Kate Bush Album Cover

This is the video to Kate Bush's album the red shoes. This cover with the single image of the shoes, the artist name and name of the album is something that we would consider for our artist. We liked the idea of using shoes on our album cover as they are something that we want as a running theme throughout our video and would therefore be something that we would consider then using on our album cover in the future.

On this album cover there is a relationship between the text and the image used as the album is caused 'The Red Shoes' and there is a pair of red shoes on the album cover. The problem with not using an artists face on the album cover is that the CD may not be recognised as quickly as if they were, this is ok for an established artist like Kate Bush, but when it comes to a new artist you are likely to have their face on it so that we get to know them and so that a 'star-image is built up of the artist'.

Florence and the Machine- Rabbit Heart (Raise it up)

Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)

This is the video to Florence and the Machines single ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), from their debut album Lungs. The video was directed by Tom Beard and Tabitha Denholm. The pair have also directed other videos for the band including ‘Cosmic Lover’ and ‘You Got the Love’. The video for ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’ is most similar to the original video to ‘Dog Days are Over’, also directed by Beard and Denholm, with both the videos shot in similar locations and with the lead singer, Florence Welsh being surrounded by a number of colourful characters. Both the videos have a vintage feel to them and one that is quite intimate with the lead singer, which has been aided by the use of close ups. The image that has been created of the lead singer in the videos is something that has been carried over outside of the videos and therefore building a star image. With the help of the videos we would now expect to see big performances from the band, similar to the ones portrayed in the video. The white dress that she is wearing in the video to ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’, is something that is we would also expect to see in her performances as she often performs in white dresses. Her red hair is also becoming a trademark of hers and the close ups in this video help highlight this.

Close up in Dog Days Are Over, showing how she is surrounded by people in her videos.

Close up in 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), showing how she is surrounded by people.



Wone of her many stage performances in white dresses.



The white dress in the video.

There is a relationship between both the visuals and the lyrics, particularly at the start when she sings “looking glass so shiny and new”, she is looking through something that is shiny and new, and as the song says “how quickly the glamour fades”, the object also disappears from view, symbolising that she is now seeing this work for real. There is also a reference between the music and the visuals as we see a harpist playing and also hear him on the soundtrack. The harp is something that features in a number of her videos and performances also, notably her show at the 2010 BRIT awards.

"Looking glass so shiny and new"

Harp used in the video.

Harp used in the performance at the BRITS.

Close up in 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)'

Close up used in 'Cosmic Love'

 One inter-textual reference is that of religion and offerings. She is giving herself up for slaughter, hence why she is put in a white coffin and left to float in a lake, like a story we would expect in the bible or other religious books. The main inter-textual reference is that of Alice and Wonderland. In the lyrics she sings about “the looking glass”, something associated with the Alice in Wonderland novel and film, as Alice falls through the looking glass. The other reference to Alice in Wonderland is that she appears to be at the mad hatter tea party in the video. She is playing the role of Alice, giving her some vulnerability.

Mad Hatter's tea party in 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)'

Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland



According to Goodwin there is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist or vocalist to sustain the establish star-text as a way of the music video assisting in the sale of the single and album. This is the case in this video as there are a number of close ups of the lead singer, which show her as we would expect to see her, performing with bright red hair. Similar close ups are also used in her videos for ‘Cosmic Love’.

Music channels

Owners: Viacom

Other MTV channels owned by Viacom and what they show: MTV Base (RnB), MTV Classic (Old music and music videos), MTV Dance (Dance Music), MTV Hits (chart songs), MTV Rocks (Rock music), MTV Shows (Reality shows such as The Hills and Pimp My Ride, Cartoons such as South Park) and MTVNHD (Showing shows such as Making the Performance and Jukebox London in HD). 

MTV was launched at 12:01 on the 1 August 1981, with the words Ladies and Gentlemen, rock and roll, emphasizing that the channel was to play predominately rock music in its early days. Over the years as demand for new types of music and the emergence of artists such as Michael Jackson, the channel began to play new genres of music and thus the different channels were created to fit different viewers needs and wants. 

Being owned by Viacom shows that MTV is a corporate brand, meaning that they have a duty to play songs that are going to sell and are going to get people to watch them, possibly the reason why MTV have channels such as MTV Hits and MTV Shows, to show programs and music that is commercially successful. Despite this they do still show new music and less commercial music on MTV Base, MTV Dance and show local bands on channels such as Jukebox London. 

