Hawthorne Heights CD Cover

This album cover for Hawthorne Heights 'Silence in Black and White' album is simple, yet effective. The use of colour contrast is really appealing and the fact that the edges of the picture have been blurred adds a real quality to the old-photo effect. I like the way that they have used a little child; such innocence, despite the band being quite depressive and hardcore. I believe this song relates to the song 'Ohio is for Lovers' as the backdrop seems to be of a typical lonely Ohio house. This photo, although simplistic, could suggest a lot of meaning, maybe only recognised by the band.

The Rasmus - 'In The Shadows' music video analysis

This video is very much like the Blink 182 video 'I Miss You'. It's been made with a lot of common horror movie conventions, which really works within the rock genre. Like Blink 182, it begins with a stark contrast of flashing lights, alternating between pitch black and bright white, revealing the band singing in front of an audience in various shots. There are low angle shots of the lead singer, making it clear he is to be respected and most of the attention is to be on him.

The video alternates between shots of the band performing and clips from whats supposed to be an old Victorian movie. The lyrics 'In the shadows, of my time' probably influence the Victorian era idea, which is like Blink 182 as they incorporate a time of the past, however this time the Rasmus are in the present day. The Gothic hall the band are playing in looks to be the same hall as one of the shots in the 'Victorian movie'. Also like Blink 182, there are specks of white flashes and white lines randomly dotting the screen, emphasising its an old movie.

From watching the video, I believe they have used the common plot of a horror movie; the main character seeing ghosts in a mirror and then everybody thinking they are crazy. However, with a slight twist. The Victorians woman is seeing 'ghosts' of the future; witnessing the Rasmus and their fans dancing in the mirror, trying to lear her into it. This is quite a clever angle on a common idea, and like Blink 182 and the men being dressed up as women, reveals a sort of twisted side to the rock genre, like they are testing common assumptions. I also like the way the Victorian shots remind me of an old silent movie, which in my opinion gives it more of a creepy edge.

My interpretation of the ending, when the, what look like maids, find the Victorian woman missing from the bed, is that the man with the maids is most likely a doctor or the man of the house, called in when her visions of 'ghosts' in the mirror are mistaken for mental illness. I believe this as this idea is also common in horror films; the main character has real psychic ability and everyone thinks they are crazy.

I miss you - Blink 182 music video analysis

Blink 182 are mostly known for their bright and comic appeal however this video is dismal, raw and intense, which I feel is appropriate for the song and generally the rock genre.

Lighting and special effects are key to creating the mood for this video. The lighting is extreme; contrasting between pitch black and bright white, creating a shadowy effect. This gives a secretive and edgy feel to the video. When the girl at the beginning is running around in the white dress there is a high angle shot, which along with the shadowed lighting gives the idea she is being watched, and that she is in a very vulnerable state. After this there is a low angle shot of the band, which gives he band a respectful status. They continue to be shown throughout the video, which like Paolo Nutini and 'New Shoes', familiarises the band with the audience. There are many close-ups which are both intimate yet keep the audience on edge.

Special effects also contribute to the overall mood of this video. Going by what the people in the video are wearing , the overall era of this video is supposedly 1940's - 1950's. The video has been edited so that it represents the quality of a 1940's - 1950's video; there are specks of white in the shots, the shots of the band are in a sepia tone and there is also a ghostly, glowing effect around the band members. Videos being set in a different era is quite common in rock videos, and i believe it enhances the Gothic elements and portrays the mood of the rock genre well.

Another interesting effect is the continuous fading between the shots of the band members, which i believe reflects the dismal tone to the song. The video is almost like a horror/thriller movie would be; edgy, dark and mysterious, also relating to the line "We can live like Jack and Sally if you want", which is a direct references to a well-known dismal movie about love and loneliness. There is a mirror near the end of the song, which relates to a common theme in thriller movies.

The imagery and mis en scene, although doesn't directly relate to the song but really just enhances the tone and mood of the song, is very intense and romantic. The girl is wearing a white and flowing dress, suggesting innocence and pureness. This is contrasted by the random imagery of spiders and quite controversial shots of men dressed up as women in 1940's flapper clothing, kissing. The meaning of these images are not obvious, however they do create a mysterious and intense mood.

Paolo Nutini 'New Shoes' music video analysis

This music video uses many subtle techniques to convey the upbeat feeling the song brings. It begins with the cartoon, instantly showing the audience this video or song is not going to be intense, just lighthearted and fun. Paolo himself is featured throughout the entire video, which is quite a common convention of a music video, allowing him to put his personality across and allowing the audience to familiarise themselves with him. Paolo's look is quite retro, with the leather jackets, the patterned robe and the alarm clock, giving quite a staged feel. A range of bright colours are used as well as cheesy special effects to give it a slightly comical feel; the 'Sun' is created by a flash of bright lighting and there are 'stars' dancing around his feet. Paolo uses quite exaggerated movements; rolling his eyes when he wakes up and later in the video rubbing his eyes in an obvious manner. This shows the audience, like the cartoon, that the video and the music is not to be taken seriously; its purely for entertainment. The camera movements are also very swift, with almost a spinning quality that takes us through Paolo's day and just overall gives of an easy feeling for the audience.

Comparison of CD covers - Fightstar & Busted

By looking at the Busted CD covers one can assume the they are appealing to a young demographic. The colours are brash and primary and the logo tends to be printed in a simplistic style. The use of colour and graphics gives the band a less serious, animated feel. Fans will be able to instantly familiarise themselves with the band when they see the front covers, helped by the fact the band members are shown on the album, promoting their celebrity status. The overall impression i receive from these album covers is that the band doesn't want to be taken seriously; there isn't any depth or suggesting undertones to the covers, much unlike the Fightstar covers.

Fighstar use their album covers as a way to reveal their sophistication and seriousness about their music. The images are thought-provoking and surreal; many of them reminding of Banksy's art. The colours, unlike Busted, are contrasting, artistic and incorporates lots of shading, giving an edgy and engaging feel. The demographic for this music is most likely alternative, serious about music and mature, feeling their lifestyle relates a lot to the music they listen to, perhaps being able to relate to some of the hidden undertones and suggested meanings of the album covers, having listened to Fightstar. However, with the Busted album covers, one can immediately tell which genre they are and know their lyrics are most likely lighthearted and fun, but at the same time meaningless.

(Start of A2) Johnny Cash - 'Hurt'.

In class, we viewed the music video of 'Hurt' my Johnny Cash, originally by Nine Inch Nails. Whilst Nine Inch Nail's version is a typical rock theme, with the dark lighting and intense tone, Johnny Cash's cover reflects, in a lighthearted way (making it more sad), over his life and the mistakes he had made. It was shot in his house, which is a convient way to portray a realistic image of his life. His wife is also featured in the video, although she wasn't supposed to be; showing again a realistic and raw insight to Cash's emotions.

The theme relates to his innate feelings of people and mortality. Cash was a christian, despite leading a troubled life and claiming to be 'the biggest sinner of all'. The video gives us a genuine insight to his life, for example the Cumbria record being smashed; a convenient use of mis-en-scene to represent the way Cash felt invisible by them. He looks to be in quite ill health during the video, however people say that between shoots he was lively. Some claim this is a premonition, which furthermore relates to his deep beliefs and sad tone.