4)How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
With the filming that I did last year for my thrillers, I had a good understanding of how the school digital video cameras worked Digital cameras are vital for filming music videos as they can retrieve old footage and are compatible with new media technologies such as Adobe. The digital camera allows better zoom and the increasing pixels, quality and resolution means better definition.
The 2nd most important piece of equipment in my filming was the tripod. This allowed me to film nearly all my shots because I didn't have a camera assistant. I was able to rise the tripod taller than me so I was able to use varied camera shots and angles. If I either was filming a person singing or I had a camera assistant, I definitely would use more daring and exciting camera angles. I only the hand held camera option for a few show, either to create a point of view shot or it was easier to film the shots without the tripod.
Once the music video was filmed, I edited it all on final cut express. I had used this software before so I had basic understanding of how the program worked. The editing was the longest part of the whole process of making the video. Because of the style of my music video and because of the genre, I thought that it was unnecessary to use lots of effects and transitions. I think that the use of jump cuts and lack of transitions makes the video flow better and makes the narrative run easier so this way the audience can follow the story without any distractions. In the original version of the video, the narrative was shown in color, however I felt that it made it difficult to define a definite narrative. I also felt that using the black and whites, helped to represent the dark theme to the narrative. A lot of the shots I filmed turned out quite dark, so I had to edit the shots until the lighting was appropriate.
Making my digipacks was quite basic. I took the pictures using an ordinary sony digital camera and the uploaded them onto my pictures. In the photos, I had the problem of "red eye" so I had to go onto a program called photoshop and editing out the red eye. This is also where I changed the color of the background.
For researching I used the site Youtube to look for music videos. This was extremely helpful because underneath the video are comments which people have uploaded about the video, so this way I could get a understanding of what people thought about different genres of music. It also shows the amounts of views a video has got, so I was able to see what is the most popular style of music videos. I gathered that the most popular videos are the mainstream pop songs that are in the charts. This meant that the genre of music I chose was not extremely popular so I had to tailor my video so it somehow appealed to a wider audience. Choosing the theme of anorexia and wanting to be perfect had been highlighted in some popular music videos, especially videos from "pink"-Perfect and "Christina Aguilera"-Beautiful.
During researching I also watched a lot of music videos on the TV, just to help give me an idea of the basics in a music video. I looked through all the music channels, the majority of the channels showed songs that are in the charts, however there were other channels that played a single genre, Kerrang! played alternative music, NME played mostly indie music and Magic played mostly older songs. I focused more on watching Magic because they tended to play more acoustic style songs.
Friday, 16 December 2011
3) Final music video evaluation
3)What have you learned from your audience feedback?
These are the questions I asked people after they watched my music video:
*What was your first impressions?
*What did you think of the effects?
*What did the music video signify to you?
*Do you think the music fitted with the song?
My target audience was females who are ages late teens to 30s. Because I am in the age group I was able to ask people in my class. Most people said that the ending was effective of showing that if the main character stopped wearing all the make-up and tried leading a different life style, then her future can be brighter than her past. I was very pleased with the feedback, because that was the message I wanted to get across to people. From peoples reaction I gathered that the "acoustic" genre is becoming more popular. I believe that I have picked an artist who appeals to a wide audience. The male who I asked said "it was good way of representing how woman are perceived and how they are meant to look like, how they are meant to be glamourous and how society think woman should be, I didn't like how it was based on performance it should have been more on the narrative." I am very pleased with this reaction because that was the basic message of my video and knowing that people understood it felt like I managed to get the message across. I understood what people said about the video relying too much performance, I think that if I had more time I would have filmed more sequences for the narrative.
These are the questions I asked people after they watched my music video:
*What was your first impressions?
*What did you think of the effects?
*What did the music video signify to you?
*Do you think the music fitted with the song?
My target audience was females who are ages late teens to 30s. Because I am in the age group I was able to ask people in my class. Most people said that the ending was effective of showing that if the main character stopped wearing all the make-up and tried leading a different life style, then her future can be brighter than her past. I was very pleased with the feedback, because that was the message I wanted to get across to people. From peoples reaction I gathered that the "acoustic" genre is becoming more popular. I believe that I have picked an artist who appeals to a wide audience. The male who I asked said "it was good way of representing how woman are perceived and how they are meant to look like, how they are meant to be glamourous and how society think woman should be, I didn't like how it was based on performance it should have been more on the narrative." I am very pleased with this reaction because that was the basic message of my video and knowing that people understood it felt like I managed to get the message across. I understood what people said about the video relying too much performance, I think that if I had more time I would have filmed more sequences for the narrative.
2)Evaluation of final video
2)How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
The digipack conveys the acoustic genre through the use of showing an actual acoustic guitar which is shown in the video creating a sense of correlation. The picture used on the front cover is showing the singer eating the guitar which relates to the eating disorder in the video. The contrast of the 2 characters is that in order to survive we need to food, the connotations of eating the guitar is the idea that without music she would not be able to "survive. The character of the "girl"wants to be perfect in order to survive but there is a sense of irony that she is actually killing herself. I wanted to use extremely feminine colors such as pink and turquoise because of the style of songs and the theme of the album. The album is called "Don't fret" this is meant to used as a double entendre, the fret is spelt the same as a guitar fret, it is meant to give off a mellow feeling which relates to the genre. The colors are bright which is meant to give of a positive feel to the album. Inside the digipack is a page of the artists thanks, showing that she is caring and appreciates her fans. It mentions about her tours, and the performance element in the video represent the all the live shows she has done. A lot of bands can be touring and performing many shows before they get any recognition. The struggle of the singer becoming famous is not shown, but with the narrative showing struggle, it can hint that the artist went through struggle to get to where she is now.
The digipack conveys the acoustic genre through the use of showing an actual acoustic guitar which is shown in the video creating a sense of correlation. The picture used on the front cover is showing the singer eating the guitar which relates to the eating disorder in the video. The contrast of the 2 characters is that in order to survive we need to food, the connotations of eating the guitar is the idea that without music she would not be able to "survive. The character of the "girl"wants to be perfect in order to survive but there is a sense of irony that she is actually killing herself. I wanted to use extremely feminine colors such as pink and turquoise because of the style of songs and the theme of the album. The album is called "Don't fret" this is meant to used as a double entendre, the fret is spelt the same as a guitar fret, it is meant to give off a mellow feeling which relates to the genre. The colors are bright which is meant to give of a positive feel to the album. Inside the digipack is a page of the artists thanks, showing that she is caring and appreciates her fans. It mentions about her tours, and the performance element in the video represent the all the live shows she has done. A lot of bands can be touring and performing many shows before they get any recognition. The struggle of the singer becoming famous is not shown, but with the narrative showing struggle, it can hint that the artist went through struggle to get to where she is now.
