Planning lighting and colours

You have considered a style of lighting that you wish to include, but further explanation is needed of why you selected to use it. This can be achieved, by considering other indie videos and your inspirations. 

Lighting as well as colour are considered vital elements to any media production and in our case: music video. Lighting is effective and portrays the mood whilst colour is used to present juxtapositions and connotations which traditionally indicate the artist representation and sometimes used to present hidden meanings and mystery.

Light is a huge element to our visuals for our final outcome. We have justified connotations behind each light type/source we would use. Naturalistic light will be used throughout to follow indie conventions. This will include sunset shots of the artist in her thinking space (the forest) and the sunrise shots we hope to shoot of the artists boyfriend. Naturalistic lighting will be effective for these particular scenes because we want it to be used to 'shed the light' of the harsh reality they are enduring. We believe that the sunrise shots will suggest a new day and new beginnings for the couple, only to be ruined in the final scene of which we are still planning. 

However, we also aim to break the conventions of the Indie genre in regard to lighting by employing contrasting lighting too. This will include a variety of unnatural light sources. Fireworks will be used to present the idea of a chaotic relationship whilst the lighter for the boyfriends cigarettes will portray self-infliction and destruction.

We aim to use a variety of different colours throughout our music video production. Every colour holds a different connotation and hidden meaning therefore we have made decisions we can justify. We have chosen to use red flares to intentionally connote passion, love but also the danger of their relationship. All clothing used will support genre characteristics therefore will be quirky and unusual to portray an array of meanings and also portray their diversity. The artist will be shown to wear a denim shirt which is blue during her performance scenes, therefore suggesting she is calm about the whole situation and offers a sense of serenity to the audience, possibly wanting to escape the madness of the disruptive scenes. Pale/peachy red lipstick will be worn by the artist when performing in aim to draw the attention on to her as the central focus of the video will be upon the representation of their relationship rather than the representation of the artist which is fundamental to the success of any video.  The colour red also holds relevant connotations of the emotions she is feeling internally regarding her relationship as it presents a struggle/battle for the audience to think about.

Our lighting and colour choices subvert the Indie genre in some aspects but somewhat follows conventions in others. Conventional lighting relates to the use of natural light sources such as the sun we would like to use. We have noticed through conducting research that the Indie genre fails to focus on anything but naturalistic lighting so this is how our piece will differ from traditional music videos of the Indie genre.

Decisions regarding light and colour have been discussed and then made intentionally because we felt it was important to use symbols effectively to communicate the various hidden meanings of the song (demonstrated in lyric analysis post) We hope that these decisions will force the target audience to have a deeper understanding of the song which will therefore correlate in an increase in people feeling able to connect with the lyrics. 
Consequently, this also allows the audience targeted to build a relationship with the artist in addition to the song they are listening to supported by the video which is imperative to the artists success, benefiting them in the long run in the competitive industry which is ever growing. As a group, we also agreed that we would like our video to be visually appealing for audience members so that an element of entertainment is added whilst simultaneously allowing the audience to be stimulated, understand and appreciate the video content. 

Planning the artists image

Aim to elaborate on your clothing choices in more detail, by considering the purpose of the location, in further detail.

 We took great care in planning the artists image as it is crucial to making our video a success alongside the various other aspects we have also planned. We discussed possible outfits but before-hand and we also spoke about how we would like our artist to be represented and what reaction we would like from the audience we are targeting.

Nina Nesbitt, the artist we have chosen to use conforms to the typical image of a female indie artist, in which we have been inspired by but will not directly copy her style or image. Nina is portrayed as an individual rather than a commodity which was proposed by Richard Dyer in his idea of a Star theory. As the recent Indie genre was created as a result of people rebelling against mainstream genres such as Pop/Dance, we aim to appeal to a target audience which can relate to our artist and her image.

To begin, our artist has messy dark blonde hair which is conventional to the Indie genre as her hair style is similar to that of Ellie Goulding and Nina Nesbitt, current artists who create and perform music of the Indie genre. Unlike Pop artists, Indie artists adopt a natural and simplistic image, therefore we have decided that our artists hair will not require styling such as curling or straightening as it will defy the genre characteristics. 

