research into chosen artist

Gabrielle Aplin is a good artist choice in the indie genre as her music video style is quite easy to use and adapt.  In addition, the lyrics she uses allow a lot for a lot of freedom whilst choosing the content of the video. Gabrielle Aplin conventionally uses a narrative style video and features herself being a protagonist and her style is quite appealing as she uses a lot of natural and artistic images; a lot of her videos are set in the countryside with forests or bike roads. These areas would be suitable for me as I live in in area with a lot of forests and scenic views which I can easily film at. In addition, a lot of her content features shots of things that the audience will aspire to - predominantly concerning romantic relationships - and therefore it is more appealing to watch and also easier to film. A lot of people in the audience (mostly young females of the age 16-30) enjoy Gabrielle Aplin's music as she sings about real-life situations which most people in the life will have, will want to or will in the future, experience. The audience can apply their own experiences to the video in order to relate to it on a personal level, which makes it a lot more appealing to watch and therefore this is another reason why I chose her. Lastly, as Gabrielle Aplin is a solo artist and not in a band, this makes filming music video easier as it means that you do not have to conform to conventions as rigidly.

Gabrielle Aplin is a British singer-songwriter who's major musical influences are Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen ever since her parents bought her a guitar at the mere age of 11. She first came to public acknowledgement due to her YouTube channel where she posted videos of herself singing covers of songs by bands such as Paramore, You Me At Six, Katy Perry and Cee Lo Green. After school, she attended the City of Bath college where she studied music and participated in the college's in-house label BA1 Records. Then, in July 2010 she performed her first release of the 5-track Acoustic EP on her local radio station, BBC Wiltshire. The success of the EP was so good that it reached the top 25 in the UK iTunes album chart, as well as one of the songs, "Reverse", being featured on the BAFTA award-winning show, "Made in Chelsea". In February 2012, the English singer-songwriter signed a record deal with Parlophone and begun recording her debut album. Parlophone is a record label founded in Germany that has various genre of artists signed to them, including Gorillaz, Kraftwerk and Two Door Cinema Club; the company also released various albums by The Beatles. It was only when  she was chosen to score the upcoming John Lewis advert in December 2012, by singing a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "The Power of Love", that she really received public acclaim and attention. Her second single "Please Don't Say You Love Me" that was released later on in 2013 peaked sixth in the charts. Then, in May 2013, she released her debut album, "English Rain" which released a round of positive reviews and made it to second in the UK album chart as well as certifying Gold in the UK and over 100,000 copies being sold. The album subsequently led to further singles such as "Panic Cord", "Home" and "Salvation". In May 2015, Gabrielle Aplin announced that she was releasing a second studio album, "Light Up the Dark" and one of the songs on the album, "Heavy Heart" also came out to promote the release. She also released a video for another song, "Sweet Nothing", which was played on BBC Radio 1. Besides music, Gabrielle Aplin also has a deal signed with Storm modelling agency, although she claims she has no interest in becoming a model but simply to take pictures which reflect her music.


One of the music videos by Gabrielle 
Aplin that I am going to analysis is "Panic Cord". The target audience of the music video is evidently predominantly females around the age of 15-25.

Dyer's star theory of paradoxes can be applied to the video as the artist is both present and absent in the video. Throughout the video we learn about Gabrielle Aplin as the narrative follows a story about the artist reminiscing on certain memories from a box her partner kept. As the artist is going through the box, it is like the audience are going through her life along with her and therefore we discover so much about the artist despite the fact that we do not actually know her personally. Therefore, the idea of Gabrielle Aplin being absent relates to the fact that she is not actually a physical part of the audience's lives. The audience merely discuss Gabrielle Aplin socially and perhaps "fangirl" about her which will lead to the artist influencing how the audience live their life according to specific trends set. 
In this close up shot above, we see the box that the artist is singing about "you kept all the things I threw away". This conforms to Goodwin's theory of there being a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics. The misc-en-scene links in here as natural lighting which is high-key is shown to shine around the box, which highlights the significance of the box and that it is the pivotal aspect of the video. Due to the fact that it is the male of the narrative who kept the box of memories, it shows that Gabrielle Aplin is actually not as attached or in love with him as he is with her. This is quite a subversive representation of a female indie artist, as it would be more conventional to see the female artist reminiscing and desiring to rekindle a once been love; the lyrics link with this visual interpretation as Gabrielle sings "this meant more to you than it did to me". 

The lighting throughout the video is predominantly high-key, which suggests that as the entire video consists of analepsis, Gabrielle Aplin is looking back on the memories with a positive attitude and clarity. However, it is also plausible to suggest that the numerous flashbacks used suggest that the relationship is slowly but surely deteriorating each time the past is brought back to the surface. 
In this shot, we see the costume the artist is wearing is quite vintage, conforming to the audience's expectations of the genre, which Goodwin proposes there are in every music video. Furthermore, Gabrielle Aplin has chosen to wear something simple and is the colour white; this connotes purity and innocence which perhaps reflects the nature of the relationship as well, therefore suggesting that the relationship did not go far. The simplicity of the costume is another convention of the indie genre as the artist tends to go for more "comfortable" clothing and focus more on the quality of the content of the music video. In addition, the clothing creates an ideology that what you look like is not the key importance, which separates Gabrielle from other artists, particularly mainstream ones. Another characteristic of the genre is to show the artist playing an instrument; the frequent shots of Gabrielle Aplin playing her guitar, shown from different angles, is useful in creating verisimilitude and therefore the audience will find the music video more appealing as it has a more natural look and feel. The use of location of a bedroom is another genre characteristic, as conventionally indie music videos use simple settings, as once again, the artist focuses more on getting a narrative across or showing themselves performing the song with their instrument(s).

