CD Cover (Ideas & Development) 30 Nov 2010 - 6 May 2011

Here are a few images I have collected to potentially become the/a part of Distractions CD Cover. Found on Google Images, I dont think that these pictures will dominate the cover as i would like Distractions picture to be on the front cover and maybe have the sunshine as a backdrop for the set list/song title and back cover. "Let The Sun Shine" I'm trying express the songs lyrics through the visuals without trying to make this band look like your average young new rock band.

14 February 2011, I have taken some images myself of the sunlight shining down on some pleasant imagery; this has been shot with a 2.0 megapixel phone camera, the sony ericsson w610i. Here is a slideshow of my design for the CD cover. I have chosen this front cover picture because I wanted to make a small reference the song title and how everything else is in shadow it makes the sun more stronger and dominant over the rest of the setting. This picture of Distraction is one of the few that I had and I have chosen this one because it conveys a friendship attitude which will contrast with the depressing song and show audiences their true style. The layout is accurate in height and width to the traditional design of a cd single case because I thought that would be best seeing as it is only one song and it could possibly promote the band alot more. Initially a Crystal case design.

25th March 2011 Due to a minor problem I must drop my crystal-case plan and put what I have got into the digipack design used on LPs. Now I am at the point now where I have completed my "individual" CD design that has been created in the image of how only I would like it to be. It was made mostly with images from the internet which I would be unable to do for the final draft due to copyright issues however the secondary images that I did use gives you general idea of what I would like to acheive for the final front cover of the CD. The blue effect I decided to use at the last minute because putting this particular picture in black and white didnt really look that attractive so i thought blue effect would be nicer to look at and makes the front cover appear really attractive like a tropical lagoon at midnight. This colour has its mysterious effects so it will be quite eye-catching for the public. My last band pic (above) may still remain in the final CD design but I have added screencaps from the music video performance to create a filmstrip layout on the inner cover of the digipack. These pictures will remain in black and white in order to keep the moody effect that was created in the music video. I would like to possibly add a picture from the narrative with the RED effect demonstrating the romance genre, placed in the inner cover behind the disc - two characters holding hands, picture taken from behind them.

3rd April 2011 After discussing the Music Video with my team, I thought about the possibility that an audience may watch this video and may think that it is trying to pre-date back to the 40s - 50s judging by the B&W effect alone. Afterwards I thought we could use this concept to manipulate the original idea of design for the CD inner-cover by using frame contact sheets i.e. negative camera strips making it more interesting for the audience and making a nice change from just sunshine and screenshots. I felt that the negatives made the perfect frames for the screenshots of the band and made the bands image appear "scruffy but dont give a damn" it has its positive ways to portray a rock band. Below this I wrote a false "Thank You" statement from each of the band members thanking their family, friends and us. Here is the negative effect I am talking about:

6th May 2011 - This Negative effect will be Sliced down in order to be 'merged' with the limited band pics that we have. It will be featured on the inside cover of the Album "Let the Sun Shine" This frame style helps emphasise the Black and White effect used in the Music Video. Here is the final Filmstrip style created for the CDs inside cover.

This will be the final picture for the CDs front cover, I will alter the Suns rays and bring out more of a shadow and a purple colour that will emphasise the albums title and the effect created in the Music Video.

Magazine Advert (Ideas & Development) 30 Nov 2010 - 6 May 2011

Here is a picture of me playing Guitar Hero which is not going to stay put does give one of my general ideas for the magazine advert; Get a picture of Distraction and use fototrix.com to brighten it up and turn it into a proper advert. I thought Rolling Stones would be a good idea because it is well known and a highly used source of music information and entertainment. I will try and add customised sub-titles when I have figured out how to do it. 27th March 2011 After a long wait due to filming, editing and pre-production I have finally come up with the first basic idea of the print advert which is part of the promotional package which has to promote the band Distraction along with the music video and CD. I thought I should keep the B&W effect in the advert as it relates to their song "Let The Sun Shine"; the effect created in the music video. Due to copyright issues I have decided not to include large brand names in the advertisement, the lack of colour in the advertisements leaves a big window open for further advertisements in the future that will show how Distraction can come into their own and evolve along with a genre. I used the font from Fight Club as it cropped up 11 years ago so I thought it could be a good start to a possible logo for the band because it seems to emphasise their image of a teenage band who just like to rock. The quick slogans and bar chart puts more pressure on readers to quickly book without having time to think about further which will bring in more money for the band. I made this using Microsoft PowerPoint, the pictures of the band are screencaps from the music video itself. Using a built in free effect with the programme I blurred the pictures into the advertisement making it look much better. False Quotes from well-known labels makes the potential performance more unmissable for fans. Putting the prices in small writing does not make the advert appear to 'pushy' and 'desperate' to the audience.
3rd April 2011 I have made a mistake. The Print Advert must promote the CD Digipack NOT a Concert, I will learn from this and move on however the basic design of this advert will be used again in the correct aim; making changes to the information as well.
6th May 2011 - Due to lack of teamwork I had to do most of the practical work involving the Apple computers by myself and on the last week before all the coursework had to be handed in I quickly gathered some of my basic ideas above and created the final print advert which can be seen further up the page of my blog in the 2011 archive.

