A2 Media Music Video - Draft CD Cover

For my draft CD Cover design, I wanted to give an accurate incite of what my final CD Cover would look like. Firstly, to the left of the CD Cover, I want to use either an assassin style silohuette of my artist, Caroline or a photograph of her from the music video. This will convey her sexy attitude and link with the video. I also want to use a photograph of her face to dominate the CD Cover (I used an actual picture of the real Caroline for this draft CD cover) and I actually want to make the picture take over the whole of the bigger portion of the CD Cover, instead of leaving the logo behind a white background. I did that because the shadow effect on the font would look slightly blurred and fuzzy. When I create my actual CD cover using Photoshop, I will make sure I complete the task to the best of my ability; with the final result emphasising my image of Caroline Larsson.

A2 Media Music Video - Animatic Storyboard

Above is the animatic version of my Storyboard. Consisting of 93 shots, I used my Breakdown of Lyrics and Shot List to help compose this video together; and hopefully it gives a very brief sense of what my video will be like. Shadows are over the photographs that make up the pictures, yet most are clear enough to see. Some shots used more than once in the video (such as a Meet Shot) are the same image throughout this animatic. This saved me time when creating the video and allowed me to carry out other tasks in a faster time.

A2 Media Music Video - Risk Assessment

Before starting the shooting of my music video, I needed to compile a Risk Assessment, to make sure I knew what to do incase certain cirumstances possibly prevented the shooting of my video from going ahead. I compiled a small list of hazardous scenarios that could injure people and other possible events that would halt filming; and I also listed ways in which I could resolve the situation.

A2 Media Music Video - Actors/Props List

A2 Media Music Video - Draft Website

Above is my Initial Draft Design for what the final product of my supporting website to my music video, "Sweet Little Gun" by Caroline Larsson, may look like. Firstly, I needed to make sure I retained a consistent housestyle between the website, CD cover and logo. By using the same font for the main titles on the website as I did for the logo, this retains consistency. I also used the red colour featured on the logo for the borders of the shapes to not clutter the website with too many vivid colours. This also links in with the fact that I want Red to feature as a main colour in my music video, due to it's connotations of 'love', which are what the lyrics to the song are about.

The main banner at the top of the website features three main areas. The first area is the simplistic name area, clearly showcasing Caroline Larsson's official logo. The 2nd area is the red box to the right, which will be a slideshow on the actual site. This slideshow will feature slides which link to carious aspects of the site such as Official Store, Lyrics Page and Videos Section.

The 3rd area to look at on the main banner are the tabs below the title. These will be clickable and take the visitor to various area of the site such as the forum. I will use a more clear font for these tabs as the 'official' font would be far too difficult to read at a very small font size. Below the banner, the homepage would run down two columns. The left column will feature main news stories, important links and possible Twitter style messages. The right section could feature various other exciting features such as a link to the pictures page or a pop-out music player.

A2 Media Music Video - Shooting Calendar

With a busy college and work schedule, shooting may be difficult sometimes, so I must try my best to adhere to my Shooting Schedule and organize my shooting to when it suits me. I have every Wednesday free from college, so this is the perfect day to be able to shoot. I return to college from Half Term on the 2nd of November, so the 4th is the perfect time to start shooting. Weekends are also great times to shoot due to me being free in those days aswell. Hopefully, 6 days should be more than enough time to complete the making of my video.

With editing taking up much of the creation process of my music video, I need to give myself around a month to complete this process. With the deadline for the video at late December, I must finish shooting somewhere in the middle of November. I would like to finish on the 15th of December, yet if I need to, the date highlighted in Red, November 18th, will be my final deadline time to complete my shooting. With this plan in place, I am confident that I can shoot the video to the best of my ability.

A2 Media Music Video - Shot List

A2 Media Music Video - Pitch For Video

Synopsis Of Video

My music video for ‘Sweet Little Gun’ will be split between a Secret Agent narrative and Rock/Powerpop stage/studio performance. The secret agent narrative begins before the tracks plays, with our female antagonist entering a modern building. We see her look down at a mobile phone/hi-tech wristwatch, showing an image of her boss giving orders. Her stealthy body language is seen clearly, with her knocking out a series of henchmen with her assassin moves. She also looks down at her hi-tech device and sees a picture of her target.

