IDEA CHANGE!!!

What was the cause for the original idea change?
We previously chose the song Voodoo Child by the Rogue Trader. After analysing the up to date footage we came to realise the idea was going nowhere and that it would have been more of a struggle to try and build upon it. Reasons for this was that the location (drama studio) was restricted, the mise-en-scene was not coming through and the flow of the narrative was not happening as we pictured it to.

What is the new song choice and idea?
The new song we all agreed on is Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift. We were aware not to choose a popular artist as it would be impossible to measure up to their style but as there is no video for this song we will build it around our chosen genre and style which is edgy punk so it's not similar to Taylor Swift's style who has been described as 'America's sweetheart'. The theme in her songs are based around romance/relationships and she makes this clear through her performances in the narratives for each video such as physical actions, facial expressions and emotions. The idea is the typical boy meets girl narrative but it will be a split screen showing two scenarios of two different couples. Olivia Hartland-Robbins and Josie Crandley will be casted as the female roles. There is not set location, I (May) will be filming the video in various locations such as school, Kingston, Richmond Park, Olivia and Josie's house. 

As a group, we just felt as though nothing was working with our old idea, and we chose the song Sparks Fly, because both Olivia and Josie know the song really well, and have imagined a fitting music video in their minds every time they listen to the song. Again we struggle to find a boy to be in our video, but with the option of filming in the Christmas holidays we can now extend the search. Our current idea is to have a boy with two girlfriends, enjoying both of their company until one of his relationships start to go horribly wrong (the one with Josie) and they start to argue, so eventually he walks out on her and stays with his other girlfriend (played by Olivia). As if the narrative wasn't already incredibly emotional, we decided to add in a plot twist of Josie then falling pregnant, and leaving the video on a cliff hanger.

As Josie and Olivia know the song so well, they have delegated specific lines between them, and have started to make progress with the story boards in such a short space of time. The idea change was sudden and stressful but I think we can pull it off, considering how well we work as a team and our close knowledge of the song. We looked at Taylor Swift's other videos, because we obviously understand that she is a HUGE artist, so we did not want to copy her image or her type cast/stereotype. We have chosen to make one of our girls an edgier character (Josie) and the other a laid back and classy character (Olivia). This helps us to establish a difference between us and Taylor Swift.

THE SONG!

https://soundcloud.com/josiejoex/diamond-clark-sparks-fly

Album Art/Digi Pak

This photo represents the fireworks that you feel when you're in love with somebody, the ones that you want to capture and keep in a jar forever. This is why I think this a sweet idea for an album cover, because not only does it represent the song we are making a music video to, but it resembles the idea that love is a firework that you want to capture.

 

This second photo represents our key theme and portrays what our video is about: love. It also displays the generic idea that love is represent in a heart format, which is an obvious notion and easy for our target audience to understand.

fashion inspiration:

We have chosen to model our band after specific female celebrities, such as Amelia-Lily, Ashley Greene and Jessica Stroup. These girls have a similar fashion style that we want our band to dress in, each with their own individual quirks.

genre analysis

Electro Indie is a term that is instantly distinguishable when mentioned in passing conversation. The term doesn’t hold any illusions as to what types of instrumentation are likely to be heard in this particular genre.
Indietronica (also called Indie electronic) is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine. It is also closely related to the relatively less electronic and more acoustic chillwave (glo-fi) movement.
Indie electronic began in the early 1990s, with bands like Stereolab and Disco Inferno, and took off in the new millennium as the new digital technology developed. This included acts such as Broadcast from the UK, Justice from France, Lali Puna from Germany, and The Postal Service and Ratatat from the US, who mixed a variety of indie sounds with electronic music. These were largely produced on small independent labels.
Alternative dance or indie dance (also referred to as underground dance in the US) is a musical genre that mixes various musical subgenres with electronic dance music. Although largely confined to the British Isles, it has gained American and worldwide exposure through acts such as New Order in the 1980s and The Prodigy in the 1990s.
Allmusic states that alternative dance mixes the "melodic song structure of alternative and indie rock with the electronic beats, synths and/or samples, and club orientation of post-disco dance music". The Sacramento Bee calls it "postmodern–Eurosynth–technopop–New Wave in a blender". Cultural historian Piero Scaruffi suggests that electronic body music first witnessed in Belgium, and later in Canada, between 1980 and 1984 laid the foundations for the alternative dance saturation in the 90s.
The genre draws heavily on club culture for inspiration while incorporating other styles of music such as synthpop, acid house, and trip hop. The performers of alternative dance are closely identified with their music through a signature style, texture, or fusion of specific musical elements. They are usually signed to small record labels.
As computer technology and music software became more accessible and advanced at the start of the 21st century, bands tended to forego traditional studio production practices. High quality music was often conceived using little more than a single laptop computer. Such advances led to an increase in the amount of home-produced electronic music, including alternative dance, available via the Internet. According to BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, part of the strength of the scene in the new millennium was "the sense of community"; she noted, "Websites, blogs and MySpace pages all get people talking about records and checking out each other's recommendations. It's not like the old club scene, where these established DJs dictated what would be big. Word-of-mouth is so important now."

