Research and Analysis - McFly Digipak

 Front cover

The front cover of the digipak shows all four band members in TV screens. Dougie at the top centre TV screen, Tom in the middle left TV screen, Harry in the middle right box and Danny in the bottom centre. The band name and album in the middle centre. The fact that the band members pictures are on the cover may bring in more potential purchases because some people may not recognise the band name but may recognise the band members. Therefore if they see the band on the front of the album they be may more likely to buy the album.  The fact that the band name and album title is in the centre of the cover is effective, because when on the shelves in a store, it is the first thing that will attract the customer. Therefore if someone is looking for the McFly album, it will make it easy to spot. It will also be effective because if someone is just browsing it will attract their attention because of the large bold font in the centre. The TV screens all show a black and white photo with a green tint to them. This colour scheme is used throughout the digipak. The colour scheme along side the grill mic give a retro feel to the digipak. However the colour scheme matches that of the title 'Radio Active', the green glow gives the feel of the album actually being radio active.

Inside

The inside of the digipak matches the colour scheme of the front cover. The grill mics are also once again seen on the inside of the digipak, once again giving the album a retro feel. This album comes with a DVD showing the making of the album as well as the promotion of the album. The fact that the album comes with a DVD could result in the sale of the album increasing, as people may feel they are getting more for their money, and therefore maybe more likely to buy the album. The album and DVD both follow the same theme, however they are contrasting. The CD has a black grill mic on a green background with black text however the DVD has a green grill mic on a black background with green text. This shows that they are still connected even though they are different media formats.The inside of the digipak also comes with a pouch, where the tour dates for the Radio Active tour is kept and a booklet containing lyrics, pictures and messages from the band members.

The Booklet

The front of the booklet fits into the theme of the rest of the digipak, as it has the black grill mic on the cover, and there is the green background as well as the zigzag lines which can be found on the inside of the digipak. The cover also has the band name and album title on the booklet cover. However rather being in black like on the front of the cover of the digipak, it is in black, the font of the text is still the same as that on the cover of the digipak. The booklet consists of lyrics, pictures and personal messages from the band members. The theme of the booklet is kept the same throughout and this matches the rest of the digipak, as the green glow and retro feel is present throughout. This booklet makes the audience feel close to the band, as there are personal thank you messages from each band member. Also the way the booklet it set out gives it a personal fell. For example, the way the lyrics are put into the booklet, make it look like the band members have written the lyrics into the booklet themselves. It gives it the personal feel because it has words crossed out, and arrows going between the verses and there are notes written around the lyrics. Also on the pictures surrounding the lyrics there are doodles, which look as if the band members have drawn them on, this all adds to the personal feeling the album brings to the audience.  The pictures within the booklet also give the audience an incite of what it is like be within McFly, once again adding a personal touch to the album. Majority of the pictures within the booklet look to be pictures from a holiday the band went on together whilst recording the album, as most of the pictures, show the band members joking around with each other around a campfire and on the beach. Only a few of the pictures look to be as if they are done on a photo shoot  This allows the audience to see the band members personality come out through pictures which fans don't often get access to. Therefore makes the audience feel personally connected to the band as they gain an incite into life within the band.

The personal thank you messages from each one of the band members are at the back of the booklet. Each band member has a double page spread, one page for their photo and the other for their thank you message. The message is person from each band member there this once again brings out their personality, as each band member has a different approach to their thank you message, even though they are basically saying the same thing. Each band members takes their time to thank their fans, this is personal to the fans as it makes them feel as if they have played a part in McFly's success.

Outside 

The outside of the digipak, once again follows the colour scheme of the black and the green glow. The track list is in a TV screen just like the images on the cover of the digipak. Underneath the track list there is also a section which shows what is on the DVD which comes with the digipak. The TV which the listings are shown on is a old styled TV, which once again adds to the retro feeling which is trying to be created. The digipak also consists of a picture panel, which when the digipak is folded up, covers the CD and DVD. this picture panel shows all four band members stood against a wall, this time in a choreographed way, compared to the pictures within the booklet. The band name is clearly displayed at the top of the picture panel in a bold black text with a green glow round the outside once again fitting into the theme throughout the rest of the digipak. The grill mic is also in the top corners of the picture panel along side the staggered lines across the picture which add to the retro feel of the panel. The positioning of the band members on the picture panel, show Tom, the lead singer stood slightly in front of the other three band members, he is also looking directly into the camera, whereas the other band members are looking away from the camera. The positioning of the mid shot, makes Tom stand out in comparison to the other band members, however it does not totally cast the the others out completely, they are still in focus and central of the image. The body language of the band members is relaxed, all four of the members have their hands in their pockets and stood quite slouched. This represents them as relaxed and that they don't take themselves too seriously, which is an image they portray when taking part in interviews of TV promotion, which supports Dyer's theory of stardom, that the image of a star is represented through different media.

