Monday 30 September 2013

Group: Adrian lux mood board


 


 
 



  • Party
  • Fun
  • Friends
  • Black and white
  • Summer
  • Slow motion

Wednesday 25 September 2013

TW: Technical Analysis

The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
 
 


  • As this song is of  the electronic/ dance genre which is similar to our song I have discovered techniques that will be useful in our own music video.
  • Firstly there is no clear representation of individuals in this clip as the angle and shot framings range in that no one person is positively or negatively represented. However through the actions of the characters and the casting gave an overall representation that young people wild, free and a bit reckless is conveyed.
  • In addition there are no shots of the artist which is conventional of this genre which we we include in our video.
  • An editing technique which I discovered was that the clips cut with the beat of the song or a particular instrument. This creates the pace of the video which is quite fast.
  • After looking at each shot in more detail it is apparent that the rule of thirds is used as the point of interest in each shot is usually off centre.
  • Also the colours used were a mixture of warm, bright and exotic.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

MS:Technical analysis

Duck sauce-Barbra Streisand 



  • After completing this activity i have discovered that the videos of this genre have a very high cutting rate. The majority of the shots that i analysed were around 1 second to two seconds in length.
  • What i also noticed is that because of the high cutting rate there is no need for transitions within the music video, there is also a high usage of shallow focus shots which are saturated and over exposed which is used to make the footage look more joyous. 

Monday 23 September 2013

Group: Skills from AS to A2 - Location Reccie

The clear difference between our location reccie at A2 compared to AS was the change of brief which meant we went about filming differently. At AS we had to think about how every shot was going to fit into our narrative so that we obeyed the 180 degree rule and allowed for continiuty editing. Conversely at A2 we did not have these restrictions, this allowed us to have more freedom to try more experimental camera techniques. Personally for us this meant we could experiment with shots that we would use slow motion with. Due to the experience we have gained since our last location reccie we have learned valuable skills in how best to utilise our reccie. Here are some of the ways in which we have improved and this reccie differed from AS.
  • Used planning to use time as efficiently as possible
  • Gained experience so taking the shots and spotting good ones was more natural
  • Learned took same shot from different angles
  • Took more footage so that we definitely have enough when we are editing
  • Took more filler/ meat shots
  • Used initiative when filming
  • Set up quicker due to experience
  • Used reccie better as saw the ,ink bwtween the practice and actual filming
  • More ambitious with our shots
  • Planned what kind of shot we were going to do before we got ther
  • The urban location changed the use of mise-en-scene compared to the woodland area of wilderness woods
  • Knew how best to use the composition of shots to our advanatage

Saturday 21 September 2013

TW: Music Video Research

Experimental/ Abstract Techniques
Adrian Lux - Burning


The use of costume in this video adds enigma codes to enable an otherwise simple narrative to become interesting. Without out the use of the mascot costumes the concept would be straightforward and boring but it turns it into an interesting idea. This video has shown me that an unusual use of mise-en-scene can improve a music video drastically, this is something that we could not try in our film opening at AS as verisimilitude had to be constructed. I'd like to try and implement this idea into our video.
 
http://petapixel.com/2013/02/10/bts-slow-motion-music-video-shot-using-one-continuous-18-second-shot/

Friday 20 September 2013

Group: Brighton location reccie

On Thursday the 19th of September we went on a group trip to Brighton. We were given a list of shots which we were to practise and shoot, the list below shots these different shots which we were expected to perform as well.

  1. MLS panning establishing shot.
  2. Height angle shot.
  3. Low angle shot.
  4. Footage for a time lapse.
  5. POV handicam shot
  6. 360 pan
  7. Tracking shot
  8. Close ups.
  9. Pull/push focus.
  10. Location change shot.
  11. Foreground shot.
  12. Time lapse shot.
  13. Experimental slow motion shot for twixtor.

We had previously scouted for
good spots in Brighton which we thought would be good locations to shoot at, one of these places was the new skate park which has been recently finished after construction had started near the beginning of the year. We liked this location as it was inspired by the classic Californian style design which is commonly seen in skateboard films and in music videos as well as the fact that it is surrounded with a busy backdrop which includes flowers,rich green crass and the main road which leads to the heart of Brighton.