We want to achieve a simplistic overall image, therefore our artists make-up will appear natural with very little foundation. However, we want to capture an edgy down to earth eye-make up look which will consist of earthy toned eye-shadow (golds and browns to highlight the artists green eyes) In addition to this, a peachy red lipstick will be applied to draw the focus onto the artist throughout the performance shots where she will also be seen playing the guitar. 

By the artist playing the guitar it presents her talents and interests which therefore provides a representation for the audience to relate to whilst also following Indie genre characteristics as the song we have adopted heavily relies on guitar loops. Illustrated throughout the song will be the artists inner emotions which are embedded throughout the lyrics which will also be conveyed by her facial expressions and body language; also telling the story of the struggling relationship and beauty of adolecense. Our target audience (mainly consisting of young females) will be able to relate to this, therefore they feel like they understand the artist and her intentions of communicating certain messages whilst simultaneously increasing the likelihood of building a relationship between the artist and audience also making the artist more successful due to a larger and more loyal fanbase.

Below is a brief description of what we have planned for our artist to wear:

PERFORMANCE OUTFIT: Vintage patchwork denim shirt

FOREST OUTFIT: Grey coat with a fur trim and a crimson beanie hat

SKATEPARK OUTFIT: Simple green dress, rolled up denim jacket, beanie hat and black converse

HAPPY MEMORIES OUTFIT: Floral dress, black tights, beanie hat, army jacket and black boots

FIREWORK/FIELD OUTFIT: Simple purple dress, leather jacket, tights and black boots

* INSERT OUTFIT IMAGES *

Throughout the music video, the artist will be shot wearing a nose ring to not only emphasise the song title of Noserings & Shoestrings but also to follow typical Indie artist image.

Planning editing styles

NEW EDITING STYLES USED! NEED TO ELABORATE 


but further explanation is needed of where this will be evident in your music video.

(STYLE)

This can be achieved, by considering the narrative and style of your music video. 

need to add screenshots from footage

Editing is crucially important within a music video as it allows the final product to flow throughout by creating continuity. By simply putting shots together and adding cuts and transitions, it allows the audience to witness a story being told (narrative), understand a concept and witness an artist perform. Timings of camera shots and transitions in a music video also allows the piece to flow. Therefore, this means the audience can understand the narrative and not be alienated like many would be confused by a diverse music video much like Gondry or Cunningham. Also within the editing process of a creative production, a variety of tints and effects which are provided through the Final Cut Pro software can be used to alter the shots visual experience for the audience. Two main editing styles will be used for our music video to Indie song Noserings & Shoestrings: slow-paced and fast-paced for various reasons we have discussed in our group meetings. 

We have decided slow-paced editing will be most appropriate for the majority of the video as the song is of the Indie genre and consists of guitar strumming and picking. This would therefore be parallel and easy to watch as one performance shot to another angle would flow successfully with this particular style of editing. Slow-paced editing will also emit a relaxed atmosphere whilst enhancing the meanings and morals embedded within the lyrics. Additionally, we aim to employ this editing style as it follows Indie characteristics as it is simplistic and allows the audience to really absorb what they are seeing as opposed to not understand it and walk away not thinking about what they have witnessed. Slow-paced editing will be in time with the guitar instrumentals and artists vocals throughout too which therefore allows the different scenes to flow evenly. 

Slow-paced editing isn't the only style we wish to pursue however. Although fast-paced editing subverts the typical Indie genre conventions as it is more complex, we hope that by using it it will supply the audience with a more enriching and exciting visual experience as opposed to other Indie music videos. Whilst fast-paced editing may allow the audience to detract their attention from the sole purpose of the video which is the narrative, it will provide them with various other elements to focus upon such as the acting by the artist and boyfriend. We have also discussed as a group that fast-paced editing will be appropriate for the scene in which the pair exchange in an argument about the boyfriends life choices: the fact that he is choosing his addictions over his girlfriend. We believe this editing style will suit this scene as we want the audience to feel the chaos they are encountering in that particular moment in time. 

After watching Nina Nesbitt's (our chosen artist) music video to Boy, I noticed that there was a blurred outer frame when the boyfriend was drinking. This could have been adopted in the editing process to emphasise the boyfriends rebellious attitudes towards his girlfriend because it is blurry therefore not clear. The blurred outer frame could also allow the audience to empathise because they will witness how you feel when drinking.

