Improvement #1 to Music Video

I have decided upon having my video as a progression from black and white (symbolises sadness, weakness and all around bleakness of the actor's emotions) to colour (symbolises happiness, strength and a reflection of the actor's emotions) as I truly wanted to make the video appear as transitional as possible in order to keep true to the tone that the song takes. Additionally, it will allow me to keep the audience's interest as the video progresses, as they will take notice of how the song and the actor gain strength together.

Editing Ideas

Immediately after envisioning ideas for the video, I felt that editing was to be kept simplistic and to not overshadow the underlining meaning of the song or the importance of the lyrics and visuals reflecting each other. Although I haven't made any solid decisions yet, I am certain that special effects or animation won't play a part within the video simply because I believe it would not match the song very well and having a solemn tone assists in keeping the song in the spotlight.

Music Video Script

• song begins; the artist stands in the middle of the shot facing the camera
• close up shot of the actor, staring away from the camera in a mournful way
• artist begins to sing as actor is sat on bed and climbs to get off
• close up shot of artist singing, switch to actor knocking something over
• actor turns, bends down to pick it up and spots something odd (a parcel? letter?)
• cut to artist singing (medium long shot), switch to actor opening object to see photographs
• she stands, moves back to the bed and begins laying them out with a cut to artist looking down on the floor with a half-smile
• actor stands back once finished and camera pans over the photographs (extreme close up) between cuts of artist singing
• actor smiles, picks up a couple photos to reminisce and cut to flashback where sub-actors are smiling, laughing and joking about together (camera represents actor's vision)
• medium close up shot of artist singing with more movement; switch to actor smiling before placing photo down, bending down for object again and shakes it for anything she missed
• over-the-shoulder shot of actor's hand holding a note saying 'LOOK AT THE BOOKCASE' where she proceeds to go
• artist shot holding herself with face turned away from the camera, switch to actor reaching for the bookcase and spotting a bible with a necklace attached
• actor holds necklace before finding the page it's attached to and finds it to be her favourite part of the bible
• close up shot of artist singing more strongly, switch to actor who is reading the pages, smiling, and puts down the bible
• actor stands, holding the necklace and goes to put it on
• cut to artist who is singing, switch to actor looking back down at the bible, seeing something and bends down to retrieve it
• ovre-the-shoulder shot of actor's hand holding another note saying 'LOOK IN THE DRAWERS' where she proceeds to go
• artist shown singing with much more movement, switch to actor who sifts through the drawers and finds a notebook
• actor opens it to find it has notes from her family left for her, she smiles; cut to artist looking at camera with a smirk
• over-the-shoulder shot of actor who finds another note reading 'WHEN YOU NEED ME, CALL ME' to which she puts down the notebook
• cut to artist who is staring directly into the camera and sings softly
• when tempo rises again, cut to wide shot of the artist increasing her movement whilst singing, switch to actor who grabs her phone and texts her friend
• many cuts between the artist singing and the actor getting ready to go out and meet her friends occur (artist belting out the lyrics more soulfully whilst actor gets dressed, does her make-up, etc)
• panning shot (wide shot to close-up) of artist who finishes singing, switch to actor who leave her home (peering over her shoulder, smiling beforehand)

Media Equipment Booked!

I've booked the media equipment today including the camera, its battery and a tripod for filming on Sat 9th and Sun 10th November, all checked and agreed with the actors also. I hope to keep to this so that, if needed, I can go back and re-film any shots over the next couple of weeks afterwards. Additionally, it will give me enough time to edit the video in my own time. Below is the arrangements made for filming days with the actors.

21/10/2013 20:46

Aria Archer

hey guys! I'm hoping to start filming when we come back to school in early November so would you all be available to film on Sat 9th and perhaps Sun 10th too? if not, we may have to film during the school week and the latest I can do is Sat 16th and Sun 17th because I need to edit the video.

21/10/2013 21:09

Daniela Stempinska

I can help with everything at any time

22/10/2013 10:32

Chantal Carine Neckles

Sorry my fb hasn't been letting me reply properly, if you need me I can help out

22/10/2013 10:33

Aria Archer

great! are there any dates you guys would prefer? I was thinking Sat 9th and/or Sun 10th Nov would be best.

