A detailed blog Lizzie and you are reflecting on your decisions. Make sure you are considering your ideas and thinking about how you would critically deconstruct your texts.

Script with timeline

Script EVE – It Kills Me 3:40

11 secs. Worth of shots of artist before the first verse

Verse 1

9 sec. girl in studio

_I can tell the way you look into her eyes

_The way you see the night and I try not to cry (I try not to)

3 sec close up
_It’s not so easy seeing things up in my face

5 sec. studio shot again
_I see it nearly everyday and I don’t wanna stay (I don’t want to)

4 sec.
_Things aren’t how they used to be

6 sec.
_Connection with you ain’t there baby

_And I can’t change the plan

9 sec. close up
_I’m strong enough to understand

_You’re my one and only man

7 sec. studio – extreme close up attitude shots
_But I can’t see a happy place

_No noooo no


Chorus


6 sec. studio shot
_Things have changed dramatically

_I’m just trying hard to see

9 sec. attitude shot against wall
_The way you dropped me off and picked her up

_Boy it kills me


10 sec. close up of girl in studio
_You used to be so close to me

_I thought we’d have a family

6 sec. studio shot
_But you switched roles and turned the key

_Boy it kills me

Verse 2

5 sec.
_I can see the way you’re trying to be all smooth

7 sec.
_Trying to play me for a fool

_Thinking she’s a jewel (I ain’t no fool)

4 sec. attitude shot
_Baby I got news for you

4 sec. artist standing up against green screen in studio
_The only Jew that’s pulled you through

4 sec. studio shot
_Is standing directly in front of you (in front of you)

10 sec.
_Don’t you realise what you have

_You know she’s always got your back

_She lives her life for you

_Don’t you know

2 sec. girl in studio shot
_So tell me what it is you like

6 sec.
_You see the darkness in her eyes

_The way she smiles, the way she cries



10 sec. studio shot

_Things have changed dramatically

_I’m just trying hard to see

6 sec.
_The way you dropped me off and picked her up

_Boy it kills me

10 sec. studio shot
_You used to be so close to me

_I thought we’d have a family

_But you switched roles and turned the key

_Boy it kills me


5 sec. studio
_Ooooo you know it kills me

_You can feel it burning me

9 sec. standing up against the wall
_You can see the tears run down my face into a waterfall

_You make me go crazy

_But I can see what’s going on and I don’t know if I can stay or should I go

5 sec. studio artist talking to camera
_Oh noooooooo

_Oh nooooooooo
_Noooo no nooooo no

Nooo no noooooooooooooo!


7 sec. studio shot
_Things have changed dramatically

_I’m just trying hard to see

4 sec.
_The way you dropped me off and picked her up

_Boy it kills me (Boy you’re killing me)

8 sec. studio shot
_You used to be so close to me (yeah yeah)

_I thought we’d have a family

_But you switched roles and turned the key

_Boy it kills me


7 sec. studio shot
_Things have changed dramatically

_I’m just trying hard to see

4 sec. artist crouched down and talking to the camera
_The way you dropped me off and picked her up

_Boy it kills me

13 sec. dancing then with fade out
_You used to be so close to me

_I thought we’d have a family

_But you switched roles and turned the key

_Boy it kills me

_Ooooo

Mock Ups

Mock up Front Cover 1



This is my first idea for my CD cover. I think it looks quite good, but I'm not really sure it relfects my genre choice. I really like the image of the artist. I feel that it's a very strong image and it conveys how the artist feels. The album title is also 'Fool For You', so the fact that she's looking away may connote how ashmaed she may feel and how much of a fool she thinks she may have been. The image is also postioned in the centre of the frame, connoting her importance. The name of the album and the artist's name is in black therefore it stands out and is bold on the page. I like her costume in this image too, as the top connotes glamour, but the jacket connotes atttitude.



Mock up Back Cover 1



This is an idea I have for the back cover, however I'm not sure whether I like it as much as the back cover below. I really don't think the colour scheme works, especially for R&B Pop, but I could challenge convention. I really love the image I have used for the back cover, as it shows the artist bowing her head down which connotes how ashmaed she could feel and embarrased that she believed her ex-boyfriend loved her. I like her costume in this one as the top connotes glamour, but the jacket conntes attitude. Especially, when her posture is her having ehr hands on her hips, which also connotes attitude.



Mock up Front Cover 2



Again, for this cover I chose a top for the artist which connotes glamour, and this time she's wearing it without the jacket. She is positioned in the center of the frame, which connotes her status and how much power she may have. Her posture of ehr having her hands on her hips, again connotes attitude, and that she won't take any nonsense. The artist's name EVE is behind her at the top of the CD cover in big, bright, bold, yellow letter, which makes it stand out and is therefore eye cataching for the audience. However, what I don't like si the fact that the album title is so small and in the bottom right hand corner. It doesn't stand out as much and may not be so clear to the audience.



