Magazine advert analysis

Magazine advert analysis

The purpose of a magazine advert is to promote the artist and their music to a targeted audience.To inform the audience of the music genre, the magazine advert follows generic conventions of the type of music genre the artist belongs to. Mise-en-scene elements are important within the magazine advert as it portrays various meanings. Different colours mean different connotations such as red symbolised love or evil. This is conventional to see in a pop music genre. Elements such as clothing is important as it promotes the artists personality attracting the audience. 

In James Morrison's Magazine advert, the artist is represented as an 'Ordinary' person. This is done through mise-en-scene elements such as costume. The artist is seen to be wearing casual clothing such as jeans and a jacket. This is effective in appealing to the audience as it portrays the artist's personality as approachable and friendly. The audience therefore don't feel as though the artist is superior to them in anyway. Through these elements, the advert highlights the music genre of the artist as it is conventional to see pop artists in casual clothing. This means that the artist conformed to Dyers star theory as the artist is represented as ordinary.

The magazine advert  looks almost sepia as the artist is seen to be wearing a brown jacket and the writing is also in brown. This is effective as the colour appears warm and inviting for the audience encouraging them to read the magazine advert. A long shot is used to show the artist sat on the pavement which the artist is placed in the middle of the advert. This is effective as it connotes the importance of the artist whilst making the artist the main focal point. Underneath the artist the artists name is written in large font and is bold. This is effective as it highlights to the audience who the artist is and those who are a fan of the music genre will recognize his name. It also establishes the artist and further connotes the importance of the artist.

The colours used within the magazine advert is sepia with brown writing. This is a gender specific colour which is effective in attracting a male target audience. However the colour brown have certain connotations that relate to the lyrics of his songs one of them being a break up. Therefore this gives the audience an insight to the type of music the artist creates. The choices of images used in the advert are effective as the artist is seen to be sitting on the pavement. This is effective as it is simplistic allowing the audience to focus mainly on the artist and writing. The connotations of the image also reflect the album and how he is 'ordinary' like Dyers star theory, rather than being in a more popular location. This represent the artist as being down to earth and casual which further promotes the artist.The artist is further promoted through the camera shot in which the artist is seen to be looking in the same direction.Therefore the audience can see the artists facial expressions enabling them to build up a relationship.

The artist image is shown as a large image at the right corner of the page. This is significant as it connotes his importance as he is the artist that created the album. The image consists of a mid shot which is effective as it shows iconography and costume. The artist appears to be formal as he is wearing a suit and tie. He is seen to be looking away from the camera holding a microphone as if performing. This highlights the fact that the artist is talented. The camera angle creates shadows across the artists face making the poster more about the music and performance rather than the artist himself.

Above the image the artists name is written in large font. This contributes to the artist importance making his name stand out. Therefore the magazine advert promotes the artist. The colour of the text is written in red which creates a contrast with the black background. This is effective as it is eye catching for the audience drawing their attention to the advert. The only other text that is written in a different colour is the name of the advert. This is shown to be white making it stand out against everything else on the poster. This is effective as it makes the title more memorable for the audience. On the magazine advert, the text promotes the album by stating that its the multi- platinum album of the year followed by stars placed next to song titles. The stars connote the quality of the album and therefore ensuring the consumer that it is worth buying.

The colours used within the poster could show a correlation to the meaning of the songs. For example the colour red could connote love or anger implying that he has been hurt. This contrasts with the black background reflecting the sadness, depressed emotions felt by the artist. This helps promote the music genre and it is conventional for the lyrics to be related to the artists emotions or relationship based. The magazine advert  attracts the target audience as it stands out. The colours used within the poster are bold and stand out. Therefore the audience are more intrigued to look at it and are encouraged to buy the artists album.

This research is going to assist me when I create my magazine advert as it highlighted the importance to conform to the conventions of the pop genre in order to attract the target audience. When i create my magazine advert I have decided to used  a large image and font size of the artists name to connote the artists importance. This is effective as it promotes the artist and their album which is effective in encouraging them to buy the album. I am also going to use bright colours to create a contrast making it stand out; this will in turn draw the audiences attention to the advert.

Include a summary at the end of your blog to show how you will use your research to inform your planning and creating your own advert for your own artist.