1) Final Music Video Evaluation
1) In what way does you media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In my research I looked at many different genres of music video to get a understanding of what is put in different types of videos. My music video fits into the acoustic genre through the use of the pace and lighting of the video. The lighting used in the performance creates a dramatic change of lighting used in the narrative. The black and white connotes misery and struggle to be perfect, but since no one actually knows what perfect is, the audience knows that the struggle could last forever unless she changes her ways.
The clothing worn in the performance is pretty basic, yet again trying to fit in with the laid back style of the song. The reason why I chose a plain shirt was because I didn't want any attention taken away from what was the most important thing which was the actual performance. This goes against other styles of videos such as girl group videos because in those videos, the clothes worn are often loud and eccentric. The lyrics and story line challenge the acoustic genre, because even though it sounds upbeat and happy, the lyrics are about a dark subject. This challenges new conventions of some genres such as RnB and hip hop, in which the lyrics and video convey a superficial lifestyle that aspires the audience in perhaps a negative way of living their "utopia".
The narrative in my video is very negative and in some places quite dark. This narrative might be appealing to an audience who can identify the character as wanting to be this perfect image.
For my performance side of the video I wanted to engage the audience and portray the back story to be relevant. Filming this in the drama studio made the production look very professional and as if it had been filmed in a actual TV studio. The cuts of the performance and narrative gave the audience a chance to have familiarity with the "girl" character and as the video went on, the audience found out more about her.
In my research I looked at many different genres of music video to get a understanding of what is put in different types of videos. My music video fits into the acoustic genre through the use of the pace and lighting of the video. The lighting used in the performance creates a dramatic change of lighting used in the narrative. The black and white connotes misery and struggle to be perfect, but since no one actually knows what perfect is, the audience knows that the struggle could last forever unless she changes her ways.
The clothing worn in the performance is pretty basic, yet again trying to fit in with the laid back style of the song. The reason why I chose a plain shirt was because I didn't want any attention taken away from what was the most important thing which was the actual performance. This goes against other styles of videos such as girl group videos because in those videos, the clothes worn are often loud and eccentric. The lyrics and story line challenge the acoustic genre, because even though it sounds upbeat and happy, the lyrics are about a dark subject. This challenges new conventions of some genres such as RnB and hip hop, in which the lyrics and video convey a superficial lifestyle that aspires the audience in perhaps a negative way of living their "utopia".
The narrative in my video is very negative and in some places quite dark. This narrative might be appealing to an audience who can identify the character as wanting to be this perfect image.
For my performance side of the video I wanted to engage the audience and portray the back story to be relevant. Filming this in the drama studio made the production look very professional and as if it had been filmed in a actual TV studio. The cuts of the performance and narrative gave the audience a chance to have familiarity with the "girl" character and as the video went on, the audience found out more about her.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Album Poster
This is the same image that I used for the CD cover. I hope that it will instantly draw attention because of the use of vibrant colors. The poster looks very similar to the CD cover, this way if people want to buy it in the shop, they will know exactly what it looks like. The release date is clearly shown, so this way people will remember when they are able to purchase it. The use of the colors pink and turquoise adds a feminine touch to the advertisement. Emma's face is covering nearly the whole of the page because it shows a extreme close up of her face so people can see her facial expressions.The use of showing the guitar can give people a better understanding of what her music is like, just by looking at the picture. This is a good way of advertising artists because she is represented in a un-ordinary way which the audience are more likely to remember.
Questionnaire
1)What was your first impressions of my music video?
I enjoyed the narrative, but found it quite sad. I wanted to find out more about the character in black and white
2)What did you think of the effects?
The effects reflected the narrative well, but it didn't take anything away from the story. My favourite effect was the reverse make-up
3)What did the music video signify to you?
It signified to be perfect, a unrealistic idea that you can be perfect
I am pleased with peoples reactions with my video. They all thought that the song worked very well with the narrative. I found that girls enjoyed it more than the boys did.
I enjoyed the narrative, but found it quite sad. I wanted to find out more about the character in black and white
2)What did you think of the effects?
The effects reflected the narrative well, but it didn't take anything away from the story. My favourite effect was the reverse make-up
3)What did the music video signify to you?
It signified to be perfect, a unrealistic idea that you can be perfect
I am pleased with peoples reactions with my video. They all thought that the song worked very well with the narrative. I found that girls enjoyed it more than the boys did.
Ancillary tasks
Front CoverThis is quite a striking image due to the use of bright colors and the extreme close up. I wanted to get the effect of her eating the guitar. This was to represent that in order to survive you need to eat food, and without food you would die. The eating of the guitar is to represent that if she couldn't survive without music. Because it is an acoustic guitar, people will have a rough understanding of the genre of music.
Back Cover
Middle - This is where the CD will be placed
Inside cover
Inside coverOn this page is where I put the artists thank you list. It mentions the fans, so hopefully it will make them feel more connected with the artist and feel appreciated for buying the album. This is a positive thing as it may encourage people to buy future records.
Inside Cover
Side Panel Callie Moore- Woman: Lyrics
She eats a half of carrot for breakfast everyday
Before she goes to shop for shoes
And she just figures that’s enough
To keep her happy through lunch and dinner too
She’s as bony as a starving cat
Her favorite subject of conversation is how fat she is
She likes to flaunt her flashy jewelry everywhere she goes
She’s got the perfect million dollar diamond
And she wants us all to know
Her new fiancé is a movie star
And he’s only got five ex-wives so far
She’ll use the power of the press
To spread the word about her mostly exposed chest
And she’s sure the world respects her
For wearing that next to nothing dress
And she gives woman its name
So all you women hide in shame
Before she goes to shop for shoes
And she just figures that’s enough
To keep her happy through lunch and dinner too
She’s as bony as a starving cat
Her favorite subject of conversation is how fat she is
She likes to flaunt her flashy jewelry everywhere she goes
She’s got the perfect million dollar diamond
And she wants us all to know
Her new fiancé is a movie star
And he’s only got five ex-wives so far
She’ll use the power of the press
To spread the word about her mostly exposed chest
And she’s sure the world respects her
For wearing that next to nothing dress
And she gives woman its name
So all you women hide in shame
She’s studied books and taken courses
All entirely on the subject of which angle to turn her head
When somebody pulls out a camera
She’ll flaunt her flesh eating flattery
And then she’ll flash her precious anatomy in your face
It’s the kind of feminine obviously invented by men
But she gives woman all her class
So woman you best be running fast
Or else the feminist viper of beauty she drives
Will crash its way into your life
You’ll arch your eyebrows way to high
As your brain cells start to die
And she gives woman a record
All time high of superficial lows
So all you women better try to rise above
All entirely on the subject of which angle to turn her head
When somebody pulls out a camera
She’ll flaunt her flesh eating flattery
And then she’ll flash her precious anatomy in your face
It’s the kind of feminine obviously invented by men
But she gives woman all her class
So woman you best be running fast
Or else the feminist viper of beauty she drives
Will crash its way into your life
You’ll arch your eyebrows way to high
As your brain cells start to die
And she gives woman a record
All time high of superficial lows
So all you women better try to rise above
My understanding of the song is that it is about a artificial woman who is wanting to fit into the image of wanting to be perfect. She obviously has a eating disorder in order to be skinny. The way the song is written, is the artists way of explaining her anger against fake women. These lyrics can be quite literal for a music video, so adding performance in the video this enables the audience to see the artists facial expressions, giving more meaning to the song. I have chosen this song because as a girl, I understand the lyrics and the negative feelings towards artificial women. Hopefully this will help me with choosing my target audience.
