Editing- Changing the Speed

There are a few areas of my video where I have changed the speed to change the effect of the clip, which can help the video match the song better. An example of this is when the pace of the song slows, and so does the speed of the footage, I also added more dramatic editing transitions in at this point so that together both qualities would give the desired effect. To change the speed I went into the special effects menu on pinnacle, as shown on the left hand side of the image, and then I dragged the square up across to manipulate the speed of my image to wither been faster or slower. I could tell which footage had a change in the speed through the small clocks which are shown in the red circles, which also helped me when I was considering the timing of my video.

Editing- Adding Text

This is an image to show how I added text to my video. Previous to this I selected the text menu which brings up this screen. Then I chose a font from the menu on the left hand side and wrote what was relevant, such as 'Kate'. I then changed the colour of the circle behind the name to link to each super hero and their coloured identity.

Editing- Adding A Transition

This shows the process of adding a transition. There are a variety or different styles to choose from as shown in the top image, once one is selected, it can be dragged down and placed between two separate clips. The image bellow shows what it is like when it has been placed in the video, there is also an option for the transition to play in the reverse.

The transition chosen here is a spiky circle shape which I chose as it fits in with my story line of super hero's well. Transitions can bring a different feel , so I have mostly chosen fast paced and unusual transitions to fit in with my genre.

What Am I Doing?

At the moment most of my work is on editing my music video. I am adding more transitions and other effects to my video to make it more interesting. I have found that this takes time as each time I add something new, it will effect the timing of my video which is something I want to try and maintain when making my music video, to ensure that the video images and music fit together well.

Feedback on first draft

I asked some of my peers, who linked to my target audience to watch my first music video draft. I then asked them to give me some feedback to improve my video, the video above is it what they said.

Video Diary

Video Diary from Sarah Hall on Vimeo.

This is a video diary to show where I am, and what I will do next .

First Draft

Untitled from Sarah Hall on Vimeo.

This is my first completed draft of my music video. Once I received feedback I will use it to improve my video and create a second draft. I have enjoyed playing around with different editing tools and transitions through making my first draft. I found some elements hard that are needed to make the video look more professional such as the timing, which I have tried to maintain throughout my video, with the video footage synchronising with the music and lyrics.

This is only around 40 seconds of footage that I have edited so far as I am still working on the rest of the video so far. However this is better than the previous attempt as it has more editing techniques.

Untitled from Sarah Hall on Vimeo.

Editing- Adding Music

This image shows the stages I took when adding a track to my video. Using the program pinnacle to edit my video, there are different layers, the bottom one is where the music goes, as highlighted blue at the bottom of the image. I chose music on the toolbar going down the left hand side, which allowed me to pick a track from my folders, from there I picked my song, 'Fantastic Six' and dragged it down to the music layer. This then added the whole song, which played the same time as the video.

Animation Trial

This shows my animation trial and reasons why I will no longer be including it in my music video.

Choosing my poster

I have decided to ask my peers, who are similar to my target audience to choose which poster they like the most and why.

Amy- I like the the second design as it fits in with the CD design. I also like how it does not give away much of the video and stands out.

Kate- I like the final poster design as I feel it links to the genre more and introduces the characters well. The second design is good but I think it is a little too plain, unlike the first design which I feel has too much going on.

Lee- I like the second design as it is colourful linking it too the genre and it is clear to see. I like how it links to both one of the CD cover designs and the video, however, perhaps you could experiment with the background?

Alice- I think that the second design stands out more, compared to the other two designs it has less going on which makes it stand out more.

Lance- I prefer design three as it is abstract and leaves more to the imagination than just showing the audience what is on the video. The font used also fits in with the genre well.

This is my third poster mock up. I have again continued the colour scheme so that a relationship can be seen through all three of my products. I used a black background to make the text and colours stand out more. I placed an outline around the images to represent their identity and to separate the images more. The font is again quirky linking to the genre, its also eye catching.

Poster Layout Design 3

This is my final poster layout design, it contains six images, one of each actor. It is again landscape which will allow more room for the images. The images will be framed by text which will be placed both above and bellow the images. I am concerned that it may be too busy with all six images, but I will have to see how this goes when I create my mock up.

Mock Up Poster 2

This is the second mock up of my poster designs. It links in with a previous CD cover design through the colours, image and font. The colours are very bright and vibrant which links to the genre, they also link to the video. The image is off all of the characters cape, which is a key part of their Superhero identity. The image is not directly from the video and doesn't give much of the video away, however the audience will still associate it with the video. The font is quirky, which again links to the genre, the colour of the font and the background make the colours of the capes stand out more, and makes the writing clearly visible, along with the size.

Poster Layout Design 2

This layout is a landscape which is a little different linking to the genre. It simple and allows focus to be in the middle, framed by text, making it stand out. The space is distributed so that all three components on the page have enough space to be large and visible.

Poster Mock up 1

In my video I have a wanted sign, which is the design of this first poster. With this it links to the video, along with the image which is taken from the video. The image is in the background, with the bands name over the top of it at the bottom. The largest feature of the poster is the name of the song, to promote it. All of the text is in the typical style of a wanted sign and stands out against the light brown background. It could be that the top half of the poster is boring compared to the bottom half, which has the image. Behind the text is very boring, but this helps it to stand out and something behind the text could take away its impact.

Poster Layout Design 1

This is the layout design for one of my poster designs. I have chosen to have a background image so that the main focus is on the name of the song to promote it. The name of the band is also at the bottom but not as big, this frames the image so that the main element of the image will stand out.

