Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Target Research
In the target audience, most of the demographic will be in full time education, further education at either 6th form/college or at university or working. I found this when researching into target audience in other tasks. My music video is both going to be filmed and produced in the United Kingdom, meaning it would be ideally appeal to a UK audience.
I plan to aim the music video at a predominantly male audience, between the ages of 16-25. In the video, I have used the genre conventions of skateboarding, the ‘cool’ male image, along with live performance to appeal to the genre. The target audiences aspirations and interests vary due to their age and gender. They like a diverse range of media because of the wide range of references that I have collected while researching target audiences. These include social networking sites such at Facebook to keep in contact with friends, magazines such as NME and Q to keep up-to-date with the latest news on the music industry and using television programmes (MTV, The Hits and TMF) to keep up to date with the latest music news. Similar artists that would appeal the same audience as the Blighters would be Hockey, Good Shoes and The Maccabees. These bands are similar to Blighters in their style of music, dress sense and how they appeal to the audience.
I have found out that our band, The Blighters, have a target audience around 16-25. This is because they are in the Indie genre, which is big at the moment with this demographic. Indie/rock was two of the most popular when I asked what genres of music the focus group preferred. From my research, I have found out that the 16-25 demographic like to use the internet and radio predominantly to find out about new music and band. I asked my focus group how they found about new bands and if they used band and music websites. My responses suggested that official band websites or their MySpace site were popular with my target audience.
Thanks to this information, we would promote our band through the internet on sites such as YouTube and MySpace. Furthermore, we would want to get the material out to radio stations to further increase our fane base. This would start with local and small radio stations around Norfolk, helping to improve the local audience of the band. If this goes well, then we would look to get the bands material on a national scale. My audience research results suggest that this would be the most successful way to promote The Blighters successfully.
I am going to use this information in the production of my music video for the Blighters, with their song ‘Boys in Motion’. Thanks to this information that I have gathered, I can create a video that can relate to the correct demographic, 16-25. Furthermore, the research I have collected can be used when promoting the band through the advert I produce. I have found out how the target audience consume media and how they found about new music.
I believe I could have made this method better by asking more people to complete this questionnaire. This would have giving me a large depth of answers and responses. Another way that I could have collected more detailed results would have been to ask more searching questions. Finally, next time I would evaluate the difference between male and female responses to see if the Blighters appealed to them similarly.
I plan to aim the music video at a predominantly male audience, between the ages of 16-25. In the video, I have used the genre conventions of skateboarding, the ‘cool’ male image, along with live performance to appeal to the genre. The target audiences aspirations and interests vary due to their age and gender. They like a diverse range of media because of the wide range of references that I have collected while researching target audiences. These include social networking sites such at Facebook to keep in contact with friends, magazines such as NME and Q to keep up-to-date with the latest news on the music industry and using television programmes (MTV, The Hits and TMF) to keep up to date with the latest music news. Similar artists that would appeal the same audience as the Blighters would be Hockey, Good Shoes and The Maccabees. These bands are similar to Blighters in their style of music, dress sense and how they appeal to the audience.
I have found out that our band, The Blighters, have a target audience around 16-25. This is because they are in the Indie genre, which is big at the moment with this demographic. Indie/rock was two of the most popular when I asked what genres of music the focus group preferred. From my research, I have found out that the 16-25 demographic like to use the internet and radio predominantly to find out about new music and band. I asked my focus group how they found about new bands and if they used band and music websites. My responses suggested that official band websites or their MySpace site were popular with my target audience.
Thanks to this information, we would promote our band through the internet on sites such as YouTube and MySpace. Furthermore, we would want to get the material out to radio stations to further increase our fane base. This would start with local and small radio stations around Norfolk, helping to improve the local audience of the band. If this goes well, then we would look to get the bands material on a national scale. My audience research results suggest that this would be the most successful way to promote The Blighters successfully.
I am going to use this information in the production of my music video for the Blighters, with their song ‘Boys in Motion’. Thanks to this information that I have gathered, I can create a video that can relate to the correct demographic, 16-25. Furthermore, the research I have collected can be used when promoting the band through the advert I produce. I have found out how the target audience consume media and how they found about new music.
I believe I could have made this method better by asking more people to complete this questionnaire. This would have giving me a large depth of answers and responses. Another way that I could have collected more detailed results would have been to ask more searching questions. Finally, next time I would evaluate the difference between male and female responses to see if the Blighters appealed to them similarly.
Media Audience Research Questionnaire
Media Audience Research Questionnaire
I have selected a small group of participants to complete my questionnaire on how people consume and find out about new bands. In my focus group, there are 6 male and 4 female. All questionnaires were filled out through the social networking site Facebook. The returned questionnaires were filled out by friends of mine who have an account on Facebook. These results were collected in October 2009. The purpose of these results were to find out how my target audience like to listen to music and how they purchase music products, whether that may through the internet or thanks to high street shops. Furthermore, I wanted to find out how the focus group found out about new music and bands. This research will also help me when producing my media music video for year 13. Furthermore, the information collected from the questionnaires will help when promoting the band in magazines, over the internet and on television.
Firstly, I wanted to find out about their age group and occupation. The majority of the focus group was in the age bracket 16-20, with 2 of my audience in the age group of 21-25. 8 of my audience were in some kind of educational (6th form, college or university), while I had two replies for employment.
Above is the first questionnaire about their musical tastes. This graph shows their replies to which genres of music they enjoyed to listen to. They could have picked up to 4 different genres for this question. From this graph, I can see that Rock is a popular genre within my focus group. Furthermore, indie (the genre that my unsigned band for my music video) is quite popular, with 4 votes from the replies. This graph shows that the rock/indie culture and drum ‘n’ bass genres are big hits with the 16-25 age group. This was expected as these genres and sub-genres target an audience similar to that of my questionnaire.. This is shown when they play gigs and how buys they music tracks. Below is an example of this.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/aug/26/1?picture=330634571
This picture was taken at Reading festival in 2007, when British Indie band Bloc Party played. The picture shows that most of the crowd are below 30, as the target audience suggests, and have a variety of males and females watching. This evidence shows that the results I have collected are a true representation of the target audience for the most popular genres in my focus group.
Here is the next question that I asked for my participants. The pie chart reveals how the focus group purchased their music tracks and albums, with internet downloads coming out top with over half of the votes. These results would have been very different compared to 5 years ago. The explosion of the internet has created a whole new sector for the music industry to sell and distribute music, where you can purchase individual songs and albums to your computer or laptop from sites such as iTunes, Amazon and HMV. Unlike the former, Amazon and HMV sell CD’s as well, having moved into the download business as consumer demand grew. Furthermore, internet sales of music is expected to overtake the ‘old fashioned’ method of by a CD by 2012 according to study by Forrester Research (Feb 2008). The survey was undertaken in the USA and Canada and involved 5000 participants. Forrester’s information has suggested that the annual growth rate of digital downloads will be at around 23% per year. I think that the dominance of internet downloads is slightly surprising as CD sales are still higher than internet sales. One reason for this is because the technology of purchase downloads is still relatively new, with some people older people sticking with their ‘old fashioned’ methods of listening to music (CD, Tape, Vinyl). I myself still buy CD’s as I prefer to be able to hold the product that I have bought compared to the music track on your computer.
This next Pie chart is in response to the question about how often the participants in my questionnaire watch music television channels such as TMF and The Hits. These music channels show music videos to showcase and promote an artists new song. Music Channels can be a used effectively to help promote the artists song to the correct target audience. This could happen by promoting it on a certain genre of music channel. Due to satellite television, there are now 20 or 30 music channels on offer, all with different genres of music. Examples of this include Kerrang (Rock/Metal), MTV Dance (R&B, Drum ‘n’ bass etc) and VH1 Classic (Older music, 80’s and 90’s music videos).
Television music channels are popular with the participants in my focus group. 9 of the 10 people who replied claimed they watched these channels, with 4 people saying they watched on a daily basis, while 3 people watched it 3 times a week and 2 watched it once a week. From these results, the females watched the music channels less, with 2 replies for 3 times a week and 2 for once a week. This shows that girls from the target audience tend to watch music channels less than males.
Radio is another great example of promoting your music to a wide audience. As you can see, radio is very popular from my results. The Pie chart shows that 9 out of the 10 people listen to the radio at least once a week, with 6 of those listening to it everyday. This shows that radio is a great way to promote new material if your target audience is similar to the people who have answered in this questionnaire. I was not surprised by the results from this questionnaire, as radio shows are highly popular with people in this demographic. However, I am an outlier in the results as I tend not to listen to the radio regularly, preferring to choose what music I listen to from my collection. Another factor is that I do not own a radio in my bedroom, which is where I normally listen to my music.
The next two questions I asked were over the use of the internet and if they use it to its full potential. Firstly, I asked them if they used the internet to find out about a music band through a social networking site, sites including MySpace, Facebook etc. I received 6 replies saying that they had used a social networking site for that purpose, while the other 4 had not done the same. This questionnaire shows the versatility of the internet and social networking sites. Furthermore, social networking sites, especially MySpace, make it so much easier to promote new music and more importantly unsigned artists and bands world wide.
The next question I asked them about was if they used music file sharing websites to consume music. They could be achieved in several ways through video hosting website YouTube or music specific hosting websites Spotify and Last F.M. YoutTube works by users uploading videos to the sites and are free to be watched by anyone. These videos may include new video or new songs without a video to showcase new talent. Spotify and Last F.M work a little differently as they are music specific. They offer thousands of tracks which you can listen to over the internet. You never own these songs, but they are free to listen to, making music easy to access and free if you have an internet connection. My results showed that 7 of the participants used a file sharing website to listen to music, while the other 3 did not. Music sharing is new phenomenon which has only recently taken off. However, my results show the popularity of this form of music consumption already.
Above is the next question I put forward to my audience. This question asked which music devices they owned. As you can see, everyone in my focus group a computer or laptop, with 9 of the people involved owning a mobile phone and a MP3 player/Ipod. The two most likely devices to play music I expected were the MP3 player/iPod and the computer. This graph would have looked completely different due to the then dominance of the CD player and technology such as Vinyl and the tape player still popular. However, the tape player is now redundant technology thanks to the emergence of the MP3 player at the start of the 21st century. As expected, MP3 players are highly popular as you can keep them in your pocket and listen to thousands of tracks were ever you are. Furthermore, the younger demographic are more likely to use MP3 players and iPods as they have been brought up with the technology. The older generation may still use the technology that they used when they were growing up, preferring a CD walkman or Vinyl record player against music downloads when listening to music.
