GENERIC RESEARCH: Capturing stop motion animation

Godzilla (1954). This early kaiju flick utilised stop-motion to animate the titular monster rampaging through Tokyo.

Modern stop motion now, as demonstrated in ParaNorman (2012). Picture: Focus Features, Laika

Film cameras used to capture early stop motion projects. Surface gauges helped animators to keep track of the locations of their characters, and they couldn't even view progress until their film was processed. Because digital technologies such as iMovie were non-existent at the time, animators had to start their progress all over again if the set was bumped or the light was terrible.

Further video machinery allowed animators to view their last one or two frames - and compare it to the live video in motion from the camera - which allowed them to track their progress.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH: Stop motion animation techniques - description

WHAT IS STOP MOTION?

Stop motion is a film-making technique which manipulates an inanimate object to move by itself. This is achieved by taking a series of picture frames of the chosen thing, yet its position slightly differs per photo. An illusion of movement is created when a sequence of frames is played rapidly.

Do not confuse this with "time lapse" as the latter is concerned with taking still pictures of live scenery, composing them into a single film at hyper frequency. This creates the perception that time is lapsing as events occur at a faster rate than normal.

Stop motion animation is also known as stop frame animation.

Simple sequence.

First, you, the photographer, takes still images of the items/characters you want to animate in your project, with each frame featuring an artefact in a different position. For every replay of your video, the items/characters all appear to move without human supervision.

Design decisions for digipak: front cover

Be Human (Deluxe Version) [2009]

Another album cover I found peculiar to examine was British rock band Fightstar's "Be Human (Deluxe Version)". It depicts the four band members walking towards the screen wearing similar outfits, black and white suits, and their deadpan serious expressions on their faces proves that they don't need to face the camera to be expressively recognised by musical fans. Behind Fightstar is London - a city skyline on fire, with the ashen sky blocking out possible sunlight.

For Lymington's album cover the "city on fire" concept will not be used because the album is not about mass destruction and political anger against a capitalist society. Instead, a lively Southend Seafront background will be used for the scenery on Lymington's album cover to establish cultural and regional identity: they are native members of the borough attached to their local musical community.

Like this:

Lymington band shot (without James Aris)

...but walking towards the audience with deadpan serious facial expressions. It may create a PARALLAX EFFECT if the image of the band is taken using a Dutch angle.

A Dutch angle or oblique/canted angle is set on a roll axis so that the angle bears a resemblance to tilting one's head to the side. AKA: the subject is partially, or completely, vertical. Tension or uneasiness is created in the viewer.

The PARALLAX EFFECT involves the background moving at a slower rate to the foreground, creating a three-dimensional effect, creating a subtle element of depth.

I was interested in applying a 3D effect to the album cover as it provides a more experimental approach to digipak creativity.

"808s & Dark Grapes II" (2011) by Main Attrakionz

Simple demonstration of the 3D effect. Looks visually intriguing but may cause vertigo for some sensitive viewers.

I am divided over using this innovative effect for my digipak. I would apply it first to test how cool it would feel in an actual album cover. But if it does not work to a certain extent I may not apply it at all.

DIGIPAK RESEARCH: Muse - The Resistance

The Resistance (2009)

Front cover of English rock band Muse's fifth studio album, "The Resistance". It depicts a figure surrounded by a kaleidoscope of multiple colours. They are standing on an illuminated pathway which leads to Earth, skilfully placed in the centre of the album cover. This is trying to convey the idea that human beings are hoping to find the meaning of life through a panopticon of colours.

But... this artwork also raises enigmas among the audience. Why is our human being travelling through the cosmos to find a meaning to life on Earth? We shall find out in approximately a hundred years' time.

What a work of art.

Meanwhile, I have noticed that the font for Muse's band name remains the same on all of their album covers to maintain brand image and audience appeal:

The original Muse logo since 1999.

Included on the physical copy of the digipak is a label: "Includes Uprising / Resistance / Undisclosed Desires". This is one clear example of single promotion, since all three songs were released as singles, all of which are well-known to Muse fans along with their positive commercial performance. In addition, I will borrow this digipak CODE and utilise it on my album cover for Lymington's "Vodka and Cherryade" to promote their hit singles to indie music fans alike.

