Mood Board PowerPointSam White – Media AS

All of these are presented to us in a very similar manner, usually as a row of people, all facing the reader. This can be seen as a symbol of union between the band members, cementing their status as a group.

However, more often than not, at least one of the members is set apart or differently from the rest of the group. This is usually the vocalist due to the almost synonymous nature of being the face of a band. While this may not always be true, the one set apart is usually the safest bet to be the ‘head’ of the group.

This separation of the vocalist from the band can be for a number of reasons. As they act as the face of the band, they are arguably who most people would want to see most in a group photo. Inversely, it also acts as an elevator of status for that member, effectively making them who the audiences focuses on, thanks to positioning like this:

This shot is effectively humanizing the person in the front, bringing him closer to the audience and bringing in down the shot, to their level. While I make this seems very condescending towards the audience, it is often their shared opinion that musical artists like these are in fact much higher, better people than they are. Ironically, as opposed to normal tradition, this lead has been lowered significantly below his bandmates, when most other leads are in a more shallow depth of field, meaning they appear larger and taller.

In an almost complete opposite fashion, this shot puts the lead right up in front of his group from a low angle shot. This makes the resulting figure looks rather threatening, as he is made out to be a much grander figure than his band. This presentation makes the group appear as more of a gang than a band, showing the lead smoking a cigarette, peering downwards at the reader, with his cohorts standing close behind his with their arms crossed in a pose that signifies both solidarity and intimidation, in a total opposite to the previous group, who seemed more inviting and human.

In reality, this is simply representative of their respective music cultures. This group here is very obvious rock and metal, or at the very least a sub-genre thereof, whereas the other group present a fairly strong pop music band, and reflected as such as presentable, and very socially acceptable. These people look somewhat rough and ready, somewhat arrogant in their body structure and clearly aware of their status. Very stereotypical of the ‘Rock-Star’ mentality

This woman is the only one shown on this board, and presented as a only a single person. This contrasts heavily with the rest for the images from this publication, and they are all typically male groups and bands. There are one or two women presented, but they are dressed and shown in a masculine light;

The woman is addressed as a ‘Queen’, and shown alone looking straight at the reader. This presents a very strong, dominating woman, fully in control of her situation. She’s not being modeled, but instead shown ‘in her natural habitat,’ if you will. Her pose is somewhat evocative, portraying her femininity in a contained but productive manner. Her make-up, and presentation in the form of black-and-white codes her into a very gothic style, a culture known for allowing women to present themselves as part of a group rather than a gender. Her identification as a ‘Queen’ effectively raises her to a status of royalty, symbolized by her presence as one of the few women (or at least, the best represented) on the page

This mood board I’ve been analyzing holds a significant value because it showcases many of the conventions in which bands are presented in music magazines and other media. The various different kinds of bands that are presented here allow a great overview of how this kind of photography works and how to effectively present bands from many different genres of music.

Rock

Gothic

Drum and Bass

Pop

Alternative

Rap/Hip-hop