Tuesday, November 18, 2008

FINAL POST

The Project is now complete. -This BLOG IS NOW CLOSED after a very enjoyable A2 production!

Overall i am delighted with the improvements i have made in post production stages (specificaly music video editing which was aided by the split in the group at this stage). I now feel extremely capable of editing a muic video using Abode Premiere Pro and its effects. I am much more confident in my own abilities and i think my development as a team player has improved making me more approachable and co-operative.

I think the group was fantastic to work with in the production stages and I would happily work with the same group members in the future.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Final Reflections: The Music Video

Myself and Liam's - Final music video:

Boy Interrupted- I Kissed a Boy


Is this successful?

I am extremely pleased with the production because it is...

  • unique and creative iconography
  • The editing is really unusual and visually reflects the unease of the song and performance style.
  • Shots are visually fascinating and attention grabbing, including framing, content, lighting...
  • I love the end shot iconography and focus as this is really iconic!!!
  • I think the progresion in emotion is clear and we as an audience develop along with the artist.
  • The way colour is used is really effective in creating disturbed and unexpected viewing
  • the interactivity with the viewer, yet at a distance, through the Brechtian theory.

Changes?

  • I think i woudl like to have made the change in pace a bit clearer (audience responses state this also)
  • Use a greater diversity of narrative shots.
  • Have more topless shots at the end as it looks like a continuity error.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Audience Response:

Here is a sample questionnaire which was filled out by a member of our target audience after watching our music video. ...

Matt and Liam- Group 4 Questionnaire

Age: 18
Gender: Female
1. What was the artist’s name?... and the single title?
Boy Interrupted
I kissed a boy.....like Katy Perry's, I kissed a girl but better

2. What genre would you class this artist?
Pop/Indie Rock

3. Was there a storyline in the music video? If so what was it?
There wasn't really one. He just got progressively more mental and kept teasing a boy!

4. What artists would you compare this artist to or expect to support on tour?
FallOut Boy, CS, Linkin Park,

5. Would you buy/download the single and why?
Yes! Its a better version of Katy Perry's!

6. Would you watch this music video if it came on TV? Why/why not?
Definately, the guy is hot! Its attention grabbing and different

7. If yes, would you be inclined to watch it again?
YES

8. Name any venues that would you expect this artist to play in?
Islington and Brixton Academy. Forum.

9. On which TV music channels would you expect this video to be broadcast?
4Music, Kerrang, MTV2

10. What did you like about the music video?
Everything. I love the effects its craziness and it really works with the song.

11. ...and dislike?
A bit too fast?

12. What rating out of /10 would you give this video? 0-lowest and 10-highest
9

Thank you for your time and effort in completing this questionnaire!

Final Reflections: MySpace

MySpace Webpage:

www.myspace.com/boyinterrupted430

The webpage is successful as it...
  • ...is clean and structured with simple navigation (no silly cursors)
  • ...gives music previews , which instantly plays the debut single and makes it recognisable to the artist.
  • ...has a profile picture with links to future exclusive pictures and videos of the artist and his lifestyle and personality.
  • there is a contacting section, where members of myspace can add the band as a friend, send them a messsage, rank them, add them to a group, etc. This is an exmple of band and consumer interaction.
  • a general info. function, gives details such as -influences which give the audience a greater understanding of his lifestyle and identity.
  • there are other artists as friends such as 'Lock up the Youth' who are generic and have similr tastes. This will maxmise the target audience reach of our MySpace webpage.
  • the use of small trajectories give some depth to the webpage to give further detail and the more intense fans a greater level of artist understanding.

I would definately visit this webpage if i liked this genre of music or if i had heard much publicity regarding this new artist! I think the maturity of the webpage makes it more accessible to a larger audience reach, in which this debuting song would attract.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Final reflections: The Album cover

Final Sleeve and Album front cover:


Final Back cover:

Are these successful?
I think these are successful in promoting our artist and his identity as...

Front cover -

  • close up money shot gives recognisable artist appearance
  • colourised tatoo is striking, and promoted his image and implies traits of his personality.
  • eye contact is attention grabbing
  • the image is very much a statement of his shy timid nature which is promoted yet completely contradicted through his work. The pose is almost like he doesnt want to be looked at- completely undermining his performance and the style of his lyrics.
  • very styled pose which is teasing for audiences who find him attractive.

Sleeve:

  • creative
  • iconic and stylised (gesture and mise en scene)
  • running colour themes
  • picture ties in with the MySpace webpage.

Back cover:

  • a real sense of aggression through the Baseball Bat. This is generic and undermines the performance style of our artist and the nature of his lyrics.
  • the black and white colour and white t-shirt is almost like he is a prison inmate. -reflects issues he raises through his music, the hard hitting,-no nonsense nature, the confidence of the artist, aggressive tones, etc.

Font:

  • This is stamp like, which almost implies a sense of aggression (the stamping of something)
  • Also this stamp like nautre SIGNIFIES that the image has been LITERALLY BRANDED!!!, i.e. this IS Boy Interrupted.-(identity)
  • The back black font is very casual and easy reading, yet the red on the front cover and spine is very striking and implies danger and aggression.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Album Cover Art Gallery:

After attending the 'Album Art Gallery' in Central London, I realised the effetiveness of simplicity on an album cover. An example of this is the Adele- 'Adele 19' and Adam Ant-'B side Babies' album cover...




...whereby the simple silhouette and dark colour scheme seems to convey the theme and messages which are connoted through their music.

  • Generic:Adam Ant's shows rebellion throught the costume, make up used as a slit across his face. This is emphasised in original ilustration of the cover which shows him bursting through a paper wall. In terms of my Album cover i think it would work even better if their was direct address as this gives audience appeal and intensity.
  • Generic: Adele has a high angle therefore sense of vulnerability and the pastille soft tones are ocnnotations of soft, slow, romantic and reflective music.
  • The contrasting colours are appealing in terms of being a CD cover on a retailer's display.
  • Only an artist image, artist name and album name on the covers gives instant branding and audience recognition.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Shoting weekend 2

A very co-operative weekend.

  • we started earlier and shot nearly all of the fotage we need.
  • I still think we need some more diverse shots and some better performance shots- maybe we should lok at what was so good in the test shoot?
  • the quality of the footage is really good
  • now we are going to edit our footage together on a draft edit sequence to see if our editing ideas will do justice to the quality of our footage.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Shooting weekend 1

This session was really good.
  • much better direction on shoot
  • the lighting may need to be improved
  • the team were fast
  • the acting was really good
  • most of the footage could be used
  • i still think there could be some different shots
  • we should start earlier next week to ensure we get all the footage needed.

