I asked a questionnaire to seven students in my class, who are aged between 17 to 19 and I asked the following questions:

1.Have you ever heard of Noah and The Whale?

2.What type of music do you like to listen to?

3.Which do you like better a pop promo with a Narrative or performance?

4.Do you like music with Lyrics or without Lyrics?

5.Would you watch the pop promo of a song even if you didn’t like the song?

From the first question the results were interesting as a lot of people have heard of Noah and the Whale, out of the seven six people have heard of them. This is good in a way because it means that these students have an idea of what type of genre Noah and the whale play, but at the same time it’s bad as these students can compare our pop promo with the original pop promo’s of Noah and the Whale.

There were a various different types of genre for music, but the main types of genres were: Metal, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Pop, Trance, and Classical. A lot of these students prefer many different types of genres rather than sticking to one type. There is a joint top of genre of music, which is: Metal, Rock, RnB, and Hip-Hop, pop. This is bad for our group as the genre of music that Noah and the Whale like to perform is indie type music, which the students have not even included in their favorite types of music.

Our group asked this number three because for our pop promo it is just a narrative and we are interested in what people are more interested in performance or narrative. The result of this question came out equal (five each) which is interesting because a lot of the students chosen both. But this is good for our group, as we now know that it is not that important to have any performance and no one will be disappointed.

Our group asked the question four because some people in our class are actually doing a pop
promo without any lyrics and our group were wondering what these group of students actually prefer to listen to. This questions goes with what type of music people like to listen to all of those genre’s of music that they choose have lyrics in them normally apart from trance. This is good for our group as we have lyrics in ours also lyrics are good for a pop promo as it gives a narrative which we can follow rather than a pop promo without lyrics because then the pop promo has to go to the beat of the music rather than the lyrics.

The last question we asked because we want to know if any would actually be interested in looking up Noah and the Whale but the results of this showed that people prefer to watch a pop promo if they like the song, people who don’t mind watching a pop promo if they didn’t like the song only said that they would watch the pop promo for research. I think that this is a true point as if you like a song a lot most people want to see how the band have managed to create it on screen.

From our research of this questionnaire I can say that our group is on the right path of knowing how to capture this audience, but at the same time are really down side is that no one in our class enjoys indie, which might put our fellow students off our pop promo.

Bands similar to Noah and the Whale

Mumford and Sons

Mumford and Sons are a folk/blugrass band who have received positive critical acclaim from national newspapers such as the Guardian who featured them on their 'Band of the Day' online forum. They originated in London's pub folk scene (Twickenham in fact which is where Noah and the Whale originated) and have garnered a strong cult following amongst this crowd. In fact two of their band members even when to the same school as Noah and the Whale's bass player.

They released their debut album Lend Me Your Eyes in July 2008 and its lead single Roll Away Your Stone was featured as Radio 2's single of the week. They are attached to the label Chess Club which released their second album in November. In addition they made a successful appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival where they wooed audiences with their country-tinged acoustic anthems mainly featuring banjos and double bass. The band pride themselves on their lyrical sensibilities about love, loss and despair. They also dabble in socio-political messages which is a nod to the decades of work by Bob Dylan. Finally, the band features as one of its singers, Laura Marling who has sung with Noah and the Whale.

They finished a nationwide tour in 2008 with support from Peggy Sue, Pete Roe, The Cutaway and more. They are now touring with the Maccabees and have been longlisted for the BBCs Sound of 2009. As well as that they have received airtime and support from Radio 1 DJs Zane Lowe and Greg James as well as XFMs Dave Berry. Mumford & Sons won Best Band at the 3rd Annual BalconyTV Music Video Awards in Dublin on 3 July 2009. In addition they now have a specially designated playlist folder On Virgin TV On Demand along with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga which goes to the show that they have broken into mainstream culture.

Some of their songs include:

Little Lion Man

Winter Winds

White Blank Page

Feel The Tide

The Cave

Primary Research

After finalising our idea we were required to pitch our ideas to the rest of our A Level group by telling them a brief version of the synopsis and treatment as well as playing them our song. It seemed that most of the group were not great fans of the song as it was "too happy and upbeat" which suggests that this section of our age group prefers a darker and more sombre melody to a typical Noah and the Whale tune. They did however express positive feedback for our narrative which involves the end of a relationship possibly because of the death of the girl involved. Although some of the group did express slight concerns that the song was not appropiate for the story and that the melancholic undertones would be subdued by the 'jolly' nature of the song but we countered this by saying that we are aiming for a 'bittersweet' tone which highlights the contrast between the good times and the bad in the relationship hence showing clearly the tragedy of these snippets of a broken heart. Our tutor meanwhile indicated support for our idea and was passionate about the themes we were looking to explore. Finally one problem we may have is that as we are using an established band our audience may already have prejudices which could dissuade them from liking our pop promo which would not be a problem for other groups who are using local bands that they know personally who are unknown to the vast majority of people.

Rundown of Lyrics

At the docks by himself sitting down looking at his legs looks sad-first 38secs

Oh well in five years time we could be walking round a zoo – high angle in park establishing to point of view in docks, walking around happy.

