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Evaluation Question 4

4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?





I started question 4 off talking about key technologies we used during the research part of our project which featured, blogger, myspace, youtube, Fruktmusic and photoshop amongst other things. In this question I felt I had a large contribution, especially on the production part of the question. We spoke a lot about the camera we were using and specifically some of the advantages and disadvantages we encountered. I would however, like to build on the point of exposure. We decided to use the manual settings for the camera so this meant we had to use manual focus and manual exposure. While we were all comfortable using the focus puller we were not with the exposure. It turned out that when we looked at our footage after the main shoot we found our footage to be too dark. Looking back we should have learnt how to use this properly and now in hindsight I can tell that we needed to have more zebralines on the camera screen. This was an important lesson in using the exposure function and the next time it is used it will be used properly. This question was answered very well and in quite a lot of depth too. I thought my contribution to it was strong.

Evaluation Question 3

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?




In question 3 Nick started it off talking about our target audience and gave a typical demographic of what they would be like. I felt like I could have made more of a contribution on some of the points however, me and Nick did have an interesting discussion on the different types of artist image according to what genre they fall in to. We came to the conclusion that the genre our band is a part of is more about giving back to the fans and making them feel as if the artist is on their personal level - someone they can connect to. Whereas, within the genre of R&B and rap it is more about the culture that works with the music, for example celebrity status, idols and beautiful image. Overall question 3 was done well and although I could have given more input I felt I said some key points.

Evaluation Question 2

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?







Question 2 went really well and I feel the group really contributed equally. My performance to this question was overall strong and I made key points on how we went about branding our album cover, myspace and video. It is also important to note that we were discussing the codes and conventions of the album cover and myspace which we didn't do in question 1, so we did cover it while also covering the combination of our products. Question 2 was a good question for me and I had a fair amount of input.

Evaluation Question 1

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?







Throughout the answer to question 1 I felt I made good, clear points. The videos show that I gave explicit examples to many of the points made. For example, when Simon opened with whether the video is performance, narrative or concept based I backed up this point with my example of Pantera - 5 Minutes Alone. I also feel I made clear points on the subject of genre characteristics using Goodwins codes and conventions theory. Another factor I spoke confidently about was on Vernallis's Theory. I made good points about the lack of balance within the video and also what drives the video forward. Overall the question went well and I feel I gave a good contribution to the question.

Evaluation Sheets/Prompt Sheet

Clips from the music video used in the evaluation

Here are the clips form our own music video that we referenced in our evaluation:

Evaluation Links for Referencing

Here are the videos, websites, and album covers, mentioned in our evaluation.

Every Time I Die - 'Wanderlust' : Where the idea of individual shots came from and vocalist walking down the corridor. Vocalist clothes also change when it moves to individual location. It is also mainly peformance with some concept thrown into the mix. Vocalist addresses audition as well.


Every Time I Die - Wanderlust on MUZU


Pantera - '5 Minutes Alone' : Lots of close ups and ECUs. Entirely performance based. Cut to beat and focuses on music. Dark lighting with spots on instruments. Cuts to instruments at important parts.



Muse - 'Dead Star' : Lots of instrument close ups. Dark lighting again. Focuses on music. Focus on guitar in opening riff.




Architects - 'Always' : Genre characteristics, energetic performance, headbanging, band setup and clothing. cut to the beat and quickly cut. Referenxced shots such as CU guitar and drums from side. Linked to person percentage of each member in video.



Architects - Always from Hopes Die Last on Vimeo.

Underoath - 'In Regards To Myself' : Inspiration behind the individual vocalist shots wiht stationary camera nad vocalist moving around room. Also darkly lit and same band setup.

In Regards To Myself - UnderOath

Disturbed1 | MySpace Video

Underoath - 'A Moment Suspended In Time' : Use of lyrics to inspire video. Words shown and cut to different members at different points. Mainly performance video with energy. Claustrophobic feel. Use of costume.




Alex Gaudino - 'Destination Calabria' : Lots of voyeuristic shots. Shows another genre and how ours is different. No instruments and not really about the music and more about the video content.





Madonna - 'Material Girl' : Star image motifs and intertextual references. Video focused on star image of Madonna and targets audience with Marilyn Monroe reference.



Muse - 'Uprising' - Link with single cover




MySpace

A Day To Remember - Unconventional MySpace look, more unique and professional looking, common today as people move away from MySpace
Set Your Goals - Very promotional, album cover, merch and video are all on show and clear to the viewer

Architects - Introduces the band individually and follows institutional conventions, such as showing the record label, endorsements and bookings

The Saturdays - Has a more scopophilic feel, with more emphasis on a celebrity personality and look. Bio + Pictures

Alexisonfire - Has a competition on the page, a fine example of viral marketing


Album Cover

International Superheroes of Hardcore - Takin It Ova - Strong visual theme, taken from title

Oh Sleeper - When I Am God - Dark, moody colours

Muse - Uprising Single Cover - Has common themes with Video - Teddybears

Audience Feedback

Here our the results of the questionnaire we gave people that came to watch the screening of our video.

