Blonde Louis

My chosen band is 'Blonde Louis' and the song I have selected is 'Sleep on the floor'. The lyrics are below...

Figuring your fingers, the answers in your hand.
And now your eyes are somewhere else cuz you don't understand.
Your love is my potion it sleeps on my emotions and kisses me when i sleep at night.
And it's cold outside, and i need you by my side.
Can we try to make things better, yeah?

And i wrote your name on my bed, so can we sleep on the floor instead?
And with trouble under cover, with your voice like thunder.
  
(Music chorus)

Looking for you hands, but the smoke filled up your eyes.
The feeling that you fear is now eating you inside.
Your heart beats devotion, the words which you'd spoken, are the last things i can speak of at night.

And it's cold outside, and i need you by my side.

Can we try to make things better, yeah?

And i wrote your name on my bed, so can we sleep on the floor instead?

And with trouble under cover, with your voice like thunder.

(Music chorus)

    

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside...

So cold outside... 

And it's cold outside.

And I need you by my side.

Analysis 

The song 'Sleep on the floor' is about two young people who are in a helpless relationship but they are having fun and but like lots of other young relationships they are arguing falling out and making back up again. This is typical of many indie music videos where the relationship often fails because they are too immature.

This is shown through the lyrics 'can we try to make things better?' which suggests that there is something to put a strain on a relationship. I think it is good to bring in your own interpretation and ideas when making a music video as it shows creativity. As this is a up beat song i think that it would be effective if i add in elements of fun and the band messing about. I decided to use the idea that the relationship is falling apart because the lead singer is spending too much time with his friends and acting immature rather than his girlfriend. I think a lot of people can relate tot his which would stand out to my target audience further.  With these lyrics i came to the conclusion that a narrative/performance based video is ideal for this.

Emailing the Band

Once I found a band and song that I really liked, I emailed 'Blonde Louis' as soon as possible, to make contact with the band and seek permission whether i could use their song 'Sleep on the Floor' for my music video. 
Shortly after emailing them, they  let me know that i could use it and they asked me to credit the and and show my final production.  It was a positive response and i am looking forward to start filming and editing it. 

Searching for a song

After discussing different genres with my teacher we came to the agreement that the indie genre would be a better genre to use. The indie scene has took of successfully and the music videos are realistic for my budget. We were given advise to use an unsigned artist for the reason that we will not be influenced by already signed bands. This way I feel that I will be able to use my skills to covey a sense of originality and style.

Finding an unsigned band is not such a lengthy process, as there are many sites such as www.unsigned.com and www.soundcloud.com where unsigned artist and bands put their music on in order to get recognition. Also you ca select what genre you are looking for and the country which helps to narrow down the searches.

I wanted a British band as i feel it reflects the indie genre the most and the singer usually as a strong British accent. I narrowed my search down to two bands. One was 'The Diggers', which I found on unsigned.com, have a lead female singer which seems quite unique and this is what i was looking for. However when i played the song the quality wasn't as good and her voice didn't covey the indie genre but was more blues.

The band I settled on was 'Blonde Louis' which is a boy band. At first i was slightly hesitant with choosing a boy band, however their song 'Sleep on the Floor' had a great intro with catchy lyrics. They are just what i was looking for in a song. Moreover i found it easier to come up with ideas which should create and effective music video.

Analysis to The Killers- When you were young.

The Killer- When You Were Young. 

The Killers are a well know Indie/rock band, they are slightly more mainstream than others and this is presented clearly in most of their music videos.

Their music video When You Were Young was filmed in Mexico. The Killers were inspired by by the films Japón and Batalla en el Cielo both directed by Mexican film director Carlos Reygadas. The themes of love and betrayal which are dominate in these films also play a huge part in this music video.

As 'The Killer's- When You Were Young'  follows the conventions of a music video, it becomes easy to apply Goodwin's theory.

1. Genre Conventions

This music video is quite different from a lot of rock music videos due to the strong narrative which takes form of a mini film. Although the setting and the style of the music video is untypical for this genre, there are still many characteristics that help establish the rock genre. For example there is both narrative and performance based elements in the video which is conventional of the rock genre. Moreover the props such as electric guitars and drum kits further emphases the genre. The outfits are also help represent their rock genre, whilst also fitting in with the setting/storyline.

2. Lyrical Relationship

This is a common technique employed by most music videos as it makes the narrative and performance more clear as you can see the link between the lyrics and visuals. As well as this there are many direct references to the lyrics in the video, such as religious mise-en-scene for example the prop of the cross appears when the lead singer says, 'like Jesus'. Moreover, the image of somebody washing with water, when the lyrics say 'wash your feet, every once a little while'. This follows Goodwins theory. 

3. Music Relationship

This is used just as effectivly as the link between the lyrics. When there is a drum beat in the song, the 
clip, scene or the camera shot changes. This is used mainly in rock videos as the drum beats are very significant  and it creates continuity throughout the video. Also, when the song reaches the bridge and begins to slow down, the footage also becomes slow motion, and the editing becomes slower and lengthier shots are used, this helps to reflect the mood. Likewise when the paces of the song picks up so does the editing and fast paced quick cut editing is used. 

