Assignment 2 - Analysis

Indie rock music videos tend to be very dark and gloomy, and ’Dark Necessities’ is no exception, with the overall tone of the video dark and low key which helps signify it’s genre. Following genre conventions, the video is very performance based with the only narrative being a few shots of a girl skateboarding. Indie rock music videos are usually narrative based, with the video matching the story being told in the lyrics. This video doesn't follow that convention, by focusing on the performance of the song the band members instead.

Indie rock music videos usually show the band members having piercings, tattoos and wearing dark clothes however, in this video the members of the band are seen topless, which again goes against the conventions of this genre. Indie music is far less flashy than either rock or pop music, being generally more low key and relaxed and with more of an emphasis on the actual music and lyrics. 

Target Audience:

In my opinion the target audience for this music video are around 16-30. The reason it's not below 16 is because during the video you can see underage women trying to purchase alcohol which wouldn't be a good message to young adults. The reason I   don’t believe it is over 30 is as some older adults would think the behavior in the video is quite childish and unrealistic and would not relate to their actions. In terms of gender, this video is particularly interesting. The indie rock genre is not specifically tailored to one gender, but the high tempo and hard rock in this particular song suggests that it would usually appeal to the male demographic. However, the music video subverts gender stereotypes, by featuring women taking part in typically ‘boyish’ activities such as drinking and skateboarding. This portrayal of women shows them as powerful and independent, which may help attract more of them into watching the video and listening to the music.

Camera:

Close-up and extreme close-up shots are used on the various band members to emphasize their musical talents. These extreme close-up shots are also used to represent the performer's emotions and to highlight how the song lyrics affect them. Wide shots are used often to represent the band as a whole, and to show off their performance as a group. Most of the video appears to be shot in hand held as well, which makes all the shots used feel more energetic.

Editing:

The editing for a typical music video is to have the shots very fast paced at the chorus, however when it gets to the verses it seems to slow down slightly to allow the audience to listen to the music. An editing style such as match-on-action is not followed in this video, as shots have no continuity between them. Instead, shots are placed next to one another at random, which happens in most music videos in this genre.

Mise En Scene:

The settings used (such as a standard house and a dark street) are simple and relatable to the viewer. The colour palette used throughout is dull and reduced, and focuses on dark colours like grey and black. Lighting is also a significant contributor in creating the dark and muted vibe of the indie genre. Throughout the entirety of this video, a soft and subdued lighting is used that only highlights significant subjects and events. For example, the lead singer in the image to the left is lit by a single light source. This leaves the rest of his environment in darkness, and helps emphasize the grimy atmosphere. The costume presented through indie music videos and album covers is quite relaxed, casual and often tends to be of dark colours. For example, black skinny jeans, hats and black suits. ‘Dark Necessities’ is no exception, with the lead singer wearing denim jeans, and other members of the band wearing simple clothes and colours. 

Album Cover:

The setting appears to take place on a street in an unknown location, with the graffiti and dirty sidewalk suggesting that it is an uncivilized and dangerous area. The unsafe nature of the location makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards the girl and worried about her safety. However, this is contrasted by the high-key lighting used, which suggests that this situation is taking place in broad daylight and is completely normal.
There is synergy between the album cover and the music video. We know this because during the music video their are lots of weird and 'animal like' activities from the members of the band, and whoever has designed the album cover has purposely portrayed the band members as animals to represent how they act in the video. There is also potential synergy in the message between the album cover and the music video. The feminist message present from the music video carries over to here, where a little girl can be seen in masculine colours walking in confidence in a threatening situation. This is another example of the band subverting the female stereotype, and an instance where synergy is used effectively.

Terminology
Media production
Representation

Assignment 1 - Print advert

Who is my target audience?

The target audience for my print advert is young aspiring sportsmen and women. This is because on my print advert there is a young girl who is posing in a swimming pool looking ready to win and race. This should make people want to get into the pool or whatever other peoples sports are and work harder towards their goal. Even though my print advert is a photo of a young sportswomen, that doesn't mean that my product is limited to young sportswomen.

Mise en scene?

The props in my advert are ; the little girl wearing goggles which is the only prop in my print advert. The actors/actresses in my print advert is only the little girl. The lighting in my print advert is very slight because the photo was taken just as the sun was setting. All the light in the photo is natural light furthermore, no flash was used in the photo. The only costume in my print advert is the little girl and she is wearing a swimming costume furthermore, to show that she is ready for a competition or a race. The font in my print advert is the word 'SPLASH' which is in the font 'Waves'. The reasons behind me using this font is because the font has a very wavy look to it. The word wavy makes you think of water therefore my print advert being about an young girl getting mentally ready for a race.

