Coldplay, Clocks- Lyrics

Clocks- Coldplay
The lights go out and I can't be savedTides that I tried to swim againstHave brought me down upon my kneesOh I beg, I beg and plead singing
Come out of things unsaidShoot an apple off my headAnd a trouble that can't be namedA tiger's waiting to be tamed singing
You areYou are
Confusion never stopsClosing walls and ticking clocksGonna come back and take you homeI could not stop that you now know singing
Come out upon my seasCursed missed opportunitiesAm I a part of the cure?Or am I part of the disease? Singing
You areYou areYou areYou are
You areYou are
And nothing else comparesAnd nothing else comparesAnd nothing else compares
You areYou are
Home, home where I wanted to goHome, home where I wanted to goHome, home where I wanted to goHome, home where I wanted to go

Genre – Codes and Conventions – Indie

Codes and Conventions – Music Genres

Indie – Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

• Scruffy hair
• Casual clothes – Jeans, polo shirts
• Band playing
• Guitars and drum kit
• Dark setting
• Shadows
• Standing still/little movement on feet

In this music video the codes and conventions of the Indie genre are followed to the audience’s expectations. The band a dressed in neutral coloured casual clothing such as jeans and polo shirts, they also have scruffy hairstyles. This supports the relaxed and laid back image of stereotypical Indie bands seen today. The Arctic Monkeys are all playing instruments in this video as well, with a drummer that has the band’s logo on the bass drum. The lead singer is playing guitar as well as the other two band members. There is also use of coloured lighting, which could be seen as something unconventional for Indie bands, however in general the setting which the band is in is dark and ‘moody’ with lots of shadows cast onto the bands faces.

Click here for the ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK7egZaT3hs&ob=av2e

 

http://heathenmedia.co.uk/rock/2011/10/21/genre-codes-and-conventions-indie-and-rock/

Research into Media Institutions & Platforms

As Coldplay are a popular band of the current time, we decided they needed a popular institution that was recognised by a mass audience. We therefore decided MTV would be appropriate for our band as Coldplay are mainstream.

http://www.mtv.co.uk/

A platform is something that can help raise and/or promote media to the next level. There are three different types, these include:
-E-Media (Internet Sites)
-Print Media (Magazines, Newspapers, Posters)
-Moving Image (Music Videos, Films, Television)

We will use platforms such as YouTube to promote our video for the band.We would create them a Twitter/Facebook page to advertise and create publicity and a larger fan base. We would also create a website for the band themselves in order to give out information about the band.

We would also promote the band through the use of magazines and newspapers in order to gain maximum audience coverage. 

If something successful for the band was to take place, we would also advertise through posters on billboards. This way a much larger audience would be covered.

Coldplay Profile

We are now creating our music video for a Coldplay song rather that one by The Kooks. I researched Coldplay but at the very beginning of the process, therefore, I deemed it necessary to recap with my research on this artist.

http://www.coldplay.com/

http://maisieheskethmedia-advanced.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/artist-research.html

Below is a basic profile of the band: 

Connotations of the Colour White

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

White

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.
White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.



White usually has connotations of innocence which contrasts with the laid back and scruffy stereotypes of the indie genre. Occasionally, the indie genre is also associated with the 'bad-boy' image so contrasting this by the connotations of purity, virginity, safety and cleanliness using white; the color of perfection and the fact that angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness, also contrasting to the 'bad-boy' image. Nonetheless, we did want to keep with some stereotypes of the genre so decided to only use a splash of white in our costumes; keeping with the majority being black. White usually has a positive connotation and can represent a successful beginning so it implies to the audience that there will be a happy ending despite the negative suggestions in the song's lyrics and sound. 

Connotations of the Colour Black

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Black

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.
Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive color scheme.


Although we are keeping with stereotypes and dressing our characters causally, however to contrast with some stereotypes we decided to use the colour black as it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious colour. Black is also associated with the unknown shadowing the sense of trapped and helplessness shown through the lyrics of "Coldplay- Clocks"- our chosen song. It also denotes strength and authority helping us to suggest that there will be a positive end to the negative storyline suggested in the song's lyrics. "Black gives a very aggressive color scheme" which we thought would contrast nicely with the soft sound of the song, and sensitive connotations presented through the lyrics.

What is an Institution?

According to 'Key Concepts in Communication' by O'Sullivan, Fiske, Hartley & Saunders 1983)

"Those enduring regulatory and organising structures of any society, which constrain and control individuals and individuality... the term more precisely refers to the underlying principles and values according to which many social and cultural practices are organised and co-ordinated."

'School' is a major institution, as is 'home', and if you are thinking purely theoretically, you can consider things such as 'knowledge' or 'language' to be institutions, containing as they do a whole set of rules and codes which 'constrain and control' our lives.

In Media Studies, we are most concerned with the institutions responsible for producing media texts. The following diagram can represent them:

(http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=institution)

Therefore we can refer to "The Press" or "TV" and have a general awareness of the values and codes of a) what is produced and b) the producers. For instance, we think of journalists, regardless of politics and rightly or wrongly, as sharing the same set of values as their newspapers. We know what a newspaper is and how it behaves. We see 'Newspapers' as something bigger than, and probably more authoritative/powerful than us as individuals.

However, as global patterns of ownership change so does the concept of Institution. Media ownership is now concentrated in the hands of a few companies worldwide, and these companies own examples of many different media. So, it is true to say that the 'Institutional Values' of, say, Disney, are reflected in a number of different media companies that they own (e.g. Marvel Studios, the Discovery Channel), which can therefore be grouped together and considered as part of the same institution (the Disney Corporation).

Basically, understanding institution is about understanding who produces media texts, what their set of codes and values is and their relationship to us as individuals.

Global Corporations

Here are the URLS which will help you track the activities of the global media corporations. Some of them are very open about the links between their operating sectors. Some are not. Check out the investors information they provide in order to get a clear picture of exactly how huge a slice of the global media these companies own.

      Disney

      Sony

      Time Warner

      News Corporation

      Viacom

US organisation, Free Press, keeps track of the 'Big Six' ownership patterns in this handy chart.

For an independent viewpoint of their activities, and a comprehensive roundup of news stories regarding global conglomerates, try Corpwatch, AdBusters or Source Watch. As a media student, you should understand the complexities of the cross-ownership debate: keep your eyes on those news stories and follow the latest developments. These stories affect you and the news you have access to.