Photo shoot

-UNFINISHED-
3) Explain what photos you will use for your album and digipaks- why?
4) Before and after to show photoshop skills (advert and digipak)

We are conducting a photo shoot for the purposes of advertising our artist to the audience. The purpose of doing so is to create a relationship between the artist image and the audience. This is also intended to show the artists emotions through frozen image. Below are the before and after images, to show how I used photoshop to help my progression within the images.

1)

This image is of the artist looking solemnly towards the floor. She is closed in and surrounded by doors and bars. This is symbolism in showing the artists entrapment- she is unsure which route to take (or "what doors to open") in her life to make the correct decisions, a heavy theme within the music video. The bars along the right show she is trapped, as they replicate prison cells. The edges of the image is blurred to show disorientation within her life. The image is in black and white, to emphasise the darkness within her life. This goes against the idea of colours in a spectrum and the northern lights, as well as challenging the typical codes and conventions of the electro-house genre. I think this image is effective in showing the artists indecisiveness within life, and her fragile state. Her fragile stance is shown through her slouching on a black chair. The black is symbolic of empty space and the idea of 'nothingness'- which is how the artist is portrayed to feel within the video. Her trousers merge into the chair, showing to the viewers that she is camouflaged and 'hidden' from showing her true feelings.

2)

The second image is similar to that of the one previously discussed. The main differences being the fact that the artist is hiding her face, either due to shame of emotions or confusion of her life choices. There is a slight 'fisheye' effect within the camera to make the image look slightly more disorientated and effective, this highlights the artist within the image. The doors and 'dead ends' within the image show to the audience she has different life decisions to make, however her body language shows she has isolated herself and is delaying making these decisions. The door handle in this image (and that of the one above) is intended to suggest to the audience that she cannot 'handle' making these life choices.

3)

This image is a high angled shot of the artist slouching on crooked staires. Her black clothing opposes the neutral cream of the staires, thus becoming the object of the viewers attention. Her clothing also is intended to give a 'hard-edged' image, to show she is unwilling to portray her emotions due to trust issues. Her leather jacket emphasises this with the hard exterior blocking her from 'opening up' to the audience. However, we have left the jacket open with a floral patterned shirt hanging out to suggest she has begun sharing her feelings, and she is 'on the way' to trusting the audience enough to share these stories. Again, the idea of being claustraphobic is apparent in her body laguage due to the limited space she is crowded into. In the top right corner we see the bars that are apparent in the previous images, this suggests she is trapped in an endless cycle. The idea of stairs is that she can either go two ways in her life, which coincides with the theme of the music video. The image is given an antique touch with the flash on, to ecceuntuate her figure from the background. Using the flash on the camera also helped to contrast the creams and the blacks, this implies the mental conflict she is experiencing within the video.

Below is the edited image, this is the most drastic piece of editing within the photoshoot. I used a neon outliner to highlight the

4)

This image designed to show the artist is 'stuck behind bars'. This point has been made for the previous images, however this is the more prominant example. The image has been angled diagonally to portray an uneven and discombobulated lifestyle. The artist has been fitted to be shown through one of the gaps between the bars, this is to show she is small and vulnerable in society due to her emotions.

5)

This is my personal preferred image. There is a clear division that splits the screen, on the left, the artist is slumped on the stairs looking up towards the light. On the right, there is an open door in the bottom corner that has no light coming from within. This is significant in the idea the artist is struggling between 'heaven and hell'- if she goes up towards the light, she will be met with a better lifestyle, whereas if she goes back, she returns to the darkness and confusion. This is for the audiences understanding of the mental turmoil the protagonist suffers within the music video. Her black clothing suggests she has just come out from the darkness, her head is turned towards the light to show her eagerness to enter the lighter stages of her life, however her limp body language suggests to the audience that she is still being dragged behind into the darkness.

For the digipak images I feel that image numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are the most suitable. They look professional and the colour scheme works well within the theme of the music. 5 is my particular favourite as it clearly conveys the artists struggle between her two alternating lifestyles. I feel it looks the most professional. 

Analysis of Group Adverts

This is Edens interpretation of our artists magazine advert. I think the magazine is good in reflecting the traits of the northern lights and the genre of music we are portraying. There are many other features that link to the ideal magazine image that we have so been aiming to design.

I think this is a very good magazine advert. The typography reminds me of the style you would find in a circus advertisement, this links in with Florence + The Machine by contrasting reality to fantasy. The pink also stands against the black background and resembles the colour you may see in the northern lights, and an expected colour one may find in a night club- this links to the electro-house genre. The background has a theme of space and an outer earth experience, which  the artist aims to give the audience within her album. This could also suggest she feels alienated and isolated from every day life. The glow emphasises the text and the image, attracting the audiences attention to what they are intended to look at.