We also feel by slowing certain shots down will be effective. This could be used to initially emphasise key moments of the video. We have discussed using......

Another editing style we wish to pursue is the use of a time-lapse, popular amongst photographers more so than cinematographers. Within this time-lapse we would like to capture the pair in 'real-time- either arguing or sitting together enjoying each others company with people surrounding them in fast-motion to emphasise the focus we would like the audience to have upon them. We also believe by using a time-lapse it will challenge us when shooting and editing and it will also be commented upon during audience feedback once we have published our final outcome.

Research into major and independent record labels

There are two existing types of record labels in the industry: major and independent.

 Major record labels are defined as large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels. The music industry is  dominated by three major record labels (The Big Three in 2012) which include: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group of which I will discuss throughout this post.

The Universal Music Group is most known for managing big name artists such as Lady Gaga (Dance-pop), Katy Perry (Pop) and The Killers (Rock/Pop-rock) This major record label also owns a number of smaller companies who manage an array of artists. The Universal Music group own smaller record labels including Def Jam and Island Records (Island Records is the label our chosen artist Nina Nesbitt is managed by) Def Jam however manages Jay-Z (Hip-hop/rap), Kanye West (Hip-hop/rap) and Rihanna (pop/R&B/Dance) In addition to managing Nina Nesbitt (Indie/Indie-Pop), the label are also asocciated with Jessie J (Pop), Drake (Hip-hop/Rap) and Nicki Minaj (Hip-hop/Rap/Pop) It is also credible that the Universal Music Group co-developed the website Vevo which is designed to display music videos (often promoted through video search engine YouTube) Vevo allows free, ad-supported streaming of music videos and other music content to audiences and is very easily accessible. Vevo therefore makes the major record label all the more successful because it is another platform identified and associated with the label therefore benefitting it. 

Another one of The Big Three record labels in the US music industry is Sony Music Entertainment which is most known for managing/'owning' numerous artists. These include Miley Cyrus (Pop), Britney Spears (Pop) and Justin Timberlake (Pop/R&B) The conglomerate company also own subsidiaries: Arista and J Records which aren't as well known as companies within Universal which is world-renownd. Arista manages Alicia Keys (R&B), Avril Lavigne (Pop-rock) and before the legends unfortunate death, Whitney Houston (Soul/Pop) whilst J Records manages: Maroon 5 (Indie-Pop/Pop-Rock) and Christina Aguilera (Pop/Dance). Sony as a brand however is very well known as it is a brand of a variety of electronics (televisions, mobiles and computers to name just a few) and also has a number of links within media in addition to the major record label which is recognised amongst the other two. Because Sony is a well known brand and household name due to it's aray of electronical devices/providing technological services, it makes the major label all the more successful. This is because if the audience is aware of the brand previous to discovering the artist, making the artist increasingly appealing. 

Michael Buble (Pop), Cee Lo Green (Pop) and Christina Perri (Dark-Pop) are just a few artists to name when exploring the Warner Music Group in which manages them. This US music group owns Atlantic and Warner Bros Records which are recognised as subsidiaries. Atlantic manages Ed Sheeran (Indie), Bruno Mars (Pop) and Wiz Khalifa (Hip-hop/Rap) whilst Warner Bros Records manages Biffy Clyro (Rock), Jason Derulo (Pop) and The Veronicas. Warner Music Group is owned by Time Warner, the worlds largest media conglomerate which has numerous links including film, entertainment, publishing and television. Due to Warner Music Group having a variety of cross-media links, it allows the audience to relate to the artist signed to the label more so than if it didn't  offer other services to the public. 

An independent record label is defined to be a music label that operates one or a few music labels. It operates with the lack of funding which makes them different to major labels which generate a large profit and are funded often to 'keep them going' Many artists and bands start their career within the music industry signed to an independent record label and then venture out to a more recognised label; considered to be major and in turn become more successful. However, independent labels can be just as successful as major record labels although they operate from a smaller company base. Independent labels can be just as successful but the only difference is that they operate from a smaller company base. They are traditionally associated as offering more 'organic' music as opposed to 'manufactured' material which appears within official mainstream charts. 

