In film criticism, auteur theory holds that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision, as if they were the primary "auteur". In spite of—and sometimes even because of—the production of the film as part of an industrial process, the author's creative voice is distinct enough to shine through all kinds of studio interference and through the collective process. In some cases, film producers are considered to exert a similar "auteur" influence on films they have produced.In law, the film is treated as a work of art, and the auteur, as the creator of the film, is the original copyright holder. Under European Union law, the film director is considered the author or one of the authors of a film, largely as a result of the influence of auteur theory.
Auteur theory has influenced film criticism since 1954, when it was advocated by film director and critic François Truffaut. This method of film analysis was originally associated with the French New Wave and the film critics who wrote for the French film review periodical Cahiers du Cinéma. Auteur theory was developed a few years later in America through the writings of The Village Voice critic Andrew Sarris. Sarris used auteur theory as a way to further the analysis of what defines serious work through the study of respected directors and their films.
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Andrew Goodwin: Theory of Music Videos
Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features in music videos which are:
- A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
- A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
- Genre-related style and iconography present.
- Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
- Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
- Intertextual references to other media texts may be present.
He says that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to increase the video’s appeal, particularly to males, whilst intertextuality is often employed in humorous videos.
Many of these features are present in all music videos, depending on the genre of the song and the aim of the record company/artist.
- A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
- A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
- Genre-related style and iconography present.
- Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
- Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
- Intertextual references to other media texts may be present.
He says that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to increase the video’s appeal, particularly to males, whilst intertextuality is often employed in humorous videos.
Many of these features are present in all music videos, depending on the genre of the song and the aim of the record company/artist.
Monday 7 November 2011
Friday 4 November 2011
Props/Equipment list
Props list.
Guitar x2
Microphone
Bottle of alcohol
Cigarette
Pouch of flour (drugs)
Party- cups, cans, chairs, alcohol, stereo
Equipment list.
Video camera
Tripod
Mac
Spotlight
Tapes
Digital camera
Personnel involved.
Courtney Schofield Filming
Hannah Ward
Tom Wolfe
Lauren Chappell Main characters
Sarah Rose
Matt Walton
Tom Dalaimo Band members
Ryan Thompson
Shelley Wiseman
Sam Hassan
Chellbi Stennett
Stephen Walsh Party people
Matt Walton
Ryan Thompson
Lighting Design
Opening scene- Main character is in an empty, rundown warehouse with no artificial lighting used as it needs to have a dark atmosphere, portraying the fact that he has lost everything and this is now his home. The cold weather and dark nights will add to this atmosphere as it will emphasise his loss.
House party scene- Normal house lights/lamps will be used to create the party feel that the audience should be familiar with.
London scene- The bright lights used around London will help the audience realise that the main character has lost his rational thinking, creating the chaos and confusion being portrayed.
Flashbacks- The flashbacks will be edited in black and white so the audience can distinguish between the past and the present.
Costume and Make-up plan
Main male character- Rough-looking, slightly alternative style clothing in order to portray his rough lifestyle and attitude to drinking and smoking. Make-up to make him appear run-down and unhealthy due to his drug and alcohol abuse; dark eyes, pale skin.
Main female character- Stylish everyday clothing, nothing out of the ordinary, to show she is a normal girl and to make sure the focus is not kept on her as the story is based around the male character. Natural make-up to keep her image simple, with mascara running in order to show the audience she has been crying which will help to convey her pain.
Second female character- Short dress, promiscuous image in order to lure the male character. Lots of make-up to show the difference between the two female characters.
Party people- Stylish, dressy clothing to portray your everyday teenagers.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Decisions Script
1. What was the final decision on our song?
Our final song choice was ‘White Blank Page’ by Mumford & Sons. We picked the song because we wanted to make a narrative based video and we felt that the lyrics were appropriate in helping us to create an effective storyline. We chose a song by Mumford & Sons because we felt the band had a unique approach to music as opposed to the mainstream music currently in the charts.
2. Have we got permission from the band allowing us to use their song for our project?
No, not yet. We could contact them through their FaceBook page or reach them through their fan site. The job of contacting them will be left down to Hannah.
3. Have we completed our storyboard for our music video?
Yes, our storyboard is finished, this will now help us when filming so we know what goes in what order and when certain things need to be happening. It will also help us when setting us different camera shots and angles as we will know exactly what shots we are using.
