Magazine Advert

This is our poster to promote our Kasabian digipak, it also promotes a UK tour. We did this so the poster has a lot of information and fans don't have to access the website so get most of the information, it may also interest people more to buy tickets for concerts as otherwise they may not know that there is a tour taking place. We have chosen to create a worn tea stained background to make it look old and worn, we chose this because it keeps with the western theme of our music video and resembles our treasure map and treasure.
We have used an image from our music video to also keep with the western theme and also to interest out audience into purchasing the track and maybe the music video.

Music Video Analysis

Digipak Booklet

This is our CD booklet we felt that we should give the option of a special edition. By doing this we are giving the more hardcore fans the option. These are pictures that we took from filming and decide we should do more with. The first is a scene including the cowboy and the indian. As you can see the indian is in the background and all you can see is the silhouette of the cowboy. This is extremely effective and really makes the picture stand out. This would be really good as a large poster and would work well with in the booklet maybe as a postcard in special edition copies. We used a a desaturation to make the image seem very old and like it was actually from that time. As you can see the sun is unbelievably bright, this is good because it makes it seem like a desert style area and gives an insight into Western America. The costumes are very effective as you can clearly define the difference from cowboy to indian so this worked really well. We have also used the rule of thirds to compose the shot professionally. We have also framed the shot really well because it fits the character and set in perfectly. This is one of my favorite photos we shot and should be used even if its on the inside sleeve.
The next picture is very prop orientated. As you can see we have used desaturation again to show an olden style picture, as if it was taken in the time of cowboys. In the film we can also see that their is ammo on the ground. This is also very important because it stands for many different things and gives action codes of danger and violence. The map is placed their to give an insight into what the story is about and who holds the map. We can see that this picture describes the video through the whole film because we have the cowboy after treasure and then the violence that is found through ammo. The map has action codes of hidden secrets and mystery. The rock and grass on the floor is also important because it features the nature side of our video and how the outdoors is important. By having a picture for props it means that we cover every aspect in the digipak and that they should have some feature because they do make the video what it is.
This is another unique and well framed picture. Like the other two pictures we have also desaturated this for the effect of olden times. The costume is yet again outstanding and really gives the effect we wanted on the cowboy. The hat is clearly visible and everyone else can see that they are a cowboy. As the character is sat down we can tell that the chase is long and tiring and that the look for treasure was a strenuous one. The character has a locked door behind them, this could be misleading as to wear the treasure is but when you watch the music video we can tell why the character is sat their. The rock wall gives a nice effect of different tones from wall to grass and also gives the natural effect we were looking for. The old western feel is important as you can see and the map is present again. The map is important throughout the video and makes the pictures important.
These pictures could be the front cover or back cover but i also feel it could be used on the inside covers. The inside covers are just as important. The pictures are really well taken. I really like the bottom and top pictures because they show the characters. They would make great posters and by giving them a different diverse range of products. They all stick to the western feel of the video and poster. We have kept continually the same design and features. All members of characters feature in at least one of the pictures which is good for fans of the band because it means they will see each member in costume.

