Interview answers

1) I really like Brandons voice and the lyrics to thier songs. I like thier style and the way that they dress aswell as the music that they produce. I feel that they are a little different to other Indie bands as they include other instruments such as synth.

2) My favourite is Mr Brightside. It is set in the past and shows them performing to an audience. It also cuts to relevent scenes to do with the lyrics. I would like to see a video though that is just like a story all the way through because while the band are performing on the video I feel they could use the tiime instead to create more of a story.

3) The album art is kept very simple and I believe this works. They all have the same font on them but just a different picture in the background. I can immediately tell that it is the killers and I like how it makes a collection.

4) Indie music influences me lots in my everyday life. my fashion is based around the members of the bands as I try and wear similar clothers to them. I like the whole "Indie attidute" and how they are seena s non conformists.I would love to be in a Indie band as the band members make it look very desireable.

5)The fact that the members are mainly young I feel I can relate to them. I like how you can go see the music live with a good atmosphere, have a few drinks and a good laugh with your mates while listening to really well wrote music.

6) I only really listen to Indie music but my other faveourite Indie band is most probably the Arctic Monkeys. i love thier music videos as they are always relevent to the song and tell a story, not always interly in a "sain" way for example in one video they had clowns fighting in it. The Arctic monkeys album art seems to relate to the Indie lifestyle like on one of thier viedos they are all sat in a room smoking and drinking, havinga  good time. The killers album art is different as it relates more to the name of the album like the album Day and Age. There is a background picture of a nightime scene with a moon

Here are the answers that other people gave
http://sarahdixonmediablog.blogspot.com/2010/10/audience-research.html
http://jesslambert1992-a2musicvideoproject.blogspot.com/2010/09/audience-primary-research-interview.html

Interviews

As a group we came up with some interview questions to ask some big Killers fans, as all of us knew of someone who really liked them

1) What do you like about the killers in general?

2) What do you like about the killers music videos and what do you look for?

3) What do you like about the killers album art and adverts, what do you look for?

4) How does Indie music influence you?

5) What attracts you to Indie music?

6) What other bands do you listen too in this genre? and how would you compare thier music videos and album art to the killers?

Questions 1,2 and 3 will help us because it will help us find out what fans of the killers actually like about thier album art and music videos that we could try and include in our music videos or even challenge. Questions 4 and 5 will give us a greater knowledge of "Indie kids" and why they are attracted to the genre of music. Question 5 will help us try and include things that other bands may do that Killers fans are attracted to and may even wish the Killers would include.

Digipack and advert analysis

Sawdust is an album by The Killers, The Advert and the digipak are the same, This is done so that people will easily be able to recognise the album once the have seen the advert. The photograph in the background is relevent to the name of the CD as it is taken in a forest where trees grow and has an arm in the scene that has been edited to look like a log and then edited into the picture. This is relevent because sawdust comes from trees. The colours used are just typical colours in a forest eg browns and greens, This is also just relating to the name of the album. This is the same all through the digipak when you open it up.The font used that says "The Killers" is used on all of the Killers albums so that the fans can easily recognise it and the "sawdust" title is wrote using  7 segment display font, this coputerised style seems very popular in Indie Music. The layout for both of these has been kept very simple with the bands name and name of the album in the middle. This is very common with The Killers digipaks and other Indie bands. The advert differes however because at the bottom it gives a little bit of information about when it is going to be released and where you can purchase it from.

Day and Age is another album by The Killers. The advert and album art are yet again the same, this seems to be common.Just like in sawdust the album art is relevant to the name of the CD. The background is in a mosaic sort of style night time image with shrubs and trees at the bottom. I think the shrubs and trees at the bottom are there because the album is carrying on from the previous album "Sawdust" and on that album art there are lots of trees. The colours used are that typical of a night time scene for example purples,blacks and whites. "The Killers" font is used again on both the digipack and advert, another common feature with the killers. The layout is yet again very simple for the both of them with "The Killers" in the middle and "Day and Age" underneath it. On the advert it also mentions one of their popular songs, I guess to try and help sell it, as well as having their website and record label.

Here are the links to others we did as a group
http://sarahdixonmediablog.blogspot.com/2010/09/digpak-research.html

