top of page

NEA research tasks

Tasks 1-20

Task 1-2
Beggars Group

Who are Beggars Group

They are an independent music publishing company and are one of the largest independent groups of labels in the world. They consist of these big labels, 4AD, Matador, rough trade records, XL recordings and Young.

Origins

With origins stemming from the Beggars Banquet record shops in London, whose first branch opened in 1973 in Earls Court, the label was born in 1977 with the 7” release of the ‘Free Admission Single’ by The Lurkers. Success was quick to follow via one of the first signings, Gary Numan

It was chaired by founder Martin Mills, Beggars Group now comprises many of the world’s most respected independent labels. In addition to a growing publishing wing (Beggars Music) and a successful catalog imprint (Beggars Arkive). Based in London with US headquarters in New York City, The Beggars Group also have dedicated offices in all major markets in addition to an office in Los Angeles, CA and a Matador office in Austin, TX.

Beggars has also been a pioneer in the digital world and had its catalogue available digitally before the end of the last century. It self-distributes digitally and to US indie stores, and have been active proponents in promoting the collective interests of the independent sector, instrumental in the setting up of the sector’s various representative bodies. They are proud to be founding members of the Association of Independent Music (UK), IMPALA (Europe), A2IM (USA), and the worldwide independent Network.

Grammy awards/nominations

2023 - NOMINEE - Best Alternative Music Performance - Big Thief - “certainty” (4AD)

2023 - NOMINEE - Best Alternative Music Album - Big Thief - dragon new warm mountain I believe in you (4AD)

2023 - WINNER _ Songwriter of the year, Non-classical - Tobias Jesso JR

2022 - NOMINEE - Best boxed or special limited edition package - Gang Of Four - 77-81 (Matador)

2021 - NOMINEE - Best Rock performance - Big Thief - “not”(4AD)

2021 - NOMINEE - Best Rock Song - Big Thief - “Not” (4AD)

​​

​

Meet three of the artists that are part of Beggars Group

Music Videos Research

Muse: The Dark Side

Muse: Algorithm

Chosen Track, Artist/Band

Muse: The Dark Side

Why I have selected this track

I selected this track as the lyrics work very well with the kind of music video I want to create. The lyrics are very simplistic and give a lot of opportunity for different narratives to be created.

Two other Music videos from Muse

What I like about Muse’s algorithm music video is that it has stunning visuals and great shot types throughout the video. Like when it shows Terry Crews training, there is only the use of ambient lighting which is really effective to fit the sort of training environment he is in.

What I like about Muse’s Knights of Cydonia music video is that it has a really cool narrative of a western style cowboy who knows martial arts and has a lover he is trying to save from the bad guy. The music video also has a lot fade transitions which are really cool

About Muse

Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), Dominic Howard (drums).

Task 5: Copyright permissions

Letter to Warner Bros Music

Dear Warner Bros Music


I am writing a letter to see if I can use The muse song: The dark side to use in my own music video for a project for A level media. I am completely aware that I will not make a profit from this and it is purely just for a project. I really hope that we can come to an agreement on this and you understand my purposes for this song.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Lewis Furlong

Using Mobile Phones

Task 6: Audience profiles

Below is a button that takes you to the audience types that I believe will fit my music video

Task 8: initial plans

Chosen track: Muse - The Dark Side

I have chosen this track because the lyrics of the song fit perfectly with the kind of music video I want to make and I also found the music video for this song really interesting so it was really good for inspiration

Ideas for artist/band name

This is a part that I am still not sure about and am still thinking

Potential narrative ideas

The main idea I had for the narrative was that it was an isolate building  which has someone inside about to close after work that starts with all the lights on but the lights start to turn of on their own and there is this thing( which will be someone in a black morph suit) that chases them in the darkness down all of these hallways and it is about the worker there trying to escape them

Themes/key elements

Not exactly sure on what the themes/key elements will be but I am thinking a key thing will be darkness as the song is called ‘The Dark Side’ and the lyrics are mainly about darkness

Analysis of the Lyrics

‘I have lived in darkness’ - they have lived in the darkness, could that be literally or metaphorically

‘For all my life I have been pursued’ - Who or what is chasing him?

‘You’d be afraid, if you could feel my pain’ - Are they addressing the audience with the use of you, What is causing them pain?

‘And if you could see the things I am able to see’ - What is it they can see. The song keeps us wanting to know more with unanswered questions

‘Break me out, break me out let me flee’ - This part is the chorus and what are they trying to escape from?

‘Break me out, break me out set me free’ - use of repetition trying to make the fact they are escaping from something is the important part of the song.

Muse: The dark side lyrics

The Dark Side

I have lived in darkness
For all my life, I've been pursued
You'd be afraid if you could feel my pain
And if you could see the things I am able to see

Break me out, break me out
Let me flee
Break me out, break me out
Set me free

I hail from the dark side
For all my life, I've been besieged
You'd be scared living with my despair
And if you could feel the things, I am able to feel

Break me out, break me out
Let me flee
Break me out, break me out
Set me free

Break me out, break me out
Let me flee
Break me out, break me out
Set me free
Save me from the dark side
Break me out, break me out
Set me free

Task 11: Narrative ideas

Ideas for the setting

- My friends house as it is big and has a lot of space

- Possibly an open field

- A garden shed

- a road at night with street lights

Narrative Ideas

A teenage boy is in his bedroom on his phone just chilling in his bedroom, he looks outside to see a shadowy figure standing in his garden, he then gets a message on his phone from one of his friends that he needs to run and that there's no time to explain. He then looks back out the window and the figure begins sprinting towards the house and the boy goes downstairs and runs out the front door with the figure following from behind then there is lots of chasing between them until the boy eventually trips and hurts his leg and the figure feels his leg and he realises they share the same pain which is him finding a weakness. The boy then punches himself in the face and it hurts him but knocks out the figure. He then runs away some more and then finds the figure in front of him holding out a hand to stop. It takes of what seems to be a fully black mask and it is him all along and he finds out he is running from himself all along

Performers for the video

George Burley
Luke Welsby

Why I have Chosen them

George Burley: It is his house that I want to use for the narrative and he fits the role of a teenage boy that I need for my narrative idea for my music video

Luke Welsby: I need someone to be the figure in the music video who just needs to chase after the boy and Luke is quite energetic and willing to do anything to help out so I figured that this role would be perfect for him

Task 12: Casting

Here are the performers for my music video

bottom of page