Music Video Analysis

Props and Costumes

Props are very important to making a music video. They can explain lyrics and have an even deeper meaning. Props have been important in many different music video's and with out them they could be seen as boring or hard to understand.
Weapons are very important when comparing Indians and Cowboys. This is because they have different meanings and explain how each character is designed and how they can interact through the film. The first weapon we see is the Gun. The gun is really important in the video because it is how the characters are killed. The gun also symbolizes action codes through out the film. The switch of power and control. The other weapon used is a Tomahawk this is used by the native american. Native americans are known for living off the land. The tomahawk is made simply from rock and a stick. This shows the cleverness of the Native and could be a reason for the ending of the film. However we understand the gun is the "power weapon".
The next thing we have to consider is the use of costume. Costume is vital to our narrative styled music video. If we were being ourselves we could wear our own clothes but instead we have to be someone different and play a character this meant the costume was important. ANother important fact about the costume was that you had to be able to tell the different between the Cowboys and Indians. We decided the best way to do this was to use different styled headwear and footwear. The Native american wore a naturally made head dress this included feathers on a piece of fabric. This is a definable prop and would be easy to distinguish from the cowboy. With the speed of the proper it was important that we actually could define characters. The cowboys wore cowboy styled hats. This was found from the research that it was what they are iconically known for wearing. The rest of the outfits need to be Checkered shirts and styles boots/shoes for the cowboys. The native americans was a little bit more complicated because they didn't wear shoes. This meant finding a pair of moccasins. This is naturally designed shoe and will be easy to get hold of. Overall i think the costumes will look appropriate and will define the differences between cowboys and indians.
The next and final prop is the treasure and the chest we placed it in. The chest needs to be a simple box format and it will be easy to find. The treasure is where we have really performed. We decided to make the treasure Musical notes and lyrics on paper. The lyrics being Fire by Kasabian. The Twist that the treasure is very important because it is unexpected and not the normal treasure cowboys would look for. We got this from Kasabian's normal video where we find out they robbed a bank for Music on paper. I liked the feel this gave , that money is less important than music. This meant that we will be keeping a bit of the original video and giving the music video context.
Overall the props we have chosen should make the video look original, realistic and easy to define. We need to make sure this is correct to insure the music video is as good as we would like and give the finish we would like.

Music Video Analysis

Our music video is going to be a narrative to fit in with the style of a usual Kasabian video. We are going to create a storyline within our video, almost like a small film. The video begins with three cowboys sitting around a table in a poorly lit room; their faces are in the shadows so their identities are hidden. The camera pans down to their hands and we see they are playing poker, also on the table are shot glasses, money, traces of drugs and a map. One of the men places a winning fold on the table and a another man flips the table in anger, drawing his gun in the process and shooting the winner. The main beat of the music kicks in. He then looks for the other cowboy and realises that he is running away, map in hand. We soon find out that the map is for hidden 'treasure' and that the men were playing poker to win it. There will be a lot of intertextual references to Sergio Leone's 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and other spaghetti western films.

One of the interpretations of the lyrics of the song is that it is about the effect of taking drugs and the withdrawal symptoms. We are going to take this interpretation and incorporate some of it into our music video by showing the characters to have a slight drug problem, and having a disorientating camera effect when using point of view shots. We will also use point of view shots during the chasing scene so as the viewer can feel as though they are there and it will create a fast pace to the video which reflects the chorus of the song, this will also be emphasised by fast moving camera shots. During the poker scene, we will use mostly close ups to convey some expressions and emotions. However, because the men's faces will be partly hidden, it will have a feel of mystery over who the men actually are and what type of people they are; whether 'goodies' or 'baddies'. There will be guns on the table which will be an action code for violence, so the audience will have an idea of what's going to happen. We will also use mid shots for this scene so that the audience can see all of the characters together and their environment, which will create the western feel. Slow moving camera shots will be used to that the viewer can take in the scene and the feel of the video, also because the start of the song is very slow and rhythmic. As soon as the main riff of the song kicks in, the speed of the shots will increase ad there will be more action, this will fit with the beat of the song. This will give the audience a feel of action and confusion, which will help them relate even more to the characters. During this scene there will be no transitions, just fast cutting, however when the men run away there will be a 'fade out fade in' transition to show the change of time and location.
The colour and lighting of the video play an important part in the western genre so we have chosen to have dark lighting for the first scene to give it a mysterious and dark feel, especially because drugs and alcohol are being used so the audience will feel that something bad is going to happen, this goes with the rhythm of the song. When the men leave the room, the lighting will be very bright sunlight because usual western films are in hot, dry locations and it helps with the fast pace of the song, this is a contrast to the darkness of the room. However, in both scenes there will be warm colours, like yellows, oranges, browns and sepia tones to show the heat and humidity of the Wild West.
Masculinity is an important aspect of the western genre as the main character is usually a 'rugged' cowboy who saves the day in a way that the civilized characters cannot. His skills are also displayed in a physical manner; through gun slinging, horse rising and lassoing. Gambling, cards and shot glasses are important iconography for the western genre as they represent the close relationship between the West and 'risk taking'. They also show the openness of western societies compared to other cultures during that time period, as activities such as those would have been frowned upon. The use of gambling is a plot device used in many western films, usually being the cause of a 'disagreement' between two outlaws.

