Thursday 31 December 2009
Wednesday 30 December 2009
The Digi-pak
So here it is ... My Digi-pack.
This is one of the last photos that was taken and it was almost the perfect shot, or at least the one I was looking for. In order to achieve what I wanted I had to edit the image to create the desired effect. I used photoshop to edit the contrasts and saturation of the image, as well as cropping the frames and adjusting the highlights.
I had some rough ideas in my mind before I started taking the photos and designing the product. I searched through image hosting websites to try and find some inspiration for my photo and from looking at my research and other photos I have come up with a few ideas as to what I want to include in my final image.
Black and White saturation
Eye contact
Extreme Close up
High Contrast between black and white highlights
Limited clothing to connote raw emotion
A lot of decisions went into making this pack work, some of which include font choices, image choices and colour changes. As the image is the most important part of the entire product it took me a long time to make a final decision that I was happy with. I first held a photoshoot and went through numerous images until settling on the final image. Some of the other images are below. (The photos were all taken from a digital 450 SLR using a portable studio to really create a high contrast between light and dark)
This is one of the first pictures that was taken, it was on the right lines as to what I wanted to achieve but I just wasn't there yet. I didn't like the way the hair in the image looked and I also felt that there was not enough of the actual person in the photo.
This was a second attempt and I was getting closer, the image looks like the photo I took for inspiration but I don't think the lack of eye contact in the image works and I also think that the photo should be taken front on, in a close up shot.
This is one of the last photos that was taken and it was almost the perfect shot, or at least the one I was looking for. In order to achieve what I wanted I had to edit the image to create the desired effect. I used photoshop to edit the contrasts and saturation of the image, as well as cropping the frames and adjusting the highlights. When the editing was complete I added my final photo to my digipak to create .................
Digipak Research
Before I start designing my digipak it would be sensible to look at industry standard promotional products so I can look at common conventions and apply them to my own work. Just from searching for didgpaks I have found it quite hard to find ones that would help me in terms of genre and style so I have subsequentl choosen to look at and research CD covers and tour DVD's just for a few ideas, I think that the same ideas used i nthese products would be applied to the digipaks anyway.
The first item is the cover image from Miley Cyrus's debut album. Her fan base and style of music appeal very much to the same audience as my artist, tween pop culture, if not a little younger. There is direct eye contact with teh audience and the props in the image present clearly and quickly what the image is promoting and representing. Her clothes represent and youthful image aswel as her body position which emphasises a more laid back and playful representation. The colours in the image are also very youthful and playful which build apon the fandom and representation of the artist. The artists name is made the most prominant fearture of the image and the font used also connotes a more playful and youthful imafe due to the use of the lower case letters and the star in the center of the text. From the cover it is easy to determine the taregt audience of the artists without having to look to hard for it. I think that this is the most important thing to consider when designing your own music products, if your audience are not clear as to whether or not your product is meant for them it will not be succesful.
The second product is taken from the actual artist that sings my chosen song. This is extremely helpful as it allows me to find a bench mark and a starting place in terms of representation and audience expectations. Unlike the previous product there is little eye contact with the audience and the colours connote a more mysterious and darker representation which would indicate that the target audience is perhaps a little olfer and more mature. The clothing would also indicate this. The darker colours of this product appeal more to me as a media student because it means that I can use hints of colour to emphasise specific aspects of the product, such as the use of pink in the title to highlight the name of the artist. The image itself is a more mysterious image than the one used previously but the second, smaller image in the background is the complete reverse of the main picture, which could indicate different sides of the artists music and style. Something to consider.
The final product is also taken from Ashley tisdale, the singer who sung my chosen song. This time the product is for the release of her album and the image is the cover for her self titled debut album. Unlike the product above colour has taken a more prominant part in the product but they still connote a more mature audience tham those used on the cover of Miley's album because of the use of high contrasts in the colours and the image sthat the colours connote. The text on the cover also indicates a more rebelious and mature audience, as well as the clothing anf styling of the artist emphasising an older generation aged between 17 - 20.