3rd Music Video Analysis "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias (2001)

Directed by Joseph Kahn.

Two young Male and Female characters, speeding through the desert highway with a bag full of cash in the back seat would suggest that they are on the run and obviously madly in love judging by their facial expressions, body language and the lyrics. The mise-en-scene used in this video is really interesting because it tries to appear modern with actions and settings that make the small reference to a classic, trditional love story seen on screen for example: The hollow stone house where they hold each other and he sings the chorus for the first time does not really make much sense narrativewise but does make the music video more romantic and heartwarming to watch. When the music video cuts back to him always putting his arms around her on the bed would suggest how the can cut out the rest of the world from them when they are together regardless of the cash and being on the run. The costumes seem like pretty basic clothes to last them while they are on the run from the gangsters, they are quite revealing at some stages to establish the traditional amount of sex appeal that a music video tends to have. The car is that typical american model that always tends to be used in a getaway or in the middle of nowhere where they are. An interesting use of cinematography would be that how on some shots when it zooms in there appears to be a circular frame around the outside of the lens. The camera stays in the low-corner angle when there is a quick shot of them driving into the sunset.

There is a big relationship between the lyrics and the video because the song is called "Let Me be Your Hero" and that is what he is doing in the music video other than also playing her love interest. The genre characteristic would be of a romance which it clearly is as it may still involve the hint of danger and guns but it still does not introduce another genre to the music video. The music is very soft and gentle throughout the music video even when he gets caught, the tone does become alot stronger but the melody remains the same near the end when he dies. Intertextuality plotwise would be that this music video relates alot to the Bonnie and Clyde storyline. Having Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mickey Rourke in this music video would hype up its image and make it more performance based. The narrative involves an ex-criminal running away with his girlfriend with alot of cash while men in suits (probably from the gang he deserted) track them and follow them, while on the run it would appear that they both rely on their love rather than being rich so they burn the money and get married. After the wedding they are confronted by Rourke who wounds Iglesias in front of Hewitt. Police arrive and Rourke and his men are arrested off-screen while Iglesias dies slowly in Hewitts arms. The intended audience would probably most likely be young women who love boy bands/singers and purchase alot of posters and music of theirs.

Enrique Iglesias cannot help but be represented as every girls fantasy in this music video, he is represented as the hero with the dark past which makes him a good protector for Jennifer Love Hewitt. The calm music and lyrics makes the music video more dreamy and romantic which brings out his softer side to audiences making it hard to dislike him at all. The music video runs on a linear timeline which has a narrative of the traditional young couple going on the run which is an interesting romance story to use. Camera shots consist of alot of two-shots to emphasise the powerful love that the two characters have for one another, low angle shots are used on Mickey Rourke during the confrontation scene to emphasise his dominance and the danger to them that he is. In comparison to Iglesias and Hewitt who are shot in low angles during the scene however they were never shot in high angles to begin with. The sound to go with the lyrics is very soothing which goes perfectly well with narrative, guitar crossed with piano performance that remains at a calm tone throught the music video until it becomes stronger than the lyrics near the end due to the unhappy ending; death of Iglesias. Costumes in the music video are casual clothes, Mickey Rourke wears the traditional suit in order to acheive the traditional gangster look.

Nickelback's Marketing Campaign

To remain fresh-faced and hip; the band Nickelback uses a wide range of methods to market themselves in order for their names to carry on cropping up whenever the rock genre is discussed in a conversation or on television. It will also maintain their worldwide audience instead of having a majority of them drift away once the dust settles after one of their live performances or new singles. Nowadays the ways to advertise are so advanced and effective that the audience are kept within a bands grasp as they are constantly entertained and hyped up by future events that the band has to offer. Social networks that have become increasingly popular among the world such as Facebook, Twitter opens a window for celebritys to market themselves and lets the audience come much closer to interacting with them than they could before. Clothing merchandise and signed gear has always been a traditional way of attracting attension and now that there are a variety of styles and fasions this area has greatly risen in popularity since the time of the odd autograph and plain t-shirt.

Once more, using social networking sites on the world wide web is now a very common method to look up your favourite bands (Nickelback) and find out about their history, listen to music samples and find out about upcoming tour dates, gigs and guest appearences.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Nickelback?v=app_5179614317

Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/nickelback

Twitter page: http://twitter.com/nickelback_fans

Using the popular Guitar Hero game franchise to market and promote a band which is fresh or an oldie has recently come into play and acts such as Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen have been largely benefitted with money and a shot of revival for their bands. These games offer an

interactive virtual reality for Nickelback etc. fans and keeping them on such console platforms such as PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii will keep the games appearence fresh and new regardless of the date that they came out.

Here are a few examples of clothing merchandise available from Nickelback which not only just has their name on it but it relates to the style that they wear when seen live, on TV or on advertisements. Nowadays they keeps alot of their wardrobe black as they now sing with more darker moods than before.

