Research; Music Video - Agnes 'Release Me'

Agnes’s video for ‘Release Me’ begins with a black silhouette of the artist lying back in an open position. This highlights the artist figure and her gesture/position as it’s quite sexual. This links to the stereotypical idea of women and their appearance right from the beginning of the video.
The video then proceeds to a tracking shot of the streets and gives the audience the feel that they are driving through the use of a hand held camera. This produces the feeling that they are off on a night out and allows the audience to identify with the video.
When the artist appears in the video a range of shots are including medium, medium close and close ups. She is always framed centre fame, or within the rule of thirds, showing her importance to the audience and allowing them to clearly see her emotions and expressions. The artist is also framed in a number of two shots, first to show her intimacy with a male character and then later in the video on a night out with female characters. In both occasions the artists is framed more central and within the forefront of the frame reinforcing her importance. An over the shoulder shot is also used when the artist is applying her make up allowing the audience to identify with her and therefore relate to the situation and the song.
When the dancers in the video are framed, they are often centre framed but with the use of medium or even long shots connoting that the dancers themselves are not important but the dancing action itself is, as it links the song back to the genre of dance.
As the video progresses there are a number of tracking shots of the artist as she walks. The gesture in which she walks is a large and bouncy movement connoting her power and therefore breaking the dominant ideology of woman being weak and needed to be saved by men.
Another shot used is a close up of the males arm around the artist. This connotes love and intimacy and suggest that the song is related to these. It also connotes the male as protection to the woman and could reinforce the ideology of the male ‘saving’ the female character.
A number of the artists shot are solo of her. These shots tend to be in street or alley way situations creating a sense of isolation and connoting this as one of the negative emotions of the narrative, so therefore love.
When the artist is not shown, there are a number of shots of dance floor scenes again linking the video to the genre and allowing the audience to link the song to nightclubs as places they would expect to hear it again allowing them to identify with the video. Furthermore there is also the use of shots, which look like CCTV footage, of youths dancing suggesting all social classes and people under the age of those allowed to go nightclubbing can also identify with the music are also part of the target audience. Finally the video also includes shots of groups dancing with a range of different races within the group connoting equality and the fact that any class, race and gender can relate to the song therefore widening the target market.

The editing of the video is very fast paced which seems a key convention of the genre as it is present in the majority of the videos I have analysed. The pace is created by a number of jump cuts. The jump cuts tend to jump from the artist to either a setting or a dancing scene connecting the artist and what she’s singing about with these shots and the gestures, such as dancing, which are produced in these shots.

The lighting of the video is very dark as it’s representing a night setting linking the video back to the dance genre and particularly nightclubs. At the being of the video the artist is lit up in the darkness by what seems like a car headlight passing. This could be seen as a spotlight again linking back to the dance genre.
When the artist is shown a key light is used on the artist allowing us to clearly see her facial expressions and emotions connoting her importance as she clearly stands out on the background. This is also clear in the nightclub scenes as you are unable to clearly make out the characters dancing in the background but can clearly see the artist, in the foreground, due to the key light reinforcing her importance. Another example is the close ups o the artist as the lighting allows us to clearly see her expressions and features such as her pink lipstick connoting love and passion and showing these as characteristics of the song.
Another use of lighting, within the video, is the use of flashing white lights. This gives the effect of disco lights and again links back to the genre.

The predominant colours used within the video are black and white. This reinforces the idea of a night setting and connotes mystery, purity and perfection. These are all emotions which can be felt when in a romance/love linking back t the song narrative. Red and purples are other colours included in the video reinforcing the idea of romance and adding a sense of wealth. The finial colour which is common, within the video, is orange this connotes high energy and matches the gesture of dancing within the video.

The artist’s costumes resemble those that every girl would wear on a night out again linking to the genre. The colour scheme continues with the black and white reinforcing the connotations of these. The dancers and the models costumes are quite average and therefore allow the audience to clearly relate with the video and link it and the narrative of the song to realism. The predominant gender of the characters in the video are female, this suggests that the target audience is female. Also the use of a range of ages reinforces the age range to be from teenagers to young adults.

