Evaluation

Music Video - Final

This is the final music video for the song "Headache" by Wolvves.

Magazine Advert - Final

This is my advert design, created in Photoshop. The background was added because I wanted the advert to have a grungy, urban feel - which the text also helps to develop. I edited the colours of the wolf to look like a three-dimensional image in order to disconcert the audience and to portray the feeling of nausea after getting a headache. The main title text looks a little like the text on a Wanted poster that one would see in old Western films - I wanted to create that kind of image for my advert. This also helps it to tie in with Aline's DVD cover.

Development - Sketches for Magazine Advert

These are the sketches that I produced for use in my advert design. We agreed that we wanted a theme to be shared between the digipak and the advert, so we worked on drawing in a grungy, almost messy style to portray the indie, rock and roll image of the band and also to present a memorable image of the band's name. The images were drawn with fine-liner pens.

The New Script

I have revised the script to make it fit with our new song and the new video ideas. This is the rough script for Headache by Wolvves.

Copyright Clearance Form

Proposal - New Song

Due to difficulties getting the footage required for the original production and the disbandment of Arms Of Mexico, we have decided to produce a video for a different song - Headache, by Wolvves - a band comprised of some of the members of the other band.

The genre remains within the indie rock genre, with the same dark elements that the other song contained and our idea for the video for this song is along the lines of a video diary, with footage from live shows as well as footage from rehearsals and backstage.

This video for Avenged Sevenfold's 'Unholy Confessions' demonstrates the ideas for the video we are looking to produce.

Location Photos

As the chase sequence of our video is set in Camden, I decided to take pictures of where we could shoot our footage.
I found an interesting looking doorway, which is featured in the first slide, where our character could wake up and as there are lots of bridges in this area, I thought it would be good for a chase scene.

Script - First Draft.

I have worked on the first draft of the script.What is written here is not yet final, as details need to be decided on, but this is the main idea of what our video shall be about.

Proposal

As there aren’t many lyrics to the song that we have chosen, I think that we’d need to make a narrative video to keep the audience engaged. When I listen to the song, the rhythm is quite disjointed and disconcerting and as the pace is quite fast and it increases at the end of the song, I think it would be ideal for an on foot chase scene.

The lyrics make me think of drug addiction, ‘I fed you again and again and again and again’ suggests to me that the character of the video has tried to feed their cravings for drugs, but, as they still want more, they are becoming desperate and see their addiction as being painful. Therefore, I think our video should disconcert the audience and should be distorted and confusing.

For the narrative of the music video, the setting will be somewhere dark and dimly lit. I think somewhere with winding corridors would be ideal, or perhaps a car park, as they are generally quite dark and have a lot of litter and the character could be chased down the stairs, from the top level down to the bottom.

I personally see this character as a young man, who is dressed scruffily, whose clothes are dirty after sleeping outside and whose hair is messed up and greasy, but that is not a final idea and we could challenge the audiences preconceptions by having a smartly dressed, middle aged woman, for example.

The character would wake up at the location not knowing where they are or how they got there. The editing would make it look distorted, as if we’re looking through the eyes of this person who is under the influence of drugs. For a while they’d be walking around, trying to make sense of their surroundings.

Then, if they were at a car park, they would try and call for the lift to take him down to the bottom, but then the lift opens and two men in white coats with masks on would be inside, causing him to run away. They then chase him, until finally the song ends and they catch him and push him to the floor.

The narrative could also include flash back scenes from the night before, perhaps of him visiting somewhere like Soho and interacting with the people there, going to the bar and drinking or taking drugs in the bathroom, with the men in white coats following him wherever he goes. These shots should also be distorted.

For the performance parts of the video, the band will play in a dimly lit room, both separately from each other and together as one unit, with a light swinging above their heads as they play their instruments. They could be wearing white coats and masks as well. The shots of the band will be mixed in with the narrative. For some of these shots, I’d like to have them moving in slow motion, such as in the parts where the singer sings ‘self addicted pain’, as the notes of the song are slow and drawn out at those parts.

Representation Issues - Star Image and Power.

