Pre-Production - Initial Ideas

Our original idea that we preliminarily finalised on was an idea that involved a stripping 'audition' set against a performance of "You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Joe Cocker. It would begin with a short sequence of acting without the song to establish the scene and then the music would begin and the performance would be used as a multi-strand narrative along with the comedic stripping audition story-line. In relation To Sven E. Carlsson's music video theory, this idea would have been a "conceptual clip" which means it integrates a visual story with a lip-synced performance of the song. We eventually had to pack this idea in because it required too many actors and where we may have been able to get willing victims, we did not want to be too dependent on too many other people because if they let us down, did not take it seriously or were simply not good at the part then it could have been detrimental to our finished product and grade.

Pre-Production

Our Research is finally complete and we will now move on to the pre-production phase of our project :)

Research - Evaluation of Research

I think my research has been thorough and in-depth. I have spent a lot of time individually researching conventions of media products especially focusing on media theories relating to audience and reception. Research has allowed me to become knowledgeable in the workings of the media industry in multiple forms of media and I can use this knowledge to help make the best possible media products for myself.

Researching media theories has been immeasurably useful and I will try to relate as many relevant ones into as much as my work as possible. Doing a questionnaire was also extremely useful because as a primary piece of market research we heard from our target audience directly as to what they believe is a good piece of media and what they want to see. We will use this information to influence the decision we make regarding the subject matter of our ancillary texts.

As for media text conventions I have learnt that less is key in magazine advertising because the vast popularity of readers will not intently read the advert they will merely see it in passing so a bold but uncluttered design is what I will aim to achieve. As for music video, there are four types according to Sven E. Carlsson's music video theory and as a keen filmmaker I am eager to attempt either one of the four, I have looked into a mixture of music videos that I know I will be able to produce a decent music video production.

Research - Questionnaire Results

Research - Questionnaire

We made a questionnaire that we handed to our fellow classmates and to our family members etc. This was to give us a good idea of what type of music video people would enjoy seeing so that our aimed to please our target audience would be successful

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Research - Age Ratings

Because of the somewhat sensitive or adult nature to our planned production we decided to look at the BBFC guidelines for classifying film and video. Here is what we found…

PG - Nudity

Natural nudity, with no sexual context.

12- Nudity

Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief

and discreet.

15 - Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without

strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a

non-sexual or educational context.

Although there is not sexual content in our video, the scenes that involve a stripper show considerable nudity and have a somewhat sexual inclination. I think we may get away with it being classified a PG if we keep the seductive scenes as innocent as possible. This would be better for us so that our video can be shown to a wider audience rather than being targeted at age 12 and over.

Research - Magazine Advert Analysis 2

This advert features Madonna again. It is an advert that would have been used in magazines and I would guess as a poster to promote her upcoming album. Immediately the viewer is intrigued by the exciting colours and boldness of the font type, colour and style. It is plain to see that Madonna is objectifying herself which ties in with Laura Mulvey's "male gaze" theory. It is conspicuously evident that Madonna is attempting to be seen as provocative and sexually enticing. It also complies with Emanuel Levy's study of women that he concludes beauty and youthfulness is more important in all forms of media to women. Madonna is surprisingly nearly 50 in this picture but she looks uncannily young and she easily contends with objectifying images of women a lot younger than herself.

Again the main focal point is the star as is evident in previously seen adverts and DVD covers. The usual suspect conventions are there such as title, release date and a cheeky teaser of what is to come "on and on the beat goes on". One thing that is common in music adverts is the theme that less is more. The adverts tend to be uncluttered which may be because the artists hope don't bank on its audience to be looking at the advert for very long, either in passing or during the flicking through pages of a magazine so the information has to be transposed as quickly and as memorably as possible.