Film schedule

Film schedule

Why is a filming schedule important to have?
It is important to have a filming schedule when creating a music video as it allows us to have a clear idea of what needs to be filmed in terms of the camera shots, locations, what equipment is needed, iconography etc. Before filming our video, as a group we discussed which days we were all free to film and placed it into a table as shown below. We also discussed what would be needed when filming in certain locations as in costume and equipment so when it came to filming our music video we was prepared. This was effective as it saved us time on the actual day as we were able to filming for more time rather than sorting it out on the day. The filming schedule was a significant factor in helping us complete our music video within our deadline as we had a clear idea of what need to be done.

Did you follow the schedule while filming, or did you make any changes?
Throughout the process of making our music video we found that we would have to make some changes to our filming schedule. One of the problems we encountered when filming was when we organised to film the card burning scene, when we tried to light the cards the wouldn't burn. We decided to change the day where we could re-film the scene using different cards and by placing paper in better the sections to help it burn. We followed the filming schedule as much as we could throughout the whole process, especially on the days we organised to go to long distance locations such as the white cliffs of Dover.

Shot	Date & time	Location	Content /Action	Shot type & Duration	Costume/ hair/ make up	Iconography	Personnel	Equipment
	01.11.13 12:00 pm	White cliffs of Dover	Artist performing i.e. miming to the lyrics as well as playing the guitar	Mid shot, long shot	Artist Costume:  casual clothing consisting of jeans and jacket Hair: Natural Make-up: Natural	Guitar	Artist Camera person Location manager Director	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	07.11.13 15.05 pm	Drama studio	Artist performing with the guitar	Mid shot, Long shot, Side angle	Artist Costume:  casual clothing consisting of jeans and checked shirt	Guitar, stool	Artist Camera person Location manager Director	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	21.11.13 16:00 pm	Indoors - bedroom scene	Male and female featured in the video will be seen playing cards & their relationship will be made clear to the audience	Mid shot, Long shot	Male: jeans and top Female: leggings and long sleeve top	Cards	Actors Camera person Location manager Director	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	25.11.13 15:00 pm	Outdoor - Various locations	Flashbacks of male and female in a happy relationship	Tracking shot	Male: jeans and coat Female: leggings coat	-	Actors Camera person Location manager Director	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	27.11.13 17:00 pm	Indoor - kitchen	Cards will be built up in a tower and set alight	Close up, mid shot	-	Cards	Camera person Location manager Director	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	03.12.13 15.05 pm	Indoor - living room	Female is seen unpacking a box filled with photos of her and the male together	Close up	Casual clothing	Cards	Camera person Location manager Director Female actress	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	05.12.13	Outdoor 12:00 pm	The male and female will be seen arguing	Long shot	Male: jeans and coat Female: leggings coat	IPhone	Camera person Location manager Director Actors	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card
	06.12.13	Car 13:00 pm	Arguing scene between male and female	Mid shot, Low angle	Male: jeans and coat Female: leggings coat	Car	Camera person Location manager Director Actors	Digital camera, batteries, tripod, memory card

Photoshoot

Photoshoot

Why is it important to carry out a photo shoot especially when creating a digipak and magazine advert?

It is important to carry out photo shoot as the images are used to create a digipak and magazine advert. This is crucial as the audience can identify the artist and what the genre of music is. This is due to the advert and digipak conforming to the stereotypical conventions of the music genre. However diverse artists such as Lady Gaga subverts conventions which stand out attracting the audience to listen to their music. A photo shoot is also important as it creates an artist representation. Therefore it attracts a specific audience and like Dyers star theory suggests, it help promote the artists attitudes, values and ideologies.

What images did you take and why (include a variety of shots that can be used)
When taking images of our artist for the digipak and magazine adverts, we used a variety of camera angles all of which the artist was directly looking at the camera. We decided to do this as the audience build up a relationship with the artist through their facial expressions. One camera shot we used was a long shot. This was effective as the audience could see iconography such as a guitar highlighting to the audience the artists talent. The audience were able to see other mise-en-scene elements such as Costume. This is effective as it contributed to the artist representation as an 'ordinary' person as the artist was seen to be wearing casual clothing such as jeans and a shirt.

Where will your images be used and why?

