. Directors such as F. Gary Gray and Spike Jonze went into the feature film industry whereas some directors with the hopes of going into feature films Never made the transition as the money in music videos was too good to miss as they went to the bottom of the feature film director list. For example, Mark Romanek holds the record for the most expensive music videos produced which are Michael and Janet Jackson's 'Scream' which cost $7 million. As music videos began to become part of the normal programmes and features on the television, the internet became the new place to publicize artists new videos and also for new unsigned directors and artists to promote themselves to potential record companies. Websites popped up on the internet such as, www.youtube.com , which allows the general public to create, upload and publicize their own productions. Many artists have used websites like YouTube to gain fame in the industry before transitioning to television to save money and in some cases earn money from the popularity of the video and its demand on television.
24. Summary of Research By completing this research, I have expanded my knowledge of music videos and print products further which I hope will help make my final products better as I recognise the conventions for different products and the changes between artists and genres. There are many generic conventions which rely completely on the artist and the genre of the music as the conventions vary greatly for each different artist. It can be seen that each artist has their own individual style and that style is replicated throughout most, if not all of their products. For example, Lily Allen's choices for clothing, colours and expressions are all very similar to each other and each of these are used throughout all of her products and publications such as the magazine, album covers and posters. I have found that the images and colours used in the product are usually to suit the editors and the artists requirements. The images in magazine articles also match the story and draw in potential customers. The pictures in magazines often show different sides of Lily Allen to the public and her audiences dependant on the topic of the article about her. This can draw in an audience to the magazine as they are shown a new side of her and her extravagant behaviour. The colours used in the magazines are almost specific to the time of year, for example, winter would have blues and white, autumn would have reds and browns, spring would be yellows and oranges and summer would be bright colours. This helps reinforce the connections that style changes with the seasons and also makes the different issues easy to identify in a shop setting. I now understand that there is a range of audiences for different magazines and each article and product must be specifically designed for it. Lily Allen's audiences range throughout her products as her albums are more for young teen girls rather than middle age men and this is shown through the music itself and also the artwork on the album covers. In a magazine article, the target audiences can range for the magazines overall audience and the article audience, for example, the buyers of 'Q' magazine are usually male and therefore taking advantage of the 'male gaze' in music would increase the number of buyers. Again, with a female audience, a magazine would use more portrait pictures or shocking images to attract a reader which would interest and attract a woman because they want to be up to date with the latest gossip/knowledge, etc. A successful artist has a specific and effective way to promote their products be it a album cover or their latest clothing designs. Lily Allen is a prime example of this because she has a set style for all her products - they have to be colourful and playful. She also has her set pose for photographers so that she always looks good in the photos of her and this helps her to be identified by her fans and other audiences. Artists can be represented in a variety of ways depending on the purpose of the product and what the artist is trying to show themselves as. An example of this is gossip magazines as they use the 'paparazzi' approach to find out the nitty gritty about the artist and exploit it where ever possible. However, some magazines such as fashion or music magazines show artists in a positive light and these types of articles promote the artist to audiences. In conclusion, I feel that artists can use a variety of print and moving texts to promote themselves or products associated with them. I also think that the producers and editors of the products (such as magazines) also have a large say in what they publish and produce.