With the sun shining down over me and you

And there’ll be love in the bodies of the elephants too

And I’ll put my hands over your eyes, but you’ll peep through

Rapids cuts in-between music between time frames

And there’ll be sun sun sun –them happy in the docks

All over our bodies

And sun sun sun - switching back to him walking alone at the docks

All down our necks

And sun sun sun-happy couple

All over our faces

And sun sun sun- him alone

So what the heck

Cos I’ll be laughing at all your silly little jokes- This is set in the park playing tennis

And we’ll be laughing about how we used to smoke

All those stupid little cigarettes

And drink stupid wine

Cos it’s what we needed to have a good time

And it was fun fun fun

When we were drinking – them happy playing tennis ball bounces then cuts to him alone

It was fun fun fun

When we were drunk - him staring into the tennis court

And it was fun fun fun

When we were laughing -ball bounces back to them laughing playing tennis

It was fun fun fun

Oh it was fun – then him staring into tennis courts but we shoot him through the gate.

Oh well I look at you and say – Them playing hide and seek near the tree him hiding behind the tree

It’s the happiest that I’ve ever been

And I’ll say I no longer feel I have to be James Dean

And she’ll say – Them running down hill happy

Yah well I feel all pretty happy too

And I’m always pretty happy when I’m just kicking back with you

And it’ll be – Them happy playing still running up hill

Love love love

All through our bodies – cuts when he goes behind tree and turns around and cuts to him alone near the tree

And love love love

All through our minds – happy

And it be Love love love

All over her face - sad

And Love love love

All over mine - sad

Although maybe all these moments are just in my head – him lying in the road remembering times

I’ll be thinking ‘bout them as I’m lying in bed
And all that I believe might never really come true – she walks across but like a ghost and he sees her but she just vanishes

But in my mind I’m havin’ a pretty good time with you

Oh

Five years time – Them in the road and they are fighting

I might not know you

Five years time

We might not speak

Oh
In five years time

We might not get along

In five years time

You might just prove me wrong – you see her just vanish.

Oh there’ll be love love love – during this time is the different places that they were together (Christchurch, docks and the road) of them just being happy

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love- by this bit you see him near the tree in Christchurch and him alone

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love

Wherever you go

There’ll be love love love – this bit he scatteres ashes and we get a still shot (?) of the ashes coming out of the jar.

group Synopsis and Treatment

Synopsis

Song: "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale

This pop promo will be about a man remembering good times with his girlfriend. It involves two time scales, one when the couple are both happy together and the other when the relationship is over. This section will have a more melancholic tone. We will then reveal that his girlfriend is actually dead and he has been remembering some of their last moments together, some of which will be of them arguing. The video is about the man overcoming his grief.

We start at the docks for our first location with a high angle shot of the sun. At first we focus on the man wandering about aimlessly by the water’s edge and then sitting down and dangling his legs over the edge. We then cut to the two of them in the same location but at a different time after the man sees her reflection in the water. They seem happy and contented. During the chorus we cut rapidly between the two time periods to highlight the contrast of feelings.

For the next location we will be at Christchurch Park and we will witness the man making his way through a wooded area with the looming trees adding a hint of gloom in the promo’s tone. He will emerge and find himself looking on at an empty tennis court. We will then cut to the two of them playing in the tennis court beginning to have a slight disagreement. The girl will hit a ball away in anger and it will be picked up by the man in the next time scale. During the chorus we will once again cut rapidly between the time scales highlighting the contrast.

During the final section we will see the man lying on an empty road alone. We will then cut to the other time narrative to view the couple having a big argument which culminates in her walking away. Our final shot is of the man lying hopelessly in the road and then the girl appears above him but when he blinks she disappears.

Treatment

Editing:

Our narrative consists of two time scales so it will be important to make it clear which scale we are in by possibly using visually arresting cuts such as swipe edits when we switch time scales. Apart from those moments I intend to stick mostly to conventional edits although I may employ a couple of jump cuts during the argument to create an atmosphere of chaotic friction. I may also use a couple of graphic matches during the rapid cuts of the choruses in order to show the breaking symmetry of the periods.

In addition we have also discussed using a super 8 type of visual colour for the flashbacks as it creates a sense of hyper reality as well as harking back to a time in the past. It will also hopefully further distinguish between the different time scales keeping the audience abreast of what is happening in order to avoid confusion. It is also important to point out that editing can play a more significant role in this project than in our film noir project as cuts are often more obvious, numerous and stylised in pop promos. It will also be vitally important to integrate all of our establishing shots to highlight our changing locations as they play a vital role in showing the characters' relationship, i.e the waterfront is when they are calm and relatively happy (the smooth elegance of the boats and water) whereas the park with its wintery and wooded almost gothic atmosphere is better suited for the slightly souring nature of their relationship. Also the tennis court, a place of rivalry and competition, is ideal to show the first glimpses of conflict in their relationship.

Costumes

Beginning of the pop promo – Girl – Normal clothing (jeans, shirt) Man- Normal clothing (jeans, top)… when he is by himself he can be wearing a different top and jeans and a jacket (he can have his hands in the pocket jackets to make him look more sad)

New paragraph, middle – Girl – Wearing sporty clothing (tracksuit) Man – Wearing sporty clothing as well (tracksuit). Whenever man is alone he is wearing the same Jeans and jackets and he normally has his hands in his pockets to make it look like it is colder weather and he is sad.

New paragraph, middle (where the tree is) – Girl- Normal clothing, but different clothing from the beginning of the pop promo (jeans, shirt and thin jacket) Man- Normal clothing (jeans and top and thin coat). Whenever he is alone he is wearing the same clothing of the jeans top and jacket.

End – Girl – Normal clothing (jeans, top and a thicker coat) to show that it is getting colder. Man – Normal clothing (jeans, top and a thick coat).

Whenever the two of them are together their costumes should be lighter, for instance they can be wearing white or brighter colors like blue, to try and resemble summer. And as time goes by they wear darker clothing for instance the man could start with a normal blue shirt then when it goes further down the song it goes to a navy blue colour,

Whenever the man is by himself he can be wearing neutral colors, so a neutral jacket co lour like muddy grass green, and his shirt can be a black same with his jeans, to try and show he is mourning.