Font

Throughout the digipak, a simple text is used. This makes it easy for the audience to read. However to make the font more interesting throughout the digipak a glow effect has been added. This glow compliments the images and the theme of the digipak well. Throughout the digipak font in central of the panels. This means it easily grabs the attention of the audience.

Research & Analysis - Beyonce - Love On Top

Beyoncé – Love on Top

More PowerPoint presentations from LauraJo

Research & Analysis - Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

The music video for Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans, starts with a high angle shot of water rippling, as the shot goes on, Lana Del Rey's becomes more visible to the audience, however it is rippling like the water, so it gives the audience the impression that she is underneath the water looking up to the camera. This shot lasts 30 seconds before a straight cut to a plane black screen, which then cuts to show a close up of a tattooed man smoking. 

A straight cut then shows the same man still smoking, but the location is now established using a low angle long shot of the man stood around a pool which looks to be in a private location such as a home or a villa. 

A straight cut then goes to show a close up Lana Del Rey lying down with her eyes closed. The close up allows the audience to see water reflections across her face, allowing the audience to understand that she is lying under the water. Towards the end of the 2 second shot, Lana Del Rey's eyes open, which at this point there is another straight cut which shows the sky, the fact that palm trees are in the shot as
well as the sun establishes a warm location.











Another straight cut continues to show Lana Del Rey lying down with water reflections on her face like the previous shot, however this shot is a mid shot in comparison to the close up. This shot establishes that she could possibly be lying at the bottom of the pool that was shown at the start of the video. This allows the audience to make the connection between this shot and the previous shot, and it also allows them to make the possible relationship link between Lana Del Rey and the tattooed man at the start of the music video. During this part of the music video Lana Del Rey begins to lip sync to the song.  The relationship between Lana Del Rey and the tattooed man is established even further, as there are a number of straight cuts between the two. A number of the shots appear distorted to the audience. The shot shows the tattooed male to look distorted as the shot shows ripples going across the male, this gives the impression that someone is looking up at him from the pool he is stood round. A shot then shows the man taking his top off around the pool, this is shown through the use of a low angle mid shot, there is then a straight cut to a low angle close up which once again looks distorted, this shot is showing the man continuing to take his shirt off. This once again allows the audience to make links between the Lana Del Rey and the male, in order to establish a relationship between them.

  The relationship between the two is once again established further through the use of a shot which shows Lana Del Rey actually watching the male. However rather from within the water, which is expected by the audience it is what looks to be a window. The reflection of the rippling water is still key within this shot, as both Lana Del Rey are slightly distorted by the reflection.

A straight cut then goes back to showing the male getting undressed, the shot uses the distorted low angle, creating the feeling he is being watched again from underneath the water. Another straight cut then shows Lana Del Rey lying down lip syncing, once again with the water reflection across her face.

The audience have previously been made familiar with the males tattoos, therefore when the close of a tattooed hand is shown moving it's way up a female body that is wearing a white swim suit which had been seen previously on Lana Del Rey earlier in the video. The audience can make the link between the two features of each character and establish their relationship further.

A straight cut then goes to show the male diving into the pool, this is shown through the use of a high angled shot.

Another straight cut shows Lana Del Rey walking towards the pool, that the male character had just dived into. The camera angle is a low angle, and looks as if something within the water is watching her. A straight cut then goes to show the male within the water looking towards something. It is then made clear to the audience with a number of eye line matches that the male is in fact watching Lana Del Rey

Another straight cut goes to show a crocodile swimming through the pool, as the music video develops, this crocodile is shown to be mimicking the males movements, for example as the male swims forward within the water, so does the crocodile, and the male comes up to the surface of the water, so does the crocodile. These movements and use of shots allow the audience to make a link between the male and the crocodile, and establish that the male is actually being represented as being the crocodile. 

A number of straight cuts show Lana Del Rey and the male swimming towards each other. Which once again is establishing the relationship between the two.













As the two meet in the pool, and begin to kiss, a number of straight cuts show a number of crocadiles swimming around Lana Del Rey as she swims.

