Copy-write from record label

In oder to use the song Baggy Trousers in our A2 video, we had to ask for permission from the record label.

Madness - House of Fun

Similarly to their baggy trousers video, Madness's house of fun video also focusses on a purely performance element. This is again shown through the instruments and an even more strange and abstract dances than seen in their Baggy trousers video.

The costumes in this video are an unconventional feature, as they are not wearing the black suits and sunglasses throughout the whole video, although the ban can be seen wearing this costume in some shots, for example the first shots of the band and the shot in which they're wearing pharmacy uniforms with sunglasses on. Some of the costumes used in this video are extravagant and some are even quite creepy, all of this helps to create a very fast, confusing and funny atmosphere to the video.

There are many different locations used in this video, all urban settings, such as a corner shop and a pharmacy and a theme park, very everyday surroundings. Fast paced editing is used to create a sense of chaos in this video as it cuts between all of these different locations, which reflects the theme of the song itself and creates a frantic atmosphere. 

Madness - Baggy Trousers

This song is the one we are using for our own coursework, therefore i thought it would be helpful for me to analyse this video in order to use the appropriate conventions from this. This video uses purely a performance element, as is shown through the use of instruments and strange dance moves, both conventions of ska music videos.



Ska music videos and songs generally have no particular narrative or story line to them, and are quite random as if they've been thrown together, which adds to the unique and humorous nature of this genre.Multiple locations are used in this video, with cuts between the school hall, the playground and occasional shots of the kids in their classroom, among others. These cuts are random and have no particular chronological order, which adds to the random, messy atmosphere of the video. A school is an urban location which relates to the song, this kind of setting is a conventional feature of ska music videos. This mixture of location distorts the fluidity of the video, distorting the narrative and focusing more on performance element.



The costumes in this video are another conventional feature of ska, the band is wearing black suits with sunglasses, a recognisable trait that the audience can identify with this genre.
Shots of the lead singer are held for the longest period of time, giving him the most screen time, another conventional editing technique generally used in ska videos.

Codes and conventions of the Ska genre

Ska music tends to not have a narrative aspect to it and is mainly based on performance. This is because in most of the music videos for ska music you always see them playing their instruments and dancing humorously which is an aspect of performance.

Editing

• The editing is chaotic and quite random, with fast paced editing combined with long takes. 
• The cuts usually match the pace of the music and each cut is simultaneously changing to the beat.
• The editing used in these music videos varies depending on the tempo of the ska song. 
• Usually long duration shots are used on the lead singers.
• Short duration shots are used on the band members and musicians. 
• Reverse editing is sometimes used which creates an unusual atmosphere.

Cinematography

• Majority of Ska videos are shot in 4:3 aspect ratio, because Ska isn’t as popular now, new videos aren't generally released, so this old ratio is seen more commonly. 
• Sophisticated cinematography is rarely used – mainly conventional camera shots and angles, with a lot of static shots. It is what is happening within the frame which makes it exciting to watch. 
• Black and white shots are used more commonly, which gives the videos a vintage look.

Mise en scene

• Ska music became very popular with British Mods and Skinheads – Costumes in the music videos would usually be black or blue suits or clothing such as Dr Martens, Harrington’s, polo shirts etc..
• People in the videos would be seen ‘Skanking’ which was the name for dancing to ska music. this type of dance is unique and humorous over everything else. 
• The band generally don't dance simultaneously, their movements look quite improvised.
• Urban locations are sometimes used in narrative sections in the music videos.
• Live performance sometimes makes up the majority of the music videos too. 
• Multiple locations are used generally in Ska music videos, which adds to the hectic and random editing technique.

Sound

• Ska music originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was another option to Reggae and Rocksteady music, it is quite an old fashioned sound. 
• Ska combines the Caribbean Mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues.
• An upbeat rhythm is usually present in Ska music, the music is generally uplifting and funny.
• Instruments conventionally include guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums and an organ, along with what is called the ‘brass section’ with trumpets, trombones and saxophones.

Artist Biography

Common Decency is a Ska band. They've stated that their aim is to bring back Ska music to the current generation, after building a passion for the genre and realising that younger people were not familiar with this type of music. This band want to introduce a more unique style to the current music culture, which addresses issues in a more humorous and entertaining way.
Their target audience is between 14 and 30, a fairly young audience, which is ironic considering their old fashioned, scruffy style and look. This audience feels as if they can relate to this urban band who portray their humorous outlooks on issues that are important to them.