Props

Beginning of the pop promo – A bench (when the man is alone) but the bench will already be at the docks.

New paragraph, middle – We need two tennis rackets and at least 3 tennis balls in case we loose any.

New paragraph, middle – No props required here apart from the tree which will already be in Christchurch Park.

End – We need a jar that looks like an urn, also we need ashes, which we will get from Josh’s fireplace.

Lighting

Whenever the two are together it will be natural light to make it seem happier.

And whenever the man is by himself we should try and use low-key lighting to make things moodier or we can add more shade to make it look darker.

Cinematography

For the synopsis, we have collaborated our ideas and the Treatment has been delegated to each member of our group, and I agreed to create the Storyboards and therefore the Treatment for the Cinematography of the video. This was going to be the Group Treatment, a collaboration of the Treatments for different areas that will be covered during this project.

For this task to be completed accurately I took into consideration various rules, codes and conventions used by professionals and expert cameramen in the media, when filming with any type of video camera system. These include the “Rule of Thirds”, the “180 degree line rule”, the “30 degree line rule”, “Handles”, “Match-On-Action” (continuity and flow of one shot into another), and “Framing”.

The “180 degree line rule” will apply greatly to the continuity and comfortability of the video from the audience’s point of view. If the man walks from the right to the left of the screen and the girl from the left to the right of the screen, in shots to follow this known movement should be retained, unless otherwise shown by the camera, where the camera tracks from one side to the other. Then, once you have explained how the two characters have been moving and how we as an audience have ‘crossed’ that ‘line’, as a cameraman you can then begin to develop shots with a different point of view of the characters. Otherwise, a bad mistake and confusion can often lead to audiences becoming less interested in your production and your mishap is considered to be a moviemaking error and a bad piece of camerawork.

For the first shot, the establishing shot, we had discussed a possible point-of-view shot of the Sun. This is personification of the Sun because we are seeing what the Sun sees, if it had a point of view of our world. So, I took this as a consideration, and as a result I have decided that the first shot could either be a High Angle Shot from the Sun’s point-of-view, or indeed a Low Angle Shot of the Sun, then from the Low Angle the camera tilts down to look at the street, but at the same time elevating the tripod using the Elevate/Depress tripod controls, so that when the street does come into view we see the street as if it is from the Sun’s point-of-view, or that of a CCTV camera (as in the CCTV camera joke video above), but looking to the right of the street.

The second shot is a continuation of the first, so Match-On-Action is increasingly important here. We see the man walking, “wandering aimlessly by the water’s edge” as Josh had put in our Synopsis. I was thinking of maybe a High Angle Shot looking down to the left of the street, the camera on the opposite side of the street this time, and focusing on the man as he walks from the right to the left of the screen, continuing his movements from the first, establishing shot. I was hoping that to cut down on the number of shots we actually use, we could make these two opening shots into one long one, so that we are not worried about the flow of the cuts, but if we do film and edit these as two shots then we must pay particular attention to the “180 degree line rule” and the continuity and flow of the transition between the two shots.

The third shot is of the man as he sits down by the water’s edge and dangles his legs over the edge of the promenade, his legs dangling above the water. We could have a Wide Shot of him as he walks to where he will sit down, the camera panning left to give him some “looking space” in the framing of the shot when he sits down. As he has approached and sat down next to the camera, the shot changes from a Wide Shot to a Medium Shot. Originally I thought we could have only the man in focus (Shallow Focus) then when he crouches to sit down we re-focus the shot so that both the foreground and the background are in focus.

When he sits down, the next shot is of his legs dangled over the edge and his reflection in the water below. Because I wanted to show his legs at the bottom of the frame, I think this shot will be better shot as a handheld shot, and have a focus pull from his legs to his reflection, ready for the next shot of the water where we see him and his girlfriend reflected in the water. She isn’t really there, and the reflection of her is just one of his memories which sets us up for the shot to follow.

To be creative, I thought the next shot of the water could be in the past, still with their reflections in the water, only this time it is a memory, not so much an illusion. I thought we could have the shot of his legs and her legs dangling over the edge, only they are both in different clothing to his present - in summer clothes, and as they get up and leave happily from the spot at which they were sitting, in the next shot (a Long Shot), hand-in-hand, the real man in the present time still sits there, and sees his memory as if he is a ghost in another world, invisible to others but not to us, watching as their relationship together (in his past) progresses to the video’s climax. I reckon we can add this effect to the video in Editing, and only involves superimposing, or overlaying one shot onto another.

We had discussed, as a group and with our lecturer Jon, that we could use the effect on our video called “Super 8mm” which was an old type of camera. I researched this on various websites, and found a video on YouTube which was the best example I could find of this video effect. It comprises handheld footage with the style of watching a reel of negatives produced from, for example, a family holiday in the 1960s, viewed in the 21st Century. We agreed that if we could in fact create this kind of effect for our video on our Editing software Final Cut Pro (on the Apple Macintosh computers in our Editing suite), as the camera equipment we are using records onto Mini-DV Tapes, then we would use this effect to our advantage on shots where we see the man’s flashbacks and memories on-screen.

Concluding on the fact that our narrative is about a man who now has a sad life, remembering (through the use of flashbacks) the good times he had with his girlfriend, I thought of using mostly Wide Shots or Medium Shots, with a couple of Dutch Tilts here and there where appropriate and maybe a couple of Extreme Close-ups on their hands joined in his flashback. I want to include a shot where we are focused on a metal fence (in the tennis courts?) with them arguing in the background but out of focus, then pulling off a Focus-Pull so that when she leaves him after their argument (in the tennis courts?), we focus on him, alone, and possibly crying (or not).