Mock up Survey

Hamish:
This is my favourite because it clearly displays what's in the video, whilst also being bright, colourful and attractive. The idea of matching the colours of the font with the superhero colours in the video help make it stand out and provides an excellent link.

Lance:
The Last of the album covers, is my favourite as it is abstract and does not give away the content of the video, or the people in it. It leaves more to the imagination. Its abstract and very brightly coloured. The colours work well as they link back to
the video, this lets the audience know its going to be a brightly coloured video.

Lee: I like design number three because it fits in with the quirky genre of the music video. I also feel that aspects of the design relate to the video I seen previously which express a fun video duck.

Amy: I really like number 2 as it shows the characters.
The font as well links with people and its very bright and bold and it would really catch the attention of the target audience. The 3 rd one is very good and different but gives a scary vibe with the font. The 2nd one shows the fun and humour that is in the music video.

Mock up design 3

I don't think this mock up is as strong as the others as I feel its not as interesting. The fact that the full word doesn't fit on the whole line fits in with the genre and so does the font. I have edited the image to be brighter so it will stand out more and be eye catching, however I'm not sure if the contrast between the colours and the font is too much. Overall I feel the cover is boring compared to the other mock ups although it does suit the genre. The image does relate to the video and the actors. I'm going to conduct a survey with members of my target audience to see which they prefer out of all of my mock ups .

Layout Design 3

This layout design will focus more on the text than the image. This will mean its easier for the audience as the name of the song will stand out and so will the band name. I don't know if this will prove more effective than the others as it may not represent the genre well. I will have to use a quirky font and a bright image. It will however make a bold statement with the large text.

CD Mock up Design 2

This is the mock up from my second layout design. I have used an image I took from the filming process. It shows all of the actors and also allows room for the text without taking the attention off the image. The colour of the text links in with the image and the actors mise-en-scene. It also links into the video through this linking them together. A slight alteration occurred due to the image, this is because the name of the song going straight across the top of the image left a large white gap. to resolve this I placed the word 'Six' underneath to even it out more. I feel the image is good at filling the whole cover and it fits in with the genre of the band in a comic pose, linking to the song.

CD Layout Design Two

This is another layout option for my CD cover. Its pretty simple but could work well if I have a good photo that can show all of the super hero's.
The title will be in a better font that will link into the genre along with the bands name. Both the title and the band name will frame the image making the image stand out more, however, I will use a text colour that should stand out againt she background. The text and the band name will be large enough to read but compliment the image.

CD Mock up Design One

This is the mock up of my first layout for a potential CD cover. I created two different ones, one has a white background and the other black. When I actually create my CD cover, the images will be of my actors in their roles of super hero's. I chose two different fonts for bands name and title of the song, this was simply so I can experiment and see what different fonts will look like and how well they fit in with my genre. I don't think I could have done the fonts in one colour as it would have been difficult to choose one colour, also this way the colours fit in with the images and the characters. The bright colours also stand out more and will automatically attract my target audience. I feel that the black cover is more effective as it makes the colours stand out better, such as the yellow which doesn't stand out much on the white cover.

CD Layout Design One

This is the layout of a possible CD cover. The layout is unusual when compared to normal CD covers. This will fit in with my target audience and genre adding a quirky feel. I will put an image of each super hero in a box and the boxes will be outlined with their colour as shown below. I could have two rows of three images but this would be more conventional and I feel less interesting. The colours will relate the cover to the video and poster to show they fit together and they are also bright which follows my indie pop genre. I am having the title of the song bigger than the name of the band, this is too show that is it about the song more than the band, however both will be clearly visible.

What Next?

Next I am going to begin planning the layout and design of my poster and CD cover. I will create a few different layout ideas that I could use for both my poster and CD cover and then I will create mock up designs. I will experiment using images from my video or maybe not using images at all.

The Fantastic Six!

This is an image I took whilst I was filming. I could potentially use it for my Cd Cover or Poster which i will begin planning on soon. I think its a great picture of all of my actors in character as super heros.

I really enjoyed filming my music video. It was great working with the actors and we all had fun. Luckily it was a sunny day, however, it was very cold and the lighting changed throughout the day, along with shadow's, so i tried to get the filming done efficiently. Two of my actors could not make it on time which did effect my plans, however I just did shots which I could manage without them first but it did slow down the process. I enjoyed experimenting with shots and angles but I often preferred it without the tripod as I felt I had more freedom, I did however take advantage of its ability to rotate evenly. The weather became an issue at some points as it was almost to sunny and it made it hard to read my lyric boards with the white backgrounds, with this i changed my angle but i had to be careful to make sure it wasn't too dark in the shadows. If I was to do the filming again I may have done a couple of things differently but not many as I really enjoyed it and learnt from the experience. I found directing people harder than I would have expected as different people can interpret things differently but we all worked together to make it work. Overall I think the day was a success and I am eager to start the editing process.

Filming!

Today is filming day. I'm excited and anxious about how the video will go but I am looking forward to it. The image below shows all of the equipment I need to take with me.

This includes;

Capes

Masks

Robber Mask

Wanted Sign

Money Bag

Lyric Boards

Mask Magazine

Camera

Tripod

Animation drawings

Pre-Filming Meeting

After arranging a day for filming that would be suitable for all of the actors and myself the filming will take place tomorrow. There are some factors that could influence this such as the the weather. However I have decided to meet up with everyone involved the night before to ensure everyone is happy with what is going to happen and to answer any questions they may have.
I discussed the story line with the actors and we listened to the song and mentioned some of the shots I may use. Now most of the preparation is complete and everyone is ready to make the video tomorrow!

