FINAL MUSIC VIDEO

FINAL MUSIC VIDEO

FINAL WEBSITE - Click the photo to go to the website.

Final Website

FINAL ALBUM COVER

Final Album Cover

Final Album Cover

Friday 16 December 2011

Dear Moderator

Feel free to take a look around my blog. The important links are down the side, and our final three products are at the top of the page. Thanks for taking time to see all the work!

Closing Post - The End

This blog is now officially closed! Although the project has (like any other) had its ups and downs I am really pleased with how all three of our tasks turned out and the whole experience has been invaluable. It's hard to believe this is our last ever piece of media coursework but it's been a great end to the 4 years of media!

Evaluation Question 4

How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?


The key technology which allowed us to complete this project is Web 2.0. We used it in all four stages of the project, and we utilised it as much as possible to allow us to create a modern and inventive product.

 
Research & Planning:


The main technology we used for these stages was Web 2.0. We used it to communicate as a group via our Facebook group, and over Twitter. We made our own Facebook group where we could discuss what needed to be completed when, and to make sure everyone in the group knew what was going on at all times. This really helped us to work cohesively together and meant the production/construction stages were easier.


Here are some more examples of the discussions we had on the group:



We were also able to use Facebook to create events for our shoots, so we could easily organise for our extra's to turn up on time and know the locations.




When finding locations for our real (and test) shoot, we used Google Maps. When deciding which house we should film at we looked at everyone in the group's house via the site, to determine who had the best and most convenient filming location to fit our video.






Youtube was also an invaluable asset in the section of the project, as we were able to look up other videos for inspiration when coming up with idea's and when developing the one we decided on. It allowed us to draw upon conventions of other videos, and meant we could research the documentary style of filming so that we could perfect it in our own video.


Also just being able to search for other artists website's made it much easier when constructing our own as we were able to find out the conventions of other websites and album covers which meant we could have a better idea on whether or not we should follow or challenge those conventions based on the artist identity we were aiming for.




These the were the sites crucial to our planning & research:




Construction:


Video:
For the construction of our video we used Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, which was a newer version that what we had previously used in the years before, however many of the tools and editing techniques were exactly the same which meant we were able to work as fast and efficiently as possible on the editing. We colour graded our video by using the 'three way colour corrector tool' and 'brightness and contrast' on our video, as we wanted to enhance and warm the colours already present, but we didn't want to take away from the natural and documentary style we were aiming for.

This is a video of Sam & Narishma using Premiere Pro and explaining how to use the different techniques:







We were also lucky enough to use HD camera's this year [we used a Sony HVR AIE] which shot in Full 1080p HD whereas last year we used SD cameras which shot in SD 480p.  This helped make our video look more professional although we didn't use a tripod or any lighting when filming our video as the aim of our's was to make a documentary style video which we wanted to look as naturalistic as possible.








Website:






To create our website we used Wix.com, and this was the first time any of us had used it. However, even though none of us had any prior experience using the site, we found it fairly easy to use and navigate, quickly getting the idea of how it worked. Due to it's flexibility it allowed us to be as creative as we wanted, as we were able to include lots of interactive elements (a key part in marketing our artist); a key feature popular amongst our target audience. As Wix is flash based this also made it easier to use, and we were could easily add videos, photos and links, and one of my favourite features of the site is the 'Featured News' slideshow on the home page which instantly updates the reader on the key news in our Artist's life. Wix also allowed us to have an MP3 version of the song on the online music player, which helps promote the song and allows the audience to listen to it instantaneously.



We also made a Mobile Website which is a great interactive opportunity, and is something that is increasingly popular among our target audience (16-24 year olds) as the majority of them own smart phones and are on them all the time, as well as allowing them to get their information faster than normal, and on the go. 


Album Cover:
For the photoshoot for the album cover shots, we used studio lights, and a Canon 550d, which helped make the shots look professional. After taking the photos, we edited them on Adobe Photoshop CS5 (whereas we previously were using CS4) which I personally really enjoyed, as although I have quite a bit of experience using Photoshop, I felt I was able to expand my knowledge of the programme with help from the media technician, Chris. We used Adjustment layers such as Brightness/Contrast, Colour Balance and Selective Colour to create the look and colour scheme we were going for as well as enhancing the colours already present in the images.