filming schedule

This is a message to everyone we have asked to star in our music video, arranging times and dates that we can begin to film. Because we are using the drama studios at school, we have to make sure that A) everyone can make it, B) the studios are free (which i have double checked that they are) and C) that it is after the 10th.

Character Profiles

We have decided to include fact file's in our album art cover, giving a brief introduction to each band member, so that our audience can A) pick their favourites/those who they connect most with and B) can also understand more about the band that they are listening to.

Band member name: Josie Diamond

Age: 19

Relationship status: Dating Nate Parker

Favourite colour: Dark Purple

Place in band: Lead Singer

Hair Colour: Brunette

Skin Colour: Olive tones

Shoe Size: 5

Dress Size: 10

Eye Colour: Green

Favourite Song: Mumford & Sons- winter winds

Favourite Movie: Harry Potter

Favourite Book: Looking For Alaska- John Green

Talents: singing, dancing, acting

Hobbies: gymnastics, swimming and shopping

A Secret: I’ve never broken a bone

Inspiration: My best friend, she is always there for a hug and with chocolate

Favourite subject at school: Drama

Band Member name: Olivia rose

Age: 19

Relationship Status: Dating Kieron Smith

Favourite colour: Navy

Place in band: guitar and vocals

Hair Colour: Blonde

Skin Colour: Ivory skinned

Shoe Size: 5/6

Dress Size: 10

Eye Colour: Blue

Favourite Song: Taylor Swift- I knew you were trouble

Favourite Movie: Finding Nemo

Favourite Book: In Cold Blood

Talents: Sings

Hobbies: guitar, singing, song writing

A Secret: Still sleeps with a teddy bear at night

Inspiration: my older sister, who kept me strong when I felt lost

Favourite subject at school: English

 

Band member name: Andreia Stone

Age: 20

Relationship status: Single

Favourite colour: Dark blue

Place in band: drummer

Hair Colour: Brunette

Skin Colour: Slightly Tanned

Shoe Size: 5

Dress Size: 10

Eye Colour: brown

Favourite Song: Marina and the Diamonds- power and control

Favourite Movie: Spiderman

Favourite Book: Romeo and Juliet

Talents: bend her knees backwards

Hobbies: drumming, cooking, writing poetry

A Secret: I dream of going to study performing arts at university

Inspiration: my mum, who has been there for me since I was born

Favourite subject at school: philosophy

Band member name: Nicki Winter

Age: 20

Relationship status: single

Favourite colour: Dark Red

Place in band: bass guitar

Hair Colour: blonde

Skin Colour: tanned/olive

Shoe Size: 6

Dress Size: 10

Eye Colour: bright blue

Favourite Song: Florence and the machine- you’ve got the love

Favourite Movie: all art house films

Favourite Book: taming of the shrew

Talents: can style/dye hair

Hobbies: gardening, playing guitar, directing

A Secret: I am a scrabble champion

Inspiration: My dad, who paid for all my guitar lessons

Favourite subject at school: Media Studies

 

Band member name: Michaella Sparks

Age: 18

Relationship status: has a boyfriend of 18 months, Jamie Carter

Favourite colour: Green

Place in band: i play the symbols

Hair colour: light brown

Skin colour: light tanned

Shoe size: 5

Dress size: 8

Eye colour: brown

Favourite song: Rhianna- California king bed

Favourite movie: p.s I love you

Favourite book: The perks of being a wallflower

Talents: I’m a good sketcher and sculptor

Hobbies: ice skating, running and making cookies

A secret: my guilty pleasure is singing show tunes

Inspiration: my nan, always believed in me and supported me

Favourite subject at school: Art

Jack is our main male lead. He meets Olivia and Josie at a party and is instantly enticed by them. At the start of the song/music video, he feels like he can be in control of the two girls, by being their puppet master and in charge of their actions/emotions/behaviour. But when this power is subverted and the girl are in control, Jack is so taken by the female leads that he just follows them by a lost puppy. Still he continues in his ways to try and get the girls attention, simply because they are not interested. Towards the end of the video Jack slips both girls his number, who look at him with a sigh and tear it up in front him. 

