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:

Music Video Tips To Consider

* Allow extra time if anything goes wrong.
* Although making a music video has artistic freedom the main aim of it is to promote the song.
* Ensure actor who plays the 'She-wolf' has a good lip-syncing technique - or get them to sing as if they mumble or mime awkwardly it will show in their body actions and facial expressions and will not look right in the music video.
* Be aware of my budget, stick to it.
* Plan every detail IN detail.
* Remember I will be playing all parts of being a director, camera person and lighting person so allow more time with this considered.
* Keep a record of shots I've made on the day of the shoot.
* Once I am happy with a shot shoot it again so I have a choice out of the two if on one of them something is not right when I play it back.
* Remember to bring the CD of the song with me on the day of shooting.
* Avoid playing back too much to extend battery life.


Shooting tips:

* Beware of repeated zooming as it can look clichéd and unless done with a very steady hand can often look amateurish.
* Use lots of various angles.
* Use cutaways / B-roll shots.
* Use smooth camera movements by using the tri-pod.
* Choose and use a master shot to add in when gaps in the story.
* Use sweeping shots.

Technical tips:

* Shoot 16:9 (widescreen) if camera allows it.
* Use frame mode/progressive scan/non-interlace.
* Set shutter speed to as close to 24fps as possible.
* Use manual white balance for every shot.
* Use manual aperture and manual focus.
* Use a shallow depth of field by using the high end of the zoom range.
* Set up a proffessional light surrounding.
* Use a slightly blue colouring instead of fully white balance - possibly even cup hand around the lense so the camera drains away warms hues.

'Scrapbook' Of Ideas For My Music Video

I have decided to create a 'Scrapbook' of ideas for my music video. I will paste relevant images of ideas and relevant notes. I basically want to build a creative overall idea for the video by brainstorming small ideas.

_________________________________________________________

Where will I shoot the video? (ideas) ... Some shots in a photo studio (black backdrop) e.g. the first shot. Outside my house: greenery area with trees, white spooky looking building could be used. Bar at auntie's house for the bar shots, her garden for some of the hunting shots. Interior of house for closet/possibly first shot.


First shot: wearing wolf mask, wearing posh but old fashioned looking clothes. Sprawled on a sofa bed/preferably red to show she is posh. Could even use a still image for this shot as no movement from the she-wolf is needed (in this shot) so I am able to easily edit colours and lighting.

The mask should be 'creepy' looking and slightly realistic but also have an exaggerated look about it to make it seem surreal and therefore even more creepy. I should make the clothing worn when wearing the mask feminine, preferably a dress, to emphasis the fact that the wolf is a 'she-wolf.' I could also make sure that her hair is visible around the mask to also emphasise the fact that the creature is a 'she wolf.' I can buy a mask from a fancy dress shop as this will be easier then making one and will also look more realistic.








The She-Wolf should look as feminine as possible to define the character - a 'she' wolf. Facial expressions should be determined and sexually appealing. The outfits for each scene should be planned before the day of shooting to create specific looks. Her hair should be visible over the mask to show she is feminine. Make-up should also be specifically planned before hand to create certain looks e.g. in one part of the video she should look innocent and natural - so little make-up. In another part she should look as if she is going clubbing so a lot of make-up is needed.
I will do the character's make-up and hair by myself and will ensure I have everything on the day from the mask to the costume. I may need to ask the character to bring some specific clothing so it will fit them if they are a different size to the clothing I own. She should wear something of a red colour as this connotates to being both passionate and dangerous which she is both.

Scenes the scenes should also be planned carefully to ensure good quality of lighting and to ensure they have the specific 'look' required in the music video. Props are also included in the scenes and should also be specifically and carefully noted before the day of shooting. Props could include curtains, blankets, drinking glasses, the disco ball, the homemade 'moon' and certain lights.

