Friday, 20 January 2012
Finalised Font Choice
Title Options For Digipak
We looked at a number of fonts that we thought suited our genre of video and decided on an eroded font. This is following research into other artists product and advertisements of the same genre.
We liked this style font but thought that it looked slightly gothic and so therefore would not be suitable for the opening titles and font for the digipak of our products.
The eroded effect works well with this font however we thought that the lettering was slightly too thick. That made it just seem unsuitable for our video as the song is soft and acoustic, not powerful and bold.
We were thinking of using a white font but this was the only one that was available so we are going to experiment with colour inversion as we do not like the style of this font.
Digipak Rough Plan
Friday, 13 January 2012
Star Image
Plan B
Plan B, real name Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew, started out as an underground grime artist, well known for his explicit, hard-hitting lyrics with disturbing and emotional concepts. “Who Needs Actions When You Got Words”, released in 2006, charted at number 30 and gained five star reviews despite his controversial lyrics. The album gained Plan B a ‘hard man’ status due to the anger expressed in his music concerning personal experiences expressing his troubled life as a child. He witnessed many criminal activities growing up in East London and this was reflected in his music. It acted as escapism to steer him clear of the trouble he could easily be caught up in.
His recent concept album “The Defamation Of Strickland Banks” has seen him mature, and experiment with acoustic and soul genres. This narrative album stormed into the charts straight at the number 1 spot. Along with the change in genre, he also changed his image. Plan B became a well-groomed male, well known for wearing a grey suit and black shirt. His smoother image saw a drastic change from the scruffy tracksuit-wearing boy he had once been. 
Well rounded and exceptionally talented, Plan B is a rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and film director. His recent image transformation made him a prominent force in the industry and ensured he was taken seriously. This saw him land roles in popular films such as ‘Adulthood’ ‘Harry Brown’ and “4.3.2.1”. He was heavily involved and took an interest in the directing role, which helped him to feature some of his music on the official soundtrack such as ‘End in the Streets’, ‘On It 08’ and ‘I Need Love’.
Ben Drew has recently expanded on his first full length film 'Ill Manors'. The narrative is narrated by the soundtrack; 'The Defamation Of Strickland Banks'. The film explores six short stories that are all interconnected. Its a hip-hop music based feature film that further confirms Plan B's talent and star quality.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTHv4F0XcuA&feature=related. In 2011 he won Best British Male at the Brit Awards, further confirmation of his talent.
Plan B's success has been aided by his music and appearances in advertising. He has featured as part of Packards laptop campaign which featured a UK cinema shown film of him recording his album.
Ben Drew also appeared in Bulmers cider advertisement that featured a live performance by Plan B.Jordan Griffin
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Advert Analysis
You Me At Six’s advertisements and posters also echo their newly found mature approach to their music. All of which co exsist with the monochrome colour scheme used with the album. The bold white writing on contrasting black is a signature look for You Me At Six’s new era. Their advertisements make a statement. They suggest that the band are serious about their music and will put in their all to provide for their fans.
The inclusion of an image of the band in this poster is likely to see more females persuaded to purchase tickets due to their rock band image. However the colour scheme and simplistic yet effective fonts also generates interest from males as they may idolise the band or percieve them as role models. The expressions on the faces of the band show their commitment to their fans and to their music. The bands clothing is very casual but very stylish. This makes them appealing to both genders.
The banner of text is slightly slanted which is eye catching as it is out of the ordinary. Anything that is off centre is likely to catch your attention as it is not the symmetrical norm. The rough edges around the image also mimic the bands new image. It also suggests that the band bring something new to the table, that they are going to dominate the music scene. This is enchoed in their stance. Everything about this advertisement is a clear statement, the band are here and they are going to take over, it reflects their determination and commitment to eachother, the music and their fans.