The narrative, within this video, is not very clear. Without the lyrics of the music the audience would be unaware of the narrative. This means Todorov and Propp theory is not clear in this video as its quite hard to follow. However the focus on the woman throughout the video may suggest that she's a 'princess' character although it i not particularly clear.

Research; Music Video - David Guetta feat Kelly Rowland 'When love takes over'

This video begins with a sunset setting. This connotes romance and immediately connects the narrative of the song to romance from the beginning of the song. Jump cuts then connect this image with medium shots of the beach, nation flags and the sea creating a holiday setting suggesting the narrative to be linked to holiday and holiday experiences. The video then shows the artist for the first time with a long shot. This allows the audience to see the setting around the artist and can see that it’s a holiday setting by the buildings. However the buildings also seem quite run down due to dirt and graffiti causing the artist to stand out and show her importance.

The video then tracks the artist connoting her importance. This is reinforced by the models immaculate appearance and costume causing her to stand out from the others, as well as always being centre framed.

In between the tracking shots there are a number of close up shots of the artists face. This allows us to see her expression and emotion. The artist is smiling throughout each close up creating a happy tone and atmosphere. This tone is also created due to the bright colours of make up used for the artists eye make up.

Then second artist is then introduced to the audience by a jump cut. The jump cut shows a link between the two artists and enforces the importance of the two. He is seen pushing DJ decks suggest to the audience these are connected to him. This also allows the audience to link the song to the dance genre as the ‘DJ’ aspects links with parties and nightclubs. The male artists costume is predominantly red connoting passion, danger and energy. Energy is reinforced by the pace and volume of the song increasing as we are introduced to the male. This suggests a sense of power reinforcing the dominant ideology of the males being the dominant gender. This is however late contradicted within the video as the woman is shown more and dominants the camera time and frames connoting her as the one with strengthen and power challenging this ideology.

At this time the atmosphere is build more and more happy and upbeat. This is shown with the pace and beat of the music and if reinforced by a costume change in the female character to a bright summers dress.

There is then a close up on three wires from the DJ's decks, showing the importance of this prop to the song. These wires are red, purple and black in colour. The red is used to connote passion and romance and is reinforced by the lines of ‘love takes over’ being sang as this shot is shown. However it can also connote danger and could mean this due to the use on electrical wires. The purple is a light purple which could also connote romance as well as wealth and luxury. The black connotes mystery and is used to show power.
Throughout the video there are a number of shots of people dancing, which is a key convention of this genre as it has been present in a number of videos I have analysed. However it does break the code and conventions as the majority of the dancers and all the solo dancers are male characters. The video also includes shots if dancing on bikes and skateboards. This suggests that the target audience is male orientated instead of female as the dance genre is in general.

The power and holiday are reinforced by the large number of shots of the sea. Towards the end of the video the female is seen in the sea and it becomes quite fantasy like as it seems the sea ‘takes over’ the girl as is stated in the lyrics. This could be seen as a metaphor for love and the emotions felt when in love again relating to the narrative of the song. The use of the sea connotes the power and depth of love, while a holiday feel could relate to a holiday romance allowing the audience to therefore relate to the song and the artist.

After this, the video goes into a night life situation. It uses fades and jump cuts to build the pace and cause the transition. There are shots of fire and dancing, during this, as well as a close up of the females face. This connotes the energy as well as the dangers of romance and love. The scene also uses a number of kissing and intimate shots to anchor the connotation of love and the narrative of the song. As the video moves into the night life the colours within the video darken as well as the costumes and make up of the characters, reinforcing the night idea and linking the video to the genre.

The Editing throughout the whole video is fast paced which suggests this is a key convention of this genre as it has been present in all the videos. Jump cuts also seem to be key in increasing the pace and showing connections within this genre.

The video ends with the artist walking along the beach and the sunset image again, suggesting the video to be a reminiscence or an insight into what happens after the sun goes down.

This video, again, doesn't have a particularly clear narrative. The audience is able to clearly establish the idea of a holiday romance through the setting and lyrics of the song, however they are unable to clearly see relationships between the main characters. The only theory i feel could be possibly used is the Propp theory. The focus on the woman could suggest shes a 'princess' character, however the relationship her and the character have, would suggest he's a helper, not a hero.

