Mind Map For Research

This is a quick mind map I created that I thought would even out my research to help me see it in a clearer perspective.

What Now?

I have now analysed a few albums covers and have also started to think about what song I should use for my music video. I began thinking about what song would suit the video I wanted and also who would help me with my video. I wanted to do a song that was well known because people would be more attracted to it, but then I thought I would like a challenge and maybe try some thing that was a bit different.

At this moment in time, I was still a bit confused about what to choose so I wrote down a few songs I considered:

1. The Reason - Hoobastank
2. Everything - Michael Buble
3. I'll Go Crazy - Blackstreet
4. Dont Give Up - Leon Jackson
5. Remember The Time - Michael Jackson
6. Hold My Hand - Akon ft. Michael Jackson
7. Alone In This Bed - Framing Hanley
8. Better On The Other Side - The Game ft. Chris Brown

My own personal preference was Dont Give Up by Leon Jackson. I had an idea in my mind about what I would like to do with the video. But for more help I went on to the Leon Jackson forum and posted a topic about it to see if I had any replies, and I did. The following link takes you to the forum and you can see the replies I received:

http://www.leonjacksonmusic.com/forums/viewthread/9373/#251830

Soon after I posted my topic, I asked a few people if they would feature in my music video. A few people said no until one of my good friends agreed and from this point onwards we started to think about which song to do. My friend (Justin) was not over keen on the Leon Jackson song so we went through each song we thought was the best and thought up of some ideas, which will be posted within the next couple of posts.

Neyo 1

This is the third album released in September 2008 by Neyo called Year Of The Gentleman.

Because this album is called year of the gentleman, it could suggest this year is finally the time when men become more elegant and mature. From looking at the cover we can see that because on the left hand side it is a bit faded and there are two bars which could suggest what previous years have been like and as you look across to the right it becomes more clearer which shows how much more men are becoming gentlemen. Also Ne-yo is wearing is smart suit and hat which shows he is now a gentleman and shows the elegance of what men will be like. The colours are all similar – creams and browns which again show elegance because they are subtle colours. The fonts used for the title ‘NE-YO’ is in block colours which could suggest he is bold and wants to stand out from the rest to get his points across. And the ‘Year of the Gentlemen’ is in fancy writing which shows that men want to prove themselves this year and it could represent how elegant they want to be. Ne-yo is also standing in the mirror which could show that he has looked at himself and decided he wants to make a change.

Eminem 1

This is Marshall Mathers, A.K.A Eminem's fourth studio album released in 2002, it is called The Eminem Show.

As we can see from the cover there is not much going on but by looking at the title and knowing a bit of Eminem's back ground we can figure out reasons behind this cover. The cover consists of a curtain that would be at a live show - hence the title 'The Eminem Show'. These curtains are a tiny bit open which could suggest that Eminem doesn't know if it is the right thing to bring this album out, that is because his family wanted him to stop singing. The spot light that shines on peoples faces is also where Eminem should be standing which again emphasizes that point I just made.

The songs on the album have a different approach compared to Marshall Mathers previous albums. This is because this album acts like a proper show because the first track is Curtains Up and the last track is Curtains Close. In the middle there are tracks that show a different side of Eminem, which relate to the cover because there it shows Eminem is actually thinking of what to do.

The fonts on the cover are the same as many other albums which is a good technique to use because it can then be easy recognised.

Britney Spears 1

This is Britney Spears' album released in 2008.

This album shows to be more for the female gender because of the colours and fonts used. The colours are plain and simple but they are striking colours because they are not really that similar so they stand out. It reminds you of a circus theme which relates to the title of the album and also stars are used which also relate to the title because you see stars at circus shows. Britney spears is pictured on the front of the cover looking all elegant which tells us that she is making the come back after her recent events. Also the font on the front is all fancy and attractive which is what it would be like at a circus.

Nickleback 1

This is Nicklebacks 5th album called All The Right Reasons. Since its 2005 release, it has been a huge success in the UK and the US.

This album is plain and simple which suggests this album has only one meaning. That could be shown through the picture; as there is a car on its own along a long road that seems to go on forever, and you cannot see anything in the distance. This could suggest that the songs are like mellow and have great meaning. The sunset gives clues that they could be upbeat songs and because we know that Nickleback is a rock bank that confirms our thoughts. The car almost blends in with the colour of the road which cuold suggest that no one knows how he is feeling and that he may aswell be non existant.

The title of their name is in bold letters that stand out because the colour is much darker, but its not in full block letters so this could suggest that there is a piece of their life missing and the songs on this album explain that.

The actual name for the album - "All The Right Reasons", could tell us that the songs on here are like telling a story to some one and they explain all the reasons for them to be together. Some of the songs on the album like Photograph, Savin Me, If Everyone Cared and Far Away are all songs about a particular person so it could be like trying get them to realise all the reasons that are good for them to be together.

Framing Hanley 1

This is the only album released by Framing Hanley. The album was released in 2007 but re-released in 2008. They are best known for their cover version of Lollipop, which was originally by Lil Wayne. Framing Hanley are a rock, emo, post-grunge and
post-hardcore band.

This album is called 'The Moment', and that could suggest that the songs contained on the album are from that particular moment the picture shows - which is shown to be sad and lonely because of the bed drifting away on its own and the gloomyness of the picture. The title is displayed over the top of a red scribble, this could suggest that once again it is the feelings from that moment. Also the red scribble can also be connected with the red petals that are layed on the bed, these connect because it could show the meaning of love and that the songs on the album are about love which emphasizes the point about sadness.

The location in which the picture is taken also says a lot about the songs because these are the places where people go to think when they need time on their own so they can hear the waves from the water and get things clear in their mind.