our production company

WWSD?: What Would She Do?
I came up with this name late one night whilst brainstorming other possible production company names. I then researched the top 40 music video production companies ever and looked at what came up. This gave me a higher chance of inspiration when trying to come up with a name of mine. Then I reflected back on our theme, and knew I wanted something that was in-sync with it. Now the essence of female control and power grows every day, and then I read something on Twitter that I know a strong Christian would say about their leader Jesus, What Would Jesus Do? And that gave me the inspiration to think clearly about our own company name. I decided to change the words 'Jesus' to 'females' but then thought about making it more specific to us, and by changing 'females' to 'she'- I have created a stronger connection to the audience, with a thought process of 'if she can do it, do can I'. This saying can be used in every day life, such as the work place, as well as in casual situations like a party, which is the setting of our video.

Idea Adaptation:

In today's lesson (15th November) we decided that adding a 5th girl member to our band would be a good idea. The point of having a 5-member edgy girl band is to amplify the theme of female control, and how women can have the upper hand in certain situations, only if given the chance to. For example, having a 5th member increases the girl to guy ratio, which is now 5:1, and in this instance our guy (Jack) doesn't know which way to look, and that causes him grief. It also adds a 5th character, and so our target audience and one more person to relate to. We have done this for our audience because it stretches our target to wider prospects. However, we had sturggled to come up with an instrument for our 5th member, but after lsietning to the song on repeat, we have discovered that our new band member will play the symbols. So now our band consists of: a drummer, a symbolist/percussionist, a lead guitarist, a bass guitarist and a lead singer.

Theme/Idea Changes:

After close analyisis of the song lyrics (Rogue Traders- Voodoo Child) we had a sudden change of idea. Instead of having the female star in control of the male star, we have thought to not only add another female character, but to also have the male in control at first, and having the females 'gaining the upper hand' and subverting the power to be in their favour.

We decided to add a female character so that when the control/dominance is subverted, the effect takes its toll on the audience in a much bigger way. For example, by using a second dominant female charatcer, it gives the audience a more detailed specification of power and also the spectators can relate to the different stars, in related and unrelated ways.

The reason we decided that the guy would take some control in the beginning of the video is because it is a more realistic situation, having the guy be the dominant figure, especially with other recent media types that have been around lately, and to then subvert the power via the main girls. Also the song enlists a line saying 'play me like a puppet' and so we are adapting our theme around the explicit lyric, by having Jack hold puppeteer sticks above us and we move along with him.

Music Video Directors:

James Ash:
'Voodoo child' by Rogue Traders was originally recorded in australia, made it in the 2005 charts in uk.

James Ash joined Austrailian radio station 'Hitz' in 1993 and became a DJ in local clubs in late 1993.

Since 1994 Ash has released over forty remixes and original productions under names including:

Faith In Technology, Thunderchild, Elan, Union State and Rogue Traders.

I would choose James Ash to be our music video director as he co-produced and was a member of the Rogue Traders band, so therefore he already has experience with the song and would understand how we wanted to do things. He also has various music experience, which is very helpful with a theme as broad as ours, so he would be helpful and a very professional and structured man to work with.

TMS:
TMS produced Little Mix's song 'DNA' which has a very similar themed video to our idea so the producer/director would be a good and professional person/group to use as we have seen successful evidence of their video and the production company doing a good job.

TMS are an English song writing and record producing team, originating from West London. Tom Barnes, Ben Kohn & Peter Kelleher are all a part of the TMS production team, associated with genres such as: electronic, pop and hip-hop.

Their name derives from a local graffiti crew and the acronym has various meanings. Their first studio was a converted garden shed in Ealing, from where they initially started releasing UK garage pop on their own imprint.

I personally would thoroughly enjoy working with TMS, given the success they have had with other mainstream artists, and some indie artists too. The Little Mix song 'DNA' is a huge success for my group because of the similar themes that are portrayed in the video.

Music Videos that influenced me

Shania Twain- Man I Feel Like A Woman


Marina & The Diamonds- Power & Control



 Little Mix- DNA

M.I.A- Bad Gurlz

These music videos all link to our themes of female dominance, and my group have decided to take inspirations and similar camera angles/editing styles. These videos all include themes from cross-genre singers/artists and aren't a constant theme on their albums.

Some music videos loosely fit our themes, but they aren't about female dominance, more about female power and about not letting a guy take you for granted, which we can still display in our own music video.

