3: Mindmaps of Initial Idea's

Mindmap of Initial Ideas (Music Video)

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2.2: Research into existing CD promotionals

Taylor Swift - Bad Blood

The album Bad Blood was released the 17th of May 2015, to the public. The song 'Bad Blood' features a music video in the style of an action movie which took the world by storm and became viral. The song is about a friend that betrayed Taylor which inspired her to write the song. Many celebrities star in this music video, such as Cara Delevigne, Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding which may be the reason for the successful sales. 

The promotional posters seen on billboards,magazines and online articles also became a hit with the fans as each poster features either one of the celebrities starred in the music video. In this analysis of existing CD promotionals, I will be using the poster with the main artist Taylor Swift. 

The poster uses a black background which depicts mystery and an the topic of death or villians within the album. The theme of death is also shown through the blood splatters that have been included in the corners of the poster to add style and also suggests what the album might be about. 

The poster is presented like a movie poster, which creates synergy between the music video and the promotions. In the two top corners of the poster, the text in white bold capitals made to stand out against the background which reads "directed by" and "produced by". This is rarely used to promote music videos but since this album is obscure compared to the rest she has released, this creates an impact on the fans and audiences since this is different to what they are used to. This makes people more interested in the album. 

In the central of the poster, which is in black and white with low key lighting, is Taylor Swift, creating the audiences focus on her. Compared to the rest of her albums which feature a blonde hair, red lipped innocent role model, this has been replaced by a mysterious, villain looking strong female which is almost unrecognisable as Taylor Swift. This artistic branding is different to previous albums which may indicate a change in Taylor's career path, becoming a different type of artist and person. The slick short hair covers her left eye, instead of her golden curly locks which she usually wears looks menacing. The make up she wears is no longer natural looking with red lips but more smokey eyed and dangerous looking, with a mixture of dark colours and defined cheeks. This changes her structure of her pure looking presentation, and shocks audeinces by this dramatic change taking place. The outfit she wears also would shock audiences as she wears a leather jacket. Taylor Swift has always been known for her floral print dresses and white colour scheme clothes to show off her innocent nature. The leather jacket represents danger and action which is also seen in the music video. 

The title is blood red, angled across Swifts torso. The font is extremely bold and has slices missing to make the poster look more professional and stylistic. The font is typically used on action movies which are typically bold, large and very stylistic. There is a quote from the song "band aids don't fix bullet holes".This too stands out with the white font and capitilisation. Again, this matches the movie type theme as many movie posters might feature movie quotes to interest their fans. 

The below text indicates a "world premier" which would only again feature on movie posters rather than music videos. The release date is featured next to this. This has been released in summer due to summer anthems become more successful due to more air time rather than around Christmas and other events which usually happen in winter. People are more likely to listen to music in the summer due to the better hotter weather so more people socialise. 

Billboard, the company brought by Prometheus Global Media issues advertisements and provides space for advertising. The other company seen is ABC (American Broadcasting Company), which is owned by Disney. This may suggest why celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Zendaya Coleman appear in the music video since they used to be sponsored by Disney. ABC also promotes certain media also. 

In the bottom left corner in small text is "TaylorSwiftInstagram" which is where her fans can follow her progress. This is a form of social networking synergy and suggests a long tail on the product to keep fans interested. 

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

The album 'Ultraviolence' is promoted on the poster as seen above. The album Ultraviolence was released June 13th, 2014. This again, is released in the summer time as the songs could be successful summer anthems. The album is of a psychedelic rock genre. This style of promotion is successful and appealing to audience due to many different elements. 

The background features a black and white scenic view of the ocean waves lapping against the shore. This could portray the dream pop genre that Lana sings in the style of, as the background is very aesthetic. The use of the waves can symbolise many things and is left to audience interpretation. Many people would say the ocean waves are calming and pleasant, whereas some would say the ocean is vast and dangerous. These interpretations could link with the songs within the album, as Lana's songs are very personal and are analysed in many different ways depending on the audiences relatable situations, opinions and thoughts. The edges have been feathered with a vignette filter, fading to black. This has been used to create a mysterious, depressing affect and might also suggest the albums overall mood and focus.

