Low Vs Diamond - inspiration for my band identity and music video

Low vs Diamond - Don't forget sister

In my opinion, the band called Low Vs Diamond is similar to the song and genre style of my chosen song, "Fiasco" by the band Edelweiss. Looking at this music video above from Low Vs Diamond, some of their quirky style and the different take for their music video have influenced me for my own music video. One of my favourite and different shots that are included in this music video is the two fingers which are shown as if they are walking while the car is driving. Some of their camera angles and the way the show the lip synchronisation are different by showing the lead singer singing the song from sideways and not from the front. This shows a different angle to the lead singer and so this gives a different effect from just showing the band from the front. 

Low Vs Diamond is an American rock band formed in 2002 by Lucas Field, Howie Diamond, and Tad Moore. There record labels are Epic Records and Marrakesh Records. Their genre of music is Rock, indie rock and alternative rock. They have been influenced by a diversity of music artists such as David Bowie, Roxy music, Brian Eno, Serge Gainsbourge and Air. 
 

Above is the advert which was made for the release of their new album. This had inspired me for the creation of my own album advertisement because I like the layout, colour scheme and the chosen font. The font style of the font s quirky because on some of the letters, the positioning of then is different to how it is usually seen, this makes the name stand out as a logo for the band, which creates a band identity because it is memorable for their fans and audience. Furthermore, I also like the image of all the band members that is at the bottom centre of the advert. The photograph is blurry and has a vintage look about it which symbolises that their genre of music is indie rock.

Two Door Cinema Club - Influences

These two music videos by Two Door Cinema Club have inspired me to create some of the camera angles and shots that I may use in my music video. 

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work

This music video is very simplistic because it constantly shows the band in black and white but the background square changes colour. The use of colour which is shown is bright and helps to break up the plain black and white footage to show the band. The quirkiness of the movement of the band members is also effective because it corresponds with the beat and the genre of the song. This music video is similar to what I intend to use for my music video because of the minimal amount of narrative shown throughout the music video. 

Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk

The music video above by Two Door Cinema Club is also similar to what I intend to use for my music video. I have chosen to analyse this band, their music videos and their album covers because their style and band image is similar to how I intent to show my band to their audience. I also think that their genre of music is of a similar genre of the song that I have chosen for my music video. The use of jump shots in this music video above is the initial camera angle of what I intend to include in my music video. 

Even though, this is not an image made for an album cover. In my opinion this style of photograph and the layout of the three band members are creative and good at establishing the genre across to their audience and fans. Furthermore, I like how the third section of the photograph is black but there lies a drum on the ground. This adds a different depth to the photograph instead of just having three sections to show the band members.  

From this album cover by Two Door Cinema Club, I like the interesting use of font. I also like how "door" acts as glasses for the cat. I think that this style could work with my own album cover because it is of a similar genre to my chosen song, "Fiasco by Edelweiss". The use of colour on this album would also help to reflect my own music genre. 

Hot chip - Influences

Hot Chip - Ready for the floor

This music video have influenced me on shot of the camera movements such as the repeated fast past jump shot of the lead singer. I intend to uses this effect in my music video to show all of the band members. I also think that this editing technique would correspond with the genre of my music that I have chosen for my music video because the song is up beat and quirky sounding.  From this music video I also like the use of bright contrast in colours, epesially the vertically straight line down the choreographed dancing girls, it gives a robot atmosphere to the music video and reflects the quirkiness thoughout the music video. I have chosen to analyse this band because their genre of music, especially this song, is of a similar tempo of the song "Fiasco" that I have chosen for my music video. 

