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.

MIKA- Poster

The poster is very similar to the album cover and there is no doubt that they link together. The background is almost the same as the album cover but there are some areas such as the drawings of men playing trumpets near the bottom left hand corner. This links to the music video 'Big Girl' which is one of the songs on the album. However on this poster Mika is in the centre of the poster, his head is only just over his written name which could show that he still anxious and wants to be known in the industry and wants his name to be known. However he looks fairly relaxed in his body language with his hand in his pockets so suggest he is comfortable with himself and his music. Adding to this is his clothing which is very casual which can link to his target audience of normal everyday people, it could also show that he is not conforming to the stereotypical celebrity look of wearing fancy clothes and that he is just an ordinary person, white is also a positive colour which could represent that he is peaceful when in this world. The fact that he is wearing plain clothing also contrasts from the background to show the difference between the real world and the one he has created.

After doing some research into Mika himself I have found that he was bullied through his childhood and this has had an influence on his music. One view is that he could have created this world that he never had, a childhood that he wanted and thats why his music is so positive and many elements are childish. Most of Mika's work is positive so his music could be a place where he feels comfortable and where he can have fun and be like a child. His facial expression can be associated with this, almost looking bewildered like a child in this world he has entered, he looks curious and inquisitive. Linking to his past of been bullied there are no dark colours such as black which could show that he doesn't want to hide in the shadows anymore and wants to brake out, this is shown through the illusion of everything bursting out around him. The neutral colour of brown could seem like the ground that he is bursting up into his , and shows him braking the boundary with his unique style of music. He almost looks shocked to be in this world, he is looking up and at the audience which will include them, looking up also suggests positivity and links to the layout of the poster.

One of the messages shown through the poster and his music is to get out of the routine. At the bottom left hand side of the poster there is a man on a sofa in a suit which is probably his work clothes, all of these items are everyday things and they are trapped in a cloud. The sofa's and T.V are all wonky and this could show how people can go crazy trapped in a routine, and that you should burst out and become unique and individual like Mika. Contrasting to this, at the top of the poster above Mika there is nothing trapped and the piano, flowers and dove represent freedom and individuality of not been boxed into a stereotype. Finally, there is a lightning boult coming from Mika going out to the top right hand corner. This could show his power or his ideas for the album as it hits the cloggs which represent things coming into motion.

MIKA- Album Cover

This is Mika’s album cover. It’s a very busy cover full of bright colours. The style of the drawings on the cover links to the title of the album ‘Life In Cartoon Motion’. The artists name Mika stands out unusually in a white colour but it stands out from all of the other colours, his name is in capital letters suggesting its importance. Contrasting to this style is the title of the album in the middle right hand side of the cover in an almost hand written style which gives it more of a personal or quirky feel. It also looks like a doodle, fitting in with the rest of the cover.
Colour is a huge element on the cover, all the colours used are bright and vibrant and there are no dull colours adding a fun happy feel to the cover, it will also be attractive to the target audience. I think the colour also adds to the genre of indie pop which I would like to reflect in my digi pack. The drawings on the album link to the songs, an example of this is the little girl on the left hand side sitting down holding a Lolly pop linking to the song 'Lolly pop'. There are several layers to the cover, most of the shapes are round and not sharp suggesting that the music is fun and not to be taken very seriously. Contrasting to this idea is the area showing cogs which represents thinking about things or working things out which could show Mika creating his album or how the songs have helped him figure things out. This could also link to the title of the album, 'life in cartoon motion' as it could show his ideas starting to come to motion when making the album.

All of the shapes and drawings are seen as almost flying out from the centre where 'Mika' is . 'Mika' is also bursting up and seems as though it is above everything else as though this is the world that he has created and as he bursts out with his new debut album. The element of colour shooting out from certain items could suggest power such as the piano in the top right hand corner, this could show Mika's love for music and shows how important the piano is too him as it doesn't have many items around it so there is little distraction from it. Below this are colourful flowers which could suggest that he believes that music is a natural beautiful thing. There are many items on the cover which could be significant and have a meaning such as the dove which may represent peace, however there are also everyday normal objects which could relate an everyday normal audience. This can be seen as a man sitting on the sofa and a T.V.

The cover also has a dreamy surreal feel with the use of clouds which may show that it is Mika's dream world that he has created. Another interpretation of clouds could be heavenly and that is how he sees it. The use of bright coloured circles and flowers have a retro almost 80's feel which could relate to his childhood. This connects with the fun colourful theme continued throughout, also the fact that in many of his video's he includes children and the young girl sitting on his cover. Contrasting to the bright vibrant colours on the page is a small image of Mika, this is edited in what appears to be a sepia effect, this there for allows everything else to stand out more which could be the objective, showing that the music is more important. In contrast to this , due to his serious or sad expression it could show his sadness of not actually been in this cartoon world, or maybe he is trying to regain his childhood. Ultimately it is by the artist's name and shows who the artist is, but as it is small its possible that he wants the audience to be drawn in through his music and the power of imagination that has created the cover, than himself.

This album cover has many elements I will consider in my project. I feel the colour has a large impact as not only does it look fun and link to the genre but it will be eye catching on the shelf when people go to buy the CD. I also like the fact that there is so much going on as it leaves to the audience to perceive different things from it and see something new and different from it each time. It is also obvious that a lot of work has gone into making the cover and demonstrates the creativity that is reflected in his music. I also like that some of the drawings link to the songs on the album such as the young girl on the right hand side from the song Lolly Pop, I could easily include this on my album cover with an image from my music video and it is a great way of linking all of the products together.

Planning My Research

For my research I have decided that I will need to look at videos similar to that genre of music, this will give me a basic idea of what themes run through this genre and possibly give me inspiration for my own music video, CD cover and poster. I will also look at some amature videos in this genre to gain a range of ideas and see what worked and what didn't, and also see the differences between the professional and unprofessional videos.

With this I have decided to look at three professional digi packs through the successful acts of Mika, Alphabeat and The Hoosiers. I will also look at two ammature digi packs.

Wordle

I have created a wordle as one of my first stages of brainstorming some ideas.