Analysis of magazine advertisment from our chosen genre

This piece of advertisement is representing the punk rock band Green Day, showcasing their new song 'Wake me up when September ends,' which suggests it's a popular single and they're using that to help publicise their new album. As a way of getting the information across quickly and efficiently, the bottom half of the advert is displaying the band's newest songs on one side and the album which audiences can find them on the right hand side. This helps people to associate contemporary songs they like with a way of listening to them all in one convenient place, embedding the idea that if you like the song at the top and/or left hand side you should buy the product on the right. In terms of typography, this advertisement uses a wide variety of fonts as a way of grouping pieces of information together. For example, the two headlines at the bottom are identical due to the previously mentioned association of products. In comparison the name of the band uses a bigger and more distinctive font at the top of the page as a way of standing out amongst the other pieces of text. They way the picture of the singer is positioned could suggest that he is looking directly at the title, creating a connection between the artist and the iconography of the band itself. By contrast, the font of the new single 'Wake me up when September ends' is significantly less sophisticated and appears handwritten. This could suggest that the song has some sentimental value to the band, incorporating a more personal approach to music. The sharpness of the font also has connotations of aggression and violence, which are stereotypical themes that are associated with the punk rock genre and therefore implies that theses themes are elaborated on in the content that they are trying to publicise. 

This analysis has helped to give me some ideas, in terms of how our advert should be structured (such as the framing of shots and typography), so that it fits within the punk rock genre and audiences respond with that in mind.

2 x Plan for digipack

These are two designs I drew for what our digipack for our chosen artist could look like, taking elements from other examples in the punk rock genre, such as the jagged font from the My Chemical Romance album to connote aggression. The two designs contrast one another, in terms of the mood and tone they create. While the first one contains a naturalistic setting and a band member juxtaposing that with a melancholy expression, the second is set out like a piece of evidence, with the front cover containing a fingerprint, a knife and a cyanide pill, as a way of relating to the songs in which the album contains. In terms of colour, I would use very subtle tones like green and yellow for the first digipack, as a way of relating to the naturalistic atmosphere that had been established through the setting of a field. This has positive connotations and therefore presents the band in a more approachable manner, which could result in a wider target audience. By contrast, I would use a dark shade of grey as the dominant colour in the second digipack, as the way I've laid it out is a lot more clinical and detached than the previous design. This digipack also strongly relates to the element of crime, with there being various weapons on the front and a prison mugshot on the back. The combination of this design and colour results in more negative connotations, with the band now being conveyed as somewhat rebellious and daring. This exercise has helped to prepare us for what the next part of the course entails, as well as give us a chance to be creative, when it comes to how we think the artist could be presented and decide what is the best way to identify the genre of music.

Analysis of a digipack from the punk rock genre

This is a digipack for a CD album by the band 'My Chemical Romance.' Considering they are from the same genre as our chosen artist, it's interesting to see what stereotypical elements they've incorporated as a way of appealing to their target audience. For example, what's first noticeable about this is the distinct lack of colour, with the contrast of the white and black shading conveying a sense of detachment. This may be referring to the band having a lack of emotional attachment, becoming a stereotypical representation of the male gender being more masculine and less obviously open about their emotions. 

 

The band's name on the front of the digipack is the most eye-catching piece of text, with it being in the centre of the frame and also having the biggest font size. The font itself has connotations of aggression and violence, linking to themes that are usually associated with the punk rock genre, and implying that these same themes are covered in the songs within the album. By contrast, the name of the digipack album is significantly smaller and more subtle in its font type. This suggests that they want the band to be the main focus of this product because it is more likely to attract consumers, with a mainstream band or artist being able to sell a lot more copies if their name is physically attached to the product.



















Typically, the back of the digipack contains a barcode in the corner and a list of the album's songs. What's striking about this is that the layout of the songs resembles that of a historical Texan wanted poster. This choice in font therefore connotes quite a rebellious nature, relating back to the stereotypically masculine representation of the band as well as suggesting that they live by their own rules and therefore possibly defy the conventions of the punk rock genre, thus making their music more original.

 

 

The picture on the front of the album is quite abstract, however it seems that it's an establishing shot of a crowd looking at a stage in an ecstatic manner. This is another way in which the product is implicating that the band is somewhat mainstream in the music industry and conveys them as having a large fan base. Below the bands name is drops of some kind of liquid and, because the digipack lacks colour, we can deduce that they could be blood drops, creating links to the Gothic lifestyle as well as establishing a darker, more adult tone, and therefore narrowing down their target audience. Similarly, in the corner there is a bold piece of text which states 'parental advisement explicit content.' This is evidence of their more grown up target audience, while also relating back to the concept of rebelling.



















