Self Assessment 9/10/2012

I'm at a mid/high level 2 right now. I don't have everything needed on my blog or on the group blog, but what I do have is of a decent standard.

I think I'm at a C2 level right now.

Group blog: 6
Ind. blog: 7
Overall: 13

To improve, 
complete all pieces of work in more detail 
annotate each post
3 pieces of work 

Website Analysis - Young Guns

I've looked at the official website for Young Guns, a rock band from Buckinghamshire and London. Their website is actually a tumblr blog, which helps them be closer to their fans and their target audience - as the vast majority of tumblr users are young adults and use social networks frequently.

The artwork on the website is fairly simple - with a minimalistic title and font, also showing the band's logo and a digitally enhanced image of a woman. The colours they've used are simple too, just white and purple in varying shades. The image and the colours give a sense of mystical feeling to the band and perhaps suggests the band are mysterious and other worldly, giving the audience a sense of hyper-reality and magic which many people like to buy into.

There are direct links to the band Youtube page as well as their Facebook and Twitter, making it easy for fans to listen to the music and well as encouraging them to interact and market the band through their own accounts on such websites. The homepage layout is simple and this makes it easy for people to find their way around the page and also discover what the band has to offer, such as the merch. The merch link leads off to another separate page which again, is pretty minimalistic - a plain white background  but with a coloured logo. Although the the colours are different, the style stays the same throughout.  

Digi Pack Analysis/ Influence

Three Initial Ideas

Image Moodboard

After researching the soft rock/pop genre, I created this moodboard to help me think about how the genre is sold currently and what other bands that are out there at the moment in the same sort of game.

Music Video Analysis

Kids In Glass Houses - Give Me What I Want - music video analysis prezi

Elliot Minor - Time After Time - music video analysis prezi

Early Analysis

Conceptual Video Passion Pit - Take A Walk

The video has a simple premise and is conceptual. The metaphorical ball bounces in time with the beat to signify the start of the video and continues throughout. There's a definite relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, obviously with the ball taking a journey, or a walk, metaphorically connecting the feelings evoked in the lyrics. "I remind myself that times could be much worse" when this line is sung, dark clouds appear with a plane flying through. This could symbolize the 'every cloud has a silver lining' ideology. 

Narrative Video 30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill

This video is a mixture of narrative and performance. It uses intertextuality, obviously taken inspiration for the story line from The Shining. Although not set in the stereotypical rock music venue, the performance scenes take place on a stage with an active audience. There's a connection between the lyrics and the entire story really, with Jared saying at the beginning "(A time to) get lost" and slowly the character falls apart throughout the video. It could be argued that the video and narrative is a way to find oneself, an example of this being "I tried to be someone else But nothing seemed to change I know now, this is who I really am inside. Finally found myself Fighting for a chance. I know now, this is who I really am." As a two shot of the same character is portrayed. There are frequent close ups to show the lead characters/band members and their feelings as well as important objects in the story, such as the letter saying 'stay out of room 6277' and also the key in the door with the same number on. The track stops when the story restarts, it doesn't play over it, to show the importance of the video - it needs the audience's full attention otherwise it would not create the same tense atmosphere that it does. 

Performance Video We Are The Ocean - All Of This Has To End

There are frequent close ups on the the members of the band as well as the instruments to showcase the importance of the music rather than the image. The overlapping of the lights could symbolize the bright lights of fame and how  the band are not there yet, or a pessimistic view of their current status all of this has to end, but it is more likely just a way to light the warehouse set. The video is simple, although there is no clever plot line, it it more a visual statement of the band and their talent. The shattering effect overlaying the video at certain points does work well and correspond with the lyrics - the effect is used most when Dan screams to show the raw power and emotion he is trying to convey.