Kristie Henry
Digipak Research
DigiPak are a form of packaging for a CD that is only usually used for special editions due to its lack of resistance to abrasion. The packaging is made up of six panels of gatefold paperboard outer binding with either plastic trays or sleeves to hold the CD.
Rock band You Me At Six’s most recent album ‘Sinners Never Sleep’ was released as a DigiPak. The whole album theme is reflected and enhanced in their first music video ‘Loverboy’. The album focuses on the band being ‘Sinners’ and indicates the bands carefree fun image has now disappeared. This album shows them in a more serious light. The album shows the band as prisoners and the inside of the digi pak is decorated with their fingerprints. There are also inserts that are photos of each band member taken as a mugshot and on the reverse a drawing of what would be done when in court.
The booklet included with the album is very simplistic with the lyrics being written in a type writer font with thank you’s and an image of the band on the front. The two images of the band are shot in a very dimly lit location and use the black and white effect just as the rest of the album artwork. One image is extremely dark with very little light on the band in a deserted location which looks like a cell. All of the band wear a dismal look as if they are in deep thought. The other image is shot from a low angle to show the band as dominant and powerful. There is bright lighting to highlight each of their faces with a triamphunt expression. Their clothing is very simple, just casual dress in dull colours to compliment the rest of the artwork.
The front cover of the album is a close up of a females chest and hands holding a board with ‘YOU ME AT SIX SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’ on it in a bold white simplistic font. The contrast of white on the black board is very effective and connects with the rest of the monochrome colour scheme.
The two discs included are also in black and white with contrasting text.
The booklet included with the album is very simplistic with the lyrics being written in a type writer font with thank you’s and an image of the band on the front. The two images of the band are shot in a very dimly lit location and use the black and white effect just as the rest of the album artwork. One image is extremely dark with very little light on the band in a deserted location which looks like a cell. All of the band wear a dismal look as if they are in deep thought. The other image is shot from a low angle to show the band as dominant and powerful. There is bright lighting to highlight each of their faces with a triamphunt expression. Their clothing is very simple, just casual dress in dull colours to compliment the rest of the artwork.
The front cover of the album is a close up of a females chest and hands holding a board with ‘YOU ME AT SIX SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’ on it in a bold white simplistic font. The contrast of white on the black board is very effective and connects with the rest of the monochrome colour scheme.
The two discs included are also in black and white with contrasting text.
This album concept appeals to many rock fans. You Me At Six were well known to be young pop punk stars with a teenage audience but the new mature style and heavier music has encouraged a much wider audience. Without having the band on the front cover and only limited pictures of the band, it is less likely to sell primarily based on image. The monochrome colour scheme looks very mature and the theme compliments this. Now they have undertaken a much more serious manner, they appeal to a more diverse audience. The consistency of the theme, colour scheme and font makes this album appear very professional which will help to attract new fans as the band are clearly well established.
Kristie Henry
Star Image
YOU ME AT SIX
You Me At Six are a five piece rock band from Surrey. They have released three albums since forming as the line up that they are now, in 2007 at the tender ages of 17/18.
Each album has a distinctive sound that expresses both the musical and emotional maturity they have experienced.
“Take Off Your Colours” released in 2007 and then re-released in 2008 is a generic pop-punk album. The album art work is very simplistic yet artistic and relevant to the album.
The songs have the typical boy/girl relationship storyline, which is echoed in their music videos.
Their first independent video “Gossip” was shot on a handheld camera at a house party they hosted. It uses very simplistic techniques and primarily demonstrates the fun lifestyle they lead as teens with short performance clips. The main identification is with the lead singer Josh Franceschi who is mobbed by girls as he walks through the party.
“Save it For The Bedroom” sees the band experiment with intertextual references such as the video concept of a chat show and voyeuristic techniques. At the time director Shane Davey would have used these techniques to help establish the band as professional yet still carefree and therefore a typical pop-punk band. This is highlighted when band member Max Helyer runs on stage naked, covering himself with a pineapple before using it to help destroy the stage. 
