My name is Sam Brooks and I am currently doing A2 media studies at Gosford Hill School in Kidlington. On this blog I will be uploading all the aspects of my coursework and regularly adding updates to inform others of my progress.
This years coursework involves us making a music video and editing it to a professional standard using the technologies and software that we have at our disposal. The other products that we will be creating are; A CD cover, and a Magazine Advert.
All of the Posts have been put in order, with the first one starting at the top.
These are the deadlines that our group has set our selves for the completion of the coursework.
Music Video Shooting Deadline: Monday 18th October 5pm
Music Video Rough Cut Deadline: Last lesson of week ending 22rd October
Music Video Final Deadline: Friday 12th November
Evaluative commentary: Completed by end of last lesson week ending 17th December.
One of the first things that we need to do is decide on a appropriate song, and this will be done as a group, so that we are all happy with the choice.
Once we have chosen the right song, we can then move onto thinking about what content we want to put into the video, and all of the small but important technical aspects such as the props, material and clothing we need to get, and this should also help us create a consistent Mise en Scene by doing continuity checks.
After the completion of the above tasks, we will be able to start shooting the clip, and we have left about a month to do this as it can take quite along time with all the different shots that we hope to use.
Once filming is complete we then have about a month to edit a rough cut. Once the rough cut is complete we have a further two weeks to review it and continue editing to make the final video.
The target audience of music plays huge part in deciding the content of the music video. We feel that our target audience will range from about 16 to 30 and be both sexes. This has influenced our video so far and meant that we have made decisions such as the type of clothing that we use (new designer and fashionable), the actors (young) and the places we film (housing estates rather than industrial sites or city buildings and a club environment as lots of young people go to these kind of places).
Over the past few years rap and hip hop music has moved into the mainstream environment which means that this song and our video will have a mass audience which is one of the main reasons that we have chosen it. Also it is not just in the UK that this music is popular, it is the case world wide in other countries such as the USA, Europe and Australia.
I think our video will also be heavily on Reception Theory which suggests how text is encoded by the producer and then decoded by the reader. We will try to use recognised codes and conventions, to create 'Preferred Reading'.
Above is the Mind Map that I created, and it shows all the ideas that I would like to include in the three products, and it helps me specify what elements I need to include in the designs.
These are the lyrics from the song that we have chosen use Intro Never let the party stop (x6) 1st Verse Fly like a jet, H to the B yeah I'm flyer than the rest. Steppin' on the scene with the red and white on, Fresh white tee's ready to take the skies on. People know the name, Rappers stay low, always looking for the fame. Game so tight, other rappers still lame, Been on the block 08 010. Ladies go crazy, See the kids ravin', stems goin' nerdy. If you like my style girl, Call me oh baby. If you wanna hit the bar, Tell me when your ready. Me always ready, Still lookin' good with the hat still fittin'. Still in the hood gettin' dough, still gettin', See that fat chick she'll never ever get it. Chorus Never let the party stop (x4) 2nd Verse Versatile on the track but you already know, set it off in the club g-g-get ready go. Oh, and the beat so heavy, I'mma let it bounce like a chevy hit, here we go. Swagger tighter than the tight, Flyer than fly cos I'm higher than the sky. I'mma do I yes I'mma do me, Flossing like i got something stuck between my teeth like. Jees Party all day, Up in the VIP baby it's ok. You're now rocking with a vice junior president, That might feel heavy cent. So, l-l-let the beat bang, Versatile and HB we're doin' our thang. Party till the morning then party a lil' more, So till they lay me in my coffin, Know this party ain't stoppin' Chorus (Repeated) 3rd Verse I'mma show you how it goes, The party never stops, i'm the one to let it go. HB fly from my head to toe, You know me, yes I gotta lotta dough. If I find a beat, I'mma show you how to set it off. If ya party whack, I'mma show you how to turn it off. Ladies, you better shout my name loud. If you like the money i'mma show you how to get down. Chorus (Repeated)
One of the main points that I can pick out from the lyrics is about how much he talks about success and sex, and we will try to implement these in the journey through different urban areas and in the club (this also fits in with a theory from Michael Shore [1984: 98-99] where he states that music videos should contain 'adolescent male fantasies' and 'speed, power, girls and wealth').
In my opinion, I believe that one of the best ways to make our music video look as professional as possible, is to look at examples from highly successful artists. By doing this as well as absorbing creative ideas, I will be able to pick up camera, editing, sound and mise en scene tips.