The location I am hoping to shoot at is an old, posh large house. The rear garden is perfect for the outdoor scenes as it is wood-like and large. There is also a side garden if needed for some alternative shots of the exterior footage. The interior of the house is posh and 'fancy' which is perfect for the first shot and also other alternative shots. There is a bar in the outbuilding which looks realistically like a pub which includes bar pumps, bottles of alcohol and glasses. There is also a snooker table at the other end of the bar which I could creatively use in some shots. There is a long driveway leading to the house which I could also use creatively in the music video as it is surrounded by trees and another large garden. The exterior of the buildings is black and white and there are iron gates linking to the gardens. I could use this to include some shots of the 'she wolf' running around the corners chasing her 'prey.'

If it is not possible to shoot at this location I could shoot the exterior shots on the green area outside my house which is scattered with trees which give it the required 'woody' look and there is a small, spooky looking white library in the middle of this which I could also use in some of the shots of the she-wolf chasing her 'prey.' For the interior shots I could film in my own house for the interior shot of the she-wolf on a chair (the opening shot) and at a pub or my other uncle's bar for the bar shots. There is also a recording studio at my uncle's house so I could creatively shoot some shots in here to show the actual song being created which emphasises the fact that it is a song.

The Characters I will need to create a list of the characters I plan to include in my music video:

She-wolf
Her 'prey' (men)
Possibly the 'she-wolf's' partner

I will need to plan exactly what the characters will look like. The ideas I gain are my own views although I will research costumes and looks via the Internet and books. I could also ask a few people in the category of the target audience what their views are by using a controlled questionnaire or simply picking out a random selection of people and asking them to sketch and note what they think certain characters should look like. This will be engaging with the audience as it will be considering their views and opinions. The character should not only be planned referring to costumes and makeup but also personalities which are reflected through facial expressions and physical movements of the characters. The physical stance of the character can also be successfully used to portray their personality. The costumes I choose for the characters to wear should reflect their personalities and also connotate to different expectations e.g. red could connotate to danger and passion, therefore I will take note to use the colour red in the costumes of the she-wolf as she is seen as both passionate and dangerous. I should also plan what camera angles to use in shooting the characters as different angles can also portray a character e.g. a high angle shot can make a character seem dominant. Lighting can also reflect a character e.g. bright lighting can make a character seem cheerful or powerful and dark lighting can make a character seem threatening or mysterious. I should take props, costume, lighting...every aspect of mise-en-scene into consideration. The mise-en-scene I use should carefully be chosen to represent the character within the narrative but also reflect the narrative itself. Each character is represented in a certain way. My own ideology has some impact on the way characters are represented although I should also use some ideas from the audience as the music video is aimed at them.

(plan /sketches of my ideas of each character - include costume, props, lighting, make-up.... Camera angles and positions incl. in storyboard but take into consideration)

LIIAR

Language: The language of the music video on a technical aspect is basically the conventions used. The conventions create a particular language that the audience understand and recognise for example a montage of shots changing in time to a beat is a convention of music videos and therefore the audience will recognise this. The language of the narrative is portrayed by using technical conventions for example close-ups and medium shots are used to visually show the narrative. The narrative is usually a simple storyline in my chosen genre of music, dance. This is using language as it connects with the audience through the narrative. In this instance verbal language is the song itself and non-verbal language is defined as expressions and actions of the character/artist.

Institution: The producers of the music videos must engage with the audience to create a music video which they will want to view and enjoy viewing. Questionnaires and research play a large part in this as this enables the producer to gain an insight into what the public will enjoy and want to view; it takes their opinions into consideration.