The band is made up of 3 members, Zack Newman, Kevin Baxter , Elliot Hunter, all 19 years old. Zack and Kevin met at 15 and had a naive dream of starting a band together. They lost contact for a few years before Zack, the current lead singer of Common Decency was asked to be the supporting act for Oasis at Birmingham. After this, Kevin -who was studying music at University at the time-, and Zack revisited their dream of starting a band and asked Elliot who was, at the time studying with Kevin at the same university, to join them. They created their first mixtape, which they named 'Midnight on the street', which included the song 'Right side'. This mixtape was sent to (record label name), where they were picked up and began to organise small gigs and shows.  They gradually started to gain recognition with a younger audience, with a few mentions on social media from bigger artists/bands including Lily Allen, Greenday and The Specials.

From this, a demand for a first album started to grow. They are currently very close to releasing their debut album, 'Lost Art', with the record label (record label name).

Zack and Kevin come from Leeds, Elliot from Manchester. The band have decided to stay in their home town of Leeds, as this is where they feel they can relate their music to their surroundings and the culture they grew up in. When they first started writing songs, the lyrics were based on a lot of the general views of their friends, families and neighbours, which makes the songs more personal.

Artist identity- research

Twenty one pilots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY&list=PLE3s44JJs0ssiuDedldNjCTRZk4st9xba&index=2

They have a running theme of red, black and white colours in their videos, website and digipak. On their website and digipak they have a illustrated, abstract pattern as a linking theme, along with the same font on their digipak and website with the lines through the words. Thgis is specific to this Blurryface album, as their previous album had a lighter, more pastel look. They have completely changed their website to fit with their latest, more popular album, which has a darker look to it.

Adele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0

Adele has a running theme that makes her and her products recognisable. Her albums are consistently named after numbers (21, 22 etc.) Her albums are mostly all black and white and her videos mostly share this theme. Her products have a very traditional and old fashioned look to them which runs between her digipaks, music videos and website. Her album cover features her face in a close up which is also a consistent factor of her artist identity.

Gorillaz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V_xRb0x9aw

The Gorillaz have a group of recognisable cartoon characters which they use in every video, on their website and on their digipak. This helps to link all their platforms together and create an identifiable theme. All of their content is quite dark and unique, which makes them stand out.

Lazarus- Andrew Goodwin analysis

"Lazarus" is a 2015 song by English rock musician David Bowie and was his last single released before his death from cancer in January 2016. The official music video, directed by Johan Renck, was released three days before Bowie's death and resulted in Bowie's first top 40 hit single hitting the Billboard Hot 100 in more than 28 years.

According to Bowie's producer Tony Visconti, the lyrics and video of "Lazarus" and other songs on the album were intended to be a self-epitaph: a commentary on Bowie's own impending death. The name of the track refers to the subject of a prominent miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores a man to life four days after his death. During the week of shooting the video, doctors reportedly informed Bowie that his cancer was terminal and that they were ending treatment.

The video is shot in a location which looks like a hospital death bed and Bowie appears in a variety of costumes such as a nightshirt with a bandage and buttons sewn over his eyes and a diagonally striped suit referencing the back cover of the 1991 CD reissue of the Station to Station album, where he is pictured sitting on the floor drawing the kabbalistic Tree of Life.  This “intertextual” referencing is what Andrew Goodwin refers to in “Dancing in the Distraction Factory” in which he states that music videos often borrow from other texts to create layers of meaning.  In this instance Bowie is providing his fans with visual references from his long and illustrious career in order that they can reflect upon his art in a similar fashion to Bowie himself.

Andrew Goodwin also states that in music videos the lyrics are represented in the visuals.  In Lazarus lyrics appear to be “amplified” and given layers of meaning. For example, during the line “i'm so high it makes my brain whirl”, he is whirling within the frame, and is very high up in the frame, which reflects the lyrics and puts the audience in the same position as Bowie.

Musical mood changes are also referenced visually within the video.  For example, when the first verse ends, as the girl under the bed (death) reaches up to get Bowie, the music becomes higher and more screechy, mirroring the raising of the hand.

Goodwin’s “notion of looking” is indirectly referenced through the fact that Bowie is wearing buttons and bandages over his eyes.  This suggests that he cannot see what's happening around him, so someone could be watching him. The girl who represents death backs this up, as she is seen watching him from different positions in the room as he is lying in the hospital bed, effectively blind.

Goodwin also states that the record label often places demands upon an artist in terms of meeting fan expectations.  In Lazarus this is achieved through the persona of a second Bowie clad in black who can still pose, pout, pick up a pen and create. This represents him to his fans as being the old Bowie that they love, who is creative, iconic and energetic, contrasting him shown in the hospital bed. His unique and edgy dance moves further emphasise this return of the old Bowie.

The video also uses iconography linked to Bowie’s star persona such as the camp dance moves and the tight, abstract bodysuit. The fact that he comes out of the closet at the start of the video could be referencing the camp or gay persona that he put on earlier in his career. At the end of the video the returned to the closet which could be representing the fact that he is leaving this persona behind as he dies.