Nickelback Research & Star Construction (with Links to our band "Distraction")

Nickelback is a canadian rock band from the US, formed in 1995 by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake & drummer - Brandon Kroeger. The rock band are mostly involved with Hard Rock and Post-Grunge base however the band has also experimented with other genres such as Pop and Country music. The band has sold over 21,000,000 album copies in the US to date.
The band is based in Vancouver, Canada and the name originates from a time when band member: Mike Kroeger used to be employed at Starbucks and give change in "nickels" to customers. The band is signed to EMI and Roadrunner Records for the rest of the world. In July 2008 the band signed with Live nation for three touring and album cycles with an option for a fourth; their contract includes recordings, touring, merchandise and other rights.
Their first single in 2001 "How You Remind Me" was a huge success and automatically catapulted them into the mainstream rock genre.
For full information on the bands history including some of my own sources, follow the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelback

I believe that this band share alot in common with the potential rock band that me and my team are working with in college and will be working with throught the course of our media project. Nickelback does not have as many band members as Distraction does, willing to share the instruments and vocal work due to mixed skills and abilitys. Nickelback are far more professional and assign one person to each area of a performance i.e. if the lead singer of Nickelback were to switch with another member; the music would be unrecognisable to larger audiences which Distraction do not have. Distraction are not as creative as Nickelback but are creative in a sense by doing a cover song but performing it in another genre style. Distraction could potentially come to present the same image as Nickelback has been recognised to do so by critics; Critisism tends to focus on the bands themes of Strippers, Sex, Prostitutes, Drug, Sex, Drinking and Sex.
Obviously Distraction will not have as much hyped up Marketing or Publicity as Nickelback does, but they still try to market themselves in their own low-budget way e.g. several live performances at a public house located in town centre a year. CDs are able to be recorded, designed and published through the Myspace website. Nickelback have a worldwide advertising campaign but keep to the image it shares with Distraction. Nickelback; band members dress like a modern rock group and never seem to make any references to classic rock, 90s punk in the way they are presented in their live performances and music videos. The hair styles seem pretty normal with minor visibal piercing and tattoo art. This relates alot to the way the band members are presented in Distraction. Here are 2 examples of nickelbacks pop promos which is a taste of the image that they present and stand for:

"How You Remind Me" by Nickelback

"Far Away" by Nickelback (shows a romantic side to the moody band) here is the link, embedding was disabled for this particular music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4y-RzVGrHg

Nickelback Star Construction:

When they started out (around the year 2000); Nickelback seemed like the average young, new rock band on the scene with a hint of their own style and their own vocals to add to the rock culture. their appearence seemed like all-canadian with the certain brands of t-shirts that are available in their region which was their image at the time and it was how they wanted to be represented before altering it to fit into the larger scene in american rock culture. Back then their music seemed more softer and with more heart and feelings toward the storyline that included the romance narrative and precious memories (Far Away, Photograph) Their CD covers and print adverts were bright and cool but didnt really offer anything different to rock fans out there.

Since around 2006 Nickelback has grown more darker and destitute through their music which has changed their image making it more intense through extreme use of loud instruments with cranked up volume and voltage making it painful to listen to but in a good way. Their clothing has changed to jet black to express the dark and moody feelings they are trying to present to their wider targeted audience; they could possibly be targeting fans of gothic music in order to expand their fan clubs and audiences, sometimes they have shocks of white and red in their costumes to represent Light, Danger etc. Their CD covers seem to involve perculier symbols with pitch-black surroundings (Dark Horse album cover) rather than a picture of the band itself which would have changed since 6 years ago. Their music mood is now so different that one of their new songs "Burn it to the Ground" has been chosen to introduce WWE Wrestling due to it being so intense with action-packed feel to it.

Treatment & Synopsis for Music Video (2nd Draft with New Ideas)

After my Guitar Hero band idea was scrapped by others and we were set up with a Student band that is part of the Music programme at Suffolk New College; this caused me to rethink my last proposal entirely in order to make it run more smooth and slick with the Bands image and newley chosen song "Let the Sun Shine by Labrinth"

Due to the Band making the song more of a rock version than an RnB one, i thought the song projected a rather Dark feel to it which would automatically be the key theme for the music video. I wanted our group and the band to be credited equally for our work when this is done so I suggested that we film a narrative based around the song that seperates a story from the bands performance, making it clear what area certain people performed in. I also wanted to include a reference to the movie director David Fincher in the musc video in order to relate to my key theme of darkness in setting and soul. I wanted to add quick 7 second video clips from his movies for a quick reference avoiding domination over the music video. The clips i wanted to add were:

Fight Club - Jack & Tyler talking outside dingy club in an alleyway ultimatly leading to the idea of the Fight Club.

Se7en - Mills & Somerset arriving at the crime scene left by John Doe that is set in sleazy underground motel with heavy rock music and red light in the background i.e. Blood and Danger.

Zodiac - Victims of the Zodiac killer before the murder, Night time makes the mysterious cars headlights look more scary and intense for everyone.

The "New" Synopsis (My Way)

i wanted a dark storyline to go with the very depressing song to go with the very depressing song the band had chosen and other members of my team had accepted. So i created a storyline that will blend in with this new song; i wanted to keep filming local so I proposed that we shoot it in O Block (a part of the old college that has not been demolished yet) because our new college looks far too modern and safe for the kind of setting i wish to use and create. Moving on from O Block i wanted to shoot some more on the college grounds to establish past love interests and a life in which our main character has left behind; hence 'Let the sun shine'. Then afterwards maybe we can move closer to the town centre or toward the docks keeping the dingy, dark setting in motion. Here is my Proposal in more detail, emphasisng my creativity.

