WEBSITE suggested themes for analysis

This is a quickfire list; think about it yourself and come up with 10 themes that make sense to you...

Note the different tags on this post, and use them...

top links (how many, lang used)

top banner, background image

band name/logo (+ possibly linkage to social icons); use of font/s

pushing current release

popups, including push for subscription/user info

embedded/featured social/UGC, incl logos (+ which ones)

streaming media options

direct address? any direct/personal comms from the artist

white space - leaving enough for uncluttered look; breaking up chunks of text with drop quotes etc

merch

WEBSITE some home pages and banners compared

You have a few fundamental decisions to make early in the construction and design of your site:

• BANNER this should tie in with icons/banners for all social media, and will often change to reflect the latest album release or tour
• TOP LINKS any decent website has clear, specific top-links, accessible on every page for quick navigation through the site. 4 or 5 (sometimes 6) is the norm. Some will include dropdown menus with sub-pages. 'Contact' or 'social media' shouldn't be one of these as those icons should also be on every page AND their content featured heavily throughout
• COLOURSCHEME/OVERALL LOOK there should be a clear feel throughout the site. That doesn't necessarily mean the same background colour/image, but there should some clear feel of consistency

Here are a few homepages/banners to consider:

Sample website banners top links from DB3igs

ADAM ANT
He started out as a late 70s punk, but became one of the biggest selling 80s pop artists, and a key pioneer of the epic MTV music video, and continues to record and tour today. He has TWO official sites, one for the US and one primarily for the UK.
AdamAntNET

The US site has 6 top links, and a poorly designed banner - odd for an artist famed for tightly controlling and self-designing so much of his own artwork over the years. The forum is in heavy use - 0.5m posts, including recent additions. Note the emphasis on merchandise and live dates, a clear reflection of how artists tend to monetise their work these days. 'Features' is an odd mish-mash of many things; this could do with a dropdown sub-menu. There actually is a mouse hover submenu, but its a graphic only, and disappears when you move the mouse or click on Features. I also note that clicking through to merchandise prices appear in euros but there is a separate banner for a US store on the homepage for that separate site.

Websites I've analysed

All of the following have been analysed in some detail (that's the 'website analysis' tag link)

Lady Gaga UK [my blog post]

Lady Gaga US  [blog]

The Doors  [blog]

Pilgrim (student; pop/Indie band) [blog]

LittleMonsters (Lady Gaga fans) [blog]

Sly Antics (UK Indie band) [blog] - note: by unfortunate coincidence, they changed their website almost within hours of my reviewing what is now their old one!

I've also briefly looked at a range of website banners, top links, basic branding, in this post:

• Adam Ant (US and UK)
• Alt-J
• The 1975
• You Me At Six
• Charlie Puth
• Shawn Mendes
• Bullet For My Valentine
• AC/DC

WEBSITE add games

The website mimics the TV show...

This is a simple example of the sort of feature that can add an edge to your website, make it a richer experience. I've not looked for any examples at this point, I'm not claiming it as a convention, merely an option.

There are lots of apps and web-based tools that will generate a game for you. I've used the Family Fortunes game builder, for example, to test on some British Cinema terminology knowledge (try it here). You could do a quiz based on song lyrics; video screenshots; track titles (name the tracks from album x)...

If you have any suggestions/examples, please leave a brief description and URL as a comment.

Options from the free web-based Family Fortunes game builder

...

WEBSITE The steps involved in producing yours

IN THIS POST: A breakdown of how to research websites, what to look for, and an example of an overall 16-step process, plus a list of some features to consider. A more recent (2019) very short theme list here. Info on websites I've analysed here (though check tag for updates)

Like every Media production, before you get to the editing stage you have considerable background work to undertake; I'll break this down into pre-production, production and post-production phases. There is considerable scope to delegate primary responsibility within a group for website work.

PRE-PRODUCTION SUMMARY:

A faux-personal mode of address; using existing media content to enrich your own site; social media deeply integrated: just 3 ideas you could glean from an analysis of Gaga's UK website

RESEARCH CONVENTIONS
You need to research the conventions of a range of mixed, general (not from the same era or genre) official music act websites, compare and summarise your findings with 1 or 2 others in a vodcast, then research the artist chosen for your video: their official website (if there is one), 2+ comparable (genre/era) acts' websites, 1+ fan site, and produce a fresh vodcast outlining any distinctive conventions for the artist/genre/era.

