My research for my album cover begins with evaluating 5 other album covers from the same genre.
1.Lil Wayne
light background (front), dark distorted image on back, skin showing on back, Red and White text, Explicit content logo.
This album is the 4th in a series as the IV on the cover shows, the front cover of this album shows a young child in a graduation uniform and he looks innocent but he has tattoos on his face so it shows a dark side to him.
The reverse show the song list, labels and a barcode. The album art of the backside shows lil wayne in a red light with a distorted haze.
There is a colour scheme that sticks with the album; red, white and black.
2. 50 Cent
poor lighting, effects linking to album name, cityscape on back White text, Explicit content logo
3. Snoop Dogg
Black and white image, car, prison sort of image on back cover, white and gold text, Explicit content logo
4. Ludacris
Light image, angry shouting on back White and Beige text, explicit content logo
The song I have been assigned is Touch the sky by Kanye West.
in preparation for this me and my group have done some research into the song, Kanye West and music videos made for the song, professional and fan made.
I gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day I die, I'ma touch the sky
Gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day I die, I'ma touch the sky
Back when they thought pink Polos would hurt the Rock
Before Cam got the shit to pop
The doors was closed, I felt like Bad Boy's street team
I couldn't work the locks
Now let's go, take 'em back to the plan
Me and my momma hopped in that U-Haul van
Any pessimists I ain't talk to them
Plus I ain't have no phone in my apartment
Let's take 'em back to the club
Least about a hour I stand on line
I just wanted to dance, I went to Jacob an hour
After I got my advance, I just wanted to shine
Jay favorite line, dawg in due time
Now he look at me like damn dawg, you what I am
A hip-hop legend, I think I died
In an accident, 'cause this must be heaven
I gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day I die, I'ma touch the sky
Gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day I die, I'ma touch the sky
Now let's take 'em high
(Top of the world baby, on top of the world)
(Top of the world baby, on top of the world
Now let's take 'em high
(Top of the world baby, on top of the world)
(Top of the world baby, on top of the world
Back when Gucci was the shit to rock
Back when Slick Rick got the shit to pop
I'd do anything to say I got it
Damn, them new loafers hurt my pocket
Before anybody wanted K-West beats
Me and my girl split the buffet at KFC
Dog, I was having nervous breakdowns
Like man these niggaz that much better than me?
Baby, I'm goin' on an airplane
And I don't know if I'll be back again
Sure enough, I sent the plane tickets
But when she came to kick it, things became different
Any girl I cheated on, sheets I skeeted on
Couldn't keep it at home, thought I needed a Nia Long
I'm tryin' to write my wrongs
But it's funny them same wrongs helped me write this song, now
I gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day you die, you gon' touch the sky
You gon' touch the sky baby girl, testify
Come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day you die, you gon' touch the sky
Yes, yes, yes, guess who's on third?
Lupe still like Lupin the Third
Here life here 'til I'm beer on the curb
Peach fuzz buzz but beard on the verge
Let's slow it down like we're on the syrup
Bottle shaped body like Mrs. Butterworth
But, before you say another word
I'm back on the block like a man on the street
I'm tryin' to stop lyin' like I'm Mum-Ra
But I'm not lyin' when I'm layin' on the beat
En garde, or touche', Lupe cool as the Unthar
But I still feel possessed as a gun charge
To come as correct as a porn star
And a fresh pair steps in my best foreign car
Self, I represent the first
Now let me end my verse right where the horns are like, uh
I gotta testify, come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day you die, you gon' touch the sky
You gon' touch the sky baby girl, testify
Come up in the spot lookin' extra fly
'Fore the day you die, you gon' touch the sky
We take it home baby
Sky high, I'm, I'm sky high
I'm, I'm sky high, I'm, I'm sky high
I'm, I'm sky high, I'm, I'm sky high
Sky, uh, sky high, I'm, I'm sky high
Yeah, keep it rollin', yeah
Feels good to be home baby, feels good to be home
We chose this song because we thought we could make a effective music video for it,
we looked throught the lyrics
I emailed the company that Kanye West is under and I emailed them asking them for the use of the song.
