Costumes

For Lucys's costume we have decided to use neautral colours because these are linked to the woodland setting we will be using for our music video . From looking at other acoustic music videos, brown is a typical costume colour so we will therefore be sticking with the codes and conventions of the genre. We have also decided to use layers with the clothing for a deeper reason. We wanted to show that Lucy is wanting to feelprotected and secure, and this will be connoted by varies layers of clothing.

Storyboard

Music Video Analysis- Regina Spektors 'Us'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fczPlmz-Vug
This video is the most interesting and thought provoking acoustic video that i have come across. It uses thousands of still images at the start, to combine together to create a scene. It shows Regina unpacking a box to create a room. The items that she is connoted with is a piano, this happens to be the first thing she unpacks from the box. this could emphasize the importance of a piano within her music. As the music video begins Regina enters the room through a window, this could be a link to her album cover which has the image of a closed window behind her. This could suggest that she is breaking free, or is entering back into a restricted room where just like the album cover she is enclosed in a tight room with just a piano. There is then a mid-shot of Regina, which puts emphasis on her being a solo artist and is establishing that this video is solely about her and her music. The still images become slower, however the transitions become quite harsh as images of darts hits a map. This creates  complex thought in my mind, as i feel this could suggest that because the images that are not of her are hard hitting and have a different pace and transition, it could show that the outside world to her is completely in contrast to being alone with her piano in a room. This transitions by the music video director could emphasize this. Like most acoustic videos, this video includes a variety of close-ups, i think this is used so the audience pay attention to the detail as this type of shots helps to convey the themes of the song. There is then a controversial image of Regina creating a cartoon city and watering it, this is a powerful shot as i believe this could be hit at urban life and how it needs nature and nurture in order to survive. This is common of acoustic videos, as they want to show a bucolic and idealised view of nature and portray a negative view of urban modernity. There is fast paced long shots used to show images of past iconic leaders, and men in archaic clothing. I think Regina wanted to portray the past in a positive life, and shows how we should pay more attention to the ideals and nature of the past. Extreme close-ups of her lips show a very sensual and femine side of Regina, the bright red lipstick she is wearing could symbolize that she is a powerful and dominant woman, the emphasis on her lips suggests that we should listen to her. The repeated image of a spinning globe could connote that the themes of her music ca reach world wide, or a different interpretation could suggest that this is a reference to how quick time passes. Another contreversial image used is a suited man with a pigs head, i think this yet again is mocking the wealth and modernity of society and how we have become 'pig headed'.

How we gained permission from the artist

From knowing Lucy Dines socially, i knew that she was a talented singer/ song writer. When asked the create a music video i immediately thought of her as i wanted the music genre to be acoustic. I shared her YouTube videos with my group and they agreed that she would be perfect for our genre and videos idea. I messaged her using a social networking site and asked if she would consider letting us film her and stated that once the video was complete that she could have a copy of it as well. As i know that she is interested in pursuing a career in music. I asked if she had any gigs coming up and she invited me to watch her band 'Bella Diem' perform at the 02 academy. We have arranged many meetings with Lucy in order to gain information on her strengths and weakness's, to make sure that when filming her we capture the best of her. From the gig we obtained a CD which included four of her tracks, and we used this to help us decide on which song we would like to create a music video for. In the end we went for Lucy's own song 'bullet' as we felt this would portray the music genre excellently and it a heartfelt song that comes with powerful evocative imagery.

(a photo from the gig they played that we went too)

Music Video Analysis- Laura Marlings 'New Romantic'

