logos

Logos are something that represent and symbolises a company, business or in this case its to show off a band or artist. Logos are really important to bands the can tell you a lot about a band/artist or example the genre and their target audience.


They also sell the artist they can become iconic. In some cases, it can make a band as soon as you see the logo you instantly know who the band Is and it's what they represent. Logos are also another way of selling merchandise. Bands like ACDC, the Beatles and the rolling stones. Logos can also be a key selling point for a band or artist for example all three of these logos have become incredibly iconic and have bought them in so much money just from merchandise. As they play a huge role in the band slash artists image every time you here open artist you instantly think of a visual and I feel like that will either be them or their logo it's almost like it's a representation of who they are in an image which is very important to get right which links in with dyer star image theory.


example of a band with an iconic logo is Metallica we are a heavy metal band from the 1980s


this is there logo:

Their most famous version of their logo is in black and white which can symbolise darkness there's not many colours and there's no bright colours so it all seems very dark and heavy which shows through in there genre. The m at the start of the word and the A at the end have this very drastic font contrasting from the letters in the middle. The letters on the end can be interpreted in many different ways for example they look like daggers which symbolises death and darkness. They also looked slightly devilish like they could be devil horns this again shows evil sort of heavy not very pleasant visuals which can be translated into their music. They feel that the name of the band goes really well with the logo Metallica not that the letters almost looked like swords or daggers goes along with that sort of that theme.

My logo design:

 

Design this logo is by taking her music which is pop an incorporating her style which is maybe a little bit more Rourke is similar to Miley Cyrus how the music she produces is very mainstream pop music top 40 type of music whereas hairstyle is more rock and that sort of a path i wanted to take. Edge is a little bit more dark with the red and black however the writing at the bottom seems a little bit more personal and elegant it's almost like it's been handwritten and softer than the image I think it's a really nice contrast. I also feel like this logo will be good or merchandise is very simple and it doesn't scream Band or artist it's very simple

feedback post on album artwork

My feedback for my artist album artwork cover. I presented my album artwork in Friday's lesson here are some points then I got back from it the first good thing is that they could understand that it was an artist rather than a band they knew this by the fact that there was only one person on the our walk they also got genre light which was pop. They said that my images were good and they liked the fact that the makeup stands out and matches a sort of neon feel. Like the fact that it was quite simplistic and the main focus was the artist and the simplistic field matched the front as well as the back. And finally another thing they liked was the font that I used in the top right for the name of the album.


Something that they said I could improve on was on my album artwork cover I had two different colours on the front it was pink in the back was red in the future I will use only one colour either red on the front and back or pink on the front and back. Another thing that I needed improving was my images were taken in the wrong size they need to be square rather than rectangle. Another pointer was that the forms need to be the same full writing on the album both front and back next time I'll put them all the same. Someone suggested that maybe if I put the name in this centre it would stand out more as I had it down the left corner so in the future maybe I could play around with fading it into the background make it more of a statement part of the album. Something that I forgot to include words or the legal information on the back like the production company who made it the Copyright information. Suggested that I could use more of the space play around with a space little bit more I had quite a lot of head space above her head that I could have played around with but also due to the size I got wrong that space wouldn't be there however I could have played round with some other tools and made it look a little bit more exciting further on from that point is to make her centre in the artwork.


in conclusion in the future I need to play around this but more adds more things in make it look a little bit more in Tyson and exciting to look at and also to stick to a colour scheme so it doesn't look like two different genres on one album.

music video (This Is America) analysis

This is America analysis


Childish Gambino released his song this is America in may of 2018 he first premiered his song ‘this is America’ on Saturday Night Live. Video is all about race and gun violence within America.

Linda this is America video there is many many hidden messages within. It takes a few times to watch the video to really see everything that's going on and even then there is still things that people don't understand about the video. Childish Gambino has never come out with a full statement about why or what all the hidden messages are within the video. when he is asked about in interviews he always seems to Dodge the question. the video also came out at the exact same time as the finale of his show.

