Props for My Music Video

Chosen Props For My Music Video

There will be three guitars in my music video, accompanied by some drums, which cover all the instruments of the band. 

The instruments that were used in the video:

These were the props used in my music video, with the members of the band performing with these instruments. These instruments are typical to all genres of music that include a band, not just the indie genre. However, usually in the indie genre, electric guitars (like those seen above) are more typical, and the audience would not usually see the more mellow sounding acoustic guitar.

Location Shots and Setting for My Music Video

Locations and Settings

Scenes for my music video will be set at various local locations, ranging from indoors to outdoors, and also making sure the mise-en-scene is a perfect representation of my chosen genre.

This is the garage location used for the majority of my music video. I chose to film in this particular place as many bands start off messing about with songs in their garage, so I felt if I could portray this to the audience they would feel a connection with the band - that the band has only just started out and they are no different from you, as you could pick up some instruments and perform in a garage.

This is the "back of the taxi" location used. This location conformed the lyrics of the music, as the lead singer is passed out in the back of a taxi. This particular location also conforms to Goodwin's Theory, as there is a direct relation between the lyrics and visuals.

This is another location which conforms to Goodwin's Theory that there is a direct relation between lyrics and visuals. In this particular location, the lead singer is sitting on his bed, drinking beer and on the phone. I believe that this location is effective because of the realism of it, as the audience can relate to drinking beer on their bed and talking to someone on their phone.











These were the locations that I filmed for my music video. I believe that they conform to the codes and conventions of typical music videos in this genre due to the mise-en-scene that can be seen. However, if I were to create another music video, I would include more locations in order to keep the visuals fresh for the audience; I had to compensate for this with the amount of camera angles I used in my final product.

Treatment for My Music Video, Including Animatic for My Music Video and Goodwin's Theory Applied to the Treatment and Animatic

Detailed Treatment for My Music Video

Explanation for My Ideas, Scene-by-scene, including: Editing, Mise-en-Scene, Camera Shots/Angles, and Sound:

Scene 1:

The first scene in my music video will mainly feature two shots - an extreme close up of a car being started, and a close-up of a car's horn being used. I will do this as in the song I have chosen, the song starts with these diegetic sounds, therefore incorporating those sounds visually in my music video will kick the song off at a high tempo pace. The editing for these shots will be quick and clean, thus keeping up with the pace of the song.

Scene 2:

After that particular scene and setting of the video, there will be a normal shot of the entire band, introducing the audience to the band that are playing the song they are listening to. The setting will be a secluded area, most likely a garage - this is because most Indie and Rock bands record their earlier music (before they are a signed artist) in a garage, as it is a quiet place where the band can have fun and there is no pressure; I will try and signify those reasons to the audience. This scene will take place when there are no lyrics, so it's just the instrumentals of the song. All scenes of the band together will be shot inside the garage. When there are guitar riffs and solos, there will be extreme close ups shots from a low angle, so the audience can see the the band member playing the guitar in time with the music.

Scene 3:

Once the lyrics of the song start, there will be a change in setting. In connection to the lyrics, there will be a high angle shot of someone laying on his back, passed out, in the back of the same car in the first scene. The lead vocalist will be sitting there next to him, playing the guitar and singing, as if he is a ghost - I believe that this will signify to the audience that the band are trying to tell a story, and this scene could also add comediac values. Possibly, the car may be being driven, whilst the things are being done in the background; this depends on how realisticly it can be done.

Scene 4:

When the lyrics indicate so, there will be a fade into the next scene. This scene will consist of the same person in the taxi, wondering around a house. This is where the mise-en-scene will have to be up to the standard of the lyrics as the band mention that the house is something that is scary - for this I may use a normal house, but decorate the walls in the way that is described by the lyrics. Low angle shots will be used in this particular scene, to demontrate the eerie atmosphere of the setting. I will also try and find a Willow Tree, as that is the biggest part of imagery in the song. The camera shot used for the Willow Tree will be a long-shot, in order to see the full size and scale of the object.

Scene 5:

This is the scene where the first chorus will take place. I inted to have a close up of the person in question looking like he is crying, or regretting the things he has done in the past. Or I will to a low angled shot of rain falling on pebbles, creating the imagery of the chorus. All of this scene will take place at night, because a "blackout" is being described in the lyrics. The protagonist will be talking to a girl he has picked up on a night out, either in person or on the phone. He will be lip syncing in time with the chorus, as will the lead singer of the band, who is standing or sitting next to him, in the same way as the first scene, as if he is telling the story of the song.
                Clean-cut editing will take place here after the end of the chorus, because there is a long instrumental. The scene will one again take place in the garage where the band is playing and having fun, using the same kind of shot that was seen in the first part of the music video.

Scene 6:

The band will start to sing the thrid verse of the song, then there will be a blurry cut to the main protagonist on his bed on the phone, talking to the same girl, or a different girl. The bedroom will look messy, to signify the attitude of this man, and also to stereotype him with his age group, thus showing the target audience of the song. The screen could be split in half to show him lying on the bed, with the lead singer in the background, and to show the girl he is talking to getting angry at him because he is trying to break up with her. If the editing software doesn't allow me to do that, I will show him lying on the bed talking to the girl on the phone. The Willow Tree is also mentined again in this verse. This time, if I can find a Willow Tree, there will again be a long shot of the Willow Tree, but instead with the band playing in front of it, starting to sing the chorus.

