Hello, my name is Freya Martyniak and I am an A2 Media student. In this year's coursework, I chose to focus on the Indie genre, and created a band called Kaleidoscope Sun which corresponded with the codes and conventions of this chosen style. I worked with Steph Snyman on this project, as we had similar ideas for what product we wanted to create.

Media Evaluation

Media A2 Evaluation on Prezi

The Final Digipack as a Physical Product

Here are some images of our Digipack as a physical product:

This is difficult to make out but it is the side of the Digipack and reads: "Kaleidoscope Sun - Wolfpack"

Digipack - Front Cover

This is our Digipack front cover, featuring all members of the band in the corner, but it is discrete, to add to the theme of mystery of our artist. We have kept the same font and brown colour to be consistent , but also placed all images on text on a vintage leather image, to make it look like an old fashioned book.

Music Video

This is placed behind the CD and these lyrics displayed are from Kaleidoscope Sun's song, London.

Digipack - Back Cover

This is the back of our album where we have listed all the tracks and kept the symbol of the wolf, associating visuals with the album name, "Wolfpack". The eclectic mix of symbols was inspired by Klaxons' album cover for Myths Of The Near Future.

Digipack - Credits Page

This is the credits page of the digipack containing all of the songs and who they were written by. This is a conventional aspect of a digipack.

Digipack - "A Few Words" Page

Any digipack of an album usually consists of a "Thank You" page, however, since Kaleidoscope Sun are all about the music, we wanted to make this brief, therefore, we titled it, "A Few Words". We put a cluster of four images of each band member on this page to make it look like it was stuck into a vintage notebook, which is the whole overall idea of oru digipack. We also briefly mention that Kaleidoscope Sun's fans are a "wolfpack" associating the fans with the album and giving them a nickname to feel more involved such as current artist, Lady Gaga, who refers to her fans as "Little Monsters".

Digipack - Lyrics Page 2

This is our second lyrics page using the song 'Like Cats'. We have still kept the same vintage and old look and have used a cat to associate lyrics with visuals. We have replaced the cats eyes with our recurring symbol of the triangle, which is the key symbol of Indie culture.

Digipack - Lyrics Page 1

This lyrics page from our digipack emphasises the aspect of fun of our band and keeps the colour scheme consistent by using brown and musky tones. We have also used both of my previous 'potential' digi pack images in order to keep the symbol of the wolf and also to be satirically humourous.

Audience Profile

I created this moodboard to portray my target audience, their main interests and ultimately what appeals to them. I have included male and female icons, such as Lana Del Rey, Caggie Dunlop, Edward Turner and Jamie Ryan Dee, from the teenage subculture I am aiming to attract, also I have included both genders as I feel my band will appeal to boys and girls.
In addition, fashion is also a key part of the indie culture and I have included key pieces which teens involved in this scene are often seen wearing and shops that they frequently buy from. On my moodboard I have shown brogue shoes, feather earrings, Ray-Ban wayfarer sunglasses, Urban Outfitters and Topshop.
The indie and hipster subculture is also quite symbolic, therefore I have put a triangle and crosses on my moodboard as they are recurring symbols. Teenagers involved often sport a triangle on their t-shirt or a cross on a piece of jewellery.
Teenagers can also be associated with recklessness, hence why I have put a picture of a girl smoking on my moodboard. The image is in black and white and looks quite vintage, another element of the indie scene.
Furthermore, social-networking is popular amongst teenagers, so I have put the Tumblr logo on my moodboard, which is a website that teenagers use to blog, meet new people and mostly post vintage pictures.
Lastly, I have used musical images that are similar to Kaleidoscope Sun. The Vaccines, Lana Del Rey, Pegasus Bridge, Reading Festival and Radio 1 all fall under this genre and would appeal to my target audience as well as Kaleidoscope Sun would.

Potential Digi Pack Images

These are my potential digi pack images. Our band, 'Kaleidoscope Sun' are being quite satirical by making fun out of big names in the music industry, but also being consistent with their album as it is called 'Wolfpack'. Here, I have images of One Direction and Jessie J, both successful in the music industry at the moment, but pictures of wolves on their heads. There is also a degree of quirkiness in this idea and I have been inspired by zany bands such as The Klaxons and Two Door Cinema Club.

