Researching Exsisting Music Videos

 To give me a better idea of choosing a song to create my music video i  am going to be watching and analysing different music genres and looking at current videos to give me inspiration and to give me some ideas of what to include to make my video the best it can be.

This music video is one of my favorites and has given me a wide range of inspiration from the different locations that are used, there is a festival scene where everyone is jumping and dancing, this connotes to be a fun environment with a sense of danger due to the smoke and alcohol they are consuming. The songs message is about a relationship that is broken and the troubles that drink,drugs,sex and violence can cause, the video shows this through arguments Rihanna and Dudley have and the journey they go on and how there rocky relationship is tested through fights and arguments they have. I want to create a music video inspired by this and make it interesting with a storyline that relates to the song.

i want my video to be modern and fiesty with different locations to make it stand out from others and use backgrounds to create emotions, for example having a dark forest to connote danger.

Within the first 5 seconds of this music video the first shot that was shown was a rough esatate block of flats, this straight away proves that this music video is going to be an urban/street song and the flats automatically give me a image of the type of people that are going to be in this video. For example young, helpless adults who need help and or people that are less fortunate or living on benefits. The camera shot used for this has been a low angle shot which makes the block of flats look tall and intimidating and immediatley states the rough location that this music video may be filmed in.

 

 

Here is another printscreen from the video this shot shows both people lying in a bath tub with no water in and they are fully clothed, this connotes depression and confusion. Both Rihanna and the Man look zoned out and angry, showing this at the very beginning can create various feelings from the consumers. The man is staring aggressivley and Rihanna who looks in pain and tired. This also relates from the block of flats in the previous photo as they are now in the flat and location is still looking very unwealthy which relates to the rough/urban/street theme.

 

 

This is a printscreen i made further on in the video, as they are at a high in this part of the video, the colour contrast has been lightened and the colours are more visible compared to the darker parts where the mood is down , which i have shown above. This video shows the ups and downs of a relationship and how they have found love, this part of the video shows them both looking happy, they are placed in the middle of the screen so you are immediatley attracted to them. By looking at the background you can also see they are on a street with a few shops so this still connotes to the urban/street theme that has been going on throughout the whole song. Rihanna looks like she is screaming of happiness, you can tell this by her arms in the air and her mouth wide open and her eyes closed, the man behind her is also laughing. Facial expressions and Body language is a vital part of letting the audience see how the artists and the actors really feel and the mood that is within the music video. Different moods will change how the audience feels and what they make of the video.

 

 

Another exsisting music video i have researched is 'I need your love' featuring Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris' this music video gives a feel of holidays and sunshine due to the different locations it has been filmed in.

 

This is a photo from the video at the beginning, this video shows a different type of relationship which is non violent and does not include alcohol and drugs but a couple going on an adventure.
The connection between this couple contrasts with the couple above due to there actions, and body language and how they are connecting with eachother. They are placed in the middle of screen and look happy and in love as they smile and gaze into eachothers eyes. The small gap in the middle of them shows a 'Hotel' sign which suggests they are going on a vaccation or on holiday together, it could even show that they are in a different country. Ellie is wearing a light white top which relates to her being pure and femine. Where as Calvin has a dark t shirt on which shows he is more masculine and dominant, the way he is holding her with his hand on her neck could also show this.

 

This is another snapshot from the 'I need your love' video, it has amazing shots of sights from around the world, this connotes a journey that the couple are going on throughout the video, the different locations really add to the video and make it more thrilling and exciting to watch, this has proved to me that locations and the type of places where i film my music video is vital and i need to ensure that i choose suitable clear places that are not random and emphasis what my song is saying. This is a different shot and it doesnt include either Ellie or Calvin but has a great effect on the audience watching because its such an incredible view, this could relate on how there relationship is and how incredible that is to them to. A Pan shot has been used to capture the whole location and show all the buildings and countryside that is there, this is a great way to grab the setting and show it in one shot.

 

 

 

This is a printscreen from the music video half way through and it shows Ellie lying in bed with a quilt covering her. The quilt is white with again could connote and show her purity and feminity with the white as its a pure, clean colour, it could also show her innocence as a young girl. Calvin is videoing it as he keeps turning it around on him and laughing, this shows the couples close relationship. The shot has Ellie at the side of the bed and leaves a space next to her as to where Calvin would noramlly be. This shot could also be seen as quite a private and intimate part as she seems to be barely clothed under the quilt due to her hiding her body and lying in bed, it could connote to a more sexual sense due to this.

 

 

This is a shot from a music video, the song is called '212' and the singer is 'Azealia Banks'  most of this music video is filmed with people dancing and pouting in front of this brick wall, it doesnt really realte to the song and becomes quite boring just looking and the brick wall its not very exciting to look at. Although other locations and places are included throughout, this is the main image that is shown. Its quite repetitive and this has proven to me even more that backgrounds are places are very important and i need to remember to take this into consideration.

 

Here is a 2nd printscreen from the music video 212, the whole video is in black and white. The whole video is quite street/urban and ghetto. Azealia is seen dancing and lip singing quite strongly. She emphasises her lips quite alot which could mean she wants the words she is singing to come across in a strong way to the people watching. There are also several shots throughout of a close up of her lips and her miming the words of her song. This video also shows a street environment which relates to the urban message in the song, the song seems not to have much meaning and just seems a fun song to dance to.

