Student Video Marking

Grade 35/40

The reason I have given this grade is due to the editing. The editing is very slick and professional as shown through the moving images being made into a cartoon strip and also the lyrics being shown when they are sung for example when 'INDEPENDENT' is spelled out. Also the shot quality is quite good as the images are bright and not pixelated, which is a challenge to overcome. The editing also cuts on the beats and this enables the group to hide some poorly filmed sections effectively.

Improvements 

I feel that this video could be improved if the shot location changed a couple more times as it became repetitive seeing london as the areas they shot in did all look similar and this lead to it being repetitive. The members could also try and improve their lip syncing however this was not a major issue.

Parody of Genre Video

This is a parody version of Adele's Hello and as you can see they have copied the real music video very effectively and by doing so they have stuck to conventions for example the lyrics and visuals are linked and this is one of the things Andrew Goodwin comments about that makes a good music videe. This music video is also fairly slow paced and this means there is no need for fast paced transitions and this means that this parody is successful.

Pete Fraiser Tips

During the day off timetable Pete gave a talk on how to ensure you achieve the highest marks below are the points he raised and highlighted as important.

• Plan, Plan, Plan - Ensure you plan for everything to make sure you make the best out of your filming because there is nothing worse than turing up on location to find out you have forgotten the cameras or the tripods. Make a list and then check everything off once they are loaded into the car to be transported to the location. 
• Know Your Equipment - You need to make sure you know the limits and capabilities of the equipment you wish to use because if you want to shoot a extreme close up there is noting worse than the image coming out all fuzzy because the camera isn't good enough.
• Shoot More Than You Need - Pete advised us to shoot from a multitude of different angles with multiple cameras to ensure you get good quality usable footage. He advised to run through what needed filming a minimum of 4 times to ensure you get footage you can use because at the end of the day you can cut off extra footage but you cannot add more!
• The Edit - Piece together a 'Rough Edit' where you can get all of the footage down on the page so it makes some kind of sense and once it is all there in order work down to all the tiny adjustments rather than focusing on small adjustments and then realising the bigger picture is all wrong. 
• Use Other People - Gather tips and information from other peoples blogs other teachers and other music video directors as the more you know the more you can incorporate into your video and therefore the better it will be. 

What Jake Wynne Thought

We outlined the basic idea for our music video which allowed Jake to give us some feedback which would allow us to adapt certain shots we were hoping for as Jake thought they may not be possible on a small budget. However his main feedback points are listed below

• Structure - Without structure the whole video will not make sense and will look like a random assortment of footage this will then distract from the music therefore making the actual video redundant.
• Performance - To achieve higher marks add an element of performance which will show off the editing skills as it is very difficult getting lips perfectly synced onto the lyrics. 
• Flow - Make sure the video transitions so it is easy to understand however it doesn't have to tell a story it just needs to flow neatly. 

Track Choices To Present To Group

I have looked through many music videos from other people and i have found that there are very few country music, music videos created for the A Level coursework and because of this i feel that this style of music would be something new for the examiners to hear and it would allow us to film a variety of different shots while still keeping the whole video relatively simple yet effective. I have found a playlist of country music and it is below this style of music isn't very well know with the teenagers and because of this it would be unique.

 

Ed Sheehan Cold Coffee, I think this type of song could create a hugely powerful music video and could be used as a performance based music video which would allow us to create a star image the only issue with this song is that the singers voice is instantly recognisable and because of this it would be difficult to recreate without people immediately thinking of Ed Sheeran however this didn't stop this group of students whose video  i found and i feel they recreated the video really well and it created a powerful video.



1975 - Me this song is one which we would be able to film a concept video and this would be something new and also something that would draw upon creative footage and editing tequniques and because of this i have drawn ideas and advise to keep my mind open to many different genres as something unexpected could throw the best results.

Cross Media Task

This music video is for the song F For You from Disclosure and below is the digipack for the album this song features on. As you can see there are two young boys and these boys could represent disclosure themselves when they were younger and this could be the case because there are a two person group and there are only two people in the photo. The children within the photo have an outline of a face drawn around their own and this could suggest that there is a hidden element to this band and there is more to them both than meets the eye and this helps to sell their music because people become interested in them as people as well as musicians.

Music Video Director Study

 Colin Tilley

Colin Tilley is an award wining music video director who has written and directed music videos for artists including Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Nicki Minaj to name a few. Colin has won many awards regarding his music videos, the song Look At Me Now by Chris Brown won him the BET video of the year in 2011. 

Banana Phone

What did you do and what did you learn?

The banana phone task was set from the teachers and introduced us to some different shots and editing techniques. This task opened our eyes to things such as cleaning, tracking shots, frame within a frame, stop motion animation, depth of field , lip syncing and reversing the footage. This task enabled us to see how creative we could be as these things are common within music videos.

What could you improve upon?

This task was far from perfect however I can now see the importance of correct lip syncing and the need for shots to be thought about rather than just going for it because the banana is covering Bens mouth so you are unable to see him singing the words and in a music video this will create confusion.