The Game - Dreams
One of the main reasons that this video was influential in our creative ideas was because of the studio clip, where the artist is seen recording his track. As well as this, the studio scenes help the video to flow, and I think it could help up to break up some long clips e.g. if we have the artist walking along a path then a clip in a studio will help to keep the viewer interested (as the change in scenery will catch the eye). As well as this any gaps on the outside production could be filled in with a clip of the studio and it helps to create the feeling that the artist is on the road to success (as professional artists use recording studios).
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna
This video is one of many from a very successful artist, Eminem. Eminem has many music videos and is one of the biggest Rap stars in the USA and the UK. This video features Rihanna and one of the shots that caught my eye was the repetitive and extreme close up of her face (when the chorus is played). I feel that this shot really emphasises the chorus, which is likely to catch the user's eye and keep them interested in the video. As the music video we have chosen has a female singing the chorus, we could incorporate something similar e.g. an extreme close up of the lips, which would support the words being sung and I think that if a viewer sees lips saying something then they will focus their attention on working out what is being said.
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Jay-Z has also been a hugely successful star in the Rap and R&B music industry. In the video shown above there are many shots of New York city (one of the largest and most affluent cities in the world). There are many shots showing the rich parts of the city, which in my mind creates the feeling of success, which is why our digi-pack shows an image of a rich city - one of the places that a lot of aspiring artist hope to be living in, in the future. Also another point that I noted was the whole video is black and white which creates simplicity. I don't think that we will use the black and white theme in our video as we have chosen to use lots of bright colours to emphasize certain items e.g. the red lips in the chorus.
Throughout the video there are several different shots that keep reoccurring;
Ariel shots - These shots look down at different locations and I think that this is good as it creates a of point of view e.g. you are seeing what the artist is seeing (looking down on other people)
Establishing shots - These shots set the scene and clearly show the affluent areas
High angle shots - Theses shots look down at the artists showing that more success can still be achieved
Low angle shots - These shots look up at the artists, and this could be form the audience's point of view
Panning and tracking shots - I think that these shots keep the focus on the character or location as the camera is moving, so the viewer will keep the item in their sight e.g. when the camera is tracking around the piano your attention is drawn to it.
In our media video I think that it will be really important to include all of the shots listed above and many more. These shots will give a professional feel and the variety will help to keep customers interested. As our music video will be strongly be based on the theme of narrative shots such as the high and low angles will be very useful. They have clear connotations of success, for example if a camera is looking up at someone then the audience will see the person form below, they will be looking up to them, possibly a feeling inferiority could be created. I think we may use a shot like this at the end of the video, as it will show the increased success of the artist, and a high angle shot could be used at the start to show the the artist is still very much 'at the bottom of the ladder'.
This is the mood board that I created using pictures from the Internet. We had some ideas in our head of the sort of shots that we wanted to use so we thought that the best way to explain them would be to show them in picture form. In the top left is a picture of an artist recording in a studio and this is something we also want to do to break up the walking and fill in any gaps that we may find. The city skyline is similar to the image that we want to put on the cover of the album. The car with the camera in the back (top left) is similar to an idea that we have to create a tracking shot the artist walking down a street. The picture of the lips will be similar to when we film the chorus of the woman singing, and this will be a good example of lip syncing. The picture of the man backstage holding the curtains is similar to a shot that we want to create when the artist goes on stage. The image of the man stood in front of the green screen shows how we would like to create a background for some of the lip syncing shots (if we have the technology to do this). The picture of the crowd is something that we would like to create near the end of the video as the artist goes on stage. And finally the picture of someone tying up their shoe laces is a small clip that we would like to insert near the beginning of the video when the artist is getting ready for his day.
Eminem was born on the 17th October 1972 in Missouri under the name of Marshall Bruce Mathers. Since gaining popularity in 1999 he has been a successful record producer and actor, but is better known around the world as a rapper.
To date he has a total of 13 Grammys and is the first artist in history to win best rap album for three consecutive LP's. Eminem has had 13 number 1 singles worldwide and in December 2009 he was named the artist of the decade by 'Billboard Magazine'. Even though Eminem has only released a hand full of albums, in the UK alone he has sold over 12.5 million records, and in the US has had over 37 million album downloads.