Letter to institution asking for permission
This is the letter I would send to the artist, asking for their permission to use their song in my music video.
Dear Callie Moore
I am currently taking media studies as an A-level. We have been given the task to make a music video. I was hoping to use one of your songs "woman" to use in my music video. If you give me permission to use your song I will be extremely grateful and I will help to promote your new album.
Yours faithfully
Emma Packwood
Dear Callie Moore
I am currently taking media studies as an A-level. We have been given the task to make a music video. I was hoping to use one of your songs "woman" to use in my music video. If you give me permission to use your song I will be extremely grateful and I will help to promote your new album.
Yours faithfully
Emma Packwood
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Filming the Video
Day 1
Because I was working on my own, I had to film and star in the video, which proved to be a challenge. This part of the filming was to capture the narrative part of the video. The first part of filming was in my bedroom, however because of the use of close ups, the mise en scene of the setting wasn't that important. I used the tripod for the majority of my shoot to keep the camera positioned. Because I was in front of the camera I was unable to see fully what the shot looked like, to make this easier I turned the viewer screen around so it was like a mirror, enabling me to see what the camera sees. Most of the shots were close ups so this was easy for me to frame the shots. The close up shots help to create a feeling of mystery. The lyrics talk about wanting to be perfect and because everyone has different perspectives of being perfect, I made sure that there was no full face shots, this way the audience can create what they want the character to look like. All the lighting used was artificial lights. I had to make sure the lamps were positioned correctly so that the shadows didn't cover the facial features. The use of lamps created a naturalistic feeling to the video. Some shots were very hard to film because they either were long shots or different angles. It took me a lot of attempts to get the right shot. I had filmed some shots hand held, to help create the point of view shots.
Day 2
This filming was the performance side of the video. I filmed this in the school drama studio because of the studio lighting. This was a extremely difficult task to film because I was filming it all on my own which meant I had to start the camera and then start the music which meant a lot of running around. Because I used a lot of long shots, this meant a lot of test shots. For this I had to frame the camera to the microphone, switch on the camera, stand in shot for a while and then re-watch the clip to see if it looked suitable. I carefully selected the lights I wanted to use in the studio. I wanted heavily pink and red colors to represent the femininity and anger shown in the lyrics. For the high angle shots, I just raised the tripod to the highest it could go and angle the camera down. For the low angle shots, I just titled the camera up. When I filmed my feet, I literally just held the camera and bent over and panned around my feet with the camera. This was very hard because I couldn't see the viewer on the camera, so I had to guess.
Overall I am very happy with the way my video had been shot considering I did everything on my own. I loved the way the lights are shown in the performance and the mood and atmosphere which is created. I also think it looks very professional. If I had to do it again I would probably get another person either to be in the video so I could perhaps use more advance angles and shots, or have someone helping with the camera.
Because I was working on my own, I had to film and star in the video, which proved to be a challenge. This part of the filming was to capture the narrative part of the video. The first part of filming was in my bedroom, however because of the use of close ups, the mise en scene of the setting wasn't that important. I used the tripod for the majority of my shoot to keep the camera positioned. Because I was in front of the camera I was unable to see fully what the shot looked like, to make this easier I turned the viewer screen around so it was like a mirror, enabling me to see what the camera sees. Most of the shots were close ups so this was easy for me to frame the shots. The close up shots help to create a feeling of mystery. The lyrics talk about wanting to be perfect and because everyone has different perspectives of being perfect, I made sure that there was no full face shots, this way the audience can create what they want the character to look like. All the lighting used was artificial lights. I had to make sure the lamps were positioned correctly so that the shadows didn't cover the facial features. The use of lamps created a naturalistic feeling to the video. Some shots were very hard to film because they either were long shots or different angles. It took me a lot of attempts to get the right shot. I had filmed some shots hand held, to help create the point of view shots.
Day 2
This filming was the performance side of the video. I filmed this in the school drama studio because of the studio lighting. This was a extremely difficult task to film because I was filming it all on my own which meant I had to start the camera and then start the music which meant a lot of running around. Because I used a lot of long shots, this meant a lot of test shots. For this I had to frame the camera to the microphone, switch on the camera, stand in shot for a while and then re-watch the clip to see if it looked suitable. I carefully selected the lights I wanted to use in the studio. I wanted heavily pink and red colors to represent the femininity and anger shown in the lyrics. For the high angle shots, I just raised the tripod to the highest it could go and angle the camera down. For the low angle shots, I just titled the camera up. When I filmed my feet, I literally just held the camera and bent over and panned around my feet with the camera. This was very hard because I couldn't see the viewer on the camera, so I had to guess.
Overall I am very happy with the way my video had been shot considering I did everything on my own. I loved the way the lights are shown in the performance and the mood and atmosphere which is created. I also think it looks very professional. If I had to do it again I would probably get another person either to be in the video so I could perhaps use more advance angles and shots, or have someone helping with the camera.
Synaesthesia- Literal Music Videos
In my opinion Synaesthesia is probably one of the most important aspects of music video. Synaesthesia works on the basis of building up visuals to a soundtrack, allowing the viewer to create their own interpretation of sounds, taking into consideration the way they introduce a certain felling or mood. Music videos can illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, providing a sometimes over literal set of images. This makes this the most straightforward technique and the classic example of visualisation, with everything in the music video based on the source of the song. We looked at literal music videos on youtube to understand how having lyrics relating to exactly what is happening on the video can create quite a comic effect.
When introduced to synaesthesia, we listened to the song "Frozen" by Madonna and we had to write down images and colours that appeared in our mind when listening to the song alone and not watching the video. I wrote down:
-Blue
-Grey
-Dessert
-Ice
-Water
-Isolation
When introduced to synaesthesia, we listened to the song "Frozen" by Madonna and we had to write down images and colours that appeared in our mind when listening to the song alone and not watching the video. I wrote down:
-Blue
-Grey
-Dessert
-Ice
-Water
-Isolation
This was very similar to what other people had written down. We then watched the video:
The actual video is very similar to what people had written down, proving that the style of song can subconsciously put images into peoples minds when you listen to it.
Intertextuality
Intertextuality The way in which texts refer to other media texts that producers assume audiences will recognize.