Research; Music Video - Ultrabeat 'Pretty Green Eyes'

This music video begins with a number of close ups of different body parts and two shots of two characters that seem extremely intimate. Intimate gestures, such as almost kissing/ teasing, reinforce this portrayal. The quick change and restriction in what the audience can see creates slight confusion and enigma. The video then continues to close ups of the character pulling up her stockings and tying the back of her top. This allows the audience to see a lot more flesh and creates a sexual feel about the video, especially due to the revealing of her back. This could be seen to reflect the nightclub and the way women dress when attending as well as the ideology of women being an object for men to look at for there sexuality and appearance. There is then a close up of a make up pallet and shows a woman applying red lipstick, this could connote so sort of danger about the woman, or possibly passion/romance.

This is followed by an extreme close up of the female’s eye. This connotes its importance to the video and its clear link to the narrative. As the woman blinks, a straight cut is used to change and establish the setting as a nightclub. This is reinforced, as the music kicks in, by the use of coloured lighting, such as greens and pinks, to give a night club effect and link the video to the dance genre.

There are a number of medium shots of the woman characters dancing for the majority of the video. However it is unclear to completely see them at all times as the lighting of the shots is very dark and restricts what the audience is able to see, perhaps to portray a night setting again linking with night clubs. It also connotes mystery which is a key aspect of the video as the audience is unable to clearly see a lot of things causing enigma.

A couple medium close ups, and a two shot of the artist is then shown. However the lighting remains quite dark with what looks more like natural light than a bright key light, that you would expect to see, is used to show the artists face, this suggests that they’re not that important to the video. However the artist gain full eye contact with the audience which challenges this as this shows his importance and engages the audience. The artists are not shown particularly often in the video, which is unusual for this genre. Furthermore all the dancers within the video are female connoting the dominance of female in the dance genre and the target audience to be females.

A zoom to an extreme close up of the artists eye joint by a straight cut to the females eye reinforce the importance of the eye to the narrative and show a connection between the artist and the female, again reinforcing the song lyrics.

Flashing lights are then use to again create a disco feel and relate to nightclubs as this is the most common place for this genre of music to be played. During this scene a quick pan is used creating a chaotic atmosphere and a sense of high energy. This is reinforced by the movement and gesture of the people on screen and their dancing. This again reinforces the nightclub atmosphere and gives the audience a clear idea of the setting. The lighting within this frame continues to be dark and continues to restrict what the audience can see. However the scene does focus on three women and suggests them to be important and reinforce the dominance of women within the video.

The video then proceeds to medium and long shots of the three woman dancing in what seems like there underwear and stockings. The dancing is quite sexual and the women are seen to be using their bodies to engage the audience. This reinforces the ideology of women being an object for men and having to uses there sexuality and appearance to gain identity. The use of woman in restricted clothing and good appearance seems a key convention of the dance genre as it is present in a number of videos and album covers that I have analysed. This suggests that this will attract the target audience and could be due to the audience being able to relate to the situation as a number of girls dress provocatively for nights out.

The editing of the video also follows the key conventions of the dance genre as there are a number of straight and jump cuts to create a fast pace for the edits and match the music tempo. This also causes and upbeat atmosphere to be created and, in the case of this song, quite a happy atmosphere.

The video finishes with the top we saw being done up in the beginning of the video being tied up, being untied symbolising the end of the night. Although a lot of sight is restricted within this video I feel it works well as it relates well to a realistic situation and therefore allows the audience to relate well to it and therefore the song and the narrative of the song.

This again doesn't show a clear use of Todorov's theory as the narrative is not particularly clear and shows shows a romance of focus on a woman by a male. This could suggest that Propp's theory could be applied with the female character being a 'princess' and the male being a 'hero'.

Research; Music Video - Basshunter 'Now You're Gone'

This video begins with a high angle shot of a girl in her bedroom. The use of a high angle shot suggests the audience to be looking in on her situation and possibly suggest we have dominance over the character. It also allows the scene to be established as the characters bedroom. The use of the bedroom seems quite a key convention of the dance genre as a lot of videos begin in the bedroom. It also allows the target audience to drop below those that are legal to attend nightclubs as the younger audience can relate to the video as they may listen to this sort of music in their bedrooms.