The chorus will start, which brings a performance element to the music video. The next verse sees the girl getting her way through an intricate laser trap. CCTV style shots and clips from the performance are integrated with this part of the narrative. In the 2nd chorus, the secret agent runs up a flight of stairs, whilst being told through her head set that her target is close. She reaches the roof of the building, and takes down two guards, with assassin like moves. As the song slows in pace, we see a meet shot of the singer. This will give the viewer a break from the action, and will be a perfect shot for more action and performance to rebound from.

The action then quickens once again, as the girl fights with her male target. More performance will ensue also, and then when back to the narrative, the secret agent and her target will come to a halt, and then the agent and her target will move towards one another in slow-motion, as they are seemingly going to kiss. As a gun effect is heard to close the song, the screen shuts black, with the darkness to be revealed as the end of a gun barrel; which is lifted from the screen and the girl then provocatively blows at the end. A final meet shot of the girl smiling closes the video.

Creative Ideas

Using the ReflecMedia technology which I have access to, I can create more complex and exciting effects for my music video, which I may not have been able to do with just Green Screen technology. Once, I had finalised my secret agent narrative, a part of the video featuring laser traps immediately sprang up in my mind. A scene I can take inspiration from was seen in Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ video. I hope to create a similar effect whilst retaining the femininity and sexiness of my female antagonist.

Another creative idea I hope to utilize effectively is the creation of a trademark image for my portrayal of Caroline Larsson. Discussed in a previous blog post, I want to use some effective and imaginative make-up/face paint design. Below are a few ideas I have had for the face paint, all of which could look excellent. My favourite of the designs is the bleeding love heart design, due to its links with the song’s relationship themed lyrics.

I also want to use a lot of red and black colours in my video, due to their connotations of Love and Sophistication respectively; but also because black is the popular colour in clothing which Rock artists wear. This is also why my favourite initial face paint design is the red heart design, due to its connotations.

Audience Appeal

The first way I wanted my music video to appeal to the audience was by creating a trademark face paint/make-up design for the face of my artist, to make her stand out, recognizable and to be a vocal point and signature of her image. I was unsure of who this would turn out and asked what others thought about my idea in my Questionnaire. Thankfully, the response was in the favour of the make-up; to which most people thought that with her wearing it, she could still look sexy and feminine.

Other questions that were important from my Questionnaire were what people expected to see in my video and what they expected/wanted my artist to be wearing. Although I had a rough idea, this information has really helped me mould my idea for the video.

To appeal to the audience more (especially the males), I want to make my lead actress as sexy and feminine as possible, whilst also being strong and determined. I want to achieve this by making the character look dominant through the narrative (to be a role model for girls), whilst also dressing her in fashionable, sassy clothes that will appeal to the male audience. I also want to use as many imaginative shots as possible, which will reflect the close competition of one question on my poll, in which I asked people which type of camera techniques that they would like to see. I want to use the camera shots in the poll and also many more, making my music video a diverse and rich experience to watch.

A2 Media Music Video - Initial Ideas

A2 Media Music Video - Artist Logo

The logo above is my official logo, which will be used on my website and CD cover to promote my music video, 'Sweet Little Gun' by Caroline Larsson. For the website, the 'Sweet Little Gun' part of the logo will not be present, as the website will be promoting not just one single, but her whole brand identity. When I thought of the song title, I immediately thought of guns being related to armies, so I downloaded an Army style font, which I think suits the song title well. I also used an image of a gun and it is shooting out love hearts, due the possible hidden meaning behind what the 'Sweet Little Gun' might actually be.

For the 'Caroline Larsson' section of my logo, I wanted to create a sharp and sophisticated style that looked glamorous. The decided to add shadow to the font to make it more aesthetically pleasing and the red of the first letters adds an edge to the font, mirroring how the rock element in her music give that a twist. I also like how it contrasts with the more rugged style of the 'Sweet Little Gun' font.

A2 Media Music Video - Questionnaire Results

After compiling my questionnaire, I distributed it to 50 people and I got an outstanding response, which gave me a clear direction of where I needed to head. Below is a visual representation of the results.

Question 1 was a majority vote in favour of the response I wanted. Most of the people I surveyed enjoyed PowerPop/Rock music, so this gives me confidence in my ideas that I have for my music video. Question 2 confirmed that the research I conducted as relevant, due to the high number of votes for the artists that I researched. Paramore were given a strong vote count also, which showed they would have also been a band to research. However, I am pleased with my decision to research the artists that I looked at.