22/10/2013 11:24

Chantal Carine Neckles

So long as it's not Nov 15th than I'm good to go

22/10/2013 14:49

Basheba Baptiste

yep, those days are good. where and when are we meeting? x

22/10/2013 17:04

Daniela Stempinska

I'm good to go too xx

22/10/2013 17:32

Adela Davis

I can do it! is there anything I need to bring with me? xoxo

22/10/2013 18:11

Aria Archer

great! no, I don't think so. I guess I'd just say dress casually because that's all I really need to for your part of the music video (including you Daniela). I'll speak to Basheba and Chantal over the holidays in terms of dress because you're playing more significant figures. But other than that, I'll book out the equipment and we'll meet on Sat 9th Nov at 10am at Morrisons in Acton.

Creation of the Logo

So this is a step-by-step guide of how I created the logo for my artist and why I made certain decisions with font style, colour, positioning, etc.

I first started off with the artist's name in order to get an idea with what went best with what. I also wanted to test out all the fonts to help me decide what looked good for the song's style and how I wanted it to be presented to the target audience. This is what I came up with:

It is the font Niagara Engraved and I felt that it truly suited the genre and song's style well as it has this old-fashioned 80's tone to it that is both simple but rather elegant. It isn't positioned in a very unique manner because I don't want the logo to be all over the place so by placing the text straight and facing the audience directly, it'll appeal more especially since the font is not typically of this era musically. Having only done this text, I've kept the colour black as I wasn't sure how the rest of the logo would turn out.

I then moved onto getting the name of the song linked in with the artist. This I found a little tricky as I wanted to be really artistic with how I presented the name but I eventually just opted for something quick and easy but catches the eye of the audience because it contrasts so efficiently with the font and colour of the artist. This is what I came up with:

It is the font Rage Italic and it is such a great font that went side-by-side the previous font immaculately. It provides this very personal touch to the song, almost as if done by the artist herself, that it will automatically invoke the audience's attention and perhaps encourages them to watch the music video. Although I went for the colour blue, it is fairly dark (keeping true to my colour palette) because it matches with the on screen artist's costume style and will encourage a continuous flow for the rest of my work i.e. the magazine and CD covers.

Afterwards, I just added another small text using the Copperplate Gothic Bold font in the colour red stating that the video was coming soon and its date as that is necessary for an announcement of a single. Here is the update below:

Although I feel as though it isn't finished, there isn't much more I can do without making it looked crowded so I'll add to it as I go along with the process.

Colour Palette

Creating this palette ensures a continuity of the artist's style and will become recognisable themes of everything the artist does for her audience.

Dark Sapphire Blue

Black

Ruby Red

I have decided upon keeping the colours to a minimum as to make the artist's appearance simplistic but bold. Although I am using red within the style, I am keeping it to a minimum as I believe the colour to represent sexual connotations and I do not want that for the artist and her work, especially for this song as it doesn't at any given point portray provocative behaviour or feelings towards to the audience. Black and blue are very simple colours and, although dark, portray sense of power and stance in a person and I felt that important for the artist's portrayal, being she is a woman of emotions and her vocals are quite powerful.

Draft for Music Video

A storyboard will follow this at a later stage but here is a draft for how I envision a basic beginning, middle and ending (on the basis of the lyrics) of the music video to play out. For the music video, I felt that producing a transitional piece would compliment and amplify the song brilliantly, the tempo building and building as the song goes on to emphasis the strength and passion in the artist.

Beginning: "You called me out ... with love."

Medium long shot that slowly zooms out, artist stood directly in the middle of shot staring into the lens; medium close up to big close up in a swift cut and at different angles, main actor sat on bed just staring into space; return to same shot of artist whom then begins to sing; similar shots continue (undecided yet) until the chorus; panning shots of artist begin here and cuts begin to speed up. --- I chose these certain shots because I felt that such a powerful song needs to have raw shots with close ups and medium close ups of the people involved so that all the focus is on their emotions and the song itself. Additionally, it links back to my research here where I mentioned providing an alternative to controversy and it fits in very nicely with the chosen song.