Another question that I asked was if the focus went to gigs, and if so, how many times a year. From the responses I received, 7 said that they did go to gigs, while the other 3 did not. Of the 7 people who went to gigs, I asked them how many times they went and the graph above shows the answers to this. As you can see, I had a varied number of different answers. 2 participants only went to 1 or 2 gigs a year. Furthermore, I had one person who went to 3 or 4 a year, while 2 people chose the 5 to 6 option and I had one reply for 9-10 and 11+. This wide variety of answers shows that gigs are popular with the focus group. Gigs on numerous occasions shows the target audience of that group and this is shown with the picture on page 2 of my evaluation. The people who have answered for the higher options of this question show that they have a wider musical taste and like to attend gigs as it pure form of the bands material.
Here is the last question in my questionnaire. I asked my audience how they found out about new music and material. As the Pie chart shows, radio and the internet are the most popular ways of finding out this information. The radio is an excellent place to find out about new music and the DJ has full control over what is being played and therefore, offers listeners the chance to listen to bands and artists that may not have listened to before. After hearing a band or artist on the radio, you may then want to find out more about the band on their MySpace page or on their own webpage. Other ways that my focus group found out about new music included word of mouth, music magazines such as Q and NME and gigs which bands have played at. These results are not surprising as I expected the internet and radio to be the largest factors for when audiences are accessing popular music.
I have selected a small group of participants to complete my questionnaire on how people consume and find out about new bands. In my focus group, there are 6 male and 4 female. All questionnaires were filled out through the social networking site Facebook. The returned questionnaires were filled out by friends of mine who have an account on Facebook. These results were collected in October 2009. The purpose of these results were to find out how my target audience like to listen to music and how they purchase music products, whether that may through the internet or thanks to high street shops. Furthermore, I wanted to find out how the focus group found out about new music and bands. This research will also help me when producing my media music video for year 13. Furthermore, the information collected from the questionnaires will help when promoting the band in magazines, over the internet and on television.
Firstly, I wanted to find out about their age group and occupation. The majority of the focus group was in the age bracket 16-20, with 2 of my audience in the age group of 21-25. 8 of my audience were in some kind of educational (6th form, college or university), while I had two replies for employment.
Above is the first questionnaire about their musical tastes. This graph shows their replies to which genres of music they enjoyed to listen to. They could have picked up to 4 different genres for this question. From this graph, I can see that Rock is a popular genre within my focus group. Furthermore, indie (the genre that my unsigned band for my music video) is quite popular, with 4 votes from the replies. This graph shows that the rock/indie culture and drum ‘n’ bass genres are big hits with the 16-25 age group. This was expected as these genres and sub-genres target an audience similar to that of my questionnaire.. This is shown when they play gigs and how buys they music tracks. Below is an example of this.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/aug/26/1?picture=330634571
This picture was taken at Reading festival in 2007, when British Indie band Bloc Party played. The picture shows that most of the crowd are below 30, as the target audience suggests, and have a variety of males and females watching. This evidence shows that the results I have collected are a true representation of the target audience for the most popular genres in my focus group.
Here is the next question that I asked for my participants. The pie chart reveals how the focus group purchased their music tracks and albums, with internet downloads coming out top with over half of the votes. These results would have been very different compared to 5 years ago. The explosion of the internet has created a whole new sector for the music industry to sell and distribute music, where you can purchase individual songs and albums to your computer or laptop from sites such as iTunes, Amazon and HMV. Unlike the former, Amazon and HMV sell CD’s as well, having moved into the download business as consumer demand grew. Furthermore, internet sales of music is expected to overtake the ‘old fashioned’ method of by a CD by 2012 according to study by Forrester Research (Feb 2008). The survey was undertaken in the USA and Canada and involved 5000 participants. Forrester’s information has suggested that the annual growth rate of digital downloads will be at around 23% per year. I think that the dominance of internet downloads is slightly surprising as CD sales are still higher than internet sales. One reason for this is because the technology of purchase downloads is still relatively new, with some people older people sticking with their ‘old fashioned’ methods of listening to music (CD, Tape, Vinyl). I myself still buy CD’s as I prefer to be able to hold the product that I have bought compared to the music track on your computer.
This next Pie chart is in response to the question about how often the participants in my questionnaire watch music television channels such as TMF and The Hits. These music channels show music videos to showcase and promote an artists new song. Music Channels can be a used effectively to help promote the artists song to the correct target audience. This could happen by promoting it on a certain genre of music channel. Due to satellite television, there are now 20 or 30 music channels on offer, all with different genres of music. Examples of this include Kerrang (Rock/Metal), MTV Dance (R&B, Drum ‘n’ bass etc) and VH1 Classic (Older music, 80’s and 90’s music videos).
Television music channels are popular with the participants in my focus group. 9 of the 10 people who replied claimed they watched these channels, with 4 people saying they watched on a daily basis, while 3 people watched it 3 times a week and 2 watched it once a week. From these results, the females watched the music channels less, with 2 replies for 3 times a week and 2 for once a week. This shows that girls from the target audience tend to watch music channels less than males.
Radio is another great example of promoting your music to a wide audience. As you can see, radio is very popular from my results. The Pie chart shows that 9 out of the 10 people listen to the radio at least once a week, with 6 of those listening to it everyday. This shows that radio is a great way to promote new material if your target audience is similar to the people who have answered in this questionnaire. I was not surprised by the results from this questionnaire, as radio shows are highly popular with people in this demographic. However, I am an outlier in the results as I tend not to listen to the radio regularly, preferring to choose what music I listen to from my collection. Another factor is that I do not own a radio in my bedroom, which is where I normally listen to my music.
The next two questions I asked were over the use of the internet and if they use it to its full potential. Firstly, I asked them if they used the internet to find out about a music band through a social networking site, sites including MySpace, Facebook etc. I received 6 replies saying that they had used a social networking site for that purpose, while the other 4 had not done the same. This questionnaire shows the versatility of the internet and social networking sites. Furthermore, social networking sites, especially MySpace, make it so much easier to promote new music and more importantly unsigned artists and bands world wide.
The next question I asked them about was if they used music file sharing websites to consume music. They could be achieved in several ways through video hosting website YouTube or music specific hosting websites Spotify and Last F.M. YoutTube works by users uploading videos to the sites and are free to be watched by anyone. These videos may include new video or new songs without a video to showcase new talent. Spotify and Last F.M work a little differently as they are music specific. They offer thousands of tracks which you can listen to over the internet. You never own these songs, but they are free to listen to, making music easy to access and free if you have an internet connection. My results showed that 7 of the participants used a file sharing website to listen to music, while the other 3 did not. Music sharing is new phenomenon which has only recently taken off. However, my results show the popularity of this form of music consumption already.
Above is the next question I put forward to my audience. This question asked which music devices they owned. As you can see, everyone in my focus group a computer or laptop, with 9 of the people involved owning a mobile phone and a MP3 player/Ipod. The two most likely devices to play music I expected were the MP3 player/iPod and the computer. This graph would have looked completely different due to the then dominance of the CD player and technology such as Vinyl and the tape player still popular. However, the tape player is now redundant technology thanks to the emergence of the MP3 player at the start of the 21st century. As expected, MP3 players are highly popular as you can keep them in your pocket and listen to thousands of tracks were ever you are. Furthermore, the younger demographic are more likely to use MP3 players and iPods as they have been brought up with the technology. The older generation may still use the technology that they used when they were growing up, preferring a CD walkman or Vinyl record player against music downloads when listening to music.
Another question that I asked was if the focus went to gigs, and if so, how many times a year. From the responses I received, 7 said that they did go to gigs, while the other 3 did not. Of the 7 people who went to gigs, I asked them how many times they went and the graph above shows the answers to this. As you can see, I had a varied number of different answers. 2 participants only went to 1 or 2 gigs a year. Furthermore, I had one person who went to 3 or 4 a year, while 2 people chose the 5 to 6 option and I had one reply for 9-10 and 11+. This wide variety of answers shows that gigs are popular with the focus group. Gigs on numerous occasions shows the target audience of that group and this is shown with the picture on page 2 of my evaluation. The people who have answered for the higher options of this question show that they have a wider musical taste and like to attend gigs as it pure form of the bands material.
Here is the last question in my questionnaire. I asked my audience how they found out about new music and material. As the Pie chart shows, radio and the internet are the most popular ways of finding out this information. The radio is an excellent place to find out about new music and the DJ has full control over what is being played and therefore, offers listeners the chance to listen to bands and artists that may not have listened to before. After hearing a band or artist on the radio, you may then want to find out more about the band on their MySpace page or on their own webpage. Other ways that my focus group found out about new music included word of mouth, music magazines such as Q and NME and gigs which bands have played at. These results are not surprising as I expected the internet and radio to be the largest factors for when audiences are accessing popular music.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
CD Advert: Final Idea
Here is my final idea for advertising Blighters. I have made this creation using Adobe Photoshop and the size of the piece is A4.
When creating the CD panes, they were my only design concepts. This was also the case for the Advert. The only differences I have made along the way is the size of fonts and the placement of these. To begin with, I had the tour details and special offers at the top, with the reviews and ratings at the bottom. I reversed these details as I wanted the reviews and ratings to be the first thing they saw, with people reading from top to bottom. This hopefully will entice the audience to take a second look at the band.
I wanted to keep the same front cover design for the advert to make the target audience remember the band when in shops or on the Internet. As well as the front cover, i have used the same type of font to keep the 'house design' the same throughout the products i have created.
I used the same techniques as on the CD digipack for the advert, only enlarging the design to fit the A4 size. Like all adverts in magazines or on billboards, the design includes quotes and ratings from music magazines. This should hopefully prove that the Blighters are a good band and the target audience may want to buy the CD. I have used the music magazines NME and Q as i think that the target audience are most likely to read these magazines.
Another way I have tried to entice the audience is by offering the album at a reduced price at selected stores. These shops, HMV and iTunes, are the two biggest retailers for music and is the ideal place to showcase and sell music. The logo's which I have used help to catch the eye of the audience and hopefully they will by the product.
When looking through music magazines at adverts for new albums, i found that some also advertise their UK tours. This would is now the main way for bands to create a profit when producing music, thus making an important part when advertising the band. I have included a web address at the top of the advert promoting the bands UK tour.
Monday, January 11, 2010
CD Digipack Final Design
Here are my four panes that I have produced for the CD Digipack using Adobe Photoshop. In ascending order are the front cover, inside left, inside right and back cover.
When creating this piece of the coursework, I changed little from my initial ideas as these are them! One of the tweaks that I have made along the way has been the font for the front and back cover. I found this font on the website www.dafont.com and the typeface is called Birth of a Hero. I chose this font as it stood out on the website and i thought it would appeal to the genre. Furthermore, the font is open and quite fresh, but the distressed looks give it a grunge/rock look which targets the audience.
The other change i made along the way was the brightness and contrast of the pictures after i printed them out onto paper. To create the effect for the front cover, I used a rendering future on Photoshop called lighting effects. This has also been used on the inside right and back pictures to a lesser extent. The effect creates the halo style picture with the black background. I have used this on the other two pieces but have stretched the circle so it only covers the respective corners. With all the photos, I removed the colour as they all were colour photos taken on my 2.0 megapixel camera phone. I have then played around with the brightness and contrast to make the black and white colour more vivid.