4. What settings will we be using in our music video?
We plan to set the opening scene in an empty, rundown warehouse to show how the main character has lost everything due to his abuse of drugs and alcohol. The dark colours will portray his emotions of being alone and distraught, however the bright colours of the graffiti will convey the chaos and confusion he is feeling from the effects of the drugs. The scenes in which we are showing the band playing, we intend to set in a field in order to keep with the theme of a typical Mumford & Sons music video. Another setting we will be using is a house party. We are using this setting because after conducting our questionnaire, this is one of the settings our audience wanted to see in our music video.
5. Have we decided on who will be playing our characters in our video?
Yes, we have a good idea on who we will be using but still need to contact a couple of them to see if they are willing to take part in our video. We have also decided on back up actors incase the main actors for one reason or another cannot take part. We have had to decide on people who have a certain look to be in our video. For example, the main male character has to have a rugged, unshaven look as he has been left homeless and is currently abusing drugs and alcohol. If the actor looks too well groomed and looked after, it will not coincide with the concept of the video.
6. What costumes have we chosen to use in our music video?
For the main male character, we have chosen to dress him in rough-looking, slightly alternative style clothing in order to portray his rough lifestyle and attitude to drinking and smoking.
7. Have we decided on the lighting for the different shots?
Yes, various lighting effects will be used for different scenes. The opening scene in which the main character is in an empty, rundown warehouse, there will be no artificial lighting used as it needs to have a dark atmosphere, portraying the fact that he has lost everything and this is now his home. The cold weather will add to this atmosphere as the cold days and dark nights will emphasise his loss. The scene with the house party will use normal house lights/lamps to create the party feel that the audience should be familiar with. When we film the scenes in London where it becomes apparent to the audience that the main character has lost his rational thinking, the bright lights will help to create the chaos and confusion being portrayed.
8. Are there any recurring themes in our music video?
The theme that frequently appear in our video is loss. The main male character has lost his home and his loved one due to his drug and alcohol abuse. He also loses his rational thinking because of the effects of the drugs. This is apparent to the audience through the use of random images that the main character thinks he is seeing but are not actually there. The overall video has quite a dark feel to it, leaving the audience thinking about the message being conveyed. We aim to discourage the use of drugs by showing the audience how they can go from having everything to nothing.
Bands/Artists I would like to create a music video for
Another artist I would like to create a music video for would be Justin Bieber. Most pop videos are very light-hearted and fun as they are aimed at a younger audience. Bieber has a huge fan base, mostly teenage girls, therefore making it easier to create a music video for a specific audience. As a young pop artist, the video could be narrative-based with a storyline that his audience can relate to and empathise with. The costumes used would not have to be too creative as this is not what Bieber’s fans are used to seeing from him. Instead they are used to seeing him dressed in stylish clothing, usually opposite a girl of a similar age. His settings are usually everyday places in which anyone would be able to visit, therefore giving the audience something else to relate to.
A band I would like to create a music video for would be One Direction. From seeing their previous video, they appear to perform well together and vibe off of each other creating an exciting and lively atmosphere. They are stylish young men who are popular with an audience of mostly teenage girls. I believe they would be good in an up-beat, energetic video which is narrative and performance-based. As they are in the same genre of Justin Bieber, the settings and costumes would be of a similar nature, making them relatable to their audience.
Annotated lyrics
Mumford & Sons- White Blank Page
Can you lie next to her
And give her your heart, your heart
As well as your body?
He cannot fully give her his heart as his heart now belongs to the drugs. His body is no longer under his control as the drugs now has power over his body.
And can you lie next to her
And confess your love, your love
As well as your folly?
Questioning his love for her after being taken over by the effects of the drugs.
And can you kneel before the king
And say I’m clean, I’m clean?
Lying to himself that he is not addicted yet cannot stop himself from using the drugs. Doesn’t want to believe it.
But tell me now, where was my fault?
In loving you with my whole heart
Oh, tell me now where was my fault?
In loving you with my whole heart
Trying to say that although he gave her his all but it wasn’t enough for her and he turned to drugs. He gave her everything, which turned out to be his downfall.
A white blank page and a swelling rage, rage
You did not think when you sent me to the brink, the brink
You desired my attention
But denied my affections, affections
She didn’t realize what she was doing by not paying him as much as attention as he required. It becomes apparent that the relationship was quite one sided as he loved her more than she loved him.
So tell me now, where was my fault?
In loving you with my whole heart
Oh, tell me now where was my fault?
In loving you with my whole heart
Lead me to the truth and I
Will follow you with my whole life
Oh, lead me to the truth and I
Will follow you with my whole life
She is the only one who can help him through this and get him past his drug habit. She can lead him away from this alternative lifestyle he has chosen and set him on the right path again.