There are a number of independent record labels in the UK. These include Rough Trade records who managed artists such as The Libertines, Arcade Fire and The Strokes. The independent label was founded in 1978 with artists originating from punk and indie pop genres which were rife and legendary in music history. This record label therefore closely relates to our chosen song as it is of the indie genre because Nina Nesbitt is an artist of the Indie/Indie-pop genre and appeals to a niche audience as opposed to a mass market much like mainstream artists do.

Another independent record label currently within the UK industry is Warp Records, founded in Sheffield in late 1989. The record label is known for discovering some of the most successful artists within the electronic music genre. These include: Aphex Twin, Maximo Park and Flying Lotus. Warp is also known as a film company entitled Warp Films in which receives funding for many of their Indie films by the lottery fund and Film 4 which is considered to be a large film company which can afford to dispose of money to contribute to other entertainment related projects. This makes Warp Records different to Rough Trade as it is also recognised within another field within the entertainment music: film in addition to music. However, Rough Trade are promoted through a shop in London which appeals to young people who are interested in historical music records as it sells vinyl in addition to offering a photo booth service, also attracting other audiences. The Rough Trade shop is based in Brick Lane, London which is popular amongst many young people who enjoy music of the Indie genre as it is a quirky location which has a lot to offer. 

Is it right from a music point of view as well as an industry point of view that 4 companies dominate the music industry?

I believe it is a positive thing that 4 main companies dominate the music industry, mostly due to them having the most knowledge, experience and resources. This will therefore enable the artist an increasingly high chance to become successful within their specific genre and therefore contribute to music history. Despite this, there are negative aspects in addition to the positives. It is a hard task to break through the music industry if an artist is managed by an independent label due to the competition of the 4 companies which currently dominate it. Because the dominating companies have to identify a high-standard before confirming the management of the artist, it is unfair on artists who have 'started from the bottom' by starting as an artist managed by a label which doesn't dominate and is independent, therefore less-recognisable. Dominating companies/labels are very likely to confirm an artist wanting to be managed by them when there is a potential opportunity/gap in the market. This makes it less likely for an artist signed under an independent label to become involved with a label which dominates the music industry and therefore the artist will struggle to gain a position which will affect their success.

What affect do you think this has on the industry?

By having 4 main companies that dominate the music industry it could have a profoundly positive affect on the industry. This is because the 4 main companies will manage artists of an extremely high standard and will also be able to implore them high up in the music industry with ease through exposure to record label fans. By having 4 main companies within the music industry it may also entice independent record labels to increase their artists musical standards which would therefore provide more competition within the industry. This could therefore lead to a rise in success of artists within independent record labels. 

Are independent labels as successful as major labels, how do you judge this?

Measuring success is difficult as success can come in different forms and sizes and depends on a number of factors. However, if success in the music industry is dependent on whether an artist is well known/a household name and the artists music is recognisable/in the top charts, major record labels are more successful in comparison to independent ones. This is because they have access to the best artists around as they have extreme power within the industry. This would therefore attract upcoming artists to side with signing to a major record label rather than an independent record label. Major labels also have larger funding allowances than independents which also increases their success which therefore benefits the artist signed to the label. Moreover, an artist signed to a major label may become more successful because the label is experienced and manage fellow artists who may belong to a music genre which is popular amongst a large audience. This would benefit both the artist and label because the artist is associated with the major label therefore appealing to many new artists. To conclude, independent labels are often over-thrown in the industry and not considered by new and upcoming artists who want success within their chosen art form because they are not seen to produce music popular with vast audiences. Therefore, I believe that major labels are far more successful, although independents are viewed as more innovative and 'organic' which is why many Indie artists favour a small record label and may chose to re-sign to a major one once they have become 'successful' within the independent route.

Is there anything that independent labels offer the industry that the majors do not?

Independent record labels are able to offer the music industry real artists who are not moulded to fit a specific persona that the public are desperate to have. Therefore, this means that the music industry is likely to have more down to earth and relatable artists that are likely to highly appeal to the public who do not all want role models within the mainstream genres such as dance/pop as their manufactured images can become unachievable and not good to aspire to after all (sexualisation of young people/being exploited....) Despite this, Independent record labels are more likely to sign underdeveloped and unusual artists, providing the public with a variation from the artists they would usually find themselves listening to. Additionally,  independent record labels will have more time assist their artists with their music but may unfortunately lack resources. However, this could potentially  increase the quality of the songs they produce. Therefore, this should entice a larger audience size to listen to their artists music and as a result they will be more satisfied with what they are listening to. 