The four CD designs have either iconic, indexical and symbolic connotations or denotations. The creations are iconic as they are photos, thus looking like the thing it refers to. Furthermore, the pictures have indexical connotations which connote a certain value. The front and back cover connote the boys in motion, with Jake Mardell flying through the air with his skateboard, i.e. in motion. The symbolic element of these images show the freedom and individualism that the target audience have at this age. The inside left picture in particular represents this.
I used the image of the skate park as it is a great iconic image for the band. The location was used for the video shoot and this helps to link the CD and video together nicely. Moreover, I think the picture is very strong and striking as it shows the unconventional side to the band due to the rural location and the emptiness of the skate park.
When creating this piece of the coursework, I changed little from my initial ideas as these are them! One of the tweaks that I have made along the way has been the font for the front and back cover. I found this font on the website www.dafont.com and the typeface is called Birth of a Hero. I chose this font as it stood out on the website and i thought it would appeal to the genre. Furthermore, the font is open and quite fresh, but the distressed looks give it a grunge/rock look which targets the audience.
The other change i made along the way was the brightness and contrast of the pictures after i printed them out onto paper. To create the effect for the front cover, I used a rendering future on Photoshop called lighting effects. This has also been used on the inside right and back pictures to a lesser extent. The effect creates the halo style picture with the black background. I have used this on the other two pieces but have stretched the circle so it only covers the respective corners. With all the photos, I removed the colour as they all were colour photos taken on my 2.0 megapixel camera phone. I have then played around with the brightness and contrast to make the black and white colour more vivid.
The four CD designs have either iconic, indexical and symbolic connotations or denotations. The creations are iconic as they are photos, thus looking like the thing it refers to. Furthermore, the pictures have indexical connotations which connote a certain value. The front and back cover connote the boys in motion, with Jake Mardell flying through the air with his skateboard, i.e. in motion. The symbolic element of these images show the freedom and individualism that the target audience have at this age. The inside left picture in particular represents this.
I used the image of the skate park as it is a great iconic image for the band. The location was used for the video shoot and this helps to link the CD and video together nicely. Moreover, I think the picture is very strong and striking as it shows the unconventional side to the band due to the rural location and the emptiness of the skate park.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hockey: Mind Chaos
I am reviewing the 2009 album produced by US pop band Hockey. Their album, named ‘Mind Chaos’ and can be linked with Blighters, the band that I am promoting for this course. The setup of the band and genre of the Portland, Oregon band is similar to that of Blighters, with a pop/indie genre of music, popular at the moment in the charts.
The cover of the album, matches the title of the album ‘Mind Chaos’ very well. The front cover is split up into for sections and each box has absolute chaos inside. Each of the boxes is made up of modern art drawings, using cut out pieces of paper to create the name. The four different pieces of art do not mean or reveal anything, equalling chaos, like the title.
I think this kind of artwork would appeal to the target audience of Hockey as it different from the norm and makes it stand out when in a shop against other CD’s. It is certainly a colourful and vibrant front cover. The target audience, females and males between the ages of 16-25 could relate to the artwork as it very youthful in is appearance. The back cover of the album uses this same kind of quirky artwork in its font and background design. Everything used in the artwork looks very unprofessional, with the corners of the CD being coloured in roughly and Blu tack used to stick the lettering for the title down. The lettering used for the CD song list is very irregular, with some smaller and some larger letters used.
I think this design for the CD connotes the fun that the band had producing this record. When this was produced, the band was still an unsigned band only know to a few hundred people. This is important as they could create whatever they wanted and make it as amateurish as they wanted. The fun that the design connotes also is shown through their music, which is very much up beat and something you could dance to.
Bloc Party: Intimacy
Above is third album produced by English band Bloc Party called ‘Intimacy’. The genre of this band is similar to that of Blighters, aimed at an age group of 16-25, with a predominately male target audience. The album, which was released in 2008, received good reviews in the media, with a 4 star rating on iTunes and .
The cover for this album displays the title of the album, ‘Intimacy’, perfectly in my opinion. The front artwork shows two mouths just about to kiss, showing the intimacy and affection between them. Not only does the artwork fit in with the title, the bands lyrics convey the intimacy of lead singer Kele Okereke’s, who wrote many of the tracks. The albums that they have produced are in stark contrast to their presence, which is shy and very withheld when being interviewed on camera. Many of the songs in the album are like diary notes, full of emotion, self loathing and very personal. Bloc Party push the boundaries of their genre and this album is the most adventurous yet. It combines both the genre of rock and electronic into a blend of music that is moody and dark yet can easily be used in a dance club.
The colours used on artwork of Intimacy convey the dark side to the bands image, as the saturation on faces is very pale, with the dark nothingness between them. However, the lips are so rich in colour and help to bring the two people together, as a couple. The back cover also shows how dark and depressing this album can be at times, with a just a black background with the album details on top.
The style of design used for the album is a plastic Super Jewel Box, which is now being used as a replacement for the original clear plastic case. The album artwork works well in the case, with a good feel and look to the album making it pleasing on the eye. Furthermore, this is the easiest way to produce and distribute CD albums, which would come into account when producing an album selling in the millions.
I think issues that ‘Intimacy’ deals with about emotions work well with the target audience, as they can relate to the bands lryics in real life experiences. The dark and moody side to this album is often how teenagers, especially males, are conveyed in the public eye. Furthermore, the self-loathing in which the lyrics include can often be linked to the target audience, with a lot of changes happening in life between the ages of 16-25.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
CD design: What Format To Choose?
Here are the different designs that i have contemplated when designing my CD for Blighters. I have looked at a variety of design, both conventional and unconventional.
The Gatefold Card Case:
Here is the Arctic Monkeys 2007 album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. This design looks stylish, well made and i like how you open out the design to reveal the CD. Another advantage for this design is that more artwork can be shown in the design, showing images of the band or the house design. However, his design can be damaged easily due to the material used. I like this design and this is a main contender when making the final decision.
Molded Plastic CD Case:
This CD design is by Bloc Party for their 'Flux Remixes' CD single that was handed out with an issue of NME in 2007. I like how different this design is to all the other cases I have considered, making a simple thing interesting and cool. The downsides for this design is that it does not have much room for artwork to be displayed or a booklet to be included inside the design. Furthermore, this design would be difficult to use as the design is rare.
Super Jewel Plastic Case
Here is the standard CD case for a brand new CD single or album. This case, the Super Jewel Box, is the successor to the conventional clear plastic case that sold in the millions. I like look and feel of the design, but is too run of the mill for my liking as i want my design to stand out. I would prefer something that allows me to be more creative and i beleive that this does not allow that.
Plastic Jewel Case with Clear Plastic Sleeve:
This unconventional CD design is by Bloc Party, when releasing their second album, 'Weekend In The City'. This version of the album is a special edition which includes a DVD. Unlike the normal version of this album, the band name and album title is printed onto a clear plastic sleeve. Another difference for the edition is the red plastic jewel case, which makes in distinctive for other designs. I like this design as it is striking and different from most other designs. Also, the clear plastic clear could be used for many ideas to create the front or back covers.
Card Boxset Case:
This design was used for the 2008 album by Maximo Park called 'Quicken The Heart'. I really like this design for the CD/DVD version of the album as it looks very professional and a different design from the normal. Inside the card sleeve are two seperate card gatefold designs that include the CD or DVD and a booklet to go with it. Along with that is a booklet of pictures from the bands 'journey' when producing the album. As well as the look, I think the feel of the design is excellent and this is my favourite design from the ones I have reviewed.
The Gatefold Card Case:
Here is the Arctic Monkeys 2007 album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. This design looks stylish, well made and i like how you open out the design to reveal the CD. Another advantage for this design is that more artwork can be shown in the design, showing images of the band or the house design. However, his design can be damaged easily due to the material used. I like this design and this is a main contender when making the final decision.
Molded Plastic CD Case:
This CD design is by Bloc Party for their 'Flux Remixes' CD single that was handed out with an issue of NME in 2007. I like how different this design is to all the other cases I have considered, making a simple thing interesting and cool. The downsides for this design is that it does not have much room for artwork to be displayed or a booklet to be included inside the design. Furthermore, this design would be difficult to use as the design is rare.
Super Jewel Plastic Case
Here is the standard CD case for a brand new CD single or album. This case, the Super Jewel Box, is the successor to the conventional clear plastic case that sold in the millions. I like look and feel of the design, but is too run of the mill for my liking as i want my design to stand out. I would prefer something that allows me to be more creative and i beleive that this does not allow that.
Plastic Jewel Case with Clear Plastic Sleeve:
This unconventional CD design is by Bloc Party, when releasing their second album, 'Weekend In The City'. This version of the album is a special edition which includes a DVD. Unlike the normal version of this album, the band name and album title is printed onto a clear plastic sleeve. Another difference for the edition is the red plastic jewel case, which makes in distinctive for other designs. I like this design as it is striking and different from most other designs. Also, the clear plastic clear could be used for many ideas to create the front or back covers.
Card Boxset Case:
This design was used for the 2008 album by Maximo Park called 'Quicken The Heart'. I really like this design for the CD/DVD version of the album as it looks very professional and a different design from the normal. Inside the card sleeve are two seperate card gatefold designs that include the CD or DVD and a booklet to go with it. Along with that is a booklet of pictures from the bands 'journey' when producing the album. As well as the look, I think the feel of the design is excellent and this is my favourite design from the ones I have reviewed.
Arctic Monkeys: 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'
Above is the Arctic Monkey’s second album, produced in 2007, which was titled ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’. The format of the CD is a card gatefold style, with a booklet including pictures to compliment the artwork. I like this format for band as it looks and feel like a quality product and also allows more artwork to be shown inside.
The artwork used by the Sheffield 4 piece band shows a council estate with modernist artwork within the windows. This setting for the album is a common place to the band, which grew up in the poor suburbs of the ‘Steel City’. The name of the album, ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ also connotes the rough and tough lifestyle in this part of the country, meaning it can be a nightmare at times but always good fun.
The front cover of the album represents the changing image of the band. Their first album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s what I am not’ had an image of a working class man between the ages of 18-25 smoking a cigarette, a stereotypical image of a man living in a council estate. The second album follows on in this style with the image of a council flats. Also, the dark saturation of the album cover conveys the gloomy and dark nature of council house lifestyle. In contrast to this connotation, the bright and vivid colours of the modernist artwork in the windows show another side to their lifestyle. This represents the artist’s playful side in their music and lifestyle, which has developed as their music popularity has grown. An example of their slightly eccentric side was in 2007; when they played live on the Jonathon Ross show dressed up as clowns.
