Lip syncing exercise

1. How did you feel about the editing programme and learning to use it?
I felt that the editing programme we used was relatively straightforward to use and I saw many features that I feel could be translated well into our actual music video, such as certain transitions, effects and edit styles.

2. What did you learn about making music videos from this exercise
I learnt how to use the actual editing programme efficiently, from capturing a video onto the programme, to editing and using transitions. I also learnt how to direct myself and others in terms of positioning and actions and use the camera effectively. I believe all of these things will stand me in good stead when coming to recording the real music video, as I will already understand how to use the camera and editing programme and so will not waste time on these things.



3. How will what you have learnt affect how you approach you proper production?

I will be able to translate what I have learnt in terms of editing and filming into the music video easily, meaning that I will have more time to focus on the creative side of things such as; interesting shots that fit the genre of the song, the content and direction. It also gave me a clue as to how pre-planning causes less time to be wasted.

Arctic Monkeys Short Music Video Analysis - Leave before the lights come on

Codes

• Clutching hands = code for saviour
• Crackle on screen - film like - reminds the audience it's a music video

Conventions

• Actors
• Jump cut
• Graphic match
• Point of view high angle shot
• Band not featured - more about their music
• Ends where it begins (sort of)
• Establishing shots
• Close-ups
• Realistic mise en scene
• Edits = Quick/Sharp/Awkward
• Hand held camera

System of a down - dragon ball z - toxicity music video analysis

Codes

• Hollywood stars (hand prints) shown - 'toxicity' name of song. Sepia effect = code for dated/tired - low angle tilted camera = code for mocking the mainstream stars
• Dark music/lyrics anti authority/anti establishment
• Blank background - causes audience to focus on the band 
• Band member playing the drums = displaying musical ability
• Lighting - live performance
• Disaffection - not interested in the world around them

Conventions

• Features a band - performing live and in different contexts or variety of settings
• Close up of instruments
• Breaks 180 degree rule 
• Disorientating 
• In sync with music (Edits)
• Low angle/High angle shots
• Speed of editing
• Bisects the body at unusual places
• Camera is never static: Tilt/Dolly/High angle/Low angle
• Costume/styling represents identity of the band (no shirt/beards)
• Shots from the audience - reminds us of the bands importance and that we're watching a music video.

Post-modernism in music video's

Post-modernism is often thought, by many, to be 'the end of originality' as it follows a period of great experimentation in areas such as film and art.


Modernism (1900's-1940/50's)

• Modernists believed in experimentation and broke boundaries that were previously set, in all different art forms e.g. the typical art conventions were broken away from to create abstract art.
• Modernism appealed to the elite and most educated as it made ironical statements about society or topics which educated people were most likely to know about.
• In the music world Stravinsky was an important frontier in modernism.

Post-modernism

• This is highly self referential and wants its audience to be aware and engage with the media text.
• Uses 'allusions' - references to another text - or 'intertextuality'
• Also features bricolage/eclectic/pastiche (e.g. sampling):involves taking parts of things that are already established and using them in a new context.

Telephone - post modernism analysis

• Font reference/allusion to Tarantino's (KillBill)
• Genre crossing - 'starring' making reference to film conventions when it is a music video.
• Self referential - Lady Gaga refers to her celeb status - taboo rumours  'I told you she didn't have a dick'
• Eclectic features - taking things from a variety of sources to put into a new context - woman lifting a bar with no weights on to confuse the audience. She has odd shoes on (one white one black) and later on it is shown that another woman has the same odd shoes. Code for lovers. Lesbian relationship = controversy
• Self referential - Gaga plays her own song in the video 'paper gangsta'
• Product placement - breaks the illusion of reality
• Self referential 'telephone' transition - concious of production when you watch it.
• Allusion to Madonna's vogue - mixture of many different artists.
• Series of stills in tape = code for photo-shoot - breaking illusion of reality 
• Another allusion to Kill Bill (exact car) as well as Thelma & Louise.
• Self references on the radio 'This is lady gaga with telephone'
• Subtitles - Eng/Chinese - break illusions
• Concious of editing the whole way through - fancy transitions.
• Reference to cookery show (on screen recipe and applause) & News 
• Allusion = Character from Kill Bill - Lady Gaga dressed like her with eye patch
• Changes in costume in same setting - makes audience concious of the fact that it is a music video.