Average Rating
8.5

Age
18 – 67%
17 – 33%

Gender
M – 55%
F – 45%

What Genre do you think this song is?
Metal 35%
Rock 28%
? 7%
Alternative 14%
Hardcore 7%

Are you fans of this sort of music normally?
Yes 67%
No 33% (all female)

Would the video encourage you to buy the album?
Yes 33% (all male)
No 67%

What magazine would you expect to review this album?
Kerrang 50%
Scuzz 25%
NME 25%

Was the bands image convincing throughout the performance?
100%

Would you watch the video again?
Yes 78%
No 22%

What did you like about the video?
Slo mo 33%
Editing 44%
Performance 33%
Mise en scene 33%
Costume 22%
Camerawork 22%
Lighting 55%

What did you dislike about the video?
Locations 11%
Song 22%
Ending 11%
Editing 22%
Costume 11%
Nothing 22%

Music Video

Final version of our music video!

Myspace

Final version of our myspace!

Album Cover

After some feedback from our teacher she told us that our album cover looks too similar to our myspace as the waves, colours and pictures are all the same. I realise that if we want fans to buy our products then they all need to have a sense of individuality while still maintaining their key brand image. We have made changes and amendments to our cover and without further a due here it is!

Test Screening Reflections

Today we had our test screening and a lot of people turned up to our relief. The audience seemed to like the video and were very enthusiastic to complete the questionnaire.

The statistics of how people answered the questions are on the group and my individual blog.

Final Draft of the Myspace Thoughts

Our myspace has turned out, in my opinion, to look very professional which is largely due to the HTML coding skill of Nick. With that said we all contributed the ideas and graphics which make up the myspace. The image at the top follows the conventions of tradional myspace covers and hits viewers as soon as they open the page. The branding of the album is shown clearly straight away. The pictures of the band members are located just below and turn a specific colour for each member when you hover the cursor over it. This is important in making our myspace look and feel professional. Further below that you get the traditional myspace layout with picture on the left, playlist on the right all of which promote our new album and hit single Start Something. The whole myspace keeps to the nautical branding we have given to the band which gives the audience something clear to recognise us by. The myspace also has the video to our new single, a list of tour dates, contact infomation, sponsors of the band, and a biography of how it all started and where were heading. We also have some viral marketing on our page which allows the fans to create a t-shirt for the band which will then be sold as band merchandise. Merchandise is very important for this genre of music as it makes fans feel a part of the band. In particular t-shirts allow fans to display their love for the band and they are proud of it as its like a statement about you as a person.

Final Draft of the Album Cover Thoughts

The album cover is looking pretty good in my opinion and its got a profesional feel to it. The stock image of the sea originally didn't look visual enough to be on the front cover. However, with some brightness and contrast, an ajustment of the vibrance and a change of colour it started to look really deep and interesting. That coupled with our text on top gave a nice powerful, striking effect for our front cover. Another thing I like about our digipak is that it contains images of all the band members playing live. This gives fans more content for their money and gives them something the video and myspace does not. The cover which features the portrait pictures of the band members is also a nice touch as it builds on the image of the band, which even though is not the focus, is still present for the fans. Moreover, the different colour backgrounds gives each member an identity, which is a technique we saw used in The Saturdays brand image. Overall I'm very pleased with the way our album cover turned out.

Further Reflections On The Editing

We are nearing the completion of our music video! I feel so relieved and also very proud of what we have achieved and although in hindsight I see a lot we could have improved on it is still a great music video in my opinion. One person in our class even stated that the video has even started to make them like the song.

In regards to the edit, we have only the introduction of the song to complete which is proving difficlt to make look unique. The shots in a general order look a bit boring and need something extra to the visual style to bring it to the standard of the rest of the music video. We have edited the framework of the introduction in order to prehaps get some inspiration on what to do. I feel that due to this part of the song being slow paced we need to emphasis that with slow fades and transitions which will in effect improve the fast paced sections of the song, making them look even more intense than they already do.

Editing Our Music Video

We have started to edit our music video togther and have come up with a clever way of achieving the fast cutting, to the beat editing we wanted. The idea involves getting all the takes of our performance and stacking them up in the timeline while also being in sync with the music. This way we can scroll through and be aware of all the footage we have at that particular part of the song. Moreover, using the razor tool we can cut up all of these clips on the beat of the song before deciding on the final shots. This allows us to simply delete the clips of the song we dont want, thus leaving the ones we do.

The edit has been going very well and we have been picking intervals in the song to edit together. We chose not to start from the beginning and finish on the end but rather work from the points in the song we feel most comfortable with. We happened to start with the day to night transition - a crucial moment in our video where the energy in the performance explodes!

The editing within the group is very even and we have all got our hands on the mouse aswell as given input in to our thoughts on how we want the video to look and play out. The great way about the way we edit (as mentioned above) is the fact that while one person may have his hand on the mouse, he's doing the same amount of work as the person sitting next to him. This is because they both have the same input in to what clips to keep and what to get rid of while the person at the computer simly deletes the unwanted clips. This has turned the edit in to a discussion which has really helped the development of our music video as all the group members are getting an equal say on how they want the video to look and also putting their stamp on the video itself.

Album Cover Conventions

What are the typical features that an album cover has?

- Band name and album title
- A distinctive often illustrative image
- Track listing on the back
- Record company
- Release year
- Copywrite infomation
- Lyrics booklet - infomation on the band members, lyrics, band webstie/contact details, thank you's and recording infomation.

How would you categorise the covers in front of you?

 Categorise by:

- Photos of artist
- Drawn/painted/computer generated conceputal image
- Photographic art
- Decade it was released
- Whether its a vinyl or CD
- Band or single artist
- Style of packaging - Digipak, CD case, Vinyl, extra sleeve.

