History of the music video

Late 1920s- Talkies:

·         Talkies are short musical films.

·         Vitaphone shorts, produced by Warner Brothers, featured many bands and dancers.

·         During this time the earliest karaoke was introduced by Max Fleischer and was called Screen Songs.

·         Early animated films by Walt Disney (Fantasia) and Warner Brothers (Looney Toons) were initially fashioned around specific songs.

1940s- Soundies:

·         Soundies were musical films that often included short dance sequences.

·         Louis Jordan made short films for his songs which he put together to form the feature film Lookout Sister.

1950s- Early music clips:

·         Tony Bennett claims to have created the first music video when he was filmed walking in Hyde Park in 1956, with the clip being set to his recording of Stranger in Paradise. It was aired on UK and US TV.

·         Elvis Presley created a music video for Jailhouse Rock in 1957.

·         Dáme si do bytu (Let’s get to the apartment) by Ladislav Rychman (1958) is the oldest example of a promotional music video with similarities to more modern videos.

1960-73- Promotional clips:

·         The Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and short films were made to accompany artist’s music.

·         In 1961 Manny Pittson recorded a music video where he taped various clips with the musicians lip-synching.

·         In 1964 The Beatles starred in their first feature film, A Hard Day’s Night. It was presented as a mock documentary.

·         The Monkees TV series consisted of film segments that were created to accompany various Monkees songs.

·         In 1965 The Beatles began making promotional clips (filmed inserts) to promote their record releases without having to make in-person appearances.

·         Concert films were being released as early as 1964.

1974-80- Beginnings of music television:

·         The Australian TV shows Countdown and Sounds were significant in developing and popularising the music video genre in Australia as well as other countries.

·         Top of the Pops began playing music videos in the late 1970s

1981-1991: Music videos go mainstream:

·         In 1981 the video channel MTV was launched, airing Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles as their first music video played.

·         In 1983 a nearly 14 minute long music video was released for Michael Jackson’s Thriller, costing $800,000 to film.

2005- The internet becomes video friendly:

·         2005 saw the launch of YouTube which made viewing videos online much faster and easier.

·         In 2009 Thirty Seconds to Mars uploaded Kings and Queens to YouTube on the same day as release.

·         Many popular artists today use Vevo to upload their music videos to the internet and YouTube.

                

History of Indie Rock

Indie Rock

History:

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. It is very diverse, with subgenres that include indie pop, post-rock and dream pop. It was originally used to describe independent record labels but as grunge, punk revival and Britpop became popular in the 1990s the label started to be used to identify those acts that had an image of being an ‘outsider’ or ‘alternative’. During the 2000s, many indie rock acts enjoyed commercial success due to the growing importance of the internet.

1980s:

The term ‘indie’ arose in the 1980s to describe the music produced on post-punk labels rather than the labels themselves. The genre also dominated college radio stations in the US. The subgenres college rock, noise pop (distorted guitars and loud drums), jangle pop (chiming guitars and pop melodies similar to the 1960s) and indie pop were popular during this decade.

Some popular artists include:

·         The Smiths

·         R.E.M

·         Meat Puppets

·         Pixies

·         Primal Scream

1990s:

The 1990s brought major changes to the alternative rock music scene. Grunge bands broke into the mainstream and started to achieve commercial chart success. Punk revival bands also became popular. In the United Kingdom Britpop saw bands emerge into the mainstream. As a result of alternative bands moving into the mainstream, the genre name started to lose its meaning. The term ‘indie rock’ became associated with the bands that remained dedicated to their independent status. The genre also started to become diverse as more and more subgenres were created during the 90s.

Some popular artists include:

·         Nirvana

·         Pearl Jam

·         Green Day

·         Oasis

·         Beck

2000s:

The changing music industry, the growth of new digital technology and the increased use of the internet as a tool for music promotion allowed a new wave of indie rock bands to achieve mainstream success. This new commercial breakthrough and widespread use of the term indie to other forms of popular culture, led a number of commentators to suggest that indie rock had ceased to be a meaningful term. During this decade genres such as garage rock, new wave and post-punk revival became popular. Emo also became popular in the early 2000s.

Some popular artists include:

·         The Strokes

·         Yeah Yeah Yeahs

·         Arctic Monkeys

·         Fall Out Boy

·         Panic! at the Disco

Copyright letter

4^th November 2015

Copyright Request for Educational Purposes

Columbia Records

9 Derry Road

London

W8 5HY

Dear Sir or Madam:

OCR A Level Media Studies – Music Video Coursework.

I am creating a music video as my main piece of coursework for this A Level course.

I understand that you are the owner of the copyright for the musical composition “Alleyways – The Neighbourhood” and want to include the song as the track on which to base my video.  I would like to use the entire song.