The title is used in the central top of the poster, in bold capital letters in a bleak blue and bright white font. The title is in the middle of the poster as this catches the audiences eye first as the poster follows the typical structure. The blue used is a dull colour, however when used on the black and white font, it stands out a lot more, making it appear brighter. This has been used to create an unusual colour contrast and would catch the audiences eyes more with this colour scheme. 

The CD album cover features on the left side of the poster, taking quite a portion of the space. This has been shown as the audience will remember the style of the album cover, and when released, they will automatically know which album and who's the albums is. Not much text has been used as this will deflect audiences attention. Pictures make more of an impact on consumers as the style of an album cover is more memorable than the name in most cases. The album cover chosen features Lana herself with the album name across the bottom of the CD cover. This is repeated in attempt for the audience to remember the name of the album but more so the link between the title and what the artist looks like. The poster matches the colour scheme of the CD album as this too is in black and white. 

To the side of th album cover, in quite small font is the track list. The colour scheme of the blue and white is seen here again. This poster may have included a track list so that the viewers can see not only what songs are on the album, but so the fans can look for their favourite songs as singles are released before albums, which might drive sales if they like what is on the album. 

This poster features online due to the two hyperlinks that are on the poster. The poster has been put online and made interactive to appeal to more viewers and increase sales as the viewers become immersed in the poster and can search for more information about the artist and pre-order the album. These links are again in blue and the other in yellow. The pre-order stands out more than the rest of the text as the company promotion the album want to drive sales and divert the audiences attention to making a purchase. The release date is also noticeable in white font, as this is the most important information, letting the audience know when they can buy the album. 

Finally, in the bottom right corner, there is the iTunes logo, 'Download on the app store'. As we live in an information age, this is very vague language but however, many people would understand where to buy it from. The apple logo is also on this, showing that the album is featured on Apple iPhones and iPods. Judging by the style and refernces to the App Store, I think this poster might be published on the homepage of iTunes in order to make sales increase. The poster also doesn't state where you can purchase the hard copy of the album but again, the target audience for this artist would possibly be ages 18-29 due to the genre, content and topics explored in Lana's songs. 

2.2: Research into existing artefacts

Task 2.2: Research into existing artifacts from cara633

Task 2.1: Selected Music Video Analysis: Taylor Swift - Style

Taylor Swift - Style
Music Video Analysis

Taylor Swift, a famous American Pop Funk singer released the album "1989" (2014), with the third track called "Style". The song was written by the artist herself. She aimed to create an '80's style album, which claimed to be successful. The song managed to stay in the top 10 but only reaching #6 in the U.S. charts. The music video was directed by Kyle Newman who is known for his short movies and indie films. The music video was released 13th February 2015. The reason being for this to be the released date that it was very close to valentines day so hoped it would be more successful since the music video follows a couple that are in love with each aspect of each other. 

The music video opens with a close up of Taylor Swift's side profile against a white cloud wash background. She looks as though she isn't wearing any attire thus symbolising how love makes us vulnerable. She wears her signature red lipstick which her fans would recognise as her straight away. The editing here is a vignette filter, making the feathered edges darker. This creates a dream, memory type image, and is very stylistic to the music video. 

The first scene crossfades into a graphic score of a cave. The man in the middle is in -a long shot, and the viewers can see the sea in the background. The edges fade slowly to black, fading out to the next scene. This could symbolise how the artist is thinking about her partner and how he is always with her. The sound used here is ocean waves which sound very calming. This non-diegetic sound is used to create the scene and also is a way of connecting the couple even when not next to each other. 

The next shot is of the man shown previously in a close medium shot. The man is blurred out and edited to a silhouette in contrast to the oceanic view background. The sea may represent the distance between the couples and hints at the couple being away from each other. The shallow focus is set on the background as well, showing the man is focused on the distance between him and the artist. 

In this long shot, Swift wears a white long laced dress and bare feet. This could resemble how carefree and delicate love is with her partner. She walks through a thick forest which usually resembles mystery and horror. The contrast with the white dress and the dark forest may suggest how as long as she loves the partner she is with, she feels safe and comfortable no matter where she goes. The fog also resembles how you can get lost in love but it's okay as long as you know where you're heading. 

