Audience feedback

In order to create our media product we has to carry out some audience feedback on the rough cut in order to see if we are going along the right track for our final product.

From this feedback we can see that overall my media product was okay, not great. Around 14% of people said it was outright bad and a similar amount said they wouldn't watch it again. A big problem we had with our video appears to be the slow edits and long shot duration, if I could do this again I would get more shots in order to have more variety of shots to chose from and make my video look more interesting.
Overall i found this feedback very effective as I now know what I did right and what I should change if i were to do it again.
Below is the finished rough cut;

model of the media

Case study 1- Jamie thraves

Jamie Thraves is a director best known for making short films whilst at university, this gave him the ability to get his foot in the door. 
During his early career he began shooting music videos with the low budget of £5000.

After years of making low budget short films and music videos his recognition grew meaning that well known artists wanted his for their videos.

The budget for the above video was £100,000 and was shot in just 3 days.

The above video had a budget of £200,000 and also shot in 3 days.

Above is just 2 of Jamie Thraves' more known music videos.

Using his success in the music industry Thraves broke into the film industry with great success.

He has so far shot three feature films these are; The low down, The cry owl and Treacle.

Jamie thraves says that dont use lyrics for lyrics sake use them to portray true emotion.

Sexism in music videos

 Laura Mulvey's theories are; The theory of the male gaze and the triple gaze.
The male gaze- this states that the view we see on screen is that of a man. In films the male gaze is always active where is the female gaze is usually passive.
An example of the male gaze is in James Bond, Die another Day where Halle Berry appears from the water in slow motion and James looking on "enjoying the view".
Triple Gaze- Audience looking through the camera, looking at the man looking at the woman.
Below i will analyse Rhiannas shut up and drive using Laura Mulveys theories.

In this video the camera is constantly looking at Rhiannas body, there is clearly no fixing of cars going on in this video.
These shots show the theory of the male gaze in the way that Rhianna does a number of suxual poses.

Here we can see the men in the car looking at her body as she is walking along. 

Here Rhianna is thrusting vigorously in front of a car, this clearly shows the camera is from the prospective of a man.

Mulveys theories arent just present in music videos they also appear in movies too.  James Bond movies are a prime example of this.

Here the whole scene is taken up by a mans view of looking at a woman, this does nothing to develop the story. She even comes out of the water in slow motion.  This shows how prevalant sexism is in the entertainment industry.

Album art exercise

To this image i have changed the contrast and added a pink hue, this gives it a soft and gentle look, which is what i was going for. I also added some lens flare just to make the image a little more interesting to look at. I chose the font as it gives it a rustic look which is what the album is all about.

Below is the original image

Audience research

From these results we can see a clear like for rock bands and videos with a story, therefore our music video will be a rock song, from a band with a story in the video. By doing this we will reach the widest audience possible.

Narrative theory

Narrative theory is a way that a story is organised.

There are three elements of narrative, these include time, closure and enigma.

Like our thriller that we did last year classical hollywood is very linear.

Tzvetan Tudorov- equilibrium, disruption, enigma and new equilibrium.

My thriller is very linear as everything that takes place happens in the correct order.
Disruption of the equilibrium will cause enigmas which will need  resolution which will lead to a new equilibrium.
In the thriller i made the equilibrium is the person walking through the woods, the disruption is the character getting murdered, at that point in time there is no resolution and the new equilibrium is that the murderer will have the usb that he stole for evil. Next in the thriller the dead person will likely be avenged and the murderer will get the punishment that he deserves.In modern hollywood it is now common for stories to have multiple sub plots and for a film to cover a wider period of time.

Using Vlaimir Propps 8 characters in stories For Eminem Stan

Hero- Eminem
Villain- Stan
Donor- Eminem
Helper- Girlfriend
Father- Eminem
Dispatcher-
Princess- Eminem
False Hero


Applying Tzvetan Tudorov's theory to Eminems stan.