Video opens up it looks like he is standing in a abandoned prison or abandoned warehouse it could symbolise emptiness and also the fact that it's enclosed and all the walls of white could suggest that black people have been surprised by white people. Fact that there is guns involved from the very start suggests that this is the main message he wants to get through to people and he does this from the beginning it's one of the first things that you see which suggests that this is what he wants put in people's minds most sense of urgency about it there's no leaving it to the end it's he wants you to see. Another Part of this scene is that when Childish Gambino shoots the man sitting in the chair, he imitates a similar position to the one of Jim Crow who was an extremely, extremely racist character who did black face in the mid 1800.

Second part to this section is after the man in the chair is shot as Childish Gambino walks away you can see that the body is dragged with zero care and the gun that shot the man is placed in a red cloth and carried off with care which shows what there priority is.

Next section you can see a gospel choir and him coming through a door this is a reference to a church shooting that killed nine people in Charleston Sanctuary. All these hands and hidden meanings ah don't educate and show people how often these things happen and after the clip of him shooting the quiet you can see him walk past the police car as if he gets away with it suggesting that white people get away for doing these crimes. Other point is that every time that a death occurs within the video the beat of the music picks up which suggests that as soon as something tragic happens does instantly avoidance of the situation and life just carries on like nothing happened.


Route the video Childish Gambino is making these extreme facial expressions and doing very much over expressive this moves this is all done to distract the audience from what's going on behind him this is also father followed up by the fact that he and the dancers are always centre of the screen and also they are the ones are always in focus and the background is slightly out of focus this is all done to suggest the masking of violence within America. Other point is that the children that are dancing along with Childish Gambino they are following his every move everything he does they do this shows the fact that young people can be manipulated and bought into things that they may not be fully aware of and they are very easy to follow behaviours of people that they look up to you whether they be good behaviours or bad behaviours.

One point in the video where the camera pans up on the top of the balcony of the warehouse and you see these kids that have masks over their faces and the barrier of the balconies almost covering their faces and there recording the violence yet not doing anything about it. This shows how normal this violence has become frequently young people are being exposed to it to the point where they feel comfortable with putting it online yet not doing anything about it. another hidden message is the White Horse that Gallup’s behind the dancers on Childish Gambino horse represents the beginning of the end.

And that was shot at the very beginning of the video appears again around half way throughout the video and it's him after he's being shot still playing his guitar this is known to symbolise the fact that even after an artists death people still value their music more than themselves rather than remembering the artist we just remember the music.

At the end of the video you can see that Childish Gambino is running out in a panic and some say this suggests that it's due to the lack of community and support within the hip hop rap culture and he feels if more artists within that genre of music showed the same level support he wouldn't have to runaway but he believes that it's lacking and therefore causes him to runaway from the issue. And you could also see this through his facial expression at the end you can clearly see that he is extremely scared. They may link up to the fact that he doesn't want to talk about the video as he feels this is all he can do with the support that he has and he can't push this as a solo artist.

Talking about their camera positioning the artist is always in the centre of the frame suggesting that he is a solo artist, and he isn't a part of a band as well as it's quite symmetrical there's usually things going on either side and the dancers are even between each side and all whether there in circle around him. I think that this video is extremely well thought out it's the way it's done is extremely clever and I feel like it brings such a strong message across and it really makes people think about these issues and I feel like he's done it in a really clever way where all audiences will be able to understand.

Reference:


Insider edition – YouTube


Shawn Cee - YouTube

my album artwork cover

 

Conversation of album artwork

Conversions of album artwork



There are certain things that must be included on the front cover and back cover of an album this doesn't just include the artwork or the image that is on the album for example albums will usually always include the name of the artist plus the name of the album and in some cases if the album includes explicit language that would be a parental advisory warning on the front. The biggest selling point of the album is obviously the artist that would be the main reason why the consumer would purchase the album and having their name on the front makes op very obvious to the consumer. Also the name of the album would be on the front to tell people what the album is and what it's about usually the name of the album is one of the songs on the album and artists will put this song that they feel the album is based around or where the main message comes from. However not every album is named after one of the songs included in the album.