Monday 12 September 2011
Music Video Questionnaire
I feel a questionnaire is an effective way to reach our target audience as it is a quick and practical method to collect quantitative data. Participants don't have to spend too long answering the questions as they only have to tick a box. They don't have to think too hard about their answers as they are picking from a multiple choice and the questions are closed ended, therefore participants not having to expand on their answers. It is also easy for me to make observations and conclusions from the results.
1. What is your gender?
MaleIIII Female IIII
2. What is your age?
13-16 17-20IIII IIII 20-24 I 25-29 30+
3. What would you like to see in a Mumford & Sons music video?
Good storylineIIII I Good characters I Creative costume and setting III Live Performance
4. What do you prefer?
Narrative-basedIIII I Performance-based III Concept-based I
5. What setting do you prefer?
Gig/concert I Countryside CityscapeIIII House party IIII School
6. In a narrative-based music video, what do you prefer?
Linear sequenceIIII Non-linear sequence IIII
7. What do you prefer in a music video?
Realism IIII SurrealismIIII I
8. What real life events do you like to see in a music video?
Drug Abuse II Relationship destruction II Celebrations III Death I Good relationship II
9. Do you like for the lyrics to match what is happening in the video?
YesIIII III No II
From these results, I can concur that in our music video, a good storyline is important to our target audience, with them also being enticed by creative costume and setting. It is apparent that they would like a narrative-based video with some performance, the main setting being a cityscape. The demographic was split between a linear and non-linear sequence, with no clear indication into which they would prefer. We found that they would prefer a sense of surrealism in the video. When it came to the real life events, there was again, no real indication into which they would prefer, leaving it available for us to choose what fits best with our video. It was also apparent to us that they would prefer for the visuals to match the lyrics.
1. What is your gender?
Male
2. What is your age?
13-16 17-20
3. What would you like to see in a Mumford & Sons music video?
Good storyline
4. What do you prefer?
Narrative-based
5. What setting do you prefer?
Gig/concert I Countryside Cityscape
6. In a narrative-based music video, what do you prefer?
Linear sequence
7. What do you prefer in a music video?
Realism IIII Surrealism
8. What real life events do you like to see in a music video?
Drug Abuse II Relationship destruction II Celebrations III Death I Good relationship II
9. Do you like for the lyrics to match what is happening in the video?
Yes
From these results, I can concur that in our music video, a good storyline is important to our target audience, with them also being enticed by creative costume and setting. It is apparent that they would like a narrative-based video with some performance, the main setting being a cityscape. The demographic was split between a linear and non-linear sequence, with no clear indication into which they would prefer. We found that they would prefer a sense of surrealism in the video. When it came to the real life events, there was again, no real indication into which they would prefer, leaving it available for us to choose what fits best with our video. It was also apparent to us that they would prefer for the visuals to match the lyrics.
Target Audience Demographic
-Understand the importance of knowing your audience's wants and needs.
In order to find out what our audience wants to see in our music video, we will need:
-Qualitative and quantitative methods.
-Explain why we believe these are the best ways to reach our target audience.
-What data we hope to gain.
-How we will collect, evaluate and present our data.
-Explain how the data will impact on our choices in the final video.
- From researching Mumford & Sons and their fan base, we found that their target audience were young adults (male 69%, female 32%) at average age of 24.
- Mumford & Sons come under the genre of indie/folk music.
- 75% of their target audience falls under the socio economic classification of ABC1.
- Their FaceBook page currently has 2,147,224 members, all from different social classifications, with 52% of them in full time work and 29% of them still studying.
- Mumford & Sons appeared on the front of the magazine NME. It has been found that readers of NME go to live gigs -65% male, 50% 16-24 years old, 23% 25-34 years old, 79% ABC1.
- C-B; main category for NME readers.
In order to find out what our audience wants to see in our music video, we will need:
-Qualitative and quantitative methods.
-Explain why we believe these are the best ways to reach our target audience.
-What data we hope to gain.
-How we will collect, evaluate and present our data.
-Explain how the data will impact on our choices in the final video.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Primary Research Proposal Form
We decided that the most effective qualitative and quantitative methods of primary research would be a question posted on FaceBook, in which friends comment and provide us with qualitative feedback. We also decided to construct a questionnaire in order for us to gain some quantitative data.