After this a straight cut shows a close up of a crocodile, then shot pans up, and before it reaches the top of the crocodile, the shot shows a females legs being wrapped round the crocodile, the audience once again make the connection between Lana Del Rey and the male, as well as the male and the crocodile. 

A number of quick straight cuts, cut between shots lasting roughly one second, of Lana Del Rey and the man kissing, as well as shots of female legs being wrapped around the crocodile. This again establishes the link between the male and the crocodile.

A straight cut then goes to a distorted image of Lana Del Rey, once again looking as if s

he is underneath the water looking up to the camera.

A number of straight cuts go between Lana Del Rey looking as if she is under the water and shots from underneath the water looking as if he is looking down into the water. These shots all look distorted as once again you can see the ripples across both of their faces.

A straight cut to a close up shows the male putting his hand round Lana Del Rey and pushing her down into the water. A number of straight cuts into high angle shots show Lana Del Rey elegantly lying in the water, as the man holds her and they move gracefully through the water.
 

A straight cut low angle shows a distorted shot of Lana Del Rey, looking as if she is looking down into the water. Another straight cut goes to a high angle showing the male with his hand still around Lana Del Rey's neck, slowly moving down into the water, giving the audience then impression that the male has killed Lana Del Rey.  However, at this point Lana Del Rey looks peaceful rather than distressed.

Throughout the video the male character is represented to have control over the female, this supports Laura Mulvey's theory that females are objectified. However this is not due to the way that the female character is acting or dressed. The use of shots make the female look small which represent her as vulnerable and having no control within the relationship. 

Research and Analysis - Robin Thicke - Blurred lines

Robin Thicke - Blurred lines ft T.I. & Pharrell 

Mise en scene

Blurred Lines by laura_jobowler on GoAnimate



The location is the same throughout the whole music video, the cuts between each shot just introduce a new prop or cut between the different artists, depending on who is singing. The location is what seems to be just infront of a pale coloured wall, and the women and artists just dance around and play around with the props. This is a good idea for the location, as the main focus is on the women and artists rather than where the music video is set. It also means that more can be going on within the frame than if set in a busy location such as a city centre or in a location such as a nightclub. 

The props and the way the females as well as the males are dressed throughout support the theory of Dyer. Dyer says 'In order to understand the relationship between the music industry and its audiences, it is important to consider the roles of music stars'  Stars fit in to two key paradoxes, paradox 1 is that the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. This music fits into this paradox, as the two of the males are dressed in an ordinary plain suit, where as Pharrell is dressed in a metallic silver suit, this is the extraordinary part to the males. The females are also dressed extraordinary, as it is not typical that woman within music videos to be dressed in see through suits. However the woman are also ordinary as they have little make-up on which makes them look natural.  The props used within the music video are also extraordinary yet ordinary. The props such as the alcohol watches and  cigarettes are ordinary, where as the taxidermy animals are the extraordinary. These aspects to the music video also link in with the two-step-flow. This is because when one person see's the video, due to the extraordinary parts to the stars, they are likely to tell others about the video. If the person respects the other persons opinion, they are likely to be affected by what they say and therefore view the video for themselves. 

Camera

Throughout the video, the camera stays in once place, and the characters dance around the one location. Throughout the Blurred Lines video, the majority of camera angles are either close up or mid shot. 

 Close ups: Quite a lot of the close up shots are used to show the women within the video. A lot of these close up focus on either their face which mainly showed a bored expression, and often rolling their eyes. This shows the audience that they are not impressed with the way the men within the video are acting. Which is ironic, as the lyrics imply that the men are irresistible to the women. The close ups also focus in on the women's bodies, for example one shot is focused on one of the women's torso as she walks      towards the camera. Meaning audiences view her as an object rather than a person. When the close ups are of the men within the music video, they are often surrounded by females, or looking at a female as she walks past them. This can be seen as being degrading towards women, as the men are treating them as objects rather than people. Within the track there is pharrell sings 'Waho' every five seconds, a number of close up shows Pharrell actually doing this as he dances around 
with the Robin Thicke, T.I and the women. Other close ups are also used to show the men singing, as they sing the men are often shown to be looking at the other men, and carrying out actions such as brushing their hair, dancing with the women, smoking and drinking.                                                                  

Mid Shots: The mid shots are used within this music video to show the men dancing as the women strut and move round the men with props in a seductive manor. This once again presenting women as an object.The mid shots also allow the audience to see that the women are wearing revealing white and transparent clothing, which once again, presents the women as sexual objects. However, these mid shots do allow the audience to see the fun aspect of the music video, as all the characters within the video are dancing round in a silly way, and messing around with props. The mid shots allow the audience to see the characters facial expressions as well as their body language, which throughout the video is relaxed and open, showing the audience that nothing is being taken to seriously, which takes the view away from what people might see as a degrading music video. 

