Digipak Analysis from our genre - The Script

Analysis of digipak in our genre

Below is the digipak for The Script, they are also alternative rock which is helpful for me as it allows me to develop my ideas in order to make mine the best it can possibly be.

Typography

The title that is seen on the front cover is ‘The Script – Science and Faith. This title is bond and stands out in the colour black. This is what you typically see on the front of an alternative rock digipak and this is quite simple but also effective. The image on te digipak links with the album name ‘science and faith’, which shows that it is been clearly thought out and planned to all interlink. On the back cover, the simple/plain theme continues in terms of typography as there’s not a lot to see other than the titles of the songs and the record label ‘Sony Music’.

Setting

The theme that is seen within this digipak is faith/unity and all about being united as one. This is shown within the images as you can see there is two hands that are wrapped around each other and then on the back cover you can see two hands that are held against each other to form one. I think that the way the title links to the images is very clever as it reinforces the theme that is present within this

Colour/design

Again, the colour in this simple, just a plain cream that fades into a bland white colour. These colours have been used due to the fact the hand are white/cream therefore they want to reinforce this by also making the background that colour. Also, the white colour that has been used might be to represent purity/innocence and this can be backed up with how the hands are held unison.  

Images

The first thing you see when looking at the front cover is two hands grasping each other which looks quite simple and something you don’t tend to see, however I think this actually works well because it’s obviously a sign to show that all the members of The Script unite as one when they sing so the thinking behind the image is in fact clever. The image is of two peoples hands when stereotypically you tend to see a lot more than that, usually it will be the top half of someone’s body or their head.

Digipak analysis - Lana Del Rey

Setting
Looking at the two images that show her posing for the camera you can see that its set somewhere near a rainforest, this is due to the fact there are tall trees in close proximity. It’s set in the day time and you can see this by looking at the sky shown in the images. The front cover overall is quite bland as there’s not that many used, for example there’s only white, blue , green and grey. The colour of the sky is blue which matches the title ‘born to die’, which makes me think a lot of thought has gone into this. Moreover, the use of the colour white which is quite significant in this digipak could connote purity or a sense of innocence.

Colour/design The colour used within this digipak has clearly been thought out well. The main colours of this digipak are red, blue and white which can be seen on the front cover and in the images show on to the left. These colours when put together make up the American flag; this could be a sign of her being patriotic. The colours complement each other well and work well together. The white within this digipak could connote purity and this can be backed up with the expression on her face, it is very innocent and creates an image of her to be seen as harmless. Moreover, the red within this from her hair and lips and on the back of the digipak could connote two things. The first being danger and the second being love. By the look on her face and the background colours I believe it’s a symbol of love. The last colour is blue, this colour adds a nice touch to the digipak because it gives it a bit of light and adds to the image that she is sweet and innocent.

Images

The images shown within this digipak are quite plain and the two images we see of her she’s wearing the same clothing and has the same expression on her face. On the back cover we have just a plain red background and then there is a list of the songs on it. This could have been enhanced if there were a fading image of her on the back or something to add a bit of creativity to it.

Typography
The typography used is again quite basic and plain, this theme runs through out and although it doesn’t look very attractive, the theme hasn’t changed and has remained quite plain which actually has a positive effect as it shows they are consistent. ‘LANA DEY REY’ is seen on the front cover, very big and bright which shows the audience they want people to remember the name. Also, it is coloured I white which again supports my point about purity and innocence. However, on the back cover there are names of the songs, the font has changed for this which creates a rustic look to the digipak. Also, the writing on the bottom of the back cover is in black which could connote that is the main song. Moreover, the ‘born to die’ title is centred in the middle at the bottom which looks professional and smart.
 

 

Digipak Analysis - Rihanna

Initial ideas on your own music video

Research into chosen genre

Research into chosen genre

Our chosen genre is alternative rock, we chose this genre as we believed that it would be the best way forward as our actor fits the stereotype for the type of actor that would typically be seen. Alternative rock is a genre that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980’s and became popular in the 1990’s. However, in the 2000s alternative rock became more popular. Several alternative rock bands emerged, including The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and the killers gained success.

 

Example of alternative rock music video:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

As you can see in the image to the left, it shows a popular alternative rock music video that is very famous within the UK. Due to the fact our chosen genre isn’t very popular it is hard to find songs that are well known.

The audience for this type of genre in my opinion is different to the mainstream audiences such as hip-hop, Rap etc. as alternative rock audiences are usually 'hippy' meaning they look address different to the casual stereotype.

Analysis from our genre: Oasis - Wonderwall

Textual analysis of music video in our genre

 Oasis - Wonderwall

Genre

The genre of this music video is alternative rock as this music video is my genre as I am creating a video that is alternative rock. There are connotations within this music video that suggest to me this video is alternative rock. The black and white colour scheme throughout is one factor and also the medium camera shots which show the characters waist area and the instrument they are playing.