I believe these are the best ways to receive constructive feedback in order to help us make final decisions on our music video. FaceBook is a worldwide social networking site which is increasingly popular with teenagers and young adults. As they spend a lot of their time on this site, it makes sense to communicate with them in a way which is familiar to them. A FaceBook question allows people to elaborate on their answers and give detailed responses, providing us with more effective data. The only problem we may face would be if people don't take the question seriously and we don't achieve the results we are hoping to. The reason we decided on constructing a questionnaire to collect our quantitative data is that it is not time consuming for our participants. If they had to answer question after question giving long, detailed answers, they may lose interest and concentration and end up not giving feedback that is as helpful as when they have to expand on their answers. The closed ended questions allow us to easily conclude the results, giving us a better idea of what our audience want to see in our music video.
From these two primary research methods, we hope to gain data that coincides with our initial ideas for our music video as we will then not have to create a new concept. It would also be easier for us to make conclusions from the results if a majority of the participants agreed on what they would like to see, as mixed results would leave us to decide on different aspects of the video, which may not be what the audience like.
In order to collect our data, we will ask people of a similar age to us to fill out our questionnaire and respond to our FaceBook question as they fit into the age group of Mumford & Sons target audience. The questionnaires will be taken while they are on their own so they are not influenced by their friends arouns them. That way, we get honest opinions on what they would like to see in our video. The results from the questionnaires will be presented in pie charts, therefore making the results clear to everyone and easier to see what the majority agreed on.
Although we already have an initial concept for our music video, if it doesn't match what our audience have told us they want to see, then it will have to be changed. The point of a music video is to please the audience and attract them to the song and the artist; if they don't like the video, they are less likely to listen to the song. The data we collect will greatly impact our final decisions as the people who participate in our questionnaire and FaceBook question will be the ones who will watch our finished video. If we decided to completely go against what our audience have said, there would be no point in ever doing our primary research. These results will ultimately make our music video.
Initial Music Video Ideas
As a female student fitting in the age category of 14-19, my favourite music genre is R'n'B and my favourite artist from that genre is Usher. Although R'n'B is my preferred genre of music to listen to, I also enjoy pop and indie music with artists ranging from Justin Bieber to The Wombats. Currently, my favourite music video is Chris Brown ft Justin Bieber- Next To You. This is because of the interesting storyline and creative
costume and setting. The video is based on apocalyptic events, causing the artists to be separated from their loved ones and showing their efforts to be reunited. The use of mise en scene in the video adds effect and gives the audience a sense of surrealism as not many of the audience will be able to relate to the events portrayed in the video, however they may be able to relate to being separated from a loved one. I also enjoy this video as it uses a cityscape setting, which is what I like to see in music videos.
I believe these are the best ways to receive constructive feedback in order to help us make final decisions on our music video. FaceBook is a worldwide social networking site which is increasingly popular with teenagers and young adults. As they spend a lot of their time on this site, it makes sense to communicate with them in a way which is familiar to them. A FaceBook question allows people to elaborate on their answers and give detailed responses, providing us with more effective data. The only problem we may face would be if people don't take the question seriously and we don't achieve the results we are hoping to. The reason we decided on constructing a questionnaire to collect our quantitative data is that it is not time consuming for our participants. If they had to answer question after question giving long, detailed answers, they may lose interest and concentration and end up not giving feedback that is as helpful as when they have to expand on their answers. The closed ended questions allow us to easily conclude the results, giving us a better idea of what our audience want to see in our music video.
From these two primary research methods, we hope to gain data that coincides with our initial ideas for our music video as we will then not have to create a new concept. It would also be easier for us to make conclusions from the results if a majority of the participants agreed on what they would like to see, as mixed results would leave us to decide on different aspects of the video, which may not be what the audience like.
In order to collect our data, we will ask people of a similar age to us to fill out our questionnaire and respond to our FaceBook question as they fit into the age group of Mumford & Sons target audience. The questionnaires will be taken while they are on their own so they are not influenced by their friends arouns them. That way, we get honest opinions on what they would like to see in our video. The results from the questionnaires will be presented in pie charts, therefore making the results clear to everyone and easier to see what the majority agreed on.
Although we already have an initial concept for our music video, if it doesn't match what our audience have told us they want to see, then it will have to be changed. The point of a music video is to please the audience and attract them to the song and the artist; if they don't like the video, they are less likely to listen to the song. The data we collect will greatly impact our final decisions as the people who participate in our questionnaire and FaceBook question will be the ones who will watch our finished video. If we decided to completely go against what our audience have said, there would be no point in ever doing our primary research. These results will ultimately make our music video.