Monday, September 22, 2008

MySpace Analysis: Bloc Party

I chose to look at this band as they remind me of the artist that we could create. They compose music of a similar genre. To Continue...

http://www.myspace.com/blocparty
-simple black background which maintains the focus on the content itself and is clean and a generic colour for indie/rock.

-the layout is clean, non-linear and simple to navigate around with only a scroll up and down option. All audience age groups can use this page.


At the top of the myspace page is an advertisement, 'bloc party.//intimacy- the new album'. This is a bold staement across the top of the page acting like a banner to promote their new album and the band as a whole to all browsing audiences.



Underneath this in order:



  • a music preview function: this plays their most recent single automatically when the page is opened, 'signs'. There is also the option to listen to 3 of the bands other songs such as 'mercury' 'trojan horse' 'one month off''.

  • on the left there is a bloc party profile picture of the band with links to more exclusive pictures and videos of the band and their lifestyle and personality.

  • there is a contacting section, where members of myspace can add the band as a friend, send them a messsage, rank them, add them to a group, etc. This is an exmple of band and consumer interaction.

  • a general info. function. this gives details such as ...
    -band website: blocparty.com
    -band members
    -record label: wichita/atlantic recordings
    -influences: 'Pinkerton' by Weezer. New Order. Dungen. Prince. Sebadoh ('Bakesale' not 'Bubble and Scrape'). Broken Social Scene. Warp Records. Shanks And Bigfoot. Yukio Mishima. Husker Du. Stanley Kubrick.'

-This 'influence' info. is of particular interest as this shows who the band my have learnt their craft from and who they have aspired to be from an early age. We as consumers get a greater idea of how our icons have developed over time.



  • upcoming shows feature: over 15 Bloc party gigs which are coming up including time, location and date. This is instant for the more loyal fanbase to obtain vital information in terms of keeping up to datee with the band shows and live tours.

  • latest blog entry section: e.g. 'Bloc party webchat tomorrow'. This section is not as interactive as Razorlight's blog entry as there is no direct address from the band members to the audience. In this case it is purely for information to be advertised to the audience and exclusive events to be revealled in which audiences are able to participate in. It seems all geared towards commenting and responses almost creating an online community who share the taste in music-specifically this band.

  • about Bloc Party feature:
















Saturday, September 20, 2008

Target Audience:'I kissed a boy'

The main target audience:


  • Our main target audience would be both genders between the ages of 15-25years as this reach would understand the depth and complexity of the music video and artist.

  • specific fans of the musical genre , alternative/punk rock.

  • the artist is attractive stylish and iconic and provides an image which young girls would adore and due to the nature of the song, homosexual males.

also...



  • The SHOCK VALUE and the fact the song is CATCHY and recognisable means that it would be constantly sung (the hook lyrics 'i kissed a boy..' ) by a wide spectrum of ages.

  • issues and action codes in the music video gives light to many interpretations and so many people will have an opiniion about it.
Therefore audience is very large due to high public interest in song!!!!!

Consumption profile:


  • likely to consume similar generic artists:
    Fallout boy, Good charlotte, blink 182, elliot minor, razorlight, linken park, franz ferdinand, etc.

- i think it is important to realise that the artist is not actually homosexual and so to appeal more directly to this core audience the branding of this artist would really need to be appealing to females (i.e. he is masculinised)

In terms of males, i think this debut song would generate a secondary audience of homosexual males. This is clearly due to the nature/themes of the song especially the hook lyrics.


Uses and gratifications:

The audience would use our song to reflect more on issues in their lives. Due to the past tense lyrics, direct adress and other Brechtian techniques used in our Music Video this allows the audience to almost get an insight into the life of the performer. Therefore not only do they get to look at issues which affect others' lives but they are encouraged to actively look into the issues within their own lives.


Fans:

I think fans of the artist would see his costume, tattooes, and accessories and from this generate a similar identity from this. For example fans may get fake/real tatooes or use eyeliner or start to wear wrist accessories. ALso fans would possibly get teh same hair cut and have similar styles of clothing, paticularly the younger ages in the 15-25main target audience who may idolise the artist.


Music Consumption:

this song may be consumed with a groups of friends due to the lyrics and a light hearted outlook on the words. However it may be consumed on a more perosnal level where the audience is invited to reflect on other peoples lives and their own situation. public and personal consmption

Artist Image and marketing inspirations: Linkin Park

Here is more the identity i think the lyrics and song and artist should reflect. I think looking at how they have adapted their image and branding over the years will help us to promote a really current and original artist.

Identity:

  • Genre(s): Combination of 'alternative rock', 'nu metal', ' rap rock' and 'alternative metal', with influences of 'electronica' and 'hip-hop', utilising programming and synthesizers.
  • Album 'Minutes to Midnight' the band experimented with their established sound and they drawing influences from a varied range of genres and styles.
  • They are compared to "U2's" work.
  • Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music.
  • Known for using growling and screaming vocals common in various forms of metal, while also using more melodic singing.
  • The band got their name from California's Lincoln Park named after president Lincoln.
  • The band started off with the name Xero, then Hybrid Theory, and finally Linkin Park.
  • Linkin Park's influences include 'Nine Inch Nails', 'Deftones', 'The Roots' and 'Aphex Twin'.

note: We share more similarities in terms of themes and generic inspirations/backgrounding. Also we use similar instruments and our music is open to interpretation due to its multi layering. -i.e singing, growling, screaming, etc. which are seen in our debut single.


Marketing:

  • Their very first show was at L.A.'s famed rock showcase spot, 'The Whisky'.
  • Linkin Park's first headlining tour was called Projekt Revolution.
  • Won "Favorite Artist - Alternative Music" at the 31st Annual American Music Awards. Chester and Phoenix also introduced Metallica's performance.
  • Best friends with the Backstreet Boys and even did a song with them called 'Points of Authority'.
  • Linkin Park collaborated with Jay-Z because they were requested to do so by MTV.
  • Donated $100,000 to the Tsunami Trust Fund.
  • Established Music for Relief. It's an organization that helped people affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake on Boxing Day (December 26th).
  • Played a Live 8 concert.
  • Linkin Park Underground is a fan club for Linkin Park.

Band Image:











This is very much the image i think we should create for our artist. As it links with the conventional look of the genre, as well as reflecting the personality of the artist. i.e. his rebelliousness, abstract views, unique style and behaviour which maybe questioned by members of society, etc.

Wikipedia

iamfan.com/~linkin_park/

Friday, September 19, 2008

'Bertolt Brecht'

One of my/the ideas of leaving the studio lighting in the background whilst the performance continued, gives connotations that the performance is not reality itself. Instead it is almost an insight into the artists mind and more like a visual representation of reality. Also this is helped by the constant performance to the audience in the performance shots.