The band image and album appeals to the target audience as the audience can connect to the bands lifestyle before they hit stardom. Before they became a massive hit through Myspace, they were four normal teenagers from Sheffield and this is showed through their music and artwork. There artwork is different from the norm, which usually includes the band in the front cover. However, they still suit the genre of the band, a rock/british indie style.
The artwork used by the Sheffield 4 piece band shows a council estate with modernist artwork within the windows. This setting for the album is a common place to the band, which grew up in the poor suburbs of the ‘Steel City’. The name of the album, ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ also connotes the rough and tough lifestyle in this part of the country, meaning it can be a nightmare at times but always good fun.
The front cover of the album represents the changing image of the band. Their first album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s what I am not’ had an image of a working class man between the ages of 18-25 smoking a cigarette, a stereotypical image of a man living in a council estate. The second album follows on in this style with the image of a council flats. Also, the dark saturation of the album cover conveys the gloomy and dark nature of council house lifestyle. In contrast to this connotation, the bright and vivid colours of the modernist artwork in the windows show another side to their lifestyle. This represents the artist’s playful side in their music and lifestyle, which has developed as their music popularity has grown. An example of their slightly eccentric side was in 2007; when they played live on the Jonathon Ross show dressed up as clowns.
The band image and album appeals to the target audience as the audience can connect to the bands lifestyle before they hit stardom. Before they became a massive hit through Myspace, they were four normal teenagers from Sheffield and this is showed through their music and artwork. There artwork is different from the norm, which usually includes the band in the front cover. However, they still suit the genre of the band, a rock/british indie style.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Textual Analysis of a Music Video: Lostprophets 'Shinobi Vs Drangon Ninja'
Lostprophets - Shinobi VS. Dragon Ninja - Music Video - The funniest videos are a click away
Above is 2001 video for 'Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja' by rockers Lostprophets. The video is based on the top level of a multi-story car park in an urban city. This setting connotes that the band is popular in the cool urban underground. The video is mostly made up of the live performance of the band and the surrounding crowd dancing and 'moshing' to the music. The band is performing at day time, with naturalistic lighting used to create a sense of reality about the performance.
The editing of this production is very synchronous to the pace of the song. When the big riffs and when the chorus is played, the editing is extremely quick, with shots only last one or two seconds at the most. These shots are made up mostly of the band playing, either close ups of the singer, Ian Watkins, or of the band playing their instruments. After the second chorus, the song slows down. As a consequence, the editing and shot timing changes. During this period, many slow motion shots are used to create the slow pace of this part of the song. However, this doesn't last long as the pace picks up again and the editing becomes even quicker, with shots last hundreds of a second. One shot that conveys the pace and beat of this song is at 6 seconds. This shot is a tracking shot of the audience running to the band. The tracking is very quick, while the girl in focus is sprinting past the camera. This shot is just before the music starts with all the instruments. I like this shot as it shows the path of the song and the pace of which it will go at. Also, I think is a great looking shot for the video.
Another way to show the energy of the band is through the audience. When the song is being played, the crowd are very energetic along with the band themselves. The target audience for the Lostprophets would be teenagers, from the ages of 14-24. This would be because of the style of music, which is mostly listened to by this age range. The energetic and frantic pace of this band is also needed in by the audience to create a good audience, hence the young looking crowd in the video.
To be honest, this video has no narrative structure or meaning to the song. For the first half of the video, all you see is the crowd running in there masses to the top level of the car park and the band playing the song. In the second half of the song, skateboarders are used to keep the attention of the audience. You see the skaters pass through the car park before reaching the top level. The ellipsis transition is used as you assume that they skate through the car park, only seeing them briefly move through it. One part of the video that I like is when the skaters are used in the slow motion shots. Slow motion skateboarding shots look excellent and defiantly add something to a very one-sided video. Skateboarders are used in this production as it is a stereotypical social group for this band. This genre of music, rock/metal/emo, was all the rage with skateboarders at the start of the 21st century.
The only type of transition used in this video is the cut. This is a simple yet effective transition for this kind of music video. It helps to create a sense of tempo about the video. By the end of the video, this start to become a little boring and repetitive.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Textual Analysis of a Music Video: Oren Lavie 'Her Morning Elegance'
The video above is by Oren Lavie. The song, 'Her Morning Elegance', uses Stop Motion to create a sense of movement. This is a very unconventional way of creating movement. Stop motion is created by taking thousands of still shots and changing the scene a small amount, thus producing a video when putting all of these images together. This technique is very effective in creating a kind of dreamlike feeling, which produces a better narrative using the various props used.
The Directors, Oren Lavie, Yuval & Merav Nathan, use the stop motion to bring in the audience to watch the video. The video has a weak narrative, thus using the unusual and clever technique to keep the audience interested. Furthermore, there is little variety to the camera angles used. The master shot is used for a majority of the video, which is a high angle medium shot of the bed. Apart from this shot, there are a few close ups of the woman and that is about all.
The video starts with the sun rising and shinning through the woman's bedroom window, like she is waking up from a dream. After that, the bed that she is lying on becomes the background for all of the shots, as a high angle shot is used throughout the film. As the narrative progresses, the woman starts to 'walk' in her 'dream'. This is created by taking still shots of the woman lying on he side, like she is walking normally. At this point, the man enters 'her dream', running with her side by side. The video uses pillows above the woman and man's head as clouds. These pillows change from white to grey to represent the change of mood in the narrative. Furthermore, the bed sheets change for white to black when see dives into the sea. All of props that are used in the video are from a normal bedroom. Items such as t-shirts are used as birds flying in the wind and blue bed sheets to create the sea. This idea for changing the scene is very effective as the audience can distinguish quickly that she has dived into the see thanks to her movement and the use of socks as fish.
The target audience for Oren Lavie's style of music is broad. This genre of music, a cross between pop and classical, can appeal to all age groups but is most likely to focus on the older age groups. I think that the age range for Oren Lavie would normally be between the ages of 25-40. I think that this style of music would be listened to by both male and female, but more by females as they usually prefer softer and slower music, which this is.
I believe that this video is an excellent piece of media. The use of stop motion really does set this apart from the norm of music video, involving a live performance and narrative. The problem with this video is that video is more interesting than the song. I think this is a major flaw as this video is remembered for the video, when trying to promote the song to the audience. This video has had over 7 million viewings on YouTube (11th October 2009) and most of these views are thanks to the techniques used. Looking at the past 10 comments for Lavie's song, only one person mentioned something the song, while the rest commented on the video techniques. However, after researching the artist further, i have found that this song is the most popular song on the album. On the US version of iTunes, this is easily the most popular song on the album 'The Opposite Side of the Sea'.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Location Scouting
MORE INFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Below are video's of our location, Hethersett Skatepark
The first video is a shot that we are going to use in the video. It is a panning shot, focusing on the box (where the band will be 'playing')
The second video is a 360 degree shot of the skatepark. This video just shows what the view from the box is like and the point of view from the band. we may use a shot like this during the video.
This video is a 360 degree panning shot around the box. We achieved this shot by filming while on a skateboard, being pushed around. We used a skateboard is it is easy to film on and stable when moving.
The last video is another of the shots we want to use in the music video. This high angle shot we will use in the production.
As you can see from our videos, the skatepark is in a rural setting in a Norfolk village. This location is different to other music videos that include skateboarding/skateparks. Normally, skateboarding footage would be shot in an urban location, such as a city centre. Furthermore, skateparks are usually a lot bigger than Hethersett, packed with other skaters. The rural location connotes a more low-tech band, who have connections to their home and rural life. There is also a slightly humorous side to the production due to the location. Thanks to the rural location, it makes the band look quite amateur. Furthemore, the sheep in the background show the lighter side of the production and a stereotype of Norfolk, with masses of sheep and rural areas.
Below are video's of our location, Hethersett Skatepark
The first video is a shot that we are going to use in the video. It is a panning shot, focusing on the box (where the band will be 'playing')
The second video is a 360 degree shot of the skatepark. This video just shows what the view from the box is like and the point of view from the band. we may use a shot like this during the video.
This video is a 360 degree panning shot around the box. We achieved this shot by filming while on a skateboard, being pushed around. We used a skateboard is it is easy to film on and stable when moving.
The last video is another of the shots we want to use in the music video. This high angle shot we will use in the production.
As you can see from our videos, the skatepark is in a rural setting in a Norfolk village. This location is different to other music videos that include skateboarding/skateparks. Normally, skateboarding footage would be shot in an urban location, such as a city centre. Furthermore, skateparks are usually a lot bigger than Hethersett, packed with other skaters. The rural location connotes a more low-tech band, who have connections to their home and rural life. There is also a slightly humorous side to the production due to the location. Thanks to the rural location, it makes the band look quite amateur. Furthemore, the sheep in the background show the lighter side of the production and a stereotype of Norfolk, with masses of sheep and rural areas.
Initial Idea and Treatment
MORE INFO AND 2 EXAMPLE VIDEOS OF STOP MOTION AND HOW THEY HAVE INFLUENCED THE PRODUCTION
The Band: We have chosen the band Blighters. The song we are using is 'Boys in Motion', as me, Jake and Tyrrell all liked the song and thought that we could come up with some great ideas for the video thanks to the lyrics and title.
Video plan
We decided that a live performance of the band would be a good idea. We have chosen the skate park at Hethersett, as this is a good size for the performance and as all of us live in Hethersett, makes sense. We believe that the skatepark would be a great location thanks to the connotations we can use. Firstly, the 'Boys in Motion' title fits in well with the skatepark as a skatepark is normally used by boys/teenagers between the ages of 12 to 18. This is the also the target audience for our music. We think that both males and females will enjoy this music, but mostly males. Also, the age group would be between 15-25. Furthermore, they are using it for a sport, (usually skateboarding, BMXing or Inline Rollerblading), which describes the motion part of the title.
We want the band to perform on the jump box (the thing with 3 ramps and the flight of stairs for you non-skateboarders) with speakers, mics, drums, guitar. Furthermore, we will add shots of skaters using the park and add them to the video, as they are boys in motion. We would like an audience, however, this may be a step to far logistically with the numbers that would be needed. We believe that dusk would be the best time to do it, with spotlights (Garden lights and high-powered torches) lighting up the jump box from a high angle. We liked the idea of filming at dusk as we can create the right mood for the film. With the dark background, we can create a slightly moody atmosphere, which is a stereotypical feeling for male teenagers.
As well as the music performance, we want to incorporate Stop Motion. We will create little Story line's to fill out the video and break up the live shots. We have already experimented with this idea, as the video with Jake in the bed and the Post-it notes show. We believe that this would make our music video something special and different from the rest of the class. Furthermore, the use of stop motion would also appeal to our target audience, which was mentioned above. Videos such as 'Her Morning Elegance' by Oren Lavie and 'DEADLINE post-it stop motion' on YouTube have had millions of views. Our target audience of 15-21 are the main consumers of YouTube, showing that stop motion filming appeals to our audience.