Initial Music Video Ideas
As a female student fitting in the age category of 14-19, my favourite music genre is R'n'B and my favourite artist from that genre is Usher. Although R'n'B is my preferred genre of music to listen to, I also enjoy pop and indie music with artists ranging from Justin Bieber to The Wombats. Currently, my favourite music video is Chris Brown ft Justin Bieber- Next To You. This is because of the interesting storyline and creative
costume and setting. The video is based on apocalyptic events, causing the artists to be separated from their loved ones and showing their efforts to be reunited. The use of mise en scene in the video adds effect and gives the audience a sense of surrealism as not many of the audience will be able to relate to the events portrayed in the video, however they may be able to relate to being separated from a loved one. I also enjoy this video as it uses a cityscape setting, which is what I like to see in music videos.
For our coursework, we have decided to make a music video for the song White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons. Before starting our primary research, we thought up an initial concept for our video. We decided on the video being narrative based with part performance. The storyline consists of a relationship between a man and a woman and the man has been drawn into drug use. For that, his girlfriend leaves him. A combination of the drugs he is taking and the emotional turmoil from the destruction of his relationship causes him to go delusional. Random images will be shown as his thoughts to portray his disillusioned state of mind. The opening scene will be set in a house/bedroom, showing how the main character no longer has his loved one with him. The camera will then pan the room to show the audience the drugs by his bed to inform the audience that they are what has caused the break up. Some performance will be shown of the band playing in a field/country setting to stick with typical Mumford & Sons music videos. The scenes in which the main character appears to be dillusional will be set in London as I personally like to see a cityscape in music videos. A lot of dark colours will be used such as black and grey, in order to show his mental state. However a few hints of bright colours will be used to show how the drugs have affected his thoughts and emotions, portraying chaos and confusion.
Sunday 10 July 2011
Textual Analysis of Music Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMihKmoYfe8
The video follows the conventions of alternative rock as it is mimicking the genre name by being alternative to current, more common songs in the chart.
The overall lyrics are describing a story of a party ‘last Friday night’ and the video is just presenting the actions and memories.
There are a lot of close-ups of her the show who the main character is and to allow the audience to possibly relate to her story.
Solo instrumental is accompanied by the performance of a man playing a saxophone.
The image being displayed of the artist relates to a lot of teenage girls – the underdog ‘geeky’ girl becomes the popular ‘sexy’ girl who throws a party for everyone to enjoy.
Once Katy Perry’s character has been transformed, she appears more “sexy” with the tight clothing enhancing her figure for the male viewing pleasure.
There are pictures on the computer screen of her licking something off a man’s body, referring to possible sexual acts in which teenagers can relate to.
1. The Script – Nothing
Director – Charles Mehling
Alternative rock
The lyrics of alternative rock songs usually address social issues, such as drug use and depression. This song speaks of depressive events including the character being suicidal over the loss of his loved one.
2. Examples of where the lyrics match the visuals are:
“As they take me to my local down the street” – the opening scene is him in a bar.
“And my mates are all there trying to calm me down, ‘cause I’m shouting your name all on the town” – clips of him stumbling out of the bar, surrounding by friends attempting to calm his rowdy behaviour are shown.
“And I know that I’m drunk, but I sing the words, but she’ll listen this time even though they’re slurred” – the lead singer and main character is shown walking along the road, demonstrating drunk behaviour.
“I’ve got nothing” – the audience is shown the lead singer standing on the bridge about to jump, having ‘nothing’.
“Am I better off dead, am I better off a quitter” – being pulled out of the water after attempted suicide. This is also shown at the beginning of the video, which foreshadows the later events/lyrics
3. Examples of where the music matches the visuals are:
As the electric guitar comes in there are quicker cuts as he jumps into the water to pick up a faster pace and accompany the more sinister events.
The cuts are less frequent as the music becomes slower.
The band member is playing/performing with the guitar during the instrumental moments.
4. The record company looks to sell this track by relating the lyrics and the video to realistic events that audiences can familiarise with.
It represents the fact that other people in the world go through this sort of pain.
The video can be compared to others by the script such as “We Cry” and “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” as they are set in real life settings.
5. There is no evidence of the notion of looking and they are not on sexual display because the storyline is based on love and loss rather than sexual desire and lust.
6. There are no intertextual references as the video has its own individual storyline rather than needing to incorporate other elements of media into the piece.