LIST YOUR LIKELY WEBSITE FEATURES
Initial lists of main and sub- pages, and content you will need (unique images, video etc); website features (e-commerce, social media integration etc); social media sites to set up and maintain; key aspects of style or design across the entire site.

Show your knowledge of changing industry practice by including a merchandise 'shop'; as well as a main top links list on every page, sub-pages will make your site neater. Think of the mobile browser: the less they have to scroll the better.

PICK A WIX TEMPLATE AND REVIEW LISTS

FEED INTO GROUP PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

AUDIENCE INTERACTION Stepping into the world of Little Monsters

Through recently reviewing the Lady Gaga US and UK websites I went through the process of applying to become a Little Monster, allowed to enter the hallowed cyberhall of intelladytual conversation.

It truly is a slightly weird moment in life to get two emails informing me that, after reflection and consideration, I'm in ... I'm a Little Monster.

I've no intention of being snotty or patronising about those who take this all very ... very seriously indeed. Each to their own, and there is a strong emotional attachment between much of Gaga's fanbase - not just to/with the star, but with each other as well, a sub-culture that deserves study just as Hebdige (a pioneer of the notion of sub-cultures as a concept and subject for study) did with punk. Gaga herself expends considerable effort on interacting with and encouraging her Little Monsters ... though I have a wee doubt as whether it was Gaga herself (Herself? I don't know the LM rules!) who wrote and sent this email ...

Thanks though ... and I'll try to be brave!

Below - screenshots and some analysis of this phenomenon...

WEBSITES Student examples of band websites

Partial screenshot of the 'group1' 2015 Latymer homepage. Its impressive work by any standard, not just from students

In my previous post, looking at a UK Indie band's website, I started by listing the many advantages of working with a local, Indie act. The following examples of student coursework websites, all from students at Latymer School in London, eschewed major acts, and their websites have a real wow factor. You can find links for their blogs (with videos and digipaks too) here, though I've also copied these in below.

They all used Wix to create their websites, and I'll blog on this separately.

NB: my thanks to chief examiner Pete Fraser for suggesting these as good student examples - you can find Pete blogging on media matters here, and updating his Twitter account here!

What makes these student websites good examples? Well...

• Most important of all, its not immediately obvious that this is student work, and thats the level you should always aim for! If you have me as a teacher you'll find its a point I'll frequently raise!
• The website ties together the wider package, in a way that a video/digipak/ad campaign doesn't do quite so naturally.

  

  Official and bonus video on the video page.

• The shot variety involved is also likely to be greater than through digipak/ad packages, and you can judge for yourself to what extent separate photography has been commissioned rather than simply rely upon (lowered resolution) screenshots from the cinematography.

  

  Gallery: not reliant on screenshots; extra photography employed

• The imagery is carefully constructed with mode of address and audience in mind.
• Likewise the language used - albeit many Indie acts will use 'strong language' as part of their discourse which these students obviously don't.

  

  From the Roza website's 'Roza' page [about me equivalent] takes a creative approach

• The use and intregration of social media is simply superb, making full use of the widgets and apps available to Wix website builders to provide hyperlinked icons, invites to join/follow, and live feeds.

  

  Its not just a case of dropping in hyperlinked icons, look at how deeply the social media are embedded into the fabric of the site, with icons and #hashtags to the fore, and a colour scheme helping denote various social media. You can also see direct links to wider media, such as XFM and NME, reflecting and targeting a primary and wider audience.

WEBSITE Sly Antics Leeds, UK Indie band

IN THIS POST: Analysis of an obscure UK Indie band's website (for comparison with the major acts The Doors and Lady Gaga already blogged on), discussion of how relevant or not band websites are given the role of social media today, and points on why you might want to go for a local/student band rather than international stars... I also reviewed their debut video, making this more of a look at an all-round promo package. The band have tweeted me since I did this post; you can check out Sly Antics' updated website here!