Post-modern media

• What are the different versions of post modernism? (Historical, Period, Style, Theoretical approach)
• What are the arguments for and against understanding some forms of media post-modern?
• How do post-modern media texts challenge traditional text reader relations and the concept of representation.

Post-modernism adopts a playful style. It was used in the western world predominantly and is highly self aware and referential.

Theoretical approach (relates to preferred/negotiated/oppositional readings) 

• This is where the audience has a creative input in deciding on the  meaning of a text.
• There is a shift of power from the creator of a text to the audience. Rather than trying to decode what the producer intended the text to mean, which was typical of a modernist reader, post-modernist audiences have their own ideologies and perceptions. 

Examples of how audiences interpretations can differ: 

• Feminists: A feminist person could read a media text and assume it is sexist if, for example, there are no woman involved or if these women are sexually objectified in some way. They may find this degrading to women, whereas the creator of the media text may not have intended it to be read in this way at all. 
• Cultural Context/Differences: This can affect the way the audience reads a text.
• Psychotherapy: How people think about things and their personal lifestyle could affect how they understand a media text.

Etc.

Modernism seeks to represent the world realistically and be believable. 

Post-modernist audiences are more engaged and conscientious of the middle man and the text itself (e.g. reality TV shows - Big bro) They are also aware of the ideological view of the text.

• In what ways do media audiences and industries operate differently in a post modern world?
• How does post-modern media relate to genre and narrative across to media, computer/video games and new forms of representation, post-modern cinema, interactive media, reality TV, music video, audience theories, globalisation, parody (mocking tone), pastiche and homage (tribute)

Constantly merging genres - hybrid/pastiche (e.g. new video game combines western setting/cowboys (genre) with zombies (genre))

Other factors to consider when creating a music video

Sound


Diegetic: A piece of sound that is heard by the characters in the narrative. When off screen diegesis is used it creates more realism as it suggests there is a world beyond just what the viewer is seeing on the TV screen.


Non diegetic: This a piece of sound that can only be heard by the viewers and not the characters in the narrative. It can often be a soundtrack or voiceover.


Syncronous/parrallel = tone of soundtrack matches the tone of the music video etc.
Asyncronous/contrapuntal = Music doesn't fit with what the audience are seeing.


Foley track - can be added on the computer after filming, but can be diegetic.


Movement & Editing


Panning: the camera is static (on the spot) but moves 180 degrees from left to right or vice versa. Often used to create the sense of speed.


Low angle shots also create an impression of speed


Tilting/canted: camera tilts to left or right - can be disorientating and can often be a point of view shot creating a sea sick feel.


Crane: overhead shots - birds eye view.


Straight cut: one shot to the next. Simple. 

Oasis - Definitely Maybe Album Art

Conventions

• The album cover is quite conventional in terms of adhering to the cultural features expected
• The band themselves are featured
• The band's name appears at the top of the album.
• The albums name also appears at the top

Codes

Numerous codes at work within this album art:

• Used in order to establish the bands importance, confidence, ambition and identity.

This was a highly respected album cover of its time and was the bands first album so it sought to establish their image and identities predominantly.