In the end, we decided to pick the magazine which focuses on the iris. We made this decision because we found it suited more with the artist, album and storyline of our project.

Analysis of Magazine Poster

This is the first draft of my magazine poster. The colours in the smoke were designed to replicate those of the northern lights, and the image of the smoke was intended to give a diverse outlook to the northern lights- as you can see the colours of the smoke transends into a darker blue. The pink feathers are also used to show the purplish shades people see within the northern lights. The connotations of smoke and the dark pink/ red feathers that fall down the right of the page are intended to suggest danger, which links to the story line of the music video. There is also a subliminal connotation of religion within the image. The feathers are falling, and as they are red/ dark pink they are in the direction towards 'hell', whereas the smoke is rising, and the mixture of blues suggest that it is shifting towards 'heaven'. This has been created to link to the lyrics of Spectrum (Say my Name) within the religious context the lyrics promote. Contrastingly, the pale blues and white connotes innocence and naturalism, which is another, light-hearted and up-beat side to the album. This is also reflected in the "Rolling Stones Magazine" comment, to show sarcasm and wit. This could narrow down the audience to those who understand the wit behind the comment without offending.

This magazine poster coincides with the music genre in the colour scheme of darkness with a mixture of lights, this could signify club lighting for a dance track. Likewise, the poster challenges the typical conventions of the electro-house genre as it has a simplistic and symbolic meaning, where the typical album artwork would maintain a vast array of colours with a robotic typeface (Example on left). This album artwork cooperates more with the electro-house genre than that of the artwork my group has created. The colours are more prominent, and the blurring image suggests it is a staccato paced sountrack, whereas the softer colours and focused images in our piece contrasts this- therefore it could be suggestible that the advert is designed for more of an indie genre.

At the bottom right the 'Island Records' logo does not suit the image, as it blocks off the smoke effect and cotrasts against the background colour. This will have to be considered within the final poster to ensure the logo does not attract a substantial amount of attention. Some may argue that the poster looks ameteur due to the crossing links between smoke and feathers, with the array of colours. The text could have been centred to show structure

Within reflection, although the smoke and feather look looks dramatic, there is no obvious relevance to the artist, nor the song. With this in mind I created the second magazine.

This is the second and final magazine poster. At the top we have the band name and album title, the centre focus is an eye, which is a significant symbol within the album. Below, there is information about the singles being released, then finally, like in the first magazine, a humorous comment and recommendation from a popular magazine that caters for this and similar genres of music.

The eye, we thought was important to suggest that the artist can 'see' the improvements in her life, she sees her mistakes and accomplishments- to which she opens up to the audience. The iris is the outline of the eye to suggest a planet like figure, showing that the artist is almost on another planet to ordinary lives- she feels alienated due to her life experiences. The colours within the iris are to imitate the spectrum, and how there is a burst of colour through the ordinary and bleak lifestyle many people live.

With acknowledging the music genre from the previous poster- I decided to add in more colours to the iris, in a spectrum resembling style. I have decided to challenge the typical genre of electro-house by keeping the simplistic image on the front. The challenging of the music genre also relates to how the artist challenges a happy and ordinary lifestyle. Therefore, challenging the music genre portrays her unique and individual attitude towards life. These colours go with the electro-house music genre in that it replicates club lights. The eye is a reference to the notion of looking, this could refer to the theme of the music video in the audience gaining an insight into her alternating life.

This is my preferred magazine advert. The image has more of a connection to the music video we are creating, it is also interesting for the audience and suits the genre of the music video, in the fact that it is diverse, simplistic and replicates common club lights, which being a dance track, is suitable.

Sub Culture

Sub-cultural youth can be defined as:-

"A group of people who are united through common values. Be this music, clothing and other aspects that go against mainstream themes, these people are connected by sharing the same views, opinions or image."

Subcultural views may be:-

• Conformity and rebellion
• Attitude towards capitalism and consumerism
• Traditional or 'Neophyte' (subject to a new skill or belief)
• 'Trival' or 'gang' rivalry

There are three theories on subcultures:-

1. Grant McCracken- "The postmodern world is full of diversity, being dynamic and creative. Looking at the array of values and ideologies, we cannot say that all subcultures come from one culture."
2. CCCS (Centre for contemporary cultural studies) - "All subcultures are branched off from one main culture- it is a reaction to the mainstream conformity."
3. Hebdige- "Although some people think subcultures only appear to be different, deep down they are the same. Looking deeper, there is enough richness to warrant renaming 'subcultures' as 'little cultures'.