At the beginning i would like to begin with alot of CUs on the main character that will be played by myself. This will make a start in establishing what sort of person he is and how he will act. The focus will the be on the alcohol and the cigarettes on the table he is sitting at; there will also be a college text book on the table and the alcohol and fags on the table will represent how they can now interfere with his past life (clearly was a good student) As the music video will continue it will stick to this theme until thus coming to a flicker of hope for this lost soul 'Let the Sun Shine' A Gamble theme will be used and will be taking place in Suffolk New College with the presence of playing cards with cash or chips. I would also like to include a camera shot that will involve a fold gesture in which the main character will throw his cards over the lens ultimatly cutting to the next shot e.g. Casino Royale used this shot. After this a series of random encounters will occur making it more likely for the two to spark a potential relationship. After a small band performance clip the scene will take place on the waterfront at a small cafe which will involve the character maybe eating a bad breakfast or circling potential jobs as well as the horses in the paper. maybe the female character will come into this scene and maybe not but this will be a signifier on how the male character is now changing his ways.

Setting Re-think

Due to a possibility of inaccesebility in O Block, I have come up with a new proposal revolving around the setting area for our Music Video. My OWN idea would be to set it outside the Dolce Vita nightclub which was shut down in 1993 between the old fasioned style library building. This area is less crowded and the boarded up club will express the mood i am trying to create However this will be one of the settings i intend to use for the music video. For our main character to notice the potential love of his life, we must include random incounters rather than the main character following the women 24/7. Suffolk New College is too modern in which I have already established that however it can be part of the whole representation on how the new love interest can pull this lost soul out of the shadows and bring him back to the real world. Next scene could possibly be at one of those small cafes along the waterfront on the docks which would be introducing more of the public into his life as it starts to become more colourful and bearable. Maybe other locations around college to establish the idea that the male character and the female character are both students even if it is a little surreal throughout the video.

The Qustionnaire & Answers (Specific & General)

Questions to find out more about the Band - Answers

1. Who/What influences your music? "Ballad Rock, Contemporary Pop, Heavy Stuff"
2. Who would you compare your music to? "Not many people, try to create our own stuff, some cover songs now and then"
3. How long have you been creating music? "During High School, few years back"
4. Could you see yourself ever being successful? "Connor, probably"
5. Who/What influenced your band name? "Just a random name: Distraction"
6. Have you ever done a gig? " One gig so far, at the Gardeners Arms, it went well"
7. How do you promote your music? "Random gigs in Ipswich"
8. Would you say music is a big part of your Lives? "Sort of, yeah....it will be involved in my future"
9. What influenced your style within music? "Rock & Roll, some RnB"
10. How long has your band been together? "Since we started this course at Suffolk New College"

Questions to ask when meeting The Band - Answers

1. What are your names? "Zak, Jake, Jake, Lee, Bradley, Connor"
2. How old are each of you? "17-20 years old"
3. What's your favourite genre of music? "Rock, classic and contemporary"
4. What are your favourite hobbies?
5. Tell us a little about yourself?
6. Have you ever met anyone famous in the music industry? " members of Black Sabbath"
7. Is music your main focus in life? " one of them anyway"
8. How often do you practise? "All the time in College"
9. What instruments can you play? "Guitarists, Drummers, Singers and Keyboards"
10. Show us your party tricks? (may establish friendship)

Synopsis & Treatment for Music Video (1st Draft)

It was my idea to have our group as the band itself, using the Guitar Hero instruments used for the popular well-known game series on PS3, XBOX 360, Wii etc. It will be a fun, unique representation of a real band and a counterpart of what a real-live audience would expect from a live rock performance. My narrative has not been given much thought but I propose a sequence of events that would involve the story-arc and then suddenly cut back to a live performance of the guitar hero band, for example: My Kid Rock MV example as seen below. i was thinking of possible adding extracts from popular films that show some kind of relation to the Rock and Roll genre, for example films such as The Terminator, Iron Man 2 (involved heavy use of AC/DC in it's soundtrack) and School of Rock. This music video will not be completely overtaken by film extracts because we too wish to promote our band image even though our performance is not 100% genuine, my aim is too do something that may not have been done in Media before and something that will contrast to the other productions in the class.

In the narrative scenes I would like to show what members of the band do on a regular day i.e. maybe they meet up, go into the town etc. This will all be taking place while the music is all synced over however I may use the sound equipment to add some dialogue at the beginning and end of the music video. The Guitar Hero performance could take place in one of the studios or classrooms of the media department in Suffolk New College which i think is an original and easier idea to act on because it is a place where we are all welcome and it is unlikely that we are to be let down when the time comes.

If my group members do not approve entirly of my proposal I will at least merge my ideas with their very own proposals in order for me to at least contribute to the plan of the final music video.