Location Report

Western Iconography

The East/The West
Culture/Nature
Future/Past
Community/Individuality
Law/Practicality
Refinement/Savagery
Lawmen/Outlaws
Snow-capped Mountains/Tree-less prairies
Cowboys/Indians
Guns/Tomahawk

By using these comparisons it helps when thinking how the film should be set and what props should be used. For instance Guns will be the Cowboys weapons and Tomahawk the indians. By doing this it makes it easier to plan and more accurate when filming. It gives our music video the depth that is needed.

Kasabian Marketing and Target Audience

Kasabian are an Alternative rock band and were formed in 1999 in Leicester. There are currently four members in the band; lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and vocalist Serge Pizzorno, bassist Chris Edwards and drummer Ian Matthew. The band to date have released three albums, 'Kasabian' (2004), 'Empire' (2006) and 'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum' was released in 2009.

The last two albums have reached number 1 in the UK charts and the band have begun to be recognised as one of the best British bands of the modern era. This was proved when they won the best British group at the Brit Awards in 2010.

Kasabian are marketed as a men's band, this was recognized when they featured in the Carlsberg advert for the World Cup. They were chosen to premier the new 2010 England shirt by Umbro. This made them more relatable to a male audience as beer and football are both heavily linked to the culture of men. However, they do have a very wide target audience ranging from teenagers to adults. This is because their alternative music and showmanship on stage also attracts a teenage audience. They are also marketable to women with their edgy image which women may find attractive.

This is Tom Meighan advertising the england shirt on the launch before the world cup. It was at one of their gigs but because it is linked with men, it meant that they advertised it and it showed that all of England had come together music and sport. Mainly for the band it got them publicised and put them in the public eye.

This is Tom Meighan appearing in an advert for Carlsberg. The advert is about an England team talk. Kasabian had featured cheering on the man who is painted English. Kasabian chose to have Tom in this advert because it showed that Kasabian were English and proud. This is good publicity and makes the band more likeable.


In their video of Vlad The Impaler, they used celebrity Noel Fielding as Vlad. This made the video very popular as fans of Noel also wanted to watch it too see what their hero was starring in and what the video was about.

Music Video Storyboard

Kasabian Albums

CD Cover Ideas

A rough Photoshop image for our front cover for our CD/DVD digipak. It's very important that the name is in the style which goes with the rest of Kasabians brand and fits in with older work. We decided to have 'Fire' in a different font because its quite a western styled video so we felt we have to portray that in the front cover. The horse and cowboy are symbolic of western times. They have action codes of good and heroism for old USA. Then we have the gun aim, this is to give an insite into the feel of the video because it makes the viewer ask questions as to why its like that and when it is going to happen and who is holding the gun. By making our target audience ask so many questions we are inticing them into buying it.

A rough Photoshop idea for the back cover of our single CD/Digipak. Includes a iconography of the western genre; a gun, drugs, whiskey and cards. We decided it was widely important to feature props from our music video because they each have their own action code. The gun is very symbolic of danger and action. This also gives an edge of excitement and fear into why it is on the table. The cards are their for the reason of gambling which could also be seen as dangerous and sometimes winning but other times losing. The final two things are Whiskey and Cocaine. The whiskey is about calmness and taking off the edge from the gun and the cocaine but we also felt it was important to show another side to the cowboy. The cocaine is the only thing that may have to change. This is because the standards agency might not allow drugs advertised by such an influential band but also because in no way would the record label want cocaine linked with the band.

This idea looks really good with the wooden background. It feels westerny and portrays parts of a cowboy that others ignore. It also works really well using action codes to give a deeper meaning . The front cover and back cover go really well together aswell because as you can see it the front is the traditional look of what people see when they think of cowboys. Then behind all this is the back cover which shows the shadowy past aswell.

Kasabian Artwork Analysis

Narrative Structure & Theory

Shots & Editing

A2 Media Studies - Planning

A2 Summer Research Task