Friday, 29 September 2017

Similar artists/Songs

An artist that produces similar music and possibly similar videos are 'The Chainsmokers'. Their songs most often tend to follow the theme of relationships and always seem to be positively portrayed in the video and gives the idea of a perfect relationship. In out video we want to show the positive side but also the negative side to give it some reality.

Their two major hit songs 'Closer' and 'Paris' portray the stereotypical relationship in a positive way.

Music video for 'Closer'

Music video for 'Paris'

Thursday, 28 September 2017

Platforms, Channels and Social meida

Image result for ytYoutube is a one of the main platforms of video sharing, most music videos would be shared on youtbe as it can be accessed by anyone in the world at anytime. Youtube is also the most popular online tool for music discovery so for our music video to be shared on this platform is a good idea as it can be reached by anyone.

Image result for mtvMtv is also a online/tv channel where music videos first became popular. Mtv first started as a channel on the tv but due to other competitiors like youtube it hasnt branched out online where it has become more able to view the music videos you want. Mtv is mainly for big production videos which have a very high proffesional standard, our music video wouldnt be able to be shown on this platform due to its popularity.


Image result for vimeo
Vimeo is also a video sharing website where users can upload, share and view videos, it was the first video sharing website to supprt high definition. videos can be uploaded by anyone with a smart phone which is good as it very accesible so alot of people would be able to view our video if we shared if on this platform.



Image result for flickrFlickr is a image and video hosting website. Flickr is a popular webistes for useres to share and embed personal photographs to an effective online community. It was reported that Flickr had a total of 87 million registered members. This would be a good websire to share our video on.












Music videos that inspire me


Existing A level media music videos



This music video has met one of the codes on conventions in the intro and outro by using the record label. I liked this music video due to the fast paced editing and the usage of smooth transitions are very effective, fast cuts matches the style of the song. the narrative isn't very clear in this video because of the fast editing. some of the shots do drag on abit to long which could off been made shorter to include more information about the narrative.


I also really like this music video and it has a sense of professionalism to it, the only thing i have a problem with is the usage of time lapses as there is 4 of them within the first 30 seconds. the narrative in the video is good and they include good lip synced segments into the video.



I didn't enjoy doing this music video as there is no narrative and is mostly lip syncing and dancing, some of the locations are random and don't flow, there is a lot juxtaposing between locations and the time of day, this doesn't make it very enjoyable to watch.

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Lighting in music videos

Lighting is a very important element in a music video. the use of lighting is important for more than one reason, one being that it makes it easier to see everything to portray a certain mood. for example, if little lighting is used  it would create a dull and negative feeling in the video, this would demonstrate what the song is about. Whereas, when lots of lighting is used it gives the impression that what the audience is watching is highlighting a happy and enjoyable moment.
music videos can also contain artificial or natural light. natural light could be the use of sunlight from an outdoors location, but weather conditions can affect this. Artificial light is
something that can be achieved through a lamp on a small production but a big production would use big lamps to get a better quality.
An example of a music video that uses natural lighting is 'molly' by Lil' Dicky ft. Bredon Urie


Image result for artificial light music video

Genres and sub-genres of music videos

A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as a belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions music can be divided into different genres in many different ways. the artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often subjective and controversial, and some genres overlap.
Rock 
Rock music is a genre of popular music that was originated as rock and roll in the us around the 1950s. the genre developed into a variety of different styles in the 1960s and so on. musically rock has centred on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass and drums. By late 1969's, a number of distinct rock music sub genres had emerged such as alternative rock, art rock, garage rock, heavy metal, new wave, post punk etc.

Pop
Pop music is a genre that was originated in its modern form in the western world during the 1950's and 1960's as a softer alternative to rock. Even though pop music is seen as just the single charts, it is not the sum of all chart music. pop music would generally have good rhythm, a catchy melody and are very easy to remember and sing a long to.

Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that was originated in the US and the UK during the 1980's. Indie rock was extremely diverse, with sub genres that include indie pop and lo-fi among others. around the mid 1980's, the term 'indie' was beginning to be used to descide the music produced on punk and post-punk labels. a nuber of prominent indie rock record labels were founded during 1980's. though around the 1990's, grunge bands broke into the mainstream and the term 'alternative' lost its original counter cultural meaning.

Hip Hop
Hip-hop, or rap music is a genre that was formed in the united states that consists of stylised rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing and graffiti writing. other elements include sampling and beat boxing.

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

How we will use Goodwin's theory of music videos to help us

In our video we want the video to represent the lyrics so it will link to Goodwin's theory, we will aslo have quite stereotypical characters in it. Over all I want the music video to link in as much as possible with Goodwin's theory so its succesful.

Music video history

A music video is a short film or video that accomponies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. Music videos are now made as a marketing tool which promoted the song. This is why music videos are often called promos (promotion videos).
Back in the 1980's is when music videos became very popular due to MTV being launched, the first music video to be aired was buggles 'video killed the radio star'. In the early to mid 1980's, artists started using more sophisticated effects in their videos, and added a story line or plot to the music video. Michael Jackson was the first artist to create the concept of the short film. a short film is a music video that has a beginning, middle and an end. His best example of this is thriller.

The new technology now has a massive influence on how people watch music videos, nowadays anyone can unlock their phone, launch the YouTube app and enjoy virtually any pop video that has ever been made, wherever they are. It is so different from the experimental times of the 1960s, where adding some film to your latest hit record was considered experimental, radical, or unorthodox.
Queen’s revolution of the music video, an experiment that the band repeated again and again with some fascinating results (such as “Radio Gaga” and “Innuendo”) kick-started a new aspect to the music industry, one that spawned the world’s most famous TV channel and the most famous video of all, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.
Although MTV now shies away from its former role – partly out of pretensions of legitimacy as a producer of TV shows, and partly because its owners fear the competition of YouTube – it will forever be synonymous with the pop music scene of the 1980s and 1990s.
But where might YouTube take music videos? Are the astonishing videos of Lady Gaga taking advantage of the medium, or merely exploiting it? Could YouTube  offer a brand new way of playing, and distributing music videos in the future?

