It was very difficult when deciding who to use in the casting of my music video due to the reliability of the people involved and more importantly whether their image will match the stereotypes of the characters within my narrative. This unfortunately stopped me in my tracks with my music video and still I felt that I needed my music video narrative to me more straightforward and simple. This will challenge me as the deadline is soon approaching, but if i work efficiently and stick to a plan for the shooting of my video, editing and creating the following ancillary texts, I aim to complete it still to the best of my ability and have a professional, successful product as a result.
New Idea
My new idea is completely different, in order to keep it simple, yet effective. I will be using only two people now and the music video will be strictly narrative, allowing the scenes and the lyrics to tell the story. I have changed the song to 'so here we are' by bloc party. The song is quite abstract in the way that the lyrics could be interpreted in many different ways, and would be good to use so i can create my own original meaning for the song, which i will explain later in my analysis of the lyrics.
The basic plot of the narrative is about a couple who have been inseparable for years, who have now come across a dilemma in their relationship and are forced to choose between love and their career paths. They both apply to the same university in London at Westminster to hopefully stay together but unfortunately only one of them gets in. The girl then has to realise that their relationship will come to an end, as her career path is important and she has to follow her dream. However they are both heartbroken and this video aims to create a contrast between the montage of their happy memories together in the past with the present day of her leaving her boyfriend at the train station to study in London.
The idea behind this video is based on my own life experiance as i too will have to leave my friends, family and my boyfriend behind to go to a university in London. So this video in essence, is like a chapter in my life and i feel it would be a relevant issue to cover as college leavers like me can relate to the situation and emotions portrayed in the music video.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Monday, 16 November 2009
Analysis of song lyrics ' Mary J Blige - no more drama'
Part 1
The lyrics are very effective and when I listen to them I feel a range of different emotions from the deep,meaningful words used by Mary J Blige. The start of the song immediately draws the audience in to the mood and themes of the song which are drama, pain and suffering to begin with. The audience can either relate or sympathise with Mary J Blige as she has had a tough upbringing. Mary came from a broken background as her father left at the age of four and lived in a very dangerous neighbourhood. She was also sexually abused at the age of five by a family friend, so Mary found it hard to trust people growing up as a child. This lead to the involvement of drug addiction, alcoholism and depression. So this song in fact is a reflection of the drama in her life, and helps other people from similar backgrounds and experiences to relate to this or sympathise with her. The lyrics achieve this also being rather vague and covering different issues, so that a range audiences can relate their own lives to it.
The main aim of this song was to create a 'come back' for Mary J Blige and her career and to show her fans that she was moving on. The song progresses from a negative reflection of her past to more positive emotions such as hope and belief that her life will now change. So the song almost acts as a journey of her life from past to present and encourages audiences who can relate to this song to 'let go' of all the drama in their own lives.
Here are a few comments from fans and general audiences who have listened to the song which has affected them in some way:
Someone who has took inspiration from the song:
Part 2
The lyrics are very effective and when I listen to them I feel a range of different emotions from the deep,meaningful words used by Mary J Blige. The start of the song immediately draws the audience in to the mood and themes of the song which are drama, pain and suffering to begin with. The audience can either relate or sympathise with Mary J Blige as she has had a tough upbringing. Mary came from a broken background as her father left at the age of four and lived in a very dangerous neighbourhood. She was also sexually abused at the age of five by a family friend, so Mary found it hard to trust people growing up as a child. This lead to the involvement of drug addiction, alcoholism and depression. So this song in fact is a reflection of the drama in her life, and helps other people from similar backgrounds and experiences to relate to this or sympathise with her. The lyrics achieve this also being rather vague and covering different issues, so that a range audiences can relate their own lives to it.
The main aim of this song was to create a 'come back' for Mary J Blige and her career and to show her fans that she was moving on. The song progresses from a negative reflection of her past to more positive emotions such as hope and belief that her life will now change. So the song almost acts as a journey of her life from past to present and encourages audiences who can relate to this song to 'let go' of all the drama in their own lives.
Here are a few comments from fans and general audiences who have listened to the song which has affected them in some way:
Someone who has took inspiration from the song:
Someone who has been helped and reformed by the song:
One of the reasons why I chose this song is because of its meaningful lyrics and melodic music. I feel its a song that can engage with an audience for the full duration which should hopefully help my music video to be successful too. These comments prove that this song is very touching and I hope to create a video that has a similar effect on the audience and share a relationship with the lyrics.
Ideas for my own music video
Initial Idea - I initially wanted to base my video upon three different peoples lives and to follow their pain and suffering which is the main theme throughout the song. I decided this because it would create a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals and also the melodic music would suit the mood of the song. The three different stories included the life of a prostitute, a homeless person and someone suffering abuse. However, I have recently changed this idea after watching the original music video for 'No more drama' by Mary J Blige and realised that my idea was very similar to the original. From the lyrics it created ideas very easily that were almost 'cliche' and this is why I think the actual music video was very similar to my initial ideas. In order for my music video to be successful, I want my idea to be unique and original, so I have changed my idea in order to do this. I also don't want my video to be compared to the work of Sanji (director of no more drama music video) but take inspiration from his work and make the song my own.
New Idea - I have now decided to keep my video more simple by following the life of one person instead of three as I feel this will be easier to produce and more effective in the end. I also think the audience will be able to relate to the main character easier if my story is just focused on one person. The narrative of my music video is based around a young teenage girl who lives with her parents. Growing up as a teenager, her stubborn personality clashes constantly with her parents and this causes her to leave home in fit of rage. She feels by doing this she can create a sense of freedom and Independence for herself.
The girl decides to travel into the city, to be far away from her parents and believes there will be a range of opportunities for her. However with no place to stay, she finds herself vulnerably roaming the streets at night alone. She witnesses the lives of people suffering such as homeless people asleep on the streets, prostitutes trying to make a living, drunk people fighting, poverty and people who are dependant on drugs. I will also make boards for the characters within my story to hold up which highlights key words within the lyrics of the song. I will use strong, emotive words such as 'Pain' 'Hurt' 'Tears' 'Fears' and a phrase at the end of the video 'No more drama' also from the song. I feel in doing this, it will further create a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals of my music video.
As a result of this the girl experiences of the drama different peoples lives, she realises that by running away she is only creating drama for herself and for her parents. Staring into the eyes of prostitutes, drunks, drug addicts, and homeless people changes her mind on running away when she has a family who love her and care for her. She decides to return home but before she gets chance, her parents track her down in the city and she is finally reunited at the end of an eventful, emotional experience. I feel this will send a message to the target audience that running away is never the best option and also how easy it is to even cause drama in your own life and that we can prevent this in some cases from happening.
Added effects that I plan to use within my video include shots that are sped up shots of clouds and the bustling city. I will use the clouds at the beginning of the music video when there is melodic music and when she is heading towards the city which will hopefully capture the light change too as it gradually becomes darker. I feel I am at an advantage at this time of the year to create this particular shot as it becomes dark very quickly as winter approaches. I will also use the shot of traffic which is sped up to gain a busy, lively effect. I feel this will make my main character more isolated from the rest of the city, and an outsider as she walks the streets alone. It also weakens her hopes of opportunity, which she believed she would achieve by living here.
The narrative of my music video typically follows a structure. Many storys and other current music videos include this particular structure and it is a succesful way for the audience to follow and they can almost predict the base of the structure itself. I will add a few twists however, in order for my story to break the mould slightly so that again it is original and unique. All narratives have a protagonist which is the main character which in this case is the young teenage girl. The story evolves around her and the equilibrium is broken at the begginning when she argues with her parents and leaves home. Her parents become the antagonists, which formed the obsticle in her life causing the 'norm' to change for her. The girl is then on a quest to find her freedom but in conclusion finds that 'Theres no place like home' and the equilibrium is formed again when he is reunited with her parents.
