Analysis of Telephone

In class we have analysed many music video's in order to get the gist of music video's and their codes/conventions. During one lesson we analysed part of 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga. Many typical music video conventions were obtained from this.

• Establishing/Low angle shots of prison (code of a rebellion)
• Cartoon/70's/chunky/bold font and graphics - feminine colours (code for feminine power - women becoming tough = equal) 
• CCTV shot (establishing location inside prison) high angle 
• Titillation - Erotic costume (often a convention of a music video -women sexually objectified)
• Iconic Lady gaga costume - Large shoulders (code for power - becoming more like the man with broad shoulders. Also convention of music video as artists often have something that the audience automatically associates them with -iconic - e.g. Michael Jackson = white gloves, black/short trousers and white socks
• Point of view shots (convention)
• Looks into the camera/interact (code = intimidation, also convention)
• Jump cut/breaks 30 degree rule (convention)
• Realistic mise en scence of the background- juxtaposing the stylised costumes
• Dialogue (convention)
• Mise en scene prop - truncheon = phallic symbol (convention - sexual ambiguity)
• Breaking 180 degree rule (convention)
• Product placement - sponsors (Nokia/Virgin - mainly a convention of music video as it reminds the audience they are watching a video as it makes them consider that this advertising is being deliberately used - breaks the narrative. If done in a film obviously it would feel unrealistic and ineffective in maintaining the audiences attention)
• Effects/visual trickery in sync with music - breaks continuity (convention)
• Close ups/raise profile - make them seem more important 
• Erotic camera work - high angle = cleavage 
• Series of stills/jump cuts
• Sausage roll prop = phallic - (code when sausage roll is thrown out of the window it may reflect throwing away men)
• Characters of narrative join in (convention)

An Introduction To Music Video

Music video's have become increasingly popular over the years and now the audience almost expects an artist to have created a video to go hand in hand with a newly released song. Perhaps the most vital reason music video's are so popular is because of media convergence and new technology which now makes it increasingly easy for media institutions, or even artists themselves, to distribute these video's to the target demographics. A music video allows an artist or band to establish themselves even more so than they would do through their music alone. They allow the viewer to understand the image and mentality of the star/s. Artist's/Band's can obtain power through the means of a music video, in the sense that they can voice their opinions and ideologies in this media.


Music Video's differ depending on the genre's of music that they are based on, however all follow certain, similar conventions. Since the very first music video by Michael Jackson,  creators have mainly sought to make music video's seem like miniature films, often with aspects such as narrative, diegetic sound, realistic mise en scene, possibly even credits etc. BUT the utmost intention of the producers is to remind the viewer  that what they are seeing is a music video and not a film, thus creating a genre all of its own. This is referred to as 'Post Modernism.'  


This is explained by media theorist Carol Vernallis "Music video editing bears a far greater responsibility for many elements than does classic Hollywood film editing."


 "... the editing in a music video works hard to ensure that no single element (the narrative, the setting, the performance, the star, the lyrics, the song) gains the upper hand."


Vernallis states that, for music video's to be effective in terms of the audience's consumption, these elements must remain at a consistent balance.


There are many factors which distinguish a music video from film, for example:

• Lip syncing/interaction from the artist as they address/perform into the camera.
• Editing to the beat of the music
• De-focusing of the camera
• Sound bridges within the song itself 
• Not chronological/does not demonstrate temporal continuity
• Perform live/part of the narrative
• Use of unusual camera edits/shots (tilting, panning, dolly shots - continuously moving)
• Lighting is usually more artificial
• Lyric/shot match
• Montage
• Jump cuts
• 180 degree rule broken
• People's bodies bisected/cut off by the camera at unusual angles

etc.

An example of ideologies voiced through music video

 Serj Tankian, the former lead vocalist of system of a down, uses ambiguity constantly throughout his video 'Empty Walls' to reflect todays society and its imperfections. For example, there are nine/eleven references to the twin towers through the use of a children's play mat that shows a cartoon city and some building blocks, with a toy plane hurtling towards it. This reflects Tankian's views on society, when a little girl who built up the building blocks looks very bitter and angry. 