Mock up Back Cover 2



This is another idea I have for the back cover, and I actually prefer this back cover to the other one, as I feel that it reflects my choice of genre. Laos, the colour scheme is black, which again reflects the genre I have chose. However, the black could connote how the artist has a bit of an edge about her. The image also, reflects the album title as she's bowing her head, maybe in disgrace or disgust at herself, for being a fool and believing that her ex-boyfriend loved her, when he cheated on her. The bakc cover contains a barcode, the record label's logo and the copyrights, which is crucial for a back cover.



Mock up Promotional Tour Poster



I do actually really like this concert poster as it oozes R&B Pop, becuase of the colour scheme of black and yellow. The yellow makes it stand out, especially the yellow lines around the artist, and this is crucial as the poster will be something people will walk past, and the aim is to reach out to the target demographic. The tour poster is a promotional tour poster, so it contains the place and the year, to create suspense for the audience. It also contains a website for the audience to go on, which again is crucial as the audience will want to find out more about the artist and the concert.

Artist Profile - Myspace

To the right is a picture of my artist's profile. This includes a brief biography of the artist and a picture too. It will also contain the record label, the manager, the artist name and any copyright. I chose to use Myspace for my artist's profile as it is a website which is used by millions of people and where artists are able to be notcied by fans and their music can be listened too. It's one of the easiest and fastest ways to distribute new artists and to get them on the "map".

A2 Media Studies Advanced Portfolio Pitch

For my pitch I have the follwing powerpoint presentation and I had a board of ideas including a sample storyboard, a mock up of a concert poster and a mock up of a CD cover back and front.

A2 Media Studies Advanced Production Portfolio - Summary

A2 Media Studies Advanced Production – Lizzie Maddocks
Summary of My Findings

• Form
- Music Videos – Music videos are used as a marketing device used to promote the sales of music records. Great videos tend to increase a song’s sales, because viewers hope to see the music promo video again on the music channels. If they don’t see it quite often, it gets brought as a download before it goes on actual release.
- CD Covers – CD covers advertise the main contents of the product i.e. the song. The picture on the cover is also a primary image for promotional reasons as it will be there to represent the whole album. It will be extremely identifiable for the fans and the audience. It can also be seen as the copyright for that album too. A slim line jewel case tends to be used for packaging the CD.
- Concert Posters – These are again another type of marketing device, but this time for promoting a tour of the album. They advertise the event have clear information of when, where and what time it will be on. These concert posters can eventually become collector’s items, especially for certain big name artists such as Michael Jackson. Concert posters are a cheapish way to advertise the event as advertisements on the TV can be quite expensive. But concert posters can be shown anywhere.

• Codes and Conventions
Symbolic

- Stock Settings – After research many R&B Pop music videos, the main locations used were primarily studios with a green screen in the background, which enables the director to create certain effects. But also, locations such as the beach (Ashanti – ‘Rock Wit You’) or a New York street (Chris Brown – ‘With You’) or even iconic locations people can relate to are used. However, studio settings are mainly used as it is spacious for the dance routines and you can create your own effects. Also, for the CD cover and the concert poster, I will take the photos in the studio as with the green screen I can create any type of background.
- Stock Characters – The characters that tend to be in R&B Pop music videos, links into whether the song has a narrative. If the song is about empowerment of women and getting over an ex or a boyfriend has cheated etc, then there is obviously going to be the cheating boyfriend, the girl who is the artist and they may show the woman the guy has been cheating with. Also, people feel that only afro-American people represent the genre of R&B Pop, but that isn’t the case, for example, Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake. Both artists work within this genre and they have been just as successful as afro-American people, so in my music video I have a choice of who to cast.
- Narrative – For the narrative of the song, the narrative theory I would use would be Todorov’s theory of having equilibrium. This being maybe if the song is about an ex, you could have them seen together when they were happy, when the girl suspects her boyfriend is cheating, the girl then catches her boyfriend and cheating and in the end the girl is much happier without the boy, which links into the representation of gender, where women are shown to be empowered, whereas the guys tend to be shown as cheaters. However, Propp’s theory comes into context here, because the ex could be seen as being the villain and the girl’s best mate could be seen as the one who helps the heroin, so either narrative theory could be used.
- Iconography – The pictures on the concert poster and the CD cover will represent the genre and the artist. It will represent the artist and their picture will be shown on the front, however, it will represent the genre as it will have some characteristics of R&B such as the greyscale effect, which gives it a sleek look, which is associated with R&B Pop.
- Glamour and Style – Glamorous and stylish locations are used to convey certain glamour and help towards the narrative possibly. Huge well known locations can also be used, to help with the narrative of the song too, but it makes the video look a bit more spectacular. The genre sometimes can also be over-exaggerated with artists doing things out of the ordinary to create certain personas. Also you get old R&B artists returning with a more mature, update sexier image, such as Mariah Carey. They reinvent themselves.
- Dancing - Dancing is a main aspect for any R&B Pop music video, Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ video is an example of how dancing can be really effective, as she did a choreographed dance with two other dancers throughout the whole song in one cut and she got praised for that. It reflected how much of a star she is. Also, through the dancing the artist is able to show how creative they are to the audience, but their dancing could also reflect their idols. For example, Chris Brown. In his music videos he is always dancing, however, he dances like Michael Jackson and he was his idol. Another dancer is Usher, who always tends to have a break in his music videos to show a one minute part of him dancing.
- Costume – The outfits worn in R&B Pop music videos tend to be very fashionable and bang on trend. Normally in the videos the artists have at least three or four costume changes and many of them are very picky, most of them are also divas, artists like Rihanna and Beyonce are huge divas. The costumes are there however, to convey a certain image; it reflects their personalities and who they are. It’s their alter-egos. For upcoming artists the costume’s are used to get them on the map or noticed, such as revealing dresses. However, most of the time the outfits are worn to get them noticed e.g. Lady Gaga wears the most outrageous outfits, which makes her constantly, commented on.
- Framing – The artists is always the center of attention, therefore always being positioned in the middle of the frame, and dominating the video. Artists, especially the divas, love it when everything’s about them, when all the focus is to do with them.
- Props – Props such as mobile phones, laptops maybe and possibly a prop for the artist to dance with, e.g. Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ music video, she danced with an umbrella. These will be easily accessible.

