Past student examples...

Today i watched some past student examples and analysed them. This is to help me get ideas and see the good and the bad things past students have done. To make sure i do (or don't do) them.

UPDATE:

I have finally found some actors to star in my music video.  I just need to talk with them a little more and decide a date to get filming. I realise that i am seriously falling behind with this project. However i am hoping my free periods will start to become more useful in the next week or so. I hope to begin filming next week.

Mood Board

This is my mood board for the feel of my music video. I want it to be empowering and have a serious meaning.

My music video is all about having passion for something you love and never backing down or giving up on achieving greatness.

Website update...

So far i have chosen my website layout/ design and am currently working on the home page and the gallery. This is my homepage. Once my music video is complete it will be going under the title 

'Fall Out Boy' 

This is all that will be on my homepage as i do not want it to seem over crowded and tacky. I want it to look as professional as possible. 

Roles in the project

As i am the only person working on my project, i will be doing all of the filming, producing, editing, planning etc...

My video however will contain actors... my two main actors being Leon Dunnett and Emily Strickland.

I will also be using the help of Hannah Palmer (the girlfriend of Leon) to help me organise filming dates.

Target Audience

Final idea! Centuries - Fall Out boy.

Idea development.

After planning my three initial idea's i got to thinking. I had already chosen to do Centuries by Fall Out Boy as after getting some feed back i decided that that was the most liked song and idea. However, after much thought and planning i slowly started to dislike my idea and i thought it would be tricky to make it how i wanted it (as i don't really talk to enough people to initiate a punk rebellion). So i began to think some more and eventually came up with an idea that i really liked. Therefore my final idea does not match the idea i had during my first stage of planning (when we chose our three song ideas) However i am excited for this idea and hope i can pull it off in time. 

My Three Idea's.

Unfortunately my first power point of my three ideas was deleted. This Prezi is not quite as developed as that was but i needed to get something on my blog.

Analysing music videos - 9th September.

 We Are The In Crowd - The Best Thing (That Never Happened). 

This is a performance video with a slight element of narrative mixed in. We Are The In Crowd are called as a pop punk band so a performance video is stereotypical.

The Goodwin seven: This video follows a few rules of the Goodwin seven. Including:
- Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics. 
- The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close up's of the artist.
- There is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, filming cameras) and particularly voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the body. 

The music video includes shots of the band playing their instruments and the lead singer singing into a microphone. This is typical of the pop punk genre. There are many close up's of Tay, the lead singer. This is because the lead singer is usually considered the most important member of a band. Aspects of narrative are also evident throughout the video, this is also common of pop punk videos. They tend to mix music video styles. 


There are many close up's of the lead singer, it helps to emphasise her facial expressions. It also allows the audience to recognise the artist easier. The thumb nail of the video is basically a close up of the lead singers face, so people will recognise her and listen to the song. Being a female she is also more likely to attract male attention. Thus widening their audience. 

There is one specific shot that stands out to me for this aspect of the Goodwin seven. When the lead singer opens the boot the camera is angled at her behind. Other than that this video is rather tame for 'The Male Gaze'. It is usually more the pop genre who shows lots of half-dressed women. 


Representation of gender is not stereotypical as the female is the one in charge, where as usually men are seen as being powerful and woman are usually portrayed as being weak and helpless. However this may be because this is a female fronted band. However the rest of the band members are all male.


Mise en scene -
This is a very simple video. It doesn't contain many special effects or much flashy editing.

Colour: The colour throughout the song is very dark.The most see colours being black and brown.

This is a concept video as it does not contain the conventions of performance or narrative. This is a pop song and concept is rather unusual for this genre of music. Pop is usually narrative and performance.

The Goodwin seven: This video follows a few rules of the Goodwin seven. Including:
- The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close up's of the artist.
- There is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, filming cameras) and particularly voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the body. 

There is many close up's throughout this video which i think are crucial. This is a very lovely song and to make it convincing we need to be able to see passion and emotion on their faces. Close up's are the best way to do this. 
In this video the girl is wearing a flowy dress and throughout there are moments when it blows up or the sides open up and you can see just the little leotard that she is wearing underneath. However, usually this may be considered a sexual thing but i think the feel of the song make it not seem sexual. 