Album Covers have many different functions. What do you think these are?

- Promote the artist
- Give infomation and details on the band
- Put across a message whther it be mundane or serious such as a political message
- Brands the artist giving them something the audience can relate to and identify with that person and nobody else.
- Interests the audience - they want to hear more music from the artist that they like, therefore an album has a purpose of pleasing and satisfying the audience.

Album Cover Analysis

LOSTPROPHETS - THE FAKE SOUND OF PROGRESS

Front Cover
- Artistic photo of them recording the album; immediately says that this is a band about the music not the image.
- Black and white which gives it an arty look.
- Electronic equipment; at first your not sure what your looking at.
- The album title is very small and doesn't stand out; located at the bottom of the image.
- A random action figure located at the top-right; this is almost a logo a lot of their dedicated fans will recognise.
- Even the title of the band name is small; you have to look for it as it doesnt jump out.

This is a very unconventional album cover as it is the bands first aswell. You would think that a bands first album would be about them and getting them recognised - building up a fanbase. Instead you have an album cover which isn't really giving any particular message. To me, what this does is put absolutely all the emphasis on the music and nothing on the image of the band. It is almost like this album cover was made only for the fans they already had has it doesnt really attract any new ones.

Captured the Footage

Today we captured all of our footage and put them in bins on Adobe Premiere. The footage is looking good and I really want to start editing the video together. The whole group are spending a lot of time in the editing rooms getting ideas together for the final edit. We have been editing key parts of the sequence together such as the day to night transition and have some good ideas down which will be important for the future.

First Glance At Footage

Just been in the edit suite and seen the footage. It's a bit dark and caused quite a panic! When we were filming the exposure on the camera was set to low with not enough zebra lines picking up on the light sources - this maybe due to us using a new HD camera which was a little bit unfamiliar to us. However, the quality is really amazing and with a lot brightness and contrast/colour correction we should be able to make the footage look a lot better.

Main Shoot

The main shoot went really well and just as we predicted it lasted 8 hours - we arrived at 3:00 and shot till 11:00. We shot so much footage which will be a real benefit to us when we go in to post-production. We plan for a really fast edit to the beat of the music and the multiple angles we have shot will be of a real use. A few problems we encountered, however, were that for the wider shots we were struggling to make the shots light enough - especially at night.

I can't wait to get in to the edit suite and have a look at the footage we've got and make some decisions on how we want to edit it.

Myspace Research

Dredg - www.myspace.com/dredg

The Dredg myspace opens at the top of the page with a picture of their album cover, blended in to become apart of the layout and look of the overall myspace. The branding they have given to their album has become the overall theme for their myspace as this promotes the branding they have created for their album. The release date of the album is clearly shown at the top of the page which is inportant for the reason of letting fans know exactly when they can purchase their album.

If you scroll down the page to the next part of the myspace you can see the traditional layout of having a picture of the band on the left and a playlist of songs on the right. This part of the myspace acts as a portal to a lot of the content, it gives links to more photos, videos, commenting the myspace, adding as a friends and so on. The playlist on the right is something that most if not all band myspaces have on their page and this is due to the fact that people need to listen to their music. If someone who hasn't heard their songs stumbles across their myspace the aim of the page needs to be to make them a fan before they leave. This is done through visually attractive artwork but also giving the person a chance to hear the music they create.

As we scroll down even further we come across the bands releases and tour dates. The band releases section features all albums the band has released aswell as band merchandise such as t-shirts. The tour dates are also important for letting fans know when they can see them live. Amongst other conventional things such as a comments section and a top friends list it is important to have something different on your myspace, maybe something to offer the fans. Dredg has thus allowed fans to get the chance to win a signed guitar in promotion of their new album. This is something our group should take note of as in  our genre of music giving something back to the fans is very important.

Mastodon - www.myspace.com/mastodon

The Mastodon website like the Dredg one immediately opens with the cover and album artwork of their latest release. The artwork is interesting and unusual and straight away I want to know more about it. Connected on to this image is all the traditional parts of a myspace; pictures, video, store, add to friends, and a link to the artists site. One thing that seems common with most band websites are adverts for special offers and chances to win a prize. With Mastodon this is no different as almost straight away we are offered free shipping on orders over $50 until the end of December - perfect for the upcoming Christmas. Mastodon just like the Dredg myspace have a playlist, picture of the band, merchandise and upcoming tour dates. These seem to be some of the essentials on a band myspace as most artists follow convention and have it in. A decision to be made in the group will be: do we want to challenge or conform to this convention? In my opinion I think it would be best to stick with this convention as it makes life easy for the viewers of the myspace as everything is so simply layed out.

Another thing common with both of the myspaces I have looked at so far is that they both have links to the videos of their released songs - something which are group will almost certainly have. The Mastodon also has videos of live performances which is a treat for fans to watch. The Mastodon myspace also has a biography which details when the band was formed and the journey they have had up until now. With our myspace, I think it is important to have this as we are a new band just broken on to the scene and need to let people know something about us so we can build a fanbase and have a real connection to the fans.

Between The Buried And Me - www.myspace.com/betweentheburiedandme

The Between The Buried And Me myspace immediatley follows the conventions of myspace and opens with the image of their new album. It tells us the name of the album and also shows in large the artwork with is the background for the myspace, so it is hard to miss it. Another thing unlike the other two, it opens with a teaser video which promotes their now album and gives fans a chance to hear some of the riffs from it.

