Fonts

Poster photo editing

The photograph on the left is the original image i liked the image because the main singer is raised slightly higher than the others to show his lead role in the band. The tree behind the band and the autumn leaves on the floor create a natural look i was aiming to achieve. However i felt the modern looking image didn't fit the genre of indie folk so i decided to photoshop it.

In photoshop the first thing i wanted to change was how modern the image looked, my solution was to add a vignette effect to create the feel of a vintage style photograph i felt this suited more as folk is an old music genre. My first vignette was simple and looked tacky and obviously fake, to solve this i covered the whole picture in a black box, faded it so the photo was visible and started rubbing and blurring out the black over important parts of the photo like people and the right images is the result.

Location scouting using google maps

Using google maps to search for rural looking locations close to me, i search for parks, woods meadows and explore natural open looking spaces to film.

I found a woods and a meadow a few miles from where i live, there public and easy to access which makes filming easier.

A closer look into the meadow shows this could be a prime location to consider for my indie folk music video, the location has wide open spaces lots of various tree lines to block out any houses that may appear in the back ground and also has a river that flows through which is something that commonly features in a folk music video.

Things that could go wrong

1) Cast could be late for photo or video shoot

     

   To solve this issue i will tell people to meet earlier than the requested time, research route times to      keep on schedule and pre book people in advance so they have plenty of knowledge of what is            going on. 

2) Camera battery could die

   A spare battery will be taken out in case one dies both will be checked to make sure they are fully      charged before leaving to photograph or video.

3) Gets dark quickly

   I need sun dusk and dawn which allows only short periods for filming due to winter months and          the days being shorter, to solve this i will check the times of sunrise and sun set to estimate the            maximum amount of filming that can be done and create photoshoot days based on the times.

4) Public
 
   some of the places i aim to film are public so random people may enter shots that i don't want them    too, in order to avoid this i will try to avoid main paths where people will be and film during time        periods that have less people, i could also have someone scouting to see if people will be coming        and give warning so time and battery is not wasted on unusable footage.

preparing for photoshoot

Location

I wanted to shoot at foots cray meadows, it has a country and relaxed look and with the old bridge with the arches i believed it to be a good place to do a photoshoot for an indie folk band.

Equipment

For the photoshoot i used a tripod that turned out to be a little short for some of the desired photographs. A nikon coolpix L310 was used to take the photographs however i was not happy with the quality of the images produced, the images where grainy and lacked in depth of field, to solve this i shall use a DSLR as they have more advanced sensors and produce better quality images.

Song choice

Choice 1

Mumford and sons - Ditmas

Choice 2

Ben Howard - Only love

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Choice 3

Mumford and sons - The cave

What is a digipak

The digipak is more elaborate than the standard CD case you would get with an album. In a standard CD case you have the front cover the CD and track list however with a digipak you get what the standard CD gives and more like lyrics, pictures, another disc or collectible item, this is due to a digipack having 6 panels. The digipak is often used for a limited edition or a deluxe edition album although normal albums can be released as a digipak.

Photoshoot

indie folk artist research

Passenger

Passenger is a British indie folk band that began in 2003. The lead singer is mike Rosenberg who also plays the acoustic guitar in the band. They are successful in the Uk and in the USA completing tours and continue to release albums and singles with there most famous being "let her go".

Mike Rosenberg is the face of the band and features in all music videos the other members are never seen.

The Lumineers 

The Lumineers are a folk rock band, based in Denver, Colorado. The two founding members and songwriters of the Lumineers are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion). Josh Fraites, the brother of Jeremiah and best friend of Schultz, died of a drug overdose in 2002. As a way to cope with their loss, Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in New Jersey in 2002. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek joined the band in 2010, after responding to a Craigslist ad. Pianist Stelth Ulvang and bassist Ben Wahamaki joined the band as full-time members in 2012.

The band's self-titled debut album was released on Dualtone Records on April 3, 2012, eventually peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 2013. As of December 2013, their debut album has been certified Platinum in the US and Ireland, with Gold certifications in the UK, Australia and Canada.

indie folk genre research

What is indie folk?