Goodwin theory of music video

Andrew Gooodwin statedthat there were six things that needed to be in music videos. These are:
  • Genre conventions/ Iconography
  • Visuals match up with lyrics
  • Visuals match up with music
  • Star representation
  • Voyerurism
  • Intertexuality
Genre conventions/ iconography- these two things are signifiers and traits relating to a specific music genre. An example may be the music genre of rock and punk in which a band could be performing there song surrounded by the use of lip syncing, playing instruments and naturalistic expression shown by the artists. an example of a music video which shows this is 'thirty seconds to mars - Kings and Queens', however, partially narrative, the music video performance from the artists within the band and also identifying a rock genre of music.
Visuals match up with lyrics- The visuals within a music video should compliment the lyrics of the songs creation or to even challenge the lyrics. An example of visuals matching lyrics 'Eminiem-When i'm gone' which portrays a music video that relates to the l;lyrics of the song showing a fast paced montage within the video. The music video portrays the artist re-enacting his lifes moments involving negative moments about him and his family.
Visuals match up with music- Andrew Goodwin believes that the visuals and illustration in a music promo, should potentially comply with the rhythm and beat of the music. Therefore, with every synchronised or in time beat, there may be a transitional shot taking place or a change in visualisation. An example of this is 'Kendrick Lamar- Alright' which tends to use transitional shots or visual effects in time with the beat.
Star representation- Andrew Goodwin refers to star representation as a crucial aspect within music videos, they make the promo more appealing to audiences around the world due to the power of musical artists, whilst bringing a unique and stand out style to the music video. star representation may occur through the uses of costumes, movements and appearances. Star representation can lead to profit not only in the promo but for the artists, public appearance and image,which will promote sales and popularity. An artist which has a strong star representation is Rihanna.
VoyeurismVoyeurism is interpreted as watching people in the video or them watching someone do something (screen within a screen) watching attractive men and women. The artist may also look dead on at the camera or direct address to the audience breaking the 4th wall a Brechian technique. An example of voyeurism in some shots is in 'Big Sean- Blessings' music video.
Interlexuality- The last technique stated by Andrew Goodwin to create a successful music video is a convention of music promos which is interlexuality, parody and pastiche, making light references or paying homage to another music video. IT may include references to films and television programmes which is interlexuality. An example parody and pastiche is 'Alien ant farm- Smooth Criminal'

Friday, 15 September 2017

Conventions of music videos

The main conventions of a music video are:
Camera shots:
Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used not to only show emotions but to reflect the words of the song with the movement of the lips of the artist.
Camera movement:
The movement of the camera is used to follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movement include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
Miss-en-scene:
This refers to the arrangement of performers and props on stage or in a scene for a production of a music video or any other media text. Mise-en-scene puts importance on the representation of something. An example of this is 'mad' by Neyo. The mise-en-scene involves him walking down a road alone, being in an isolated room. This reflects the isolation from his lover. Also, the props include hats and dark clothes which represent the down mood of the song. Similarly, the lighting is kept very dark as it is black and white; this connects the angry and depressed mood. This is just one example of the mise-en-scene used to give an idea of how mise-en-scene.
Editing:
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts.
Some other conventions are:
Lighting:
Some music videos are black and white which help emphasise a particicular mood and some videos have an artificial lighting effect which is added in the editing stage which put the artist in an enhanced look.
Sound:
Sound is mainly the vocals or the song but in some cases as michael jackson-thriller, the producers can make the music video into a short film.
Props:
These are a vital in aiding to add to the scene and create significance on particular objects or people.

Sunday, 10 September 2017

Time Managment Plan

September - Research

In September I aim to complete these blog posts for the research section

  • Existing  A Level Music Video Research
  • Brief history of music videos illustrate with images and videos
  • Identify and illustrate the conventions of a music video
  • Audience questionnaire and profile

October - Planning

In October I hope to complete the planning section with the blog posts such as

  • Storyboard for the music video
  • Shot list for the music video
  • Casting/location shots
  • Props we may use in the music video
  • Produce a contingency plan for filming
November - Production

In November I plan to be in the production stage of the final product
  • I need to create a filming diary to keep me on track
  • Identify group roles
  • Blog post for order of filming
  • Blog post to discuss changes when filming
December - Production/Post Production

In December i plan to finish all the filming that may of carried on from November and potentially have a first draft edited
  • Finish all filming
  • Have a first edit to see if we need to re film scenes due to continuity errors or film new scenes we can add
January - Ancillary tasks Research, Planning and Production

In January I hope to research, plan and produce my ancillary tasks which are a digipak and magazine advert. i will also be filming more scenes that we need to include but my main focus will be my ancillary tasks
  • Research the term digipak and brief history
  • Research iconic album covers and relevance to the song/artist
  • Create a plan for both tasks followed by a draft
  • Produce the final products
February - Post production

In February i hope all the filming will be complete and we will be able to put together a final product
  • Look at 1st draft and ask for feedback from peers/teachers on how to improve
  • List of changes with justifications to the edited 1st draft
  • 2nd draft edit and a detailed annotation from peers/teachers to improve the final product
  • List of changes with justification to the edited 2nd draft

Saturday, 9 September 2017

The Brief

This is my blog for my second year of media studies. this year I will be making a promotion package for an album which will include a music promo video, a digipak for the albums release and a magazine advertisement for the digipak.