The first item is the cover image from Miley Cyrus's debut album. Her fan base and style of music appeal very much to the same audience as my artist, tween pop culture, if not a little younger. There is direct eye contact with teh audience and the props in the image present clearly and quickly what the image is promoting and representing. Her clothes represent and youthful image aswel as her body position which emphasises a more laid back and playful representation. The colours in the image are also very youthful and playful which build apon the fandom and representation of the artist. The artists name is made the most prominant fearture of the image and the font used also connotes a more playful and youthful imafe due to the use of the lower case letters and the star in the center of the text. From the cover it is easy to determine the taregt audience of the artists without having to look to hard for it. I think that this is the most important thing to consider when designing your own music products, if your audience are not clear as to whether or not your product is meant for them it will not be succesful.
The second product is taken from the actual artist that sings my chosen song. This is extremely helpful as it allows me to find a bench mark and a starting place in terms of representation and audience expectations. Unlike the previous product there is little eye contact with the audience and the colours connote a more mysterious and darker representation which would indicate that the target audience is perhaps a little olfer and more mature. The clothing would also indicate this. The darker colours of this product appeal more to me as a media student because it means that I can use hints of colour to emphasise specific aspects of the product, such as the use of pink in the title to highlight the name of the artist. The image itself is a more mysterious image than the one used previously but the second, smaller image in the background is the complete reverse of the main picture, which could indicate different sides of the artists music and style. Something to consider.
The final product is also taken from Ashley tisdale, the singer who sung my chosen song. This time the product is for the release of her album and the image is the cover for her self titled debut album. Unlike the product above colour has taken a more prominant part in the product but they still connote a more mature audience tham those used on the cover of Miley's album because of the use of high contrasts in the colours and the image sthat the colours connote. The text on the cover also indicates a more rebelious and mature audience, as well as the clothing anf styling of the artist emphasising an older generation aged between 17 - 20.
Thinking about my promotional items
Brain Waves
So I now have a finished music video, finally. Its now time to start thinking about promotional products. I plan to do some industry research into how artist promote themselves and their videos. Initially I plan to create a digi-pack that will promote my video itself, but I will also look into designing a webpage, poster and insert. This means I will need to hold a photo-shoo in-order to use professional looking images that will make my products look even better.
Tuesday 29 December 2009
VOYEURISM
Voyeurism (from the French voyeur, "one who looks") can take several forms, but its principle characteristic is that the voyeur does not normally relate directly with the subject of their interest, who is often unaware of being observed. The voyeur may observe the subject from a distance, or use stealth to observe the subject with the use of two-way mirrors,hidden cameras, secret photography,
Voyeurism is a central concept in the genre of music videos I aim to recreate
Above is a music video that captures voyeurism in music videos to its full extent.
Friday 25 December 2009
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Focus group Opinions
Comments and criticism.
I recorded their responses and have created a link below.
Tuesday 15 December 2009
CUT 2
SO FAR.....
I have created my first cut of my music video and re-filmed the parts of my footage that I felt needed to be filmed using more light. I have gone back through the original cut and made some editing tweaks in terms of shot sequences and framing to come up with a second cut. I intend to show this to my focus group and get feedback for the final cut.
Here is my second cut which includes the re-filmed shots:
First Cut
First Cut
I have completed my first draft and so far some problems that have arisen are:
Low lit shots
Shaky camera work
Syncing
unknown software
My first cut has enabled me to see that some of my shots towards the end of my video are badly lit and cannot be lightened on the editing software because of the quality of the camera and the resolution, consequently I will have to go back and re-film these sequences but because I have already filmed them once it shouldn't be to difficult.
When I have done the re filming and re editing I will show my video to my focus group and get some feedback before I cut my final copy.
tweaking
Editing an tweaking....