Research - Magazine Advert Analysis 1

This is a magazine advert that would have been intended to fill a page of a music magazine. Magazine advertising is a huge business worth billions and marketers use magazines as a way of promoting artists work or upcoming tour. Evident on many music adverts is a prominent feature image of the star in question, in this instance it is Wretch 32. The advert is somewhat less informative than other types of media it simply informs the viewer of the artist, the work and the release date. It does however sell the album by letting the reader know of the talent that has helped produce the album. The image of Wretch 32 is a casual yet romantic one of him he could easily be seen as a role model because of his enviable style and suaveness.

If you don't know who the artist is, it is quite easy to see from a cultured youths point of view that he is a producer of urban music and this is given away by his choice of clothing, his race and the block of flats situated behind his shoulder denoting that he is from 'the streets'. He may not be from 'the streets' at all it could be a marketing ploy to engage viewers who are from working class backgrounds who would be interested in this artist. Blumner and Katz's 1974 uses and gratifications theory would suggest that viewers of this main gain personal identity with the image and if so will be more inclined to purchase the album. Although the image cleverly and subtly implores techniques that imply that the image is loyal, i would still say that the audience views this from a negotiated position in accordance to Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model because the viewer sees what the artist/producer/music management team want you to see.

Research - Digipak Analysis 2

This DVD sleeve is for a live recorded studio performance of a selection of Bob Marley & the Wailers tracks. This DVD cover however is more realistic than the Madonna DVD. The images are very natural and have not been tainted by heavy editing or does not attempt to portray the musicians in any way but their true form. The cover again features the standard conventions of DVD covers, the titles and track-listing and a small selection of technical information informing the viewer about the nature of the recording.

I think this still ties in with Richard Dyer's 'star image' theory in that Bob Marley is instantly recognisable around the world because of his Caribbean influenced image complete with dreadlocks. I think this artwork is received from a hegemonic reading according to Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model. I don't think the viewer is given much chance to question or oppose what is being presented to them it is hard to deny that the photographs are loyal to the musicians integrity.

The naturalness of the artwork reflects the reggae genre of music and what these musicians stood for - a free-loving, peaceful non-fakery society.

Research - Digipak Analysis 1

This is a DVD sleeve for a DVD album by madonna. It uses many conventions that are frequent on DVD covers to inform, advertise and promote the product. First of all the artwork is particularly striking. The colours used are bold, eccentric and they immediately stand out. There is a standard title along with the tracklisting on back, runtime, technical info and logos of manufacturers/distributors. This artwork was actually design by an amateur artist. Despite this however it is still very obvious to the viewer on first glance that it is Madonna. This ties in to Richard Dyer's "Star Image" theory in that even though stars have many different people and companies creating media and promotion for them, the big stars can always be recognised instantly from their distinct personality and persona that they have created.

Madonna could be said to be being somewhat objectified as she is in many suggestive poses and hr facials expressions are sensual and moody. This relates to Laura Mulvey's "female gaze" theory that says that females in the media are objectified for the purpose of enticing men and providing entertainment for men. This is evident on this DVD cover even though Madonna of all people is said to be a very independent woman and a role model for feminists.

Research - Music Video Analysis 2

JLS – One Shot
“One Shot” is a single by boy band JLS set to be released in 2010. It is a completely different type of video to “For An Angel”. To begin with the genre is different, it is simply a pop song, possibly contemporary R&B and the difference in genres reflects the different conventions seen in each. In “One Shot” the imagery is less realistic and is more professionally choreographed and manufactured than “For An Angel”. 


     As pop videos go it is a relative simple take on music promotion and that is why I chose to analyse it. The group can be seen in only one location dancing a well-choreographed dance sequence in time with the music. The location is a creatively lit room with ever-changing lights that reflect the mood of the music. The costumes are significant because they are extremely modern and fashionable, obviously very expensive and have been carefully considered because in the modern world, people’s choice of clothing affects how they are perceived. Already there are people discussing on YouTube and Google what they think of the chosen outfits and this reflects the importance that fashion and costume has to an audience and what they think of the video and therefore ultimately the music itself. 
     
