Mock-up of album covers

In order to gain understanding first hand of what a album cover needs to include and convey, as part of the research process it was advised to create a mock version of an album cover for our song that will be also be promoted via a music video.

As I want to convey the star persona of 'Alice' as well as the emotion and natural feel to the song, my idea for an album cover would need to reflect this in order to achieve maximum profit. Due to this, for my mock, I found an image of Ellie Goulding (the current artist whose most like my artist 'Alice) sitting in a field, which is loosely based around my idea for both the video and the album cover.

As you can see, this is my starting point. I decided to use neutral colours for the text in order to compliment the neutrality of the image and colours within in, such as the white and brown/green of the grass. I also chose to use a font which shows the feminity of 'Alice' (enhanced by the use of pink as well), but also indicates the mature aspect that this artist has. However, the word 'Numb' isn't as readable in the place it is in now so it is advisable that I move it, whilst the word 'Alice' is on the wrong side of the cover for easy read purposes. In addition to this, the sizing of the cover isn't the right size and so that needs to be edited for authencitiy.

This is the next stage of my mock version of my album cover. As you can see, I have resized the image so it now looks more like an album cover. In addition to this, there is now a larger space at the top of the image, making the image itself look like it continues up into the sky, creating a more asethitc effect. I also looked at moving the text 'Numb' and 'Alice' around into a more appealing place, however the front cover still doesn't look right.

In this version, I have moved the text 'Numb' into the bottom right corner due to the fact that as a reader you read left to right. As this text wasn't as obvious in the pinker colour, I changed it into a grey, still following the netural theme but in a more eye-catching way. I also changed the font itself of the word 'Numb' in another attempt to make it stand-out against the background. On the down side, Ellie herself in not in the centre of the album cover and so makes the album cover itself look almost too heavy on one side.

This is my final mock album cover. Each bit of text is large enough to catch the eye, whilst the colours, although convey the netural theme of the image, also stand out in their various places. However, the image itself is still not central and so the front cover doesn't look right. Unfortunately the image itself is only as big as the canvas size and so wasn't able to move over into a more centralised position. In the future I need to consider this so that my final piece is much better.

Biography for Alice.

Rising to fame through a lucky chance on YouTube, Alice is already set to conquer the world with her delectable soft pop music that has taken Britain by storm. With her music being congratulated at being down-to-earth yet still managing to maintain pop roots, whilst being described as the rival to Ellie Goulding, Alice is transcending the genres to make a new wave of music reflecting emotion in a way that it hasn't been reflected before.

After being discovered by Usher on Youtube in 2011, Alice was transported into a world of fame that was enhanced by the release of her debut album 'Numb', when it charted at Number 1 in November 2011. With a mixture of both her own music and timeless classics reworked for a present day audience, the album managed to stay in the top 10 for the next two months, shooting Alice into stardom. With the release of her debut single 'Songbird', a cover of the classic Fleetwood Mac's song from the emotional album 'Rumours', it seemed certain that Alice was going for worldwide domination, as it climbed the chart to be crowned number one at the beginning of December 2011.

"It's all so overwhelming, this amount of attention that I am now recieving for something that I have always loved to do" claimed Alice after recieving the news that both her album and debut single were so successful, "but I won't let all this attention get to my head. It's all about the music, always has been and always will be." It is for this that Alice is as well know as she is in short space of time. With her down-to-earth attitude that is reflected in her music, Alice became a hit not only in the UK but also around the world, bringing with her much critical success.

Alice's love for music spanned from childhood as from a young age her talents for singing and eventually playing and writing music were encouraged not only by her family but also from friends, teachers and even local people when she performed at the local talent shows. "Music has always been there for me, it just seemed natural for me to sing and perform, and without even thinking about it I grew to be such a big part of me. I couldn't imagine a life without this talent of mine... what would I even do with myself?!"

To follow Alice on Facebook click on the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alice/222226441200023#!/pages/Alice/222226441200023?sk=info

Reflective analysis on biographies

From looking at both the Fleetwood Mac and Ellie Goulding biographies, it would seem that in order to gain the most from producing one, an artist would have to make them as informative as possible in order to gain the readers interest. However, as my artist is a newer one who is still producing music, the emphasis should be more on the inspiration behind the music and why they became interested in the area, rather than giving a history of the artist.