Since I am on a limited budget and the video I create will only be seen by my fellow students at Attleborough Academy and the OCR Examiners, I am hoping that you will allow me to use the song without any charge.  If this is not possible, please let me know what fee would be required for this use. 

Your signature below, under “confirmed by,” will indicate that you will agree to permit this use without payment of a fee.  Please let me know if you have any questions concerning this license. 

Also, would you please let me know as soon as possible if this song cannot be licensed so that artistic changes may be made now.  You can reach me in care of my teacher, Ms Abigail Taylor, Attleborough Academy, 9 Norwich Road, Attleborough Norfolk NR17 2AJ, or  ataylor@aan.norfolk.sch.uk. Thank you for your help with this matter and we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Ellen Holmes

Ms A Tayor

Website analysis: Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are a four-piece alternative rock band from North London. Their music style has been described as “the lovechild of folk and grunge” with their debut album “My Love Is Cool” showcasing a wide range of sounds.

Wolf Alice’s website homepage follows a black and gold/yellow theme. On the left hand side an image of, what looks like, a person getting splashed with water however, the sepia tone of the image makes it look like light rather than water. This image also features on their debut album. Using this image helps fans to easily identify the album and to easily link the website and album together. At the top of the page the band’s name is written in autograph style handwriting. This gives off a personal feel as it gives off the impression that one of the band members has handwritten it.

Below the title are some links to their tour dates, a photo gallery, their music, their videos, and a link to sign up to their newsletter. These links are in the same colour as the title and the image but they use a serif font instead of a script one like the title. The use of an all lowercase script font suggests an informal feel to the band. I think it also supports their indie and alternative image. Below these links there are links to all of their social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, YouTube, and Spotify). This allows easy access for fans to follow the band on popular websites and to easily listen to all their music where it is convenient for them. In the centre of the page there is the music video to the band’s most recent music video. This allows new fans, as well as returning, to keep up to date and gets the band instant/easy views on their video.

When you scroll down to the very bottom of the website homepage there are links to buy their debut album either on iTunes, on CD or on vinyl. With the album being available on a number of platforms, this makes it easy for the band to appeal to a large variety of people. I think that with it being available on vinyl, it adds to the indie image of the band.

The website is made using Tumblr, a popular social blogging website. This allows fans to follow the website and get updates directly to their ‘dashboard’; meaning that users of Tumblr will not have to visit the band’s website in order to see all of the band’s updates.

Overall, I think the simplistic webpage for Wolf Alice works really well. It links with their album and their overall image. It is also very straight forward for users/fans to navigate through and has all the content needed for a good band site.

Website analysis: Bring Me The Horizon

Bring Me The Horizon are a British rock band from Sheffield. Much of their music consists of aggressive ‘metal core’ however; their more recent singles have marked a shift to a less aggressive sound.

The home page of Bring Me The Horizon’s website is very minimalistic. It features a black background and “That’s the spirit” and “11^th September” in grey bold capitals. I think this works well to promote their upcoming album as it is all people will see when they visit the bands website. It also features three horizontal lines in the centre at the top of the page and some animated arrow heads at the bottom of the page indicating that there is more if you scroll down.

Once you press the animated arrows it directs you to a page which is playing their latest music video along with some links of where to buy their music. I think the way it automatically plays one of their music videos works well as it gets new potential fans to hear their music straight away. The links at the bottom also makes it a lot easier for people who want to buy or listen to the bands music. In the top right corner there are three buttons: a shopping trolley, a share button and a button which allows you to change the song. The shopping trolley opens an overlay which gives you the option to purchase the song playing on either iTunes or Amazon. The share button opens an overlay which allows you to share the song on popular social networks or to copy the link to send to a friend. The button which allows you to change the music video opens an overlay which shows all of the bands music videos and allows you to select one to watch.

If you press the three lines at the top centre of the page a menu pops down. This has links to their tour dates, their official store and links to their music on a few websites/music streaming services (Google Play, Apple Music and Amazon). It also has links to all their social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) and a link to subscribe to their newsletter. It also has a link to their clothing label, Horizon, in the centre at the bottom. I really like how the background is white as this allows it to stand out from the other parts of their homepage and also makes it easier to read the bold black writing.

Overall, I think Bring Me The Horizon’s homepage is very well designed to their musical style and the bands image. I particulary like the feature that allows you to select and listen/watch all of their music videos.