I have finally started to edit the start of my music from the footage I have taken over the past few weeks. At first I felt a little intimidated and unsure where to begin but after referring my storyboards and treatment I took the plunge and started. So far I have the beginning verse and chorus to my music video but I have quite quickly realised I will definitely need to film moor footage in order to create different shot sequences to make it seem less repetitive. So far the carnival scenes work really well and are a good contrast between the emotion in the first verse, I think it allows audiences to get a clear understanding of the message in the video and especially highlighting the lyrics in a visual sense. The hardest part of the editing so far is by far the syncing, fortunately my research taught me never to film just one take of the same scene in order to give yourself options so I have got some of the same scenes shot 4 different times from different angles so if one shot doesn't work it is easy to find a replacement, one the is more visually pleasing and one that easier to sync.
Filming take 2
Filming... TAKE 1
Today I started to film the fair ground scenes of my music video. I filmed over three hours of footage to make sure I would have enough to look through and add into my music video during editing. It was harder to film than I intially would have expected maninly due to the amount of people that were passing by. There were plenty of opportunities for me to create interesting camera angles which I think will work really well in the finished video. One effect that I think will work really well includes footage of my talent on rides themselves, mostly hand held camera work. This has created a more personal feel and really higjlights expression and emotion, something I was aiming to emphasise. This style of camera work also makes use of the lights in the grounds themselves as the bright neon lights add an extra dimension to the sequences as well as making them look more professional.
And the rest.....
Okay, so woth the fair ground shots out of the way it was time for me to start work on the rest of the scenes.
Using my tripod and storyboard I spent a whole day inside my house setting up different shots and scenes that I thought would visually work as well as incorporate the message and emotion I wanted to include in my music video.
With images of voyeurism in mind I started looking into filming shots infront of a mirror, camera filming from behind whilst my talent was concentrating on her own self reflection. I am really happy with these shots and I think that will work really well in the finished product.
My researched has taught me that eye contact, the rule of thirds and angles are extremely important when filming music videos, so I stuck to these concepts whilst filming using a range of shots I have listed below...
Head shots
Medium Close ups
Over the shoulder shots
Tracking shots
Full body shots
I already had a strong sense of direction in my mind when I started to film my video and shots so filming the different scenes didn't take as long as I though it might have done. I think the shots I have so far will be a good starting point but untill I start to edit my footage I will not know how well they all work together, and I may have to go back and film some shots again and even include new shots entirely.
Today I started to film the fair ground scenes of my music video. I filmed over three hours of footage to make sure I would have enough to look through and add into my music video during editing. It was harder to film than I intially would have expected maninly due to the amount of people that were passing by. There were plenty of opportunities for me to create interesting camera angles which I think will work really well in the finished video. One effect that I think will work really well includes footage of my talent on rides themselves, mostly hand held camera work. This has created a more personal feel and really higjlights expression and emotion, something I was aiming to emphasise. This style of camera work also makes use of the lights in the grounds themselves as the bright neon lights add an extra dimension to the sequences as well as making them look more professional.
And the rest.....
Okay, so woth the fair ground shots out of the way it was time for me to start work on the rest of the scenes.
Using my tripod and storyboard I spent a whole day inside my house setting up different shots and scenes that I thought would visually work as well as incorporate the message and emotion I wanted to include in my music video.
With images of voyeurism in mind I started looking into filming shots infront of a mirror, camera filming from behind whilst my talent was concentrating on her own self reflection. I am really happy with these shots and I think that will work really well in the finished product.
My researched has taught me that eye contact, the rule of thirds and angles are extremely important when filming music videos, so I stuck to these concepts whilst filming using a range of shots I have listed below...
Head shots
Medium Close ups
Over the shoulder shots
Tracking shots
Full body shots
I already had a strong sense of direction in my mind when I started to film my video and shots so filming the different scenes didn't take as long as I though it might have done. I think the shots I have so far will be a good starting point but untill I start to edit my footage I will not know how well they all work together, and I may have to go back and film some shots again and even include new shots entirely.
Saturday 31 October 2009
Friday 30 October 2009
filming
Thinking about filming.....
After planning my music video, logically the next step is to start filiming. Before I start to film I know that I will have to go back and refilm parts of the video that I dont' think would work as well as going away and filming more footage to add into the video because it will be almost impossible to film the entirety of my music video in one go.
