Audience Mood Board

I have decided to create a second mood board, this time based on the interests and needs of my target audience. I have thought about material needs as well as social hobbies and other photos that I can relate to the audience of my video. They are all quite 'girly' and reflect a theme of love and youth, however I think that by doing this, I have broadened my understanding of my audience and I may be able to incorporate some of these themes into my video, for example through clothing or technologies.

Audience Mood Board

Audience Demographics & Psychographics

I think that the target audience for my music video is likely to be females aged 15-25. This is because the storyline for the video will be about love and relationships and I think that by the age of 15, girls are likely to have experienced a 'crush' or a relationship with a guy. I think that the concept is more fitting to a female audience because the story is being told from the point of view of a female and is biased towards their feelings. The lyrics are about overcoming heartbreak and I think that a female audience is likely to find this very inspiring and will feel as if they can relate to the artist through personal experience.

As the target audience is mainly young adults, they probably won't have much experience of the world of work and were social classes come into play, and would therefore be students or just coming out of education such as university. However I would imagine that the parents of my target audience would fit into the social classes B-C2 with skilled, authouritive and managerial positions. I think that the parents would have a very busy schedule and this would leave the children to seek advice about love and heartbreak through the lyrics of the song I have chosen. I think that at a young age, they would need a role model and that the artist in my music video would be just that.

I can imagine that the music video and song would appeal to the majority of young girls as well as many girls at the older end of the audience I am targeting. As the song is of the pop genre, deriving from 'popular', the artist is going to have mainstream success and likability. Therefore the psychographics of my audience would be 'mainstream' and I think that they would be very conscious of the type of music that is topping the charts as well as keeping up with trends. I feel that my target audience would have a need for status as well as being materialistic. I want the video to reflect current trends through costumes and colour schemes to in-keep with the personality of the audience and I might consider incorporating intertextual references in the video to create personal identity with the audience, thus applying the Uses and Gratifications theory.

Artist Styling & Costume Planning

Below is a rough sketch of my model's costume for my video shoot. As I'm planning on basing my video on a dream about a wedding, my model will need to wear a wedding dress, which I plan to buy from a charity shop. I have also considered that the dress may get muddy of damaged during the shoot. I intend for the model to progress to looking worse and worse as the video goes on, so any marks on the dress will add to the effect. Obviously if I have to re-shoot any scenes, I will have to get the dress cleaned. I have thought about some accessories, including an engagement ring, a bouquet of flowers, a veil and a head band made of daisies, all which should be readily available for me to buy and should be reasonably affordable. I will need the model to wear heeled shoes as I plan on incorporating a shot where she is running through a clearing in the woods before the heel breaks.

I have also thought about the kind of makeup that I want the model to wear. As I am quite keen on makeup, I will be applying this myself and so I printed of a M.A.C face chart from Google and experimented with a look that I think is suitable. I have gone for natural eye shadow to match the hair colour of my model but I will be applying a generous amount of mascara as I want to smudge this to make it appear as though the model is crying. I have gone for a dramatic red lip and will define the face with highlighters and contour.

The outfit:

The Makeup:

Mood Board

After being a bit optimistic of how my initial idea might turn out, I decided to create this mood board of images of my actual locations as well as others that I might take inspiration from. I have looked into locations, props and costumes as well as choosing other images that reflect the story line of the video.

Mood Board A2

Diary 6

This week I have expanded on my research of music videos and pop music in general by looking at videos that influence me or inspire me, tracking a pop artist throughout their career and analysing existing digipaks. Looking at videos that influence me really helped me to come up with even more creative ideas that I could incorporate into my own video, such as using some animated creatures in some woodland shots as I saw in Of Monsters and Men’s ‘Little Talks’ video. Also, by looking at specific shots that I personally love, I have thought of more creative ones that I could adapt myself.

I decided to research Demi Lovato when tracking an artist throughout their career as I knew that she had started in the industry from an early age and has dealt with various, personal struggles. I was keen to see how she overcame this and has now become a role model as well as being an award-winning pop artist.

               

Lastly, I analysed three existing digipaks. From this research, I was able to take into account certain conventions that are normally found within digipaks as well as looking at how the style changes throughout the different genres. I looked mainly at pop music digipaks including Katy Perry and Rihanna as I will be producing one for a pop artist myself. I found that they are very bright and consist mainly of images of the artist in various settings along with a leaflet from the artist including lyrics to their songs and a ‘thank you’ message, as well as additional images. In general, I believe that I have has a productive week.

Analysis of Existing Digipaks

I have researched existing digipaks to help me when I design my own. I intend to look at how they are structured as well as the conventional information that is found on them and how they appeal to their audiences.