Audio
- Non-diegetic Sound – The sound of R&B Pop has the soulfulness of R&B in it, but the fast pace of a Pop song. This type of genre is slowly rising and making a name for it, as it is also quite easy for DJ’s to remix the songs for clubs. They get promoted a lot more.
- Diegetic Sound – Diegetic sound such as a radio maybe at the beginning or hearing someone talk on the phone and seeing them, will be possibly in the music video.
Technical- Camera movements, shots and editing – The camera movements and shots tend to either reflect the narrative or the pace of the song. Pans tend to be used for fast paced songs, whereas tilts and still camera movements tend to be used for slower paced songs. Long camera shots are used to show the artists dancing, especially if it is choreographed and close ups are used to show the artists facial expressions, or certain parts of their body if they are promoting their sex appeal. For editing, jump cuts and continuous straight cuts are used in fast paced songs, to show the pace of the song, whereas they aren’t used so much in slower songs, as it may be a love song and it conveys the narrative.


• Clever ideas – Creating certain effects such as a greyscale effect, normally gives the videos or pictures a sleek look. This effect is sometimes associated with R&B. Special effects with the help of back lights and street lights connote the artists’ stardom, and give it a stylish and glamorous effect. Also clever editing and camera tricks help the videos become very iconic for example, Kanye West’s ‘All Falls Down’ video.

• Narrative theory/issues concerning representation
- R&B Pop songs tend to be slower if they have a narrative. For example, Beyonce’s ‘If I was a Boy’. The songs are almost always about love, so Todorov’s theory tends to be used in these videos as you see a couple together, then maybe the guy sleeps with someone else, the girl realises this etc. Concerning representation, R&B songs that are about getting back at an ex, tend to be songs sung by women artists and they represent the empowerment of women and how strong a woman can be. Therefore, the guy could be seen as the villain, because of how mean he has been to the girl. However, you could say that Propp’s narrative theory could also be used to show stock characters such as, the villain who is the ex, the girl who is the heroin and maybe the heroin’s helper who is the girl’s best friend. An example of an artist using this theory in the music video is Shaggy in his ‘It Wasn’t Me’ video.

• Target Audience- The primary target audience for R&B Pop music videos tends to be young adults, teenagers and people in their early twenties. But my target audience will mainly be 16-25 year olds. The reason for this being is because when you’re young you experience all these different emotions, you can experience love and the songs the artists bring out, are almost always about love. Therefore the teenagers and young adults can relate to their music making them the target audience for this genre. Afro-American people can also be the target audience for R&B music as it was a genre created by Afro-Americans and came from Rhythm and Blues. However, now it has become more contemporary, it appeals to everyone as the music is much more upbeat, and that is how R&B Pop got created as a sub-genre. Therefore, the two main demographics are age and ethnicity.


• Institutional Context- Record Label – ‘Def Jam Recordings’ is the record label I have chosen to represent my artist. It is a United States hip-hop record label which is owned my Universal Music Group, however they specialise in R&B Pop as well. The label represents huge artists such as Rihanna, Ne-yo and Amerie, who are big name R&B Pop artists. It was founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons in 1984. It has a distributing label Mercury Music Group (Def Jam UK) which is situated in the UK, so my artist is guaranteed huge promotion on their single and album, also on any concert tours too, they will have a successful team to help them. They are a huge record label and support my artist really well in starting up a great career.
- Music Channels – ‘4Music’ is one of the music channels that I wish for my artist’s song to be played on. It is a music channel in the Untied Kingdom owned by Box Television, a network by Channel4 and Bauer Group. The channel was formally ‘The Box’ but it was re-launched as 4Music on 3rd August 2008. The programmes shown on the channel are things like ‘Today’s 4Music Top 10’, ‘This weeks 4Music Top 20’ and ‘4Music Big Ones’. This one in particular plays pre-leased singles. Smash Hits music channel is another channel I would want my artist to be played on and this would be possible as it is owned by Box Television too. ‘Kiss’ again is a music TV channel which is owned by Box Television. They play mainstream Urban R&B, R&B Pop and Dance. It was launched in 1998 and is very successful music channel.