The references shown in the video are:
-The Numa Numa dancing guy
-The dramatic guinea pig
-Afro Ninja
-Chris Crocker - Leave Britney alone
-Miss world
-Evolution of dance
-Chocolate Rain
-Shoes
-Charlie the unicorn
As a fan of internet videos, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video because I understood the references, I think that if you didn't understand the references then you probably wouldn't be able to enjoy it fully, however it is still a entertaining video to watch.
Choice of genre
Indie lends itself to making my video because everything is meant to look fairly normal or casual. R&B might be more difficult to tackle. They are often set in glamorous locations and there is usually a great deal of sexual content, this will not be easy to replicate in my video. British hip hop videos, or those for grime, or drum and bass are more down to earth and are probably more manageable.
Different types of music videos
There are 3 main types of music video. Performance, narrative and abstract.
Performance based videos
These are videos that feature the band or artist is shown to be performing the song, this could take place in various locations such as a live concert, in a studio or outdoors. Green days music video for American Idiot shows the use of performance. This video is almost entirely made up of shots of Green Day performing their song, as if they were playing it live. However instead of having just a standard performance video, they have used different speeds throughout the video, which makes the video more interesting and exciting to watch. Performance videos are seen more in rock videos.
Narrative Videos
Where the aim of the video is to tell a story. The story shown can sometimes relate to the lyrics or meaning of the song so that the audience remember the song and that it creates more of a meaning. The artistes often appear as actors in the video. In the video Wake me up when September ends by Green Day, the narrative is highlighted because the music stops so the audience can hear dialogue with the characters. This draws the audience in more and makes them want to watch it right through to the end so they can see the conclusion.
Abstract music videos
Where the video features an abstract interpretation of the music. The artiste may not actually appear in the video. The video doesn't necessarily have to make sense. Mad world by Gary Jules uses everyday costume,settings, props however it challenges the norm. This video doesn't rely on editing to make it look good.
In my video, I plan to use performance intertwined with a narrative, so this way the audience can see the artist perform and follow a story so that it is more interesting to watch.
Performance based videos
These are videos that feature the band or artist is shown to be performing the song, this could take place in various locations such as a live concert, in a studio or outdoors. Green days music video for American Idiot shows the use of performance. This video is almost entirely made up of shots of Green Day performing their song, as if they were playing it live. However instead of having just a standard performance video, they have used different speeds throughout the video, which makes the video more interesting and exciting to watch. Performance videos are seen more in rock videos.
Narrative Videos
Where the aim of the video is to tell a story. The story shown can sometimes relate to the lyrics or meaning of the song so that the audience remember the song and that it creates more of a meaning. The artistes often appear as actors in the video. In the video Wake me up when September ends by Green Day, the narrative is highlighted because the music stops so the audience can hear dialogue with the characters. This draws the audience in more and makes them want to watch it right through to the end so they can see the conclusion.
Abstract music videos
Where the video features an abstract interpretation of the music. The artiste may not actually appear in the video. The video doesn't necessarily have to make sense. Mad world by Gary Jules uses everyday costume,settings, props however it challenges the norm. This video doesn't rely on editing to make it look good.
In my video, I plan to use performance intertwined with a narrative, so this way the audience can see the artist perform and follow a story so that it is more interesting to watch.
New Idea
My new song for my music video is-Callie Moore- Girl
I have decided to go with a completely new idea for a music video. I plan to have a performance based song with a narrative shown throughout the video.I have picked this idea and song because I think that more can be done in the music video due to the style of song,genre, pace and lyrics. The lead singer is a girl, so I plan to lip synch this song because I know the lyrics so hopefully it will look like I am actually singing. There is only one main instrument in the song which is a acoustic guitar, which I have easy access to, which should make the performance look more realistic. The song lasts 3:31, which is a reasonable length for a music video. The lyrics lead the idea behind the video which create the narrative structure to the video.
Genre
Acoustic Music - a music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means
Setting
The narrative of the video will show a girl getting ready in her bedroom. The performance in the video will be in a studio, with lights to show this hopefully giving off a professional vibe.
Props
Because of the style and simplicity of the video and song, the main prop will be an acoustic guitar. The other props of importance used will only be the makeup brushes and scales.
Costumes
The 'girl' in the music video will be wearing a black revealing dress. The reason I chose black was because it is said that black is mean to make people look slim, which relates to the lyrics. The singer will just be wearing a plain t-shirt, nothing too extreme, purely because the song is very mellow so I think that wearing "loud" clothes will go against the style of the song.
Style
The video will mainly consist of performance, however aspects of narrative will be shown throughout the video to make it more entertaining to watch.
Target Audience
Because of the genre of music and because of the lyrics, this video will appeal more to women, however because of the Laura Mulvey male gaze theory, men may enjoy watching the video because the main person of importance is a female.
Story/Message of the video and song
My understanding of the lyrics is that it is about a woman who wants to be perfect and is anorexic, and the singer is explaining that this is wrong.Super models in all the popular magazines have continued to get thinner and thinner. Modeling agencies have been reported to actively pursue Anorexic models. The average woman model weighs up to 25% less than the typical woman and maintains a weight at about 15 to 20 percent below what is considered healthy for her age and height. Some models go through plastic surgery, some are "taped-up" to mold their bodies into more photogenic representations of themselves, and photos are airbrushed before going to print. By far, these body types and images are not the norm and unobtainable to the average individual, and far and wide, the constant force of these images on society makes us believe they should be. The video is quite full on and shows images of anorexia, I hope that this will shock the viewer and show them that in reality it is not glamorous. I will also show the singer portraying signs of disagreement with the anorexic lifestyle.
Artist image
I would like the singer to be portrayed as down to earth, mellow and a keen musician. The clothes that she will be wearing will be plain, so that people will focus more on the singer and that it shows that she isn't too appearance conscious.
Laura Mulvey male gaze theory
Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male Gaze’ in 1975. She believes that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male. In my video there will be a woman shown to be wearing a very revealing dress.The camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's reaction to these events. Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.
Lighting
The lighting used in the performance will be reds and pinks so that it show femininity and also the red to represent the anger in the lyrics. The lights will be the stage lights in the drama room at my school. Because of the lighting, the rest of the room looks blank therefore you cannot tell that it is a classroom and it looks like a professional studio.
I have decided to go with a completely new idea for a music video. I plan to have a performance based song with a narrative shown throughout the video.I have picked this idea and song because I think that more can be done in the music video due to the style of song,genre, pace and lyrics. The lead singer is a girl, so I plan to lip synch this song because I know the lyrics so hopefully it will look like I am actually singing. There is only one main instrument in the song which is a acoustic guitar, which I have easy access to, which should make the performance look more realistic. The song lasts 3:31, which is a reasonable length for a music video. The lyrics lead the idea behind the video which create the narrative structure to the video.
