INSPIRATION 2

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INSPIRATION

Created with Padlet

Research into a Record Company

 

 'Island Records is a Jamaican-English record label that operates as a division of the Universal Music Group'.  Artists such as Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse were signed to the this label.

Analysis of Digipak 5- James Blunt

James Blunt- All The Lost Souls


The artwork on the front cover and throughout the digipak is made up of many small images put together to create a collage where the artists face can be seen.  This involves the consumer and the artist's fans being involved in the album therefore making them more likely to purchase it.  This style of artwork appears throughout the digipak which also makes it appear attractive and worth buying as some people may be more inclined to buy it if they see this clever artwork.

Writing the artist's name in light on the front of the album cover suggests that the artist is a star and that attention should be drawn to him.  Lighting his name up in this fashion makes the audience focus on this element the most and possibly question the reasoning behind this idea therefore leading them into wanted to buy the album.

The dark colour scheme throughout the digipak suggests the songs are on the sadder side of the spectrum and possibly involve 'dark' lyrics.  Styling the album with these colours to suggest the type of music on the album is a typical convention of digipaks.

Analysis of Digipak 4- Katy Perry

Katy Perry- Teenage Dream

The candy theme presented on this digipak suggests that Katy is a sweet artist who doesn't take herself very seriously.  This will help to appear to the younger audience because they will be attracted by the sweets and cake.

For the CD itself, a doughnut image has been created to fit on the round CD to make it appear as if it is a doughnut.  This is a humorous way of using artwork to represent the artist as light-hearted and girly.


The nudity on the front cover of the album cover is daring and edgy.  Due to the style of artist Katy Perry is, this nudity is acceptable.  As the photo is taken in a tasteful way where all 'inappropriate' areas are covered, the photo is seen as acceptable.  Because of the style of artist Katy Perry is, it is seen as passable for her to be displayed naked on the cover of her album that will be on shelves world wide.

Katy is portrayed as some type of royalty in one of the images where she is shown to be wearing a crown.  This suggests to the audience that Katy thinks highly of herself and wants the audience to receive this in a way that she is important and therefore people should buy the album.  The direct address in all of the images holds eye contact with the audience and keeps them engaged.

Analysis of Digipak 3- The XX

The XX- xx

The simplistic design matches the chilled vibe of 'the XX' as a band.  Their lyrics, videos and songs in general are all very slow paced and relaxed which may be why the artwork on their digipak album is so simplistic too.  This is also typical of the XX because they use this style for all of their albums and singles.  This makes them recognisable as this becomes associated with the artist.

There is no information featured on the back of the digipack.  This reiterates how the band are quite minimalistic and mellow so this style works for them.  If this design was on a Chris Brown digipak, for example, it wouldn't fit.  The XX are known and recognised for their simplistic sounds and designs and this is why it works so well for them.  Due to the band name being 'the XX' their name is not printed anywhere on the digipak but the artwork of the letter 'X' all over the digipak represents the artists itself.

The monochrome colour way used reiterates the simplistic album and artist.  A lazer cutter has been used to create an 'x' cut out shape.  This adds something extra to the album and gives it dimension so this could potentially become a trademark.

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Analysis of Digipak 2- Rihanna

Rihanna- Loud

The colours throughout this album suggests a fun girly vibe to the audience.  Pinks and reds are associated with females therefore the most likely audience is going to be girls.  These colours also suggest that the songs are going to be 'girl power' songs possibly standing up for females or break up songs.

The sultry look Rihanna gives shows how she is an attractive artist which is likely to attract a male audience as well as the female crowd she will already be catching the eye of.  This widens the amount of people likely to buy the album.

A floral theme can be noted throughout the digipak which reiterates the fun girly theme.  Roses have connotations of romance which suggests the album may be about love or heartbreak.  These unanswered questions and clues make the consumer more likely to make a purchase.

The only text on the whole digipak is the artist's name 'Rihanna' and the album name 'Loud' both in capitalised sans serif font.  This not only makes the text easy to read but also suggests how the producers believe these are the only important elements that need to be on the cover and that these alone will be enough for people to want to purchase.