Middle: "Your tongue won't tie ... with love."
Return to the artist as tone slows down once more, a medium shot used to get a larger amount of her body and, therefore, her body language as she begins to put more passion into the song; there are many cuts between the performance, the main narrative and the flashback narrative in an attempt to provoke an emotional response from the artist to the audience - most of the artist shots will be medium long shots and close ups with panning and zoom shots whilst the narrative shots will be close ups, medium shots and perhaps a couple of long shots to show her surroundings --- I chose these certain shots because the build up of the song provides a build up of the visuals and, by involving intimate shots of the actors and artist, it correctly portrays the emotions within the lyrics. Again, looking back at my research; it specifically says that the audience wants a link between the song's lyrics and the visuals of the video so this will achieve a good start in terms of interest in the video itself.

Addition to Middle: "When I'm down ... always there."
Fast cuts are very significant within this part of the song as I envision quick jumps between all three narratives to match alongside the ever-increasing tone of the song; long shots, medium shots, medium 2 shots, close ups and extreme close ups involved within these cuts to maximize the realism of the scenes --- I chose these certain shots because I wanted this video to be transitional and, by having these jump cuts between the narratives match the melody, it would prove to be certainly something more powerful than the previous verses. Additionally, it would allow all three narratives to come together and morph into this one emotion: happiness.

End: "When I'm down ... with love."
This is where the melody completely drops and the the shots become longer as I want the focus to be on the artist's vocals specifically here (they sound particularly phenomenal here so I want them to be noticed); I want the video to end with a medium shot of the artist smiling at the lens and a medium (long?) shot of the main actor leaving her home smiling --- I chose these certain shots because the melody appears more lighter than the beginning and the contrast between the two is quite settling for the audience, I believe, as a happy ending for both the actor and the artist.

Overall, the music video will change according to the tone and feel of the song so that the audience will feel the exact wave of emotions as the artist does when singing, which is particularly important for a transitional video. In terms of editing, it will be a lot to do due to the constant change in tone but the end result will amplify the song in such a way that the audience will, hopefully, find the genre more intriguing and be a wonderful comeback for the those of an older generation.

I found that Uses and Gratifications complimented my video well and I wanted to apply Katz and Blumler's theory to the vision of my music video's final production. Keeping to terms with the genre characteristics, personal identity is significant to portraying a Soul singer's emotions and keeping a clean cut front for their audience. This use of Personal Identity links in with the idea of reinforcing the artist's values and produces an insight into the artist's private life, something her audience would be interested in and perhaps appreciate as they may be able to connect with her emotionally through the song.

Annotation of the Lyrics

I believe that the song is something meaningful and should have a visual representation of the lyrics to get the best out of the song; seeing as it means something emotionally for the original artist herself. Also, the lyrics prove that emotion is everything for this song and help give the amazingly successful sound it has.

You called me out and taught me tough with love,

With love,

You fought my flaws, my teeth, my claws with love,

With love,

Cause every time I'm slipping away from myself,

You're the one that moves me like nobody else,

The first verse begins with a deep emotional connection straightaway, the artist singing about someone bringing her out of the shadows and helping her love again. This image that someone 'taught me tough with love' is a juxtaposition as the idea of love being something harsh is odd so already the song is proving itself to be a direct message from the artist on exactly how she feels. She then emphasises these opposites by explaining that this person continued to fight her imperfections i.e. 'flaws', 'teeth' and 'claws' representing those blemishes in her personality 'with love', this clear image that she has been healed by this person's love. She continues on to the bridge that she confesses that when she is 'slipping away' from herself, this person 'moves me like nobody else'; making it clear that this love has already saved her before and has continuously done so up until now.