There is then the use of a close up on the mobile phone connoting this as important. This suggests the target audience to be teenagers and young adults as mobile phones are part of there everyday life and therefore allows them to relate to the video. Furthermore the age of the characters is around 18 reinforcing this age range as the target audience. The mobile phone is also used to connect the two characters in the beginning of the video. A number of jump cuts are used to show the connection between the characters and highlight the similarities between the emotions they portray and situations they are in. This creates a fast pace for the edits to match the song and obey the conventions of this genre of music. The use of medium close ups on the characters allows the audience to see the emotions on the characters face. The expressions of both characters are sad creating a sad atmosphere which therefore challenges the genre of music. The characters are framed centre frame and therefore reinforces there importance to the video.

The use of over the shoulder shot of the female looking at a picture of the male and her and the male reinforces the idea of them being connected. It also allows the audience a deeper insight into the narrative of the video. The target audience of the video is then also reinforced by the use of the female’s laptop to contact her friends.

This is followed by a medium shot of the male character sitting in the middle of the room. His importance is still portrayed due to his centre framing but his body language challenge’s the dominant ideology of men as he is portrayed as quite weak instead of strong and women’s saviours.

A selection of medium and medium-long shots of the two characters and there friends are then shown. Jump cuts between the two reinforce the link and similarities between the couple as they are both shown getting ready for a night out. This links with the conventions of the dance genre as it links to night out and therefore nightclubs. These scenes also reinforce the genre due to the atmosphere changing to a more upbeat and happy atmosphere. The couple’s importance is also reinforced due to the framing of the couple compared to their friends who are often framed to the back of the frame.

As the girls prepare for there night out, the audience are able to identify with the characters due to the focus on make up and revealing outfits which is often seen within this genre as it allows the video to be linked to femininity and realism. The costume of the female character is a short black dress. The use of black connotes mystery and seems to be a key colour for outfits within this genre. The dress is also sparkly relating to dressing up for nights out and the idea of shining, therefore showing her importance as she stands out. Revealing outfits also seem a key convention of this genre as they have appeared in a number of music videos and even album covers that I have analysed.

A medium shot of a black silhouette of a woman flicking her hair back and dancing seductively is then shown. This reinforces the representation of woman gaining identity through their sexuality and appearance. The use of flashing brightly coloured lighting within this frame reinforces the happy atmosphere whilst creating a nightclub effect and therefore allowing the audience to relate the video to the genre.

The video then switches to the setting of a nightclub. The lighting therefore darkens to create a night setting and the use of strobe lighting and flashing white lights are used to reinforce the nightclub setting. The gesture within this scene is very high energy due to the dancing scenes this creates an upbeat atmosphere and portrays the nightclub scene as would be expected. Fast edits and pans are used to match the camerawork to this chaos/energy and therefore to the beat of the song. This also links to the genre of music well as fast edit are a key convention of the dance genre.

The mobile phone is then shown again in the club scene. This is an important prop as it allows the target audience to link with the film and continuously shows the connection between the two characters. It also allows the narrative of the song to be clear to the audience by the text used in the text messages. The text also reinforces the target audience by the slang used.

Towards the end of the video a two shot of the couple is shown. The couple are frames within the forefront of the frame with the background blurred out. This reinforces there importance to the video and shows the narrative to be about them and not necessarily the setting. There is then a medium-close up of the couple kissing reinforcing the idea of romance within the video and this genre of music.

Within the video the Woman is quite dominant as she has more camera time than the male character. This challenges the dominant ideology of male being dominant and female being weak characters. However this ideology is reinforced by the framing of the male character as the male dominants the frame more than the female connoting his power.

I feel Todorov’s narrative theory could be applied to this video as the narrative begins with an equilibrium that is then disrupted by the break up of the characters. This is then realised by the characters as the characters are shown as upset. The characters then attempt to cheer up by going on a night out, attempting to get over the pain and therefore 'resotre and equillibrium'. Finally, a new equilibrium is created at the end of the video by the rejoining of the characters and the kiss scene.

