Final Album & Digi Pack Cover

Draft Album & Digi Pack Cover

Lo Fang Official Video - Final Cut

OUT NOW! The official music video for You're The One That I want by Lo Fang...

Stubborn Love - The Lumineers Music Video Analysis

Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran Music Video Analysis

Evaluation Question 1

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1. This shot shows a link between lyrics, music and visuals due to the cut on the beat in the music to this shot of a girl's bruised shoulder. In the lyrics, the beat lands on the word 'power' which can be implied from the power of her boyfriend being enforced onto her, causing her to be beaten up from his strength. The beat in the music in time to the shot on screen could also be interpreted as the punch given to her from her lover.

2. This shot typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented as he looks mysterious and professional in this image. His reflection is shown to the left twice therefore he fills the room along with the dramatic help from the smoke setting the mood. His silhouette is partly shadowed and he is looking directly at the camera as he sings, giving him a dreamy and intimate effect. His smart outfit allows this artist to be taken seriously and someone who takes care of themselves in order to make a good impression for their audience. As he sings alone, he can represented as an independent solo artist, unaccompanied by a band.

3. This shot illustrates how our video uses music genre as it's a shot where the girl is reminiscing on her happy relationship, smiling and staring into her boyfriend's eyes as she rests on his lap. The black and white effect allows the shot to seem realistic yet surreal as it is a memory in the girl's mind, not present time. From this, you can see an indie yet romantic genre theme as it has dark scenes within it but based on a relationship with broken love. 

4. This shot provides an intertextual reference from various films, tv shows and music videos (such as Tove lo's 'Talking body's') whereby the character stands in front of a mirror and looks at their reflection when in a emotional time in their life, to look at themselves and think about their life and what they should do/accept their feelings.

5. This shot demonstrates our use of camera as it was filmed on a Go Pro attached onto a Drone. This use of new media technology allowed us to obtain a variety of shot types that wouldn't have been possible had we not used a Drone (Far away birds-eye view). The shot of the couple sat on a sofa in a field from above gave them a lonely and deserted feel as surrounding them was a wide expanse of field and no one else around (As if they were the only ones alive/that meant anything to each other).

6. This shot demonstrates our use of lighting as we used neon DJ lights that were softened using a special material over the light to spread the light and make it less harsh/like a spotlight. We used a particular shade of blue mixed with some white light to create a dramatic atmosphere and enhance the water on the girl's hair and face when facing the camera for a dark and depressing mood.

7. This shot demonstrates our use of mise-en-scene as we used the same light as described in Q6, and re-created a bathroom using the typical objects you would find in one that we managed to get ahold of. We placed a toilet, sink, bath and attached a mirror to a pillar in front of the sink and kept the background in complete darkness with only the objects lit in order to interpret this scene as the main actor's mind/memory in a surreal way. This unusual shot with the girl centre frame and blue lighting is appealing to an audience's eye and attracts them from its originality. 

8. This shot demonstrates how we have watched other music videos as it's a generic shot of the artist singing whilst looking mysteriously into the distance, not into the camera. The medium close-up shot of the artist with nothing but light on him and smoke effect in the background has been used in various music videos in which the focus is on the artist and the artist alone, allowing the lyrics of the song to create suspense in the shots (also explained in Q2).

9. This second shot demonstrates how we have watched other music videos does this effectively as a close up of someone's eye gives the video a personal and almost disturbing feel, used in many other music videos, whereby the character can relate directly to the audience and create an intimate bond between the two from the eye-contact present. Emotions of a person can be expressed through the way someone looks at you, whether that be sadness, happiness, anger etc in particular, when you look someone in the eye.

Music Videos used; 1, 5, 6&7= Weathered by Jack Garratt
                                 2= Shine by Years and Years
                                 3= Breezeblocks by Alt J

                                 4&8= Talking Body by Tove Lo

                                 9= Never Close Our Eyes by Adam Lambert 

1. This shot shows a link between lyrics, music and visuals due to the lyrics talking about wanting to remain youthful and not grow old and the image showing two young boys running through a field playing throw and catch in the summer time. The artist conveys his feelings and thoughts through the lyrics by saying how he will remain doing what he does young when he's old because he enjoys doing it. The music helps add effect to this sentimental feeling by staying slow and cheerful.

2. This shot typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented as he looks straight towards the camera in darkness with light dimmed by the smoke around him. The artist remains alone in the room whilst singing, nothing else to help him or use as a prop therefore the artist is allowed to get into the song, meanwhile the audience can watch his talent as a solo and performance skills.