More intimate experience. Hands on approach to their clients.

Planning cinematography

You have provided a range of examples to support your justifications, on why you have planned to use a certain camera shot. But further explanation is needed of the effect it will create. This can be achieved by considering the style and narrative of your music video in further detail. 


Cinematography consists of the shots directed and seen by the audience throughout the music video. Without the crucial role of cinematography, the music video would not exist!  Therefore, it must fulfil the dual purpose of entertaining and informing the audience. 

During our group meetings we have discussed a variety of shots we would like to use. One of the shots we aim to use is a mid-shot of the artist performing which will act as a motif throughout. 

Mid-shot of artist

We aim to include a motif of our artist performing throughout and this will be in form of a mid-shot. This will ensure the audience will have a good understanding of who the artist is and potentially begin to build a relationship with the artist, therefore following Goodwin's theory. This shot will only show the artist from the shoulders to the waist therefore not allowing the audience to view the whole of her body. 

Close-up of guitar 

We have also discussed using various close-up shots of the guitar of which the artist will be playing. This will be used to present the artists talent to the audience whilst also exploring genre characteristics which commonly appear within Indie videos. I have archived the above images from Google. On the left is a close-up shot of the artist plucking the strings rather than displaying the chord they are holding whereas the image on the right-hand side shows the neck of the guitar and the chord out of focus with the audiences main focus upon the plucking. I personally like both of these shots as they achieve the sole purpose of engaging the audience whilst displaying Indie characteristics and the artists raw talent (all of which we aim to mimic throughout with all of the planned shots)

Establishing shot 

We believe it would be effective to include establishing shots of various locations we aim to use. These establishing shots will serve the dual purpose of making the shots flow evenly throughout whilst making the audience aware of the location they will see before the next sequence of shots which will consist of the artist and her love interest.  

On the right is a shot of Southbank skatepark which establishes on of the locations we would like to involve within our music video production (reasons why included within my setting post) We have been inspired by the various Google archives of the location and will therefore set out to achieve a similar shot to make our audience feel more involved and therefore enjoy our production more. We are particularly fond of this location because it attracts many young people who adopt a diverse image and also it relates to not only the Indie genre but also represents the boys thinking/destruction space.

Low-angle of boyfriend/high-angle of artist 

We have also discussed incorporating various camera angles within our music video. Camera angles are often explored throughout music videos of the Indie genre in aim to display a clear relationship and present issues of status. We have discussed that a low-angle shot of the boyfriend will depict his intimidating nature whilst a high-angle of the artist will convey her to be an individual who lacks status in their destructive relationship. 

We have specifically chosen cinematography which will be conventional to the genre of music we have selected: Indie.  The close-up shot we aim to include is of the artist playing guitar which is typically seen throughout Indie videos as it is the main instrument played to construct the song. It also expresses the artist to adopt a raw talent rather than the use of synthesisers often used in pop/dance genres where the audience would see images of a busy dance floor or vibrant flashing lights to create the desired effect of making the audience want to become involved with the party atmosphere depicted. 

Planning setting and iconography

Settings and iconography in music videos are fundamental in communicating not only the genre of the song but depicts artist representation and helps build a relationship between the audience and artist. It is also necessary because it makes the audience gain a deeper insight into the artists lifestyle and understand their lyrics more so because of this. Therefore, each form of iconography and each location are there to fulfil a purpose whether that be to display genre characteristics or develop a relationship therefore increasing the artists success. 

