Final Magazine Advert

This is the final version of my magazine advert after making alterations from the original version. To begin with, instead if promoting a tour, I am promoting the bands release of their debut album, and have included a release date on the advert so their new fan base can keep record when the album is released. I chose to use the colour yellow for the typography as it contrasts strongly against the red, therefore making the title stand out to a reader flicking through a music magazine as the colour is seperated against the running theme of red I have featured in my digipak covers.
The magazine which The New York Fund advert is going to be released in is NME magazine, which I have discussed in my previous blog post with the original version of my magazine advert. The reason why I have chosen NME magazine is because it continually promotes bands across the wide scale Indie genre, from Indie Folk to Indie Pop. For example, such bands include Razorlight, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, Coldplay etc. Furthermore, I can visualize my magazine advert in NME because the mise en scene suits the genre of bands that are featured. Moreover, I have included a website which helps to promote the bands image, which is crucial because The New York Fund is a brand new band. Also, not only I have said for more details, I have included the fact that tour dates are available on the website, which will promote ticket sales.
Moreover, another feature I have included is the iconic symbol of the British sign which stops The New York Fund resembling an American band, which is would completely go against the set brief. I have also included the British symbol on the digipak which will continue to connote British culture. Also, another reason why it is particularly important to include that The New York Fund is a British band is because of the word "New York" in the band title, which is highly suggestive of American culture. Furthermore, I have altered the colouring of the title of the album "Nobodys Home" so its not all in red, otherwise the word "Home" wouldn't stand out against the red door, therefore I changed it to white so it would stand out and make a variation in the running theme of red. Finally, I have decided to continue with the image of Tamas on the sofa, because the fact he is shown sleeping connotes him being "tired on a tour," yet his body gesture connotes a hierarchy as it portrays him as a strong member of the band from the way his arms are stretched across behind his head. Moreover, this image could possibly connote that the artist is deep in creative thought. Also, I have decided to continue using the sign "KLEF Records," as it is an important feature in promoting the production company which also produced the music video.

Kings of Leon "Sex On Fire" analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94RNp7veIJE link to the music video.