Also, I used the sharpening tool to make the images clearer, as well as finding textures from sites such as Deviantart which we then added to the photos on settings such as 'lighten' and 'multiply' to create something different and dynamic. We also used photoshop to create the merchandise on the Website store, and I also created the tour poster using Photoshop. I feel that this programme really allowed us to successfully create a professional Website and Album Cover. We downloaded fonts




This is a video of me using a few of the photoshop tools to edit the photo's we used on the website and album cover (unfortunately there's no audio but it's pretty self explanatory):




Evaluation

The main technology used in this stage is again, Web 2.0 and especially Blogger. We also posted our finished video on YouTube to receive comments and feedback from a wide audience. We also used Scribd to upload our questionnaires, allowing us to post them on the blog.



Charley (another media student) created an event on Facebook on behalf of all of us, which meant we were using Social Networking sites to promote all our videos and to get audience feedback. A promo video was also created on the MacBook containing all our videos, which again helped to create hype surrounding the screening and encouraged people to turn up.




This is a printscreen of our online survey, made using SurveyMonkey. It was really easy to use and is a great way to get online feedback. It also allows us to reach a wider audience as Web 2.0 is a global platform.


Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

After our focus group session, we found out that our intended target audience was slightly different to the audience we originally intended to target.

Our original target audience:
  • 16-24 year olds 
  • University Students
  • Male & Female
  • Fans of pop/dance music
  • Regular clubbers
  • Quite musically relevant and aware



These are examples of filled in questionnaires which we found particuarly useful when analyising the feedback.
Group 4 Questionnaire Answers Group 4 Questionnaire Answers 2

One lunchtime, we got together a group of 9 people in the media block to show them all the three texts we produced. Here is a video of our focus group watching the video and looking at the website and album cover. We decided to make our focus group a mix of males and females aged 17-18 , and we also made sure that they had different music tastes, so that we could see if our video had a wider appeal than just fans of the dance genre.
We then interviewed two members of the focus group, so that we could ask them questions in more detail and find out face to face about their response to all three tasks.
After our focus group session, we then sat down as a group and looked over the feedback we'd received to find out what they thought of the three texts and to see if we were successful in creating realistic and professional looking final products.



To summarise, these are the key things we learnt from our audience feedback:


Music Video:
  • The theme the majority of the focus group felt our video encouraged and utilised was 'feel good' fun and happiness. Most of them found the video funny, especially the Gregg's sequence and the tube section of the video.
  • However, it seems that they also thought the video was targeted at a younger audience than themselves, perhaps the 10-15 age range instead of the 17-21 target audience we had originally intended the video to be targeted at. This is probably down to the childish nature of the panda, and if we had instead had a more conventional setting, such as a club which the panda visited it may have appealed to a more university based audience.
  • Although our target audience was aimed a little high, we did still want to make the video family friendly, and still hold appeal to children, as they were our secondary audience. The quirky and unique aspect of the video seems to appeal to both our target audience and younger people, as seen from the positive reviews from our focus group.
  • The main bit of negative feedback for the video was that the artist, Absynth was not included which they may have found puzzling for a debut artist (especially as her personality isn't revealed unless they look on the website) and some of the focus group suggested she should have had a cameo in the video, which retrospectively would have been a good idea. 
  • However, when talking to just two members of the focus group individually, they said that not having Absnyth in the video created an enigma and would encourage the audience to research her, and visit the website which is what we wanted.
  • Overall we had positive reviews for the video with an average rating of 7/8
Website:
  • We again had positive feedback on the website with an average rating of 8, with the focus group responding that it looked professional.
  • Some of the audience had an issue with the song automatic playing when you enter the website, and that perhaps there should be a volume option on the player, rather than just on and off switches.
  • They also suggested having multiple tracks available rather than just the repetition of the debut single.
  • The focus group were all able to find out 3 facts about Absynth easily, from the website which shows it's easy to navigate and find any information they want which is especially important as we don't give anything away in the video.
Album Cover:
  • Again, the overall consensus was that it looked really professional and that they could imagine it being sold among real products, with an average rating of 8/9.
  • However, the one main problem they seemed to have was with the text and colour of the title 'Freewired'. They said it was too dark and a little difficult to read. Narishma and myself, when working on the album cover had a problem deciding on the colour and placement of the text, making it work with the cover photo. In the end we perhaps made the wrong decision by making it black, but this is something to take into consideration and change if we were to make the cover again.
After looking at our audience feedback I am really pleased with how our target audience viewed our three texts, and we had an average of 7/8/9 in every one. The main thing we learnt was that the video was aimed at a younger audience than we originally intended to market our artist to, but this is something that we take into consideration.