Cause when I'm down and I'm done,

And I'm coming unplugged,

When I'm ready to fall,

You're the one always holding me up,

With love, oh,

The chorus is obviously the main piece of the song where the artist belts out the main and most memorable lyrics and, additionally, where she portrays how strongly she feels throughout this song. This is where I need to have focus upon the visuals in the video itself as the artist's expression through the lyrics is at its peak so a good visual representation within the video during this point would make it successful.

Your tongue won't tie,

You always find the truth, yeah you do,

But still you smile despite the lines I drew for you,

Cause every time I'm slipping away from myself,

You're the one that moves me like nobody else, oh no,

Looking at the beginning of the second verse, it's clear that the song is full of visuals that the artist uses to portray her emotions throughout the song and that this is important to illustrate through the music video, the lines 'your tongue won't tie' and 'despite the lines I drew for you' emphasis this. I've found that, as an artist, having an emotional connection with the lyrics is important to Grimmie which, in turn, should be reflected through the narrative and even more so through the performance shots as it would be great to portray her personality through the video.

~~Chorus~~

When I'm down,

When I'm coming on down no,

You're always there with love,

When I'm down yeah,

When I'm out, when I fall,

You're always always always always always there,

This is a big build up of the melody getting louder and stronger whilst the artist sings parts of the lyrics in any random order as a sort of free-style verse, allowing the artist to really impress with her vocals and push the emotion through to the listener. The repetition of 'always' right at the end shows the artist really pushing her vocals to showing her appreciation of these people whom have helped her get to where she is. It's clear that this is a moment in the video where I should consider a build-up of emotion for the main actor that truly reflect her appreciation for her inspirations behind the song.

When I'm down and I'm done,

And I'm coming unplugged,

When I'm ready to fall,

You're the one always holding me up, (x2)

With love.

The last repetition of the chorus is significant because this is where you hear the artist's strong and unique vocals much more clearly. When she sings the first 4 lines, it was sung just after a big build up of the song and this sudden drop in music brings back the gentle tone a typical Soul song contains. Additionally, and most importantly, the sudden drop of music bring Grimmie's voice into the spotlight and has extreme focus on her singing and the emotion she puts into her voice as she sings. This is a significant point in the song, I believe, as it provides a good tempo for a positive twist within the song and potentially the music video.

Personal Deadlines For Production

I hope to have the music video filmed by mid-November at the very latest so I have drafted up a timeline for the production process that should keep me on track:

From now until October 25th

~finish updating my research on blog

~have half of the planning finished (minimum) uploaded to blog

From October 26th until November 3rd

~finish the planning stage fully and upload to blog

~test out the locations, props and narrative to make sure they work

~meet up with the actresses partaking in the music video to arrange dates and times to film
~upload blog posts regarding changes, meet-ups, discussions, etc.

From November 4th until November 17th

~email my teacher to arrange the dates and times for booking the camera and other equipment and post discussion on blog

~film the music video (dates to be set)
~update blog posts with any changes, meet-ups, discussions, etc.
From November 18th until November 30th
~re-watch recorded parts and edit alongside it
~re-film any parts that don't work
~update blog posts with any changes, meet-ups, discussions, etc.
From December 1st until December 20th
~complete editing for music video
~begin evaluation stage

Props Decisions

Costume

I first looked into costumes as it is the first thing the audience will notice about the artist and the actors taking part so I felt that had some sort of significant value upon how each person will be viewed.

Looking at the artist, I felt that although I wanted to keep the elegance and sophistication from past genre singer's, I did want to include some small pieces that hinted at something modern so that the genre can delve into the modern world as something that's kept with the times but has kept its originality. The following is what I envision the artist is be wearing within the video:

As you can see, the costume will consist of blue and black colours - the colour scheme I will follow in terms of keeping her as a recognizable figure to the target audience and have her create a bold statement straightaway. Again, I want to revisit the past by keeping the artist dressed in an elegant fashion and with little focus on accessories and make-up that glamorize the image. Although red is another vital part of my colour scheme, I've decided upon leaving it out in her outfit for the video partly because I felt that it didn't suit the theme of the outfit and it doesn't compliment each other well overall despite it looking really great together in the logo and such.