Laura Marlings 'New Romantic' begins with a zoom shot that shows her sitting on a wooden chair in a spotlight playing her guitar. In my opinion this directly shows the simplicity of acoustic music. The beginning zoom shot ends with a close up of Laura's face which captures the raw emotion of her singing the first line  'i know i said i loved you, but I'm thinking i was wrong. I'm the first to admit that I'm still pretty young'. Whilst singing this line, it is clear from the close up the realisation that Laura is feeling at this moment, this makes the lyrics and performance of the song even more real and evocative for a viewer. Slowly a mid-shot is used showing Laura from the side with images projected on the brick wall behind her. The images are of hearts and music notes, this could be a symbol for the most important things in her life- love and  her music. The director then uses a long shot, showing Laura alone on the chair playing her music. This is quite a sad and powerful image, as it suggests the insignificance of her and could also highlight that when creating her music she is alone and lost in her own thoughts. The theme of complex love occurs when two icons of male and female shadows are projected onto the wall, the use of these symbols to represent each gender could connote the idea that both male and females are the same when it comes to love. Throughout the video a variety of images appear on the wall, but the most striking one in my opinion is the close up of her hand plucking the guitar strings. Even though it is just a simple image, it believe that is shows how isolated she is in her music. Another long shot is used again, to change the tone and atmosphere of the video, within this long shot occurs shadows and images- the time they are on the floor. 'Sorry' is projected in bold letters, this could be to convey the message of the entire song. A shot that doesn't occur right until the end of the video is an extreme close up, this is of Laura's eyes. This is the first time Laura looks directly at the camera, this could suggest that she finally gains to power to believe in her lyrics. The clothing and overall presentation of Laura is bland, wearing a simple grey top and black skinnies. The could connote her simplicity and show that she doesn't rely on her looks to gain fame is the music industry.Overall i have gained knowledge and ideas from this video. I enjoyed the simplicity, location and the images on the wall and floor. These are suggestions that i will share with my group. I do however think the clothing she was wearing created a very bleak and uneasy look to her, and will use this negative impression to make sure that the clothing our artist wears is suitable for the video and creates the right vibe.

Music Video Analysis- Jack Penates 'Have I Been A Fool'

Typically music videos start with a stationary shot, but interestingly Jack penates 'have i been a fool' starts with a ped-up shot of him running down a street with a bunch of flowers at his side. This could have been used to emphasize that he is a solo artist and not part of a band. This is typical to the acoustic genre, as most acoustic singers create there music solely by themselves. This shot automatically entices the audience, and makes them ask questions such as 'what has happened prior to this scene in the video?'. This is a common but useful technique found in quite a few music videos in which we will consider using it in ours. After the introduction of the song, Penate knocks on a front door and begins to sing the lyrics to the song. We are then introduced to a character in the music video who clearly shows that the clothing in this video has been well thought out. She is wearing typical winter fashion, which includes a woolly hat and a military coat. By wearing layers it could suggest that she is trying to protect or hide herself. This type of analysis helps you empathise with the characters in the videos and relate to their experiences which makes it more evocative to watch as an audience member. When this character opens this door, the directors have included two quick close up shots of hers and Penates faces, by using these shots we are able to almost become each of the characters and see through their perspective. By using this shot in the narrative it makes the video become more personal to the audience. Penate leads her to a car and then we she enters the taxi, the character becomes another women. This creates a promiscuous image of Penate and suggests he fits the typical 'lads-lad' image. I think that this breaks the stereotypical image of a male acoustic singers, as typically they are portrayed as being emotional and heart-felt and create and idealised image for female viewers. Using quick mid-shots of Penate and the original female character leaving the taxi into a natural environment shows certain images in more detail but creates an overall impression of the scene to the audience. Penate picks up a guitar and serenades to the girl, this is very typical of an acoustic based video, as it shows that he is capable of playing an instrument and writing the songs. It also gives a more performance based side to the video. Long shots are then used to show Penate with a number of different girls walking off in front of him, i think long shots were used to suggest that Penate has no intimacy or emotions towards these girls however the original girl from the start of the video is repeated image. This could promote the idea of there being that one person who you continue to love, this is a very typical idea of an acoustic video as they mainly promote the theme of everlasting love.

Our Narrative

Our narrative is a montage of nostalgic memories from a previous relationship. We have decided that our video gradient of black and white will convey the antique and idyllic idea of their forgotten history. Our aim is to create a music video that captures the heartbreak of teenagers first love, and the importance of letting go. The themes of love and loss will be reflected through our video being a performance narrative, when filming Lucy performing we will give her defined direction of expressing hurt through her facial expressions and getting lost in the lyrics.  Our narrative will include largely close up camera shots, as this will allow us to focus on creating an emotional connection with the audience. We will include clips of the lovers memories, we may continue with the idea that when editing this video we will use slow motion. By doing this we hope to create a sense of the characters longing to go back to these memories and it will foreshadow the idea that these short idyllic memories don't last. I gathered inspiration from watching and analysing acoustic videos such as, joshua radins 'i'd rather be with you'. The idyllic setting in this video would be ideal for our video, as nature appears untouched. The simple video of Laura Marlings 'new romantic' suggests that music videoes shouldnt have a complicated narrative, and the video should be more of a powerful performance. In this video there is shadows and words projected upon a brick wall, this helps to convery the story of the narrative. From watching this video we are agreeing to keep our video simple, and focus on the themes that consist within our lyrics.