     The group is performing the track and their singing is lip-synced to the lyrics, which is a classic convention of music videos. The emotion displayed by the group reflects the mood and the lyrics of the song as it progresses. The song lyrics are like a story in how they begin contemplatively and by the end the lyrics have progressed to positivity and the emotion expressed by the group reflects this in how they are moody to begin and by the end are smiling and notably happier. Although the video is shot in one location the editing is still very fast. There is a constant switch between different types of shots - long, medium and close ups of individuals’ faces and emotions at important part of the song and when it is there turn to sing. The editing transitions are fast, simple cuts that are always in time with the beat of the music and this makes sure the speed of the video is fluent and not dissonant or noticeable to the viewer.

Research - Music Video Analysis 1

Paul Van Dyk – For An Angel

“For An Angel” is a trance track originally produced in 1998 by trance genius Paul Van Dyk. Trance music, especially at it’s peak in the mid 90’s, was produced proudly by its artists as a means of escapism for its listeners. The videos reflect the purpose of the music also. They often bare no relation to the meaning of the song but instead attempt to accentuate the ‘trance’ experience by being abstract, graceful and smooth flowing. 

     “For An Angel” uses an effect that makes the video seem as if it has been filmed on a personal camcorder and sped up. Although the video is sped up, the shots features scenes in which a few minutes of footage may have passed in real time but hardly anything has changed. This helps to induce the trance feel to the song as it conveys to the reader that relaxation is key and time is not of the essence. It presents the idea that life does not have to be fast paced and this allows the viewer to sense the trance aura. The quick passing of times allows a graceful motion to be viewed like the moving of the clouds or travelling across the sea. This is also soothing to the viewer. 

     There is however a few key aspects that are typical of a trance music video. The location is important because it is set and filmed on a passionate Riviera in Mexico. The relaxed lifestyle of remote locations on earth is what trance music advocates and these type of locations are regularly seen in trance music videos, most notably Chicane’s “Offshore” (1997) and Push’s “The Legacy” (2000). Although there is not a definite narrative, the video does follow a male character as he is seen in various locations simply relaxing. The majority of the video however focuses on the nature, animals, wildlife and culture of the location. There are a lot of establishing shots that help emphasise the importance the location has to the music and the videos zeitgeist. 

     The editing is very significant to the video as well. There are a large range of shots but mainly long and establishing shots which allow the audience to view the vast landscape and beauty of the areas shown and does not attempt to focus the narrative on any particular person or event, the video is very open. The camera is used to great effect in how it is constantly zooming and panning in and out and in various directions. This allows the viewer to feel as if they are being taken on a journey by the camera and is another way the video accentuates the trance notion. It is also purposefully shaky which portrays the idea that the video is being shot with a standard camcorder. This makes the video personal to the viewer as it conveys the feeling that we are being shown a video that was created on a personal level by an individual. The audience can relate more easily to this, especially if they are watching the video alone, and the connection created is another catalyst in conceiving the trance experience. 

     In terms of audience reception, I think this video is a negotiated reading (Stuart Hall) because when I watched this video I accepted the portrayal of a character escaping the business of urban life to relax in a foreign land but I also made my own interpretation as to why he was relaxing and I empthasise with the character and the video because I often dream of being in a warm far away place. The imagery the landscape connotes to me inspires my personal identity with the video.

Research - Magazine Cover Analysis 2

The second magazine I have analysed is “NME” or “New Music Express” which is one of the leading magazines in the UK. As can be seen there are differences and similarities between “Rolling Stone” magazine. The difference in style is that “NME” goes for a more cluttered stylistic approach to its design. There are lots of things going on, colours, images, headlines, titles and writing. Where “Rolling Stone” aims to draw in readers by teasing viewers with a brief insight as to what’s inside on the front cover, “NME” tries to draw in readers by standing out against other magazines and being loud and dramatic with its imagery. 

