JP: Print Analysis

RD: Print Analysis

Calvin Harris 18 Months

Front Pane

• We can see on the front of this digipak is a photo of Calvin Harris (the artist), sitting in a plain unexciting location.
• This digipak uses Dyer's theory of 'stars' and his key paradox that stars need to be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary.
• Calvin Harris abides to this paradox as in this front pane he is seemingly ordinary as he looks like just another man sitting in an ordinary location.
• However, he is clearly extraordinary as he is famous.
• We can see the location as very ordinary maybe a slightly poorer area, with the large brick wall and housing behind him.  
• He is also dressed in a modest t-shirt, jeans and trainers.
• The front cover uses bright colours and high key lighting. the predominant use of light sky-blue reflects the sense that the image was taken in summer, which is solidified by the inclusion of Calvin Harris' shadow across the ground. These colours are also typical of the dance genre, as dance music is stereotypically linked to the summer and clubbing holiday destinations.
• This cover connotes that he is waiting for something, from the way he is sitting and the positions of his hands.
• The basicness and plainness of the location connotes that this is where he started, he wasn't rich or famous but and ordinary person to emphasise his journey.
• Our notion of looking goes first to the title of the album and his name in big white letters and then to him and then onto the background, this is used for him to show the music is the most important thing rather than it being all about him as a person.
• The way he is sitting is a signifier for waiting as is the album name, 18 months, its telling a story about his change over time.
• The location is a sign for a normal place, but signifies plainness.
• Through the plainness of this album cover a myth is created about the artists, that he is and wants to be a 'normal' man. 



Back Pane

• The back cover of this album is a similar photo but from further away so we see more of the image, more of a long shot.
•  Consequently, more of the location is revealed, to give a greater sense of where they are to the audience.
• Calvin Harris is shown again sitting on the edge of the pavement as if he is till waiting for whatever it was on the front cover.
• However, this time his direct gaze connects him to the audience, by breaking down the fourth wall.
• The back cover includes simple but important aspects such as; bar code, record labels and the track listing, which are consistently written in the same white plain typography.
• The consistency of using the same text through out ties the whole of the digipak together.
• This back pane again enforces the message that Harris wants to be a regular man and wants to connect to his audience as he is just like them this helps to create a positive metanarrative for him.
• As with the front cover the album art is an iconic sign for a plain urban location, but is an indexical sign for working class, regular people. This connotes the growth of the artist, that he started from nothing but has become so much.

Disc

• The disc is very plain and to the point, with just a black background with large white typography.
• This disc uses the same typography as the rest of the album again tying it all together.
• The fact that it is so plain, emphasizes that Harris doesn't need flashy pictures or colours it it just about the music that he wants his audience to hear, and he wants his audience to know his isn't fake or flashy his is just a normal man.
• How he is still extraordinary in the way he includes the 'all rights reserved' on the disc because it shows that it is professional.
• This disc, like the rest of the album, signifies plainness but at the same time looks quite bold. 
• The juxtaposition of these signs connotes that the artist wants the album to be purely about the music and not about him as a 'star'. 

Magazine Advert

As I can see this the advert shows crucial information for the viewer such as, band name, production company, feedback and reviews, and any other information that is required to sell the product. 

It grabs the eye immediately and while the artists picture is not on it there is a sketch of him in yellow which is quite abstract and weird but fans would recognize this as Calvin Harris.

It uses the concept of emphasizing the dance/electro genre with bright colours and varied range of fonts and pictures that attract a consumer. 

My chosen artist  also shares this genre and I like the idea of bright and exciting colours and would be interested in using this in my work. 

The yellow photo like face is an iconic sign for the artist, and the bright colours and interesting text is a connotation of what the music is like- loud and in your face. 