7. The video is narrative based, as it shows us a storyline, with very little performance
1. Neon Trees – Animal
Alternative Rock
2. Examples of where the lyrics match the visuals are:
“We’re sick like animals” – the people in the video all ‘fall’ due to their sickness from a leak in the ceiling
“I feel the chemicals kicking in” – the chemicals coming out of the vent shows a change in the people’s skin changing into animals
“I won’t sleep tonight” – everyone wakes up and comes to life.
“Take a bight of my heart tonight” – related to animal behaviour as they are all dressed as animals and the song is called ‘Animal’.
Overall, the lyrics are metaphorically saying ‘let loose’ and ‘have fun’, and the bright colours and wrecking of the paintings are representative of this idea.
3. Examples of where the music matches the visuals are:
Very fast cuts to match the very quick beats at the beginning, for one second.
The song is pretty much fast faced the whole way through and so the editing reflects this by keeping the cuts the same pace throughout also – at a steady pace.
4. The image being promoted in this video is a carpe diem feel as they are behaving in a care-free manner and appear to be losing their inhibitions.
Their video “1983” is similar to the video in a way, as it is performance based, and also shows them walking around a funfair – a very carefree place to go and take risks much like the idea of “Animal”.
The company is looking to sell the track by just being upbeat and fun, and allowing the audience to just enjoy the music and have a good time.
5. There is no sense of sexual display in the video as it is concentrating more on the idea of just ‘letting loose’ and having a good time.
6. There are no intertextual references as it is more about enjoying the music rather than aiming something specific at the audience.
7. The video is mostly performance based but there is a storyline to the video, providing it with some narrative.
1. Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)
Pop
Director – Marc Klasfeld
The characteristics this video displays are that it is aimed at a teenage audience in general – being done in the style of teen movie, and also the use of dancing being displayed which encourages viewers to want to join in.
2. The whole first verse describes the situation she is in and shows the actions whilst singing the lyrics, such as “There’s a stranger in my bed, there’s a pounding in my head” in order for the audience to get an idea of the story.
The camera pans the room near the beginning so that we are getting a visual idea as well as a mental.
3. Slow cuts to keep it simple as it is focusing more on showing us a story and the action rather than creating an edited piece.
When the dance music starts everyone starts to dance individually – displaying dance moves.
4. It is looking to sell the video by basing it on a teen movie in which the target audience are going to be familiar with, and so allowing them to relate to this with the added bonus of a fun, upbeat song to go with it.
This video could slightly relate to her previous song “California Gurls” as it uses a lot of bright colours to engage the audience to the fun song.
5. At the beginning, there is a well-built man naked in her bed, obviously for the viewing pleasure of the audience.
6. There are intertextual references in the video, as they use 2 characters from the popular American show ‘Glee’ which is a programme about the underdogs, and so this can relate to Katy Perry’s character’s position. There is also an appearance from the singer Rebecca Black who sings the song ‘Friday’ which could relate to the title of this current single.
7. The video is narrative based as it follows the story of a ‘Friday Night’. However there is some performance during the instrumental solo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuQU6a90Pc
1. Chris Brown ft Justin Bieber- Next To You
Pop
Directed by Colin Tilley
The pop genre is usually oriented towards a youth market. This video defies conventions by being longer than usual as pop songs are usually short and simple. As well as this, pop songs are usually happy, upbeat and easy-going, however this video portrays a slightly deeper meaning.
2. Examples of where the lyrics match the visuals are:
"I have no fear, I know we'll make it through"- This is shown by the younger female character getting out of a car to run to Bieber, showing the audience that they can't be separated and can get through anything, even the devastating events occurring around them.
"One day when the sky is falling, I'll be standing right next to you"- This is conveyed by the apocalyptic events being shown in the video. It is also shown when the older female is hit by the car, the pace of the video slows down and zooms into her face for the audience to see her emotions as well as seeing her mouth the words 'I love you' to Chris Brown.
"I'll be there when you're insecure, let you know that you're always lovely, girl"- The audience sees Bieber and his loved one embrace, with her smiling, showing us that he makes her happy.
"You're the only thing that I got right now"- Both artists are shown with their loved ones with no one around. During the devastation happening around them, their love is all they need.
3. Examples of where the music matches the visuals:
Once the song begins to slow down, the video also does so. It then shows a close-up of Chris Brown to show the audience his emotions.
Once the fast pace kicks back in, the dancing becomes more lively and energetic.
There are quick cuts between Brown and Bieber in order to portray the chaos in the video.
4. In many of Chris Brown's previous videos, he regularly interacts with his dancers by joining in, which is also the same for this video.
Justin Bieber has been steered away from his young, pop image to attract a new, older audience which is helped by the fact that he has collaborated with an established artist such as Chris Brown.