In order to make my biography as engaging as possible, it should have a more personalised feel to it, like Ellie Goulding's one has, for example by including direct quotes from the artist, and should be slightly more informal in order to appeal to the right audience.

It has to be concluded that a web presence in the form of a social networking site or music sharing is a necessity in today's society for the promotion of music. With this age being the age of technological advancement, it is therefore unsurprising that in order to become the best within the music industry any form of web presence is acceptable as this appeals to the audience, especially within the younger audiences that my artist would appeal to. Therefore, in order to make the most out of producing a music video, I would also need to make a web presence for added promotion.

Analysis of biographies: Ellie Goulding

As my artist is loosely based upon this artist, being a young female with the softer pop edge to her, makes Ellie Goulding an obvious choice of artist to analyse.


Being unable to get onto the official UK website for Ellie Goulding's about page, I instead clicked onto the USA version as it should have similar information and mode of address as the UK version would. This biography is automatically different from the Fleetwood Mac biography, as it initially talks about the music itself and the influences and emotions behind it. In addition to this, the first couple of paragraphs provide quotes from Ellie herself, making the biography have a more personalised feel on behalf of Ellie and engaging the readers more as they feel that the artist herself has had a direct impact on the biography.


As this information is in fact for an American audience, there is a sense that the information provided is more informative in regards to the reasons behind each song, then there would have been on the UK site, as this version has, due to the fact Ellie is an English import to the music world in America, and so there would be a slightly larger interest in her.


Like the Fleetwood Mac biography, there is also a mass amount of more personal information all leading up to how Ellie became involved in the music business. However as Ellie is a newer and less established act that is still creating music, there isn't the sense within this biography that it is a history of the artist, like there is within the Fleetwood Mac one. This biography focuses more on the reasons why Ellie wanted to be a singer, rather than the ups and downs during her career.

In regards to the mode of address, the is a more informal approach that makes the reader feel more included, aided for example by the direct quotes from the artist herself. Ellie is still trying to gain fans and so by making her biography more informal and friendly then there is more chance of her bringing in more fans whilst also avoiding alienating her existing ones.


Link to the US official Ellie Goulding biography: http://us.elliegoulding.com/bio/default.aspx


In addition to her official sites, Ellie also has Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Youtube pages to name but a few, showing her to have also embraced digital technology as the newest way to provide information. These pages all appeal to the audience that Ellie has and so by promoting her music through these means, would hopefully create new fans. It seems that in today's society, it is the use of technology that aids the creation of new fans, just as much as the music itself.




Link to Ellie Goulding's official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/elliegoulding
Link to Ellie Goulding's official Cherrytree Blog:http://www.cherrytreerecords.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0522kzyf5j4ux

Analysis of biographies: Fleetwood Mac

As this band is an older and more established group, the biography is written in such a way that it reflects the more sophisticated aspect of the band whilst also appealing to the true fans of the group.

The content provided is very informative, giving very specific detail as to the ins and outs of the forever evolving band, including information regarding each member’s solo attempts. This information would be sought after by the Fleetwood Mac fans, both the present day fans that like
classic rock and those who were fans from the very beginning. In this respect, the biography would have to be informative for a number of reasons. Firstly this sort of information wouldn’t have been present with the easy access that it is present nowadays with the use of Internet and other forms of media. Additionally, as the band is no longer formed, a history of the band will be desirable for those who were original fans of the group for a more nostalgic feel.

In regards to the mode of address, the language used reflects the audience that would want to read this, whilst also engaging the reader in such a way that they feel the need to continue reading. Although not creating this idea that the reader and content are in the position of 'friends', as this is a convention that is predominant in younger and different genres, the article does present this sort of established position of informative. In essence this is the reason why the article is there, it is not to gain a larger audience, but to inform the existing on the history of the band they have a passion for.