Development of ideas

After playing around with several songs from the likes of David Bowie, Johnny Cash and Basement Jaxx we decided on 5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale. We decided on them because they were still relatively unknown and didn't have as fixed a reputation as the other artists we considered. This was important to us as we felt that it would give us more creative license that wouldn't be hampered by audience prejudices.

Furthermore after discussing story lines we came to the conclusion that the promo will feature two characters, a man and woman. Chris has agreed to play the man, following his highly acclaimed performance in our film noir project, whilst the girl will be played by our mutual friend Emily Halls. As an added point we have decided to film the scenes involving both characters from the point of view of the man in a similar style to the channel 4 sitcom Peep Show.

I should also mention that we briefly considered changing the song to another Noah and the Whale single, Blue Skies. The idea came about as we were talking about introducing more melancholic themes into the promo such as the death of the girl and the following grief of the man. I felt that Blue Skies was a more sombre tune than our original song and that therefore it may suit our story line better. However after further deliberation within the group we decided to stick with our original song and aim for the juxtaposition of the upbeat rhythm with the growing feeling of sadness in the mood of the story.

Research into band's marketing and promotions

Noah and the Whale are a British indie folk band. This is the cover for their second album The First Days of Spring which is also a film written and driected by lead singer Charlie Fink. He said in an interview on Radio Fivelive with Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode that he wanted to produce an album in a different way to other artists and this seemed an ideal way given his love of films (the band's name is taken from the film The Squid and the Whale). For the album the group were interviewed by many major media outlets such as Radio 1 and leading newspapers such as the Times which furthered their reputation.

Many publicity shots of the band, such as this one, play on their image as alternative to pop culture but not in a rebellious way like a rock band like Kasabian or Green Day might do but rather a slightly quircky even possibly quaint band. Most of their songs are about love and relationships and they cite their lyrical poetry to artists such as Bob Dylan however the band has yet to divulge into more socio-political agendas like Dylan did (civil rights being his biggest message).

They have made relatively few television appearances concentrating more on live gigs and have played gigs in place like Bristol, London, Leeds, Reading and Manchester as well as performing at the V festival and Glastonbury.

The band started out on the London pub scene and up until last year included vocalist Laura Marling in their lineup. They slowly built up a good reputation around London which culminated in them being signed on to Cherrytree Records and Vertigo in order to record their debut album, Peaceful the World Lays Me Down.

Included on that Album was the single 5 Years Time which was marketed as the 'Summer Single of the year.' It received many positive reviews from publications such as NME, the Guardian and even the BBC News website which all suggested that it was the tune everyone was whistling that summer. The band became a success almost overnight.

Target Audience and Fan Base (Star Construction)

As you can see the band deliberately portray themselves as slightly offbeat and quirky and still have a relatively small fan base. However this small fan base is very positive about the band, for example their is much enthusiasm for the announcement of new singles and tour dates on blogs such as Absolute Radio, Amazon and of course the band's official blog:

noahandthewhale.forums.umusic.co.uk which also includes entries from the band themselves often commenting on how their tours are progressing or if they are recording any new material.

I would suggest that the target audience for the group is a relatively small group of people who have an existing passion for indie and folk music and are part of a community of friends that does. They will probably also have a general interest in music of an alternative genre to that usually in the UK Charts which is usually dominated by Pop, Metal and Rap. The band however has discussed in interviews about moving towards a more punk rock sound which could possibly alienate some factions of their fan base.

A major factor in the band's image is how they dress, they appear to deliberately dress in an alternative fashion disregarding many modern conventions and they employ bright colours and scarves highlighting their quirky side.

Analyses of other pop promos by our band

Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale (Director Charlie Fink, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqBwZYrrg4E

The single Blue Skies is taken off the band's second album, The First Days of Spring. It is essentially a trailer for the band's film that is partnered with the album. The pop promo begins in the style of a film with credits showing the production companies and we then move to a continuing two shot of two bearded men having a conversation about when was the last time the man, pictured above, had fun. There is only dialogue during this section and the song only begins to play after about 30 seconds. There is then the reveal of the title of the film and album in a font that resembles handwriting which suggests that the film is intending to be quite elegant.

Following this the lyrics kick in talking about broken hearts and we see super 8 film footage of a woman playing by a tree which indicates that the song is going to be about broken romances. There is then the introduction of several storylines via cross cutting with heavy use of slow motion in order to emphasise the movements of the characters which involve, the two previous characters riding their bikes, an old man on a porch swing and a man carrying the urn containing the ashes of what we assume was somebody close to him. I believe that the locations of each character are also important. For example, the two men going on a bike ride switch from mid shots in street pathways into the open countryside suggesting that they are looking for an escape from the town. Interestingly, at one point there is a cut from a long shot to a mid shot which implies that the man is becoming more important as he goes on his journey.

There is then a conventional edit to the man carrying the urn as the instrumental chorus kicks in and there is further cross cutting across the various storylines all of them in slow motion which may also be to suggest that the people are existing in a kind of hyper reality. After the chorus there is the juxtapositioning of locations, the forset for the urn carrying man and the beach for the two men. The forest is shot in mostly wide shots with subtle camera movements in order to establish it as an elegant and maybe even slightly mythical aesthetic location which ties in with the theme of grief. In contrast the beach uses panning shots to show the full breadth and apparent emptiness of the location and there is then a two shot from behind the two men which shows that they are cut off from the rest of the world. The beach is a sanctuary after personal difficulty. There is also the close up of one of the man wandering towards the sea which may be intertextuality to the Robert Altman film The Long Goodbye.