The genre indie folk came about in America during the 1990s when indie rock artists became inspired and embrassed the folk music genre. These artists bought together the acoustic elements of folk music and the upbeat, catchy sounds of indie rock.

Instruments used in indie folk music

Indie folk instruments are a mixture of rock and country instruments, the main instruments used are drums, acoustic guitar, and either bass or double bass, however songs may include banjos, pianos and any other instrument used by the rock and folk genres.

ditmas lyrics

Ditmas

[Verse 1]

And in time
As one reminds the other of the past
A life lived much too fast to hold onto
How am I losing you?
A broken house

Another dry month waiting for the rain
And I had been resisting this decay
I thought you'd do the same


[Hook]

But this is all I ever was
And this is all you came across those years ago
Now you go too far
Don't tell me that I've changed because that's not the truth
And now I'm losing you


[Verse 2]


Fragile sound
The world outside just watches as we crawl
Crawl towards a life of fragile lines
And wasted time
And so I cry

As I hold you for the last time in this life
This life I tried so hard to give to you
What would you have me do?


[Hook]


[Bridge]


Where I used to end was where you start
You were the only one
And now I see your eyes move too fast
You were the only one


[Verse 3]



Careful hands
And wandering without that much to say
Your words are empty as the bed we made
Is there another way?
Oh love, is there another way?


[Hook]


And now I'm losing you


[Outro]

The cave lyrics

The cave lyrics

It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat eater, you see
But I have seen the sameI know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
 On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
 I'll know my name as it's called again

'Cause I have other things to fill my time
 You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's hand

So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say

'Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

Band brief

Influential bands

• passenger
• lumineers
• ben howard
• mumford and sons

Background

The band members are aged 20-22 and come from the south west of england were they formed their band due to their love of passionate music and having little to do in the local area. The band originates from a folk background but are inspired by indie music, not wanting to break away from their roots they create music in the indie-folk genre. The band does not want the in face fame, overwhelming swarms of paparazzi and being in the public eye, they only want to be known for creating good meaningful music. They have cheerful personality and are out to have fun, playing in festivals, small venues and randomly popping up at park bandstands to put on a short performance for the public.

Appearance

clothing: shirts, boots, plain coloured shoes, chinos, jeans (pale or black) hats (Barbour, trilby and fedora).

Smart casual style with a bit of scruffiness for example scuffed, worn boots. untucked shirt.

adorno and horkheimer

Adorno and Horkheimer created the theory of the "Culture industry" in the 1940s.

The theory suggests that all cultural products are standardised, they are all similar. Large corporations  create cultural products that fit what we want or may need, if the corporations believe we do not want something they will not produce it. Cultural items are mainly based on mass opinion which through media monopolisation is controlled by conglomerate media companies creating the cultural products. The culture industry is deceitful as the consumer believes they are an individual buying something that suits there personal style, however it is produced to be attractive to the masses.

Adorno and Horkheimer proposed the idea that all products from every media platform is created to manipulate our preferences so they we will be susceptible to the advertising of other products. For example when you buy something online it comes up with "you might also be interested in" and shows a variety of products that are not the same but link to what you have just bought in the hope you will buy and spend more. Adorno and Horkheimer argue that nobody is an individual as the culture industry creates masses of people that are the same due to there interests.

The music and culture industry 

All music is created to be attractive to a mass audience, to the point where it is all the same with only minor differences. Adorno and Horkheirmer likened the music industry to any other mass produced item made in a factory. There are a standard set of things needed in music for example a band: different styled band members, good looking etc. This widens the attractive range of the band and in return creates a larger audience.

99 problems music video analysis

1. The music video demonstrates genre characteristics.

The song "99 problems" is hip hop and features many characteristics you would expect to see in a hip hop music video. Firstly the video is set in the streets of a neighbourhood that looks run down, this is an iconic background for hip hop as it was these kind of settings that the singers grew up in. The music video features mainly black people and some white people, for example the police officers, are there to show how the black community where suppressed by white people. The clothes worn in the video are very hip hop styled, men wearing large jewellery such as gold or silver chains and rings are characteristics expected and common in hip hop videos. Sports clothing and baseball caps are worn with brand logos this is common in hip hop as it shows there wealth and how they had nothing and now they are rich.