Ideology: The ideology of the music video in general is to market the song successfully and encourage the audience to consume the song. The music video should also portray the character in an attractive enviable way as this will improve marketing as the audiences will either be attracted to the character or wish to be as attractive as the character - which is narcissism. This can result to the audience acting a certain way or dressing in a certain way after viewing a music video which they enjoy. This creates an ideology in itself as the music video will project a certain idealised character/idea onto them and the audience will consume this and self-project themselves into the character seen in the music video. Different technical techniques should be used to create a certain mood and atmosphere which will also have some impact onto the audience. It should represent the audiences beliefs as it is created for the audience so I should take care to not influence the video with my own ideology and beliefs although the video can be argued to do this as I am the one creating it so obviously my own beliefs will be reflected through this.

Audience: The audience of the music video will be anyone who consumes it, however the music video is created with a certain target audience in mind, which will be defined using methods such as research and questionnaires. Certain conventions will be used in the music video to appeal to the target audience. There are various ways to attract an audience with the following points in mind. Spectatorship is a main point as this is what is going on in people's minds as the music video is shown. By defining this it is then possible to ensure that certain conventions are used to create a strong atmosphere and provoke certain emotions which the audience will enjoy. Scopaphilia is basically the points of pleasure in a person's mind: what points and aspects of the music video will ensure the audience will enjoy the music video?

Voyeurism is to watch others without them knowing you are watching them. This is a convention of movies as we as an audience view the movie and the characters within that movie without them knowing we are watching. Therefore in my music video I should include some shots where the character is not looking directly as the camera but is instead looking away and not engaging with the audience directly. This breaks a convention of music videos but is a fair point to ensure the audience gain pleasure and enjoy viewing the music video.

Narcissism engages with the audience as the character in the music video should be seen as an idealised version of the audience's self. This will ensure enjoyment of the music video and can also improve marketing as the audience who view the video will enjoy engaging with the character as being themselves. Narcissism is a very powerful tool as the audience may pick up traits of the character and act like the character. They may also buy clothes, jewellery, get the same hairstyles as the character etc.

Fetishism comes into the final part of the last paragraph as the audience could enjoy watching glamorous objects which are shown in the music video and want these form themselves. For example, the audience could see a certain outfit in the music video and want one for themselves, they then go out and buy a similar outfit. This shows the music video has being successful and memorable and has had an impact on the audience.

Representation: The music video overall should represent the song as music videos are created to market the songs used in them. The video should fit the genre of the song and generally contain images that have some reference to the lyrics. The video should be unique and stand out so it will stay in the audience's minds which will successfully market the song as the audience are then more likely to consume the song. A powerful music video should ensure more people consuming the product: the song. It should also represent the emotions of the audience in some way which will also keep the video in their mind. The video could also be seen to be representing some of my own beliefs as I am the one creating it.

Werewolf

I have decided to research a little into werewolves as this character is a main attribute to the music video.

Werewolves were said to bear tell-tale traits in European folklore. These included the meeting of both eyebrows at the bridge of the nose, curved fingernails, low set ears and a swinging stride. One method of identifying a werewolf in its human form was to cut the flesh of the accused, under the pretense that fur would be seen within the wound. A Russian superstition recalls a werewolf can be recognised by bristles under the tongue. The appearance of a werewolf in its animal form varies from culture to culture, though they are most commonly portrayed as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that they have no tail (a trait thought characteristic of witches in animal form), and that they retain human eyes and voice. After returning to their human forms, werewolves are usually documented as becoming weak, debilitated and undergoing painful nervous depression. Many historical werewolves were written to have suffered severe melancholia and manic depression, being bitterly conscious of their crimes. One universally reviled trait in medieval Europe was the werewolf's habit of devouring recently buried corpses, a trait which is documented extensively, particularly in the Annales Medico-psychologiques in the 19th century. Fennoscandian werewolves were usually old women who possessed poison coated claws and had the ability to paralyse cattle and children with their gaze. Serbian vulkodlaks traditionally had the habit of congregating annually in the winter months, where they would strip off their wolf skins and hang them from trees. They would then get a hold of another vulkodlaks skin and burn it, releasing the vulkodlak from whom the skin came from its curse. The Haitian jé-rouges typically try to trick mothers into giving away their children voluntarily by waking them at night and asking their permission to take their child, to which the disoriented mother may either reply yes or no.

