1st Production Meeting/Plan

Meeting 

To decide what we were going to film the group members had a meeting. I wrote notes on a  ideas that I came up with to do with the theme of the music video; as well as how it would be edited. This then formed the general concept of the music video.

After, this Georgia added detail and wrote notes on what would occur during each scene. (See notes below). After this the remaining members contributed other ideas and details; such as location. 

Writers Left: Me Right: Georgia 

Audience Research Survey

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A model of the Media

Audience Research

Jamie Thraves

Katy Perry

Costume and Props

 

Shot list

-Time lapse - in time to drum beat 

-Extreme close ups/cut ins  - movement i.e hand clicking/clapping, shoulders, feet, eyes, mouth

-Close up - face/body

-Low angle - train sequence

-High angle

-Wide shot 

-Mid shot 

-Camera effects - transitions & angle positioning & clothes montage 

-Cut aways of location

-Point of view shot 

Shooting Schedule

Day 1

Location 

Camden 

Equipment 

Camera
Tripod

Costume

Skinny Jeans
Shirt

Location Sheet

Location - Camden

-Camden Market
-Regent's Park

Travelling via public transport - bus and train

Health and safety issues to note:

-Need to ensure that all the team members stay within close proximity of each other to ensure that no one is left behind. 

-Tripping/falling

Potential filming problems

-People intervening with our shots
-Location appearances not appropriate for filming 

Weather forecast:

Artist Profile

The artist we are using are a relatively new group Jet Black Alley Cat. Their music is a blend of rock, indie and dance. They consist of five members - a singer, drummer, bass and two guitarists. 

This band has similarities to other established groups such as the 1975

Creating an image (Mood Board)

This is the planning sheet that all of the members of the group contributed to create:

Gaining permission

We chose to do Jet Black Alley Cat's song poison because it is an upbeat, fun song that would allow us to produce several ideas for it. 

In order to use their song we had to seek permission, which we were able to attain from the band's street team manager. 

 

Star Theory

Creating a brand

Blog 6 - Key Features

Relation of Visuals to Song

Illustrative

These music videos use a plot or a series of images that relate to the lyrics of the song This is shown throughout Karmin's video for 'Acapella'. Several examples include 

"...all that I got was bread"                                    "..if the magic ain't right"   

                                                 "Use to be a baby"

Amplification 

Beyonce's music video for 'If I were a boy' is a great demonstration of this. In this video we see Beyonce use a creative performance take on the meaning of her song as she transforms into a male character. 

Disjunctive  

These music videos ignore the meaning of the lyrics; clearly demonstrated by Paramore's 'Still Into You'. Despite the lyrics relating to being in a relationship that still feels like puppy love the video contains strange scenes such as being in a room filled with candle lit cakes. 

Looking for an artist

Things that need to be taken into consideration while choosing music:

Copyright

The artist's music is protected and owned by copyright which means that if we were to use it without permission we could face legal action for copyright infringement and may become liable to pay damages and costs.

Genres 

The genre of music does not particulary matter, however there are some genres that would be best to avoid. This includes:

Rap: The speed and precise lip syncing that would be required to successfully complete this video would be incredibly difficult.

Country: I believe that our surroundings and budget limit us to the video that we can do. As well as that, this genre is slightly stereotyped.

House/Dance/Dubstep - The lack of lyrics would not give us an efficient amount of time to lip sync.

Where to find music 

Unsigned artists are the ideal target for this music project, as there it will be easier to contact the and obtain permission to use their song. Websites to consider include soundcloud, unsigned.com, and youtube. 

Potential tracks

Jet Black Alley Cat: Poison

Cherri Voncelle - Stole my heartbeat
Marian Hill - One Time

Audience Theory Example: Rihanna Shut up and Drive

I will use Rihanna's music video to show how Laura Mulvey's audience is evident in music videos.

The video

Rihanna is dressed provocatively, in tight and short clothing. 

Rihanna is supposedly working in what seems to be a garage. Despite stereotypes of this being a male dominated environment, all of Rihanna's co-workers in the video are female.
However, instead of being dressed for the job they are also wearing outfits such as bikinis and shorts to work. 

Instead of working, Rihanna completes a series of poses and stretches to accentuate her figure.

The Triple/Male Gaze

Within the narrative, the male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. The audience is forced to view Rihanna through a male perspective.

Agency

Although it's Rihanna's music video she does not get to race but instead it the men who get to play the main characters.