Question 3 provided me with a good idea of what the public expect to see in my video. I will certainly adhere to their opinions. Question 4's response was close between the 'Illustration' and 'Amplification' types of video. 'Amplification' narrowly won the vote, so I will be using that type of video to please the audience. The response to Question 5 was fantastic and it was possibly the most important question. My risky idea of including a trademark face paint/make-up design seems to be a good choice after all. Question 6 was another one-sided affair, in favour of having a narrative running through my video. I am a big fan of storyline's myself, so I will be having one run through my video.

Question 7 was in favour of including a mix of performance and narrative in my video, rather than just the former or the latter on their own. This was the response I was hoping for. Question 8 was possibly the closest vote, in which I asked the 50 people what camera technique they prefered. Mechanical Shot was the choice with the highest number of votes. although I will include all 3 techniques in my video, but I will include more mechanical shots.

Finally, Question 9 gave me some more ideas of what people expected to be in music video, such as guitars and wild antics. I will include these where appropriate.

A2 Media Music Video - Questionnaire

As part of my Audience Research, I wanted to find out what people thought about (Power) Pop/Rock videos, what they liked about them and what they thought were typical conventions of this style of video. So, I decided to construct a questionnaire and distribute it to 50 people for their opinions.

1. Do you enjoy music within the Powerpop/Rock genre?



2. Can you think of any artists who may be a part of this genre?



3. What clothing/accessories would you expect to see a female artist of this genre wearing?



4. Which type of music video do you prefer?

Amplification (Mostly lip syncing and sound beats with a lot of the lyrics reflected in the action.)

Illustration (Doesn’t always reference the lyrics of the song, yet retains some meaning.)

Contradicting (Where the video is not related to the song.)

5. Do you feel female artists could still look visually attractive whilst wearing a ‘trademark’ face paint/makeup?

Yes     No


6. Do you enjoy seeing a narrative run throughout a music video?

Yes     No


7. When watching a music video, what do you prefer to see?

A perfect mix of performance and narrative.

All Performance.

All Narrative.

8. When watching music videos, which of the following camera shots do you enjoy seeing most and why?

Mechanical/Crane Shots

Crash/Cut Zooms

Point Of View Shots

9. Are there any particular features you would expect to see in a Powerpop/Rock video? If Yes, what features?

Yes     No

A2 Media Music Video - Similar Artist 3

Funhouse is the fourth single (fifth in Australia) released from Pink’s fifth album of the same name. The CD cover is similar to the album cover and website promoting the album. Pink is seen riding a carousel style horse with a wild expression on her face. Pink is also seen riding a horse like this on her album cover, linking the two together. The colourful background and loud font all evoke a sense of an old-fashioned carnival or funhouse, hence the song and album name. They also clearly convey Pink’s personality.

Pink is also seen wearing a bright pink dress, which draws people in with its vivid colour, which contrasts with the background also. The central image has been created by using one image and then mirroring it, and this makes the dress look like a love heart in the centre of the cover. Pink and the horse are riding out of the heart, possibly referencing that Pink has ‘fallen out of love’ with the funhouse.

PinksPage.com is a colourful experience, with the main banner immediately reflecting Pink’s personality and character perfectly. The site is quite basic in its layout; with the main banner featuring an image of Pink which is very similar to that of her Funhouse Album cover and the single’s CD cover of the same name. To the right of this, there is a slideshow which provides a link to ITunes to buy Pink’s latest music, and the next part of the slideshow plays a preview of her latest video.

The website is certainly in link with her album cover, and the font is also the same, making a consistent house style that is visually spectacular to the eye. The site has a wide variety of pages as well, along with some excellent software in which you can change and remix Pink’s songs. This feature plus the variety of content elsewhere on the website can easily keep fans interested and entertained for hours.

The main subheading on the page is News, which is at the top of the left column, with ‘Tweets’ being at the top of the right column. This is obviously a feed from Twitter.com, and provides some technological convergence, which makes the page more interesting. As we scroll down the page, we can see a variety of features, including a fans area, photos section, the remix ‘widget’ mentioned earlier, MP3 store and video player. As well as these, there is also an events page, page for information of how to download tracks to your mobile phone, official Pink store, forum and a biography plus more. The website is certainly rich with diverse content, and is certainly something I hope I can replicate in terms of the amount of content.