Scene 7:

There will be the same continuous shot of the band in front of the Willow Tree. It will then clean-cut, to keep up with the tempo of the song, to the rain falling on the pebbles now, and then showing the main character looking remorseful about how he ended the relationship with this girl. The main character then goes on a "night out" again and has the same consequences, again asking a girl if they should go to his house or her house. There will be panning shots, tracking shots, two-shots and over the shoulder shots used in this particular scene. The band will once again close the song out in their garage and in front of the Willow Tree. Once the song ends, the band will get out of their positions, walking towards the camera - once they get to the camera there will be a clean cut, showing "match-on-action" adding realism, of the band walking out of the garage and closing it, saying goodbye to eachother and getting on with their lives, as if nothing happened.

Scene 8:

The final scene will take place after the song end, and will show, more or less, a repeat of the first scene - the character will be lying on his back again in the back of a car, showing the audience that the cycle of the song will be repeated. There will be a fade to black and then the same of the song will zoom in and out of the screen, with Not My Day's band logo.

In terms of the story that the music video is trying to tell, I believe that this plan for the song will appeal to the target audience of young adult males and young adult females, beacuse the song is about a usual Saturday night out. All these scenes can be viewed of sorts in my storyboard of my music video. Having seen many 'Indie' band music videos, I also believe that my video will conform to the codes and conventions of typic Indie band's videos, such as the Arctic Monkeys and The Vaccines. The camera angles and shots used will demonstrate this, as will the use of the mise-en-scene in the video.

Animatic for My Music Video

This is the animatic for the music video which I plan to do and, as you can see, the animatic follows the treatment for my music video. I will try to complete my music video as accurately as possible to my animatic and treatment. 

Applying Goodwin's Theory

As mentioned in an earlier post, Goodwin's Theory has many key parts to analyse a music video. The key parts of Goowin's Music Video Theory are:
> Music videos representing genre characteristics through their stage performance
> Links between the music video and the lyrics of the song
> Relationship between the music and the visuals in the music video - for example, when the tempo of the song has slowed down, the visuals move at the same or a similar pace.
> Image of the artist show heavily in the music video - close up camera shots and angles to see the artists face.
> Frequent notions to media devices such as laptops and phones, representing technology and ways to see the music video.
> Intertextual references to things, such as music videos, in the past.

In my music video, the part of Goodwin's Theory that I will take most reference to is "linking the music video to the song's lyrics". The reason as to why I will be conforming to this point the most is because I feel that the song's lyrics tell a story which the audience would like to be interpreted for them. I feel that a lot can be done and interpreted from these lyrics, as mentioned in the treatment for my music video.
                Another point to which I will conform to is the "frequent notions to media devices". As the band is quite modern, phones and various other media devices will be seen in the video, as this would also appeal to the target audience.
                One final link to Goodwin's Theory and my music video will be "representing genre characteristics through the stage performance". The reason behind conforming to this point is because there will be many shots and camera angles of the band performing the song at various locations and having a good time, which is what bands from the Indie genre usually do.

Ideas for My Music Video

My Ideas for My Music Video 

First of all, after analysing the lyrics in a previous post on this blogger, I will link my video heavily with the lyrics of my chosen song "Stuey's Morris Isis". In my opinion, music videos should be used to tell the story of the lyrics, and that is what my music video will do.

Mise-en-scene, Shots and Camera Angles:

In my music video, I plan to use one, two or three locations maximum, as I feel using too many locations would be too fast for the audience to keep up, as the song is at an already fast tempo. Shooting the majority of the scenes at night would be ideal, as it would get the audience in the mood of the song, as it is about a night out; using a few establishing shots of the town in Nottingham would demonstrate this perfectly. In this way, I will be conforming to the normal Indie videos, where there is a montage of clips of the night life in certain cities around the UK. This will also entertain my target audience, as the audience for the song would be interested in night life as they go out a lot to parties and such. 

                The most obvious props that will be used are the instruments - without them, the audience will not get the feeling of tempo of the song, as they wouldn't be able to see the pace at which the song is performed. There won't be a lot of shots of the band as a whole, but there will be enough to establish who is who in the band - close ups will used in these parts of the video. Close ups will be used quite often, as they focus on specific images a lot in the lyrics, but many other camera shots and angles will be used throughout. Other props will most likely include mobile phones and cars. Props and shots similar to these images will be used:

A car is heard in the opening of the song, so a shot like this will be necessary

The kind of instruments that feature in Indie bands

There will be many close ups of the guitar in the music video

Editing:

Aside from the obvious lip syncing, the editing for my video will be quite complex, with quick cuts (which will have to be in time with the song) varying between each shot. I plan for the editing to be quite complex, but manageable with the software of iMovie at my disposal.  

This is iMovie, and the software I will be using to edit my Music Video

Sound:

I plan to re-create every sound that is included in the song I have chosen in my music video, whether that sound is diegetic or non-diegetic. For example, there is a car horn and engine ignition sound in the very beginning of the song, and I plan for that sound to be visually created in my first scene of the video.

Target Audience for My Chosen Band

Target Audience for Not My Day

As you can see from these pictures, the Indie genre represents a (mostly) certain age group - young adults and teenagers. This is mostly due to their sound and image of the band, as all indie bands dress a certain similar way, and the younger target audience (teenagers) try and dress similarly also. The "Indie Style" is in fashion at the moment, which is why many bands of this genre are likely to make it into a mainstream. Another thing that you can see from the pictures above is that Indie bands are regularly seen at festivals, such as the Reading and Leeds Festivals. This is due to the popularity of this genre, and the audience that it attracts - as teenagers and younger adults are more likely to enjoy the indie genre and the festivals, the organisers of the festivals try and get as many Indie bands there as possible, as they make people buy tickets for the festivals, meaning more profit. This is the audience that my chosen band Not My Day is trying to target and attract, as it is a very large audience, and very popular in the UK. All the audience of Indie bands have a similar, out-going and party-like lifestyle. Also, this audience are most likely to have average to decent paid jobs, as they have to pay to see and go to all the festivals and concerts, but most likely don't have a permanent, extremely well paid job or a family, as they wouldn't have the time to go to all the concerts they go to. They are young and enjoying life. 