 

 

 

Conventions of a Music Video

There are regular conventions that are used in music videos to get the most from them and to get certain messages across to the audience, such as different emotions and feelings the music artist may be feeling and what the song may be portraying.

Camera Shots are used to show the music artists emotion and to reflect the words they are lip singing through there mouth. Sometimes certain parts of the song may be empahasised and they show this by having certain camera shots such as long shots, mid shots and close ups on the music artist. Directors may sometimes choose to do this on the chorus of the song or an important part that reflects the message of the song.

Mise En Scene is used by having props in the music video and the arragement of the music artist and the performers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v_4O44sfjM
This is the music video for Christina Perri's 'Jar of Hearts' this video is a good example of how Mise En Scene has been used effectivley. At the beginning of the song she is seen in a smokey dark environment sitting on a step singing into the camera whilst chucking leafs on the floor, this emphasises the fact that shes sad and is singing about an emotional break up and the leafs could be there relationship which she is chucking onto the ground. The background is also very dull with dark colours and things are falling from the sky, she is shown being isolated and shows isolation towards her ex partner in the video by turning her back to him and singing the lyrics 'who do you think you are running round leaving scars' to him, this shows she is clearly facing some kind of heartbreak.

Editing is also vital, this allows changes to be made in the video and cuts to be made, transisitons such as fade and dissolve are effects used alot in music videos because they are an easy way to show how an edit has been made.

Lighting, Props, Costume and Sound are also important and are used to express different moods and feeling and help keep the audience captivated in the video. Props,Costume and Lighting are for the visual aspect and are used to keep the audience interested by what they see. Sound is very important as the song has to have some revelance to the video and sometimes directors choose to have conversation between people in music videos to relate to whats going on and so that it links to the song and storyline within the video.

Music Genres

 

I created a mind map focusing on the main music genres that are currently out there. These range from Country to Classical and by seeing how many genres are avaliable have made me aware about the choice i need to make and  to ensure that i choose the best genre of music to get the most out of my video and throughout the video relate to the genre of music. For example if i was to choose 'Rap' i would choose someone to star in my music video that seems edgy and different and style them with chains and ripped jeans to connote with other stars in music videos such as 'Bed Rock' and 'Drop The World'.

The Brief

I have choosen the music video brief, which i am going to complete on my own.

For this part of the coursework i need to produce the following :

. A Music Video
. A cover for the album
. A magazine advertisement for the music video

The pratical will be marked out of 60 this includes 20 marks for the planning and research, 20 marks for the written evaluation from the directors point of view and 20 marks for the evaluation.
i have choosen this brief because i think its an exiciting but challenging task where you need to create 3 sources of media focused around a song of my choice. i have decided to work on my own as i want to create a unique piece of work and create a sucessful music video independently, also so i dont have to rely on others and if i go wrong or create any mistakes it will be down to me. Im determined to avoid the conventions of my music video being 'cheesy' or 'tacky' and i want to spend a good amount of time planning and making everything the best it can possibly be.

I am going to be reasearching current musicvideos to see what regular conventions pop up and how they are portrayed to us as the audience and what we make of it. i will also be looking at different
genres of music to see what type of music videos are created for different genres.

The reason i wanted to focus on this brief was because i already have a wide knowledge of music videos and its something i would like be involved in when im older and will help me learn about the different processes that occur in order to make a sucessful music video.

Reflecting on my AS magazine

After looking back and reflecting on my AS media blog and looking at the magazine I created I felt that it wasn't completed to the best of my ability, although I felt that my blog was fairly detailed my evaluation wasn't as strong and was slightly rushed due to the time I allowed myself to do it in.
The research I carried out on existing magazines and the questionnaire I created was quite well organised and I spent enough time looking at the research I collected and making charts to compare and analyse the results I had formed, this helped me make important decisions like the magazine title and headings on the front cover. I now see how research from my target audience is vital and I need to ensure I carry out the same process this time round and collect results from others to influence my next media product.
From my previous experience of blogging and creating I am now aware of how important it is to keep up to date and blog on a regular basis to ensure I don't fall behind and my time is managed out appropriately so that each stage is fairly proportioned and nothing needs to be rushed. If I had done this in my AS media I would have been able to show my full potential and have all parts completed to the best of my ability. I have decided to set myself deadlines for each post so that I know when everything needs to be done and I can have as much posted on my blog as possible.
When I first started using InDesign  I found it virtually impossible, its quite an advanced software anyway and I did not recognise some of the tools on the programme so it was hard to use. As time went on and I used the software more and more and I began to familiarise myself with InDesign and discover new things. I am now more experienced in using the software and would find it much easier to use and I would be able to access it much quicker then before, I can crop and insert a photo easily and choose text colour and font instantly and include text boxes. Where as before I found it complicated and confusing. This will help me this time round and I will hopefully become even more experienced and learn new things that I can include into my work.
To conclude its obvious that time managing and keeping up to date was an issue last time round and this has made me more determined to have all of this under control. I also want to include as much detail as possible and need to ensure I keep the research broad and have a wide range of it. By doing all of this it will help me achieve the highest grade possible and have a detailed blog with an interesting media product.