  • After looking at some of these shots, it arose that infact such performance shots are an example of BERTOLT BRECHT's 'Verfremdungseffekt' theory. -(translated as distancing effect, estrangement effect, or alienation effect).

'Brecht thought the audience required an emotional distance to reflect on what is being presented in critical and objective ways, rather than being taken out of themselves as conventional entertainment attempts to do'.

A summary of this theory:

  • a play (mv in our case) should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage. - i.e. in our MV we are trying to make the audience look at the issue which arises from the lyrics not just have an emotional attachment to the artist. to clarify we do not want to the audience to think the artist is homosexual or has kissed a boy literally, instead they should be listening to the lyrics and the issue within the song. -JUST AS KATY PERRY'S version does not imply that she is homosexual or has kissed a girl in real life.

  • Brecht employed the use of techniques that remind the audience that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself and hence provides a distance between the artist and the audience, including: the direct address by actors to the audience, transposition of text to third person or past tense, speaking the stage direction out loud, exaggerated, unnatural stage lighting, the use of song, and explanatory placards.

-in our MV we are using purposeful unnatural lighting and the fact the audience can see some of the lighting creates the impression that this is not narrative performance (i.e. not part of the narrative/'storyline'). Instead this intentionally draws the audience to become more active viewers and think of the process and issues more critically.
-past tense lyrics (execpt for initial lyrics) which are also like stage direction in the sense he is stating 'he kissed a boy'
-exaggerated action/ gesture codes - which adds to the artists personailty
-direct address

Bertolt Brecht:


Born: 10 February 1898(1898-02-10)Augsburg, Germany
Died: 14 August 1956 (aged 58) East Berlin, Germany

occupation: poet, playwright and theatre director

Notable theatre work: Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her Children, Caucasian Chalk Circle

key to my Music Video: The Verfremdungseffekt theory

Thursday, September 18, 2008

developed ideas/initial shot list

since getting a great idea for our performance shots, i have now developed these ideas for the more abstract cutaway shots throughout:


  1. close- closer- closerer shots of the actor/artist or an object of significance
  2. XCU of hand gripping a bat
  3. xcu of smashing a glass against the wall
  4. xcu of smashing a car window with a bat- 2shots- 1 big close up outside against the window pane, 1 close up from inside the car at a low angle of the window smashing
  5. xcu of a hand feeling the side of a males cheek
  6. in the dark (poss a club atmosphere) - close low level handheld track through lots of people/males. -camera winds through people.
  7. then close high level track HANDHELD through lots of males.- panning side to side (poss fades) of men all staring at the camera.
  8. XXcu of male body climbing out of pool. low angle- cant really make out who it is
  9. XCU of touching bare body or gripping arm
  10. close ups of tattoos- strobing through shots in black and white
  11. close up track up tattooed arm ?
  12. the first few performance shots in night vision
  13. studio lights in performance background turn on with the beat one at a time ( 2 different shots) as they come on the night vision changes. - similar affect on the audience to that given in Justin Timberlake's 'my love' whereby black and white colour contrasts alternate via lighting and costume.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeNzKWDZtfs
  14. once the studio lighting illuminates the wall the artist walks back and shot changes to close up against the wall (side on) as he begins to spray paint
  15. slow-mo: shots of artist not singing but brands his image. e.g. shots sitting on floor with arms in legs staring at camera, or offscreen. -basically POSING LIKE A MODEL
  16. slow-mo side on: XCU of 'dusty' punch bag and as it is hit the dust (powder) surrounds the glove.
  17. instead of water coming out of mouth ( as this looked quite poor on camera during the test shoot 13/9/08) i thought CU of the shower head turning on would have the same phallic connotations.
  18. CU of gold chain dropping from a males neck- connotations of emasculating the males.
  19. MCU of two men arguing facing each other and one grab the other by the scuff of the neck
  20. then XCU of the scruff of the neck as this suggests a sexualised gesture code. - a shot with multiple interpretations
  21. handprints on a steamy window/ shower screen.
  22. close up of liam taking a male's belt off
  23. MCU-CU of liam grabbing male pushing him against wall, with facial contact (KISS NOT NEEDED!)
  24. possibly shots of male or liam's are being forced/pinned to the wall.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

BLK feedback

love all the graffiti ideas and the words on the screen - i think that would be wicked
great blogging matt

Monday, September 15, 2008

Test Shoot Weekend

This weekend was brilliant!

  • The iconography really worked and looks amazing when played back!
  • The over exposed lighting is superb and really suits the style we are after.
  • The tattoos are awesome, but take very long to do.
  • We need to be faster next week on shoot and be better prepared to draw the tattoos
  • The baseball bat looks really good
  • Some of the insert shots such as, water coming out of mouth, hitting the punch bag etc. dont work at all. The direction of the narative shots needs to be asssessed by the group in a meeting.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Marketing inspirations: NME

To tie in with the genre of our artists debut single, alternative rock, ive looked on the NME website for some inspirational fashion tips in how we can produce a current idolised image....



























Looking at this i think we should use some of these conventions but tend more towards the more radical rock side as this will give us a more unique image. However baring in mind the wide audience reaction to the shock of the song and music video, our artist needs to show slight mainstream qualities.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Inspirational ideas-On screen lyrics:

I really like the idea of words a..p..p..e..a..r..i..n..g on-screen.

  • This looks effective when in time with the music giving it rhythm, energy and fluidity across. This may help as our shots are disjunctive.
  • can give energy to more static shots
  • Allows the audience to rememeber and sing the lyrics
  • In the actual song there is some abusive language so once we edit this and change it to more appropriate language it might help the audience to be certain of the words by visually seeing them appear
  • This may add colour or contrast to the background producing a virbrancy in the MV

Successful example which has inspired me...

Ne-Yo - Closer:


- I think this is really enhanced by the contrast in colour and colour scheme throughout.

less successful...
Basement Jaxx- Do your thing:

- I think this is less successful as it does not have such striking visual impact on the audience, however it does move the audience's eye within the frame producing a continual fluid movement.
-I think the impact of Ne-Yo's is greater as it appears in a singular style which is matches the beat and actual lyric in the song and so the audience are more actively involved at keeping pace with the lyrics.
-In this MV the audience is given a choice- and as we know the pace of the song means that audiences may not participate. (however is this tactile in the sense that the audience may only read some lyrics and are invited to focus their mind to listening to the music and lyrics in the song instead?)

location reccie:

The main location for our Music Video is in a bedroom- so i decided to clear my room out and takes pictures of the room to see if this would be a suitable location:






Positives:

  • it can be tailored for our video easily, e.g. light cna be a single bulb etc.
  • empty
  • clean
  • white/cream walls
  • (can chuck out the huge cupboard)
  • light
  • can put dust sheets all around and graffiti on them
  • can move everything around
  • we can use it as just a room-doesnt have to be a bedroom

Negatives:

  • possibly too small to shoot in (but will it be bigger on camera)
  • too clean maybe we could do with a dirtier, messier room to be more realistic
  • would it be better if we used a room with a more accessible window? - because you cant climb or even act as if you have climbed into mine.