Later music videos from them such as “Jealous Minds Think Alike” see the band experiment with a performance based video with close identification with each band member rather than just the lead singer. This establishes the band as a whole and focuses on their desire to play music. The whole video has a slightly darker atmosphere, aided by the fact it is shot at night, which makes the video appear more mature.
Their second album ‘Hold Me Down’ demonstrates them experimenting with a slightly heavier sound. This is mimicked through the album artwork. The cover vaguely shows a boy walking through an explosion of colour, this represents the burst of emotion lead singer Josh Franceschi was experiencing whilst writing this album. He was going through a break up with his long term girlfriend and the songs reflect those difficult times. Each single that was released acted as a chapter in his story which was shown through the signature consistent artwork. His lyrics can relate to many teens and so they form the basis of the target audience. ‘The Consequence’ was the first track released from this album and featured vocals from Sean Smith from ‘The Blackout’. This was a much heavier song due to the ‘screamo’ vocals. The video is black and white and is a performance based video. It features shots from their headline tours and backstage antics. This felt like a more mature approach from the band.
The next video released is one of their biggest hits to date. ‘Underdog’ soared its way into the UK charts and is regularly featured on reality TV shows and as diegetic background music in soaps. The video is primarily performance based but has the side storyline of a relationship that falls apart due to cheating. It features characters of the late teen age so once again is relatable to the audience. It uses low key lighting to once again indicate the bands darker side.
Another video released from ‘Hold Me Down’ was ‘Liquid Confidence’. This was also a performance based and narrative video featuring the band. This video shows the lead singer heartbreak as he tries to put on brave face for filming the music video. Included are shots of the band feeling frustrated and resulting in them giving up trying and dealing with all their hard feelings. This allows the audience to identify with the band as everyone experiences rough times and it shows that they are human.
Their last video released on this album was ‘Stay With Me’. This is also one of their biggest hits, with its anthemic chorus it really connects with the audience. It is also a performance based and narrative video showing the concept of growing and nurturing a relationship to make it work. This shows the band in a softer light but still with the slightly somber tone in the verses. The location uses very high key natural lighting as it is in a field in California. This gives the impression of it being a big song due to the amount of space that is being used to convey the meaning to the audience. It feels as though the band have been stripped down to show off their talent with the narrative being there to support and give meaning to the emotion sung in the lyrics.
Before the release of their third album, You Me At Six released a single with rap artist Chiddy. The track was titled ‘Rescue Me’ and caused a lot of controversy. Many fans felt as though the band were loosing their identity and turning mainstream due to its air play on well known radio stations and the different sound they had experimented with. The video is a narrative video that shows a boxers struggle with life, with the boxing symbolizing this. The artwork for this single was a red cross on a white background, building references with a casualty/hospital. After the release of this single, there was a lot of uncertainty concerning the route the band were taking for their next album.
You Me At Six’s highly anticipated third album ‘Sinners Never Sleep’ was finally released only recently. This album has seen the band dub their carefree pop punk attitude and condone a more mature and serious rock approach to music. This is echoed in their album artwork, with the use of a monochrome colour scheme and the theme of prison. The music has adopted a heavier tone and their image has certainly adapted to match this. The once clean cut fresh looking boys now look like the mature rock stars they sound like.Their first single ‘Loverboy’ is much like the anthemic sound we’re used to from them. However it is slightly heavier than the pop punk sound that’s so familiar. The music video definitely aids in adopting the darker mood. It shows them undergoing police interviews and lashing out in anger in most cases. There are also some performance based shots incorporated into the video whilst in the interview room. This however sees the introduction of a group of people crammed into the room whilst each individual band member plays their part. The low key lighting, red tint and raw emotion portrayed into this video show You Me At Six as a real rock band. It puts a whole new outlook on their music for all its audience.