While at our location we managed to film some footage which we will be able to use in our final piece. One of our best shots while at the skatepark was a high angle CU of a skater as he grinded the side of the bowl. This shot and many other shots was filmed using Max's grip which allowed us to perform smooth handheld shots. In addition we filmed some filler shots, which we can use in our final production, of visually interesting graffiti and artwork. The use of the pull focus ability on the camera allowed us to alter the composition of the shot to our suiting. We discovered that having the main object in clear focus did not always produce the most desirable looking shot. This is reflective of music video conventions as the camera techniques are much more experimental than that of film and TV production.

The location reccie was a success for us as not many problems occurred. The weather is a key obstacle for us in our production and we were fortunate that while we were at the skatepark the sun had broken through the clouds, also due to the white concrete even in the cloudy moments the shots looked bright enough. Another obstacle we had to overcome was to make sure that anyone we filmed had given us permission, everyone we asked was co-operative with the exception of a few who said they didn't want to be filmed so we made sure to avoid them in the shots.


Thursday 19 September 2013

MS: Music video Anlaysis


Coldplay 'The scientist'

Representation 

The stereotypical representations of youths are being reinforced with one shown riding around in an urban area on BMX and some young black men playing basketball. These are very stereotypical and are being reinforced by the artist maybe because with the video being played in reverse it gives a different outlook on the stereotypical things that these groups are doing such as playing basketball. One dominant belief that is challenged is the type of person who comes from an urban area. The lead singer is walking around an inner-city area but from his costume, non-verbal language and the audiences cultural understanding of urban areas the typical people from urban areas is being challenged. The artist may have done this to show that he is different to the stereotypical people and you don't have to be a specific type of person to be from an urban area.

This track is very different to the genre that tyla and i have decided to use for our music video production, it follows suit to a number of conventions that are typical to its genre that is alternative rock but it also has some un-conventional aspects such as the fact that it is played in reverse from end to start.

Institution and Audience


The band themselves are very mainstream and appeal to a wide audience range which is the reason why they have become so successful since their formation. Their music videos receive a large amount of air time die to their popularity and thus as a follow on from hearing their music people would want to re-consume the band but by watching their music videos on web 2.0 platforms such as youtube.


As for the institutional contex of the video,coldplays record label EMI who are a major record label who are known worldwide.They would have some say in the style of video Coldplay make to ensure they stick to conventions of their genre and don't stay too far from the star image that has been created for the brand.
Using Goodwin's theory, when listening to this song the synaesthetic effect it gives is an emotional mood which is amplified by the music video because it is about a car crash where someone has died which is emotional and is reflected by the song. In addition the lyrics play a part by influencing the visuals of the music video.The line 'I'm going back to the start' is clear evidence of why the music video is playing backwards.The music video also shows Barthes theory of the'grain of voice' which sees the singing voice as personal to the singer and therefor the audience is able to see that the song is telling a story about the singer. This is further expressed by the breaking of the fourth wall which clearly shows the singer as the story teller. Goodwin would describe this video as illustrating the meaning of the lyrics with some amplification as the video is quite artistic in the way that it is in reverse.

During the video, Dyer's theory of paradoxical 2 is shown as the lead singer is seen to be both present, as he breaks the fourth wall at the beginning of the video but also absent, as shown towards the end when there is no breaking of the fourth wall or lip-syncing. The 'star'of the band is further constructed by mise-en-scene with costume being important. During the video the lead singer puts on a leather jacket which from the cultural code i would associate with being "cool". The video also develops the band's meta-narrative because it tells a story of losing someone close to you in an accident which could potentially be your fault. This creates a sense of sympathy towards the band as the person watching can mentally relate to the situation and would be able to relate the guilt felt to other past situations.

Different social groups are represented in the video being men,women,young black men and white teenagers. Firstly, the most prevalent social group is men who are represented in the video by the lead singer.
 
Chris Martins representation of him in the video is that he is from an urban background as shown by the location for the majority of the video. In addition there are numerous camera shots from a low angles that are lower than eye-level which gives indication that he is of importance and dominant within the video. Finally when he puts on a leather jacket his costume has connotations of being normal with plain white and black clothes but on the other hand the leather jacket has connotations of being more masculine and trendy. Secondly, white youths are given quite a typical representation from the male perspective as if seen hanging around in an urban setting casually riding on a BMX a person would not think this to be abnormal. This is a very typical view of white youths from urban areas and suggests they have nothing better to do than hang around.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

MS:Auteur analysis.