When we scroll down just a little bit we come to an advert, just like the other two, offering deals on the new album and merchandise. Once you get down to the main bulk of the myspace you come across the typical things you would expect to find. That being the view pictures/videos, post a comment, add as a friend, online store and a link to itunes to obviously buy their music and support them. It is important to make it easy for the fans to find their music and support them with their money in an age where illegal downloading is a massive issue for the music industry. The band for their picture have a pan/slideshow of images that don't show them as a band but rather the equipment they use. This really brings home the message that its about the music and not the artist. I have been on their myspace a while now and unless I click on the bands pictures links I can't see what they look like. This is in great contrast to other pop band images such as The Saturdays and Beyonce which as soon as you visit their page you are surrounded with images of them as it is all about the image.

The myspace also follows the traditional conventions with a tour guide, playlist of songs, top friends and comments section. It is also common on bands myspace to come across their equipment sponsors.

Costume and Band Image

Myself and Nick had a meeting this lunch to discuss our thoughts on costume. We thought we'd post it on our individual blog to show the rest of the group at a later date.

Band Image:
The group is pretty unanimous on the fact that the band should be made up of young people (18-25). It's not pretentious just a bunch of young people with a passion for making music, this is what they want to do. We want to reflect this in our band image but also create a style wear the band are wearing similar things but it's clear they all have a form of individuality.

The Vocalist:
We want the vocalist to stand out from the crowd as he is the central member of the band. Instead of focusing on him through giving him more screen time than the other members we will film it in a way where he is usually in shot.
Costume (Simon): Straightened hair, bold red t-shirt, zip-up black jacket, black jeans, trainers.

Guitarists:
Costume (Nick): Hair messy at the back/straightened fringe, black skinny jeans, white V-neck, black and red checkered shirt, black and white canvas trainers.

Costume (Matt): Hair extreme spikey, black jeans straight fit, green checkered shirt, plain white shoes.

Bass:
Costume (David): Hair left neat and tidy, black jeans, tight fit t-shirt, grey t-shirt.

Drums:
Usually the second main focus of attention because of the constant movement and multiple things taking place.
Costume: Messy ,Black jeans, supra purple/black trainers, and black t-shirt

Andrew Goodwin Music Video Theory

1. The video above is Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town, this new music video is directed by Anthony Mandler. The song is catorgised as hip-hop as there is both rapping and singing featuring popular artists known for their work in this genre. The video compliments the confidence/arrogance needed for the style of music, as the video portrays each performer as a leader. This is done by them almost preaching to crowds and always being at the front so they are the ones we are looking at.
2. There are many examples of times when the lyrics are illustrated or amplified by the visuals, for example, the first line of the lyrics says, 'feel it comin' in the air'. This illustrates the crowds that that have been marching in the last shot, it represents a revolution. Another example is the lyric 'only thing thats on my mind, is who's gunna run this town tonight'. This is illustrated by a possible power struggle, the people with weapons and torches have taken over an area. After Rihanna sings this part of the song, the video cuts to the three leaders, the three people who are the stars of the song - Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. The next part where Jay-Z answers Rihanna's question is where he says, 'we are, yeh I said it, we are' (1:13) is amplified by his minions standing behind him.
3. The video cuts to the beat of the song and as with most hip-hop the beat is clear and repetitive and so the cutting is made a very interesting is some places. For example, at 1:24 and 1:27 the pace the cutting speeds up cutting between close-up's and long shots of Jay-Z and this is done because there is a drum roll fill giving the opportunity to do so. The video to the song does not illustrate the instrumental parts of the song, maily because most of the song is either rapping or singing. The beat of the song serves the purpose of enhancing the flow of the lyrics and so the video illutrates the lyrics not the instrumental. There are very clear changes of pace within the video as Rihanna's singing is slower than Jay-Z and Kayne Wests rapping. Therefore when she is singing her part of the video the cutting slows up and when the other two come in to it it speeds up to go with the flow of the music. An example of this is at 0:49-0:52 when the camera lingers for 3 seconds before cutting, this is rare in the rapping sections which tend to cutting in close then back out long - really mixing up the distance and framing of the shots.
4. The three stars in this track get as much video time as they do in the music. What I mean is that when Rihanna is singing she is always on camera and Jay-Z isn't. When Jay-Z and Kanye West are rapping Rihanna isn't in the shots. Due to Kayne Wests verse being late in the song we only really see him until 3:30. We see him in the background of the group shots but he is never the focus and our eyes are never drawn to him. The image of the band is slick and powerful. Everyone is dressed in black and looking very stylised - you wouldn't see anyone walking down the street dressed like that. Rihanna's outfits are not like the outfits in other videos of this genre where women tend not to wear much. The appeal is of her power and confidence and this is in edition to her being a really good looking woman.

Lighting Research

I'm going to look in to different lighting styles within this post, and learn about how lighting creates a feel and a mood in music video. The direction we want to go with the style of our music video can be decided tomorrow when we have a meeting. The first set are of Desaturated and Stylized lighting whereas the second set are Saturated and Colourful.