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?



Our main product was our music video, which was supported by our chosen ancillary texts, a website and an album cover as we felt this was the best way to achieve and create a high level consist brand through a synergistic campaign. As we were creating products for a debut artist, we had to think carefully about presenting our artist in a consistent way. Although we took a risk by not having Absynth feature in our video as this goes against the conventions of marketing a debut artist, I think the mystery created by the video is enough to get the audience online to find out more and in challenging this convention, we created a positive twist. However, I feel the main source of synergy between the products comes from our decision to put the focus on music and its significance, rather than putting the focus directly on Absynth.





The headphones on the front cover signify the DJ genre, and add an extra element to the front cover taking it away from being just another pop genre album cover. The headphones were a theme carried through onto the website, where there are purchasing opportunities to buy T-Shirts with headphones on, and many of the photo's in the gallery had Absynth wearing headphones, or using DJ sets which also feature on the inside of the album cover. The boombox also has connotations of music which also is on both the album cover and website gallery. The gallery is one of the strong connections between the album cover and website.


These are some of the gallery photo's:



Although our video doesn't have any clear link to the artist, once the audience goes onto the website they can see the link between all three texts. By creating a synergy between our artist and WWF, we created the synergy needed for the audience to understand the connections. By Absynth working with WWF we also add to her personality, showing she is a caring and kinda person, which fits in with the humourous and feel-good video. However, it is the enigma created which is the appeal we were going for, as we didn't want to there to be an immediate synergy between the video and the artist, and although this is risky for a 'Debut Artist' we wanted to take the risk and try a unique and viral marketing campaign.


The WWF news story appears on the Home page in the 'Featured News' section which is one of the first things the audience will see, allowing them to immediately make the connection. Although we don't have any pictures of the panda on the album cover; to link the music video and website further, we included photo's of Absynth with the Panda used in our music video on a separate news page on the website. However, we could have had Absynth have a cameo in the video to increase the branding of the artist throughout






The Album Cover and Website both have a strong similar colour scheme of black, purple and pink. We chose these colours to reflect a confident, but stylish young artist; Absynth. The theme is modern and typical of other dance genre artist's websites, as although the colour is predominently black, we wanted flashes of colour to make it unique, and to give it a more feminine feel without being too stereotypical. Also the felt the black was reminscent of the club scene which will be popular amongst our target audience. The link between these two platforms is clear, and an audience member should be able to clearly see a cohesiveness between the mediums. 


We also carried on this colour scheme on our customised Twitter and Tumblr pages to keep a cohesiveness throughout, which means if a fan stumbled upon any of the social networking sites, they would immediately know it is the artist Absynth. As well as this colour scheme link, we used the same photoshoot on the Album Cover, Website and Social  Networking sites and this is important for a debut artist, as the imagery and identity of Absynth will be similar throughout. We also included links to the Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr sites on each corresponding website which increases interactivity, a key feature of our Absynth website.





We also have a consistency of font throughout the Album Cover and Website (even though one has a slightly different effect on it to the other), and it is simple and clear, again not distracting or taking away effect from the music itself. This is a technique used by many artists, in particular Nero who we took a lot of inspiration from throughout the project. This logo will be the key signifier for Absynth, and it appears all over the website (merchandise, titles etc.) and we don't have any other logo because we thought the name of the artist was strong enough in itself to carry the brand.





Another link between website and video is that the single, 'One More Time' plays immediately once you click the enter button on the site. As well as signifying the synergy between the two texts, it is also a great way to sell the music to our audience. The home page also has a link to be able to buy the album; also promoting the music. This marketing technique works with the video in order to sell the music (not just the artist).




The store on our website is also another place where we have managed to create synergy between all three products. The store allows the audience to buy many different items, ranging from the single and album (both creating a synergy to the music video and album cover), to T-Shirts with a cartoon panda on. By having a range of products available, we have managed to create links between what merchandise is online, and the product it represents. The different sections are clearly laid out, letting the visitor know what is available, and it also reiterates Absynth's love of pandas, almost adding the panda to her brand.




