Ideas for a Promotional Package for the Release of an Album

By Morgan Redman

OCR BriefUnit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media

Aim: The purpose of this unit is to:

• Assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3)

• Assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2)

• Assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4).

The TaskA promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options: • A website homepage for the band • A digipak for the album’s release • A magazine advertisement for the digipak

Music Video BasicsPurpose:• Promote the single/ album• Promote the artist/ band• Entertain the audience• Set meaning of song

Types of Video:• Performance• Thematic• Narrative• Symbolic

Music Video Basics Continued

Key Words:• Spectacle (direct address, engage with

audience)• Intertextuality(links between texts)

Examples of Theorists:• Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze• Miriam Hansen: The Female Gaze• Roland Barthes: Multiple Meanings• Tzvetan Todorov: Narrative Circular Structure• Gustav Freytag: Narrative Pyramid Structure

Possible Idea 1Type of Video: Symbolic, thematicTheme: YouthLocation(s): Abandoned buildings, fields, carStyle: Aesthetic based on colours, quick cut shotsIdea: Showcase the ideas of modern youth, fun, carefree via a group of teenagersSome Possible Songs:• Day Wave – We Try But We Don’t Fit In• The Neighbourhood – R.I.P. 2 My Youth• Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent• The Wombats - 1996

Possible Idea 1: Visuals

Troye Sivan - Youth Alex Hainer – A Video of Cole Sprouse

Halsey - Colours Daniela Andrade – Digital Age Chapter 1

Possible Idea 2Type of Video: Narrative, thematic, symbolic, performanceTheme: Destructive nature of societyLocation(s): Warehouse, empty school, working office, central London, tube train, hospital, police stationStyle: Critical, quick cuts, fast forward, rewind, slow motionIdea: One person in every shot with life going on around them, dub over them performing, challenge capitalist society and patriarchyPossible Songs:• Everything Everything – No Reptiles• Everything Everything – The Peaks• Catfish and the Bottlemen - Tyrants• The Front Bottoms - Handcuffs • The Palms – Push Off

Possible Idea 2: Visuals

Beyoncé - Formation

Everything Everything – No Reptiles

Possible Idea 3Type of Video: Narrative, performanceTheme: Corrupt relationshipsLocation(s):Hotel room, theatre, music venue, swimming poolStyle: Aesthetic, longer shot duration, personalIdea: A couples tribulations of life and love, one of them writing the song and performing it as a bandPossible Songs:• The Front Bottoms – Swimming Pool• Arctic Monkeys - 505• The 1975 - Robbers • The Wombats – Greek Tragedy• The Front Bottoms – Jim Bogart• The Killers – When You Were Young

Possible Ideas 3: Visuals

The 1975 - Robbers

The Killers – When You Were Young

Portfolio Choice• I am interested in the choice of a music portfolio as one

of my hobbies is listening to music and it has always been an aspiration of mine to create a music video. Also the option of print modules within this area, such as digipak advert for a magazine, fits well with my future aspiration which is to work in print as a Magazine Editor. Therefore, this product combines two of my interests.

• A reason that I may be interested in the film portfolio is because one of the ancillary products that there is an option to produce is a magazine front cover. This links significantly with my media interests in print media.

• I could possibly be interested in the advertising portfolio as it provides a wider range of media platforms to produce on; some examples are radio, TV programme and print. This portfolio is more diverse than the options within the others.