Band Name:

I like the band name idea... (and logo)

H.R.H - His/Her Royal Highness....(with a crown tilted over the last H)

positives:
  • catchy
  • iconic
  • extremely controversial!

Negatives:

  • offensive?
  • tacky
  • the band would be seen too political

Last shot:

For the last shot i think the graffiti should be revealled.

This may be done by the 'kissed boy' returning to his bedroom and finding the huge graffiti across the wall.
therefore the last and fading to black shot would be the graffiti.

I think the graffiti could spell the band's name however i'm not sure if this will fit in with the narrative that has built up during the performance shots. - a work in progress

In this case the last fade to black would be of the band name and could have lights illuminating this on the wall and possibly a camera running alongside it.

This is also a good way to end the music video in terms of branding as the bands name will be the last image uptaken by the audience.

Inspiration:

The Human League: One man in my heart


In this video i like the symbolic shots which sexualise the video eg. the coffee machine. Also i like the fact that some shots subtely symbolise the main vocalist losing her femininity. i..e when she drops her handbag and all of her feminine accessories fall to the floor, and the following shots of the accessories hitting the ground and breaking.

I would like to emmasculate a male through shots which use this symbolic subtelty.
Possibilities:
  • could be a dissolving shot of shaving a chin which then merges to a shot which turns out to be shaving his leg!?!
  • a chain or watch falling off a male's neck/wrist
  • vibrant or camp looking clothes. -skinny, multi-coloured boxers, ??
  • ...

Shot Inspiration and Ideas:

I like the idea that rather than having a narrative or a few scenarios between the performance shots, i would rather have disjointed shots with relevance.

I think it would be really in keeping with the song 'i kissed a boy' to have shots of males acting masculine yet shot tightly and edited correctly in the edit suite to make the shots seem posey, voyeuristic and over-exaggerated. i.e to SEXUALISE really ordinary shots. It is important that the content can be interpretted in different ways i.e. normal actions which are symbolic.

Inspirations for these ideas are...

Benny Benassi - satisfaction:




Alex Gaudino- Destination unknown:




Shots that i would like to include: (shots open to interpretation but are sexualised. e.g. phallic symbolism)
  • guy coming out of the swimming pool- squirting/spraying water from his mouth
  • guy running hands through hair in the shower
  • guy drinking from a water fountain
  • guy with sweat running down his forehead
  • guy rolling up his sleeves
  • raining giving him a wet shirt

- the key thing here is clearly fluids/water (hahaha)

possibles:

  • guy eating/peeling a banana
  • egg and soldiers
  • lollipop in side of mouth

Shot ideas:

Creative shots that i would like to encorporate in my music video:

1. I would like to break the 30 degree rule during the MV. This would give the effect of the camera jumping however i would use this almost to profile the singer and to brand the stars image. Also this impacts the audience in the sense that if it is cut to the beat a rhythm will be sustained.

possible note:

throughout these jump cuts i would have a white flash in between the shots to almost look like each individual shot is being given extra significant and the audience notice what is being highlighed. Almost like a camera flash giving an unusual branding style. This can happen either vertically or horizontally.

-almost like the effect of a slow strobe light which is seen in some dance music videos.

2. I had the idea of a two way motion shot of the singer when performing or just a semim circular track around the artist. This would surround him giving him a performance space in the room where he is graffiti-ing. Hence the focus for this performance shot is taken from what he is doing and moved purely to the branding of himself as an artist.- A shot necessary for a new artist and single.

-in this shot the significant graffiti he is writing would not come into shot

Marketing inspiration: 'Good Charlotte'

'GOOD CHARLOTTE' case study on marketing strategies, band image and identity:
I have looked into the history, brand identity and marking strategies of this band as i think they are very similar in their generic direction as a band, to our debuting artist. Therefore i think seeing how they became so sucessful would influence decisions on how we should market our artist.
  • Genre(s):' Power pop', 'Alternative rock', and 'Pop punk'.
  • Good Charlotte started out by playing at small venues.
  • Good Charlotte played some dates with the band 'Blink-182', who had just experienced mainstream success with their album, 'Enema of the State'. All of this caught the attention of major music labels, and Good Charlotte eventually signed with 'Epic Records' in 1999.
  • Debut album-"Good Charlotte":

    • In 2000, they released this self-titled album
    • Band influences for their albums; 'Blink 182', 'Sum 41', 'NOFX' and 'Green Day'.

    Second album-"The young and the hopeless's":

    • success meant Good Charlotte landed appearances on....'Saturday Night Live', 'CNN', and 'The Today Show'
    • Featured on the covers of 'Rolling Stone' and 'Alternative Press' magazine, and were also featured in 'The New York Times'.
    • They became popular on 'MTV', where their music videos were played in heavy rotation on both 'MTV' and 'MTV2'.

    Third album-"The chronicles of life and death":

    • Received mixed reactions from both the music press and Good Charlotte's fanbase. The album was widely considered a departure from their previous two albums.
    • Mixes new elements: strings, synths, and more mature lyrical themes unlike previous youthful 'power pop' sound.

    Forth album- "Good morning revival"

    • The music video for "The River" was added to UK music channels 'Kerrang!' and 'Scuzz'
    • Multiple U.S. and international TV appearances : 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'

    Promotions and identity:

    • Good Charlotte's lead singer and guitarist co-hosted the 'Australian MTV Video Music Awards'
    • In August 2007, the band embarked on 'Justin Timberlake's-FutureSex/LoveShow' tour, as Timberlake's opening act.
    • Two members are vegetarians and support animal rights campaigns. Therefore appeared at 'PETA's 25th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards Show.'
    • Members deemonstrated against 'KFC's' treatment of chickens.
    • Supported punk and youth activist group- 'Positive Force D.C.'
    • posed for the YouthAIDS Aldo- "Aldo Fights AIDS" dog tag campaign.
    • supported 'H&M Fashion Against AIDS' campaign.