• What have you learnt and how will it aid your planning?
I have learnt quite a lot from researching R&B Pop music videos. I know much more now than I did at the start. I know in detail about my institutions and the ones I fell are best for promoting my artist. They are successful and steady, so they do not carry a risk. I know how to promote an artist and what needs to be put on the cross media products. There are little things that make a difference to the products in a big way and have a huge impact on the target audience. I know what needs to be done for the music videos and how to represent the artist and whether or not to have a narrative or a more upbeat video. I clearly know my target audience, which helps a lot of as I am a young adult myself I know what we like to see. I know I should be creative in my work to get the best possible result.


Video of Research Findings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Dn4bIslNo

Institutional Context

This is the powerpoint I created for my institutional research. It contains a few record labels that sign artists of my genre and a few music television channels that distrubte R&B Pop music videos. I weight up the pros and cons of them all and decide which one I feel is right for my artist.

Research - R&B Pop CD Covers

Beyonce – I am Sasha Fierce

Sasha Fierce is Beyonce Knowles alter-ego, who is strictly for the stage only.
This album promotes and formally introduces Sasha Fierce, Beyonce’s alter-ego.

The picture is coloured in grey scale, possibly to connote that this is the real woman behind the music and the songs. However, it could also suggest that this is how fans should see Sasha, as a completely different person to Beyonce.


The greyscale colouring is generally used in R&B videos and is normally associated with this type of music. Therefore allowing the audience to realise what type of genre the music may be, before even listening to it.

Her movement and gesture of her scraping her hair back and she’s wearing no make-up, could connote that she is now revealing herself as a new woman or as her alter ego Sasha and that she may have been hiding behind the appearance of Beyonce. She is also giving us the impression she is naked too, which could connote her revealing her true identity as well.

The style of writing for the title and ‘Beyonce’ is pretty simple with the greyscale colouring; however there are some light parts on it possibly connoting the stardom she has gained and how famous she is. The shiny parts of the words itself connotes glamour.

The camera shot used is a close up shot, which could connote how the audience will get up close and personal with Sasha Fierce in the album. It shows she is not afraid to reveal herself. The position in the frame of her is that she’s central to the picture. She takes up the whole frame connoting her importance.

For the back cover of the album, Beyonce is in a very sexy pose showing that she is flexible, and quite a strong independent woman, linking to her alter-ego of Sasha Fierce. She is positioned in the middle of frame which connotes her high status and that all of the attention should be on her. The back cover is also greyscale the same as the front and it has the song titles and has a barcode and the copyrights including the record label.







Cassie – Cassie

This is the debut self titled album by R&B pop singer Cassie, which was released in 2006 by Bad Boy records.

The costume of Cassie isn’t really shown much in the album cover, however, you can see she is a beautiful woman and they wanted to give the album an identity.

Her gesture with her arms folded and her head resting on top connotes a certain attitude, like I’m not bothered kind of attitude. She also looks very serious because of her facial expression.

She is positioned in the middle of the frame, therefore dominating the whole cover, which again is another connotation of R&B pop singers. They like to be the center of attention.

Her name in the top right corner is in a gold colour, which makes it stand out and shows a glamorous side to it all.

For the back cover, the same image of Cassie is used, although it has zoomed out now and you can see the rest of her arms, which I think is quite cool. She is positioned in the middle of the frame connoting her status and so that the focus is on her. The back cover also contains the barcode, the song titles and the copyright of the record label and Production Company.








Danity Kane – Welcome to the Dollhouse

This album is the debut album from P Diddy’s band Danity Kane and was released in 2008. The band were formed on Diddy’s programme ‘Making the band’, but have recently split up.

The costume of the girls connotes and innocent yet playful side to them, which links into the title of the album. The make-up used has made them look very fresh faced, yet doll like.

The bluey-white background also adds to the innocent portrayal of the girls and their personalities.

The fact that they are entwined or leaning up against each other connotes how close they are how and how comfortable they are with each other.

The girls are positioned in the middle of the frame, therefore dominating the picture connoting that it’s all about them and they’re the main focus.

The style of writing for the words ‘Danity Kane’ seem to be quite harsh suggesting the girls have a bit of an edge, however, the words ‘welcome to the dollhouse’ are written in a soft way, connoting the girls have a soft side to themselves as well.

For the back cover, the picture is of a blank room covered in white, which connotes an angelic theme suitable for dolls. On the floor there are also a bunch of roses, which connote love and links into the songs on the album.
The song titles are scribbled on the wall, which is quite interesting and connotes a childish feel about it.
The back of the album also has a barcode and the copyrights.