Finally there is the section of music featuring heavy use of trumpets which create an atmosphere of triumph and this coupled with the long shot of a red car, being driven by the man who deposited the ashes, indicates that this particular character is moving on with his life.

Love of an Orchestra by Noah and the Whale (Director: Charlie Fink,2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQDI5ra16Nw

The pop promo begins with sketchy super 8 film footage of the same girl that appeared in Blue Skies who once again looks happy and contented in the location of the forest. In the background soft barely audible orchestral sounds are heard on the beginning of the track which helps create an atmosphere of tranquility. We then dissolve cut to a man in what I estimate may be his mid sixties. The last remnants of the super 8 film footage plays out on the projector screen behind him giving the impression that the footage was his memories coming back to him.

It is also important to note that there are no cuts for almost the rest of the promo. Indeed there is just a mid shot of him sitting at a desk which contains a glass and bottle of alcohol which indicates that he has been drinking which may have been the catalyst in the recollection of his memories and for his later actions. More orchestral music begins (heavy use of violins and cellos) and it conjunction the man begins to put on a white tie. As he does this the camera gradually begins to move in closer and we see an expression of what can be described as liberation. These factors contribute to suggest that the man is reaching an important point of self realisisation in his life.

Finally the orchestral music climaxes and the beat of a brass instrument we see the first cut in nearly 90 seconds to a close up of the man. Lyrics of a choir like orientation are heard and instanstaneously we see the man miming the lyrics which is done in a comedic fashion. After he has done this the desk parts in two via some sort of mechachnised joint and he moves onto a stage illuminated by low key lighting and he is seen making conductor movements whilst the first lyrics by the band's lead singer are heard. They talk about never being lonely because, "I've got the love of an orchestra." These lyrics tie in with the theme of the album which is that taking comfort in other aspects of your life in order to move on from other personal grievances. During this section of the video the man dances exuberantly defying his age and sending out a message that he has received a new lease of life.

There is one final cut that which is that to a close up of the back of his head almost in silhouette as he is walking away. His ears seem unusually bright compared to his surroundings and this may be a representation that his ears are powerful conduits for music which creates intense energy in his being.

Shape of My Heart by Noah and the Whale (Director: Charlie Fink, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Q2b2uTlHY

The pop promo is a homage to the horror and sci-fi movies made from the 50s to 80s by Mexican wrestler El Santo as the band are fans of this type of alternative cinema. It is shot with what appears to be super 8 film making the promo look homemade and therefore more intamate with little desire for vain self-publication and the location is on a deserted beach which is very windy and seemingly cold. These conditions immediately create a feeling of isolation and possibly sadness because of their negative connatations. After a couple of establishing shots we have close ups of each member of the band via the camera panning across from left to right.

For the first minute only two members of the band are shown with musical instruments with the rest holding sound recording equipment and appearing to be making a film within the pop promo. There is also a zoom out from a little hollow on the beach to reveal the band and this technique may have been used in order to showcase the appearance of the band on the beach and giving them an almost mythical quality. Simultaneously bright yellow text appears at the bottom of the screen saying things such as 'Boom Recording' which ties in with the idea of the band making their own film within the pop promo. Also during the slower portion of the first verse the camera slowly moves to follow the violinist but then cuts directly at the point when the melody jumps to a more up tempo chorus as wee the rest of the band skinny dipping.

We then see a close up of a brightly coloured kite and we then cut to an over the shoulder shot in order to show the kite begin to fly. This shot is very close to a point of view shot and it helps to show the audience the height from the beach at which the kite was flying. There then follows a montage of all of the band playing their instruments as the kite scatters around the sky and it gives the effect that the flight path of the kite is directly influencing the rythm of the song.

During the final section we cut to another location which appears to be a house in the middle of a seaside town and in it is a single individual who has a sound receiver and picks up the recordings made by the band. This runs concurrently with the high tempo music at this point which is heavily driven by the use of trumpets. The man arranges the sounds in what seems to be his bedroom which has the mise-en-scene of a classic science fiction film because of its low key yet multi coloured lighting and the various gadgets attached to the main computer which gives it the look of a technological hub of activity. The final shot is of the band on the computer monitor which signals that they have achieved their ambition of creating a film out there on the beach.

Initial Ideas

I had the idea to make a pop promo using the song Five Years Time by Noah and the Whale who are a fairly low stream indie folk band.

My initial thoughts were to involve a narrative of a man and woman who were ending their previously happy romantic relationship. The lyrics of the song indicated future doubts about the relationship of the lead singer and his girlfriend so it dawned upon me that actually showing that breakdown would be both suitable for the song whilst also being a different take or angle if you like. My main inspiration came from the Woody Allen film Annie Hall which I thought captured a breakdown of a relationship in a very funny bittersweet and alternative way. I was also influenced by the fact that the band's next album, The First Days of Spring, deals with a similar theme.

Treatment:

Editing: I thought that there could be flashbacks between times when the relationship was in effect and then when it was over creating contrast. There would also possibly be shots of a brief performance possibly of Chris playing guitar or maybe miming. This would be useful for not making the jump between time frames to become too repetitive during the video.

Cinematography: I thought that the girl would be mainly shown in mid shot and possibly occasionally out of focus so that the audience would get the impression that the man is remembering her in a slightly hazy way almost as if he is trying to create a new person in his memories (one that won't leave him). The man would be shot with lots of close ups in both time frames in order to emphasise his differing feelings from one time to the next.