Mood Board to Represent My Chosen Genre

Mood Board Representing the "Indie" Genre

I feel like these images represent the genre of my chosen band, as all the artists pictured in this mood board have similar sounds and images.

For my Digipack, I will try and incorporate and draw inspiration from the similar style of Indie band's album artwork, which can be seen in the images above. 

Song Choice - Analysis of Lyrics

Analysis of Lyrics for the Song "Stuey's Morris Isis"

I have chosen this song due to the high tempo sound from the band, and the lyrics the song possesses, as I feel that I can do a number of things in my music video in order to incorporate it. Below are the lyrics to the song, my interpretation of them, and what I feel I can do to follow Goodwin's Theory and incorporate their message into my video. 

Here are all the lyric to Not My Day's song, "Stuey's Morris Isis":

Passed out on the back seat on the nicest mead(?) on County Town Road,
savin' all my best thoughts for a time when they can be dressed up in gold(?),

fearin' that my face is heatin' up(? not sure about this entire line)

wondering round the top floor of a house thats worried me for so long, 
thinking walls like forgotten saws(?) weeping like the Willow Tree's arms,

tears of blackout falling without sound, creating ripples on the pebbles on the ground,
Penthouse or *Censored*house? (?), my house or your house? penthouse or *Censored*house? (?) BABY! YEAH!

*grunt*

Layin' on the bed and drifting in and out of listening to you, 
It's not you but I think it's me, thinking of the sound of that Willow Tree,

tears of blackout falling without sound, creating ripples on the pebbles on the ground,  
penthouse or *Censored*house? (?), my house or your house? penthouse or *Censored*house? (?) BABY! YEAH!

In the first two lines (highlighted in this colour) the listeners get the idea that Not My Day are describing a "night out", which is what a lot of Indie bands describe in their lyrics - who do this most notably are the Arctic Monkeys. In the first line, Not My Day describe someone who has passed out from drinking good alcoholic drinks (mead) in the back of their car or most likely a taxi. In the second line, Not My Day, or whoever they are describing, are talking about a lot of thoughts rushing into their head, but they are saving those thoughts for when they can be best released - meaning that it is not best for him to say what is in his head at that particular moment, due to who he is with or the content of those thoughts, and they are best saved for when he can think properly about what he wants to say because he is currently drunk.

In this line, (highlighted in this colour), Not My Day talk about an emotion called blushing, when the face/cheeks turn a shade of red when hot or embarrassed - the thoughts talked about in the earlier line could lead to this "face heating up" situation, as the thoughts may be embarrassing him or making him stressed.

In the next two lines, (highlighted in this colour), the audience get the impression in the first line that the person being described isn't supposed to be where he is - he could have woken up after being passed out and "wondered" around for a bit, finding himself in a house that he has never been in before but was always curious about it. Another theory is that this line is him in a dream state - he is still passed out in the back seat and is currently dreaming of walking around a house that scares him. The next line talks about the state of the house in my opinion - Not My Day are describing the inside of the house, comparing it to the eeriness and spookiness of a Willow Tree. Because of his drunk state, he could be hallucinating, thinking things are there when they're not, which is why the walls of the house are described this way.

Next is the chorus of the song, (which is highlighted in this colour). "Tears of blackout(?)" could mean that he is thinking about the nights events, and that there is a few things he regrets - he's not literally crying, as "blackout" means darkness, which could be linked to this as you can't see his tears. Also, as pebbles are hard solid objects, the power of his thoughts or regrets are creating ripples in the pebbles, treating something as strong and as solid as a pebble like a liquid. Powerful imagery. "Penthouse or *Censored*house(?), my house or your house?" describes the action of asking a girl out on a night out, which can be seen to many males the objective of going to a club. The repetition of "penthouse or *Censored*house(?)" signifies that he thinks of the girl's place as a penthouse, and he thinks of his place as a *Censored*house or a dump, meaning that he would like to go back to her place.

The final verse (highlighted in this colour), excluding the chorus at the end, possibly describes talking to the same girl after they went back to a house together, or it describes a different girl whom he is currently in a relationship with. He says that she is talking on the phone but he isn't really interested, indicating that he has heard what she has said before, or that he isn't interested in their relationship anymore. "It's not you...." signifies that he's trying to break up with her over the phone, and that particular lyric is used a lot to break up a relationship between a man and a woman. He doesn't like the sound of the Willow Tree, so he could be describing her as the tree itself.


As you can see, there is a lot of visual imagery and my interpretation of the lyrics that could and will be included in the final cut of my video for "Stuey's Morris Isis" by Not My Day, following Goodwin's Theory of there being a direct link to video content and song lyrics.

Image of the much-described Willow Tree

How I Contacted My Chosen Band

Contacting Not My Day

On this webpage, http://www.unsigned.com/0notmyday, I looked for their contact section, which included the link to their MySpace page (https://myspace.com/notmydayoxford), this was where I chose my song for my media project. On this website, there was a link included which gave me the option to contact, or message the band, and these are the steps I followed:

Here I am given the option to send a message to the band Not My Day on their official MySpace webpage.

This was the beginning to my attempted message for Not My Day.

Unfortunately, the band didn't get back to me after I had sent the message. I believe that this song is the best song available to me to create a music video for, so I continued with the planning for my music video and digipak, leading up to the final cuts of my products.