Within our music video, the most suited theory to apply would be Grant McCracken's, as we intend to show our artist as being unique and separated from originality and the normal lifestyle. We will do this by showing her different fashion taste and different personalities, how sticking with 'the bad guy' isolates her from the world, whereas in her good alternate reality, she is happier and becomes more socially accepted through her new-found 'spirit' and attitude towards life.

Risk Assessment

Assessing the likelihood of risks within the duration of filming our project is important for consideration to ensure that the person(s) filming and being filmed are at the lowest risk possible of any health and safety hazards breaches. All aspects of potential hazards will be considered to reduce the risk of injury to each person(s) who are involved within the project.

Assessing the risks will be beneficial in avoiding any injuries or destruction that may be caused, we will ensure to be vigilant and cautious with all actions performed in the making of the footage.

Record Labels

Major Record Labels

Britain is highly acclaimed for it's variety of music throughout history. Influential and 'historic' artists are admired and shared all over the world- but their home remains this small island. Good examples of Artists and/or bands that origionate from Britain and have been majorly successful worldwide include the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Muse, Queen, David Bowie and One Direction.

Record labels are responsible for the legal managing, advertising and production of these artists, the bigger the artist, the higher chance they have of being part of a larger record label- these are castle industries, as they have a broad span of heriachy roles that contribute towards the company, (E.g- Manager > Assistant Manager > Sales Assistant).
EMI records is one of the biggest UK record labels that has been established sinse 1972. Other labels also include Island records, Universal Music Group and Sony ME (music entertainment). Below are a few examples of who the mentioned record labels manage.

EMI- The Beatles, Lily Allen, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, McFly and  Sigur Rós.

Island Records- Ben Howard, Bombay Bicycle club, Florence + The Machine, The Fratellis and The Killers. 

Universal Music Group- 50 Cent, Abba, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas, Bob Marley, Enter Shikari, Dizzee Rascal and Guns 'N' Roses.

Sony ME- AC/DC, Adele, Beyoncè, Bob Dylan, Calvin Harris, The Fray, Foster the People, Jimi Hendrix and Newton Faulkner.  

Many large record labels hold subsidiary labels, for example, Sony ME holds 'Columbia records', 'Epic records' and 'RCA records'. Due to lack of funds, 'Columbia records' had been disbanded and all of the artists were transferred to the other subsidiary labels. Sony ME is interesting as it also created a partnership record label with Simon Cowell- 'Syco' records, focused on the marketing and production for film, music and television. Syco TV is in large partnership with 'ITV', hence we find its key shows 'The X Factor' and 'Britain/ America's Got Talent". This is also explanatory to Sony ME being the record label for the successful winners of these programmes.


Independent record labels

As well as the major record labels, there are independent labels. As opposed the major record labels, independent record labels are more known to be "cottage industries", as they usually have one store with few staff.
'Rough Trade' is most likely the best known independant record label- especially within the indie genre. It was established in 1978 and was originally a simple store to sell vinyl records. It did so well that eventually, it began managing artists, such as 'The Smiths', 'The Strokes' and 'The Libertines'. 

Independent record labels arguably offer more to their audience than major record labels do. This is because they are of a less mainstream repetiore than that of the major record label- therefore have the ability to offer listeners unique, less well-known and  'anti-capitalist' music as good as the music larger companies may produce. This idea is attractive to a widespread audience, and therefore the record label is successful in offering the audience a decent and individual approach to music. However, as the music is less well known, the record labels earn far less than that of a larger company would- this in retrospect could suggest that the labels struggle greatly with finance.

Analysis of Digipak

Each image on the digipak show a different light to Florence's personality. For example, Florence's image is intended to be shown as naturalistic and hippy-ish, this is apparent as her cover page is of her looking down at the earth, with a loose and thoughtful disposition. The image below, however, shows a more serious approach. This could be reflected in her music, as songs such as 'Rabbit Heart' may be a spiritual and up-beat pace, whereas 'Heavy in Your Arms' may be represented through the darker image. The CD shows a religious approach to the album, which could be related to our chosen song, where she feels enlightened compared to other people "when we first came here, we were cold and we were clear". The imagery used is also a traditionalist painting of hands, this also helps to suggest it is more of a traditionalist, religious approach. The final image is the back of the digipak, where an intricate design of white lungs are contrasted by a plain black background. This is an interesting image to the viewers due to the simple intricacy of the design. The lungs also relate to the album name 'lungs', and is therefore well fitting to the album.

With exception of the CD slide, the images are serene and dark, they lack bright colours and are very simplistic images. This I feel I will copy within my own DigiPak as I feel it has more of an in-depth and artistic approach to communicating with the audience. The black and anitque sepia colours connotes and emphasises the serenity and heart felt depth of the images. The neutral colours of the CD slide may suggest a more peaceful and natural approach to the album, contrasting the blacks and antique images that the album appears to promote.