Keri Hilson – In a Perfect World

This again is the debut album from American R&B pop singer Keri Hilson. It was released in March 2009 by Mosley and Zone 4 and was produced by Timbaland.
The title of In a Perfect World... with the dots at the end connotes that nobody’s perfect and the world isn’t perfect and the songs relate to this as they’re about heartbreaks. The songs are there for women to relate to and this certainly comes across.

The costume of Keri is very glamorous and stylish, very up to date.
Her name is in flashing lights at the top of the cover, and this is so that it stands out and is possibly the first thing you see. She’s like a star.
Her position in the frame is to the right of the cover, as this way the sun can be seen to be shining through, which again connotes how much of a star she is and makes the cover instantly stand out.

The background colour again makes the cover stand out as it is a metallic purple, which brightens up the cover straight away. It glamorises it.
Her movement and gesture in the cover is that she has an ‘I’m not bothered’ attitude, which links in with the album creating a certain power for women.

The back cover seems very glossy and is typical of an R&B Pop CD cover. R&B Pop is about glamour and Keri conveys this on the back cover, what with the bold, bright colours. Also the stars could connote how much of a star she has become. The back cover contains the barcode and the copyrights and logos for the record label.

Research - R&B Pop Concert Posters

Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics Tour

This was the fourth concert tour from American R&B Pop singer Christina Aguilera. There were 63 shows throughout the world and the tour grossed in a profit of $48million.

As you can see from the promotional concert poster, Christina Aguilera is a very provocative singer, and she reinvented herself from her innocent young girl days, to a mature, head strong woman, who connotes the empowerment of women through her songs.

Her costume on the poster is that she is wearing a provocative piece of lingerie, which represents her attitude and personality. It also shows a bit of her bottom below the garment, which is a bit risky, but this could connote her cheeky side.

The poster contains the year of the tour only, as this is just a promotional tour poster, to get people excited about the forthcoming tour. However, it does contain her name in beautiful red writing, which look a bit glamorous and because of her bleach blonde hair, her inspiration for the poster could have been a Marilyn Monroe picture.





Justin Timberlake – Justified Tour

This was the second tour from R&B pop singer Justin Timberlake. It started in 2003 and went on into 2004, with a total of 45 shows. There was then an extra tour which was co-headlined with pop sensation Christina Aguilera and the tour was the Justified/Stripped tour, this also sold out every night.

The picture on the poster, actually the same picture as what was on his ‘Justified’ album, therefore straight away this enables audiences to understand that the songs he will sing will be from that album.

The poster has his name in huge yellow letters, which really helps his name to stand out on the poster and that could possibly be the first thing people see as well as the photo of him, therefore attracting them to the poster and it makes them more interested and want to read more about it to find out the information they need.

Also on the poster, is the date, the place and the time of the concert, which is a typical code of a concert poster, as this allows audiences to know the important information of the concert. Again on the poster, is the supporting act, which on this one is the Black Eyed Peas and this in itself could attract people alone as they are a massive American band. A great line up always interests the fans, as it does at festivals and other events.

Justin Timberlake is positioned on the right hand side of the poster to make way for the huge title of the tour, which also carries the year above it as well.





Beyonce - I AM... Tour

This is the preliminary promotional poster for Beyonce’s ‘I am…’ tour. This was the third album tour Beyonce has done on her own and the tour visited Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

The writing on the cover of the poster is written in the same style of writing as the album, which therefore links them both together already.

However, whereas on the album the writing was a grey colour, the writing on the poster is red and black, which are two bold colours and stand out very clearly on the poster. The red in the writing is also shiny as well, which connotes how glamorous the event will be and it’s a must see thing.

The three dots at the end are written in jet black, which are really bold on the page and give out a certain impression. It also makes the audience wait to see who she really is and the fact that they are big dots represents that it is a critical part of the album and tour.

Her costume is very much what the album is about. It’s different as she is being her alter ego, Sasha Fierce and the outfit she is wearing on the poster is one of the outfits from her ‘sweet dreams’ video, which again links the album to the tour.

Her position on the poster is that she is to the left of the frame, however she stands between the ‘I’ and ‘am’, so this makes her stand out clearly. This is also a decent sized photo of Beyonce, which again will stand out on the poster.





Mariah Carey – The Adventures of Mimi Tour

This was the sixth world album tour from singing sensation Mariah Carey. There were a total of 40 shows through America, Canada, Asia and Africa. It grossed in a profit of $26million.

Ever since the reinvention of Mariah Carey, she has completely glamorised herself into a new woman influencing many women along the way.

The lighting of the back lights supports this as they sparkle behind her and connote her importance as a star and the fame she has gained because of her career. The lights and the microphone also support the idea that she is performing on a stage in the photo.

Her name and Sean Paul’s name are written in a different style of writing to each other, which could connote the difference between their music, however, they are both written in black, which could connote their similarities in their music too.