Considering the fact I want to have part of my music video situated inside a Fair ground, including shots of the rides themselves I will have to venture out to the local annual fair. Most of my shots I plan to film using hand held camera work to simulate a homemade movie which will make audiences feel a bit more personal towards the video itself. As well as challenging some of the pop genre music video conventions by having hand held camera work I also aim to include tripod camera work with a series of voyeuristic shots, and narative sequences to translate the message in my music video. Voyeurism is something that appeared quite a lot in the analysis of other music videos so I feel I should have a lot of emphasis on creating similar shots.
Due to lack of budget and limited resources I think that the best ideo would be to shoot these scenes inside my own house, that way I can control the location as well as the surrounding aspects, making it less time consuming and in the end it will create a more professional looking video.
After planning my music video, logically the next step is to start filiming. Before I start to film I know that I will have to go back and refilm parts of the video that I dont' think would work as well as going away and filming more footage to add into the video because it will be almost impossible to film the entirety of my music video in one go.
Considering the fact I want to have part of my music video situated inside a Fair ground, including shots of the rides themselves I will have to venture out to the local annual fair. Most of my shots I plan to film using hand held camera work to simulate a homemade movie which will make audiences feel a bit more personal towards the video itself. As well as challenging some of the pop genre music video conventions by having hand held camera work I also aim to include tripod camera work with a series of voyeuristic shots, and narative sequences to translate the message in my music video. Voyeurism is something that appeared quite a lot in the analysis of other music videos so I feel I should have a lot of emphasis on creating similar shots.
Due to lack of budget and limited resources I think that the best ideo would be to shoot these scenes inside my own house, that way I can control the location as well as the surrounding aspects, making it less time consuming and in the end it will create a more professional looking video.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
October 20/10/09
Treatment
Treatment For Music video
View more presentations from hmerry.
October 20/10/09
TALENT
The images above all consist of the actors that are going to be in my music video. Starting from the top....
Sarah and Conor
Abby Kate & Lily
Hannah (me) and Lily
The actors I have used fit comfortably into my audiences fandom and target age groups. They are around the same age as the main artist my music video which gives younger audiences a sense of maturity and allows them to look to these people as role models. Part of creating this image is clothing and hair as well as lighting and framing.
Monday 12 October 2009
The Tween bubble!
Tweens going mad for pitch perfect pop is nothing new, but what no body could have predicted is the monopoly Disney and their clean cut squeaky clean teen pop sensations could have.
"The underlying message is about self esteem (and now diversity), which is developmentally appropriate and scores points with mom and dad. They also have a million brand extensions that appear on multiple platforms (magazines, web, music, stuff). The Sprouslings (I mean the Sprouse twins) are also magazine editors, the Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana and their predecessor, Hilary Duff all act and sing and probably can dance, too (although I think the tripple threat here is acting, singing and licensing tons of stuff — The Olsen Twins were the real trailblazers here). So when you take the natural, normal desire of tweens to obsess over their pop idols, throw in a few more platforms and please parents you have the perfect storm for potential tween success."
The disney pop bubble has quite literally taken over the tween world, with acts such as Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, The jonas Brothers and Ashley tisdale leading the way, most notably Hannah Montanna/Miley cyrus, "The Queen of teens."This 16 year old teen has the ability to turn young girls in to minature disney clones, perhaps not a bad thing due to the morals and social choices that Disney seem to enforce. Ashley Tisdale (my chosen singer), however is ditching the disney bubble for a new edgier look. She states she is just growing up and hopes her fans will grow with her. Yet it would seem that we have seen this before, perhaps history repeating itself. Britney spears was once Disney's poster child, innocent, clean cut pop Idol, yet in recent years it has become apparent that the image created by Disney was a lie, made up for parental approval and mass record sales.
Although it may look as if history is repeating itself, fans and tweens don't seem to care. They are to caught up in the whirl wind to think about the logistics and the business behind their Idols. These tween fans are very much driven by the need to find an idol, and icon to look up to and imitate, Disney appears to have fulfilled that need and don't seem to going away anytime soon. These cookie cutter pop stars, seem like the perfect package but whether or not their image is a construct is another matter entirely.