Props: Wanted Sign

I have also creates a wanted sign. I wanted it too look authentic and follow the dramatic theme so tea stained a plain piece of paper. Once this had dried I created a sign on the computer and then printed this off on the tea stained paper. This will play an important part in my video as it will start of the super hero's search for the robber.

Props: Magazine

I have also created this magazine as one of the props to be held in the background. I created a magazine about masks as I felt this may add some humour to the video, as it is the super hero equivalent of a normal person looking though a magazine or catologue. This shows that they sre still average teenagers with a super hero twist. I also used stereotypical super hero themed fonts and texts and colours that I have used thtroughout the project. I didnt create the magaine for any profit and it was only for the purpose of my video. Yet again, the colours and design arnt very discrete, however they do link into my genre and are more likely to attract my target audience than if I had plain boring props.

Props: Money Bag

I have created a money bag to be used in my music video. This will fit into the story line and be carried by the thief in the video, so it is an important part of the story. I wanted it to fit in with the super hero theme so it is big and bold and very exaggerated. It also makes it look more dramatic and quirky. I created it by drawing a large pound sign on a brown paper bag and filling it with paper and stones. I chose a brown bag as it is traditional of a money bag and this makes it easy for the target audience to link it to the stereotypical thief stealing money scenario.

Setting

I have chosen this area for some parts of my music video. This is because it already has something that I can use to compose the actors, in this case a log. Its also a natural area with grass and tree's. Linking to the storyline of a girl imagining herself and her friends becoming super hero's , there are houses in the background. The area itself is not extremely posh or run down and it is a neutral environment that will apply to the target audience. I can also take advantage of the large open spaces for my the various actions my actors will complete.

Props: Lyric Boards

I have created some props for my music video. The props will be held by the actors and represent the lyrics from the chorus of the song ' international professional'. I got six pieces of wood and painted them in white, after this I painted some letters onto the boards. Each board has a colour which matches each actor, on the other side of the board I have painted the second word to the chorus. The actors will flip the boards along with the chorus which adds a quirky element, fitting in with the genre.It will also be a little different from conventional music video's as it will show lyrics that the audience can learn.

The images are similar to what I will be creating for my actors. I plan to create six capes and six eye mask, one for each colour. I will also ask my actors to wear clothing close to the colours they have been assigned. This will really add to the mise en scene of the video and add to the super hero theme. I am making the capes and eye masks myself which will also fit in with the story of a teenager imagining herself and her friends are hero's. This means that the props don't have to be perfect as this would take away any quirkiness from the video.

What my target audience think

I conducted a tally chart, asking my target audience which theme they think I should use for my actors clothing. I also chose to add some of the comments that were mentioned about each theme. The results are shown bellow;

Super hero-4 'There are already people who love super hero's!'
Mixed Colours-8 ' You will have the freedom to use the colours whenever you want'
Black and White-3 'They are bold colours'

From asking my target audience I will use the vibrant colour scheme. It will relate to the genre and stand out. The colours are all positive and they will separate each band member so that they are individual. I will also be able to manipulate some elements of my video to fit in with this theme such as some props. The colours also apply to both gender's so that it can attract both males and females.

Actors clothing cont.

I could have my actors in black and white. This could again be a theme I can continue through my video and props. I could have three actors per colour and they are bold colours that stand out against each other, and they are very powerful. However I am unsure that the colours would suit the genre as they would suit other genres more. They could be considered boring or dull colours and this is definitely an element i dont want in my video. It could also add a negative view or a view of competition between the two colours like good and evil, contrasting to this I want to show the unity of the band in my video.

Actors clothing cont.

I am also considering using colours. My inspiration came from my analysis of The Saturdays music video. Having each member of the band gives them an identity and can be continued throughout the video and i can use it to influence my props. This also fits in with my genre well as the colours are all bright and eye catching.

Actors Clothing Idea's

One of the main theme's running through the story line to my music video is super hero's. I am debating weather or not to have actual super hero identities for my actors or not. If I did I would use the ones shown above, this includes; Batman, Superman, Mr Incredible, Wonder Woman, Spider man, Captain America and Cat Woman. There are both positive and negative points to this approach. It would make it obvious that my actors are super hero's and it could attract fans of the super hero's although this is unlikely. A negative is that it will give my actors identities and this doesn't really fit in with my genre of indie pop, if i didn't use actual super hero's it would allow me to be more original and create new identities.

I have created an animatic that is similar to something that would be created in the music video industry. This is the created from the images i used fo my story board. I decided to experiment with some of the edditing techniques ans used the slidding effect whihc could link to the super hero theme like a cartoon. I also varied the speed of each shot . I enjoyed making the animatic as it was my first attept at using the editing software and I found it useful as it will help me too prepare for when I am editing my actual music video.

Music video story b

Today we had to present our ideas to the class. I created this presentation and described each shot of my story board. I also showed some of the props i have made so far and how they related to some shot I have included in my story board.

Music video story b

View more presentations from Sarah Hall.

Actors

I have chosen an obvious choice of six actors linking to the title of the song 'Fantastic Six'. So that I can have non biased target audience I will have 3 males and 3 females. I have chosen these actors as they fit the criteria for my story line of just a group of average teenagers. All of my actors are different and don't follow any kind of stereo type so that they don't reflect one kind of audience. I have tried t ovary my actors in few ways such as height and hair colour too show i am not biased in any way, I also want to fit in then genre by having positive actors.