Can music videos be seen as more than just a commercial for the artist?

  • I feel like music videos can be seen in a way that depicts them as more than just a commercial. This is because many videos have been produced which are seen as more of an art form.

  • Michel Gondry directed the music video to Daft punks song 'around the world', when watching this production i see it as more of a artistic performance rather that as a commercial to promote the artist.
  • Music videos do not have to always be commercials for the artist as more often that not they are about experiences that the artists have had. This could also be seen as a form or commercialization as if the artist is re-telling parts of their life story it causes the audience to feel connected and engaged with the artist.
  • I do feel that artist do primarily use music videos as a form of advertising. This is backed up the the huge number of extreme close up shots of the artist which show the artist in spectacular and lavish ways. I feel that now in the 21 century the artist is more based around commercialization rather than actually producing music as people are attracted to publicity,money and the lifestyle attached.

Ever long- Foo Fighters:



  • The nature of the song is reflected by the dark toned video which is very much like a dream as the characters are shown to be dreaming with each other.
  • The video and soundtrack both complement each other as it is very enigmatic and unconventional.




Human behavior: Bjork

  • The dark colours and toy animals which are used in this music video reinforce and make the storyline very enigmatic, this is because they show the artist as becoming smaller and smaller and then coming across a hedgehog, teddy bear and then going into space.
  • Because of the enigmatic questions posed it makes the audience want to re-consume it as it is very hard to understand.



The chemical brothers:Golden path

  • This song is about someone trying to escape their current life which is shown to be dark and unhappy and start a new and happy life.
  • A contrast is shown between the two, this is done by showing a clear colour difference. The person is shown to be thinking about a new life when it changes from grey scale to a world of colour signifying happiness and fun.








TW: Auteur Analysis

Can music videos be considered more than just a commercial for an artist?

Spike Jonze
Praise you - Fatboy Slim

  • Video has a playful atmosphere which link with the sound of the song
  • Use of low quality camera makes video seem authentic and that the audience is part of the crowd
  • Creates repeatability for audience, suggesting it is an advertising technique
  • Concept is unique and original
  • Seems as though the performance was not intended for the video 
  • The absence of the artist and lack of conventional characteristics of music videos suggest that the is not just an advertisement
  • I think that the original concept and experimental media techniques shows that it is a piece of art 

Chris Cunningham 
Come to Daddy - Aphex Twin

  • there is an extreme use of enigma codes throughout, creating mystery for the audience. These have been developed through mise-en-scene techniques such as props, costume, casting and non verbal language. For example the use of children dressed in frocks, which have connotations of innocence, is juxtaposed by the masks they were combined with their chaotic actions.



TW: Music Video Analysis

I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding


Institution and audience
  • This video is published online through the music video sharing website for three of the "big four" record labels, it is also then distributed through other sites and media such as Youtube and TV stations.
  • This allows the core audience to find all the mainstream music videos in one place.Furthermore the labels use it to attract big advertisers as they can almost guarantee that lots users will visit the site as well as their technophile psycho graphic.
  • As this is artist is high profile and part of the pop genre the record label plays a large part in promoting the artist to a wider audience as possible.
  • Therefore the label will have a big say in the content of the video so that it can appeal to wide audience and be used as an advertisement for the artist. In addition the means of distribution will be solely managed by the label.

Genre and narrative
  • In 1992 Goodwin identified key features of music videos, many of which appear in this video. For example Goodwin proposed that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, in this particular the relationship is a mix of illustrative and amplifying. This is shown by the lyrics as they tell a story of a relationship and this is represented through the actions between the boy and girl in the video who are actually the artists who made the music.
  • This link to another one of Goodwin's key features that the video will feature lots of shots of the artist as the record label will demand this. another key feature is the notion of looking, which is evidfent in this video through the use of handicam. This camera camera technique suggest it is a consumer camera which is picked up by different groups of people which allows  the audience to gain an insight into their lives.
  • Personally I don't think this video can be considered art as it is too conventional and is heavily dominant on being an advertisement for the artist. It does offers one key interesting visual element to create repeatability for the audience however this in itself is used to make an efficient advertisement. 


Hey Ho - The Lumineers

Media Language
  • The use of colour and costume is connected to the sound of the band, brown rustic colours are heavily featured with the characters wearing clothing with connotations of countryside and farming. An example of the costume is the straw hats and dungarees.
  • This is used to construct the 'throwback' image of the band. In addition the is a message of love between friends and family whihc is represented through the casting of a large number of characters. Likewise there is a friendly party atmosphere conveyed through props such as confetti. 