 

 

Looking at this digipack has helped us to think about the kind of mood and tone we want to establish with our digipack and how that will link into our target audience. It has also made us consider how we make our digipack distinctive and stand out amongst others trying to accomplish the same task: selling their product.

Pitch idea based on lyrics

Each member of our group was given a printed copy of the lyrics to the song 'Cyanide' by The Fake Imposters, in which we will be basing our music video around. We chose this song because it's one of the band's original songs and we thought the lyrics created a good opportunity for a narrative-based music video. Individually, we annotated the lyrics constructing possible concepts that we could incorporate into our video to make it appear more professional and artistic. This exercise helped us to map out ideas and compare what each other had come up with to see if there were any similarities that we were certain would fit into the criteria of our genre and artist. Below is my annotations to the lyrics and what I thought would work in regards to our video:

Lyric analysis and their importance

This is an analysis of the lyrics to the Evanescence song 'My Immortal,' and my interpretation of how I think it could be conveyed in a music video, disregarding my previous knowledge of the artist and basing it purely on the lyrical content. Andrew Goodwin's theory can be applied in this instance, with myself addressing the connection between the lyrics and the possible visuals of the video while also paying particular attention to the structure of the lyrics and how they portray a sense of narrative through their connotations. For example, in the first verse it states 'suppressed by all my childish fears.' I thought this could be visually represented in the video by having a high-angle midshot of a child hiding, as a result of the negative language within the lyrics and therefore addressing the correlation of the lyrics and visuals within Goodwin's theory. This exercise has helped me to apply Goodwin's theory to real world texts, consider the connotations of lyrics and how they could impact music videos.

2 x Magazine advertisement analysis

This is a an advert publicising the artist Lana Del Rey and her new album 'Born To Die.' The soft focus of the camera relates to a more retro tone, which suggests her music is similarly less contemporary and more reflective of an earlier time period. In correlation, her clothing and hair are typical of the 1920s fashion style, thus having connotations of sophistication and a subtle rebellious nature. Blue is a dominant colour in this picture, contrasted by the white of the font and the artist's shirt. This contrast could have links to the variety of songs within the album, implicating that each  deals with different themes, as blue connotes coolness, while white has links with purity and innocence. The direct mode of address from the artist makes the advert seem as though she is looking right at you and therefore conveys the advert as more personal. In terms of text, the most striking is the name of the artist at the top, as the size of it is large and the font is very easy to read. This suggests that this is the information that people should pay the most attention to, and therefore indicating that this artist is well known in the music industry - otherwise the public would just disregard the advert. The fact that the name of the album is placed directly on top of the artist's chest could imply that this album is closed to her heart and as a result is something she's very passionate about.


In comparison, this advert for the band Friendly Fires uses different construction techniques, which suggests they're part of a different genre to Lana Del Rey. While the top advert shows the artist using direct mode of address, this band are all looking away from the camera. The fact that they're all looking in different directions could suggest that the songs in the album are similarly diverse. The colours are also more vibrant, with the palm trees and beach setting implying that the music is quite peaceful and conveys an upbeat mood and tone. By using the header 'the band of the summer,' Friendly Fires are presenting themselves as very much mainstream. Based on the age of the band members and having a cocktail drink as a prop, the advert is indicating that the band's target audience is young adults, most likely females considering that is a stereotypical association with boy bands. 

This analysis has helped put into perspective as to how different music genres are represented in advertisements and that the colour and typography play a big part in the indication of what audiences can expect from the album, in regards to the mood and tone.

2 x Digipack analysis

This is a CD case (digipack) of an ACDC album. The genre of the album is apparent through the use of colour, with the combination of red and black having quite negative and sinister connotations, such as blood and death. In correlation, the font is very big and aggressive, which is clear in the spikes on each of the letters. These visual codes suggests that the band is some part of some form of rock or heavy metal. On the back all the song names are listed to inform the consumer of what this product contains, as well as a billing block at the bottom to give credit to all who were involved in the production of the music. What's interesting about the digipack's design is that the inside contains a light blue colour which is very contrasting from the colours used on the outside, with the accompanying connotations being equally positive in comparison, having links to water and sky. This contrast implies that the songs within the pack are more diverse than the outside design leads consumers to believe, or at the very least makes the red and black stand out more as dominant colours and exaggerates the darkness within the music.