New Idea - I have now decided to keep my video more simple by following the life of one person instead of three as I feel this will be easier to produce and more effective in the end. I also think the audience will be able to relate to the main character easier if my story is just focused on one person. The narrative of my music video is based around a young teenage girl who lives with her parents. Growing up as a teenager, her stubborn personality clashes constantly with her parents and this causes her to leave home in fit of rage. She feels by doing this she can create a sense of freedom and Independence for herself.
The girl decides to travel into the city, to be far away from her parents and believes there will be a range of opportunities for her. However with no place to stay, she finds herself vulnerably roaming the streets at night alone. She witnesses the lives of people suffering such as homeless people asleep on the streets, prostitutes trying to make a living, drunk people fighting, poverty and people who are dependant on drugs. I will also make boards for the characters within my story to hold up which highlights key words within the lyrics of the song. I will use strong, emotive words such as 'Pain' 'Hurt' 'Tears' 'Fears' and a phrase at the end of the video 'No more drama' also from the song. I feel in doing this, it will further create a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals of my music video.
As a result of this the girl experiences of the drama different peoples lives, she realises that by running away she is only creating drama for herself and for her parents. Staring into the eyes of prostitutes, drunks, drug addicts, and homeless people changes her mind on running away when she has a family who love her and care for her. She decides to return home but before she gets chance, her parents track her down in the city and she is finally reunited at the end of an eventful, emotional experience. I feel this will send a message to the target audience that running away is never the best option and also how easy it is to even cause drama in your own life and that we can prevent this in some cases from happening.
Added effects that I plan to use within my video include shots that are sped up shots of clouds and the bustling city. I will use the clouds at the beginning of the music video when there is melodic music and when she is heading towards the city which will hopefully capture the light change too as it gradually becomes darker. I feel I am at an advantage at this time of the year to create this particular shot as it becomes dark very quickly as winter approaches. I will also use the shot of traffic which is sped up to gain a busy, lively effect. I feel this will make my main character more isolated from the rest of the city, and an outsider as she walks the streets alone. It also weakens her hopes of opportunity, which she believed she would achieve by living here.
The narrative of my music video typically follows a structure. Many storys and other current music videos include this particular structure and it is a succesful way for the audience to follow and they can almost predict the base of the structure itself. I will add a few twists however, in order for my story to break the mould slightly so that again it is original and unique. All narratives have a protagonist which is the main character which in this case is the young teenage girl. The story evolves around her and the equilibrium is broken at the begginning when she argues with her parents and leaves home. Her parents become the antagonists, which formed the obsticle in her life causing the 'norm' to change for her. The girl is then on a quest to find her freedom but in conclusion finds that 'Theres no place like home' and the equilibrium is formed again when he is reunited with her parents.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Analysis of Music Videos
After studying about the language, ideology, institutions, audience and representations of music videos I will now expand my knowledge on the general codes and conventions of music videos. I will do this by analysing three other existing music videos and comparing their differences and similarities.
The first video I am going to analyse is - Ciara ft Missy Elliot - Work - directed by Melina Matsoukas
Introduction
The genre of music which this video is promoting is RnB music. This video in some ways is generic of other RnB music videos, however it also challenges the typical genre characteristics of most RnB music videos.
Most RnB videos usually are located in places which are expensive to live(tend to be places in America, as this is where the majority of successful RnB artist live/come from) It is also generic for the artists in this genre to be wearing expensive clothing and jewellery, driving desirable cars this shows that the artist is rich, successful and an icon to their target audience and are able to afford living a luxurious lifestyle. RnB artists such as Chris Brown, Rhianna, and Beyonce include these generic features in their music videos. Ciara has been known to use these conventions of RnB in her previous videos but she has contradicted these conventions in this particular video.
To enable the audience to become involved in the diagesis of the music video (work/building site) there is an introductory scene before the music has started to establish the location and display typical props such as ' Scaffolding, cement mixers, dusty grounds, cranes, pneumatic drills, fork lift trucks etc'. The video is simple in the way that only one location is been used, which is a building/work site. This does not follow the typical conventions of an RnB music video,so it shows her individuality as an artist. There is a range of shots to show different job roles around the work site and contradicts the stereotypical views of the audience by replacing 'male roles' with women. Use of diagetic sound also creates realism within the music video with sounds of machinery which the audience would associate with that particular, industrial environment.
What is the relationship between the lyrics and visuals?
The song to begin with is called 'Work' and the location immediately amplifies the lyrics as it is a building/work site. The women are wearing elements of a construction site uniform with gloves, jeans (ripped), white tops but more feminine and sexualised. This mise en scene creates a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as the word work is emphasised through a work location, uniformed clothing and the props of machinery used on a construction site. The chorus 'you better work' is enhanced with fast, strenuous dance choreography by Ciara and her backing dancers which relates to the hard work and stamina she puts in when carrying out the dance. The lyrics on the bridge of the song also says 'walk that walk' which she illustrates herself by walking and strutting with attitude in the video. There is also a shot of her swinging on a crane with the sunlight above her 'which amplifies the lyrics 'the spotlight is on you' through the sun and the low angled camera shot of her to make her role dominant.
The choreography is very based around the urban/street dance which includes a lot of sexual moves including hip rolls and 'booty pops'. The choreography closely sticks to the lyrics and keeps that relation ship with the words 'drop down, jiggle that, jiggle that' which is shown when Ciara and her dancers drop to the floor and shake/ jiggle their behinds. Also the words ' I bet you cant do it like me' are enhanced with difficult, professional dance moves to prove to her audience that her dance moves and skills are one of a kind. The lyrics however, can also be contradicted when it mentions DJ's, clubs and dance floors which contrasts to the dusty, deserted construction site.
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
The music has a close relationship with the visuals as it is edited and cut to the beat of the music. As the song changes to a fast pace in parts the choreography keeps up with this and illustrates the changes in tempo. The song begins when the visuals show the Ciara the artist getting out of the truck which introduces her and also shows Missy Elliot who is rapping in the song at that point to illustrate her part in the song. The solo instrumental at the end as the music winds down is amplified by the visuals as the choreography becomes less emphasised, smaller and Ciara and the dancers end up on the fall to bring closure to the dance and song together.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
From this video I feel that the record company is looking to sell this track through her talent of strenuous choreography and through sex appeal of her costumes, dance moves and poses. She also proves her high profile status by working alongside Missy Elliot. She proves her talent very well in this video and creates signature dance moves for this song which the audience can relate back to when they hear the song and try to dance like her. Male audiences will have the pleasure of seeing her in revealing outfits like a leotard and also a tight blue PVC dress and long high heeled boots (which they could relate to a prostitute outfit). In this video different images of herself as an artist are being portrayed in the different scenes. She is portrayed as a sex symbol when she wears revealing, tight outfits to her audience but also contrasted with a diva/icon when she wears a sophisticated, floaty dress which shows her elegant side too. She is also given a feminist image through wearing a uniform and performing in a location that would be normally associated with males to break that mould and stereotype. So there is also a message of women been just as capable as men as both singers and all the dancers are female in this video.
The video can relate to her previous videos as she uses choreography in the majority of her music videos like 'goodies', 'like a boy' and 'get up' as it is one of her main talents as well as singing. So dancing in her videos is a motif that the audience expect to see in her videos, usually with backing dancers too. She has also collaborated with Missy Elliot before in songs like 'lose control' and '1,2 step'. I don't feel like this video changes her image as an artist in particular as she is still portrayed as a sex symbol to the audience but she has brought a feminist approach by using all women and no men to show that shes an independent woman herself. Her image physically has progressed from track pants in her youth days in videos like '1,2 step' and 'Promise' into more sophisticated, extravagant outfits which could reflect her status as a star as she has developed success and individuality for herself.
