Bands that are similiar to The Colours (Genre)

Our band we have chosen is pop dance alternative genre so I looked up bands that are of the same genre/sound.

• Depache Mode
• The Hoosiers
• Panic! at the Disco
• Grouplove
• Foster The People
• Bastille
  

Prelim Lyrics Analysis

Mise-en-scene
 
Lighting

• Lighting is pretty conventional as it is natural and artificial lighting depending on location

Costume

• Slight chav theme
• Cheerleader outfits
• mostly casual costumes you would find in an American high school

Props

• Cars
• Pom poms
• Band instruments
• Things you would find in a high school

Location

• The main location for the narrative is an American high school e.g. the field outside, the hallways etc.
• The performance is in a studio location
• They are also in a street as well.

Camerawork and composition

• Close ups, long shots and mid shots are used all the way through the promo
• Camerawork and composition are pretty conventional

Editing

• The editing is fast paced.
• Straight cuts are the main editing technique present in this promo

Narrative/Performance

• The performance is quite conventional for a pop promo
• Performance features Gwen singing plus a dance routine done by Gwen and her dancers
• The narrative uses illustration to show the songs lyrics
• This is very conventional as lots of promos do this

Prelim Music Promo

Storyboard (Prelim)

Shot List (Prelim)

Prelim Song Lyrics

For our Prelim we are going to use 'Hollaback Girl' by Gwen Stefani.

Uh huh, this my shhh

All the girls stomp your feet like this

 

A few times I've been around that track

So it's not just gonna happen like that

Cause I ain't no hollaback girl

I ain't no hollaback girl

 [2x]

 

Da, da, da, da, da, da

This my, this my [4x]

 

I heard that you were talking shhh

And you didn't think that I would hear it

People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up

So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack

Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out

That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up

 

A few times I've been around that track

So it's not just gonna happen like that

Cause I ain't no hollaback girl

I ain't no hollaback girl

[2x]

 

Da, da, da, da, da ,da

this my , this my [4x]

Focus Groups

A focus group is a group of people that you use to get feedback on your ideas. You show your concept (brief, themes, narratives, styles & conventions) and USP (unique selling point).

What makes an effective focus group?

• fast, quick answers (thumbs up/down)
• write down answers from people, personal to them (non-bias)
• multiple choice questions & circle/cross which one they like/don't like

Our own questions:

1. Write out ideas, do you like the initial idea? (verbal/written: why?)
2. What sort of target audience would you expect the song to have? (age, demographic, socio-economic class)
3. What changes would you make?
4. Any key conventions/images you would include?
5. Would you listen to this song repeatedly?
6. Have you seen a video like this before?
7. Scale from 1-10 how unique it is?
8. What genre does it come under?

Music Video Inspirations

In our video we are going to take inspirations from Vance Joy as they literally interpret it.We will use this in ours as we will take the word heartbreak and literally show it e.g. hearts breaking etc.














In the Bjork 'Human Behaviour' video she uses very arty scenes and objects. The video is also very weird and unique. This will inspire us as we will do an arty video that is visually appealing and also a little bit weird so people watch it a lot,

Post Modernism & the Music Video

What is post-modernism?

Taking something new/ avant garde but put it in a old fashioned way. It can be used in many ways, such as:

• Intertextuality* taking something old and remaking it
• Remodelling the past
• Satirising/ mocking something
• Mixing genres & plays with realities

(*Intertextuality has three types; homage, pastiche & parody)



 

 There are three stages to post-modernism:

1. The experimental stage of genre to establish trends
2. The cannon stage works within those trends to fix them into our cultural understanding
3. Post-modernism looks at those trends, laughs at them and adds something new then its back to the first stage again.

Lyrics Visuals

The song is about a break up and repeats the word throughout the song many times. It shows how someone needs to let them go and isn't over them. The chorus is repeated 3 times and they're are two main verses.

Lyric Analysis

Music Timing

The pace of the song is very upbeat with a slight husky voice. The main instruments displayed are drums and guitar. The whole song creates quite a emotional feeling e,g, sad, relieved etc.

Band Background Research

The Colours are an alternative pop/ indie band from Reading, UK. The members are:

Tom Pickford - Vocals, Keys, Guitar

Tom Newman - Bass, Synthesizers, Backing Vocals

Tony Folland - Drums, Sequencing, Percussion

They are a band formed together as friends and are currently on a UK tour. The COLOURS do not take themselves too seriously. Their euphoric stage sound is best summed up in the wry words of chief songwriter and singer Tom Pickford, “I suppose we're a bit more tragic than the Hoosiers, but less Danish than Alphabeat”.

The song is Tonight I Let You Go which is a song about the trials of the heart in the formative years; the movement from one relationship to the other. 

Vox Pop

Where do we learn audiences opinions?

• YouTube views/comments
• Recorded feedback/focus groups
• Social networking (twitter, Facebook)

A vox pop is an opinion from the general public. All of the above are examples of how to gain feedback. They are usually done in  a public place and are in mid shot. Also they include at the beginning their name, age and job so we get to know them. Some examples of vox pop q's include:

1. What's your favourite music video of all time?
2. What's your favourite genre of music?
3. What expectations do you have when watching a music video?

Music Video Ideas

Our Song for Music Video & Lyrics

We have chosen to do The Colours - Tonight I Let You Go. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP1XbCB3_y0)

Your empty promises
Stop filling up my mind while my loves’ away
Temptation calls me
To thisAnd loveless fools believe
Their guilty hearts still bleed
But their cold lifeless heart beats wear them out

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake
That no-one could save me from
But I knowI’m better off leaving now
You are the only reason I want it more
You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

My insecurities
Playing on my mind, colours never change
You should come back, come back, come back(And look for more)
But love that runs too deep
Stolen moments we couldn’t keep
You should go before the night time lets you down

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake
That no-one could save me from
But I knowI’m better off leaving now
You are the only reason I want it more
You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go
Heart break, heart break
Heart break (tonight I let you go)
Heart, heart break
Heart break, heart break, heart heart break
Tonight, heart break
Heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break
I just keep on running
You’re the heart break
I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake that no-one could save me from
But I know I’m better off leaving now

You are the only reason I want it more

You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

Narrative in Music Promos

Illustration: the promo basically illustrates the ideas and narrative in the song lyrics through the video.

• Kate Nash 'Foundations' - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH5cga0yUI 

This video is illustration as shows the meanings behind the video. For example the use of houses link to the lyrics 'the cracks in our foundations'.


Amplification: uses a key idea / image from the lyrics and the concept is developed in the promo. There is a link between the lyrics and the promo.

• Rihanna 'Disturbia' - www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1mU6h4Xdxc

This video is amplification as the lyrics are basically the image of the video. For example the use of mise-en-scene, lighting etc develop the lyrics of "Your mind is in disturbia, It's like the darkness is the light, Disturbia, Am I scaring you tonight?" reinforce the scary video.


Disjuncture: the promo bears no resemblance to lyric or its meaning and is abstract. It usually unconventional and is arty. This creates a new meaning for the song.

• Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Can't Stop' - www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOdWSiyWoc

This video is disjuncture as the lyrics and the video have no connection at all. The video is very arty and is actually based on ‘one minute sculptures’ of Erwin Wurm. It includes lots of light and art features. It creates a new meaning of time and how they can't stop.