Daniel Powter- Bad Day

We were inspired to do our music video like Daniel Powters song, Bad Day in which it includes settings such as train stations workplaces and home settings.

Here is a link to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH476CxJxfg

We are now thinking of changing our style of video so that it consists of the artist performing and a girl and a boy acting out the story line which is about a girl who is waiting for that special someone.

Feedback 23/11//09

Very good research group - good links and references to songs/images etc...

Try to include the conventions of music video in your own words (e.g. use of close ups etc... and also reference Andrew Goodwin and Pete Fraser's ideas on the conventions of music video also - quotes etc...

Also what are the conventions of the singer/songwriter music video subgenre? What makes them distinctive from general music video conventions?

Target audience - you need your questionnaires and results on here also - charts/graphs are good at highlighting the main points from your primary research. Dont forget psychographic profiling also - Young and Rubicon etc...

Now move on and look quickly at your other key concepts and we should be starting to see some planning - location shots/casting shots etc...

Remember to outline your artists and brand image you are trying to create through your products.

The Target Audience

For our artist and music video, our target audience will be female 15-25 year olds. We believe that our song will appeal to this age group, and possibly more people outside of this target audience, but our main focus will be on 15-25 year olds because this age group generally listens to and buys the most music. However our secondary audience would be males and older age groups. The genre of our song is acoustic rock, and sounds a little like some songs by artists such as, Alesha Dixon, Taylor Swift and Little Boots. We carried out a questionnaire, in which we asked people within our target audience, what they would like to see in our final product and what kind of music they appreciate. We also asked questions based on music videos themselves and how they appeal to them, maybe encouraging them to purchase the music. We also found out how often people watch music videos in their everyday lives.

This is the questionnaire we used:

Questionnaire , to find out what the audience looks for in a music video

Questionnaire

1. How old are you?
2. Male or Female?

3. How often do you watch Music Videos?
Once/twice a week
Every few days
Every other day
Every day

4. Which music video TV channels or websites do you watch? Do you have a favourite?

5. Has a music video ever convinced you to purchase a song or album?

6. When watching Music videos/channels how long do you spend watching them?
10 minutes or less
about 30 minutes
about an hour
longer than an hour

7. Do you have a favorite music video? If so what is it?

8. What would you like to see in a music video?

9. Do you have a favourite genre of music?

Research Existing Music Videos, Remedy-Little Boots

This is the British singer, Little Boots' video to her 2009 hit, Remedy. It is an electronic sounding pop song, written by the singer herself. I have chosen to look at this video as it uses some very interesting editing and effects, such as making the image look as if it is being viewed through a kaleidoscope. This video has no narrative, as the song is more of a dancing number, rather than a story, as some songs are such as Taylor Swift songs. The video works very well with the song as it matches the overall genre and mood of a glittery, electronic pop song, and looks very unique amongst other music videos. I really admire the kaleidoscope effect, which is used throughout this video. It adds interest to what would otherwise be very boring shots, the singer stood playing a keyboard and singing. Also, the shots are very short, making a lot of 'flashes' which also adds excitement and interest. I also like the mirror images used in this video. At around 50 seconds into the video, a shot of her hands playing the keyboard is used, but instead of a normal shot, a mirror image is used to make it look much more enigmatic and interesting. I like this effect and it is unique, and not used by many artists. Although the song my group has chosen is a slow song, some of these effects may still be appropriate to use.

Most of this video's exciting elements have all been added during the editing process. The actual shots are just of the singer, Little Boots, playing the keyboard, using mixing desks and singing, and without all the imaginative editing would have produced a very boring music video. But because of the editing, the video has been made into a very unique and interesting video.

The lighting in this video helps to add to the 'flashing' and the overall look, studio lighting has been used, and you can see in the video that there are spotlights. Also at about 1 minute into the video, tubes of lighting are arranged to create a triangle shape. This is very different and looks impressive. As mentioned before, a kaleidoscope effect is used throughout. Images of Little Boots are taken and made into a kaleidoscope image. This idea is also used with just an image of her mouth which looks a little strange but adds interest by adding an extreme close up. Kaleidoscope images are also created just by the different lights used, which looks more like a traditional kaleidoscope. Towards the end of the video, an image of the singer led down moving her arms creates the kaleidoscope. It is important to note that the producers have included variety with this effect, as by doing the same thing all the way through the video would have become boring. I also like how the images and effects change to reflect the music, such as when the different sections (verse/chorus) begin, and when there are important chord changes. The whole of this video uses fast paced editing, which helps to keep the audience interested, and also to fit with the relatively fast tempo of the song.