The representation of gender isn't necessarily a big thing in this video. Ed is the man, and is taking the lead during the dance. She is a woman and is allowing him to lift her in the air and allowing him to lead. This is stereotypical of a man and woman dancing together. However it is not a bad stereotype. It is very graceful and beautifully done.

Mise en scene -
This video is simple. It does not contain any special effects.

Colour: the colour is very bland. Looks of black and white but it gives the video a very tasteful, professional and clean feel. It would look silly if he was dressed in bright yellow clothing.

Lighting: The lighting is very natural throughout. There is a spot light however, which is very effective with the song and video.

Placement: The placement in this video is very important. To make the passion and emotion in the video believable they have to be in close proximity the whole time. They have to touch a lot and look like they want to be in each others arms.

This is a performance video. This is clear as it follows the convention. For example, the lead singer is signing throughout the whole video. However there may also be a concept element, like when the girl is under the sheet. There may be some meaning to that that i am looking past.


- Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics. 
- The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close up's of the artist.
- There is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, filming cameras) and particularly voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the body. 

It is very stereotypical of rock music videos to be performance. As rock artists pride themselves on their abilities. e.g singing, playing their instruments. They want to show this off. 
This song is quite emotional therefore close up's are used to show this. This then also follows the demands of the record label. 
Whilst the girl is under the sheet, when she stretched out, you can see her nipples through it. This is very subtle and you don't really notice it unless you're looking. Therefore it is quite tasteful. 


The representation of genre isn't really a theme in this video. The only girl in it is the one dancing under the sheet. And she is not naked or provocatively dancing, which is stereotypical of females in music videos.

The lighting in this video is quite dark. The light coming from the 'moon' in the background.

The colours are quite dark also. This is typical of indie rock genre. The girl is in a white sheet purity and innocence?

Homework - Set Tuesday 24th June - Music video director.

Francis Lawrence.

              

Biography: 

Francis Lawrence was born in Vienna Austria on March 26 1971. He moved to Los Angeles when he was three years of age.
He is a producer and director of films and music videos.
He has worked with many music artists such as Green Day, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Pink and more.
He is the director of the new popular movie series: The Hunger Games.
Lawrence's fame came about when he directed I Am Legend.

Music videos:

Aerosmith - Don't wanna miss a thing. 

 This is probably Aerosmith's most well known song and video. It is a narrative music video with aspects of performance through out. Lot's of close up's are used to show the band playing their instruments. Long shots are also used to show the bands unity. The lighting is all quite dark with goes with the sad, emotional message behind the lyrics. 

Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi. 

This is one of Avril's most well known songs. It is a performance video. Again, containing many close up's and long shots. The lighting in this videos differs very much from the lighting in Aerosmith's video. Is is bright to accommodate the upbeat tune of the song. 

The difference between these two videos shows Lawrence's diversity as a director. He is able to do different things. Which is an important skill to have, because it means you are not limited to one type of video or genre. Sk8er boo is a very simplistic video, it doesn't contain many special effects or wacky camera angles which stand out. It is typical of a pop video. the lighting is natural and not very special. Aerosmith's video contains more special effects. It seems as thought the lighting has been more planned out. Both videos follow many parts of the Goodwin 7. For example both videos contain many close hp's.

Their style: 

I don't really think Lawrence has a specific style per say i think he is a very versatile director. He can do all sorts of Genre's. For example Aerosmith are rock legends, Avril Lavigne is very 'pop'. He uses different styles to accommodate different genre's. I feel like he doesn't really have a signature style. Which may be a limitation to his career. 

My opinion: 

Nothing about the artist particularly stands out for me. I enjoy many of the music videos that he has directed. However i feel like if he had something in his music videos that were specific to him i would enjoy his music videos a lot more. Many music videos now a-days are very similar. So many music videos are being made now, it is hard to find an original idea anymore. I do however like the videos he has directed. 

Homework - Set 20th June 2014 - Types of music videos.

Types of music videos:

- Narrative - This is when a music video tells a story.
- Performance - This is when the majority of the music video is the band or artist performing.
- Concept
   - Thematic - A music video that contains lot's of common themes.
   - Symbolic - A use of symbolic elements are used to get across a message.
   - Idea based - Mise - en -scene dominates and it contains use of artistic camera angles.