BLK/Class Treatment Pitch Feedback

After a very successful treatment and pitch to the class not much was said to improve upon. We had called our music video performance/concept based using Goodwins key music video theory and the class were a bit puzzled as to where the conept came in to it. We explained that the concept was about doing something, reaching for what you want in life. We explained that this is shown through performance as the energetic performance matches with the lyric 'Start Something'. We have also used feedback to make the decision to swap our vocalist actor. Nick who was originally on vocals in now on guitar and Simon is now lead vocals. It was also mentioned that we needed a clearer structure for the music video. Which is something we need to discuss in our next group meeting.

4 P's - Music Marketing

a) What band/artist related products can audiences buy?
Products which audiences can buy range from the music that they produce which comes in many different formats, such as cds, downloads and dvds. Other products include the bands merchandise which fans buy to be associated with the artist usually consisting of mainly clothes and posters. A lot of money also gets spent on gig tickets as fans want to see there favourite bands live.

b) Where can audiences buy/listen to music/merchandise/hardware?
The internet has recently taken over from high street shops as online sites such as Amazon and Play have become more favourable compared to HMV and other retailers. Downloading is now popular, this applies to both paid for content and illegally downloaded music. Bands myspace pages also offer fans a chance to hear their music. All of their videos can also be freely viewed on sites such as Youtube.

c) Give 2 or 3 examples of paid-for/subscription based and free products.

• Record companys sometimes give out free sampler cds in places like magazines to give their artists greater exposure. Both Epitaph and Roadrunner records have done this in recent months.
• Mailing lists are also very popular among artists as they keep the fans up to date on breaking news.

d) List between 5 and 10 examples of creative music marketing strategies (including at least 3 internet based examples).

• Saosin gave fans the chance to be credited on their album booklet if they texted in their name to a given number. Example of subambulant marketing.
• Radiohead let fans decide on how much they wanted to pay for their new album. They were the first to do this and it has recently spread to other media platforms with the new 'Championship Manager' video game poised to do the same.
• Slipknot posted a video on youtube and their myspace 'encouraging' fans to go to their shows on their 2008 US tour.
• If you preordered Enter Shikari's new single online you got the service charge on your gig ticket discounted for a show on their upcoming tour.

DYM MARKETING FEEDBACK

Matt - the extended deadline has been and gone, and your marketing research remains incomplete. Please post your work on the 4Ps of music marketing asap.

Lostprophets - Start Something

Lyrics

Start today, now show us how you feel
Make your way, it's time to choose
Have my say, I know, I know what I see
Have my say, they think you'll lose
For all this to mean so much to me
For all this, you make a move
Pass you by, it's all in this life you have
Pass you by, goodbye to you

[Chorus:]
1, 2, 3, 4 Move
If you don't stop there, you'll make it through.
Stop dreaming, start something
When it's in your hand just start anew

It's ok to use your ability
You must know, it's hard to choose
Time will tell, it's hard that the way you feel
means you always seem to lose
Seize the day, the one that you left behind
It seems so strange that you don't move
Frozen still in front of your own lights
Win or lose, its time to choose

[Chorus]
1, 2, 3, 4 Move
If you don't stop there, you'll make it through.
Stop dreaming, start something
When it's in your hand just start anew

A Closer Look

The location we visited on Tuesday injected a healthy dose of morale in to the group, and in this post I will look in to just what was so special about it, apart from the lovely management, flexibility, props, lighting extras and of course as Nick rightly pointed out in one of his posts the microwave.


To start off, here is a picture of most of the main warehouse space. If your looking at this and thinking - it's a mess, there's no space, this is exactly what we thought when we first walked in. Then we learnt that we can move whatever we want, so all the stuff against the far wall with the window is going to be moved out the way to make space. We thought if we shoot during the evening when it starts to get dark we could create some cool lighting effects - especially if we use a fair portion of our budget to get strobes. One idea which I think struck a nice chord with the group was putting up a white sheet to cover the window. A possible problem maybe finding the time to move all of the clutter at the back of the room.


This is a shot in the same place as the first one but is more deeper in to the room. The ladder to the far right of the picture shows a step ladder which we intend to use for high angle shots to add general variety to our camerawork. This is a technique we plan to test during our test shoot.


The next photo while showing more of the space also shows a number of carts which are basically dollies (see red arrow). They fold out and while being able to take amazing amounts of weight, are so so so so so smooth and will therefore give us a chance to do cool arcs and tracks.


The cool little contrapment in Ben's hands is a floor light the owner showed us. They are powered by double AA batteries and they have 8 of them which we can use. The picture was taken in full daytime light so you can see just how powerful they are. They should be a great edition to our lighting rig. Another picture in the dark:


It's pretty hard to top the light in terms of coolness but something which comes close is the lift which we were thinking of putting a band member in, possibly the guitarist.

Location Reccy

On a cold and rainy Tuesday after school, the group decided to take an uncomfortable W8 bus journey to a warehouse which was potentially a promising location for our music video. After a while of wondering the streets of Edmonton trying to find the place we decided to call our contact for help. Once inside the warehouse I was skeptical of the place as it was nothing like I had imagined and it was to put it bluntly a mess. After a while of chatting to the owner, who was really welcoming and kind, we found out that we could move anything we wanted and create whatever we envision within the space. This was great as it gave lots of options and importantly flexibility. As time went on she mentioned that we can use the drum kit they have, the sound system, the amps, and anything inside the warehouse itself! (theres a lot of cool art). In fact, the answer to all of my questions were, 'Yes, of course'. Things were going really well and the group was on a massive high and for once it wasn't the ganja.