Little Boots refers to a kaleidoscope in her lyrics "spin me faster, like a kaleidoscope" so this effect is very appropriate.

Throughout the video, the singer wears a metallic dress and bold, metallic accessories on her wrist and in her hair. This means that the lights catch her and make her clothes look like they are moving with the lights. This adds further interest and is a lot more fitting with the video than plain clothes would have been.

This music video looks to have been shot in a studio, and the set up is made to look a little like a recording studio. This highlights the fact that Little Boots enjoys working with electronic machines and effects to produce her music. It also fits with the genre of the song.

Overall, although this video probably had a very large budget, I feel it is very effective and works very well. Although not many different shots are used, there is very creative use of lighting, and effects to create an interesting, unique video with an emphasis on technology. Although this song is a lot faster and of a different genre than the song chosen for the group's project, some of the effects and ideas could still be applied. I also like how there isn't many different shots used, and the creativity and excitement is all created by the editing, which is different to most other music videos.

The song we will use

We have decided to use a song by a female vocalist called 'Erica shine'. The song is called 'I will wait for you'. It is a slow acoustic song with themes surrounding time and love. Here is the song and the lyrics

. I Will Wait For You        

Do you think of me As much as it might hurt inside Do you recall how we Said our love would never die

Never saw it coming us falling apart And now you’ve left me with nothing  But pain in my heart

Chorus I will wait for you  Until you come back to me I will love you till the end of time You are my destiny I will wait for you I know one day you’ll see There is nothing  That could change my mind You were the only one  Meant for me

Do you think of me Whenever you lie next to her Or do you believe That we will never be together

Will I ever have you back  in my arms,  Maybe one day you will  hold me again  And never let go  Chorus  Once in a life time  A person gets to know The love of a life time They can never let go ~ oh~

Chorus (Meant for me~~~~~)

Branding-Kate Nash

Kate Nash is a 20 year old female British singer and songwriter. Nash was born in Dublin, to an English father and a Irish mother, on 6th July 1987, she grew up in Harrow, North West London. Nash became interested in music in childhood. She attended St. John Fisher School and moved onto the St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth. She was taught guitar by teaching louis Mitchell. She studied Theatre at the BRIT school for Performing Arts and Technology in SOuth London. She auditioned at the Bristol Old Vic theatre School but was rejected after falling down a flight of stairs, breaking her foot. During her recovery she was housebound and unable to move, so her mother bought her an electric guitar. Nash used this time to focus on her songwriting: she began to wrote some new songs, finished old ones and decided that she would book a gig at a local bar in Harrow called Trinity on Gayton Road for herself, to showcase her songs. Her first ever album was called Foundation this was released in 2007.

She tries to put across a unique and quirky style through her music. In the review of her album, 'Made of Bricks', the BBC say that she 'displays a unique tone and style'. Throughout 2008 she was able to pile up on awards such as; winning a BRIT award for best female artist, an NME award for best solo artist and a Q award for breakthrough act. 

This is her recent album cover Made of Bricks. 

Branding

Branding is about creating an image that people link to a particular type of product. It is an image and a message that will draw them over an over again to buy the particular product.

* Brand Essence - what the brand means in a sentence

* Brand Slogan - often a catchphrase linked to a logo

* Brand Personality - what kind of character does the brand have? Humanises the brand - makes it easier to relate to

* Brand Values - what does it stand for/against?

* Brand Appearance - what does it look like/sound like/taste like?

* Brand Heritage - what kind of tradition does it have?

* Emotional Benefits - what feelings does it offer consumers?

* Hard Benefits - is it cheaper or better? what 'real' quantifiable benefits does it offer the buyer?


'Brands need to provide customers with a consistent compelling experience in order not to confuse them, as confusion leads to doubt'

(Taken from mudvalley.com)


'Brands work because they offer us a form of guarantee, a set of ready made values attached to a product that we too can adopt upon purchase.'

(Taken from mediaknowall.com)

Naomi Klein, of No Logo states that "cooperation may manufacture product, but what consumers buy are the brands"

Our group and brief

Our group consists of three members, Grace, Fatima and Elizabeth. We have chosen to do a music promotion brief.