This is the first didgipak that I looked at and it is for Imogen Heap's album 'Speak for yourself'. After researching Imogen as an artist, I found that she is an electronica/alternative artist. I think that this digipak reflects that genre with its bright, vibrant and eye catching colour scheme as well as the type of images that are used. Imogen pays homage to her home city of London with a photo of here, riding her bike over on of it's bridges with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background. This way, the audience can assume that she is from London and that she admires her city. There is a consistent pattern of polka-dots throughout the digipak that I believe gives it a futuristic look. Imogen is presented in the form of a 'pop art' drawing on the front of the digipak surrounded by a minimalistic background so the audience's attention lingers on the image. 

The side where Imogen is seen riding a bike in the yellow background can be removed to present the audience with a speech from the artist, thanking them for buying the album and crediting everyone who helped to produce it. This creates a relationship between the artists and the audience as every individual person who bought a copy, feels that they have impacted Imogen's life in some way. The digipak also consists of a leaflet in which all the lyrics to the songs are displayed along with additional pictures of the artist. 

The polka-dots that appear on two of the sides have a shiny finish in comparison to the matte finish of the rest of the digipak and show different settings. They are also very bright and reflect the tone of the music as well as inspiring the audience. Overall, this digipak is fairly crowed and there are many things for the audience to look at and read. It does, however, comply to the main conventions of other digipaks as it features a thank you note and the album listing inside.

Secondly, I looked at Rihanna's 'Loud' digipak. This one is very different to the previous one I looked at as it takes on a more simplistic approach. At this time, Rihanna has red hair and this is reflective in the colour scheme of the whole digipak from her red lips to the red roses that surround her in some of the images. The album looks very feminine and roses connote femininity which suggests that the artist herself is feminine and that the majority of her target audience is as well. 

Unlike the previous digipak where each side has a different image of purpose, the three 'inner' sides of this digipak make up one big image of Rihanna. There isn't a vast amount of text on the actual digipak other than the track listing on the back. However there is a leaflet inside with the lyrics to the songs on the album, along with a small note from Rihanna thanking her fans for buying it, making it more personal. The actual images of Rihanna are very dominating over the digipak and one of her tattoos, 'rebelle fleur' is present in the main image. This tattoo illustrates that Rihanna, although trying to be feminine, isn't always as good as she looks.

The CD's that are inside are covered entirely with an image of a rose with a different opacity level to the rest of the images, making it look faded. However, it shows continuity with the floral theme of the whole digipak and adds to the colour scheme which is quite simply red and pink with small amounts green and white appearing on some of the other images.

The third, and final digipak that I looked at was Katy Perry's 'Teenage dream'. Straight away the style of the artists and her music is shown through the colours and general theme of the digipak. The two CD's in the pack have been designed to look like two sweets, making the idea fun and interesting. This theme is likely to appeal to Katy's younger audience as well as stereotypically representing music from the pop genre. The theme of 'sweets' is also illustrated through the track listing on the back as some of the letters have been made into sweets similar to the pattern of the CD on the right. They are also in red to stand out from the background, corresponding the names of the various writers and producers in blue below. 

The main image of Katy, laying on a cotton candy cloud is quite suggestive but playful at the same time. It creates an imaginative tone to the album and comes across in the artists personality. Although this level of nudity normally wouldn't be viewed as acceptable, the contrast with the fluffy pink clouds make it seem somewhat innocent rather that provocative. The main content of the digipak is image based, similar to the one previous, to promote Katy's eccentric style but there is a leaflet inside containing lyrics and a personal note to her fans as is conventional throughout all three of the digipaks.

In various images on the other side of the digipak, Katy is seen wearing a cupcake holder and posing in the style of Marilyn Monroe. Katy's hair and makeup are very dramatic and she looks almost like a pin-up girl in her appearance and with her poses. She accessories with a sweetie necklace and crown, signifying that she is the 'queen' of pop and her overall look makes her appear fun and carefree to her audience.

Tracking an Artist Through Their Career

I chose to research Demi Lovato as she has influenced pop music in many ways, including having her own 'pop rock' sound that is unique from others. She is a well known and successful pop star and hasn't had the easiest career but she has a loyal fan base and a great voice so I thought, as I am making a pop video, I would research a successful pop star.

Tracking an Artist

Videos I'm Influenced By

Onerepublic - Good Life

I absolutely LOVE the idea of this video. Everything from the quick edits that complement the fast drum beats to the way the shots of the band look so authentic and like a canvas painting. I love that sometimes you can see 'creases' in the shots and it looks like an animated picture. Also, even though the video is vastly performance based, the fact that the posters are travelling throughout so many different locations creates a sense of narrative. One scene I especially admire is at 1:13 where the members of the band are seen walking from one poster to another. In addition, the fact that the posters are a different opacity to the locations they are being shown in, emphasises the contrast in settings. During the bridge of the song, the video turns more performance based but I love the narrative as it suggests a journey from the band traveling, to then arriving to a secluded spot where they can perform.