"The underlying message is about self esteem (and now diversity), which is developmentally appropriate and scores points with mom and dad. They also have a million brand extensions that appear on multiple platforms (magazines, web, music, stuff). The Sprouslings (I mean the Sprouse twins) are also magazine editors, the Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana and their predecessor, Hilary Duff all act and sing and probably can dance, too (although I think the tripple threat here is acting, singing and licensing tons of stuff — The Olsen Twins were the real trailblazers here). So when you take the natural, normal desire of tweens to obsess over their pop idols, throw in a few more platforms and please parents you have the perfect storm for potential tween success."
The disney pop bubble has quite literally taken over the tween world, with acts such as Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, The jonas Brothers and Ashley tisdale leading the way, most notably Hannah Montanna/Miley cyrus, "The Queen of teens."This 16 year old teen has the ability to turn young girls in to minature disney clones, perhaps not a bad thing due to the morals and social choices that Disney seem to enforce. Ashley Tisdale (my chosen singer), however is ditching the disney bubble for a new edgier look. She states she is just growing up and hopes her fans will grow with her. Yet it would seem that we have seen this before, perhaps history repeating itself. Britney spears was once Disney's poster child, innocent, clean cut pop Idol, yet in recent years it has become apparent that the image created by Disney was a lie, made up for parental approval and mass record sales.
Although it may look as if history is repeating itself, fans and tweens don't seem to care. They are to caught up in the whirl wind to think about the logistics and the business behind their Idols. These tween fans are very much driven by the need to find an idol, and icon to look up to and imitate, Disney appears to have fulfilled that need and don't seem to going away anytime soon. These cookie cutter pop stars, seem like the perfect package but whether or not their image is a construct is another matter entirely.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
October 6/10/09
Lyrics
I have decided to post the lyrics in order to show how the lyrics lend themselves to a more narrative based music video, as well as highlighting the chorus to show the areas of the song in which I aim to emphasise. I aim to produce a podcast to show in more detail the ways I aim to portray the lyrics and my initial ideas.
I have decided to post the lyrics in order to show how the lyrics lend themselves to a more narrative based music video, as well as highlighting the chorus to show the areas of the song in which I aim to emphasise. I aim to produce a podcast to show in more detail the ways I aim to portray the lyrics and my initial ideas.
You played me, betrayed me
Your love was nothing but a game
Portrayed a role
You took control
I couldn't help but fall
So deep
But now I see things clear
It's alright, okay
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
Alright, okay
So don't you bother what I do
No matter what you say
I wont return
Our bridge has burnt down
I'm stronger now
Alright, okay
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
Don't waste your fiction tears on me
Just save them for someone in need
It's way to late
I'm closing the door
October 6/10/09
Location
The location of my music video is something that I have put a lot of thought into. I want there to be a contrast in my music video between the locations to emphasize the change in emotion and tone. I plan to use light to highlight this contrast, mainly by having the verses shown in daylight and natural light whereas the chorus will be shown using manipulated and artificial light during the night.
My idea of having my music video set in a fair ground will be perfect in showing the contrast in tone as there will be opportunities for me to manipulate the strobe and neon lighting to highlight certain colours to evoke specific emotions.
The pictures above were taken using a digital IS 400 SLR camera, they were taken whilst I was at chalkwall fair. I took them with the idea in mind that I could use them as part of my digi pack and use them within my dvd design templates.
Whether or not they would work as a front image cover I will have to wait and see but as an insert they will fit in well with my music video ideas as well as using them on a web home page and Poster that I plan to design to advertise my music video.
Thursday 24 September 2009
Wednesday 23 September 2009
23/09/09
So next move,
My song has been choosen and I am starting to put together mood boards and ideas in my minds about the sort of video I want to create.
From personal preferrence and experience I know what I like in terms of visual excitement in music videos and I also know what I don't like.
After looking at a number of videos I think it would be approprate to have fast paced edits and shot sequences to keep my audiences interested as well as watching.
In regards to ideas I really want to incorporate a mix of singing shots with cut edits to other scenarios.