Again she is no attire showing vulnerability, however clever editing work has been used here. The forest has been cast onto her skin, like a projection. This could depict at how we're canvas' which our memories can paint on us. The music video has very meaningful undertones and hidden messages which can be analysed differently by each viewer. 

The shot here is from a tilt of the male actor in the music video. He is also wearing no attire which could also be trying to sell sexual references to the audience. Producers of music videos show off the subjects bodies as sexual appeal sells to mature audiences and interests them. The blue hue cast over the low light shot also makes the scene seem mysterious and alluring to the audiences. 

This shot above shows Swift in a close up on a low angle. This makes her look more superior which conflicts with the previous high angle shot of the male, presumed to be partner, which could indicate a power struggle in the relationship that they are both witnessing. The camera flare shows sunny weather, which indicates happiness and calm which refers to the bubbly mood of the music video. 

An over the shoulder shot of the male viewing the curtains in the bedroom shows a projection of a close up of Swifts face. This could resemble wherever the male is, he can't help but see his partner. The projection is used cleverly again to connote this meaning. The low key lighting makes the scene more mysterious and capitulising to the audience as well. 

The following sequence shows point of view filming from the partners perspective. This is just like in Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness where the couple share their memories with the audience. The colours here are a lot more vivid and bright. The point of view is set to shoot in a close up of Taylor's face, showing her radiant happiness when being with her loving partner. 

Following this, the line "could end in burning or paradise" goes with these two shots above. On the line Taylor Swift's face in a close up shot is projected onto a flame to represent the burning. Again her red lips are the key feature. The white around the flame represents paradise, as this looks like a dream motif. The following shot below is where she is asleep next to her lover, as she smiles at him. This also represents the paradise of love as well as the pain that comes with it. 

A change of mood and atmosphere happens after the previous shots. The white fades to black creating a mysterious, hard shouldered attitude of Taylor. The pose she is performing comes across as alluring and sexual due to the references in other media aspects; head tilted over shoulder looking at viewer. This could portray Taylor's innocent cliche the media have given her to now an empowering, cryptic attitude.

Following this, an over the shoulder shot shows Taylor in lingerie, in the same seductive pose. This maybe has been used to immerse a male audience, which isn't typically the popular audience for Taylor Swift but by referring to the 'sex sells' motto of media, could reflect a wider audience. 

A series of abstract mirror shots show the relationship falling apart, using the mirror as a theme throughout the music video. The cracks resemble the couple breaking up, and by using themselves in the broken reflections display disfigurement which could indicate the relationship may have changed them and the way they used to look at themselves as a couple. By using a two shot in the final screenshot, this clarifies this idea further. 

Another mirror affect has been used here, showing the partners features reflecting onto the opposite, which might indicate the possessive nature over each other. They use the same pose to also display how they were once very alike and the contrast of them on each others faces resembles how they have became very different. 

The shot displayed above shows smoke filling Swift's profile. This could suggest that love has clouded her mind and opinions and she is now trapped in a love that is dangerous and disorientating. 

The driving sequence is also more relatable to the plot than first noted. The shallow focus on the male shows he is wrapped in his own thoughts at this point, and the side profile also indicates he is focused. The blue hue again adds mystery and hostility to the shot. The second shot shows an over the shoulder shot focusing on Taylor's reflection in the mirror. This could further associate with how the male isn't focusing on the dangers of driving but more focused on losing his relationship he has with her. Another aspect of this shot is that whenever Taylor is featured in a side profile, there is abstract elements with stylistic features being edited to make the shots aesthetic. Here, the shots are raw and realistic, showing how the couple may have fell apart over how they view themselves idealistically and realistically. 

During the song, the couple admit they have had affairs with "you've been out and about with some other girl". This is scripted in time with the couple holding each other close in low light with a blue hue coming from the left, hinting at sexual references throughout. This symbolises that the couples relationship turns unhealthy as they aren't faithful but can't stay away from each other. Quickly the plot changes from a story about romance to a story thick with lust. Again, the medium of 'sex sells' re-approaches in this section. 

