Analysis of 3 album covers

Ellie Goulding's Album is called 'Bright Lights' and the CD cover reflects upon this title by adding brightness around Ellie's face and little sparks of light included around the cover. The brightness kind of creates a fairytale atmosphere, which starts to portray Ellie as an innocent, angel type figure. Also, her white clothing helps to add to this heavenly affect. The title and her name are also using a lighted golden affect to relate to the title of the album and one of her songs on the album called 'Lights'. The cover look very vibrant and slightly magical, and the sparkles almost remind me of Christmas. This could be due to the fact that the release date was end of November in 2010. Therefore, this may have been an advertisement idea to improve sales just before Christmas. The background behind Ellie Goulding is slightly blurred which helps to put all the focus onto the artist herself and nothing else. The photograph is taken at a fairly low angle, which puts her into a superior position, so the audience are forced to look up to her as an idol. She is also clearly the centre of attention because her face and her name are positioned in the middle of the album cover. Ellie Goulding's genre of music is indie-pop. The CD covers helps to relate to the pop genre because of the bright lights which adds excitement and dance to the atmosphere. Also, the way Ellie dresses relates to the indie style and this is partly shown through the use of this cover as we can see her hairstyle and fashionable top.

This Album cover is from a band named Blood Red Shoes. The CD is called 'Box of Secrets'. The picture in the centre of the cover is of a black box wrapped up as a present. This box represents the 'Box of Secrets' and the fact that it is wrapped up adds to the secrecy and mystery. The blood that is seeping out of the bottom and floating upwards from the bow on the top relates to the band name 'Blood Red Shoes'. The blood and the colour red also help create the genre of rock. It adds a wild and dangerous affect and helps to appeal to the audience of people who like to listen to rock. The yellow/gold background behind the box contrasts the the dark, bold colours which therefore helps the present box to stand out and look more menacing and exciting.

This album cover by Futures includes the landscape of a field surrounded by a forest and band name is presented in big bold white writing in the top centre of the cover right where the forest begins. The girl who is running towards the trees, also looks as if she is running towards the word 'Futures' which could suggest that she is escaping from something and is about to become free and start a new fresh future ahead of her. This could also relate to the name of the album 'The holiday' which is position in small writing at the bottom of the cover, it may suggest a journey that she is going on. This will relate to the target audience who are creating a journey through the music they are listening to because the Futures are a slightly new and different genre of music with a mix between rock and indie. In comparison to the other album covers, this is an actual photograph from a purely natural setting, which adds to the realism of their music and the sort of people who listen to it will be those who are dedicated to their music and enjoy going to festivals and camping.

When I Was A Youngster - Rizzle Kicks

Rizzle Kicks create a pop/hip-hop type genre. Although the genre isn't the same as the genre of music I am using in my own project, the music video 'When I Was A Youngster' uses many methods and techniques that will be useful to me when shooting and editing my video. The genre of the music is portrayed through the movement of the camera. The genre of the music is portrayed through the movement of the camera. The movement is kept constant and quite bouncy, which reflects upon the beat of the music.

Also, the mise en scene plays quite an important part to the type of music in the video. The shots are all very colourful which adds to the genre of pop, and creates a happy and wild atmosphere. One of the scenes is shot in a playground which represents “youngsters”. The video also often cuts to shots of the band playing on a play station, or one of them holding up a teddy in front of their face which also adds to the theme of the video.

The camera is almost constantly moving. It uses tracking and panning shots to follow the two members of the band. This is one of the methods that I will include in my own video. I would like to film the band members using many tracking shots to keep the pace of the camera moving with the music. At the time 2:16 onwards, the camera is hand-held, which creates a shaky effect while tracking the characters in the shot. The filming is also at a low angle at this point. This represents childhood because it is as if the viewer is watching through the eyes of an infant. Also, the shaking of the camera could suggest a sense of play, which adds to the theme of youth in the video.

One aspect of Goodwin's music video theory was how the lyrics of the track relate to the visuals in the music video. This method has been used throughout Rizzle Kick's videos by the use of camera angles, and also costumes. Towards the beginning one of the video, the singer is dressed in an astronaut's outfit which represents something that a child might like to be when they are older. Then immediatley after there is a shot of the other singer dressed as a fireman, which is also a typical idol that boys could look up to as youngsters.

These shots and costuming relates directly to the title of the song "When I Was A Younster" which is also repeated in the lyrics throughout the music track. In addition to this, at the beginning of the vide the lyrics are "I never thought today, I'd be what I am". This suggests that the song itself relates to The Rizzle Kicks who have recently become successful, and the close up shots of their faces help the viewers to put theirselves into the band's position. It is as if they are telling us a story of their life through the music. The panning and tracking of the camera also helps to do this as it is constantly following theire every movement. It represents them as the main characters and focuses on them and only them.

The storyline of this music video is of the band reminiscing over their childhood, and throughout the video they are almost re-living the these moments. It gives the viewers an insight to their lifestyle through the use of shots including things they like to do in their everyday life.

The target audience for this music video would be from the ages of 14-25. This age group can relate to the lyrics of the song because they may be at the point in their livesas students when they are realising that they are not going to achieve the aspirations they once had when they were children. The video includes performing, therefore lives up to the audience's expectations of a typical music video. The audience are at a similar age to the Rizzle Kicks, which means they may find it easier to connect to the video itself due to similar likes and dislikes, because the audience are likely to be of the same style/tribe to the Rizzle Kicks. This would include people who listen to pop/hip-hop music, and who wear colourful  T-shirts, caps and tight trousers or jeans.