Front Cover Analysis

For one of the ancillary texts I am going to create a cover for the case my music video would be marketed in. To do this it is important that I analyse various album covers of artists that would interest the people in my own target audience range to ensure that I have enough ideas and knowledge for my own product to look attractive and eye-catching but to also appeal to my target audience.


The first cover that I have chosen to analyse is Shakira - Oral Fixation. I have chosen to analyse this as the song I have chosen to create a music video for is by the artist Shakira and therefore analysing her album cover will give me a useful guideline as to what sort of image would go with a Shakira song and will also be attractive to the target audience.

The image consists of the image of Shakira holding an apple wearing little make-up, little clothing but some leaves. This image is a well known image that is portrayed in the biblical story of Adam and Eve. In this context Shakira is being represented as Eve. There is also an image of a baby sat in the tree reaching towards her, looking as if he/she is fixated by her. This links with the title of the album. Shakira is to the centre of the frame which suggests she is dominant, which is true as she is the artist. She looks beautiful in the image although her hair and make-up seem natural, reflecting that she is a 'natural beauty' - like Eve in the story of Adam and Eve, although the outfit she is wearing adds a sexual feel. In the background the sky is cloudy with a little sunlight reflected on the cloud at the top left of the frame, behind the text that says Shakira and the album name. The font used is an old Gothic type font which goes with the ideology of Adam and Eve that is used. It is red in colour which matches the apple Shakira is holding therefore creating a vague colour scheme of reds, browns and greens. The overall style of the image is painting like and slightly 'dull' in lighting therefore reflecting the time of Adam and Eve which the image is obviously based around.

I have chosen to analyse The Fame - Lady Gaga as Lady Gaga is a contemporary artist who has released music that my target audience would probably consume. The cover consists of Lady Gaga's face as a close-up with a serious expression, airbrushed, wearing sunglasses and make-up. Lighting is used to create a shadow on the left side of her face which gives the impression of something mysterious and unusual. The shadow adds more meaning than a basic full front image of her with no shadows. The black colours used and shadows - plus the dark sunglasses create a sinister look. However, the black and shadows are mixed with the images of diamonds that cover the left half of her sunglasses which creates an image that reflects wealth and glamour. The artist's name, Lady Gaga, is printed underneath the image of her face over the black in a simple font. The name of the album, The Fame, is printed on her glasses in a slightly more fancy font but still simple.


I decided to analyse the cover of Madonna - celebration as Madonna is extremely well known and is a possible choice of artist that my target audience could like. The cover consists of an image of Madonna's face close-up in the style of Andy Warhol's famous Maryln Monroe image. The colours are bright and therefore stand out and also create a fun, punky feel to the image which possibly suggests what the music is going to be like. Above the image of Madonna's face the text is placed that states the name of the artist and album name. The font is 'punky' and also in bright colours which stand out. The 'paint like' splodges that are placed near to the text also create a punky feel, as if the text has just been thrown on carelessly. Overall, the album cover is simple and does not appear to have a meaning but it stands out because of the bright colours - which also suggest what kind of music will be on the album. The fact that a hugely famous image has been used for the foundation of creating this image for the album cover also helps it to stand out as the public will recognise this iconic image. The fact that such an image has been used also suggests to the audience that Madonna is iconic, as is Maryln Monroe who featured in the 'original' painting.

http://www.artquotes.net/masters/warhol_andy/turquoise-marilyn-62.jpg -> Andy Warhol's image of Maryln Monroe that the image of Madonna is clearly based on.




Finally I have decided to analyse an Evanescence cover. Although They do not fit within my target audience of people who like dance music the cover is Gothic and the particular song I am creating the video for is about 'She-wolves' which can be seen as Gothic and slightly creepy. Also, the main singer is female as is Shakira.

The cover consists of an image of a door opening with clouds visable behind the door with sunlight pouring through. The door frame itself is elaborate and Gothic and the door visually looks heavy, like a church / cathedral door which also adds to the Gothic feel. The fact a door is used links with the album title which is 'Open Door.' The text is in a cream colour and to the right of the frame, over black which is the wall - so the text stands out. The logo of the band 'Evanescence' is the larger text and the album name is smaller. The text is in an elaborate Gothic font, which is the font always used for the band logo. Both text are surrounded by elaborate swirls and spirals, which are also seen to look Gothic. The artist in the image is shown as very pale with black hair, which is always associated stereotypically with goths. She is wearing a beautiful old fashioned looking white dress which also reflects the 'Gothic feel.' She is facing the door with the dress trailing behind her as if she is walking out the door, however she is looking downwards over her shoulder, which enables us, as an audience, to see her face clearly and her expression which is serious, calm and possibly slightly upset.

Conventions and my own work

From analysing the album covers I have learned that conventions consist of: the name of the artist and album are clearly visible, the artist is featured on the cover and the lighting and images used on the covers are carefully chosen to represent the genre of music which the album contains. Obviously, conventions are sometimes broken but generally these stand.