    Band image:













    I really like the image of this band, with their generic dark colours, extreme styles (make up and excessive tattooing), wacky hair, etc. They have a real alternative appeal which i feel is essential for our artist. However i do think this band are sometimes too radical in their approach. As our artist would be much more widely promoted due to its 'response to i kissed a grl' status, i think a tamer version would be more successful. Although i can see that this band would have a huge audience within its niche genre.

    Inspirational videos:

    These videos are inspirational as i think that the shots between our performance should not really tell a narrative. I would rather they were creative shots which are disjunctive yet a theme of voyuerism is felt. Also this puts the emphasis more on camera work, mise en scene within the shot and editing which are key components of the music video.



    As 'Carol Vernallis' states in her article 'The kindest cut: functions and meanings of music video editing',


    • music video editing is responsive to the music

    • continuity techniques are not as strict as in films. They can be incomplete and lead to unusual paths- i.e. a disjunctive shot order.

    • reative visual disjunctive shots put emphasis on the music, lyrics, and themes rather than the narrative in the visuals of the music video.

    • MV's (music videos) are about the composition of the shot rather than the content.

    • conventional film shot order and distancing is much more relaxed in MV's. It is more about the music forms and patterns.


    These inspirational videos are examples of disjunctive shots which still provide connotations of the theme in the song and lyrics and are cut to the beat giving the editing an rhymic function :

    Benny Benassi- Satisfaction:



    Faithless- Insomnia:
    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZhxGIbRYY



    These adverts below are examples of disjunctive shots which i think would work well with our song. They are CU's an give connotations of : intensity, emtional, passionate and voyeuristic. -Themes which will run throughout our music video.

    Herbal essences advert:




    Jean Paul Gaultier 'le male':


    Inspirations and ideas:

    I had the idea that it may be good if the performance takes place in the 'boy who was kissed's' bedroom. i..e before the boy returns home and into his bedroom.

    As a group we thought that we would like the singer to be obsessing over this other male. I thought it would be good if we had 3 main perfromance/key shots which we kept coming back to throughout the video.

    1. I like teh idea of the obsessing male to be wrriting obsessively possibly at a desk in the room and giving lots of emotion etc. The hook/ main perfromance area in Eminem's Stan video is very similar to what i had in mind....

    Eminem feat Dido- Stan:


    2. I thought another creative performance hook shot would be as if the camera was on/ part of the wall. In this shot the main singer would be graffiti-ing on the wall which the camera is on, yet we are hidden from what he is writing throughout (until the end) yet we get close beauty shots of the star which will help promote his image and will get meaning across in the video. i.e. the camera is placed behind the graffiti

    • note: i think it would be very visually appealing if the perfromance ie the visual hooks of the star were in black and white whilst the narrative shots are in colour. This would also add layers to the piece and alow the audience to interpret the video in different dimensions- hence more widely appealing and therefore successful.

    • Leading on from this .....i think it would look nice if at near the end of the video; in this shot where teh writing is hidden i think we could use an almost transitional shot where the star graffitis across the 'lens' of the camera before the cut and change of shot. Also this would create a bigger impact if this graffiti spray was actually in colour- preferably RED for its connotations of danger, passion, etc.

    (can't find a video which uses a similar shot- therefore i will experiment with this on our test shoot to see if it will be successful)

    New idea summary:

    The NEW and FINAL idea is going to be the male version of the song 'i kissed a girl' by Katie Perry which is currently no.1 in the charts. The was a group decision which came about by listen to a friend's ipod during a group meeting. Instantly we were up for the challenge of producing a controversial music video.

    Katie Perry- I kissed a girl :




    we will be doing a take on this song by using...

    Cobra Starship-I kissed a boy:



    Negatives:
    • we will have to remove or sing over the abusive lyrics yet this is also gives us/me an opportunity to voice my idea of putting lyrics on screen.
    • some of the audience may be put off by the nature of the controversy that may arise from the song and video.
    • there may be some shooting issues if the ideas develop a bit too far. i.e. there may be a fuss made if the group decide that it is crucial to have a kiss in the video at some stage.

    Positives:


    • i want to produce something which is hard hitting
    • this allows us to be more edgey and controversial in our Music video
    • acting wise- the media group have 2 actors and all of the group are male so there is less acting restrictions and reliabilities to worry about
    • it will allow us to be very creative in ideas, camera work, mise en scene, characters, branding etc!!!!!!!
    • i like it as it will allow us to produce a unique music video which is very enigmatic in the sense that audiences will want to watch it to see how far the video takes this issue.
    • it is a perfect song in terms of our video mission- to produce a video for a debut single!- this is a bold song with hard hitting lyrics (excluding the abusive language which we are going to edit out). It will be a widely talked about song and video amongst the audience.
    • In terms of narrative the issue of 'kissing a boy'- i.e. homosexuality, at the moment this is a very controversial topic with many debates evolving from its nature. i.e. The advert which was taken off air due to the homosexual connotations.....BELOW! - is it humourous? should be taken lightly with a pinch of salt? is it an advertising statement? is it a political statement? etc
    • Therefore all of this press- whether it is 'good or bad press'- will still make our music video and artist extremely well publicised and in the audiences/ public eye. Surely this is only helping promote our artist and would increase sales and record plays on tv and radio.

    Heinz Deli Mayo- TV Advert:




    This is an example of the controvery that our video may cause and so publicity will be absolutely rocketing:

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    THR Feedback Individual Blog Progress

    Hi Matt
    reflective and detailed posts matt - well done. Mrs T ;-)

    Sunday, September 7, 2008

    Razorlight MySpace analysis:

    http://www.myspace.com/razorlight

    Top:
    • Razorlight 'wire to wire' advertisment. This is their latest record which is about to be released on oct 5 (download) and oct 27 (available in stores).