Word Analysis

I have decided to analyse the key words I highlighted to gain some ideas for my music video by using the words from the lyrics of the song.

Domesticated Girl
The word domesticated makes me think of someone who is seen as a 'housewife' type of person, who does the cleaning, cooking, ironing... Basically all the chores. They are expected to be faithful to their partner and stay home been a good 'wife' figure. In the song the character is going against this wish of her partner and wants to go out, relating this problem to the she-wolf. A good example of this in the media is the Katie Price vs Jordan situation: Her husband wanted her to stay home, be a good mum, a good housewife but she rebelled against this and wanted to go out clubbing; she wanted to be free. The whole storyline of the song is based on this idea of a man wanting his partner to be a good housewife but she is rebelling against his wishes.

No Joke
No joke obviously means what it is - no joke. Judging by the other lyrics of the song I see this as been said seriously and a bit nastily. I think of the word joke as something funny, but in this context I think of it as something eerie that the she-wolf would find funny, like a dead animals teeth falling out or something disgusting like that, or maybe a scary clown, or a creepy joker from a pack of cards.

Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy refers to creatures of mythology, particularly werewolves. Werewolves are known as lycanthropes. Basically in this context the word means werewolf. A werewolf, in my eyes, has the stereotypical look. Brown or grey long fur, Wolf's head, sharp teeth, mad eyes. They are half human, half wolf.

Disguise
This word makes me think of the impression that someone or something is disguising their true self because if people knew their real selves they would either be in trouble or be hated for it. To reflect this idea in the video I need to notify WHY they are in disguise-the fact that they are a secret she-wolf is the reason because if people knew the truth they would be scared or hate them. To reflect the disguise theme I could use shadowed lighting as it could create the impression that they are hiding away in the shadows. I could also use things to hide behind such as veils, trees and objects. A wolf mask is also an element of disguise, as the audience will know it is a mask but the aim of it is to create the image of the she-wolf.

She-Wolf
When I hear this word I think of a female supernatural creature, a werewolf.
A female werewolf, in my opinion should have neat, soft, long grey fur-basically just a typical wolf's head. It could maybe have long hair and wear girl's clothes, to show it is definitely a female. It could also maybe have long eye-lashes. The clothes should be long and dress-like and should have many layers. The colours should be purple, a deep purple as this is associated with kings and queens, showing she is classy. It should also include browns and reds as red is a connotation of danger. The outfit could also include some fur as a wolf would have killed other animals and the fur shows off what it has killed and being a female it has turned this into clothes to show off their pride in a stereotypical female way, as most females show pride with clothes. The she-wolf should look menacing, like stereotypical werewolves, but should also be 'classy' like a posh female lady. The combining of these two elements should make the wolf character seem eerie.

Closet
I think the closet in this genre should be creepy and dark. It should include ragged clothes, 'posh' dresses and some fur clothes - the female wolf's wardrobe. It should be small as it gives the impression of been trapped, which links in with the lyrics of not letting the she-wolf out of the closet. The closet is mentioned many times and should be a key icon in the video.

Moon
In this genre the moon should be full - a stereotypical horror movie style moon. It could be obscured slightly from view using mist and branches from trees which is iconic to horror movies which fits well as the narrative of the story is based on a horror style. I have the idea of using a disco ball (silver) to sometimes portray the moon in a few shots as it cleverly links the theme of horror which is the full moon with the dance music genre. The moon should be a key icon in the music video as it reflects the iconic horror theme which is included in the narrative of the video. It should be featured in a lot of the shots.