Codes/conventions of this album art

• Manchester city footballer is framed in the fireplace. This may highlight their manchester heritage and is perhaps someone they idiolise and who they wish to be as successful as. This associates them with other Mancunian famous musicians/bands such as The Happy Mondays, The Verve, Joy division, The Smiths etc.
• The red wine placed on the floor could reflect their rock-star attitudes to indulgence, but however has connotations of sophistication too as it is often a drink of the middle class and isn't very cheap.
• To juxtapose the previous point, on the other side of the room there is a cigarette packet on the floor. It is the B&H gold type which is often thought to be the 'working class cigarette' and is very strong. This could represent how Oasis recognise where they came from/their roots and haven't lost their heritage. It could also suggest they're strong people.
• Liam Gallagher is at the forefront of the album. His positioning could reflect his importance in the band and the fact that he is the lead singer so therefore closer to the audience.
• Liam may be laying down to represent how he is pensive and a deep thinker or even a little bit different to the other who are upright. Segregated perhaps or maybe even a little arrogant. Could even represent that his has been taking drugs and is overwhelmed so is laying down.
• Noel is second in the image in terms of positioning. He seems to have a relaxed persona as he is sitting down. The fact that he has a guitar may represent his musicality and the fact that he is the song writer. The other members in the band are placed in the background, almost suggesting that they're are insignificant.
• The nice, quaint setting that the band are in suggest sophistication. It is in a town house with sanded wooden floors/a bay window and a posh fireplace. This may suggest how they are gradually obtaining a celebrity lifestyle but still recognise their roots (what with the props like man city footballer photo and the cigarettes)
• The blow up globe could depict how Oasis believe the world is their oyster. A code for ambition.
• The fact that they are watching TV together shows that they are ordinary and down to earth, as well as that they're like a family and a tight unit.
• The Oasis logo has many features. It it is Big,Bold,Black/White and simple with tabloid like font. Oasis could be suggesting that they are all of these things (big and bold=confident) Black and white could represent how they are logical thinkers and their ideologies reflect this and also tabloid font could relate to their target audience as they read these kind of newspapers. This displays their down to earth personalities.
• The italic font of the actual album name may = poetry/personal/sophisticated and reflects the album content itself.
• Noel and Liam are smartly dressed than the others with Beatles like hair and glasses. Shows they are heavily influenced.
• The lighting is sunny. Maybe suggesting that the music is enjoyable.

Be Here Now - Oasis 2nd album

• Anti authority connotations = destruction car driven into pool.
• Expensive car (rolls royce) in the pool = out with the old. They can afford to be destructive now that they are earning big money.
• Many expensive goods = wealth/arrogance 
• Globe featured again but on a grander scale. Depicts perhaps accomplishing some of their ambitions. On a podium = showing off achievements. Band member looks through a telescope to depict how hard they were to accomplish.
• Calendar= date of album release. Highlighted because of its importance.
• Mansion Setting = money.
• Sunny day = positive connotations = happy with their achievements.
• A band member in the background playing a large 'key' as if its a guitar = doors have opened to them.
• Guitar/globe/tv all a reference back to definitely maybe album. May suggest their music has a new twist to it but is still similar to the music everyone loves. These objects are all more expensive and could represent how the music is on a bigger scale than the previous album.
• Blue sky = freedom
• Clock with no hands = Time has stopped because of them? Their moment in time or they are portraying themselves to be timeless.
• Only the name of the band featured - feel they don't have to state the album name as they are so well known. Moped may reflect the 'mod' era and how that style of music may be reflected in their music.
• Destruction could mean they don't care about material goods or money even.
• Liam is in iconic attire - shades and khaki green jacket - head cocked to one side may reflect cockiness and arrogance.
• Gramophone/antique grandfather clock = classic - could reflect how their band is a classic example of the brit-pop genre

Thriller - A Revolutionary and Influential Music Video

This particular music video was so popular as it was the first in its kind and thus allowed this to become a media form in itself. 