As nightlife, nightclubs and relationships are all key characteristics of the english culture, of teenagers, i also feel that cultural transmission is apparent within the video. The video may also be used for the grafication of personal relationships as the target audience is abe to easily relate to the characters and the emotions/situatitons that the characters are in.

Research; Music Video - Inna 'Hot'

This video begins with a medium close shot of a woman pulling up her socks. This suggests to the audience that she’s getting ready to go out, or for particular in this genre that she’s getting ready for a night out. The next shot is then a medium shot of three women getting ready for some sort of performance or show; this is clear due to the small enclosed space and props within the room giving the feel of a changing/dressing room for the performance. This is then reinforced be the costumes of the women. The women’s costumes are very revealing and link to the stereotype of woman to being known for their sexuality and appearance and as an object for men this is further reinforced by an over the shoulder shot of the blonde character in the woman which gives a clearer shot of her breast and focus’s on her applying make up. The women’s costumes are black in colour connoting mystery of the characters and the kind of show they’re preparing for.

Jump cuts are then used to show connections between the three girls and the artist. This creates a fast pace for the video as a number of edits are used back and forth increasing the pace. These edits also reinforce the idea of a woman’s appearance as the artist is shown looking immaculate and isn’t singing or dancing suggesting she’s just been shown for this and to highlight her importance due to her centre framing.

A medium long shot is used to shoot one of the three girls. Although a distance shot is used the woman is framed centre frame connoting her importance to the narrative of the song. The woman’s gesture is very fast paced and she is framed as though she is dancing on a raised platform. This allows the audience to link the video to the genre as it’s the sort of thing you would expect to see in a night club. The woman is dressed in revealing and provocative clothing and it used jump cuts to show a connection between her dancing and a male character watching her. There is a close up of the side of the males face allowing the audience to understand that he’s watching her but unable to see him completely and creating enigma. This is further enforced by the fact the male is wearing sunglasses and therefore connoting mystery. The use of the woman dancing for the male characters pleasure reinforces the dominant ideology of woman being objects for men and the stereotype of women being something for their sexuality. This scene is used on a number of occasions throughout the video allowing the narrative to be quite simple and therefore clear to the audience.

A reoccurring prop throughout the video is Red Roses. These work along side the reoccurring scene as stated above. This builds the narrative and allows it to become clearer to the audience causing them to engage more in the video. Red roses connote romance and passion and are used within the video for that reason. However the roses also connote power as they cause the male to have dominance and control of the female reinforcing the dominant ideology of the male dominance. During the scenes that the roses are shown the artist is portrayed as happy connoting this as an emotion of love. This also creates a happy atmosphere which links back the genre of dance. This upbeat atmosphere is reinforced by the use of high energy gesture and movement through the dancing scene. The use of dance also further reinforces the link to the dance genre.

A mixture of close ups, medium close and medium shots are used when showing the artist. She’s framed centre frame the majority of the time and the rule of thirds is obeyed when not ensuring her importance is still clear. The use of close ups allows the audience to clearly see the artists expressions and any emotions. On the close up, of the artist singing, the artists expression is quite sad. This creates a sad atmosphere and therefore challenges the music genre. These scenes are used in between the rose and dancing scenes by jump cuts. This suggests that the two atmospheres are both connected to the emotion of love which is the main focus of the video.

The key light used, when the artist is shot, creates a shadow on one side of her face. This connotes mystery within the character and suggests that theirs something the audience doesn’t know. The use of the key light also high lights the artists features causing her to stand out and therefore reinforces her importance to the song.

Jump cuts are used from the artist to the narrative scene of the family arguing. This suggests a connection between the two and that it may be a flashback for the artist. This creates a clear narrative and allows the audience to relate to the video and identify with the characters.

I feel that Todorovs narrative theory could be applied to this video. The video begins with an equillibrium that is disturbed due to the family arguements and possible break up. This equillibrium is realised by the male farther character and is then tried to be repaired by him. A new equillibrum is then restored at the end of the video with the farther being the mothers sercet admirer and the roses creating a connection between them again restoring peace and love between the couple.