The performance during any music video is very important because it allows the audience to build a relationship with their favoured artist which may result in an increase of success and fan base too. For the performance element of our music video in which the artist will sing into the camera gaining fundamental eye-contact with the audience, we plan to shoot in front of a large white wall. This is because we would like our performance element to be referred to throughout but be simplistic and natural looking. We want to achieve a simplistic outcome for our performance because after conducting research we found that it will follow genre characteristics.  It also allows the viewers to focus their attention on the artist and they are more likely to believe the lyrics she sings as they can visually see her emotions as she performs. In turn this will mean the viewers can build a relationship with the artist primarily based on her performance talent. 

lyrics are evocative therefore provoke emotion amongst audiences therefore a relatable figure to many

For the narrative element of our music video (which we have chosen to have the majority of the duration of the song alongside snippets of performance) we have selected to shoot at a local skatepark. Not only is the skatepark easily accessible for our group/actors but it is littered with visually appealing graffiti which adds to the misguided vibe of the artists boyfriend, hence why he spends so much time there.
Our main focus for the narrative element will be drawn upon the skatepark throughout, mainly because the lyrics refer to the location 'hangs about at skateparks' throughout. We also believe the atmosphere of the skatepark will correlate to the overall feel we want to communicate with our chosen Indie song.  Skateparks are often associated with young males wanting to escape reality therefore the location fits in nicely with our song and the specific lyrics: 'he's just misguided I think' Skateparks are also known to attract young people which is relevant to the audience in which we are targeting who consist of teenagers who enjoy music of the Indie genre. This is evident in the style of clothing we have chosen our actors to wear for example beanie hats and trainers, typical of Indie teens. Therefore, the Indie stereotype has been highly influential in regard to our settings and iconography we have planned to use.Although the central focus point of this location will be the artists love interest there will be a secondary focus on the people surrounding him which will depict a sense of loneliness also evident in their relationship. We would like to portray the skatepark as a 'thinking place' for the artists boyfriend and somewhere he can escape to to consume alcohol and consume his personal thoughts.  





We have chosen specific iconography to create desired effects on our target audience audience and also to assist in developing/enhancing the narrative and performance elements within our video. 

Another aspect of our narrative element will be shot in a field at night where we aim to use sparklers, fireworks and a red flare; all symbolic of the relationship depicted throughout the artists lyrics. Light will be the reoccurring motif throughout our video, therefore we have planned the iconography to be based around the use of various light sources. 




Sparklers will be used to emphasise the struggle of the artists relationship with her boyfriend. Once the spark has disappeared it will hold a symbolic purpose of their relationship also losing its spark. We also plan to include a scene in which fireworks ar                                                                                 e shot into the sky in the dark field location which communicates their rebellious attitudes and will also symbolise their relationship to be colourful once the fireworks are in the air but then dark when there is nothing left but ash. We would like this particular scene to appear chaos therefore we will employ fast-paced editing in juxtaposition to slow-paced editing used throughout which is relevant to her boyfriends behaviour which is deemed as dangerous. 

An additional light source will come in form of a lighter for the boyfriends cigarettes to capture his addictive personality and disorderly behaviour. We hope the use of light will communicate the idea of 'shedding light of a situation' which also relates to the artists word choice throughout her lyrics, trying to understand why her boyfriend is 'misguided'




Lastly, we aim to shoot in a forest at sunset, also to capture natural light. We believe the use of sunset shooting is romantic and feminine, therefore drawing attention to the artist in her thinking space as her boyfriends place to escape is the urban skatepark. The stark juxtaposition of locations we hope will also present contrasts in their relationship as they two have very different representations throughout. The artist will be portrayed to be vulnerable and relatable for her target audience whilst her love interest will be shown to be destructive and rebellious; therefore two contrasting images conveyed through not only the use of editing and cinematography but setting and iconography too. 

We will also use a guitar, in which the artist will be playing when performing her song. By having the artist play her guitar provides the audience with a short representation of her and therefore encourages them to build a relationship with her as they are more familiar with the artist. It gives them an insight as to who she is and what she can provide as an artist in the music industry. Also, the audience can relate to such instrument whether it be from interest or the ability to play it themselves, enabling the artist to become easier to relate to. Therefore, our chosen settings and iconography help build the fundamental relationship between the target audience and artist.

The settings we selected to use have been intentionally selected as they appear conventional to the Indie genre:

London is a conventional location within many Indie music videos as it is a diverse location which unique characteristics; subverting mainstream locations within Pop videos such as a club with vibrant lighting. London is perceived to be unusual and therefore is used in Indie music videos to portray the unique image and sound of the artist. 

By selecting a Skatepark in Southbank by the famous landmarks, it conforms to genre characteristics and also creates the stereotypical image of an Indie male. Although our chosen actor cannot skate, the location of a skatepark presents his laid back and rebellious nature.