When filming at the skatepark location, we will be following the narrative structure of song. As shown in are annotated lyrics sheet, we intend to use lines of the song and film them accordingly. Lines such as "Better get used to being lonely", we would shoot the lead skater on his own at the empty skatepark. Furthermore, the 'soldier' in this song will be the skateboarder.
The Band: We have chosen the band Blighters. The song we are using is 'Boys in Motion', as me, Jake and Tyrrell all liked the song and thought that we could come up with some great ideas for the video thanks to the lyrics and title.
Video plan
We decided that a live performance of the band would be a good idea. We have chosen the skate park at Hethersett, as this is a good size for the performance and as all of us live in Hethersett, makes sense. We believe that the skatepark would be a great location thanks to the connotations we can use. Firstly, the 'Boys in Motion' title fits in well with the skatepark as a skatepark is normally used by boys/teenagers between the ages of 12 to 18. This is the also the target audience for our music. We think that both males and females will enjoy this music, but mostly males. Also, the age group would be between 15-25. Furthermore, they are using it for a sport, (usually skateboarding, BMXing or Inline Rollerblading), which describes the motion part of the title.
We want the band to perform on the jump box (the thing with 3 ramps and the flight of stairs for you non-skateboarders) with speakers, mics, drums, guitar. Furthermore, we will add shots of skaters using the park and add them to the video, as they are boys in motion. We would like an audience, however, this may be a step to far logistically with the numbers that would be needed. We believe that dusk would be the best time to do it, with spotlights (Garden lights and high-powered torches) lighting up the jump box from a high angle. We liked the idea of filming at dusk as we can create the right mood for the film. With the dark background, we can create a slightly moody atmosphere, which is a stereotypical feeling for male teenagers.
As well as the music performance, we want to incorporate Stop Motion. We will create little Story line's to fill out the video and break up the live shots. We have already experimented with this idea, as the video with Jake in the bed and the Post-it notes show. We believe that this would make our music video something special and different from the rest of the class. Furthermore, the use of stop motion would also appeal to our target audience, which was mentioned above. Videos such as 'Her Morning Elegance' by Oren Lavie and 'DEADLINE post-it stop motion' on YouTube have had millions of views. Our target audience of 15-21 are the main consumers of YouTube, showing that stop motion filming appeals to our audience.
When filming at the skatepark location, we will be following the narrative structure of song. As shown in are annotated lyrics sheet, we intend to use lines of the song and film them accordingly. Lines such as "Better get used to being lonely", we would shoot the lead skater on his own at the empty skatepark. Furthermore, the 'soldier' in this song will be the skateboarder.
Shooting Maps for Skatepark
NEW AND IMPROVED, WITH MORE WORK ON LIGHTING
Below is the lighting map for the skatepark. The blue boxes are the lighting, with the yellow beams showing were the lighting is going. Lighting comes from either side of the box hoping to create a spotlight crossover effect - This is ideal for the characteristics of the video as the box is like a stage. The shadows created will look great and we are hoping to have some some shots which include low-key lighting which we wish to use and having this type of lighting allows us to do this.
Two gaslights on the box - This should almost be the main part of the lighting and the low lighting should give off a great affect. After little experiments with the lights we have seen that they create great all round shadow effects. From these shadows we can then produce shots of the shadows which would be good for 'fill ins'
Here is a photo of the effect of low key lighting total darkness in the background and partial lighting to the cat. By using this effect we can create a sense of importance towards an object or person. We may use this effect on the instruments as well as the band members
Here is our main shot for the perfomance setting. As you can see from the lighting above, the shotlights will be focused on the band, with the camera facing to the camera.
Another shot that we want to use in the production is this panning shot. We would use a skate board to smoothly move around the band to create an excellent shot.
The next shot we have is of a high angle shot from the ramp. This will be useful to create different views of the band.
Below is the lighting map for the skatepark. The blue boxes are the lighting, with the yellow beams showing were the lighting is going. Lighting comes from either side of the box hoping to create a spotlight crossover effect - This is ideal for the characteristics of the video as the box is like a stage. The shadows created will look great and we are hoping to have some some shots which include low-key lighting which we wish to use and having this type of lighting allows us to do this.
Two gaslights on the box - This should almost be the main part of the lighting and the low lighting should give off a great affect. After little experiments with the lights we have seen that they create great all round shadow effects. From these shadows we can then produce shots of the shadows which would be good for 'fill ins'
Here is a photo of the effect of low key lighting total darkness in the background and partial lighting to the cat. By using this effect we can create a sense of importance towards an object or person. We may use this effect on the instruments as well as the band members
Here is our main shot for the perfomance setting. As you can see from the lighting above, the shotlights will be focused on the band, with the camera facing to the camera.
Another shot that we want to use in the production is this panning shot. We would use a skate board to smoothly move around the band to create an excellent shot.
The next shot we have is of a high angle shot from the ramp. This will be useful to create different views of the band.
Casting and Costumes
NEW AND IMPROVED, WITH LOTS MORE WORK ON CUSTOMES AND THEIR CONNOTATIONS
To keep with the same style of the band, above, we have decided to have a smart/casual look during the live performance part of the production.
Lead Singer - Owen Taylor
Jake is also in the production group and loves to be involved. He likes to play the drums and looks the part.
Drums - Shirt and Jeans (See above for picture and discription)
Skaters - Toby Roper, Jake Mardell
Skaters - Hoody and Jeans (Stereotypical 'skater' clothing)
Owen loves his music and has been scouted to be a model in the past. He also has the great look for a front man.Furthermore, he plays the guitar and is a good friend, who will be reliable.
Lead Singer - Quite Smart - Blazer and jeans
The Smartest connotes importance towards the lead singer which will contrast with the other band members and especially the skateboarder. Furthermore, as Owen is the smartest out of the 3 peice, it represents that he is the lead and the frontman of the group.
Bass Guitar - Ryan Hayward
As i am in the production group, it is much easier to have me playing in the band. I will always be around when we film.
Bass and Drums - Shirt and Jeans
After looking at photos of the band and also seeing them live, the band like to wear shirts. We have deciced to mirror this image, with both bassist and drummer wearing shirt and most probably jeans. The shirts represents the more smarter look of the band, while the more casual jeans so there more relaxed side. This can also be related to the target audience, who mostly wear jeans and shirts are in-fashion with the target audience of our band at the moment
Drums - Jake Mardell
Lead Singer - Quite Smart - Blazer and jeans
The Smartest connotes importance towards the lead singer which will contrast with the other band members and especially the skateboarder. Furthermore, as Owen is the smartest out of the 3 peice, it represents that he is the lead and the frontman of the group.
Bass Guitar - Ryan Hayward
As i am in the production group, it is much easier to have me playing in the band. I will always be around when we film.
Bass and Drums - Shirt and Jeans
After looking at photos of the band and also seeing them live, the band like to wear shirts. We have deciced to mirror this image, with both bassist and drummer wearing shirt and most probably jeans. The shirts represents the more smarter look of the band, while the more casual jeans so there more relaxed side. This can also be related to the target audience, who mostly wear jeans and shirts are in-fashion with the target audience of our band at the moment
Drums - Jake Mardell
Jake is also in the production group and loves to be involved. He likes to play the drums and looks the part.
Drums - Shirt and Jeans (See above for picture and discription)
Skaters - Toby Roper, Jake Mardell
Skaters - Hoody and Jeans (Stereotypical 'skater' clothing)
Below are the stereotypical look of a skater. We have decided to use the baggy jeans and hoody as it helps to make the production look authentic. Furthermore, the dress sense of these characters is something that the target audience can relate to. The look of the skaters also connotes their way of life. Their clothing isn't very flashy or high maintaince, which is reflected in their life style. We are also going to get him to wear a hat (below). This is a 'cool' trend at the moment and therefore matches the 'cool' skateboarding image
Below is a video of Toby Skateboarding
Below is a video of Toby Skateboarding
Monday, September 28, 2009
Shot List
MORE SHOTS HAVE BEEN ADDED
Rough Timeline
00:00 - 00:31 = Stop Motion / Journey to Skatepark
00:31 - 01:01 = Narrative
01:01 - 01:31 = Performance
01:31 - 02:01 = Both
02:01 - 02:30 = Both
Shot List
00:00 - 00:31
[Narrative]
1 - 3 - Waking up in Bed [Stop Motion similar to practice video]
4 - 5 - Eating breakfast & Postits [Stop Motion - Side shot - Postits band title]
6 - 8- Fridge magnets [Stop Motion - Song title]
9- 10 - Going out the door [Stop Motion then speeding up to normal]
11- 13 - Skateboarding to Park [Normal / faster speed] / fade out
Shot List
00:31 - 01:01
[Performance]
14 - 17 - Fade in at skatepark [Long tracking shot]
18 - 22 : Numerous performance shots with clips of skateboarding [360 shot, panning quick high and low angle shots]
Shot List
01.01 - 1.31
Skateboarding Narrative
23-26 : Skateboarding narrative part [Long shot, close ups]
27-30 : skateboarding stunt (ollie over the drums) involving two shots slow motion and normal merging the two [tracking + panning]
01.31 - 2.30
Performance
Skateboarding/ Performance
31-34: Performance shots - [high and low angle - 360 and panning shots ]
35-39 : Skating - [tracking ]
40 -45: Performance"
46-47: Sheep shot- [Long Shot] Fade out
Rough Timeline
00:00 - 00:31 = Stop Motion / Journey to Skatepark
00:31 - 01:01 = Narrative
01:01 - 01:31 = Performance
01:31 - 02:01 = Both
02:01 - 02:30 = Both
Shot List
00:00 - 00:31
[Narrative]
1 - 3 - Waking up in Bed [Stop Motion similar to practice video]
4 - 5 - Eating breakfast & Postits [Stop Motion - Side shot - Postits band title]
6 - 8- Fridge magnets [Stop Motion - Song title]
9- 10 - Going out the door [Stop Motion then speeding up to normal]
11- 13 - Skateboarding to Park [Normal / faster speed] / fade out
Shot List
00:31 - 01:01
[Performance]
14 - 17 - Fade in at skatepark [Long tracking shot]
18 - 22 : Numerous performance shots with clips of skateboarding [360 shot, panning quick high and low angle shots]
Shot List
01.01 - 1.31
Skateboarding Narrative
23-26 : Skateboarding narrative part [Long shot, close ups]
27-30 : skateboarding stunt (ollie over the drums) involving two shots slow motion and normal merging the two [tracking + panning]
01.31 - 2.30
Performance
Skateboarding/ Performance
31-34: Performance shots - [high and low angle - 360 and panning shots ]
35-39 : Skating - [tracking ]
40 -45: Performance"
46-47: Sheep shot- [Long Shot] Fade out
Location
MORE INFO ON WHY WE ARE USING THE SKATEPARK AND TWO VIDEOS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ARE PRODUCTION
Location - Hethersett Skate park (Summertime, Afternoon)
Here is the location for our video, Hethersett Skate Park. This will provide a contrast to other skateboarding videos, which use larger skateparks, as well as add a layed of humour with the sheep in the background. We will use the jump box (picture 3) for the band to perform and use the the ramps in pictures 1 and 4 for high angle shots. We may use the kicker, picture 2, for skating tricks to add to the video.