The use of family problems with in the video again links to uses and gratifications as it allows the audience to use the video for personal relationships or identity as they can relate to the video and may be in the same situation themselves possibly using the video for comfort reasons.

Research; Album Cover 5

Album Cover; Inna 'Hot' (2009)

This album cover again follows the convention of the solo album covers as the artist is present on the cover. It uses a medium shot of the artist and she is placed in the forefront of the frame, in front of the text, connoting her importance to the album. The costume of the model is all black connoting mystery and giving a ‘men in black’ feel to the cover. The model has a lot of flesh on show and is dressed in high heels like she’s going out relating back to the night club idea and therefore the dance genre. The idea of mystery being portrayed is reinforced in the fact that model is wearing shades; this could also bee seen as representing a holiday/summer feel. This could be linked to the stereotypical idea of young woman’s holidays consisting of night life and alcohol suggesting the music to be music you would expect to hear in nightclubs and that the albums target audience is these women. The costume of the model is also very sexy and seductive due to the amount of flesh showing. This is reinforced by the gesture of the model as the image highlights her figure and her body language is very open and therefore quite sexual. This reinforces the dominant ideology of woman being represented for there sexuality and appearance and being objects for the dominant male to enjoy. The title of the album again reinforces these ideas as it’s called ‘Hot’. This has a number of meanings and can link to all the connotations as hot can be seen as a sexual or good looking person or as the temperature, linking to holidays.

The use of the models sexuality on the album cover could challenge the target audience of the album as it’s likely to attract a male audience. This suggests that the album could be suitable for both genders instead of a dominant female audience as is usually the case in the dance genre.

The text used on the album cover is of a large font and takes up the majority of the album cover. The font is quite formal yet has lines that continue after the completion of the letter creating a techno and free willing atmosphere, linking to the dance genre. The text of the artists name and album name are both the same size and colour which create confusion to distinguish between the two. It also suggests that the music is as important as the artist name and doesn’t use and larger font for the artist suggesting commercialism isn’t the predominant characteristic of the album, as seen in other album covers I have analysed. The colour grey/silver is used for the text on the album cover connoting the album to be stylish, elegant and modern and giving the album a high quality appearance. The background colour is a fade from white to silver this connotes purity and perfection with the hint of silver connoting the album as valuable. The use of grey text on this background causes the text to stand out connoting that commercialism is still important as its likely to catch audiences attention.

The key light on the album cover comes in from the left hand side of the cover creating the idea of it being the sun. This creates a shadow behind the artist and reinforces the portrayal of the summer and holidays.

Research; Album Cover 4

Album Cover; Darren Styles -
'Skydivin''
(2008)




















This album cover again features the artist as the model for the album cover. This seems a key convention of solo albums as it is apparent in the all the solo albums I have analysed. The artist is placed to the right of the screen with a medium close shot used. This shows the importance of the artist and is reinforced by the rule of thirds being followed. The artist covers the majority of the album cover and therefore causes the audience’s eyes to be drawn to the artist. This could be seen as for commercial reasons as the audience is likely to recognise the artist and therefore is likely to increase sales. A parental advisory label is also present on the front of the album cover suggesting the target audience to be teenagers to young adults.

The main colours used with in the album cover are black and white with a hint of pink. The use of a dark background suggests a more serious feel to the album than the usual covers in this genre. The use of dark colours connotes a night setting which is highly related to the dance genre as the genre is linked with nightclubs. The use of the pink causes the colour to stand out on the background and brings a female aspect to the cover which is expected as the dance genres target audience is mostly females. The use of white on the album cover connotes purity and simplicity. This suggests that the album is going to be orientated away from the hardcore music genre and has a more of a serious message behind it.

The use of white light strips, behind the text, gives the feel of spotlights. This again links to the dance genre as it’s linked to nightclubs and dancing. The use of the key light on the artists face reinforces his importance and allows the audience to clearly see his expressions. It also cause’s the artist to stand out on the album cover and draw the audience attention to him, reinforcing the idea of commercialism and the serious message behind the album, due to his facial expressions.

