Parody

This video could not have come at a better time. After last weeks lesson on Parodies, Kanye West released the long awaited video of 'Bound 2'. There was a lot of anticipation for this video and there was a lot of criticism after the video. I personally do not understand the concept of the video and I think the way the women is presented is unnecessary. I feel she is almost an accessory in the music Video. However being the comedians they are, James Franco and Seth Rogan made a parody of the music video. I especially like it because it mimics the 'Bound 2' video scene for scene and action for action.

New Video Release

Eminem has just released the video for his song 'The Monster', which features Rihanna. The video was released last night and already it has over 1 million views. This track is from Eminem's come back album and it can be argued that the video has much been anticipated, as fans were certainly excited to see Eminem and Rihanna working together again. I really like this video because of the intertexuality of his former videos. As he has been away for a while I think its a good idea to incorporate his old videos as people would still remember and admire his great work.

Contingency Plan

Cast Dropping Out/Unreliable Cast:
If actors do not show up on set, we will use members of the crew (the group) to replace the characters that have not shown up. This means majority of the primary characters are replaceable. Also, we have willing actors ready to step forward to play the role of the woodland tea party creatures.

Crew Not Showing Up/Being Late
Because we are the crew, one member's role may alternate on the day if one member of the crew is unable to or simply doesn't show up.

Location Becoming Unavailable: Too Noisy/Too Crowded/Closed-Off
Because our location choices are quite generic and can be shot at various different locations, for instance, if we are unable to film at Clapham Junction Tube Station, we can film at another tube station or film at Clapham at a less busier time.

Camera Battery Running Out
We will always carry at least one spare and full battery pack on our person, so if one battery does finish, we always have one in reserve.

Lip Sync practice

This was our first attempt at lip syncing. We were given Carly Rae Jepson's 'Call Me Maybe' to practice lip syncing then editing it. What I found while doing this project is that firstly we have to memorise the lyrics of the song, which alone takes up some time, As you can see our edit is not as synchronised as we would like it to be. Being our first time we tried our best to fit the lyrics to our lip sync, but now that we are more experienced our next edit will be much more precise.

Casting Cancellation and cast replacement

Casting Cancellation and Cast Replacement

Crew Requirements

Crew Requirements

Location Recce

Location Recce 1

Location Recce 2

Location Recce 3

Location Recce 4

Equipment list

Equipment List

Prop List

Props List Template

Costume List

Costume List

Costume list

Costume List

Costume List

Treatment

He's Coming Home Treatment

Final Storyboard

This is a copy of our original story board for our music video. We are satisfied with our storyboard as we were able to incorporate the variety of camera angles we wanted to use in our actual video. It lays out all our ideas and what we intend to achieve as our end result. It is a good guide line for filming and hopefully we would be able to stick to the frames in our storyboard.

Story Board Animatic

WE really like this animatic as it shows what our video could potentially look like. It puts together our song choice and our story board ideas, mapping out where we would like certain scenes to fit the music. We know now the different camera angles and effects we may want to use.

Concept Idea

The current M&S Christmas advert is mainly based on Alice In Wonderland, which is the main concept for our music video. It is a good inspiration because we can look at certain conventions used such as the   low key lighting and also the costumes. This advert is also helpful as we can look at the camera angles, setting and props used as well.

Google Calender

This calender helps us to be organised as we are able to see the dates we are all available to film. Through this our group can be prepared and ready and me may get our video finished in time for our deadline.

Production Schedule

Production Schedule - Alice in Wonderland

Show message history

Casting Requirements and Character Profile

This is a poster to show people we are looking for cast to audition for our video. It consists of casting requirements and what they would be auditioning for.

Underwater Mystic

We would like to film a part of our music video underwater, but there were many difficulties that arose such as: Getting a camera with a water proof lens, trying to find a swimming pool or lido that would be empty and lastly finding a way not to make it amateurish. But in reviewing various ways to resolve our problems we found this video and it has given us a lot of ideas and inspiration.

Video Exhibition

Video Exhibitions by EnidAkuffo

  I think our best choice of exhibitor would be independent website such as SBTV. Although it is of the Hip Hop genre our music is still in an obscure form. Further more with our niche target audience our music video is very unconventional and wouldn't meet the demands of mainstream fans and record labels such as Universal.

Audience Profile

Audience Profile by KenyaGabrielle

Audience Vox Pops

We filmed this Vox Pop in order to gather information about what kind of music was popular amongst people of a certain age group. We could gather from this that hip - hop and rap which fits slightly with our genre - alternative hip-hop often has qualities taken from typical hip-hop music. It also showed us that music videos are often a major part in promotion of an artist. Along with platforms of people viewing music videos.   filmed this Vox Pop in order to gather information about what kind of music was popular amongst people of a certain age. We could gather from this that hip-hop and rap which fits slightly with out genre as alternative hip hop often has qualities taken from typical hip hop music. It also showed us that music videos are often a major part in promotion of an artist. Along with platforms of people viewing music videos.