One idea of how to do this would be to have flash back sequences where I can really applify some of the lyrics in my song, especially the breakup lyrics that my song enforces.
I have always played with the idea of including some elements of night time scenes at fair grounds and fun fairs so I can really exploit lighting opportunities and unique camera angles. This is something I am really considering and something that would also be appropraite for the genre of my song and would really appeal to the artists fandom. Something which I aim to look at in more deatail.
Edits and framing
I aim to keep edits on the beat of the song and keep scene lengths to a minimal, as well as using natural frames in my shots to give it a more professional and high quality edge.
One idea that re-occured in my research was the concept of Voyeurism, and this is especially relevent to my target audiece.
Voyeurism is the concept that audiences receive pleasure out of wathing acts of otherwise private occurances. Voyeurism is also highlighted by reflection shots in music videos such as looking into a mirror or a reflection in the window.
I aim to really emphasise the voyeurism aspect in my music video by having reflected frames and shots as well as filming scenes that look as if they are intruding in on a private moment that the people in it wouldn't neccessarily know that it was being shot. This could be utilise mostly in fun fair scenes.
These are just some rough ideas that I had in my head. My aim is to now go on and look at some influencial music directors, fandom/target audience, speak to my focus group and produce some mood boards and storyboards.
My song has been choosen and I am starting to put together mood boards and ideas in my minds about the sort of video I want to create.
From personal preferrence and experience I know what I like in terms of visual excitement in music videos and I also know what I don't like.
After looking at a number of videos I think it would be approprate to have fast paced edits and shot sequences to keep my audiences interested as well as watching.
In regards to ideas I really want to incorporate a mix of singing shots with cut edits to other scenarios.
One idea of how to do this would be to have flash back sequences where I can really applify some of the lyrics in my song, especially the breakup lyrics that my song enforces.
I have always played with the idea of including some elements of night time scenes at fair grounds and fun fairs so I can really exploit lighting opportunities and unique camera angles. This is something I am really considering and something that would also be appropraite for the genre of my song and would really appeal to the artists fandom. Something which I aim to look at in more deatail.
Edits and framing
I aim to keep edits on the beat of the song and keep scene lengths to a minimal, as well as using natural frames in my shots to give it a more professional and high quality edge.
One idea that re-occured in my research was the concept of Voyeurism, and this is especially relevent to my target audiece.
Voyeurism is the concept that audiences receive pleasure out of wathing acts of otherwise private occurances. Voyeurism is also highlighted by reflection shots in music videos such as looking into a mirror or a reflection in the window.
I aim to really emphasise the voyeurism aspect in my music video by having reflected frames and shots as well as filming scenes that look as if they are intruding in on a private moment that the people in it wouldn't neccessarily know that it was being shot. This could be utilise mostly in fun fair scenes.
These are just some rough ideas that I had in my head. My aim is to now go on and look at some influencial music directors, fandom/target audience, speak to my focus group and produce some mood boards and storyboards.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
September 15/09/09
Video vs Video...
The table above is a brief analysis of Good girls go bad by Cobra Starship. The analysis is structured using Andrew Goodwins theory of music video analysis. The video was released in 2009 and features both the artist and guest vocalist leighton Meester, directed by Kai Regan
The table above is a brief analysis of Good girls go bad by Cobra Starship. The analysis is structured using Andrew Goodwins theory of music video analysis. The video was released in 2009 and features both the artist and guest vocalist leighton Meester, directed by Kai Regan
September 15/09/09
This video is taken from The Veronicas debut album in the UK, again the chart takes reference from Andrew Goodwin.
Monday 14 September 2009
September 14/09/09
"music is the art of thinking with sounds"
Okay, the serious part, music choice. The right song can make or break any artist and the same can also be said for music videos. Music videos have the ability to define image and create a fandom that rejects diversion from genre conventions. This is something to seriously consider when choosing my song as each artist comes with its own fan base and creating a music video that diverts from fan expectations and genre characteristics could potentially have a negative effect. From the list of songs i drew up before I have managed to level it down to 2 potential songs:
It's alright it's okay
Ashley Tisdale
This particular song is extremely 'poppy' in reflection, however the lyrics and the beat of would make a great starting point for coming up with a video idea. The lyrics of the song would make for an interesting illustrative video, it would also work with my original ideas for filming parts of the video in a fair ground environment where I can exploit lighting, frames and resources.