Editing

The edit between each shot is a straight cut. This works well the up beat tempo of the track. Because the location is kept the same throughout the whole of the track, the straight cut just cuts to different characters and different angles, for example at the start of the video there is a straight cut from a close up of Robin Thicke lying down with one of the girls, to a long shot all the artists and men lined up again the wall dancing. Throughout the music video text has been edited into the video of hash tags, These hash tags include #Thicke and #Blurredlines. These Hash tags are used on the social networking site Twitter. The hash tags will allow people to join in on each others conversations about the video. This is a good promotional technique for the track as it will publicise the track world wide within a matter of minutes, and it is a free way of marketing the track. 

Sound

The structure of the track is

• Intro 
• Verse
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• verse
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus 
•  Verse
• Bridge
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Outro

As well as the lyrics being sung there is a part of the track where one of the girls meows into the camera, as well as seeing her do this, the audience also hear it. Apart from this there is no additional dialogue or sound being added into the track. 

Director Research Task - Corin Hardy

Early years of Hardy 

With some school friends Hardy made a number of super 8 films, which saw his friends take the roll of zombies, werewolves and slasher victims. Throughout his teenage years Corin Hardy gained experience in sculpting  props, wardrobe and in the art department on a number of film, TV and theater productions. These productions included the Royal National Ballet's production of 'Dracula' and Columbia pictures 'First Knight'. Hardy studied special effects at Wimbledon School of Art, before going on to make his award- winning stop-motion short film in 2003. 

After this Corin was quickly signed to Academy Films where he has directed a number of music videos for a diverse rand of bands including McFly, Olly Murs, The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro, Paolo Nutini and Keane. 

Hardy's work has often been motivated by his obsession of storybooks, comics monsters and horror films. 

Director research task - Lindy Heyman

Lindy Heymann won 'Best Directorial Debut' at the the British Independent Film Awards with her first feature, which was Showboy. Not only does Heymann have a career in films, which has lead her to being nominated for the Michael Powell Award, for her second feature, Kicks, in 2009. Lindy was also nominated for the Best Newcomer  Award. Lindy Heymann also has had a prolific career in music videos. Heymann has directed over one hundred music videos. Her music video career has meant that Heymann has worked with artists such as Paul McCartney, John Lydon, Sinead O'Connor, David Gray, The Charlatans, Suede, Leftfield, Terry Hall and Faithless. 

Lindy Heymann - concept to consumption. 

Lindy Heymann was given a track to listen to and told it was a Mark Owen track, other than that she was not given much more information. From listening to the track she gained an understanding from the lyrics that it was the end of the world. Therefore she got the image of shooting the video in empty London, however to do this it would have been very expensive, and they did not have the money to do it. Lindy Heymann wrote her treatment and the video commissioner loved Heymann's idea for the track and asked her to come in for a meeting. At this meeting they discussed the  record label's concerns regarding Heymann's idea. The concerns that the record label had were that the video could be too dark, Mark Owen, how was former member of Take That is seen as 'the boy next door' and they wanted to keep the Take That fans onside. After this meeting Heymann met up with Mark Owen and they discussed the video. Mark Owen agreed with the ideas that Lindy had, and he said he wanted to do something different to Take That. However Mark Owen did have a concern,this concern was that the video wasn't dark enough, and he suggested that at the end of the music video there would be a shot of him dead. However, with the video commissioner in the meeting as well as Mark Owen, Lindy Heymann was in a situation where the artist wants to push them self, however the record label don't think it will work for the marketing, and want to the artist to maintain their image, in this case 'the boy next door' image. After this Heymann began to storyboard her idea, then began to film. Heymann already knew she would be using more than one camera unit. 

For example, for the shots of the skyline and the bird. Rather than having a large number or crew waiting for a small number of people to film a bird fly off and return, Heymann set off a small crew of people to film the skyline and the bird, this way other filming could take place at the same time, and the shooting would not be delayed. The video was shot within one small cross section, this meant that there was only one location change, this was to a bar. Altogether the crew spent 14 hours on the music video.