There is little typography within the four slides, however the apparent typography is all the same font and all in white. This is to contrast against the black background and stand out for the reader. The 'lungs' on the front image is also conveniently placed over the artists lungs that are apparent in the image. The typography is simple, therefore maintains the simple information consisting of the album name, the artist name and the listing of songs.

This digipak has been helpful in giving myself an idea of what looks good with the artist image, and what colours match and do not. I thoroughly like the simplistic approach to creating the digipak, but I also feel that more writing should be added for longer attention of the audience. Maybe having some critic reviews would be useful in swaying public opinion to the artist. This I will consider for my own digipak and magazine.

Analysis of The XX poster

This is a magazine poster advertising the band 'The XX'. They are similar to Florence + The machine in the style of music. The artistic and intricate design suits the genre, as it projects a vintage and different approach. The simplicity of the design makes it abstract and interesting. It is a birds eye view of a street, and on the closest ledge of the building there is a couple kissing. This is seen as romantic and thrilling for the audience.

The colours used also conform to the indie audience, as the simplistic colours add to the intricate design of the cartoon. The womans red dress connotes love and passion, which is clearly represented by the intimate couple. The rest of the colours consist of a different shades of grey, this softens the image by not using as bold colours as black. The 'XX' typography is charcoal grey, and placed against  lighter grey road makes the font stand out to catch the audiences attention. The white silhouettes with grey shadows of people walking down the street may be symbolism for every day life, without creating memories that show excitement and spontaneity- something that the indie genre like to promote alot.

The typography is interesting, as the information given is very simplistic and straightforward, yet the writing is reflected below the artist name and upside-down. Thus enabling the poster to be clearly read whichever way it has been placed- this is unique from other posters as it shows a diverse and alternative  approach to using the poster to advertise.

This is a successful poster in representing the bands image and advertising the dates for peoples interest to see the band play live. Analysing this poster will be useful when it comes to designing my own poster.

Planning Artist Image

Within the project, my intentions are to portray the artists similarly to how Florence is demonstrated to the public, as a "free-spirited" person with a unique image. To cooperate with the lyrics we plan on showing her as unique through a troubled personal life, all will be explained within the video to the audience, but the audience will understand her unique appearance is due to her insecurities. This will enable to audience to sympathise for the artist.

The costumes will be used to show the artists unique style, 'Florence' will wear 'spiritual', unique and colourful clothing, as opposed to the other characters plain clothing to represent ordinary and unemotional lifestyles. The antagonist wears a tracksuit to offer the viewer an unwealthy and naive point of view towards conforming to society.

 

Another costume our artist will wear for the 'alternative reality' will be dark clothing, inolving a black leather jacket zipper up to show her confiding emotions. The black connotes her confidement in society, depression and the unwillingness to conform to every day life.

 

At the end the audience will see the protagonist rejecting the antagonist. To this point, she walks away from him and removes her dark coat- revealing colourful clothing underneath. This suggests to the audience that her actions have enabled herself to be freed.

The video will be created with the intentions of the audience sympathising for the protagonist, for her harsh reality and the understanding that the question "what if" plays a vital role within the video. This may get the audience thinking about alternatives within their own lifestyles, and some may even empathise with the protagonist. The relationship can be built with a variety of close up and mid shots, for the audience to familiarise themselves with the artists emotions and image.

Planning Lighting and Colour

Although the genre is a dance track, we are trying to seperate ourselves from the typical convention by giving more of an in-depth narrative with a dark storyline. Therefore, the lighting will have to be dark and dreary, however, towards the end we will use brighter colours to show the artists life in a better light where the audience know she is happier. Pathetic fallacy is also a crucial concept to consider. The current winter weather will also add to the dull lighting substantially, this may prove an issue when attempting to film the artist better lighting, however we may be fortunate enough to get a glimpse of sunshine, but optimism and English weather have never really gone hand-in-hand.
Darker greys, blacks and whites will be shown regularly throughout the video, this is to show an ordinary, boring and repetitive lifestyle. The artist will wear bright colours to 'stand out from the crowd' and to be easily identifiable to the audience.

Analysis of a Magazine Advert

For this assignment, we have been told to analyse a magazine poster based on our chosen artist. The image is of Florence with her arms mid-way in the air, she has her eyes closed and she is looking serene. The back ground consists of a contrasting forest scene, there are bright flowers and lime green birds . This promotes Florence's character and music as being down to earth and 'hippyish'. Florence's body language is open and limpid, her hair is styled yet scruffy to match her known image- this all adds to the image she portrays as liberated and free spirited.