In comparison, this digipack of a Rihanna album appeals to a different target audience as a result of it's genre being pop instead of heavy metal. Pink appears to be a dominant colour in this pack, whether it's the colour of the flower on the right or even the pink filter that's been used to convey the artist. This highlights her femininity, while the picture in the middle relates to Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory by showing the consumer what the males are most likely to look at in regards to this artist's physique. The direct mode of address makes the album feel more intimate for the consumer, as it appears that the artist is looking right at them in a flirtatious manner. What's intriguing is that although both digipacks use the colour red, both have different connotations because they use it in a different context, which is a good example of each genre having their own stereotypical conventions. The fact that the Rihanna pictures also have a softer focus means that consumers instinctively make a connection between the soft lens conveying the artist as less threatening  and the red having connections to romance and love. By contrast, the ACDC red is used in a sharper way, by being used with the black, as well as being a stronger shade.

I have looked at these 2 digipacks because we have to make our own to go along with our music video and so this task has helped me to analyse any trends that are apparent within a wide range of albums, such as dominant colours and how genders are represented through visual aids.

Digipack, magazine adertisments and their importance

A digipack is a cover used to contain a CD album of an artist. This helps to keep the contents safe, as well as convey the artist or band in a way that fits in with their chosen genre, while trying to make them stand out amongst other musicians through eye catching visual codes, like contrasting colours and iconic fonts.

This is a piece of poster advertisement, which you would normally find in a music magazine, with a lot of mainstream artists, such as Jessie J, utilising this type of media text to help publicise themselves. By apply this advert to a music magazine they are appealing to their target audience of music enthusiasts. If this was to be in a film magazine, less people would pay attention to this advert because it's not designed with them in mind.

To summarise, a digipack is the product that the magazine advertisement is promoting, with both helping to make the artist or band more well known in the music industry.

Notes on The Cultural Effects theory and how it applies to music videos

‘The cultural effects’ theory is a way of explaining the effects of media on audiences. More specifically, ‘The cultural effects’ theory regards the evolving effect of media on audiences and how it is not drastically impacting but more so builds up over time. The process is slow and very much gradual. This relates, and can be used in correlation, to Marxism, which is the concept that society dictates our actions and how we feel compelled to meet certain social expectations throughout our lives. This theory links because it relates to a lack of control over audiences, with the effect of the media not even being immediately noticeable. The more consistent an idea becomes in the media industry, then the more likely it is to be accepted by citizens, referring to market trends, such as the pop genre being the most socially common.

An example of this can be seen in the current trend in pop music videos being very explicit and grown up in content. This has sparked controversy and resulted in parental advisories at the beginning of selected music videos, such as Iggy Azalea's song 'Fancy.' This demonstrates an effect of music videos which has built up until it has become too extreme to ignore.

 

We will refer to this theory by following contemporary trends within the punk rock genre, such as the element of rebellion via a setting containing graffiti and the passion behind the lyrical content being visually presented through the performance shots of the artists.

Lip syncing - what it is and its importance

Lip syncing regards the editing technique in which you apply the element of sound to filmed footage. Because songs are designed to be memorable and 'catchy,' the actual song itself is recorded separately in a professional studio, in order to make the music the best it can be, in terms of quality. This means that the footage doesn't actually contain music and the actors or artists in it are just miming. As a result, it's important that the music and footage are synchronized perfectly to incorporate verisimilitude and make it seem as though they actually are singing the song.

Below is an example of both good and bad lip syncing to demonstrate how important this aspect is when applied to a music video:

Analysis of 2 music videos from our chosen genre

Green day - 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams'

Camera

This music video appears to use a distinct filter at multiple moments throughout, giving it quite a retro feel, which works well with the rural setting. It also connotes a gritty and dark atmosphere, relating to the punk rock genre incorporating similar themes across a majority of songs. This seems to be applied in correlation with close ups of the singer of the band, implying that he's similarly aggressive and gritty as the filter leads the audience to believe.

Typically for this genre, there are also numerous establishing shots of the band performing to showcase their talent. This helps to publicise the band and put a face to the music, while also making the song more personal by intertwining the performance with the narrative.

Another common element in this video is the use of tracking shots, with the lyrics relating to walking down lonely roads. This not only links to Goodwin's theory of there being a connection between the lyrics and visuals but also embeds the idea that the band are the main focus of the video by the camera following their movements as they change location.