The more mature image is enhanced by the darker, more sinister events being portrayed in the video.
This video has slight similarities with another of Brown's featuring Keri Hilson in which he saves her from being hit by a car, portraying him as the hero. However, this cannot be compared to any of Bieber's previous videos.
5. All characters in this video are appropriately dressed and are not on sexual display during any of the video. While Bieber is trying to portray a more mature image, this also helps to keep his image clean.
6. There are no intertextual references in this video.
7. This video is mostly narrative based with some performance, however the performance is based in the same setting as the rest of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuQU6a90Pc
1. Chris Brown ft Justin Bieber- Next To You
Pop
Directed by Colin Tilley
The pop genre is usually oriented towards a youth market. This video defies conventions by being longer than usual as pop songs are usually short and simple. As well as this, pop songs are usually happy, upbeat and easy-going, however this video portrays a slightly deeper meaning.
2. Examples of where the lyrics match the visuals are:
"I have no fear, I know we'll make it through"- This is shown by the younger female character getting out of a car to run to Bieber, showing the audience that they can't be separated and can get through anything, even the devastating events occurring around them.
"One day when the sky is falling, I'll be standing right next to you"- This is conveyed by the apocalyptic events being shown in the video. It is also shown when the older female is hit by the car, the pace of the video slows down and zooms into her face for the audience to see her emotions as well as seeing her mouth the words 'I love you' to Chris Brown.
"I'll be there when you're insecure, let you know that you're always lovely, girl"- The audience sees Bieber and his loved one embrace, with her smiling, showing us that he makes her happy.
"You're the only thing that I got right now"- Both artists are shown with their loved ones with no one around. During the devastation happening around them, their love is all they need.
3. Examples of where the music matches the visuals:
Once the song begins to slow down, the video also does so. It then shows a close-up of Chris Brown to show the audience his emotions.
Once the fast pace kicks back in, the dancing becomes more lively and energetic.
There are quick cuts between Brown and Bieber in order to portray the chaos in the video.
4. In many of Chris Brown's previous videos, he regularly interacts with his dancers by joining in, which is also the same for this video.
Justin Bieber has been steered away from his young, pop image to attract a new, older audience which is helped by the fact that he has collaborated with an established artist such as Chris Brown.
The more mature image is enhanced by the darker, more sinister events being portrayed in the video.
This video has slight similarities with another of Brown's featuring Keri Hilson in which he saves her from being hit by a car, portraying him as the hero. However, this cannot be compared to any of Bieber's previous videos.
5. All characters in this video are appropriately dressed and are not on sexual display during any of the video. While Bieber is trying to portray a more mature image, this also helps to keep his image clean.
6. There are no intertextual references in this video.
7. This video is mostly narrative based with some performance, however the performance is based in the same setting as the rest of the video.
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Pendulum - Tarantula. Music Video Idea
Storyline-
First scene shows a long-shot of a man waking up in an alleyway. As the camera zooms into him he is immediately confronted by a woman standing in front of him dressed in white with black hair and dark make up. The sight of her startles him and he quickly jumps to his feet and runs away. He runs through the town and the audience is unaware of why he is so scared of her until we see him look in the reflection of a shop window and behind him we see large spiders legs and cobwebs. The woman symbolises his fear. As he runs through town and comes across more people, some of them too begin to see their fears once approached by the woman and also run away. From seeing the activities of the people who are running away from the woman, it soon becomes apparent to the audience that they are being punished. People like drug dealers, muggers and serial killers, like the main character at the beginning, are being punished for their crimes by being confronted by their fears. Throughout this, flashes of the night before in a club are being shown, where the audience is shown that this is where the man at the beginning first met the woman.
Justifying ideas-
The woman is wearing a white dress as the connotations of white are purity and innocence. To contrast this, the black hair and dark make up represent death and fear. The white conveys the fact that the woman is actually innocent in all of this and has no control over what the people are seeing, while the black contradicts this idea, further portraying the fear that is being shown.
Conventions-
A lot of quick cuts will be used as a convention of Drum and Bass. Along with this, flashes of a club scene will be shown throughout the video as another convention of this music genre.
The Notion of Looking-
Women in the club will be dressed in revealing outfits while dancing provocatively. Extreme close-ups of peoples' eyes when they become faced with their fears will also be shown in order for the audience to see their reactions and emotions.