Album art analysis: 1989 – Taylor Swift

Swift is known for her trademark red lipstick which is featured on this album cover, this allows her fans to easily identify the album. I think the vintage style Polaroid image links well with the title “1989” as it makes it seem like the date links with the album. The handwritten text makes it looks like Swift has personally signed it herself which instantly connects with her fans. It also suggests that this image is personal to Swift, kind of like it’s one of her own personal memories. Maybe it’s from a personal photo album? The light colours used could suggest that the songs on the album are going to give off a happy feeling which I feel is true as many of the tracks are songs to get up and dance to, especially Shake It Off.

The back cover also follows a similar colour theme. It also features an image of Taylor Swift only showing from the nose up, showing what was hidden on the front. The image is in sepia tone which allows it to blend well with the colour of the background and also gives off a vintage feel, just like the front did. The handwritten text is also carried over to the back with the track number being handwritten. However, the track names are written in capitals and a typewriter font. This allows the album to have a personal feel as well as professional.

Overall, I think that this album art successfully represents the artist’s image and the track listing. I feel that it links well with the pop genre of this album and I like how the vintage images link with the album title.

1989 is the fourth album by pop singer Taylor Swift. The cover feature a Polaroid style image with “T.S” and “1989” written below in black marker. Taylor Swift was formerly known as a country singer with this being her first completely pop album. 

About Me

About me

Ellen Holmes – 17^th April 1998

Other subjects studying at A level:

·         Psychology

·         Sociology

Initial reason for studying media:

I initially chose to study media as I enjoyed graphics at GCSE and thought it closely links with graphic design and the creative industry. It also gives me experience in marketing which is what I would like to go into.

After A levels:

I plan to go to university to study digital media/marketing. I would like to have a career in social media/digital marketing.

Magazines:

I occasionally read music magazines such as Kerrang. I also read a variety of magazine articles online.

Films:

·         The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials – I recently went to the cinema to see this as it is the second instalment of The Maze Runner trilogy. It is very similar to The Hunger Games series as it features teenagers escaping from the government/adults.

·         Boyhood – I watched this film as I thought the concept of a film being filmed over 12 years and using the same actors/actresses was interesting.

·         Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck – One of my favourite bands is Nirvana and I’m very interested in the life and death of Kurt Cobain. I really liked the animation that was used in this documentary.

·         Submarine – This is probably one of my favourite films of all time. Submarine is set in the 1980s and follows the life of a 15 year old boy living in Wales. I think it captures teen life perfectly and the soundtrack by Alex Turner is superb.

TV Programmes:

·         Skins – This show follows 3 different groups of teenagers in Bristol as they go through sixth form. I really like it as I feel like I can relate to them with myself being the same age.

·         My Mad Fat Diary – This show is based on a novel written by Rae Earl which is about herself. It follows Rae from the ages of 16-18 and focuses on her battle with mental illness. I like it because it focuses on all aspects of life from school work to your parents. It’s also set in the 1990s which means it has a great soundtrack from the likes of Oasis and Blur.

·         Breaking Bad – I started to watch this TV show as it was recommended to me by a lot of people. It follows a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, through his battle with cancer and his plan to make crystal meth in order to be able to financially support his family after his death.

·         Orange is the New Black – This show is set in an American women’s prison. The main character, Piper, is a middle class woman who has got imprisoned due to her involvement with a drug cartel when she was younger.

·         American Horror Story – This is my favourite show of all time. Each series follows a new story, set in a new time and in a new place although each series is interlinked with another in some way. I think it is written and produced extremely well.

Music:

I listen to and enjoy a wide variety of music but my favourite genres would be indie and alternative rock. I also like music from a range of decades. My favourite artists are:

·         Nirvana – I first discovered Nirvana when I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit on the radio. I then listened to some of their other music and loved it. My favourite album is the MTV unplugged album.

·         The Neighbourhood – I started listening to The Neighbourhood after a friend recommended them. Most of their music is indie rock but they also have a mixtape which includes mainly rap and hip hop.

·         Panic! at the Disco – This band have a very varied sound. Some of their music has a very alternative sound whereas other songs sound more like pop. My favourite album is Pretty Odd because some of the lyrics are, as the title suggests, quite weird.

·         Fall Out Boy – I’ve been a fan of Fall Out Boy since I was really young. They have an alternative and pop-punk sound. I like their music because it’s great to sing along to.

·         The Smiths – I think it’s impossible to compare The Smiths to anyone. They have a unique sound and a lot of their songs have very meaningful lyrics. I particularly like the song There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.

I haven’t been to any gigs recently, my last one being McBusted in April 2014. In October I am seeing Years & Years perform in Norwich and Fall Out Boy perform at Wembley.

My favourite music video is Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana. I really like how strange and confusing the video is. I feel like it gets you to think about a range of things as well as just not making any sense at the same time. I also really like the video for Beach by San Cisco, which has inspired me for my own music video.