    Underneath this advertisement (in order):

    • 60 second preview to advertise/promote this new song to the audience. (only this song- forces the audience to listen to what is current and what is the best profitable opportunity for the comapny)
    • A profile picture of the band with links to other pictures and 3 videos of the band giving the audience an insight to the band lifestyle and image. -priveleged audience expereience
    • A contacting function so that audiences can interact with the band oon a personal level. e.g. 'add to friends' or 'send message'
    • A general/institutional info. section about the band with a link to their official websites...wearerazorlight.com and razorlight.co.uk. Also the Record Label- 'Vertigo Records' etc.
    • An 'upcoming shows' section with dates, times and locations of their next gigs. -instant gratification for the fanbase who want to pay to watch and listen to the band live. -an important factor to the success of the band.
    • A 'razorlight's latest blog entry' drop down where the audience can subscribe to their blog and view an insight to the band's life and personal details. e.g. 'razorlight play BBC Electric Proms' This function my be used purely as a promotional tool e.g. 'OUR NEW WEBSITE' yet at the same time the audience are gaining more information about the band and have a more intimate level of interactivity with the band. Blogs are chatty and brief as if the band are really communicating with their audience 'hi check out...' yet others are advertisements by the label e.g. 'click here to hear Razorlight's...'
    • An 'about razorlight' function, where there is further promotion of the new single and there is a youtube video link about how the band search for their new sound.- purely a jokey and light hearted promotional stunt so that audiences can understand the bands humour and individual characters. This is exculsive and shows the band in a different light to what the mainstream media would usually promote.- usually extremely good press or bad press. i.e. this is for the fans who are loyal and interested in more than just their music but also their image and identity as a whole.
    • A 'Razorlight's friend space' where the top 16 are clearly visible without clicking on any links. This includes fans as well as other current artists. This is good symbiosis between labels, and a promotional opportunity for the band via below the line marketing, because bands/record labels can promote each others band with the knowledge that they will appear as 'top friends' on each others' main page. Therefore audience reach is maximised.
    • A 'razorlight's Friends comments' function whereby the latest comments from 'friends' are shown.-note Razorlight are able to delete comments which they may find distasteful or offensive to the band or their audience.

    note:

    • the layout is very simple and easy to navigate. just a scroll up and down tool, not side to side. This makes it easy and fast for audiences to use the webpage to gratify their needs.
    • the background is black and white which is reflective colours of the indie genre in the sense that the songs are deeper in meaning and that these are the colours that the band promote in their image.

    Saturday, September 6, 2008

    Flight of the Conchords- Inner city pressure (2008 album ‘Flight of the Conchords’)

    -Further initial idea:



    Breakdown of the song into a current music video:

    -An old granny or an imposter old granny- similar to Basement Jaxx video…




    • Walls closing in on the main character similar Train spotting?
    • Idea that an old granny can’t cope with the expensive lifestyle that comes with living in the inner city. – For example she is in a terraced house and is rather small and dingy. She has spent all of her benefits and pension on buying a brand new motorised buggy which is completely pimped up- pink with tassels etc.
    • ‘You pawned everything’…. Shots of handing over goods to a shop keeping: Granny brushes her tongue then hands over the toothbrush; jar with false teeth inside and splashes water over the counter; disposable camera sticky taped to a phone and she takes a picture of under her long old dress before handing it over. Hahahaha.
    • ‘don’t know where your going’ – she crosses the road in a wheelchair/ motorised buggy and realises her false teeth are missing and does a U-turn
    • ‘standing in the sitting room’ – knitting, ironing, trying to sit on ironing board which is too high,
    • ‘Counting coins…’- she counts the coins in her purse and realises she is going to have to steal because she is skint. This is similar to an advert which I have seen …
    • … the shopkeeper starts to chase her with a French stick.
    • ‘underpants bit’- she can’t find any underpants in her drawer so she goes to the drawer below which is empty with only 1 pair!- a luminous thong or French knickers
    • ‘Have you paid your rent yet’- starts to consider using those pants, implying prostitution.
    • Chorus can be shots of her indoors looking out of the windows with the singers appearing as silhouettes through the window. –straight cuts
    • ‘har-har-har-har-har’ – she is on her buggy down the street with passers by making eye contact and ‘har’ing’ and possibly pointing, then the last HARRR she stands up from her buggy like she is elevated from her chair-good angles needed etc.
    • ‘So you think maybe you’ll be a prostitute…’- she is standing at the front door with an unattractive male at the door- she is trying to woo him.
    • ‘Doesn’t measure up’- she is repulsive and they end up sitting on the floor or something.
    • Synthesizers- shots of the artists playing their instruments and possibly the granny joining in with a kiddie’s keyboard on top of her ironing board.
    • Last shots?

    Sunday, August 17, 2008

    BLK FEEDBACK

    some excellent progress on planning and independent research recently demonstrated on this blog

    Monday, August 11, 2008

    OneRepublic- Initial idea:

    Possible song and narrative for music video:

    OneRepublic- all fall down



    breakdown into an initial narrative:
    INSTRUMENTAL - 00:00- 00:21

    entire Music Video is slow paced:
    • start: home activity, male teenager running up the stairs for no reason.
    • emotions of anger, dispair and sadness through gestures and expressions. Cut with a distraught and crying mother over the table with hand to her face.
    • movement to bedroom: he crashes on bed then begins to pack a bag with clothes (implying he is going to leave- for good?)
    • Flashbacks of broken furniture, eg. vase etc. ripped picture of father or something which resembles tragedy.

    VOCALS:-

    • 'Step out the door'- fade up to boy walking slowly out of front garden and down the street with a bag on his shoulder. EXtreme slow motion. hopefully raining.
    • Continual flashbacks of a full on face to face arguement with his mother downstairs.- silent screaming, hand gestures, facial expressions, etc
    • real time walking (could poss. be drinking)
    • Flashback of mother smacking him across the face.
    • 'thats the sound your waiting for'- busy traffic noise and cars going past him.
    • people pushing past him in the street- they are normal but he is slowed down. (others walk doubletime on shoot)
    • flashbacks of family life- e.g. home videos,
    • 'thats when you find me' could be video stopping on father and son's faces?
    • boy looking for places to eat e.g. shots of him sitting in a cafe- doesnt have enough money for some food,
    • back to walking in the street
    • boy looking for places to sleep- walks down to an underpass (A10 great cambridge road underpass). Sees tramps and drugs. put off and keeps walking.
    • thugs start to take his belongings and he ends up with very little
    • end: he has to sleep on a park bench or similar (humming at the end)
    • last shot could be jsut his eyes beginning to open or even a passer by giving him something.

    humour shots for comical videos

    Interesting yet capable shots that have caught my eye:

    · Silhouette shots of actions which match the beat of the song. For example silhouettes of hands opening on the beat with a colourful background.

    · Spray on sideburns.

    · To be continued...

    potentials

    List of potentials that I have been looking through:

    -Pet shop boys’ songs

    -West life songs

    -B-52- NO!!!- Too much and female voices throughout

    -Ricky Martin albums (Liam could be a good Ricky- Livin’ la Vida Loca)

    -Sam Sparro albums

    -The Script- a brand new band just releasing a song at the moment. They do have other songs which can be used. –WIKI

    You’re unbelievable – EMF –good possibility.

    Park life – Blur – good possibility.

    Jason Mraz- Butterfly or The dynamo of volition

    I like to move it, move it!-

    Flight of the Concords- if you’re into it

    nations fav. songs

    INTERESTING RESEARCH:

    Date: 26-7-08

    Music channel: ‘the hits’

    Programme: ‘The Nation’s Favourite Summer Songs Top 50.’