Looking at the main actor, I am going to have her wear 2 different outfits. For the first, I wanted it to be clear from the start that she was emotionally drained and was 'down and done' as referenced from the artist's song so that she would be seen making that steady transition from ultimately sad to indescribably alive again. So this is what I decided upon her first outfit:

Having her wear such simple clothing is important for the scene as it really portrays her vulnerability in reflection with the lyrics. Additionally, when all a girl is wearing is a run-down sweatshirt, a pair of shorts and socks without make-up; it really shows how rundown she is as a girl's appearance is very important within modern society. By showing what she looks like away from that attracts both my target audience of 16-20 years old and a wider audience also.

I have dressed the artist with the Syntagm & Paradigm theory in mind as I wanted to conform to the genre's conventions in terms of style simply because it reflects the song very well - this portrayal of elegance prominent throughout the song and in the artist herself - and this constructs a certain image of the artist that continues to be portrayed in other products i.e. the colours black and blue representing strength and boldness

For the second, it needed to be the complete opposite of the first as she wears this near the end of the video where the tone becomes happier and more alive so it's important to reflect that onto the actor and continue the transition. This is decided upon her second outfit:

The difference is clear as the clothing is more compact and a lot more tidy than previously as she begins to take pride in herself again. I wanted to keep it cute and casual without overdoing it with too much make-up and jewellery as that would take too much time to film and I need to keep it flowing nicely that fits in with the flow of the song.

I have dressed each person with Levi-Strauss' theory of binary oppositions in mind, the idea of strong vs weak fitting in nicely with the song's lyrics and its underlining meaning. The artist is meant to represent a stronger force, wearing a black and blue outfit against a plain background helps bring out her image. The actor is meant to represent a weaker being, wearing plain clothing with no real colour and appears messy portraying her this way.

Handled Objects
I then looked into props on the set of the scenes that lead up to be the big finale and take a significant role in their own way i.e. the notes will be used to lead the actor around her room, the camera and pictures to activate the flashback narrative of her closest friends, the scrapbook full of pictures of her and her family, the necklace to replicate her love of Jesus Christ and God, etc. 

These are important as, if you check here, I took note of the fact that Grimmie wrote this song with her loved ones in mind and I really wanted to make that vivid within the video. Additionally, having such personal items revealed in such a public and even vulnerable way is quite popular within today's youth as it shows a certain amount of strength in revealing such emotions about things and this touches people in my target audience emotionally that it becomes relatable and that it keeps them coming back to the artist. Additionally, a phone and a small amount of make-up is involved that will be used as she gets dressed to go out to meet her friends to keep a sense of realism present throughout the video.

Location Decisions

Bedroom

This is a significant location where most of the narrative takes place: the actress will be based in this room as the song progresses. I chose this location because it provided a very home-like tone and adds personality to the scene which is needed to help the narrative reflect the lyrics. There is a window based at the end of the room (with thick curtains) which lets in a lot of natural lighting whilst having the opportunity to block it out when necessary and the layout of the setting is an uncertainty with how it will work with the song and its narrative but my backup plan is to use another bedroom in the house with better and adjustable space.

Hallway

This location will only be used right at the end of the music video and I chose it because it fit in well with the narrative to help make it flow as one piece and can be altered easily for the benefit of the scenes. Lighting isn't a problem as I am able to open the doors which will all let in a large amount of light and can be controlled without expensive artificial lighting.

<the picture will be placed here soon>

Drama Room

This location will be used for the artist's performance shots as it has stage lighting and black background that will give it a complimentary aesthetics for the performance. This part of the narrative is meant to be raw and to represent the artist's strong vocals clearly and proudly so having this stage-based location would amplify this. I've acknowledged that things may not go the way in which I want to but I will visit the room to check on how to use the equipment and to test the scene before making a final decision. If I do have to change locations, I will change it to ....

Roundwood Park

This is another significant location where another part of the narrative takes place - the main actor appears in a vintage memory montage with her closest friends that link closely with the song's lyrics. This is meant to be a very casual environment where groups of friends typically hang out together and greatly presents a more story-like tone for the video and provides that visual representation of the song's lyrics. Additionally, it compliment the vintage memory montage very well as the environment is bright and open-spaced plus allows me to play on the idea of having the camera lens represent the main actor's eyes.