You Me At Six burst onto the music scene in 2007 as fresh faced, fun loving boys who just wanted to make music, now they are selling out arena tours and taking the rock scene by storm. The media have been there through every step of their journey of growing up and establishing themselves as a band.
In early interviews they were dubbed as hot shots in skinny jeans and vans but a recent interview in Kerrang! was titled ‘death to pop-punk come over to the dark side’. To suit this new image they were creating, they have adopted a rougher look. The once clean cut boys are now experimenting with tattoos and facial hair, making them more so appealing than they ever were. Their new found sound has come after a long emotional journey with more ups and downs than you could ever believe. Some heartbreaking events have happened which have not only matured the band but brought them closer than ever. This strong bond they now have is easily read and digested by their fans, helping with the success of their music.
In video interviews it is still clear to see the band like to have fun. Although they have grown up a considerable amount, they are still young and fun. With the videos it is clear for the audience to see who they really are and learn to like them as people not just musicians. Their tour diaries are examples of this. You get a clear insight into the touring lifestyle and how they cope living with each other and away from home. You can’t lie to the camera so whatever they are feeling, you feel it too. As well as having their own YouTube channel, the band are on all other social networking sights; Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and MySpace to name a few. Twitter allows their audience to hear from the individual members of the band and not the just the band as a whole. This helps to build identification and a connection between artist and fans.
The bands official website also supports all of their social networking sites with a wall for posting comments and the ability to read news, bio and view a gallery of the band along with links to tour dates and merchandise.
All of the above internet sites aid in the promotion of the band however due to their recent success, they have frequently appeared on radio stations such as Radio1 to plug their new album. There have also been advertisements in music magazines and on music channels such as Scuzz, NME and Kerrang! to advertise their tour. This cross media production is essential for the bands success.
Three members of the band have their own clothing ranges that they often model which acts as promotions for their products to their fans. Matt Barnes owns clothing company ‘Cheer Up Clothing’ Josh Franceschi heads ‘Down But Not Out’ and guitarist Max Helyer runs recently established ‘Become Antique’. These clothing ranges are worn by all of the band and often other bands of their genre. This generates a style that appeals to their audience.You Me At Six are renowned for their sell out tours and atmospheric vibes. Their crowds absorb the emotion and are more than happy to sing back the lyrics creating an indescribable overwhelming feeling. The bands energy is echoed throughout the crowd with them complying with anything lead singer Josh asks of them. Their talent and skill is unquestionable and has seen them secure sets year after year at well known festivals such as T in The Park, V Festival and Reading and Leeds just to name a few in the UK. However their success is worldwide! They have also played the Warped Tour in America and Soundwave in Australia along with many others.
The band are quite open during interviews with sharing information so any gossip surrounding them is soon cleared up. Most of the talk surrounded Josh Franceschi and his break up with long term girlfriend which triggered album number two ‘Hold Me Down’. Their recent album came in a deluxe edition which included their documentary ‘Bite My Tongue’. This told the story of the band from day one, through the ups and the downs, the bad times and the good, all is exposed. Rumors of their break up are cleared up and personal life crisis and heartbreak are also dealt with. This documentary is truly moving and builds a strong connection between the audience and band. You experience and understand their journey as a band and their process of growing up.Kristie Henry
Music Video Analysis
Underworld-
Born Slippy
This is a very surreal abstract video that compliments the diverse beats and trance rhythm. It is also the official soundtrack to the film ‘Trainspotting’ which helps the audience to understand the video concept and representation. The video shows a man’s drug addiction driving him to insanity. It shows him rocking, clutching his head in his hands; expressing his frustration. This is combined with the bright lights and dance culture of the 1990s.The video doesn’t include any performances from the artist, which is quite typical for this genre. The main theme is the 90’s lifestyle and the addictive culture.