Eyes wide-open
The eyes are a key icon of the music video as they can be used to merge beauty with the horror element. I will include close-ups of the eyes in shots: some shots consisting of the eyes made up with light, natural make-up to make them seem beautiful and pure, and others with dark make-up to make them seem menacing. In the shots of the eyes with the light make-up the eyes should blink a few times showing long eye-lashes as this will add a flirty/sexy feel to the video which fits in with the beauty element. In the shots of the eyes with the dark make-up they should be staring and 'wild' like a wolf hunting it's prey as this fits with the narrative. I could also include some shots of the eyes of the she-wolf's 'prey' ( a male ) looking scared after showing shots of the she-wolf's 'hunting, menacing' eyes as this will link the two characters and portray the narrative.

The lyrics also state that the moon is her teacher and she is it's student. I could reflect this in an obvious way by showing shots of her sat at a desk writing work and looking up to the moon or subtly by showing her looking up to the moon occasionally.

Craving
In this context the she-wolf is craving prey i.e. the woman is craving a man. I could perhaps portray this by showing her hungry expressions when watching her 'prey' (males) at a bar/in a forest (she-wolf) and also emphasise the fact that she is trapped by shooting a lot of shots of her enclosed in the closet and maybe even in a cage with bars. I could show her fighting desperatley to escape the bars as she is craving a lot.

Devoting
In this context the she-wolf ( woman ) is devoting herself to her partner so I could reflect this by showing her stood with her partner, reflecting that she belongs to him and is been devoted. I could show various men walking past circling the couple and her stood firmly next to her parner showing she is been devoted and not going to stray.

Retribution
The definition of retribution states:
1. Something justly deserved; recompense.
2. Something given or demanded in repayment, especially punishment.
3. Theology Punishment or reward distributed in a future life based on performance in this one.

In this context it could either mean she deserves her prey (the she-wolf deserves men), she is given her prey as a repayment for been devoted or she is been punished in the form of not been allowed prey and has to stay with her partner as a punishment.

Incentives
The definition for this is: 'A positive motivational influence'
In this context perhaps the prey is the motivational influence as the she-wolf would be motivated to capture her prey. To show her motivated I could show her ready to pounce on her prey as she is motivated to capture the prey, so as a human she could be shown flirting with a man ready to 'pounce' (make her move).

- In the lyrics she states she is not getting enough retributions or incentives to keep her 'at it'. So therefore she is not getting enough positive motivational influences or repayment to keep her interested in her partner.

Breathe
In this context the word 'breathe' is reflected to mean she needs some time alone in her relationship with her partner. Letting her out so she can breathe can be seen as her going out clubbing or to a bar as a human and as a she wolf it can be seen as her roaming free running through land hunting for prey. In the video I could use images of her as a human in a bar dancing or running through the bar and then cut to shots of her running as the she wolf (with the wolf mask on) running through land. The word breathe could also be used to actually show her breathing in and out. I could emphasise this because animals (she wolf) breathe faster than humans and if she has been hunting she will be out of breath after running to hunt her prey.

Nocturnal creatures
This emphasises the fact that the she wolf is a creature and goes hunting at night. This is portrayed throughout the video as she is shown hunting at night. Her prey could also be seen as creatures as they are out at a night time for her to hunt. With this ideology of linking creatures to humans the men she hunts are seen as creatures. I could show the men as creatures by showing them wearing various animal masks, animals that wolves hunt.

Prudent
Prudent means careful and sensible so therefore she is stating that she as a she wolf is not sensible and careful and likes the danger and risks of hunting, animals in the animal context and men in the human context. In relating to the men she is hunting it is stating that they are not sensible or careful and therefore fall into her trap and are easy prey; like small animals who get trapped by a wolf as they are not careful enough. I could reflect this in the video using shots of the creatures/men she is hunting getting caught by her and walking towards her as if they are drawn in by her.

The rest of the lyrics I have highlighted all fit together to create an idea of her being bad by cheating on her partner in the human context and hunting prey in the she wolf context. She is reflected to enjoy this by the lyrics so I could show her in the arms of a man looking happy and dancing in front of him and in the she wolf context I could show her with her caught prey.