We promote each of the products using the products themselves, e.g. we have links to buy the album on the website, we have the website address on the back of the album cover, and the video will feature the artists name at the beginning or end, meaning the audience can go and search for our artist online (leading them to the website hopefully!). There is also the institutional information on the back of the album cover which also features on the website, showing institutional synergy as well as artist synergy.






I feel that although we have taken a risk by not featuring the artist in our video, which consequently makes marketing the artist consistently more difficult, we achieved our goal of putting emphasis on the music, rather than Absynth as a person, and by making her fun and likeable through the use of the panda we created a fun and unique person with a passion for music, translated through the continual references to her music throughout all three products. I feel it is the website which really forms the synergy connecting all three products, acting as a hub for the audience to find out everything they want to know.

Evaluation Question 1

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


This is a video of us discussing all the ways we feel each of the products challenge, use and develop conventions. We reference real media texts, as well as using Vernallis & Goodwin's theories to help enable and further our analysis. We analysed our three products in terms of dance genre in order to compare as closely as possible. I have also included short summaries underneath the video's to reiterate the key points we talked about.

Music Video:



These are the key conventions of dance genre music videos:
  • Don't feature the artist
  • Emphasis on partying - having fun
  • Range of shot types - close ups, extreme long shots, establishing shots etc.
  • Sexualisation of the female body
The key videos we looked at for inspiration when making our own are Paradise by Coldplay and Da Funk by Daft Punk. Both these videos feature a person dressed up as an animal, and they bring the absurd into reality which is something we really wanted to explore. We used these as intertextual references in our video, especially the train sequence in Paradise.



As shown here we wanted to include a set of similar shots to those in the Coldplay video, and as our favourite part of their video was the train sequence, this was the part we really wanted to recreate. We also managed to use a similar colour grading style, leaving the colours quite natural and realistic, to not make the video appear too glossy or staged.



Website



These are the main two websites we used for inspiration when creating our own. The main influence we drew from both of these websites is the dark colour scheme, and the featured news section at the top of Nero's. The other main thing we drew from them is the simple, easy navigation bar at the top.


Album Cover



As there aren't many female DJ's around, it was difficult to draw inspiration from their album covers. However, as our song crossed over into the pop genre, we decided to look at female pop solo artists, as well as some male DJ's for inspiration. We combined the two genre's conventions, by having the close up of the artist, but then the headphones were very obvious on the front cover, signifying Absynth's love of music, and that we're not just selling the artist (like many pop albums).




Thursday 15 December 2011

Record Company/Website Research

As we were thinking about making our artist independent, I looked into record companies who gave away their music for free, and made money by donations from fans. One example of this is Quote Unquote Records


Although we are an independent label, I don't feel the website is as aesthetically pleasing as it could be. We want our site to look more professional which is why I went on to look at other websites (in the dance genre), such as
THISISNERO.



I really like their website as it has a wide range of content available for the user to interact with, and the layout is simple but effective. I can see us creating something similar to this when making our own website, as it reflects the dance genre really well. I also like how big the title is at the top of the site, immediately letting the user know who the artist is. I also think the consistent theme works really well in establishing artist identity.

Thursday 8 December 2011

Example shoot schedules & shot lists.

This is a shoot schedule that we used in order to make our shoots as stress free as possible.

Tuesday 22nd November Shoot Schedule

This is a document we created which breaks down the narrative we wanted to film. It meant our shoots were much more organised as we knew exactly which shots we wanted, and it helped us get the idea clear in our heads.
Narrative

Friday 2 December 2011

Audience Research

Our target audience is 16-24 year olds and so I decided to do some research into that age range to find out how we could most effectively target our audience. These tables (from this site) show the sort of sites young people use, and as Web 2.0 is incredibly popular among our target audience I felt it was necessary to find these figures out.

I also found out that 'A new survey from communications regulator Ofcom says that 16-24 year-olds value their mobile phones and the web more than television, and that under-13s are flouting Facebook's rules by setting up accounts.' This shows that in order to appeal to our audience we need to include a viral aspect to our video (hence the Panda & dance routine). Everything is moving online utilising Web 2.0 and this was extremely useful when planning our video, website and album cover.