Her costume is very stylish and she’s wearing a little short dress, which are a part of the new Mariah and the reinvention of herself. She wanted to lose the good innocent girl image, the one back from her ‘Fantasy’ and ‘Dreamlover’ days.

She is also holding a standing microphone and one of the older versions, which they had in the 60’s so with the dress flaring up a bit at the bottom and the microphone, she probably got some of the ideas for the cover from Marilyn Monroe, who was an extremely iconic person in her era and who’s a very influential woman for most women.




Pussycat Dolls – World Domination Tour

This was the second concert tour by American R&B Pop group Pussycat Dolls. It was also a co-headlined tour at times with Britney Spears. However, there opening act was Lady Gaga.

The picture on the front of the poster is the actual picture that was used as the cover to their album ‘World Domination’, which again enables the audience to know what songs may be on the set. The girl’s position in the photo is that they take up the whole frame therefore dominating the frame, which links into the tour’s title ‘World Domination’.

However, what I could see to be confusing to the audience is that there is a picture of the girls, however, it is Lady Gaga’s name that I first see instead of the Pussycat dolls name, which I think is a major problem for this concert poster.

As you can see from their costumes, the girls are quite provocative and portray an image of empowerment for women, through their songs and commercially. They’re much like the American Spice Girls.

At the bottom of the poster the words ‘ON SALE NOW’ are in written in white on a bold red background, so this instantly stands out to the audience. The poster contains, a date, the place, however no time as of yet, as this may be written down on the ticket instead.

The poster also contains the band’s logo, which again allows the audience to recognise who they are. The logo also copyright’s the poster, therefore making it the property of the Pussycat Dolls.





Rihanna

This is the concert poster for Barbadian born singer Rihanna. The concert is held in a stadium in Kuala.

On the poster, there is a photo of Rihanna, which has been taken from the single ‘Take a Bow’, therefore the concert was possibly held after the release of that single, as that would have been her latest successful one.

She is positioned directly in the middle of the frame, therefore connoting her existence in the music world and how important she is. It could also reflect her dominance in the music world at this time and the impact she has had.

The orange background really compliments her skin and therefore helps her stand out on the poster. This would attract the audience into the poster, and they would then realise it is Rihanna, one of the biggest superstars in the world.

Her name is written in big white letters, which enables the audience to clearly see who it is and to connote how much of a star she is.

Also, it is clear that it is a concert poster as there is a date for the concert, a time and a place, which is a code of a concert poster and clearly allows the audience viewing it to know more about the event and when and where it is being held, which is helpful.

There is also writing at the bottom, which tells people where to get their tickets for the concert from and to actually get them as it’s a show not to miss out on.

Research - R&B Pop Music Videos

Beyonce - Sweet Dreams

This video is part of a group of videos with a new style that Beyonce has been trying out, to support the introduction of Sasha Fierce, her alter-ego, only used for the stage. These videos, since the start of the single ‘Single ladies’, have seen her have two women dancers in the videos with her.

The colours in the video support the title in being soft angelic colours, having a white background. However, she then switches to have a dark sky background, to connote the ‘beautiful nightmare’ part of the track. The video is also seen to be very surreal and what connotes this is the weird costume change towards the end of the video which is particularly strange.

Her costume supports these ideas, because in the ‘sweet dreams’ part of the song, the background is white and Beyonce is wearing a soft lilac dress and she then switches to wearing a silver foily dress. Towards the end of the video though, Beyonce is seen with her hair spiralled and gelled to her head and she’s wearing a gold outfit, so this could connote that she’s God.

The lighting also fits into the meanings, as with the nightmare part the sky is dark and I expect there would have been high key lighting to aid verisimilitude.
The video starts with Beyonce lying down with a nursery rhyme playing to connote the innocence of her but to also reflect the title of the track, sweet dreams. She then slowly rises from the bed, showing that she is going into a deep dream and that’s when the track starts.

The camera movements don’t vary much in the video. Panning tends to be used the mainly as a soft camera needs to be used to reflect what the track is about. Still camera is also used to show the singer with the dancers and to fully show the dance.
Camera shots used are long shots to help incorporate the dance routines in full view. But also a high angle shot is used in the middle of the track to possibly connote how vulnerable the girls are or saying they’re at Gods demand, because they’re in heaven. Medium shots are used because you clearly see Beyonce but you also see the dancers behind her too. But close ups are used mainly on Beyonce to connote her importance to show her facial expressions.








Chris Brown – With You

This music video isn’t actually studio based this time and is set on the streets of New York. It tells the story of how Chris Brown can’t live without his girl and the video shows him on his way to see his girlfriend.

The costume in the video is very much what an R&B male singer would normally wear. The baggy clothes, however which he can make look surprisingly good. It makes him look good without even trying. It connotes a laid back attitude.

The lighting in the music video is street lighting, which aids verisimilitude, but it also highlights Chris Brown. The editor and director have also done the shot like in the picture above where you can only see Chris and the traffic behind him is going really fast, which could connote he is in his own little ‘love bubble’.