Analysis of Digipak 1- The 1975

The 1975- The 1975

Black and white colouring is used to represent the band as stripped back and relaxed.  The 1975 as a band pride themselves in simplicity as a lot of their music videos and promotional material have the same artwork and are in black and white.  This makes them recognisable as when consumers see the specific artwork they know it is The 1975s art.

The illuminated frame used on the front and the back of the digipak draws attention to the information inside it.  In this case, on the front cover it is the artists name/album name and on the back is the tracklist.  These elements are portrayed as the most important.

The name of the album is 'The 1975' which is interesting in itself.  This suggests that they don't believe it is important for the album to have its own individual name because the band name itself is enough to entice the audience.  The simplicity of The 1975 as a band is what their fans love about them.

Analysis of Video 5- The Notorious B.I.G 'Juicy'

The Notorious B.I.G (Biggie) - Juicy

The costume in the music video involves chains, baggy clothing and dark clothing.  This is typical of rap videos because artists like to show off their wealth by wearing expensive chains.  The dark baggy clothing worn is also a typical convention as it makes the artist appear to be relaxed and 'cool'.  The clothing also suggests that the artist has so much money that they don't need to dress in extravagant clothing to show how 'cool' they are.

High shots of the main artist suggests he is dominant and powerful.  The way the artist looks up into the camera really engages with the audience as they feel like they can watch what is happening from his perspective.  These camera angles are used to show how Biggie is important as it is almost as if he is presenting the video to anyone who is watching and he is the main man.

The dancing performed in this video by Biggie suggests he is relaxed and knows what he is doing.  The way Biggie gently sways from side to side in a casual way shows he has rhythm but doesn't feel the need to perform a whole choreographed dance routine as this is not the style in rap videos.  This also displays how the artist is into his own music as he seems to be enjoying it as his casual movements suggest.

The lyrics in this video tell a story throughout which is very typical of rap videos.  Talking about his struggle before he 'made it' as a rapper, Biggie's lyrics represent himself as someone who used to struggle and had no one to support him but then goes onto how he is now carefree.  'Birthdays were the worst days now we sip champagne'.  The lyrics are very humble as he thanks people for getting him to where he is.  He also talks about challenging stereotypes.

The large group of dancers in the background of some of the shots suggests that Biggie is liked by many people as in a popular artist.  These almost act as a fan group for the artist as they help to promote him as important and sort after.

Theorists- Goodwin

Dancing in the Distraction Factory

Goodwin suggests in his theory that music genres have their own music video style.  This can come in the form of stage performances, dance routines and clothing. 

• Particular genres have their own music video style
• There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
• There is a relationship between the music and the visuals
• There will be a lot of close ups of the artists because the record label want their faces out there
• There is frequent references to notion of looking and a large portion of this comes with the voyeuristic treatment of the female body
• There is often intertextual references
• The artists may develop an iconography that occurs in all of their work (eg The 1975)

Theorists- Archer

How to Study Music Videos

Archer suggests that 'sounds are the basis of a process of visualisation that serve to enhance, not restrict, the original pop sound effect'. Steve Archer suggests a step by step 5 pointer checklist that must be completed in order to study a music video effectively, based on Goodwin's book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'.  

• 'Thought Beats'

This refers to 'synaesthesia', where a person pictures sounds in their mind.  To begin with, lyrics don't need to be analysed, just the beat and the different layers of sound to introduce a general feeling to the music.  

• Narrative and Performance

The entire narrative is rarely given to the audience through the song, so the audience is left guessing.  Music videos need to have repeatability in them, so that the audience wants to watch it over and over.  This will get the video more views, plays and hits and in the end, makes more money for the company releasing the material.  If the music gives away the whole narrative, people will be less likely to want to watch it again and again.  