Erotic Desire

Instead, Rihanna is left to play the object of erotic desire. 

Audience Theory

Feminist Film Theory and Audiences

Laura Mulvey

• British feminist film theorist 
• Professor of film and media studies
• Published essay in the influential journey screen entitled 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'

Laura argues that we live in  patriarchal society and therefore cinema, television and other media cultures reflect a patriarchal society. 

The male gaze

The gaze of the camera is the male gaze. The male gaze is active, whereas the female gaze is passive. Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. 

This clip clearly shows the active male gaze and also provides an example of the triple gaze...

\

The triple gaze 

The spectator is made to identify with the male gaze.

Audience -->  Camera --> Male --> Female 

The Audience

The audience is constructed in such a way that they are compelled to 'gaze' from a male point of view. Women are forced to look at the text as though they were a male member of the audience; thus linking back to suture. 

Agency

Unlike the passive female character, the male protagonist has agency in classical hollywood cinema. He is the active and powerful agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds; as he moves the plot forward. The female character however, is only the object of desire for the protagonist and the audience. 

There have only been a few rare occurances where the agency rule is broken, including the example of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. 

 Erotic Desire

Mulvey also argues that women have two roles in classical cinema

1. As an object of erotic desire for the characters 

2. As an object of erotic desire for the audience

Not only is this seen in films but can also be used to describe music videos.

Audience Theory

Reception Theory - Stuart Hall

This considers how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then decided by audiences 

The Producer encodes meaning in the text 

--->

The meaning/message is interpreted 

-->

Audience decodes 

-->1. Dominant or preferred 2. Negotiated3. Oppositional 

Suture 

Sutures audience to preferred reading in classical hollywood (narrative). It unconsciously manipulates the audience through editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. 

Styles of Music Videos

There are many different music videos that are used by music artists.

Narrative

This type contains a story line which progresses as the music does.  It usually refers back to the song, however the artist doesn't need to be included.  
K.Will - Please don't 

Cinematic:

This is usually compared to a mini film as it as high production values.  There is good use of cinematography and mise en scene.  
Michael Jackson - Thriller 

Studio-based:

This is a music video that is set in one location and could be shot in a studio. 
Estelle - American Boy

Intertextuality:

This type of music video refers to other texts, however it is not like a parody as it does not make fun of the texts being used. 
All Time Low - I feel like dancing 

Parody:

This is a video that makes fun of another text. 
Blink 182 - All the Small things

Pastiche:

This works seriously with another genre/time frame. 

Animation 

This is when animation is used to make the video. There are many examples such as Junior Senior - Move your feet.

As Live:

This is a music video which uses live footage from a concert. 
Justin Bieber - All around the world

Key Features

Ciara - like a boy - relates to lyrics

JB - somebody to love - to do with lyris?

Will Young - Leave right now

Andrew Goodwin's Key Features

After reviewing hundreds of music videos Andrew Goodwin published the book 'Dancing in the distraction'. This 1992 release included several key features that he identified within music videos.

Genre Characteristics 

Each individual genre is has their own representation. For example, rock bands are characterised for playing rock bands and boy/girl groups are known for dancing. 

Good Charlotte, a band are shown playing their instruments in the music video. This video proves Goodwin's point as the whole focus of this video is just watching them play their instruments and sing. The fact that there is no characteristics of another genre such as group dancing that would be shown in a pop genre.

Female Girl group Destiny's Child can be seen having a dance battle between themselves.

South Korean Boy Group Exo - use a series of camera work and editing to highlight their dancing 

Relationship between lyrics and visual 

The visual in the music video is either illustrative, contrasting or amplifying to the lyrics.

Common's music video is illustrative to his lyrics. "Be on the treadmill like, uh 'ok,go'" - we can see a female on the treadmill. 


Pharell's happy video amplifies the lyrics of happiness as we see numerous people smiling and ecstatically dancing. 

Demands 

A record label will often demand certain things to be included into the music video, This can be a need for several close-ups of the artist. This can also include the artist's motif; which is a visual style that the artist has created that recur across their work. 

The notion of looking 

There is a frequent reference to the notion of looking in music videos. This includes screens within screens, binoculars, telescopes. As well as that the voyeuristic treatment of the female body which  

Laura Mulvey has confirmed through her theory of the male gaze. Mulvey believes that the audience is forced to identify with the male gaze as we watch women become objects of male erotic desire. In these videos the men are active, whereas the women are passive. 