Song Lyrics

These are the lurics to the song I have chosen. I will pick out some part to have an imput in my music video. The song is positive and fun and I will get the acotrs to sing along to some part such as the begining intro and parts of the chorus.

Ah-a-ee-ah
Ah-a-a-a-a-ah
Ah-a-ee-ah
A-a-a-a-a woo woo
Ah-a-ee-ah
Ah-a-a-a-a-ah
Ah-a-ee-ah
A-a-a-a-a woo woo

Sci-fi stars on the postcard skies
white hair, black ties
Riding in atomic jets
Hi-Tech!

Ah-a-ee-ah
Ah-a-a-a-a-ah
Ah-a-ee-ah
A-a-a-a-a woo woo

They have crash helmets on
Just like Major Tom
They are the space troopers
Super duper!
Ein zwei drei
Weltpolizei
24/7
From Heaven
They'll be watching over all of us
The international
Professionals

Ah-ah-ee-ah
Ah-a-a-a-a-ah
Ah-a-ee-ah
A-a-a-a-a woo woo

Hey you, what to do?
You're high strung
Relax, ku-ku-ku-choo
They'll do the tricks
The Fantastic 6

Ah-a-ee-ah
Ah-a-a-a-a-ah
Ah-a-ee-ah
A-a-a-a-a woo woo

Come on! Don't be hysterical
It's the making of a miracle
Everytime they save chicks
The Fantastic 6
Ein zwei drei
Weltpolizei
24/7
From Heaven
They'll be watching over all of us
The international
Professionals

Ooooo-o-o-o-o-ooh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-ooh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-oooo-oh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-oooo-oh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-oooo-oh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-oooo-oh
Ooooo-o-o-o-o-ooh

Ein zwei drei
Weltpolizei
24/7
From Heaven
They'll be watching over all of us
The international
Professionals
Ein zwei drei
Weltpolizei
24/7
From Heaven
They'll be watching over all of us
The international
Professionals

Story Board

I have created a story board, this shows some of the shots that I may use in my music video. Next to each drawing I have written what kind of shot is used and often the readson why I will use it. I will later create an anamatic which will be a much more effective and proffesional way of showing what my video could be like. The images appear fuzzy but if you click on them you can see a clearer version.

Email of Permission

I have written and sent an E-mail to the Alphabeats record company. This is to ask permission to use their song for my music video. It also explains that I will not use the song to gain any profit and it is purely for my A level coursework.

What Will My Story Be

Linking to the title of the song 'Fantastic Six' I am considering producing a music video with a super hero theme. My research of the video Goodbye Mr A by The Hoosiers also inspired me to create a video with this theme as it shows how fun it can be and how I can choose to follow or step out of the super hero stereotypes. I plan to start the video with a girl drawing a picture of her friends as super hero's. This will be followed by her imagining it has come true, I am considering using some animation at this point, where the drawings will come to life and then this will turn into real footage that I have filmed. There will be a variety of shots showing the group of super hero's including how they change into super hero's and just the unity of the band. Part of my story is for the super hero's to have money stolen from them and they have to chase the robber. When they get the robber, they will unmask him or her and find out that it is on of the original super hero's.

My Song Choice

I have decided to create a music video for the song Fantastic Six by Alphabeat. This is because I could create several different story lines with the song and it fits into my genre perfectly it also has a great fun loving and upbeat feeling. The official video was fun and energetic and this is something I would like to reflect in my project, however the video is good as it doesn't really have any elements that make it stand out, this encourages me to think of a story that will differ from the original and make something different . The song is not very well know which will allow me to experiment and portray it in a way which will hopefully grab a new audience. This song also came high in the poll I conducted with my target audience.

Planning

The following posts are going to be part of my planning. This will help me ensure that I do not miss out any important aspect of my video. It will also allow me to see what I am capable of doing and help me to be realistic about what my music video can become. This will include creating a storyboard to get a general idea of what shots I will use and what story I will follow. I will also plan what equiptment I will need and props i need to consider. I will also find my actors and plan how they can work with the story line to make my video a success.

The Album Covers and Posters

After looking at the album covers and posters I can see how something creative can have an impact. I feel that The Saturdays are more of a pop band and more conventional than the other bands i analysed and this can be seen through their single cover. This is because it is a picture of the band and are taking an approach that would suggests they are more of a mainstream band than the others which take a different approach. These tend to be more creative and interesting for the audience, and also show that they are more comfortable in the industry perhaps, as they don't have to promote themselves at every chance. This is seen in Alphabeats album cover which doesn't even have the bands name on clear show and is different from most other album covers making it stand out. This automatically shows that they are quirky and represents their genre, it also, like Mika's album cover has a lot of colour which is important for my genre. There were some elements which linked the album covers together such as Mika's and The Hoosiers as they both contained images or cartoon drawings that related to songs on the album. This proved interesting as it allowed the audience to find something new every time and often added some humour. This is something i could use when making my album cover so that it isn't boring and looks more professional for the indie pop genre.

My Target Audience

My genre is Indie Pop and so I will try and attract the fans of this music. At a generalisation this tends to be younger people aged between 15 and 30. There is no particular gender for my target audience as the fans are both, with this, I will ensure that my video will appeal to both males and females, I will do this through the colours used and have actors of both genders. The genre itself is very colourful and fun and positive so I will also try to portray this. I may try and reflect my target audience in my video by showing groups of friends just having fun , of other activities that my target audience my take part in .