The images that was taken in the photoshoot are going to be used in the ancillary products such as the magazine advert and digipak. This is because the artist image is vital in selling the music products. The audience perceive the artist as role models in which they look up to. Therefore the images encourage the audience to look at the magazine advert and buy the artists album. Through the artist clothing it also connotes the genre of the music. For example if the music genre was rock it is conventional to see the artist in black clothing. Therefore through the artist wearing casual clothes, not only does it promote the artist image as being down to earth, but it reflects that he is a pop artist.

How are your images conventional to your genre?

The images taken are conventional are to the pop music genre as the artist is seen to be wearing clothing that is conventional. We decided to create our artists representation as 'Ordinary' conforming to Dyers star theory as we felt it would attract a larger audience. This is due to the audience being able to relate to the artist rather than viewing him superior to them. We did this through dressing him in jeans and a shirt. It is also conventional as the artist is seen to be holding/playing the guitar. This conforms a stereotypical conventions of a pop music genre as it highlights the fact the artist is multi-talented. 

How do your images portray the artist and how does it appeal to your target audience?

The images portray the artist as down to earth and friendly as he is seen to be wearing casual clothing. Therefore the audience perceive him as 'Ordinary' like Dyers Star theory suggest, therefore making the audience feel as though they are able to relate to him. This is effective as the audience are able to build up a relationship with the artist. The artist is seen to be wearing non-gender specific colours and therefore attracts a wider target audience. The colour red is also bright and stands out which is significant when it comes to the magazine advert as it catches the audiences attention. 

Include one example of how photoshop was used to create a conventional product (include before and after image.

Photoshop was used when creating our ancillary products such as a magazine advert and digipak to make a conventional product. One way I did this was, when I used any text I used white writing in order for it to create a contrast with the black background. This is conventional as it stands out catching the target audiences attention. I also decided to use this colour as it is not gender specific. Therefore it is more likely to attract a larger target audience rather than one gender. This is conventional as it enables my product to appeal to a wider target audience in turn increasing the chance of more people investing in their albums.

Risk assessment

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is important when creating a music video as it identifies issues that may go wrong when film. By creating a risk assessment table as shown below it highlights what are the possible dangers and enables us to consider it whilst filming minimizing any injuries. As a group we discussed how we could prevent these issues from happening before filming our music video.

Planning Cinematography

Planning Cinematography 

What is the purpose of cinematography?

The purpose of the cinematography reflects the narrative of the music video in which it provides the audience with a better understanding of the song. Different camera shots are used throughout the music video providing the audience with different perspectives. Within music videos different camera shots are used to connote different meanings. For example a high angle would be used to show the vulnerability of the artist or character. Positioning of the artist within the cinematography is also important as it is conventional to see the artist positioned above other people within the camera shot. This is because it connotes their status and like Dyers star theory, makes them appear extraordinary for the consumer.

What cinematography will you include and why?
Within our music video we are going to use different cinematography. Throughout the performance element of our music video, we are mainly going to use close ups and mid shots. This is because it positions the artist in the center of the frame in order to introduce the artist to the audience. This also connotes the artists importance and focuses their attention on only the artist rather than on the background. It is also effective for the target audience as they are able to see the artists facial expressions when singing the lyrics and allow them to relate to the emotions of the artist. Therefore this enables the audience to build up a relationship with the artist as they get a better understanding of the song.

Another camera shot that is going to be used throughout the performance of the music video is a long shot.We decided to do this as it will show the artist playing the guitar reflecting the artists talent. This will further promote the artist attracting the audience. This camera shot will show mise-en-scene elements such as location and costume. This is important as the locations we decided to use in the video have significance. One performance location is on the white cliffs of Dover which connotes the artist being alone and isolated. The artist is going to be seen in casual clothing which will be seen in the long shot. This is so it conforms to Dyers star theory showing that the artist is 'ordinary' however 'extraordinary' for the consumer. The artist is going to appear extraordinary as he will wear known labelled items of clothing. An example of this is when the artist is wearing a Super dry jacket. Therefore it portrays the artist as fashionable in which the target audience will look up to.