Intertextual References-
The idea of people seeing their fears when confronted by this woman draws inspiration from the film, Batman Begins. In this film, once people have been intoxicated by a gas, they then see their deepest fears. This is similar to the main idea of our music video in which the woman has the same effect as the gas.
The song we planned this video for was Tarantula by Pendulum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kJ09FpWoaM
First scene shows a long-shot of a man waking up in an alleyway. As the camera zooms into him he is immediately confronted by a woman standing in front of him dressed in white with black hair and dark make up. The sight of her startles him and he quickly jumps to his feet and runs away. He runs through the town and the audience is unaware of why he is so scared of her until we see him look in the reflection of a shop window and behind him we see large spiders legs and cobwebs. The woman symbolises his fear. As he runs through town and comes across more people, some of them too begin to see their fears once approached by the woman and also run away. From seeing the activities of the people who are running away from the woman, it soon becomes apparent to the audience that they are being punished. People like drug dealers, muggers and serial killers, like the main character at the beginning, are being punished for their crimes by being confronted by their fears. Throughout this, flashes of the night before in a club are being shown, where the audience is shown that this is where the man at the beginning first met the woman.
Justifying ideas-
The woman is wearing a white dress as the connotations of white are purity and innocence. To contrast this, the black hair and dark make up represent death and fear. The white conveys the fact that the woman is actually innocent in all of this and has no control over what the people are seeing, while the black contradicts this idea, further portraying the fear that is being shown.
Conventions-
A lot of quick cuts will be used as a convention of Drum and Bass. Along with this, flashes of a club scene will be shown throughout the video as another convention of this music genre.
The Notion of Looking-
Women in the club will be dressed in revealing outfits while dancing provocatively. Extreme close-ups of peoples' eyes when they become faced with their fears will also be shown in order for the audience to see their reactions and emotions.
Intertextual References-
The idea of people seeing their fears when confronted by this woman draws inspiration from the film, Batman Begins. In this film, once people have been intoxicated by a gas, they then see their deepest fears. This is similar to the main idea of our music video in which the woman has the same effect as the gas.
The song we planned this video for was Tarantula by Pendulum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kJ09FpWoaM
Monday 4 July 2011
Star Analysis Task - Justin Bieber
About him
Justin Bieber is a 17 year old Canadian singer-songwriter who was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun after posting videos of himself singing covers of songs on YouTube. Braun later became his manager. It was arranged for Bieber to meet R&B star, Usher who soon signed the young star to Raymond Braun Media Group, then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid. In early 2007 when he was twelve, Bieber entered a talent competition in his hometown called 'Stratford Idol' in which he came in second place. Videos of the competition were put on YouTube by his mother for his friends and family to watch. This was the beginning of his popularity.
Style and image
The longer hairstyle formerly worn by Bieber and its popularity with teenage girls proved to be cultural phenomenon, becoming one of the most copied hairstyles among teenage boys. Bieber changed his hairstyle in February 2011 in order to mature his image. Although it is apparent to his fans that he is growing up and becoming a more well respected artist, he aims to keep his clean image to appeal to his wide range of fans.
One Time
One Time was Bieber's first released single in 2009. It consists of a party setting full of teenagers, therefore relating to its target audience. As he was a new, very young artist, Usher features in the video, foreshadowing just how big he is going to become. The video is very relaxed and casual, therefore the audience are able to relate to the events. The fact that Bieber is the host of this party in a large, expensive house will attract teenage girls as they will want to be a part of it with him. The song is catchy which will thus attract new audiences and will be popular with the public. Lots of close ups and camera angles are used in the video, allowing the audience to be made aware of who the main focus of the video is and what the storyline is.
One Less Lonely Girl
The second released song from Bieber's debut album, My World, was written and produced by his mentor, Usher. It was released exclusively to itunes in October 2009 and was later released on radio. In the US, the single had 113,000 downloads in the first week. The video shows a situation in which teenagers can relate to, therefore appealing to its target audience. It also appeals to teenage girls as they want to be Bieber's 'one less lonely girl'. The video consists of bright colours to make it aesthetically pleasing to the viewers. The video is narrative based, allowing the audience to follow Bieber on his journey to find his girl.
Baby ft Ludacris
Baby was released from the second part of Bieber's album, My World 2.0. The song has received positive reviews from critics who complimented the song's effective lyrics and chorus, and commended Ludacris' part and the song's ability to have an urban twist. It has become Bieber's biggest hit to date charting in the top ten in the UK, US and Canada. In July 2010, the video became the most viewed video on YouTube. As he was performing with rap star Ludacris, Bieber was able to attract new audiences and relate to more people.
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