Research- Music Video 2

This song is called Mr Brightside by the Killers. It shows the band performing at a burlesque style show in an expensive looking home. The song is about Brandon Flowers getting emotionally attached to girls he has only just met. This portrayed in the video as a sort of “love triangle” between Brandon, one of the burlesque dancers and a very important looking rich man. All the people in video are wearing black suits, burlesque styled clothes and the important looking man involved in the love triangle is wearing red robes, the red representing that he is powerful, wealthy but could also represent a dark and angry side to him. Also the female involved in the love triangle is wearing white. This ironic as white represents purity, when she is not exactly being “Pure”, involved in a love triangle. The camera shots used on the band performing include medium shots, long shots, close ups and medium close ups. These are all very typical shots to be used in an Indie music video as it shows the entire band playing, whilst occasionally focusing on one member. The camera shots when the band are not playing are used well, there are lots of long shots setting the scene but also lots of close ups and medium close ups to show peoples expressions. Towards the end of the video it shows Brandon and the important man playing a game of checkers. I think this is meant to represent that they are both fighting for the burlesque girl. Shot reverse shots are used during this to make it look like there is conversation and lots of close ups varying between the two to show both of their expressions (Brandon loses and seems to be looking upset while the important man looks very smug). After that it then begins to show what I can make out to be flashbacks of Brandon and the burlesque girl during their “happy times together”. Then cuts to a clip at the end of Brandon walking off and leaving her. Compared to Brainstorm by the Arctic Monkeys the two videos are very different, The Killers video is telling more of a story when the Arctic Monkeys one is not but both include similar aspects, such as the band performing, using similar camera shots.

As we did the video analysis' in a group, here are the links to some others we did

http://sarahdixonmediablog.blogspot.com/2010/10/video-analysis-white-lies-farewell-to.html

http://sarahdixonmediablog.blogspot.com/2010/09/video-analysis-killers-smile-like-you.html

http://poppy-a2-media.tumblr.com/post/1178048029/artist-rihanna-ft-eminem-song-love-the-way-you

http://poppy-a2-media.tumblr.com/post/1197845053/artist-30-seconds-to-mars-song-the-kill-genre

Audience Research

Here is a link to some audience research on another member of my groups blog.
http://poppy-a2-media.tumblr.com/post/1580780128/audience-research

Research- Music Video

This is a song called Brianstorm by another Indie band called the Arctic Monkeys. It shows the band performing in a foggy room with a sepia effect(dark brown and grey in colour). The lights are above the band and shine down on them creating silhouettes in the fog. It cuts to clips of female dancers in front of a large LCD display that changes to the music.There are lights underneath the floor where each dancer is stood and light comes from the LCD display and colourful light shines off the dancers. It also includes clips from what I can make out to be educational programs in it. Sometimes it briefly flashes images that are in the lyrics for example when it says "Brian" an image of a person flashes up. The video moves very fast and alternates between  the band performing, the girls dancing, the educational programmes and the flashing images. There are lots of different camera shots in this music video. It starts with a long shot of the band and alternates with flashing medium shots of the band. With the Dancers the camera shots are similar and alternate between long shots, medium shots and medium close ups.From what I can see the band are wearing tight jeans, plimsolls and jumpers but its its very hard to tell because of the sepia effect. The dancers are wearing brightly coloured tops and hot pants. The setting is very typical in an Indie music video as the band always seem to perform  in a dark room, creating a sense of mystery with the lighting helping to do this, however the female dancers and educational programmes are very ironic. It is like they are mocking Pop music and education. Indies are stereotypically seen as non conformists and rebelish, so including educational clips in the video is not a common thing, as for the dancers this is also not common but a very typical thing in Pop music videos . The band are never actually seen with the dancers and the video seems to focus more on the dancers than the band. The seems like its mocking pop music for just having Dancers and not actually focusing on the actual band. The camera shots are also very typical because they alternate around the band with medium shots so you can see each member perform and then include long shots of them performing togethor.

This image shows the starting longshot of the bands, the sepia effect and how they all look like silhouettes in the foggy room.

This image shows the girls dancing in front of the large LCD screen, you can also see clearly that they are wearing hot pants and bright tops.

This image shows one of the educational clips that the music video cuts too.

So who are these "Indie Kids"

Indie, an abbreviation of independent, is a term regarding a trend seen in music, film, business and subculture originating in the late 20th century.

 The most general definition of the word is to be independent from the mainstream. The word has become most often associated with a subculture defined by its associated music, fashion, behavior and beliefs. Indie culture is an avant-garde lifestyle which follows social trends that are considered to consciously deviate from the mainstream. One common belief within indie culture is anti-conformity. The major influence for the indie culture came out of the indie music scene, associated with the DIY culture to the arts. Many followers of the indie culture are associated with local independent art and music scene.

Thier Dress cde can vary and some like to wear vintage clothing whilst others wear whatever they can find. Comon clothes they do wear are plimsoles, jeans, shirts, polo shirts and tshirts made by designers like Lyle and Scott

Sourced from  http://www.examiner.com/twilight-parents-in-national/twilight-parents-101-what-is-an-indie-kid

Here is a link to another member of my groups blog with a video that shows you "how to dress like an Indie Kid" http://poppy-a2-media.tumblr.com/post/1580793527/a-video-from-youtube-providing-tips-on-how-to

What is Indie rock?

Indie rock is a genre of rock music, and a means of producing that music, that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. It is rooted in earlier genres such asalternative rock, post-punk, and new wave.

The meaning of the term "indie rock" is contested today by many musicians, fans and commentators. Some use the term "indie" to describe any music produced by artists working within the network of independent record labels and underground music venues that emerged in the United States and elsewhere in 1980's and 1990's. Others understand indie rock as a distinct genre of rock music with a specific artistic aesthetics, and care less about the context in which it is made. Many embrace both meanings of the word, believing that the aesthetics of the genre and its means of production are deeply intertwined. 