Star Profile - Ed Sheran

Timeline of Music Videos

Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues (1929)

This video was considered to be the first music video ever made. The pace of this video is very slow and the cutting between shots is very slow with little variation between the types of the shot. The most common shot used within this music video is the mid shot of the woman singing and the long shot of her in the room. No effects are used in this video as the technology did not allow fancy editing. This would have been shot in one take as pre recording was not around.




Elvis Presley - Return To Sender (1962)

Within the 1960's music videos grew in popularity due to the advance in technology however these music videos tended to see the artist singing in front of a audience replicating the feel of a live performance. The shot selection was still limited however pre recording was now possible and this ensured the music was the best quality.




Abba - Take A Chance On Me (1977)

This music video was released in a time where technology had again improved and because of thistle editing process had changed and now the music videos comprised of simple effects for example the multiply effect in this music video and at the time this was very advanced. The shot selection around this time had increased again as the cameras had improved and were more manageable.




Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (1980)

In the 1980's MTV US began and they began to air music videos and at the time one of the groundbreaking videos was Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel this was because there were more editing techniques involved. Within this time the music videos also began to have a narrative where the lyrics and the visuals link together this is something that is still present with current music videos.




Everytime We Touch - Cascada (1990) 

This music video was a big hit during the 1990's. This music video is beginning to look like something we would see to this day because there is a narrative however there are elemets of performance and some male gaze towards the artist. This music video also benefits from the advances in technology as the quality is much higher and the editing is crisp with the use of fast cutting and the use of advanced effects. There is also a brand image that is created from the close ups of the artist.


How important are music videos today?

Personally I feel that music videos still have their place within the music industry however i don't feel like they contribute as much to the industry like they did 20 or 30 years ago and I feel this way because artists have so may ways in order to sell themselves as the media is constantly publishing stories about the private life of artists and this generates the interest that the music video once did. I feel that the music video is a way for the artist to express themselves and to show to their fans in order to make themselves a brand rather than actually wanting to sell their music.

Representation

Voyeurism

Voyeurism is where the viewer receives sexual pleasure from seeing somebody/people involved in intimate behaviours. It is most common for men to be the 'voyeurs' and for woman being sexualised. In music videos with the use of camerawork and editing voyeurism plays a huge part in the vast majority of videos with females being sexualised in some way. 

Male Gaze

Male gaze is the way an audience is forced to view the people presented within different types of media. Laura Mulvey coined the term 'male gaze' and she said that audiences are forced to view characters from the perspective of a hetrosexual male. The male gaze is created by the camera lingering on certain parts of the female body from the context of a man's reaction to these events. 

Female Gaze

Female gaze is the way an audience is forced to view the people presented within different types of media.. The female gaze is created by the camera lingering on certain parts of the male body from the context of a woman's reaction to these events. 

Homosexuality

Queer Theory?

https://mediaalevel.edublogs.org/representations/

Strong Dominant Female

Dry The River - No Rest

In our lesson we watched the music video No Rest by Dry The River. Firstly we didn't watch the video but we listened and we had to guess what the visuals for the music video would be and we each had different ideas personally I thought the visuals could be something about a battle or war because he song reaches a climax where the idea of victory came into my mind, James thought that the song could be a man walking through a field with a guitar something that is very indie. We were both wrong the visuals represented the five singers being surrounded in stones which could symbolise their graves and then they were having water thrown over them with ash drifting in the air this could resemble some kind of cremation. The music video is very powerful as it makes you as a member of the audience question what is going on and why.

Textual Analysis of a Music Video

Music Video Analysis

Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud

 In this music video Andrew Goodwin's theory is immediately present, the visuals and the lyrics have a relationship where the words fit and go with the visuals this is because the song is about love and the visuals are of a man and a woman dancing together. These visuals help to amplify the lyrics and make them more powerful. This music video also has multiple close ups of the main artist and this helps create the artists star image much like Goodwin's theory suggests.


Sam Smith - Like I Can

This music video follows Carol Vernallis's theory that all music videos follow the same editing techquniue this is because that this song constantly cuts with the lyrics to amplify the meaning of the words being sung. This music video also rely on the camera moving in order to frame the lead singer in order to create a star image this is obvious because Sam Smith the Star is followed by the camera to ensure He is always in the shot.

Hozier - Take Me To Church



This music video follows Carol Vernallis's theory that the world of the music video is slowly revealed through ought the duration of the duration of the video I know this because at the beginning their is the photo of the box in the fire and this begins to question why it is there and then at the end of the video you realise why as the story is told. This video also applies to Goodwins theory that there is a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics this is shown in this video as the lyrics contradict the visuals therefore making them more powerful.

What Music Means To Me

• When - Personally I listen to music while I am working to help me focus more and stop me getting distracted as i feel that having something to listen to keeps me on task. I also listen to music before and during the warm up of hockey games. 
• Where - I mainly listen to music in my room while I am working as it helps keep me on task. I also listen to music before and while I am warming up for hockey matches. 
• Who With - My consumption of music is generally on my own because I use it to keep me focused on my work however during hockey matches we listen as a team because we use a big speaker to play the music from to help create a atmosphere to help us warm up correctly. 
• Why - I listen to music to keep me focused on both my work and my hockey matches because it stops you wanting to do something else, music also calms you down if you have been in stressful situations. 