Song choice

I am considering to do the a song that I have analysed, so i will conduct a survey to find out which song my target audience would rather me create.

Mika- Lollypop
Alphabeat- Fantastic Six
Hoosiers- Goodbye Mr A
The Saturdays- Up

Mark- I think you should do Fantastic Six by Alphabeat, you could create something that has a story and is different from the actual music video.
Lance- I think you should choose Fantastic Six, as it has a lot of potential to be creative and interesting.
Amy-I think you should pick the song fantastic six as you can have fun and be creative with it and making it really entertaining for the audience.
Kate- I think you should do Goodbye Mr A, I really liked the super hero aspect, that would be really fun to re-create.
Perry- I think Fantastic Six has the potential to create an interesting accompanying video and is different from the other songs.
Ash- I think that you should do Lollipop by Mika, as it is a fun and cheesy song and I love fun and cheesy!!
Lee- Fantastic Six because its an upbeat and happy song which will appeal to a wide target audience.
Alice- I think Goodbye Mr A would be fun to make, but it could be hard to think of original ideas for the video, I think that the Saturdays is too conventional so I think you should create a video for Lollypop.

From my survey I have decided to create a music video for the song Fantastic Six by Alphabeat. The song is great for inspiring me to create a fun video to fit in with the genre.

How The Videos Have Inspired Me

All of the videos have inspired me in different ways. Firstly Mika's music video showed me the importance of colour to represent the genre. It also showed me how effective a video can be if it is telling a story. This is more interesting for the audience to watch and can also be a good way of representing the genre. Indie pop could have a video including a fun or humorous story unlike a R&B music video which is more likely to represent a love story. I liked the Alphabeat video as it showed a lot of unity between the band, this is something I would like to reflect in my video as it adds to the fun loving aspect. It could also relate to my target audience as the video is just a group of friends having fun. After analysing the Alphabeat video created by a previous A level student I have seen the importance that lighting can have on making a video look either professionally or amateur. I also liked the concept of writ ting of the lyrics in the video as it encourages the audience to join in. I really liked the Hoosiers music video, I thought it was really entertaining and liked the super hero's influence, I also thought the mix of animation and non animation worked quite well. Finally I think I may incorporate the concept of colour that was shown in The Saturdays music video, however, I felt that the video had a different feel to what I would like to portray in mine.

The Saturdays "Up" video

The video is very stereotypical of the pop genre. The establishing shot shows all of the band members and they are doing dance moves. The following shots flip between members of the band that look serious which links to the edgy beat, and of their legs, adding voyeurism that often appears in pop videos. These do, however, show the different colours of the band through the colour of their tights representing which member of the band they are. The video is fairly modern and up beat through the visual effect of moving blocks. The sharp movements or dance movements fit in with the beat. The women are all stamping which makes them appear powerful with their body movements and facial expressions. At the time of the video been released, the band were fairly new and the use of colour was a great way of giving them an identity, so that the audience can associate them with a colour. The shot of the coloured microphones adds to this as they have their names on, which is great way for the audience to learn who the band members are. This is a concept that I like and could use it in my video. There are many close up shots off the women which shows them wearing make-up, and along with their clothing of dresses, they represent a stereotypical feminine attractive image. The background is clear through visual effects but changes through the colours of each band member. There are moments of fake lighting which adds to the glamorous image. There are also sexual shots such as the camera placed between their legs so that their legs frame the image. The band members also show accessories to match their colour which also adds to the feminine image. There are many transitions and editing effects that keep it upbeat to link in with the genre. All the dance moves are sharp and edgy adding to their new, modern and young image. There are shots of the band members falling which is dramatic adding to the genre, however this is ironic as the song is called "up." Some of the shots are repeated which emphasizes them, such as taking off items of clothing linking to the "sexy image" they portray and keeps in pace with the song. There are no high angle shots they tend to be central which could represent equality between the band and they do try to maintain a dominant powerful female image throughout.

The Saturdays

I saw an advertisement for an single from The Saturdays in an old magazine. The band are best known for their pop music and throughout their debut year they used a theme of each having a colour, making them each individual. This is a concept that I could use throughout my project, as you can see on this cover, it has proved very effective in standing out. The photo has almost a black and white theme with elements of blue, even the band members are in black and white apart from the bright colours of their clothing. This device makes it obvious to the audience what genre it is as pop is associated with colour. The coloured dresses are also used in the video of the single so they link together, giving each band member a consistent identity of a colour.

This is a previous A-Level applicants music video which they created using Lego. This must have been hard to make and taken a lot of time which has shown through the pace and movements which fit in with the song well, and example is where the music speeds up the same time as the car, setting the scene for the video. They also use a variety of shots such as media close up on one of the Lego characters faces, even the Lego characters represent the good mise-en-scene as they look like robbers with black hats and guns. The video is really fun which fits in well with the song and the genre and it is well filmed as you cannot see any hands or element of the person filming apart from one shot which is one of the only downfalls t the video. There is also a scene of cops and robbers which links in to the title of the song 'Cops And Robbers'. Overall the video is really fun and a great way of exploring the alternatives of making a music video, not just with actors.