In my own work I can use my knowledge of the conventions in creating the cover image. I will try to ensure that the image I use reflects the genre and 'feel' of the music it contains. I will also definitely use an image of the artist as this is a popular convention. In portraying the character I can either go for the 'sex appeal' look, as the Shakira album I studied does or go for an alternative look, or even both. The genre of the music is dance but the lyrics of the song suggest a 'horror' even 'Gothic' type feel. My main aim is to create an image that is pretty, classy and 'girly', sexy and with a Gothic feel as this takes into consideration the 'feel' of the song and both genders of the target audience: Pretty, girly and classy will appeal to the female audience and sexy will appeal to males.

I also need to design the inside to the cover as it will open out to fit inside the case. In doing this I should consider the chosen colour scheme and style of the cover image.

The Music Video

To ensure that shooting my music video runs smoothly I have created a storyboard, a prop list, location list, cast list, health and safety regulations and a shooting schedule. Although this has been time consuming it has ensured that the shooting of my music video went well and that it ran smoothly.

Storyboard

This is the storyboard I created for my music video. It is a basic draft of ideas pulled together to create a good plan for creating my music video. Please note that I haven't noted the timings of the different shots as the timings in relation to the music are seen clearly during the animiatric and this gives a better insight to what the final product will look like. Also, I have written where certain shots have been repeated as identical/similar shots are sometimes used. Obviously with the storyboard when I come to actually editing the video I may have time to experiment with different ideas so I cannot yet say if the storyboard is going to be exactly like the music video but it will certainly be similar.

The actual narrative of the storyboard is based on the lyrics of the song and the narrative of these lyrics. It shows a young woman in a domestic environment trying to please her partner by commiting to staying in and completing 'woman's' chores such as baking cookies. However, she has a wild, sexy side to her which she is desperate to embrace. She does this by entering her closet at night, when her partner is asleep, and transporting magically from the closet to a world where she can be what she pleases. Shots show her laid on a dark sofa looking sexually appealing, dancing to music in a club and peeping around the door of the closet wearing little clothing. With this storyline I also needed to link in the title of the song - She Wolf - so I used shots of her -rather meanly - getting ready to eat a rabbit (as wolves do) , a shot of a silhouette of a wolf's head and a shot of the moon. I also used a 'wolf' mask in some shots to emphasise this ideology more. The conclusion of the narrative is her emerging from the closet again, while her partner still sleeps, and climbing back into bed with her secret safe.

Prop List

The props I used for the music video were chosen practically as well as imaginatively. Although some props would be impossible to use I think that I have done a good job of 'making do' with the items I already own or items that I was able to make.

The prop list I made before creating the video:

Tray
Plate
Cookies
Rabbit
Sofa
Bed
Oven Gloves
Mask (wolf)
Cupboard
Outfits - Inc. dress
Make-up - (different 'looks' for different styles)
Red Lipstick
Pole
'Clubbing' lights - disco ball, strobe lighting
Cage OR mesh to look like a cage
'Beer' glasses
Blonde Wig
Bottles OR cans of alcohol - used in bar scene
Stool
Torch
Book
Pen

I made sure that I had these props handy for the days of shooting, although I did forget about the cookies which was a small mistake. However, I decided to use biscuits instead, which kind of ruined the idea of the character been a 'domesticated girl' and baking her own cookies but in the actual shots it is hard to see them anyway so it doesn't really matter too much.


Location List

I chose my locations carefully, taking into consideration the overall 'feel' of the music video as well as the narrative - but again I had to be practical as well as imaginative so I used the best locations I could which fit the narrative and feel of the video. I chose my Auntie's house to shoot the bar scene ( my Auntie has a small bar/games room joined onto the main house), as stated in previous posts on this blog, as the setting fits in perfectly with the style of the video and I hoped originally to shoot in a bar as the narrative, told by the lyrics, includes her 'staring across the bar.' The lighting there is dark and moody, with the bar including red, brown and black colours - the perfect atmosphere for my music video. Plus items such as the bar pumps found in pubs, beer glasses and bottles of alcohol are already there - as well as a bar stool which I thought would be a good prop to use.

For most of the shots I chose to shoot in my house - as my aim was to create a 'domesticated' atmosphere which the girl is trying to escape from, as this is what the narrative of the song is trying to reflect. I have most of the props I wanted in my house already, plus access to make-up, different costumes and an area to change into these costumes. The interior of my house is modern decorated - perfect for the 'modern, domesticated' feel I wanted for the video - the girl in the song is young and therefore will live in a modern decorated 'basic' house with her partner. I also have a dark leather sofa which I knew would be perfect for the shots where the character is laid on the sofa. There is also a large wardrobe which I though would be good to use in the 'closet' shots, and I myself own strobe lighting lights and disco balls which I found I could use for the shots where she is in a club dancing as, with the correct lighting and room used, it was easy to pull off the idea of this in my own home rather then having to film in an actual nightclub which would have been dangerous as I could have ended up dropping or losing the video camera, as well as it been impossible to bring a tri-pod there. My rabbit, who I wanted to include in some shots (as the theme of the video is about a wolf - an animal who hunts rabbits) is also, obviously, easily accessible at my home and I could also ensure that she was comfortable and not in any danger or harm during filming.