What music means to me from Steve_Harrison

Radiohead Task

Radiohead - Street Spirit






During the lesson today we watched this music video by Radiohead the first time through we only listened to the video and the lyrics and from this we had to try and guess what the visuals would be. We all thought something dark and sinister.

The music video begins with the singer standing up against a black background and this could symbolise the inner feeling the character is feeling this is because the singer is drowned in a black background and this makes him look small and weak. The next shot is the singer falling from a caravan in slow motion and this immediately causes you to question why the singer is falling thus creating an enigma code causing the audience to ask questions. Nearer the end of the music video there is a passage of video which uses slow motion but only on the singer where he runs past a boy on a chair and he is running at normal speed but as soon as he passes he is in slow motion and the boy runs off at normal speed, this could be because the artist wants to convey the message that life goes on no matter what. Even if you feel like time is going slow because you are having fun t isn't yu are just enjoying it and that is why the slow motion could have been used to convey this message.

Audiece

Why do people consume music?

People consume music for a number of reasons sometimes people listen to music because they are in a specific mood and the music helps them escape the pressures of their daily routine. Other people listen to music as a background noise while completing work or while training. Personally I listen to music while I am working to create a background noise which helps me stay on task to get the work completed.

How do people consume music?

People can consume music in a number of different ways they can access music on a computer via something like iTunes choosing from the vast music libraries that these big companies have some people prefer listening to music via a CD of their favourite artist people consume in all different ways and this is because it is all about their personal preference and how they would like to consume their music. Personally I consume music on my computer and my mobile phone with the use of iTunes and the vast music libraries that you can access to listen to a wide variety of music.

Who do people consume music with?

People consume music with a group of friends or on their own this is personal preference, people can consume music with others while out in clubs as the music is played in order to create a atmosphere but music can also be consumed individually if the person wants to have a experience and can appreciate the music. Personally I consume most of my music on an individual basis as it allows me to complete work.

Where do people consume music? 

People can consume music wherever they want for example music can be consumed while traveling to school in the car or music can be consumed while on a night out it depends where and how you want to consume music. Personally I consume music while I am traveling and while completing work in my room.

30 Second Breakdown

OMI - Cheerleader


This is the first shot of this music video and as you can see this shot sets the scene of the star who is singing about the woman with him.

Again in this seccond shot you can see the star and the woman this immediately shows the song is about love and the star immediately creates a star image.

This shot shows two other woman and this is because in the song the lyrics say that he doesn't need anyone else and this is shown because they aren't with him.

This is another shot of the star and the woman this has flashed from the shot of the woman which shows that the star and the woman are likely to be in a relationship.

This close up of the trumpet being played by the star is where the trumpet noise in the video is coming from.

This shot shows the star playing the trumpet alone to create a star image.

This is another shot of other men looking at the other woman unlike the star does because as the lyrics say he has his 'Queen'.

Immediately from the shot of the woman this shot of the star and his girlfriend come up again enhancing the meaning of the lyrics.

This shot shows the star playing the trumpet alone to create a star image.

This shot shows the star playing the trumpet alone to create a star image.

This is a longer shot of the couple showing that they are in a relationship and this fits with the lyrics of the song.

This is a close up of the star singing and this helps create his star image.

This is a shot which goes with the lyrics and the theme of the shot as it is all about love and how the man doest need anyone but his girlfriend.

This is a close up of the star singing and this helps create his star image.

This is a close up of the star singing and this helps create his star image.

This is a shot which goes with the lyrics and the theme of the shot as it is all about love and how the man doest need anyone but his girlfriend.

Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis theory is one based around four key concepts and these concepts relate to the way the music video is manufactured. Her four concepts are

 

1. Narrative - Video is a visual response to the narrative and therefore whatever happens onscreen reflects the choice of the lyrics that the artist is singing.
2. Editing - She suggests that all videos follow the same editing techniques. Most videos will include, Jump Cuts, Cutting with lyrics, Extreme changes in pace, Juxtaposed frames and Graphic matches.  
3. Camera Movement and Framing is used in a key way to show the lead singer as a star so they can show off the band. The video and camera will often move at the same time as the lyrics.
4. Diegesis is the world of the music video and this will be revealed slowly throughout the video. some frames seem more important than others due to the way they have been framed and shot. 

Andrew Goodwin's Music Theory

 

Andrew Goodwin



Andrew Goodwin is a theorist who has become an expert in the field of music video because of this he knows what he is talking about. There are six music video conventions which have been explained below.

1. A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, which illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics.
2. Thought beats: seeing the sounds (the relationship between the music and the visuals, which illustrate, amplify or contradict the music).
3. Genre-related style and iconography present.
4. Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist: creating a star image to help promote a recognizable brand image.
5.  Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
6. Intertexual references to other media texts may be present, this is especially present in humorous videos.

Goodwin says that in all music videos these conventions will be present as the producers want to create a product that will sell the main track so they will use everything and anything to sell the music.