Research into My Chosen Band - Not My Day

Research into Not My Day

Genre and Target Audience:

Not My Day are a band from Oxford, United Kingdom, and are part of the power-pop/indie/rock genre of music, meaning that there is a wide range of audience that they can target. Through their songs, they mostly appeal to a target audiences of Indie fans, due to their tone of voice when singing - the tone in which they sing is similar to spoken word, and isn't your average type of singing from the pop genre; therefore I feel that they are mostly an Indie band, with infused genres of power-pop and rock. Because their main genre of music is Indie, they appeal to that audience through their lyrics and musical content (guitars and drums etc.). As the target audience for Indie bands aren't usually mainly focused on a singing voice, whereas in pop music a singing voice is very important, lyrics play a key part in how an Indie band is judged - Not My Day have good enough lyrics to appeal to their target Indie target audience in my opinion. As mentioned earlier, another way for an Indie band to appeal to their target audience is through their instrumentals - this is Not My Day's strongest asset, as their guitar riffs and bass lines instantly hook all types of music listeners, especially ones that belong to the Indie genre. Those are the two main focuses in the Indie genre, as they are also arguably the most important things to look for in choosing your artist, as image isn't everything.

How I will Ensure the Same Appeal:

In order to appeal to the same kind of audience Not My Day appeals to, I will incorporate their way of presenting the band, and I will also take inspiration from mainstream UK Indie bands such as the Arctic Monkeys; I will do all of this in the digipack of the song and band.     

Introducing the Band:

Here are some pictures of my chosen band, Not My Day. Theses images were taken from their page on the http://www.unsigned.com/ website. (http://www.unsigned.com/0notmyday).

Picture of Not My Day from a Recent Gig

Ben Cook - Lead Guitar and Vocals

JB - Bass

Dan Cahill - Drums

Adam Cook - Lead Vocals and Guitar

Looking for my Chosen Band/Artist and How I Found Them

Chosen Band/Artist

Using the website http://www.unsigned.com, I searched in the "Indie" genre section, where I came across many bands and aspiring artists. However, the band that I have chosen for my media project is one called "Not My Day", who are an Indie/Power-Pop/Rock band from Oxford in the UK. Upon selecting the internet link for this band (http://www.unsigned.com/0notmyday) I was given the option to choose from a variety of songs that the band had recorded or performed, meaning that I had to choose one of the songs available to me. In the end the song I have chosen is called "Stuey's Morris Isis" and the reason I have chosen this song is because of the high energy of the song, and due to the high tempo I feel that I can use a wide variety of camera shots and angles in quick succession effectively. Also, I feel that the lyrics tell a good story, so in terms of my music video I can conform to Goodwin's theory that there is a direct link between the lyrics and the content of the music video. The song can be listened to here, on their official MySpace page: https://myspace.com/notmydayoxford/music/songs

Storyboard of Music Video Hive by Earl Sweatshirt

 Earl Sweatshirt - Hive (feat. Vince Staples and    Casey Veggies)

 We decided to storyboard the first minute of this  video by Rap artist and Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt. In this video, the mood that the rapper is trying to create is reflected perfectly through the miss-en-scene and camera angles, therefore portraying the codes and conventions of rap videos. That is the reason we decided to choose this video.

Here is the first minute storyboard of the music video "Hive" by Earl Sweatshirt, featuring Vince Staples and Casey Veggies.

Music Video Directors - Michel Gondry

Music Video Directors

Michel Gondry:

Born in France on May 8th 1963, Michel Gondry is an acclaimed Director and Screenwriter, working on many many music videos and Hollywood films, either directing or writing them. He has been active since 1986, first working on a short-film in France called "L'expedition Fatale". Gondry has worked with some of the world most renowned music artists for their videos, such as Bjork, Kanye West, The White Stripes, Radiohead and many many more. His most successful film is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", with which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2004. He earned his reputation for his inventive visual style and manipulation of the mise-en-scene in his films and music videos. He is also a co-founder of Directors Label and Palm Pictures with fellow directors Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham.

Music Videos and Film Work:

Although Michel Gondry made many short films in the beginning of his career, he really made himself known with contributions to successful music videos. His technique and unique flair made his a popular choice for artists, attracting names such as Bjork, Sinead O'Connor  and The Rolling Stones, making videos for the artists called "Human Behaviour", "Fire on Babylon" and "Like a Rolling Stone", respectively. Those videos can be seen below.

Michel Gondry is a long term collaborator with Bjork, having directed over five of her videos since he began his career in this industry. In fact, his most recent music video was for Bjork, entitled "Crystalline". Gondry received much praise for his inventive style of music videos, using the mise-en-scene to create a world for the artist's song. Having worked on these music videos for a long time, Gondry diversified into the film industry, working on films such as "Human Nature" (although sharing the name of his music video with Bjork, there isn't much link between the two - only some shots from the music video are used in the film. Gondry however could have drawn inspiration from the music video which created.), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "The Science of Sleep" and the popular comedy starring Jack Black and American rapper Mos Def. As mentioned earlier, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was his most successful film critically, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Kate Winslet also received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, but she did not win the award. His biggest budget film, and also his biggest box office hit, is a film called "The Green Hornet", which stars Canadian comedian Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote the film. The film also stars Hollywood A-Listers Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz. Trailers for the films "The Green Hornet" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" can be seen below.

Awards:

Throughout his career as a director in films, music videos and advertisements, Michel Gondry has won many awards, and has some of the highest accolades that a director can hope for. All his awards and nominations can be seen here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0327273/awards

Music Video Directors - Spike Jonze

Music Video Directors

Spike Jonze:

Spike Jonze is an American film and music video director, film producer, screen director and actor. He has been an active member of these industries since 1989, twenty years after his birth on October 22, 1969. He first rose to major fame in Hollywood after directing the film "Being John Malkovic", which earned him his first and only Academy Award Nomination for Best Director. His most notable films include "Being John Malkovic", the 2002 film "Adaption", and the 2009 film "Where the Wild Things Are", which he co-wrote. However, Spike Jonze is best known for his contribution to the music video industry, directing videos for many respected and popular artists, such as Kanye West, the Beastie Boys and The Notorious B.I.G. 