NSYNC - Pop video, the female is seen looking at the screen with one of the members on it

Intertextual reference 

There can be references to films, tv shows and other music videos . 

Iggy Azalea's music video references the film Clueless

History of pop videos - From Bing to the Beatles

Bing Crosby 

Bing Crosby was the 1940's biggest pop star. However, as there were no music videos at the time, fans could only see him through television shows and film. Famous films include High Society featuring fellow star Louis Armstrong and White Christmas; a song which he would become globally known for. 

Frank Sinatra

However, Bing Crosby was soon out-shined when a new younger singer by the name of Frank Sinatra came on the scene. Frank Sinatra became the 1950's biggest star. However, there were still no music videos so fans still had to wait until he appeared in television shows and films to see him. 

1946

1954

Elvis Presley 

The 50s was also the birth of rock and roll star Elvis Presley. The only way international fans saw Elvis was to watch him on tv and in films. 

The Beatles - global superstars by the 1960s.

The Beatles also promoted on television and film to allow fans to see them. BBC1's Top of The Pops allowed British fans to regularly see their pop idols and The Beatles used this show as a platform to share their music. 
By 1966 the Beatles were so popular that they were tired of performing to wild screaming fans.
This prompted them to create their own music videos and send it all over the world instead of appearing live. These short films were used to promote their new double sided single "Paperback writer" and "Rain". The clips were made in one day at Kenwood House. The video tried to echo the lyrics; a clear example  is being shown images of the sun after the lyrics mention the sun. 

Evaluation - Elton John Exercise

Filming

The sequence was filmed numerous times from alternate angles. We chose to film the song all the way through instead of choosing angles for a particular section of the song. Shot types included, close ups, wide shot, medium shot, side shot and dolly.

Editing 

To ensure that the sequence matched the music, I first muted all the filmed clips and input the music so the lip syncing would always be the same. I tried to ensure that no shot was on screen for more than 5 seconds to make it interesting. 

Mistakes

The floor that the dolly was used on was not a smooth surface, which made it hard for it to be used efficiently. Also, the lip syncing was not perfect as the lyrics were not correctly sung. The editing could have been smoother as sometimes it appears rough. As the songs were not always sung outloud, the lip syncing did not always seem realistic. 

What will I be applying to my final production 

I have learned that it is best to film the sequence all the way through to make room for errors. Also, unless the footage is monitored it is better to take two takes of a shot angle before you move on to ensure it is perfect. As well as that it is best to have the lip syncing done out loud as it more realistic. In terms of editing it is important to alternate between angles and shots to capture the audience's attention. 

Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Purpose of a music promo video

Music videos are used to promote the artist and their music single and album. Music videos enable companies to make money and increase their sales; as they persuade the audience to purchase their music. This raises the audience awareness or profile of the artist/group.

Synergy 

However, music videos are just a small part of the multimedia campaign. 
Radio, Print Media, New Media, Film and TV are also used.

One of the most popular forms of synergy with music videos are films. 
There are many types of synergy that can be made with music videos. For example there is product placement music video synergy. This can be clearly seen in Miley Cyrus' video where she promotes a Beats Pill.

Another interesting example involves Aziatix and their synergy for the Toyato Corolla (car). This music video not only promotes the car and gives it a cool image but also promotes the group.





Bryan Adams (Everything I do) I do it for you
For film -  Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves. 
The film went on to becoming the second highest grossing film of its release year. The song spent sixteen weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and was also an enormous chart success becoming one of the best selling singles of all time.

Wet Wet Wet - Love is all around
Four Weddings and A Funeral 
It was a huge international success and spent fifteen weeks atop the British charts. The song increased the film's popularity and revenue. 

The music video features white screens on which clips from the singers and film alternate. 

Elton John - Can you feel the love tonight
Soundtrack for The Lion King 
Gained popularity for the artist and the film, proven by the numerous awards won including Golden Globe, Academy Award, Grammy awards.



Whitney Houston - I will always love you
The BodyGuard 
The song charted in numerous countries for several weeks and even took the record from Bryan Adam's Everything I do, I do it for you. 

Eminem  - Lose yourself
8Mile
First rap song to win Academy Award for best original song



International example:

Another example of synergy with music videos are Korean Dramas. 
OSTs are used as the drama soundtrack and promote both the artist and drama. 
This music video for the song "stand up" features clips of the drama "To The Beautiful You"as well as the artist J-Min performing the song. 