Actors Chosen!

This wasn't a chore to complete as I only needed 2-4 people to partake in the video and I managed to get willing actors through my inner circle of friends:

Artist - Basheba Baptiste

Main Actor - Chantal Neckles

Actor #1 - Adela Davis

Actor #2 - Daniela Stempinska

I wanted the artist and actors to be young as I believe it will be more appealing to my target audience to see people their own age interested in an out-dated genre, and perhaps encouraging them into watching the music video and, in turn, listening to the music.

I will be arranging filming dates and times with them over the course of the next week in order to provide all of us involved time to find good days to film the main pieces and then extra days, if necessary, to re-film. Additionally, I will eventually plan a photoshoot with Basheba Baptiste that will be part of the album artwork and magazine advert.

Initial Ideas for Music Video

I have the basis of an idea for the music video itself but I had to do a little bit of research into the meaning of the song as I wanted to conform to the majority of the genre characteristics by reflecting Grimmie's personality and staying true to the song's meaning. Watching the video linked below, I learned that the song wasn't what I had originally thought it was - a typical boy-meets-girl love song - and instead was written differently: "I kind of wrote it in the direction I'm talking to a very close friend of mine, I'm either talking to God about things or I'm talking about my fans." This ended up changing the perspective of the ideas I had in mind and I envisioned this very raw piece that focused solely on the artist's vocals and lyrics and having her meaning for the song come to life.

Right now, I envision having the artist in a studio-like room with basic lighting to highlight them and perhaps a piano (?) to play with as they belt out the lyrics. During these shots, there'd be a narrative (simply because it is the best way to portray the raw emotions within the song correctly to do them justice) of a girl shown to be weak at the beginning of the video but ends up stronger than ever at the end.

The artist will be wearing one outfit throughout the whole video: outfit undecided as of yet but will have a red, blue and black colour theme with little but bold jewellery and minimal make-up (strong lipstick or eyeliner/mascara) that stays true to conventions of Soul. There will possibly be a piano on set for the artist to play on (undecided as of yet due to uncertainty of availability) as she mimics the lyrics but I plan for there to be the following: lighting and plain black background. The following places are ideal locations of the video: bedroom and hallway (same place), park, church, streets, etc. These are for two different corresponding narratives.

In terms of shots, I believe that close up shots, panning shots and medium shots will be great for the video. Close ups are useful for capturing the artist's emotions and helping to make this section of the video as raw as possible, keeping it realistic with Christina Grimmie's vision for the song. Panning shots can be used nearing the end of the song where the artist sings the end chorus and will be useful to portray the louder vocals and faster sound in a more vibrant way. Medium shots are also great for illustrating a good amount of the focal point (the artist/actress) with background so that the whole frame is filled up of what is occurring within the video, leaving the audience to focus fully on what is happening.

So far, this is what has been drawn up for the music video but updates will be coming on over the course of the next few weeks on how it develops.

Summary of Research

After researching genres, both the one I have chosen and others I looked at, I have made a set decision on keeping to the Soul genre and using Christina Grimmie's song With Love as my artist and track. This is because, as a fan of the genre myself, I believe not many people of my audience know much about the genre and can really appreciate its passion for music kept raw and emotional. Additionally, Grimmie is a modern 19-year-old Soul singer which would help attract the audience into listening to the music as her youthful age represents a good image for the genre and how far it has come.

Now that research is done, I am moving onto asking her management for permission of the song's use and, thereafter, planning the music video.

Research on Star Image and Representation

This is the link to my Artist Research

An artist needs to have a certain image, in which represents the music they create and sell; that will allow them to be recognised easily in the media and when their music is being released, an advantage that effectively help sell their records. In terms of Soul music, an artist's image is normally persistently similar with long, elegant dresses (typically one block colour), suits with high heeled boots, extravagant but unprovocative clothing, etc. that have no changed drastically over the years.