Pathetic fallacy plays a part in the music video also, showing the lightning and the rain cast over Taylor again in a projection. This could symbolise the heartbreak she is experiencing with the failing relationship. The difference here is that the guy is always shown in realistic light, displaying the difference again between the two characters. 

At the end of the music video, a lot in relation to the Lana Del Rey music video and the Paparazzi (Lady Gaga) video, she holds her arms out to the side like a sacrificial symbol. This is seen a lot in music videos and films as it represents the character giving up for their own greater good. 

Concluding this music video, I feel the abstract sections reflected well with the realistic sections creating a balance between them both for good analytical points and the audiences own interpretations. 

Task 2.1: Selected Music Video Analysis: Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
Music Video Analysis




This music video features 3 aspects of music video, abstract, narrative and performance. American artist, Lana Del Rey, recorded this song for her album 'Born to Die', released June 2012. The song charted top ten in over 5 countries and number one in 2 countries, Ukraine and Poland. Many remixes have been made from this track also reaching number one in many countries, originally being a trip hop genre. 

The music video features a lesbian couple resulting in them both jumping to their deaths in suicide, from a height. The video circulated through YouTube and went viral through the likes of Facebook and Twitter. 

The music video is controversial in the sense of displaying a same sex couple experiencing a break up. This would muster a reaction from the audiences, and since the artist is known for shocking controversial statements, this made the video a lot more viral and successful in that sense. This music video has featured on MTV, television and as mentioned prior, YouTube and social medias. This music video is a mixture of abstract, performance and narrative to capture more of an audience.

In the opening scene, editing is used really well here. Many music videos which have abstract underlining use the weather to display emotion. 

This timelapse of the clouds drifting symbolises bad things are about to happen through the feature of pathetic fallacy. A sepia filter has been added to this as well, to make the music video seem more retro, a motif of Lana Del Rey's music videos, to reach out to a more indie based fan group, stereotypically. The hairline on the left shows an old film that has been damaged. Again, the nostalgia theme is a strong undertone through Del Rey's works, yet also adds to the storyline that memories have been damaged permanently. 

This shot brands the artist, showing Lana Del Reys long waved hair and red lips. Editing is also used heavily here, adding a red burnt filter, giving the effect of being retrospective and that the film is damaged, again showing the storyline of looking back on old memories. When the first few moments of the music video features the artist, without a title and showing signature features, we know who sings the song. 

The pan used here is from a point of view perspective. The mise-en-scene here is used to again, brand the artist as many of Lana Del Rey's use landscapes to portray emotion, in this case, danger clashing with serenity. 

This is a very aesthetic scene to use within the video. The nature surrounding Lana Del Rey in a long shot usually symbolises peace and serenity but here, we see her fall from a height, giving contrasting connotations. The pose she holds is a religious pose, like those seen when Jesus is hung on a cross as a sacrifice. We can connect the two, seeing that Lana Del Rey is sacrificing her life from something which isn't apparent to the audience as of yet. She is also dressed all in white, showing purity, which also connects with the religious imagery she shows.

A transition between these shots display a simple yet effective opaque corss fade from a medium shot to a close up of the artists face. The lens flare still features throughout. This is a cross over of a narrative and performance aspect of the music video as she sings as in soliloquy but however adds to the story lines depth. 

A young female is introduced into the plot in a close up of her, driving an obvious fake car with a moving backdrop or green screen. The film has a sepia filter and a saturated wash of colour to make the scene look like a memory. The female wears make up and a saddened expression which can maybe mean she is upset or angry with the artist. As the artist sings about a romantic break up, this could be her girlfriend in the narrative. 

The medium close up of Del Rey is used, showing her looking into the distance and the use of a projector displays a moving image across her face and on the wall behind her. This could analyse as she feels detached from her memories, and she is reflecting on them by watching them. In a way she is involved in the memories but casts a guilty shadow on them, maybe portraying the artists guilt or sadness in losing the lover.