However, in the concluding shots of the video, the lighting dramatically changes as the visuals have been edited to create a more orangey colored filter. The purpose of this is to perhaps suggest the relationship has finally ended. This links with Goodwin's theory of there being a relationship between the music and the visuals as well as the lyrics and the visuals. The way it links with the music and the visuals is because the beats of the music increase a lot more right at the end when the visuals show the couple giving each other a final hug goodbye. This marks both the end of the relationship as well as the end of the narrative. In addition, there is a relationship shown between the lyrics and the visuals, because as the visuals show the changing of colors of the shot and the couple hug goodbye, Gabrielle repeatedly sings "maybe I'm the one to blame". This strongly connotes that Gabrielle is the one who cared less about the relationship than the male as she is only truly regarding she is the one to blame right at the end of the video.

This is the only other time low-key lighting is used. The wide shot used along with the natural lighting from the fire signifies the intimacy between the couple and demonstrates that the past is full of happy memories. As the couple look almost like silhouettes, it demonstrates the fact that appearance does not take precedence over concept in the video. The artist evidently feels that the narrative of the love story is more important to present to the audience.

The makeup that the artist is wearing also reflects the genre as Gabrielle is wearing quite minimal makeup. In addition to the editing of filters, the artist looks quite soft and natural which flows with the rest of the video. Pastel colors have been used throughout the video in order to create this desired soft tone which matches the tone of the lyrics and the music. This links in with Goodwin's theory of there being a relationship between the music and the visuals. The relationship between the music and the visuals is shown through the use of regularly changing the location to match the slight energy of the tempo of the music. The video has been edited to create fast-pace cuts between shots which therefore helps to keep with the more upbeat tempo of the music. The use of pan shots as well as tilting the shot, help to create a more authentic feel to the video, added to the fast-paced editing, the video seems more spontaneous and exciting.

Another shot the music video often uses is close ups. This conforms to Goodwin's theory that there is a demand from the record label to have lots of close ups of the artist as they are the pivotal aspect of the video. The use of close up shots are helpful in illustrating the artist's facial expressions and therefore allow the audience to see how the artist is feeling, gaining a more personal connection with them. In this close up shot, we see Gabrielle Aplin singing and playing guitar whilst looking nostalgically into the distance. This helps to keep the narrative active and more interesting as for the audience, it is like they are gaining entry into the artist's thoughts and perspective, particularly as the camera is on Gabrielle nearly all the time.

Dyer's other paradox is about how the artist is represented as both ordinary and extraordinary. In this video, Gabrielle Aplin is shown to be an ordinary female who experiences normal relationship issues that are relatable to the audience. A lot of the emotions that the artist goes through is ordinary; for instance, Gabrielle is represented as quite reminiscent, contemplative and accepting of the blamable one in the relationship. These feelings are extremely common to most people who have also experienced the negative side of a relationship. However, Gabrielle is also represented as extraordinary as she has the ability to both sing and play the guitar.

The style of the video is a performance and narrative based one. The narrative is exceedingly helpful in giving the lyrics a deeper meaning as the audience are able to clearly understand how the artist truly feels. There is a strong relationship between the visuals and the lyrics. At one point, Gabrielle sings "and maybe you were happy, I was bored" and the visuals show her extremely bored facial expression. This helps with the narrative as it presents more than your typical love story of a female fawning over a male; rather, now the audience can clearly see that the artist's story is a subversive one to the love story stereotypes. The use of the artist as the main participant of the narrative is crucial in creating a strong connection between the lyrics and visuals as it makes the content a lot more genuine and personal which would be more appealing to the audience as they want to feel closer to the artist. The use of Gabrielle playing an instrument clearly demonstrates how natural she is and having a lot of shots on her own makes the audience feel almost like they are spending more time getting to know the real Gabrielle Aplin as they can see what kind of things she may get up to when she is alone.