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

The thing I like most about this video is the mixtures between animated and real. I love that when the characters are walking through the scene, they move to the beat of the song and when they encounter various creatures along the way, at 1:50 for example, they appear to sing the 'HEY!' lyric. I think that the black and white creates an authentic look and love the splashed of colour throughout the video. I admire the imaginative settings and the whole video reminds me of am adventure film. I am actually considering adding some animated creatures to a woodland scene in my own video.

Newton Faulkner - Clouds

I adore the simplicity of this video. I love the frequent use of aerial shots to represent the clouds that accompany the lyrics "stop looking down at the ground" along with the use of slow motion shots when there is a break in the lyrics. I think that the use of natural locations like the beach and streets really works with the style of artist he is. I also think that the opening scene reminds me of Lego toys and the whole video carried a feel of nostalgia. 

Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

I love how colourful this video is. I love how narrative and performance are mixed in this video with the lyrics of the song appearing in different forms in various locations as well as being performed by the band. I admire the scene where the band are performing in a dark room with the glow in the dark paint and I personally can recognise some of the album artwork on the walls. The video is very happy and makes me feel happy when I watch it and that is one of the things I love most about it. I also like the the use of repeated shots one after the other as it compliments the beat of the song.

What is a Digipak?

Digipak is an original style of CD or DVD packaging, typically consisting of a book-style paperboard or card stock outer binding with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside.

Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums. However such packaging is less resistant to abrasion than optical disc packaging, so it tends to show signs of wear relatively quickly.

Digipak-style cases grew in popularity among record labels and recording artists in the early 2000s.

Example of a 6 panel right-tray clear gloss UV digipak.

Diary 5

Over the past couple of days I have been working really hard to make sure that I can realistically reach the deadline for my coursework. I have completed research into the codes and conventions of music video which I will use to apply to my own as well as looking at different music channels and their role in the development on the pop music culture. I then continued to look at the influences the pop music has on society and vice versa before analysing a variety of videos from the same pop genre. All of this research will help me when I produced my own video as I have a broader understanding of pop music as a genre, as well as knowledge of typical shots and edits that I could use.

Analysis of Pop Videos

I have created a Prezi in which I analysed three different pop music videos. I chose varying artists and songs and looked at the techniques they adopt in order to capture the audience's attention as well as noting if they referred to the Codes and Conventions of pop videos that I have previously researched.

Influences on Pop Culture

I have created a powerpoint on how, I feel, society influences the production of pop music and vice versa. I have looked specifically into technology, fashion and social events that may either inspire pop artists when writing their lyrics, or influence young teenagers to behave in a certain way. 
Influences on Pop Culture

Music Channels

After doing this research into existing music channels, I have become more aware of the reason behind them and the kind of audience that they attract. I have also learned that channels such as 'STARZ TV' interact with their viewers by allowing them to send in texts messages requesting a certain song. Music Channels

Codes & Conventions of a Music Video

I researched into the stereotypical features of general music videos for any genre and ventured into looking at the conventions of Indie and Pop videos. I found this very helpful as I can now apply these to my own video. I was also surprised at how common the features are when you're actually looking for them in a video. I also gave an example for each convention.

Codes & Conventions of Music Video

Diary 4

Research into Katy Perry

As I have chosen to use one of Katy Perry's songs for my music video, I thought that I would benefit from researching the important milestones of Katy's career. I have gained an understanding of her global success as well as her eccentric style and the overall impact that she has had on the music world as well as how she accomplished it.

Pop Music Genre

I completed research into the 'pop' music genre as this is the genre that I will be focusing on for my own music video. I think that this research will help me to explore and capture the history and development of pop music in my own work. I also looked into the origin of pop and the influences on it over the years to help broaden my understanding of the genre as a whole.

Pop Music Genre

Diary Entry 3

Music Video Director & Their Work

For this task, I decided to look at Colin Tilley as not only has he directed many music videos, some which have gone on to be nominated for and win awards, but he tends to take a cinematic approach in his work. He does this by incorporating narrative scenes before the start of the song of which include cinematic features such as diegetic sounds and montages. Doing this task has allowed me to look at the different approaches I could take when making my own music video. For example, incorporating black and white shots or adding dialogue.

Research Into Music Director

Existing Music labels

I have researched into different music labels and, although I have only chosen to specifically look in to the major three, I have found that most of the labels sign artists depending on the genre of music that they produce. I found that the Universal Music Group generally seems to sign a higher variety of artists, varying from Taylor Swift to Jay Z, as it is the largest of the major companies. I think that doing this research has helped me understand how the labels market an audience for their artist and, by looking at the different websites, I can see that the labels are always notifying readers with information on their artists.

Existing Music Labels