Eminem's first album was called 'The Slim Shady LP' which was released in 1999 and managed to sell 283,000 copies in its opening week. At the time Eminem was signed by Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records. 'The Slim Shady' turned out to be one of the most popular albums of the year, and it actually went triple platinum (over 3 million copies) by the end of 1992 and to date it has sold over 9 million copies. Even thought the album was seen as hugely successful and popular, some of the lyrics struck controversy with many members of the general public, but in response to this fans say that the lyrics are not to be taken seriously and that the it is an exaggerated persona of Eminem's real life.
I think that that if it were not for this album's break through, then the music industry (especially the rap industry) would be a very different place to what it is now, as it has to be one of the most influential albums in the past 15 years and I feel that the controversial aspects of the production helped to generate publicity, thus increasing sales.
The next album to come from Eminem was called 'The Marshall Mathers LP', and this was released in may 2000. The album sold 1.76 million copies in the first week of sales, making it the fastest selling rap album in history, doubling the previous record held by Snoop Dog. The album was the second highest seller in 2000 and by 2010 it had sold over 10 million copies, making it the fourth best selling album of the decade. Currently it holds the record for the best selling rap album in the USA and it has a 9x platinum certificate.
Again the album caused controversy (with one of the songs causing most offence called 'Kill You') and even the attorney general of Canada said the Eminem should be stopped at the border as his lyrics 'advocate violence against women'. But once again could all of this controversy increase in public and media attention?
Another major album (fifth studio album) to be released by Eminem was Encore which was released on November 12th 2004. In the US alone, in the first two weeks the album sold just over 1.5 million copies, and it was awarded the quadruple-platinum award in December. After nine months worldwide sales stood at about 11 million with sales being boosted by the single 'Just Loose It', however many fans criticized the lyrics, which were seen as simplistic compared to previous albums, and it also lost out to 'Late Registration' by Kanye West in the annual Grammy Awards.
Once again the album sparked controversy, and this time the United States Secret Service admitted 'looking into' allegations that Eminem had threatened the President in the song 'We As Americans'. Also the single 'Just Lose It' was notable for being disrespectful to Michael Jackson, with comments referring to child molesting.
The sixth studio album to be released by Eminem (15th May 2009) was called 'Relapse'. It was the first album to be of original material since 'Encore' and it was to be one of the most anticipated album releases of 2009. Even though the album was to sell 608,000 copies in its first week (in the US) and by June 2010 sell almost 2 million copies (in the US), it had not had quite as much success as some of his previous work and received some mixed reviews with NME saying; "What he presents is still powerful, but narrowly cast".
In my opinion the decrease in success was down to two main factors. 1. Some people may have been put off by the language and controversy in from previous albums, and secondly due to the large gap in album releases (due to his addiction to sleeping pills and writer's block), new youth (who are the one of the largest consumers of this type of media) may not have known who he was, as they may not have heard his previous work. However the album was defiantly not unsuccessful as it still reached number 1 in many countries, and the sales may have been affected due to the increase in illegal downloading.
The next album to come from Eminem was 'Recovery' which was released on June 18, 2010, and designed to be the sequel to the previous album - Relapse. Compared to 'Recovery' the album received much more positive feedback and won the Grammy award for best rap album. Selling 714,000 copies in the first week (in the USA) and becoming the second best seller in 2010 was defiantly a 'recovery' for Eminem's career. I think that this may have been helped by contributing artists such as Rihanna on the single 'Love The Way You Lie'. The album spent over seven weeks at number one in both the UK and the USA amongst other countries and it is currently at number 1 on the list of all time albums with the most digital sales.
Music Videos From Eminem
One of the earlier singles in Eminem's career was 'The Real Slim Shady', and this track also had a music video.
One if the main things I noticed whilst viewing the video was the amount of controversial things that are shown, for example a prostitute. The images that are shown may be a contributing factor to Eminem's image, and they may have helped him gain the reputation of a 'gangster'.
Another video released by Eminem, from the album 'Recovery' was for the song 'Not Afraid'.
There are many similarities that I noticed while watching the videos which make it quite clear that the video is from the same artist. Firstly there are all ways lots of close ups of Eminem, which clearly show his facial expressions, and how well the lip sync has been created. Also in both videos there are reoccurring shots throughout the videos, and these usually show Eminem in the same room, singing the lyrics. I think that these reoccurring shots are very powerful in the production as they help to keep it flowing, and they are often accompanied by low angle shots which make the audience look up to the artist (which adds a feeling of power to him), and I think that this helps to reinforce the image of Eminem.
