5. The three media products are effectively combined to introduce the artist ‘Avocet’ as a young, gothic, indie-rock artist with a
mysterious and ominous yet innocent public image. This is elucidated through the uniform dark colouring, black costume,
monstrous makeup, typography and camera angles. Uniformity in the production of media products is essential for establishing
the artist’s public image and allowing an audience to recognise the relationship between the artist and the commercial products.
The construction and planning of the main product and ancillary tasks utilised the visual and design conventions of posters,
digipaks and promotional videos in order to develop three individual products with distinctive characteristics that an audience will
recognise as related through the use of mise en scene, effects and camera shots.
6. Colouring uniform is a typical convention used in indie rock music
videos.
The main product has a distinctive colour scheme. The colours black
and blue are predominant in the video, particularly the
performance aspects. However, there are scenes in which the
colour scheme is not utilised such as the opening sequence
whereby a black and white effect has been applied to the visuals.
Nevertheless, the absence of the branded colour theme
emphasises the scene in which the selected colour scheme
dominates the visuals.
Alternatively, the album design utilises the generic
colour scheme but also incorporates a green
colouring to advocate the album title ‘The Monster
Experiment’. The green has a harsh, cold
impression which effectively communicates the
dysfunctional emotional concept which may be
7. The ancillary texts and the main product utilise Andrew Goodwin’s theory by using a common motif to
develop a strong connection between the three products. This technique ensures that the
audience will be able to recognise the relationship. The calavera makeup is present in all three
products. The sugar skull imagery elucidates the strong gothic theme which is incorporated into
each product. The focus on the peculiar and vivid makeup design effectively highlights the bleak,
intense, and nostalgic connotations in the music in addition to producing a strong visual link
between the products.
THEORY
8. INTERTEXTUALITY
The artist’s multifaceted public image is reflected
by performers such as The Pretty Reckless’
lead singer ‘Taylor Momsen’. The artist
previously modelled the stereotypical young
blonde ingénue appearance until her late
teens in which her rebellious gothic portrayal
arose. The contrasting depiction is apparent in
the video as the generic ‘good girl gone bad’
image is a recognisable and popular trait
amongst contemporary female indie-rock
artists.
Intertextuality refers to the way in which existing texts
have influenced or been incorporated into a medium.
The music video ‘Into a Monster’ contains noticeable
elements which have been included in established
promotional videos. For example, the calavera makeup
is similar to the skull makeup used in Lady Gaga’s
‘Born This Way’ music video. The pronounced use of
intertextuality enables the audience to distinguish the
key characteristics of the brand as the viewers are
familiar with brand features; for example, the gothic,
skeletal makeup.
9. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A BLACK BACKGROUND
In this shot the performer is isolated by the
dark surroundings.
The shot informs the audience of the gothic and dark
concept as black is often associated with morose, death
and evil. The combination of the skull monster makeup
upon the artist’s face and the black connotations may
illuminate the supernatural features in the music video,
and digipak.
The contrast between the artist’s light physical
features and the deep black background
subsequently accentuates the detail of her facial
appearance.
10. THE BLACK CLOAK
The black cloak which is worn in the photographs used in the digipak, and the music video was inspired by
the music video ‘I’ll Follow Rivers ‘by Lykke Li. The video displays the performer in a pure black cloak
which covers her face and body. The lack of exposure encourages the audience to continue to view the
music video as the viewer may feel inclined to witness the reveal of the performers true identity. This
technique is employed in the opening lyrics of the main product , the event poster and the back cover of
the digipak in order to promote the artists through mystery and ambiguity.
,
The black cloak reinforces the supernatural
elements in the texts. Popular examples of black
cloaks include the infamous fictional character
‘Dracula’, and the well-known Harry Potter’s wizard
characters. The popularity of black cloaks as the
costume of supernatural characters effectively
depicts this concept in the three media texts.
11. CAMERA ANGLES
The close up shot creates a dramatic, detailed and intimate effect which reflects the
passion and intensity of the music. The front cover displays the ‘monster’ version of
Avocet, whereas the close-up shot used in the early stage of the music video depicts
the singer’s natural appearance. This provides the audience with an opportunity to
compare the two presentations and recognise the artist’s multifaceted public image.