However within the narrative element in the music video, we are going to use various camera shots that creates a continuous flow throughout the video. This is crucial as the purpose of the narrative is to give the target audience a better understanding of the song. One camera shot we are going to use in particular is a a close up. This is going to be used in different scenes to highlight to the audience different connotations to the iconography we have chosen to use. For example at the beginning of the video a close up camera shot is going to be used to show the female looking through a photo box in which she finds a photograph of her and her ex boyfriend. She then goes on to rip the photo in half connoting the characters feelings of anger and sadness. This is effective as the audience empathize with the character enabling them to build up a relationship. It also gives them a more depth understanding to what the song is about. This is going to be used again later on in the music video when there is a flashback of the male and female playing cards. A close up camera shot is going to be used to show the king and queen of hearts. Each of the cards symbolize the male and female characters and connotes to the audience that the female 'played him' and she won as she cheated on him and they are no longer together. Therefore the narrative helps the audience get a better understanding to what the song is about and are able to relate to the characters.

How is your cinematography conventional to your music genre
The cinematography used in the music video is conventional to the pop music genre as close up are often used when the artist is seen to be performing. This is because it is effective in introducing the artist to the target audience and allowing them to build up a relationship with the artist through their facial expressions. Therefore our music video conforms to the stereotypical conventions of a pop music video. Long shots are also conventional to see in this particular music genre as it gives the audience a better understanding of the narrative through mise-en-scene elements. The artist is further promoted through their costume which portrays their personality and a long shot helps do this. Different locations are conventional to see within a pop music video. For example a isolated location connotes the feelings on loneliness and a long shot shows this.

How does it build a relationship with your target audience?

The cinematography within the music video creates a continuous flow throughout the narrative. This effective as it gives the audience a better understanding to what the song is about and allowing them to empathize for the characters. The close up camera shots also highlight the persons facial expressions and therefore they are able to see the artists emotions of the lyrics. This therefore enables the target audience to build a relationship with the artist as they can relate. Cinematography reveals the costumes of the artist, identifying the artists genre and portraying the personality of the artist. It is conventional for the artist to be seen in casual clothings so they appear 'ordinary' for the consumer and therefore making them seem down to earth and approachable. This encourages the audience to build a relationship with the artist as they view them as a role model and look up to them.

Planning editing styles

Planning editing styles

Why is editing important with in a music video?
Editing is important within a music video as it creates a continuous flow throughout the video. Placing camera shots in a certain order in the music video shows the style of music video: Performance, narrative or concept based.This is effective as through displaying the narrative, the audience a better understanding of what the song is about and the hidden meanings within the video. If performance based is used within a music video it enables the audience to build a relationship with the artist through various camera shots such a close ups. If the music video is narrative based, the audience are able to relate to the characters involved and therefore are able to empathize with them. Different genres tend to used different styles of editing. For example if the song choice belongs to the Dance music genre, it is conventional to use fast pace editing to match the rhythm of the music. If the song belongs to a indie genre, it is conventional to use slow pace editing with is because the pace of the song is usually slower and requires a slow paced narrative to further explain the meaning of the song.

What editing styles are you planning on including and why?
At the beginning of the music video, we are going to use slow pace editing to introduce the artist to the audience. Various camera shots will introduce the simplistic location (a dark room) to the audience focusing all their attention on the artist. This is effect as through multiple camera shots such as mid shots and close ups the audience will be able to build up a relationship through his facial expressions. Slow pace editing will be seen in the beginning as it matches the beat of the song creating a smooth continuous flow.

However, further throughout the pace of the song increases. Therefore the camera shots will change parallel to the beat of the song. Fast pace editing will be shown when the narrative of male and female are arguing in the car. This is effective as it will highlight to the audience the building tension between the two characters and how the relationship is falling apart. This will keep the audience engaged and encourage them to keep watching the video. We decided to show a change the pace of editing throughout the video as we felt it would be a effective technique to show a contrast between the positive and negative.

Editing techniques are going to be used at the beginning of the music video when the female is seen to be ripping a photograph of her and the male character. However it will be shown to rewinding appearing as if she is putting the photograph back together. This is going to follow with happy flashback of when the couple were happy. At the end of the video we are going to use the same camera shot however show the female ripping the photograph implying that they are no longer together and that it was 'Impossible' to stay together.

How are your editing styles conventional to your music genre? 
The editing styles used within our music video conforms to the conventions of the pop music genre as it creates a continuous flow through out the video. It is a generic convention to use slow pace editing within a pop music video as it enable the video to display the narrative of the song. Therefore like Goodwin suggested, the link between the lyrics and visuals give the audience a better understanding of the meaning of the song. It is also conventional to connote the underlying tension between the characters within the narrative through the editing. By increasing the pace of the editing which is parallel to the beat of the song, the audience are able to empathize with the characters and relate to the instability of their relationship. Other pop artists such as Demi Lovato use this technique in her music video 'Give your heart a break'.