A narrative music video is almost like a short film. It contains a beginning, middle and end. Narrative videos can also contain aspects of performance or concept. The message of a narrative video is very obvious to the audience and doesn't take much thought to understand. For example, if it is the break up of a boy and a girl. The audience get it immediately.

This is an example of a narrative video. It follows the codes and conventions of a narrative video very closely. It shows clearly a beginning, a middle and an ending. It begins with the two neighbours not getting along, they begin to do things that annoy the other, and it gets resolved at the end, when they swap girlfriends and the 'nerdy' one becomes 'cool' and the 'cool' one becomes 'nerdy'.  the use of mise en scene helps to show the difference between the two neighbours. Props are go big importance throughout the video as they are used to sabotage one another. For example, the nerdy one uses a mirror to reflect light into the 'cool' ones eyes whilst he is sleeping. This video features the lead singer of the band playing both of the neighbours. This is because, he is the main focus of the band. Many people know who he is, whilst maybe not knowing the other members. The audience therefore gets more enjoyment out of watching it.



A performance video is when the whole video is the artist or band performing onstage. It has many close up shots of the artists playing they're instruments. It also contains shots of the audience. Depending on the genre will depend on how the audience is reacting (for example if it is a rock video the audience will probably be head banging).

This is a performance video. The whole video is the band performing to an audience. This video is very typical of a performance video and contains lot's of the codes and conventions of the genre. It shows the different band members playing they're instruments. It shows shots of the audience who are moving around a lot. This is typical of a performance video. Many close up's are used to help the audience identify the band members.



A concept video is when there is not a story aspect of it and the video often does not make much sense until you read into it. It uses symbolic themes that help to get a message across to the audience. (For example a 'hardcore' song may be about death and destruction, so the video would contain things such as skulls and grave yards)

This is a concept video. It contains a range of interesting camera work, with a use of lot's of effects. This video has aspects of performance throughout it. But the main element is conceptual. This video is probably considered 'trippy' with use of it's effects and camera work. The song is about dreams 'Sandman' is the creature who supposedly controls dreams. The video doesn't necessarily make sense along with the lyrics. However they do include shots of a boy sleeping and praying next to a bed to help get the message across. It also contains the preyer 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep, if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." The song is about nightmares and that is what the video consists of, different aspects of nightmares that people experience. 




Pro's and cons: 
Narrative: The good thing about narrative videos is the message behind the song is more easily read by the audience. It is also quite easy to make, especially if you follow the Goodwin seven and have the visuals matching the lyrics. However, i feel narrative videos can feel boring, repetitive and predictive. This would be an easy type of music video to do for my project as i can just follow the story of the song. 

Performance: Performance videos are a good music video, especially for bands. It helps the audience to identify the band and what instrument they play. You also see the artist doing what they enjoy and that can often make you feel happy as they are happy. The cons of performance videos is sometimes things can go wrong and if you're filming it live at a gig it is hard to correct. Also this would be a difficult video for someone like me to make for my project as i would have to find a band, who could play the instruments. 

Concept: The main positive of concept music videos is that they are interesting. It can keep the audience interested and engaged. It gives them a chance to decide the message of the song, without it being shoved in their face. However, it can take a lot of thought and concentration to understand a concept video. 

My favourite type of music video is probably performance because i'm a big fan of rock music and live music. Therefore seeing people playing instruments. I enjoy seeing a band being passionate on stage and really getting into the music. 

Homework - Set 18th June 2014 - Music Video's and representation.

For our homework we had to chose a representational focus and create a digital presentation on it. (using Prezi or powerpoint etc...) of a chosen music video/ artist linked to the concept of representation.
It must include:
- Who/ What is represented?
- How are they represented?
- Analyse mise-en-scene and camera work especially.
- Could anyone be offended by this representation and why?
- Does is conform to a stereotype?
- Does it challenge or subvert stereotype?

I have chosen three songs from the same artist as I feel they are good to compare to one another. They are 'Whore', 'Adrenalize' and 'Blood' by 'In This Moment'.