Parody

A parody is an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

I particularly like this parody of Mumford & Sons as it starts of very realistic (making it seem as if it's the actual artists.) I thought the use of the close up camera work at the start really created mystery in not giving away the actors. The exaggeration of the artist's performance is very comedic and encouraged me to watch the actual Mumford & Sons video.

Lyric Analysis

lyric analysis

Questionnaire Results

Questionnaire Analysis

Audience Research Questionnaire

Audience Questionnaire

AUDIENCE RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

As part of market research, it was appropriate to collect some field data to analyse current trends and habits of our primary and secondary target audiences 16-17 year olds and 18-19 year olds.

We opted to use a questionnaire as part of our quantitative research. It's a cheap and quick format for collecting data. Furthermore, online questionnaires are even operate even more efficiently as we eliminate unnecessary time of travelling and physically searching for a sufficient number of participants in our sample, where time could be spent more effectively on more challenging and time-consuming tasks.

 Additionally, we get a more representative sample of teenagers, as the internet provides potential respondents from across the globe, so we can analyse what trends recur on an international scale. This provides two advantages for us:

1. We learn how to market our artist and our music video to a generalised target audience across the globe.
2. How to tailor the promotion of our media product for individual countries.

Also, it focuses on producing objective and generalised data, therefore it can be compared and contrasted with other data samples.

We wanted to quantify which media platforms, such as laptops, TV,etc dominate music video consumption for our primary target audience. This allows to delegate how much promotion should be invested on each platform.

So, it therefore informs us on platforms would be most suitable for our media product.

Please take our survey:
Click here to take survey

9 Key Frames

9 Key Frames Embed code

9 Key Frames.docx

Concept Mood Board

Copy of Concept Mood Board

Genre Shopping List

Inspiration

I like this video because of its high quality lighting and intense colours. As my group and I are going for an Alice in wonderland, mystical, fairy tale concept the colours would play a key role in conveying the idea and theme.
The bright colours could connote a fantasy and unreal environment which would fit our narrative. It would also be memorable in the mind of the audience and could even leave them fixated.
The bright colours create a child like atmosphere, yet are mostly in contrast to the alternative hip hop genre lyrics.
I have recognised that although high key lighting is a convention of the alternative hip hop genre, bright colours are not typically used. This could be another way for my group and I to add our own style and not fully conform to all the codes and conventions of our particular genre.

Our Song Choice

My group and I made a short list of songs we would like to use for our media video. We chose these songs because they have the alternative hip hop genre we are looking for. It was difficult for us to pick our final song, but in the end we chose a song we may find easier to make a video to.

Short list

1. Papi Pacify 

We liked this song because of its distinct sound and slow intense pace, but at the same time the reason we didn't pick it was because we felt we would be restricted by the beat.

2. She Was Fly- Full Crati

We like this song as it has a fairytale like sound that would fit with the concept we would like to pursue for our video. However the lack of lyrics means that we would be unable to lip sync, which mostly plays an important role in music videos.

3. djjdsports -  She Whispered in my ear.


We also chose this song because it has a unique jazzy beat that would be good to perform to. However we found that in the short time we have it would be hard to learn the lyrics of the song.

4. LNIP -Katya Des Estages (He's Coming Home)
https://soundcloud.com/lastnightinparis/katya-des-etages-taurean-roye

Final Song

LNIP - Katya Des Estages (He's Coming Home)
https://soundcloud.com/lastnightinparis/katya-des-etages-taurean-roye

We have chosen this song as our final choice because it fits all the boxes for the video we would like to do. It had  good beat in which we can perform to and the lyrics a basic enough to learn and lip sync. Above all it has the unconventional beat that the alternative hip hop genre has.

Edit to the beat

In class today we learnt how to edit footage to the beat of a song. We were given a playlist of four different songs and a clip in which we had to edit to the beat of each song.
We had to cut the slug in a rhythm that we thought fit the beat of the different songs.
I tried cutting in an irregular pace so that my final clip didn't look boring and repetitive.

Miley Cyrus

This video of Miley and Robyn Thicke's 2013 VMA performance was one that was trending for a very long time. It created a lot of controversy as Robin is a married man and at the time Miley was only 20. People recognise her as Hannah Montana so for them to see her performance the change was extremely dramatic. This could be linked with Dyer's Star Theory and the ideas that stars are constructed:

Miley's image of  Disney's Hannah Montana was and arguably still is treasure by many young girls. She was known for her innocence and created hope for many young children who saw Hannah's life as an inspiration.
But then her fans and audience were shocked when her image evolved.