Mise-En-Scene: I thought that good locations for the 'happy' times would be a park as the autumnal conditions should provide a warm and hopefully dreamlike romantic setting. Whilst the harbour may be a good location for the moodier sections how storytelling has a tradition of using the sea and other bodies of water to create a sombre tone. Finally the performance elements would hopefully be shot in a small space (a studio for example) with low key lighting but with the possibility to create strange maybe sometimes colurful light to reflect his conflicting emotions.

Analysis of a Music Promotional Package

My featured band is Muse. Their new album is The Resistance. Featured single is Uprising.

This is the artwork of their new album cover. As you can see it is a kaleidoscope of clours with a gateway at which stands a silhouetted man. I am given the impression that the title The Resistance has connotations of rebelling against authority and the world which could indicate that the ball of colours represents the world and highlights its many differing cultures and aspects. The fact that the man is very small against the backdrop suggests that he is overwhelmed with the vastness of this world and the band may be attempting to attract an audience who similarly feels overwhelmed by the world and feels an urge to fight against it. The ball of colurs also appears to be engulfing the man which emplies that his time is running out. Also the fact that the man is silhouetted means that the man or possibly woman has no identity which tells the audience that the album is aimed at everyone. Also the path on which the figure stands is yelloe and looks gold which could refer to The Wizard of Oz which dealt with themes of trying to find your identity in a frightening world. Finally both the names of the band and album are written in fairly small lettering which may indicate that advertisers do not think the band yet has a commercial enough reputation.

It is interesting to note that the titles aren't particularly prominent and that the faces of the lead singer and band aren't used either - this suggests that the motif is the main selling point of the package. Often artists are the most eye catching factor in these packages so this absence means that the motif will have to be massively marketed so as to ingrain it into the public consciousness. I would have thought it possible that there would be a risk that a lot of potential consumers will not make the connection between the motif and the band unless they are huge fans who follow the band with obsessive precision.

This is a press advert for their new album. What is immediately noticeable is the lack of bright vibrant colurs which are visible on the album artwork. With the glowing ball underneath the title it almost looks like a poster for a science fiction film which may be relavent as a lot of science fiction films deal with themes of loneliness which is what I believe the album artwork implied. Part of the text seems to be emitting a glow which gives the title an almost mystical quality almost as if the album transcends our plane of existence. The name of the band is fairly small compared to that of the album name which suggests that the advertisers do not think that the band's reputation is strong enough to be the main selling point, it is almost as if the band is using the album to be a rebirth of their career. The starry black space could be the band's past with the shining orb being their new beginning. It could also be intertextuality to the 'Star child' from 2001: A Space Oddyssey.

It is quite unusual for a print advert to be as different as this one to its album cover and this suggests to me that the marketers are attempting to attract different areas of consumers. Whilst the album cover is brighter with connotations of joy to appeal to a more mainstream audience, the print advert is appealing to an audience more interested in darker themes (young adults and teenagers).

YouTube: Muse Uprising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KQmps-Sog

The pop promo is heavily performance based with the band dressed in black driving around in the back of a pick up truck through a town playing their song. However what is interesting to note is that the town appears to be a toy town with plastic cars and plastic dolls lining the gloomy streets. A connotation of this is that they are talking about a world that is materialistic, I say this rather than the idea of the toy town representing childhood innocence because of the tone of the music and the intensity of the faces of the band which suggests that this is a serious song about issues that relate to them. The band also has a history of pained melancholic anger in their performances.

At the beginning of the promo, fire is seen inflaming the streets which suggests that the song will be about rebellion and possibly condone violence as a solution although it could also mean that they believe that oppression by authority evokes violence itself. This style ties in neatly with the codes and conventions of many rock music pop promos as the theme of rebellion runs through most of this genre. Furthermore I would suggest that the target audience is probably young men if not teenage boys who are typically attracted to the theme of oppression and of being an outcast as well as rock being a typically more male orientated genre.

There does not appear to be much of a narrative as it is just the band driving around the toy town however towards the end there is a glaring use of intertextuality. A giant teddy bear emerges from the rubble and this instantly reminded me of the puff monster from Ghostbusters which in contrast to the rest of the promo provokes humour and may indicate that the band are attempting to show that they don't take themselves too seriously as well as evoking childhood innocence. On the other hand the bear could be more evokotive of Godzilla which would continue the theme of anger and the desire to fight against oppression as well as playing on the famous loneliness of that monster.

Throughout the promo the cinematography focuses a lot on the lead singer featuring him as the main selling point of the band which is typical of most bands in any genre. It also shows the toy town from a ground perspective rather than a birds eye view in order to create the illusion that it is human sized. Also the mise-en-scene maintains largely abonded desolate darkened streets and creates the feeling of some post apocolyptic horror films. The editing is relatively slow compared to some other chaotic pop promos as it instead chooses to focus on the action and fully utilize the intense performance level of the band indicating that in actuality the band are the main selling point of this production. There is also slow motion employed in scenes where the band commit rebellious acts (such as breaking 'what we assume are' shop windows) thus displaying them in a paradoxically powerful way.

What's striking is how the album cover's colourful image is so vastly differing to the darker image of the other two factors.

Analysis of Pop Promos

1. Noah and the Whale- Five years Time (Director: James Copeman)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8YCSJpF4g4

The promo begins with its title being displayed in a font similar to that used in may Wes Anderson movies which immediately creates a sense of offbeat humour and quirckiness. Each band member is shown with their name next to them creating a sense of identity and allowing the audience to become accustomed to them in a friendly manner. The promo itself is set in a quiet bar in an unknown location with fairly realistic furniture if a slightly brighter than normal colour scheme which also includes their clothes which are identical to each other and give them the look of a cruise band.

