Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Friday, 23 September 2011
Audience Questionaire
Determining the audience of my video is an important step in the production of my music video. It will help me to understand what my audience will like and what they will dislike. I decided that a questionaire would be the best way to discover my audience's preferences. I handed out thirty copies to various people at college, to my family and other friends outside of college. The results are below.
What is your gender?
a) Male - 19
b) Female - 11
The results here may have something to do with the fact that more of my friends are male, but I will cater my video for both genders, but include more male-orientated elements to it.
How old are you?
a) 10-20 years - 10
b) 21-30 years - 7
c) 31-40 years - 6
d) 41-50 years - 5
e) 50+ years - 2
Age is an important factor to consider when tailoring a video for your target audience because it can effect everything from the costumes used in the video to the narrative or performance. From the pie chart I have determined that the answers collected come from persons aged from 10-20. This might suggest that people who watch music videos are of this age group.
This has also helped me to realise that my main target audience is males aged from 10-20. However, I will also cater for other needs to refrain from pigeon holing my audience.
How do you consume music videos?
a) TV - 8
b) iPod - 6
c) Computer - 15
d) Mobile Phone - 1
e) Other - 0
These results show that music videos are consumed more with a computer (15) than with a TV (8) which demonstrates how new technology can change the way people watch music promotions and videos.
What genre of music do you like most?
a) Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B - 5
b) Rock - 7
c) Pop - 5
d) Indie - 9
e) Other - 4
These results show that my audience are mostly into Indie and Rock. This is good because Kagoule, the band I am making the music video for are a mix of Indie and Grunge, a sub genre of Alternative Rock, so I will use conventions of these genres of music videos in my work. For the 'other' category, four people said Metal. Surprisingly, not as many people as I thought chose Pop. This might reflect the people I asked, but it may suggest a decline in the popularity of the genre, and a more spefic taste in genres among the masses.
What do you prefer a music video to contain?
a) Narrative - 9
b) Performance - 6
c) Both - 15
From the results, I can summarise that, while the people I questioned prefer to see narratives in music videos over performances, the majority of them like to see a combination of both. This fits in with my treatment which involves both a performance and a narrative interweaved throughout.
I was quite happy with this response because it would not suit an Indie rock music video to have the characters in very smart clothes as this does not fit into the conventions. Indie music videos tend to include characters in casual wear, so I will include this in my own video.
What is your gender?
a) Male - 19
b) Female - 11
The results here may have something to do with the fact that more of my friends are male, but I will cater my video for both genders, but include more male-orientated elements to it.
How old are you?
a) 10-20 years - 10
b) 21-30 years - 7
c) 31-40 years - 6
d) 41-50 years - 5
e) 50+ years - 2
Age is an important factor to consider when tailoring a video for your target audience because it can effect everything from the costumes used in the video to the narrative or performance. From the pie chart I have determined that the answers collected come from persons aged from 10-20. This might suggest that people who watch music videos are of this age group.
This has also helped me to realise that my main target audience is males aged from 10-20. However, I will also cater for other needs to refrain from pigeon holing my audience.
How do you consume music videos?
a) TV - 8
b) iPod - 6
c) Computer - 15
d) Mobile Phone - 1
e) Other - 0
These results show that music videos are consumed more with a computer (15) than with a TV (8) which demonstrates how new technology can change the way people watch music promotions and videos.
What genre of music do you like most?
a) Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B - 5
b) Rock - 7
c) Pop - 5
d) Indie - 9
e) Other - 4
These results show that my audience are mostly into Indie and Rock. This is good because Kagoule, the band I am making the music video for are a mix of Indie and Grunge, a sub genre of Alternative Rock, so I will use conventions of these genres of music videos in my work. For the 'other' category, four people said Metal. Surprisingly, not as many people as I thought chose Pop. This might reflect the people I asked, but it may suggest a decline in the popularity of the genre, and a more spefic taste in genres among the masses.
What do you prefer a music video to contain?
a) Narrative - 9
b) Performance - 6
c) Both - 15
From the results, I can summarise that, while the people I questioned prefer to see narratives in music videos over performances, the majority of them like to see a combination of both. This fits in with my treatment which involves both a performance and a narrative interweaved throughout.
What type of costumes do you like music videos to contain?
a) Smart - 12
b) Casual - 18
I was quite happy with this response because it would not suit an Indie rock music video to have the characters in very smart clothes as this does not fit into the conventions. Indie music videos tend to include characters in casual wear, so I will include this in my own video.
Overall, this quetionaire hashelped me grasp ahold of who and what my target audience enjoy. This will help me during the production of my music video with decisions such as costumes and mise-en-scene.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Music Video Directors
Spike Jonze
Jonze has been making music videos for nearly twenty years. He has worked with artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Arcade Fire and Jay-Z throughout that period. Jonze's style often incorporates slow motion to create mood and atmosphere. He also used guerilla-style filming techniques for the video of Fatboy Slim's "Praise You", where a fictional dance group perform outside a cinema in Calafornia without permission, to the bewilderment of onlookers.