3. This shot illustrates how the video uses music genre as it's a man with a ring on his married finger and his head buried into his hands. This implies that his marriage is having problems as they have involved the ring in the frame on purpose, to draw attention to him and allow the audience to draw conclusions. In many videos of the same romantic yet indie genre there are shots similar to this where one of the participants in the marriage have doubts or arguments and act sad afterwards with their heads in their hands or looking away from the camera alone. (Marriage gone wrong e.g. Sam Smith - Not the only one). This shows its genre as its dark mise-en-scene portrays little light into the shot, and close up of the man with the golden ring on his finger, implying the song is a depressing one.

4. This shot provides an intertextual reference from various films, tv shows and music videos (e.g. Downton Abbey) as characters stare into the mirror to try and adjust their look if they've been crying or in an argument in order to reflect on their life and make themselves feel more acceptable (described further in my previous Q4 above).

5. This shot demonstrates how the video used camera as they have used an extremely steady shot to capture in crisp HD quality the boy floating on the water with his reflection and each ripple of water beside him. This adds to the effect of the music video as each shot is precise when capturing every detail in brilliant definition to maintain suspense and relaxation throughout the song.

6. This shot demonstrates how the video used lighting as they have used CGI for animating magic glowing mushrooms on the trees to illuminate the woods and boys with a green glow. The lighting is all artificial as the scene is in the nighttime and the mushrooms emit all the surreal glow that light up the boys faces when walking past them and holding them. This creates a childish and creative way to lighten up the darkness in their adventurous music video.

7. This shot demonstrates how the video have used mise-en-scene as they have used a generic shot of a landscape in the rocks with a waterfall gathered into a pool. The shot includes the three boys and the flow of water from the rocks falling into the pool below in a slightly slow-motion in order to capture the detail of the waterfall and the sun that shines on it. This creates a feel-good mood that relaxes the audience and take in the pretty scenery portrayed before them.

8. This shot demonstrates how I/they have watched other music videos as they have used a re-constructed scene of a set of rooms in a hotel without any walls, therefore the door stands alone in the scene along with a row of beds and separate scenes that exist at the same time (except they act like there are walls between them that only the audience are blind to). Similarly to our video, this artificial way of staging a scene allows an unrealistic tone that draws the audience in from its creativeness.

9. This second shot demonstrates how I/they have watched other music videos as they have used a close-up of an eye, except the pupil in this chosen eye is extremely dilated and the eyelashes have been tinted white, giving the image a disturbing and inhuman feel to it. As described in my previous Q9, close ups of eyes are frequently used in music videos as they can be adapted for all types of genres - horror, sad, happy, indie etc as emotions are obvious when looking into an eye.

Chemical - Jack Garratt Music Video Analysis

Digi-Pack Sketches

Here we have the Spine for our Digi pack. This is where the rain from the front cover merges with the smoke from the back cover, acting as a background for the artist name and song title.

Here we have the inside spread with the disc inserted. The plug hole acts as the disc, and the background has mascara stained water gathering around the plug hole in the sink. The writing inside the Digi Pack will go on the right hand page; this will be where reviews/info about the artist (biography)/who wrote what/info about how it was recorded/artist thank you's etc will go (in same font as used on Spine).

Here we have the inside spread without the disc. The plug has been removed and we are now left with the bare sink hole with the mascara water running down the empty drain. Everything in the background remains the same, except as the disc has been removed, more water is shown on top of the rim of the sink hole for realistic effect.

Here we have the front cover of our Digi Pack. The girl is standing in a shower and allowing the water to run down her as she looks down at the floor with a sad expression. The water droplets can be seen more on the left of the page, then merging onto the Spine, and on the bottom section of the cover there will be space for writing either the name of the artist or song in the same font as used on the Spine. The close up image in HD quality will allow a create a personal feel between the audience and the girl, allowing the audience to see up close the water trickling down her face for dramatic effect.

Here we have the back cover of our Digi Pack. The artist is singing mid song and looking off into the distance (but once the whole album is opened, he is looking into the direction of the girl). The smoke on the right hand side of the page will merge with the rain from the front cover on the Spine. Logos from institutions will go at the top of the page, and the smoke half allows for more writing to be placed. A barcode will go on the right hand side on the bottom of the page, logos can also be placed on the bottom left hand side on tip of his shirt.

Someone New - Hozier Music Video Analysis