Group: Song Choice

We have decided on our song for our final piece, it is called Closer by Lemaitre ft. Jennie A

JP: Technical Analysis of Alt-J (∆) Breezeblocks

Alt-J (∆) Breezeblocks

Shot	Camera	Editing	Mise-en-scene	Sound
0.00-0.07	Medium close up, still	-	Girl lying under the water in a bath	Start of the song, slow tempo
0.07-0.12	Close up	-	Man sat on the floor holding his head
0.12-0.13	Extreme close up	-	Hands on the man’s head, ring on marriage finger	Drums start and songs picks up pace
0.13-0.16	Close up	Reverse of what is happening	Water going up the tap
0.17-0.26	Close up + mid shot		Cuts between women in bath and man holding his head	Song starts to pick up tempo, chorus slowly starting
0.26-0.29	Close up	Reverse	Women getting out of the bath, water splashing out in reverse of how it entered	Volume increases as drums kick in
0.31-0.45	Mid shot	Reverse	The man chasing the women holding a block but everything is being reversed	Change in vocals, matching the change in visuals. More fast paced
0.45-1.15	Mid shots	All in reverse still	Following the narrative back a bit, as we see them before talking	Chorus
1.15-1.26	Mid shot	Reverse	Bottle smashing on the wall in reverse - Technique we want to use in our film	The beat dies down then drops again as the bottle smashes. Lyrics and visuals are similar

•  Breezeblocks is features a confusing narrative which does not make sense until the end which makes the video very engaging and replayable 
• We really like the concept of having the video in reverse and we plan to have some of our video like this

Stills:

This is the shot of when the audience first notice the reverse technique



 

 

RD: Technical Analysis of Shut up and Dance

Shut up and Dance- Walk the Moon

Time	Camera	Mise-en-scene	Sound	Editing
0.00	Medium still shot	Leading man walks into ‘party’ scene- awkward facial expression	Quiet music introduction	-
0.06	Still Medium close up	Two ‘mean girls’ judging the lead man, unimpressed facial expression	Quiet music continues to build up	-
0.07	Still Medium close up	Leading man continues to look uncomfortable	Quiet music continues to build up	-
0.11	Medium still shot	Crowd looking at leading man judging	Quiet music continues to build up	-
0.12	Medium long shot	Leading man, title appears in white scruffy font	Guitar riff	-
0.18	Close up	Leading man spots a girl	Guitar starts and melody begins	-
0.19	Medium long shot	We see the girl with light behind her	Melody continues	-
0.20	Medium close up	Leading man puts his hand up toward the girl, he begins to sing	Lyrics begin	-
0.22	Medium long shot	Leading man stands still	Music and lyrics continue	-
0.24	Medium long shot, zoom shot to medium shot	Girl begins to dance	Music and lyrics continue	-
0.26	Close up zoom shot	Man dances and sings zooms into his face	Music and lyrics continue	-
0.27	Medium long shot	Girl continues to dance	Music and lyrics continue	-
0.30	Medium close up zoom shot	Leading man continues to sing	Music and lyrics continue- building up	-
0.34	Medium to close up zoom shot	Girl mouths lyrics and dances, as camera zooms she moves from the edge of the frame to the centre	Chorus	-
0.36	Long shot zooms to close up, screen split half close up half long shot.	Leading man is focused on then we go into his ‘thoughts’ here the screen splits and we see him imagining the future with this girl, then a boxing glove hits him in the face and all is returned to present day at the party	Chorus	Editing effects are used to multiply the lead’s face on the screen, split screen is then used with a green screen background
1.00	Medium shot	Couple return together to present day party	Music and lyrics continue	-

• I really like the effect of having multiple faces on the shot. 
• We could use this in our production by repeating our leading girls face multiple times while she is walking along because that should make that part of the video more interesting.  

•  I think the split screen effect is very successful in this video and looks very good. 
• We might be able to do some sort of split screen in our video.

• I like this handheld shot looking at the actor because it breaks the forth wall and makes the audience feel much more involved 
• We will definitely be able to produce a shot like think in our final piece as it is not too complicated and would be very effective in our party scene.  

• This edit gives the look of two layers of action, behind is the 'thoughts' and then we see the characters face doubled on screen. 
• I think this would be a harder one to produce in our own work, but I would really like to use something to do with multiple layers of action.   

•  In this shot a green outfit is used as a green screen to produce effects on the characters body. 
• I think this is a very effective technique and would love to rebuild it in some way in our work. 
• We may not be able to get a full green screen outfit but we will be able to use a green screen of some sort. 

• In this shot we can see the party only actually includes about 10-15 people but it looks like much more because of the framing and positioning. 
• This is what we need for our party scene to give off the effect of a lot of people without having to involve too many actors.