• The Star Image

The music industry relies on a small number of big names to make money.  When an artist has developed their own star image it is easy to sell their work and make money off of them as everyone already knows who they are, they have a large fan base and they all want to hear their new material, whenever it is released.  Using the artist in their own music video is more likely to be a hit because people want to see the artist that they look up to.  If an artist wants to appear to their audience in a certain way, they will do so through their music videos.  This is why music videos are important when it comes to maintaining, adapting and changing an artist's star image.

• The 3 ways Music Videos Relate Visuals to the Song

1. Illustration- The most straight forward technique, physically putting things into the video that represent the lyrics
2. Amplification- Used to retain a link with the song and enhance the ideas that the lyrics may already give about the song
3. Disjuncture- This creates a whole new meaning to the song by creating new ones.  This has to be done well and creatively otherwise it isn't effective. 

• Technical Aspects

This relates to the camera angles, editing, mise-en-scene and sound in the video.  Speed is often adapted depending on what the song is about eg. slow movement for sad songs, fast pace movement for happier music.  This is the same with fast-cutting, fades and blackouts. Lighting and colour are both used in music videos to create meanings.  

Analysis of Video 4- Carrie Underwood 'Before He Cheats'

Carrie Underwood- Before He Cheats

The style of the outfits in this video show what era the video was published.  As the release date was in 2005 the fashion style is very denim based which is typical of this time.  Furthermore, the costumes in the video are very typical of country styled videos because they look like glorified farm wear for example simple camis.

The lighting in the video reflects the lyrics in the sense that the situation being sung about as well as the lighting are both distorted.  The way the lighting is not clear throughout mimics the lyrics in the way that Carrie sings about how her boyfriend cheated on her and is moving on with someone else so she is getting revenge.  The situation she sings about appears to be confusing and upsetting so the lighting is used to bring uncertainty.

The way the editing has been used to change from shot to shot keeps the audience interested as they want to keep watching to see what happens next.  This is typical for most genres of music videos because the aim is always to keep the audience in anticipation and to ensure they are going to watch throughout whilst following the story in the video.

A wind machine has been used to create a dramatic scene.  The wind used to blow Carrie's hair back creates an atmosphere which makes it appear that she is really performing to the audience and means what she is saying, not just singing for the sake of it.  This also gives the artist an attractive look which attracts the audience.

The use of explosions in the music video creates an extremely dramatic atmosphere which really 'packs a punch'.  The lyrics in the video can be described as 'explosive' in the way that Carrie sings about a revengeful situation where she ruins her ex's car because he cheated on her.  These lyrics can also be seen as relatable to some audiences.

Analysis of Video 3- Beyonce 'If I Were A Boy'

Beyonce- If I Were A Boy

The sultry makeup in the music video that Beyonce wears makes her appear as very attractive which helps to interact with the audience.  Beyonce's look supports Laura Mulvey's idea of the male gaze in the way that her skin as been oiled up and her eyeshadow is smudged out to make her appear 'sexy' and therefore attract a male audience.  The simple skin makeup shows how Beyonce is a natural beauty.

The black and white filter put over the whole video makes the audience focus on the lyrics.  Due to the lack of colour on the visuals, the audience is more likely to engage with the lyrics instead of being distracted by things going on in the video.  It also suggests that the song is stripped back and raw which mimics the lyrics in the sense that Beyonce is singing about her struggles in a relationship.

The direct address showcased in the video helps the audience to stay engaged.  The audience feel connected with the singer when they give direct address because it feels as though the artist is looking right at the person watching the video, not just into the camera lens.  This helps to keep the audience engaged as she doesn't break eye contact.

The lyrics in the video speak about a difficult relationship which contrasts with the romance between Beyonce and the other police officer in the video.  This really helps to engage the audience as the audience like to see other people feel pleasure and like to see romance as Steve Neale talks about in his theory.

Slow motion shots paired with dip to black on a lot of the clips in the video help to show upset and feelings through editing.  The slow motion edit on some of the shots suggests that things are going slow with Beyonce and her relationship and that things feel as though they are never ending.  The dip to black suggests she has given up.