Narrative
This is a simple narrative video and this comes across in the camera shots and editing techniques. The camera work shows a variety of close ups, mid shots and longs shots. The close ups are used as according to Andrew Goodwin's theory, the label record demand close ups to show the artists off. They do this as they want the most publicity on the artists. The camerawork is very simple and doesn't use any fancy camera shots or angles and this is because of the fact it links into the simple narrative of the video. Moreover, linking into the rather simple narrative of the music video, is the editing. The editing used within this music video is mainly the use of simple cuts with a few flashes here and there but this is not seen often. The straight cuts is to make the video more realistic and the flashes are used to make the video more interesting and it fits into the pace of the music beats. The special effects within this video is the black and white contrast and the flashing on the editing side. This is used to keep up the pace of the video to stop it being inconsistent.

Technical codes

There are a variety of camera angles and editing techniques used within this music video which make it a good alternative rock video. The first interesting camera shot which is seen at the start and it shows an establishing shot of where they are filming. The shot is good as it shows the surroundings for the audience and lets them in on the setting. Also, towards the middle of the video, you can see a low angle of one of the main characters sitting in a chair. This low angle connotes dominance within the piece and shows he’s the most powerful.

 

 

Visual codes

The music video is set within a building which has an open area of which they perform in. Due to the fact it is black and white it is hard to differentiate between the different locations if there is more than one. The dominant colour as stated above is black and white, this create an old, rustic look to the music video which also goes well with the song itself as it looks like it is set in the old times. Moreover, there are no use of typography within this video which I like is good as it runs with the music video as in the olden days you wouldn’t stereotypically see titles with within the video as technology wasn’t as enhanced as it is now.

Audience

The target audience for this music video is mainly for people aged between 20 – 45 as I know it has that old theme to it which will be liked by the older audience and then it has the well-known popular performers who will attract the younger audience. The audience can access this through YouTube and iTunes which is the most common way for the younger audience. However the older side of the target audience will probably access it via a store and will buy the CD. This is the most common way of listening to a song for someone above 40 as they haven’t been introduced to the technology that’s around today such as Spotify, sound cloud and ITunes.

Organisation

The record company play a significant role within the music video as they want the most money from the video. Also, sponsors want their brand to be shown off as much as sponsors therefore the use of close ups is important as they are paying the artist to wear/use their product and therefore you have to consider sponsors.

Analysis from our genre: Coldplay – fix it

Textual analysis from our genre

Coldplay – fix it

Genre

I know from this being in my genre that this music video is alternative rock therefore I didn’t have to investigate this. There are connotations of alternative rock seen throughout this video as within alternative rock videos the lighting tends to be rather dark which is seen throughout this video. Also, in alternative rock videos the camera tends to be free hand most of time as it sometimes in videos it follows the character around to create a confused/exciting atmosphere which is actually seen in most type of rock genres.

Narrative

The narrative of this piece I believe is rather complicated. This is because what is seen is seen within the music video doesn’t relate to the lyrics throughout. There is only way section where he says “lights will guide you home” and then a stream of lights appear to follow him however this is not consistent as it is a one off and therefore it doesn’t link to Goodwin’s theory. However, there are aspects of ‘Propps’ theory which relates to whether there are recognisable characters.  The theme that runs throughout is ‘night’ as throughout the whole music video it is dark and he constantly looks like he is making his way back home. The general storyline is that the character (there’s only main character) is singing whilst he looks like he is making his way back home. Then there is a twist as he’s actually running to a concert to perform in front of a large crowd. This then turns into a performance/narrative music video rather than just narrative.

Technical codes

There are a number of interesting camera shots and editing techniques within this music video. The first one which I think starts the video off is an establishing shot which shows the setting of where most of it is filmed and the main character. This is good as it gives the audience a small insight into where it is set, the number of characters that are in the video and a generally feel for where they are. Moreover, another interesting shot is the use of the low angle, this was used to make the character seem dominant and powerful which is stereotypical because men are usually the dominant gender and this is suggesting the same thing. Furthermore, the editing that is used throughout is slow which matches the pace of the song which is also slow therefore it shows consistency and shows it has clearly been thought through. Also, transitions aren’t very frequent; they aren’t constant which also adds to the slow pace of the music video itself. The effect of all of this to create a sad mood/atmosphere as the song is ‘fix you’ which could connote someone isn’t very well and therefore needs fixing which is sad.

 

Visual codes

The video is set within London and I know this because within one of the shots you see a rail sign which says ‘Kings Cross’. Also, it is set in the arches underneath the rail station which you tend to see in London but is seen everywhere. The dominant colour within this music video is black/brown, these colours are typically associate with death and the fact the song is called ‘fix you’ could connote that they are talking about someone who might be close to passing away and they want to fix them.  

Audience

Personally, I do not think this music video is directly aimed at a certain group of people this is due to the fact I know it is liked by people of all ages and people listen to this song when they are upset. The key signifiers that indicate this are the everything is mutual or in the middle. By this I mean that in teenage based music videos there tends to be bright colours whereas in this one it is rather plain which suggest it can be liked by all age groups. However, I believe that only an adult would be able to listen to the lyrics of the song and understand what it means which connotes that the audience is adults of all ages. Fans can access this video via YouTube or the TV as there are music channels now however YouTube is more efficient.