Moreover, the contrast supports the narrative as the difference illustrates the
development of Avocet becoming a ‘monster’.
The close up shot used for the front cover features the artist looking upwards,
this is to accentuate the feeling of being trapped by the monster façade as
facing skywards connotes the idea of the singer ‘wanting to be free like a bird in
the sky’. Alternatively, in the close up shot used in the music video the
performer engages in direct eye contact to depict the idea of this presentation
being her true identity. The contrasting poses builds an intimate bond between
the audience and artist because the viewer may feel sympathetic towards the
emotional turmoil presented in the front cover and will be engaged by the
12. BIRDS
The lyric analysis revealed that a need for freedom was an
apparent connotation in the song ‘won’t you just let me
be?...you’ve stolen all my identity, a person that I don’t want
to be’. Therefore, using this idea, the theme of birds was
employed in the construction of the media products.
The singer is shown to be facing upwards in the shot to
communicate the idea of her wanting to be free like a
bird. This is reinforced by the two bird wings projected
onto her body.
The theme of birds has been applied to the logo which is present on
the poster and the back cover of the digipak. The design was inspired
by the black and white colouring of an avocet as well as the bird’s
long beak. The similarity between the logo and the appearance of an
avocet is used to accentuate the idea of freedom which is associated
with birds.
Below are examples of birds which inspired or appear in the music video. The avocet’s black and white features, the fragility and
elegance of the swan and the shot of several birds flying away into the distance, is used to communicate the singer’s delicate and
innocence image to the audience.
The black and white effect in
the opening resembles the
colouring of an avocet , and
is utilised to indicate that the
scene occurs at a time
before the performer
becomes a monster‘, where
she is ‘free like a bird’.
13. EDITINGUsing a range of editing technologies including Adobe premier pro, Pixlr.com and
Adobe Photoshop, the visuals used in the digipak and music video were
manipulated to produce a powerful and stimulating image. For example, the front
cover conveys a close up shot of the performer looking upwards to symbolise her
need for freedom . However, a whitening effect is applied to the iris of the eyes to
illuminate the supernatural and gothic elements in the text. Moreover, a darkening
effect is used to intensify the deep colours and add a harsh, poignant and vibrant
effect.
A different range of effects were employed in the production
of the music video. Similarly to the digipak, a darkening
effect was applied to the majority of clips. For example,
using the ‘Levels’ video effect, the dark colours in the
below screen shots were increased to highlight the
sinister themes and conform to the rock genre
convention of dark imagery. As inspired by
alternative/indie promotional videos such as ‘Little
Talks’ and ‘Young Folks’, a gradient effect was applied
to two of the mages below. The function produces
cartoon-like graphics which effectively demonstrates
the surreal and supernatural concept. These editing
techniques are combined to successfully communicate
the abstract
No effect
No effect
No effectLevels and gradient effect
Levels and gradient effectLevels effect
No
effect
14. FRAMING
The image used for the front cover of the digipak is also present
on the inside cover. The framing of the photograph was
transformed into an extreme close up shot. The effect
used on the image depicts three cropped versions of the
image which are combined to emphasise and isolates the
presence of the performer’s eyes to further elucidate the
significance of the pose. The monster image is also
advocated by the repetition; the unusual makeup used on
the performer’s mouth in addition to the close-up shot
that accentuates the sinister and monstrous artist’s
image. The framing design in the music video changed in
correspondence with the conceptual idea present in the
shot.
A zoom in effect was applied to the shot which
initially presents the singer from a far
distance in order to depict her isolation
and emphasise the idea of her being
imprisoned by the monster persona
The below shot was changed into a mid shot
to illuminate the passion in the singer’s
facial expression.
The above midshot was altered into a close up
shot in order to engage the audience
through the clear and direct eye contact in
addition to increasing the intimacy
between the viewer and performer
15. TYPOGRAPHY
The use of fonts is consistent in
the digipak and poster. A ‘Wood
Cutterfence’ and’ impact label
reverse’ font is apparent on both
products and is utilised to produce
differing effects.