You told me
There's no need
To talk it out
Cause its too late
To proceed
And slowly
I took your words
And walked away
No looking back
I wont regret, no
I will find my way
I'm broken
But still I have to say
It's Alright, it's OK
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
It's Alright, it's OK
So don't you bother what I do
No matter what you say
I wont return
Our bridge has burned down
I'm stronger now
It's Alright, it's OK
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
To talk it out
Cause its too late
To proceed
And slowly
I took your words
And walked away
No looking back
I wont regret, no
I will find my way
I'm broken
But still I have to say
It's Alright, it's OK
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
It's Alright, it's OK
So don't you bother what I do
No matter what you say
I wont return
Our bridge has burned down
I'm stronger now
It's Alright, it's OK
I'm so much better without you
I won't be sorry
The opening versus and chorus of the song suggest a break up between a young couple where the girl has realised she no longer needs her boyfriend in her life. Due to the very visual lyrics it would make sense to create a video following the visuals because it would automatically fit into the genre conventions of the pop world as well as allow opportunities to include artist cuts and edits showing some sort of singing and performing.
From researching the artist herself, it is clear to see that her 'sugar pop; image has been grown out of the tween fan-base and very much centered around the idea of celebrity lifestyle rather than music necessarily, you could almost go as far to say her music is almost to manufactured. From looking at articles and images of the artist it has become apparent in recent months that she is trying to move away from the cookie cutter image and make some more adventurous moves in music and image, this would be something to consider when designing a video. in regards to fandom, her music is very much made to fall into the new tween phenomena of the 21st century stemming from the likes of High school musical, Hannah Montanna and the Jonas Brothers. Tween fans require catchy rhythms and tunes that they can sing along to create dance routines as well as showing the artists in such a light that presents them as the ideal idol to emulate.
Depending on my choice of song I will look more deeply into the area of target audience so i can draw ideas from it.
Anywhere but here
Safety Suit
This song in particualr is one of my favourites, and I really feel that given the right resources I could really make an amazing video, however like most things there are limitations on what I can realistic acheive. This song evokes very strong feelings to its listeners and in some respects is more about the lyrics than the music itself. Like the song above a more illustrative video would be most appropriate as the lyrics once again paint a very vivid narrative picture to audiences. The music and beat itself is slower than my first option but the build up creshendo at the end of the song makes perfect editing opportunities to create a very dramatic ending. Once again I did some research into the artist themselves and Safety suit are a relaticely new band with a very alternative fandom. There music speaks to nicher audiences but at the same time elements of their music appeal to a more mainstream music genre. In terms of the music video I would perhaps consider not using the band in the video at all and stick completely to a narrative based video.
Deffinately a strong contender to think about, I like the editing capabilties in this song due to the drumming base line and the beats themselves, it would make interesting viewing.
Right, decision time...............
Being completely honest I would have to say that the first song would allow me the opportunity to create a video that I can make successfull and professional with a clear representation in regards to image. As much as I like the 2nd song I think that the initial Ideas I had for the video wouldn't translate well on screen and consequently my video wouldnt be the best I could make it as i don't have the resources or the budget to fulfill my ideas to my satisfaction.
So.. after much deliberation my final song choice = It's alright it's Okay by Ashley Tisdale.
I think I should get on to looking at the song in more depth and jot down some initial ideas before I start drawing up my flat plans.
september 14/09/09
Music Music Music
Okay, so now its time to get down to the business of choosing the right song. I have a list in mind, all copyright free, of some ideas of songs that would make good music videos. Some of the songs already have their own vidoes but some don't. In that respect it may be easier to pick a song without an already existing music video because there would be less expectations.