I admire Jonze's work a lot, especially his video for Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs", which has a very gritty and realistic narrative to it.
Note: This video uses quite a bit of slow motion, like the video for collaborators Kanye West and Jay Z's recent single "Otis".
David Fincher
Fincher is mostly known as a film director, but has dabbled in music video directing over the years. He has worked with artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Nine Inch Nails.
He is known for his dark style and incorporates a lot of his trademark three dimensional camera moves into his videos, such as the video for "Only" by Nine Inch Nails. This device is used heavily in his films, such as "Fight Club" and "Panic Room". By watching this scene from "Panic Room" you can see Fincher's use of this technique.
Overall, I love the dark style of Fincher's film and music video work and will try to incorporate this style into my own work.
Jonze has been making music videos for nearly twenty years. He has worked with artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Arcade Fire and Jay-Z throughout that period. Jonze's style often incorporates slow motion to create mood and atmosphere. He also used guerilla-style filming techniques for the video of Fatboy Slim's "Praise You", where a fictional dance group perform outside a cinema in Calafornia without permission, to the bewilderment of onlookers. I admire Jonze's work a lot, especially his video for Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs", which has a very gritty and realistic narrative to it.
Note: This video uses quite a bit of slow motion, like the video for collaborators Kanye West and Jay Z's recent single "Otis".
David Fincher
Fincher is mostly known as a film director, but has dabbled in music video directing over the years. He has worked with artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Nine Inch Nails. He is known for his dark style and incorporates a lot of his trademark three dimensional camera moves into his videos, such as the video for "Only" by Nine Inch Nails. This device is used heavily in his films, such as "Fight Club" and "Panic Room". By watching this scene from "Panic Room" you can see Fincher's use of this technique.
Overall, I love the dark style of Fincher's film and music video work and will try to incorporate this style into my own work.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Music Video Treatment
I approached 3-piece Nottingham band Kagoule http://www.myspace.com/kagouleuk through a mutual friend on Facebook. Their music has been self-described by the band as being "a coming together of 90′s grunge and modern indie rock'n'roll". I explained that we are making a music video for college and we would like to direct a video of one of their songs. They have released an EP called “Son”, so I asked them what song they would like us to direct a video for. After getting back to me, and telling me they would be delighted to participate, they said that the video that they would most like to see with a music video was “Made of Concrete”. I was ecstatic as this was my favourite song of theirs, after following their music for a while and having seen them live recently at The Maze pub in Nottingham.
The soft guitar riff in the song is very dreamy and surreal. The lyrics seem to follow themes of love and urban decay. I intend to splice a narrative with footage of the band performing, which they have kindly agreed to do. We will shoot in their rehearsal space, which will give the performance a raw intensity. The narrative we be quite surreal and futuristic. I will describe it in full as if it will not be mixed with the performance.As the video opens we see a man in casual clothes walking down a street. He looks quite morose and depressed. He stuffs his hand in his pocket and pulls out a scrunched up piece of paper. And, unscrewing it, he sees an address hastily wrote on it, followed by a note, which reads: “Feeling unfulfilled? I have the cure.” He looks up at the near dilapidated building, confused. He cautiously walks inside.
He finds a man in a white lab coat, sitting sipping coffee. He questions the man as to whether he is responsible for the note. Nodding, he leads the man into a dark, dank bunker-like structure. The place is filled with books, tools, and high-tech electronics and in the centre, a machine with wires sat next to a chair.
Next, we see the central character being sat down, and connected to the machine by the man in the lab coat. He connects a wire going from an amplifier into the man’s wrist, and into his bloodstream. Various other wires, one going to the man’s chest, to check his heart beat is also connected. The premise of the idea is pure fantasy, and suggests that the machine can cure sadness and depression through sending musical airwaves and other shock treatment to reset the brain’s mind-set to follow paths set out by previous happy memories.
The process of doing this is similar to Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” (1971) where a young delinquent who commits rape and murder is strapped to a chair and made to listen to his favourite symphony of music while he watches awful acts of violent atrocity on a huge cinema screen. This is will be my attempt at intertextuality.As the treatment is being administered the man finds true happiness in his past memories. When it is over, the man feels fulfilled. He asks if he can come back. The owner of the machine tells him it can only be administered once. The machine has its faults however as the man adjusts back into normal life. He feels the happiness pumping through his veins begin to diminish. The man goes back to the building, and finding the place locked up, and in a fit of desperation, he decides to break in. Upon doing so, he finds that the place is utterly empty. The owner of the machine was right: it could only be used one time.