Taylor Swift- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Beyonce- Irreplaceable

These two songs are not directly linked to our theme of female dominance and power but has a slightly connection with the themes in their lyrics, about females standing up for their hearts and bodies. Neither of the previous two music videos mentioned (Taylor Swift, Beyonce) fit our chosen genre (electro-rock, electro-pop, dance) although the themes are similar and that is part of the reason we were inspired by them.

There are also role reversal videos, where the male is in control. An example of this is:

Calvin Harris- I Get All The Girls 

Gym Class Heroes- Cookie Jar

Band Identity

Name: suffer-gettes
How many members? three/four
Genre of music: electro-pop/electro-rock
Fashion style: unique, alternative, funky

The name:
We came up with the name in one of latest meetings. I brainstormed all night once trying to decide on a name for our suited band. The Rogue Traders are our inspiration for our video, and so we looked at their inspirations for 'Voodoo Child' and the rest of their album. With true consideration to our theme of female control and power, we thought back to the suffragettes, who have a history of fighting for women's rights, and all the trouble they went through to get us females to have a vote. Without copying their name, we knew we wanted something similar, which is when we came up with 'Suffer-Gettes'. I personally felt as though the name of our band fitted in perfectly with our theme and so therefore contributes well to our creative ideas and hopefully our final product.

How many members?
We do not have a definite amount of band members, although three is our main target. We planned on using a rock band set, instead of real instruments, to contrast with our serious theme of female control
 by using 'silly' props. The performance set we are using includes: drums, guitar and a microphone, so we need three members, the singer already cast as being me.

Genre:
The genre of our band/song changes per person you ask, but the original band itself- The Rogue Traders- self evaluated their genre as cross genre of: electro pop, electro rock, dance and indie. This genre is something we have taken carefully into consideration while planning our video. We also have carefully thought of costume and fashion choices, trying to avoid negative stereotypes and 'normal' circumstances. In this case, we have chosen to altar our style slightly, by using Grease references in our aid.

Chloe Shaw: promotions

Audience Questionnaire

1)    What is your gender?
Female

2)    What is your age?
15

3)    What is your occupation?
School student

4)    What area do you live in?
Wandsworth

5)    What genre of music do you listen to?
a) Rock [X]
b) Top 40
c) Alternative [X]
d) Pop
e) Country
f) RnB
g) Rap
h) Dubstep [X]
i) Other

6)    What radio station do you listen to most often and why?
XFM- because it plays everything I like and surrounds my life

7)    If given the choice to listen to only one music channel 24/7 for the rest of your life, which music channel would it be and why?
Kerrang

8)    Do you think that a music artists background should be represented in their music video?
Yes

9)    Do you think that negative stereotypes are portrayed in popular music videos?
Yes

  10)  What appeals to you most about music videos?
that it relates to the song

  11)  What is your favourite music video?
I don't have a specific favourite but I do like The Wanted- glad you game
 
 12)  How often do you watch music channels?
Not very often

Audience Questionnaire

1)    What is your gender?
Female

2)    What is your age?
49

3)    What is your occupation?
Teachers Assistant

4)    What area do you live in?
Motspur Park

5)    What genre of music do you listen to?
a) Rock [X]
b) Top 40
c) Alternative
d) Pop
e) Country
f) RnB
g) Rap
h) Dubstep
i) Other [X] (swing, classical)

6)    What radio station do you listen to most often and why?
Absolute- plays the sort of music I enjoy

7)    If given the choice to listen to only one music channel 24/7 for the rest of your life, which music channel would it be and why?
Kerrang- the only channel I know the name of

8)    Do you think that a music artists background should be represented in their music video?
No

9)    Do you think that negative stereotypes are portrayed in popular music videos?
Yes

  10)  What appeals to you most about music videos?
A strong narrative

  11)  What is your favourite music video?
Always- Bon Jovi
 
 12)  How often do you watch music channels?
Not often

Audience Questionnaire

1)    What is your gender?
Male

2)    What is your age?
51

3)    What is your occupation?
Art Worker/Advertiser

4)    What area do you live in?
Motspur Park

5)    What genre of music do you listen to?
a) Rock [X]
b) Top 40
c) Alternative
d) Pop
e) Country
f) RnB
g) Rap
h) Dubstep
i) Other

6)    What radio station do you listen to most often and why?
Absolute, Planet Rock & The Arrow, because it plays the music I enjoy listening to.

7)    If given the choice to listen to only one music channel 24/7 for the rest of your life, which music channel would it be and why?
VH1, because it plays rock and classic rock hits.

8)    Do you think that a music artists background should be represented in their music video?
Yes I do.

9)    Do you think that negative stereotypes are portrayed in popular music videos?
Yes.