4. Demands of record label to emphasize band image.

Because the music video is strongly narrative based this would suggest to me that the band is already established in the music industry. So the need to have lots of close up shots isn't as necessary if it was their first music video. However towards the end of the music video there is a performance of the band. Close ups are used of the lead singer to show his dominance in the band along with long shots of the whole band playing together as a group to show their brand identity.

5. Reference to looking, and voyeuristic treatment of women

This is only used during the narrative stages of the music video as the plot is about two young people in a secretive relationship. There is a long shot of the female which is to show the main protagonists point of view. Also close ups of her face is to highlight the voyeuristic nature. Also there is a sexual representation of females, especially during the sex scene, we see one woman showed to be sexual, wearing red underwear, and another woman shown to be innocent and naive, wearing a white dress.

6. Intertextual reference

I don't think that there was much intertextual reference to a specific product, however you could say that the was intertextuality because of the influence on the western films. The setting is reminiscent of the 'Spaghetti Western' movies, such as the costume and the saloons used i the music video. 

Andrew Goodwin's Six Points- Music Videos.

Andrew Goodwin's Six Points
Andrew Goodwin generated a theory to identify the conventions of a typical music video.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in rock video, dance routine for a pop song).This means that music videos of the same genre often show similarities. This could be through shot types, or settings. 

• For example, boy band One Direction, wear similar clothes in their music videos which shows they are a union. Moreover their dance routine is a convention of a pop video. 

    2.  There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).          The footage/shots/ and mise en scene should reflect the lyrics of the song in some way. This is effective as the link between lyrics and visuals creates a narrative. 

• For example in Beyonce's 'If I Were A Boy' music video she uses a narrative and performance based video, the lyrics match up with the actions she does on screen. When the lyric 'i turn off my phone' the image of Beyonce shows her turning off her mobile.  

    3.  There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
For example the editing should mirror the music or beat of the song.

• The Black Keys Video uses transitions and fast paced editing to match the beat of their song in their 'gold on the ceiling' music video. When there is a new beat added the frame will change. the shots are choppy and short to match their up beat and light hearted feeling. 

     4.  The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups. A method of using lots of close-ups of the artist themselves is used by the record label to market and advertise the artist. Moreover it gives the artist a familiar brand identity.

• In 'Take A Bow' by Rihanna, the director has chose lots of closeup shots of her, it also shows of her iconic short hair look which most people relate to Rihanna. The use of close up shots also establishes their target audience as many you girls idolize Rihanna. 

     5.  There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This is drawing from the fact that in a lot of music videos, women are portrayed as sexual objects. This may or may not be relevant to every genre of music but it is the majority.

• In Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love' their is an awareness of Goodwin's point 5. There is one point where the artist is on a pedestal with lots of cameras flashing along with fragmented shots of different parts of her body.  There is a shot of her looking into a camera shown below. 

     6.  There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)
In other words, parts of other films, music videos, characters etc. may be used in a video to attract attention of people who already know and like the material being referenced.

• For example in Kanye Wests 'Diamonds' music video there are lots of references to James Bond. Moreover the start of his videos features Shirley Bassies 'Diamonds are Forever' song which featured in a James Bond film. His video is shot in a very James Bond style. Its set in an exotic location, with expensive cars.

Codes and Conventions of music videos and the indie genre

Codes and conventions of music videos and the indie genre

I used the online presentation site 'Prezi' to show my understanding of different media platforms.

Indie Bands/ Artists

There has been a popular rise in the indie genre. More and more bands are now entering this gap in the market. 


The Vaccines

The Vaccines are a British indie rock band formed in 2010. The band were influenced from a number of different eras in music. Ranging from 50s rock 'n' roll to 80s pop music. The Vaccines are a four piece band, Justin Young, Arni Hjorvar, Freddie Cowan and Pete Robertson. Even they are a modern indie band, their representation of style goes back to the 50's which in a way makes them more cool to their fans, this also adds to the target audience as people who follower their style also will be interested in their music. As it is a indie band their target audience is aimed at people who follow the indie culture. This is mostly teenagers who are around 16-21. This is because many of their songs are about youth culture, partying and love.

Vampire Weekend










Vampire Weekend are an American Indie Rock band from New York. Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, after meeting at university. Describing their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto," New York City's Vampire Weekend mix preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Vampire Weekends style is often described as 'geek chic' as their clothing is usually shirts, ties and glasses but made to be more casual, unlike the British indie bands which opt for more of a vintage style. Their music is aimed at university students, which is not surprising as most of their original music was influenced by the university life.   











The Kooks 









The Kooks are an English indie/rock band from Brighton. The original members of The Kooks all met as students at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music in 2002. The band consists of: Luke Pritchard, the lead singer,who put the band together,Hugh Harris lead guitar, Paul Garred drums, and Max Rafferty bass guitar. In 2003 they were signed to Virgin Records just 3 months after forming. Their 2006 debut album Inside In/ Inside Out, was tremendously successful as it reached 4 times platinum status. The kooks are hugely successful to say they are an indie band, this is because they are more mainstream as they usually discribe themselves as an indie pop band. Their music is primarily influenced by the 1960s British Invasion movement, this makes their music easy to listen to and extremely catchy.