Overall, I’m quite pleased with idea of the narrative. I think that it is quite an original idea, considering a lot of music videos contain themes of love. I also like the fantasy, futuristic element to it – the idea that you can only use the machine once to fulfil your life, and if you are unable to achieve happiness you cannot use it again.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Interesting Videos
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" video is extremely strange and surreal. The video goes well with the funky, electronic, yet bizarre music. The retro colours are used in an interesting way and give the image a very wierd touch. There are also animated elements to the video, such as the truck behind the four figures seen at the top.
Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before the Lights Come On
This video for Arctic Monkeys' single "Leave Before the Lights Come On" is a personal favourite of mine. I love the narrative. A woman pretends to commit suicide frequently to catch the affections of men who try and stop her. Its a brilliant idea and its executed brilliantly. I love music videos with narratives, and I hope my video will be something like this, spliced with footage of the band performing the song as well, however.
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
Groundbreaking video for Dire Straits' single "Money For Nothing". It was one of the first ever music videos to incorporate CG animation and it was the second to ever been shown on MTV.
Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Analysis
Camerawork
The slow tracking shots of the gym's audience move with the quieter parts of the song. Then as the pace increases into the chorus, we see shots of the drummer, guitarist and the crowd who are jumping manically. At the star of the verses, frontman Kurt Cobain sings directly to camera. This implies a connection with the audience and the message that he is putting across to them. The lyrics of the song are very hazy but generally deal with apathy among youths, and the music is menacing, rebellious and threatening. Kurt Cobain was often labelled as "the voice of a generation" and the choice of camera shot of him certainly links in with Dick Hebdige's theory of music video's techniques of attracting subcultures. Richard Dyer's idea of a "star image" is indeed present within the video, and there is no doubt that lead singer Kurt Cobain is the star. Towards the end of the video at a slow point in the song, he is cast in almost complete shadow. He then emerges into harsh light, which casts itself on his face. This implies a level of almost religeous importance.
Editing
The editing of the video follows the beat of the song. It slows down as the verse do, then as the chorus builds, so does the speed of the editing. To start with there is approximately a shot every three seconds in the verse, then every second as the chorus arrives. Slow motion is also used for the shots with the audience. It gives these shots a slightly unreal atmosphere and shows the chaos and angry force of the song.Mise-en-Scene
Lead singer, Kurt Cobain's clothes are very casual and normal and perhaps are meant to reflect his laid back attitude and every-man image. The smoke used in the video within the school gym makes the concert taking place look rather 'underground' and grimy. The crowd are a specific type of people, and are a lot different to a crowd that could be presented in a pop video. The theme that Nirvana are most famous for using is apathy within youths. This is most probably why the video is set in a school gym. Kurt Cobain's social commentary on youths makes this the perfect setting for the performance of the song. It is almost as if he is preaching in a place where he thinks it will have the maximum effect.
Katy Perry "Teenage Dream" Analysis
Camerawork
The intmacy that the artist is expressing for her partner who is shown sat in the car next to her is expressed through the use of close ups. Long shots are also used to show the fun of the beach party that she is having fun with her friends and her boyfriend, which fits in with Katy Perry's image which has been constructed by the record company from a "range of materials" (Richard Dyer 1979). The image has been formed because she is a pop star and her lyrical themes of love, friends and sex are easily acessible to a mass audience. Pete Fraser confirms this in his book "Teaching Music Video" (BFI, 2004), "These materials include the songs (their lyrical themes and musical structures/genres)". 
The chorus' lyrics also maintain this idea - "Let's go all the way tonight/No regrets, just love/We can dance until we die/You and I, we'll be young forever." The hyperbolic exaggeration of the last line of the chorus demonstrates the typical thought process of a teen in love, that it is eternal, when in truth, this is unlikely.Editing
The editing for this video is extremely fast. A shot barely lasts a second. Peter Fraser's theory on this seems accurate for a pop video, "music promo is fast cut montage, rendering many of the image impossible to grasp on first viewing thus requiring multiple viewings" The speed of the editing could also be a subtle hint at how quickly youth rushes by us. Perhaps this is why a 25 year old pop artist wanted to reflect on the idea of a "teenage dream". For the chorus the video intercuts scenes of the artist kissing her "teenage dream" in a dimly lit bedroom with scenes of the beach party where the sun is going down. The splicing of the two actions suggests the excitement of the two acts and how the party has led to a night of passion.Mise-en-Scene
The racy scenes in the bedroom are quite dimly lit, which is actually unconventional of a pop video, which usually always has high key lighting. But this is probably due to the narrative of the video, which seems to follow the beach party scene which is taking place as the sun is going down. The bright sunlight in the first scene in the car coincides with the happy lyrics and upbeat, uplifting nature of the song. The artist wears "skin tight jeans" which she references in the lyrics of the song. She also just wears a bra for the beach and bedroom scenes. This shows a sense of sexual freedom within the artist which she is renowned for.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Shot by Shot Analysis
To see whether a music should follow codes and conventions, a shot by shot analysis is necessary to see how a video is composed. For this task I have decided to study a music video from Indie Rock band Arctic Monkeys. The song is called "Crying Lightning" and the video for it has a very interesting and orginal setting premise. A shot by shot analysis will determine whether the conventions set out by theorists are used in this video.