When closely analysising 'new romantic' by Laura Marling, we have realised that our lyrics contain the same ideas and themes. The song lyrics refer to how when we are children we are given the misconception that love and romance will just happen and it will be easy and wonderful, just like in fairy tales. However as shes grown up and experienced love in its true form for the first time ('You'll always be my first love') she realises that it is very tough and complicated which is all new to her because she was never aware of how hard it actually is. So she's seeing romance in a new light and she doensn't like the harsh reality of it. This is similar to the lyrics used in our video as Lucy sings 'I cant stand those feelings you have given to me', like Laura Marling Lucy is showing the complications and distress of love. By analysising Laura Marlings video, i have gained a deeper insight into the acoustic genre and this has helped me immensly.

Audience theories

Considering how the audience will respond to our music video has been a crucial starting point for planning our filming. Believing that our music video is a commodity has forced us to consider different audience variables, such as the geographic location of the setting. We have made a group decision that the audience will typically be from England, as they will be able to relate to the locations and language of the lyrics and since we are from England the music video will be more accessible to people that are of our nationality and region.We are creating our music video with the ability to reach large numbers of people, and hope to expand it to America as there will be a wider audience and this will help us to become a global success. Our demographic variables are very broad as our audience hasn't been completely defined. We believe our music video will be accessible to a variety of audiences, but our priority is will be creating a video that teenage girls around the age of 14 onwards will be able relate to. The lyrics and acoustic genre of our music may cause our audience to be empathetic because they may have had similar life experiences that are typical of our audience age range. Adjacent to age is occupation, we believe that the experiences involved in the lyrics are associated of that of a student but feel that as long as the audience appreciate the acoustic genre than people of any occupation can enjoy it. The physchographic variables include personality, lifestyle, values, activities, interests and opinions. We feel that the type of person that would watch our music video would be trendies, as they typically crave and seek attention and acceptability. Overall our music video will contain themes and lyrics that will be accessible to everyone and will be able to reach a large audience and we will not just target specific groups.

Group issues

When beginning our music video process i started off within a group of four people who all were enthusiastic to create a video with codes and conventions of the acoustic genre. Making crucial decisions based on the artist became difficult and conflicting as the group was split on two artists who both had pros and cons. Following a whole class discussion new groups were formed and this would benefit not just the process of video making but also the final outcome. The group i am now involved with have the same views and opinions on which artist to use and what genre of music. Looking from an outside prospective it was the right and most beneficial decision i have made in the process so far as i think i can now flourish and have a pleasing more satisfying experience. Being in a group which had conflicts early on into the research process created a very negative working dynamic, if carried on i believe we would not have been a team but four individuals trying to communicate.

Mumford and Sons Tour Poster

This is the most complex and extreme tour poster that i came across when researching. It is very different from any other that i have seen, and caught my attention as a listener straight away.  The central image shows how a naturalistic image can easily be destroyed by society. When black and white are used together we get a sense of mourning and a very cheerless occasion, as these colours are usually common at funeral. The white hints at passing onto heaven and the black is for loss. This could suggest that we should be mourning the loss of nature as we have known it, as we are destroying it beyond repair. This is shown by the destroyed car with the headlights giving attention to the innocent cartoon birds. This could have been used to emphasize the destruction we are bringing to creatures that cant fight back and have done nothing to deserve such treatment, it could also hint at the lyrics that are used by the band. It could suggest they sing about subjects that are of a deeper importance than other artists and shows their music has alot of depth.  The open and broken cartoon cages symbolize freedom, this could show how the band have broken all the boundaries of music and have created their own unique sound. They could be comparing themselves to being like birds, they were first trapped by the strict music industry but have now broken out of the cages and identities and are free to show the world what they can do. The two archaic oak trees, could suggest how important music has been to the band- music has always been there for them and remains faithful in their success. It could also be used to show that they are an acoustic band, as all of the tour posters i have analyzed have used images of nature and have been cartoon.

By using blue writing and blue leaves, we get a sense of calming as the overly crowded tour poster on first glance can look overpowering and overcrowded. However i feel the tint of blue adds purity, life and stability to the poster and helps the details of the tour to stand out against the black and white gradient.