The first video I am going to analyse is - Ciara ft Missy Elliot - Work - directed by Melina Matsoukas
Introduction
The genre of music which this video is promoting is RnB music. This video in some ways is generic of other RnB music videos, however it also challenges the typical genre characteristics of most RnB music videos.
Most RnB videos usually are located in places which are expensive to live(tend to be places in America, as this is where the majority of successful RnB artist live/come from) It is also generic for the artists in this genre to be wearing expensive clothing and jewellery, driving desirable cars this shows that the artist is rich, successful and an icon to their target audience and are able to afford living a luxurious lifestyle. RnB artists such as Chris Brown, Rhianna, and Beyonce include these generic features in their music videos. Ciara has been known to use these conventions of RnB in her previous videos but she has contradicted these conventions in this particular video.
To enable the audience to become involved in the diagesis of the music video (work/building site) there is an introductory scene before the music has started to establish the location and display typical props such as ' Scaffolding, cement mixers, dusty grounds, cranes, pneumatic drills, fork lift trucks etc'. The video is simple in the way that only one location is been used, which is a building/work site. This does not follow the typical conventions of an RnB music video,so it shows her individuality as an artist. There is a range of shots to show different job roles around the work site and contradicts the stereotypical views of the audience by replacing 'male roles' with women. Use of diagetic sound also creates realism within the music video with sounds of machinery which the audience would associate with that particular, industrial environment.
What is the relationship between the lyrics and visuals?
The song to begin with is called 'Work' and the location immediately amplifies the lyrics as it is a building/work site. The women are wearing elements of a construction site uniform with gloves, jeans (ripped), white tops but more feminine and sexualised. This mise en scene creates a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as the word work is emphasised through a work location, uniformed clothing and the props of machinery used on a construction site. The chorus 'you better work' is enhanced with fast, strenuous dance choreography by Ciara and her backing dancers which relates to the hard work and stamina she puts in when carrying out the dance. The lyrics on the bridge of the song also says 'walk that walk' which she illustrates herself by walking and strutting with attitude in the video. There is also a shot of her swinging on a crane with the sunlight above her 'which amplifies the lyrics 'the spotlight is on you' through the sun and the low angled camera shot of her to make her role dominant.
The choreography is very based around the urban/street dance which includes a lot of sexual moves including hip rolls and 'booty pops'. The choreography closely sticks to the lyrics and keeps that relation ship with the words 'drop down, jiggle that, jiggle that' which is shown when Ciara and her dancers drop to the floor and shake/ jiggle their behinds. Also the words ' I bet you cant do it like me' are enhanced with difficult, professional dance moves to prove to her audience that her dance moves and skills are one of a kind. The lyrics however, can also be contradicted when it mentions DJ's, clubs and dance floors which contrasts to the dusty, deserted construction site.
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
The music has a close relationship with the visuals as it is edited and cut to the beat of the music. As the song changes to a fast pace in parts the choreography keeps up with this and illustrates the changes in tempo. The song begins when the visuals show the Ciara the artist getting out of the truck which introduces her and also shows Missy Elliot who is rapping in the song at that point to illustrate her part in the song. The solo instrumental at the end as the music winds down is amplified by the visuals as the choreography becomes less emphasised, smaller and Ciara and the dancers end up on the fall to bring closure to the dance and song together.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
From this video I feel that the record company is looking to sell this track through her talent of strenuous choreography and through sex appeal of her costumes, dance moves and poses. She also proves her high profile status by working alongside Missy Elliot. She proves her talent very well in this video and creates signature dance moves for this song which the audience can relate back to when they hear the song and try to dance like her. Male audiences will have the pleasure of seeing her in revealing outfits like a leotard and also a tight blue PVC dress and long high heeled boots (which they could relate to a prostitute outfit). In this video different images of herself as an artist are being portrayed in the different scenes. She is portrayed as a sex symbol when she wears revealing, tight outfits to her audience but also contrasted with a diva/icon when she wears a sophisticated, floaty dress which shows her elegant side too. She is also given a feminist image through wearing a uniform and performing in a location that would be normally associated with males to break that mould and stereotype. So there is also a message of women been just as capable as men as both singers and all the dancers are female in this video.
The video can relate to her previous videos as she uses choreography in the majority of her music videos like 'goodies', 'like a boy' and 'get up' as it is one of her main talents as well as singing. So dancing in her videos is a motif that the audience expect to see in her videos, usually with backing dancers too. She has also collaborated with Missy Elliot before in songs like 'lose control' and '1,2 step'. I don't feel like this video changes her image as an artist in particular as she is still portrayed as a sex symbol to the audience but she has brought a feminist approach by using all women and no men to show that shes an independent woman herself. Her image physically has progressed from track pants in her youth days in videos like '1,2 step' and 'Promise' into more sophisticated, extravagant outfits which could reflect her status as a star as she has developed success and individuality for herself.
Is there a reference to the notion of looking?
I feel that that Ciara is sexually displayed in this video to her audience through her revealing outfits and sexual choreography as well as her backing dancers. However some scenes where she is wearing a uniform similar to that of a construction worker (jeans, white tops, protective glasses and pocket tool belts) shows that she doesn't have to wear feminine outfits to still be sexy. Ciara and Missy Elliot both wear boiler suits at one point too, to fit in with the work environment but Missy Elliot's is all black and doesn't reveal any skin compared to Ciara's which is tight fitted showing her womanly figure and has a V neck down to her naval revealing her chest area. This shows that she prefers to dress more revealing for her audience, and even though she doesn't have a large chest like most artists, or have them enlarged, she flaunts her body as it is naturally. Not only does the dance moves and costumes imply sexualised display, but the camerawork enhances it further. Low camera angles creates a 'male gaze' of her body as the camera looks up when she is in a leotard which focuses on her legs and bum. There is also a particular 'cut in' close up of her bum on one shot which is definitely used as sexual display. There are also further close ups of her toned stomach and her groin as she doing pelvic thrusts on the floor creating intimacy for the audience
I feel that that Ciara is sexually displayed in this video to her audience through her revealing outfits and sexual choreography as well as her backing dancers. However some scenes where she is wearing a uniform similar to that of a construction worker (jeans, white tops, protective glasses and pocket tool belts) shows that she doesn't have to wear feminine outfits to still be sexy. Ciara and Missy Elliot both wear boiler suits at one point too, to fit in with the work environment but Missy Elliot's is all black and doesn't reveal any skin compared to Ciara's which is tight fitted showing her womanly figure and has a V neck down to her naval revealing her chest area. This shows that she prefers to dress more revealing for her audience, and even though she doesn't have a large chest like most artists, or have them enlarged, she flaunts her body as it is naturally. Not only does the dance moves and costumes imply sexualised display, but the camerawork enhances it further. Low camera angles creates a 'male gaze' of her body as the camera looks up when she is in a leotard which focuses on her legs and bum. There is also a particular 'cut in' close up of her bum on one shot which is definitely used as sexual display. There are also further close ups of her toned stomach and her groin as she doing pelvic thrusts on the floor creating intimacy for the audience
Are there inter textual references?
Second Music video/ Introduction
I will now analyse my second music video 'Four Kicks' by Kings Of Leon directed by PatricDaughters.
David guetta is a house producer/ DJ who has recently become popular in the UK for his house, electronica dance music. I chose to download this one as its his most recent music video and is very typical following the conventions of dance videos. The broad characteristics of house/dance videos usually include large crowds at big clubs and events where a DJ is performing, lots of girls in skimpy outfits like bikinis, usually in hot countries like Ibiza (the party capital of dance/trance music), alcohol, wild house/ pool partys, dance routines, bright colours and generally a fun and upbeat atmosphere. These conventions can be found in videos by dance artists - Eric Prydz (call on me) Bass Hunter (now you gone) and Guru Josh project (Infinity).