Looking at singers such as Etta James and India Arie, they portray they stereotypical style of a Soul singer's style where anything provocative is kept to a minimum (if at all) and their face and/or clothing to made eye-catching so the audience are able to learn something about the artist from her clothing and her overall appearance.

Etta James is shown in a clean cut black-and-white suit with a cloth to cover her cleavage and a brooch (meant to represent something meaningful and valuable) placed on her chest. This is very stereotypical of a female Soul singer, especially in the 1970s/1980s, where dressing in what essential is a men's dress was meant to signify their strength and how they didn't need to be sexual to produce and sell good music.

India Arie is a more modern example of this where she is shown in a plain black shirt, a headband and a few extravagant jewellery with minimum make-up. This, again, is very stereotypical of a female Soul singer even a couple of decades on as she isn't grabbing the audience's attention using her body but her clothing, all replicating an African tone that shows her to be keeping to her roots as an artist.

However, looking at very popular Soul singers such as Mariah Carey, they are much more sensual and portray a sexy elegance where she wears a long gown with diamond earrings but shows cleavage and more skin and this is because she acts under the demands of the record label in which want her to be this more sexualised figure that keeps her in the spotlight.

Here Mariah Carey wears a sophisticated dress with a small amount of jewellery (following the typical genre characteristics of Soul fashion) but she shows off her cleavage very clearly, the thin straps that keep the dress from falling off illustrate her sexuality and the colour red represents lust and sexual desires. Carey is a modern example of how the big 4 control artists and how they present themselves to their audiences, even for a softer and more raw genre like Soul, so that their records sell.

Research on Fonts

Over the years, fonts and designs used for album covers have not changed significantly as to follow along with the genre of soul/R&B characteristics of 'music with a personality' but typically doesn't involve anything too provocative and has real meaning, the idea of this genre being the eye to the artist's soul.

Released in May 1987

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid/late-1980s where Soul was delving into the genres of Funk and Disco, quiet storm was dominating the genre and the formation of Soul and Electro-music was beginning. The font is very casual and colourful, the colours standing out against the simplistic image of the artist and her clothing, which portrays the idea of what time era she is singing from. Additionally, having a handwritten font does present a sense of personality that is meant to be reflected in the cover/music.

Released in September 1994

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid-1990s where the genre Neo-Soul was making its way into the music industry as a mixture between Soul and Contemporary R&B in which has elements of "avant-garde R&B to organic soul". This is suggested to be something where the genre is trying to revive the original sound of soul but with a modern twist. Each of the fonts here are extremely simplistic, one kept as a typewriter font suggesting old-fashioned whilst the other was Times New Roman suggesting sophistication and class, all the stereotypical characteristics of the Soul genre. The use of the colour white perhaps was used to stand out against the cover, which is made up of the artist's face and upper-half of her body or to keep the text seen and not heard whilst letting the artist's facial features/emotions capture the audience.

Released in July 2000

This album cover is shown to be released in the early-2000s where the Soul genre had enormously decreased in popularity due to the music industry suddenly re-focusing on Hip Hop. The font used is a typewriter which is typically used to indicate old-fashioned styles and originality, its usage to impose the thought of something older upon the audience. Additionally, the album is composed of old Soul songs recorded previously when the genre was at its peak so the font used is reflective of the original Soul music. The colour white is used frequently when the album wants to put the artist and their music in the spotlight rather than its visuals.

Released in October 2006

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid-2000s where the Soul genre, although hadn't completely resurfaced as a popular genre in the music industry, was beginning to resurface slowly through artists such as Amy Winehouse whom were able to break through the Hip Hop/Pop based industry. The font is very unique and perhaps a modernised version of old-fashioned soul music, the use of extra lining of each word presenting a very 1980's tone to the cover. Additionally, it could represent a chalk-like appearance which compliments the blackboard background very well. The use of the colour white is opposite to the album title, intentionally done to stand out against the blackboard that illustrates her clean slate or otherwise "Back to Black". The font is used to re-create the old style and new ideas for Soul music coming together to portray the artist's own style.