Why I Chose To Do All Blackstreet Albums

You may wonder why I chose to analyse all of Blackstreets albums. Well I wanted to see the trend within each album and see what changed and what led to them creating the type of covers they did. It helped me to recognise the reasons why and I am hoping this will help me in creating my album.

Blackstreet 5

This album is called No Diggity: The Very Best Of Blackstreet. It was also released in 2003. It is the final released album by Blackstreet.

Underneath the first part of the title it states 'The Very Best Of Blackstreet' which could suggest that this album is going to be the best and as we know the hit single 'No Diggity' is also part of the album title. All the members are in some way crouched down on the front, which is like they could be bowing down to their audience and one of them is holding out a hand which could suggest he is saying here is our very best album.

The colours are kept very basic - white and black with a hint of grey. This could mean that it is where everything started off - pen and paper which consists of black and white and adding the grey could represent how far they have come. Each member is wearing black and white outfits which could suggest they succeeded in what they were trying to do.

The cover and the songs on the album both relate to each other because each song is known as the best songs they've produced over the years.

Blackstreet 4

This is the fourth album by Blackstreet called Level 2. It was released in 2003. The previous album cover was called Finally which suggested that they were not bringing another one out. That album was released in 1999, so with there being a big gap between 1999 and 2003, Blackstreet may of been thinking of ending their career until they decided to bring out another. Level 2 could suggest it is their second attempt at being successful.

The album cover contains BL||, which stands for Blackstreet Level 2. Each of those letters has a picture of a band member inside which could suggest they all want another chance a proving themselves. The background is plain black which could show that once again the album is mysterious because its a whole new level so some songs maybe different to what they have previously produced. They could think this as a risk and that could be a reason why they are placed into a letter because they can hide away if it is not successful.

Blackstreet 3

This is the third album by Blackstreet called Finally, which was released in 1999.

It is the third album and could be called Finally because they may not be bringing out another one. Although when looking at the picture on the front we can see that one of the lads has part of his jeans rolled up which could suggest there is still hope for another album. Also only one of the guys has a hat on which could tell us that there is definately going to be another album but they are keeping their fans in suspense. Each member has their back to the camera which could suggest they are are walking away and facing normal life, which is why there is a picture of the city in the background as thats what they are stepping into. There is a glow on the outside of each member which suggests that they are proud of what they have produced and show that they are the main stars.

Because the title is called Finally the colours used in the album cover could show that it is the end. This is because at the top it is clear white until you follow it down the bottom and it turns grey then black.

The album relates to the songs because with the album being called Finally, there is mixture of different songs so it is like they have included the best of the best.

Blackstreet 2

This is the second album by Blackstreet, released in 1996 and called Another Level.

The title of that album could suggest that Blackstreet have stepped it up a gear and created a new level that is even better which means this album will be awesome and every one would love it. The colours are black and white which could suggest they are keeping to the theme that this album is mysterious because it doesn't give much away so anything on this album is a surprise.

The writing is in black but has an emboss in white so the writing stands out and once again it is like it is a step up from the previous album. The circle in the middle contains the writing 'blackstreet' and looks like it is a necklace placed on the side coming from the left hand side, this could mean they are taking a different approach with this album. The background is not as clear but in my opinion it looks like its a picture looking down a tunnel with a light shining down on it. This could also emphasize the point that is mysterious because tunnels are small and conpact places.

The album name relates to the songs because Another Level is like taking it up to a higher level and the number 1 single 'No Diggity' is on this album.

Blackstreet 1

This is the first album cover I will be analysing. It is by Blackstreet, which is an American R&B group founded in 1992, and also the album is called Blackstreet.

This is their first album and the cover is most noticeable for its picture of the street and the lights. This could stand for a glimmer of hope and them hoping that they can be accepted for who they are. The top of the picture fades out and blends into a picture of the band, this could suggest that they feel as though they are at the top of the world because this is their first album. All of the band members are dressed similarly to show they are from the same background and because they are not white this could show that Blackstreet could mean time for integration.

Also the name on the front is shown as 'BLACKstreet' which also emphasizes the point that they are at the top. Also the BLACK in capitals is bigger than the street in lower case and the picture shows them at the top and the street down below. The font is in bold which makes it stand out. The picture is fair dark with not many light colours, this could show that the album is mysterious and also the darkness can connect with the name - Blackstreet.

The cover relates to many of the songs on the album because the lights are like candle and city lights so its relating to love, which is what most of the songs on the album are about.

Schedule

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

A2 Media Studies

View more presentations from guest097870.

Where to start?

My name is Samantha Slack and I am in the second year of Media Studies, which is A2 level. This piece of coursework will consist of creating either a music video or a film trailer. Each of these appeal to me because I absolutely love my music but I also love fims. Because I have a better understanding of music I have decided to create a music video but I am not sure which type of song or genre. Along with the music video I also have to create an album cover and a poster.

Starting off, I will be doing some research on various existing products and hopefully this will help me in deciding which path to take. Also I will be researching on digi-packs because these are a big part when promoting music. Also many bands have used this so it will be good to see how they have approached it and to see if it has worked.

When doing my research I will be taking extra notice on presentational devices and intertextuality because these are both important. I will be taking on board the research I find so when I am creating my own I will know what worked well and what didn't. I will be posting my research in many ways. I will be using different forums and websites like survey monkey and also be creating video diaries.

Intertextuality
This is the way that things relate to each other, like what similarities they have that makes them visibly linked.

This is important because when people work within the music industry, they need to make sure their work is linked so this gives a better oppotunity to attract the audience. Intertextuality basically helps the audience to identify who produced what. The digi-pack needs great use of intertextuality so that the audience become attracted to it.