Above is the album cover for the one of Hot Chip’s album’s.  I think that the quirkiness and the image with is shown on the cover reflects the name given to the album. This is a good inspiration for my own album cover as it shows a differentiation in the way in which other alternative rock bands and artists tend to use for their front covers. This challenges the conventions of what is typically seen in most alternative rock front covers. Due to this, it reflects their genre of music because it is individualistic and not meant to be seen as the same as other alternative rock bands.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Influences

Bombay bicycle club - Always like this

I have used this music video by Bombay Bicycle club as inspiration for my own music video. I like the fast past quirkiness that corresponds with the beat of the song. It also follows the genre of the song. I also like how there is minimal lip synchronisation footage shown in this music video, which would be easy to recreate as it take minimal editing requirements. Another technique in which I prefer from this music video is the vintage style play back and fast forward filming techniques with the play button and the fast forward button. This adds to the vintage effortless style of clothing that the band members have chosen. By looking throughout other music videos that they have created, their style of clothing has kept the same. The effortless and not dressed up clothing helps to reflect the genre of their song as it is alternative, indie folk sounding. This clothing concept is similar to what I intend to use for my band members in my music video. 

Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London. The band members are Jack Steadman (lead vocals, guitar), Jamie MacColl (guitar), Ed Nash (bass) and Suren de Saram (drums). The band were asked to play the opening performance of 2006's V Festival. The genre is indie rock, indie folk and twee pop. There record labels are Island Records and A&M/Octone Records. 

I think that the deign layout of the album cover and CD is simplistic yet effective at reflecting how the band are seen and their genre of their music. The design is slightly asian interpreted which reflects the name of the band. As a design, I think that it is good with creating a band image by having the name of the band act as a logo, this would be seen everywhere where the band are, to show their fans. 

Re-filming - What needs to be done

After getting feedback from my peers, I have decided that the lip synchronisation was not perfect. To improve this I decided that I should have a meeting with the band to get organised on what needs to be done. In the meeting, I let my band members know, in order to improve the lip synchronisation it would take some time from the band members to learn the song. So prier to when I filmed again, I typed the lyrics on a word document for the band members to learn. I also let the band members know that I did not want them to wear the same clothing as before when the first filming was done. This is because I wanted my audience to recognise the new location, and so the change in costume would help the audience to understand this. The location in which I have decided to film the lip synchronisation would be in a plain black room, and so the drama room at school would be the best location for this because the walls are completely black, plus they have special effects of lighting. This is the same location in which I filmed the band playing the instruments. 

Deleted scenes from rough cut one

I have deleted this scene from my music video because it does not correspond with the narrative and the rest of the footage of the music video. From the feedback from my peers, they have all said that the animatic of the Lego mad is good with how it works; however, it does not fit in with the rest of the video. 

Feed back from my rough cut - one

Here is the feedback from my first rough cut given from my peer members. I will take on board the critical comments for my rough cut and improve it for my final music video. Below are the highlights and the things that need to be improved on for my music video.

Pros:

· Good editing techniques with lip synchronisation

· A reverse slow motion shot the band member’s feet is good to follow the lyrics of the song.

· Setting and location of the music video suits the genre of the song.

· Shots that show the bottom half of the body with the feet walking good, creates eerie atmosphere.

· Burning fire and candles follow the theme of the song.

· Quirkiness of the music video is good, corresponds with the genre of the music video.

· The shots go in time of the beat of the song.

· Smoking good, relates to the song.

· Flashing lighting works really good

· Declan laying down and singing works well

Cons:

· The animatic type of the Lego man is good and nicely edited however; it does not fit in with the rest of the music video. 

· Few repeated shot of makes the audience lose interest of the music video. Such as having repeated shot of the drummer smoking, and shots of the bottles on the floor and jumping off the wall.

· Not many shots of the band playing together as a band.

· Take the shot of the drummer's cigarette falling out of his mouth out of the video, there is no relevance and it spoils the atmosphere of the music video.

· Bright location of the drummer smoking disturbs the flow of the music video, either need to be filmed again or darkened on imovie.

· Too many shots of the drummer smoking

· End shot of the drummer blowing out the candle would look better if it fades to black immediately when the candle is blown out.

· Lip synchronisation needs to include shots of the drummer singing or just keep it as Declan singing the song.

· Include some more shots of the band messing around and smiling, acting like a band.

· Some lip synchronisation needs improving.