This poster was created for the touring of Florence + The Machines first album 'lungs'. This is apparent by the writing above and below the image. 'With special guests- The XX' shows that a similar artist will be supporting Florence's music, and below the image, lingustics such as "Sunday 8pm - 07. 02 - Espalande Theatre - Tickets on sale now" All make it clear to the reader that this is a poster advertising tour dates.

The black colour in the background is set to simplify the advertisement against the main image. It is also contrapuntal to the white typography, therefore making the needed information more eye catching. The contrasting gloomy forest colours in the back of the image may counterpoint the differences between fantasy and reality, which is something her music explores with her ranging music rhythms. The deep red of the lungs that cover Florence's chest seem to go alongside the emotions she portrays through her facial expressions. The light pink flowers and lime green birds may represent her femininity, likewise the pink faded heart on her right wrist may also connote lost love.

The simple format and colours of the typography work well in this advertisement, as the simplicity draws out the details that are crucial within the poster. The text has been formatted to be in centre alignment, keeping the text simple and in line, and again, encouraging to the reader to gain the needed information. There is one large image on the poster, this is intended to draw the attention to Florence as the artist, giving a connection between Florence and the readers.

The typography seems to be set on 'Times New Roman', in large white writing to contrast the black background. The language is simple and straight forward, this is used to give the direct information to the audience without any play on words or extravagant detail.

Overall, this magazine advert appears to be simplistic in order for the attention to be drawn to the artists image and the dates of the concert. I think the simplicity of the advert is extremely effective, and I will be willing to use this theme as an idea for my own poster.

Spectrum Lyrics

'Spectrum: Say my name' has proven to be a hard song to allocate a specific meaning within the lyrics. However, within some research it seems likely that the lyrics have a form of 'spiritual awareness' to them. Within the lyrics it is apparent to suggest that Florence is singing to encourage awareness of the environment and spiritualisation around us. 

When we first came here, 
We were cold and we were clear, 
With no colours on our skin, 
We were light and paper-thin. 

It is plausible to suggest that the lyrics here reflect our 'ancestors' or the neanderthal stages, saying that our ancestors arrived on this planet without the intelligence and abilities we have today. It could also suggest a newly born child, saying that as a new born, 'no colours on our skin' means no past experiences, no knowledge and no idea of what may happen. 

Say my name! 
As every colour illuminates! 
We are shining! 
And we'll never be afraid again! 

These lyrics are the chorus and main feature of the song. It could be suggested that Florence is spreading her message of enlightenment across, saying that her new found knowledge has created a more in-depth perspective of life, and this shed of light - her understanding- has changed her perspective of life, so she is unafraid of dangers or concerns that previously worried her.

And when we come for you, 
We'll be dressed up all in blue, 
With the ocean in our arms, 
Kissing eyes and kissing palms. 

This may connote her eagerness to spread this enlightenment. The colour blue connotes tranquility, confidence and unity, the ocean could suggest the universe- kissing eyes and kissing palms could again suggest unity within people originally divided through petty faults. 

And when it's time to pray, 

We'll be dressed up all in grey, 
With metal on our tongues, 
And silver in our lungs. 

The idea of praying may be to bring people together and spiritually connect them with the earth. The mentioning of the colour grey could be symbol for strength, as could the mentioning of metal and silver.  "Metal on our tongues" could also suggest they bear strong, meaningful words.

And when we come back we'll be dressed in black! 
And you'll scream our names aloud! 
And we won't eat and we won't sleep! 
We'll drag bodies from their graves! 

This reenforces the idea of power they hold throughout the song. Towards the end, it could be indicated that Florence and a majority of others are standing up to something. The cause means alot to them through the sheer dedication Florence pronounciates within the song. 

This song has more depth than what had previously been expected. It seems as if Florence is singing against something that is destructing the earth in some way, shape or form. This will be taken into great consideration for the creation of the music video. As there are no straight-forward lyrics and the song is most suited to a cencept based video, there will be more shots showing artistic and diverse occurences more than it would having a storyline. 

Evaluation

Artists regularly sing to conform to their target audience, it all depends on the style and genre of music. This has been a gradual progress for all artists, but they all have a specific audience to which their music caters for.  An example of having a target audience would be Justin Beiber. His audience can range for a spread of ages, however, his music is mainly prepared for his largest chunk of listeners, consisting of girls between the ages 6 to 16. 
                It is important for artists to have a specific target audience. They can specify their music to go alongside the music they enjoy, this saves money for the artist, rather than having to waste money recording music their audience will not purchase. 

Eden and I considered who would be the target audience for 'Florence + The Machine'. Florence's style is natural, wild and has an idle 'hippy' feel. This image is idolised by the younger audiences, specifically around the ages 14-24. She is renowned for her unique fashion taste and style of music. However, because her music is so different, it is hard to pinpoint a sepcific audience, as there are a range of age groups that appreciate her unique style.