Analysis of Video 2- Jake Bugg 'Broken'

Broken

This song is a very relaxed and raw piece of music.  It has a chilled vibe to is and this is supported by the video as it is very stripped down and simple.  The video begins with Jake singing on his own on a stage whilst playing the guitar. The first thing that was noted about the mise en scene in this video was that almost all elements of the video were dark, almost black.  The lighting is dim and Jake's clothes are all dark in colour.  This gives the auidence nothing to focus on apart from his voice.



Moreover, the camera work throughout the video never stays still.  Each shot is almost 'shaky' which suggests the idea that this is a homemade video as a tripod clearly wasn't used. This helps to connect with the audience as they feel as though they can relate to the artist as he doesn't use ridiculously expensive and advanced equipment so therefore feels like a reachable goal.  

Other people in the video appear to be very preoccupied and no one is watching Jake as he performs on stage.  This suggests that as an artist Jake Bugg is not very well known as is quite undiscovered.  This could also suggest that as a person Jake Bugg is misunderstood and looked over.

Jake's stance throughout the video is relaxed and slouched slightly.  This suggests he is carefree and chilled as an artist, which is supported by his music, lyrics, and video style.  The whole video is very slow paced which gives the audience the opportunity and time to reflect on every element of the video.


 

Analysis of Video 1- Rihanna featuring Drake 'Work'

Rihanna (ft Drake)- Work

The colours used in the video are very romantic and flirtatious.  This is supported by the relationship represented between the two artists in the video.  The dancing and body language between them both is very suggestive that they are a couple and are flirting with each other.  This helps sell the song to fans because it has always been an unanswered question about if Drake and Rihanna are an item or not.

The clothing in the video worn by Rihanna is very 'risky' her skirt is short and her top is see-through. This attracts a certain type of audience because of the nudity.  A theory that supports this idea is Laura Mulvey's idea of the male gaze.  This is where artists are styled a particular way to entice a male audience by dressing in revealing clothing and having a certain look that men like.

The direct address in the video makes the audience feel important.  This is done by Rihanna as she never breaks eye contact with the audience throughout the song no matter what else is happening. Even when Drake is up close behind Rihanna singing to her right into her ear she still holds eye contact with the audience.

The lyrics in the video are very suggestive, but in a subtle way.  Although those phrases juxtapose each other, the artists have managed to do this in a very impressive way.  To most people the lyrics appear to be about 'putting in work' meaning putting in effort but his isn't the case. The lyrics are suggestive as the phrase 'work' refers to the Jamaican Patois way of singing.  Rihanna is Barbadian and the word 'work' refers to sex.

Preliminary Photography Task

Image 1-
Theme- Realism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to 'P' then altered the white balance.  This edit didn't work very well as it didn't capture the colours properly.

 Image 2-
Theme- Realism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to AV and altered the depth of field to allow the tree to be the main focus of the image.  This made the leaves look very defined and gave the overall image a crisp high quality look.

Image 3-
Theme-  Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to 'P' and then altered the white balance.  Selected the warm white FL in the florescent setting and changed the AB to B6-M6 which brought out the orange and yellow undertones in the image more.  The Depth of Field was edited so that everything in the shot was in focus so everything can be seen.

Image 4-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to 'P' and then altered the white balance to the florescent setting before selecting warm whitre FL.  Then changed the AB to A1 + M6 to create a more washed out, dull colour.  

Image 5-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed mode to 'P' and then altered the white balance to the florescent setting, into warm white FL.  Changed AB to 0-A6 which brought out the blue tones of the image more than the normal automatic setting did.  The Depth of Field was altered so that the whole of the picture was in focus and everything could be seen clearly. 

Image 6-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Manual, Depth of Field- Back image in focus, front out of focus.

Image 7-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to 'P' and then altered the white balance.  We applied the Sepia effect to this image.

Image 8-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- same as before put this image wasn't in focus so didn't look as good.

Image 9-
Theme- Surrealism
Shutter Speed- 1/50
Mode- Changed the mode to 'P' then added the black and white effect.  This gave the image a whole new look.