     

 

Created with Padlet

Homework set - 17th June 2014 - The Goodwin Seven.

The Goodwin seven.

In our lesson on  Tuesday the 17th of June, we studied Andrew Goodwin and his theory of what makes a music video.

Major Vs. Indie record labels - Plus Homework task - Set - 16th June 2014.

Homework - Set Tenth June 2014. - Analysing a music video.

For our homework we had to chose an iconic/ well known song and music video (which was released before we were born) and write about it. Discussing why it was considered to be iconic (What people say about it) What you think about it and a detailed textual analysis.

The music video I chose is 'Come on Eileen' By 'Dexys Midnight Runners'. This song was released 25th June 1982. It became an instant success for the band. Becoming the bands second song to hit number one in the charts. It also won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. The song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number 1 singles of all time in a poll done by channel 4. Similar polls by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number 3 in the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders of all time, number 18 in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980's and number 1 in the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. It has sold 1.31 million copies in the UK as of November 2012. The song reached number 1 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 charts during the week ending 23 April 1983.The reason i chose this song is for the fact it is an old classic. People I've asked from all generations remember the song and the video of the band dancing in overalls/ dungaree's. This shows that the music video is iconic. People from my mums generation remember the video for the dungaree's my 25 year old sister remembers the video for the dungaree's and my peers also do. This was the most iconic thing about the video and obviously what people recognise it for. Another reason i chose it is because it is a song I absolutely adore. It's a very 'feel good' song and like i said, an old classic.

I read some of the comments under the video on YouTube. Here are just a few: 
'yes the dungarees of the 1980s , I even wore a pair back then as it was cool to do so.....hahaha' - Yet another comment about the dungaree's. 
'Come on Eileen - never gets old - toora loora toora loo-rya-aye'
'My HAPPY SONG'
'Such a great song, such a great video.' 

Almost all of the comments were praising the song. In fact I searched through a few pages of comments and don't think I saw one negative comment. So even now, more than 30 years after it's release it is still an extremely popular song. 


Textual analysis: 

Camera work - A lot of long shots are used throughout the video. This is because a lot of the video is them dancing, so by using long shots they can fit the whole of their bodies into the frame. The shots are rarely ever still, this can be to show the energy of the video, as it is supposed to make you feel happy and energetic. There is also quite a lot of close up's of the lead singer singing. This is because in music video's the lead singer of a band is usually the most important.

Editing - The lead singer gets the most camera time and most of the shots are motivated by either him or 'Eileen'. Again this is because the lead singer is usually the most important. The editing also gets a lot faster pace towards the end. The music and the singer goes a lot faster than it was before. There is also a bit when the music and singing goes a lot slower than it was before so the editing is slower paced.

Mise-en-scne - The song takes place on a deserted street, this is where the majority of the song takes place. It's quite dingy and dirty looking. The main focus of the entire video i feel is the costume, the dungaree's. They were quite a thing in those days. The hair is also quite 1980's. The video is quite brightly coloured, i feel like this is because it is a feel good, happy song. Bright colours are 'happy'. However the street they are on is quite grey and dingy. So it contrasts. The band is usually within about arms length of each other, this could be so they are able to fit them all in the frame or it could be to show their closeness as a band. Each of the members is shown quite often also. The video is about the 'lead singer' being in love with 'Eileen' and wanting her. Therefore he tries to be in very close proximity to her, to show his love for her. 

Introduction to my year 13 blog.

AS is now over, which means A2 has begun. With a new year and a new course come's a new blog. So this is my A2 Blog for our creative project of the year which is: Music video's. I am super excited as music is a huge part of my life, this gives me an excuse to analyse it more and learn about what it all really means.

Welcome to my blog... this is the face behind the name.... Hi. 

I hope you enjoy my blog and enjoy learning all about the nitty gritty of music video's. 

I will be posting lot's because this year, I'm going to try extra hard. Hopefully by the end of it, i will have created a killer music video for you to enjoy. 

If you want to see any of my work from last year, head over to my AS blog. http://typhoonproduction.blogspot.co.uk/  Lasts years work was 'Thriller films' However due to difficulties my thiller film was not very good. That is one of the reasons I want to try so hard this year. 

Peaceski's - Jessikaroseee.