Genre
Acoustic Music - a music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means
Setting
The narrative of the video will show a girl getting ready in her bedroom. The performance in the video will be in a studio, with lights to show this hopefully giving off a professional vibe.
Props
Because of the style and simplicity of the video and song, the main prop will be an acoustic guitar. The other props of importance used will only be the makeup brushes and scales.
Costumes
The 'girl' in the music video will be wearing a black revealing dress. The reason I chose black was because it is said that black is mean to make people look slim, which relates to the lyrics. The singer will just be wearing a plain t-shirt, nothing too extreme, purely because the song is very mellow so I think that wearing "loud" clothes will go against the style of the song.
Style
The video will mainly consist of performance, however aspects of narrative will be shown throughout the video to make it more entertaining to watch.
Target Audience
Because of the genre of music and because of the lyrics, this video will appeal more to women, however because of the Laura Mulvey male gaze theory, men may enjoy watching the video because the main person of importance is a female.
Story/Message of the video and song
My understanding of the lyrics is that it is about a woman who wants to be perfect and is anorexic, and the singer is explaining that this is wrong.Super models in all the popular magazines have continued to get thinner and thinner. Modeling agencies have been reported to actively pursue Anorexic models. The average woman model weighs up to 25% less than the typical woman and maintains a weight at about 15 to 20 percent below what is considered healthy for her age and height. Some models go through plastic surgery, some are "taped-up" to mold their bodies into more photogenic representations of themselves, and photos are airbrushed before going to print. By far, these body types and images are not the norm and unobtainable to the average individual, and far and wide, the constant force of these images on society makes us believe they should be. The video is quite full on and shows images of anorexia, I hope that this will shock the viewer and show them that in reality it is not glamorous. I will also show the singer portraying signs of disagreement with the anorexic lifestyle.
Artist image
I would like the singer to be portrayed as down to earth, mellow and a keen musician. The clothes that she will be wearing will be plain, so that people will focus more on the singer and that it shows that she isn't too appearance conscious.
Laura Mulvey male gaze theory
Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male Gaze’ in 1975. She believes that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male. In my video there will be a woman shown to be wearing a very revealing dress.The camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's reaction to these events. Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.
Lighting
The lighting used in the performance will be reds and pinks so that it show femininity and also the red to represent the anger in the lyrics. The lights will be the stage lights in the drama room at my school. Because of the lighting, the rest of the room looks blank therefore you cannot tell that it is a classroom and it looks like a professional studio.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Change of idea
I have now decided to change my original idea completely and pick a new song and a new idea. This change was due to many different factors, main one was how reliant I was on other people to be in the video. I was going to need at least 4 people to be in the band, the main character and many other extras to agree to be in the video. This was too risky to actually rely on people on turning up to video shoots and having the band to be in sync with the song. I also struggled finding a decent strong story line for the narrative. I felt that having the main setting in a school would not look professional and that it looked like I didn't put much effort into finding a decent setting. Finding the band was very difficult, I personally do not have access to a drum set, microphone stand, a bass guitar and trumpets. I also could not find people who would agree to be in the video, I think that how long it would take to film it and that perhaps they felt uncomfortable in front of a camera so once again making the overall outlook of the music video look unprofessional.
Importance of editing
Editing is one of the most importance components in the entire video making process. Quality editing can drastically improve the overall look of a video. Editing in music videos is incredibly advance with more factors to think about like the pace of editing matching the song and the action in the video . e.g lip synching, will need to be synchronized with the song so looks like they are actually singing in the video.
I have had no previous experience of making a music video, so I believe that this will be a challenge.
Due to the nature of my music video(Narrative), I plan to use continuity editing, and a few jump cuts to make the video flow easier and the audience can follow the story. Most music videos are editing so it can keep up with the beat of the song, this can mean it can involve a lot of fast pace editing and cuts.
I have had no previous experience of making a music video, so I believe that this will be a challenge.
Due to the nature of my music video(Narrative), I plan to use continuity editing, and a few jump cuts to make the video flow easier and the audience can follow the story. Most music videos are editing so it can keep up with the beat of the song, this can mean it can involve a lot of fast pace editing and cuts.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Reel Big Fish- Trendy. Lyrics
2 minutes- 15 seconds
everybody's
doin' the fish
yea! yea! yea!
everybody's doin' the fish, yea, yea,
yea...
it's not so bad bein' trendy
everyone who looks like me is my friend
please don't hate me because i'm trendy
they're not gonna laugh at me again.
everybody does it
why don't you?
everybody does it...
maybe you should too,
cause you don't wanna be left out
you wanna be cool.
it's not so bad bein' trendy
everyone who looks like me is my friend
please don't hate me because i'm trendy
(i'm gonna do it because it's trendy)
they're not gonna laugh at me again!
everybody's makin' fun of me
cause they say, i'm so trendy
cause i do what others do
they'll make fun of me
they'll make fun of you
i don't wanna be left
out...
i wanna be cool!
*Understanding the lyrics will help me create a better narrative linking with the lyrics and the video. I personally enjoy videos which link the action with the lyrics without being too literal. Also writing how long each line lasts will make story boarding, filming and editing easier.
everybody's
doin' the fish
yea! yea! yea!
everybody's doin' the fish, yea, yea,
yea...
it's not so bad bein' trendy
everyone who looks like me is my friend
please don't hate me because i'm trendy
they're not gonna laugh at me again.
everybody does it
why don't you?
everybody does it...
maybe you should too,
cause you don't wanna be left out
you wanna be cool.
it's not so bad bein' trendy
everyone who looks like me is my friend
please don't hate me because i'm trendy
(i'm gonna do it because it's trendy)
they're not gonna laugh at me again!
everybody's makin' fun of me
cause they say, i'm so trendy
cause i do what others do
they'll make fun of me
they'll make fun of you
i don't wanna be left
out...
i wanna be cool!
*Understanding the lyrics will help me create a better narrative linking with the lyrics and the video. I personally enjoy videos which link the action with the lyrics without being too literal. Also writing how long each line lasts will make story boarding, filming and editing easier.
Initial idea- Music video pitch: Reel Big Fish, Trendy
Here is my first initial idea for a music video, this is my pitch explaining my video idea:
Song: Reel Big Fish- Trendy
Genre: Ska punk
Setting: Main setting will be school, however there will be scenes in a bedroom, walking outside and in a music venue (Drama studio)
Style: Mostly a narrative video, however aspects of performance will be shown throughout the video.
Target audience: This video isn't aimed at a specific gender, however I have realized when going to Reel Big Fish concerts that the majority of the audience are male. Because of how long Reel Big Fish have been around, the majority of people who listen to them are in their late teens to about late 30s. (Their first EP was released in 1992, and had their 20th anniversary tour this year)
Story/message/background information of the video: There is a saying"always be yourself", this advice is given to a guy who is about to have his first day at college. He takes this into account and turns up to college as "himself". He appears goofy looking, as he is wearing a hawaiian t-shirt (this could be a form of intertextuality because the lead singer of RBF is known for wearing these hawaiian style shirts). Because he is seen as an outcast, he is having trouble finding friends and fitting in. However he is oblivious to this and thinks he is "trendy" because he is being himself. The first half of the video is him trying to find friends and fit in. The second half of the video is representing the new glamorizing "geeks" and "nerds" and how it is now trendy to be untrendy. People are now picking up his style and go to a Reel Big Fish concert.