We are using skateboarding in our video as it ties in with the 'Boys in Motion' title and is used in music vidoes aimed at our target audeince. Music video's such as Lostprophets 'Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja' and Sum 41 with 'Fat Lip' both use skateboarding throughout. These bands many have have a slightly different genre, but still target the same audience that we plan to with the Blighters. Video's such as these show that skateboarding appeals to the target audience, which we hope to use to our advantage.
Lostprophets - Shinobi VS. Dragon Ninja - Music Video - The funniest videos are a click away
Another use for using skateboarding in our music video is also to keep the interest of the audience. If we were to use just live performance, then the audience would lose interest before the video has finished. When we introduce skateboarding tricks and shots into the video, it should help to keep the audience awake! Like the shots in the Lostprophets video, we want to use a lot of slow motion, as this is effective to the music and has a great contrast with the fast pace shots shown when the band perform.
Furthermore, the use of skateboarding can be used during the narrative to connote certain lines of the song. Lines such as "Better get used to being lonely", we would shoot the lead skater on his own at the empty skatepark. Furthermore, the 'soldier' in this song will be the skateboarder.
Another location that we intend to use is my house for any of the stop motion filming. Video's which we have done already, the bed scene and the Post-it clip, were filmed at my house when getting used to stop motion filming.
Location - Hethersett Skate park (Summertime, Afternoon)
Here is the location for our video, Hethersett Skate Park. This will provide a contrast to other skateboarding videos, which use larger skateparks, as well as add a layed of humour with the sheep in the background. We will use the jump box (picture 3) for the band to perform and use the the ramps in pictures 1 and 4 for high angle shots. We may use the kicker, picture 2, for skating tricks to add to the video.
We are using skateboarding in our video as it ties in with the 'Boys in Motion' title and is used in music vidoes aimed at our target audeince. Music video's such as Lostprophets 'Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja' and Sum 41 with 'Fat Lip' both use skateboarding throughout. These bands many have have a slightly different genre, but still target the same audience that we plan to with the Blighters. Video's such as these show that skateboarding appeals to the target audience, which we hope to use to our advantage.
Lostprophets - Shinobi VS. Dragon Ninja - Music Video - The funniest videos are a click away
Another use for using skateboarding in our music video is also to keep the interest of the audience. If we were to use just live performance, then the audience would lose interest before the video has finished. When we introduce skateboarding tricks and shots into the video, it should help to keep the audience awake! Like the shots in the Lostprophets video, we want to use a lot of slow motion, as this is effective to the music and has a great contrast with the fast pace shots shown when the band perform.
Furthermore, the use of skateboarding can be used during the narrative to connote certain lines of the song. Lines such as "Better get used to being lonely", we would shoot the lead skater on his own at the empty skatepark. Furthermore, the 'soldier' in this song will be the skateboarder.
Another location that we intend to use is my house for any of the stop motion filming. Video's which we have done already, the bed scene and the Post-it clip, were filmed at my house when getting used to stop motion filming.
Props and Equipment
MORE ORGANISED AND INFORMATION ON THE PROPS, MORE CONNOTATIONS TOO!
Below are the props and equipment that will be needed on the day of filming.
Props
The band members
Lead/Guitarist: Owen, Guitar (Thanks to Jake), Clothing (Blazer and Jeans)
Bassist: Ryan, Bass (Thanks to Chris(another friend)), Clothing (Shirt and Jeans)
Drummer: Jake, Drum Kit (Either Toby or Owen), Clothing (Shirt and Jeans)
Microphone (Jake)
Amp's (Jake, Toby?)
Electrical Leads for music instruments
Skateboard, BMX etc. (Ryan, Jake, Toby)
For our music video, we have a selection of props that we intend to use during the song. Firstly, we have the instruments (Guitar, Bass Guitar and Drums) which are the instrumnets that are played by the blighters. Furthermore, we need microphones and Amp's to create a realistic music venue. The Electrical leads also add to this realism. luckily, all of the props can be sources from either the production group or good friends. This has helped massively as when don't have to use lots of people and all of the props come from the village, which makes it easy to get them to the skatepark without too much hassle.
We will use skateboards as this the other main part of footage at the skatepark. We may also use a BMX bike just to add a bit of variety to the film. The connotations of the skateboards is the title, 'Boys in Motion'. With shots of Toby and Jake flowing from ramp to ramp, it connotes them in motion. Furthermore, as mentioned in other posts, skateboarding is a stereotypical fill in in music video's that target our audience.
Equipment
Hethersett Stakepark
Lighting for the skatepark at early evening (Andy, Jake)
Speakers to play the track when filming (Ryan)
Step Ladder to film high angle shots (Ryan)
Below are the props and equipment that will be needed on the day of filming.
Props
The band members
Lead/Guitarist: Owen, Guitar (Thanks to Jake), Clothing (Blazer and Jeans)
Bassist: Ryan, Bass (Thanks to Chris(another friend)), Clothing (Shirt and Jeans)
Drummer: Jake, Drum Kit (Either Toby or Owen), Clothing (Shirt and Jeans)
Microphone (Jake)
Amp's (Jake, Toby?)
Electrical Leads for music instruments
Skateboard, BMX etc. (Ryan, Jake, Toby)
For our music video, we have a selection of props that we intend to use during the song. Firstly, we have the instruments (Guitar, Bass Guitar and Drums) which are the instrumnets that are played by the blighters. Furthermore, we need microphones and Amp's to create a realistic music venue. The Electrical leads also add to this realism. luckily, all of the props can be sources from either the production group or good friends. This has helped massively as when don't have to use lots of people and all of the props come from the village, which makes it easy to get them to the skatepark without too much hassle.
We will use skateboards as this the other main part of footage at the skatepark. We may also use a BMX bike just to add a bit of variety to the film. The connotations of the skateboards is the title, 'Boys in Motion'. With shots of Toby and Jake flowing from ramp to ramp, it connotes them in motion. Furthermore, as mentioned in other posts, skateboarding is a stereotypical fill in in music video's that target our audience.
Equipment
Hethersett Stakepark
Lighting for the skatepark at early evening (Andy, Jake)
Speakers to play the track when filming (Ryan)
Step Ladder to film high angle shots (Ryan)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Blighters - 'Boys in Motion' MP3
We are planning to cut this track down to around 2.30 due to not wanting an overly long music video. This will also make it far easier for us to fill the time limit with a more varying amount of shots and a cleaner narrative because we will not have to just create clips to fill space.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
‘Boys in Motion’ – Blighters Lyrics
The war has been won
The soldier must go on
in search of
New life, new work
You were my battle
And you have been won
Like the Soldier
I must move on
The boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Girls smell so sweet
or so I remember
So why do you
Make it so hard to fall in love
I guess there's no one good for me
Better get used to being lonely
don't ever say
Fall in love
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
The soldier must go on
in search of
New life, new work
You were my battle
And you have been won
Like the Soldier
I must move on
The boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Girls smell so sweet
or so I remember
So why do you
Make it so hard to fall in love
I guess there's no one good for me
Better get used to being lonely
don't ever say
Fall in love
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Oh boys in Motion
Fighting against me girl
This place like heaven
Monday, September 7, 2009
Nokia Tube: UK's Best Selling Portable Music Player | Tube5800.com
Nokia Tube: UK's Best Selling Portable Music Player | Tube5800.com: "Nokia’s new adverts in UK claims that Nokia 5800 is the new highest selling portable music player. According to GFK Retail and Technology data, the Nokia 5800 was the top device in both volume and value in Q1 of 2009 in the UK. This makes it the best selling portable music player beating even the Apple Ipod.
The touch phone has well placed itself as a phone come mp3 player in the market. Nokia 5800’s mega success has surprised the competitors, analysts and even the manufacturers. Nokia’s CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo recently said that the sales figures for 5800 are well beyond their expectations and this device has a potential to become the most sold Nokia phone ever."
The touch phone has well placed itself as a phone come mp3 player in the market. Nokia 5800’s mega success has surprised the competitors, analysts and even the manufacturers. Nokia’s CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo recently said that the sales figures for 5800 are well beyond their expectations and this device has a potential to become the most sold Nokia phone ever."
The iPod Timeline
2001
October: At a press-only event at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., campus, Apple unveils the iPod, a 5GB hard-drive-based music player that will sell for $399. “To have your whole CD library with you at all times is a quantum leap when it comes to music,” Steve Jobs tells the press. “You can fit your whole music library in your pocket.”
November: The iPod officially hits retail shelves on November 10.
December: Between the iPod’s November 10 release date and December 31, Apple sells 125,000 iPods.
2002
January: The first-generation iPod gets a -rating from Macworld winning praise for its high capacity, fast transfer speeds, and iTunes integration, but getting knocked for its price as well as the lack of a case or strap.
February: Testifying before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Disney CEO Michael Eisner says Apple’s “Rip, Mix, Burn” ads promoting its digital hub concept suggest “that [you] can create a theft if you buy this computer.” Steve Jobs counters in the Wall Street Journal : “If you legally acquire music, you need to have the right to manage it on all other devices that you own.”
March: Apple adds a second iPod to its offerings —a 10GB model priced at $499. In addition, Apple makes free software available for downloading and storing names and addresses on the iPod; the company also introduces a custom-order laser engraving service that let users engrave two lines of text with up to 27 characters per line on the back of the iPod for $49.
July: Apple rolls out a new generation of iPods, topping out at 20GB in capacity. More important, instead of a scroll wheel, the 10GB and 20GB models feature a touch wheel and a door for protecting the iPod’s FireWire port. A software update lets the music player organize songs by genre or composer in addition to title, album, or playlist. The price of the 5GB iPod falls below $300.
August: iPods become available to Windows users for the first time.
2003
January: During his Macworld Expo keynote, Jobs notes that Apple has sold more than 600,000 iPods in the 14 months since its launch.
April: Apple introduces the iTunes Music Store; the online music service debuts with more than 200,000 songs available for download. Songs downloaded from iTunes can play on an unlimited number of iPods.
Also in April, the iPod’s interface adds a solid-state scroll wheel with four buttons—rewind, menu, play/pause, and fast-forward—on top. Replacing the FireWire port is a thin connector that let the device hook up to a Mac or PC with either FireWire or USB 2.0.