The equilibrium in the video is Stan is where stan is a big Eminem fan and he is living at home with his pregnant girlfriend.

The disruption is When Eminem doesn't reply to his letters.

The resolution to the video is where he kills him and his girlfriend by driving off a bridge.

The new equlibrium is stans little brother who is also a big eminem fan who follows in stans footsteps by dying his hair blonde.

michael jackson

Rockin Robin
in this video you can see the whole Jackson 5 back when they were still starting out. here the videos have a more innocent look to them where his later stuff such as bad have quite and aggressive feel. as this was filmed in front of a live studio audience so there is no lip syncing reuired. This meets Goodwins characteristic of meeting genre characteristics as the song is very upbeat and has a "happy" feel and the video has this feel too.

Billie jean 1982

In this video it gives a bleak view on america and hes there trying to bring happiness to people lives, e.g. where he gives money to the homeless person.
Billie Jean also meets genre characteristics as it is a song you could dance to and we see Michael doing his signature dance moves in the video. It is also a lot more serious than "Rockin Robin" as here the video shows a story of a miserable society and Michael is doing what he can to brighten up peoplelives.

Thriller



 

Thriller is one of the most successful music videos of all time, Just like the song the video is very entertaining and features the dance moves that Michael Jackson is famous for. It takes the format of a short movie and is a very long music video. When it came out people would visit the cinema just to whitness the masterpiece that is thriller. Back in 1983 Thriller cost $500,00 to make that is equivelent to a staggering $1,193,898.56 in todays money. He liked the idea of a short movie so much that he offered to pay for it all by himself.

in order to fund Thriller the record company brang out a documentary about what its like to be on set at a Michael jackson video and it was broadcast on MTV, Back in 1983 this was massive as the only way to watch a music video was on TV as there was no internet and MTV was one of the biggest music channels at the time.

The video won for Best Performance Video, Best Choreography, and Viewers Choice at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Thriller was bought out on VHS and was the best selling tape of all time, selling no less than 9 million units, Back in 1983 that was a big deal.

Thriller is an unconventional music video but it does meet Goodins conventions as other than the mise en scene the on screen actions (dancing) still match the conventions for a Pop song.

Bad 1987

Bad is where Michael Jacksons songs get a lot more aggresive he looks as if he is in a gang and appears to be starting a fight with somebody.

People had seen all of michaels moves by now and wanted to see his new stuff and he didnt dissappoint, Bad was like nothing he did before it featured new dance moves and had a fresh exciting feel and increased the excitment amungst the Michael Jackson fans who couldnt wait to see what he had next.
The video meets the convention of correlation between the lycrics and what is happening on screen and lip syncing is perfect, as it is in all of Michael Jacksons videos.


How did Michael Jacksons Videos advance over time?

As you go through michael jacksons songs over the years you can see that they progressively get more spectacular than the video that preceeded it for example Rockin robin it is very simplistic and the budget is very small as the video is literally just the Jackson 5 just performing in front of a live studio audience, to the song Scream (1995) which cost $7,000,000 to produce, in todays money that is a whopping $10,834,000!

You could say that Michael Jacksons videos are very Patriacal as his videos are very male dominated and theres not much advancement for women at all, however I feel that this would disrupt the music videos  and i feel that his music videos are all spectacular!

Alex Southam

Blog 11 CASE STUDY 2 Emil Nava

Emil Nava

Began as a runner for film production companies

Worked for Blink Productions

Now freelances for OB Management

After working as a runner graduated to Assistant Director (A.D.) where he would manage the video shoots

He signed to Academy – who are the biggest music video production company

Then worked for Between the Eyes and now works mainly for Pulse

Emil’s first budget was for the band Kid British and the track Our House

•Budget - £20,000

•Location – Manchester

•Cast – local people

•1 day for filming

•2/3 days for editing

•10 days pre-production

•Demonstrates the very tight timescales involved

Below is a video of Nava explaining on how to be a successful video director.