Representation
  • Dyer (Stars, 1979) suggest that star image is constructed in media text through 2 paradox's which keep the audience unfulfilled. One of which is the ability to be simultaneously absent and present. In this video the artist is clearly present as it is a performance based video in which nearly every shot includes the artist, however the fourth wall is never broken meaning that there is no personal interaction with the audiences.
  • The use of this paradox keeps the audience unsatisfied and coming back for more. The ideological discourse represented in this video is similar of the dominant ideology of valuing friends and family.

Group: Institutional Context of Music Industry

Who owns the record labels?

Nowadays, many record companies are huge corporations that own a variety of record labels. These corporations usually consist of a parent company that owns more than one record label. For example, Warner Brothers Records owns Reprise Records and Maverick Records. In today's economy, most large record companies are actually huge conglomerates that own a variety of subsidiary record labels. Often, the subsidiary labels are each mini-companies operating under the wing of the larger corporation.
The CEO (chief executive officer) is in charge of the business of the whole company. In addition, each label also has its own president. Under the president of the individual label, there are vice presidents in charge of different departments such as the art department, new media, artist development and marketing.

What is involved in a record deal?

Before an artist can be signed, they have to be discovered by the A&R (artists and repertoire) of the record company, who are in charge of finding new talent and being the link between the recording artist and all the other departments of the record company. When the A&R are all in agreement, the artist will be signed. An album will then be planned, and the record company will give the artist a budget to be used for studio musicians, studio engineers and studio time. A budget is also allotted for advertising, art, publicity and promotion. Graphic artists, designers and copywriters begin their work, the A&R department, as well as publicity, marketing and sales; decide on a release date for the album. The artist development department (along with other departments) plans the live performances, promotional tour and radio and TV appearances. The record company must make sure that there is promotion for the artist on the national, regional and local level (depending on how much money the label is willing to spend).
Near the time that the album will be released, the label's departments secure press coverage and exposure for the artist to make sure that the album will sell many copies, ensuring the success of everyone involved, from the artist to the radio stations to the CD stores.

How are musicians promoted? Outline different types of marketing strategies/tools.

* News releases
* Interviews
* Reviews
* Events
* Live performances
* Charitable participation
* Social media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
* Promotional emails
* Official website
* Competitions/give aways
* Advertising
* Exposure
* Forums
* Blogs
* Endorsements
* Biography
* Newsletter
* Merchandise




Who is responsible for making branding/ marketing decisions?

The role of a Brand Manager or Product Manager working in the music industry is to help create and implement marketing campaigns to maximize the sales of music from a particular record label, artist, online music service, radio station or other music product. They will usually be employed by a large or well established record label or music company and are likely to be responsible for managing the campaigns for a specific artist, product or group of artists. For example a large record company may have a range of different musical genres and they may appoint a Brand Manager to manage the campaign for their classical portfolio or for their jazz portfolio. They may also be employed by a marketing agency that specializes in marketing services to the music or creative industries. All sorts of events, products and artists may be defined as a brand. For example Top of the Pops is considered a major global music brand and has a Brand Manager who works across all media and markets, nationally and internationally.

Why is a music video so significant?

From the start music videos were a way of publicising artists that were perhaps not mainstream enough to receive radio play, as more music video channels were launched more music videos were shown as were a wider variety of genres. Yet they were not as important as they are today, people have expectations that if a single is released then there will be a video to accompany it. There are many people that start to like a song because they had seen the music video first, this is one reason why music videos are so important, if the audience can relate to either the song itself or the actions within the video then they are more likely to buy the song, creating money and publicity for the artist/band.

What is the production process of a music video?


Pre-Production
The first stage of a successful production is planning. It is important to plan thoroughly by identifying clearly your Production aims, style, key messages and target audience. This planning stage is a two way process between what you tell us about your market and aims and what we can suggest to you in order to formulate effective and creative video treatments.
At all stages 3rd eye are in dialogue with our clients and our client's market or key aims. This exchange of information and ideas combined with our Production experience enable us to tightly integrate the Production from the start.
Effective and entertaining Professional video speaks volumes about you, your organisation or your Company. A well-planned, well-researched Production delivering your key messages with the right image and style for you is the goal of this stage. Pre-production planning is thus vital to ensure your Production hits its target audience with maximum force and impact. Once we have discussed the project and done the research the final step is a treatment or storyboard made and presented for client approval.