Report/Overview of Pop Promos

A good pop promo includes a relationship between the visuals and the music for example; Bjork in "It's Oh So Quiet" included dancing and singing as a result of falling in love and very cheerful bright music even in dark backgrounds; this music video was the very definition of what you feel on the inside when you are madly in love which is usually only expressed like this in musicals on stage and on screen as it featured people of the public getting involved in her feelings and helping her do all the wacky stunts and dance lifts. A good Pop Promo should have a beautiful use of Mise-En-Scene like Bjork's did and should always introduce its own style in order to make it stand out from the rest at that time; Movie Directors involvement in music video helps bring a unique viewing to audiences e.g. David Finchers "A Perfect Circle" by Judith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqNsy4TM_zI this expresses the style that he created from films like Se7en and Fight Club and merges it with the type of music you would hear in one of his films.
Music Videos tend to always have a certain genre with maybe a few crossovers now and then but the genre that is always included in a music video is the musical genre that is based around the music videos main narrative. Some music videos are released along with a film in order to use extracts from the film to mix in with their own performance e.g. Elton John recorded a song made especially for Disney's The Lion King called "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" in which Elton was projected into the Disney universe around the narrative to perform his song.


Intertextuality is a reference in a to other media texts such as Katy Perry's California Gurls included frequent references to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland.

This makes a certain music video more likely to attract a wider audience that are already fans of the secondary media texts that are being used, This is one way of an audience being targeted.
To promote a singer e.g. a female singer, the institution that hires her uses her body to attract a male audience through exploitation. This has been proven to work and garnish more money for the singer and institution making the certain more wealthy and making the female singer more famous.
Iconography depends on the genre of music and whether a singer/band can dominate that genre for a period of time i.e. Michael Jackson became a Pop Icon due to his huge success with Music Videos throughout the 1980s for example his music video "Thriller" gave MTV a mega jump start to becoming a globalised source of music.

Cheryl Cole is now seen as the UKs Pop Icon due to her increasing success since going solo and producing a string of no. 1 hits; this has proven to be successful with a number of members in girl groups going solo to blossom their career.
very music video can have a narrative behind it, no matter how strange or surreal. Most MVs rely on the intertextuality for their narrative. "Fight For This Love" by Cheryl Cole was based on a real event occuring in her life, so the narrative was inspired by a true story which is a rare thing to come across in pop culture.

"Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin was extremely unique and disturbing but they try and make audiences see that behind all of that there is a solid narrative based on a certain concept.
There are some examples of Ideology in music videos which can give us beliefs and values e.g. "Sabotage" by The Beastie Boys made the band look like a bunch of thugs acting like stupid kids vandalising, drug using, drinking. This is their style but due to Ideology it can never be fully understood and accepted in Globalisation.

Kid Rock Promo Pack Analysis (Video, Advert, CD Cover)

KR"All Summer Long" CD Cover
"Kid Rock" is always in capitals as is his song title, makes the cover and his image stand out more. Very Large Capitals at the top of the page in order for the background and Kid Rock to have equal domination in this picture. Smashed glass effect can represent accidental vandalism due to drunk side effects which can be seen as part of the fun that is described in his music video. His mirrored sunglasses can be either natural or an effect to elongated the beauty of the scenery (lake, woods) where he and others spend the summertime.
Kid Rocks Jersey makes it clear that he is in Alabama country; probably his birthplace or just his location for summer vacation. His fasion style suggests the mid-late 1970s (rock era) intertextuality is established. Natural Lighting in outdoors surroundings with a nothing-special house, possibly a living quarters for farmers long ago, now abandoned awaiting demolishment. Heavily wooded area creates the sense of freedom with less law enforcement and worries. Blue skies (intertextuality) of the old saying "not a cloud in the sky" meaning nothing to worry about, everything is fine.
The reason that it is only Kid Rock in the photo despite the fact that there were loads of characters in his music video that contributed to the main narrative and none of his band members (instrument players) simple and basic; he promotes himself hence only "Kid Rock" is on the cover, name and face. The band and extras are not important in this CD cover. Genre of music established slightly by scenery is in the Southern Rock, Americana category.

In this CD cover it would appear that Kid Rock has slightly changed his image through clothes and props whereas in the one above he appears as a common punk found in Alabama with nothing unique to offer audiences and to build his own star image. This more recent CD cover looks at Kid Rock in a whole new light as it almost completely changes the way he was represented in "All Summer Long" His logo is still the same font/style but more of a gold colour which could represent his step up from last time, almost everthing in this photo is gold including the cars leather seats, the pistol handles and the golden field background along with the bright sunshine. He is now dressed in smarter clothes such as Leather, Denim, Snake-skin boots which adds more of a cool American Dude image to the star. I would not think that this photo-shot is completely associated with the song as "Born Free" expressed the same freedom sense as "All Summer Long" did, the car and the field can represent life on the road which some people do call "freedom" The props such as the strangly large amount of guns that are within reach and that blend into the cars features. There is that intertextuality to money like there is in most music videos because everything that features in this photo looks rather expensive. Alas it is return of the large sunglasses so he has kept a small part of what used to be him in "All Summer Long" and his facial hair remain keeping that rough yankee look.

Print Advert: Kid Rock Concerts

"Kid Rock" is all in Large Capitals which obviously will dominate the advertisement, which also includes another large title in different font (adding more of a retro classic rock feel to the upcoming concert) It is also an intertextuality reference to Lynard Skynard (will be performing cover songs) Most of the poster is taken up by the ludacrisly oversized title however it still includes quick answers to questions a potential audience may have (Date, Price, Location, Website, Special Offers, Sponsor & Fireworks) these come in a wider range of colours due to logo design; brightening up the poster. "Rock Rebels 2009" is not a logo for a major company but just a symbol of representation of the fans and bands of rock and roll to make this concert become more genuine and true, avoiding to look like a poser concert (makes it look alot cooler as well) a very distinctive graphic.