For the outdoor scenes that are set in a 'forest' setting I decided to shoot some at a local 'forest' area to me - Little Switts which is located on Hessle Foreshore near the Humber Bridge. It really is perfect there for the atmosphere I wanted as it is just like an enchanted wood - dark as the light is blocked from the trees, creepy because of the vast amount of trees and there are a lot of unique features such as the footpaths that lead to a lake etc. It is a beautiful setting but slightly eerie - connotating to the ideology of the narrative of the 'She-wolf' being beautiful but also a creepy 'werewolf' too.

I also used the green area outside my house for some of the exterior shots as there are trees, leaves and bushes that would be great for creating the eerie atmosphere I wanted. I also used the library outside my house as the walls are white and surrounded by grass, trees and plants so it also made a great creepy location.

Health And Safety

I had to take health and safety into consideration when shooting my music video to ensure that nobody got hurt on the days of shooting. I firstly made sure that there was an ample amount of space around the camera- enough for a person to easily walk around it. This was to prevent people knocking the camera over and also tripping over the tripod. I made sure that there were no other hazardous objects that people could trip over as well and made sure that the floor was clear. I placed trays, glasses and any other props carefully so prevent somebody knocking these over - especially anything glass as shattered glass is very dangerous. I made sure that an extra person who was not involved in the shooting was nearby at all time in case of emergencies, and made sure that a group accompanied me to Little Switts (the forest location) for safety - people could be lurking in the trees etc. In the shots including my rabbit I ensured that I had somebody on hand to ensure safety and comfort for her - e.g. in the scene where she is in the tray I had my Mum on hand to catch her in case she tried to jump off the table and would then hurt herself. I ensured all wires joined to the 'clubbing' lights were out of the way to ensure nobody tripped over these and I also warned nobody to touch these when in use as they can get very hot.

I also ensured that anyone involved with the shooting had something to eat and drink and had a break for this, I used the heater in my Auntie's bar for warmth (as it is very cold in there) and I had a thick jacket to wear before and after shooting in Little Switts as it is very cold there at this time of the year (March). - These are not health and safety steps but they ensure comfort during the shooting of the video.

Cast List

I chose Claire Smith to star in my video as the bar maid and the she-wolf during the bar scenes as I thought she would be perfect to act out the narrative. I also thought that it would be easy to create different looks by using make-up and hair pieces/wigs and masks on her. She also has access to get to my house easily through transport therefore I was confident that she wouldn't let me down when the shooting was planned and was sure that she would arrive on time with the clothing I had asked her to wear.

I myself acted the part of the she-wolf for the majority of the video which proved very difficult as I constantly had to take test shots using the video camera to check that I was correctly positioned within the frame and that the lighting was right. I also had to press the record and stop buttons myself which meant moving backwards and forwards a lot of times. I planned to use Claire for the whole of the video but this proved impossible as with her work commitments and the time she needed editing her own work meant that it was hard to find a time to shoot that worked for both of us. However, there were advantages in using myself as I could spend more time on perfecting outfits, I was in my own home for the majority of the shooting - which ensured I was comfortable and I also had access to all my make-up/hair accessories.

For the rabbit character I used my pet rabbit Snowy - I have two rabbits but thought that she would be best fitted to the role as she is fluffy and white and smaller than my male rabbit. She fit the role I wanted perfectly as I wanted to rabbit to look sweet, cuddly and girly - which she does. I also had to consider the practical side of this but I came to the conclusion that she is well behaved and has the perfect look that I wanted.

I chose my younger brother to act as the male as the end of the video as it didn't matter that his face looks younger as I never planned to show his face in the video and therefore just his head is visible. It was also more practical than choosing somebody else to act this out as it would mean getting them to my house for just one shot.

Shooting Schedule

I created a shooting schedule which consists of the dates I plan to shoot, the location I plan to shoot at and the time it will take. This ensures that the shooting runs smoothly and by choosing dates in advance also allows me notice to choose alternative dates if the dates and times I have planned are not able to use if something else comes up which is more important e.g. family issues. In choosing the dates and times I have to ensure that it is a convenient date and time, taking things like transport and work commitments into consideration and I also need to allow more time than anticipated in actually shooting the footage as mistakes and problems often happen. I should allow, at a minimum, at least double the amount of time I think the video will take to shoot. A break for dinner should also be considered.
I am a little behind with shooting as it was hard to find a time that was suitable to shoot and when a camera was also free to use. It was also hard to ensure cast would be present at the time of shooting. I have, however, allowed enough time to edit the footage during my time at college and I have also made progress on my ancillary texts when I have not been able to shoot.


My Auntie’s Bar:

Date: 27th February
Time: 12.30pm – 3.30pm


My House:
Dates: 2nd March , 4th March
Times: 5.30pm – 8.00pm (Both Nights)


Little Switts:
Date: 6th March
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm


Costumes

Each costume I have used in the music video has been chosen for a reason and to reflect a certain kind of personality of the character. Therefore i will discuss this in relations to the shots in the music video: