Wednesday 17 November 2010

My individual idea

Before we can agree upon our final group idea for our pop promo, we must independently think of a way in which we would create one. Reasons behind this is so we can all bring our own ideas to the table - and then pick through the best bits from each idea and bring it together into one overall treatment.
I listened to the song a number of times and because the song is called 'Kiss me' I thought it was necessary that kissing should be a cohesive theme throughout the video.

Overall Synopsis: Because the New Found Glory's version of 'Kiss me' is a pop/rock genre, I thought basing the music video in either a metal scrap yard or a garage would help bring a rock element to a soft topic of kissing. I thought it would also help complement the bands image and make the video more diverse and unique. (However, being realistic and considering our limitations of transport and carrying equipment - not to mention finding a suitable scrap yard, the location will have to be changed for our final idea. This location was just my take on how I could picture the video.) We would start off by seeing a young boy and girl (perhaps 13) - they would be generally messing around as you do when your young, my idea was that the scrap yard would be their sort of 'hide out'..similar to having a den. The couple would be acting quite shy but playful together and the scene will end with a kiss (when the first chorus begins) - this kiss would represent their first kiss. In the next phase, after the first chorus, we will see the same couple but as teenagers, revisiting this place together - but this time possibly drinking, smoking, hanging around possibly with a group of friends - this scene will also finish with a kiss, again, at the beginning of the first chorus. The same thing would happen in the last scene - but this time the couple will be elderly, they are returning to their little hide-out to reminisce their child hood and where they used to go together this will also finish with a kiss which should bring us on to the last chorus. The whole idea behind this was that I thought it was necessary for kissing to be the main element and I thought it would be effective and different if we could portray a couple growing old together, it may be something people can relate to or even aspire to.
Obviously the video would not all be narrative based, there would also be scenes of the band performing mainly during the chorus also in the scrap yard (but not part of the narrative) - it could almost be as if they were watching over this couple and watching their love unfold and grow whilst singing about it. They would be dressed casually (but with a bit of rockstar image) and energetic in performance. Like in most bands, the focus is usually on the vocalist - so we would conform to this idea and place him at the front and in the middle of the other band members, however we would include every band member and make sure they work well as a group.

Overall Treatment: We must acknowledge the song is fairly 'rock' based and like in most rock videos the speed of shots are quick, jumpy and often disorientating. It would be necessary to use a wide range of shots to make the video fast paced and interesting whilst relating to the song. Because it would be set in a scrap yard it's important we have establishing shots to let the audience understand the setting. A range of panning and tracking shots should be used to comply with the fast tempo'd nature of the song, we would also try and make the use of shots relate to the music. It would be effective if close ups could be used on key features such as the kissing, smiling, eyes and other signs of affection like holding hands, this would create a more personal feel. I also think use of handheld shots would add to the personal feel, but also give it that 'home video' look which would work for a couple growing up together, with perhaps making the first scene (as children) quite grainy and even with a sepia tone to make it look older.

Limitations: The idea of this exercise was to just imagine what we would expect the video to be like - if it was all possible (obviously still being realistic) so of course considering money, transport and resources a lot of my idea would be hard to achieve by being a college student. The first limitation is the location, it would probably not be agreed for us to film in a scrap yard (even if there was one near by) obviously considering health and safety and also being aware instruments would need an electricity source. Transport could be a problem, making sure our band could get there with all of their instruments. Another limitation would be finding characters for each of our roles - having to find three males and three females that would be happy to film and of course who could pass as being the same person could be problematic.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Research into other band (marketing and promotions)

To gain a wider understanding and to expand our ideas for our own music video, it is important that we analyse a similar band or artist. This way we can see how they have been represented in their music video and other areas in which they promote their band and either use or develop their techniques and apply it to our own work. The band that I will be researching is Kasabian, as they are also an established alternative rock band and fairly similar to New found glory and our band House.


In Kasabians' music video 'Underdog' it is evident that the main focus is performance, we see a variety of clips from their live concerts and how they are back stage and on tour. I believe the main aim of this video is to promote the band by showing how good they are at performing and how they interact with the crowd. The band are very energetic through out and this video really makes you want to go to their live performance - which goes to show they are achieving what they have aimed for.
Mes-en-scene:
Throughout the whole of this music video, we see Kasabian perform at a number of concerts with very large crowds. You see on screen what you'd expect to see from any live Rock performances - large, energetic crowds jumping to the music, screaming girl fans, arms in the air, typical rock star poses, flashing lights behind the band, casual rock star clothing (not very clean cut or smart), jumping around on stage, press and cameras to which the band are happy to pose for and general band connection. All of these factors are brought together and made to look very energetic and fun by using clever cinematography and editing. Again, to show off the band we see a wide range of close up shots of the band playing their instruments, singing or looking into the crowd - we usually see shots of band players by them selves rocking out on stage, it could be suggested this technique is used to show them as individual 'rock gods' - or their is no particular band leader, whereas there is always very wide shots of the crowd to show how big their fan base is. To emphasise this point further, camera angles usually tilt upward when focus is on the band and tilts downward when on the crowd. Lights are interestingly used in this video, we see a number of one point lighting with quite a dark overall scene which looks quite effective when focus is on one band member. Flashing lights are also used which emphasise the concert feel to the video.
After watching and analysing this video, it has helped me come up with a few ideas on how we can portray our bands performance by generating the same sort of energy. On promoting a band, i think it is important to show how they perform and interact not only with each other, but also their fans - so we will try and create this image for them by using similar techniques. Unfortunately it will be impossible to record our band performing in front of a crowd of this size, if any crowd at all - so instead we can make it out like they are at band practice and show how they would act. It would be easier for us to use similar sort of lighting in our studio - so we could use a range of one point lighting and strobe lighting.

Kasabian: By Emily Stansfield.



New found glory-marketing and promotions.





Newfound glory- their marketing and promotions.

From the marketing sides of things if you weren’t already aware of newfound glory then it has clearly been brought across that they are a highly energetic live band through their motif fronted t-shirts and fridge magnets. One t-shirt even shows two characters fighting with the slogan bruised and broken which to me suggests how there gigs must end up.
Amongst their cd covers its hard to tell what image they are trying to express due to the diversity of their cd covers as they are never following on from a previous images or cd names where as, for instance kanye west uses high school themes for his such as college dropout, late registration and graduation.
Alongside availability of wearing your favourite bands logo, which in itself is a brilliant form of advertising due to the amount of people who’ll see the bands name, they have also delved into internet promotion through my space which as can be remembered helped Lilly Allen rise to fame due to the popularity of the internet in itself. It enables anyone/anywhere to be able to access anything especially music therefore being a brilliant source of marketing. Within their myspace page they have streamed their upcoming songs and videos which are therefore available to be listened to free of charge.
As well as this you can now follow them amongst face book by requesting a friendship which again is great for the band. This way they can promote their album releases or upcoming tour dates within their statuses and every fan can therefore read it.

Their labels are also an aid to their advertising. For instance Geffen (one of their past labels) is owned by universal music group which is a subsidiary of Vivendi. This means that the past promotions of the band were possible through two other large global companies and not from just Geffen itself.
Geffen was originally seen as a great label to be able to promote their bands but it has been seen that they hadn’t managed to do as much for newfound glory after its consumption of their previous label MCA. This could be one of their reasons for not becoming as popular as a usual band of their genre..

What has also help promote them as a band is that their guitarist Chad Gilbert is dating Hayley Williams who is the lead singer of Paramore and who has a very large fan base, mainly for her good music but also her good looks are an added bonus. A recent tour called the Honda civic tour Paramore were the main headlining band with newfound glory and others as the support. This again helps promote the band to people who may not be there for them or have heard them which in turn can creates more fans and an increase of word of mouth promotion as well as using hayley to make guest appearances within their live shows which helps boost ticket sales
 
 
New Found Glory: By Josh Featherstone

Getting to know our band

Before we had our first meeting with the band, me and my group came up with a few questions to ask them. The idea behind this was to try and get to know them on a deeper level which will make it easier when it comes to working with them, there were a few things that we thought were important to know, this includes; what type of band they actually are - and if they base themselves on another famous band - this was important so we could see where they are coming from, and perhaps where they aspire to go. We also wanted to know about their individual passion for music eg, how long they have been playing instruments for and if music is something they would like to be involved with future wise. We were a bit apprehensive at first, because our band had been put together via the college, so they had not come together through personal reasons. However, we feel confident working with the band as they seem to get on well with each other, they all seem passionate about music and they seem reliable to work with.   We also wanted to know if they want to be portrayed in a certain way - considering styling and narrative. Reasons behind this is because we want to have a good working relationship with the band, and to make sure they are happy and enjoy working with us - it will make the whole process easy and enjoyable.

Here is a copy of our questionnaire for the first meeting:

James: Vocalist
Alex: Guitar
Fagan: Bass guitar
Steven: Guitar
Tom: Drums

How do you want to be portrayed? – Nothing too specific, preferably casually dressed in their own style

What do you aspire to achieve? - It was pretty easy to see that the majority were just happy and eager to see a good video being produced. One that would be able to suit the song and to see a good promotion of the band.

What’s your favourite genre of music and how long have you been playing your chosen instrument for?
Alex: Everything and anything suited his tastes for musical inspiration and enjoyment for the art. He has played the guitar for the past 4 years
Fagan: The same as Alex in the sense of musical tastes. Usually he plays the guitar which he has done for the past 4 years but has had to pick up the bass for this specific type of song that will be played….he has only played the bass for 3 weeks!!!
Steven: Also said the same about his musical tastes and has played the guitar for 7 years.
Tom :As well as the others explained his music taste as diverse and enjoyed anything. He has played the drums for the past 6 to 7 years.
James :His musical taste weren’t as varied as the others but still had quite a vast difference between the two he used as inspiration which are either metal or Michael Jackson. He has been singing for over 18years.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? A few suggested that they wanted to learn/develop more of an onstage presence and develop that little bit extra confidence.

Are you all close friends? This question surprised us because the band hadn’t been personally chosen. It was a type of ‘name out of the hat scenario’ within their college group but they said that they all worked well together as a whole which was a relief.

Is music something you’ll pursue as a career? Everyone exclaimed a straight away YES! A few would continue to pursue it through university, through work, basically whatever it would take they were willing and hungry to achieve their biggest goal which is a signed deal with a record company.

Our song!

Because my group has been paired up with a College band, we do not have the privilege to choose what ever song we want, instead our band have a particular song that they knew and can play well. In this case, our band called "House" are very good at playing New found glory's version of Kiss me. My group are very pleased with this song choice as we feel there are quite a lot of creative things to do with it. Its also quite a popular song, with it's other version from "Sixpence none the richer" so it's accessible to all.

Lyrics to 'Kiss Me'
Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
I'll wear those shoes and you will wear that dress.

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me
So kiss me
So kiss me
So kiss me


New found glory's video:

Promotional Package

All Saints: Black Coffee




All Saints were one of the most successful girl bands of the 90's who achieved a total of 5 number 1's. I chose this music video to analyse because I really like the overall feel it creates, its very unusual for a girl band to have a cold and moody video, but this isn't unusual for All Saints as we can see in their other video 'Pure Shores'. It could be suggested that this more mysterious way of presenting themselves is in contrast to the more bubbly and in-your-face rivals at the time - The Spice Girls.
The video was set inside a luxury city apartment and on the roof top of the apartment at night. Even inside the lighting is still very dark, usually only a small part of what we see on screen is visible - with the rest being blacked out. Any lighting that we do see, applying mainly to when outside, has quite an obvious blue tint - the colour blue is usually associated with coldness, so this has been done deliberately to set that sort of tone. I also believe the overall tone to this video is classy as no harsh colours have been used, this is enhanced by the surroundings and the set of the video.

The narrative of the video is based around a variety of young couples in heat of an argument, in each different case we see one member of the band singing and sensually dancing in the background - although the arguing couple cant see them and 'The saint' isn't looking at the couple. In each scenario the argument reaches a peak and something ends up getting smashed or thrown, this is were we see interesting visual effects and clever editing - the scene freezes, leaving something half way through the air or half smashed, something similar to the special effects to 'bullet time' in 'The Matrix'. Once the scene has frozen the camera then zooms in and often pans slowly round the situation, the meaning behind this effect is to probably get across the message that you should stop and think to assess the situation before taking it too far. The lyrics 'Freeze the moment' during this time also go hand in hand with the visuals. I think this effect works beautifully in the music video, its not often something you see so not only is it unique but it adds quality to the video and promotes that sort of image for the band. The setting of the rooftop looking over the city also works with the 'expensive' feel of the video, having band members on the roof can reflect the idea that the All Saint girls are quite big stars and can 'over rule' cities - however, the clothing on the girls differ with this idea, being very casually dressed could show they are also down to earth. The cinematography used develops this idea, usually when you have a person standing on a roof top, the camera will most likely be tilting up at them to add to that feel of being dominated, however, all camera angles are eye-level with the band to create that feeling of indifference.

Camera movements are very smooth throughout the video which suits the pace and feel of the song, there isn't much variation of camera angels however, usually just close ups, establishing shots or long shots take up the majority of the video - perhaps just so it feels more calm and slow. The same concept applies to the editing which is fairly long takes of a montage of couples arguing and the group singing. At the end of the video, clever editing techniques make the visuals fit in with the music in the foreground - when a distinctive beat is made, the All Saint girls freeze one by one. Although quite a lot of music videos use this technique, this one makes it really obvious, I think this effect works really nicely as it proves it has been edited professionally and emphasises not only the music but whats going on visually.
When regarding the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals you can quite clearly see contradiction. With the lyrics in the back ground saying 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here' the couple on screen couldn't look more like they want to get away from each other! I think the use of contradiction in a music video is really unique and in some ways makes you pay attention to the lyrics and visuals more - whereas in a music video that involves everything that's being sung about can be obvious and in some cases dull. However, there are some small links between the lyrics and visuals - when we hear 'freeze the moment', everything freezes (apart from the 'Saint' in the back ground) when only having this small relationship between the lyrics and visuals, it really emphasises the point. 
Although we see a mixture of performance, narrative and concept its quite obvious the narrative and the concept highly out weigh the performance. Narrative includes the different couples arguing in their apartments, however we don't know the story behind their argument or how it ends. Concept is mainly put across by a mixture of the special effects (freezing and zooming), contradiction and use of lighting and tones- it could be suggested that using all of these together makes the point that, as I've mentioned before, you should assess the situation by almost freezing it and/or calming down before doing anything too drastic. The cool tones used adds to this idea of calming down.
 However, when we assess the performance we never actually see a shot of All Saints together, singing as a band. They are performing by singing and dancing individually and its all very subtle which does suit the feel of the song, but there is no sense of 'togetherness' projected by the band which could be quite damaging for their promotion. All Saints were in fact not on talking terms during the production of this video, hence why they are not together - but it shouldn't be the message they want to get across.
Even though most people regard the intended audience of 90's girl bands are young girls - I feel the overall tone and concept to this video is more likely to appeal to an older audience, considering the actors in the narratives are adults and are in adult situations that people can relate to.