Album Cover Art Research (intertextuality)

For the working website, i will eventually need to create a cover art for my single and would like it to pay homage to artists that perhaps have incorporated this 'protest' theme into songs themselves as an intertextual reference.
After researching into album covers, i found a few famous artists who have payed homage to others through album cover art.

The Clash and Elvis Presley

The cover art for 'London Calling' by the clash became popular in the 1970's for making a direct intertextual reference to Elvis Presleys debut album cover from 1956.

The composition and lettering are both almost identical and a lot of people thought it was quite provocative of The Clash. This is because Elvis was considered the 'king of rock and roll' at the time whilst The Clash were just about to start a new revolution into rock and roll, but in a more hardcore way. They were also a lot less famous than Presley, who is considered an icon.

The photo of the bassist of The Clash mid smashing his guitar became a 'pop culture icon' and is symbolic of young rock and roll rebels. In Q magazine in 2002, an article suggested that the image is a perfect representation of this turning point and revolution in rock and roll as it portrays a total loss of control - in a sense of how the music was changing but also the personalities of these rock stars.

Interestingly, street artist Banksy also made his own take of this iconic photo, replaced the guitar with a desk chair. This can be interpreted in a number of ways. Perhaps how people are sucked into office jobs, sitting in front of a screen all day when they should be in a career doing something they love? Like playing bass in a band? It can be interpreted in a number of ways although, it's further evidence as to how the cover art has influenced many others.

The Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and Andy Warhol 

The Rolling Stones album released an album called 'Sticky Fingers' in 1971. This album cover was only released in Spain as the original cover art was deemed as obscene. After it was changed to this cover, people still thought it was just as uncomfortable as the original.
The new sleeve (on the left) was designed by John Pasche who also designed the first iconic tongue logo for the band.

After seeing The Rolling Stones remade cover, it instantly made me think of this 2012 Arctic Monkeys cover art. I think of it as a modernised version of the first one as its very minimalistic but still effective and the placement of the logo makes it obvious the band have intertextually referenced The Rolling Stones. Perhaps as they were a British rock band as Arctic Monkeys are today, making it important to pay homage to them.

This particular brand of treacle Monkeys have used here (Lyles) is something deemed as a traditional British brand with their golden syrup being quite popular. The brand also symbolises a lion as part of their logo which is also a British symbol (three lions). Monkeys perhaps did this to pay further homage to Britain, not just to the Rolling Stones as an iconic British rock band but to the commercial side of Britain how how its grown since the 1970s.

This also reminded me of an Andy Warhol piece i saw in his book '365 takes' that we have at home. His work is something i would like to take inspiration from for my own cover as i think his prints have had a huge influence on pop culture. His work is extremely recognisable so making intertextual references will be noticed, even if someone does not have a high level of cultural competency. His aesthetic gains a lot of attention and the visual, controversial prints he made through his time are something i would want to pay homage to.

Website 30 Second Video Clip

For my video clip, i have come up with the idea to create a mask that will feature in my video. My idea is inspired by a music video by the Kaiser Chiefs where interestingly, there is a scene where a group of 'kids' are all wearing theatre looking masks exploring inner citer youth crime. The video pays homage to the film The Warriors, which tells a fast paced tale about many self sales gangs chasing each other acrosss their different territories in New York. I would like to directly make an intertextual reference to the masks in my video as this has inspired me.

This is something that is on the rise and the video depicts the worries that adults and parents have, believing there is a posibility their children are going to become influenced by these violent acts and gangs that are so frequent.

• In London 2016/17 there were over 102,000 people proceeded against by the Metropolitan Police Service
• Of these, approximately 36,000 were under 25
• This means that approximately one in three arrestees that received an outcome were youths

There have previously been protests in London for knife crime and petitions that float around the internet trying to put a stop to it. This is something i strongly believe in and youth crime is usually influenced through computer games, movies and what kids so openly can see online. So perhaps we can switch this around, and influence generations to come with peace?

This links in with the theme of the song i have chosen for my music video that is based around anti-war and ideas of peace. This is not something the younger generation is not taught enough and is portrayed through the lyrics in the song.

First idea:

This is what id like to create. This are the main symbols/images i want to include on the mask, taking it a step further from the Kaiser Chiefs inspiration to represent symbols of peace. This could link to Barthes theory of semiotics meaning people with a level of cultural competency will recognise them symbols and interpret them as a sign of peace/britishness.
The reason i want to include the mask in my video could also have a deeper meaning to it, perhaps how people who feel oppressed or not at peace mask up these feelings when in fact their voices need to be heard and to do that, they need to take off that mask.

The 30 second clip will be how i make and design this and paint on the symbols. I want to include a British themed colour palette including the flag etc. It means i can heavily focus on the meaning behind it and why i want to include it in the video whilst intertextually referencing other music videos like the Kaiser Chiefs one.

Storyboard Animatic

The blank white screen at the start of the video is part of the song i will not include to fulfil
the 3 minute video as part of the brief.

Warner Bros Research

https://prezi.com/6_3dco1x51mz/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Storyboard & Shotlist - First Ideas

Here are some shots i have roughly drawn out that i know i want to include. I will be adding

to these as i continue this process whilst getting ideas not just from the research i have

already done but through doing more on shot types for music videos in particular.

Wix Site link and first image/edit

https://alshort111.wixsite.com/mysite

Imovie Practice

During half term i thought it would be useful to get a feel of how iMovie works so i am familiar with the software when i come to use it to edit my NEA video. I found it quite easy as i only created a montage of my favourite clips over a song i like. I have learnt for next time that i will definitely need to save the video in a higher quality (even if it takes more time) as it does not look great!