Messages within the video: How nowadays it has been glamorized to be nerdy and a geek, "Glee", "Hipsters" and "Indie kids". People wearing fake thick rimmed glasses for fashion, whereas years ago people would get bullied for wearing glassed. Point being that even though in the media it may be shown to be cool to be uncool, in reality people are being picked on a teased for being nerdy.
*Another message; In the video, there is only one guy shown to be a fan of RBF, this represents how nowadays ska-punk is slowly dying and that not many people listen to or have even heard of Ska music.
Band: In RBF, there are now 6 members of the band; a lead singer, a bassist, 3 horn players and a drummer. At the moment I only have access to 1 cornet for the horn section, so unless I can get my hands on 2 trumpets, in the video and the band will have 1 horn member.
Image: The band are portrayed as quite dorky in most of their videos, careless and fun loving. Certain bands nowadays want to be portrayed as uncool, however in reality they are heart throbs and not really nerdy. Reel Big Fish are not know for their "sex appeal" and have songs about their past such as "dateless losers", "she has a girlfriend now". The lead singer has a defining looking of side burns, sun glasses and hawaiian shirts.
Props: Guitar, Bass, Cornet and drum kit for the band. Balloons, silly string, party poppers and a music show flyer.
Costumes: Vans shoes, hawaiian t-shirts and checkered accessorizes.
Lighting: Naturalistic lighting will be used in the majority of the video, however when the band are performing, artificial lighting will be used to created a more professional look.
Actors: Main character: Ska/ RBF fan
*Jocks (Extras/background characters)
Band members- lead singer & guitarist. -Bassist -Cornet(Trumpet) Player
-Drummer
Meaning of the song: Let say you wanted to be "anti-trendy" because you don't want to become a clone like everyone else. This song is making fun of the people who just sit and make fun of trendy people. However it could also be about wanting to be trendy and just follow the crowd. Like most of their songs, they sound happy and upbeat but the lyrics are very angry.
Make-up/ hair: Mostly naturalistic make up and hair, perhaps some of the girls will have heavy make-up.
Intertextuality: The ska dance, RBF uses this dance at their shows so only the people who have gone to their shows will understand the link.
Song: Reel Big Fish- Trendy
Genre: Ska punk
Setting: Main setting will be school, however there will be scenes in a bedroom, walking outside and in a music venue (Drama studio)
Style: Mostly a narrative video, however aspects of performance will be shown throughout the video.
Target audience: This video isn't aimed at a specific gender, however I have realized when going to Reel Big Fish concerts that the majority of the audience are male. Because of how long Reel Big Fish have been around, the majority of people who listen to them are in their late teens to about late 30s. (Their first EP was released in 1992, and had their 20th anniversary tour this year)
Story/message/background information of the video: There is a saying"always be yourself", this advice is given to a guy who is about to have his first day at college. He takes this into account and turns up to college as "himself". He appears goofy looking, as he is wearing a hawaiian t-shirt (this could be a form of intertextuality because the lead singer of RBF is known for wearing these hawaiian style shirts). Because he is seen as an outcast, he is having trouble finding friends and fitting in. However he is oblivious to this and thinks he is "trendy" because he is being himself. The first half of the video is him trying to find friends and fit in. The second half of the video is representing the new glamorizing "geeks" and "nerds" and how it is now trendy to be untrendy. People are now picking up his style and go to a Reel Big Fish concert.
Messages within the video: How nowadays it has been glamorized to be nerdy and a geek, "Glee", "Hipsters" and "Indie kids". People wearing fake thick rimmed glasses for fashion, whereas years ago people would get bullied for wearing glassed. Point being that even though in the media it may be shown to be cool to be uncool, in reality people are being picked on a teased for being nerdy.
*Another message; In the video, there is only one guy shown to be a fan of RBF, this represents how nowadays ska-punk is slowly dying and that not many people listen to or have even heard of Ska music.
Band: In RBF, there are now 6 members of the band; a lead singer, a bassist, 3 horn players and a drummer. At the moment I only have access to 1 cornet for the horn section, so unless I can get my hands on 2 trumpets, in the video and the band will have 1 horn member.
Image: The band are portrayed as quite dorky in most of their videos, careless and fun loving. Certain bands nowadays want to be portrayed as uncool, however in reality they are heart throbs and not really nerdy. Reel Big Fish are not know for their "sex appeal" and have songs about their past such as "dateless losers", "she has a girlfriend now". The lead singer has a defining looking of side burns, sun glasses and hawaiian shirts.
Props: Guitar, Bass, Cornet and drum kit for the band. Balloons, silly string, party poppers and a music show flyer.
Costumes: Vans shoes, hawaiian t-shirts and checkered accessorizes.
Lighting: Naturalistic lighting will be used in the majority of the video, however when the band are performing, artificial lighting will be used to created a more professional look.
Actors: Main character: Ska/ RBF fan
*Jocks (Extras/background characters)
Band members- lead singer & guitarist. -Bassist -Cornet(Trumpet) Player
-Drummer
Meaning of the song: Let say you wanted to be "anti-trendy" because you don't want to become a clone like everyone else. This song is making fun of the people who just sit and make fun of trendy people. However it could also be about wanting to be trendy and just follow the crowd. Like most of their songs, they sound happy and upbeat but the lyrics are very angry.
Make-up/ hair: Mostly naturalistic make up and hair, perhaps some of the girls will have heavy make-up.
Intertextuality: The ska dance, RBF uses this dance at their shows so only the people who have gone to their shows will understand the link.
Friday, 30 September 2011
Continuity editing-180 degree rule
The Editing of a video establishes the structure and content of the production, along with the production's overall mood, intensity, and tempo. Continuity editing relies upon matching screen direction, position, and temporal relations from shot to shot. Generally speaking, the continuity system aims to present a scene so that the editing is "invisible" (not consciously noticed by the viewer) and the viewer is never distracted by awkward jumps between shots or by any confusion about the spatial lay-out of the scene. Classical editing achieves a "smooth" and "seamless" style of NARRATION, both because of its conventionality (it is "invisible" in part because we are so used to it) and because it employs a number of powerful techniques designed to maximize a sense of spatial and temporal continuity.
180Degree rule: A key element of the continuity system is the 180 DEGREE RULE, which states that the camera must stay on only one side of the actions and objects in a scene. An invisible line, known as the 180 DEGREE LINE or AXIS OF ACTION, runs through the space of the scene.
