Advertisement Analysis

This is a magazine ad for The Foo Fighters greatest hits album. It is a very simple advertisement that has the album cover (top section of page) and some information about release dates and how you can acquire the album underneath. Other adverts i looked also had a similar layout, many of them showing the album art then having information either above or below. This ad also includes some of the tracks that will be on the disk, not all ads do this but as it is a greatest hits album you would expect the most popular songs to be shown to gain some interest.

The biggest font is on the release date which takes up a large section of the page beneath the album art. the color is white and contrasts the background so stands out more clearly than the rest of the advertisement. Next there is a list of ways you can buy the album including download and the logo for amazon.

Just below that there is a list of some of the popular songs that are on the disk in a slightly darer color which will attract the attention of anyone who likes these tracks, it also mentions a new track exclusive to this album. Finally at the bottom of the page there is the bands website, also in white to stand out.

The advertisement is very similar to other advertisements of the same genre, the main object usually being some album art and the album title or logo followed by release dates.

Shot Count Task

Muse - Resistance on MUZU.TV

The video has around 240 shots in 5 mins, parts of the video go very fast and parts go slow to match the tempo of the song, the majority of the cuts are on the beats of the song.

The video is made up from recordings from a concert that the band played and is made up of mostly long shots and medium shots showing the audience and the band, the video shows the atmosphere of the concert with the dark lighting and neon laser lights, there are also some shots from close to the crowd (almost POV Shots) putting the viewer down on the floor with the crowd.

 Live concerts are a popular way to make a video for this genre, possibly because it is cheap to do without having to spend much extra time shooting. Another reason could be because rock bands spend a lot of money on instruments unlike other genres (such as dance) so they can show them off in videos.

Like most rock videos it also spends a lot of time showing the band members and their instruments instead of having a story behind the video, not all rock videos are like this but it is normal to see it.

Opie Portrait

Opie Portrait - TO create the portrait we used photoshop and traced over our face, hair and features on separate layers then removed the man image leaving the portrait behind. i also added a colored background to make it look better.

Music Videos Research

In His Book Dancing in the Distraction Factory Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. I will analyse some music video's using Goodwin's theory


This video sticks to its genre characteristics (as Goodwin suggested). Rock videos typically focus on a performance or the band and their instruments. this video consists entirely of the band playing the song in the room which sticks to genre and Goodwin's theory.

Goodwin also suggests that there is a link between the lyrics but as the video is simple and around the band performing, there is no link between the visuals and lyrics. However there is a strong link between the music and visuals, there are a lot of cuts on the beat and the band jumps and moves in time with the music.

Goodwin also says that the demands of the record label (e.g. close ups of the artist) may create patterns that recur throughout all o the bands videos. i have had a quick look at other videos from this band and they all seem to be the same style, usually a video of a band in a room playing the track with lots of close ups and long shots to get the full band on screen, i dont know whether or not this is due to the record label's demands but it is a recurring theme.

Muse - Time Is Running Out (2003)

This video also sticks to the genre, focusing mostly on the band and vocalist rather on a big storyline, however unlike the first video it has more actors and props.

The lyrics and visuals do not have a direct link but they can be linked through a number of ways when you look deeper into the meaning of the song, the lyrics sing about time running out, about the government and about the planet and the visuals suggest a government meeting. The music is also linked go the visuals with lots of cuts on the beat and the band and actors moving in time with the music.

This video is also very similar to the others by the band, with lots of close ups of the lead singer while focusing on instruments and band members rather than stories, most likely due to the record labels' demands.

This music video also sticks to one of Goodwin's main points, the voyeuristic treatment of the female body seen through he male eyes. half way through the song, some of the female actors take off some of their clothes and start dancing more provocatively, so this video definitely sticks with Goodwin's theories.

Media and Film @ HSFC

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