Mise-en-scene

The settings for this music video are a desert, an old warehouse and a high street. This diversity gives the video better pacing and makes it more interesting to watch, as well as creates more of a narrative structure, connoting a sense of progression, considering a high street is a more luxurious location compared to a dessert road.

As you can see above, the video uses a mixture of lighting conditions, referring to the lyrical content and it's emotional darkness as well as the upbeat chorus and it's lighter connotations.  The costumes are very dark, with black being a dominant colour and having connotations of death, which points the band to being quite Gothic.

When it comes to props, typical band equipment is seen throughout the video, such as microphones and guitars. This helps to identify the genre and use Green day's mainstream status to promote brand names for the instruments. For example, Ibanez is quite a well known and expensive guitar make and therefore it's logical that they could be used in a music video such as this to connote a high level of quality for the music while also publicising the brand as a product.

Editing

This music video is structured as a concept and performance-based piece, with the concept fragments relating to the lyrics and conveying the band as somewhat melancholy, while this is consistently balanced by performance shots, with the band acting more energetic and passionate about their music. Discontinuous editing is used throughout, with it starting off slow paced, as shots last several seconds, which for a music video is quite long. However, when the music begins, the shots are immediately quicker, as they're in time with the drum beat, creating more of a direct connection between the video and the music.

Sound

Because this music video is primarily performance-based, the only diegetic sound is the introduction to the video, in which the band's car breaks down with a faint radio playing in the background. Interestingly, the radio song is a piece of instrumental that relates to the punk rock genre that this band is a part of, quickly establishing a mood and tone that is reflected in the rest of the video.




Kings Of Leon - 'Sex on fire'

Camera

At the beginning of the video, as the instrumental comes in, there are multiple extreme close ups of the singer of the band. The agitated movement in the shot connotes a sense of paranoia and relates to the lyrical content, such as 'I know they're watching,' which, much like the Green day video, demonstrates Goodwin's theory being applied to real world texts.

Much like the previous band, the video also contains a lot of performance shots, which in this case also informs the audience that the singer is a part of the narrative.

There also appears to be a distinction in power within the use of camera, with a lot of the singer's shots being at a high angle and conveying him as inferior, while other members of the band are represented as more masculine and aggressive, reflecting the tone of the song.

Mise-en-scene

There is only one setting in this music video, despite it being constructed around both and narrative and performance. The old warehouse gives the music video a more gritty atmosphere and relates back to the discomfort that derived from the paranoia.

Low key lighting is used throughout, creating a more adult tone and portraying the band as quite enigmatic by having them hide in the shadows. As you can see in the pictures above, the costumes in this music video consists of quite basic clothing, incorporating verisimilitude by wearing something the general public are used to seeing. The black clothes connote death and depression, which also refers back to the themes apparent in the lyrics. When compared to the previous band, it's clear that this style of clothing and colour is consistent throughout the punk rock genre.

In terms of props, the most obvious appearances are those of the band's instruments, however there is also a black bird in several shots. This could relate to the animalistic nature of the band, with the passion of the performance being the main focus of the video.

Editing

The editing is fast paced, with shots being very quick and giving the music video better pacing. Discontinuous editing is used throughout, with the scenes alternating from the narrative of the paranoid man and the band performing. By constantly switching back and forth it's clear that there is a connection between the two scenes, when it comes to the topics they cover and in this case the people in it.

Sound

There is no diegetic sound in this music video, which suggests that the band wanted the audience to focus on the musical element and less on the narrative, but the fact that they even put one in there implies there is some kind of message or symbolic moral to be taken away from the video.



Analysing these 2 videos has helped me to determine patterns within the punk rock genre and I will take this on board as our group constructs our own music video, across all 4 technical areas.

Textual analysis and Goodwin's theory

This music video analysis is from the perspective of Andrew Goodwin's media theory, to show that his theory works with real world texts, as well as aid my understanding of how music videos are constructed and perceived by audiences.

Lyrics and visuals

Lana Del Rey's song 'Young and Beautiful' contains lyrics regarding love and whether or not relationships can last. This is visually represented in the sincerity of the artist's performance shots, smiling at the camera when it's asking rhetorical questions aimed at her lover, such as 'will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?'

















Music and visuals

The tempo of the music is quite slow and resembles that of a ballad. This is related to in the visuals with the setting being a black background, so that the focus is on the artist and her performance. The song does, however, progress to become louder and more up-beat, which is reflected with a change in lighting, from white to red, is timed with the drop of a beat.