The second video I am going to analyze by Gabrielle Aplin is "Please Don't Say You Love Me". The video is again both performance and narrative based. The narrative side of the video follows a storyline where Gabrielle Aplin is trying to convince her partner that she still loves him; however, what is  interesting is the usage of another female to portray
the artist. This automatically makes the video slightly less personal to the audience as although the lyrics originate from the artist's feelings, they are not being visually presented and therefore you cannot see the artist's facial expressions as the narrative develops.
Although arguably, there are parts of the video where Gabrielle Aplin's facial expressions do change and we can see Goodwin's theory of there being a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics applicable to the video. In the conclusive shot of the video, we see Gabrielle Aplin standing against a fence with a happy, content expression on her life, signifying that the narrative has ended well, and her relationship worked out. The use of a wide shot is extremely prevalent through the entire music video as this shot helps to display action between characters but also constantly shows the audience the setting. The setting used in the video is all set in the countryside which is conventional of the genre and creates a rustic feel which is more appealing for the audience. The costume that Gabrielle Aplin is wearing in this shot is quite simplistic, again reflecting the genre and helps to maintain that homely countryside feel to the music video. In addition, there is also a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals in respect to the lighting, which alters according to the mood of the lyrics. In the shot below, the lighting darkens as the male protagonist becomes more irate and upset, whereas in the beginning and towards the end, the lighting is predominantly lighter and softer as the relationship is in a good place. 

Facial expressions are key to the two main characters of the narrative as well. In this close up shot we can clearly see how vexed the male protagonist looks after he sees another male looking at the female protagonist. The use of close up shots are common throughout the video and are extremely important in terms of expressing emotions originating from the lyrics to the audience so they get a better understanding of the artist's meaning. In addition, close up shots like this one of the characters is useful to the audience as they can properly see who the actor/actress is; in this music video, a fairly well-known actor amongst the target audience has been used. The target audience are around the age mark of 15-25 and therefore may know who the actor is as he plays a character from the TV show "Marvel's Agents of Shield" which is popular amongst people of 15-25 as well. The female actress may also be well-known amongst the target audience as she is from the TV show "Elementary", which is again popular amongst 15-25 year olds. Using slightly established actors/actresses in a music video is beneficial as it draws in a wider audience who may only watch the video to see a celebrity they like but it still means the artist's music video is being viewed and presumably shared amongst friends. It is especially advantageous to Gabrielle Aplin to use more famous people as it means that her debut single will gain more publicity and therefore when she did release her debut album, more people knew about her.

The costume that the characters wear are also conventional of the genre; in this shot, the female protagonist is shown wearing a baggy jumper and rings which is an indie trend as the genre is all about comfort and being homely. The female 

character is also holding a flower crown and reading a book and these props are extremely stereotypical of the indie genre. The use of them in the video is essential to keep the audience entertained and interested in the narrative as they will hold expectations of the genre; therefore seeing these props would be highly appealing for them. However, the use of these specific props is actually essential in setting fashion trends for the audience as the idea of flower crowns and reading books are an appearance appeal for "indie" people. The male protagonist is also shown wearing a baggy jumper and just a pair of jeans which again, displays the comfort orientated fashion of the genre. In addition, the male character is wearing a beanie hat which is one of the most common costume pieces in an indie music genre and the sight of it is enough to make the audience automatically aware of what genre music video they are viewing.

Dyer's star theory of paradoxes can be applied to this music video as the artist is portrayed as both present and absent throughout. Although Gabrielle's face is not the main one we see throughout the video, she still appears in parts where she is singing. This helps to establish her role as the artist but to be kept at a distance so that the audience can focus on the narrative as well. Dyer's other paradox of the artist being both ordinary and extraordinary can also be applied to the video too as once again, the artist is singing about a love story which can be applied to everyday life and therefore is relatable to the audience; yet Gabrielle Aplin is presented as extraordinary as she is illustrated as quite mysterious, the way she is only shown at certain bits of the video.

Going back to the style of the video, there is also performance incorporated into the video as well as narrative. There are a few shots which show Gabrielle Aplin singing the lyrics in time; however, the video subverts expectations of the artist being shown playing a music instrument. This is actually quite unusual as the use of a guitar or piano is one of the main conventions of the genre which is a huge help in creating that authentic feel desired in indie videos. 

Some of the shots used in the video represent the artist as actually quite alluring, as opposed to being very innocent. We see this idea through the use of close up shots on Gabrielle's face where she is looking directly at the camera and her mouth is often shown open in a provocative manner. This subverts stereotypes of indie artists being quite innocent. In addition, the color of Gabrielle Aplin's costumes feature darker shades. In this shot, Gabrielle is shown wearing a blue and white dress. Although white is featured, connoting innocence, the blue shades connote a perhaps darker side to the artist, which is interesting as this is her debut single and therefore allows the audience to get to know the artist more. The use of close up shots of Gabrielle conforms to Goodwin's theory that there is a huge demand for more shots of the artist. The use of close ups, particularly when the artist is singing, is useful in establishing who is the face behind the lyrics, which will stick in the audience's mind a lot better if they repeatedly see Gabrielle's face.

The research into two of Gabrielle Aplin's music videos will help assist me in my own music video as I now know exactly what her fans would expect but also what fans of the indie genre in general would expect. The manipulation of both lighting and filters is definitely something which I will attempt to incorporate in my own video as both these editing aspects are vital in conveying the array of emotions used in indie songs. In addition, the use of may angles of Gabrielle playing an instrument is something which I will take on-board and apply to my own video as I think it makes the video more interesting for the audience. Finally, in both videos, Gabrielle Aplin has used countryside locations as opposed to city locations which is a good convention of the indie genre to employ into my own music video as then the audience will feel that my video is more rustic and authentic.