The current images we see of Miley are more sexual and seductive. And she is forming the reputation of being a 'wild child'.



Dyer's theory falls into play here because Hannah Montana was a construction of what was popular at the time and what people wanted to see. But with the development and change of artists such as Rihanna there was a realisation that 'sex' is what truly sells. Record labels have fulfilled their aim as Miley is gaining more attention than she has ever received. She is arguably the most popular name of 2013.




     

Top 10 Controversial Music Videos

In this You Tube clip we are shown music videos that break boundaries and go against norms of society. I have realised that most of the videos branded as controversial are because higher authorities frown upon them, however audiences are more attracted to them because they break rules.
I believe these videos are intentionally made to create chaos and disapproval. The artists and record labels want the 'hype' and attention surrounding their video. It means more fans and audiences are curious to find out what all the 'fuss' is about.

Although Madonna is known for her questionable videos, Rihanna has also made a name for herself because of her controversial songs and videos.

Her recent 'Pour It Up' video has attracted a lot of attention because of its sexual and explicit scenes.



Many women especially, criticised this video as Rihanna is a role model for many young girls and they claim this video doesn't portray a sophisticated way to behave.

What we did in class.

Today in class we were spoken to by Mr Ayoola. He is a music video directer and has been involved with the music industry since the early 2000s. He works with a group of independent musicians who produce electronic music in the area of Croydon.

He told us about the work he had done and the challenges he faced whilst doing them.

This is the first video he directed:
                                                                                              

Mr Ayoola first explained how he used the lyrics of the song to come up with the concept of the video. The stressed to us that writing down your ideas was key in developing the video as you are able to organise and add more to them.

I learnt that storyboards were a great way to put down ideas on paper and it gives you a slight idea of what the finish product would look like.
I also learnt through Mr Ayoola's advice that the amount of footage that is captured for a video is key. He emphasised the point that the more footage you have the less limited you are in making the video.

The talk we had with Mr Ayoola highlighted difficulties such as budget and availability of set, but it also let me see that when you have ideas and are passionate about them you could develop a high standard video.

It also showed me that the time and attention I give to this video is what may get me the top grades.

 

Video I enjoyed

I really like this video because it holds a lot of sentimental value. The narrative structure of the video really evokes sympathy from the audience as it reconstructs the tragic tale of 7 year Aiyana Stanley - Jones, who was accidentally shot in a drug raid in America. This video really demonstrates how artists try to highlight social issues through their music and bringing recognition to situation that are bringing corruption to our society.
I personally felt a lot of emotion towards this video and it left a mark on me. Aspects such as this allows me and other audiences to see the thoughtful and caring side of these artists.
Although the video doesn't focus on many media theories and conventions it creates a unity in the sense that emotions are evoked through it.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.25478/title.j-cole-dedicates-crooked-smile-video-to-aiyana-stanley-jones

Inspiration and Ideas for my video

My group and I have decided that we will have a mystical, fairytale concept for our music video. I think this particular video shows creative aspects of the type of narrative and material we would like to use in our video.

Jonathan Glazer Case Study (Auteur Theory)

Jonathan glazer from EnidAkuffo

To what extent does a pop stars image influence their audience?

To What Extent Does a Pop Stars Image Influence Their Audience by EnidAkuffo

Richard Dyer - Star Theory

Codes and Convention

Narrative Theory

This video uses Propp's theory in order to shape its narrative.

He plays the role of the Princess' dad and the villain.

She plays the role of the Princess

Expectedly Chris Brown plays the role of the villain.










This allows us as the audience to identify and recognise certain characters.

This video also uses Strauss' theory of Binary Opposition. There is the conflict between good and evil. As well as young and old. This creates more drama and tension, engaging the audience even more.

Todorov's narrative theory can also be identified in this video. At the start there is a sense of an equilibrium when  Chris Brown is introduced into the scene, (expected because he is the 'star' of the video). However there is a sense of the non-linear structure as the very start of the song we see a disruption in the conflict between father and daughter. The disruption is then recognised  in the fight scene with Chris Brown and the opposing team. The attempt to repair disruption is towards the end when there is a face off between the two parties.
That scene may also be referred to as the new equilibrium.




This video consists of both Todorov's and Strauss' narrative theory.



The video starts with equilibrium of the BMXers riding their bikes. in that scene we get a slight insight into their personality and we infer that the they're a close knit group.



Then the disruption occurs in this scene, the protagonist gets into an accident, consequently loosing his leg and stopping him from riding.