There are three main ways the audience could read a piece of media like this. E.G:

The Preferred Reading

This is when the audience understands what the creator of the piece of media is trying to 'say' through certain codes that they have put into it, and agree's with these ideologies.

The Negotiated Reading

This is when the audience understands what the producer of the media piece means through the codes and conventions they have used within the music video, but have a choice as to whether they agree with the preferred reading. 

The Oppositional Reading

This is when the audience may completely disagree with what is being 'said' within the media piece or simply do not pick up on/or understand the dominant values of the text.

Music Video Media Terms 

Jump cuts: When the camera position remains static, but there is an edit in the filming (the camera moves less than 30 degrees)

The 30 degree rule: The camera moves more than 30 degrees so that the audience feel like they've changed position as well. When you break the 30 degree rule the result is a Jump cut.

Jump cuts in music video's: This is specifically used for effect - to jar the audience through the sharpness of it. This surprises them and makes them conscious of the fact that they are watching a music video as it is unrealistic and breaks up the narrative.

180 degree rule: This recognises that the audience has a certain position and orientates them. When this rule is broken the audience fell disorientated. This is also used for effect for the same reason as a jump cut, in music video's.

Graphic Match: This focuses on something of a similar shape/colour to the previous shot. This is frequently used in music video's to create fluency and links.

Match on action: This is a shot of two similar actions in consecutive edits which creates the feel of continuity.

Low angle shots: This occurs when the camera is placed beneath someone/something to make it seem larger or of more importance. This is often used, more so in music videos than in films, to depict the artist performing and consequently adds prestige.

Intertextuality: This is when a media text makes explicit reference to another media text. This is often used in music video's to remind the viewer conscious that they are watching a music video.




Conventional Film Editing
Continuity (runs smoothly)
Coherence (Make sense)
Chronological (in correct time order)


Films use long/mid shots and close-ups - in conventional films all shots have a sense of balance in terms of space

• In a long shot a subject is dwarfed by his surroundings
• In a mid shot the subject is equal in size to the space around them
• In a close up the subject dominates the space

In conventional films the subject is very rarely bisected or cut off at awkward points, by the camera.

Breaking conventions
Quick cuts
Montage
Lack of continuity
Temporal leaps
Use a series of images to create a sense/impression.
Bisecting the body unusually in a camera shot.


Important quotes and theories of Carol Vernallis


Graphic match
'Such an edit joins two shots through shared compositional elements such as colour and shape, irrespective of content... Music video can use graphic matches so freely because the genre has reason to draw attention to its materials and production methods. The viewer can revel in an interesting edit, in a nice shape shared by two images, and in the cleverness of directors and the editors words, any of which might draw us away from the narrative of a Hollywood Movie. The graphic match can highlight elements of a popular song.'


Dolly Shot
'Most music videos make such extensive us of a dolly shot that a static shot seems anomalous. The dolly shot keeps the video moving, it starts almost invariably, as soon as the video begins, and only ceases towards the end. It provides a simple way for a music video to catch and sustain a song's momentum.




All of this information will enable me to create an effective music video as I understand fully what to incorporate in terms of ideologies and content and aesthetics, down to the camera shots and edit. From this information we can also decide what music video conventions we wish to stick to or break, in relation to our artist/bands style and beliefs as well as their target audience.

Esmée Denters Case Study - Internet Promotion

Esmée Denters is a Dutch singer/songwriter who was discovered through the means of the internet video streaming site Youtube. Denters would perform cover versions of songs by, for example, justin Timberlake and Natasha Beddingfield and became extremely popular as people from all over the world stumbled over her versions, perhaps when searching the popular artists themselves. Youtube allows Celebrities (Record Labels) as well as the general public to post videos alongside each other for anyone to view. This form of advertising was very shrewd on Esmée’s part as she chose incredibly well known and well liked songs that were more likely to be searched and thus increase her own popularity. This lead to her discovery by Dutch media scouts and, the singer himself, Justin Timberlake.