The Hoosiers- Goodbye Mr A

The video begins with the title of the song on an old record which is rotating which is seen as old fashioned in the music industry today, this is later accompanied by the start of the song which also has a quirky old fashioned feeling to it, adding to their unique image and linking them to the indie genre. This is then followed by a cartoon animated scene showing the bands name and the song title in a a bold cartoon style font. The following images are typical of a cartoon strip showing the band members as tough super hero's. This is different from other music videos in the industry as it is creative and doesn't focus on how good the band look. It also introduces the band members as super hero's with quirky names which are humorous such as 'Mighty Martin'. This then switches to filming in real life with the band in person. The surroundings fit in really well with the story line and the theme really well, with it appearing as if they are in a cave and test tubes in the background creating an atmosphere. The first band member enters with lip synchronizing and he picks up his guitar and begins to play it along in time with the music.

The genre is shown through the clothing that the members of the band are wearing, the lead singer is wearing a bright orange shirt which stands out and is a fun vibrant colour, however he is wearing this in a smart way with a tie which shows his quirky side, contrasting the other boy bands which have a 'bad' image and wear their shirts hanging out. The audience can see the lead singer singing to something and the following shots are of half a tied up body on the left hand side of the shot, with a full body view of the lead singer looking up at the tied up man singing. This shows that the hero tied up is admired by people and people see him as a hero which he is, however, ironically the lyrics and the facial features of the band disagree with this. This is again a funny scenario and the shots used and the fact that he is singing to the hero created suspense as the audience wants to see his face. There are many zoom shots used to show props such as 'Mr A Merchandise' which add to the story line giving it that quick upbeat action feeling like a super hero film would. There are many close up and medium shots of the band and their instruments which is typical of any music video . The humour continues throughout the video which adds to the likely hood of it been associated with the indie pop genre and will attract the target audience. An example of this is a long shot of 'Mr A' tied up above the floor trying to get himself free.

The music and the shots collaborate will together, moving at the same pace , with the shots getting faster as the music does. There are many shots of the lead singer looking into the camera which involves the audience as if he is singing it to them, he looks very passionate and act well about what he is singing and acting as if he has hatred toward the hero character which links in with the story line and lyrics. Then, editing is used to see a newspaper fly up which is very stereo typical of a super hero film or cartoon, this has a tag line on similar to 'Who will help us now?', following this is a pan shot of the bands super hero costumes, representing them as the answer. The costumes all have a H on to represent The Hoosiers, this occurs in the video at several stages such as the light in the air relating to Batman and on the record at the beginning of the video. Again linking to a super hero film, there are close up shots of them putting the finishing touches of their outfit on such as gloves,hats, masks and a cape, again funny elements occur as they are sarcastic with one of them pulling the costume out of an uncomfortable area, this again links them to their audience as it is what an ordinary every day person would do, and is something you would never see on a serious super hero film.

A high angle shot is used to show the transformation of them becoming super hero's, looking up at them as they pull a stereotypical hands on hips super hero pose, showing their power and dominance. The band are obviously having fun and been sarcastic using props such as superhero merchandise and playing around with test tubes, this again suits the genre. CGI is used in the editing process when the blue print plans come to life, this helps the audience understand what the band are thinking. The sarcasm is humerous and continues futher by there been several shots of the band doing huge weights, using guns which have CGI bullets to shoot Mr A, also haveing a pun of 'Hoosier gonna call?' by the phone, realating to the Ghost Busters. The screen then split into two having each side for both of the people on the phone. The tempo of the song slows as does the video with the band edited as flying in the shy slowly in a triangle position showing power and as they group together unity.The storyline also end humerous by the band saving a cat and fighting with burglars. The burglars are dressed very obviously which is also an element of sarcasm but helps to tell the story for the audience, whilst fighting, in a cartoon style words such as 'Kapow' pop onto the screen. There are more stereotypical superhero ideas that occur when the band get the key to the city. Finally there are shot transitions that appear similar to comic book pages turning, linking to the theme.

Hoosiers Poster

This poster of the Hoosiers shows that they are nothing like a conventional band. Firstly the main singer isn't in the middle which usually occurs with most bands. Although they are looking serious this is obviously in a sarcastic way and shows the audience that the band arnt scared to laugh at themselves . They stand out from other artists and bands by having this original look that could appear boring, but is unique and gets the band noticed. This image appeals to the indie audience and even the body language of the band is humorous. Their clothing isn't modern or trendy which could reflect them and their music, they are sitting in unison, almost looking uncomfortable or nervous or almost nerdy which again has a funny element. The background outside appears to be dark with tree's which does fit in with the boarder on their album cover, and it also goes against the stereo-typical image that people in bands go out and party every night, in contrast this band is simply sitting in doing nothing. Its almost as if the band don't want to appear interesting in any aspect. It could also simply be the band been themselves, they arnt going to change themselves to be in the industry, so their fans can take them as they are.