This extreme close up of her hand on her thigh suggests intimacy however she claws at her skin further suggesting that she is stressed or depressed at the narrative situation. To further back this up, the is shown as she sings "nothing scares me anymore", displaying that her fear has been diminished and she feels numb to pain but there is a longing to feel something as she inflicts pain on her thigh by clawing at her skin. This also implies as this is an intimate area that she is hinting at being depressed by a partner which would link with the scenario of her breaking up with her girlfriend. 

This shot is again a close up of the artist. So many close ups are used perhaps to show more of the artists emotions throughout the distressing narrative or also might analyse as the artist being trapped in her own mind and the disorientation she feels by feelings so upset due to the heartbreak. The silhouette used here displays how the artist is drained of colour and feels not completely in control of the situation. The low key lighting here is key, as the light radiating from behind her might signify her past was a lot brighter when her relationship was perfect with her girlfriend and now she is left reminiscing in the dark, alone. A feathered edge is used here, making the edged of the picture appear darker. This is done to add more affect of the artist being trapped in the situation. 

The slow motion medium shot has been edited here to add stylistic elements and a way of showing the artists beauty. On the other hand, this could of been used to show the artists disorientation in depression of losing someone you love. The mist machine has been used to show how the artist is lost, and isolated from everyone. The mist also adds to aesthetics as the whole scene looks very visually pleasing which Del Rey is known for in her music videos. 

The point of view shot used here shows the artists girlfriend spinning as if holding her. The transitions fade from white and back to white when this scene finishes. This is a convention of showing the audience a dream sequence or a memory sequence; in this case a memory sequence she had with her girlfriend. 

In this close up, there is no red lens flare in the top left corner. This might signify the artist is displaying that this memory isn't a painful one she wishes to fade like the rest but seeing her girlfriend smile takes away the pain. The sepia filter is used again to show this is a memory of the artists. 

Time lapses are a type of editing which adds stylistic elements to music videos. In this case the camera is at a regular focal length and at a low angle up at the trees. This might connote as time passing quickly as trees in music videos symbolise time passing as seasons do. 

The shallow focus here blurs the girlfriend of the close up shot and focuses more on the main artist. The artist wears an appreciative expression as she looks in awe at her partner. This may connote as seeing the couple in love and being besotted with each other in order to gain audience sympathy for the artist as they breakup which makes a relatable music video for audiences to become attached to. 

The two shot here shows them both in a medium shot. The space between them shows the tension in their relationship. Their expressions are recognisable in this type of shot so the audience can relate to how their feeling in this situation. 

Following on from the previous clip, the music video incorporates a montage of memories that the artist had with their girlfriend. These are shown between the girlfriend going to jump of the bridge shown here;

These are edited in a saturated colour. This is to show the mood and genre of the song, being depressing and sad, meaning their lives have no colour without each other. The background blur on the last shot indicates how the girlfriend don't feel attached to the world anymore without her partner, and is left reflecting her own thoughts. 

In the medium close up of her jumping from the bridge, this is done in slow motion for dramatic affect. The woman jumps out of shot, leaving the ending to the audiences imagination. 

The graphic score used here represents the death of the girlfriend. As she jumps in a red dress, the scene cuts to a red vase plummeting to the ground and smashing. This symbolises the death of the girl without showing anything too much for the audience. This is an artistic way to show something that is offhand without causing travesty. 

Nearing the end of the music video, there is another fast paced montage switching between recorded memory clips and the girlfriend in the mist. This continues until the end of the song which reveals the final clip of Del Rey walking towards the camera from an extreme long shot to a long shot. 

The use of a blurred camera and the costume work nicely in collaboration here as the blur gives a white glow from the costume. This could signify being that she is a ghost as she jumped from the cliff. The camera is at a low angle, looking up at Lana, which might also signify that the power of love in a relationship is superior. The music video cuts to black very quickly and ends there, leaving the audience feeling numb and depressed from the plot of the music video. 

Due to the sexuality of the music video, this battles media stereotypes of romantic couples, meaning the music video will challenge controversial topics such as gay marriage and relationships. An artist embarks doing so to create an audience reaction making the music video more popular and topic of conversation.