     2. relationship between lyrics and visuals

So I, pull over to the side of the road, I heard
"Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?"  During these lyrics sung in the song the music video shows jay Z driving a car and being pulled over by the police.

    3. There is a relationship between the music and visuals

The song has a heavy beat which is fast to medium paced, due to this the video cuts often and occasionally cuts in time with the beat. The video is also in black and white which links to the song being about racial suppression between white and black people, its also dark as hip hop is generally about "what's real" in a neighbourhood  and is quite gloomy.

   4. Demands of the record label

The record label will want close ups of jay Z in order to publicise him and sell his look, throughout the video jay Z features in close ups and mid shots. He wears sports designer clothing and base ball caps to cement his image in the hip hop genre and is shown in neighbourhood streets, this is to show his roots and for his marketed audience to look up to him and relate.

   5. Notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment towards females body

during the music video there are many women wearing little clothing as to be sexualised and act as "eye candy" for the male audiences, this is done by using close ups of body parts in the video.

Goodwin's theory

Goodwin's theory

Goodwin's theory has 8 main principles.

• genre characteristics
• notions of looking, this is how women are shjown for the pleasure of looking
• links between songs lyrics and the visuals in the music video
• links between music and visuals
• intertextual references, were one media text references another
• voyeurism
• how the record lable wants the artist represented
• performance, narrative and concept based music videos

Lyrics and visuals

According to goodwin the lyrics of a song will have a connection to the visuals shown to an audience. The visuals reinforce what the lyrics say and have a greater impact due to the different types of sensual stimulus eg; soundf and sight.

Genre characteristics

These are characteristics that are expected in a music video based on the genre of music. An example would be a pop music video will show a lot of the singer performing. another example would be R&B you would expect to see lots of jewelry and designer lables.

Narrative based

Narrative gives the song a story and brings more life and emotion into the music video it also makes it more interesting for the audience and can encourage repetitve viewings. A narrative music video can be fragmented, a mixture of band performance and narrative or linear, just a narrative.

Music video timeline (unfinished)

Music videos started appearing in the 1920s, they were for many decades just film recordings of a live performance of a singer.

Bob dylan in 1964 created whats credited as the first modern music video but not modern like we see today. The video was the first to include intertextuality where one media text references another media text.



intertextuality is used a lot in music videos, the idea is that people who like one media text will like their music video and watch it because it features in their video. one recent example in a song by taylor swift shown below.




This video is filled with intertextuality as it features 17 other celebrities and many references to other films such as hunger games, tron all these films have a mass fan base who would enjoy the music video because they enjoy the films.

A scene from the 'bad blood' music video.

A scene from the film 'Tron legacy'.

It is clear that these two scenes although from different media texts look very similar this is intertexualisation and someone who like tron will enjoy this scene from the music video thus liking the song.

In the 1970s the record industry sees TV shows as a good way to promote their artists, they begin to create promo videos and these short films begin to replace videos of continuous live performance on a TV stage. 

bohemian rhapsody was released in 1975 with a video for their song, this was the beginning of the music video era. The music video featured special effects, editing and a performance the video is also considered as the first to advance into the practice of using visual effects.

Advances in video recording and editing helped the music video industry to develop, new digital and film cameras that where portable made music videos easier and quicker to produce. By the 1980s every popular artists where expected to have a music video to accompany the release of their new singles.

MTV first aired in 1981 and was a channel dedicated to music videos, Video killed the radio star was the first music video shown to viewers and the channel was so relevant in the music industry that is still broadcasts to this day.

By the 90s a number of technical codes became common within music videos which where:

• Fast cut montage
• multiple viewings, where multiple things would happen in the video and viewers would watch it again to see what happened. 
• split screen and effects
• less artists shown, a more narrative music video
• long takes

   

An example of one long take