Link to the official bands biography: http://www.fleetwoodmac.com/content/band-bio

Additionally, the band also possess a Facebook, Twitter and MySpace page, embracing the age of digital technology, whilst also encouraging younger people to become fans of the band. For me, this is quite surprising as I believed that as they are no longer producing music as a band, they would not have created these pages as there was little need for them. However, it seems that in this day and age, even disbanded groups follow the digitally technological crave in order to re-promote their old music as well as their new solo stuff. Yet, in regards to these pages, it has to be considered if they are really created by the group or by fans impersonating them.

Link to the official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/fleetwoodmacworld

Link to the official Twitter page: http://twitter.com/#!/nickslive

Link to the official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FleetwoodMac

Reflective analysis: Analysis of music video's and album covers

After analysing both music videos linked to my initial idea and the album covers to promote this, I have established that although using a classic soft rock song as my basis, in order to achieve a video such as the 'Your Song' video, in the terms of the natural and normal feel that the video produces and the artist is promoted by, I would need to convey to some of the pop video conventions. However, my video will have to include the rock video conventions as seen in both 'Little Lies' and 'Call Me'. Realistically, the video 'Call Me' is the best one to convey this idea as the video although being classified as rock, it does include some of the conventions of a pop video, allowing it to attract an audience across a larger area, hence making more money for the artist and label. In addition to this, I chose to use an older song that could be re-established for today's audience, like that of 'Your Song' which was originally a song by Elton John, yet was re-established for current society.

In regards to the album cover, the same sort of terms would apply. However, as both the 'Rumours' and 'Your Song' album covers are relatively similar, it wouldn't be too difficult to bridge the gap between classic rock and pop. At this present moment in time, I would want an image that also reflects the music video that I would have created, like the second album cover of 'Your Song' and so I would follow that sort of line.

Home Videos

The concept of a home video is one that has been with society from the 1980s with the introduction of the Sony Betamovie BMC-100p for consumer consumption in 1982. As technology has advanced, so has the size and quality of the camcorder to eventually lead to present day where video cameras are present in mobile phones, making them more accessible for the public.

However, home videos provide a chance to record history and therefore have a strong nostalgic feel to them. The ability to record important moments and later reflect on them has to be one of the strongest reasons as to the popularity of home recording. The nostalgia that is created is therefore a major influence within my own music video.

Additionally, many videos and adverts use this concept of a 'home video' in their own work. Ellie Goulding's 'Your Song' is one example however others such as Paul Weller's 'You Do Something To Me' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM1rSTOs7Zs&ob=av2n), Lana Del Ray's 'Video Games' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE6wxDqdOV0&ob=av2e) and the advert for L'Eau de Chloe fragrance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3z-AXuB2Pg&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLCE3D3FB4892C594B) also include many shots which the feel of being part of a home video. The slightly grainy and shaky feel to these shots are indicators as to this quality, whilst it enhances the sense of voyeurism within the video.

(Examples of the concept of video within three extracts)

Your Song Album Cover analysis

As this song is the biggest influence on my video, it seems right that I analyse the album cover as well.

This was the album cover that was released with the song. It has quite a polished feel to it, that slightly contradicts with the video, however links with the cover for the album 'Lights' which this song comes from, as they are both very similar.

The use of gold and yellow within this cover, indicate this polished feel and give Ellie a more high profile image, that isn't seen particularly within the video, yet this is the image given on the 'Lights' album cover.

Many similar features are on this cover, as they are on the 'Lights' one, such as the light spots that are present and the use of almost lit font.

However, another album cover was also used, one which is more reflective of the video. This cover has the some sort of 'home' feel to it as the video does, with the same sort of colours and effects. It has a more natural feel it, something which was conveyed within the video itself. By having the colours slightly washed out as they are, also indicates this sense of natural. Even the fonts used, reflect the image Ellie created in the video.

Rumours Album Cover analysis.

As part of this years coursework, we also have to make a album cover for our song. In order to follow the conventions of the genre and the song, it is required that we analyise ones in realtion to our song. The first cover is the 'Rumours' album by Fleetwood Mac, from which my choice of song comes from.