The artists facial expressions and quite emotional, sad and looks as though he’s deep in thought. This connote that there is a deeper narrative behind the artists songs and challenges the majority of the dance genre as the songs are usually upbeat and create happy emotions. These conventions create an emotional, thought filled atmosphere and reinforce the more serious side to the album.

The Text used is a small font, with the artist’s name and album title being the same size. This again challenges the codes and conventions of this genre as the text is usually a large font, with the artists name larger than the album title. The name of the artist is white in colour, reinforcing the idea of purity and the album being quite simple. The title of the album however is pink text reinforcing the idea that the albums target audience is majority female orientated. Furthermore the positioning of the artist causes him to be looking down at the text. This causes the audience’s eyes to follow where he’s looking and also be drawn to the text.

Research; Album Cover 3

Album Cover; Cascada -

'Pyromania'

(2010)

This album cover also uses the artist as the model for the cover, allowing the audience to recognise the artist and therefore being likely to increase sales. However unlike the previous cover this artist does follow the codes and conventions of the dance genre. The model has long flowing blonde hair, which is seen as a stereotypical characteristic of attractive females and is seen to be related to having ‘fun’ which is a key convention of the genre. The model is also revealing a lot of flesh giving a sexual feel to the cover which is again common in a lot of album covers in this genre.

The costume of the model is quite summery, and you are able to see the models bra strap which looks more like a bikini strap suggesting the model is on holiday. This gives an insight into the album and suggests the music is what you would expect to hear on holidays. Stereotypically, young adults’ holidays are seen as holidays with friends and are related to drinking and nightclubs suggesting the music to be that you would expect to hear in a nightclub linking back to the genre. Furthermore the use of the dark background connotes mystery and for me personally makes me feel of a night setting which would reinforce this idea of nightclubs.

A key light is used to highlight the model and give her a glow, making her look immaculate and draw the audience’s eyes towards her, showing her importance. This could challenge the target audience as the model is likely to attract a male audience instead of a female audience. However as the model is dressed in average clothes the typical things you are likely to wear on holiday the female audience may be able to relate to the model and therefore would also attract the female audience.

The model is framed to the left of the frame, with a medium close shot used. She is placed within the rule of thirds, which reinforces her importance to the audience.

The expression on the models face is sad and full of emotion. Also the fact that she’s looking down and doesn’t have eye contact with the audience also reinforces this sad emotion creating a sad tone for the album. This suggests that the music may be emotional or have sad narratives. This challenges the genre as it isn’t the sort of thing you would expect to see in this genre of music, as dance is expected to create an upbeat and happy atmosphere and tone.

The text used on the front of the album cover is a medium size font and isn’t particularly bold, this doesn’t completely match the usual conventions of the genre as the text is usual very big and bold. The font used gives a techno feel to it which does however make the audience think of the dance genre and link the album to the music. The artists name is again bigger than the album name which draws the audience’s attention to the artists name showing the commercialism side of the album. This has been a characteristic of the majority of the albums I have analysed suggesting this is one of the codes and conventions of the dance genre. Furthermore there isn’t very much text on the album cover other than the artists name and title, this is another characteristic that I have seen is common in this genre of music.

Research; Album Cover 2

Album Cover; Ultrabeat - 'Discolights the
album' (2009)




















The main colour scheme used within this album cover is blue. This connotes a clam feeling. It is also seen as more of a neutral or even a male colour instead of female dominant upbeat colours as seem on other album covers. The use of blue and white creates a calm atmosphere and doesn’t follow the code and conventions of dance music, as calm is not usually and emotion or atmosphere related to this genre. However the use of the blue rays of lighting, across the album cover, on the contrast of the black create the feel of disco lights or nightclubs which do relate to dance and therefore the dance genre.

A medium two shot is used to show the two male artists on the album cover. The fact that apart from copy they are the only things within the frame connotes the importance of the characters and shows the audience that these are the artists of the album. The characters are dressed in casual clothes which again breaks the codes and conventions as you would expect to see characters dressed up as if they are on a night out or look sexy and seductive. Furthermore lighting on the characters face allows us to clearly see their expressions; these expressions seem quite serious which again breaks the codes and conventions as the dance genre is seen as fun and upbeat.

