Music Video Song Lyrics - Faces Going Places

These are the lyrics for the song we are making a music video for - Jose Vanders, Faces Going Places.

There's so many people at the station
Waiting for a train to
Take them on some long journey far, far away

There's a boy with a smile
Thinking about Marie
Cuz he caught her in the shower last night, accidentally
He caught her in the shower last night, accidentally

There's a woman with a baby
Trying to make it stop crying
So she's bribing it with another lollipop

There's a girl with a boyfriend
She's in way too far cuz
I saw him looking at another woman's heart
I saw him looking at another woman's heart

And people say that I'm just being lazy
I've got the dreams but don't know where to go
I think if I could choose to live here at the station I would

There's a man with a bald patchAt the back of his head
His heart is getting sleepy
And he's watching where he treads
A group stretch of girls are standing in a line
Naivety exploding as he gives them all the eye
Naivety exploding as he gives them all the eye

The lady with the basket Full of all her eggs
She's counted them too quickly
She'll wake up and they'll be dead
The boy who's lost his marbles
Has found them down the drain
The slit's too thin to get them so he'll have to start again
The slit's too thin to get them so he'll have to start again

And people say that I'm just being lazy
I've got the dreams but don't know where to go
I think if I could choose to live here at the station
To live here at the station
Oh, I think if I could choose to live here at the station
I would

Below are the initial ideas we have for our video.

How Record Labels Promote Releases

There are a number of ways record labels promote a new release from an artist listed below:

-Tv advertisements

-Tv/radio interviews

-Music channels

-Website advertising

-Tv guest appearances/chat shows

-Magazine articles/covers

-Merchandise

I have analysed a number of different posters that have been used to promote different artists new album releases, analysis found below.

The Vines - 'The Best Of'

-This album is a greatest hits album which includes their most successful songs as a compilation.

-The poster is based on a visual representation of the bands name, using an image of vines.

-The image is taken from the album cover, this means that people can recognise the band immediately. Also when someone enters the shop they will be able to identify where the album is more effectively as they will already have some idea of what they are looking for.

-The dominant colour is green which has connotations of new, fresh, organic, basic, natural - not electronic. This is the image the band portrays and the music genre very much fits with these connotations.

-The white background is basic and makes the green colour stand out. This makes the poster very simple and easy to read, which makes it a success because the information on it is easy to read.

-The same font is used on both the album cover and the poster, and it is also the same font that the band always uses. This creates continuity and brand identity.

-The writing on the poster is angled which makes it more eye-catching and it also makes the reader make an effort to read what it says. This means that what the writing is saying is more likely to be understood and taken in by the person reading it. The angular nature of text also has a correlation to the fact that vines don't grow straight, so the band may be using this as a clever reference to their name as well. It also looks more aesthetically pleasing and fills the space more effectively.

-The 'Out Now' is used as a persuasive tool to encourage people to go and buy the album as it is released already.

-The use of the words 'Hit' and 'Exclusive bonus track' make the fans feel as though they are getting extra privileges for purchasing a copy of the album, rather than illegally downloading it. The word 'Hit' is much more likely to persuade people to buy the album if they don't know of the band, as it makes them sound more successful. This would give people the impression that they are worth listening to.

-The record label is advertised on the poster which does two things. It makes people aware that this band is signed to a particular label, so if they are very successful, the label will get good publicity. Also, the label may be used as a tool to attract people who know of the label and like bands who are already assigned to them who may be similar to 'The Vines' This knowledge may also persuade them to give the album a listen.

Ellie Goulding - 'Lights'

-The majority of the poster is taken up with the large image of Ellie's face. This shows that she is being promoted as the brand, rather than creating another image that is just associated with her brand.

-The way she is posing is relaxed and she is shown with very little make up on. This makes her appear natural and simplistic and portrays the 'average girl' image, rather than a overly dramatic, commercially manufactured pop singer.