10)  What appeals to you most about music videos?
Creativity levels, camera angles and editing techniques.

11)  What is your favourite music video?
Aha!- Take on me.

12)  How often do you watch music channels?
Rarely.

Star Image: One Direction (1D)

other media texts that influenced me

Themes from:
Books: (house of night, 50 shades)
Films: (grease, grease 2, hairspray)

The 'house of night' novels are written by combined authors PC and Kristen Cast, a mother and daughter duo. The main narrative of these books are of vanpires and the supernatural, but the themes from the main character Zoey Redbird, relate to those we want to use in our music video. For example, Zoey has a strong character, she is looked up to and idolized, which our main star will be too.

Similarly, 50 shades of grey have similar themes that we are focusing on in our music video, only we have initiated a role reversal. In the book, Christian Grey is the character with the power and has control over Ana Steele, whereas in our video it is the female with the dominant role. (Obviously 50 shades is an inappropriate book to focus on, we are just relating themes to our video.) My group and I have just related certain themes from the previously mentioned books to our music video, in a minor way.

50 shades mainly, but also the 'House Of Night' novels, also include a variety of voyeuristic traits, which we also wish to relate in our video.

We had the idea to use intertextuality in our music video, and for this we have decided to use similar themes and costumes and settings from Grease, which we know was a popular era/decade and would also broaden our target audience by inviting a new type of spectator to enjoy our themes. By using similar costume/clothing to Grease in our video, we are introducing a specific type of consumer to become a part of something inclusive.

Goodwin's theory

Sammy Adams- only one

Genre characteristics:
Sammy Adams is an American rapper and recording artist from Massachusetts. His song 'Only One' fits into many genre's, having his influences be from many types of music, including: classic rock, rock, classical music, and blues. This song specifically is a cross-genre from hip hop/urban with an edgy/rocky beat.

Relationship between lyrics and visuals:
The running theme throughout the video, via visuals, is the typical party scene, a summer evening, with friends and having a good time. The lyrics link in with this because they initiate the idea and convey the theme of having a fun time with your mates, and living life to the fullest. The song title of 'Only One' implies that it will be a video about love and romance, although that is not a main theme, it is a sub theme, with the use of pretty girls and good looking guys, to act as a 'party love'.

Relationship between music and visuals:
The theme in the music video being 'party-ish' and 'living while you're young' fits with the beat and edginess in the song, and also, me personally, would definitely play this song at a party, knowing it gets people in the dancing mood. The party in the video typically has the male brawl, which I interpret as being over the blonde girl that Sammy is showing affections for. The visuals in the video link with the music by being upbeat and fun, something that would be played at a party anyway, thus the relationship between the music and the visuals is clear and relevant.

Close ups:
The use of close ups in this video are very important, considering that Sammy Adams is an uncoming star, and so the use of the close ups give the audience a personal relationship with him, getting to know his face and his name. Personally watching this video, I can tell that Goodwin's theory is important and incredibly accurate. The close ups used in 'Only One' show a set motif for Sammy, showing off his 'hard' attitude, making sure he will be type cast with performers and artists such as Professor Green, Dappy and The Kixx- not jsut because of a similar genre, but because of similar attitudes and music styles.

Voyeurism:
The voyeurism is not too obvious in this video, although it is there. Sammy is obviously interested in the blonde girl, and although her sex appeal is limited (minimal make up, doesn't show much skin), so personally I suspect the voyeurism is used on Sammy himself (who plays himself) to attract girls to their target audience, making it broad and not 'type-cast'. The blonde girl is very pretty, and it shows the natural side of beauty, instead of the usual half-naked and heavily made up girls that are usually portrayed in music videos. In addition, this also sends out a positive message to those watching, especially the younger generations.

Intertextuality:
There is no intentional intertextuality used in this video, although the fights and street fights are reflective of society and seen in other films and videos. The audience would be hooked on the girl and Sammy's relationship, wondering if anything ever comes of it, what happens next etc. And this happens without the need of intertextuality- the story line itself manages to create enigma in the audience regardless. The narrative is strong, with visuals, music and lyrics all in connection, giving the video and strong meaning and easy message to convey.

Our Pitch:

Song Title/Band name/Genre: Rogue Traders- Voodoo Child (dance-rock, electro-rock, electro-pop)
Idea: The thought that women are just as powerful as men, and can take control of any situation just as well as a man can. Our idea focuses on the concept of a young man being infatuated with our main star (me). We will use voyuerism with both characters, with a strong but provocative women who is a matriarchal figure. The young man is genuinely under her spell and entirely besotted with her. The idea of voyuerism will be portrayed through the characters clothing, actions and choreography. We will also use intextuality, with an underlying Grease/1950s theme, using actions, clothing and mise en scene suited to the genre.