Song: Crying Lightning
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Date: 2009
Analysis
Shot 1: Long shot to medium shot. 54 seconds. Title dissapears and we see band on boat. Straight cut.
Shot 2: Medium shot craned to long shot. 9 seconds. Lead singer pulled back to band. Straight cut.
Shot 3: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 4: Long shot. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2. Straight cut.
Shot 5: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 6: High angle. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2 and 4 but we just see the drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 7: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 8: Close up, craned back to long shot. 16 seconds. Drums pulled back to whole band. Straight cut.
Shot 9: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan across boat and band. Straight cut.
Shot 10: Long shot. 3 seconds. Crane shot from band to just drums. Straight cut.
Shot 11: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.
Shot 12: Medium to extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Lead singer then cranes back to band on boat. Straight cut.
Shot 13: Long shot. 2 seconds. Whole band on boat from back. Straight cut.
Shot 14: Close up. 2 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 15: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist, bass and drums. Straight cut.
Shot 16: Medium shot. 3 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 17: Medium to long shot. 4 seconds. Side shot of lead singer, pull back to whole band. Straight cut.
Shot 18: Extreme long shot. 6 seconds. Zoom towards boat. Straight cut.
Shot 19: Close up. 7 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 20: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 21: Medium shot. 1 second. Lead singer and guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 22: Long shot. 4 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.
Shot 23: Long shot. 1 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 24: Medium shot. 5 seconds. Tracks from guitarist around to drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 25: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Side shot of singer. Straight cut.
Shot 26: Long shot to medium. 2 seconds. Cranes toward lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 27: Close up. 1 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 28: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Giant lead singer rises out of sea. Straight cut.
Shot 29: Long shot. 2 seconds. Continues to rise. Straight cut.
Shot 30: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Band look up to giant figure from boat. Straight cut.
Shot 31: Medium shot 2 seconds. Low angle shot of giant lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 32: Long shot. 1 second. Crane up, high angle of boat. Straight cut.
Shot 33: Extreme long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer and boat. Straight cut.
Shot 34: Close up. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 35: Close up. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 36: Close up. 1/2 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 37: Close up. 1/2 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 38: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer, low angle. Jump cut.
Shot 39: Long shot. 1 second. Continuation of last shot. Jump cut.
Shot 40: Medium shot. 1 second. Continuation of shot 38. Straight cut.
Shot 41: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer drops to knees. Straight cut.
Shot 42: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Low angle asboat goes under giant lead singer's legs. Straight cut.
Shot 43: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan along boat. Straight cut.
Shot 44: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat emerges from behind legs. Straight cut.
Shot 45: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer rises out of water. Straight cut.
Shot 46: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist rises from water. Straight cut.
Shot 47: Extreme long shot. 3 seconds. Whole band playing on water. Straight cut.
Shot 48: Long shot. 7 seconds. Band continues playing. Straight cut.
Shot 49: Medium shot. 7 seconds. Tracks backward over boat from lead singer crouched. Straight cut.
Shot 50: Extreme long shot. 5 seconds. Big band begin to sink into water. Straight cut.
With a variety of different shot types and jump cuts, this music video conforms to the codes and conventions laid out by theorists. There are, however, music videos that do not meet these standard conventions. Radiohead's "Knives Out" music video is a single shot and is a very unconventional music video. Arctic Monkey's music video for "Cornerstone" is also a single shot video.
Song: Crying Lightning
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Date: 2009
Analysis
Shot 1: Long shot to medium shot. 54 seconds. Title dissapears and we see band on boat. Straight cut.
Shot 2: Medium shot craned to long shot. 9 seconds. Lead singer pulled back to band. Straight cut.
Shot 3: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 4: Long shot. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2. Straight cut.
Shot 5: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 6: High angle. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2 and 4 but we just see the drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 7: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 8: Close up, craned back to long shot. 16 seconds. Drums pulled back to whole band. Straight cut.
Shot 9: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan across boat and band. Straight cut.
Shot 10: Long shot. 3 seconds. Crane shot from band to just drums. Straight cut.
Shot 11: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.
Shot 12: Medium to extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Lead singer then cranes back to band on boat. Straight cut.
Shot 13: Long shot. 2 seconds. Whole band on boat from back. Straight cut.
Shot 14: Close up. 2 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 15: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist, bass and drums. Straight cut.