Genre conventions

Considering Lana Del Rey is part of the pop genre, it's typical that this video should and does contain multiple shots of the artist, to help put a face to the music as well as often conveying them as sexually desirable, with her smiles to the camera having flirtatious connotations. The artist is also sporting quite fashionable clothing, making her a good role model for younger audiences by them idolising her aesthetics.

















Intertextuality

There are no specific references to other media texts however the artistic visual style of the video does resemble that of the 1920s era, with the shots of the artist having a very soft camera focus, drained colour and a significantly smaller aspect ratio compared to the widescreen appearance we're used to seeing in contemporary videos. This sets it apart and helps to make the music video more memorable. By making the video distinctive, the artist is also promoting her new album, which can be seen in the description of the video on YouTube.

Presenting both/either genders in a sexual manner ('looking.')

Unlike most pop music videos, 'Young and Beautiful' does not contain any obvious sexual motivations, other than the previously mentioned smiling to the camera which is mild at most. This is an example of the artist defying the typical conventions of the pop genre, and by doing so she separates herself from other artists, thus making her more memorable in comparison.

Performance, narrative or concept based structure to the video

This music video contains a performance-based structure, with the previous screenshots showing both the artist as well as back up performers with their designated instruments. On top of this, there is no story element to this video, with the artist being the only person that's ever fully shown in the video and therefore no narrative structure has resulted. 'Young and Beautiful' could be viewed from a concept perspective, with the setting changing colour also reflecting the change in the tempo of the song. However, the constant sightings of instruments mean that audiences would view this music video as having a more performance based structure.

Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory is the idea that every music video can be broken down into distinct elements. These elements are as follows:

• Lyrics and visuals
• Music and visuals
• Genre conventions
• Intertextuality
• Presenting both/either genders in a sexual manner ('looking.')
• Performance, narrative or concept based structure to the video

The lyrics and visuals suggests that there is a relationship between these two aspects, with the lyrics being in someway displayed in the music video. For example in Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls just want to have fun,' the artist visually refers to this by showing girls dancing and laughing together, which is stereotypically how the female gender is expected to behave (particularly in the teenage/young adult stage.

The music and visuals regard the tone of the music relating to the visual style of the video. An example of this can be found in the Evanescence song 'Bring me to life,' with the loud and fast paced band music connoting darkness and having links to a Gothic lifestyle. This is visually represented in the setting of low lit skyscrapers, connoting death and the basic architecture having a detached feel to them.

Genre conventions are different in each music video, depending on the genre. Much like with films, a music video will usually follow the stereotypical trends set by other examples in that genre. An example of this is apparent in the Sleeping with the sirens cover of a song called 'Iris.' Because they are a band, it is typically expected for their music video to contain moments of them playing live to demonstrate their talent and connote a sense of union by playing as a group. As a result, the entire video is of them playing the song live in a studio. This may also refer to the fact that they are a niche band and aren't that well established in the music industry, not being able to afford original set pieces.

Intertextuality, in this context, concerns a music video relating to another media text. For example, if a song was part of an official film soundtrack then the video to that song would contain extracts of the film to help promote it and therefore aid it's financial success. This is reflected in the music video to Nickelback's song 'Hero.'














A majority of pop songs present the artist in a visually positive manner by making them sexually desirable. They do this by focusing on gender stereotypes, with men being conveyed as very masculine via big muscles and animalistic nature, whereas women use their femininity with a similar lack of clothing. This idea is supported in the Miley Cyrus song 'Wrecking Ball,' with the artist appearing naked in multiple shots and therefore embed the element of the audience 'looking at her in a different light than previously.'












Performance, narrative and concept are the 3 ways that a music video can be presented. As previously mentioned with Sleeping with the Sirens a performance video will focus on the artist/s performing live to put a face to the music. A narrative (story) video can be seen in Eminem's song 'I love the way you lie,' relating to the lyrics as well as showing a sense of progression in the characters within the video, as the female protagonist attempts to dominate her controlling boyfriend.









A concept video is less focused than the other two structures and appears more distorted and open to interpretation so that the music can be perceived in multiple ways. For example the song 'Somebody that I used to know' by Gotye has no story to it and may show the artist singing but this is not the main focus of the video. What stands out most is the vibrant set design and the fact that the artist becomes a part of it holds symbolic meaning that relates to the tempo of the song.