Production
We have the means to produce stunning video and DVD. Working with a range of professional formats from broadcast standard kit to the sony dvcam range. 3rd eye use experienced crew to produce crisp, clean and creative video with superb content, and technical quality.
We can produce for Broadcast, Corporate clients and duplicate / encode peices for bulk vhs / dvd distribution and indeed for many formats or delivery systems in-between.
Our Production department is tightly integrated with post-production to ensure we retain throughout the pristine picture and audio quality. Digital integration at 3rd eye not only ensures high-end production values, but we reduce production costs too. This gives you quality video at competitive prices.

Post-Production
Our post-production facilities offer choices in both on & off line non-linear editing. Non-linear editing means that each and every aspect pf your Production from video scenes, audio, images, text, or graphics can be mixed, cropped, merged, changed or deleted as you wish, there and then.
Non-linear editing enables both faster and considerably more creative video. Our digital editing systems offer unlimited creative possibilities: special effects too: indeed everything that is necessary in order to produce stunning video productions. The second stage of post-production is the completion of a 'rough edit' for the client to see and discuss any changes. With digital non-linear editing changes to the piece can be done there and then with the client. Clients can then view the edit and take the chance to fine-tune the style, key messages and impact of the production: post production allows us to add, delete, polish off and mix all our source material creatively into a final or 'master' edit. When we have client approval this final cut can then be recorded to the format or media of your choice such as video, cd, dvd or even video for the web. 3rd eye broadcast can supply bulk-run copies in designed and printed sleeves and also archive your edit for future reference.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Group: Concept Development - Lyrics

Lyrics for Adrian Lux- Teenage crime


We don't sleep when the sun goes down
We don't waste no precious time
All my friends in the loop
Making up for teenage crime


We don't sleep when the sun goes down
We don't waste no precious time
All my friends in the loop
Making up for teenage

Don't go away


We will be amplifying the lyrical meaning of this track by showing a group of teenage friends, who are all into skating and bmxing, showing their lives as they enjoy going out together meeting up and having a good time riding and doing tricks. In addition we might include a pre song clip of one of the group watching a news report about teenagers causing trouble.Amplifying the idea in the line “making up for teenage crime” as often teenagers are represented as troublemakers and nuisances, however this one group are showing what teenagers can be like. In addition the idea in the line “all my friends in the loop” will be developed through the camaraderie and bond this group share.  

TW: Music Video Research

Together Max and I have shared many ideas about which we have gained from the research we have completed. To further these discussions I have researched some music videos which include skateboarding which is a key part of our concept.

Dub Pistols - Back to daylight
In this video the key elements which will be of use to us are
  • The warm colours reflected in the early morning sunlight are what we will try to emulate in our first section
  • the use of subtle slow motion to ease the pace of the visuals which reflects the track




Kid Cudi - Immortal
Key video elements
  • Use film burn to creat bright exotic colours
  • Natural flowing use of slow motion, full speed to slow mo as tricks are performed
  • Bright vivid colours


Adrian Lux- Damaged
Key video elements
  • Use of narration before song, gives some sort of context
  • Film burn
  • Flowing slow motion
  • The key theme of friendship and camaraderie 

From this research I have learned that the use of slow motion will be key if our music video is going to look genuine. We will have to research into ways of adding to our cameras capabilities in this area as it is only able to run at 60fps. In addition the use of colour will be important so that we can give the feelign we want to the footage. Furthermore an ideas I have picked up from the research is the possibility of adding a short prelude to the footage before the music starts.
http://petapixel.com/2013/02/10/bts-slow-motion-music-video-shot-using-one-continuous-18-second-shot/

MS: Music video research and ideas

In today's lesson Tyla and i have both discussed our treatment. We have made good progress with it but we both decided to spend some time looking for potential effects that we can incorporate into our production to make it more unique and interesting to our target audience. 

We have spent about an hour looking for good examples of special effects that we wish to use in order to increase our production values and thus increase the viewing experience for our audience.