Conventions of print adverts

At the audience's first observation of this advertisement, they are made aware of who the central subjects are due to bright lighting being shined to the centre. They are aware of the other characters, although their vision is focused on the centre until they read the logo, the title and the scheduling information. The text on these print adverts is kept at a bare minimum in order to stop the text from distracting the audience from the main image, also a lot of text on a poster would mean that the audience would have to spend a lot of time reading it and not only will some people not have time to do this, but some people will find this very off putting and ignore the advertisement completely. The text on the three posters above only includes the important and vital information that the audience need for two reasons, one so that it doesn't distract from the main image, and two, because people find a lot of text off putting and won't bother to read it all and may ignore the advertisement completely.

Assignment 1 - Analysis

The costume in the image is a dark black leather jacket and a navy blue undershirt. Kit is also wearing jeans and black boots, this connotes a man of power and wealth. The muted and dark tones also create a more serious vibe throughout the image. The setting is outside, with the high-key lighting coming from the right creating silver reflections, similar to the colour of the fragrance bottle. In addition this directs our focus straight to Kit and the model. The type of shot is a mid-shot and has a very hard focus on Kit and the models lower half. This establishes that Kit is the more dominant figure in the photo. Kit Harrington is represented as a stereotypical male; powerful, dominant, compelling, prosperous and independent, all qualities that the brand’s target audience would aspire to have. The props in the image are a ring on the models finger which again connotes wealth. The NVC is more laid back and chilled out which connotes that he doesn't have many problems in life.

The word 'man' represents that the target audience for the Jimmy Choo fragrance is for males of the age of 25-35. This connotes that men of that age can still have a certain style to the way that they dress and smell.

The fact that Kit Harington has a female next to him represents that he is has elegance and sophistication - it connotes that he is attractive to the opposite sex. Furthermore, the female is wearing a jacket with nothing underneath which is not only sexy and alluring, but also connotes power and high self esteem. The female model is also wearing a ring which again shows wellbeing and a wealth. The phrase at the bottom of the advert is “Kit Harington for the first men's fragrance.” The reason behind this is to highlight and  show off the fact that a famous actor endorses their product. This is emphasized by the bold font used and the colour choice which contrasts the dark background. Celebrity endorsement is also in the photo, in order to attract those who may not know the fragrance but know the celebrity. This therefore potentially persuades audiences to be interested in purchasing that fragrance. The font which says 'JIMMY CHOO MAN' is not in bold it is quite a skinny font and not as serious and is more calm and composed text. 

In conclusion the photographer is trying to capture a photo that includes a celebrity but however is represented with elegance and relaxation to represent the fragrance as a subtle but great fragrance. It represents class while still appealing to the everyday man.

Chanel have chosen Keira Knightley to represent their product because they may have felt that it would have influenced their customers as she was an attractive woman who is also  a successful actor. I also think that Chanel have also thought about how to create synergy between the print advert and the TV advert as they have taken aspects of the TV advert and put it in the print advert. For example the clothing that she wears in the TV advert she also wears in the print advert. The first thing someone notices when they look at this print advert is the actress (Keira Knightly.) Keira has starred in many films such as ‘Bend it like Beckham’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ which were both popular films. This would be an advantage for the perfume company as it would make their perfume more appealing to audiences who enjoy her films and want to be like her.

Many things from this Print advert can be identified as typical elements of a perfume advert. For example the actress (Keira Knightly) in the print advert is shown as a very attractive woman that is almost undressed. This can appeal to several key audiences, including the sophisticated woman, as they may feel that if they have this product then they will look and feel like the model. The advert may also appeal to men, not only in a sexual way, but also to those who want to buy a product like this for their partners. The layout of this print advert is also typical of a perfume advert as the brand name is in block letters (much like the Dior logo, another big perfume brand.) Another typical element for the layout is that the perfume is shown clearly and is of a big brand name that they would think of it as high quality. When someone looks at this advert, they may believe that if they have it then they will feel luxurious and of a higher class.

Looking at this print advert, the model is represented as an attractive and alluring figure. She is also beautiful and thin, with the advert suggesting that this is what women should aspire to look and be like. In some ways this is a negative representation, as some people looking at this would feel that they would have to look thin and glamorous like her to be beautiful. It is also easy to identify that the picture has been air-brushed as the as her skin complexion and other features are perfect with no blemishes, a feature common amongst most print adverts.

Terminology
Media language
Audience