The Hoosiers Album Cover

This is the album cover for The Hoosiers album, straight away from the font of the bands name you can see that they have a quirky public image. The title is large and in the centre of the album cover so it is visible to see. The centre is also the key part of the cover due to the frame around the cover which has an effect of falling or slanting into the centre. The centre of the cover is white with blue text, this links to the colour scheme of white and blue, along with the bands name there is the title of the album which is a contrasting font. This font is in upper case , and appears to be more regular than the other font, it almost looks like and old children's story book and this could link into the drawings around the edge of the album cover. The drawings are very creative and like Mika's album cover, it is interesting for the audience to look at it and find different pictures every time. Many of the drawings relate to the songs on the album such as the rabbit at the bottom centre which relates to the song Run Rabbit Run, and the rocket in the top left corner from the song Goodbye Mr A. The bottom of the album also looks like eyes and eyebrows which adds a fun element to the cover. The eyebrows could also be seen as a book linking to the idea of a children's story book. This is also portrayed through the border which looks like thorns. Along with this is the songs which have quite a light hearted and childish feel with songs such as Cops and Robbers and Goodbye Mr A, which is about a super hero which I will later analyse. The fact that the band don't have an image of themselves on the cover suggests that they are comfortable in the music industry, or , that they would rather have something fun and interesting that their audience can enjoy. This cover would also stand out from other albums on the shelves as the fonts stands out and it isn't a typical image of the group. The album cover is also available in other colours which is interesting to give the audience a choice and variety when they buy the product. At the top centre of the album cover is a heart which could represent a positive image of the band being loving, falling from this heart are three drops, each could represent a member of the band.

Alphabeat Video

The first 4 seconds of the video synchronise with the beat of the song and has a few quick shots, this sets the scene for the audience and also involves the as it appears as if they are with the band on we later find out to be a traveling minibus or van. Following this there are close up shots of members of the band singing along to the music, and also shots of the van , the shots almost suggest they are been spied or secretly watched from a distance which could represent their new found fame. The camera shots switch fast and the type of shot appears to be hand held when switching between the members of the band which shows the bands fun and up-beat image. It also shows the bands unity as its not only the lead singers shown, but other band members too. There are shots between the two lead singers, sing to each other which is a contrast to the usual singing to the camera, this again shows the unity and that the band are laid back and just having fun. The lead female also links her actions to the lyrics when they say "white hair" and she messes with her own hair as it is white. There are several long shots of the band just running through the wood carrying balloons. This could suggest many things, one is that they are just simply having fun, they are doing this in a natural environment as it feels natural to them , they are different from other bands as they aren't doing a rehearsed dance routine in a fancy studio, they are just been themselves and quirky. The area also appears to be in the country that they are originally from which could shown them acting themselves, feeling at home. It could also show them running to something, which is further supported by shots of feet, showing everyone joining in for what could be a party. Balloons suggest a party atmosphere but could often be perceived as childish, the colours could also show this as they are bright and vibrant which fits in well with the genre and image of the band. There are many group shots showing them all together, sometimes in a straight line showing their unity and equality, their movements also sink with the music and lyrics. The shots are not all main singers and some are of what appears to be one member of the band, however other members pop out from behind them , representing them as one person, showing the band been close together, this also allows all of the band members so show themselves and their individuality. The band portrays a fun loving atmosphere by just having fun, juggling and having no cares in the world. There are many quirky ideas that I could use in my music video such as a long shot of one person walking past a tree, but coming out as another person at the other side, this links to the lyrics 'tricks' and also has elements of humour as one man comes though the other side almost naked. This is entertaining and the man is only covered up by a record which shows the bands 'retro' unique image, it could also show that all he cares about is music. There are some low angle shots of the whole band which shows they are respected and looked up at or could show their power. Contrasting to other music genres and mainstream bands, they differ through their clothing as they are wearing fancy dress clothes on many shots which shows that they are not that serious and can laugh at themselves. There is again a sudden burst of shots showing the band running and another shot of feet walking together, this shows a different scenery of sand without the audience having to actually see a beach. The running represents the the excitement the band are feeling or just their happiness over the amount of fun they are having. After this there is a shot of the top of a hill and you can just see glimpses of the band, this is in slow motion syncing with the song which has slowed down at this point. Yet again there are more long shots of the band together on the edge of the sea, this shows them doing a basic dance, which isn't perfect again adding to their perfect image and showing that they don't care if they are not perfect like other bands in the music industry. These group shots also link to the title of the song 'Fantastic Six' as there are six members of the band, these shots show them having fun, splashing in the sea. They sometimes act dramatic but in a humorous way and it also has sarcastic elements such as inflatable palm tree's which they are having fun kicking down. The whole video is as if they are just a group of friends having fun together, messing around and not taking themselves seriously, such as shouting the lyrics at the camera, not caring if they look silly or stupid, embracing their own image. There is also a man dressed up as a police man which links to the lyrics 'Weltpolizei' which means police in German . The video also tries to include the audience by having hand held camera, this proves very effective at points when the band are jumping up and down and it appears as if the camera is doing the same, almost as if the audience are there with them. Overall the video is fun and upbeat, showing a group of friends been themselves and having fun.

This is a poster of Alphabeat. Straight away you can see by the bands facial expresssions and body language that they arnt a mainstream band and suit the genre of indie pop. It also gives the impression that they are comfortable around each other and are having fun. They are different from other bands that have posters that are well planned out with serious faces and certain positions to stand in. The band appear to be close and this is shown by them almost appearing to squeeze onto the image. All of the band members are original and this is shown through their facial expressions and clothing. They are wearing bright colours which links to the genre and they are all wearing something different, they also appear like they don't care as they aren't wearing the most fashionable clothing. The background isn't that noticeable but when you do take note of it, it appears to be the A that appears on many of the Alphabeat products. This , along with their body language and not looking at the camera suggests that they are comfortable in the music industry. They don't have to have the name of the band of the A extremely visible because they don't feel they need to promote themselves and they are just having fun making music. Like the majority of bands, the main singers are in the middle, but this is less obvious than other bands. The main singer is a woman and she is standing slightly in front which could show her dominance, however, they are all standing together in unity, suggesting little evidence of a power struggle. I could use this poster as inspiration for my product as I too may want to project a quirky and a fun loving band.