180Degree rule: A key element of the continuity system is the 180 DEGREE RULE, which states that the camera must stay on only one side of the actions and objects in a scene. An invisible line, known as the 180 DEGREE LINE or AXIS OF ACTION, runs through the space of the scene.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Theorist- Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp
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Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp was born 17 April 1895 in St. Petersburg to a German family. He attended St. Petersburg University (1913–1918) majoring in Russian and German philosophy. Upon graduation he taught Russian and German at a secondary school and then became a college teacher of German. He died 22 August 1970. He was a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar who analyzed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest narrative elements. Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media texts and productions, which indicates that there were 7 broad character types in the 100 tales he analyzed, which could be applied to other media.
- The villain (struggles against the hero)
- The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)
- The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)
- The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)
- Her father
- The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)
- The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess
Propp's work was translated into English in the 1950s, by which time it had become core to the ideas of theorists such as Claude Lévi-Strauss and Roland Barthes, and was used in literary studies, anthropology and semiology. Propp's theories rely on 'good' and 'bad' characters. Propp has helped us to construct media personalities through the use of character roles which determined the general perception of any particular person. The theory of the same types of characters in different types of media is common however not used in everything. Many familiar programmes can be quickly viewed in terms of Propps theory, for example in some episodes of The Simpsons, Homer will be the hero, Marge the princess, Mr Burns the villain and other characters would act as donors/mentors or helpers. Sometimes films or television programmes will play with audience expectations, but usually you can clearly identify Propp’s character types. Putting Propp’s theory to music videos is a little more complex and can only really be used in narrative videos. In the Kill switch Engaged-Holy Diver video, the narrative is a very good way of putting the theory into action. You have a wicked wizard with evil dominions, the knight in shining armour, his horse and the damsel in distress (sleeping princess). Watching this video backs up the theory because the style and story of the fairy tale has been done many times before, especially in Disney films. In most narrative music videos the lead singer of the band is usually the hero, and in some videos the person with the most power e.g record label boss, ends up being the villain.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp
Music Video Analysis- Alestorm- "Shipwrecked"
*Handout*Alestorm-Shipwrecked
ALESTORM formed in 2006 and after gaining a cult following in their local scene, they quickly inked a record deal with Austria's Napalm Records. After a few line-up changes early on, the band eventually settled on their current swashbuckling crew comprising Christopher Bowes, Daniel Evans, Gareth Murdock, and Peter Alcorn.
The video shipwrecked was filmed in Belgrade, Serbia with director Ivan Colic, who has previously worked with EPICA, KAMELOT and KATAKLYSM. The song comes off the band's third album, "Back Through Time".
Commented ALESTORM frontman/keyboardist Christopher Bowes: "No expense was spared in the making of [the 'Shipwrecked' video], and I can confidently say that it's . . . the best damn music video ever. 'But how can you be so sure?' I hear you ask. Here's why: violin playing midgets! Hot medieval babes! Ridiculous CGI! Rampant alcohol abuse! All this and much, much more!"
*Script*
This music video is a mix between narrative and performance. The narrative links well with the meaning behind the lyrics of being stuck on an island and drinking lots of rum. Because of the style and genre of the band, I don’t think that the lyrics are meant to be taken seriously as the idea of a pirate metal band is quite humorous. However there could be some meaning behind the idea of being stranded which can mean that you feel you're feeling stuck or lacking support somehow in your real life. The simple lyric “Get drunk or die” is repeated often in the song and shown a lot in the video. The mass amount of drinking could be a way of Alestorm wanting to escape their troubles and forgetting about reality. The drinking also confuses the audience because we are unable to recognise if the events are real life or part of their imaginations. Performance is shown in this video as well as just having a narrative. Often, music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the band. This is a popular form of music video, especially with rock bands. Sometimes, the artist (especially the singer) will be part of the story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time. But it is the lip synch close-up and the miming of playing instruments that remains at the heart of music videos, as if to assure us that the band really can perform well.
Intertextuality Visual reference in music video comes from a range of source, though the three most frequent are perhaps cinema, fashion and art photography. There is a woman character in this video who reminded me of the character Tia Dalma from the film Pirates of the Caribbean. This could show a possible influence for the band. It is perhaps not surprising that there are so many music videos that draw upon cinema as a starting point, since their directors are often film school graduates looking to move on eventually to the film industry itself. Not all audiences will necessarily spot the reference and this need not massively detract from their enjoyment of the media itself, but it is often argued that greater pleasure will be derived by those who know the reference and are somehow flattered by this
The fire used could represent the island as being a form of hell. The flames could also suggest that because of the pirate’s sinful life of pillaging, this will result of them ending up in hell.
This video uses a lot of varied camera angles, shots and a lot of styles of editing. Often enhancing the editing are digital effects which play with the original images to offer different kinds of enjoyment for the audience. The hectic guitars synchronise well with the choppy seas. Fast cuts are used and synchronise well with the beat of the music. A lot of jump cuts are used which adds energy to the video. The in the first few scenes of the video we see a pirate waking up with his head on the sand, it then cuts to what we believe to be a point of view shot which is blurred vision of a woman’s legs running. The cut of the legs mixed with a shot of a pirate midget playing the violin gives the video an abstract vibe. The general lighting of the island is light and bright which gives the island a representation of being a tropical paradise, with lots of women or “wenches” and rum all having a party which goes against the lyrics “Hey! You’re screwed and death is coming for you”
o This music video allows the audience access to the performer in a much greater range of ways than a stage performance could. Eye contact and facial gestures via the close up, role playing through the narrative and mise-en-scene will present the artist in a number of ways which would not be possible in a live concert. Pirates were the rock and roll stars of their time so mixing modern rock stars with Alestorm could be a way of attracting the female audience. The idea becomes more complex when we see the male body on display and we might raise questions about how the female viewer is invited to respond.
1. This video links well with Roland Barthes
Barthes was a French semiologist who identified 5 different codes by which a narrative engages the attention of the audience.
The enigma code- the audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem- Is this real life or is the pirate imagining the whole thing.
The action code – the audience is excited by the need to resolve a problem- Is the pirate ever going to escape from the island?
The semantic code – the audience is directed towards an additional meaning by way of connotation- The woman on the island have knifes and appear to be more interested in money rather than the men.
The symbolic code – the audience assumes that a character dressed in black is evil or menacing and forms expectations of his/ her behaviour on this basis- The black around the woman’s eyes make them appear more sinister and that perhaps there more to them than meets the eye.
The cultural code – the audience derives meaning in a text from shared cultural knowledge about the way the world works- This is a very stereotypical pirate video set in what looks like the Caribbean. Throughout this video alcohol abuse and dangerous weapons are shown but people accept this because they are pirates.
Barthes was a French semiologist who identified 5 different codes by which a narrative engages the attention of the audience.
The enigma code- the audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem- Is this real life or is the pirate imagining the whole thing.