The next thing we learnt was that there was another space above the one we were in which was exactly the same, and due to no one using the room it would be completely empty. Although she didn't have the key to it, and instead offered to make arrangements so we could see it another time. The next place she took us was in another section of her warehouse which featured a long corridor with an old fashioned and albeit creepy lift at the end. There were around 6 small rooms which would be perfect to shoot individual band member shots and with a bit of work we could use the idea of making it seem really claustrophobic - this could be a nice effect. At this point in the tour she left us so we could have a look around and discuss what we had seen so far. I took a few photos and Nick switched on his video camera and recorded the reactions of the group so far. Little did we know with our return to her main warehouse the location was about to get even better.

As we skipped through the rain merrily we entered the main warehouse where we met back up with the owner and she offered to let us have a more detailed look around the place. When we asked about the availability of the place the owner said that it would be free most evenings and practically deserted at the weekend; she even offered to leave us a key if we wanted to do overnight filming! In my next post I will put up pictures and show you all the treasures we found in this heavenly location. Lets just hope it lives up to all the expection we have.

Research Task: The Saturdays

The Saturdays are a pop girl group comprising Una Healy, Mollie King, Vanessa White, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford. The later two were in a previous band known widely as S Club 8. After that went to pot, they faded from the limelight and had to regroup and rebrand themselves to crawl their way back to the top of pop. The Saturdays made their recording debut in 2008 under the record label Fascination Records, a sub-division of Polydor Records. Their debut album, Chasing Lights, produced five UK Top 25 singles: If This Is Love, Up, Issues, Just Can't Get Enough and Work. The band embarked on their first headlining UK tour, 'The Work Tour', in June 2009.

The Saturdays appeal to an audience of a younger age and both genders for different reasons. The girls aspire to be like them as they are fashionable, hip, attractive and talented. The group are also young themselves with members of age 20 and are therefore great rolemodels. The boys while appreciating all of this are more interested in their appearance. The record companies have segmented the audience by taking advantage of each members individuality and giving them each a colour which they are known for. The bright colours also attract the attention of people interested in the band.

BLK feedback

A great blog Matt - all up to date, and some really good ideas and research emerging. Keep up the good work!

Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis says the camera in music video seems to mimic the way we view sonic space... do you agree? Do you think we are conditioned by music video to read sonic space in particular ways?

In music video the camera does mimic the way we view sonic space, as it cuts quick and fast within the space thats available, and by doing so it creates a lot of energy and excitement. By creating these feelings the music video is indeed conditioning us to view sonic space in a particluar way.

She suggests that the jumping camera focus is like the camera in place of our eyes, doing what we do when we listen. However, this is predefined for us by the Director - we have even less choice to look away/outside of the Director's choice than we do in film - do you agree?

Yes this is true, music video does a lot more to focus on certain aspects within the realm you are viewing. There is also a lot more happening, too much for us to manage it all discarding the use of imagination, and therefore the director predefines it for us. This total disgregard for the imagination of the viewer is embodied in the fact that the camera is indeed in the place of our eyes and we are being shown what to look at. In this sense we have much less choice than in film, but film is a different concept all together trying to achieve different things.

She says music video is more like listening than viewing - do you agree?

I disagree, the concept of a music video is for the visuals to work in harmony with the music and to either illustrate, amplify or contradict the song. Although, it is important to note that the visuals are helping us with the listening, as it shows you what to tune your ear into such as the vocals, guitar, bass, drums etc. If there was a shot of a guitar player playing a sick riff then you would automatically tune your ear into what he's playing while the rest of it becomes background. Therefore, the listening in my mind is equal to the viewing, niether is more important, the point is they work together.

"We compensate imaginatively for what we do not see in the frame" - Agreed?

I agree, there is an element of imagination used to compensate for what you cannot see because when you are being shown a shot of a guitar player you automatically know without even thinking that the drummer is still doing his part. Music video is a very unpredictable style of media and this is where the imagination comes in to it for me. As it tends to accomplish so much in such a short space of time there's only so much the camera can show you in the time available and everything it can't is left to the imagination.

The constant motion in a music video and the variances it shows mean that a strong CU is a stable point. The music video "brings us towards these peaks, holds us against them, and then releases us" - do you agree?

I agree, a stable CU provides a point at which the viewing experience can be more relaxed than the shakey, handheld long/mid shots, due to less movement within the frame. It makes the viewer feel more comfortable and allows them to view the artist's performance in close. This can be seen as a 'peak' as it is used to not only relax the audience but break up the shots and add variety to the camerawork, after it passes the camera can once again conform back to constant motion.

Is the viewer "sutured (stitched) into the diegesis of the film world through the editing"?

Within the world of film it is important for the editing to be seamless and unnoticable so that the viewers suspension of disbelief in upheld. However, in contrast, the suspension of disbelief in music video is created through techniques such as sound, lip-syncing and a convincing all round performance making the viewer believe that the band are actually performing the song there and then for them specially. What this allows for is a greater use of crazy editing and special effect techniques to enhance the performace as suspension of disbelief is much less of an issue, if even an issue at all.

Music video is freer in terms of viewer identification and perspective - agreed?

Yes I agree, music video is freer in terms of viewer identification and perspective as although the director chooses what to show us, at the end of the video the viewer has a culmination of many performance perspectives. This has allowed the viewer to become very familiar with the sonic space of the video and has seen things such as guitars, outfit and props etc. which give the viewer something to identify with. For example, when I watch a music video I'm always looking out for the guitar so I can spot what make and model it is (sad I know) as this is something I can identify with.