· Take the shot of Alex wired face out

· Need to have more significance of main singer

· In parts of the instrumental, could have shots of the xylophone being played.

· The repeated shot of the band jumping off the wall ruins the atmosphere.

Rough cut - one

Here is the rough cut music video to my chosen song, Fiasco written by Edelweiss.

Software used to create my music video

To assemble my music video together I have used iMovie. I found that is was useful in selecting the correct clip that I wanted and the timing of the clip. I was also able to add special effects of alter the colour of the clip to suit the music video. 

In order to create my music video, the software in which I have used has helped me to create special effects to give a different atmosphere to my music video. 

I have included fade in and fade out blurry transactions in my music video because as the music video is playing, I wanted the theme of fire and candles to run throughout, so the so that the candles fade into the footage of the band. I have also included the transactions in my music video so that the beat of the music is reflected in the timing of the footage played. 

As some of the footage which I filmed was bright, I wanted to darken it to fit in with the rest of the footage but to also create an eerie atmosphere. Using the video adjustments, I have edited the exposure, contrast and I have reduced the saturation so that it looks dull. 

I did not want any of the background sound from the filming footage when I put it together. To remove this is selected the audio adjustments and then I muted the the clip but sliding the volume slide bar to 0%.  

I have also added a slow motion reverse shot of where the band members are jumping of the rock wall. I have reversed it and slowed the motion down to give a different atmosphere and to relate to the lyrics of the song. While this footage is played i made sure it was played whilst the lyrics said, "it makes us faster" and so the footage juxtaposes the idea that the fiasco makes them faster. 

Ideas and Inspirations for my Digi Pack font cover

Above is the album cover for The Ting Tings. I like this style because it is bright and vibrant with a quirky element from the cut-out-type black and white photographs of the hands, microphone and the drum stick. I also like how the name of the album is written on their hands which gives it a rough look and also relates to the people of the band. This is how they make their band identity known by their fans as this style is also common in other album covers by the band.

Even though the photograph above is not an album cover, looking at it from a photograph perspective it is creative in sectioning the different people apart from the photograph. I would like to create a similar photograph of this to be used as my own album cover because it is simplistic but effective and so it would be easy to create on a low budget scale for my own use of an album cover. I like the quirkiness of this photograph because not all of the people in the photograph are looking straight at the camera, and they all have a different facial expression which shows that they are different and have different styles and personalities which flow within them. Furthermore, I also like how they are standing in a line but it is not completely straight and even, some are in front then others which adds to the quirkiness of the photograph and the people who are in the photograph.

Even though, the cover for this album is focused on the one artist, I would like to create a similar effect by having three different photographs if each of the band members in columns to show to their audience what their personality is like and to also reflect the quirkiness of their style and their music video which would reach out to a specific fan type of mainly indie rock people. 

I like the simplicity of this album cover and the creativeness that has gone into creating this album cover. I think that this would be easy yet effective to create for my own album cover and such a low budget scale. I also think that the use of black and white imagery is significant when it comes to reflecting the genre of my music which is indie, punk rock. However, I would like to show that band on the album cover because I want to reach out to the fans so that when it is on the shelf they can recognise straight away that it is by Edelweiss because it would have their photograph on the cover but also the name of the band on the name of their album.

Research into Digi packs

A digipack is usually made out of heavey card or cardboard material which opens out like a book. In some cases it may have three parts to the digipack so that one part opens out to the left and the other opens out to the right, with the CD in the middle. Usually the portion which holds the CD is made out of plastic, similar to the traditional jewl case CD.

The the left is what a traditional jewel case CD looks like.

Here is an image of what a digipack looks like .

Digipacks were first created by MeadWestvaco in 2000. The Digi pack styling is usually used to create CD singles, special editions for album covers and it has been used for the tall Digi pack.

Filming schedule

Take 1 - Zooming in and out of different sized candles in a dark room to give a blurred and mysterious setting. I have done this because the lyrics state "red hot red blood" which in my opinion suggests fire and heat.