     The colour scheme is common throughout the issues that allow a consumer to pick the magazine out of a rack of many easily by its connection with red. The headlines are much more hyperbolised and over-the-top. They attempt to make out that a “battle” is happening between two bands or artists such as My Chemical Romance vs. Panic! At the Disco and Blur vs. Oasis. Doing this entices the customer to read the magazine to find out the latest report on the “battle of the bands” when in reality the bands may not even know they are meant to have been battling. The Blur vs. Oasis contest is headlined as the “British heavyweight championship” which is used as a metaphor and likens the musical competition to a boxing match which is much more aggressive and full of emotion than two bands ‘fighting’ for the number 1 spot. 

     Whereas “Rolling Stone” used photoshopped images of professional photo shoots that portrayed the cover artist in a superlative light, the images on “NME” seem to have been taken by press photographers during love performances or cropped out of previous photo-shoots. This makes the magazine appear to be more “real” because on the surface it would seem it is not trying to glorify musicians but provide real news stories in the hope that readers will trust in this apparent loyalty and buy into the magazine. It also appears to be “hot off the press” as if they haven’t had time meet with celebs and interview them with a photo-shoot. It is more likened to a tabloid newspaper that creates stories from rumours or imagination without ever talking to the celebrity in question. 

     The similarities in the two magazines are that they both use a similar format in that they use a cover image, headlines, titles, and feature the issue number, date, price and a barcode.

Research - Magazine Cover Analysis 1

The first magazine I have chosen to analyse is “Rolling Stone”. The magazine is one of the worlds most prestigious and well known. After a quick scan of the most recent covers of the magazine it is immediately obvious that nearly all of them feature alluring images of the months biggest feature star. A relatively equal combination of men and women stars feature, which allows its target audience to widen because of its appeal to both sexes. 

     The provocative nature of the images is a clever marketing ploy because the editors know that sex sells. As a customer who would walk past this magazine in a shop, the appealing images would grab my attention and I would be enticed to look inside or buy the magazine. It is also evident that the cover image dictates the front page as it spreads over the entire length; there is no other image distracting from the main article, only writing. The images also overlap the title which allows a fuller picture to be shown but also advertises to the world that “Rolling Stone” considers itself influential enough to not advertise the title, they are confident people will relate to the magazine with just a snippet of the title. 

     The colour schemes are very simple but effective. The colours are mainly black, white, reds, blues and the occasional variation. The simplicity allows for a less cluttered and tidier viewing on first glance, the image can be seen clearly and is the main focus, and the headlines are also made clear without distracting from the cover image. The simplistic scheme also allows a consistency to be maintained throughout different issues so that the magazine forms its own style and look that people associate with the magazine. The headlines use clichéd phrases such as “heart throb” and “bad girls” but in doing so gives just enough information for the reader to have a curiosity to look inside and read. Compared to other magazines the headlines are very minimal, there are not many at all. The majority of the writing is simply listing celebrities so that if the consumer sees the name of a celebrity they enjoy following or are interested in they will pick up or buy the magazine to see the latest news on that particular person. The front cover hosts the magazines website, issue number and date, the price and a barcode.

Research - Audience theories relating to our project

Along with researching music videos, album covers, adverts and DVD covers, I looked into various different Media Theories, in order to help understand people’s expectations of music videos. Therefore, this will enable us to create a more realistic video that conforms to audience expectations.

Blumler and Katz – Uses and Gratifications (1974)

Audience-based theory, by researchers in the 1970’s that questions audience’s purposes for consuming different types of Media. The theory is broken down into four different reasons:

* Diversion – for the audience to escape everyday life and routines.
* Personal Relationships – for emotional and interactive purposes (for example, relating to characters in soaps/television programmes)
* Personal Identity – audience exploring their own personal problems (through characters in television programmes)
* Surveillance – for information about what is going on in the World around the audience (for example news and weather)

Stuart Hall – Encoding/Decoding (1973)

Another audience-based theory, by cultural theorist Stuart Hall, that questions audience’s acceptance of consuming different types of Media. The theory contains three possible outcomes:

* Dominant (or “Hegemonic”) reading – the reader/viewer accepts and agrees with the ideas that the text is conveying.
* Negotiated reading – the reader partly understands and accepts the ideas the text conveys, however they adjust certain things to fulfil their own personal interests and experiences.
* Oppositional (or “Counter-Hegemonic”) reading – the reader understands the ideas that are being conveyed, but rejects them due to their own personal morals and beliefs.