The action code – the audience is excited by the need to resolve a problem- Is the pirate ever going to escape from the island?
The semantic code – the audience is directed towards an additional meaning by way of connotation- The woman on the island have knifes and appear to be more interested in money rather than the men.
The symbolic code – the audience assumes that a character dressed in black is evil or menacing and forms expectations of his/ her behaviour on this basis- The black around the woman’s eyes make them appear more sinister and that perhaps there more to them than meets the eye.
The cultural code – the audience derives meaning in a text from shared cultural knowledge about the way the world works- This is a very stereotypical pirate video set in what looks like the Caribbean. Throughout this video alcohol abuse and dangerous weapons are shown but people accept this because they are pirates.
Theodor Adornos theory of listeners and production, this video would fall under the production side because of the lack of thought to watching this video. The regress to childlike state “Infantilism”, relates with this video because pirates generally have a child appeal of being free and not working. This is an easy video to watch, almost a form of distraction and a novelty.
Todorov’s theory states that in a media text there are five stages.
ORIGINAL EQUILIBRIUM (normality) DISRUPTION RECOGNITION (of disruption) ATTEMPT TO RESTORE original equilibrium and NEW EQUILIBRIUM. This theory doesn’t work with this video because even though this is a narrative, there isn’t particularly a major plot so there is no disruption so there isn’t a reason to restore equilibrium. The only slight disruption is shown at the end when we realise that the pirate is actually trapped on the island.
1. Vladimir Propp developed a theory that within each narrative there are a set of stock characters, which reappear in every storyline.
These roles are:
Hero – Person on the quest
Princess – Prize for the hero
Helper – Helps the hero on his quest
False hero – Somebody who believes they are the hero
Dispatcher – Sends the hero on their quest
Father – Rewards the hero
Villain – Attempts to stop the hero on his quest
Donor – Provides objects to help the hero on his quest
These roles are:
Hero – Person on the quest
Princess – Prize for the hero
Helper – Helps the hero on his quest
False hero – Somebody who believes they are the hero
Dispatcher – Sends the hero on their quest
Father – Rewards the hero
Villain – Attempts to stop the hero on his quest
Donor – Provides objects to help the hero on his quest
Once again because of the lack of a solid storyline it is unclear who is what character and it can depend on what way you are looking at the characters. Most people see the bands as the hero’s in music videos. I personally see the female characters playing the roles of the villains because throughout the video they are distracting the pirates and stealing their money so could be classed as gold diggers.
Laura Mulvey and her theory argues that in classic hollywood films in particular women are merely represented to provide visual pleasure to men , and the audience is constructed in a manner where they are all expected to be men. This theory is used a lot in this video, nearly in every scene in fact there is a woman dancing. The men in this video are distracted by the dancing, hinted that the women are trying to seduce them. It is clear that this video is aimed at men because as a female watching it, I feel there is little about this video that may appeal to women. The first shot of a woman is of her legs and not her whole body, this way the men don’t feel intimidated. I think that without the support of the women dancing in this video then this video wouldn’t be as watched as it is, with 229,876 views on youtube.
This video gives the impression that the bands are to be taken seriously. If you were to compare Alestorm with Bullet for my valentine, they both fall under the metal genre, however Alestorms music videos are more humorous and the fact that they are a pirate metal band defiantly show that they want to be different. The overall effect of this video is that it can be simply viewed as a swashbuckling music video that is just fun. The style of the video compliments the song well because its singing about being trapped on an island and the video enhances its meaning, showing that just because you’re stranded on an island doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. This video was a good way to promote their new album “Back in Time” advertisements showed up at the start of the video and at the end. In fact I have actually bought their new album because I thought that they are really good and a interesting band.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
History of music videos
In 1894, sheet music publishers Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern hired an electrician called George Thomas along with other various performers to promote sales of their song "The Little Lost Child". Using a magic lantern, Thomas projected a series of still images on a screen simultaneous to live performances. This would become a popular form of entertainment known as the illustrated song, the first step toward music video.
The earliest music videos or music promos were filmed in the mid 1950’s, however, before then, as early as the 1920’s, films by animators such as Oskar Fischinger were accompanied by musical scores labeld ‘visual music’.
Music videos are now becoming "Internet friendly", people are now watching videos on the internet on demand. Sites such as youtube count how many views a video has had, representing its popularity. Lady gaga's video for "Bad Romance" made headlines as youtubes most viewed video with over 350 million views in early 2011, however was over taken by Justin Beiber's song "Baby" with over 500 million views in early 2011.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video
The earliest music videos or music promos were filmed in the mid 1950’s, however, before then, as early as the 1920’s, films by animators such as Oskar Fischinger were accompanied by musical scores labeld ‘visual music’.
In 1940 , Walt Disney released Fantasia , an animated film based around famous pieces of classical music.
While the history of music videos goes back to advent of film and sound, it wasn't until the 60s when they were made with some sort of regularity. The 60s was the same decade that the beatles, came about along with other artists who started to use music videos as a form of promotion for various songs. The creation of promotional films continued into the Seventies, but it would not be until the success of a video shot for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that the record companies would start shooting videos for nearly every single they released. In the late Seventies interest in music videos had grown to the point that entire TV shows devoted to music videos were developed. By 1981 the growing interest in music videos resulted in the creation of MTV( Music Televison), the first cable channel devoted entirely to music videos, which turned out to be an enormous success and grow to become a huge phenomenon in the 80s. The long-running British TV show Top of the Pops began playing music videos in the late 1970s, although the BBC placed strict limits on the number of 'outsourced' videos TOTP could use. Therefore a good video would increase a song's sales as viewers hoped to see it again the following week. In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Stéphane Sednaoui, Mark Romanek and Hype Williams all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed.
Music videos are now becoming "Internet friendly", people are now watching videos on the internet on demand. Sites such as youtube count how many views a video has had, representing its popularity. Lady gaga's video for "Bad Romance" made headlines as youtubes most viewed video with over 350 million views in early 2011, however was over taken by Justin Beiber's song "Baby" with over 500 million views in early 2011.Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video
Introduction to music videos
Music Video:
A music video is a short film using imagery mixed with audio music. Modern music videos are predominantly used for promotional purpose for the band/artist. There are different types of filming styles used in a music video such as, abstract, narrative, performance (live shows) and animation. The key elements to a music video are the lyrics: suggests general mood or feeling or sense of subject matter. Key lines play a part in the visuals but music video, rarely, illustrates the lyrics as a whole. The music/song: This gives the video the tempo of how the video will be edited. Most common editing is fast-cut montage. Others use slow-paced editing to establish mood, usually for solo artists with a broad audience appeal (e.g. Dido & Celine Dion). The genre: Different genres follows different forms and conventions, mise-en-scene, themes, performance, camera and editing styles of music video, i.e. Rock music videos tend to show performance of live shows.
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