Take 2 - Taken photographs of a Lego man in front of a black background so that there are no distractions, the main focus is on the Lego man. For each shot I have positioned the Lego man so that it looks as though he is break dancing. Using Photo Shop I was able to remove the props which were used to hold the Lego man up so once on full speed, the footage would look as though the Lego man is alive and moving on its own. On the same day, I also took photographs of Jenga, the photographs were such that, once played on full speed it would look as though that the Jenga blocks were building itself. However, I have not included this into my music video because it looked out of place together with the rest of the footage of my music video, I did not link in with the grunginess of my band members and my music video.

Take 3 - Listening to the song repeatedly and looking at the lyrics of my chosen song, I soon decided to include a girl in my music video. I had a photo shoot with Charlotte. The character she was acting was representing a girl who is depressed and upset and binge drinks. To show this, I gave her instructions to wear shot minimal clothing and a rocky leather jacket to show the rocky style and not someone girlie. Her makeup was also done so that it was smudged down her face to make it look as though she has been crying. At first I was initially going to include this into my music video but once the rest of the filming was done, showing the band members, I decided not to put it in my rough cut of my m music video.

Take 4 - I filmed my band members in a park, I made sure that the locations was not peaceful looking, sunny, full of leaves or that represented happiness. I made sure of this because I wanted a grubby look to my music video when showing the band. At this time of filming the band I just filmed a mixture of shots including low angled mainly showing their shoes walking and chasing each other through the bushes. I also filmed one of the band members smoking and setting a plastic bag and a cigarette box on fire to relate to the lyrics of the song "Red hot red blood...fiasco". To link the filming I did of the candles I placed candles around the trees and the band.

Take 5 - Filming the band playing the instruments and singing the song. I have done this in a plain black coloured room so that it adds to the grubbiness of the music video but to also give a rocky atmosphere to the song and to highlight the genre of my chosen song. Here I have done a mixture of close up and high angled shots of the band playing the instruments. Contrasting the when I filmed in a park, I asked my band members to act how they usually act when they are together which included shots of them smiling and messing about with the instruments and each other. I wanted to include this in my music video because to reaches out to their fans by showing them how they act when they are together and it also reflects their friendship and not just as a band.

Desired camera angles and shot types for music video

In my music video, I want to include a range of camera movements and angles to achieve a professional quality look. I also want the camera angles to portray the genre of the music, so fast pass and quirky shots of the band would help to reflect this to my audience. Seeing as the genre of the music that I have chosen is indie, punk rock I will want to use a range of camera movements, mainly close up shots showing instruments being played; I have found that this is common in music videos of this genre. I also want to show extreme close up shots of individual band members whilst they are playing the instruments or to show lip synchronisation.

I would also want to use a mixture of long and medium shots of the band members to show the style of clothing that they are wearing to my audience but to also show the locations of where the band is seen in my music video. Long shots may also be used to show all of the band members, so that the audience can tell how many people are in the band.

Furthermore, I want to uses low and high angled shots of each band member playing the instruments so that the audience can see the people in the band from different angles and not just from the front at eye level.

I may also consider using tracking shots to show the movement of the band members. I hope to use this so that the audience can "see in the eyes of the band" and take the position of the band members. In order, to create tracking shots, I will ask the each of the band members to hold the camera at their chest or below their chin, but have the camera facing the ground so that the camera will take footage of their shoes walking through the woods. This will bring out the mysterious atmosphere I want to portray to my audience.

Meet the band...

The band that I have chosen my song from, initially has four band members. However, I have included three band members to act in my music video because i thought that they fitted well in the frame of the footage that I have taken but also because of the camera angles and movement, three band members was easy to film with. below are photographs of each of the band members and a brief description about their personality.

 Above is Declan (Dec), I have chosen him to be the lead singer and guitarist in my band.

Here is Alex, I have chosen him to play the keyboards.  

Here is Alex playing the keyboard. I wanted him to play the keyboard because he is the tallest out of the three, so he would stand at the back while the lead singer, Declan and the drummer, Jacob would be in front. This composition of the band members is done so that they do not look odd.