Indie rock artists are known for placing a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, airplay on independent or college radio stations and, in recent years, the Internet for promotion. However, in the 2000's many acts with a musical style identified as "indie" signed to major record labels or their subsidiaries, and began promoting themselves through more traditional media outlets. This has led to a further blurring in the meaning of the term.

Sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_rock






                                                 a few images from google images after searching for "Indie people"

The Killers

The killers are an American indie band from Las Vegas, Nevada that formed in 2001. The band members are as followed.

Brandon Flowers- vocals and keyboard
Dave Keuning- guitar and backing vocals
Mark Stoermer- bass guitar and backing vocals

Ronnie Vannucci Jr- drums

 Initially, The Killers played at small clubs in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they often played at drag shows. They began to send demo tapes to major record labels in the US, all the record labels turned them down but the band caught the eye of Alex Gilbert, a British representative for Warner Bros. Though Warner did not like the band, Gilbert took the demo back with him, showing it to friend Ben Durling, who worked at UK indie label Lizard King Records. When label head Martin Heath was asked in an interview with HitQuarters what appealed to him about the band he said, "Great and interesting original-sounding songs. When we met Brandon Flowers for the first time it was very clear to me that he was a major star. He had huge charisma. He completely believed in what he was doing. He just stood out and carried the music. The Killers signed with the British label in July 2003 and the grounps debut album "Hot Fuss", released in 2004 was the bands first mainstream success and reached number 1 in the UK album chart.

Music Video

Me and my group decided to do our music video on the song "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers. The song is part of a trilogy of songs done by the killers that tell a story. The story is as follows...

- 'Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf' is the FIRST part:
He drinks himself stupid after Jenny left him ("Shakin' like the Devil when she let me go...") because of his jealousy. He can't get over the fact that she's left him and is seeing someone else. "Jennifer, tell me where I stand/and who's that other boy holdin' your hand?"

- 'Midnight Show' is the SECOND part:
He kills Jenny by suffocating her and throwing her body into the sea. "I took my baby's breath beneath the chandelier of stars in atmosphere and watched her disappear into the midnight show" and "Crashing tide can't hide a guilty girl" (jealousy again).

- 'Jenny Was A Friend of Mine' is the THIRD part:
He's been caught and is defending himself by lying to the police. "There ain't no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine." He tells the police he wouldn't kill her because she was his friend so he explains with: "She couldn't scream while I held I close/I swore I'd never let her go." but in live versions he sings "She kicked and screamed while I held her throat". 


Here is the link to Jenny was a Friend of Mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlOqXcPkUis

We chose the song because it does not yet have a video to it. This is good because there is no video to reference to and it will be all our ideas and will not be influenced by the original video. We also liked that the song was part of a trilogy telling a story and we decided to do the 3rd part of the trilogy because we could try and include parts of the other 2 songs in the video as flashbacks.

Introduction Part 2

I will also receive feedback from people I do not know so it will be more credible and reliable as it will not be biased and people will not be intimidated about posting their opinion.

 I believe the whole project will hopefully run smoothly, however it will be difficult as my other subjects require lots of time and effort as they are also heavily coursework based subjects. To help make it run smoothly my time management is key and I must meet deadlines in order to keep up to date with the work and too make sure I don't get behind. I appreciate how hard it must be for people in the industry to create a music video and I want to gain more knowledge on how they go about doing it

Introduction

My name is Tom Sanderson. I am studying A levels at York College. As well as Media I am also studying Engineering, Resistant Materials and Critical Thinking. My other subjects may seem somewhat different to Media as I would like to study Mechanical Engineering at University. The reason I chose to do Media at AS level was because I enjoyed doing it in my English GCSE, going over technical codes, sound, mise en scene etc... all very briefly and then doing a piece of coursework on Dracula. I was never very good at English Literature and Language but did surprisingly well in my Media coursework and wanted to learn more in depth about the subject. I carried on and decided to do A2 Media because the music video sounded lots of fun to do as I have played guitar in a few bands and have always had an interest in music. Media is also very different to my other subjects and is a nice change at times to study something that is not to do with engineering.

I chose  blogger.com to do my project blog on as I did not have to sign up to anything and the user interface looked very simple to use and navigate around as it is my first ever blog. I looked at livejournal.com as well as blogger but the website looked very confusing to navigate around and I had no idea where to begin!.

I will be creating a Music video, digipack and a magazine advert for my A2 Media coursework this year. I will be working in a group with 3 other people to create the music video and will create the digipack and magazine advert by myself. I will update my blog with Resources that have helped me throughout the coursework such as pictures of different locations I could film as well as the work itself. The the whole project will hopefully take me around 14 weeks to complete, I feel this is a comfortable amount of time. Once the music video is completed I will upload it onto youtube so I can get feedback from people all around the world