The USP: Our unique selling point is heavily influenced by the theme of the woman being in charge. Considering recent films/books that have been released (50 shades of Grey), we have decided to break that stereotype and have the woman in charge, which would appeal to an audience of all ages and genders. The idea of pro-feminism also links with historical accounts, as women are taking control of a situation, which opposes the natural stereotype of men being in charge. Also the woman constantly subverts the stereotype of men being the stronger sex, and takes the eyes away from the male and brings them onto her. Although there is obvious sexual tension between the two characters, the woman is obviously playing with the male, instead of it being the other way round.

Choreography: We had planned to use basic choreography, with both characters, to extend the stereotype and theme, having the woman in control of the dance and the male eye following her. We planned to use controlling mannerisms and devilish stares to emphasize who is in control.

Cast: Female lead (Josie) Male lead (undecided) Our band (2 other females)
Setting/Location/Props/Costume:
Setting: A club opening or party atmosphere, but all the privacy for the two of them.
Location: Black back drop- drama studio.
Costume: 1950s/Grease, black clothing, revealing, tight.
Props: Chairs, Tables, Glasses, Water Gun, Cards etc

Star Image of Taylor Swift

After researching the original artist, i knew that she would be a tough stereotype to brea. i knew it was important not to copy her look, style or passions, because that can cause copyright and problems. we chose to base our character on an innocent, love struck teennnnager who gets herself into a sticky situation, whereas our main star is completely different, she is hip, she is edgy and in some aspects quite indie, and this is the complete opposite of Taylor Swift.

Idea & Inspirations

Kate Nash- Foundations:
This Video is very fun and wacky, which is something i might also consider to recreate. It's folksy and kitschy, which relates to Kate Nash and her bubbly personality.

Sara Bareilles:
The video for this song is very catchy, and will stick in your mind just as the song does. This is a cute and kitschy video, which connects to an idea i may or may not have.

FINAL THEME/IDEA!

My Group: Josie, May and Olivia
Song: Voodoo Child- Rogue Traders
Theme: feminism, power, women having the upper hand

(one girl, one boy, maybe band members)

Costume: dark, tight, revealing clothes, fishnet tights, massive heels.
Props: rock band set, flour, paint?

Camera shots:

• Extreme close up of lips 'baby, baby, baby'
• Close up of face and hands- blow the flour into camera (at end)
• Medium shot of leg, in fishnets, on chair the boy is sitting on

Apply the concept of Voyeurism & Intertextuality to a MV of your choice.

Voyeurism and Intertextuaity: 
Christina Aguilera- Candyman
In this music video, Christina is our main star. She is a very beautiful woman, with a lovely figure, and that is what the male audience are looking at. The female audience, however, are looking at her wardrobe, her hair, her makeup and any gossip they can pick up. The target audience is varied, but is mainly aimed at teenagers, although the fifties/sixties theme appeals to a wider variety of age. The male gaze are looking at the star's sex appeal, and her revealing clothes.

The older audience will be thrilled with the theme, and flattered as it was their era. The use of sailors adds to the appeal for the female audience, making them attracted and interested. The theme promotes the star in all era's and decades. The clothing attracts a varied audience and keeps them involved with the narrative and party scene.

Introduction to a music video- class work

Incorporating, raiding and reconstruction are essentially the essence of intertextuality.

Narrative and Performance (Goodwin Theory)

• Narrative in songs is rarely complete, more often fragmentary, like poetry.
• The same is true of music promotions, which often suggest story lines or offer complex fragments of them in non-linear order.
• In doing this, the music video leaves the viewer with the desire to see it again, if only to catch the bits missed on the first viewing.

Two examples of this are: Kelly Clarkson, with 'Since u been gone' and Sophie Ellis Bexter, with 'Murder on the dancefloor.

Two of the main reasons for close up shots are to, A) engage the audience, and B) to promote the main STAR.

Styles:
Other commentators have divided music videos in terms of style, though often there will be a cross over between these, apart from performance and narrative, it is possible to identify at least six main styles: Gothic, Animated, Dreamscapes, Portraiture, Futuristic and Home Movies.