The mise en scene is very basic which concentrates and enhances the video concept. There aren’t many props used, most of them being cellophane sheets to add to the effects in the postproduction. There is however minimal props used in the shots of the character; he is holding what appears to be a remote whilst listening to an iPod through earphones. There are also props in the background of the quick location shots such as a fire extinguisher. The characters costume is very representative of this decade. They are abstract to suit the nature of this video.
Disorientating lighting and camera work is used to compliment the trippy dance music as fast flashes of colour and quick abstract movements are used. No other sound except for the music is heard but unconventional editing techniques are seen. Fast edits between shots and sequences played backwards and in slow motion are all used to again show the effect of drugs and music on the character.
The Character doesn’t lip sync the repetitive lyrics but portrays them with his body movement and facial expressions. The frustration and aggression he shows compliments the repetitive lyrics and trance music.
This video is effective in its interpretation of the 90’s drug and dance music culture. The character looks uncomfortable and expresses this by rocking and pulling eccentric facial expressions. The editing works well with this as it is fast at some points and slow at others. This, along with the slow motion and shots shown in reverse, portray the ups and downs of the drug addict life. Most edits are in time with the music but some seem to be purposely too fast or too slow in order to show the change in the characters feelings.
Jordan Griffin
Jordan Griffin
Friday, 6 January 2012
Music Video Analysis
Blink 182-The Rock Show
This music video opens with an explanation of what is going to happen in the video. Its an experimental video that sees the band being given $500,000 from their production company to make the video themselves. It sees them driving around Los Angeles getting up to all sorts of antics such as distributing money to people around the town, giving a homeless man a hair cut and a suit and taking him to a strip club, paying people to shave their hair, buying and releasing doves, paying strippers to clean a mans car, buying cars and a tv to destroy them, paying for a banner on a plane to advertise their album name and giving skateboarding gear to young skateboarders with a guest appearance from Jeremy Klein. 
There are also performances from the band in various locations including a small studio, and a shopping centre.
The lighting is natural light which is aided during the shots of the band performing and any shots indoors by strobe lighting.
There are various locations used in this video such as a small studio, a shopping centre, a barbers shop and a strip club. None of these locations were enhanced or modified in any way so all of the props that were used throughout the filming were there previously.
The camera work is also very basic to focus on the concept of the video. A fish eye lens is used whilst the band are performing in the small studio to make the shot more interesting and focus on the band not the space. There are also lots of shots of the band followed by medium and long shots of the activity and the people involved. This helps you to identify and remind you the video is all the bands ideas. The majority of the shots are either eye level or low angle due to the lack of plans for the video however there are a few high angle shots when the band are performing in the shopping centre as they were capable of filming from the next level. Long shots are used when the band and the public are skateboarding and performing in order for the audience to understand the scale of what they are doing and the amount of people involved. Quick pans were also used to show the whole situation. The cameras proxemics were not crucial to this video which is obvious from the camera quality and this draws the audiences attention to the ideas and things activities taking place in the video.
Along with the non diegetic song there are diegetic sounds in the beginning of the video as the band are explaining what is about to happen, there is also the sound of the car driving off before the music begins. This informs the audience so that they understand that the video is just about having fun.
The editing is very simplistic to match the rest of the video and keep things coherent. Quick cuts are used to keep the pace and hide any camera jolts, making the video appear to be filmed a lot smoother.The relationship between sound and image doesn’t appear to match considering the lyrics are telling us about ‘the girl at the rock show’ however the video does include ‘rock shows’ and there is the large majority of females involved in the filming so although they done appear to be directly correlated, they do compliment each other nicely. The majority of the filming doesn’t see lip syncing whilst the band is out spending their money. However the shots of the band performing show that even though most of the budget was blown on the band having fun, they do still match and aren’t out of time.
There is a reference to the Foo Fighters who are another rock band when the lead singer spits into the camera whilst performing in the studio much like Dave Grohl in the ‘Monkey Wrench’ video.I think the whole concept of this video is what makes it effective. Its entirely experimental and makes us as audience members feel like we are in the bands heads as we are witnessing what they would do with the money for a video and it turned out to be really successful. It’s just a fun, carefree video with a different spin on the norm.