Music videos are essential in reinforcing an artist’s ‘iconography’, the image that they have created for themselves in order to become recognisable by the general public. Artists may consider their image to be as important, if not more important, than the music that they create and they generally concentrate on creating a style and a look that fits with their genre of music, but which also has a sense of easy recognition. Usually this style is quite stereotypical and predictable, because when it isn’t, there is generally some backlash.

For example, in the video by The Horrors, which I analysed, the band members had a clear and consistent style, which connected them all together as one unit, something which is important for a band. Their dark, gothic style easily fit in with their dark, gothic music and it is also something that they will be recognised for.

With artists such as Lady Gaga, there is not a clear link between her music and the image that she has created and she often faces criticism for being too over the top and eccentric. Artists generally stick to stereotypes, as it is easier than breaking away from the conventions.

For example, a rock band would usually wear clothes that are associated with rock music, such as black, leather trousers and thick, heavy boots. They may wear eyeliner, or ‘guyliner’, as it is referred to now. A hip hop artist would generally wear a bandana or baseball cap and heavy gold jewellery, with a vest and baggy jeans or tracksuit bottoms.

The setting of the video can help establish image as well. If the artist wants to come across as wealthy, they’d film their video in a luxurious location, as is the way with a lot of R’n’B music. If artists want to associate themselves with darkness and evil, they’d film it in a dark, dirty looking location with skulls or gore and other symbolic imagery. The mise-en-scene is important in showing what the artist is trying to represent as their image.

Division of power in videos can also help reinforce the artist’s image. In a lot of rock, R’n’B and hip hop videos by male artists, women have a much lower status than the artist and the other men in the video. Hip hop artists often take the image of being a ‘pimp’ to a literal level, being dominant over the women, who are usually dressed in revealing outfits or are actually completely topless.

Women are often treated as if they were just objects – different parts of their bodies are shown separately, so the audience doesn’t see the whole woman, just parts of her body, such as her breasts.

These videos use voyeurism as a selling point and as a way to gain notoriety and popularity. It also reinforces the image that these artists build for themselves. They want to come across as tough and manly and even frightening. They want to show that they can get any woman that they want and still have others throwing themselves at them.

Even when a female artist is representing herself in a music video, her image is usually similar to the way women would dress in these videos, regardless of the genre of the music. Most female artists use their bodies as a selling point, even if they are more dominant in the video than males. They generally wear revealing outfits to show that they are attractive, to show their bodies off to those watching the video and even if they wear non-revealing clothing, they are still made to look attractive and appealing in order to sell their music.

Role Research - Lighting

Lighting.

Three Point Lighting.

While filming a video, the use of three lights is important. The key is the main light and is the most important one. It is usually placed at about 45 degrees from your subject and the light is aimed down, rather than directly at the subject. As it is the main light, it is the main source of illumination on the subject and as a result may cause strong shadows.

The fill is usually set at about 45 degrees from your subject on the opposite side to the key and is broader and usually about two or three stops dimmer. The job of the fill is to keep the shadows from the key from being too strong.

The backlight is aimed at your subject from behind and above and is also set at about a 45-degree angle. It gives the subject a glow, which gives some separation between the subject and the background behind them. This is often called a "defining edge". This is particularly useful for shooting someone with dark hair against a dark background.

Light Modifiers

• Barn Doors: These are used to control the path of the light and also the direction it is coming from. They don't diffuse light normally, but there are heat resistant diffusion materials that can be clipped to them.

• Reflective umbrella: This is an umbrella that is painted white, silver or gold on the inside. They collect light from the bulb, diffuse it, and aim it towards the subject.

• Shoot through umbrella: This is a transparent umbrella and the light travels through the fabric and diffuses. It also reflects back towards the lamp, giving a lot of spill behind, too. These are particularly useful for lighting large areas of a room.

• Softboxes: These are similar to reflective umbrellas, but are box shaped and completely enclosed. One or two additional layers of translucent material make the light even more diffused.

• Snoots: These are cone or tube like devices and are used to focus a beam of light in a very tight spot - often used on backlights to keep light from spilling onto the background.

• Grids: They can be made of cloth, metal, or plastic. Grids tightly focus and soften a light. They are often used to create a small soft circle of light against a backdrop.