Regina Spektor Tour Poster

This artistic and charismatic tour poster can be interpreted in many different ways, Its individuality reflects Regina's style of music and lyrics. The striking image of the cartoon dove usually connotes peace, purity, love and beauty. This could suggest that her tracks include all of these themes to provide for a variety of listeners. It is also a very natural and idyllic image, which could heighten her acoustic and alternative artist title.  The use of the colour green has a calming and serenading effect, it is a colour usually associated with the landscape which helps to portray to new listeners that she is of the acoustic genre. The colour red is the most predominant colour used on this poster, red is a very sensual colour that is used to express femininity. This could have been used to show that Regina is a very strong and emotive artist, who is considered as being very dominant and powerful. I found it very unusual that the colour orange was used on this poster, however when asking my peers they suggested that it is a warming colour and is used to represent the changing of seasons. This could suggest that her tour is unlike any that she has done before, and could reflect a change in the style of her music. Due to others opinions on this colour, it has also changed my own and i now feel that it was used as a symbol of her growing as an artist. By using this colour as the font for the tour dates, it could suggest that anyone is welcome.
The central and main image is of  a giant babushka doll, all the other images on this poster are contained within the doll. This could suggest that Regina feels she is trapped within a painted identity with all these ideas inside of her. We can see that there is a cartoon hand breaking out of the doll in order to play a keyboard. This could be a metaphor to show that music is her only way of escaping the restrictions of her everyday life and could maybe show the importance that the keyboard has in her music. Big hippy flowers surround the tour poster, this is a very common theme on acoustic tour posters and videos as usually it represents the natural worlds effect on the music.
The painted face on the babushka doll could symbolize that Regina could be trying to hide her identity, feels insecure or could feels that she needs to be different to stand up against new artists.

Jason Mraz Tour Poster

The rural landscape in the background suggests that he is a country/ acoustic singer who doesn't need big stages and equipment, all he needs is his guitar to make music and this is shown by a guitar image being central on his tour poster. This heightens his acoustic title as most acoustic singers only use one instrument and this is most commonly a guitar. The country background also presents a calm, relaxed and untouched scene, which could symbolize his style of music. The country setting of his tour poster could also be used to reflect his strong opinions on the environment, as it has been known that Jason Mraz thinks highly about protecting our natural surroundings.  Another pastoral and natural image and symbol used on this tour poster is the cartoon image of the sun. This could have been used as a symbol for happiness and brightness which could reflect his peaceful toned music. There is also use of pastoral colours, such as yellow and green.  Green is the pervasive color in the natural world, it is soothing and is mentally relaxing. By using the colour green we immediately gain an acoustic feel. Also 90% of the tour poster is filled with a blue sky, blue is a very engaging colour which could have been used to gain new fans and listeners. Also we have become very dependent on the colour blue as it is a very constant colour in our lives (colour of the sea & sky). Using these pastoral colours creates an easy feel to the poster and suggests his laid back attitude to his music.
The title 'Jason Mraz' is printed in a stereotypically masculine font, it is black and bold. This is very striking to passers by. The use of this font could suggest that just because he is an acoustic, thoughtful and emotional singer does not mean that his masculine image should be weakened. It is also in a quirky style of font, which could reflect his individuality and his different approach to music. Overall the text printed on this poster is eye catching and even people quickly passing by will easily be able to grab the information they need to attend.
Jason Mraz is usually shown as a cartoon figure, so carrying on this constant theme on this tour poster will attract fans and make his tour noticed. He is also wearing a straw hat which is another idea and symbol linked with acoustic singers, this could attract new listeners who like acoustic music in general. The hat however has been lifted above Jason Mrazs head, this could suggest two things. It could suggest that he is trying to lift the stereotype of acoustic singers, or could suggest that his thoughts have caused the hat to rise above his head.