The music genre presented here is Indie Folk, therefore is similar genre to I and my groups band The New York Fund. The artist uses various choices of imagery to promote the music genre, through costume, location, camera angles and the positioning of the band. To begin with, before the song has even started the audience is presented with a still image of a falling leaf against a plain black mise en scene which is contrasted against flickering of light, which already indicates that the location of this music video will take place in perhaps a dark and sinister setting. Once the music has began playing, we are introduced to an extreme-close up shot of the artist, which is a generic technique often featuring in certain music videos, such as Razorlight “America” and The Kooks “Naive.” The reason why including close up shots is such a significant aspect of a music video is because they enable their fan base to familiarise themselves with their identity, therefore recognising members of the band when they release a new album or go on tour. Repetition of match on action close up shots of a bucket of reflective water and the shot of the artist face is continually switching throughout the beginning sequence, with the fast cut connoting the speed and energetic beat of the song. The affect of these shots is that not only do they connote a fast beat, yet the bucket of reflective water acts a key symbol here in allowing the audience to guess what location the band is playing in. The bucket of water therefore symbolises perhaps a stable where animals are kept as that’s what they drink from, and this is backed up by the following sequence shots of the other band members in an open stable with dripping water and flying birds. This choice of imagery and location tells us that the genre is very unique, and can be presented in many forms as Indie Folk is a genre which experiments with choices of imagery often. Examples include where The Kooks filmed a vast majority of their music video “She Moves In Her Own Way,” on a bus ride where they chase after a female protagonist. Particular camera angles used throughout the beginning sequence are formed mainly of low angle shots which allow the audience to gain identity of the dimly lit location, alongside repetition of a close up of a bird which exaggerates the dirty and sinister location, which is a reflection of the genre of the band. The costumes of the band are also typical of the Indie culture which although used to be a unique genre in the 80s, is now simply a reflection popular culture amongst young adults. The costume which the band members are wearing consists of skinny jeans, (a generic convention) scruffy shirts, brogue shoes and messy hair, in an attempt to attract a female audience.
Throughout the music video, the link between lyrics and the visuals is strongly represented through the obvious lighting to connote fire, to link with the dominant lyrics “Sex On Fire.” Throughout the chorus where these lyrics are belted out, the camera specifically focuses on images of instrumental sections where the band are playing in the stable. The purpose of this technique is that because Kings of Leon are heavily associated with the instruments they play, it allows their fans to watch visuals of the band playing so they can engage in the action themselves, whilst also acting as form of escapism, whereby the fans can fully engage in the music video and forget about the reality of where they are. The lyrics of “Sex On Fire” is also amplified by mid-shots of the lead guitarist and vocalist portrayed on a bed, and having to be constrained by his fellow band members, which connotes frustration and illustrates that the lead guitarist feels as if his insides are burning up, which is an obvious link with the lyrics. The lighting used in the music video is a significant aspect of the visuals, as in order to connote the symbol of a fire, the produces have cleverly juxtaposed dark and light together, in order to present fire looking fierce and dominant. The darkness is also typical of the location they have decided to shoot in, and a stable is often linked with aspects of dirt and sinister. However, the culture presented isn’t culturally specific, yet the mise en scene used of a stable yard does indicate a very Westernised culture, alongside the costume and props of the band. For example, stables are often symbolic of England or the USA, as stables are usually located on a farm in the countryside and in urban settings, which is more typical of England and the US, as in Europe or Non-Western cultures farms aren’t as typical. Moreover, the props of the instruments, a bed and a book which are heavily used images in this music video indicate British or American culture, as expensive band equipment combined with the Indie Folk genre is stereotypically associated with England and the USA as the Indies originated in the United States and England in the 80s, with bands such as The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Mary Chain.
Therefore, the instruments used and images of the band playing in a slightly odd setting conforms to the generic blue print. For example, the mid shots of instrumental sequences when the chorus begins to play is a typical generic signifier, which was often used in music videos by The Smiths, Mary Chain and the modern day equivalent of the Indie band The Kooks. The purpose of including footage of the band playing is that the audience can emerge themselves in the music video, and gain an identity with the band. The mid shot also allows us to see the generic Indie costumes, especially the iconic symbol of the skinny jeans, which men who used to dare to wear skinny jeans in the 80s were considered to be laughing stock and queer; where –as now walking through a British city a vast amount of the population of teenagers now copy this style. In terms of the music video juxtaposing the idea of reality with illusions (the reality of the stable setting contrasted against the illusion of fire) shares very similar traits to The Stone Roses music video “Begging you,” as throughout their music video the producer also juxtaposes light with darkness. As a whole, the music video is performance based, combined with concept-based ideas on the burning sensation that the lead guitarist and vocalist is fighting against throughout the music video. However, the appeal of this is that there is no complicated narrative structure for an audience to follow, yet the combination if images creates an easy flow of sequence which is fairly clear to understand, as its easy to guess that the lead guitarist/vocalist is fighting back the burning sensation throughout his body, which is an obvious link to the lyrics of the song.
The type of world being presented here is quite threatening, in terms of the references of fire combined with sexual connotations in terms of the lyrics used in the song. Therefore, the world is fairly sophisticated and exciting, yet un-realistic in terms of settings used and symbols and ideas portrayed in the music video. In order to strengthen the promotion of the artist, a wide majority of the shots are close ups of the bands faces, in order to strengthen their identity and so their fans can becomes familiar with there brand Indie Folk style. Therefore, the close ups will help with selling their tracks as the band is heavily used in terms of images of them being frequently portrayed, in contrast with purely a narrative based structure whereby no members of the band are actually present throughout. The shots of the band playing however idolise them, as by featuring sequences of them playing their instruments, their fans will aspire to be like them and therefore copy their ability to perform well. However, due to the lyrics used and the symbol of the bed, the artist implies sexual activity and display, which reinforce the notion of males perhaps being the more dominant sex than females. However, because there are no references to females in any sexual way, the music video can’t be interpreted as being crude, as the sexual indications are very weak and are more associated with the connotation of fire.
This music video also references Goodwins theory, by stating that it is essential for there to be a link between lyrics and the visuals, alongside being a link between music and the visuals. This music relates to these aspects of Goodwins theory due to the fact there is a strong link between the lyrics "Sexes on Fire" and the beat.
Overall, the music video would appeal to their fans largely due to effective illusions of dark and light, combined with footage of the band playing, which make a good quality music video which is typical of the Indie Folk genre. Therefore, the music video doesn’t present any realistic value, because the visuals used simply connect to the lyrics of the song, yet don’t connote any views such as feminism or green issues, and don’t join together to make a clear, structural narrative.
The expected target audience who would be interested in watching this music video will be within a demographic of 17-22year old males, and this is apparant through features of the music video which would especially appeal to males more than females. For example, the dark and sinister setting, the theme of fire alongside the subject matter of sex. This is a typical music video representing the wide scale Indie genre, as not only are there generic conventions in term of costume, there is footage of band performance which is often a regular feature in Indie music videos such, as The Smiths "How Soon Is Now." Therefore, this music video relates strongly to the music video my group and I created together.