Shot 16: Medium shot. 3 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 17: Medium to long shot. 4 seconds. Side shot of lead singer, pull back to whole band. Straight cut.
Shot 18: Extreme long shot. 6 seconds. Zoom towards boat. Straight cut.
Shot 19: Close up. 7 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 20: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 21: Medium shot. 1 second. Lead singer and guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 22: Long shot. 4 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.
Shot 23: Long shot. 1 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 24: Medium shot. 5 seconds. Tracks from guitarist around to drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 25: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Side shot of singer. Straight cut.
Shot 26: Long shot to medium. 2 seconds. Cranes toward lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 27: Close up. 1 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 28: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Giant lead singer rises out of sea. Straight cut.
Shot 29: Long shot. 2 seconds. Continues to rise. Straight cut.
Shot 30: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Band look up to giant figure from boat. Straight cut.
Shot 31: Medium shot 2 seconds. Low angle shot of giant lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 32: Long shot. 1 second. Crane up, high angle of boat. Straight cut.
Shot 33: Extreme long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer and boat. Straight cut.
Shot 34: Close up. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 35: Close up. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 36: Close up. 1/2 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 37: Close up. 1/2 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 38: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer, low angle. Jump cut.
Shot 39: Long shot. 1 second. Continuation of last shot. Jump cut.
Shot 40: Medium shot. 1 second. Continuation of shot 38. Straight cut.
Shot 41: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer drops to knees. Straight cut.
Shot 42: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Low angle asboat goes under giant lead singer's legs. Straight cut.
Shot 43: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan along boat. Straight cut.
Shot 44: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat emerges from behind legs. Straight cut.
Shot 45: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer rises out of water. Straight cut.
Shot 46: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist rises from water. Straight cut.
Shot 47: Extreme long shot. 3 seconds. Whole band playing on water. Straight cut.
Shot 48: Long shot. 7 seconds. Band continues playing. Straight cut.
Shot 49: Medium shot. 7 seconds. Tracks backward over boat from lead singer crouched. Straight cut.
Shot 50: Extreme long shot. 5 seconds. Big band begin to sink into water. Straight cut.
With a variety of different shot types and jump cuts, this music video conforms to the codes and conventions laid out by theorists. There are, however, music videos that do not meet these standard conventions. Radiohead's "Knives Out" music video is a single shot and is a very unconventional music video. Arctic Monkey's music video for "Cornerstone" is also a single shot video.
Codes & Conventions of a Music Video
Camera Shots
There are a lot of close up shots in a music video. This is often to accentuate the emotions of the song by showing the performer's face close up. High angle shots are also used frequently, especially in crane shots where the whole stage, where the band are performing, can be seen. Pans and tilts are often used, notably to move from one member of the band to another. When there is a solo for example, the camera may move from the drummer to the lead guitarist so we can see the finger work of the solo. Low angle shots are also used quite often to make the band members look powerful and dominant.
Editing
Jump cuts are often used in music videos, as is quick cutting from a different angle or narrative. A split screen is another device that can be used in a music video and it allows the audience to watch two different types of narrative. It also helps keep their interest as there is more than one event occuring within the video. Editing can also be synchronised with the beat of the song to keep the pace of the video similar with that of the track. Editing can also be slower in music videos, with gentle transition to create mood. This gives a broad audience appeal and is mainly incorporated by female artists, such as Dido.
Music Video Styles
When bands choose to make a music video for their single or another track, they have a wide range of categories to choose to fit their video into. There is a narrative, which tells a story and does not include a performance from the band in the video. Or there is a mixture of the two, which intercuts a performance from the band and a narrative (this is probably what we will choose to recreate in our music video). There is also a cameo. This is where the band appear in the video, yet do not perform. For example, Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders appears, yet does not perform in the video to their single 'When the Sun Goes Down' (2006).
Star Image
"A star is an image created from a range of materials." Richard Dyer, 1979
It is the idea that each video reinforces the star's image, and is a vehicle to showcase their talents. A star is created by a record label and the lyrical content of the songs, the artwork, media coverage of the artist, interviews and the image of the star that they present are all the materials they use to propel a struggling artist to stardom.
Voyeurism
An idea from Freud which refers to the idea of looking to attain sexual pleasure. The male gaze is the idea that female performers are objectified through body shots and camerawork. Dancers are often used in male performance videos as well, who all seemingly look up to the male star. The idea has had many complexities added to it. For example, Madonna, through her music videos manages to keep the idea of the male gaze by dressing provocatively, yet still manages to seem in control and empowering.
Intertextuality
In music promos, it is the reference to another text to create recognition within the audience. For example, cinema is often referenced within music videos.
Narrative & Performance
The narrative of a music video can be compared to that of a poem. It is fragmented and rarely distinguishable. This is to make the viewer want to watch the video again, if not to gain an understanding of the narrative, then to see parts that they missed with a first viewing.