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
I'm waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I'm breathing in the chemicals
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
I raise my flags, dye my clothes
It's a revolution, I suppose
We paint it red to fit right in
Whoa
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
There are some symbolic props used in this video for example the use of the key
symbolising the freedom being kept by a dictator, some lyrics used at certain
points in the video explain what is happening in the story for example in the
beginning of the songs the lyrics say “This is it, the apocalypse”, this shows
that the video is set in a post-apocalyptic future. Another set of lyrics that
set the story are “welcome to the new age” this shows that there is a new world
order in the video.
In the opening of the music video
there is a long shot, this helps setting the scene of the video.
There is a
girl walking through some woods, carrying something, down a path covered with
fallen leaves. This is then followed by a series of long, mid and close up
shots which helps set the scene, mood and seriousness of the video, it also
introduces us to a character.
These shots are broken up by some shots of the
band members of Imagine Dragons in a sort of prison cell, it is dank, dark and
dirty this shows that the members are in some sort of trouble setting the story
of the video.
This music video has long shots broken up by
short close up shots using transitions that fit in with the tempo of the song.
This draws the attention of the audience by keeping them interested and not
making them bored by only using long drawn out shots.
This video has a lot
of special effects including making the teddies alive as well and the use of
visual special effects such as giving the small teddy laser vision.
The song I have chosen to make a music video for is Drinking from the bottle by Calvin Harris.
I have made a collage of photos showing what my music video will contain including some costume location and acting ideas.
As you can see I have chosen casual clothing for the costume and the theme is a house party and partying with friends, the video will include dancing drinking and puking but throwing up confetti rather than sick.
My Pinterest for the category Rock music it contains some of the features that are included such as guitars. Pinterest of rock music
Songs I would like to make music videos for:
1. Drinking from the bottle by Calvin Harris I would like to make a music video for this because I would like to film a video including drinking from a bottle.
2. I won't give up by Jason Mraz
I would like to make this video because it is a romantic video that would only take 2 actors and some iconic locations.
What is a music video? A music video is a short film that contains a song and acting to the song, produced for promotional. Most music videos made now are used for marketing prompting people to buy the song/album. Although the origins of music videos date back to the 1980s, when MTV based their business around them. Before the 80s, these works were described by various terms including illustrated song, promotional clip, promotional video, song video and song clip. A music video shows the true emotion of the song and gives a real perspective of the song from the singers point of view. Some music videos can be really simple like Geek in the Pink by Jason Mraz it is basically him walking around getting people to listen to his song and them dancing, but some videos can be complex like Feel Good inc. by The Gorillaz, which is a largely animated video. Early music videos Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is considered one of the first music videos because it is directed and edited for the purpose of being a music videos.
Video killed the radio star by The Buggleswas the first video to be shown on MTV this is the original broadcast shown on day one of MTV.
My favourite music videos
My favourite music videos are:
Jason Mraz - Geek in the pink, I like this video because it is simple and not made overly complex with acting and directing.
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive, I like this video because it shows a story of a post apocalyptic world and the use of mutated teddy bears thus using the lyrics 'welcome to the new age' and 'radioactive'.
Modestep - Sunlight, I like this video because it shows old men and women acting like teenagers, which I find quite funny and random for a music video.
Jason Mraz - I wont give up (lyric video), I like this video because the use of the effects, back ground and the use of words makes the video more emotional and brings up memories in the views mind.
Important music videos In my opinion the next 5 videos are some of the most important music videos of the past. 1. Video killed the radio star - The Buggles, this was the first music video shown on MTV
2. Man in the mirror - Michael Jackson, This is an important music video because it addresses a lot of things that effect the worlds view of things for example racism, war and poverty amongst other things.
3. Thriller
– Michael Jackson, this is an important music video because it tells a story at
the beginning and the song was number 1 in the charts for roughly a year.
4. Janie’s
got a gun– Aerosmith, This is quite a powerful music video about sexual abuse
and it contains a moving scene of the woman Janie running through traffic.
5. Gangnam Style - PSY, this is an important music video because it was the first music video to reach A billion views on Youtube.