-The font looks as though it is glowing, which relates to the title of the album title 'Lights' There also appears to be small glowing lights in her hair, which creates a sense of fluidity and connection throughout the hold advertisement. The font is bright and centred which makes it clearly stand out as the title which makes it memorable at a quick glance.

-There is a gold theme, again to link with the glowing light theme, but this also may be related to her name 'Goulding', making it also a play on words. This adds layers of meaning to the poster which at first glance appears quite simple.

-There are positive quotations positioned at the bottom of the poster, which show Ellie in a good light. This is used as a persuasive tool and people are more likely to give her music a chance and purchase it if they know that other people think it is worth listening to.

Florence And The Machine - 'Lungs'

-The band name is in the same font as the album cover. This is also the same unique font that the band always use. The font is very girly and connotes feminism which links with the identity that Florence has created, this is because she is always associated with floral, floaty dresses.

-The adverts main image is the same as the album cover design which makes for quick recognition in shops when people go to try and purchase the album. It also adds a sense of coherence to the artists promotional campaign.

-The website link at the bottom of the poster offers a link to other work by the artist, which could help to increase the profile and interest the audience has in the artist. They could also be persuaded to purchase another one of the artists songs while browsing the site.

-The title of the album is central and is the largest font size. This is so it can be seen immediately and it is clear that this is the title of the album, so if someone hears about the album from word of mouth, they will recognise it.

-The release date is beneath the title and this informs people of when they can buy the album.

-The same flowers are used on the poster as on the album cover which creates continuity and creates a theme and feel for the artist.

-The quirky image - lungs around her neck and strange clothing - relates to the album title and her persona as a very individual artist.

-The record label is visible in the bottom corner, people could see this and associate other artists to it and develop a likeness for the artist based on this.

-CD, DELUXE CD, VINYL, DIGITAL indicates that the album is available across different medium.

-Flowers, all natural/organic colours relate to her gypsy style.

Initial Ideas For Our Music Video

• After listening to our song multiple time we have decided that we want to make a narrative based music video.
• We want to portray the majority of the lyrics in a literal way, some of them are metaphoric, but we want to show them as what they literally say. For example, 'The boy who lost his marbles' This is a metaphor for a boy being slightly crazy, but we will show this with a shot of some marbles rolling on the floor.
• We had an idea of either dressing up as the different characters, or finding people to play them.
• We want to shoot the video from the artists point of view, so we don't see the face of the artist, this will mean we can create an image of what we want the artist to look like, without trying to find someone who matches the description accurately.
• The video will be shot at a train station, with the different characters positioned in different areas of the station.
• For the lyric 'theres a boy with a smile, thinking about marie' we had the idea of filming a girl, then placing this footage in a thought bubble within the shot of the boy when we edited it.
• At the start of the video, we want a shot from behind the artist sitting on a bench, with people moving around on the station platform in front of her. This is to match the lyric 'There's so many people at the station' We were thinking about using time lapse to make the people seem like they are moving past alot faster than they actually are, to create a sense of business.
• Similarly at the end of the video, we wanted to use the same shot from behind the artist, but have to people moving gradually more slowly, using time lapse. This is so that the station appears to be emptying, leaving her on her own there.
• The end of the video, is a zoom in shot that creates the illusion of zooming into the artists head and into her thoughts.

Websites

CD Cover design

Branding

The branding of an artist is an important part of their success. The brand allows the artist to create a unique identity for themselves, often through the use of similar items of clothing, a certain sound or characteristic that the artist possesses. These things create a familiarity between the artist and the audience and the artist can easily gain recognition when the brand is seen in different medium, therefore increasing the success of the artist.

Lady Gaga is an example of someone who has a very strong, distinct brand. This has made her an iconic individual who has gained a huge fan base globally and a very large media presence due to the fact that she is constantly pushing the limits of her brand.