Using natural light.

The sunlight, when it is a sunny day, will be quite harsh, causing deep shadows on the subject. Shady areas, beneath trees, can be used to lessen the harshness of the light. Reflectors are important when shooting outside, but as they can be expensive, sunshades can also be used. Because the sunlight only falls at one specific angle, reflectors are necessary in distributing the light to other areas. Reflectors catch the light and send it in the direction you want it to go. This creates two sources of light and creates more of a studio environment outside.

Increasing light.

When in a studio or somewhere else with electrical lighting, if you find that the lighting on your subject is not strong enough, the easiest way to combat this is to simply move the light closer to your subject. Also, the location of the subject can be changed so that the light falls in the right places. When indoors and using natural light, make sure all the blinds or curtains are open so that the maximum amount of light comes in. Turn electrical lights on to maximise the amount of light in the shot and lessen the amount of noise that will show on your footage.

Role Research - Director

The director is responsible for making sure the subject or subjects know what they are supposed to be doing, for organising the production crew’s tasks and directing them as to how to complete them and also, for controlling the artistic aspects of the production, making sure that it fits in with their creative ideas as well as the script. They work under the producer – the person who oversees the project and delivers it to potential audiences and clients – and the two members of the team work towards mutual, workable ideas. The director takes charge of the creative aspects of making the production, whereas the producer works on funding, casting and other practical sides to the project. Both are actively involved in the production process. Directors are in control of developing the production from simple ideas on a script to actual camera shots, deciding on camera angles, lighting and set design, as well as the tone and audience of the production. They are driven by the tone, rhythm and sound of a musical track and usually use storyboards to help them with the filming process. Notable music video directors include Chris Cunningham, Marc Webb and Jonas Akerlund.

Chris Cunningham is a British director from Reading, Berkshire. His work is more underground than that of the other two. His first endeavours with video work involved model-making, prosthetics and illustrations – some of which have carried on to his current work, such as the video for Rubber Johnny by Aphex Twin. His music videos include Bjork’s All Is Full Of Love, Madonna’s Frozen and Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker – all of which have reached critical acclaim and have received various awards. Marc Webb is an American director from Indiana. He has produced music videos for rock acts, such as My Chemical Romance, Green Day and The Used, as well as popular music acts like Hilary Duff, Pussycat Dolls and P Diddy. His work is aimed at a mainstream audience, like Jonas Akerlund’s but unlike Chris Cunningham’s, and he has a large budget for production. Jonas Akerlund is a Swedish director, based in America and he has worked with mainstream acts such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Metallica, U2 and Britney Spears. The video for Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi received five nominations at the VMAs and won the awards for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. The follow-up video, Telephone, was inspired by Kill Bill – Tarantino even let them borrow the car which Uma Thurman drives in the film – and received critical acclaim and awards for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration.

Interviews

Natalie Beard
Age 19

1. What do you think makes a music video effective?

I think a music video is effective if it brings the point of the song across. I don't like dodgy acting - I'd just prefer to see the band filmed performing their song rather than forcing a bad storyline.

2. Do you think a music video needs to be controversial to gain publicity?
If yes, why? If no, what would make a music video gain publicity?

I don't think so. Sometimes videos get attention from being funny or original as well.

3. What is your current favourite music video and why?

My current favourite music video is...well...I don't actually know. I feel kind of bad for admitting this but I don't watch much TV. And most of the bands I like don't actually make music videos.

Thomas Mitchell
Age 38

1. What do you think makes a music video effective?

I think music videos are effective if they are memorable and keep the audience’s attention. They are a way of promoting songs and artists, so they need to be memorable and interesting, not just guys rapping with girls dancing behind them.

2. Do you think a music video needs to be controversial to gain publicity?
If yes, why? If no, what would make a music video gain publicity?

Being controversial definitely helps nowadays, but it is an easy way to make it gain publicity. I think they should gain publicity for being clever.

3. What is your current favourite music video and why?

I don’t have a current favourite video, because I haven’t seen many ones that I actually like nowadays. I like Jamiroquai’s video for Virtual Insanity and OK Go’s videos are interesting, because they’re different from the norm.