Below is a video where Nava is in an interview speaking on his videos and how successful they are.

Below is a Jessie J song, Nava created the video.

At his busiest Emil has made 24 music videos in one year

When he began shooting videos for independent labels the budget would be as low as £5,000 to £10,000

His most expensive video to date has been for Jessie J and the budget was £160,000 

potential tracks for music video

The first potential track don't give up by a unsigned band called seven days, this is a good potential track as it has a good pace to lip sync to and the lyrics make it quite easy to make a convincing video for.

The second potential track is breathe by another unsigned band known as The river, this is an okay track as it can be lip synced to however it is a little more complex and its harder to make a good music video for.

The final potential track is zombie by an unsigned band called mister, this would be a good song to lip sync to and make a video to however i feel this song is too slow and the video would be boring.

Blog 9 Katy Perry

•Target audience = young girls (14-17).

•Katy Perry has to:

• a) be like an older sister / friend

• b) reflect some of the anxieties young girls have

•c) be someone young girls can admire and want to be (appear sexy in a non-threatening way).
•Download and analyse each of these Katy Perry videos. As part of your analysis refer to Goodwin’s 5 characteristics).

Goodwin's five characteristics are;

Screens
Links between visuals and lyrics
Different genres have their own styles in music videos
Voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women.
Close ups of the artists. 

•.Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 

(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

There is a relationship between music and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• 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 and ‘fireworks’?).

 There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, looking into the camera etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Katy Perry’s videos appear ‘Feminist’ but she also appears ‘sexy’ in parts.

There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc – “Wide Awake” refers back to “California Girls” and “Firework”). 

3. 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: think Michael Jackson’s white shoes or glittered glove, Bono’s sunglasses, Gaga’s whacky and frequent costume changes; think poses, dance moves etc).

4. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, looking into the camera etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

5. There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc). 

•Target audience = young girls (14-17).

•Katy Perry has to a) be like an older sister / friend b) reflect some of the anxieties young girls have c) be someone young girls can admire and want to be (appear sexy in a non-threatening way).

•Download and analyse each of these videos. Analyse (use Goodwin’s six characteristics).

Last Friday Night (2010)
Not afraid to be ugly (braces) – becomes beautiful.
This song shows that even if you dont feel beautiful now you will one day. It also shows that people dont care about looks and aslong as you are happy within yourself people will like you.

•“Hot and Cold” 2008

•Presents herself as a victim – slightly comic – everybody’s friend – laugh at herself?
•Last Friday Night (2010)
•Not afraid to be ugly (braces) – becomes beautiful.

Gives young girls who are in-confident the confidence that someone will find them attractive.
This is a typical Katy Perry song, the message is very empoweringand is mainly about giving people confident and you can tell it is something she is very passionate about.

• Wide Awake” 2012

•Reconnecting with teenage fans – almost an apology – Russell Brand figure – female empowerment. This video is showing people that she is back to how she was before, and that she has learnt from her mistakes.
She is showing she is again all about the music and connecting with the fans.

•“Roar” 2013

•High production values – special effects – message similar to Firework video– self empowerment – positive message – don’t need men! – humor once again – elements of being sexy but for herself not to attract a man– look at how clothing changes.

•“California Girls” 2010
•New – sexy image (Dating Russell Brand) – alienate young audience?
Here Katy Perry is dating russell brand and this video looks as if she is trying to appeal to men and is very sexualised. THis video is very different to her others and this looks asif Russel has changed who Katy is.

•“Firework” 2010
•Celebrate difference – positive message – empowering to young girls? Look at lyrics.
Here Katy has broken up with Russell brand and this video looks asif she has found who she really is again, and instaed of being sexualised, this song is mainly about the positive messages that no matter who you are you can shine.