WHY PICK A SMALL-TIME LOCAL (or even student) ACT?
You might be tempted to produce a promo package for a (currently!) small-time, local act rather than for a major existing/heritage artist. The closest I've seen to this thus far has been a group who entered the recording studio with their own metalcore band, Sunburnt in December, to produce the broadcast-quality audio required. Two of the group were Media students. This meant they had their cast sorted and a keen, engaged cast at that! They had to be ... they set up for performance footage in a snow-covered Yorkshire moors setting in what remains one of my favourite students videos (even if there were opportunities to improve it...). This video also came to mind given the main website image Sly Antics use (they also use it for other social media logos)

NB: the video contains FLASHING LIGHTS and scenes of horror

The advantages of local or student bands are evident:

WEBSITE Comparing Lady Gaga UK US and LittleMonsters sites

I may have blogged on Gaga once or twice already...

IN THIS POST: Screenshots with links for both Lady Gaga's UK and USA official sites, plus LittleMonsters.com, plus a brief look at some of her social media. What emerges is a radically different approach to UK and US audiences, plus some evidence that the 'official website' is the least regarded strand of her multimedia branding, secondary to the social media output.

The hyperlinked social media logos along the bottom of the UK site's 'shop' page (which appears to actually link back to a US page, albeit prices are in £). I didn't recognise the last on the right, and had to hover it to be reminded of MySpace's logo! If anything denotes a lack of care over the official site, this is a bit of a clincher...

From the US site; the lack of 'shares' compared to Twitter and Facebbok updates is stark, and may explain the lack of care taken with the official websites...

WEBSITE Doors bundle t-shirts and vinyl with Light My Fire re-release

IN THIS POST: Discussion of a heritage (60s/70s) band's use of merchandise and social media; analysis of their website including detailed denotation of the features, with screenshots, and a look at their social media integration and audience interaction (or lack of...).

This isn't The Doors' main website (though that is linked, and everything here IS featured and sold through their website too), but an online retailer that sells their merchandise, and markets this (I came across this via a Facebook update of the official Doors page, screenshot below the line). 

This is a further sign or evidence of the re-emergence of vinyl, plus the centrality of merchandise (especially when touring isn't an option) to monetise music.

below - analysis on assessing target audience (core/primary and secondary) + more images + detailed analysis of their website...

Posthumous MVs/Aud in MVs: Pantera

New videos are major news items: look at the no. of Likes within 1hr!

This post is about the real-world demand for fresh music videos for 'old', or more accurately, 'archive'/'back catalogue' material. Most of you pick back catalogue tracks to centre your promotional package on, with albums (digipaks) which are either greatest hits or an album reissue with repackaging - and this is not an artificial notion that only takes place in an academic context.
There are endless examples of this from every genre, and I have blogged on several examples.

Read this previous post too!

Here's a fresh one: Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power"is seen as a landmark metal album (it can be tagged as thrash, power metal etc) now 20 yrs old; the driving musical force behind this, guitarist Dimebag Darell, died some time ago so there won't be any fresh recordings from that band line-up.
A track which wasn't included on the album has now been released as a single, and will be included in a repackaged reissue of the album shortly.
The video for this centres on fans of the band, and is a good example of a growing trend to expressly represent and include fans/the audience in the text itself. You can read more (and see the video) here.
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The Narrows' BandCamp page: note the presence of Twitter/FB clickable icons

Here's another example: http://louderthanwar.com/the-narrows-video-shoot/ (article contains strong language) - perhaps you witnessed this in Manchester on 1st April?!

...at 1pm on 1st April the band and about twenty of their fans met at the Victoria statue in Piccadilly Gardens, worked out a route and marched through town, in single file with masks on, whilst trying not to fall over a bollard or indeed, each other. The march was led from the front by lead vocalist Phil Drinkwater and guitarist Adam Hynes, marching, with masks whilst holding the banner with what has become the bands symbol.

Note too that in both articles/instances, the shooting/release of a music video becomes a major news story for popular online ezines/blogs, which will be picked up on and read by their many 1000s strong readerships.
If you look at The Narrow's use of new/social media, its not quite exemplary (they're as bad at updating their own official site as Swillob/ST/Two Twigs are at updating their Twitter feeds [4 months + counting...]!), but is a useful real-world example. Their use of Twitter and FB is central to what they do, but also what some see as 'the new MySpace', BandCamp - plus SoundCloud: see http://thenarrows.bandcamp.com/ and http://soundcloud.com/thenarrows