Themes and Ideas

Theme: Boy meets Girl

• Summer romance
• Cheesy/romantic
• Bright and cheerful

Music:

• Light and preppy
• Pop
• Parade- Rollercoaster or Cimorelli- Million Bucks

Mise-en-scene:

• Summer clothes, Taylor Swift style
• Bright colours, pink, blue, green, yellow etc
• Not too dressy or over the top
• Costume (for the girl)- summer dresses, dungarees- 'cute' clothing
• Costume (for the boy)- chinos, shirts, hat? (use for signature look)

Themes and Ideas

Theme: Power of Feminism

• Over powering, the woman/women in control, they are the dominant character, whereas the male is the submissive.

Music:

• Rocky
• Edgy
• Shania Twain- man i feel like a woman?

Mise-en-scene:

• Dark clothing- which is tight and revealing
• Heavy make up, dark colours, bright lipstick/lip gloss
• High heels
• Use of fashion and art photography
• Costume (for the girl)- fish net tights, tight dresses/skirts, dark coloured, black, white and grey clothing, spiked heels, heavy make up.
• Costume (for the boy)- black vest top, jeans, hat/sunglasses? (accessories to create enigma and a signature style)

To explain and apply the concept of voyuerism and intertextuality

Define Voyuerism: the pleasure of watching someone else perform, eg Rihanna (sex appeal, ideology, iconography).

The idea of voyuerism is frequently evident in music video through a system of screens within screens- eg the characters are shown watching other performers on a television set, via a webcam, as images on a video camera screen or CCTV within the world of the narrative.

Define Intertextuality: the relationship between two texts, especially literary ones.

Using different texts within a text spark a recognition in the audience, for example a television show in a music video.

Not all audiences will spot the reference and this does not need to detract from their pleasure, but it is argued that those who did spot a recognition were flattered by what they saw.

Visual reference in music video come from a range of sources: which include cinema, fashion and art photography.

introduction to music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwP6U0LRzQM

Conor Maynard ft Ne-yo- Turn Around
Codes and Conventions:

• good looking star, stereotype
• naturalistic location
• good use of lighting, clear what time of day it is
• clear narrative, use of other characters (CO STAR)
• good stage presence
• narrative fits lyrics

introduction to music video

Florence and the machine- Spectrum
codes and conventions:

• abstract
• good use of prop
• STAR has stage presence, photogenic
• big productions
• not always direct address, but still engages audience
• keeps the audience on their toes
• big use of colour
• bold performance
• light is reflective
• choreography

Advanced Portfolio: Technical Codes

LO- To explain music video style...

Codes and conventions in a music video:

• montage
• special effects, eg colouring, fish eye lense
• verisimitude
• star- commodity, confident, stage presence, direct address
• theme and lyrics of song must match image of video
• pace needs to match song
• narrative needs to match song
• rule of thirds
• iconography
• intertextuality

Camera Work:

• subvert the abstract from reality
• various techniques
• fast paced/slow paced
• close up shots

 use of close up: to create a sense of intimacy between character and audience
emphasizes half of the commodity on sale (via song, artist and voice)

Editing:

• fast cut montage
• slow pace
• gentle transitions
• split screens
• fish eye lense

introduction to music video

I have been thinking of any editing styles that would make my music video bolder and stand out. For example, myself and my group could create a 'summer sunshine/summer haze' edit, making the audience feel like they really are participating on a summers day which would fit the theme we are discussing.
Or to give a specific meaning to the mise-en-scene, we could use a 'back to the 70s' vibe, which creates ideas for costume, lighting and location.
Another idea would be to use a 'dream' effect, to give an illusion of someone being asleep or day dreaming, or possibly even a flash back.
The use of a fish eye lense/editing technique shows a ulterior meaning to our theme, making sub themes and plots to give the music video charisma and charm.
I have contemplated using varying colours in the video as well, for example making the sky a more enhanced blue if we are to make the audience believe they are fulfilling the same story as the main actor/s.

Introduction to music video

In today's lesson we worked in groups and discussed the type of theme we wanted running in our music video. With May and Olivia, we came up with the idea of using an upbeat song and peppy song so that we could make a cheesy story line for.

We also decided who was going to be the main role (me) and discussed if we needed the use of other actors/performers.

In an attempt to decide which song to use, we googled 'upbeat music artists' and saw what came up. Then all three of us brain stormed non-mainstream artists and looked at the videos on youtube of which ones had low views.
These are the songs we showed an interest in:

- The Kixx: Already Gone
- Parade: Perfume
- Parade: Rollercoaster
- Cimorelli: Million Bucks
- Aly and AJ: Rush

Listening to the lyrics of these songs, we fathom that the theme is to do with love and loss, mainly, only using upbeat and bubbly music, which keeps the audience engaged and interested.
We have discussed using the theme of a cheesy and romantic couple, a summer romance maybe? We are still in a brain storming stage, and have more ideas to develop our beginning ones. We will research other peppy music videos that have a similar theme to the one we are starting to think up.