The monochrome colour schemes, lightning blot imagery, angular shaped costumes, blonde hair and sometimes obscene outfits are what has created Lady Gaga's brand. These things are what people associate Lady Gaga with and when they are seen, they are automatically associated with her. This instant recognition is what makes the obscure branding of the artist successful as she becomes a memorable figure and can easily become a talking point between people, therefore increasing the audiences awareness of her.

Because of her strong brand, Lady Gaga had the huge opportunity of branding merchandise successfully. There are a wide range of Lady Gaga based products available for fans to purchase and with each sale, her popularity and global presence increases. T - shirts a popular way artists promote themselves as they are cheap to produce, yet are very effective at selling the act. Lady Gaga has a range of t-shirts available that vary from a simple image of herself to elaborate designs incorporating different elements of her branding. The t-shirt pictured, has a monochrome theme, a trademark Lady Gaga lightning bolt and a lyric from one of her songs, making it a completely branded product. The website - http://www.ladygaga.shop.bravadousa.com/ is the official place to purchase Lady Gaga merchandise and hosts a variety of products ranging from iPhone cases to jewellery.

The same imagery is used throughout all the products and this continuity is what we hope to achieve with our ancillary products. We will link our products with images, colour schemes and fonts that will create a sense of cohesion and a brand identity for our artist.

Having a 'niche'?

It's very important for an upcoming artist or band to have a niche. This is something different that sets them apart from the competition. People don't want to hear/see something they've seen ten times before, difference leads to a talking point and generates more interest. By creating a niche, you are target a specific audience.

Below are some examples of how artists have used niche to generate large success.

• Lily Allen was an original and since then people have tried to copy her, with limited success. The idea of being 'The First' to use an idea/look/sound is a huge advantage as people have never seen/heard it before. Lily used the 'Rebellious Teenager' identity and developed her own image around her personality. The way she dressed herself was also unique as she was the only female pop star to wear trainers with a dress. This has also proved to be a trend setting idea, but will always be associated with her as she did it before others and become known for it. Lily's unique music style also helped create a fresh new image for the artist. She used her strong London accent and spoke/sang some of the lyrics in her songs. This was a new thing that people hadn't heard before and the uniqueness led to huge success.


• Paulo Nutini was a supporting act for the Rolling Stones, he had a unique new sound that people hadn't heard before which worked in his favour. He did impromptu performances in cafes until someone noticed his unique talent and he gained a record deal from such performances in 2005. In order to target his niche, Paulo Nutini uses a vast range of marketing strategies. He used the Internet to upload his music and put songs on Itunes for people to download for free. This would mean more people would take the opportunity to download and hear his music, generating a larger fan base.


• Blink 182 is a band who used having a niche/image to gain success. They are known today for their humour during performances and throughout all the products they promote. Their funny stage antics are what set them apart from other bands on stage whilst performing a gig before they were signed. They gained a record label for being a bit different and ever since they have developed this idea of humour and turned it into their star image. Blink 182 often use humour throughout their music video and toilet humour is a common feature. The video 'All The Small Things' takes elements of other genre's music videos and makes a parody of them. Some examples include, 'Backstreet Boys', 'Christina Aguilara' and 'Britney Spears' This originality has since been copied by bands such as 'Fall Out Boy', 'All Time Low' and 'Good Charlotte' but Blink 182 will always be the ones known for doing it first.

The Online Revolution

• Lily Allen is an example of an artist who has benefitted dramatically from the online revolution. Lily built up a huge fanbase on the social networking site Myspace. After setting up a page in 2005 to put a couple of her demo tracks on, Lily's music quickly became recognised and she began to gain many views. The public gradually gained knowledge of Lily's music and she signed a record deal with Regal Recordings as her popularity increased with the number of Myspace views.


• 500 vinyl copies of her song 'LDN' were given away and were being resold for upto £40, which shows how her popularity was increasing.
  
• With the growing popularity of Lily Allen, the media began to become aware of her. In 2006 'The Observer Music Monthly' published an article about her Myspace success which acted as even more publicity.
  