Conventions

Genre: conventions codes of a horror movie = narrative scary

• Font = slashed, red blood type font
• Realistic mise en scene in parts = more believable and likely to scare the audience
• Typical conventions of horror movies:  dusk, frogs/crickets sound (eerie), shadows and point of view shops. Strong diegetic sounds - build atmosphere
• To progress the narrative Michael Jackson ('main character') is shown to be walking through the close up shot of his feet.
• Iconic feature = white socks/rolled up trousers/black shoes
• Non diegetic music begins - not soundtrack - feels more like a film as narrative has not been broken by soundtrack beginning/playing throughout.
• Shot of the moon = horror conventions of werewolf characters.
• A series of close-ups/establishing shots - a quick way of allowing the audience to understand the story line.
• Setting - dark forest on a foggy night - connotations.
• A film within a film - this shocks the audience and makes them remember this is a music video and doesn't follow typical movie conventions.
• Introductory narrative
• Edits fall on the beat of the music - creating an eerie atmosphere in this context
• The merging of the narrative and the song - lyric match forces the listener to focus on the lyrics and realise this match
• Montage of zombies - intensifies and scares
• The song becomes a soundtrack to a film instead of being a film for a song.
• Characters that are part of the narrative begin to perform the song - draws the audience in and out of feeling like they're watching a film. They are more conscious in a way of the fact this is a music video, because of this.
• Credits at the end = convention of a film

This video is greatly to other music video's as it often embraces conventions of films (e.g. horror movies) yet it does maintain many common features found only in music video's from the present day. 

Analysis of Ghetto Gospel

Many of the conventions in this particular music video are used to create a realistic atmosphere

• Diegetic sound - realistic
• P.O.V shot - low angle - dolly - realistic
• Establishing shots: used to build the atmosphere of the narrative.
• Hand held camera throughout 
• Realistic mise en scene
• Cost De-focusing/tilting (un-realistic)
• Costume - stereotypical costume for the genre of music - hoodie/baseball cap
• Montage of relevant images - build atmosphere/evoke emotion
• Many low angle shots:- build up religious connotations of the protagonist being almost God Like. Other religious connotations throughout
• No focus on the artist whatsoever.
• Temporal leaps - non chronological
• The time can be viewed by the audience at different parts of the video and highlights the fact that the narrative is disjointed and muddled around. For example the end starts at the beginning. This is also used as a feature that makes the viewer think about what they are watching in more detail and reminds them that it is a music video.
• Pathetic Fallacy (weather reflects the mood of the music video) all used to build a certain atmosphere for the viewer engrossing them in the storyline so that when certain features are used to jolt them out of it, and make them realise they are watching a music video and not a film, the shock/impact will be greater.
• Graphic matches.
• The religious connotations juxtapose the crime connotations. E.g mother reading the bible codes for her being a good person. Whereas the mise en scene suggests poverty/loneliness and crime.

Marketing of a fake band

Hellenica2

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Ideas

Ideas for music video


Myself, Michael and Bradley have decided to name our production company Beercan productions. It references Jamaica and also has rebellious undertones as it refers to alcohol.  

·      Live Lounge videos: we thought this may be a good idea as none of these type of songs have any pre-existing videos and therefore we can create something unique that will not be compared to the original video.

·      A local band: we thought of actually using a local bands music and the band themselves to feature in the video.

·      We thought that our video should be highly ambiguous, with many messages being conveyed and codes being used. We thought we would do this by using typical music video conventions through things such as camera movement/editing, mise en scene, lighting, sound etc.  

·      A band ‘The Skints’ – Michael thought of this band as he goes to see them playing live often but we all enjoy this music. We thought this would be a good idea as they are an unsigned with no video to compare ours to which gives us creative freedom. We thought we could perhaps film the band at a gig as well as feature a narrative in the video. However we realise that this may not be one hundred percent feasible, so we may use people to act as the band or if not create a predominantly narrative based video.

We decided to focus on the band the skints to create our video around.

·      From listening to their music we gathered that the band is of the ‘ska’ genre.

·      The lyrics focus on society, violence, culture etc.

·      The band is not generic/mainstream

Details such as this can help us to create a video that we believe could reflects the bands nature and ideologies effectively.