On the back of the album they will have all the legal information for example the production company the studio who produced it all the key information that lies behind the album and also the barcode will be on the back. Another very important and key part of an album cover will be the track list of the songs that will be included in the album this is obviously an essential part and key information that the consumer will need to know. The artwork on the front and the back are usually connected in some kind of way a similar style to keep the tone the same however they don't have to be the same image.

Album art work

Album artwork and why it is important ?

Album artwork is also very important as it tells you a lot about an artist or a bands style and also the genre of the music. Album artwork also all relates back to dyer star theory in relation to creating a artists image many artists will follow a running theme with their albums which correlates to their image and what they want the public to view them as. For example Adele has only released 3 albums during heart music career and she is one of the most famous female singers in the world and each one of her albums have followed on from the previous one and they have all linked together in not only the music but also the album artwork she is done this as almost a time capsule and she named each album after her age at the time to show growth.  Each of her three album covers have a very similar feel and they all follow a very similar colour theme and facial expression all these hints through the photograph tells you the kind of feel and vibe of the music.

 

Many album art covers have also become iconic and are known by millions of people around the world. Album artwork also is the statement piece of the album when an artist announces there new single or new album they'll usually announce it with the photo or the cover of the album. It's the first impression of what the songs are going be it's what the consumer sees first and its one of the reasons they are drawn to the album.

Album artwork is also a form of art therefore having creative and in some cases viral artwork covers it opens up a whole other market of decoration purposes for example some people buy albums and now more bought back recently vinyl's for the purpose of decorating rooms and to just have on for display. Vinyl has become a trend a lot more recently within the past five years to the younger generation and vinyl is now sold in Urban Outfitters which is a young adult teenage clothing store and so this is all sort of relaunched the want for physical copies in which the artwork plays a huge role in. Moving on from the decoration type purposes album artworks on vinyl and albums are all also collectible items. Nowadays you can pretty much download and stream albums off your phone by just paying for them in a digital form however there will still be people from everywhere around the world that no matter how easy it is to purchase a album online they will always buy a physical copy as a collectible item.


Album artwork also plays a big role in setting the tone of the music the colours the font whether there's people on the front or whether it's abstract art or whatever it may be it will set the tone of the music. You can usually always tell what type of music you're going to be listening to by just looking at the cover of the album.

 

dyer star theory

Dyer star theory


What is the dyer star theory?


Dyer believes that we do not see artist as their true self's they are a carefully constructed image, and they are fiction. They build themselves by using music videos, tv and other media appearances, album artwork and various performances. The person is the product not the music. It's all about the star image them just making the music and putting it out there is not enough. They need to be doing things that sell more themselves rather than just the music that comes second.


Iconic imagery plays a huge role in the ‘image’ some artists may have an essential item that they are known for, for example Elton Jhons funky glasses every time see glasses like that you think of Elton john its part of his image that sells him.


What are the 3 key features of dyer star theory?


The star is a construction:


They are being shown off and constructed through the media for example, red carpets, magazines, interviews, social media etc. This type of thing helps the artist show themselves to their target audience.


The star is a commodity:


The image is sold to the target audience. This is often done by the record label they see what the specific target audience want and create this image enable for them to be a success this comes done to a lot of control for the record label which some artist just refuses. They can also control all types of public exposure to keep your ‘image’ intact for example all your social media and all interviews. The most important thing is to make the star relevant not only ideally to everyone but to their specific target audience.


The star is an ideology:


They represent what they are selling. For example, the spice girls an all-female pop group that advocates women's rights and that is one of their selling points they do not just sing they have duty with their platform and the fact that they are under the spotlight to stand up for something that effects them epically in there industry.