September: Apple ups capacity on the iPod line, offering 10GB ($299), 20GB ($399) and 40GB ($499).
Software developer Dave Winer creates an RSS-with-enclosures feed that can be used to distribute audio content. This will eventually grow into a phenomenon that, by 2004, becomes commonly known as “podcasting.”
October: Windows users get the chance to fill up their iPods with 99-cent downloads, as the iTunes Music Store goes cross-platform.
The iPod 2.1 software update adds the ability to store voice recordings and digital photos with the help of add-ons made by Belkin.
2004
January: Apple expands the iPod line with a new slimmed-down—and colorful—offering: the iPod mini. Half-an-inch thin and about the size of a business card, the mini comes in gold, blue, pink, and green anodized aluminum. The 4GB player sells for $249.
During the same keynote as the mini’s unveiling, Apple raises the capacity on the $299 iPod to 15GB. Jobs announces that Apple sold 730,000 iPods between October and December, pushing total iPod sales past the 2 million mark.
HP and Apple announce that HP will sell HP-branded iPods supplied by Apple.
June: Apple’s iTunes Store expands overseas, opening in the U.K., France, and Germany. By year's end, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Canada will have iTunes Music Stores of their own.
July: A new generation of iPods incorporates the Click Wheel interface introduced six months earlier with the iPod mini. A 20GB model sells for $299 while a 40GB iPod is available for $399.
September: HP releases its iPod offerings, which are identical to Apple’s 20GB and 40GB fourth-generation iPods—except for the HP logo on the back.
October: Apple introduces the color-screen iPod photo. Available in 40 and 60GB capacities, the device plays music as well as displays photos on a 220-by-176-pixel resolution screen. At that same launch event, Steve Jobs is joined by Bono and The Edge to introduce the 20GB iPod U2 Special Edition. Featuring a black case and red Click Wheel, the $349 iPod includes a $50 discount on a digital box set of all U2’s albums as well as rare and unreleased tracks.
November: Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of MP3 player manufacturer Creative Technology, declares “war” on the iPod.
December: During the holiday quarter, Apple sells more than 4.5 million iPods, a 500 percent jump from the same period in 2004. Apple’s total iPod sales climb past 10 million, with 8.2 million units sold in 2004 alone.
2005
January: Apple gets into the flash-based music player business, introducing the iPod shuffle. About the size of a stick of gum, the shuffle comes in 512MB ($99) and 1GB ($149) capacities.
At Macworld Expo, Apple announces that Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Volvo, and Scion will introduce iPod adapters for their factory-installed stereos in 2005.
February: The mini becomes available in 4GB and 6GB capacities. A 30GB iPod photo replaces Apple’s 40GB offering. Prices fall to $349 for the 30GB model and $449 for the 60GB one. On the full-size iPod front, Apple drops the 40GB model and cuts the price of the 20GB iPod to $249.
Napster launches its subscription-based Napster To Go service during the Super Bowl with an ad blasting the per-download pricing model Apple uses for its iTunes Store.
June: The iPod and iPod photo lines are merged into the iPod (color), ending the availability of monochrome-screen music players. The new iPod is available in 20GB ($299) and 60GB ($399) sizes. Also, Apple cuts the price of the 1GB shuffle to $129.
iTunes 4.9 adds download and subscription support for podcasts within the iTunes Music Store, as well as features for managing podcasts and moving them on and off iPods.
July: Creative Technology warns its investors to expect a quarterly operating loss because of softer-than-expected sales of its MP3 players. Meanwhile, HP announces it will stop selling its branded iPods in September.
August: Creative wins a patent for how files on digital music players are organized that it claims coves not only its own Zen and Nomad jukeboxes but also iPods.
September: Despite the popularity of the iPod mini, Apple replaces the miniature player with an even smaller device— the iPod nano. Available in glossy black or white, the nano features a color display and a grey Click Wheel. The 2GB and 4GB nanos sell for $199 and $249, respectively.
At the same event, Apple announces the first iTunes-compatible cell phone, Motorola’s Rokr. It will quickly become overshadowed by the nano.
October: Apple adds video playback capabilities to the iPod line. The fifth-generation iPod plays video on a 2.5-inch, 320-by-240, 260,000 color TFT display. It comes in 30GB ($299) and 60GB ($399) sizes. To coincide with the launch of the video iPod, Apple releases an updated version of iTunes that includes video playback. Disney becomes the first company to start offering television programs for sale at the iTunes Music Store, with episodes from four TV shows priced at $1.99 each.
2006
January: During his Macworld Expo keynote, Jobs notes that Apple has sold 42 million iPods since the device launched in 2001. Also, consumers have bought 850 millions songs through the iTunes Music Store. Eight million videos have been sold and downloaded since that service was added in the fall.
February: Apple adds a third offering to its iPod nano line— a $149 1GB model. Also, the company cuts prices on its 512MB and 1GB shuffles to $69 and $99, respectively.
May: Creative and Apple trade lawsuits, with each company alleging that the other has infringed upon its patents.
August: Apple agrees to pay Creative $100 million to resolve the legal dispute between the two companies. Creative agrees to begin making iPod accessories this year.
September: Apple overhauls its entire iPod product line. The second-generation shuffle comes in only one capacity in a clip-on case that’s roughly half the size of its predecessor. The second-generation nanos are available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities—because of their new scratch-resistant shell, they come in a variety of colors. And the video-capable iPod sees some changes as well, namely a brighter screen, longer battery life, and other enhancements. The newly renamed iTunes Store begins offering feature-length movies for download.
The iPod faces what could be its most serious challenge yet, as Microsoft readies its Zune media player for a November launch.
October: The iPod line gets another new color, as Apple unveils a red 4GB nano, as part of the Project Red initiative for raising money to combat AIDS in Africa.
http://www.macworld.com/article/53499/ipodtimeline.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a38:g26:r11:c0.005157:b21018209:z0
October: At a press-only event at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., campus, Apple unveils the iPod, a 5GB hard-drive-based music player that will sell for $399. “To have your whole CD library with you at all times is a quantum leap when it comes to music,” Steve Jobs tells the press. “You can fit your whole music library in your pocket.”
November: The iPod officially hits retail shelves on November 10.
December: Between the iPod’s November 10 release date and December 31, Apple sells 125,000 iPods.
2002
January: The first-generation iPod gets a -rating from Macworld winning praise for its high capacity, fast transfer speeds, and iTunes integration, but getting knocked for its price as well as the lack of a case or strap.
February: Testifying before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Disney CEO Michael Eisner says Apple’s “Rip, Mix, Burn” ads promoting its digital hub concept suggest “that [you] can create a theft if you buy this computer.” Steve Jobs counters in the Wall Street Journal : “If you legally acquire music, you need to have the right to manage it on all other devices that you own.”
March: Apple adds a second iPod to its offerings —a 10GB model priced at $499. In addition, Apple makes free software available for downloading and storing names and addresses on the iPod; the company also introduces a custom-order laser engraving service that let users engrave two lines of text with up to 27 characters per line on the back of the iPod for $49.
July: Apple rolls out a new generation of iPods, topping out at 20GB in capacity. More important, instead of a scroll wheel, the 10GB and 20GB models feature a touch wheel and a door for protecting the iPod’s FireWire port. A software update lets the music player organize songs by genre or composer in addition to title, album, or playlist. The price of the 5GB iPod falls below $300.
August: iPods become available to Windows users for the first time.
2003
January: During his Macworld Expo keynote, Jobs notes that Apple has sold more than 600,000 iPods in the 14 months since its launch.
April: Apple introduces the iTunes Music Store; the online music service debuts with more than 200,000 songs available for download. Songs downloaded from iTunes can play on an unlimited number of iPods.
Also in April, the iPod’s interface adds a solid-state scroll wheel with four buttons—rewind, menu, play/pause, and fast-forward—on top. Replacing the FireWire port is a thin connector that let the device hook up to a Mac or PC with either FireWire or USB 2.0.
September: Apple ups capacity on the iPod line, offering 10GB ($299), 20GB ($399) and 40GB ($499).
Software developer Dave Winer creates an RSS-with-enclosures feed that can be used to distribute audio content. This will eventually grow into a phenomenon that, by 2004, becomes commonly known as “podcasting.”
October: Windows users get the chance to fill up their iPods with 99-cent downloads, as the iTunes Music Store goes cross-platform.
The iPod 2.1 software update adds the ability to store voice recordings and digital photos with the help of add-ons made by Belkin.
2004
January: Apple expands the iPod line with a new slimmed-down—and colorful—offering: the iPod mini. Half-an-inch thin and about the size of a business card, the mini comes in gold, blue, pink, and green anodized aluminum. The 4GB player sells for $249.
During the same keynote as the mini’s unveiling, Apple raises the capacity on the $299 iPod to 15GB. Jobs announces that Apple sold 730,000 iPods between October and December, pushing total iPod sales past the 2 million mark.
HP and Apple announce that HP will sell HP-branded iPods supplied by Apple.
June: Apple’s iTunes Store expands overseas, opening in the U.K., France, and Germany. By year's end, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Canada will have iTunes Music Stores of their own.
July: A new generation of iPods incorporates the Click Wheel interface introduced six months earlier with the iPod mini. A 20GB model sells for $299 while a 40GB iPod is available for $399.
September: HP releases its iPod offerings, which are identical to Apple’s 20GB and 40GB fourth-generation iPods—except for the HP logo on the back.
October: Apple introduces the color-screen iPod photo. Available in 40 and 60GB capacities, the device plays music as well as displays photos on a 220-by-176-pixel resolution screen. At that same launch event, Steve Jobs is joined by Bono and The Edge to introduce the 20GB iPod U2 Special Edition. Featuring a black case and red Click Wheel, the $349 iPod includes a $50 discount on a digital box set of all U2’s albums as well as rare and unreleased tracks.
November: Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of MP3 player manufacturer Creative Technology, declares “war” on the iPod.
December: During the holiday quarter, Apple sells more than 4.5 million iPods, a 500 percent jump from the same period in 2004. Apple’s total iPod sales climb past 10 million, with 8.2 million units sold in 2004 alone.
2005
January: Apple gets into the flash-based music player business, introducing the iPod shuffle. About the size of a stick of gum, the shuffle comes in 512MB ($99) and 1GB ($149) capacities.
At Macworld Expo, Apple announces that Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Volvo, and Scion will introduce iPod adapters for their factory-installed stereos in 2005.
February: The mini becomes available in 4GB and 6GB capacities. A 30GB iPod photo replaces Apple’s 40GB offering. Prices fall to $349 for the 30GB model and $449 for the 60GB one. On the full-size iPod front, Apple drops the 40GB model and cuts the price of the 20GB iPod to $249.
Napster launches its subscription-based Napster To Go service during the Super Bowl with an ad blasting the per-download pricing model Apple uses for its iTunes Store.