My Magazine Advert

Magazine advert featured in NME magazine, because this magazine promotes bands of the same genre as "The New York Fund." The following genres include; Indie, Rock, Pop Rock, Folk Rock etc. NME is also a well known music magazine, therefore it would make sense for my magazine advert to appear in here.
This is my final version of my magazine advert. I decided to use the pose of Tamas sleeping on the couch because it connotes the idea of him being tired from being on the tour Furthermore, in the bottom corner I have used the "KLEF records" again with the yellow symbol to promote the record label, since the idea of a magazine advert is centred around promoting the artist alongside the record company. The symbol of the guitar is also included, as it is suggestive of the genre as obviously on stage the artist will be playing guitars live to their fans. Similarly to the digipak, I have used the symbol of the red door because it connotes love and links in with their album; something which an audience will recognise. The door also looks effective against the black mise en scene as it contrasts against the colour; another feature which I used on my digipak. Also, with my magazine advert I decided to promote their tour, and I have achieved this by typing in each destination they are playing at and the dates so their audience will know. This is also a common feature in magazine adverts; with the aim of them to promote when they are playing so this increases the tick sales.

Digipak Cover - Final Version

This front cover is stronger than the original because the red door stands out more as it contrasts against the black mise en scene. Furthermore, I decided on using this photo of Tamas opposed to the one of him crouching because this looks more professional; with the crouching pose looking out of place and not really fitting in with the rest of the cover. However, with Tamas standing like this his posture is striking as it takes up a majority of the front cover. His facial expression also looks lost conveying the theme of our song "Nobodys Home", alongside the red door connoting love and passion which is suggestive of our female protagonist red coat. I also decided to coat a red outline alongside the lettering of "The New York Fund" to continue the running theme of red, yet decided to not use the red boarders as it looked too much. Furthermore, I decided to not have the building in detail as the mise en scene, because the plain black makes the feature of the red door and Tamas stand out more strongly.

This face hasn't changed since the last one, apart from again getting rid of the red border to make each face look similar and have a continual theme. The red door here again stands out and connotes loneliness, and to increase the realism I have decided to add "KLEF records" and the yellow symbol which is a connotation of the record label. As a result, this promotes the record label on our digipak, allowing audiences to see where the new band came from. I have decided to add a red coat to the band title so the digipak looks neat and each face looks like they all belong together to make a digipak. Again, I have used the name of each song to feature on the back cover, as this is a running theme throughout a lot of digipak as it promotes the New York Funds song collection.

This hasn't changed that much since the original face, apart from a few key features. The main one being that I added the effect of the keyboards to add a musical theme, which is suggestive of the genre of the band "Indie," as a guitar and key board and the instruments which are played. Again I have added the symbol of "KLEF records" on each face as its a method of good promotion. Moreover, I have swapped the photos of Ben Dilks and Tamas round so Tamas is the lead vocalist, which is a mistake which I made in the original face!