Similarly to the front cover image and the below
shot of the performer in a small space, the artist’s
title is centrally positioned to emphasise the
singer’s importance as the conventional central
placement attracts the audience’s attention and
connotes the idea of power and eminence which is
essential for establishing an artist’s image and
status in the industry.
The ‘Woodcutter fence’ font used for the album title on the digipak and poster is employed to resemble the wood scene in the
music video. The design resembles the harsh and coarse twigs and branches on the trees. The performer is shown to be walking
in the woods during the second verse of the music video and the scene portrays the performer discovering the cursed flower which
turns her into a monster. A linear narrative is present in the music video and the scene signifies the beginning of the developed
gothic and monstrous artist image. Similarly, the performer’s title is placed at the top of the poster to reflect the idea of the wood
scene being the beginning of the transformation.
The ‘impact label reverse’ font
style adds a powerful effect to the
information. The title is eye-
capturing through the bold
colouring, large size and unusual
design. The reviews for the album
use the font to accentuate the
information and convey the rock
genre as rock posters typically
use capitalised lettering to mirror
the raucous and boisterous music.
16. MARKETING AND BRANDING: USP
Branding the artist is an important process for promoting a new artist. Creating an artist brand uses an
appealing platform to summarise the artist and displays their appealing qualities to the target demographic.
A unique selling point is vital for publicising a new artist in the music industry, Avocet is a young , white
female who is also a trained ballet dancer. The debut single features the typical ‘girl next door’ appearance
turning into a gothic monster creature. The performer may be viewed as an unconventional adaptation of
the generic ‘good girl gone bad’ presentation which is famed by artists such as Rihanna.
A typical artist branding technique includes logos, the Avocet logo conforms to the multifaceted artist
image and employed in various products in order to build a consistent visual style and reputation for the
artist. The innocent young girl presentation is a typical singer archetype which is presented in the logo
(the bird-like design accentuates her fragility and elegance) and the music video (white dress to
represent purity and vulnerability). The modern feminine youthful representation provides fans with an
identity that is recognisable and relatable. Alternatively, the monster characterisation embodies
adolescent angst and rebellion. Thus, providing an outlandish, outcast role model image which
numerous young people will be able to identify with. The capital A in the centre of the logo elucidates
this representation through the eerie, sharp font style.
17. CONFORMITY BRANDING Conformity branding refers to marketing
techniques which adhere to societal
norms. Audiences are accustomed to
these techniques and the generic
branding traits have been incorporated
into ‘Avocet’s’ artist image in order to
successfully appeal to a wide audience
range.
The lead singer has short blonde hair which imitates the typical
‘blonde bombshell’ look which has been adopted by numerous
contemporary female singers such as Rihanna, Pink, Pixie Lott and
Miley Cyrus. The modernised hairstyle effectively displays the products
as relevant to a modern audience.
Similarly to several modern
popular female alternative
singers such as Kate Nash,
Florence Welch and Leslie
Feist, ‘Avocet’ (Aimee) has
a tall, slim frame which
conforms to the typical
societal expectations of
beauty. The performer is an
aesthetically tall (5”8)
young, white female , which
is an artist presentation
that is conventional in the
indie-rock genre.
A considerable amount of modern female singers are marketed through
their youth. Popular examples include performers such as Demi
Lovato, Selena Gomez and Lucy Hale. An evidently young appearance
effectively promotes an artist as relatable and relevant to a young niche
demographic.
18. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR
MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?
In conclusion, the music video, digipak and poster are effectively combined to promote and market the
purchasable digipak, the artist’s multifaceted image and to appeal to the target audience of young
people with a preference for rock and indie/alternative. The consistent use of makeup, framing and
colour imagery distinguishes the artist’s public image. The consistent presentational design
enables the niche audience to identify with the performer and recognise the singer’s relatable and
appealing elements such as her youth, modern fashion sense and eccentric music style.