Kristie Henry
Music Video Analysis
Every Avenue-Tell Me I’m A Wreck
This video documents people’s mishaps and confessions relating to love and relationships. The song tells of the artist’s relationship breakdown and the video acts as a diary which sees him reveal his true heartfelt to the situation through clips of himself and text overlaid in the centre. He is joined by shots of many other people and just one or two lines on screen that informs you of their problems in past relationships. There are also shots of the band performing as this is a generic feature of music videos in the alternative/rock genre. 
The main theme of this video is not to dwell on what could have been or what you’ve done wrong, just to remember that everyone has experienced heartbreak and you are not alone, it is not a crime to be on your own. It also shows how things can work out and that you won’t always get hurt with a short clip of an elderly couple telling of their happy journey as a couple. The last frame represents the main theme as it is a shot of what looks like a timeline with additional text ‘We are all a wreck’.
The techniques used are very minimalistic in order to focus on the concept of the video. The mise en scene is specific to each individual and helps to enhance their character. The costumes are all each personals unique style of casual clothing aided by their make up or lack of it. There are shots to enforce this such as a shot of a make up pallet in which you can see the girls reflection in the mirror and also an extreme close up of converse shoes before cutting to the girl wearing them for her confession.
The locations change very frequently to suit each person or couple in their situation. There are some shots of people in their homes where others are so close up their setting is irrelevant. This is further indication that this video is raw and is purely created to portray meaning and emotion. Even the space in which the band is performing is very minimalistic and stripped back which makes it appear to be an abandoned open space much like a warehouse.
Like most features of the mise en scene, the character movement is very limited. They are mostly just sitting down or standing still with few shots of couples embracing. However the shots of the band performing show the pure emotion through their energy.
Various props are used to represent each person in their own situation. However there are also additional shots of objects such as a clock which suggests things take time and writing on a notepad saying ‘s+l=<3’ which is a typical thing we associate with love. There are also some random images such as a deers head and a spice rack which could build references with a home and families. 
The lighting is very high key in order to clearly see the emotion in each persons eyes in exception of one shot of the lead singer. However this shot is taken using a fish eye lens so his emotion is clearly visible as it is enhanced. It is also important to have high key lighting as it portrays the daylight and therefore natural light which connects with this video as they are all confessing and letting things out in the open.
The camera work is very simplistic but very effective. It includes extreme close ups of objects and then a close up of the person. When there is a frame that includes a couple, medium shots are used in order to capture the emotion of the two. The camera is mostly still but shows obvious signs of being handheld as there are slight jolts and movements. The majority of the shots f the characters are eye level in order for identification and understanding to be built between the audience and the individual. The camerawork when the band are performing is much more versatile and includes wide and long shots to show all of the band. Shots are taken from the side and not just head on in order to show all areas.
The editing is very basic and primarily consists of quick cuts between each shot. The main focus being on the additional text which is also very simplistic but thats what makes it effective. For the extreme close ups of peoples facial features the shot is slightly blurred whilst getting into focus proving the text to be of higher importance. The writing is arial font, bold and white, nothing fancy, just purely stripped down to basics to reflect the meaning of the video. It is also always overlaid over the image in the centre of the screen to ensure it is read. Rhythmic editing is used to keep the pace and ensure the writing has enough time to be read whilst fitting with the music.
The relationship between the sound and image is very staggered. The video is very simplistic and that could be due to the combination of the text on screen and the lyrics as they are not the same. You wouldn’t watch the video to listen to the song. They don’t show direct correlation which makes the non diegetic music more of a background noise whilst the people are confessing. However the frequent cuts to the band performing remind you of the song and its importance.
This video doesnt show and references to other texts and i think that is key for the meaning and atmosphere it is trying to portray.
Kristie Henry
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