This cover is very simplistic, featuring only two characters on a plain, off-white background. The composition of the image reinforces the title of the album as it is as if the characters are conveying rumours to each other and then by having one of the characters facing the viewer, as if they are then conveying the rumour to us.


The use of black, highlights the mournful meaning behind the creation of the album, yet also makes the characters stand out against the off-white background. Yet despite the fact that this album is about the falling apart of Fleetwood Mac, by having the female member having her leg over the male member also indicates some sort of together-ness which the listeners of Fleetwood Mac would crave for.


The caliagraphic style of font suggests a sophistication that the band has, as it was a well established band by this point in time.

Blondie 'Call Me' video analysis

The video 'Call Me' by Blondie contains both elements of the rock genre and the 'Your Song' video which makes it a prime example to be analysed. Released in 1980, it also fits into the time period that Fleetwood Mac would have been around.

In relation to the rock genres conventions, this video shows many shots of Blondie in a live performance, something which is present in every rock video from this time period. This is similar to the 'Little Lies' video with the members of the band playing their instruments. This rock influence is also shown through her clothing and actions, suggesting at a playful yet slightly edgy character.

However, this video also creates the 'home video' feel to it, especially in regards to the scenes of Blondie at the beach. The camera is constantly focused on Blondie and she plays to the camera in the same way that Ellie Goulding in the 'Your Song' video does. However, unlike the 'Your Song' video there is not the presence of the special effect that creates the grainy sort of quality that makes the video have that more 'home' feel to it. Yet the 'Call Me' video does use the same sort of informal settings that are present in the 'Your Song' video making it more relatable to the viewer.

In relation to this 'home video' style, the sense of voyeurism is also present within this video, as the camera is constantly watching Blondie, be it during the live performance or the more informal scenes, highlighting one of Goodwin's theories. This sense of voyeurism coupled with 'home video' feel makes the viewer feel like they have been granted access to view Blondie in a normal day, making them feel special and included thus making them more likely to buy and support Blondie in the future.

In various places some action is slowed down to emphasises what is happening. Actions such as Blondie taking off her t-shirt to reveal a swimsuit, are slowed down to add that attractive appeal that videos use to aid sales, and so by slowing down that movement, the fact that Blondie is taking of an item of clothing is enhanced even more. However, there are also some actions of Blondie on stage at a live performance that are also slowed down slightly, enhancing the more playful, party type character that she is and what sort of performer she is, making the viewers want to go and see her live.

Various words are placed upon the screen throughout the video, amplifying the lyrics being sung. In doing this, the video shows an importance for each word, whilst also conforming to Goodwin's idea of the link between lyrics and the visuals.

The use of the close-up is also another prominent feature within the music video, enabling the establishment of a star persona, for example the close-up of Blondie sticking her tongue out at the camera indicates a playful person. This star persona is also enhanced by the clothing and actions performed by Blondie as already discussed.

To conclude, the 'Call Me' video contains elements of both of the other videos I have analysed. Firstly, the conventions of a rock video are fulfilled as around half of the video is of live footage, whilst her actions and clothing convey that of a 'edgy' character. This 'edgy' character is put into Blondie's star persona, which is also enhanced by the use of close up and slow motion. Voyeurism is also present within this video, making the viewer feel included by Blondie.

Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies video analysis

In the 1980s, a period that saw a huge increase in the number of music videos being produced thanks to the creation of MTV in 1981, Fleetwood Mac began to produce music videos for their new album 'Tango in the Night', the last album to be recorded by the 'Rumours' lie-up of which 'Songbird' was from. This video of 'Little Lies' enhances the genre of rock but with country influence that is present throughout all of Fleetwood Mac's music.

Firstly, the video features many shots of the band playing the music within the scene, a feature that is common within rock videos, with many from the period being video's shot from a live show- a feature that is still common today. However, by placing the band in a barn, whilst using many typical props of a country life such as hay barrels and a horse, emphasises the country influences the music has. To add to this, the costumes each member of the band are wearing also represent this sense of country influence, whilst having enough of an edge to it that represents the rock genre as well.