Videos also allow more contact with the performer than a live performance ever could, through the use of close ups and facial gestures, also the actual performance with the musical instrument is clearly with a music video and the capability of having a close up of the performers moves.
The location for a music video is also important and most of the time they link in with the lyrics of the song. If not then usually they conform at least to the theme of the track. There are often three or more different locations throughout the video. The costumes must also be realistic to the narrative of the music video, and the performer's clothes must also be suitable to their age and the genre of music they work within. For example, the clothes of a Indie Rock band's frontman would be a lot different to the clothes Justin Bieber would where in a video.
There are a lot of close up shots in a music video. This is often to accentuate the emotions of the song by showing the performer's face close up. High angle shots are also used frequently, especially in crane shots where the whole stage, where the band are performing, can be seen. Pans and tilts are often used, notably to move from one member of the band to another. When there is a solo for example, the camera may move from the drummer to the lead guitarist so we can see the finger work of the solo. Low angle shots are also used quite often to make the band members look powerful and dominant.
Editing
Jump cuts are often used in music videos, as is quick cutting from a different angle or narrative. A split screen is another device that can be used in a music video and it allows the audience to watch two different types of narrative. It also helps keep their interest as there is more than one event occuring within the video. Editing can also be synchronised with the beat of the song to keep the pace of the video similar with that of the track. Editing can also be slower in music videos, with gentle transition to create mood. This gives a broad audience appeal and is mainly incorporated by female artists, such as Dido.
Music Video Styles
When bands choose to make a music video for their single or another track, they have a wide range of categories to choose to fit their video into. There is a narrative, which tells a story and does not include a performance from the band in the video. Or there is a mixture of the two, which intercuts a performance from the band and a narrative (this is probably what we will choose to recreate in our music video). There is also a cameo. This is where the band appear in the video, yet do not perform. For example, Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders appears, yet does not perform in the video to their single 'When the Sun Goes Down' (2006).
Star Image
"A star is an image created from a range of materials." Richard Dyer, 1979
It is the idea that each video reinforces the star's image, and is a vehicle to showcase their talents. A star is created by a record label and the lyrical content of the songs, the artwork, media coverage of the artist, interviews and the image of the star that they present are all the materials they use to propel a struggling artist to stardom.
Voyeurism
An idea from Freud which refers to the idea of looking to attain sexual pleasure. The male gaze is the idea that female performers are objectified through body shots and camerawork. Dancers are often used in male performance videos as well, who all seemingly look up to the male star. The idea has had many complexities added to it. For example, Madonna, through her music videos manages to keep the idea of the male gaze by dressing provocatively, yet still manages to seem in control and empowering.
Intertextuality
In music promos, it is the reference to another text to create recognition within the audience. For example, cinema is often referenced within music videos.
Narrative & Performance
The narrative of a music video can be compared to that of a poem. It is fragmented and rarely distinguishable. This is to make the viewer want to watch the video again, if not to gain an understanding of the narrative, then to see parts that they missed with a first viewing.
Videos also allow more contact with the performer than a live performance ever could, through the use of close ups and facial gestures, also the actual performance with the musical instrument is clearly with a music video and the capability of having a close up of the performers moves.
The location for a music video is also important and most of the time they link in with the lyrics of the song. If not then usually they conform at least to the theme of the track. There are often three or more different locations throughout the video. The costumes must also be realistic to the narrative of the music video, and the performer's clothes must also be suitable to their age and the genre of music they work within. For example, the clothes of a Indie Rock band's frontman would be a lot different to the clothes Justin Bieber would where in a video.
Music Genres
Hip Hop/Rap
A form of musical expression which orginated in New York, USA, specifically the Bronx, the northern region of Manhattan. Typically performed by black artists, its birth came around the same time as Hip Hop Dance. The vocal style developed into rap, a form of rhythmic chanting, which took elements of the percussive side of music. It is often aggressive and angry and sometimes has political motivations within the lyrics.
A form of musical expression which orginated in New York, USA, specifically the Bronx, the northern region of Manhattan. Typically performed by black artists, its birth came around the same time as Hip Hop Dance. The vocal style developed into rap, a form of rhythmic chanting, which took elements of the percussive side of music. It is often aggressive and angry and sometimes has political motivations within the lyrics.
Sucessful Hip Hop/Rap artists include: Eminem, Jay-Z and Tinie Tempah
R&B
This is a genre made popular by African American artists in the 1940s. R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues. The music follows a four beat measure and often has a backbeat. The 'Blues' part of the name derives from the lyrics and the melody of the music which is often sorrowful and sad.
The genre still lives on, well into the 21st century, and is often used to describe music created by black people with an urban style.
Examples of R&B artists include: Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Beyonce.