Music Videos:

Spike Jonze has worked on over thirty music videos in his career, working on videos for very popular artists of their time period. For example, he worked on three videos for the Beastie Boys in 1994, during the band's peak as artists, meaning that his work would have been very well recognised. He has also worked on songs for Daft Punk, Bjork, The Chemical Brothers, and R.E.M all during the 90s, which could have lead to his Hollywood film director break, as all of his videos would have been seen and praised by a large audience.

This is the Beastie Boys song, "Ricky's Theme", and was the second time that Spike Jonze collaborated with the band, but was the first time he did so in 1994. Jonze also wrote the music video (like he would do a movie), and "Ricky's Theme" was a series of Beastie Boys collaborations that would take place in the year of 94; the videos that followed suit would be the very popular song, "Sabotage", and following that was "Sure Shot". Both of these videos can be seen at the bottom of the page.

Most recently, Spike Jonze has collaborated with two of the most popular music artists of our generation - Kanye West and Jay-Z. He worked on "Flashing Lights" with Kanye West, which he also co-directed with Mr.West, from the artists third studio album, Homecoming in 2008. In 2011 he worked with both Kanye West and Jay-Z, as a duo, for "Otis", which was a single from their collaborative number one album "Watch the Throne". Kanye West's and Spike Jonze's video for the song "Flashing Lights", can be seen here. "Otis" can be viewed at the bottom of the page.   

Awards:

Throughout Jonze's career, he has amassed many awards and nominations for his work. The nominations and awards taken from his feature films can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Jonze#Filmography

For his work on "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim, Jonze received awards for Best Direction, Breakthrough, and Best Choreography at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The video for which he won the awards can be seen here:

The videos which were mentioned earlier can be seen here, and are some of Jonze's most recognised and earliest work, including Jay - Z & Kanye West and The Beastie Boys. 

Other Videos that Have Inspired my Final Product

Music Videos that Have Inspired My Final Product

Here are some videos that, during the research stage, helped me to decide the direction that I wanted to take my final product, my music video, in. After looking at a broad range of music videos across different genres, such as rock, hip-hop, pop and indie, I decided that the genre I wanted to create a product on the most was the Indie genre. Here are some videos that I looked at during my research stage:

Rock:

The two videos above are "Fire" by Kasabian, and "Lonely Boy" performed by The Black Keys. Both of these artists are popular in the rock genre, meaning that if I was to go into this genre, it would be wise to look at music videos from the most popular artists.

Hip Hop:

The two videos seen here are by two of the most popular artists in the hip-hop genre. Above is the video "Berzerk" by Eminem; below that is the music video for "Ms Jackson", performed by OutKast.

Indie :

The first video seen is "R U Mine?" by Arctic Monkeys. Below that video, is the official music video for the song "Something Good Can Happen", performed by Two Door Cinema Club. 

Review of Music Video #3

Review of Music Video #3

Reasons for choosing to review this video:
For the third and final review of a music video, I have chosen to look at a video which is relevant to my chosen genre of Indie/Rock music. The video I have chosen to do for this review is "If You Wanna", by The Vaccines. The main reason why I have chosen this is because this video is similar to many Indie band's music, and conforms to typical characteristics of this genre, including conforming to Goodwin's Theory.

Mise-en-scene:
The mise-en-scene is very basic for this music video, as I believe that this is one of the very first videos the band did together, meaning that the budget wouldn't have been very high; this can be compared to their other videos, such as "Melody Calling" and "Norgaard". The band take centre stage, with all their instruments. The lighting is the most striking aspect of the video, with the colour of the lighting changing every couple of seconds to bright, vibrant colours. The use of and placing of the instruments in this music video is stereotypical to how they are presented in indie music videos. The lead guitarist is placed at the front of the band, and is usually the main face of the band, and who the public most likely follow and pay attention to. Other members of the band are in the background, with the drummer even further in the back - this can be seen in many Indie music videos, as most bands use this format when they are just starting up, because the budgets for their music videos would be low as they haven't reached national and international fame yet. The lighting is very important in this video, as the different colours displayed add dynamism to what the audience is seeing. The video starts off with different shades of bright red, moving onto yellow, blue, and many other vibrant colours - this could signify to the audience that they imagine that they are on a big stage performing in front of massive crowds, as that is the kind of set up they would have if they were performing at a big venue. In most cases, this is the dream for many bands of their respective genres, and The Vaccines are trying to signify their dream of performing in front of live crowds.

Camera Angles and Shots:

There aren't a lot of camera shots and angles in this music video, and this could be representative of their budget - because this video is one of their earlier songs, the budget for the music video would have been a small one, and the band would have wanted to keep everything minimalistic. Although it wouldn't cost anything at all to use a variety of camera angles, the minimalistic approach of the music video is kept consistent in all aspects of the music video, such as; mise-en-scene, camera angles and shots, editing and last of all sounds.

The most common use of camera angle and shots used is the close up - this is used to show the audience which member of the band is singing, and also which member of the band is playing the instrument which the audience can currently hear (a close up on a guitar solo for example). In the earlier videos for bands, a close up shot to differentiate each band member is very important - this is because they are a new band, and new mainstream audiences might not know which band member is which and what each member does in the band; that could be a reasoning for extensive use of the close-up shot. A low angle shot is used to create assertion - the band members are the ones in power because the fans are following their every move. Another camera angle used is the long shot - in the instrumental parts of the song, the long shot is used to create a sense of unity, because the entire band are playing their instruments together. This long shot is also used during the chorus, as that is the main part of the song, and the bit that attracts the audience the most.