Conclusion- From this task and throughout the process I have learnt that there are many different settings that can be used to enhance images.  Changing the mode from the automatic setting means that depending of what the image is that I am taking, I can add a different mode on the camera to suit the style of image that I am after.  I also have learnt that changing a picture to enhance different undertones is easier than I thought. 

08/07/16 Morning of work

Today I went over the magazines I had already analysed and added some more detail. I then decided to make a list of posts that I wanted to get completed by this time next week.  I feel that by setting myself a goal I am more likely to get stuff done than if I just do random work here and there and don't have a solid plan of what I wanted it to look like once it's done.  I find that listing stuff down and being able to psychically tick tasks off of my list helps me to not get overwhelmed and keeps the production of my blog going steady.

Magazine Analysis 8- Mumford and Sons

This magazine is promoting Mumford and Son's album 'Sigh No More'.  The imagery on the posters look flickered as if they've come off of an old film.  This sticks with the vibe that Mumford and Sons have which is quite indie and retro. This artwork displays all the members of the band which represents them all as equals.  They are seen holding the instruments that they play with to show the audience what type of a band they are.

The colouring on the poster is mostly dark and autumnal.  This matches the time of year that this album and tour were occurring and coming on the scene.  The pictures and more specifically the way they are positioned on the poster look almost hand made.  This gives the band a welcoming feel.

'Mumford and Sons' is printed in the largest font at the top of the poster to draw attention to it.  It is written in serif font and reverse block is used to make the writing stand out.  All the writing is in white colouring on a black background.  This represents the band as living by the book.

Magazine Analysis 7- Ed Sheeran

This magazine is promoting Ed Sheeran's album '+'.  The sepia image of Ed Sheeran takes up the majority of the poster to portray him as an artist who takes himself seriously.  The warming smile showcased by Sheeran suggests that he wants to appear in a friendly way to his audience.  As his songs tend to be quite warming with a loving sound to them this might be why he has chosen to pose like this.  The colouring of the image, sepia, warms the image and makes it look more welcoming than if it was in black and white which may look more harsh.

The largest piece of text on the poster is the artist's name 'Ed Sheeran'.  This is done purposefully so that the eyes of the audience are drawn straight to it.  The font used here is used often throughout Ed Sheeran's posters, albums and other promotional material.  This uniformed look makes it so that Ed's work is easily recognised.  The '+' symbol is an iconic sign representing the name of the album.  This is in an orange font which shows up against the black background and therefore draws attention to it.  Reverse block is used to create this illusion.

Magazine Analysis 6- Rhianna

This magazine is promoting Rihanna's album 'Rated R'. The colour scheme throughout the poster is mainly monotone with hints of red.  As mentioned in previous posts, this is very common with RnB artists as the black and white suggests mystery and the acents of red add hints of danger. Rihanna has a alter ego known as 'Bad Gal RiRi' who is Rihanna's more 'hood' side.  Using reds, whites and blacks in her poster reiterates that she is a hood girl at heart and isn't one to be messed with.  The image of Rihanna on the cover is in black and white also, this doesn't give that much away about what she really looks like and again supports the idea that she is a mysterious secretive individual.  

The text on this cover is simple but bold enough to make a statement.  The largest text on the magazine advert is the artist's name, 'Rihanna', in capital letters presented in reverse block.  This makes the wording stand out and draws attention to the artist's name above everything else.  This is done to show that Rihanna's name is the most important element of the advert.  Using reverse block makes the text stand out because it is white writing against a black background.  The contrast means that the lettering is easily visible.  

The image of Rihanna displays a lot about her as a person.  With one hand covering half of her face, it suggests that as an artist Rihanna is quite mysterious and hidden.  It could also suggest something about the album, perhaps that the songs are fairly 'grimy' as she has got a serious look on her face that almost looks threatening.  Some songs on the album such as 'Hard' and 'Rude Boy' have an almost street sound to them.  These songs are definitely more 'Bag Gal RiRi' than just simple Rihanna.  The eccentric makeup that Rihanna can be seen wearing suggests that she is a bold character who wants to be seen.  The heavy winged eyeliner and the bold hark lipstick draws attention to her piercing eyes and plump lips which could appeal to her male fans as these are the parts of the face that men tend to look at most.  