I can gather a few inter textual references as an audience which I can familiarise with in this video. I can sense an image relating to charlies angels when she is wearing a revealing boiler suit and her being in a work environment as they are always on missions in strange locations. I think she uses this to show that she is an independent, strong woman just like the women in charlies angels. Her change in costume to create different images for herself can also be closely linked to charlie's angels too as they constantly go under cover with different identity's
Her hair scraped tight back into a pony with an extra long hair also reminds me of action/ super hero like cat woman which again builds a strong image for herself. Also her leotard outfit is similar to the cat woman costume with the cross over material as well as wearing black leather gloves.. There is reference to a fashion catwalk too, when she struts along the platform wearing a high fashion shrug over her leotard and large over sized heels. At the beginning to there are shots of women working with usually male dominated tools like fork cliffs and drills which can be related to another music video 'satisfaction' by Bennie Benassi
Is the music video performance -based, narrative- based or concept-based?
This video is mainly performance based as it doesn't tell a story or have a Strong concept to follow. It is literally montage clips edited together of Ciara dancing, miming the lyrics, strutting and posing. This is quite common within Ciara's music videos as she rarely has a concept or narrative and just her performing the song.
Overall I feel that Ciara in this video has aimed to create a different approach and message through her video which is that she can be anything that she wants to be and proves that through her skilled dance choreography and different images and costumes. She proves herself to be a very independent women, with an all female cast to show that she doesn't need a man to have fun and feel good about herself.
Her hair scraped tight back into a pony with an extra long hair also reminds me of action/ super hero like cat woman which again builds a strong image for herself. Also her leotard outfit is similar to the cat woman costume with the cross over material as well as wearing black leather gloves.. There is reference to a fashion catwalk too, when she struts along the platform wearing a high fashion shrug over her leotard and large over sized heels. At the beginning to there are shots of women working with usually male dominated tools like fork cliffs and drills which can be related to another music video 'satisfaction' by Bennie Benassi
Is the music video performance -based, narrative- based or concept-based?
This video is mainly performance based as it doesn't tell a story or have a Strong concept to follow. It is literally montage clips edited together of Ciara dancing, miming the lyrics, strutting and posing. This is quite common within Ciara's music videos as she rarely has a concept or narrative and just her performing the song.
Overall I feel that Ciara in this video has aimed to create a different approach and message through her video which is that she can be anything that she wants to be and proves that through her skilled dance choreography and different images and costumes. She proves herself to be a very independent women, with an all female cast to show that she doesn't need a man to have fun and feel good about herself.
Second Music video/ Introduction
I will now analyse my second music video 'Four Kicks' by Kings Of Leon directed by PatricDaughters.
Kings of Leon come under the hybrid genre of alternative, garage, southern rock and more mainstream indie rock in their most recent album - only by the night. This song 'four kicks' is one of their earlier songs from their second album 'Aha Shake Heart brake'. I chose to analyse this genre as it is very different from my first analysis and will have contrasting conventions, features and ideologies.
The genre of alternative/ rock in general has many broad characteristics which can also be identified with this video. Rock music videos usually are performanced based showing the band playing their instruments and miming the lyrics either to an audience or just the camera. They sometimes have a cut-in narrative too either of themselves acting or just documentary type footage of them on tour. Their usually a lot of lighting used to emphasis the band and make it appealing for the audience by giving them variation whilst their performing. You can usually identify the band by there brand name being on the drums. In the case of Kings of Leon they shorten their name to KOL so it can be quickly recognised on the drum. There is a particular trend also that is followed by rock musicians which can consist of long/shaggy hair, tight tops and skinny jeans, pointed shoes and jewellery. Also the way the musicians perform is very iconic within the rock genre as you can expect to find guitarists and drummers 'head banging' and the lead vocalised dancing impressionably usually influenced by other classic rock artists like 'Elvis Presley', ' Mick Jagger' (The Rolling Stones) and 'Joe Strummer' (The Clash). I will now analyse this video by Kings Of Leon to see if they too follow or challenge the conventions of rock music videos.
What is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals?
It is popular for Kings of Leon lyrics to be abstract and not easily interpreted, including this song 'four kicks'. However through the semantic field of 'guns, cock fight, fire, black belt' and the interrogative 'four kicks whose strutting now?' I gather feelings of anger and testosterone in the song, that involves a lot of jealousy and the need to constantly proves oneself that their 'the man'. This is certainly amplified in the visuals of the music video as it shows a group of people fighting each other in a lobby, causing complete chaos and anarchy. There is a red lighting and a white strobe light when the people are fighting to connotate anger and danger to reflect the atmosphere in the room, and then pure white lighting which pauses them in mid motion to emphasis the damage they have inflicted upon each other. Also the red lighting could reflect the words 'red mans fire' in the lyrics. The lyrics however only create the mood fighting in the song, and are not acted upon literally/step by step. So the lyrics are slightly contradicted to show that ordinary people, men and women can become involved in such situations and no just the people in the story. The people used are also of different ethnic backgrounds and therefore could represent the world and its conflict. This also introduces a controversial issue in the visuals, as we can see guys beating up women too. However the pauses in the action adds a comical element when we see their faces in mid motion before another violent impact is made. Also the fact that kings of Leon are just playing in the middle of such chaos as normal while furniture and people are been thrown everywhere.
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
The song itself contrasts the tempo of the music with slow and fast which is reflected in the video. The people are at peace before the music begins, then when the riff of the guitars begin they all start fighting, but when Caleb is singing they are paused in mid-motion which shows the contrast in the visuals to coincide with the music. The editing of the video is cut to the beat as well, with slower, longer shots when Caleb is singing and the actors are freeze framed. It then quickly cuts to short, quick shots of them fighting to keep up with the fast pace of the music. It almost feels that the sound of their guitars together makes an angry, vicious sound which is reflected in the mood of the people which again shows a relationship between the music and the visuals. The solo instrumental part where the music reaches its height and climax is illustrated by the video as the shots become quicker, the music becomes louder, the band move more and headbang and the violence is increased with more blood and impact. So the visuals reflect the progression of height in the song through the rising height of emotions within the people.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
There are close ups of all the band at the beginning to establish each member of the band to the audience. Caleb being first to establish that he is the leading member and the main vocalist. It is very common for record companys to endorse the band of the 'best looking' member and put them at the forefront to gain success and popularity. In this case caleb is used as I feel he is the best looking out of the four. I feel that the record company are looking to sell this track to a youthful, lively audience of mixed gender(their general target audience). The females will be attracted to the shots of the band members performing (caleb in particular) and the males will find the violence and comical factor of the video appealing as they can relate to the anger and testostrone of the fighting and the music. This video can then be assosciated when the audience hear the song and will try to re create the atmosphere by acting wild and going mad in a crowd. I myself have been in club when that songs been on and everyone just goes mental, so from my own experiance the video really has an impact on he audience.
The bands image through this track however is not damaged by the source of violence as they themselves are not contributing to it. I feel that this tracks shows more the power of their music as a band, that they have the capability of moving people and changing their moods within a song. Their fans can just lose themselves and let go in this song and i think they will gather the more comical factor of the violence and not take it seriously as an the bands ideology. The video relates to previous videos as it is mainly performance base, with only slight narrative which is a common convention of their music videos. Also they keep a consistant style whilst performing throughout their music videos like for example, the base guitarist and lead guitarist using querky movements and head banging to the music. Also lead singer Caleb usually looks concerned and almost in pain when he sings, which is probably to do with either drugs or just acting out his lyrics.