Laura Mulvey – “Male Gaze” Theory (1975)

Theory from British Film Theorist, Laura Mulvey. The theory states that women in film are often objectified from a male point of view, and seen only as objects for their beauty.

Emanuel Levy (1990)

Theory from American film critic, Emanuel Levy, who conducted research into Hollywood film stars, between 1932 and 1984. From his research, he theorized that female stars considered beauty and youthfulness more than male stars.

Sven E. Carlsson

Carlsson’s theory of Music Videos analysis suggests that a music video communicates to audience through both audio and visual elements, in which messages and values are shown through the music, the lyrics and/or the video itself. He also theorised that there are two different types of Music Video:

* Performance Clip – A video where the main artist is shown dancing and singing throughout
* Conceptual Clip – A video containing more of a narrative, or an artistic style.
* Narrative Clip - If a music video clip is most appropriately understood as a short silent movie to a musical background, it is a narrative clip. A narrative clip contains a visual story that is easy to follow. A pure narrative clip contains no lip-synchronized singing.
* Art Clip - If a music video clip contains no perceptable visual narrative and contains no lip-synchronized singing then it is a pure art clip. The main difference between a music video art clip and a contemporary artistic video is the music. While the music video uses popular music the artistic video uses more modern, experimental music, such as electro-acoustic music.

This can be developed into more detail, by analysing each type more closely. In certain Music Videos, the artist is often seen as materialized, into a Commercial Exhibitionist, which is the main selling point of the music, as opposed to the song itself. Another type of singer is the Televised Bard, who acts as a singing storyteller, who relies upon voice as opposed to more personal traits of the Commercial Exhibitionist, who relies upon body, costume etc. The final type is the Electronic Shaman, whom is often not seen in videos, and relies on their voice alone.

Keith Negus – Popular Music in Theory (1996)

Keith Negus’ theory challenges ideas people have about the relationship between popular music and youth cultures. He states that this music is particularly popular in younger audiences, with the artists making the music of a considerably older generation. This can be applied to bands such as Paul McCartney, Donny Osmond and ‘The Rolling Stones’. Negus also states that popular music is “inherently rebellious”.

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin identified several different key components that make up music videos, such as:

* A link between lyrics and visual aspects – with visuals “illustrating, amplifying or contradicting” the lyrics
* A link between music and visual aspects – with visuals also “illustrating, amplifying or contradicting” the music
* Genre-related styles and iconographies evident
* Several close-ups of the main vocalist
* Voyeurism often evident with female characters
* Intertextual references to other media texts occasionally present

Many of these are evident in music videos, depending on narrative and genre of the music, and what the aim of the record company is – whether they wish to sell music or promote an artist/band.

Steven Archer

Steven Archer’s theory for music videos is that “There needs to be a strong and coherent relationship between narrative and performance in music promos. It needs to market both the song and the band”

David Gauntlett – “Making is Connecting”

David Gauntlett, a British sociologist and media theorist, came up with the idea that audiences are liable to produce media, as well as consume it. He argues there is a change in audiences from a “sit-back-and-be-told” mentality to a “make-and-do” mentality.

Research - Music Video Conventions

Form – There are three types of music video.

Either a performance video (Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas”) or narrative video
(Coldplay’s “The Scientist”) or possibly a combination of the two (Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes
Around… Comes Around”).

Marginly more abstract videos that have a direct link to the music but not as obviously. Possibly
through beat, performer, theme/mood. Good Example is Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World”.

Completely abstract short movie that bears no resemblance to the song it is accompanying. Good example is Daft Punk’s “Da Funk”.