Seeing Kid Rock on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine is definatly a represntation and obvious point that he is moving up in the hall of fame with his music and star image. Rolling Stone is a very well known music magazine, one of the highest ranking mags in the USA which has extended its reach going almost worldwide. The wacky interview topics beside Kid Rocks picture is bound to catch people eye and tickle their fancy. This may be presented in some form of inspiration to young musical prodigy that need a hero and role model to follow and start off in their footsteps. This was a great oppertunity and a great way to market his career "people and subscribers will buy and read the magazine and will most likely end up purchasing his music and potential future music he will create" His extremely strange fasion sense will give him attension and cause readers to either show some strange sign of respect or to just think he is weird nevertheless this image makes him stand out in the rock genre and gives him his own style to be remembered by many. Also appearing as a bit of a ladies man can have a general positive effect on his star image as well.






Dating Pamela Anderson is definatly going to cause alot of young male teens to look up to this man and aim to be like him.

History of the Music Video

It was in fact around the 1890s when musical papers were turned into something called the illustrated song but it was very hard to come across back then.

The Music Video first became popular during the 1980s due to the launch of a new television channel called MTV (music television) which also widespread the popularity of the music video into other countries such as China and the UK. MVs use a wide range of styles and film making techniques however some MVs do not interpret images from the songs lyrics, making it less literal than expected. It was clear that the decade of the 1980s was the year for MVs as they started to go mainstream rather than just occuring here and there when a band needs promoting. Many important acts of this period owe a great deal of their career and success to the skillful construction and seductive appeal of their music videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLLpm5OE3TY

The 1960s when the french would create a piece of music to go with a short film; they called it a visual jukebox which was still quite rare until a band from Liverpool, UK called "The Beatles" used videos to promote their next tours and distribution in other areas. The Beatles released a music video titled "Twist and Shout" which some people would argue is their undisputed masterpiece. The simple lyrics and performance did not feature many technical aspects of media that are required today yet this video became a hit mostly due to the audience being able to watch The Beatles on television as well as hearing them on their records. This music video became iconic with such a cathchy tune and being the first among the future of the music video. The song has been used constantly in films that make that reference to the sixties such as Ferries Bueller and Benjamin Button. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVlr4g5-r18

Around the 1970s the swedish band ABBA used promotional videos to broadcast and distribute their music internationally, as was the case in many countries. ABBA was one of the few bands to inspire the activity of kareoke due to their lyrics being so uplifting an fun which will bring people together in spirit. ABBA will always be a tradition on the kareoke even today with all the new songs out there. Dancing Queen was an iconic music video being that it was something fresh back then and brought forth a new wave of "party music" Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

Elvis Presley had constructed his own star image during the 1970s when he was promoting himself in image and performance. He starred in musical films in order to pursue a different direction in his career while boosting his music e.g. Elvis Presleys "Viva Las Vegas" became an instant hit as that video used a wider range of new skills in media. Its catchy tune and unique effect at the time helped make the King of Rock and Roll. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFw5a5Bp_Pw

The 1980s saw a very high rise in music video consistency as acts like Queen and Michael Jackson done a MV for almost every song they produced which ultimatly became a smash-hit. Michael Jackson was one of the few music legends that sparked the music video to be a positive marketing tool for career boosting and entertainment. for example; Michael Jacksons "Smooth Criminal" considered to be one of the greatest music videos of all time. Michael Jacksons "Thriller" includes skillful use of props and mes which shows the progress of the music video and how narratives were beginning to come into play alot more rather than just filming a performance. Michael Jackson has done a music video for nearly every one of his releases which has led to nearly all of them being no. #1 at some point during the 1980s -1990s Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWucYbAp8Lk - Smooth Criminal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_MuUcxHATo - Thriller

Once USA launched MTV which automatically boosted the music video as a promotional idea, Britain reacted with a similar idea for music entertainment. The birth of "The Top of the Pops" came around this decade; although it is not around anymore while MTV continues to blossom and is now shown worldwide, the style of Top of the Pops remains i.e. the countdown technique used to show audiences the particular songs that are featured in the charts weekly with additions of live performances.

In the early 21st century it saw the rise of directors for the music video which had positive effects on the revenue and the singers/bands career i.e. Britney Spears "Hit Me Baby, One More Time" became the most iconic video of 1999-2000. Britney's music videos has inspired a new genre that is always aimed at the pre-teenage group e.g. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber are among the new acts today that upkeeps the genre that Britney created. "Hit Me Baby One More Time" remained number one for almost the whole of 1999 due to its popularity and freshness. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKo4fFVymqk

Many had to be either censored or banned due to strong images that may influence acts of violence i.e. Prodigy's "Firestarter" contained images of arsonism causing it to be banned by the BBC and other major networks around the world. Rock was not a new genre at this time but it was beginning to evolve making the music stronger and angrier. The genre was at a stage where it had the image to influence people through the music videos that involved spreading anarchy while making audiences see the "fun" side to it. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw

Nowadays instead of devoting Music Videos to one channel, now we have a wide range of channel that are completely reserved for MVs the difference is that they are split up into genres making it more interactive for people with particular interests. Music Videos will always remain as a promotional idea for any band, singer, it has now become part of normal entertainment.