A2 Media Music Video - Similar Artist 2

Michael Jackson was known to have outstanding music videos, in which money was no object for his record company. One of Michael’s finest examples, with an excellent narrative running throughout is ‘Beat It’. The song although mostly Pop, features a guitar solo by the legendary Eddie Van Halen and this is what perhaps inspired some of the Rock undertones through more of Jackson’s work. In regards to the video, I will be analyzing the narrative, mise-en-scene and choreography as these three components are massive inspirations to me for my music video.

The video starts in a typical ‘greasy spoon’ diner, and one man taps another on the back, who then starts to follow him. Then, men all dressed in denim and leather jump out of the shadows and then run into the distance, making howling noises. Immediately, an enigma is created as we want to know how these men are linked and where they are going. Another two men mysteriously appear from the sewers. One is dressed in unkempt looking clothing, and it appears that all of these men may be going to the same place.

Next, a pool hall is shown, in which many men are together. The lighting is quite dull, and the mood appears tense, like the men are waiting for something. One man in particular is focused on. He has an arrogant expression on his face and then commands some other men to follow him. A woman, who was stood behind him, glances toward the group of men who are leaving, whilst smoking a cigarette. Her relaxed expression makes me think that she knows what is about to unfold.

As the guitar kicks in and the song starts to pick up pace, another man is seen donning a white jacket, with a distinctive dragon motif on the back of it. The colour of his clothes is much brighter than those around him, sob this sets him apart from the rest. He also has a thick moustache and is wearing sunglasses; which further makes us believe that he may be a key character in the video, much like the man spotlighted before him. Him and some more men, (presumably his henchmen), leave their location and the lyrics of the song start. We see one group, led by the man with the moustache walk through the dark night. The setting and time of day casts an ominous shadow over the video, and makes me feel that something bad may happen. Michael Jackson is then seen lying on a bed, and he is singing the lyrics of the song, whilst looking concerned. More shots of the two separate groups are shown and this makes me think that they could be two rival gangs. The lyrics of the song suggest this also, as the lyrics have connotations of gang culture within them.

Michael then exits his apartment or hotel room and the choreography begins. Michael dances in a dark corridor, with a large beam of light hitting him whilst he dances. His bright red jacket and blue t-shirt are contrasting of the dark colours seen throughout the video so far. Spooky alleyways, bland buildings and barbed wire fences convey the class of this area. The setting looks depressing and rough; suggesting once again that these people may be up to no good.

Jackson is then seeing dancing in the diner seen at the start of the video. It seems like he may be on the trail of these two groups of men. We then see him in the pool hall; in which he is once again letting go of his emotions through dance. It seems like Michael’s dancing is him ‘beating’ in the gang culture referenced through the song, and that he is not going to fall into the dangerous groups of individuals casting a shadow over the neighbourhood.

The groups of thugs are then seen entering some form of warehouse. Their body language is menacing, and it looks like they are ready for a fight. The man in the white outfit then comes into view, with a light shining on him. His position on a forklift higher than everyone else conveys his role as gang leader. The man introduced in the pool hall is focused on, before the men start to walk into the middle of their respective groups. Red lighting is subtly visible in this scene. Red has connotations of danger, blood and violence. The men then start to spar with knives until Michael Jackson finally enters the warehouse. He stands in between the two men as he utters the words, ‘it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right, just beat it’, the 3 begin dancing in unison. The punch in the air several times, echoing the message of beating gang violence. The dancing reflects the meaning of the song and the location has been excellently selected in creating a credible community which is dangerous to be a part of.

A2 Media Music Video - Similar Artist 1

Kelly Clarkson’s 2009 hit, “My Life Would Suck Without You” is an excellent example of a song similar to my chosen song for my music video. The Pop/Rock anthem was a hit all around the world with a CD cover that has inspired Kelly Clarkson’s whole theme for her new work and its music video is an excellent example of a fun video featuring an artist very similar to mine, Caroline Larsson. In this part of my blog, I will analyze the CD cover for the song, its music video and Kelly’s website.

The “My Life Would Suck…” CD cover is a simple yet effective logo that ties in with the song’s genre, emphasizes the “sex sells” movement and also features connotations of words in the song’s title. A striking and highly provocative picture of Kelly is central on the CD cover with a plain background behind it. This immediately makes Kelly the main focus of the cover and makes sure that nothing can distract the buyer from seeing her image. This also shows someone viewing the cover from further away that the CD is of a Kelly track and makes it easily recognizable as her; a female who is a popular and well known face in the crowded music area that is Female Solo Artists. People who may not be aware of Kelly will be easily drawn to the CD by the bright colours and glamorous look of the artist.