ALPHABEAT- Album Cover

This is Alphabeats album called 'This is Alphabeat' I have outlined the areas that it says this. Without this, at first look it is not easy to see the title of the album. This encourages the audience to pick it up and look at it, it makes them think and is intriguing. Yet again there is a good use of bright colours on this cover, but there is a black outline and some of the background is black which makes the colours stand out . The letters are in the same styles which is block capital letters which gives the band a strong almost powerful impression, it is also similar to a font used a circuses which gives the album a fun element. The letters are in different sizes which suggest the band aren't perfect and that they feel comfortable in the industry, so much so that they don't have to have a perfect cover for their album. The idea that they are comfortable in the industry is also visible through the lack of an image showing they don't feel that they have to advertise their image at every opportunity, also by the title of the bands name and album not been clear. More evidence of a fun and quirky image is shown through the text looking like it is possible cut out and stuck on, this also suggests the 'indie' genre and the bright colours for the pop genre. The style of text is used on the bands singles which links them all together .

The name of the band appears to have had an impact on the album cover. This is apparent through the band been named 'Alphabeat' which is very similar to the word alphabet, this introduces the theme of letters. Another concept linking to the alphabet is the first half of the bands name, alpha, been the first letter of the Greek alphabet. As the word is separated into two, alpha and beat it suggests that the band wants to state that this is only the beginning for them and only their first album. Supporting this further is the bands name been shown more as one word on their second album. The idea of this album only been the start could be seen throught the asthetics, the unusual structure of the way the letters are placed and shapped could almost seem like it is done by a child which could represent the band just breaking out into the music industry.

This video has been created by a previous A level applicant. It is the same song as the previous video on my blog, Lolly pop by Mika. The videos immediately contrast due to the fact that one is animation and one is filmed. The video shows a relationship to the song through the dancers dancing to the beat, and also with the boy and woman acting along with the lyrics 'I went walking with my Momma one day'. Again like the professional video, there is a lot of colour representing the fun positive influence the song has, and links to the genre. In some small areas, like the original video, it has writing of the lyrics, this is done in chalk on a wall and fits in really well with the child like theme. I like this idea of writing and may try and include it in my video, it allows some interaction between the video and the audience and also shows what the lyrics are. There are some areas of the video which show that it is only an amateur one, this is often due to the lighting which is dull on some shots and on a couple of occasions the dancing and miming did not synchronize with the song.

The music video starts with a animated young girl walking into the screen which is a black background. This is followed by her speaking and the music starting which burst colour onto the whole screen. This could represent the isolation or loneliness Mika felt through his childhood until he found music which has brightened his life. The girl also says ' Hey, whats the big idea ?' showing a confident attitude that fits in with all of the bold, in your face colours. Most of the colours, shapes and items used are from the album cover, almost like the girl is walking on the poster or album.

The story appears to have the basics to the traditional story of Little Red Ridding Hood, with the little girl wearing red skipping along , followed by a wolf. Yet this has Mika's own twist on the tale. As the girl walks along the track , walking along with the beat, various objects such as sweets pop up with the lyrics on, this is good for the audience as they can learn the lyrics and its different from many other videos. The world that Mika has created could be seen as him regaining his childhood, as it is like a child's imaginary world with bold bright colours and sweets. The wolf is bouncing around the screen standing out against the bright background as he is black, automatically giving him a negative image. Like the album and poster, the video is great for an audience to watch as there is so much going on, every time you can notice something different and it tells a story, this is something i could try an incorporate into my music video. There are many little drawings that link to childhood stories such as a red apple with a bite out of it which could link to Sleeping Beauty, and a clock and teapot and tea cup which could link to Alice In Wonderland. There are also lolly pops that pop up linking to the title of the song. Its ironic that the scary wolf has speech bubbles saying love, there are several shots where his mouth is open and the girl is in the middle, so it seems he is about to eat the girl, followed by the wolf saying love. This shows how the girl isn't scared and that although the wolf appears to be scary, he isn't really and is actually loving.

Almost a minute into the video the girl comes into contact with a woman, synchronising with the lyrics about a mother , with this the girl looks up to the woman showing respect for the mother figure. The woman is a character from another of the songs 'Big Girls' linking the song together , therefor linking to the album. The woman also acts along with the lyrics warning the girl how 'Love's gonna get you down', this is followed by the girl falling and going past an old woman linking to the Little Red Ridding Hood story of the grandmother been in bed. Unlike teh story where the grandmother is eaten and scared by the wolf we see her with several, getting along together showing how Strong they are, again sending out the message of positivity through the song. The video continues showing different kinds of animals in pairs representing love as the girl continues her journey through the fascinating world then the girl is on her own, on a black screen. Again as soon as she begins to sing images that appear to be lights of words and shapes appear showing that music is the light. After this it is revealed the the wolf is Mika, which could show that he has wanted to have a strong image to maybe appear scary on first impressions, but show that all is not as it seems and that he, like the wolf int his story, is fun and loving. After this the screen is full of colour and images off the album and all the characters are dancing together showing the unity and love.

This video has given me some inspiration for my own music video. Like this video I would like to tell a story, I also like the use of colour throughout. This video has also shown me how much freedom I could have if I decided to create an animated music video, I could create any event i could imagine in contrast to creating a realistic music video with people. I also like that it isn't a video where you can see the artist constantly singing throughout, and that Mika isn't the main focus.