(2008 - present) Music Videos that are being made today contrast heavily to the music videos that were made 20 years ago. A new wave of themes and effects that have the ability to captivate audiences despite having similar lyrics to each song in the genre i.e. RnB. Most musical acts today are so surreal that they are able to embrace new areas of MVs despite the high amount of odd activity and narrative it is now considered the future of music. For Example; an artist known as Lady Gaga has won a vast amount of rewards due to her unique image and interesting image that has become like a trademark. Her music video "Poker Face" has become a worldwide success through her unique style and performance; it contains a lack of a narrative and seems to focus more on performance i.e. dancing. Her choice of costume is unlike anything that has been used before, ECMS is disturbing and uncomfortable yet it works like a piece of art. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bESGLojNYSo

New acts are heavily consisted of rappers as the youth of today are influenced by it yet it does not have a negative effect like Prodigy did. Rap has changed since the 90s it has become more foul-mouthed, glamorous with less disco style to it. Jay Z released a music video called "99 Problems" which i think is a perfect example to show how rap has evolved and what it is today; some rap are hybrids with club music to make it either more like a Pop/RnB video in order to appeal to a wider audience. Jay Z, 99 Problems; Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq1kCyrX71M

All Summer Long by Kid Rock, Directed by Mike E Clark (2008)

The MES included a numerous amount of things you would associate with Summertime in the USA by the Lake down in Tennessee. This music video features alot of retro cars mixed in with modern speedboats to show the difference between then and now. The costumes were very casual and matched the scenery along with the half naked women there were walking and dancing around (establishing sex appeal, which you would expect from Americans) Old school stereos and aviators from the 1970s.
The cinematography was interesting as it showed all of the young teens around the fire as equals as it pans around them as they pass the whiskey to the next person. The camera only focused on Kid Rock as he described his behaviour back in the day. As the speedboat would zoom past things in the water the camera would film them coming up and then keep the focus as it leaves them behind. CUs on teens "making out" Most of the time the camera would cut from all the partying to Kid Rock and his band actually performing the song with a real flash light effect on the stage.
Basically everything Kid Rock sings/says automatically cuts to a visual of it happening literally with no exaggeration, lyrics do have alot in common with the visuals.
Beach Party music, old-school rock n roll causing the women to pole dance and the guys to go crazy. The music literally causes partying to break out not needing to make sense.
Intertextuality is going back to the 70s (rock decade) for some people. A mash-up of Lynard Skynards "Sweet Home Alabama" & Warren Zevons "Werewolves of London" in the lyrics and tune.
The Narrative is Kid Rock recalling the days when he had the most fun through Flashbacks that do not include him.
The band are portrayed as proper southern yankees who are cool, awesome and have no worries. They somehow get all the hot girls to hang out with them. This will promote them as this music video will definatly garnish alot of fans who want to be like them.
Target audience would probably be the young lads, old school rockers in the USA, maybe some hipees trying to relive the day as well.

California Gurls by Katy Perry, Directed by Matthew Cullen (2010)

Every piece of mise-en-scene in the music video is interesting as it takes costumes and props to the extreme. The costumes are very surreal and colourful which are well suited to the backgrounds which are also very colourful and unusual which changes constantly throughout the video. The diamond dice always seem to appear as a trademark for the high roller gangster type like Snoop Dogg. The props such as the rock candy and ice-cream cone palace etc. are all in CGI as the music video is in alot of depth with the detail, creating a visual dream world.
The camera just seems to follow Katy Perry around on her journey through the candy world and always seems to focus more on her rather than the other women that may be with her at the time in the narrative. The cinematography can suddenly cut away from the certain point in the storyline and return to Katy Perry naked in the candy floss clouds OR Snoop Dogg in his candy palace looking down on the dream world when it is time for the chorus to be heard.
The background is animated into a real cheesy cartoon which make no attempt to replicate a real world location however various california landmarks appear in the video i.e. walk of fame and hollywood sign all made out of confectionary. CGI Gummy Bears as evil henchmen do not create danger but is still an interesting choice of a visual effect.
California Gurls takes place in a fictional place called Candyfornia even though the lyrics are "california" which are bright, happy and makes california girls appear delicious along with everything else surrounding them.
Very party-like music and girly to go with the title. Representing fun and adventure to mix in with the narrative.
This music video was inspired by films such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and does make references to them through the main characters Katy=Alice, Snoop=Wonka and throught the narrative in Candyfornia; Katy Perry and the other women seems to be portraying children rather than adults.
Narrative Performance main topics are teamwork and taking a journey. It shows how california girls can stand up to the men, valuable lessons shining through the fantasy/adventure traits.
Even though this music video appears really innocent and child-like it can cutaway from that and promote Katy Perry through Sex for the men (naked in the clouds) and her dominant character can have an influence on the girls (powerful dancing with other females) that watch this giving her more fans. Snoop Dogg still keeps is image as a "player" which can be identified through his lyrics "Katy my lady, these are the girls I love the most" and his character in this music video which is cool and dominant. The intended audience for this music video are mostly teenage girls and boys who like Snoop Dogg. Children may find this very entertaining as well.