Kelly is also seen holding a Lollipop, a classic connotation of the word “suck”. This could be viewed as slightly humorous and adds to the attractive vibe of the cover. A sparkle of light is also shown glistening from the lolly and this could be easily viewed as a metaphor for the person “who’s life Kelly’s would suck without”. The bright red of Kelly’s clothing and the lolly are clear connotations to abstract nouns such as “lust”, “femininity” and “passion”, all of which accentuate the trend that female artists need to look sexy in order to sell more records. The font on the CD cover is simple yet with a floral twist which is also featured on her website which is what I am going to analyze next.

Kelly Clarkson.com features a very similar colour theme to the CD cover for “My Life Would Suck…” with powerful purples and pinks. The main image is the same as the CD cover and this shows marketing consistency. The font for the main title is also the same as the CD cover, clearly showing a consistent and attractive house style and something I can take as inspiration from for my website. Next to the image of Kelly is a slideshow providing links to main parts of the site including buying tickets to see Kelly (this slide features a shot from her “My Life Would Suck” video; helping people possibly unaware of Kelly something to familiarize themselves with), a plea to join her fan club and also a link to other Kelly Clarkson products, mainly an I-Phone application, which ties in with the fan club as fans can post their scores on the website. Below the main title are sub headings for other parts of the site. The font is clear and of a colour easily visible and makes the site easily accessible.

The homepage then splits into 3 columns. In Column one, there is a media player, playing Kelly’s latest hits and allowing people to listen to snippets of her music. Below this is a score table for the fans that have uploaded their scores of Kelly’s I-Phone game on the website. This is a clever feature on the site as it is will draw in more people who want to try and beat one another’s scores; resulting in them having more chance to buy some of Kelly’s music, log into her fan club or buy tickets to her events. The middle column features tour information and tickets that are going to be on sale soon. The final column gives an insight into Kelly’s thoughts, similar to “Tweets” on Twitter.com. The website is the greatest of examples in terms of creating Kelly’s brand. The same colours and similar bold images are used on all her CD covers and website and the crisp layout of the site makes it easily accessible to all; and also fun with links to the I-Phone game score board and her chat room.

Kelly Clarkson’s promotional video for “My Life Would Suck…” opens with a medium shot of the singer on a swing. We then see some quickly edited elliptical shots showing a young girl and boy playing. The boy hands the girl a present, to which she then hugs him. We see the girl on the swing at another medium shot and when she swings out of view, Kelly swings into view. We can interpret from this that Kelly was having a flashback and that she is the young girl.

As the lyrics start, we see a close up of Kelly before a shot on the younger version of her is seen. Young Kelly is sat on a chair and then there is a Zoom In to an Extreme Close-up of a necklace, presumably the gift given to Young Kelly by the little boy. The shot then zooms out and we can see we are now back in the present day, in which Kelly is now wearing the necklace as a bracelet. The zoom is a clever technique of showing that time has passed as is also an interesting way to introduce a new scene. A man then walks into Kelly’s apartment to the lyrics “your standing at my door.” This is an example of an illustrative relationship between the actions in the video and the lyrics. Judging by what we’ve seen so far in the video, the viewer can take a guess at whether the man in the apartment is the little boy in the flashback. This creates a small enigma to keep us interested in the video.

There are more fast cuts of different shots including Kelly and the man (most likely her boyfriend) chasing one another over the possession of some keys and also a medium shot of Kelly singing whilst facing a window. We see Kelly singing here at several points in the video; aswell as her singing on the swing. These shots are mostly close ups in the video and really emphasize the more feminine side of Kelly. She appears to be gazing out of the video whilst looking in a positive mood, which makes me think she may be reminiscing on her past and her time with the male character. We see a close-up next of Kelly back on the swing and then we see a clever Point Of View shot with Kelly playfully and provocatively holding the keys; and threatening to flush them down her toilet. This shot can be perceived as a superb marketing tool; as we are supposedly from the male point of view, and showing Kelly acting cute and playful may attract males to the video.