Meanwhile, I have decided to keep the font of Lymington's band logo the same; this is to promote brand image for them, given that I opt to make my digipak a professional artefact to mirror those of other indie rock bands.

Back of "The Resistance"

Back cover of The Resistance. All three band members are depicted walking through a suburban cityscape blurred out on the cover, in monochrome. Song titles are illuminated in an iridescent colour scheme akin to those visible on the album cover. They are laid out like a contents page (described in numerical order).

Barcode, band credits, copyright notes and record labels are all cobbled together on the bottom right of the digipak back cover. I will include a barcode on my back cover to continue the trend of a professional digipak which can easily be recognised by CD consumers.

Gatefold.

Gatefold depicts muse in different locations all while maintaining the monochrome colour scheme, showing a journey in retrospective captivating aware audiences. The second photo shows Muse walking through what appears to be an abandoned warehouse. However, the picture was blurred for a vertigo-inducing effect. It's as like the viewer is drawn into the action.

Lyric booklet cover 1

Lyric booklet cover 2

Lyric booklet cover 3

Lyric booklet cover 4

Lyric booklet cover 5

Lyric booklet cover 6

CD artwork.

From the subtle details I have seen whilst researching this digipak, I have decided to include pictures of my chosen artist in the gatefold of my own digipak (some of them in monochrome) to make it look professional and have a sense of branding - promoting Lymington in an internal fashion. But sophisticated album artwork like the one shown on the front cover may not be implemented because it will be time-consuming to compose a complex design like a flamboyant kaleidoscope (unless I get creative and apply my innovation skills!). But besides that, it will add colour to the digipak so it wouldn't look boring all of a sudden.

PROGRESS: Music video log

Following the first draft of the music video for "Above, and", this shows the log of what I am currently working on. Tweaks of footage and audio along with performance footage are shown here. Heeding my audience feedback, I am also tweaking cutaways and pacing of shots.

However, the song I have decided to make a music video out of is "Vodka and Cherryade" since I have found their demo recording of "Above, and" too distorted to focus on, even with audio enhancement tools present in iMovie. "Vodka and Cherryade" poses greater audio quality, which is suitable for a professional artefact.

Generic research: youth subcultures.

YOUTH SUBCULTURES - are they dying out in a modern consumer society?

Some examples of stereotypical youth subcultures associated with the music scene nowadays.

Speaking from a Marxist dystopian point-of-view...

Since the past few decades, youth subcultures have dramatically changed. Contemporary music audiences have fully integrated themselves into their favourite genre of music, ascertaining that there is no legitimate way to represent their music taste.

Back in the mid-1980s, goths, metalheads and punks populated the early music scene. Punks with their brightly-coloured mohicans and flamboyant hairstyles, complete with body piercings and studded leather jackets. Goths were commonly associated with the colour black, complete with their equally black clothing and hairstyles, with makeup thrown in the subcultural mix. Metalheads constantly listened to heavy metal music - they were committed fans of the genre, wearing T-shirts of their favourite metal band on them (Motörhead provides an example here). Music and subculture interlinked together in a plethora of ways in the 80s: the pinnacle of rhythm.

It is now the 21st century. The idea of the typical youth subculture has changed: sociologist Kevin White, based at the University of Sussex, infers that youth subculture has altered due to British society's changing class structure. Contemporary teenagers are now hooked to technology, constantly pleasuring themselves in the world of distracting entertainment which proved hard for them to rebel against society through the way they dress. Scrap the mohawks and the leather jackets. Make way for the new Google generation, confined to their bedrooms listening to music through Spotify and Apple Music, blatantly consuming pop music all day and not turning to other forms of music, for instance hardcore punk and alternative rock, as well as indie music!

For certain, our generation of teenagers are now informed and controlled by an older university-educated cohort. The rise of the Internet has revolutionised a brave new virtual paradise where people mainly focus on constructing a self-identity online than exposing their allegiances and interests to the outside world. Teens are frequently posting selfies on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, hoping for thousands of likes gartered based on a false impression of a "perfect" physical appearance created using filters courtesy of these social networking juggernauts.

Ultimately, the result is a consumer society where people are passively spoonfed ideas of pop culture.