With this face, which is going to feature in the inside of the digipak, the only feature which I have changed is the photo of Tamas. Instead, I swapped the standing Tamas with him crouching; the pose I originally used on the front cover. I think the crouching Tamas looks better here because it makes the guitar look dominating which again is suggestive of the band genre. Tamas also looks lost here with his hands clasped together suggestive of his loneliness and love for our female protagonist.

Final Digipak!

This is the front cover of my digipak, and I like it because it is representative of both the genre of our band, yet also the recurring theme of love in our music video. For example, the colour red is throughout the digipak which connotes love, heart break and destructive. Yet also, the colour stands out amongst other rivals which an audience will notice as their walking past. Moreover, a particular aspect which I like is the chalk style typography on the door hanging of "Nobody's Home." This is because of the kisses at the end, which again is suggestive of a love story, yet also represents the theme of the music video. For example, the symbol of the door matches with song title "home," making the front of my digipak relevant. Furthermore, a mid shot of Tamas and his head angled towards the audience allows his identity to be recognised easily by his fan base, which helps promote the CD. Also, an important factor is that the red door relates significantly to the female protagonist red coat, which she wears throughout the video to connote passion and love. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to have the continuous theme of red to lead onto the graphics of the digipak.
This is the back of my digipak. I have kept the recurring theme of the door and colour red so the entire CD looks effective, as the symbol of the door relates to the genre. I have chosen to feature the names of each song on the back, as this is a common feature on many CD covers such as Florence And The Machine and Kings Of Leon. Moreover, I decided to feature the record label and advertise it on the back as this will promote the record label itself as an audience will be able to identify the bands producers. Furthermore, I even decided to photoshop in the copyright labels, as this adds to the realism of the digipak cover. I also like the typgraphy of "Nobody's Home" as the type font matches the sinister atmosphere as it doesn't stand out in terms of size, yet the font resembles a persons hand writing; which creates a personal touch. The effect of lighting contrasts strongly against the black mise en scene, which enables the red to be more emphasised, with the black suggestive of Tamas and his dark state of mind as his home is empty.

This side is going to feature inside the digipak. Here I have promoted the members of the band, the role they play, their manager and more musical elements such as the guitar and keyboard. The reason for featuring instruments is that it is suggestive of the genre Indie, as these are the type of instruments which are played in the band "The New York Fund." Moreover, the result of promoting the band members is so their audience will become familiar with there identity and relate to them more. This is particularly important to do in this album because I am promoting a new and upcoming band. As a result, they wont have many fans yet, so by building them an identity on the digipak allows them to almost connect with the audience, and promotes their image. The audience will consequently become familiar with the roles they play and what they contribute to in the band.

This is the final digipak side which will again feature inside the digipak. I chose to have the guitar used as the mise en scene because the guitar is an important instrument which is played in the band, and makes my digipak relevant to the genre. Furthermore, it was important to feature Tamas again on the digipak because it promotes his identity fully, allowing him to build a growing fan base. Again I have used the recurring typography so New York Fund will develop a strong label which can be repeated on their future albums they release.

More photos taken for my digipak

Below is a photo which I took of my fathers electric guitar. This is relevant to my digipak because the guitar relates to the Indie genre, as this is a key instrument which is played within the band. The guitar is also representative of a music band, and audiences associate the guitar with Indie music as it connotes that style of genre. Furthermore, a key aspect is that this guitar is red, which connotes love which is the theme of our music video. Therefore, the colour red will also be a recurring theme throughout my digipak.

This is a photo I took of my brother, and the reason behind it is that I will feature him in my digipak as a member of the band, as inside the digipak will feature members of the band and information about them. However, because we didn't know our band personally we were unable to take photos of them ourselves. As a result, I am using family members and friends to impersonate the members.

Below is a photo which I took my my friend Ben Dilks, because here is the connotation of the checked shirt, which represents popular culture alongside the term "Indie," as audiences associate the style of skinny jeans and checked shirts with this genre. As a result, this style of clothing is also used in our music video, therefore the theme of this style had to be continued through to the digipak