Here is the drummer, Jacob (Melfi) I wanted him to be the drummer because he is the cheekiest one out of the three and so the viewers would expect him to do something crazy like bashing the drums with force.

Animatic for Fiasco by Edelweiss

Above is the second animatic that I have done, this time it is for a different song because the first song I did not like. I have created this for my song "Fiasco" written by Edelweiss which is my second and confirmed chosen band for my music video and digipack promotional release. The animatic above shows my initial ideas which I have and intend to create for my music video.

Equipment to be used for my music video



I would be using a tripod to ensure that the movement of the camera is steady to give an even flow for my music video. However, not all the camera movements and angles will be done using a tripod; I intend to use some handheld camera shots to give an eerie atmosphere for my music video.

This HD Panasonic video recording camera will be used to film my music video. I have chosen to use this because I want to footage of my music video to be clear and not blurry.





I will also be using my DSLR camera to take photographs of Lego men break dancing and moving Jenga pieces. Once I have taken these photographs I will then edit them using Photo shop CS4 and on imovie I will put the photographs in the frame to make a moving image. Furthermore, I will also use my DSLR to take photographs of the band for when I create and design my magazine advertisement cover and CD cover.

At the start of my music video I intend to show the electric wire leading to the ampifier in jurky stages so that it goes along with the beat of the song. It will also be used for the electric guitar so that the sound is louder.

I have also used stage lights to flash on and off and to focus on the band members. When the lights flash on and off, I have done it so that it goes along with the beat of the song, this also adds to the quirky aspect of my chosen song and my music video.

At first I was intending to use a microphone with a stand. But when it came to filming, I could not get hold of one. So I decided to film the band singing the song as they are standing in front of a black background. I made this choice because it looks clean cut and has a professional finish to the music video. I have also decided to film the band singing the song at a park through bushes as this is the second locations that I have chosen to show the band.  I have chosen to have just two different locations to show that band because I did not want my audience to get confused in the different locations of where the band would be situated. By having two locations, it makes it easier for my audience to recognise the band. Furthermore, it makes it easier for me to film as there would be that many costume changes or filming in various locations that my slow the process of creating the music video.

Moodboard

For this mood board I have collected images from the internet to show how my ideas and inspiration for my music video has come from. The mood board consists of equipment, camera angles and shot types, props I may use in the music video. I have also included costumes and hairstyles of how I want my band image to look like, to and reflect the genre of music I have chosen. Through the choice of costume you can see that I am looking for a quirky, indie look, it is not too dressed up but it is not too subtle for a casual look either. I want my band to stand out and have their own individual look and to keep it quirky. Furthermore, their individualism towards fashion would be reflected in my music video as I want to intertwine wired yet funny objects into my music video. I also think that these ideas would flow and relate to the song that I have chosen because it is upbeat and wired sounding. Moreover, I have also included an image of the Arctic Monkeys to show that I want my band image to be similar to them.

Target audience for my chosen band

I have chosen this song because I am into this kind of music; I also thought that this song would be easy to work with to create a music video through narrative and introducing the band. I also think that this song is good to create a music video because it is upbeat so a lot of fast past quirky footage would be required. Having this in mind, my target audience would be people who are around the age of 17 to the mid 20's. The gender divide would be equal because the genre of my chosen song is indie punk rock, which has an equal quantity of male and female fans that are into the indie fashion as well as the genre of music.

Types of clothing for my band

Tops/Shirts/Jumpers

Below are some shirts, tops and jumpers in which I would want my band members to wear similar clothing to. This is so that I can create a band identity, but to also reflect the genre of their music in the clothing that they wear.



Coats/Jackets

Jeans/Trousers

Shoes

Hair Styles for my band

Above I have chosen a few hairstyles in which I would like my band members to have. I have considered these hairstyles to be good and indie looking because I want the style of my band members to reflect the genre of their song. This would also create a band identity for my band Edelweiss because it is a unique quirky style which fans of the band may want to copy, to have this kind of hairstyle.