Fashion and music are quoted by Dr. Ruth Adams of King's College, London as progressively "much cheaper and much faster today." Once you start examining modern subcultures online, lines gradually become blurred and many online instances of such subcultures become buried under layers and layers of hegemonic idea-injecting mirth, the latter becoming passively accepted by digital natives today.

"So, baby, pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover / that I know you can't afford / Bite that tattoo on your shoulder / Pull the sheets right off the corner / of the mattress that you stole / from your roommate back in Boulder / We ain't ever getting older..."

Nope. Just... nope. I just don't know why things change these days.

Location and talent shots: Lymington

(from left to right) Shereen Raouf, Gabe Summers and Joe Reeves pointing back at Chinnerys.

One such location I have chosen to feature in my music video is Chinnerys. This iconic music venue is famous for hosting not only tribute bands, but small bands before they expanded into worldwide phenomenons. For instance, Arctic Monkeys, Ellie Goulding, Don Broco, The Libertines, Biffy Clyro and Jamie T. Lymington have played at Chinnerys multiple times with support acts in the form of the Heisenbergs and the Narcotics. Overall, this location is befitting for my main talent as it is a small local venue for indie bands to connect with their target audiences and gain public recognition before transcending into stardom.

Lymington

My main musical artist: Lymington.

An indie rock band hailing from Southend-on-Sea composed of six members:

• Freddy Smith - vocals
• James Aris - guitar
• Jake Stobbart - guitar
• Elliot Rose - bass
• Leo McDonald - rhythm guitar
• Sean Gill - drums

Best known for their fan favourite song "Vodka and Cherryade", as well as "Above, and"; "Stay Down"; "Take Aim"; "Half Past"; and "Anna, You Came Too Soon".

A possible digipak image of Lymington having fun playing pool at a pub. This location fits the indie rock scene as the mise-en-scene suggests a sociable environment otherwise, with the band members clearly pleasuring themselves during their day out. Professionally photographed, this picture is fit for a gatefold cover for my upcoming digipak.

Lead vocalist Freddy (pictured in centre) rehearsing in studio. Outlined plans for album tracklisting and mastering and mixing scribbled on mirror using black marker pen. Lyrics of a song penned for recording. Studio depicts keyboards, microphone, drums and recording equipment ready for preparation.

Candid photo of Elliot and James performing tunes on their respective instruments.

Those extra shots of Lymington look very professional, depicting members at a recording studio preparing for their debut album to be released in a few weeks. Using a motif taken from Jamie T's latest studio album "Trick" I might create a collage of different Lymington shots to connote creativity in my work, much like Jamie.

PLANNING: Props for Lymington footage/digipak - album cover and photoshoot

Six NME magazines, each with a different cover.

Sunglasses for an indie look. (Maybe party glasses with an iridescent flip-up lenses?)

Canon Legria FS307

Black visor

Leather jacket (if one band member brings it).

Drum sticks

Electric guitars, rhythm guitar, bass, microphone

RESEARCH: Timeline of key events in indie rock history

KEY EVENTS:

• 1979: Postcard Records founded in Glasgow. Played a part in the birth of British indie rock music, particularly the C81 and C86 indie pop movements.
• 1980: Dischord Records established by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson. Record label specialized in indie punk rock music scene based in Washington D.C.
• 1981: American experimental/post-punk/indie rock band Sonic Youth founded by Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) followed by a wave of short-term drummers in 1985, the most prominent being Steve Shelley (drums).
• 1986: Sub Pop Records founded in Seattle by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Signs bands Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sleater-Kinney and more.
• 1990: Riot Grrrl band Bikini Kill formed. Members: Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail, Billy Karren.
• 1991: VERY MAJOR DATE FOR INDIE ROCK MUSIC: Nirvana signs deal with major label Geffen Records. Second album Nevermind reaches US #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where they break out into the mainstream. Their success allows Pearl Jam with Ten, Stone Temple Pilots with Core, and Soundgarden with Superunknown to also enter the mainstream alternative rock trend.

A final note:

Because more bands found solace in the mainstream now, the term "indie rock" is blankly applied to any new, emerging artist or band with a jangly guitar sound and catchy rhythms. This ignores any artist's affiliations with record labels or their ethos.