There are many close-ups of each band member within this video, a typical convention of any genre of music video, whilst also proving Goodwin's idea's about music videos. These close-ups convey the emotion on each of the band members faces in relation to the song being played. However, these close-ups also draw the viewer into the video and each member of the band, making then feel the need to stick with the video til the end and then with the band. These close-ups also convey the sense of star persona for the band, another of Goodwin's ideas.

This video uses a lot of post-production editing in the sense that many shots are changed from 'normal' into what can be considered as a cartoon style in black and white, like that in the A-Ha's video 'Take on Me'. This post-production edit is used continuously throughout the video in varying moments, providing an interest point for the video as it differs to what is conventionally done in rock videos, whilst also emphasising the country feel the video portrays. To add to this, the post-production editing also indicates a older feel, like time is passing on, something which is reflected in the lyrics.

Goodwin's idea of the relationship between the music and visuals is very prominent within the video. Many edits happen on the beat and in regards to the lyrics, for example the use of jump cuts on the line "Tell me, tell me, tell me lies". To add to this, the link between the lyrics and visuals is also present such as the line "No more broken hearts" is coupled with a shot of one of the members of the band clutching his guitar towards his chest in a protective manner. These two points prove that Goodwin's idea's are present within any music video regardless of the conventions of the genre.

The convention of voyeurism is also very prominent within this video with many shots being tracking shots following the members of the band around the setting. A good example of this is when the camera follows the band members through the slates of a wooden barn wall. This enhances the feeling that the viewer is following the band in quite a secretive way, suggesting that they are true fans of the band. To enhance this even more, this shot is coupled with many jump cuts that also change each member. Although jump cuts are meant to disorientate the viewer, the use within this shot, and in fact within the video, makes the viewer feel closer to the band as they constantly cut to other members of the band. In addition to this, shots of each member are faded in and out of the scene, which on one level emphasises the point above, but also reflects the songs message.

To conclude, this video conforms to the typical rock video conventions such as the shots of the band playing together and separately. These are added to by the presence of some of Goodwin's ideas such as the enhanced sense of voyeurism and the link between lyrics, music and visuals. The use of editing both in the sense of cuts and special effects, adds to the video as it reflects both the genre of the song and the meaning behind the lyrics.

Ellie Goulding 'Your Song' video analysis

I have decided to create a music video for Fleetwood Mac's song 'Songbird', as by having no original video, ideas are more open to inspiration and I am not tempted to essentially follow what has already been created before me.

'Your Song' by Ellie Goulding is one of the biggest inspirations for my own video, as I plan to follow the same sort of concept but with a slightly larger focus on the more emotional aspects of the song. However, this video is of a different genre to 'Songbird' as it is pop, means that it caters to other genre conventions than a Fleetwood Mac video would.

This video contains many element of Goodwins thesis on music videos, such as the consistent use of the Close-Up, whilst conveying the emotions on the artists face in relation to the lyrics of the song, also emphasises the concept of the 'star persona' that Ellie Goulding is creating. Within this video, she presents to the audience this idea that she is a pop singer with this softer, emotional and 'normal' side to her. She doesn't need to have a high concept video full of major performance in order to get herself noticed in the music scene and it is in this aspect that Ellie Goulding can set herself away from the mainstream pop. This idea of a highly dramatised video that is very popular amongst current mainstream music would also not work very well in relation to the song itself and so allows the song and video to coincide effectively. This more natural effect of the artist created is also presented to the viewer by the everyday clothing and informal settings that are easily associable to the audience, such as a train. To add to this, close-ups of various objects such as a train ticket and leaves on the ground, whilst also flicking between high-key and natural lighting, enhances this representation of 'normal' in regards to Goulding.

A sense of voyeurism (a concept devised by Foucault) is very strong within this video, with the concept of a home video being at the forefront of her video. The video follows Goulding with cinematic concepts such as hand-held camera being used to make this sense of voyeurism seem more real to the viewer. Added to this is the use of soft focus and depth of focus which not only enhances the emotion being portrayed but also contributes to this idea of the 'Your Song' video being created along the lines of a home video.