Shotlist Movie

This is the shotlist we created for our music video. We used Windows Movie Maker and post-it notes to create a rough shotlist for what we want our video to look like.

Director's Pitch

Ideas for the Video:
In this video there will be a variety of different narratives, basing around the relationships amongst the friends and young people featured. However, the main aspect of the video is the recklessness that is associated with youth.

Intertextual References:
- The music video 'Olympic Airways' by Foals, another indie band.

- The TV Show, Skins

- The music video 'When I Was A Youngster' - Rizzle Kicks, the forest scene.


Locations/Special Features Needed:
Forests/Woods
Grassy Fields
Grain Effects
Slow Motion
Filter
Establishing Shots

Lyric Deconstruction

In my heart and my soul I can feel this is right
And I know my bones will grow old and my body get lost in the night

'Cause money can't buy back the youth of your life
when you're older, you're older, you're old

So let's dance in style
let's go dance for a while
While we're young, young, young

Something in my heart tonight
Feel it in my soul
I'll let you see my wilder side
If I can see your bones

In this moment of mine I can feel this is right
Four in the morning, just searching
Now you must know what that's like

'Cause money can't buy back the love of your life
When you're older, you're older, you're old

So carry the weight of our biggest mistakes
On our shoulders, our shoulders, our shoulders

Something in my heart tonight
Feel it in my soul
I'll let you see my wilder side
If I can see your bones

Something in my heart tonight
Feel it in my soul
I'll let you see my wilder side
If I can see your bones

We're getting older
But you're still in my soul, soul

We're getting older
But you're still in my soul, soul

Something in my heart
Feel it in my, my, my soul

Something in my heart tonight
Feel it in my soul
I'll let you see my wilder side
If I can see your bones

Something in my heart tonight
Feel it in my soul
'Cause money can't bring back the stuff in your life
When you're young, young, young

Throughout the lyrics, there are common ideas associated with youth such as, dancing, freedom, being reckless, worrying about money and living for the moment. In my video, I will attempt to demonstrate all of these ideas using images involving young people running through a forest, having fun, being free and ultimately enjoying their youth while they can.

Photoshop Printscreen: Mock-Up Advert

Mock-Up Advert

I have made my mock-up advertisement similar to my mock-up single, by using the same image and font to show consistency. I have mentioned the latest album to promote the band further and I have also mentioned the singles so people can associate those songs with this single and perhaps be interested if they liked the previous singles. Furthermore, I continued the house style of the cream colour of the font and the use of the fonts Georgia and Script MT Bold. I added an outer glow around significant text in the advert, such as the release date and the title of the single. In the previous adverts that I have researched, an image of the band has not been included and I believe this to be a key aspect of the Indie/Techno genre so I have not included an image of the band in the advertisement. Lastly, I have put the band's website at the bottom of the advert to give the advert an official overall effect.

Advert Analysis: The Klaxons

This advertisement has the same eclectic image of the album it is promoting. It is effectively demonstrating the success of the band to the audience and the hit songs that they may know. To contrast with the central image, the text section of this advert is simply white on black, which makes it is easier to read for the consumer. The font is also quite messy which further accentuates The Klaxons' crazy image.

Advert Analysis: The Killers

This is a magazine advertisement for The Killers' live DVD. In the advert, the band's genre is effectively illustrated. The Killers' unusual combination of techno and folk is shown as the polka dot designs and colour purple represents the bright and upbeatness of their techno side and the featured cactuses and palm trees suggest their folk side too. The advert also shows the success of the band, featuring all the greatest hits at the bottom and putting emphasis on the fact they have made it to the Royal Albert Hall, by making the traditional building stand out against the desert themed background of the advert.