Is there a reference to the notion of looking?
As the genre of Kings of leon's music is alternative rock, the artists are not explicitly used for sexual display like the my previous analysis of Ciara. The bands ideologies are about making great music, reaching out to their fans and living the life of rock and roll. However some closeups of the lead singer Caleb Followill will create a sexual desire for the audience. Clothes can also create sexual display such as tight skinny jeans, and tight tops. Matthew Followill, bass guitarist is wearing just a waistcoat showing off his body which would appeal to fans and also the messy hair creates a sexual, rough edge to their image. The camerawork however mainly enhances their talent by using cut ins, and closeups of their instruments and shots of their feet moving awkwardly to the music shows off their individual, querky performance.
Are there an intertextual references?
There could be an intertextual reference to the film 'The Matrix' as the freeze frames shots sometimes pan round the actors just like the freeze frame action shots used in 'The Matrix'. However this video doesn't use the technique seriously and instead creates quite a comical element in their video as its not very realistic within that situation. I have also identified a similar comical use in the film 'Charlies Angels' and 'Shrek'.
The genre of alternative/ rock in general has many broad characteristics which can also be identified with this video. Rock music videos usually are performanced based showing the band playing their instruments and miming the lyrics either to an audience or just the camera. They sometimes have a cut-in narrative too either of themselves acting or just documentary type footage of them on tour. Their usually a lot of lighting used to emphasis the band and make it appealing for the audience by giving them variation whilst their performing. You can usually identify the band by there brand name being on the drums. In the case of Kings of Leon they shorten their name to KOL so it can be quickly recognised on the drum. There is a particular trend also that is followed by rock musicians which can consist of long/shaggy hair, tight tops and skinny jeans, pointed shoes and jewellery. Also the way the musicians perform is very iconic within the rock genre as you can expect to find guitarists and drummers 'head banging' and the lead vocalised dancing impressionably usually influenced by other classic rock artists like 'Elvis Presley', ' Mick Jagger' (The Rolling Stones) and 'Joe Strummer' (The Clash). I will now analyse this video by Kings Of Leon to see if they too follow or challenge the conventions of rock music videos.
What is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals?
It is popular for Kings of Leon lyrics to be abstract and not easily interpreted, including this song 'four kicks'. However through the semantic field of 'guns, cock fight, fire, black belt' and the interrogative 'four kicks whose strutting now?' I gather feelings of anger and testosterone in the song, that involves a lot of jealousy and the need to constantly proves oneself that their 'the man'. This is certainly amplified in the visuals of the music video as it shows a group of people fighting each other in a lobby, causing complete chaos and anarchy. There is a red lighting and a white strobe light when the people are fighting to connotate anger and danger to reflect the atmosphere in the room, and then pure white lighting which pauses them in mid motion to emphasis the damage they have inflicted upon each other. Also the red lighting could reflect the words 'red mans fire' in the lyrics. The lyrics however only create the mood fighting in the song, and are not acted upon literally/step by step. So the lyrics are slightly contradicted to show that ordinary people, men and women can become involved in such situations and no just the people in the story. The people used are also of different ethnic backgrounds and therefore could represent the world and its conflict. This also introduces a controversial issue in the visuals, as we can see guys beating up women too. However the pauses in the action adds a comical element when we see their faces in mid motion before another violent impact is made. Also the fact that kings of Leon are just playing in the middle of such chaos as normal while furniture and people are been thrown everywhere.
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
The song itself contrasts the tempo of the music with slow and fast which is reflected in the video. The people are at peace before the music begins, then when the riff of the guitars begin they all start fighting, but when Caleb is singing they are paused in mid-motion which shows the contrast in the visuals to coincide with the music. The editing of the video is cut to the beat as well, with slower, longer shots when Caleb is singing and the actors are freeze framed. It then quickly cuts to short, quick shots of them fighting to keep up with the fast pace of the music. It almost feels that the sound of their guitars together makes an angry, vicious sound which is reflected in the mood of the people which again shows a relationship between the music and the visuals. The solo instrumental part where the music reaches its height and climax is illustrated by the video as the shots become quicker, the music becomes louder, the band move more and headbang and the violence is increased with more blood and impact. So the visuals reflect the progression of height in the song through the rising height of emotions within the people.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
There are close ups of all the band at the beginning to establish each member of the band to the audience. Caleb being first to establish that he is the leading member and the main vocalist. It is very common for record companys to endorse the band of the 'best looking' member and put them at the forefront to gain success and popularity. In this case caleb is used as I feel he is the best looking out of the four. I feel that the record company are looking to sell this track to a youthful, lively audience of mixed gender(their general target audience). The females will be attracted to the shots of the band members performing (caleb in particular) and the males will find the violence and comical factor of the video appealing as they can relate to the anger and testostrone of the fighting and the music. This video can then be assosciated when the audience hear the song and will try to re create the atmosphere by acting wild and going mad in a crowd. I myself have been in club when that songs been on and everyone just goes mental, so from my own experiance the video really has an impact on he audience.
The bands image through this track however is not damaged by the source of violence as they themselves are not contributing to it. I feel that this tracks shows more the power of their music as a band, that they have the capability of moving people and changing their moods within a song. Their fans can just lose themselves and let go in this song and i think they will gather the more comical factor of the violence and not take it seriously as an the bands ideology. The video relates to previous videos as it is mainly performance base, with only slight narrative which is a common convention of their music videos. Also they keep a consistant style whilst performing throughout their music videos like for example, the base guitarist and lead guitarist using querky movements and head banging to the music. Also lead singer Caleb usually looks concerned and almost in pain when he sings, which is probably to do with either drugs or just acting out his lyrics.
Is there a reference to the notion of looking?
As the genre of Kings of leon's music is alternative rock, the artists are not explicitly used for sexual display like the my previous analysis of Ciara. The bands ideologies are about making great music, reaching out to their fans and living the life of rock and roll. However some closeups of the lead singer Caleb Followill will create a sexual desire for the audience. Clothes can also create sexual display such as tight skinny jeans, and tight tops. Matthew Followill, bass guitarist is wearing just a waistcoat showing off his body which would appeal to fans and also the messy hair creates a sexual, rough edge to their image. The camerawork however mainly enhances their talent by using cut ins, and closeups of their instruments and shots of their feet moving awkwardly to the music shows off their individual, querky performance.
Are there an intertextual references?
There could be an intertextual reference to the film 'The Matrix' as the freeze frames shots sometimes pan round the actors just like the freeze frame action shots used in 'The Matrix'. However this video doesn't use the technique seriously and instead creates quite a comical element in their video as its not very realistic within that situation. I have also identified a similar comical use in the film 'Charlies Angels' and 'Shrek'.
Over all I feel this video shows off their talent and powerful music, their good looks are still emphasised through hair, clothing and closeups for their fans and the concept of their video is more comical than offensive but rather effective and engaging.
My third video analysis - David Guette ft Kid Cudi - 'Memories' - directed by Keith Schofield
David guetta is a house producer/ DJ who has recently become popular in the UK for his house, electronica dance music. I chose to download this one as its his most recent music video and is very typical following the conventions of dance videos. The broad characteristics of house/dance videos usually include large crowds at big clubs and events where a DJ is performing, lots of girls in skimpy outfits like bikinis, usually in hot countries like Ibiza (the party capital of dance/trance music), alcohol, wild house/ pool partys, dance routines, bright colours and generally a fun and upbeat atmosphere. These conventions can be found in videos by dance artists - Eric Prydz (call on me) Bass Hunter (now you gone) and Guru Josh project (Infinity).
What is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals?