There are elements of linking the lyrics with the visuals in regards to the lines "I'd buy a big house where we both could live" in which the shot is of Ellie and a male character in a house playing a piano, a difference to the earlier shots of her being outside. In addition to this evidence is the line "I'm not one of those who can easily hide" in which Ellie is in full show, contradicting with the line sung.

The link between the music and visuals is another element of Goodwin's theory that is present within the 'Your Song' video, especially in terms of the editing. Most edits occur on the beat of the music, making the video flow seamlessly and whilst also making the change in edits less obvious for the viewer.

This video does converse to some of the typical pop conventions, such as the artist shot in close-ups whilst singing towards the camera, whilst also conforming to most of Goodwin's ideas about music videos. However, by presenting the artist in a more natural and realistic light, whilst also using different styles of camera work such as the consistent fade and hand-held camera, contradicts with some of the pop video conventions.

Inital analysis of music videos

To gain a basic understanding of Andrew Goodwin's theory, I analysed two music videos following the direction of a sheet. By being in this format, I am able to see the features of Goodwin's theory clearly in the music video and so will allow me to analyse videos relevant to my own successfully.

Analysis of music videos- Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin created a theory in relation to the analysis of music videos. His idea focused on 5 aspects which are:

• The link between both the lyrics and music to the visuals
• The narrative and performance in the video (including genre indicators)
• The creation of the star persona (including Notion of Looking/ voyeurism)
• Intertexual references
• Technical aspects (including Notion of Looking/ voyeurism, close-up's etc
  

Lyrics and the visuals: Goodwin claims that the images seen in the music video will either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyric being sung. In simpler terms, Goodwin suggests that the visuals will either indicate the lyric being sung through images that support both the lyric and the genre (the most common within music videos); repeat and highlight the imortance of the a certain lyric or completely ignore/ go against what the lyric is saying.

Narrative and performance: Each genre of music and therefore video has its own musical style and iconography which allows the audience to differentiate between the genres. In addition to this, Goodwin believes that the song fails to give its audience a full understanding of the meaing, leaving it down to the audience to make up the rest. The music video therefore should ignore common narrative (important for the role of advertising) whislt also providing repeatable moments and having a strong performance to engage the audience, in order to both tell the meaning of the song (in some cases) and leave it for the audience to decide on.

Star persona: A music video will create an artist image and over time this image is developed to being a major part of an artist. This creates a selling point that the industry requires in order to make the artist successful. In regards to female artists, this star persona is also created through the enhanced sexuality that is created through the performance and camera work.

Intertextual references: Music videos reference other media texts e.g. films, TV shows, other music videos etc in order to make video more interesting for the audience and keep them engaged.

Technical aspects: A common feature of music videos, according to Goodwin, is the constant use of close-up's on the artist that draw the audience in and creates a personal connection with the audience as the artist is looking right at them. In additon to this, through the use of panning and close-up's on certain body parts, the Notion of Looking is created to add sexuality especially in regards to female artists. This is used to provide another selling point for the artist as it atracts male fans.

These points combine to successfully aid in the analysis on music videos, as these points are present in every music video.

A brief history of the music video

Click on the below link to view a brief history of the music video.

http://prezi.com/ebc2dhupidj5/a-brief-history-of-the-music-video/

The purpose of a music video

The music video is a common feature within current society. They have many functions as seen by the following:

- Promote the song

- Promote the artist

- Raise the profile of the artist

- Promote the album

- Entertain the audience

- Generate an emotional response from the audience/ make a connection

- Exemplify/ contradict with the lyrics of a song

- Create a star persona

- Expand the artists media platform

The first four points in the above list are the most important aspects of the music video. When releasing a music video, the record label is trying to generate as much interest in the artist as possible in order to promote sales in both the single and accompanying album. Therefore main function of a music video is to provide the audience with as much enjoyment as possible so that they buy the single. As the videos aim is to essentially sell the artist, a music video is therefore unlike a film despite its linking characteristics.

Music videos always cause controversy as they promote the sexuality of artists; females in particular and the format contains slightly controversial codes and conventions. Music videos allow artists to express their own thoughts which again could lead to some controversy. Music videos are a genre within their own right as audiences feel like they are watching a media product and are aware of it.