• Lily Allen had already created a 'Rebellious Teenager' image and had a loyal fanbase built up through her Myspace success, so when making her album, was allowed alot of freedom with the decision making and creativity.


• Our artist Jose Vanders is similar to Lily Allen as she also has a Myspace page that allows people to hear her newest music and build up a fanbase.


• Lily Allen has had 20 million myspace song downloads and 450,000 Myspace friends. On her page, Lily also blogs about her life which adds a bit more interest to her as a person and creates links with her fans that are more personal. Making her more likeable.


• Lily Allen continued to have increasing success and her second album hit number 1 in the UK charts. This proves that the online revolution has had a huge impact on the music industry and it also shows how successful online promotion can be

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory

The points below outline Goodwin's theory:

• There is a relationship between the music and the visuals. (Illuminating, amplifying or contradicting the music) The editing might match the pace of the music/tempo of the song.
• A particular music genre may have their own music video style and iconography. e.g. Indie music often has a live performance of the song integrated into the video. Pop music however, often has dance routines, bright coloured settings, lip syncing and close ups of the main singer.
  
• There is a demand from the record companies for lots of close ups of the main artist, which acts as a marketing oppurtunity and also makes it known that the iconography created is associated with that specific artist.
  
• The artist may develop their own star iconography, in and out of their videos, which, over time becomes part of their star image. e.g Lady Gaga


• The reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of systems of looking.


• There are likely to be intertextuality references, either to other music videos or to films.

Analysis of music videos - considering the points in Goodwins theory

Florence and the Machine - 'Dog Days Are Over' (Female Indie music video)

• There was a relationship between the music and the action in the video.
  
• The music matched the tempo of the dancing.


• There were faster cuts between shots when the tempo of the song increased.


• Individuality of the artist and reference to the genre is portrayed with strange make up, clothes, choice of dancing and the choice of people featured in the video.
  
• Florence was lip syncing the whole way through the video.


• There was a use of inter-textuality as there are similarities between this video and a music video by Kate Bush.
  
• There were many close ups of the artist which quite clearly show the audience how individual she is as an artist and that she may want to be known like this to create a 'star image' for herself.

Rihanna - 'Please Don't Stop The Music' (Female Pop music video)

• Bits of lip syncing.
  
• There was dancing that was unchoreographed, it simply connected with the title of the song 'Please Don't Stop The Music'


• Close ups of the artist used to show the audience the well known face of Rihanna which creates instant brand recognition.


• Music matched the shots e.g clapping with the rhythm of the music, which connects the all the elements of the video together.


• Voyeurism was used through the mirrors in the bathroom scene.
  

Target Audiences

Cheryl Cole, promoting 'Messy Little Raindrops'

• Cheryl Cole is becoming increasingly known worldwide, with many connections already within European countries as a result of her success with Girlband 'Girls Aloud'. When promoting her solo album, Cheryl flew to various European countries. Her visits include her talking to press, meeting fans and appearing on radio shows. She said 'If I didn't bother to promote my first single, nobody would want to buy the album'
  
• TV advertising is another way in which Cheryl Coles album has been promoted. Short advertiPosements showing when the album was released and some of the songs featured on it are a good method of promotion as people can get to see what the album actually looks like. This makes for easy recognition when trying to purchase the album in shops or online.
  
• Polydor launched a digital campaign to promote Cheryls album that connects facebook with outdoor advertising. Billboard posters that are promoting her album have additionally been branded with a facebook link on them. This directs people to a facebook page dedicated to the album. When people go to this page a link appears on their homepage and this lets friends of the person see the album promotion as well. This is a very effective way of using modern technology to advertise and promote the release. It also targets more people as there are such a vast number of people using the social networking site.

• Cheryl Cole is a pop artist and her music generally appeals to young women. The use of technology and meeting of her adoring fans is an effective way of targeting such market. Young people are more likely to use the internet to see any advertising campaigns, so basing the large majority of her advertising online is a great way to attract this audience and convince them to purchase her album.