The promo seems to be aiming towards looking to be fairly low budget by the fact that its only other location is a park which is available to film in to us as students. There isn't a sense of difference in scale. The camerawork is slightly wobbly indicating hand held cameras and as a result the director mainly employs mid shots with artificial lighting being minimal. There is also a rather grainy texture to the film itself making it look more homemade. Furthermore there are some interesting use of editing techniques such as wipe edits, split screens and a dissolve in the form of a clock face. You would not expect to find these in most films which implies that the promo is embracing its indie slightly quirck character and not trying to impose itself as a serious work.

The promo is also a mixture of performance and narrative as there are many stretches which show the band performing but there is also a loose narrative in the form of the lead singer's relationship with the only girl in the promo which is his girlfriend. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals such as when he mentions going to the zoo and we see a shot of the two of them at a zoo as well as holding wine bottles when they are mentioned in the song. The result of this is that it suggests to the audience that the song is based on the band's real life experiences which supplies a degree of realism to the promo and allows the audience to empathise. The lyrics also supply one example of intertextuality which is when James Dean is mentioned in the lyrics and this suggests that the target audience is if not old enough to understand then a young person who has interests slightly less mainstream. For example they could have mentioned a more modern movie star such as Brad Pitt.

The promo ties in with expected codes and conventions of this genre, indie, as it is designed to be offbeat and a little quircky, i.e antithesis to pop music. The theme of the song is also young love which means that the target audience will probably be young people probably of both sexes who have or are experiencing that feeling. The band play their instruments energetically but not aggressively like someone like a rock band would. They create a feeling of warmth and this is furthered with their bright costumes which look like a throwback to those worn in hi-di-hi. This also suggests that the band is not particularly self conscious and not bothered about their image which means that this promo is not just a star vehicle but something they enjoy doing.

2. Massive Attack- Angel (Director: Walter Stern)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbe3CQamF8k

The setting for this pop promo is an almost empty car park late at night which we can tell by the fact that only artificial low key light is employed. Initially there is a cut in exact time to every beat which creates a feeling of momentum. The camera straight away focuses on one character with both mid shots and close ups and this establishes him as the protagonist and he is dressed in black which creates an image of a loner and possibly a character with less than innocent intentions. However, there quickly shots of other characters and the performances of these characters immediately establish as the enemy whilst the original character is then framed with a slight circle of light over his head which could be interpreted as a halo which may mean that he is the 'Angel' of the title.

Following this tracking shots are used when he begins to flee which creates a sense of real time and therefore added suspense for the audience. There is then a series of slow motion so that the audience can fully appreciate the scale at which the 'Angels's' predicament is increasing. There is a brief pause when we focus on one of the chasing pack stopping and miming the lyrics in harmony to the song. This is the only example of the lyrics and visual being linked as the promo is narrative based rather than performance based, in fact unless you knew the what the band members looked like beforehand you wouldn't be able to tell which people are the band and which are actors. Despite the lyrics and visuals being linked there is a link between the music and the visuals as there seems to be an increased level of momentum in the instrumentation when the chase also increases in volacity. Also the music almost grinds to a halt when the chase stops and enables the promo to take on a sort of stand off situation between the 'Angel' and the pack.

This promo suggests to me that the band are not focused on promoting their own physical image but are instead more interested in giving themselves a reputation for being melancholic, which is the sort of tone that may especially appeal to teenagers, and to have a darker heart. It is also interesting to note that that prior to this song the band were previously known for a more laid back ambient and the extremes of this promo suggest that the band wants to move away from their previous image and into to something darker and edgier and they are attempting to do so here.

3. Mika - We Are Golden (Director: Jonas Akerlund)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WknXCcVThI

This pop promo is set within Mika's bedroom and features him dancing around in his under pants in an exuberant way. The very first shot is of him putting on a cassette tape, which is quite a retro image, of the actual song and his name which immediately establishes with the audience who the artist is and the name of the song. There then follows a mid shot of his bedroom which gives the audience a very general idea of the tone of the song because the room is brimming with bright vibrant colour both on the wallpaper and with posters as well as dozens of shirts and trousers scattered on the floor which are similarly vibrant. The room is also very untidy which could have connotations of rebellion and the idea that your bedroom can look like whatever you want it to be.

Following this opening there is a series of rapid cuts which cut in time to the rythm of the song and help to emphasise the frenetic energy of the music and this is furthered by Mika's chaotic movements mirroring a teenager dancing around in his bedroom. More close up shots are used now and the audience gets to see more detail of the room which includes several cuddly toys which create a childlike sensibility as well as provoking empathy amongst the audience. There are also several poster referencing popular culture which indicates that that is his main interest and is also useful for establishing that the target audience are probably teenagers or even younger children with an interest in pop culture.

What makes a good Pop Promo?

A close relationship between the music and visuals is often beneficial to the success of a pop promo as it creates a feeling of cohesion and rhythm, for example cutting on beats or flashing up an important object or landmark such as in some Michel Gondy videos. It is also beneficial to maintain a close relationship between the lyrics and visuals as it can help to furhter translate the message the perfomer is trying to convey, for example when there is a lyric about heartbreak many pop promos often show someone experiencing that feeling which can create empathy amongst the audience.