I feel that this video does show some of the changes that has happened in his career and possibly his age (he may be more mature), as less controversial images are shown. Another big difference that I spotted was the increase in special effects, for example, he is seen flying through the sky. I think one of the reasons for using more (and quite advanced) special effects is because of the increase in technology, since the video 'The Real Slim Shady'.
Auteur Theory was created by a film director and critic named Francois Truffault in 1954. Auteur is the French word for author and auteur theory states that a directors film will reflect their personal creative vision, which means that most of the videos they create have the same kind of themes and are put together in a similar way. Some producers also have such strong creative vibes that it is said that this creative vision shines throughout all of their work. And Auteurism is the term used to analyze films.
In this post I will be looking at the director and photographer Ray Kay
Ray Kay is an award winning Norwegian music director and photographer but he is now based in Los Angeles. Since creating his first professional music video (voodoobeats - "The One") in 2000 he has created many more and from bigger artists such as; Destiny's child, The Dream, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jordin Sparks, Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul, Cheryl Cole, Justin Bieber, Willow Smith, Flo Rida, James Blunt, and Alesha Dixon. And having artists such as these and many others in your library makes you highly desirable as a director, meaning that he is very much in demand. As well as this he has the most viewed video on YouTube (Justin Bieber - Baby ft. Ludicrus) which has a staggering 400 million+ views. These videos have also enabled him to win several awards, including MTV Awards, Much Music Awards and ZTV Awards.
His strong sense of fashion combined with his innovative European style and approach means that his videos are 'beautiful, believable and full of personality'. After watching several of his videos I have easily been able to find a distinct style that he uses and this seems to be the use of bright, sharp and clear colours. I feel that this use really brings out the main characters that are being portrayed, and adds emphasis to their movement.
The picture below shows a shot taken from Justin Bieber's 'Baby', and it shows Bieber in a city while the camera circles him at a low angle, with a tilt shot. For me this shows several features; including the fashionable clothes that the star is wearing and the fashionable area that he is in, also the light is mainly coming from behind him from the buildings, but there must be a light from behind the camera to make his clothing and facial expressions visible to the audience.
In the rest of the video I have seen many more examples of shot types, with another main one being a close up of his upper body, showing facial expressions (for the lip sync) and you can also see the hand movements that he is making.
Below is a shot taken from Cheryl Cole's 'Fight For This Love' which is another video that Kay directed. I have taken a similar shot and it really shows the similarities and the style that Kay chooses to use. Again a low angle tilt shot is being used. The lighting is also similar as there is a bright background but your attention is still drawn to the star as she is brightly lit and she is also wearing fashionable clothes. Other similarity's include; close ups, and mid shots (again these are used to show the lip sync and hand movements).
To help judge the quality of professional videos i have chosen to compare one against an amateur video Amateur Video (Teenage Dirtbag) Professional video (Teenage Dirtbag)
The video that I have chosen to study in amateur vs professional is "Teenage Dirtbag" by "Wheatus". The professional video is the second one and the amateur one is a video that I found from YouTube, and it was actually made by media students from a different school. The professional video was directed by someone called Jeff Gordon and the song was included on the soundtrack of the movie "Loser". It was released in 2000, peaked at number 2 in the UK charts and the video is set in an American high school.
Camera work
In both videos the quality of picture is very good, with the professional video just having the edge, on bigger screens. This is quite surprising really as with a larger budget you would expect the professional video to have a professional standard of equipment, which leads me to believe that the amateur video group must have had good cameras or the quality of the professional video was reduced when it was uploaded. On another note the shots in both videos are almost identical, with very similar angles and timings. One of the few differences that I can pick up between the two videos are that the tracking shots aren't quite as good (a bit slower and less smooth) in the amateur video and this is probably due to the lack of equipment. Most of the shots are very steady as well, which is probably thanks to the use of a tripod.
Sound
In both videos the sound has been added in 'post production' so I cannot find any differences between the quality.
Editing
Once again the editing in both videos is very similar, with quick edits done especially well and the timings are almost immaculate. The lip syncing is extremely good in the professional video (as you would expect) and the amateur video also boasts reasonably good lip syncing although there are a few bits that are slightly out of time. Also the transitions between shots are the same in both of the videos. The lighting is different in both videos, and I have noticed that in the amateur video most of the light is natural where as in the professional video it is clear that professional lighting has been added and this helps with the detail that can be seen.