Here there is recognition of the disruption. Also the audience are forced to sympathise with the protagonist as this is actual footage of a real incident.



There is an attempt to restore order and repair the disruption. in these scenes the protagonist is portrayed as inspirational, creating empathy for the audience.



Finally there is a new equilibrium. By showing the journey of the protagonist the audience feel a part of it.

Strauss' theory of Binary Opposition is also apparent in the conflict between ability and disability. It is the central theme of the video, that aspect also creating tension for the audience.

A level student music video evaluation

I have chosen to evaluate this video because it has great elements of professionalism. I like the concept and it is a good quality video which fits the genre of the film.

I really like the transition used at the start of the video. The black and white scene fits with the mood of the song. The use of ambient sound at the start sets the tone for the song. It infers a false happiness. The hybrid of performance and narrative really adds to grabbing the audience. It gives them a back story to why the artist is single. I like the simplicity of the costume and setting, it allows us to focus on the artist and the lyrics of the song. It is an aspect I would certainly consider when creating my own music video.

However I will consider using a range of camera angles. Although many close ups and mid shots were used to allow us to focus on the artist and her story I feel like different camera angles may allow us as the audience to gain different perspectives.



Video 2

I really like the use of the split screen in this video. It fits the pop rock genre of the song. The different camera angles and editing creates a flow to the song and matches to the beat. I enjoyed the intertexuality of the Beatles and especially the iconic scene at the Zebra Crossing. The lip sinking was very accurate as well, further emphasising the high quality of editing, There were also some creative ideas such as the incorporation of texts in the video showing the lyrics of the song.

However it would be even better if the video wasn't based around the Beatles. As the song used is a Beatles song I think it would've been original if the students created a whole idea from scratch.

Andrew Goodwin's theory

Iconography

In this Eminem video there is a lot of Iconography used. The comedic sketches used reference artists such as Michael Jackson and movies like 'Bad Santa'.

History of Music Video Timeline

The Male Gaze Theory

       

 

Music Video Stats

Music video stats | Infographics

Propp's Character Theory

Diamond Nine

Today in class for our starter task we were asked to rank in order what we thought was the most to least important aspect of promoting a music video to its audiences.  This diamond 9 shows this.

Purpose of a Music Video

Purpose of Music Videos by EnidAkuffo

Abstract Video

Bid Sean's 'Fire' is an example of an abstract music video. This video has slowly become one of my favourite videos of this year because I really like how the concept of the video has no correspondence to the lyrics of the song. The bare setting allowed us to focus on the protagonist and especially the single shot of the red rose in correspondence to the dull background allows us as the audience to see the beauty of the video.

Hybrid Video

This is what is known as a Hybrid music video. This particular one consists of elements of performance and abstract. I really like it as the transition between the performance and abstract creates the sense of confusion to the audience. The contrast of dark lighting (In the performance) and the intense lighting (used in abstract scenes) creates the sense of mystery. I think this music video although not a popular mainstream one still shows great parts of creativity.

Performance Video

In doing my research I finally saw the video for Bruno Mars' Treasure. I think this music video is an excellent example of a performance music video. The 80s theme, lighting, camera angles etc was a brilliant twist to the modern day music video. The costume and set also added so much verisimilitude to the video. As an audience it really made me believe that this song was released in the 80s.

Narrative Vidoe

I've always listened to this song but failed to realise the smart narrative vidoe. I really like the fact that the lyrics of the song is what is used to write the letter. I also find it very interesting how the story progresses and we see the love of a fan go out of control.

Summer Homework (Holiday)

My favourite music video

It took me a very long time to decide what music video was my favourite. I looked across all the different genres of music that i enjoyed and still couldn't even narrow the videos to 10. However when I was flicking through the different music channels i stumbled upon this (Rudimental, Waiting All Night). I'm a fan of the song but weirdly enough I had never seen the video.

I have have chosen it as my favourite video because the story line is so gripping. The fact that it was shot through a hand held camera also emphasises how real the events were. This video allows us to track the progress of an individual and it also allows us to emphathise with the characters.

I also really like the point of view camera shots taken from the bicycles. As an audience we are also shown what the character sees, and although we may not be able to experience the physical pain, visibly we are in the shoes of the character.

This video is in the form of a narrative structure, we see this develop through his progress from loosing his leg to learning how to ride again. We are shown his story and journey.

Opening Statement

I am really excited to start a new year of media. I am ready to explore the many different aspects of media studies. I am also most looking forward to filming my music video, I am ready to face the many obstacles that may occur whiles completing my coursework. However most of all I am looking forward to see the finish product of my coursework and see what codes and conventions we may challenge or conform to.