The two named songs on the advert 'Hard' and 'Russian Roulette' were the most well known singles before the album was released which lets the audience know that they have already had a taste of what is going to be on the album.  This also gives a level of excitement to the target audience and they will therefore be more excited for when the album is actually released.

Theorists- Adorno

Adorno believes in a culture industry that produces unsophisticated and unsentimental content.  What he means by this is that industries create content that hasn't got much raw substance and is just created to bring in an audience and make money.  Adorno argues that people indulge in emotionally triggering media because it brings out the 'true' emotion in ourselves.  Adorno is a Marxist meaning that he thinks functions such as the media industry are made and kept up to benefit capitalists.

Theorists- Hebdige

Argues audiences are free to believe what they want and to resist the power of large companies by ignoring their products.  This results in subcultures to move away from the mainstream.

Theorists- Dyer

Meaning of a 'star'

Dyer believes that the term 'star' refers to the set of meanings constructed around a musical performance.  A list of key features that one must acquire in order to achieve stardom are as follows:

• Youthfulness
• Rebellion
• Sexual magnetism
• Originality
• Creativity
• Aggression
• Disregard for social values, relating to drugs, sex and polite behaviour.

A 'star' in the eyes of society will attain some if not all of these features.  Common features between all 'stars' brings forward the idea that they are an image not actually a person, constructed out of a range of materials.  For example, adverts, magazines, films and music. Stardom is said by Dyer to be based on 2 paradoxes:

• simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer

and

• simultaneously present and absent for the consumer

These mean that in order to be a successful star, a person has to be available to the consumer in the way that they can type in their name in Youtube and access their media, but at the same time they can't just pick up the phone and ring the artist.  Moreover, they have to be relateable in some way so that the audience can see a part of themselves in them, but at the same time they still have to maintain the aura of being extraordinary.  

Theorists- Negus

Ideology of Creativity 

Keith Negus has a theory on the art of 'producing pop'.
The two ideologies Negus has are:

• The organic ideology of creativity 

and

• The synthetic ideology of creativity

The Organic Ideology refers to a naturalistic approach coming from within the artists.  Negus believes that artists have a natural spark within them which is then brought out by their record label. He argues that the image that the artist portrays to the public is enhanced by the record company as they have the professional expertise to know what the audience want.  After this image is achieved, the artist is said to be given time to evolve and progress by the record company.  These artists are usually seen to be those who are going to be around for a long period of time, artists such as Micheal Jackson, who originally came from the Jackson 5 as a young child with a lot of raw talent.

The Synthetic Ideology is a combinatorial approach to artists and material.  This is where executives try to create an image for the artist based on what they think is going to sell.  This could come in the form of the songs they write, the clothes they wear, their style in general, the music videos they produce and the other artists they pair up with on occasion.  This theory also applies to bands who are created and constructed by a record label.  For example, One Direction were grouped together in the X Factor because the producers and judges believed they would sell well as a group.  These are aimed at a younger audience as the groups and artists are molded into what is seen as 'cool' at the time.  

Magazine Analysis 5- Kanye West

This magazine is promoting Kanye West's album 'Yeezus'.  It is a very simple advert as Kanye West and his team know that whatever he puts out to the public, it will sell.  This means that extra effort doesn't need to be put into the construction of the magazine posters promoting it.  Although saying this, this magazine advert is still very 'Kanye'.  The image displayed on it is a basic picture of one of Kanye's mixtapes for this album.  It is a simple transparent CD case with a single disc inside, taped shut by some red duct tape.  On the duct tape the word 'Yeezus' is handwritten.  This simple but effective image shows how the album is personal from Kanye as the signature of 'Yeezus' looks as if it could have been written by Kanye in his own home.