We surveyed 40 strangers for our questionnaires, with some broad and some narrowed questions that applied specifically to Florence + The Machine. (To see the questionnaire please follow this link- http://whhssimmonsmmusicvideo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/questionnaire.html )
These questionnaires have been helpful in gaining information that is 'straight to the point'- this was ensured by the simple closed questions, or the specific wording we put for the questions. I feel we had covered many questions that are easy for the audience to give simple answers, yet we learn a lot from what the have answered. Some of our questions were based on Florence (e.g- "Do you listen to Florence + The Machine?"), and other questions were based on a broader audience (e.g- "What is your favourite genre?").

Using the cameras, we also did "vox pop" interviews (http://whhssimmonsmmusicvideo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/interviews.html)
These videos were helpful in gaining visual information, however, due to little time, we could not ask a variety of questions. Upon reflection, we also could have diverted questions, as if the interviewee said they were not familiar with Florence's music, we would ask if they could list three of their songs. We had not prepared ourselves with back-up questions, and therefore I feel we shoud re-do some of the voxpop videos.

Copyright

Copyright is the permission given to a person(s) for the use and re-creation of artistic materials. The permission holder are then able to edit this material by printing, publishing or performing. Likewise it is the recording of literary, musical and artistic material. It is the right to copy something- hence 'copyright'.

Copyright in the music industry is effective in the protection of ones lyrics and melody within a song.

The gross misconduct against this material will result in a hefty fine or imprisonment 

To create our video on Florence + The Machines, we had to get permission from the bands record label, in order to save and make use of their song 'Spectrum: Say my name'. This also meant tracking down the several contact details. Some were easier than others, as their contact details were on their website and easily accessible. Others however were more difficult to track, but we managed to find them eventually. 
To gain permission we had to first locate the bands different record labels, including 'LuvLuvLuv Records' and 'Island Records'. We have emailed them several several times and as of yet have not yet received a response. Below is evidence of the emails sent to the different recording labels in order to gain permission. 

Here is one of the emails I have sent to the record label attempting to gain permission. 

Research Into Chosen Genre

'(Spectrum) Say My Name' falls into the electro house genre. Commonly, the electro-house genre consists of  high pitched riffs and prominent baselines . Examples of famous artists that regularly conform to this genre consists of:-

- Calvin Harris
- Dead Mau5
- David Guetta
- Daft Punk

It is the fusion of electronic and house music. Therefore it is 'heavy on the bass' and energetic.

Deadmau5 feat. Chris James - The Veldt (Music Video)

This is an animated music video. This shows the the viewer that it is highly creative and gives the viewer an idea for a promising, unseen music video. The storyline is extremely simple, an animated boy and girl go through a door and find themselves in what we presume to be Africa.

The simple contrast of the orange sky and black silhouettes adds a mystical effect. The graphics are not amazing, but the audience are able to identify certain expressions through the characters eyes. The calm music matches the visual, therefore conforms to Goodwins theory of parallel music and imagery. Orange connotes fascination, creativity, attraction and encouragement and therefore matches well with the video where they introduce the characters into Africa. Although the whole idea is peace, we are introduced to the dangerous animals (such as the lion) that stands out due to the white eyes and bright red blood that drips from its mouth. 

The bright red connotes danger, which therefore makes the protagonists run. This introduces a quicker pace to the song. The idea of the music video goes against the typical electro-house genre, because usually there are various up-beat, club scenes with strobe lights.

This animation challenges the stereotypical , as does the song, which is not a typical electro-house 'sound', however it still falls into the same category.

Fall Out Boy- My Song Knows What You Did In The Dark (Light 'em Up)

This music video strongly conforms to Goodwins theory in that the lyrics and visuals match on the words 'Light 'em Up' and 'I'm on fire'. This is because throughout the video, famous rap artist '2 Chainz' burns a collection of albums of Fall Out Boys old work. Alongside '2 Chainz' there are two women in provocative clothing whilst also acting in a way that the audience view them as sexually attractive. This conforms to the theory of vouyersim- where women are seen in a sexual light within a video- and therefore conforms to Goodwins' music video theory.

This video is dimly exposed, this illuminates the fire for visual effect. The dark colours add mystery to the music video and emphasise the inner -rock sound that the music contains. '2 Chainz' and the two women go back and forth from a van to add albums and other band franchise the bonfire.
The fire suggests that the band are powerful, energetic and dangerous- something they try to promote within the rythtym of the song.

The main effect within this video consists of slow motion. This is done to emphasise the fires imagery to look creative within the video. Surprisingly, the footage cooperates with the fast pace by using quick cuts to match the beat of the song.