Foo Fighters - The Pretender

The task and what was learnt 

The task was to analyse the first 40 seconds of the Foo Fighters' music video for their song 'The Pretender' and story board each shot change to form an animatic.
This enabled me to see all the different shot types and editing that goes into a music video. 
As the video continued it became increasingly difficult to storyboard as the speed of editing increased in pace. The alternating of shot types made the video visually captivating and kept the audience's attention.
The first 40 seconds of the video alone contained a vast amount of angles and shots, such as wide shots and close ups. 

Once the first 40 seconds were drawn onto the storyboard they were then transferred onto the computer in order to create an animatic. Along with the animatic, the music video plays just to emphasise the precise and quick editing displayed in the music video. 

From completing this task I have learned that a combination of various shot types and angles will increase a music video's quality. Alongside the right style and speed of editing, even simple shot types can make a music video visually appealing. 

Thriller vs Music Videos

Editing a music differs from a music video. Unless there is an action or dialogue scene, the speed of editing in a thriller can be slightly long, however in a music video the shot is changed quite frequently.Although, it is important to have a sharp eye when editing a thriller, for a music video the editing must be even more precise as the shots need to match the music. 

Foo Fighters Animatic

Types of Music

Artists can be divided into two clear categories 

Organic

Music that has already established its desired genre; for example the Beatles. 

The Beatles formed the group themselves, wrote and composed their own music and played their own instruments. These artists can then use a label to promote that music usually to a niche market but can also be marketed to the mass. 

Dora Martin 

  

A smaller example of an organic artist is the British duo Dora Martin. This group was not put together by a label but by their friendship and involvement in music. Dora Martin is an independent act that write their own music, create and decide on their own cocepts and produce their own videos. 

http://www.dora-martin.com/   

Synthetic  

Music that is purposely created; in most cases in order to make money. 

The monkees are a good example of a group that was manufactured to exploit the gap in the American music industry.The Monkees were not only put together but at the start of their career they did not write their own songs or even play their own instruments. Through their weekly TV program they were able to capture the hearts of fans, as well as promote their music. This helped their music to go straight to the top of the charts upon its release.

One Direction

One Direction is a modern developed artist who were put together to make money. Although they individually auditioned for the X-factor, they were put in a group and managed to earn commercial success with the general public. This synthetic group has sold millions of albums and singles. One direction did not have any creative input, such as song writing or instrument playing, at the start of their careers but followed the concepts that their record level gave them. 

Music Labels

Major record labels

Major music labels are multinational corporations.
Such companies include Universal, Sony Warner Brothers and EMI
These companies receive financial backing from conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as film, TV and electronics. These labels often include globally known artists; such as Beyoncé.


Major Independent Labels 


Labels such as Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA and Virgin are a series of smaller subsidiary companies owned or licensed by major labels. These labels are established to appeal to different audiences in various genres.

Syco contains several British artists such as Ella Henderson and Olly Murs.  
                 Whereas Columbia Records includes artists such as Adele and John Legend. 

Independent Labels

Independent labels receive little or no financial backing from other labels and companies. These labels usually only cater to a small number of acts within special niches in the industry. Many labels begin independently, then are bought by a major label and become major independent labels.

Domino is one of the longest running and most successful independent record labels in the UK. The label has also seen recent increased success from the released work of their artists the Artic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand. 
Behind the Label: Domino Records (YOUTUBE LINK)

An interesting Music Video

Popular R&B singer,songwriter Usher
His music video for his song Good Kisser has over 18 million views. 




This music video uses a lot of key conventions of a music video.

This includes lip syncing as Usher sings along on time to the lyrics. Also, the pace of editing matches the song as we see it quickly jump cut to another shot in time with the beat.

The mise-en-scene in the video is minimal. As Usher emerges in the beginning there is just a square white light to put the focus on him and highlight his dancing.

The lighting is dark and smoky and the model's faces are lit to give off a sultry atmosphere. 

This matches the dark clothing that Usher wears in the video. 

Jewellery and dramatic make-up,particularly lipstick, is also create the atmosphere of the video. 

As well as that there are various shot types that can be seen in the video including wide, close up, extreme close up and more. 

Another commonly seen aspect of music videos that is included is dancing. Usher and his dancers follow a fun choreography. 

Numerous props are used in this music video including drums, which Usher plays. Also, there are diamonds, red cups, speakers and glitter.

This music video compliments the simplicity of the song and adds to the fun mood that it creates.