Owners: Viacom

Other VH1 channels owned by Viacom and what they show: VH1 Classic (Older songs and Storytellers with people such as Bruce Springstein)and VH1 Soul (Music by Soul Singer such as R.Kelly, Fantasia and MAry J Blige, shows such as Soul Stage and Storytellers with artists such as Jay Z). 

VH1 is a sister channel to MTV. Like MTV they are owned by the large corporate brand, Viacom, meaning there is pressure to play music by commercially successful acts but by creating new channels such as VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul they have managed to have channels that cater for peoples particular wants when it comes to listening to music channels. Whilst MTV has a much younger audience, VH1 is aimed at an older demographic. 

Owners: Viacom 

What it shows: Re-runs of The Hills, They City Laguna Beach and South Park, Suck My Pop, Teen Mum, Super Sweet Sixteen and Two and a Half Men. 

The channels was launched in 2009, with a live exclusive performance of Alexandra Burkes 'Bad Boys'. VIVA is a sister channel of MTV, hence why it shows a lot of the channels re-runs. The show has gathered popularity by showing the re-runs of popular shows and well known presenters such as Kimberly Walsh , a member of Girls Aloud. 

Owners: Box Television group
What they show:

4Music was launched in 15 August 2008 and is aired in the United Kingdom. The channel is aimed at a young audience, tapping into the fan base that sister channel, Channel 4, has with its show T4. T4 and the channel feature many of the same programmes and use the same presenters.

Today’s music Top 10 and The Crush KFC Crushems. Re-runs of Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami and Snoop Doggs Fatherhood.

Owners:
What it shows:
The channel is famous for often being the first to launch songs and artists, most notably the Spice Girls first single Wannabe. Much of the programme is similar to 4Music as they are owned by the same company. The Crush with KFC Krushems, Hit 40 UK, Bring on the weekend!, Video Airplay: Top 20 and VIP Tracks of the Week. The Box Television group.

Star image- Lily Allen

Lily Allen on Prezi

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Thinking about the Audience

Mood Board

Analysis of Marina and the Diamonds- Oh No.

In this video there is a clear relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. When the singer, Marina Diamandis, sings “don't need love” and a cartoon graphic of a heart appears on the screen and when she sings “I'm only after success”, there is again a cartoon graphic of money and a look of determination on the singers face. This continues throughout the video, with graphics appearing to accompany the lyrics, amplifying their meaning. The visuals in this video do however remind us that the lyrics are meant to be taken as ironic and 'tounge-in-cheek'. She does not actually believe what she is saying and the fact the cartoons reminds us that what she is saying is suppose to be taken as a joke although she is trying to get a message across. As well as the cartoons that appear in the video there is also an obvious relationship between music and lyrics, especially in terms on money in the video. Throughout the video she holds piles of cash, is wearing a dress that is designed to look like a dollar whilst laying on a bed surrounded by money. These shots emphasise how the desire for her to succeed, and for her success means having money.

There is also a relationship between the music and the visuals. This song is a pop song and therefore as you would expect in a pop video there is lots of bright colours, a dance routine and an emphasise on the lead singer. The dance routine also ties in with the fact that this is an upbeat song.

In order to maintain 'star-texts' there is often the demand from the record company to have a number of close ups of the artist or vocalist. This is also the case in this video where throughout the video there is a number of close ups of Marina. These shots remind us of the emphasise there is on how videos are used to sell the music and the artist as a package. One thing this video doesn't do, which is often the case with music females in music videos, there is not a sense of voyeurism, throughout the video she is very aware that she is being watched and is therefore performing to the cameras. Although the record company is playing on the lead singers looks and are using female dancers in short dresses, the voyeurism is lost because these women know what is going on and are acting up to it, which is something that also ties in with lyrics as it is clear that she wants to be noticed because of what she is singing about.

This video is similar to other Marina and the Diamonds videos, as her music videos tend to be colourful and bright, particularly her single 'Hollywood'. The use of close ups is also something used in her other videos, with shots of her nails also becoming recoccuring. She is also becoming synonymous with having this look that involves her wearing bright, quirky dresses, which she carries over into her videos. The look of 'Oh No' is not a one off for Marina and the Diamonds, but it is instead an image that is being built around her, her music and her videos. She does also have this appeal of being a bit like a cartoon character with the clothes she wears, which is being referenced with the graphics. (Shots from 'Hollywood' on left)

There are many other intertextual references in this video. The main one is the link between the cartoon graphics and work by artists such as Roy Lichenstein and Andy Warhol (on right), again something helping build on this image of her being like a cartoon character(on left).