Kelly’s more wild side comes out at the beginning of the chorus. Kelly’s boyfriend’s expression at her putting his keys down the toilet is linked with the start of the performance part of the video by light coming from the corner of the shot. When the chorus starts, light bursts onto the screen from the spotlights behind Kelly. The next 27 seconds shows Kelly performing with her band. The rock instruments, bright lights, wind effect and Kelly’s body language all reflect her Rock/Pop genre and are certainly inspirations to me seeing as my chosen artist is of the same genre. A series of close-up Meet Shots are shown as well as a fast paced array of Zooms, Mechanical Shots and Establishing Shots. We need see Young Kelly and the boy sat looking slightly fed up with each other on some chairs. We then see Kelly and her boyfriend in her apartment in the same positions with similar expressions. This two shot proves that the boy in the flashback is Kelly’s boyfriend in the present day.

The next sequence sees Kelly and her boyfriend sat in her apartment similar to the previous shot. More fun and games happen with Kelly picking a fight whilst the lyrics “maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight” are sung. This is another example of illustration. We then see Kelly and her boyfriend trying to “one-up” each other by throwing each other’s belongings out of a window. This scene features Elliptical Editing as seeing Kelly collects her boyfriend’s belongings isn’t of significance to the video. A Whip Pan, a Low Angle Shot, a Medium Shot and an Over-The-Shoulder Shot are all edited together with performance to mirror the urgency that Kelly and her boyfriend are feeling when they see that they’re favourite possessions are being thrown out of the window. It also reflects the intensity and emotion of what Kelly is singing about. This section of the video ends with a Cutaway to a goldfish bowl, which in the end is also thrown out of the window to Kelly’s boyfriend’s dismay.

A small, slow section of the song is next, which shows more performance including showing illustration between the music and the instruments. This softer part of the song is expressed by our couple cuddling on screen, yet Kelly immediately springs from her boyfriend’s arms as the beat of the music becomes louder and faster. Another meet shot sequence of Kelly and her band is shown, with Kelly rocking out; swishing her hair from side to side. Bright spotlights from behind Kelly then dim to reveal a new setting, Kelly and her boyfriend driving along a road. Kelly is once again pestering her boyfriend by wanting to take a photo of him. We can lip read the word “pose” which confirms this.

More narrative is seen as it appears the two are lost as Kelly is angrily pointing to a map. An example of a Sound Beat is visible as Kelly hits her boyfriend at the same time as a loud beat in the music. The speedy rhythm of the music is reflected by the high speed of the car which Kelly is in. Medium Shots and Over-The-Shoulder Shots are seen to give a sense of how Kelly and her boyfriend must be feeling as they lose control of the car. Camera Shake is prominent also as this adds more credibility to the dynamic action. The video then ends with a Mechanical Shot which reaches Kelly’s face before one final meet shot. We then see the pair kiss in the car; confirming any doubts of them being a couple.

Overall, I think the video is a fun example of a Pop/Rock song. Some of the intriguing shots are inspiration to me and the performance parts of the song are of particular interest to me; as I need to create a similar atmosphere to the one shown in this video.

A2 Media Music Video - Breakdown of Lyrics

Here is the breakdown of lyrics for my chosen song, Sweet Little Gun, by Caroline Larsson.

I never thought that I could fall in love (0:04 – 0:06)
I spread my wings and flew high above (0:08 – 0:10)
Every moment I was sharp and cool (0:12 – 0:14)
Independence was my golden rule (0:15 – 0:18)

I never spent a single lonely night (0:19 – 0:22)
In every way my life was good and bright (0:23 – 0:25)
I knew my way and had loads of fuel (0:27 – 0:29)
Things were going right ‘til I met you (0:30 – 0:33)

Used to be so cool, and now I’m just a fool (0:33 – 0:36)
I’m a puppet on your strings (0:37 – 0:41)

[Chorus]
Baby from the start (0:42 – 0:43)
I was in it just for fun (0:45 – 0:47)
But you aimed at my heart (0:49 – 0:51)
With your sweet little gun (0:52 – 0:54)
With your sweet little gun (0:56 – 0:58)
With the tip of your tongue (1:00 – 1:02)
You put a bullet in my heart (1:04 – 1:06)
With your sweet little gun (1:08 – 1:09)

I’ve always said that I don’t give a damn (1:13 – 1:16)
About things, such as love and care (1:17 – 1:20)
I took for granted that my style of life (1:21 – 1:23)
Was gonna help me make it through the night (1:25 – 1:27)