The lyrics are very simple in this song and are quite repetitive which is a common feature of dance music lyrics as it becomes familiar very quickly with people listening and dancing to it. The lyrics are all about letting go, having fun and creating wild memories from nights out. I think there is a strong relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as the lyrics are actually displayed in the video. Everytime there is a reflection behind the artists, a crew of naked women sopposedly filming the music video can be seen with the lyrics written across their private parts. This also adds a lot of comedy to the video, which again illustrates the theme of the song for having fun and creating memorable moments. More importantly the audience are engaged with the video to see when the naked women will crop up again with the lyrics on them. This shows the typical convention of using revealing images of women to appeal their male audiences. There is also a point in the song where it says repeatedly 'It's getting late but i dont mind' which then shows a change of time in the video as it progresses from day to night. Furthermore, Kid cudi is walking around the streets of Miami ( a party capital again in America which follows the conventions above) Of course this then generically goes to a club scene where they are both performing to a mass crowd of people and party-goers who illustrate the lyrics 'I just want to let it go for the night'. So this evidently shows that there is a strong relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.
What is the relationship between the music and the visuals?
The video also shares a close relationship with the music. The song is an upbeat, fast paced song and therefore the visuals illustrate this by using short, quick clips to cut to the beat and longer shots on the bridge which is of a slightly slower tempo. This helps to engage the audience and create an upbeat, party mood for the audience too ( one of the main ideologys that fuels dance music). The music instrumental parts are usually dominated by shots of David Guetta since he produced the music for it and therefore the lyrics in the song are by Kid Cudi who is usually shown when on the verses and chorus are playing. This helps to portray the roles of production in the song to the audience.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
This video is rather simple which i feel makes it more effective and amplifies the true talents of the artists and doesnt build them up to much. It is very laid back, chilled but yet upbeat and a feel good song to sing and dance to. There image is portrayed very casual to gain the effect of natural talent and that they are not trying to be something their not. I can gather this from the plain location of plain streets in soe parts and the clothes they wear are not over the top but still their own unique styles. This video also adds humour with the all girl, naked camera crew following them around and promotes the lyrics which appear on their private areas. So this draws in the male audiences and the women would generally be engaged with the performace of the artist, especially Kid Cudi as he incorporates sleek dance moves too. There is a slight contrast in the artists own music, and collaberating both their styles together to create a new hybrid of sound (rnb meets dance) I feel they are trying to be unique and break the mould. The fact the artists are black and white also suggest the joining of race and equality in a sense. This video relates to previous videos of both the artists solo careers as it displays abroad, sunny locations, partys and crowds of people and of course half naked women. So even though the artists are from different genre backgrounds they still share similar ideologies and conventions in their music videos and thats why there not too much of a contrast.
Is there reference to the notion of looking?
Neither of the male artists are on sexual display as they leave the women to offer these sexual images to the audience. In this case the nude camera crew of women are displayed very sexually, however this is kept more comical in the sense that you only see them as a reflection and their private parts are covered with the lyrics. This then keeps the humour as the shots are not just of them, it almost appears that it happens accidental as they pan across glass reflections and lifts etc. Of course through props such as mirrors that are randomely been carried in the background by working men, shows that it is of course deliberate for the audience to see and be amused by. This keeps the music video interesting as you constantly look for the women passing by and what lyrics are covering them up, and therefore a successful technique to engage an audience for the full video.
Are there intertextual references?
I found it interesting that David Guetta himself hangs decorations around his DJ decks that are blue,white and red which are the colours of the french flag. This connotates his nationality as a french artist and also his clothes incorporate those three colours too. Also Kid Cudi wears clothes that reference to his american nationality as he wears a hard rock band t-shit by the classic American band Guns N Roses and also a baseball cap with the letter 'C' on it which represents an American baseball team called the Cleveland indians. However he may also be wearing it as his name is 'Kid Cudi' and it may further promote himself and become recognisable. There is also another promotion of a camera (HD z18 Kodak) in the video in the club scene where david guetta takes a picture of the nude camera crew. This is a popular endorsement for digital technology especially for mobile phones. This has been done by other artists like Chris Brown, Pussy Cat Dolls and Black Eyed Peas.
Is the music video performance-based or narrative-based or concept-based?
The music video is mainly performace based as it involves the artists singing and dancing and then performing at a club to a mass crowd and doesnt really have a narrative just a theme of partying, girls, clubs and making memories on nights out. This is very similar to both the artists other videos content but mainly David guetta as his specialises in dance music and this theme is a broad characteristic of that genre.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Key Concepts/ Key features of music videos
Key Concepts Of Music Videos ( LIIAR)
Within society there are certain values and beliefs that are described as 'dominant' ideologies too, where the majority of people within society agree with. So music videos may decide to follow or challenge those ideologies.
I- Institutions are the people who have the responsibility for producing media texts. Within the music industry record labels produce, distribute and market in order to sell and promote their artists music. The roles that can be found within this area of work include managers, directors, editors, producers and song writers. In this case, music videos are produced by the record label and some examples of record labels include Island, EMI, RCA, Epic and Interscope records.
RCA records logo
Island records logo
EMI records logo
Epic records logo
Interscope records logo
Cheryl Cole(Pop/Rnb artist) targeted at a mass audience
Damien rice (Folk, indie rock artists) music target at a niche audience.
Rap/RnB artist -Ludacris
Heavy metal/ rock band -Slipknot
Key Features of Music Videos
Britney spears close-up in her new video '3'
There is an inter textual reference also made to Britney Spears' video 'Gimmie more'. In Eminem's video we can see from the still shots they are very alike from the mise en scene. This makes it easier for the audience to spot the linked reference and relate to it. Eminem however uses a lot of celebrity references to cover issues that he usually disagrees with or likes to mimic for entertainment. This is usually the case in the majority of his music videos and he tends to impersonate celebrities in the news like troubled Britney, Amy WineHouse and Linsey Lohan.
Here is a shot from Eminem's video 'We Made You' who also immitates Jessica Simpson's video. In order for the audience to create a link between the videos, the same car has been used and the woman impersonating her has similar long blonde hair and dressed in a 'cow-girl' outfit which was the theme of Jessica's video ' These boots are made for walking'. Eminem uses this reference for more entertainment purposes as the girl is quite 'curvy' unlike Jessica Simpson who is very slim.
In order to create a professional looking and successful music video, I need to consider the five key concepts of music videos in general, using the acronym LIIAR. These are Language, Ideology, Institutions, Representation and Audience.
L- language is the way in which music videos communicate a message to the audience. Through studying media language I have identified how it generates different effects and responses. Language within a media text can be either written,verbal, non-verbal, visual and aural. Music videos use a range of visual language. For example the camera work and mise-en-scene are taken into consideration as these together can create a very different effects. Furthermore, music videos are generally based upon aural language. Aural language is where diagetic or non-diagetic sound is used, diagetic being the natural sounds within the diagesis of the video and non-diagetic being the music which is played over the video. This also helps to emphasis the genre of the video and engage the audience throughout.
I - Ideology is a set of ideas, values and beliefs which the institution (the record company or the artist in this case) choose to represent to the audience. It can be considered as a comprehensive vision, a way of looking at the world. Ideology can shape the views of society and change their ideas and opinions on certain issues. Different artists may choose to look at the world different and have different ideologies. For example an artists like Cliff Richard would have views of peace and equality whereas a rap artist like 50 cent would have more violent, male dominated views on the world.
L- language is the way in which music videos communicate a message to the audience. Through studying media language I have identified how it generates different effects and responses. Language within a media text can be either written,verbal, non-verbal, visual and aural. Music videos use a range of visual language. For example the camera work and mise-en-scene are taken into consideration as these together can create a very different effects. Furthermore, music videos are generally based upon aural language. Aural language is where diagetic or non-diagetic sound is used, diagetic being the natural sounds within the diagesis of the video and non-diagetic being the music which is played over the video. This also helps to emphasis the genre of the video and engage the audience throughout.