The colour palette used is red, white and black.  This is the same as Jay Z's album 'Kingdom Come'.  This suggests that with hip hop artists, they like to keep things quite similar.  As the tape is red, and red has connotations of danger, it could be seen as a warning that when the tape is taken off and the CD is opened, danger is possible. This album does contain 10 songs and all of which have an explicit warning which suggests that this is what the red tape signifies.

The name of the album, 'Yeezus', represents Kanye West and quite a confident artist as he has named his own album after his own nickname.  Kanye West is also known as 'Yeezus' in the music industry.  'Yeezus' is written in large writing at the top of the magazine advert which not only showcases the name of the album but at the same time it is getting Kanye's name out there too as 'Yeezus' is his nickname, as stated before.  Underneath this main title it says 'New Album from Kanye West'.  Kanye West's name is written on it's own line as if it deserves separate positioning from the rest of the sentence.  Kanye West is known for thinking very highly of himself and is a complete narcissist, which for a music artist isn't always a bad thing.  The way that all the writing appears to be painted on in black paint suggests that Kanye is trying to go back to his roots.  This magazine advert's writing looks similar to a homemade banner or something along those lines where the writing has been painted on.  As Kanye West openly speaks about how he didn't come from a very privileged background, the use of a homemade looking poster is very fitting.

The claim that there is to be 'No Pre Order' which is all capitalised shows how strongly Kanye West and his team feel about how they do not want a pre release date where it could be possible that the album could then be leaked early (even though it was anyway).  The majority of albums are usually available for pre-order but as Kanye West is Kanye West, he of course didn't want this.  Releasing an album in the middle of June ensures that it will be a summer hit so this is why Kanye and his management decided on this date.

Magazine Analysis 4- Tom Odell

Magazine Analysis 3- Jessie J

Purpose of Music Videos

Magazine Analysis 2- Jay Z

This advert is promoting Jay Z's album 'Kingdom Come'.  The main colour palette in this advert cover is red, white and black. These are strong colours which represents Jay Z as having an intense personality.  Jay Z has a red cast over his face which suggests danger, as Jay Z is a well known 'bad boy' rapper, this is fitting.  Jay Z is looking directly into the camera.  Using direct address allows the audience to feel personally connected to the artist which is what is needed when trying to sell a product.  The artist is pictured wearing a baseball cap which gives him a cool and trendy look.  Jay Z's facial expression is very relaxed and he appears like he doesn't care that he is having his photo taken. This represents Jay Z as care free and easy going.  There is a slight scowl on Jay Z's face which keeps up the persona he has as being a boy from the streets that made it in the music industry.  The shadow being cast by the baseball cap on Jay Z's head suggests mystery and creates enigma for the audience.

The serif font used for the artists name gives this part of the advert a professional look.  Serif font is used for important writing and is more old fashioned than sans serif font.  The reason serif font is used in this instance is because the name of the artist is the most important element of the cover.  It is also written in the biggest font and is central to draw the most attention to the words 'Jay Z'.  The second largest text displays the name of the album 'Kingdom Come'.  The sizing of this text indicates how this is the next most important piece of writing on the advert.  This, as well as the rest of the writing on the magazine advert, is in sans serif font.

The quote 'The President of Hip Hop Returns' is a large claim to make which suggests that Jay Z isn't afraid to be controversial and daring.  Selling Jay Z in this way promotes himself as a confident and solid individual.  Going as far as saying Jay Z is the 'president of hip hop' puts forward the idea that Jay Z has some kind of power over the hip hop industry and almost controls it in one way or another. This quote also grabs the audience's attention almost instantly as it is positioned centrally, in bold writing, at the top of the page.  

The release date and a single from the album are stated at the bottom of the advert in smaller writing. This gives away little information, but enough to get the audience excited which is what a record company and an artist want.  The fact that only basic information is needed to sell Jay Z as an artist shows his power in the music industry already and proves that maybe the claim to being the 'president of hip hop' isn't so fictional after all.  