The camera movements in the video are pans as it enables the audience to see Chris ‘moon walking’ and free styling to the full. However, there are a few still camera movements for the medium shots and close ups to enable the audience to see his facial expressions, which are important as he portrays his emotions through the song’s lyrics.

The camera shots used are close ups, especially on his feet because of his dancing and the intricate footwork. Medium shots are used to show him walking down the street, these emphasized again by the long shots used. He is always positioned in the middle of the frame. He dominates the screen at all times.




Ciara – Work

This video is again apart of Ciara reinventing herself into a new woman, and particularly a new sexier Ciara. The video is set on a building site, which is glamorised by the bright colours used in the video. It is shown to reinforce stereotypical ideas that men and women are equal.

This video starts off on a building site, which has been brightened up by the use of the bold machinery. There are close ups of woman using the machinery, possibly to connote the fact that women are just as equal as men, and that we can do the same things as them, a connotation of power.

The lighting is a fake or real sunset (fake using a green screen). This creates the effect that they’ve had a hard day on the site and they now want to let their hair down and chill out with each other.

The costumes in the video are typical of a R&R pop music video. When dancing with the other girls, all of them are wearing cut off vests and ripped jeans to reflect the dirtiness of a building site and Ciara is also wearing the type of glasses a builder would wear to protect their eyes. Later on in the video she is dressed up a little bit more to keep the glamour code of an R&B music video.

There are many camera movements such as pans, especially when Ciara is dancing on the raised part and swinging her hair about. The pan reflects how quick she moves. Most of the time though the camera is still so the audience can gain the full effect of the dancing.

The editing cuts used are mainly straight cuts and they’re used very quickly and often, and this by itself help to create the pace for the song, as the song is upbeat and the cuts reflect that.

The camera shots used are a variety. Long shots are used for the group of women dancing and also when Ciara is up against any large machinery or vehicles. Possibly this is to connote that she can use that machinery just like any man could. Another shot used is a medium shot and this is generally used for when she’s walking towards the camera. There are only a few close ups, to show her face and how it dominates the screen.


The lighting in the music video is street lighting, which aids verisimilitude, but it also highlights Chris Brown. The editor and director have also done the shot like in the picture above where you can only see Chris and the traffic behind him is going really fast, which could connote he is in his own little ‘love bubble’.

The camera movements in the video are pans as it enables the audience to see Chris ‘moon walking’ and free styling to the full. However, there are a few still camera movements for the medium shots and close ups to enable the audience to see his facial expressions, which are important as he portrays his emotions through the song’s lyrics.

The camera shots used are close ups, especially on his feet because of his dancing and the intricate footwork. Medium shots are used to show him walking down the street, these emphasized again by the long shots used. He is always positioned in the middle of the frame. He dominates the screen at all times.





Jade Ewen – My Man

This video is the second one from Eurovision song contestant Jade. It is evident in this video that she wanted to get rid of the innocent Eurovision girl and present herself as being much more confident and sexy, and making a much more mature approach to the music. Again, her video is typical of an R&B pop music video.

The song is about her man and how he gives her everything she needs and desires and the video reflects this as he follows her around the house and she tries to seduce him.

The lighting in the video is quite low key, but romantic setting light. The video is set at night and the main lighting, comes from the torch her boyfriend is shining at her the whole time. This could possibly connote the fact that she is his bright star and he thinks an awful lot of her.

The costume is again very glamorous and is used to show sexiness and to connote the woman’s power; it is also there to emphasize her body shape and to make the man want her even more.

The camera movements used as mainly pans to connote the fast pace sound of the song, and to help emphasise her dancing. The other camera movement is when the camera is still and filming her.

The camera shots used are close ups, long shots and medium shots. The long shots tended to be used to fully show her dancing and to show how she dominates the screen by being positioned in the middle of the frame. The close ups are used to show the expressions on her face, which help reflect the lyrics. Finally, the medium shots are used to show the connection between the man and the woman, which is helped by the straight cuts which are strategically placed in between shots.





Livvi Franc – Now I’m That Bitch

‘Now I’m That Bitch’ is the debut single for a new upcoming artist called Livvi France, originally from Barbados, like Rihanna. The video completely connotes girl power and showing a man you once had what he’s missing. She uses the word ‘bitch’ as an acronym for being in total control of herself. Her feisty vocals reflect the lyrics. The video is typical of the new R&B pop era.

The video is filmed in a studio; therefore the lighting is adjusted to create certain effects. There are flashing back lights when she is dancing the men with the different coloured ropes. There is also low key lighting to create a dungy effect towards the end of the video, possibly to connote her darker side.

The costumes she wears in the video are glamorous and sexy, which they had to be if the point of this video is to get back at a guy. She has to look good for that effect to take place. The one scene where she is dancing with the guys and the ropes, she has her hair stretched back in a pony tail and this is generally a code of what a bitch tends to look like. For example, women bosses also tend to have their hair back in a pony tail, as it can tense their face giving them a ‘bitchy’ moody look.

