Magazine Advert Analysis - The Coral

Analysis of selection of adverts


A variety of common trends can be seen from the selection of magazine album covers i looked at, these are:

• Usually vibrant, colourful art-style and colours.
• Use of abstract pictures to draw attention.
• Fonts related to genre of music.
• Use of website links for access to additional info.
• Picture of the artist/band is also common.
• Full-page for maximum visibility.

Analysis of individual cover


The first thing instantly noticeable from The Coral's advert is it's bright colour scheme that uses a wide range of colours to attract attention, and relate to the 'brighter' genre the band is. The next clearly presented point is the use of hand-drawn images, which suggests at first that the band is 'down-to-roots' and again a 'happier' band than most; however upon closer inspection this idea is contrasted as the images used are more darker, with the use of rain and skeletons. This suggests a darker undertone. The text used matches the overall hippy-like presentation of the advert, portraying a 60's/70's feel that more than likely relates to the genre of the music again. The text, especially the date which appears hand-written,  also gives a more personal feel; diverting from the usual corporate production. The image and text compliment each other, both portraying a more unique style that both relates to the genre of music (60's) and the bands approach to music. This also relates to the record label, suggesting that the label mainly supports this genre of music (reinforced by the fact the label's logo is in the same style). We can learn from this overall advert that the target audience is more dedicated to those less supportive of mainstream music, appealing to those who enjoy older generations of music.

Final Lip Sync Video

Shot Count

There is roughly 220-240 shots throughout the video.

The main shots used through cross-cutting, using a range of long, medium and close shots in quick succession to create a fast-paced video that matches the beats of the song. These shots change between the story-telling, lead singer and instruments for variety. Long shots seem to be mainly used however.

The genre (rock) is portrayed through the usual techniques of showing instrumental intervals in a narrative concept.

The audience is also clear to be more man-focused due to the aggressive changes in shots and a heavy focus on 'emotional' instrument playing, however the narrative does aid in appealing to the opposite gender too.

The band is represented well in the video, giving a clear picture of the band and it's instruments, while also showing the style of the band and it's heavy narrative influence.

Lip Syncing

The Process

1. We first obtained the desired audio track to lip sync over (California King Bed - Rihanna), checking it's playback and then having a few trial runs.
2. We then took multiple shots of a fellow student lip syncing to various parts of the song.
3. We then imported the clips into Final Cut, using the variety of tools available to sync perfectly the different shots.
4. To make sure the video and audio were in time, we matched wave forms of key parts to maintain a high accuracy in matching.
5. These clips were then merged together to make the final product.
6. The video was then tested for any errors.

Julian Opie Technique


The task was to mimic the effect used on Blurs Greatest Hits cover, which displayed a portrait of each band member in a cartoon-like way.

To do this i used a photo of myself as a foundation, if which i then built up upon using layer and tools offered in Adobe Photoshop. I used the tools:

• Lasso
• Fill (Paint)
• Paintbrush
• Smoothing (10-20px)
• Select Tool
• Crop
• Layers 

All of which aided in creating the desired effect quickly and smoothly.

 When using the layers, I built upon them one at a time, hiding previous layers so that i could trace my original photo as a template. I would then use the Lasso tool to select each facial area (ie face, ears) and fill with the appropriate colour. If lasso was un-smooth, i would use the modify > Smooth function to create more flowing edges.

Face Down - Music Video Analysis

Face Down follows the tried & tested route many modern rock video's adopt, that being an emphasis on storytelling with cutting to the band playing 'live'; allowing a visual representation of the music being played. Although the technical aspects are not focused upon in the video, its evident lighting and quick shots are used to create a fast paced, dark theme to the video. The cutting to the band also links with the lyrics in a sense, with it appears as though the bands singer is 'speaking' to the girl in the story.

Motorcycle Emptiness - Music Video Analysis

This video uses more of a disjuncture approach, ignoring the main meaning behind the song and instead creating a totally different meaning that doesn't really relate. Technical aspects are also widely used in the video to allow greater interest from the audience and create a unique feeling and flow (ie. fade out and fade in). Star image is also established as the band is heavily focused upon throughout the video, portraying an image of 'coolness' the band wish to achieve.

Drive - Music Video Analysis

Story within this music video is fairly loose compared to similar modern rock video's, instead focusing more on a technical aspect to increase interest from the audience and create a sense or repeatability. This is done through the clever animation of the lead singer being presented as a drawing; post production digital effects. Live performance/lip syncing is also mixed in to again create a sense of personal telling, while also adding synaesthesia to create a visual representation of the music and its source.

Wherever You Will Go - Music Video Analysis

Synaesthesia is heavily used in this music video, showing a visual representation of both the instruments (band) used and the singer; including his thoughts. This gives the song a more personal approach, as if the song is telling a story rather than just plain music. This narrative is not continuously shown however, with the narrative and 'live' performance being switched between for repeatability and a looser approach to storytelling. Star Image can also be slightly related, as the video hopes to promote the band and it's lead singer as something that relates to the younger generation, with the same problems. The whole music video hopes to illustrate the meaning of the song.

Media and Film @ HSFC

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