  

music videos

goodwins theory

 Goodwin’s theory was to approach the narrative to a video in 3 different ways:

Illustration - using visions and images to tell the story of the song


Amplification – that’s the deeper message behind video is amplified out


Disjunction - something that has nothing to do with the song at all

example of illustration:   

mistletoe by Justin Bieber is an example of illustration as the video runs in parallel with the lyrics and also is cut to the beat with the musics rhythm. 

Example of disjunction:

an example of disjunction is lady gaga bad romance the music video has nothing to do with what she is doing, however the genre is still shown. 

an example of amplification: 

an example of amplification is Michael Jackson black and white, the video may not scream what is is about but is shows the hidden meaning behind the song, all different cultures and races coming together

 

social media workshop

 

Music Campaign - Harry Styles

What is a music campaign?


A music campaign is a way for an artist or a band to market and spread word of their upcoming music. A campaign is used to showcase a band or an individual artist and get people hyped about them and their music. Music campaigns come in many forms, social media it a new and efficient way to show and promote artist as it is very quick, and it doesn't cost anything most artis will have many social media accounts where they will post daily content not only does this keep fans engaged it also allows word about new music to spread quickly.

An example of a music campaign:


Harry Styles used to be in a boy band called One Direction the band formed on the X-Factor. They soon become one of the most successful and popular boy bands of the 21st century. Soon after on of them members Zayn left the band split in 2015, however each member of the band have moved on to have solo careers and they have all been extremely successful including Harry.\

Harry styles released his album ‘Adore you’ in 2019, harry is known for hiding clues in his videos and in his music he also dose this in the upcoming month before he releases a single or a new album to get his fans excited and invested in the recent music. All these hidden clues kept the fans constantly invested and engaged in his life so whenever there would be a new release the would be a guaranteed audience waiting for him. The adore you campaign went viral it was all based around the island Eroda which is Adore backwards.

How was ‘Adore you’ Campaigned:


He announced the name and the release date for the single on his social media in early December this was the same day that the artwork was also shown. these photos were posted on his Instagram:

Harry made his first debut of his new single on the Graham Norton Show a day after the single was released. He performed on many other late-night shows and stadiums including the Late Late Show and the Capital Jingle Bell Ball, BBC 1 radio live lounge and it was made a part of the set list at The Forum in Los Angeles. All these performances bought harry in a huge audience of all ages. His music campaign was hugely successful.

 

 

Scouting Workshop

How bands get signed by record labels workshop

• Bands that are the finished product are very rarely scouted as well as bands of the same ability and talent may not be both scouted its about having something different about you and something that stands out, you don’t have to be a ‘perfect’ band to be scouted.

• A&R artists and repertoire executive is someone who will go out the clubs and bars and live events to find the next best thing.

• Michael Largo worked as an executive A&R in the 80sHe worked with bands like the Misfits, Cindy Lauper plus he signed on the biggest and best rock bands Metallica

• For example, he was in New York when he heard loud noise coming from one of the bars and was instantly intrigued, when he went in, he was very quickly drawn in by the lead singer this band may not have been creating the best sound but the defiantly knew hoe to bring in and make the audience enjoy them self and this was enough for Michael to sign them not for the sound necessarily but for their style and look. This band was White Zombie

• Not only did Michael sign bands and artists he also helped them to realise what they need to work on and to Gide them in the right direction into success

• With recent technology and with big music streaming sites like Spotify, apple music and iTunes, they are able to collect data a see what genres and what types of bands are doing well.

• All this data allows A&R executives to study trends

• One way they can use this data is to look at bands and artists that are still small but are rapidly growing this data can give you an idea of how they will grow and how well their music will do. This gives them a huge advantage to signing that they wouldn’t have had in the 80s.

• Due to the pandemic in some ways has made an A&R executives job ten times harder as there aren't able to go and see bands face to face and catch a vibe, Michael said it's all “2 dimensional” this means that YouTube and Social media it the only way to connect to bands and it might not be enough.

• Nower days scooting may be based on bands that have already been successful in whatever way they may have to out themselves out more than they used to .