The camera movements in the video tend to be pans, to show the dancing to its full. The camera moves round the dancers and Livvi and this reflects the movements and the pace o the dancing. It’s also to show her body when she is on top of the men (shown above). Most of the time thought the camera is still and using different camera shots.

The shots used are mainly close ups, long shots and medium shots. The long shots are used for the scene above and for when she’s dancing with the two girls at the end (which is similar to Beyonce’s videos where she dances with the two girls). They’re also used for the dancing with the men and the coloured ropes, and this enables the audience to fully see the dance routines. Medium shots are used to show her upper part of her body and face, so you can some facial expressions and body movement. Then there are close ups used, which are strategically placed when she sings the word ‘bitch’, and this connotes that she is saying she is the bitch and this is my face.




Rihanna – Umbrella

This song was released in 2007 and was number one for 10 weeks in the UK. The song is an R&B pop classic and features a rap verse from rapper Jay-Z.

This video again was set in a studio, which is stereotypical of an R&B music video. Therefore the lighting is backing lighting to emphasise Rihanna in the scenes, this also reflects Jay-Z’s lyrics when he calls Rihanna a little ray of sunshine, which is the total opposite of what the songs about.

The costume in the video is quite R&B, however this is the time where Rihanna was reinventing herself and was becoming a lot more mature and was creating a new sexier image of herself, and her costumes reflect this. In the one scene she is seen wearing a PVC dress, which in itself is quite seductive and racy. There is another scene where she is seen dancing with an umbrella, which again emphasizes the title of the song.

The camera movements in the video tend to be still camera shots, as Rihanna mainly dominates the whole frame through her dancing, therefore the camera need not move much.

The camera shots used are long shots, close ups, extreme close ups and medium shots. Again the long shots are used to show Rihanna dancing and the full editing effects used. The close ups are used to show her facial expressions and the medium shots are also to show her facial expressions and slight body gestures and movements.

Feedback from my Questionnaires

What have I found out from the feedback of my questionnaires?

For my questionnaires, I asked myself what I wanted to gain from them and chose to ask questions that were important to the task I was set. For this, the answer was simple, to ask quantative and qualitative research questions. I felt these would give me the best chance of achieving a great music video and put me in the right direction of going about doing that.

The majority of people that I asked were between the ages of 16-20, as I asked mostly people at the sixth form and a few family members. As for gender, it was mostly well proportioned; however I did ask one more lady than men. Therefore I understand the views may be sided more towards the women than the men.

As the majority of people I surveyed go to the sixth form and are students, they claimed they watched music videos all of the time, with the second highest result being people watching them most of the time, because they had the time on their hands. However, when I asked a few family members and friends, because they work full time, they said they watched music videos now and then when they have the time to sit down and relax.

The three most popular groups of genres were dance/freestyle/techno, Rock and soul/R&B. These were then backed up by which music channels the consumers tend to watch. There was a wide variety of popular channels, including MTV Base, Kiss, 4Music, The Box and MTV Dance and Flava. These music channels are the most successful ones on TV anyway, therefore it was inevitable that the questioned were going to choose them.

For the album cover question, people generally liked an album cover that had a hidden meaning, or represented the artist or that was even iconic. Album covers that stood out from all the others were unique and original. However, not all album covers can be that iconic such as R&B ones as they tend to be more glamorised than others to portray that type of genre. The big superstar artists mainly have the iconic ones, as they probably have done normally covers before, and to keep the fans interested they have to keep up to date with the world modernising.

As for music videos, some people felt that the music video has to provide a good anchor for the songs narrative. They like clever camera shots such as in the Kanye West video ‘All falls down’, where point of view camera shots are used the whole way through the video with clever editing. These sorts of videos inspire other artists and young aspiring adults to copy their ideas. Although people felt that they were the best types of videos, they said that most videos now are filmed with green screens, which in themselves can be clever too with all the technology we have now, you could be filming someone in a studio, but the background could be of Japan i.e. ‘Left My Heart in Tokyo’ video by Mini Viva. The cleverness of it makes the video and adds to the song as well. It all links into one another.

After analysing the results from the survey, my intended audience will be people such as the young adults and people in their 20’s, who like to listen to R&B Pop music, as this tends to be a genre that most people enjoy listening to. This age group is also the group who watches music channels the most; therefore they are the easiest target audience to reach. It can also give me a lot of options too. This also tends to be a genre, which has been reinvented to be able to reach out to other age ranges, but because of its reinvention the DJ’s are much more able to now, turn them into remixes for the clubs.

Below are some graphs and charts showing the results from the questionnaires.

Audience Profile

Name: Mike Hart

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Occupation: Student

Hobbies and Interests: Playing the Xbox 360 and PS3. Going to the football Listening to music and doing his media work, such
as making videos.

Favourite genre: Hip hop/Rap and R&B Pop

Favourite music videos: Kanye West ‘All Falls Down’

Favourite films: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Rocky, Watchmen,
Iron Man, Adulthood & kidulthood.