I - Ideology is a set of ideas, values and beliefs which the institution (the record company or the artist in this case) choose to represent to the audience. It can be considered as a comprehensive vision, a way of looking at the world. Ideology can shape the views of society and change their ideas and opinions on certain issues. Different artists may choose to look at the world different and have different ideologies. For example an artists like Cliff Richard would have views of peace and equality whereas a rap artist like 50 cent would have more violent, male dominated views on the world.
Within society there are certain values and beliefs that are described as 'dominant' ideologies too, where the majority of people within society agree with. So music videos may decide to follow or challenge those ideologies.
I- Institutions are the people who have the responsibility for producing media texts. Within the music industry record labels produce, distribute and market in order to sell and promote their artists music. The roles that can be found within this area of work include managers, directors, editors, producers and song writers. In this case, music videos are produced by the record label and some examples of record labels include Island, EMI, RCA, Epic and Interscope records.
RCA records logo
Island records logo
EMI records logo
Epic records logo
Interscope records logoA- An Audience is the group that consumes the media product. Music videos will be shown on television or the Internet to an audience but they are produced in a particular way to target a specific audience. Music videos which are promoting a more mainstream genre of music will be target at quite a wide, mass audience. Pop music is generally classed as mainstream music, and is thought familiar and nonthreatening to the mass majority. Cheryl Cole for example is currently at number one in the charts with -fight for this love and this hot pop/RnB song would be classed as mainstream and targeted at a wider audience. On the other hand music videos can also target a more specific or niche audience. Sub-culture genres of music such as indie/ alternative, punk rock and heavy metal music would be generally targeted at a smaller more concentrated audience and can be classed as 'anti-mainstream' music. For example Damien rice is an Irish singer/songwriter under the genre of folk, indie rock music. His music is not popular amongst the majority and therefore targets a specific audience.
Cheryl Cole(Pop/Rnb artist) targeted at a mass audience
Damien rice (Folk, indie rock artists) music target at a niche audience.R- Representations - are used within most media texts to construct meanings about the world. The most common form of representation in the media is expressed through the use of particular social groups. These representations can be either shown in a positive or negative light and stereotypes are often used so that the audience can become easily familiar. Representations are commonly found in music videos too, but are different depending on the genre of music. For example representations within rap/RnB artist Ludacris's video would be generally based around the life of 'gangsters'. They would be represented as being rich, having luxurious cars and houses, part of a gang, a 'woman magnet', sometimes associated with drugs, violence and quite male dominated. On the other hand, the heavy metal/ rock band slipknot would have different representations within their music videos. For example, they represent rebellious, threatening social groups and the band themselves always wear frightening and intimidating masks. One of their videos includes the band be set up on an empty field at night, surrounded by fire. So in comparison both of these videos are very different and choose to represent different things.
Rap/RnB artist -Ludacris
Heavy metal/ rock band -SlipknotKey Features of Music Videos
After looking at the key concepts of music videos in general I will now identify the following key features of music videos. Andrew Goodwin (dancing in the distraction factory 1992) came up with six different categories when identifying the features of music videos.
1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics". This means within particular genres of music there are similarities and conventions found within them. For example, RnB MV's usually involve the artist being idolized by their audience through the use of expensive cars, jewellery, locations and constant attraction of the opposite sex. Taio Cruz, a current RnB artist recently released his video to 'Break your Heart' which is very generic of Rnb MV's. We see shots of him in a fast sports car, wearing expensive sunglasses, on a private speed boat, surrounded by lots of women (some dressed in hot pants and bikinis dancing for the attention of male viewers). The audience in effect will idolize Taio Cruz for his expensive lifestyle and attraction of women and the male viewers look up him as an artist, and the female viewers may be attracted to him . All these points are generic to the genre of Rnb MV's.
Here is a link to the video 'Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOg_IHwXWsk
2) "There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals" (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting) This means that the the words within the song can either coincide with whats happening in the video, further express or emphasise the meaning of the song or the visuals could completely contrast with the lyrics. For example, an illustrative relationship between the lyrics and visuals could be where the words tell the artists or dancers in the video what movements to take. This also acts as further promotion for the song as the audience can learn the dance and start a new craze off. Growing up myself I was introduced to the 'Cha Cha Slide by Mr C. The Slide Man' which came out in 2003. The lyrics include 'slide to the left... slide to the right' and the dancers in the music video demonstrate the dance moves. I have danced to this myself at parties and discos when I was younger and because everyone could join in with the easy steps it became very popular and reached number 1 in the charts. This is a clear example of the lyrics and visuals relating to each other in an illustrative way.
1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics". This means within particular genres of music there are similarities and conventions found within them. For example, RnB MV's usually involve the artist being idolized by their audience through the use of expensive cars, jewellery, locations and constant attraction of the opposite sex. Taio Cruz, a current RnB artist recently released his video to 'Break your Heart' which is very generic of Rnb MV's. We see shots of him in a fast sports car, wearing expensive sunglasses, on a private speed boat, surrounded by lots of women (some dressed in hot pants and bikinis dancing for the attention of male viewers). The audience in effect will idolize Taio Cruz for his expensive lifestyle and attraction of women and the male viewers look up him as an artist, and the female viewers may be attracted to him . All these points are generic to the genre of Rnb MV's.
Here is a link to the video 'Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOg_IHwXWsk
2) "There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals" (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting) This means that the the words within the song can either coincide with whats happening in the video, further express or emphasise the meaning of the song or the visuals could completely contrast with the lyrics. For example, an illustrative relationship between the lyrics and visuals could be where the words tell the artists or dancers in the video what movements to take. This also acts as further promotion for the song as the audience can learn the dance and start a new craze off. Growing up myself I was introduced to the 'Cha Cha Slide by Mr C. The Slide Man' which came out in 2003. The lyrics include 'slide to the left... slide to the right' and the dancers in the music video demonstrate the dance moves. I have danced to this myself at parties and discos when I was younger and because everyone could join in with the easy steps it became very popular and reached number 1 in the charts. This is a clear example of the lyrics and visuals relating to each other in an illustrative way.
Here is the video 'Cha Cha Slide by Mr C. The Slide Man'
A more current example of this type of music video is 'Head, Shoulders, Kneez and Toez - by KIG'
This video also has parts of the lyrics displayed on the screen in order for the audience to become familiar with the lyrics and to further help it to become known and popular.
3) There is a relationship between music and visual (either illustrative, amplifying or contradictory) The relationship could be illustrative in the way that the music and visual blend together. For example if the music was upbeat the visual editing could be cut to a similar pace and on the beat. Or the music could be slow and melodic, and the visual cold echo this by using slow pans and longer shots to suit the pace of the music. Special effects could create an amplified relationship between the music and visual and further emphasis the mood and pace of the music. A contradictory relationship is where there is a contrast in the the music and the visual. This could be for example where the music is of a fast pace and the visual is much slower with longer shots and slow cuts.
Prodigy - 'Smack my bitch up' is an example of a contradictory relationship between the music and visuals. Here we can see a point of view shot of the character, which is moving in a slow manner (to create a disorientated vision from alcohol and drugs) The music on the other hand is upbeat and fast and therefore contradicts the visual. This creates the effect that the character is intoxicated and the music is reality.
4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style) This is done so that the artist gains recognition and familiarity amongst the audience.The motifs create a pattern throughout the video too which the audience will then relate to and follow easier. Here is an examples of an artist close-up used in music videos:
A more current example of this type of music video is 'Head, Shoulders, Kneez and Toez - by KIG'
This video also has parts of the lyrics displayed on the screen in order for the audience to become familiar with the lyrics and to further help it to become known and popular.