This is a genre made popular by African American artists in the 1940s. R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues. The music follows a four beat measure and often has a backbeat. The 'Blues' part of the name derives from the lyrics and the melody of the music which is often sorrowful and sad.
The genre still lives on, well into the 21st century, and is often used to describe music created by black people with an urban style.
Examples of R&B artists include: Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Beyonce.
Indie Rock
'Indie' comes from independant, and it describes the choice an Indie band makes to not be signed to a major record label who might influence or change their sound. They are often not as sucessful in the charts, but bands like Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and Arctic Monkeys have shown that Indie Rock bands can become mainstream.
'Indie' comes from independant, and it describes the choice an Indie band makes to not be signed to a major record label who might influence or change their sound. They are often not as sucessful in the charts, but bands like Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and Arctic Monkeys have shown that Indie Rock bands can become mainstream.
Pop
Short for "popular music", the genre is music that is listened to by the masses. The melodies are simple, catchy and the lyrics are not very challenging, and contain universal themes of love, money, partying and friends. It is rare for a Pop star to play an instrument, they are mainly recording artists. They sell out the biggest venues and get the most airplay on the radio.
Short for "popular music", the genre is music that is listened to by the masses. The melodies are simple, catchy and the lyrics are not very challenging, and contain universal themes of love, money, partying and friends. It is rare for a Pop star to play an instrument, they are mainly recording artists. They sell out the biggest venues and get the most airplay on the radio.
Examples of Pop artists include: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.
Rock
Rock music emerged in the 1940s with early rock'n'roll, and has its roots in the Blues. A typical rock group is a four-piece, a Bass guitar and drums usually centering around two electric guitars. Rock is split among many genres now, such as Indie rock, Blues-rock, Psychedelic-rock, Pop-rock and Country-rock.
Examples of rock bands include: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Doors.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Preliminary Task
Outline
Our preliminary task for A2 Media was a class project which consisted of remaking a music video. The idea being, to give us a glimpse of what making our own music video throughout the year, would be like.
At first this sounded like it would be quite easy and fun, but when I realised we would be recreating the first eighty seconds of Britney Spears' '...Baby One More Time', I was a bit worried, not only because it seemed like more of a female-friendly task, but also because it is a very iconic video and it seemed like it would be hard to do it justice. The amount of shots and fast cutting within the segment we were reproducing also made it a challenging task.
Planning
The first step we took was to assign three of us (me, Zoran and Ben) to visit the YouTube page of the video and print screen each individual shot. This took a considerable amount of time as, like I've said, there are a significant number of quick shots, but this is typical of most music videos. We also made a note of how long each shot lasted when it came to editing, the process would be a lot easier. We then printed the screenshots off for filming.
For the next few days we began location scouting, which was not majorly difficult as the video is set in a school. We did, however have to find an area in the school that had lockers. The one place we could really use was outside our media room, but unfortunately it was a rather narrow space and we knew it would make filming more cramped and arduous.
We also spent this time practicing the dance routine, which had a lot of difficult choreography which made it hard to get the timing accurate. We worked it out in the end, though.
Costume was fairly easy to organise too. It was basically school uniform, but I planned to bring in a blazer and a tie, because that's what the 'jocks' in the video are wearing. Now, we were quite confident and were eager to start filming.
Filming
It was specified at the beginning of the task that everyone had to direct a portion of the video. Thankfully, having toyed with making short film in my spare, this came as a pleasant challenge. I filmed the opening sequence, minus the insert shots of the clock and the bell. I also directed part of the dance sequence, some of the lip synching, and set up the shots of the twirl which Zoran contributed, and where the jocks are dancing into the locker room out of a door. I quite enjoyed having the experience of directing a lot of people and having the professional lighting. It really gave me an insight into the production of music videos and I'm sure it will give me the experience I need to suceed in making my own music video this year.
To summarise, I believe my camera operating was generally efficient and accurate to the source material. It was hard to achieve this, however, as out first schoot, which was when we filmed the opening sequence in a classroom, was shot on a particularly hot day. Therefore, everyone was generally fed up because the costumes were uncomfortable, and it was hard to pick everyone up and get them focused, but we managed it all in the end.
Editing
We split ourselves into groups for editing, which was an efficient way of getting it done as fast as possible.
We would be working on Adobe Premiere Pro, which was what most people used last year for their Thriller project, but I decided to use Sony Vegas as I was more comfortable with it then. However, this time around, I thought I may as well make myself familiar with Adobe Premiere as I thought it would make me a more diverse editor if I can use different pieces of software efficiently.
I worked with Daisy and we edited from the 1:00 to the 1:20 mark. I had edited before and thought that it was a strong point in my media product last year. The editing was significantly harder editing a music video together as the shots come and go faster. We uploaded the audio track into Adobe Premiere so we could match it to the original video and we were constantly switching back and forth to the original video to check the timing and order of the shots was correct. I believe that the practice of the speed of the editing will certainly help with the production of my own music video in the year.