Thursday 1 December 2011

Shoot Reflections

When making our music video, we had many shoots as because we changed our idea we were short on time and we needed to film whenever possible.

We filmed at multiple different locations such as Ridge Avenue (Gregg's shop), Bus Stop, Train Station, Alex's house and at/around school. Luckily I was able to drive us about from location to location and we used all our free periods to make sure we got all the necessary footage. We took turns filming at each location and although we couldn't all be at every shoot due to other restrictions, we shared the filming and directing as much as possible to give everyone an equal chance. I feel that I became more confident using the camera as the project went on, and I was also able to try directing at some points as well. I was even the female panda at the last shoot, which required me to use my non-existent acting skills! We made sure on each shoot to get lots of versions of each shot, so that we weren't stuck when editing, and overall I feel our shoots were really successful.

Dance Planning for Shoots

With our first idea of the panda dancing in the park, we asked the media technician Chris to be in the panda suit for us as he is quite a good dancer. This is a video of Sam teaching Chris the dance we wanted to have in our video. We were really lucky that Chris was willing to be in the panda suit, even though we didn't end up using that idea.


This is the final dance tutorial we posted on Facebook enabling our extras to learn the dance before hand meaning shoot time was maximised as we didn't need to teach the extras on the day.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Change of Idea!

After our first shoot, we captured the footage, made a rough edit and watched it back as a group. We then decided that we didn't feel the video was to our best standards and that if we were to alter the idea slightly, that we could come up with an idea that provided more of a narrative. (Here is a post on the group blog with our reflections on the first shoot)

After talking to our teachers we decided that instead of the Panda's journey just being through the park ,we wanted to take this idea further and have te Panda on a longer journey, perhaps on the way to school. We then planned the possible scenario's that the Panda could go through such as:
  • Waking up in the morning
  • Stealing a bike
  • Catching a train
  • Riding a skateboard on the back of a car
  • Getting breakfast
  • Greeting others along the way
However, the one part of the first video we felt worked really well, was the dance sequence at the end. We wanted to include this in our final video, and so instead of it being in a park, we had the dance in a school gym which made shooting especially easier (no weather issues to worry about!) and meant that the lighting was easier to control. We kept the same dance routine which also meant we didn't need to make another dance tutorial video.

Although it was a tough decision choosing to start pretty much from scratch without much time left, we felt it was necessary for us to create a great end product and I am really glad we took the initiative to make the change carry it through.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Final Song Selection

After a lot of discussion, we decided to scrap our other idea, and instead go for something completely different; a panda.

These were our original options for the song choice: 
  • Daft Punk - One More Time
  • Livin Joy - Don't Stop Movin
  • 2 UNLIMITED - Tribal Dance
  • Everybody Dance Now
After listening to each song multiple times, we decided on Daft Punk - One More Time. It's in the dance genre, and has a very fun and upbeat feel to it which we felt worked really well with the panda costume idea.

Thursday 6 October 2011

Development Of Our Idea

As we decided to go forward with the Kasabian track 'Fast Fuse' we began discussing our idea further, as we were trying to figure out a narrative which would keep the audience interested for 3 minutes.
We thought we might want to main singer to be the main character in our narrative as well, with him waking up in a bed, confused and dishevelled but he then becomes claustrophobic, fighting the space around him and being agressive to the camera. He would be in a small room (similar to a prison cell) with minimal props and distractions, instead focusing on his inner termoil at being trapped in a small space.






However, after thinking this through, we decided the narrative wasn't strong enough and went back to the drawing board for ideas. Sam came up with the idea of a girl and a boy bumping into each other (after we see graphic matches of their stories) and they are both quite cocky and self assured. The guy is trying to get her attention, and then jumps on a car and the guy holds out his hand as the lyrics say 'come get me' and then as the song slows there is contemplation on the girls behalf as to whether or not she should join him. She then runs past him and ignores his flirting. He would then follow her and the girl starts singing some of the lyrics to him instead, such as 'I got no time to love' which would invert the gender steretype in indie videos. We then also thought about them becoming separated towards the end following the lyric 'heaven may call but I won't be there' and the guy could potentially be left on his own at the end. This narrative would be intercut with the band as they are still a strong aspect of the video.