Mise en scene
This is probably one of the most important factors in making a video look professional and I feel that the amateur video has done this quite well. Firstly the main difference that I can pick up between the video is the location, as the original video is set in America so obviously the amateurs can't travel over for the filming. The clothing is probably the biggest difference in the mise en scene that I can see, and this is probably due to the students being unable to obtain the same clothing as the professionals have used. A really good attempt has been made though and example of this is of the main singer in the school gym, who has a similar shirt, hat, hair and glasses. Other similarities include, the crowds, score card (in the gym) and the musical equipment. In conclusion I think that the amateur video is very good in comparison with the professional video, which is something that I hope our video can achieve, however there are a few differences that give the video away as a amateur remake and these include, the acting, lighting and clothing. To make our video as professional as possible we will endeavour to make all of these points a high standard with the equipment that we have at our disposal.
The inspiration of the album cover has come from other rap artists, such this one from JAY-Z. We like the black and white theme as it shows simplicity, but yet it's still classy and is very powerful.
The Second album cover, from NE-YO shows a urban theme that we also like, as we feel that it shows a common environment for a lot of people, and the buildings and the city its self dominates the sky line, so having this on an album cover may make it stand out from the rest on a shelf. Also another thing that we liked was having the name of the artist lower down as this was less common, and may once again make the album stand out.
This is the front cover of the album for the digipack. The image is of a rich New York city sky line, and we have edited it so that it is black and white, to add simplicity. We have also chosen to use a rich area as it is probably somewhere that most artists aspire be in later life.
The effects were added in 'Photoshop', and this program enabled us to add very fine detail. The two sections of writing that have been added are in separate 'Layers' which meant that they could be moved around the page easily and individually.
Back Cover
This is the back cover of the CD, for the digipack. We have chosen to make this image black and white as well, so that it fits in with the theme that the front cover starts. The images may be similar in colour but they are very different in affluence. The front cover is of a rich part New York city and the back cover is a picture of a block of flats in London. We have chosen to do this as it shows where a lot of artists start out and where they aspire to be, and we feel that the pictures we have chosen illustrate the vast differences between the two.
This is a rough draft of the magazine add that I have created. It is only a rough cut and improvements still need to be made. Jack has also created an add so we will be combining ideas to make a better final draft.
Positives:
-Good font
-Shows the CD cover so people know what they will need to look for
-There is a picture that shows who that artist is which is eye catching
-There is sufficient information about when it is coming out
-There are reviews
Negatives:
-The background needs to be a different colour as the white is boring and unlikely to catch the eye
-The star rating looks a bit out of place at the top of the page
-There is a bit to much empty space round the edges
-The writing that says 'SJDJ' productions needs to be moved as at the moment it clashes with the picture
This is the advert that Jack has designed and we will combining it with my image.
Positives:
-Good font that is in the header
-The background is dramatic and stands out, giving it a professional look
-The fading of the image means it fits in with the background
-The lights add emphasis to the photo
-The background image also fits in with where we end the video
Negatives:
-The colour of some of the font makes it hard to read
-The lower half is a bit crowded making it harder to read
Whilst having a group discussion about the filming and preparation of the task, we decided to split up the eight key areas from the mark scheme between the four members of the group. Splitting the areas up would not mean that others would not have to look at them, it would just mean that the production would be more detailed as each individual could add greater detail on their aspect.
We decided that i would take the points;
holding a shot steady, where appropriate, and framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate.
David would do; Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate and using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task
Jenny would do; Shooting material appropriate for the task set and selecting the mise en scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects, and setting
And Jack would do; Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and using varied shot transitions, captions and other effects selectively and appropriately
I have chosen to focus on some of the camera work as i feel that it is something that I have more experience in, meaning that the filming of the work can be as good as possible.
Holding the shot steady
One of the main objects that will help me do this is a tripod. If someone were to hold the camera then there would inevitably be some shaking, making the production look amateurish. A tripod is a simple way to get steady shots, and it will always give a secure base for the camera. Also it can be raised, lowered, tilted and rotated, which gives us a huge variety of shots, such as; high angles, low angles and panning shots. A shot that will be difficult to keep steady would be a tracking shot as we don't have the tracks to move the camera that the professionals do, so I am currently thinking of alternatives like using a shopping trolley or the boot of a car.
Framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate
In order to get more emphasis into the video, something like a framing shot could be used emphasise and object or person, so we could look through a window and peoples attention would be drawn to something inside, or we could film a mirror from an angle so that people focus on the person looking in the mirror. We may also need to avoid filming certain things, for example any thing with the time or date on, as after the editing the time may not match up, however if we chose to film the time of the date for added effect, it will need to be the same or similar, so that our continuity systems are in order.
In Preparation for the filming we went to a local park, to see if it is a suitable location for part of the filming to take place. The section that we want to film here is only short but it still needs to look good as it could ruin the whole video if it looks poor. The shots we take here will simply be establishing shots to set the scene, and the actor may be shown walking along the path to show the start of his journey to success. But the shots in the richer area will see him towards the end of his journey and it is here that we will try to add a tracking shot.
To assess the location of the more affluent area I took advantage of 'Google Street View' and this was very useful as we were able to view all of the streets from ground level use the camera to pan around the streets.
These are some establishing shots of the drama room that we hope to use for the live performance, which takes place in the last third of the clip. The room looks quite good as it's dark, has lighting and a stage can easily be made. Also to comply with the mise en scene we will add to the set to make it look good.
This is a call sheet that I have created so that everyone knows where and what time they need to be at places for the filming of our work
Location Shots and Practice
Jack, David, Jenni and I - Report to garden city park with a tripod, stills camera and video camera. No Costumes needed. Length 1hr
Filming Day 1
Jack, David and I - Report to school drive at 10am for opening shots and then movement to garden city park for progression shots. Camera, tripod and costumes needed (For Jack).
At 12pm go to David's house and meet Jenni with her car.
Filming Day 2
All including extras report to drama studio at 3pm, see notes on mise en scene on the Facebook page. Equipment needed - Camera, tripod, lighting and mic
(Filming day 2 was in fact cancelled due to several reasons such as not being able to obtain lighting so that the mise en scene looked accurate)
Filming Day 3
Jack, David, Jenni and I report to back stage in the hall at 10am for filming of the backstage events. Equipment needed - 'HB' clothing for Jack, camera, tripod, paper, pens and clothing for the extras. After the filming of this we will move onto the media room where the filming of the lips and the scene where Jack is seen recording the song in a studio. All equipment to be handed back, except the tapes (for editing purposes).
Last week was half term and we took the opportunity to use one of the days to commence filming. On the Monday we arranged to meet at school to film the first part of the video, which is of the artist leaving school on his path to fame. As it was half term the school was quiet, which meant that know one was around, giving the freedom of time, and this was very helpful as we could put in lots of different shots, and re film, parts that didn't go to plan the first time. To aid the filming we used a tripod, and this meant that the shots were steady and any movement was smooth.
After this we moved onto a local park (Garden City park), and this is another stage in the journey of the artist (once again the start of his journey, in an area that isn't that well off).
Once the filming at the park was complete we travelled to just outside the centre of Oxford where there were some large, expensive houses, which we had previously researched using Google maps street view. We resumed filming from the point that we got to at the park, in order to get a smooth cut. An interesting shot that we used here was a tracking shot. To do this we put the camera and tripod in the back of one of the group members car (Jenny), and slowly moved forward, at the same speed as Jack who is playing the part of the artist (HB).
From what we have viewed so far my camera work has been good enough for the final piece, and we plan to do a little bit more filming this Friday and then the final bit (in a club environment) within the next two weeks, so while we are waiting for these dates we will start to edit the material that we all ready have.
Whist waiting for the final filming deadline we decided to start the editing stage with the footage that we all ready have. In total we now have 2 minutes 14 seconds and this will be what we will be using in the final piece. A whole group effort meant that we had lots of ideas and input, which has made these first two minuets look really good.
After all the filming we had to load the footage onto the computers, and then we deleted the clips that we didn't want. Due to technical difficulties we had to revert to using Windows Movie Maker, but luckily we have still been able to effectively edit the video.
Currently we are looking at the mise en scene for the next section of filming (so that it's at the same standard) and we are also checking the continuity systems and working out the shot sequences.