The gesture of character on the right of the frame suggests he’s bored or fed up creating quite a negative atmosphere. It also makes the artists seem uninterested and hard to relate to by the audience. It also make the album seem quite confusing to the audience as they are not the kind of things you would expect to see on the album cover of this genre.

The copy on the album cover is a large font and is placed in the middle lower frame to connote its importance and attract audience’s attention. The artists name ‘Ultrabeat’ is a larger font size than the album name it’s self suggesting the album to be of a commercial value and increase the knowledge and therefore brand of the artists as the text size is likely to catch audiences eyes as they are also more likely to recognise artists names.

The colours used from the text fade from a blue into a bright white this again connotes calmness and purity which are not seen as things related with this genre. However it also gives the feel of a spot light, which can relate to nightclubs and the dance genre. Also the use of the slight reflection of the text suggests a mirror or a dance floor which again links to the dance genre.

The target audience of this album is the male audience due to the colour scheme and codes and conventions used, breaking the dominant ideology of women being the dominant target audience. Also the male characters are not portrayed as very attractive or sexual and are dressed in casual clothes this means they are unlikely to attract the female audience but that the male audience may be able to relate to them slightly.

This album cover does not seem to follow the typical codes and conventions of the dance genre, as the colour scheme create the wrong type of atmosphere and doesn’t include happy upbeat colours. As well as the typical convention of attractive or sexual models are not used on the front of the cover, as expected in this genre.

Research; Album Cover 1

Album cover; 'Clubland 17' (2010)

Various Artists

The model used within this cover is an attractive female. A medium close shot is used and she is placed centre frame, connoting her importance. The woman is shown to portray her sexuality as she is revealing her back to the audience and has a sexual gesture in the use of her facial expressions and the fact she’s looking over her shoulder. Part of her breast is also shown, reinforcing this portrayal. This reinforces the dominant ideology of representation of women be used for the sexuality and appearance. The model used is also of a mixed race ethnicity suggesting the album to be modern and accepting of all ethnicities, and also suggesting it relates to and is accessible by all.

The colours used within the cover are a mix of pinks, purples, blues and yellows. This connotes the target audience of the cover to be a females as these are seen as dominant female colours. These colours also give a fun and happy atmosphere to the cover giving an insight into the atmosphere created by the music. The use of the spot light rays on the back of the model, suggest some sort of performance or nightclub feel, linking with the genre of the music. Furthermore the use of the colours been shown as if someone’s throwing paint connotes a fun and crazy side to the cover and again suggest that this will relate to the music and the atmosphere created by the music.

The colour pink/purple is also used for the models lipstick and also includes a hint of glitter. The colour used connotes the model as flirtatious and sexual as well as reinforcing the target audience to be women. The chosen colour also makes the models lips stand out and draws the audience's eyes towards the lips. The expression of the lips being open creates a sexual feel and reinforces these connotations.

The Text used on the cover is a large font allowing it to catch the attention of the audience and making it clearly visible. The font looks as though it is made up of small disco lights that again link the cover to a nightclub and dance feel reinforcing the music genre and the place in which you would expect to hear it.

The cover also includes smaller text to name the artists included on the CD. This again uses female colours as it uses a contrast of pink and white, reinforcing the target audience. Also the use of including the range of artists featured on the CD increase target audience as it offers a wide range in one CD which could be seen as a commercial thing to increase sales.

The gesture and movement of the model look as though she’s dancing, whilst still making her look immaculate and seductive. This reinforces the genre of music as it main relation is to people dancing as well as suggesting a sort of carefree feel to the audience. It also suggests that attractive females and a quite sexy and seductive feel is also linked to the genre and is a key convention of the Dance genre.

The main target audience of the dance genre is seen to be woman and the use of an attractive female on a lot of the covers may challenge this as this would be seen to attract more of a male audience. Women are often represented as objects for men with a sexy picture been seen as something to attract the male audience instead of the female. This suggests that the album is accessible by both genders and not just females.

Music Video Coursework

For our A2 coursework we have to create a promotional package for the release of an album. This needs to include a music promo video, a CD cover and a magazine advertisement.

We have decided to focus on the genre of Dance and i will be working with Amy Link, Josh Brazier and Elysia Wright.