Examples of websites that Denter’s record company broadcasts her through is:


• Social networking site’s (myspace, facebook, twitter etc)
• Website’s (official website/fan sites/ record company’s site)
• Last fm
• Spotify
• Youtube (VEVO a Youtube channel as well as Denters own official Youtube Channel)
etc.

This viral type of media (where one person recommends something to another) ultimately lead to Denters obtaining a record deal. This situation was a bonus for the managers/record company of Esmee too as she already had a fully formed fan base on Youtube, by simply recording herself singing at home on her webcam. A fairly cost effective way of promoting! Within nine months of posting, Denters video’s reached up to twenty one million hits, becoming the No.1 most subscribed to musician in the history of the popular video-sharing site and her channel now has 133 million views. This shows how effective viral media and the internet can be as it is a direct channel to potential fans from a huge number of countries. Many media institutes exploit this and consequently obtain their target audience and demographics as effectively as perhaps television has been. Technology and the internet has, however, generated a surge of new viral ‘celebrities’, causing stardom to be easier and some believe that because of this, real talent can sometimes be lost in all of this.

Analysis of 'When I'm Alone' music video by Lissie

Camera angles/editing

Low angle shot of the sun through the long grass/straw – freedom – establishing shots

Dolly shot – through the grass – point of view as if the character is walking

Bisects the body unusually – below the waist and of her feet walking

Follows up (tilt) hand held camera all of the way through

Pan following a map of some sort flying away in the wind. Represents perhaps

forgetting structure and doing what she wants (i.e. going where she wants to –

freedom)

Often un focussed camera to remind the viewer that they are watching a music video

Slow motion movement – dramatic impact

Camera places out of the window of car – point of view shot of person looking out of

the window at the bright sunlight and scenery. Realistic. Could reflect the band driving

to gigs and the gigs and the music making them feel free

Flash of editing to reflect bright sunlight beam – falls on the beat of the music

Montage of band

Backround out of focus – Lissie in focus

Camera moves more erratically when the music builds up

From behind the audiences heads = point of view shot.

Edits from band performing to car driving away.

Low angle shots of band – makes them seem more important.

Mise en scene

In an open field on a bright sunny day- sense of freedom

Wind = carefree – camera fits in with this – slow moving

Costume = tshirts worn jeans clothes/ unkempt hair – represents hippy like mentality – not being interest in material things. Or could be Practical slightly fashionable in an ironic way.

In a barn with shotgun holes through metal sheeting = feeling trapped – light spilling through. Country (cowboy) like settings

Features other members of the band – recognises them and not just all about her. Maintain similar image – bohemian (man with dreadlocks)

Car = old but quite retro and fashionable

Instruments – band performing = convention of a music video.

Realistic mise en scene – in a kitchen – shot of the plates and sideboard. Then through to an old community hall – lissie singing passionately – could reflect how they put their heart into every performance.

In a bar – rundown settings = lyric/image match ‘and its hopeless’ perhaps feeling as if she’s getting nowhere by gigging in community halls and going to depressing bars, in an old barn with holes – light pouring through = freedom

A series of shots throughout showing lissie playing guitar and setting it up = portrays that    

she’s not just a singer and that she’s talented.

Montage of the game bingo = lissie/band performing in the bingo hall

USA flag = set in the USA

Throwing baggage away = freedom – running over car = rebellion (= means code for)

Lighting

Brown/earthy colours – the idea of natural sunlight – enhanced.

Artificial lighting – makes to make the subject look brighter more youthful and naturally good looking.

Lighting always makes the singers/entertainers the main focus – in contrast to the dark background. Light pours through shot holes in barn and twinkles on the camera – distorting view.

Sound

Diegetic sound – dialogue singing accapella. Reflects the feeling of the song and forces the listener to concentrate on the music itself

Edits cut with soundtrack introduction to a different setting.

Lyric/image match – ‘You were gone’ = car driving away

Person in the video recognising the music – music is almost diegetic – he drums along on the car dashboard.

Introduction

I'm Louise Linehan and this is my blog. I'm part of the group MLB video/beercan productions and my music video is based on a single called 'Up Against the Wall' by the skints.