June: The iPod and iPod photo lines are merged into the iPod (color), ending the availability of monochrome-screen music players. The new iPod is available in 20GB ($299) and 60GB ($399) sizes. Also, Apple cuts the price of the 1GB shuffle to $129.
iTunes 4.9 adds download and subscription support for podcasts within the iTunes Music Store, as well as features for managing podcasts and moving them on and off iPods.
July: Creative Technology warns its investors to expect a quarterly operating loss because of softer-than-expected sales of its MP3 players. Meanwhile, HP announces it will stop selling its branded iPods in September.
August: Creative wins a patent for how files on digital music players are organized that it claims coves not only its own Zen and Nomad jukeboxes but also iPods.
September: Despite the popularity of the iPod mini, Apple replaces the miniature player with an even smaller device— the iPod nano. Available in glossy black or white, the nano features a color display and a grey Click Wheel. The 2GB and 4GB nanos sell for $199 and $249, respectively.
At the same event, Apple announces the first iTunes-compatible cell phone, Motorola’s Rokr. It will quickly become overshadowed by the nano.
October: Apple adds video playback capabilities to the iPod line. The fifth-generation iPod plays video on a 2.5-inch, 320-by-240, 260,000 color TFT display. It comes in 30GB ($299) and 60GB ($399) sizes. To coincide with the launch of the video iPod, Apple releases an updated version of iTunes that includes video playback. Disney becomes the first company to start offering television programs for sale at the iTunes Music Store, with episodes from four TV shows priced at $1.99 each.
2006
January: During his Macworld Expo keynote, Jobs notes that Apple has sold 42 million iPods since the device launched in 2001. Also, consumers have bought 850 millions songs through the iTunes Music Store. Eight million videos have been sold and downloaded since that service was added in the fall.
February: Apple adds a third offering to its iPod nano line— a $149 1GB model. Also, the company cuts prices on its 512MB and 1GB shuffles to $69 and $99, respectively.
May: Creative and Apple trade lawsuits, with each company alleging that the other has infringed upon its patents.
August: Apple agrees to pay Creative $100 million to resolve the legal dispute between the two companies. Creative agrees to begin making iPod accessories this year.
September: Apple overhauls its entire iPod product line. The second-generation shuffle comes in only one capacity in a clip-on case that’s roughly half the size of its predecessor. The second-generation nanos are available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities—because of their new scratch-resistant shell, they come in a variety of colors. And the video-capable iPod sees some changes as well, namely a brighter screen, longer battery life, and other enhancements. The newly renamed iTunes Store begins offering feature-length movies for download.
The iPod faces what could be its most serious challenge yet, as Microsoft readies its Zune media player for a November launch.
October: The iPod line gets another new color, as Apple unveils a red 4GB nano, as part of the Project Red initiative for raising money to combat AIDS in Africa.
http://www.macworld.com/article/53499/ipodtimeline.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a38:g26:r11:c0.005157:b21018209:z0
The 5 best music websites
1 ITUNES
Praising iTunes is like endorsing chocolate and puppies: well, duh. Even so, any discussion of music on the Web has to start here. With its supersize catalog (more than 2 million tracks), fair pricing, and any-idiot-can-figure-it-out interface, it's most people's first stop for downloading the latest Kelly Clarkson single or Mariah Carey remix. Since it launched in 2003, iTunes has trounced its competitors, capturing close to 75 percent of the marketplace and selling more than a billion tracks.
But while everyone knows iTunes is big, fewer people realize how useful it can be for finding new tunes. Start with its top 100 downloads — updated daily — and you'll see an instant, direct reflection of American musical tastes: the newest Dixie Chicks single; surprise emo phenoms Panic! At the Disco; that Daniel Powter song that's on American Idol every week. Then move on to the ''essentials'' playlists, full of offbeat cult favorites. (Thanks to the ''Folk 101 Essentials,'' John Prine's epic ''Angel From Montgomery'' is our new after-work beer-sipping soundtrack.) And one of iTunes' best features is actually free: The site has grown into a portal for thousands of Web radio stations and eccentric podcasts, offering everything from rowdy dancehall reggae to classical music. Happy hunting.
GREAT FIND RJD2 & Ric Ocasek's ''Through the Walls''
2 EMUSIC.COM
This underappreciated, expertly curated MP3 store is the music geek's alternative to iTunes. It's packed with fantastic choices, and at $9.99 a month for 40 downloads, it's a great deal. Emusic sells tunes only from independent labels, which means you won't find most current pop hits here. But spend some time sifting through its 1.2 million tracks — including new stuff from Neko Case and Spoon and classics by Johnny Cash and Otis Redding — and you won't care. Best of all, the site's sharp editorial team steers you toward the good stuff with articles on the best Parisian jazz or the latest Brazilian pop. And their ''Dozens'' lists are essential 12-album starting points in categories like ''boomer-friendly rock,'' or ''English folk,'' or ''old-school punk.''
GREAT FIND Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock & Roll
3 PANDORA.COM
Perfect for anyone who likes surprises, Pandora is a wizardly website that lets you customize a radio station to fit your own tastes. After logging in, users type in the name of a song or a band (the Beatles, for example); then Pandora uses a complex mathematical algorithm to find tracks matching the Liverpool lads' musical characteristics. In addition to Fab Four songs, our station came up with some Kinks and Stones, lots of obscure '60s nuggets, and unexpected contemporary acts like the Pernice Brothers.
GREAT FIND The Move's ''Curly''
4 RHAPSODY.COM
If other MP3 stores leave you hungry, tuck into this musical buffet. Pop gluttons will love Rhapsody's all-you-can-eat subscription service, which lets you download as many songs as you like for $9.99 a month. (Though the tracks will vanish from your hard drive when you stop paying. And it won't work with an iPod.) Another draw is the playlists, the most creative and well thought-out of any MP3 store. Their genre mixes go way beyond the obvious into left-field genres like ''pub-rock explosion'' and '''80s paisley underground.'' And somebody on staff obviously has a sense of humor: ''Yacht rock'' features smooth-sailing soft pop (Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald) fit for a day of sipping Cape Codders down at the marina.
GREAT FIND Firefall's ''Just Remember I Love You''
5 Myspace.com
There's a lot to dislike about MySpace. It's uglier than a Commodore 64, the music tracks are slow to load, and it has been co-opted by record labels, which pay for prime placement. Still, with more than 1.8 million bands offering their own homepages, it's impossible to ignore — it seems like every act you've ever heard of (and countless unsigned acts you haven't) posts free songs here. Read about a band? Head to MySpace and you're basically guaranteed to get something for your time: a prerelease album preview, a new single, or even a raw demo. Weezer and Nine Inch Nails debuted their latest albums here, and Fred Durst recently posted a rant about former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland. Maybe that's not a compelling advertisement, but hey, there are at least 999,999 non-Durst bands on there, too.
GREAT FIND Love Is All's ''Talk Talk Talk Talk''
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1195793,00.html 18th May 2006
Praising iTunes is like endorsing chocolate and puppies: well, duh. Even so, any discussion of music on the Web has to start here. With its supersize catalog (more than 2 million tracks), fair pricing, and any-idiot-can-figure-it-out interface, it's most people's first stop for downloading the latest Kelly Clarkson single or Mariah Carey remix. Since it launched in 2003, iTunes has trounced its competitors, capturing close to 75 percent of the marketplace and selling more than a billion tracks.
But while everyone knows iTunes is big, fewer people realize how useful it can be for finding new tunes. Start with its top 100 downloads — updated daily — and you'll see an instant, direct reflection of American musical tastes: the newest Dixie Chicks single; surprise emo phenoms Panic! At the Disco; that Daniel Powter song that's on American Idol every week. Then move on to the ''essentials'' playlists, full of offbeat cult favorites. (Thanks to the ''Folk 101 Essentials,'' John Prine's epic ''Angel From Montgomery'' is our new after-work beer-sipping soundtrack.) And one of iTunes' best features is actually free: The site has grown into a portal for thousands of Web radio stations and eccentric podcasts, offering everything from rowdy dancehall reggae to classical music. Happy hunting.
GREAT FIND RJD2 & Ric Ocasek's ''Through the Walls''
2 EMUSIC.COM
This underappreciated, expertly curated MP3 store is the music geek's alternative to iTunes. It's packed with fantastic choices, and at $9.99 a month for 40 downloads, it's a great deal. Emusic sells tunes only from independent labels, which means you won't find most current pop hits here. But spend some time sifting through its 1.2 million tracks — including new stuff from Neko Case and Spoon and classics by Johnny Cash and Otis Redding — and you won't care. Best of all, the site's sharp editorial team steers you toward the good stuff with articles on the best Parisian jazz or the latest Brazilian pop. And their ''Dozens'' lists are essential 12-album starting points in categories like ''boomer-friendly rock,'' or ''English folk,'' or ''old-school punk.''
GREAT FIND Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock & Roll
3 PANDORA.COM
Perfect for anyone who likes surprises, Pandora is a wizardly website that lets you customize a radio station to fit your own tastes. After logging in, users type in the name of a song or a band (the Beatles, for example); then Pandora uses a complex mathematical algorithm to find tracks matching the Liverpool lads' musical characteristics. In addition to Fab Four songs, our station came up with some Kinks and Stones, lots of obscure '60s nuggets, and unexpected contemporary acts like the Pernice Brothers.
GREAT FIND The Move's ''Curly''
4 RHAPSODY.COM
If other MP3 stores leave you hungry, tuck into this musical buffet. Pop gluttons will love Rhapsody's all-you-can-eat subscription service, which lets you download as many songs as you like for $9.99 a month. (Though the tracks will vanish from your hard drive when you stop paying. And it won't work with an iPod.) Another draw is the playlists, the most creative and well thought-out of any MP3 store. Their genre mixes go way beyond the obvious into left-field genres like ''pub-rock explosion'' and '''80s paisley underground.'' And somebody on staff obviously has a sense of humor: ''Yacht rock'' features smooth-sailing soft pop (Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald) fit for a day of sipping Cape Codders down at the marina.
GREAT FIND Firefall's ''Just Remember I Love You''
5 Myspace.com
There's a lot to dislike about MySpace. It's uglier than a Commodore 64, the music tracks are slow to load, and it has been co-opted by record labels, which pay for prime placement. Still, with more than 1.8 million bands offering their own homepages, it's impossible to ignore — it seems like every act you've ever heard of (and countless unsigned acts you haven't) posts free songs here. Read about a band? Head to MySpace and you're basically guaranteed to get something for your time: a prerelease album preview, a new single, or even a raw demo. Weezer and Nine Inch Nails debuted their latest albums here, and Fred Durst recently posted a rant about former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland. Maybe that's not a compelling advertisement, but hey, there are at least 999,999 non-Durst bands on there, too.
GREAT FIND Love Is All's ''Talk Talk Talk Talk''
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1195793,00.html 18th May 2006
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