Introduction: I
am going to look at the band Coldplay. They are a British pop rock band formed
in 1966. They are signed with record labels: Capitol, Parlophone and Atlantic.
Coldplay use many forms of social media to promote themselves and also do
various radio and TV interviews and are being featured in several magazines and
other forms of print media. I am going to look at their latest album cover for
'A Head Full of Dreams' and the music video from that same album called 'A Hymn
for the Weekend'. The main target audience, especially for their latest
album, is teenagers and young adults. However, many people varying in ages like
Coldplay's music. This new album will be aimed at younger people because of the
pop genre and bright fun feel.
The Music
Video
Mise en scene
Setting: The interesting location used for this video is in the booming heart of major Indian cities such as Veranasi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The first seconds of the music video show a silent temple, which displays a big part of Indian religious culture from both Hinduism and Buddhism. The video then goes on to show the busy streets of Mumbai and quickly cuts to Beyonce walking up a mountain that looks to be done with CGI. The next major scene features local boys break-dancing to the band playing outdoors surrounding by a large crowd who seem to love the very different music they are used to. The band is also covered in coloured powder showing the major Hindu festival, Holi, which is very important in Indian culture. Featuring this in the video represents that the band are very passionate about India and its culture and that they are very open to new experiences which gives them a positive image. The next scene shows Chris Martin singing in a local cinema, which really shows the viewers how people live and tells us that the band is very respectful and have a very open minded approach to different countries and cultures.
Costume: There are various costumes used throughout the video. Many of which are traditional Indian clothes. Beyonce, who is featured in the video, wears a glamorous sari. The use of these traditional costumes fits in with the general theme of the song and is perfectly related with the setting.
Props: In the beginning an Indian Peafowl is
seen in a Hindu temple. The peafowl is the national bird of India and is
frequently featured in the Hindu religion. This slight detail tells us that the
producers thought of every little thing for the music video to fit with the
Indian and Hindu theme to really immerse the viewer in the video.
Artist representation: The artist
is represented in a fun, free and positive way. This is done by implementing
various shots of children dancing, playing, running and enjoying themselves.
They have also made the video very colourful by setting up shots in the Holi
festival with coloured powder and an incredible display of fireworks in the
closing shot. This music video also strongly shows that the band is no afraid
to break away from stereotypes by using a very different setting, theme and
cultural background for one of their hit songs. This may build a stronger bond
between the band and their fans as the fans know that they appreciate and
accept different people and cultures.
Production Techniques
Camera Shots: There are a lot of different camera
shots used in this video to keep the viewer engaged and interested.
Various mid shots are used to show a person and their surroundings. It is also
used to show the band as a whole playing in a neighbourhood. A couple of close
ups are used when singling out band members to show off their musical
abilities. Zooms are also used when focusing onto people featured in the video
such as Hindu priests and the very famous Bollywood actress, Sonam Kapoor, who
is known as a star in the Indian film industry. She is shown, in the video, as
a local woman running through a temple courtyard. Many slow motion shots are
used to show interesting shots in detail making them stand out. Rare long shots
are used but the last scene displays a very effective zoom out from the band to
an excellent display of fireworks.
Camera movement and angles: A wide
variety of camera angles and movements are used. They range from low angle and
high angle shots to pans and handheld shots. Almost all the shots are moving to
keep the reader engaged and to fit with the main theme and feel of the
song.
Editing: They have followed
conventions of music video by including fast cuts to maintain the action. Some
fades are used to show a transition to a different scene, time period or place.
The Album
Cover
Colours: The colours used in
this album cover are very bright and vibrant. This shows that the artist was
aiming to attract a younger audience because of the fun and exciting look. They
have also used rainbow colours to show their support for the LGBT community.
This shows that they are confident and open to their fans and want to connect
and have a more personal relationship with them.
Logo: The use of the
flower of life in the colours of the bands album reveals many things about the
band. One of them is that the band has very strong spiritual beliefs as the
flower of life is considered to be a symbol of sacred geometry and is featured
in many religions. It also shows that the band is very caring of nature as this
pattern is naturally found in plants and various other forms of nature.
Production Techniques: This
collage was created both in real life on a canvas and in Photoshop digitally.
Many different aspects have gone into this intricate album cover. The landscape
and mountains seen on the top and bottom were painted and drawn by the band member’s
children. The artist Pilar Zeta wanted to make this cover original fun and
personal and decided it would be awesome to incorporate a part of the Coldplay
family! There are also various pictures of the band members in their childhood
sitting on clouds and moons linking to the idea of 'A Head Full of Dreams'. The
have also used the kaleidoscope colours on the side to really highlight the
idea of fun that and artist wanted to go for.
Conclusion
Terminology
Media production
Representation
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