Biography: Kaleidoscope Sun

Kaleidoscope Sun formed in June 2011, and are 4 people with a passion for music and the indie scene. Initially, when they first started out, they played various gigs in pubs around London. They also only played cover songs of their main influences, such as Two Door Cinema Club, One Night Only and Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong. However, it didn't take them long to begin writing their own material. Their first single, 'London' reached #1 in the 'Live and Unsigned' chart in December 2011, and after this achievement Kaleidoscope Sun won the 'Best Upcoming Band' Award at the BBC Radio 1 Awards. The immaculately melodic vocals, which hail from the front man, are combined with mellow yet thought provoking guitar riffs. So what is there left to do? Sit down, put your headphones in and let the magnificence of Kaleidoscope Sun and their new album 'Wolfpack' lift you into another world oozing quirkiness and colour.

Photoshop Printscreen: Mock-Up Single Cover

Mock Up Single Cover

This is my mock up single cover for the song that I am using for my music video. I have chosen this image because I feel the balloons and the birds represent freedom which can be associated with being young. Additionally, those aspects are also symbols from the indie rock genre, which I am researching.

Biography and Analysis: Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club are 3 people with the help of technology and a thirst for anything quirky. If you were to pose the question, “Where do Two Door Cinema Club live?” and someone was to answer, “Why, Bangor!” That someone would only be 66.67% correct because Two Door Cinema Club are a Bangor/Donaghadee based electro pop band. An obvious absence in the rhythm department is humbly filled by an unadulterated Macintosh and the electronic thump from the fourth imperceptible member goes hand in hand with the electro/pop direction. Their music has been loosely compared to the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Broken Social Scene but without a definitive capacity to be pigeon-holed. Melodic vocals, which hail from all three members of the outfit, infuse with guitar riffs that have been described as “oceanic” and rhythm described as “pulsing”. To get the symbolism out of the way, take your seats; it’s going to be a blockbuster!

This biography is still informative, but it is not entirely serious and indicates that it is more interested in displaying the complete quirkyness and fun side of the band. "Take your seats; it's going to be a blockbuster!" further enforces this and attracts the audience into listening to the band as it seems like it is preparing them for something spectacular. It is clear that the target audience for this biography is probably teenagers or young adults who don't take things so seriously, as conveyed by the informal mode of address.

Biography and Analysis: One Night Only

One Night Only formed in summer 2003, consisting initially of Mark Hayton, Daniel “Pob” Parkin, Sam “Gunner” Ford and Kai "Kai" Smith. The band did not have a vocalist until George Craig, a friend of Ford's brother, joined in a practice. He was asked to be the vocalist, but insisted on playing guitar as well. Smith then left the band. Contrary to some reports, they did not start out as a Beatles cover band — they initially played songs by bands such as Blink-182, New Found Glory and The Beatles, as well as some of their own material.

The name, One Night Only, came about when asked to play a gig. They did not have a name at the time and so came up with One Night Only, intending the title to, literally, last for only one night, however the name stuck to this day. They performed their first gig on 12 December 2003 in Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall, which became a popular venue in their early days. In 2005, keyboardist Jack "Fish" Sails joined the band. The band has appeared on The Friday Night Project, performing their third single “It's About Time”. George Craig also appeared on Hollyoaks, performing an acoustic version of the same song.

In 2007, the band toured with Milburn and The Pigeon Detectives. Their first headline tour started in January 2008, ending in March. Their biggest headline tour to date took place in Autumn 2008. They also played at several festivals, including Isle of Wight, Oxegen and Glastonbury. The band have done a subsequent tour, supported by Northern Irish rock trio General Fiasco, Onlookers and other bands, at venues such as the Lincoln Engine Shed and The Astoria.

They started their latest tour on 15 June 2010.


This biography is very informative, and focuses more about the origins of the band and their music rather than their personal lives. The mode of address is quite sophisticated, and it is clear that it is aimed at an older audience of perhaps young adults or older teens. Also, this biography would seem to have most likely a unisex readership as there are no references to the appearance of the band in a sexual manner. The biography additionally mentions festivals,"Isle of Wight", "Oxegen" and "Glastonbury" and this suggests that the reader is interested in festivals and is most likely a consistent festival-goer every year.