The songs I will consider using are:
Anywhere but here by Safety Suit
The Last Night by Skillet
Thinking if you by Katy Perry
Its alright its okay by Ashley Tisdale
Another heart Calls by All American Rejects
Red by Daniel Merry-weather
Okay, so now its time to get down to the business of choosing the right song. I have a list in mind, all copyright free, of some ideas of songs that would make good music videos. Some of the songs already have their own vidoes but some don't. In that respect it may be easier to pick a song without an already existing music video because there would be less expectations.
The songs I will consider using are:
Anywhere but here by Safety Suit
The Last Night by Skillet
Thinking if you by Katy Perry
Its alright its okay by Ashley Tisdale
Another heart Calls by All American Rejects
Red by Daniel Merry-weather
There are elements to each song that i find appealing and in all cases I have ideas that would make the videos really stand out. When choosing my song however, I must take into consideration resources and time constraints as well as lyrics, beat and tempo.
I may come to find that i have to choose a song based on creative ideas and ability rather than whether or not I like the song.
I think its time i really listened to the songs and assess them with a more critical and creative eye .
Thursday 10 September 2009
september 10/09/09
How do music videos reflect pop culture of the time?
If you look at the history of 'the music video' it is fairly easy to see that music videos are a new phenomena in their current day form and uses. History shows that the concept of music videos started with the creation of music television such as top of the pops so that that major rock bands of the time could put on a performance without actually being there. In this sense music videos were used when bands were on tour as a way to 'keep up appearences.'
Nowadays most music videos are a statement on some sort of pop culture which reflects modern cultures and stereotypes that audiences find easy to relate to, mostly used for promotional purposes to help with merchandising as well as being used as a representation for artist image. In modern cultures music videos are a representation on society and cultural conventions that audiences can find relateable inorder to promote and sell records. Today, music videos, you could perhaps say, are an expected part of any music artists job and without them representation of image would not be possible. In terms of pop culture music videos of today are a reflection on different sub cultures in society and they clearly lay foundations for genre's of music and demonstrate different 'labels' that artists and audiences associate themselves with, they are a form of identification.
Nowadays most music videos are a statement on some sort of pop culture which reflects modern cultures and stereotypes that audiences find easy to relate to, mostly used for promotional purposes to help with merchandising as well as being used as a representation for artist image. In modern cultures music videos are a representation on society and cultural conventions that audiences can find relateable inorder to promote and sell records. Today, music videos, you could perhaps say, are an expected part of any music artists job and without them representation of image would not be possible. In terms of pop culture music videos of today are a reflection on different sub cultures in society and they clearly lay foundations for genre's of music and demonstrate different 'labels' that artists and audiences associate themselves with, they are a form of identification.
Sunday 6 September 2009
September 06/09/09
Next...
Okay, did some research into Andrew Goodwins theory of music video conventions before I start to film my own footage to get an idea of the sort of shots I should be aiming for and what to include in terms of content.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
Okay, did some research into Andrew Goodwins theory of music video conventions before I start to film my own footage to get an idea of the sort of shots I should be aiming for and what to include in terms of content.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
Friday 4 September 2009
September 04/09/09
New Year, New Start!
Hey,
okay so here is the project I have been waiting for, complete creative control, time limits are perhaps a little daunting but I know the direction I plan to go in so here is hoping that I can do it.
Before I start it would be best to know more about music videos themselves so I can apply theories and conventions to my own work. I have made a list of some copywright free music that I would consider using for my music video, and once I have chosen my song I plan to then sit down and draw up some ideas for my music video. Chalkwell Fair is open in a few days and having some shots filmed there might make good viewing because of the colour and different shot capabilities, something to consider...
Hey,
okay so here is the project I have been waiting for, complete creative control, time limits are perhaps a little daunting but I know the direction I plan to go in so here is hoping that I can do it.
Before I start it would be best to know more about music videos themselves so I can apply theories and conventions to my own work. I have made a list of some copywright free music that I would consider using for my music video, and once I have chosen my song I plan to then sit down and draw up some ideas for my music video. Chalkwell Fair is open in a few days and having some shots filmed there might make good viewing because of the colour and different shot capabilities, something to consider...
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