It all started as a silly game (1:28 – 1:31)
But since that day has nothing been the same (1:32 – 1:35)
I feel like falling like I’m gonna die (1:36 – 1:39)
Though you seem to be a decent guy (1:40 – 1:42)

Used to be so cool, and now I’m just a fool (1:43 – 1:46)
I’m a puppet on your strings (1:46 – 1:50)

[Chorus]
Baby from the start (1:51 – 1:52)
I was in it just for fun (1:54 – 1:56)
But you aimed at my heart (1:58 – 2:00)
With your sweet little gun (2:02 – 2:03)
With your sweet little gun (2:06 – 2:08)
With the tip of your tongue (2:09 – 2:11)
You put a bullet in my heart (2:13 – 2:15)
With your sweet little gun (2:17 – 2:18)

You shot me down (2:21 – 2:24)
You shot me down (2:29 – 2:32)
I used to be so cool, and now I’m just a fool (2:33 – 2:38)
I’m a puppet on your strings (2:41 – 2:45)

[Chorus]
Baby from the start (2:46 – 2:47)
I was in it just for fun (2:48 – 2:51)
But you aimed at my heart (2:53 – 2:55)
With your sweet little gun (2:56 – 2:58)
With your sweet little gun (3:00 – 3:04)
With the tip of your tongue (3:04 – 3:06)
You put a bullet in my heart (3:08 – 3:10)

With your sweet little gun (3:11 – 3:13)

A2 Media Music Video - Artist Research

Above: Current top female solo artists that are dominating the charts. Bottom Right: my artist, Caroline Larsson.

In today’s current music charts, one particular type of artist is dominating the market; the female soloist. From pop starlets such as Britney Spears & Pixie Lott, ‘R n B’ divas like Beyonce & Keri Hilson, Electro enigmas like Little Boots & La Roux, Rock chicks like Kelly Clarkson and Pink and then just plain crazy girls like Lady GaGa; all of them have been massively successful in recent months. Nowadays, it’s harder for new and fresh female artists to make their mark on the industry unless they sex appeal, a unique style or both.

To make my music video the most realistic that it can be in today’s current climate, I need to create a unique look and style for the model who will be portraying my chosen artist. I also need to adhere to the “sex sells” movement (the feeling that the sexier the artist, the more records they sell); and make my model look visually attractive to the public eye. My chosen artist Caroline Larsson has a superb singing voice, yet currently, her look is kind of outdated for the current market. Her original “rock-chick” look with guitar in hand is more representative of her music than her most recent photoshoot, in which she was seemingly overdressed. I need to create a look similar to her Powerpop/Rock style, and this must be a combination of sexiness with a powerful, eye-catching edge to reach out to as many people as possible.

Above: Current top female solo artists that have striking hair styles.

The first thing I researched that could be the symbol of an individual look is hair. When looking at several female artists, I realised that some people’s hair is incredibly unusual. For example; singer’s such as Lady GaGa and La Roux have their hair in bizarre styles and positions. La Roux’s hair is reminiscent of the era in which her music is unfluenced by, The 80’s. GaGa’s hair has been known to be in many shapes and positions and this wacky style is also reflected by her outrageous music. My chosen’s artists music is Powerpop/Rock so I need to create a look for her that also reflects her genre. Looking at similar artists such as Pink, her hair is mostly natural with some form of unique twist. I think I should take more inspiration from this; rather than making my artist’s hair look like a sun or a button.

Above: Current top female solo artists with trademark style.

Outfits are also a key part in artists defining an image. Recently, after her successful song ‘Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)’, Beyonce Knowles has started to wear a leotard-like outfit that shows off her amazing figure. When people see that form of outfit now, they automatically associate it with Beyonce, yet would such a striking outfit be what my artist needs? I’m not so sure.

Above: Rock legends who utilize face paint as a key feature of their appearance.

After further research, I could not find a single recent artist that uses make-up/face paint as a symbol of their music. I feel that this would without fail be an excellent look for my artist. Using a feminine yet modern facepaint motif over the eye or cheek of my artist, I feel that this would be a trait that would be most recognizable as ‘my artists’. Other rock stars including David Bowie and Adam Ant have used make-up in this way before; so why not a woman? After all, it is more acceptable for women to wear make-up. I feel that this visual feature is perfect for my artist. After creating the right design, I feel that face paint is a great way to make my artist stand out from the crowded genre of female soloists and could become an excellent marketing technique also.