Katy Perry presents herself as a regular female pop singer in which some young girls may idolize her, she constantly wears revealing costumes despite her role in the music video as a mock up of the main character in "Alice in wonderland" (the innocent role) so Katy Perry presents herself as eye candy as well in order to target the typical male audiences out there. This music video makes her appear as a fun-loving person making it harder to dislike Katy Perry as a person/singer as she gives alot of talent in her performance: sing/dance/acting. The music video runs in a linear timeline narrative as most do. Cinematography tries to keep Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg in frame at all times because she is playing the game while he observes her so despite its complex setting/narrative the music video is constantly focused on their performances. Jump cuts speed up Katy Perrys journey and makes it seem fun for everyone, while the camera keeps a low angle shot on Snoop Dogg which makes him always appear in control apart from the narrative end. Over the shoulder shot of Snoop Dogg as he looms and watches over Katy Perrys progress in Candyfornia. The sound in this music video is very loud and dominating yet it matches the same volume as Katy Perrys powerful vocals; instruments are unclear but i would think that there is a DJ somewhere in the soundtrack so the music is very nightclub style but more brighter and light hearted. The fictional candy land is very interesting in terms of going to extreme lengths for the music videos narrative giving it more focus and heart. The special effects used to create the gigantic sweets and evil gummy bears is very child-like and tries not to portray realistic objects that much, the clouds where Katy Perry is featured during the chorus seem pretty realistic and is the only time in the narrative where she pulld away from Snoop Doggs game.

Take on Me by A-Ha, Directed by Steve Barron (1985)

Our Male character has been established as a fictional hearthrob motorcycle racer which already has captured the attention of the female character who is part of the real world and just seems like your normal everyday kind of girl.
Nowadays you would definatly notice the 80s retro fasion worn by both characters; the female wears really baggy clothes which focus more on the colour rather than the figure, the male wears leather and denim which is quite typical for a 80s male hearthrob; intertexuality for Grease, Footloose etc. The cafe setting is interesting because it appears to have no relation with the lyrics or music whatsoever however it can be a typical meeting place for dates between male and female characters introducing the intertexuality once more.
The cinematography is really interesting at the start as they include quick close ups and pan outs of the cartoon images (flicking through) so it's like you yourself are reading it and what you would look at. Chemistry is established through close ups between the real female and cartoon male and continous two-shot frames within the alternate reality where most of the narrative takes place.
The very amazing visual effect would be the B&W comic book characters coming to life and interacting with the real world (like a cool retro 3d effect) the cortoon hand grabbing the female hand and pulling her into his world. How the male still a cartoon is in the real world causing him to shed his black and white colours in flashy effects ultimatly becoming a real person.
The words do not make much point or sense to me however the tone works extrememly well with the visuals and creates a calmer environment for the female character even though she is no longer in her reality but somehow appears to be in a greater comfort zone.
I sure the music represents a love story as its intrumental sounds are very calm and soothing which does not give your mood negative effects and really does set the scene for the chemistry between the male and female and it also puts the narrative into suspense when the two main characters are being chased by rival racers.
This narrative really messes with the real world and creates a whole load of surrealism but does not change genre, this narrative (love story) shares alot of similarities with other popular 80s musical and romance films (grease & footloose) which can capture more of a wider audience.
The genre characteristics would be the establishment of the Male - Female relationship through chemistry at first sight which it clearly was. It also would include characteristics from the musical genre as dancing and singing is thrown into the narrative.
This music video is concept based on a classic 80s love story where the Male is put in danger but does not hesitate to protect his love interest, leads to some sacrifice and fear of danger or death but always ultimatly leads to a happy ending.
The music video promotes the band even through its narrative it seems that the only characters are male, female, rival racers however there are quick shots at members of the band when a guitar solo come into play (boost bands image) the narrative end cuts away from the female and male embracing only to switch to a magazine cover featuring the band "A-Ha" advertises a little.
This can target a mixture of people Male and Female, doesn't matter what age. Mainly for those sensitive souls out there.

Morton Harkett the lead singer is presented as the protagonist in the music videos narrative, helping out the damsel in distress. He is clearly portrayed as eye candy for the female gaze and constructed to be dreamy and brave which will appeal to most girls, stereotypical version of the hero. The narrative has the cheesy 80s romance thing to it. The rest of the band play in the background and make small appearences but do not interfere with the narrative; their music is very dominating with the catchy tune. ECMS; cinematography involves a heavy amount of CUs in order to create the meet cue between the male and female characters and to help the chemistry between them blossom alot more. Panning around the male and female characters helps to capture the romance as well as the interesting setting that has been created for this music video. At the start of the music video there are loads of fast, quick jumps to each picture featured in the comic book which quickly sums up the origin of the male character; makes some sense to the audience and is an interesting opening to a music video. The editing in this music video is fantastic purely because of the effect used to create the fictional comic-book world, animation seems ahead of its time when you watch this video; making this very memorable and iconic. A reversal effect is also used when the comic-book male character tries to enter the real world ad there are flickers of pencil sketching on his body despite the realistic surroundings. The incredibly catchy beat overpowers the vocals throughout the song making "Take on Me" known for its tune giving the audience today that 80s feeling.