A quiet field at night is a form of a natural location which is arguably conventional to the Indie genre as it is deemed to be simplistic. Indie music videos are conventionally do not adopt an 'over the top' attitude. Therefore, in order for the audience to feel like they can relate to the video and song, natural locations are often used. We hope that our chosen field location will portray to the audience that the artist is down to earth. Therefore, it will be easier to relate to our artist rather than an artist of a different genre as the lifestyle of which an Indie artist has is more achievable and generally more recognisable too.

Lastly, iconography we hope to use such as fireworks and lighters are not specifically conventional to typical Indie music videos. Despite this, they are natural sources of light which will be referred to throughout rather than stage lighting/strobe lighting which would be used in a Dance video for example. In contrast to this, showing the artist playing guitar is one of the main conventions recognised in Indie music videos which we aim to echo and mimic. This is because many Indie artists are seen playing an instrument (mainly guitar, drums of piano) which therefore proves to their target audience their dedication and talent which can be demonstrated through live performances within their music videos.

Lyric analysis

As a group we discussed what we believe the hidden meanings of the lyrics to Noserings & Shoestrings by Indie artist Nina Nesbitt. We decided the most appropriate method of displaying our thoughts was to print out the lyrics and annotate it in as much detail as we possibly could. 

By doing so, we believe we gained a deeper insight into not only the lyrics but how we can construct our video. It is imperative to consider the effect the micro-elements, style and conventions will in turn effect our target audience and this can be depicted by the emotions embedded through the lyrics of the song. By identifying how the artist is feeling whilst writing/singing this song, we as a group intending on creating a video and as an audience member listening to the lyrics need to be able to connect with her on a personal level. Once we understand the hidden meaning of the lyrics we can therefore begin to build a poignant relationship between the artist and the audience as displayed in Goodwin's theory. This also follows Dyers Star theory because we aim to present our artist to be ordinary as well as an individual with an extraordinary talent. 

As a result of the emotion we have depicted from the underlying meaning of the lyrics, we have decided that our target audience will consist of more females rather than males. This is because we believe females will be more able to connect and relate to the lyrics on a more personal and emotional level.

Moreover, the artist will be viewed as more of a friend to female fans rather than sexually appealing to males as this is not included in the image we would like to develop or demonstrate. This is mainly due to the artist creating Indie music which unlike genres such as dance/pop does not encourage explicit behaviours but more romantic and meaningful relationships.  

"Ruffled hair, a loose shoestring' is the lyric which starts the song. We believe this could present the literal appearance of the artists boyfriend. From this initial description we can argue it implies that his appearance is rough and messy with the lexical choice of 'ruffled' This can also further imply that their relationship is also messy with a lack of stability. The lexical choice of 'loose' also connotes their relationship lacking a spark. We aim to justify their broken relationship with the artists implied boyfriend struggling with an addiction to alcohol. 

The song continues with the lyric, 'covered arms and a nose ring' The reference to the 'ring' can be associated with marriage and therefore a happy and stable relationship whilst in reality it acts as a stark contrast. Furthermore, this could also present the idea that the artist believes in their relationship which is in fact a deluded attitude to adopt. 

 Later on in the song, the artist sings, 'He goes out till the lights up...' The literal meaning of this particular lyric refers to him being a party animal but the lexis 'lights' connotes happiness and uplifted spirits whereas the lyrics previous to this present the complete opposite. This is therefore appealing to female fans who may be able to relate to these lyrics in a previous or current relationship.

It then continues with 'But he's self confessed and a little obsessed' This lyric suggests that her boyfriend has a slightly addictive personality from the term 'little obsessed' which therefore implies an explanation as to why he choses to drink, despite the fact his relationship with the artist is deteriating. Later in the song, we learn that the artist plays a mothering role towards her boyfriend, rather than acting as a girlfriend. 