OTHER COMMENTS:

• Britpop was first influenced by the likes of American grunge music, especially the opularity of Nirvana.
• The Madchester scene developed in Manchester in the early 1990s. A root of Britpop, this scene included artists such as the iconic Stone Roses, James, The Charlatans and the Inspiral Carpets. It blended alternative rock, psychedelic rock and electronic dance music. Yet Madchester was driven by drugs, particularly MDMA.

RESEARCH: History of indie rock music

Three-piece Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club, who have released three studio albums to date. Their latest is "Gameshow", which was released on 14 October 2016. Members [left to right]: Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird, Sam Halliday

Sonic Youth, an American indie rock band.

Blur's lineup.

Oasis

Pulp

Suede (2015)

Indie rock is dying a slow and painful death (2012 Guardian article)
A detailed history of indie rock music

RESEARCH: More on "history of music videos"

History of music videos - MTV and beyond from Josh Pamfilo

PROGRESS (+RESEARCH): more inspiration for digipak album cover

Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics (2008)

Here is the cover for Welsh rock band Stereophonics' compilation album "Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics". It depicts four musicians walking towards the camera, all with outfits reminiscent of their musical genre (rock).

Mise-en-scene: band members dressed up in bomber jackets, T-shirts and jeans - vocalist Kelly Jones does not wear a jacket on top to reinforce his place as lead singer of the band. Two out of four are also wearing sunglasses to coordinate their attire. This is particularly to establish the Welsh rock genre and also to match with the backdrop on the album cover - a hot, humid desert.

Backdrop: a desert in retrospect - black and white; easily captures the feel of the band's greatest hits dating back from 1992 to 2008 all compiled on the album. Chosen colour scheme easily matches the alternative rock genre.

Masthead: all in fancy lettering. Band name font is bold and is distinctively different from "Best of" and "Decade in the Sun". Additional gold logo is there to get audiences to recognise who they are - Stereophonics have been there for more than a decade!

Evaluation: I particularly like how the front cover of this compilation album is laid out as it proves that a musical journey in retrospective can easily flesh out the ego and talent of the band themselves as they have a loyal fan following that they can look up to. Fan support brings out their inner selves once more! Stereophonics are a really successful Welsh rock band with a number one "Dakota", which rock music fans will recognise and therefore their fan following will expand to appraise them in their performances.

These codes and conventions will inspire me to create an album cover for Lymington's debut album digipak which will greatly astound existing Lymington fans and alt rock alums alike. And with the band members walking in front of the screen like they are about to address their audience in an interactive manner, this strategy will ensure the band's commercial and critical success. The band logo/masthead on the front cover will also be in a bold font, so as to distinguish from the as-of-yet unknown album title, complete with a unique logo that will frequently appear on my ancillary products.

Like all other alternative rock bands photographed by professionals, I would have Lymington wear leather/bomber jackets complete with jeans and (occasionally) sunglasses to reflect the rock vibe.

PROGRESS: Storyboard for Vodka and Cherryade

Note: flickering during scenes may be included to induce flashbacks.

More will follow as the storyboard consists of what shots I will include in the final music video for "Vodka and Cherryade".

RESEARCH: Inspiration for my digipak

"None the Wiser" by The Rifles (2014)

• Indie rock band The Rifles' "None the Wiser": simplistic album cover featuring four members of the band (Joel Stoker, Lucas Crowther, Robert Pyne, Grant Marsh - Dean Mumford is not featured). Black and white - monochrome.
• Rifles band members are all wearing casual outfits.
• The Rifles masthead is kept in the same font - see here on their album "Great Escape":

• Album cover features all four members again, this time shadowing them under a shade of black to establish their indie rock status (they are not known universally by the general public). They are playing their respective instruments.
• As described above, The Rifles masthead font is kept the same.

Also, I gained some more inspiration for my digipak cover from this single cover for The Sherlocks' "Last Night":

Represented here is an urban London estate. A figure is slumped down on the brick wall smoking a cigarette. Person sports a mullet.

The Sherlocks masthead also keeps the same font intact.

Looking at these different aspects of album covers, I aim to use an urban neighbourhood as the background of the album cover along with the six band members of Lymington with their respective instruments as props to enhance the recognition of the indie rock genre. This will provide viewers with a gist of what characteristics there are to expect on a related album cover.