    In keeping with the current group credentials…

    -Light-hearted
    -Easy listening
    -Catchy/recognisable songs
    -Appeals to the masses
    -Known for the song and so this allows us to develop our creativity within the planning and production and our artist’s marketing strategies.

    Audience feedback during the programme:

    -Has to have dance moves, or something characteristic that can be copied
    -Fast tempo
    -Makes you want to dance
    -Makes you feel happy, let your hair down
    -Catchy lyrics


    Top 10 on the countdown, not in order:

    DJ Jazzy Jeff& Fresh Prince - Summer time

    S club 7- Bring it all back
    Grease- You’re the one that I want
    Wham – Club Tropicana
    Vengaboys- Going to Ibiza
    The Foundations- Buttercup
    Lass ketchup- The Ketchup song
    Will Smith- Welcome to Miami
    Peter Andre- Mysterious girl
    Girls aloud - Long hot summer

    I think these are important videos to look at the relationship between the feel of the song and how it is delivered visually. Also the audience feedback helps me to realise what the potential audience would want to see from this summer genre of music.

    Sunday, July 20, 2008

    BLK comment

    Matt, please see the main music video blog to catch up from lessons missed at the end of term, thanks

    Monday, July 14, 2008

    Music Video Analysis

    Eminem - Stan:

    MTV Short Version
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZgsNvVA4I

    Narrative
    Stanley begins by dying his hair to be like his idol Eminem. As he lets his partner in the bathroom to use the toilet his actions are aggressive and disapproved. Throughout he is seen in his obsessive basement lare where he obsesses over Eminem and his appearance. There is parallel editing of Eminem getting his letter and replying. Before replying we see Dido go down into the basement where she is horrified at her being replaced by this idolised figure and is then held captive by Stan. He drives about in his car in the storm until he realises the bridge is out of use and skids off the side into the river, where they both drown.

    Editing

    • Parallel/cross editing between Stanley and wife and Eminem reading and replying to Stan’s letter.
    • Straight cuts- keeps pace.
    • Dips to and from black which show passing of time and works with the flexible lyrics which change throughout. Also adds a subtlety and naivety to the narrative.
    • Continuity techniques- real time observations
    • Shots cut to the beat which gives coordination and a comfortable viewing and also keeps momentum and some focus on the song itself.
    • Sound and visual miming are linked for continuity as the video is promoting the purchasing of the song!

    Lighting

    • The ambient lighting sets the tone of the song and is very realistic, e.g. lamps with shadows, lightning.
    • Low key lighting connoting tone and reflects dark themes of obsession and self harm/ lack of control.- mood and lyrics.
    • Unsaturated
    • Rain/ dull lighting when at gravestone -alters mood with accompanying lyrics.

    Colour

    • Dark colours, slight dark unsaturated tinted shots for ambiance.
    • Black and white flashbacks
    • greys, browns, black etc.
      -all reflect mood and lyrics and the poor living in the narrative.

    Mise-en-scene

    • Basement
    • Peroxide hair blondeto be like Eminem.
    • Posters of Eminem's star image
    • Pencil
    • thunder and lightning -stereotypical in a thriller and horror sequence and so this obessive mood and fixation is underpinned visually as well as through the lyrics.
    • Basic unclean bathroom and toilet. - Plain sink, plain green and white tiles,
    • Mirror which is used to reflect what Stan views him as (i.e. Eminem)- realistic of time, common ground with audience, low income starter family, etc.
    • car- dangerous driving
    • Police recovery vehicles
    • Gravestone
    • Dictaphone
    • Baseball bat

    Costume
    Stanley:

    • White vest
    • Dyed blonde hair
    • Dog tags
    • Tattoos

    Eminem:

    • White top
    • Dyed blonde hair
    • Dog tags/necklace
    • Tattoos

    Wife/Dido:

    • Blue night dress and blue top
    • blonde hair
    • petite
    • vulnerable through pregnancy

    Camera Framing

    • Framed from bird’s eye view gives audience spacing between Stan and wife.-clearly shows his behaviour –aggressive-passive viewers but want to be active.
    • Opening shot through the window- establishes setting and sets themes through weather- thunder and lightning.
    • Pencil pot and letters are in focus to show importance but also frame the shot in which Stan enters by sitting.
    • vertical track through floorboards and horizontal over bathroom wall- keeps momentum of music video pace and shows Stan's 'distant underworld' of obsession.
    • TV framed of Eminem so we are placed in room as/with Stan
    • Framing of mirror and Eminem shows the merging of characters- obsession.
    • Framing in and out of the car keeps us involved but also as an onlooker to the events.
    • low angle framing of stan to show his build up agression and determination etc. over writing to Eminem.

    Camera Movement

    • Moving up into the bathroom window almost like a conventional thriller trait. Introduces beginning of narrative-audience invited to look into a lifestyle.
    • Static at start of narrative – introduction into character relationship most important
    • Vertical pan of dido on toilet. A little voyeuristic treatment by objectifying the female body but a continual track through the floorboards moves the audience into the basement where Stan obsesses.
    • Arch tracks around the chair and table and Stan writing to objectify the area and put a focus on the behaviour seen here. - Sets up expectation of something important happening here- glorifies it. -momentum, progression of thought via the lyrics almost as if stan was pacing up and down and we could hear his thought.
    • Side track of Eminem posters, to show his absolute obsession with Eminem.

    SFX

    • Through the floor- gives continuity to the MUSIC video and audiences viewing
    • Eminem in mirror which reflects who Stan see’s himself as- we are inside his mindset. -merging
    • Rain machine
    • car off bridge into river.


    REPRESENTATION

    • Pencil used throughout which indicates writing letters/ back.
    • Posters of Eminem and immitating Eminem's star profile and a basement devoted to him = OBSESSION
    • over obsessed- almost homosexual- Stan says "we should be together"
    • action/gesture codes eg. shouting at girlfriend,, shouting down dictaphone, putting girlfriend in the boot and tapping her mouth, etc = AGRESSION, ADDICTION TO EMINEM'S lifestyle, INSTABILITY,
    • girlfriend represents= vulnerability in the domestic situation, frailty, passive in relationship, care and support for Stan,
    • Eminem= genuine and down to earth artist i.e. can realte to, brands a dedicated/honest relationship with fans (autograph for bro) , a different man to Stan which brands Eminem as devoted to the MUSIC and the genre not the percieved dangerous lifestyle which accompanies this- "i say that sh*t just clowning dawg".