3) There is a relationship between music and visual (either illustrative, amplifying or contradictory) The relationship could be illustrative in the way that the music and visual blend together. For example if the music was upbeat the visual editing could be cut to a similar pace and on the beat. Or the music could be slow and melodic, and the visual cold echo this by using slow pans and longer shots to suit the pace of the music. Special effects could create an amplified relationship between the music and visual and further emphasis the mood and pace of the music. A contradictory relationship is where there is a contrast in the the music and the visual. This could be for example where the music is of a fast pace and the visual is much slower with longer shots and slow cuts.
Prodigy - 'Smack my bitch up' is an example of a contradictory relationship between the music and visuals. Here we can see a point of view shot of the character, which is moving in a slow manner (to create a disorientated vision from alcohol and drugs) The music on the other hand is upbeat and fast and therefore contradicts the visual. This creates the effect that the character is intoxicated and the music is reality.
4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style) This is done so that the artist gains recognition and familiarity amongst the audience.The motifs create a pattern throughout the video too which the audience will then relate to and follow easier. Here is an examples of an artist close-up used in music videos:
Britney spears close-up in her new video '3'5) There is Frequently reference to the notion of looking. This includes screens within screens, telescopes etc. Also the voyeuristic treatment of the female body is commonly found within music videos. This means that the audience looks to gain sexual pleasure and it has become a staple element of most music videos to engage a male audience with the female body on display.
An example of this is Shakira's video for her single 'She Wolf'. Here we can see her on many shots been portrayed as a sex symbol to the audience and particular attracting the male gaze with shots of her body in revealing outfits and moving in a 'sexual way'.
6) There is often Inter textual references ( to films, TV Programmes and other music videos etc) This means that a music video can have links to other mediums and therefore shapes the meanings of it. Many artists use inter textual references as this could further engage their audience. In recognising the reference in the music video, the audience will gain pleasure and a sense of fulfilment.
6) There is often Inter textual references ( to films, TV Programmes and other music videos etc) This means that a music video can have links to other mediums and therefore shapes the meanings of it. Many artists use inter textual references as this could further engage their audience. In recognising the reference in the music video, the audience will gain pleasure and a sense of fulfilment.
Here are examples of different music videos using inter textual references:
Eminem - ' We Made You' includes a range of inter textual references in this video of films, celebrities spoofs, and other music videos.
Here we can see a link to the very well known Television programme 'Star Trek'. The uniformed costumes and spaceship location emphasises the inter textual reference within the video. He uses this to create entertainment for the audience by mimicking the programme which engages them throughout the video.
There is an inter textual reference also made to Britney Spears' video 'Gimmie more'. In Eminem's video we can see from the still shots they are very alike from the mise en scene. This makes it easier for the audience to spot the linked reference and relate to it. Eminem however uses a lot of celebrity references to cover issues that he usually disagrees with or likes to mimic for entertainment. This is usually the case in the majority of his music videos and he tends to impersonate celebrities in the news like troubled Britney, Amy WineHouse and Linsey Lohan.Jessica Simpson ( TV personality, actress and singer) made a music video to accompany her cover of ' These boots are made for walking'. Eminem also includes this reference in his video but I found it particularly interesting how this also appears in another music video by Pink called 'Stupid Girl'. Both artists mimic Jessica simpson, by impersonating a scene of her washing a car in her video. Pink also is known for using celebrity references in her music videos for entertainment and to promote hidden messgaes to her audience.
Here is the scene in the music video of Jessica Simpson washing a car in a bikini. This will particularly attract male audiences as their interested in the car but of course the revealing shots of Jessica in a Bikini (voyeuristic treatment of the female body)
Here is Pink's impersonation of Jessica Simpson. This
inter textual reference was used not long after the release of Jessica's music video so the audience were very familiar with the reference link. Pink's 'Stupid Girl' music video mimics alot of celebrities who she stereotypes as 'airheads' and Jessica is included as one of them. Her hidden message through doing this is that she wants to be different to all the celebrities who she believes who are 'plastic' and she would rather see women who are natural with ambition.
Here is Pink's impersonation of Jessica Simpson. This
inter textual reference was used not long after the release of Jessica's music video so the audience were very familiar with the reference link. Pink's 'Stupid Girl' music video mimics alot of celebrities who she stereotypes as 'airheads' and Jessica is included as one of them. Her hidden message through doing this is that she wants to be different to all the celebrities who she believes who are 'plastic' and she would rather see women who are natural with ambition. Here is a shot from Eminem's video 'We Made You' who also immitates Jessica Simpson's video. In order for the audience to create a link between the videos, the same car has been used and the woman impersonating her has similar long blonde hair and dressed in a 'cow-girl' outfit which was the theme of Jessica's video ' These boots are made for walking'. Eminem uses this reference for more entertainment purposes as the girl is quite 'curvy' unlike Jessica Simpson who is very slim.Monday, 21 September 2009
My chosen medium and its history
My Chosen Brief
The medium I have chosen to produce for my advanced media portfolio is a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, along with a cover for its release on DVD and a magazine advertisement for the DVD.
The History of Music Videos
Ever since, MTV demanded more videos and therefore the music video became an important role in the careers of music artists. It had branched out from pop, and become a multi-million dollar business which was owned by viacom. MTV, since its launch has spread into 324 million homes and over the last thirty years there has been an increase in the competition of other music channels due to its world wide success.
The medium I have chosen to produce for my advanced media portfolio is a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, along with a cover for its release on DVD and a magazine advertisement for the DVD.
The History of Music Videos
A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music. Music videos represent a crucial part of the music industry, as they further promote the artists by entertaining and impressing the audience with their appearance and talents.
It can be debated that the first ever music video was produced by the warner brothers in 1926. They created a series of short musical films which were known as 'spooney melodies, which lasted around six minutes long and involved footage of the performer singing with additional background and art animation.
However music videos first truly came onto the scene when the programme MTV (music television) was launched on 1st august 1981 in the USA. The first music video ever to be played was the 'video killed the radio star' by the the Buggles. The video pulsated out from Television screens across the US and welcomed the beginning of the original non-stop music video channel. Its launch also marked a change of era in promotion and cosumption and the expression "MTV generation" was created. Even in the Chinease music industry, they relate to music videos as MTV's, as it was responsible for making the music video popular.
Here is a link to 1979 music video 'Video killedthe radio star' by the Buggles-
Ever since, MTV demanded more videos and therefore the music video became an important role in the careers of music artists. It had branched out from pop, and become a multi-million dollar business which was owned by viacom. MTV, since its launch has spread into 324 million homes and over the last thirty years there has been an increase in the competition of other music channels due to its world wide success.
CSC Media Group(Chart Show Channels) for example which was launched on the 16th September 2002, operates several different music channels on Sky television. These channels include Bliss, Chart Show TV, Flaunt, Flava, NME TV, Scuzz and The Vault. These are dedicated to different genres such as rock chart, urban chart and download chart.
Music over the years of course has progressed in quality too. Due to the new technology which is available today, music videos today are more capturing and entertaining. The majority of videos today are within a low budget too in comparison to some of the earlier music videos. This is because more special effects can be created afterwards on editing suites and the green screen is a popular way of imposing location backgrounds behind the artists instead of actual travelling to that location.
Outline of the task
The purpose of this unit is:
- To assess our ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.
- To asses our application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating our own work, showing how meanings and responses for an audience are created.
- To assess your ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research.
Throughout the stages of our production we should aim to include all of these objectives.
We must produce:
- A media Portfolio comprising of a main and two ancillary texts.
- A presentation of our research, planning and evaluation in an electronic format (a blog), which must be constantly updated.
Our media portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following:
- Video
- Web based
- Audio
- Games Software
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