As the latter stages of the process we realised we were missing some shots, so me and Zoran volunteered to do a reshoot and cover the shots we did not have. I set up the shot where Zoran does a twirl, and me and Zoran set up the shot where me, him and Tom walk out of a door dancing. We also had to film a close up of Zoran lip synching. We then put these shots into the film. When we felt we had all edited our different parts as best we could, we merged all the different segments together to make the final film.
Final Product
Evaluation
The quality of the acting, the set ups and the locations are not up to standard, but this is to be expected as it was the first I (not sure about anyone else) had attempted to make a music video through all the processes. I really enjoyed the experience of directing people, and the all the organisation to get the product finished.To summarise, while the overall quality of the product is fairly poor, the experience it gave of how the business works was very useful.
Our preliminary task for A2 Media was a class project which consisted of remaking a music video. The idea being, to give us a glimpse of what making our own music video throughout the year, would be like.
At first this sounded like it would be quite easy and fun, but when I realised we would be recreating the first eighty seconds of Britney Spears' '...Baby One More Time', I was a bit worried, not only because it seemed like more of a female-friendly task, but also because it is a very iconic video and it seemed like it would be hard to do it justice. The amount of shots and fast cutting within the segment we were reproducing also made it a challenging task.
Planning
The first step we took was to assign three of us (me, Zoran and Ben) to visit the YouTube page of the video and print screen each individual shot. This took a considerable amount of time as, like I've said, there are a significant number of quick shots, but this is typical of most music videos. We also made a note of how long each shot lasted when it came to editing, the process would be a lot easier. We then printed the screenshots off for filming.
For the next few days we began location scouting, which was not majorly difficult as the video is set in a school. We did, however have to find an area in the school that had lockers. The one place we could really use was outside our media room, but unfortunately it was a rather narrow space and we knew it would make filming more cramped and arduous.
We also spent this time practicing the dance routine, which had a lot of difficult choreography which made it hard to get the timing accurate. We worked it out in the end, though.
Costume was fairly easy to organise too. It was basically school uniform, but I planned to bring in a blazer and a tie, because that's what the 'jocks' in the video are wearing. Now, we were quite confident and were eager to start filming.
Filming
It was specified at the beginning of the task that everyone had to direct a portion of the video. Thankfully, having toyed with making short film in my spare, this came as a pleasant challenge. I filmed the opening sequence, minus the insert shots of the clock and the bell. I also directed part of the dance sequence, some of the lip synching, and set up the shots of the twirl which Zoran contributed, and where the jocks are dancing into the locker room out of a door. I quite enjoyed having the experience of directing a lot of people and having the professional lighting. It really gave me an insight into the production of music videos and I'm sure it will give me the experience I need to suceed in making my own music video this year.
To summarise, I believe my camera operating was generally efficient and accurate to the source material. It was hard to achieve this, however, as out first schoot, which was when we filmed the opening sequence in a classroom, was shot on a particularly hot day. Therefore, everyone was generally fed up because the costumes were uncomfortable, and it was hard to pick everyone up and get them focused, but we managed it all in the end.
Editing
We split ourselves into groups for editing, which was an efficient way of getting it done as fast as possible.
We would be working on Adobe Premiere Pro, which was what most people used last year for their Thriller project, but I decided to use Sony Vegas as I was more comfortable with it then. However, this time around, I thought I may as well make myself familiar with Adobe Premiere as I thought it would make me a more diverse editor if I can use different pieces of software efficiently.I worked with Daisy and we edited from the 1:00 to the 1:20 mark. I had edited before and thought that it was a strong point in my media product last year. The editing was significantly harder editing a music video together as the shots come and go faster. We uploaded the audio track into Adobe Premiere so we could match it to the original video and we were constantly switching back and forth to the original video to check the timing and order of the shots was correct. I believe that the practice of the speed of the editing will certainly help with the production of my own music video in the year.
As the latter stages of the process we realised we were missing some shots, so me and Zoran volunteered to do a reshoot and cover the shots we did not have. I set up the shot where Zoran does a twirl, and me and Zoran set up the shot where me, him and Tom walk out of a door dancing. We also had to film a close up of Zoran lip synching. We then put these shots into the film. When we felt we had all edited our different parts as best we could, we merged all the different segments together to make the final film.
Final Product
Evaluation
The quality of the acting, the set ups and the locations are not up to standard, but this is to be expected as it was the first I (not sure about anyone else) had attempted to make a music video through all the processes. I really enjoyed the experience of directing people, and the all the organisation to get the product finished.To summarise, while the overall quality of the product is fairly poor, the experience it gave of how the business works was very useful.
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