      GENRE
    • The genre of the music is created by the characters and narrative. The low income couple living in a basic home and fairly bland living spaces reflect young urban houses and couples which the music effectively relates to most. –harsh reality. And this is a common genre amongst this audience i.e. explanations and fast paced outpours, i.e. hip hop ( /rapping).

    AUDIENCE through Richard Dyer's theories:

    • projection audience: any fan of the genre
    • projection audience: existing fans of the artist
    • self identification or emotional affinity- audience: males who can relate to the lifestyles and issues raised in the music video and lyrics
    • emotional affinity or immitation -audience: young children who aspire to a well branded and iconic image -role model. (females may be attracted to artist whilst males may want to be like him)

    INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES

    referneces to Eminem's other songs- promoting identity and audience loyalty:

    • Stan- "guess what im gonna call her [daughter]- im gonna name her Bonnie" is a reference to Eminem '97 bonnie and clyde'.
    • 'Stan' (name) was used in Eminem -'Guilty Conscience'.

    note:

    'The song can also be interpreted as a reply at Eminem's critics, who accuse him of promoting drugs and violence, because it creates a scenario that clearly shows that his rap lyrics are not meant to be taken seriously, "what's this shit you said about you like to cut your wrists too? I say that shit just clownin dogg, c'mon - how fucked up is you?" This theme is repeated throughout his music. ' wikipedia

    Music Video Analysis

    Chemical Brothers: Star Guitar (2002)
    director:Michel Gondry
    note -also directed 'Daft Punk's- around the world' which also matches the visuals to the music, but through the movement of dancers and routines.





    Genre: House music
    • The electronic drums and synthesisers along with the dance feel.
    • Constant drum beat and repitition of music sequences
    • layering many sounds and beats which makes it a more complex piece of music.

    Editing

    • one long take.
    • the whole music video is an animation and so objects are placed within the shot appearing from the right in time with the beat of the music.
    • as the pace of the song increases or decreases so too does the speed that the train is traveling at. i.e. the speed at which the objects enter the shot.

    Camera framing

    • framed so that the camera is inside the train looking out the window. -audience is placed in the POV of the camera. therefore is this narrative based or concpet based?

    Mise-en-scene

    Train journey through industrial works, a tunnel, town, housing, coutryside, etc.


    There are no lyrics however there is evidence of an illustrative relationship between the visuals and the music! i.e. the visuals are simple one dimensional representations of the music.
    Examples:
    • As the train appears to be going downhill into a bricked tunnel the pitch of the music lowers. . 2.26-2.41
    • As a specific rhythmic beat is produced, this is sinchronised with the visuals on screen which are specific to the instrument. eg. the initial snare drum is represented by the railway cable posts. e.g. The 16 beat synthesisers are met with the railings which are foregrounded in the shot. time 00.51secs.
    • Train journey, fast paced through industrial works and faster/slower with pace of song. e.g. slowing down of the song and the speed of the 'train'/visuals through the urban area, 1.41-1.55. Also there is a mixture of disjointed vocals reflected in the number of pedestrians walking along the streets.
    • Beat changes along with audiences vies.- gaps in the wall of the tunnel/ supporting walls
    • As the instrument pitch tlowers the day fades to night and the reverse happens when the pitch increases.
    • The dramatic interjections of increased pace is matched with the passing of a faster train.
      Cut to the beat of passing objects from the train window. E.g. 4 beats with four great pillars, one beat per house or building.

    Audience

    • this appeals to a wide audience in the sense that all ages will be fascinated by the efort and the visuals in the MV.
    • the main audience would bee for fans of the band and their style of music videos and music
    • the audience would also include those who are loyal to this niche genre in which the elements of it (i.e. the beat and the traditional instruemnts) are shown in a unique fashion throughout the MV.

    Saturday, July 12, 2008

    Workshop Experience:

    Jake Wynn- a successful music video director came in on the 4th July to help us recreate the 'Busted- What i go to school for video (opening)'.

    It was a really beneficial experience and here is a breakdown of what i have learnt:

    Organiation is crucial:
    • important for all group members to be enthusiastic and invoelved
    • important for the actors to learn their lyrics in preparation
    • have the location and props all set up and ready for action in advance of the shot- time scheduling
    • it is important for all the group to have a direction. i.e. PLAN- STORYBOARDS- SHOT LIST- TEST SHOOT- BLOG- etc.

    Editing:

    • To create a performance bed whereby the performance is run through completely and from this other shots can be added. This is an efficient stlye of editing which i would like to experiemnt with.
    • When editing the Busted re-make i have become more aware of editing effects.

    General:

    • from this experience and past experience i know it is importnat to have a leader who keeps the momentum of the project moving, overlooks group activities, keeps the group on track, and is decisive in decision making processes. i have been this leader once before and am looking forward to using my leadership skills in this project in order to drive the group forward.

    Saturday, July 5, 2008

    past latymer music videos:

    2007 -group 1C:



    Positives:

    • good costumes add humour when intended
    • the difference in use of colour: performance is black and white and the narative is in colour making it visually more appealing and unique.
    • unusual location for a band to perform whihc makes this more unique as a student piece- as opposed to music videos being perfromed in the local park
    • the dress codes of the band is smart and similar which produces a good clean brand image.
    • good performance miming and plausible instrument playing. Also the acting was a good standard which made the video seem more professional.
    • good use of camera angles and levels; distancing is fluid through transitions;
    • the narrative is simple and easy to follow for the audience which puts the focus more on the humour arising from action codes and the dress codes themselves.
    • the ratio of performance to narrative is good which anchors the ethics of humour yet sophistication to the band image.
    • i like the idea of the performance and the narrative coming together at the end concluding the video and satisfying the audience from the short disequilibrium.
    Negatives:

    • i think the actual shots were a bit uncreative and some of the shots felt a bit repetitive for example a CU of the gorilla's face when chasing the banana. This therefore made the immediacy of the chase lose a little of its impact, (the slight feeling: when is the chase going to end?)

    2006-group 4:




    Positives:

    • the visual effect of the opening silhouettes is very imposing and generic
    • the editing is cut well to teh beat of the song.
    • the performance clothes are generic and create a generic brand identity.
    Negatives:

    • miming is terrible. There is no synchronicity with the visual and sound.
    • the action codes in the narrative are completely inappropriate to the genre of music and make the piece look really amateur.
    • the acting is of a really poor standard even for a student piece.
    • the narrative story barely links with the lyrics of the song (only on a extremely light level) which makes it seem rather pointless.
    • the props seem inappropriate for the genre
    • lack of creativity in action codes, dress codes, and camera work
    • ...