As we explained on our pitch, our video is an example of disjuncture and illustration which are two of the three of visualisation types of music videos according to one of Andrew Goodwin's theories. The music video doesn't have a specific story it's random and abstract which are the qualities of disjuncture. However it shows the seaside and is easily associated with the direct meaning of the lyrics. It also illustrates the lyrics using text.
We used a few base tracks to which we came back every now and then to give the video a structure. We followed Carol Vernalis's theory by using lots of jump cuts and a special effect (lyrics on the screen) in the rhythm of the song. These are some of the codes and conventions that are used in most of music videos. Examples of some of the videos can be found in my previous posts. All of those codes and conventions help the video to stand out and appeal to the audience which is why they are used so widely.
Here are some of the more memorable influences in our video:
Starting with the lyrics on the screen which was the main motif going through out the video. I was inspired by the Wretch 32 video which includes drawings on a wall however that would be too time consuming to achieve good results. After watching Cher Lloyd and Kanye West I decided to add lyrics digitally. I think this effect
I had the idea of a carousel ever since we decided to go to Brighton. Then I found Leona Lewis's video which had a carousel in it and so I decided that we definitely want to use one in our video.
The ending, even though short and not as noticeable was inspired by Beyonce in her video Countdown. I think it creates a connection between the artist and the audience making the video seem more personal.
Artist's official video of the song was also one of my main influences. The general colour scheme gave it an indie vibe which I used in both the album cover as well as the music video. Our artist was wearing an off white/brownish jumper and jeans which I think worked with the genre and represented the artist well. The overall colours of the video are pastel and therefore are easy on the eye and work well with the artist and the genre.
There are many other influences for our music video such as music videos by Florence and the Machine, Lady Gaga, Shakira, VV Brown, The Verve and many more artists. This shows how our video is connected to many other music videos and artists. It uses codes and conventions that are used by many other producers simply because they are targeting the audience well and make the videos more entertaining therefore advertising the artists.
Ancillary Products
This is a screenshot showing part of my digipak with the required information that all albums have. It has a barcode, logo of the company on both the back and the spine, information about the copyright and the serial number of the album at the back and the spine. These are few of the main codes and conventions of an album cover.The album must include artists name, title of the album and a track list.
They should but are not limited to include/use; up to 3 or 4 colours, maximum of 2 fonts, image of the artist. Some artists are more abstract and independent and don't follow these codes because they treat the album as an artistic piece however they are a small percentage of the album artwork.
This is the front of my album cover. Because it's an album for new and upcoming artist, I'm closely following the codes and convention. I made the artist's name big and easy to read, it's bigger that the album name which is one of the conventions. The album artist has a big picture, facing and looking at the camera. This advertises her well because the audience can now easily remember her face and recognise her more easily later on.The picture also takes up roughly 2/3 of the front panel which is an other convention.
The album cover and the advertisement should also have a clear link and I think I've achieved that in my design.
We haven't been given any codes and conventions about the design of the CD but generally I think that the CD should mirror the album cover to know where the CD belongs. I have also looked at some CD design from other artists in a similar genre as Charlotte Cole's Shark In The Water and I've noticed that the album name is a must on the CD. They also often include artist's name, a track list and use the same colour scheme.
I have based my design mainly on Katy Nash "My Best Friend Is You" which I think is unique and stands out from the others. I didn't copy the digipak completely. I have used ideas from the cd cover, inside as well as the booklet. I really liked the worn out, vintage look which I tried to recreate.
My CD design is completely different to Kate Nash's. This is because I did some research and I used Clare Maguire "Light After Dark" CD design as my inspiration. It's simple and professional.