At the end of the song, the two women open the boot of the van to reveal four kidnapped characters tied up with sacks over their heads. this is humorous to the viewer as they understand that the kidnapped personelle are the band members. The idea of them being victimised by the characters is comical, but the audience are left with a cliff hanger as to what the characters will do with the victims.

This music video challenges the typical conventions of the electro-house genre. The song itself is not what you would expect to be categorised into electro house, nor the band that perform the music. However it is considered to be electro house through the technological use within the song. There are no typical conventions to the electro-house genre excluding the artist '2 Chainz' that is a feature character within the video.


Analysing these music videos have been helpful in giving me ideas and concepts for my own music video. I feel my knowledge has explanded in the genre and that I know how to challenge and conform to the electro-house genre. From the Fall Out Boy video I feel that using realistic locations is much more effective in order to allow the audience to connect with the artists. Also using normal clothing to challenge the genre would be effective in both adding to the unique story line and again, making the video more realistic and relatable. I feel that using naturalistic lighting will increase the audience satisfaction in the realism of the production, as well as challenging the electro house genre through not using club-scene lighting. My use of iconography will also be important, as the rose will represent the artist. This depth and strong emotional portrayal within the production will challenge the typical conventions.

Research Into Chosen Artist

Florence + The Machine are an indie rock/ alternative band. This is my preferred music genre, so I enjoy all of the music they produce. Florence has a fresh take to music, her songs are diverse, unique and portray a different sound to what has previously been created in the music industry. This makes it hard to compare Florence to other artists, within a mixture of songs there are some similar traits, but nothing exactly matches their style. A few artists with similar characteristics within their music consists of;

• Kate Nash
• La Roux
• Regina Spektor 
• Ellie Goulding
• The Temper Trap
• Sigur Ros
• Stereophonics
• The XX
• Vampire Weekend

Her music covers a range of instrumental and technological styles that keeps their music up-beat and easy to listen to. I enjoy the fact that they do not fit into a certain "category", and therefore their target audience is vastly increased.  I also find that with Florence + The Machines music, you can use spontaneous and picturesque shots to create your music video without necessarily giving it a narrative. 

The band members consist of lead singer Florence Welch, keyboard player Isabella "The Machine" Summers, guitarist Robert Ackroyd, Drummer Chris Hayden, Harpist Tom Monger and bassist Mark Saunders. Excluding Tom Monger, they are all backing vocals. The name 'Florence + The Machine' came from Florence and Isabella's teenage collaboration that had started off as a joke, which got out of hand. Florence signed on with 'Ashok' and recorded the early version of "kiss with a fist" formally known to be "Happy Slap"- however feeling she had made the wrong choice, she resigned and cancelled her contract. Mairead Nash, the bands manager, took on her position when a drunken Florence followed her into the toilets at a club. 
Florence's debut album 'Lungs' was released in July 2006, with the introduction of 'Dog Days are Over', 'Kiss with a Fist', 'You've got the Love' and 'Rabbit Heart (raise it up)'. These multi-successful tracks got Florence's well deserved recognition for her talent- the album peaked to number two for 5 weeks in the UK album charts.

The bands record labels include IAMSOUND Records, Moshi Moshi Records and Island records. Mairead Nash also works for LuvLuvLuv records, and therefore the band have a total of 4 record labels. Florence has done many different collaborations with artists, such as Dizzee Rascal. Her most recent collaboration was with Calvin Harris, this is for the song I have chosen to base my project on- "Spectrum (Say my Name)". Her band has previously won 15 awards, including a Brit, as well as being nominated for 38 others. They also performed as a sub-headliner on the main stage at reading festival 2012. 
Her second album, Ceremonials became more popular than her first. Below is a diagram showing her chart sales.  (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_and_the_Machine_discography)  

Music video analysis- 1 - Cosmic Love

'Cosmic Love' is a song from Florence + The Machines second album 'ceremonials'. Florence herself described the video by saying:

This video is symbolic in suggesting Florences 'spiritual awakening', as her characters are receiving what seems to be a masonic ritual- or an initiation ritual. This could suggest Florence is giving herself to a new, more spiritualist orientated lifestyle. This cooperates with her different attire shown throughout the video. The vast majority within the video consists of being set in a masquerade ball, to which different personalities of Florence attends, presumably the 'before' and 'after' her spiritual enlightenment. Her different personalities reflect different meanings. For instance, the costume in mise en scene is crucial throughout the video. We first see Florence in a champagne coloured dress, this could suggest her shy and timid disposition. The image below cooperates with this point, where the innocent Florence cautiously walks into the room filled with several masked characters- suggesting she is hesitant in crossing into the 'unknown'. Another generic convention to consider is the lighting used throughout the video. It is clear to see that the lighting is very 'warm'- all of the colours have a soft golden tint. This is presumably used to add a mysterious tint throughout the video, representing the idea that the artist is stumbling into an unknown location that could represent safety, likewise it could represent the false impressions of safety. 