Editing

There was a lot of editing, although there wasn't a range of editing techniques, used for this video, due to the fact that it was very minimalistic. The editing is synced to cut each angle in time with the music, as well as the lip-syncing for the main vocalist. 

The most common form of editing used is the clean cut between each camera shot - this is used to keep up with the pace of the song, and so the audience feel the tempo. 

Sound

As this video was very simplistic, there are only diegetic sounds used - we only see the band in one location, so the only sounds we can hear is the instruments and the vocals of the song. In most videos, the use of the song would be seen as non-diegetic, as the audience can't actually see the band performing. In this instance, we can see the band performing the song, so therefore the song counts as being a diegetic sound. 

Goodwin's Theory

This video conforms in some instances to Goodwin's Theory. For example, as the music video is actually showing the audience The Vaccines on stage, this conforms to Goodwin's point about stage performances representing an entire genre. The way The Vaccines dress and the way that they perform on the stage represents the "Indie" genre, as at many live shows indie bands are seen performing like this, such as the Arctic Monkeys.

            There is no relationship with the lyrics and the music video, as the band are actually performing the song in the video. There is a link between the visuals and the music, as the lights in the background and the pace of the editing signify the pace of the song, therefore conforming to Goodwin's Theory. There are also a lot of close ups of the lead vocalist, as they are the image of the band. 

Review of Music Video #2

Review of Music Video #2

Reasons for choosing to review this video:

I have chosen to review this video "Stan" by Eminem is because of the strong links with Goodwin's theory of music videos - in this instance the fact that the musics lyrics are portrayed perfectly in the video, thus proving Goodwin's theory that there is a link between the video content and the lyrics. Another reason as to why I chose to review this video is because I am very familiar with the song itself and the lyrics, as Eminem is one of my favourite artists. This video and the song have been critically acclaimed, also. 

Mise-en-scene:

The setting, props, characters, lighting and other things create the perfect atmosphere for Eminem to tell his story - the whole song is about an obsessed fan who takes things too far. 

                     First of all, the setting of the video demonstrates the current situation the three main characters of the video are placed in - Stan and his Girlfriend live in a run-down house, which signifies the financial situation each of them find themselves in, which also in turns tells the audience the gravity of the situation this obsessed fan (Stan) is in. Whereas the artist performing the song, Eminem, is seen on the stage and in a trailer, which signifies to the audience that he is always on the road, performing to sell out crowds around America and the world. Through the settings in which the characters are placed, we see the difference in class and money, and this might be why Stan is so obsessed with Eminem, as he wants to have his lifestyle. 

                     Furthermore, the props used in the video demonstrate the mentality of the characters. A powerful prop used is the one to make it look like Stan's Girlfriend is pregnant - the reason this is so powerful is because it tells the audience that even though his Girlfriend is pregnant, it still doesn't stop Stan in his pursuit to meet the artist Eminem. Other significant props used throughout the video are posters, which again demonstrate the obsession. Posters are also mentioned in the lyrics, which would be why they are included, showing the link between the lyrics and the visual interpretation of videos. That also proves Goodwin's theory of music videos. 

                      The lighting in the music video is very dull, with very few lamps on in Stan's house, which could signify the current emotional state of the two characters living inside that house - Stan's Girlfriend feels distant to her boyfriend and feels confused, whereas Stan is obsessed and worships a man he doesn't even know; so they both feel different to each other throughout the video, and I think that the lighting is a metaphor for their current feelings.

                      All in all, the mise-en-scene in the video "Stan" create the atmosphere of obsession, confusion and anger with which Eminem was trying to create through his lyrics. The audience is made to think about the mental fragility of fans, and how quickly being a fan can turn into something very serious.   

Camera Shots and Angles:

Throughout the video "Stan", there are many camera angles and shots, most notably the close ups and vertical tracking shots, used to keep the audience up to speed in an omniscient manner with what the three main characters of the video are doing. 

                         First of all, the close ups are used for the showing of emotion on the characters faces - the first close up of the video is used when Stan is bleaching his hair in order to look like his idol Eminem. The reason a close up is used is so the audience can see the look of happiness and pleasure in Stan's actions. This is the same reason a close up is used of Stan's Girlfriend later in the video - instead her facial expression displays loneliness and confusion of what is happening to Stan and their relationship. These close ups are used very effectively in different ways as well, such as focusing in on the props used throughout the video. When Stan is writing his letter (Eminem tells us this through his lyrics, and it is displayed in the video), we see a close up of a picture he has modified in order to look like himself and Eminem are in the same photo together - this close up dramatises and alerts the audience to the seriousness of the situation, because Stan has in fact cut his Girlfriend out of the picture and replaced her with Eminem, and we see this through the close up.  

                         Another camera shot frequently used was the vertical tracking shot, and this was used to differentiate between stories in the building that Stan and his Girlfriend lived. The reason that this shot was used was to show the difference in the house - Stan's Girlfriend was always (apart from one scene) above the basement, either in the bathroom or bedroom; Stan was always in the basement, where his obsession for Eminem intensified. In the opening scene when the music first starts, Stan's Girlfriend is sitting in the bathroom and a vertical tracking shot is used to take the audience into the basement where Stan himself was. Through this shot, the audience first get a glimpse of the horror that resides in the same house, but the use of this shot makes it seem like a different world, that is why it is so effective.

 Editing:

The editing used in the music video was mostly simple and effective, with the exception of one use of special effects. 