Carol Vernallis believes the image alone cannot tell the story - do you agree?

I agree, as obviously the music in music videos is vital in sending out the message of the song. This is a key difference between film and music video. The imagery in film is very different, slower and tells a story of it's own, whereas music video while still needing the visuals for illustration/amplification can tell the story through it's lyrics.

WORKSHOP END RESULT

Track Research

Protest The Hero - Bloodmeat


In my mind this is a music video which is very important to analyse as instead of having a separate narrative and performance based video it interweaves the two together. It does this very well and a lot of atomosphere is created through the darkness and the carefully placed lighting. The setting seems to be inside a plain warehouse which has been spruced up with homely props. For example, the lamp shades cleverly provide atomospheric lighting while also being a great edition to the general mise-en-scene of the scene.


The performance aspect to this video is also very interesting and a lot can be drawn from it which we could implement in to our own music video. The band are not standing in the standard formation of singer at the front, guitars/bass at either side and drummer at the back. Instead we have an interesting layout where all the guitars and bass players are standing at the side in a line with the drummer opposite them and the singer in the middle towards the back of the room. While this sounds uncoventional for this genre what this allows for is a better and more interesting use of the camera. With the space now created in the middle the camera can now get up close and personal with each and every member of the band. The space can also be used for members of the band (mostly the singer in the video) to come in to the middle and be the 'star' so to speak. The side on view we often get from the guitarists is also refreshing as when cutting to them playing complex riffs we see a lot more of the guitars which is interesting for the viewer.


The performance of the band members is also another important aspect of the video to note. The guitar players are not moving all over the place, rather, standing still. They head banging with the music in certain parts of the song (heavier, chord parts) and in other more complex parts they concentrate on what they are playing. They instead of just going mental and putting everything they can in to performing with over the top eccentricity feel the music and react accordingly with the song. The singer, however, is always moving and constantly performing what he sings and since he is on screen for the most amount of time this brings a real energy to the video.

Song Ideas

Architects 'Were All Alone'
The song 'Were All Alone' is by the Brighton metalcore/mathcore band, Architects. The track is a fast paced song full of great beats and riffs as well as punchy vocals by the frontman Sam Carter. It's an exellent choice for our music video as so much energy is created through the speed and harshness of the track. This is one of the most important aspects of a music video in this genre. It has to be lively and seriously energetic so the viewer is engaged throughout, wanting to headbang along to the track. When listening to this song it achieves all I have just mentioned without a music video and so here we have an opportunity to build further upon this with our project and create a video which is largely performance based.



The lyrics certainly lend themsleves for a chance to do a narrative within the video aswell:

"I am your hero
Still I sleep alone at night
In years you'll thank me
For getting everything right
I am the sun
Still I sit alone in a red sky
Keeping my eyes on you
Were all alone

In time you'll find that
Were all on our own (all on our own)
Were all on our own , chasing nothing
My dreams have fallen , I'm wearing thin
I need something to fill this void I'm constantly in
And I can't do this

I am your hero
I just don't care tonight
In years you'll forget me
I got everything right
I am the sun
I didn't rise today
I left you in darkness

And I just don't care anymore about you
You can sit and suffer alone without me

I am your hero
Save your "thank you"'s

In times to come ill rise above this
But for now I can't ill just sit here
My dreams have fallen once again
My dreams have fallen once again

I need something to fill this void I'm in."

The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways and could be about a range of themes which give the group a lot to go with when stringing a simple but effective narrative together. My opinion on the lyrics is that the song is about a one-sided relationship. The guy gets treated badly throughout and even though he did everything right, the girl still doesnt love him. He knows one day she'll realise the mistake she made but for the guy it's small consolation in the present.

Matt and Nick's Lip Sync

Me and Nick decided it would be an important experience to do a lip sync for a heavy music track as our music video is going to be based around a song of the same style; a lot of screaming. I didn't know how it was going to look and I had a slight hunch that it would look a bit off. However in the end, I think in many places it is a rather convincing performance (0.18, and 1.14 - 1.18). When filming both mine and Nicks performances we were limited with our framing as we couldn't move backwards due to the small space. We therefore did it all pretty much CU and MCU. When doing my performance I was concentrating on singing in to the camera so the lip sync was clear, whereas Nick was focusing more on movement and performance. As the video cuts back and forth this contrast makes the end result much more entertaining and effective.

BLK feedback

Some good research posts so far Matt, a useful start to your background work for this project. I particularly like your genre work. When you add videos, make sure you include some commentary/analysis - explaining why you chose them would be ideal, for example.

Some classwork from last term is missing though and you need to catch up quickly, as it will be so busy when we get back to school.

We also need to get you using/applying advanced theory more explicitly when you analyse music videos, think Vernallis for now, although you will also need to get to grips with Goodwin in the new term.

For now then, your short term targets are:
1. Link your lip sync (which I am guessing is now done?) and workshop video to your blog
2. Add your lip sync evaluation
3. Post the work you have done for Miss T on Vernallis. See the main Music Video Blog for the specific details of what is needed here
4. Post your track research/ideas – we need to see what tracks you have in mind for your own video
5. We need a photo and some info about you please! Also your blog isn't the easiest to read - would different colour text make any difference?