Jason Mraz 'We sing. We dance. We steal things'

This vibrant illustration of Jason Mraz has been clearly designed so we can gather an insight into his artistic mind. This cartoon image of him could symbolize his unfulfilled state of mind. It could suggest that he feels almost like a character within each story of his lyrics. This simplistic pen drawing of Jason Mraz appears to be a recurring theme for his albums and this cover image of him seems to be the most detailed , exquisite and artistic so far.
Within this vivacious image we can see that the colour and excitement is escaping from Jason's head. This could suggest that his music and lyrics are based on the crazy, every day thoughts of Jason mraz. There are many unusual and intriguing images within this mess of drawings, one of these being a destroyed television with a snake replacing the cables. This could be an open metaphor to suggest that television and media is injecting poisonous ideas and images into our minds.  Other intriguing visuals are strongly associated with music, such as an amplifier, an 80's style boom box and a early 20's style grammar phone. This could emphasize that music is of extreme importance to the artist and constantly surrounds his thoughts and feelings. These old style music instruments could also suggest that music has always been important to him, and he has been making music for a long time. Both show his extreme dedication to music.
Jason Mraz has always been one to express his strongly held opinions on subjects such as war and the environment. These viewpoints are subtly suggested on his album cover, where there is a visual of a cartoon man pointing in the direction on a tank on where he wants to go.  This could make listeners suspect Jason's lack of faith and trust in the army. It could also suggest that Jason is quite and wise and thoughtful man, whose head is filled up by thoughts of worldly issues.
The title of the album 'beautiful mess' can also be a phrase used to sum up Jason Mraz's erratic thoughts. There is no organisation of the images coming out of his head, they are unexpected and random. This could suggest and reflect his thought process and his lyrics by portraying them as erratic but thoughtful.
The use of pastel colours is of extreme importance on this cover. The colours are bright and associated with summer, using rainbow colour tones. This could be strongly connected to the idea that acoustic music can be seen as 'summery', so there wouldn't be an dark and gloomy colours featured on the cover.

The Script 'Science and Faith'

The beige background creates an archaic feel which could symbolize the album is about subjects that everyone can relate to, such as love. This neutral colour also helps the cover image to stand out and become the focus of the listeners attention, this emphasizes the importance and significance of the grasped hands. The cover image could have been used as a symbol to represent the close bond between 'science and faith'. The grasped hands could also connote violence, as this is the usual position of arm wrestling, this could represent a disagreement or two ideas colliding towards each other (these colliding ideas could be 'science and faith'). This image is also a representation of the scripts inspirational and motivational lyrics about holding on through hard times and heart break.
The albums theme is based around the current economic and social climate that surrounds them, this could suggest that the cover image is about making peace or pacts in order to benefit and cooperate with other countries.
The album title portrays quite a controversial image as science is about facts, and faith is about self belief. This could highlight the idea that their lyrics could be contradictory but also full of wisdom and heart. The album title 'science and faith' shows the primacy of love in the universal equation. This suggests how love cannot be broken down into a science, it is an ineffable emotion and unlike anything else in this world it cannot be made into an equation.
Their album title and cover is very simplistic, “We're dealing with complex emotions in the simplest of ways, that's what we battle with in these songs.” This suggests that the Script wanted their cover to reflect their songs, lyrics and overall image but to also have an irrevocable impact on their listeners.

Regina Spektor CD Cover Analysis

The piano being the central and main image suggests that most of her music is created just through her voice and a piano. The piano standing out in contrast to the black and white background could show that it is important to her music and helps take listeners 'Far Away' . The clouded image painted onto the piano portrays a very calm and simple image that could represent her style of music and her freedom.

The open window could suggest she is trying to escape but she cant go 'far' as there is an unbreakable brick wall behind it. Also the room is enclosed, trapping her with her piano and thoughts suggesting that her music metaphorically takes her 'far away'. The room on this cover is in black and white and incredibly small. The connotations of this gradient could represent Regina's mood, suggesting that her piano is in colour to emphasize the happiness of her music and passion to create it. It is what helps her escape the normality of life. The image contradicts with the album title, this could reflect that her music and lyrics is trying to break the boundaries, this could potentially draw new listeners towards her album when on display in stores.

This cover intrigues me as it is very artistic and the cartoon image could suggest that she is trying to hide her identity behind a mask and could reflect the insecurity of the artist. Also behind Spektor's cutesy cartoon outlines lie songs full of adult drama and death with details that catch the imagination when you're least expecting them to.

The titles font: 'regina spektor' (font colour is black) and 'far' (font colour is white) presents a very contradictory thought in my head. These colours suggest very different things, white presents me with connotations such as purity, peace and spiritual ideas whereas black adds a touch of mystery and darkness and can make rooms immediately appear smaller. This could suggest the artist is confused and her thoughts and lyrics could reflect very different ideas. This could be an overall reflection of acoustic artists as a whole. The image that Regina is hiding her identity is backed up by her being behind the piano on the cover. This could suggest that she hides behind her music, and her lyrics could be a way to release deep feelings.