                 The editing was kept simple to keep the audience in time with the lyrics and how they were presented in the video - there was minimal lip syncing, and it was only used at the start of each verse of the song, so they audience knew that the characters were performing the songs lyrics. Although there was minimal use of lip syncing, the story of the video was edited in time with the music. For example, when Eminem is talking about hearing a story of a guy who drove his car over a bridge, the audience see the car that Stan drove over a bridge. 

                 The use of special effects which I mentioned earlier was when Stan was standing and looking at himself in the mirror, the reflection was that of Eminem, not Stan. This tells the audience that Stan believes that he is Eminem, which has an unnerving effect on the audience. 

Sound:

In terms of sound in "Stan", there is the conventional codes for a music video - the song is always playing in the background, in time with the visual interpretation of the song. All sounds are non-digetic, as everything that features in the music video is exactly how it sounds in the song, event the car crash and the scribbling sound of pencil on paper, and these things would usually be classed as sounds effects of the video, not the song itself.

Goodwin's Theory:

This video proves Goodwin's point about how there is a direct link between the video and the song's lyrics. Eminem writes a song about a disturbed and obsessed fan, who eventually kills himself when Eminem doesn't reply to his fan mail immediately, and all of the song's lyrics are portrayed perfectly visually in this video, therefore proving Goodwin's theory.

Review of Music Video #1

Review of music video "Celebration" by The Game

Reasons for choosing to review this video:

I have chosen to review this music video as it represents the rap genre perfectly - in terms of the mise-en-scene, content of the video, and also backs up Goodwin's theory behind music videos in their particular genre.

Mise-en-scene:

In this particular video, the mise-en-scene is very stereotypical for the rap genre as a whole. Throughout this video of "Celebration", various items connected with the artists are seen. For example, the lead artist, The Game, is seen performing the song throughout California, standing in a very expensive sports car - The Game proudly boasts about his heritage of growing up in the tough areas of California when he was younger, therefore the setting is linked to his background. However, we see the artist being driven through a very sunny, rich and well established area of the city, which is also an area that attracts a lot of celebrities, meaning that The Game is telling his audience that he has escaped the poor lifestyle and is now living a very successful life, which is why he is in areas like these and driving cars like that.

                   In terms of clothing, The Game shows off a particular brand on his belt, "Gucci". By showing this brand to the audience, he lets them know that he is very rich, ans he doesn't have a problem with letting the audience know about his wealth. This also creates the desirability of the product - because fans of The Game will be watching this video, they will see him with that expensive belt, meaning that his fans will also want the same one. The Game is promoting stylish and expensive brands in his video, which is similar to many other videos of this rap genre. Another brand that is promoted throughout the video is Dre Beats Headphones, which are worn by American rapper and featured artist, Lil Wayne. These are a very popular brand of luxury headphones, and much like The Game wearing the Gucci belt, create a desirability for them. The creator of the headphones, Dr Dre, is also from the background as The Game (they both grew up in Compton, California) and is also responsible for starting The Game's career in music - so The Game may be helping out his friend by promoting his brand of headphones in return. All people in the music video represent high-class, as they are all wearing expensive clothing brands and accessories, which is representative of this area of California. 

                  There are also many props used in this video, ranging from the car that the artist is driving in, to the barbecue that they are having in a field. Throughout "Celebration", the use of props give the audience a feeling of relaxation and happiness, indicating that everyone involved is indeed having a "Celebration". This is seen through the use of activity-themed props such as skateboards and basketballs - both signify to the audience that people are having fun, and aren't worried about daily troubles. As mentioned earlier, the car denotes to the audience of the vast richness of the artist. We have already seen what The Game's appearance is (expensive jewellery and clothing) so we as the audience assume correctly that his style of transport will be no different. All props used in this video signify wealth and luxury, once again conforming to conventions similar to other rap videos. 

                  Also, like many other rap videos before it, "Celebration" conforms to the voyeuristic presentation of the women characters in the video. Women are portrayed seductively to the audience, as most of the audience these artists will attracts are males. They are presented to us in this way to show us what kind of women the artists attract, which is another hint at their vast wealth. 

                  In terms of conforming to Goodwin's theory, the mise-en-scene does this perfectly. Things in the mise-en-scene in the video are presented the way they are thanks to the lyrics of the song (which is the second point of Goodwin's theory) and indeed the voyeuristic portrayal of women in keeping with the particular genre (which is the fifth point of Goodwin's theory). 

Camera Angles and Shots:

Similar camera angles and shots are used throughout the video "Celebration" by The Game, most notably the close ups and medium shots. The reasons why these shots are used the most is due to the importance of seeing the artists during the video - the artists are the main reason as to why the audience would view this particular video, therefore the directors will use as many close ups and medium shots as possible of the artists. This is important to any genre of music, not just one genre. 

                     Another shot used quite frequently was the tracking shot - this was used in the video to keep up with the action of what was happening around the area, such as playing basketball, women dancing and laughing, and skateboarding. This shot informs and updates the audience on activities of things happening around the focus of attention. 

                      In terms of camera angles, an angle popularly used in the video was the low-angle shot. This is used to represent power and dominance, and was used whilst The Game was driving around California. The angle in this particular instance signifies his wealth over the audience, and that we look up to him as a powerful figure in the music industry. This is also presented through the lyrics. 

Editing:

For music videos for professional, well known artists, the editing has to be perfect to reflect the artists professionalism. If the editing is below par, the audience won't feel as privileged to watch their artist perform, as they would feel they can do a better job than whoever edited it. In "Celebration", there are no fancy editing techniques. For example, a clean cut or a fade is used to switch between scenes, which represents realism to the audience - that is we become as successful as them, we can have all of these things too.