Similar Text Analysis

Forms and Conventions

Forms and conventions are enforced as they allow the audience to become accustomed with seeing certain things in the different genres. For example, they would expect to see scantily clad, or even topless, women dancing behind rappers in hip-hop videos and lots of dark, demonic and scary imagery in heavy metal videos. Another reason they are enforced is that they ensure an artist’s music video fits into its relevant genre well. Therefore, a music video must keep some conventions, even if the artist wants to challenge others, as straying too far away from the forms and conventions can confuse and alienate the audience and may also give the artist a bad reputation.

There are three main types of music video: performance, narrative and concept. The conventions of a performance video is that the band or artist performs, whether that is to the camera (like Red Hot Chili Peppers video for Tell Me Baby) or on stage in front of a crowd (like KISS’s video for Rock and Roll All Nite) or during a ‘rehearsal’ (like Guns ‘n’ Roses video for Sweet Child o’ Mine).


Narrative videos feature a story, which is often relative to the lyrics of the song, but are sometimes unrelated. These can feature ‘cameo’ performances from the band members themselves, such as Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters, where the members are playing different characters, but not performing. Lyrics generally affect the music video’s subject, particularly in narrative and concept videos. However, some videos do not reflect the subject matter and appear to be totally disconnected to the lyrics. But, it is generally the norm to have the video reflecting the lyrics.

Concept videos take a deeper look at the lyrics and explore things that are not immediately obvious to the listener, but are perhaps representative of feelings and emotions the artist had while writing the song. Parodies and intertextuality occur often in concept videos, such as references to famous films, television shows or even other videos. For example, the video for The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars is a parody of Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining, while Killswitch Engage’s video for their cover version of Dio’s Holy Diver is a parody of the original video.

These types of music videos often cross over into each other, so it is possible to have a performance video with a narrative sequence or a concept video with a performance sequence.

Both digital and stop frame animation can also be used to tell a story or represent certain concepts that the artist has and wants to show the audience. Often, the animation is mixed with live-action footage of the artist. Examples of this are Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer and G-Dragon’s A-Yo.

The tempo of the music can help determine the pace of the editing, the style of the video and the subject of the video. For a fast and hectic song, one would expect the video to fit the music perfectly, rather than the footage being slow and steady.

The camerawork is also important in establishing conventions. For example, performance videos generally have a lot of close ups of the artist and their instruments, with lots of shots of the same performance taken at different angles. This is called jump cutting.

Some narrative and concept videos are filmed in one shot to relay a story that is happening in a single setting for the duration of the song. For example, one of the versions of Super Junior’s video for the song It’s You consists solely of one shot, depicting the different members in cameo roles. Another version has this footage mixed in with performance shots of the group.

As a general rule, the sound in a music video is non-diagetic, as the artist mimes the song and the original track is played over it. However, sometimes speech is used between characters in a music video, such as in Aphex Twin’s video for Windowlicker.

In some music videos, diagetic sound is played over the track. In Richard Ashcroft’s video for Song for The Lovers, he is listening to the track on CD player, so you can hear diagetic sounds, such as him singing over the song and walking round his flat. This is a good way to create something interesting and challenge conventions, but not challenge them too much.

The mise-en-scene depends on the genre of the music video. Location is an important factor in this. A typical hip hop or R’n’B video would be set in a luxurious setting, such as a hotel in the Caribbean, with a large pool with girls in bikinis lounging around.

A typical setting for a rock video would be a darker place, perhaps an old, creepy castle or house. The costumes are often typical for the specific genres – gothic rockers wearing black with heavy make up, rappers wearing caps, vests and gold jewellery. The band’s merchandise and logo can sometimes be found in videos, as a way to reinforce the artist’s iconography.

Characters and body language depend also on the genre of the music. For a romantic pop song, you would not generally cast a scary looking, tattooed couple and for a heavy metal rock song, you wouldn’t generally cast an innocent, ‘normal’ looking girl or boy as your main character. If an artist, such as Leona Lewis, was making her music video, she would not perform in the same way Snoop Dogg would and vice versa.