Magazine Analysis 1- The 1975

This is The 1975's album advert for their album called 'The 1975'.  This advertisement is very basic and stripped down, which represents the band as very relaxed and raw, which they are.  The 1975 sell themselves in a different way to most artists, they use visuals instead of their actual faces.  The 1975 used rectangular lights in all of their promo, magazine adverts, albums and singles.  The main focus of this magazine advert is the name, 'The 1975'.  They have drawn attention to this in a number of ways. Firstly, the words 'The 1975' are illuminated on the advert with lighting.  Against a black background, this is very aesthetically pleasing as it draws attention to the writing.  Moreover, the writing is central.  This stops the eyes from wondering anywhere else and keeps all the focus on the middle of the page, where the band's name is. The words 'The 1975' are the only text pasted over the image which brings attention to it also.  The use of this 'logo' throughout the advertising of The 1975 as a brand keeps the recognition up which means that when new material is released, it is easily recognised.

This magazine advert is fully monochrome.  This again supports the idea that The 1975 want to be represented as straight to the point and slick, which is how a monochrome palette is received visually. The illuminating glow that reflects off of the floor in the image could be interpreted that this album contains tracks that may make the consumer think and reflect themselves.  Some songs off of this album such as 'Menswear' and 'Robbers' are very slow, chilled and reflecting songs which is why this is mimicked by the cover art on the magazine advert. 

The 1975 have their own way of writing.  This is where whenever the band sends out a tweet or promotes something in a magazine or even the writing on their album, they always write in capitals and use a lot of forward slashes and hyphens ( // and - ).  This is used on their magazine advert above.  This represents their indie style which is also uniformed as it runs throughout all the media they contribute to their audience whether this be tweets or albums, as stated previously. 

The writing on the advert is very basic and straight to the point, which fits in to The 1975's style.  The only information it states is that the album has been released and is available to purchase on iTunes, in store and on Amazon.  No extra details are given.

Theorists- Freud

Structure of the Mind 

Freud believes that the mind has three separate levels:

• The Conscious Mind
• The Preconscious Mind
• The Unconscious Mind

These apply to 21st century media in the way that the media industries create content that they know will mentally effect their audience in the way that they want it to. Freud's theory can be applied to the media industry in the way that the unconscious mind is sent into overdrive when bombarded with different emotions, feelings and sensory information. In Freud's original theory, he found that others feel pleasure from seeing other people feel pleasure themselves. According to Freud, the music industry use voyeurism to attract an audience. This is used in music videos in the sense that in videos nowadays, they can be highly sexualised and 'risky' so that the audience can watch others enjoying themselves on screen and then feel that emotion for themselves. 

Theorists- Saussure

The Signifier and the Signified

The signifier refers to the physical object or word that is there for example red.
The signified refers to the connotations and ideas that come with being exposed to the signifier.  In this case red can be associated with warning and danger as well as love and romance.  It is specific to the individual.  

According to Saussure, symbols can be used to create meanings.  

This theory is adopted by the media industry in the way that music videos use objects, colours, signs and other things that are used as a signifier.  From these, the audience gains information and forms their own opinion on what the music video is about, just from the objects that are placed on screen.

Theorists- Mulvey

The Male Gaze

Mulvey has a theory that the music industry is focused on portraying women as objects so that it appeals to a male audience.  The concept of a gaze is that an individual will look at someone else/ something else in awe.  Feminists believe that the male gaze has three different ways of thinking:

1. how men look at women
2. how women look at themselves
3. how women look at other women

These three different ways of looking are all different from each other.  

The features of the male gaze are as follows:

• The camera lingers over the curves of a woman's body in a music video to draw attention to their womanly assets.  This regulates women to the status of objects according to Mulvey. 
• The woman is a secondary character in the narrative as she is usually chasing after a man or the man is obsessing over her.  Either way, the man is the main character.  
• Seductive clothing such as short skirts and low cut tops that draw attention to a woman's body and almost provoke the idea of the male gaze from happening.

Although this is not argued by Mulvey, another point that I believe in is that the lyrics in songs also objectify women.  The music industry is known for giving a negative outlook on women although I do believe women are starting to claim that back.