                       Lip syncing also has to be perfect, as the audience want to enjoy the song, but want to do this visually, which is why music videos are made. Luckily for The Game, lip syncing in this video is perfect. 

Sound:

In all music videos, representative of their genre or not, have to have the song playing in the background, otherwise it is just a standard video, not a music video. Also, whilst the music is playing in the background, there usually aren't any sound effects, such as glass being broken, unless that sound effect is in the song itself. In this way "Celebration" conforms to the conventions of sound in a music video.

Goodwin's Theory:

Goodwin's theory is proved in this video, due to the way the artists are presented on stage similar to their genre - in rap videos artists are act and are portrayed showing all their wealth. Another proven point of Goodwin's theory was the way in which the artists image is constantly referred to through close ups of them.

Genres of Music and Their Codes and Conventions for Music Videos

Codes and Conventions of Popular Music Genres and How They Are Incorporated in Videos

Rap Music - 

                   Rap music has been around since the late 70s, and early 80s in New York city. Recently, the popularity of this genre has sky rocketed dramatically, although it has always been popular. The way that the majority of Rap music videos have been filmed, however, has stayed the same since its conception. The most common camera angle of a rap video is the low angle shot - this is used to present the artist as a more powerful and influential being as the audience, mainly because rapper's lyrics are about spending a lot of money. In terms of camera shots, the medium-shot and close-up shots are used a lot so the audience can see the artist's face; it may also be used to show expensive things such as cars and show the artist in a club surrounded by women. Leading on from that point about women, in rap videos, women are mainly used as sexual objects towards the men featuring in the video and the artist him self. (if the artist in this genre is a woman, in some cases men may be used as a sexual object, but mostly men may be seen as the desirable product for the women. As this is a typically male genre, successful women artists are few and far between). Because women are mostly seen this way in the rap videos, this particular genre is more male-focused.

Pop Music -

                   Pop music is the most played and popular music currently on the market. During the top 40 charts around the world, pop music takes up a vast majority of it, as it is something most of the public listen to. In stereotypical pop music videos, the main artist is always centre stage, using close ups and medium shots to show their/his/her face - in pop music, the image of the artist is the most important part of the act, even more so than the music, as usually pop artists themselves are the desirable product. In pop music videos, the lyrics presented in the video are stereotypically about an unrequited love - the pop artist desires someone who doesn't desire them. Although in pop videos, the artist always gets the woman/man that they desire throughout the video, indicating to their audience (most commonly teenagers) that things will work out with the person you love. In this way, Pop music videos are presented to the public as a fantasy - pop music presents things in a perfect scenario, whereas things in real life are quite the opposite. Taylor Swift has made a very successful career from Pop music, and her VEVO account has over six-million subscribers and over one-billion video views.  

Rock Music - 

                      In rock music videos, the general conventions are to use a lot of panning shots, to keep up with fast paced music and action in the video itself. In this genre of music, the videos keep a similar tempo, whether its fast or slow, depending on the speed of the music. Close ups of the lead singer are always used, so the audience know for certain who's voice they are listening to. A perfect example of this kind of genre is a song by popular rock group Kasabian, performing the song "Fire". This particular video displays all the conventions of a rock music video, such as the camera angles and story content (whether or not they are representative of the lyrics).

Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin, when looking at music videos, determined that there were certain features, codes and conventions that make a music video what it is, and these theories are:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, such as a stage performance in a metal video - if the band is jumping around their stage 'head-banging', then the audience would know that this is most likely a music video of the metal genre. Another example would be a dance routine for a girl or boy band - if a dance routine is used in a video and there is a full body shot of them dancing, then the audience will most likely deduce that they are watching a pop music video. It is how they present themselves on stage and during a music video.

This is an image of the popular girl group Girls Aloud. As you can see from this image, they look like they are performing a dance routine, thus proving Goodwin's Theory.

2. Goodwin concluded that there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. In other words, he says that the music video is a visual interpretation of what the lyrics are. For example, a song's lyrics might be telling a story about love, and for the music video, typically, the artist will try and visually tell that story of love. This isn't genre specific (as in it is only applicable to the rap genre), as most artists in their genres try and tell the story of their lyrics through their music video.

This is a picture from a song called "Stan" by Eminem. The song's lyrics tell the story of an obsessed fan, and the music video demonstrates this perfectly, proving Goodwin's Theory.

3. Another part of Goodwin's Theory is that there is also a relationship between the music itself and the visuals. For instance, if the music is slow and calm, the music video will follow suit and keep in pace with the music, usually using one shot for a longer period of time. Opposite to that is that if the music is fast paced, there will be many camera shots in quick succession, so the audience feel the pace of the music.

Usher is of the R&B genre, and has made many slow songs, to which the music video was as slow paced as the music.

4. A key part of an artist is their image, and this is included in Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist, and with the this the artists may develop motifs (something unique and recognisable), such as their visual style. The reason the record label would do this is to make more money, as usually it is the artist who the audience want to see.

5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking, such as including media devices such as laptops, computers and TVs in the video - something the audience can watch the music video on. Another part to this point of the theory is that there is voyeuristic treatment of females and the female body - they are presented as sexual objects, and this appeals to the male target audience of any genre. Stereo typically, women are presented like this in the Hip-Hop and R&B genres, as the lyrics talk about women a lot.

6. Last but not least, to conclude Goodwin's theory, he said that there are often intertextual references to films, TV programmes and other music videos. For example, a present music video could try and imitate a past film, or parody it, or use it heavily for inspiration. A perfect example of this would be Madonna's music video for her song "Material Girl". The music video more or less copied an extract from a very popular musical starring Marilyn Monroe; Monroe was performing the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".