For the look/style of the band we thought it would be best to try and get them away from the indie look and try to make them appear more fresh, sharp and fashion forward instead of the relaxed more casual which is more popular among indie bands. We want them wearing suits (not necessarily with the jacket) with skinny ties and for them to be quite tight fitting. For the girl and guy in the narrative, we want them to look more indie and less put together than the band.


Wednesday 5 October 2011

Music Consumption

How:


Due to the introduction of the ever developing Web 2.0 the way music is consumed has drastically changed in the past 10 years. Now that portable devices are incredibly prominent in today's society, the way we consume music is far more technological and the audience is becoming more demanding to get music as fast as possible. However the main ways I think we consume music are:
  • CD's
  • Music channels on TV
  • YouTube (or other video sites)
  • Radio
  • From our portable devices; Phone, IPod etc.
  • Spotify
  • ITunes
  • Live performances; Festivals, Concerts etc.


What:


Audiences consume the song and video for a track as the two are often seen side by side, unless it's on the radio. They consume product and this is what is essential for the record company to produce. They also consume tour tickets and merchandise normally from the artists website.


Why:


People consume music for many reasons, following Uses & Gratifications, but it's consumed in great amounts every day. From this research site it appears that the main reasons people listen to music are:
  • music as background noise
  • for mood management
  • social interaction
  • as an enjoyable experience
  • to reflect on the past
  • musical participation
  • for a distraction
It seems like why people use music depends on what audience group they're in. The older age groups seem to use it more for mood management or reflecting on the past, but younger age groups like it as a distraction or for social reasons.

Textual Analysis of a Music Video


 As we are thinking about using a Kasabian song for our music video I decided to analyse one of their other music videos to find out more about their style and genre. Although we didn't end up using a Kasabian song, being able to recognise all the conventions of music videos was very useful when creating our own.

Insitutional/Reference Information

I am anaylsing Kasabian's video for 'Cutt Off' (2009), which was directed by Simon Willows. The music's genre is indie-rock, and the video reflects this genre through the mise-en-scene. The video is set in an urban, desolate, run-down town which is covered in graffitti. The main singers clothing is quite simple and dark, and not trying to be flashy or stand out. This is quite typical of the indie genre where the artists appearance isn't necessarily key to selling their music.

Relationship between Lyrics & Visuals and Music Visuals
  • 'monkey is the key' - small  toy monkey is shown on screen
  • 'tied to the suspect' - see's a car covered with blood, crime connotations
  • 'unsuspecting citizens who hallucinate in fear' - cuts to man running away from something unseen
  • 'hooked on LSD' - accounts for some of the crazy things the audience are seeing - sharks flying around
  • 'i don't think you realise he's coming for your neck' - cuts to a shot of a scared man who's fearing of the thing coming for him
  • 'making his get away' - see a man running through an empty street


The video doesn't always cut to the strong beats in the song, but it doesn't cut mid line either. At the beginning the music is quite slow, and so the editing reflects this as the camera stays on each shot for a little while. Each verse is slow and then the music and pace builds up for the chorus meaning the video also speeds up. During the verses  we see the people in the video panic, but they don't really run until the chorus starts and the shark then attacks.

Close-ups of the Artist and Star Image motifs

There are many close ups of the main singer who we follow as he walks through the streets. There are also occasional close-ups of the rest of the band, but as a large proportion of the video is narrative, the focus is almost taken off of the band and put on the story instead. The record company is looking to sell this track on it's unique quality and the rough, experimental elements it has. 


As the shark ignores the band it suggests they are invincible and fearless, and their presence contains authority. This is making the band seem more desirable to their audience, encouraging people to buy the song. Also because of how different and unique the video is, it will likely draw in viewers that may not have watched the video or listened to the song before. Kasabian's other videos are also quite strange in their narrative, not sticking to conventions. A lot of their videos have a focus on performance such as 'Shoot the Runner' and 'Where Did the Love Go' and so this video may be slightly different to their others because of it's strong narrative influence. Their videos mostly seem to be set in empty places or deserted places which don't look too fancy or clean.




Reference to the notion of looking

In this particular video there isn't any real sense that the artist is on sexual display, but this is primarily down to the genre of the music. The video is about fear and attack rather than a song about love or relationships. Also, in the indie-rock genre the artist is not often sexualised as the focus is on their music instead of their looks. The costumes and lack of dance are almost trying to do the opposite, making the band seem less sexualised to make the viewer focus more on the interesting narrative instead. However, the lead singer and band do seem to have a confidence to them as he bravely struts around the streets clearly not afraid of what everyone else is running from.