How will your editing help to build a relationship with your target audience?
Throughout the performance element of the music video slow pace editing is going to be used. This is helpful in enabling the audience to build up a relationship with the target audience as through camera shots such as mid shots and close ups the audience are able to see the artists facial expressions. Therefore they are able to see the emotions of the artist therefore allowing them to empathize with him. These camera shots are also effective in drawing the audiences attention only on the artist as there is nothing to distract their focus. This also applies to the narrative as by having a continuous flow throughout the audience get an insight into their relationship and how the females betrayal destroyed the relationship.

Lyric Analysis

Lyric Analysis

In order for the audience to get a better understanding of the song, we decided to make our music video conform to Goodwin's theory by showing a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. Below is a image showing the work we created as a group during class highlighting where the different scenes will take place within our music video. This is effective as it helped us decided what scene we could do that correlated with the lyrics engaging the audience.  

The first narrative scene we are going to show is the scene where the female is going through a box of photos of her and her ex boyfriend. This will be shown when the artist sings 'Someone told me I should take' to imply the character retrospectively looking back on the memories of the relationship. This is also effective as it introduces the characters to the audience allowing them to build up a relationship with them. This further enables the audience to relate to their role within the narrative and get a better understanding of the song.

When the lyrics say 'You have won' the narrative will show the female and male couple playing a game of cards. This is effective as it connotes that they 'played' each other and that the won as they are not longer together. Through various camera shots such as close ups and mid shots, certain playing cards are going to be used to symbolize the characters. For example the male will lay a Queen of hearts whereas the female will lay and King of hearts. This represents the characters as a couple whilst reflecting on the fact that they work against each other to win. 

We are going to show further evidence of a relationship between the lyrics and visuals as when the lyrics say 'And my heart is broken' the narrative is going to show the female finding her old heart shaped necklace in the box. This will then follow with a flashback informing the audience that it was a gift from her ex boyfriend in which he is shown placing the necklace on her. This will therefore highlight the significance of the iconography whilst emphasizing the feelings of loss and hurt. 

'falling out of love is hard' is going to be played parallel to a happy narrative scene. As a group we decided we could show the couple messing around and having fun in a shop. Through the use of iconography such as a trolley we are going to show the male pushing the female around laughing. This is effective as it shows the audience that they were happy once and loved each other. This will form a contrast to the later narrative where the couple will be shown to fall out of love with each other. Numerous happy narrative scenes are going to be shown throughout the video, one of them being the couple in a photo booth. The male and female will be scene wearing silly iconography items such as big glasses or a hat. This will further promote the personalities of the character portraying them to be fun and happy. This enables the audience to relate to the characters and see the contrast in the relationship to when they were happy and how they grew to dislike each other.

When the lyrics say 'All we had is gone now' a narrative scene will be used to show the couple arguing. The characters will be seen sitting in a car in which they begin to argue and the female storms out the car. The lyrics enable the audience to understand that the relationship has come to an end and that there is nothing left to save. The lyrics 'Impossible' are going to be played continuously through both the narrative and performance to reflect on the idea that it is impossible to love someone who betrays you. The narrative to our music video will suggest the female betrayed her boyfriend by cheating on him even though it will not be clearly shown within the narrative. We decided to do this as we felt it would be effective in showing the tension between the characters and keeping the audience engaged by guessing throughout the video.

A further narrative scene will be shown where the cards are built into a tower in which they are set of fire and crumble into piece. This is going to be shown when the lyrics say 'Empty promises will wear' symbolizing that the relationship has fallen apart. The connotations of the fire will highlight the artist's feelings of anger and pain caused from the relationship allowing the audience to sympathize with him.

Through completing a lyric analysis it has given me a better understanding of the variety of scene we want to film for the music video and what camera shots will be needed to make it seem effective. It also helped us as a group to get a better idea of where we would like the different scenes to be placed throughout. Through showing a relationship between the lyrics and the narrative, I feel as though the audience will be able to relate to the emotions felt by the characters and get a more depth understanding of meaning of the song.