A2 ADVANCED PORTFOLIO: Post Artist Research

Part One - Genre

What elements does your artist use to identify himself in their videos?

Miles is always wearing smart clothing and the camera is mostly focused on him throughout the video, whether he is performing musically or acting.

What genre are they? How do they compare to other artists from their genre (videos)?

Miles Kane is from the indie genre, he is different from a lot of indie artist's videos due to his emphasis on live performance whilst other indie musicians like Foals don't have too much if any performance in their videos.

How has your artist changed over time?
As a solo act Miles Kane is very new and has not changed due to that. However as a musician overall he has changed quite a bit visually from his first band The Rascals due to him now having a smarter dress sense since then.

What generic conventions are evident from their videos?
Indie music focuses on the artists actualy playing their instruments which he does in all of his videos, he also isn't showing off wealth and stuff to keep portraying the normality and everyday nature of the indie genre.

Has the film style changed over time? If so why?
As a solo artist his film style hasn't changed because he hasn't been a solo artist very long. The film style is different to his side project The Last Shadow Puppets though due to it being separate from his solo stuff, therefore emphasising differences between the two.

Miles Kane's first band 'The Rascals'

Part Two - Visual Style and Image

What typical visual elements in the mise-en-scene signify your artist - why?
Most people in his music videos are wearing smart clothing regardless of gender (unless it is a proper live filming such as the Inhaler video where the crowd are wearing whatever they want). The setting is usually in a music venue of some sort with a stage where Miles can perform (Come Closer video). Both of these elements are vital to his image of looking smart and being a live performer so by including them in his videos it maintains that impression of him.
What is your artist's visual image and how is this represented on screen?
Miles' image is that he wears smart clothing and he represents this in his videos by wearing suits and shirts.
How does your artist use camera and editing style and effects to create meaning?
In the videos editing style is used only briefly to make meaningful cuts in the Come Closer video to show a bit of a simple storyline and can be seen as the only proper time where a real editing style is seen. In his other videos all of the shots and cuts are of the band and the audience which highlights his live perfomances. He frequently uses colour filters which could once again be due to live performance and resemble the lights at his shows.
Does your artist's videos relate to other media texts (films, TV programmes etc) why does your artist do this?
Miles Kane's videos don't relate to other media texts in my opinion. I think this is because he wants to establish himself as his own artist, since he is known by many people as being Alex Turner's friend via being the lesser known half of the Last Shadow Puppets.

Alex Turner (left) and Miles Kane, aka The Last Shadow Puppets

Digipak Design Research
Chosen Artists - Miles Kane, The Last Shadow Puppets, Arctic Monkeys and The Vaccines

Artist - All artists have had their name on their album cover (Arctic Monkeys have their name on their 1st, 2nd and 3rd albums Whatever People say I am that's what I'm not, Favourite Worst Nightmare and Humbug).
Title - The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys are the only two chosen artists to have the name of the album on the front cover (Arctic Monkeys only have the name of the album on Favourite Worst Nightmare and their 4th album Suck it and See).
B sides - All acts regularily include B sides on their singles
Institutional Logos - Miles Kane and the Vaccines have Colombia records, Miles Kane has Sony Music, Arctic Monkeys has Domino Records and The Last Shadow Puppets shows no logos yet has Domino Records in small print.
Appropriate Iconography - The Vaccines has a teenage female relating to the subjects of a lot of the songs on their album. The Last Shadow Puppets have a young female on the front of their album which relates to some of the songs on their album. Arctic Monkey's 1st album 'Whatever People say I am thats what I'm not' has a picture of a man smoking which can relate to a lot of the working class stories told in the album, 2nd album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' has a colourful house which could relate to the song 'This House is a Circus' and the 'Brianstorm' and 'Fluorescent Adolescent' videos from the album; the other 2 album covers for Humbug and Suck it and See don't really have any iconography, no iconography runs through all of their album frontcovers. Miles Kane's iconography is himself.