Music video location sheet

Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: Seven days music video Client: Connor, Darren and Grant Writer: Seven days Producer: Grant Director: Darren Date: 11/11/14

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note We want to film in some built up area to add pace to the scene and also a wide-open spaced area. Access to location via: We will use public transport in order to get to the location(s) that we want the film our video in. Name and number of location contact: As we are filming in a public place there is no need for a location contact.

Health and Safety Issues to note: ●      Always be careful when working on wet ground to avoid slipping. As we are in a public place there will be obstacles that we will need to avoid e.g. lamp posts and cars.

Potential Filming Problems: ●      Members of the public may cause a problem as we will have to avoid getting them in shot, which could be difficult especially in the built up locations that we were planning on filming.

Additional Notes: keep an eye on the weather forecast as we don’t want to risk damaging any camera equipment. Camera, Tripod and a monopod. Potentially a dolly

Britney Spears Hold it against me analysis

 “Hold It Against Me” races from scene to scene at a dizzying pace, this give the video a fast paced fell to match the pace of the song.
When the video first starts you see her and some back up dancers in rehearsal, this makes the audience see that Brittney lives in a fake world.
The video is clearly aimed at a mature audience as we see Britney is a very sexual way, it shows us that shes grown up a lot since the days of "Hit me baby one more time".
Product placement is used excessively in the music video one review said, " The product placement.Too much. Way too much. From PlentyOfFish.com to Sony to Britney’s latest fragrance, Radiance (I have less of an issue with that last one), the clip is completely mired in clunky, obvious references to the products funding the production.

And while I realize that brand marketing continues to evolve with the digital revolution, there’s simply got to be a more subtle way to go about it without completely shattering the illusion of the world created within a music video. Sadly, these jump cuts entirely disrupt the flow of the video."

The low camera angles shows us how the public have built her up to be something she can never be as their expectation is so high.

Blog 8- Star theory Richard Dyer

Dyer believes artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films, magazine and music.

 Dyer says the the consumers prefer a "real" star who aren't manufactured.

A real artist can use it as their selling point. 

Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters.

Blog 7 Promotional- Creating a band powerpoint presentation

blog 6: Key features

When watching a music video we are not given the whole story of what is going on, we are given parts and then from that we make up our own ideas of what is happening in the story.
An example of this is in will youngs song "Leave right now"
Here we are only given a rough idea of what is going on.
Amplify is also used here as we see Will doing the same actions throughout the video.
Repeatability should feature in many music videos however it has to be done in such a way that the audience doesn't lose interest.
Another music video that uses amplification is the song rather be by clean bandit, here you see shapes repeated throughput the song.

Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) Dir. Bruce Gower.

The reason this Music Video is regarded as important is that it was the first Music Video to:

Really have an impact on sales – after the video release the song went to number 1.

Be regarded as a work of Art in its own right.

Styles of music video

There are many different styles of music video in this blog post I will go through all of them.

Narrative
These types of video tell a story as the song progresses. The story will usually follow the lyrics of the song. They can include the artist or not but usually they will have a part in the video to make it more authentic. A good example of this is Lady GaGas bad romance which tells the story breaking free from sexual slavery.


Cinematic
These come across as a short story and are very similar to narrative videos. The often have parts with no singing. These use misenscene very strongly and focus heavily on cinematography. I fell the best representation of this is Stan from Eminem.


Live
These are shot in front of a live audience and are often taken from concert plays. They are very good to give fans a chance to see what they are like live and to match the atmosphere from the excited fans, as if you are actually there. I feel that this type of video fits songs from the rock genre best.

Studio
These are shot in one location, usually in the studio. It is effective at portraying the situation that the artist recorded the song under. It give us a glimpse into what record studios are actually like. I feel this type of video fits the rap genre best.


Parody
parodies are made to mock something or someone. Their main purpose is comedy, they are not made for seriousness and usually the songs lyrics are altered from the original version.

Animation
These are cartoon videos and give a music videos a fun and artistic look. A good example of this is Feel good inc by the Gorillaz.