However, there is still a strong notion of looking, but from the sharks perspective. You don't actually see the shark until over half way through the video, but you see a lot of the people in the video from it's perspective. This makes the viewer more fearful as all they can see is the look of horror on the people's faces, and obviously there's the 'fear of the unknown' which is strongly utilised in this video. There's no hints to it being a shark, and it's especially not thought of in the urban setting but this makes it even more shocking and effective. The view we see from the shark doesn't sexualise the people we see, instead making them out to be victims. Unlike most music videos, you don't wish you were the people in this one. One example of looking from the bands perspective is when the lead singer looks into the car (shown above; bottom left), and when the band stare at the camera, almost looking straight at the audience.



Monday 3 October 2011

Music Video Analysis; Vernalis

I decided to analyse Michael Buble's video for Feeling Good. [EDIT: although this is not directly linked to our music video, I feel by analysing this music video in such detail I was able to decide which elements I wanted to incorporate into our own video and have a better understanding of the conventions]






Narrative:

In the video, Buble plays the character of a spy/agent who is on a secret mission. He's seen secretly entering a building and then tampers with the equipment and then knocks out a group of female protectors. There is a strong empahsis on the narrative in this video, with the performance intercutting between the narrative. Buble is the lead character in the video, and although you can't tell if he is a protagonist or antagonist, the audience is still on his side due to his cool demeanour and stylish presentation. The narrative is shown through the shots of files and equipment in the room which all add mystery to the video and intrigue the viewer. The narrative is what drives the video, but there are also lots of questions left unanswered, such as why he's there or who the women are. Although the video jumps around, meaning continuity is lost as Buble couldn't be in all those places at once, there is still a beginning, middle and end which creates some form of resolution, even though we don't know where his character is going next. The narrative isn't a literal interpretation of the lyrics, as he never mentions being a spy or crimes in the lyrics, just feeling good, which is shown by him completing a mission instead.




Spy documents:

We never see the women's faces creating anonymity:


Editing:

The screen appears curved right from the start which makes it appear like an old fashioned television screen, emphasising the narrative in the video. The beginning contains a few fades making the pace quite slow. There is a split screen at one point suggesting that Buble's character and the woman are going to interact. The video mostly doesn't cut on the beat, until it reaches the musical climax, where the editing and music speed up together. This means that there isn't an even pace throughout, as the narrative follows the music. There are lots of cuts during movement, as the video is packed with action. There is quite high contrast with little colour in the video, as everything appears very sterile and cold. There is slow motion at some points which highlights the running, but also could be seen as a way to make the women look slow and inferior, and there are also zoom-ins at certain points linking two shots together. At the end of the video, Buble gets in his car, and then it disappears leaving just the building work behind him.


Use of special effects/different techniques:


Camera Movement & Framing:

On the shots of Buble himself, the camera framing is tight, and the majority of his shots are close ups to suggest he is the main character. The camera also stays still when on his character meaning he is the key focus of the audiences attention. All the other characters are mainly shown through long shots, and we never actually see the women's faces creating anonymity and makes them untrustworthy, forcing you to side with Buble's character. At the beginning the shots are quite simple and slow, with shots of little movement to build up the tension for what's to come. One consistent shot throughout the video, is one of Buble stood infront of a flashy car, making him appear rich and stylish. As it is a long shot, it makes sure the audience can see the car and see how expensive it looks.


Close up of main characters (Buble's) face:

Long shots of the car:

Diegesis:

There is a lot of repetition of shots in this music video, in particular the still shots of Buble singing. His character does move to the music during the performance part of the video, but in the other shots his focus is his 'spy task'. There are gaps in the audience's understanding as they don't know the reasoning behind his break in, or why he has a vengeance against those people. However, it is also this mystery which encourages the viewer to keep watching. The frames of him by himself are more important as they last longer and are close ups. As the video jumps around in time, gaps are left for the audience to fill in. The diegesis is revealed slowly at first but then the viewer is thrown into the world of the music video as you want to know what Buble's character is up to. His actions are completed however, as we see him complete his task and then leave after he is satisfied with the job he's done.