Response to Opening Sequence

What, if anything, went wrong?
During our editing process, we noticed a member of our group in the back ground, and lost a moment of footage because we had to cut the clip down in order to remove her from the back ground. Also during adding our title sequence, we reached a point where we started to bicker because someone had written a name under writer, which caused friction because they hadn't written the story line, and so we corrected this problem by having everyone's name down, then making up names for writer, director, cameraman etc.
What worked?
We had a strong and clear narrative, so it was easy for our target audience (11-18 year olds) to understand what was going on. We also worked well together as a group, making quick decisions and judging honestly to make our sequence the best it could be.
What should you have done?
We should have started to film earlier, so that we could have more time to edit and could then use more varied editing techniques. Also if we had started filming earlier we could have used a better range of location, to make our sequence look more professional and well adjusted.
What do you plan to do differently next time?
Work in a different group for one thing, with a group that isn't afraid to take risks and use sneaky, slick editing skills. Also start to film earlier, start to storyboard earlier, making a storyboard for each 'scene'.
What do you plan to do next time that you didn't do at all?
I personally am going to input my designs into a storyboard, instead of just writing it down and 'winging it.' Also I have decided to keep on top of my blogging so that it isn't all last minute, rushed and not the best of my ability.

What did they do in their planning and research?
Most had photos of official meetings they'd scheduled, also one blog had a time table on their blog of when they were going to have meetings and what they were going to do on specific days. I thought this was a very professional idea and is something I would like to have on my blog this year.
What did they do in their actual filming?
Similarly to us, group 12E8 took photos of what they filmed, such as location shots and casting shots, plus an introduction to their group. This is a good aspect of the blog because it shows us who they are and what they were doing, and also helps the audiences to understand how the production was created.
What did they do in their actual editing?
Differently to us, they took it in turns to edit, and gave out roles as to who was going to do what. For example, one member would sort out music, while another made slick editing cuts, etc etc. My group did not do this, and I think I have learned that creating an editing timetable is a positive thing because it shows everyone's skills and inputs.
In terms of how people constructed their blogs and evaluations, what worked really well and what didn't?
After looking at Ellen Fraser's (12E8) blog, I noticed how positive it is to be organised and up to date because everything you write, or say, matters. Just creating brief posts and about meetings, scheduled or not, push up marks. 12E8 was a group that worked very well together, and it is shown creatively in their work and on their blogs, by their group inputs that have been written down and group participation that has been shown on every one of their blogs, including their group blog.

Introduction to a music video: Inspiration

I really enjoyed watching this music video, and it has made me want to create something similar for my own project. The mise-en-scene is very controlled, filmed in one single room but with quick, slick edits to change the costume and colour schemes. The use of changing the actress/main singer was good because it kept the audience interested.The use of having split screens and split action shots are very impressive and are something I wish to use in my music video. The use of choreography is also a good way to keep the audience entertained and interested. Although their is no narrative, this video would have got a high grade, simply because it is an exquisite piece of media. This product is very professional looking, and something I can imagine being on the television, or in the charts. The use of colouring is very good as it shows the editors creativity and individuality which is important in making a video.

This video was not viewed from CoombeMedia but from another school, in 2009.

Group Feedback

Me and May worked together, watching all last year's year 13's and ordering them from best to worst, and stating our reasons why.
1) 13B6: good use of location, excellent casting, varied editing styles and slick cuts, looks professional.
2) 13B5: good casting, variety of costume & controlled mise-en-scene, good lighting.
3) 13B1: good camera work, clear & emotional narrative, good use of location.
4) 13E10: clear narrative, good editing and camera work.
5) 13E9: good location, good narrative, clear editing.
6) 13B4: emotional narrative, good camera work.
7) 13B2: good camera work, good lighting and varied location.
8) 13B3: good editing techniques, good location, brilliant performance & location.
9) 13E8: looks professional, good location but a little bit boring.
10) 13E7: repetitive but good and varied editing styles.
11) 13E11: out of sync and repetitive editing techniques but good lighting and the use of a white back ground was good.

Key Concepts for a music video

- Good song choice, not too slow or fast.
- Location & visuals to match the song.
- Pace of editing, be varied.
- Camera work should match the music.
- Keep location interesting.
- Make the video interesting.
- Great performer, charisma, cast appropriately.
- Keep the mise-en-scene in control.
- Vary the editing styles.
- Use special effects (SFX)
- Keep in sync.
- Use choreography.
- Main performer must keep direct address.
- Keep your video original and unique.