Another one of Florence's 'characters' is supposedly possessed by a demon, she shows this through her frantic movements and her 'lusty' red dress. The audience understand that she is being possessed regularly throughout the video as she shows unnatural movements and expressions throughout the red dress scenes. This contrasts the timid champagne wearing Florence that the audience see in the beginning of the clip.

The final character within the video is the 'angelic' Florence- presumably the outcome of the attended ritual. Florence runs out of the house and is then found climbing a tree- this suggests that she has become closer to heaven through the ritual. The mage below is a good example of this, where it is so picturesque the image looks like a traditional religious painting, with Florence is a glowing angel that is admired by the other heavenly figures. 

This sequence of shots portray Florence as a spiritualistic and naturalistic character, through her long, loose fitting dresses and angelic movements. This is important in maintaining her image and uniqueness through the audience interpretation of her characteristics as a person and an artist. This cooperates with Dyers star theory in that to maintain her persona, Florence must hold her traits to remain an icon to the general public that listen to her music. 

Recurring screen shots that appear often within this video are long shots and mid shots, this is to show Florence's outfits alongside her background. For instance, a variety of shots within this video consists of showing florence in glamourous dresses in luxurious events and backgrounds to highlight her glamorous and unique lifestyle. The mid shots and long shots are also intended to present the artists emotions to the audience- highlighting her vulnerable state. This enables the audience to sympathise for the artists insecure state. 

Florence's unique dress sense and spiritualistic disposition builds a relationship with her audience. Her target audience would be those who prefer indie rock/ electronic/ pop, this is because Florence's music, and Cosmic Love, caters for different genres. This also adds to her music video in creating in-depth and diverse music videos, to connect with the viewers as they are intrigued by her nature and attitudes. 

Music video analysis 2- Kiss with a Fist


This video is one of Florence's earlier videos. The setting is all white with a few props- this draws full attention to the artist and how she makes use of the props displayed. Florence portrays a cheeky attitude throughout the video. Her clothing is colourful and presents her 'quirky' attitude. The music conforms to the lyrics- for instance- when she says 'Set fire to our bed'- a plastic substitute for fire begins to emerge from the bed. This goes alongside Goodwins' theory of parallel lyrics and sequences. 

The white background presents a neutral tone throughout the video, and as previously mentioned, enables the viewer to focus on the artist. The props are simple items, such as a bed, a garland, pinyata's and Chinese lanterns. These are random items but are well suited to the theme and style of the music video.

The pace of the editing is well suited to the rhythm of the music. It is swift and a simple cut, which reflects the up beat song and the minimalist theme within the video. 

The different shots are used to show the artists quirky disposition. The long shots are used to show her outfits, that are peculiar to the average person but shows this artists unique style.

The mid shots are intended to show Florences' facial expressions. The heart shaped garland is humorous to the viewer as the prop creates a comical irony- as the heart shape goes against the theme of abuse that she is singing about. This shows that she has an up beat and humorous outlook to the relationship she is singing about- perhaps implying that her partner is a 'joke' to her- and that the whole relationship is an arms race.

Analysing Florence + The machine has given me a good understanding of her typical conventions within her music videos. I feel that I am able to create a music video that will suit the style of Florence's music videos. Her use of clothing to influence the narrative (such as in  Cosmic Love) has inspired me to remain cautious about the choice of clothing. For example, I feel that when the artist shows herself as being isolated, she will wear dark clothing to show how she is confided in herself. The lighting at the beginning of the project will be quite dark to reflect her sadness, this will inform the viewer that she is upset within her life, and when her life feels as though it is 'turning around'- the brightness and saturation of the footage will be increased in order to leave the viewer feeling more optimistic about the characters lifestyle. Through analysing these music videos, I feel that placing the footage in public locations will add a greater sense of the artist being more in-touch and relatable to the viewers, this links to Dyers star theory- my artist is more realistic and evades moulding herself to be idolised by the public, instead she reenforces the idea that she is just the same as every body else. The use of the rose in my own footage may be linked to the display of flowers seen within 'Kiss with a fist'. As previously stated, the garland is seen as ironic to the viewer, whereas in my piece the iconography will have a more insightful meaning to symbolise her life being 'torn apart' then reversed into being put back together.
I feel that the mise-en-scene of my production will be heavily influenced by the analysis of my chosen artist- 'Florence + The Machine'.

Pie Charts

These pie charts were created by examining the results from the Questionnaire (See http://whhssimmonsmmusicvideo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/questionnaire.html)