In relation to the venue of the club scene, for the second half of the production, we have contacted our chosen venue but found that they are fully booked for the half term week that we hope to film in. This meant that we had to re-think our plan, and re-arrange the schedule (also the lack of camera equipment has set us sightly behind, but this should be resolved shortly). The filming of the artist's progression (walking through school, a local area and then a posh area of Oxford) is set to take place on the 25th October, and as it is half term we will have the whole day to film.
The second half of the film will take place the week after half term in one of the drama studios at our school, and we will need to edit the room to make it look more like a film set of a concert.
The person that will be in the film has also changed due to time table complications and we have now decided to use one of the members of our group to fill this role.
This is the rough cut of our music video and it is still a working progress. Although we happy with the shots, locations, mise en scene and sequence there are sill a few problems with the lip syncing that we have towards the start of the video. We will start to fix this issue ASAP and then the video will be finished. To fix the problem we will have to move some of the different sections/shots and create/remove the fade transitions that we have all ready have in place. As the issue is at the start of the video the movement of some clips will effect the timings of the others, but this might be able to be solved by an idea that I have of inserting another shot of the 'recording' phase and making it fade in.
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band)
In our video we have created several genre related characteristics. One example of this is when you see the character walking from the school and then into a poor area, and the stereotypical view of rappers is that they grow up in poor areas before becoming famous and getting lots of money, which is why we then moved onto film in an affluent part of Oxford. Also due to the amount of money they can have, they can be popular with lots of people and this is why we have shown another person walking past him and 'giving him respect'.
Another example of a genre characteristics of a rap video is when we see HB in a studio, recording the sound for the video, And this is similar to Eminem in one of his videos, when he is see holding a mic.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)
In our video there are several times when the visuals match the lyrics and the main example when this is used is when we show the extreme close up of lips when the chorus is being sung. We chose to do this as it gets the attention of the viewer onto the lyrics and reminds them what the song is about. And an example of this in a professional video is in "Fight For This Love" by "Cheryl Cole"
Also another example is at the start of the video when we see HB point to the sky when the lyrics say "flyer that the rest".
Other examples include when he grabs his t-shirt, when his pretends to floss his teeth and when he is speaking down the phone.
3. There is a relationship between music and music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
In our video we have created several relationships between the music and the visuals. A good way that we have shown this is through the editing skills that we have learnt. In the pictures below we have created a cut that see's HB walk around a corner in the park and the next shot sees him walk round a corner in the affluent part of Oxford. The cut is smooth and fits in with the music that is being played (the hand movement also fits in).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motives which recur across their work (a visual style).
In our music video we have created several close ups and reoccurring shots, e.g. the extreme close up of the lips, the recording of the song and when he speaks into the phone. These shots all create a feel of realism and let the audience focus in on the lyrics. The lips help to create some suspense as you can't see the girl's face, where as the reoccurring shot of HB in the studio helps to build up tension and it also heps you to see how hard he has worked to get to the success of performing the song at the end of the video (once the end is viewed people will understand why there are clip's of him recording his song).
The close ups are also shot from different sides of the artist and of the lips, which might mean that the audience feels that it's getting to know all sides of HB, which might make them feel more comfortable.
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens with screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
In our video there are two main notions of looking and they are when we do a framing shot using a mirror and at the end (backstage), when HB is about to go on stage and he nods to me to switch off the light (I'm behind the camera), and then the camera turns around to see me acknowledge the nod, look back at HB and then switch the lights off.
We also have a framing shot which is of HB looking in the mirror (when he puts his hat on) and we also use this opportunity to edit the letters HB onto the screen after he has walked off to the side. We feel that this is good as it focuses the viewers' attention on the name of the artist, meaning that there more likly to remember the name.
We got the inspiration from an video by "Pink" "Don't Let Me Get Me", and this is a similar angle to the one we used.
As seen above we have reoccurring shots of the lips singing the chorus, and the image of the female body is now commonly used in male artists' videos. Lips are generally thought of as sensual and this also fits in with the lyrics where HB talks about getting "dough".
We have not quite gone to the extent that some artists have done in their music videos to show women like in this video below by Little Wayne
6. There is often intertextual reference
In our music video we don't really have many intertextual references as we decided that not many fitted in with our video and if we tried to put some in it would look a bit cheesy and fake. The only reference that we do have is the t-shirt and Jacket HB is wearing are from other bands, which shows that he is a fan of other British artists.