We have chosen to do Up against the wall

Ideas for videos

• Stereotypical reggae features: Drugs (cannabis), anti authority
• Possible location: Camden, typical urban area
• Perhaps lyrics fit with what the audience see on the video
• Party 
• Horror type movie convention to fit in with the song. For example at the end of the song the sound fades down in pitch then suddenly shoots back up. We thought this reflected the part in horror movies where equilibrium is restored then suddenly something odd and unusual happens again as a sort of cliff hanger.
• To fit in with the lyrics at the beginning. A male protaganist 'grabs his coat' in a run down messy flat. Colour tones of the video = greyscale. Makes his way to the job centre. Smoking = anti authority. Looking on the touch screen computer for jobs - Sign in the background 'shortage of jobs' Later on show him busking - people not interested in his music. TV shop across the road - a bunch of teens looking on admirably at a mainstream pop artist - JLS? Shows the protagonists face - noticeably peeved - drops guitar slouches 'up against the wall'. At 1 minute focus shifts to storyline of another character. or... 

Album cover art

In lesson we have assessed the importance of album art and highlighted the codes and conventions found in them. Album covers...:

• Establish the genre of the music
• Establish the identity of the artist
• Establishes the credibility of the artist and album itself
• Seek to attract audiences attention through striking imagery
• Act as a persuasive device by drawing the audience in
• Can be original/inventive/innovative/unique or conventional depending on what is sought
• Use codes and conventions to communicate with the audience

General conventions of an album cover

• Awards/accreditation
• Name of album
• Photo imagery
• Name of artist/band

Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Album Cover Analysis

• Pop art: An emerging of popular culture and high class art e.g. Andy Warhol and Peter Blake. Peter Blake created The Beatles album cover. It was considered revolutionary, combining pop music and art to form a new media form itself. This encouraged other to take their album covers seriously as it is a means of voicing the bands style/ideologies.
• Flowers - this represents a hippy like mentality of the band and is a code for nature and pretty/aesthetics. 
• Drum - this is a code for the Beatles being musically talented. The font style on the drum connotes circus fonts, which is symbolic of the fun, vibrant, entertaining and performance nature of the Beatles.
• Band members are holding instruments suggesting that they use music as a weapon
• Flamboyantly coloured costumes are juxtaposingly military in style.
• The serious facial expressions of The Beatles could reflect how they take their music seriously and, again, juxtaposes their hippy like mentality.
• Iconic people fill up the background. This may suggest that the Beatles themselves are iconic and their positioning at the forefront connotes their importance and hints that they are the new most current icons leading the way for music.
• Setting: Tropical Island= How the Beatles perceive themselves to be in their own league somewhat.
• Blue skies = connotes freedom, summer.
• Palm tree= exotic = The Beatles may be moving away from the mundaneness of British music and making their own more exotic music.

Nirvana/Nevermind

• This may connote how, as babies, we are taught to be obsessed or consumed with money
• The innocence of the baby and the supposed 'corruption' of the money is juxtaposing in itself
• As swimming itself is an instinct from the age of a baby, this may suggest that we want money instinctively.
• Carrot/stick approach = how people will do anything for money/bate like a fish
• Nakedness = vulnerability 
• (oppositional reading) Money = freedom and Water = freedom
• (preferred reading) the blueness and serenity of the ocean behind the baby reflects innocence and the baby is being led into the scary unknown by the money.
• The dollar bill may reflect American Society.
• The font style is bold = serious. As well as simple = honest/pure and connotes sophistication/strength and elegance. It is tall and thin which may symbolise how Nirvana are proud believe themselves to be important as well as all of these other factors.
• The font underneath is wobbly and distorted which may represent American Society.

This is an ideological album cover that aims to make a serious political statement.

Rage against the machine (self titled)

• This is also an ideological piece of media and reflects a political protest. This may mean that the band themselves are protesting against society.
• It has a newspaper set out: Font = cut out of a newspaper/black and white photo's.
• Simplistic as the photo speaks for itself as does the title of the band and album 'rage against the machine.' the machine possibly being the government/society.