Within the lyric 'I guess that's adolescence at its best', the lexis 'adolescence' highlights his youth whilst emphasising to the audience that he is young and naive. This also presents an excuse for the couple to make mistakes in their relationship and not sacrifice things like they should (by this I am referring to the artists boyfriend to sacrifice/quit drinking because it is effecting their relationship)

Also, it is evident that in each chorus, the artist sings and repeats 'woah-oh-oh-oh'  The phrase 'woah' is often said when about to fall over. This presents their instability whilst connoting a sense of disorientation, as if in the mind set of her boyfriend as a result of his over use of alcohol or drugs. The fact it is a repeated lyric sung throughout the entirity of the song, it highlights the artists lack of control as if she is caught up in a hurricane of emotion and unable to stop herself. Futhermore, the lyric may suggest her confusion toward the situation as she has no idea what to do or say. The song is also suggestive of pace in which her boyfriend lives his life through the lyrics. The lyric 'Hangs about at skate parks' indicates fast paced movement as he is 'skating', also suggesting that he enjoys the thrill it gives when living life fast. However, the line after this 'And he's going nowhere' is juxtaposed with the previous as the artist now reveals that although living fast, he is going nowhere. It portrays his delusion in terms of reality against his illusion.

Page 2 of the lyrics heavily consist of repeated lyrics from the previous page, in which we have noted rather than repeating what has already been stated. The effect that the repetition of lyrics has, consist of many; it familiarises the lyrics for the audience, so that the song is more memorable; it emphasises the meaning of the song as it focuses on the same themes of delusion, young love and intoxication. 

The second page of lyrics also consists of new verses of the song, one starting with the line, 'Keep calm and carry on, he's drunk all night long' in which we can see that the artist is in fact talking to herself about her own issues, suggesting that she cannot talk about the situation with her boyfriend as a result of his delusion and over consumption of alcohol etc; portraying her as lonely.

This is then followed by the line, 'He'll sit there with his guitar and play another song' suggesting to the audience that the artist is now familiar with herboyfriend's behaviour, so much so that she can now predict it. The term 'another song' connotes his life, as it is now repetitive in the way he acts/is, conveying lack of progression. There is a recurring motif in which light plays in this song, as it connotes the happiness the artist wants both for herself and her boyfriend. 

The line 'But he'll be home by dawn', portrays to the audience the extreme times in which her boyfriends comes home from a night out; not only this but it also indicates a new beginning, as dawn is how the day starts and therefore the artist uses this time period to convey her hope of 'new day, new beginning' for both her boyfriend and her relationship.

The last page of the lyrics consist of the chorus being repeated, in which this was analysed in the previous pages. 

The song ends with the line, 'What's done is done' in which the repetition of the word 'done' suggests to the audience that the relationship is also 'done' as this is placed at the end of the song. The artist has used a phrase often said by her boyfriend to portray to the audience that the relationship is over, indicating that it is his own fault for being deluded and in turn ruining their relationship. It shows her progress from being deluded herself, to becoming a much stronger and wiser person.

Ruffled hair, a lose shoestring
Covered arms and a nose ring
He's just misguided I think

He goes out till the lights up
He doesn't care for the day (mmm)
He doesn't know what he's worth

But he's self confessed and a little obsessed
He get's money from his parents to try and impress
I guess that's adolescence at it's best

He's never put to the test but still distressed
And he keeps a bottle inside his vest
I guess that's adolescence at it's best

He says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
What's done is done'

He says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
You only live once'

woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-oh-ohoaoh

Hangs about at the skate-parks
With his lighter and his pack of cards
And he's going nowhere

Maybe if life wasn't so hard
If he got off to a better start
He'd be somewhere

But he's self confessed and a little obsessed
He get's money from his parents to try and impress
I guess that's adolescence at it's best

And he's never put to the test but still distressed
And he keeps a bottle inside his vest
I guess that's adolescence at it's best

He says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
What's done is done'

He says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
You only live once'

woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-ohohoohaha

Keep calm and carry on he's drunk all night long
He'll sit with his guitar and play another song
Then he'll give me a phone

Another 5am call sitting worried in my hall
Will he come tonight before it gets light?
Well I guess he might

And I'll just keep calm and carry on
Cause he's drunk all night long
But he'll be home by dawn

I'll keep calm and carry on
Whilst he's drunk all night long
Cause he'll be home by dawn

And he says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
What's done is done'

He says 'live fast and die young
Forget the past and move on
You only live once'

woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-ohohoohaha

woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-oh-oh
woa-oh-ohohoohahaoh mm mm

What's done is done