Analysis of Album Covers: Myths of the Near Future - The Klaxons

- This album cover is quite attractive as it is brightly coloured and displays an eclectic mix of pictures, which could possibly represent the unique and eccentric tracks on this CD.

- This album cover would make the consumer curious about the artist.

- The Klaxons are more electro indie and new rave than rock indie, which is shown through this album cover as new rave can be associated with being eccentric and bright colours.

Analysis of Album Covers: Hot Fuss - The Killers

- Plain and simple light blue colour scheme, nothing eye catching and there are no pictures of the band. This is to indicate that for this band it is more about the music than the image.

- The Killers have a connection with Japan, as it is a place where they often tour and have set one of their videos. The Japanese symbols on the buildings emphasise this.

- The buildings displayed on the cover also look drab and unattractive, which shows that they are in the Indie genre which avoids representations of wealth and glamour.

Textual Analysis of Music Videos: Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club

Genre Characteristics
- The band performs constantly throughout the video.
- Fairly basic music video, nothing extravagant.
- Simple black and white colour scheme with an everchanging bright colour.

What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?
- No relationship between lyrics and visuals.

What is the relationship between music and visuals?
- The coloured wall behind them changes with every beat throughout the song.

Are there any close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
- The lead singer of the band comes closer to the screen every so often, so he is making a connection with the audience.
- There are no star image motifs.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?
- No reference to the notion of looking.

Are there intertextual references?
- No intertextual references.

Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?
- It is completely performance based as the video is the band performing the whole time.



As this is my last analysis of an Indie music video, through this research I have learned that it is essential for there to be performance aspects in an Indie music video. Furthermore, it is not entirely necessary to have a clear narrative although most videos of this genre comply to that idea. There seems to be some connection to Goodwin's theories such as association with lyrics and visuals, however, it is not all that obvious. The association of music and visuals is more common and clearer to the viewer. In my video, I will aim to take on these guidelines and information and thus produce a video that will be similar to these and will successfully concur with the Indie genre.

Textual Analysis of Music Videos: Ribena - Pegasus Bridge

Genre Characteristics
- Basic colour scheme
- Band performance is a main part of the video

What is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals?
- “I drink coffee, not just Ribena and I like it” – this signifies growing up and coming of age. In this video, the characters are therefore shown as being rebellious and breaking the rules.

What is the relationship between music and visuals?
- During the instrumental section of the song, the band members and characters in the video start dancing.
- During the shot of the characters and band member’s feet running, there is the sound of the drums, which effectively amplifies the footsteps.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
- Close-ups of each band member but the camera pans around the frontman, Edward Turner, in order to highlight his significance.
- There are no star image motifs.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?
- Yes, the camera is behind the characters at one point, which can be associated with the aspect of voyeurism.

Are there intertextual references?
- The 1980’s film, ‘The Breakfast Club’

Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?
- Performance and narrative based. The band is always being shot performing, but there is a narrative happening at the same time.

Textual Analysis of Music Videos: Say You Don’t Want It – One Night Only

Genre Characteristics
- Band performance is a main part of the video
- Low key lighting
- Grainy focus
- Band members and characters in the video wear vintage clothing
- Mise-en-scene of video avoids glamour and affluence

What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?
- “Fake scenes, plastic-made dreams” – the music video takes place, in New York, known
to be associated with show business and the place where many dreamers go to.

What is the relationship between music and visuals?
- At the start of the music video, each beat shows a different establishing shot of
New York City.
- During the instrumental part of the song, there are shots of all the band performing
and the two main characters dance together.

Are there any close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
- There are many close-ups of the lead vocalist and front man of the band, George
Craig, to emphasise his importance.
- There are no star image motifs.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?
- When Emma Watson is avoiding the camera and being viewed from a long shot, the
audience feel like they are looking at her from across the road.

Are there any intertextual references?
- The Lady and The Tramp, when at the end they are both revealed to be dogs, one who
is richer than the other.

Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?
- It is half performance-based and half-narrative based. The video constantly cuts
between the band performance and the love story happening between the two main
characters.