Twixtor






Twixtor is a special effect that we will almost definitely use in our production. We have both decided that we will use slow motion in our production as we will be using a Cannon 550D which can film at a rate on 60 fps at 720p. This means that when we slow the footage down it will produce a high quality image which is better than a normal consumer camera. the only problem is that we would like to use super slow motion throughout large proportions of our production but although a high fps, 60 is not high enough as a jumpy image would still be produced. 
This means that we will have to make a compromise and rather than being able to have whole takes in super slow motion we will have to use a technique called ramped slow-mo which means that the clips will play at normal speed and then we will only use a small amount of the frames in order to have a brief 2-3 second extreme slow motion clip which will preserve nearly all of the information and detail of the original clip.


RGB twitch






RGB twitch/split is an effect that today i showed to tyla. We both discussed this with Mrs johnson and she also liked the idea of using it as it is very original and hasn't been used before in the media department.
I found this effect on a computer gaming montage where it was used as a transition to change from location to location. This effect would be very useful when changing locations and just as a technique to make the visuals look more attractive. In short it is a way in which the (Red,Green and Blue) colours that make up the image can be separated to create a bright and elaborate 3D effect.

Animations




The music video to Left boys new song called 'Get it right' includes multiple animations which move around with the subjects in the shot. We both like this idea as we can create almost anything within reason and then import it into the moving image as if it were there when the clip were filmed.


 






 



Group: Potential tracks

Idea 1.
Tyla and I have both listened to this song and feel that it was a good option as a track to make our production to. We both liked the idea of having a music video which accompanied a track which was quite chilled and had a house theme but we have not decided that this track will be our final option yet.



Idea 2.
When searching for more potential tracks that would follow our theme that we have in mind Tyla found this track which we both feel is probably the strongest track that we have. After discussing the possible visuals that could accompany it we agreed that it would suit our treatment very well as it has an up-beat vibe and also incorporates the chilled house genre that we were trying to appeal too.

Idea 3.
Following a very similar beat and rhythm to idea 1 this glen Jackson song is also by the same artist who remixed our initial soundtrack idea. We like this as it promotes a fun summer vibe which can be amplified by the use of bright and elaborate visuals mainly being in slow motion with the occasional fast montage. This song also follows a continuous beat which allows for good continuity when syncing footage with the visuals and sound.


MS: Deconstruction of digipack


Bloc party


Richard Dyer stars- Paradox 1

They have a metanarrative which shows them as simultaneously ordinary and extra ordinary, the reason for this is that in the booklet within the album case they are shown to be very similar  to the target audience that they are trying to appeal to. The way this is shown is through mise en scene, in other words the way that the stars are dressed. Whether this is by wearing a t-shirt or a sleeveless top with jeans it means that the consumer constructs a connection between themselves and the band members.

The band and its members can also be interrupted as being extra ordinary as in many of the photos included in the booklet are pictures of the band members in a recording studio holding and playing musical instruments which makes them unique to the average person. This can also create a connection between them and the consumer as it makes them look extraordinary and appealing to the consumer as it makes you(the consumer) want to be like them as it looks like a better way of life and more fun than working and following the normal route of a working life. It can also create a connection between the band members a large proportion of their target consumers as many people listening to their music and consuming the contents of the booklet will have played a musical instrument and/or still do. This means that the consumer feels like they have something in common that possibly they could relate to the band members with.

Paradox 2

The star image means that the pictures shown within the booklet describe and show the band members so that the consumer can construct an interpretation of how they feel that they will sound and what music they will create but it doesn’t complete the star(s) image and thus the only way for the consumer to get closer and to satisfy their need to find out more about the band is for the consumer to consume to the content on the disk.

Barthes semiotics

Semiotics provides an framework for deconstructing media texts enabling audiences to discover how texts influence them persuasively and subtly. Roland Barthes mythologies (1957) studies sign systems. Signs act to signify meaning. Meaning is said to be encoded in a media text and is revealed when the audience decodes or interprets it. 

Applying this theory to the Bloc party album means that what is not necessarily apparent straight away becomes apparent. The sign(signifier denotation) is the four red,blue,yellow and green rings on the front of the album. Each colour represents a member of the band and throughout the booklet this theme continues as it shows each different member of the band. As each member is shown there is  a red, blue, green or yellow hue over the band members picture.




The signified (connotation) of this is that due to the rings fitting together and the colours of the rings being present throughout the booklet its suggests that there is a harmony throughout and that the four stars that make Bloc party fit together and are one.