There are many codes and conventions in different music genres which an audience will usually expect and desire, for example Heavy Metal and Rock bands often produce pop promos which are heavily performance based featuring them playing their instruments with kinetic gusto whilst their leas singer will usually leap around the stage attempting to encourage energy and enthusiasm for the audince watching. In contrast some performers rarely appear in their pop promos such as Fatboy Slim whose style of music is more electro based so he opts to produce more abstact videos such as his famous one of Christopher Walken defying gravity in an empty hotel.

This leads into the subject of 'star power' which is when a pop promo is more concerned with their own promotion than any artistic ambition. For example more indie bands such as Kasabian produce pop promos such as Fire which attempts to tell its own narrative of a bank robbery going wrong with guitars standing in for guns. These types of pop promos will often include more intertextuality such as references to films like being set in a creepy hotel in salute to The Shining, or referring to iconic TV programs such as Happy Days by being set in an idealic diner.

In contrast artists such as Madonna and Geri Halliwell produce pop promos that specifically show off their talents both vocally and physically to produce a larger than life image and nothing more than vehicles to showcase their attributes. Female artists and especially those in girlbands are more often than not prone to being exposed to close up shots of their bodies which are often adorned with very skimpy clothing. These pop promos are an example of voyeurism as they are dseinged to be consumed by a primarily male heterosexual audience whilst making many females desire to be more like them.

History of the Development of Pop Promos

The purpose of a pop promo is to promote the image of the given 'pop star' in a usually positive light which serves to encourage interest from consumers who will hopefully go on to buy their latest single or album.

It is thought by many that Queen's 'Bohemian Rapsody' was the first real pop promo when in fact German Oscar Fischinger had experimented with abstract synchronisations in the 1920s. Also a film of about eight minutes in length were used to promote singers Billie Holiday and Bing Crosby as part of the info wheels in cinemas at that time. The biggest leap towards modern day MTV was when US company Harman-ee began to produce pop promos which took on a very suggestive and often borderline pornographic route by employing extended shots of the female crotch and exotic dance routines.

Just prior to that Warner Bros and Disney had both produced individual animations cut to specific songs with a major example being 'Three Pigs in a Polka.' Additionally before the Second World War 'promotional clips' were made for visual jukeboxes usually involving Jazz musicians which became somewhat of a fad in bars and night clubs.

Elvis Presley signalled a big shift in attention towards pop promos when he appeared in a variety of fictional locations for singles such as 'Jailhouse Rock' whilst the Beatles appeared on a busy railway line in 'A Hard Day's Night'. This coincided with the launch of American Bandstand in the USA and Top of the Pops in the UK during the mid sixties. The Beatles continued to produce what we now consider to be pop promos with the likes of Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever which, because of their enormous popularity, created increased interest in the medium.

Across the pond, the Monkees were being billed as an answer to the Beatles and they made several notable pop promos with Daydream Believer and Then I saw her Face amongst them. However their biggest contribution came after they disbanded when Mike Nesmith had the idea of producing a programme called Pop Clips which would show nothing but pop promos for a whole hour. Warner Brothers loved the idea of creating round the clock programming with the only cost being royalties but this was offset by advertisers being will to pay large sums of money for air time. MTV began broadcasting in 1981.

MTV grew quickly with numerous bands wanting play time and the introduction of 'serious rock' onto the channel enhanced their reputation. They also later introduced rap music which added to the channel's demographic. Nowadays MTV has several channels and has even introduced some regular programming such as The Osbournes and Jackass as they increase their power. However this may be threatened by the growing ease with which pop promos are available online as the new virtual generation see this as an easier and quicker way to consume pop promos.

Big time directors began to move into the medium with both John Landis and Martin Scorcese directing videos for Michael Jackson. As a result pop promos began to introduce 'plots' with the Kinks and the Rolling Stones being particular pioneers along with the director Anthony Stern. Further progress was into political means was made apparent when the Vietnam War broke out and numerous artists including the Doors and Morrissey used the medium as protest and to potentially galvanise youth support. Sympathy for the Devil is a famous example of a pop promo doubling up as a political film talking about John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War - it was directed by the french political director Jean-Luc Goddard. The Sonny and Cher comedy hour also hired animators to create promos for several songs.

Michael Jackson's Thriller was the most watched and most anticipated pop promo of all time and caused the medium to jump further into the mainstream than ever before thus embedding it in the way it is today. It also sparked a wave of highly outspoken, flambuoyant and talented directors like Spike Jonze, David Fincher and Michel Gondry who as well as creating more artistic promos saw the medium as a means to create a respected reputation so as to eventually move into cinema. Their future films include Where the Wild Things Are, Fight Club and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind respectively.

In the eighties a few pop promos were banned by the BBC under pressure from Mary Whitehouse and others, most notably the Sex Pistols' God Save the Queen. Nowadays however it is unheard of for a band to release a single without a pop promo as it is often the first way potential consumers come across these particular songs. There has also arisen controversy over the increased sexuality of a lot of pop promos, usually in the rap and dance genre, which has caused outrage from some leading feminists. Sex sells.

Brief

I have been asked to produce a promotional package for the release of an album which will include a pop promo, a cover for the album release and a magazine advertisement.

We will working in groups of two or three and it will be our goal to make sure that each member of the group takes on sufficiently equal and important roles and responsibilities. The promo is intended to promote the image of the band as well as refelcting the musical genre in terms of pace and mood.

We will also consider what kind of institution would advertise and broadcast (e.g MTV) our promo as well as establishing and attracting our target audience. We will also have to make sure that each segment of the promotion works in synch with each other in order to create a sufficient image of fluid symmetry.

Group Members

Our group consists of three people: Chris Kenworthy who will act as Director/Cinematographer, Emily Swager who will act as Production Designer and Joshua Payne (me) who will act as Producer/Editor.