All instructions are on the main blog if you are not sure what you should have done. There will be a lot happening when term starts so the sooner this outstanding work is completed, the better.

Great effort so far, keep up the good work and see you soon!

Workshop Evaluation

1. What do you think you learnt from Friday's workshop? It could be specific things about making a music video OR general things about the production process.
The workshop on friday was a very important experience for me as I got to see the director Jake Wynne in action. His hands on directing approach was interesting to see and made me realise this is something I would enjoy doing. His instructions to each person on set were very clear and to the point which made the job of an actor easier to deal with. At all times he seemed in control and clear about what we were doing and we were going to do later down the schedule. Another area within the workshop in which I learnt a lot from was performing. The main advantage of this area was gaining the confidence and just general experience of being in front of a camera to pull off a convincing performance. It has also made me realise that performing in my own music video is something that I want to do. The fact that I was being directed by an amazing director such as Jake Wynne mean't that I gained experience of working with him and responding to the performance advice he gave me. The overall feel of organising a shoot was important as I allowed me to understand just how complex it is. Getting all the props, actors, costume and equipment at the same place for a whole day is no easy task. Another area which was important was learning the feel of being on set and also how things such as a track operates or the idea of putting tracing paper over lights. I would, however, liked to of seen how the cameraworks and had more involvement in the practical side of it.

2. For you, what was the best bit?
The best part of the shoot was the performance side as it allowed us to be really active and at times was very funny as Simon is a comical genius. The whole idea of pulling off a great performance is to relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera and as time went on and we had a few takes under our belt we really got in to it, and as a result had a lot of fun.

3. How do you think the work we have done will impact on your group project?
The work we have done for the workshop was an important experience and one I feel quite lucky to have had. It is a vital stepping stone on the way to creating our own music video. The experience of seeing a director at work will be a useful tool in the real shoot and give each member of the group a chance to have a go at 'being in charge' for a little while. Also, the experience of performance will also be important as I feel a lot more clued up as to what to do and whats required in pulling off a great performance.

The Wombats - Lets Dance To Joy Division

The Wombats are an indie band from Liverpool, UK. They comprise two native Liverpudlians; Matthew Murphy, provider of vocals, guitar and keyboards, drummer/vocalist Dan Haggis and bass player/vocalist Tord Øverland-Knudsen.

The three band members met in 2003 at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, soon becoming friends and starting to jam together. In 2006, the band released their debut album "Girls, Boys, and Marsupials".

Their last single "Let's Dance to Joy Division" was released in October 2007, to coincide with the release of their debut album, entitled The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation which reached #11 in the UK Albums Chart. The release was being followed by a European tour ending with a thanksgiving party at Liverpool Academy.

Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris. Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences, to develop a sound and style that pioneered the post-punk movement of the late 1970s.

Despite the success of the band Ian Curtis ill health plagued the band as a lack of sleep and long hours destabilised Curtis's epilepsy and seizures became almost uncontrollable he slipped in to depression and commited suicide at the eve of the bands American Tour 1980.

The song 'Lets Dance To Joy Division' is about having fun and being happy even though everythings is wrong and going wrong. The title is almost a metaphor since their dancing to a band who's lyrics are dark and solemn. Let's dance to Joy Division, And celebrate the irony, Everything is going wrong, But were so happy.

The Treatment

The video for the song would start with a break up between a girl and a boy both aged 20 and follow the girl walking out and down the street. There are shots of sadness and even tears. As she walks past the venue where The Wombats are playing she looks up and decides to go in and take a look as it's a free show. As she walks in she is stunned by all the colourful lights and immediately starts to cheer up. As the chorus is about to start some people from the crowd get her to join in and dance with them. What proceeds is cross-cutting between the band members and her having a great time and really feeling the message of the song. As she makes her way to the front of the crowd the lead singer picks her out and gets her up on stage and she starts dancing with the band members and having the time of her life. From the moment she walks in to the gig venue the camera is cross-cutting between her and the band. Everyone is wearing really extravagant, colourful clothing which are really brought out by the extensive lighting. The song finishes with her up on stage - completely forgotten about her break up as if it didn't matter, and the music has had this effect on her.

Some Favourite Music Videos

ARCHITECTS - EARLY GRAVE


HURT - RAPTURE


TOOL - VICARIOUS


PATRICK WOLF - HARD TIMES

Music Genre's

There are many genre's within music, all of which appeal to a range of people and allow them to form opinions on the styles of music they enjoy. The most popular music genre's are:

Pop - a genre which has become very popular, widely due to its accessability amongst young and old audiences. Pop artists include:

Mariah Carey
Kelly Clarkson
Fergie
Nelly Furtado
Madonna
Rihanna



Hip-Hop - a genre which is very successful and mainstream, being widely featured on music channels such as MTV, Kiss and The Box. Artists such as:

N-Dubz
Flo Rida
T-Pain
LL Cool J
Run-D.M.C



Rock - a genre which is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950s. Music usually utalising electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and a vocalist. Popular artists include:

AC/DC
Led Zeppelin
The Cure
R.E.M




Heavy Metal - the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Examples of Heavy Metal bands are:

Metallica
Children of Bodom
Machine Head
Slayer
Testament




Dance - a genre which was composed specifically to facilitate dancing, and includes elements of hip-hop and electro. Artists:

Prodigy
Eric Prydz
High Contrast
Lady Gaga