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Performance – Close-ups used to show authenticity with singer and musicians lip syning and playing correctly. Extreme Close Up’s of drum sets, guitar necks, microphones and mouth etc. Sweeping crane shots of crowd.

Solo Artist performance – same as above often featuring dance sequences. Much more intent on artist and their actions. Often a parallel narrative that the solo artist becomes a part of.

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Camera – fast paced editing to mimic pace of music. Extreme close up on lips or face of artist is common. Fast dolly shots and pans/tilts, keeps pace quick so the viewer doesn’t mind watching it over and over again as it is not like a film that is meant to be watched once, the more the audience wish to watch the song the more they will hear it – promotion.

Costume – artists now almost always have a complete makeover before filming music videos. They look immaculate and make viewers like them. The clothes and props are carefully selected to reflect the mood of the song but also to look as good as possible at the same time. A lot of videos for electronic music tend to be very provocative because they reflect the promiscuous element of the music and scene surrounding it. Artists regularly look too good to be human in the videos and audience can sometimes be shocked by the difference professional makeup and production and post-production techniques has on a person.

Mise-en-scene – extremely important to a music video. Artists who have extended careers have constant image changes throughout their career. With each new video a new tone, mood and look for the artist is produced so it is important that for mise-en-scene remains consistent for each video so the juxtaposition between other videos is more apparent, allowing the audience to be impressed with an artists versatility. 

Research - History of the Music Video

1894 - Illustrated songs were created - a collection of still images played on a slideshow in time with music.

1927 – “Talkies” began with Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer” meaning film was now being produced synced with sound.

1959 – “The Big Bopper” coined the term “music video” as the rise of television was apparent meaning artists could now be seen on TV performing songs.

1964 – The Beatles starred in first feature film “A Hard Day’s Night”.

1964 – Top of the Pops launched showing performances from the current weeks bestselling artists.

1981 – MTV (Music TeleVision) is launched creating a channel dedicated to playing music videos. This meant that artists from thereon attempted to push the boundaries of the music video because it was now a distinct way of promoting a single and boosting sales/chart performance.

1983 – Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” lasted for 14 minutes and cost $500,000 to film, proving that music videos were now an essential part of music marketing.

1992 – MTV began listing directors along with the artists and song credits. This showed that the music video had become a respected medium and directors could make a career out of music video directing alone.

1990’s and 2000’s – Directors attempt to push the boundaries of music videos as it become a means of producing short films, some not reflecting the song it is promoting at all. Directors such as Michel Gondry and Hype Williams have their career kick-started because of their performances in directing music videos. Even renowned film directors are commissioned to direct music videos. Some notable examples include Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Rupert Wainwright.

2005 – The social networking site YouTube is launched allowing a whole new means of reaching an audience and exhibiting videos because it is faster and easier.

Research - What is a Music Video?

music video is a short film video that accompanies a piece of music. Modern music videos are made and used as a marketing device intended to promote sales. Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action, and art film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action.

Research

To enable us to understand the best way to go about our brief we need to compile research from an array of primary and secondary sources.

Decision

Between the three of us we have decided to the album release option.

We have chose this because we all have a keen interest in music, are familiar with music videos recent and old and understand the codes and conventions used when making one. We are excited at the prospect of choosing our favourite songs to make a media package for.

Also, Rob and myself study A2 Film Studies and at the same time we are creating a short movie for that subject so the variety will be in our favour.

Assignment

During our first media lesson we were given the briefs to our coursework projects. There were several projects that we were given the choice of doing but the majority we immediately dismissed because they did not appeal or seem interesting to us. There were however, two that we did find appealing -

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, no longer than five minutes duration, together with:

- A cover for its release on DVD

- A magazine advertisement for the DVD

A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animation or a combination of both, together with:

- A poster for the film

- A film magazine review page featuring the film

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. This is where I will showcase all of my A2 Media Studies Coursework in chronological order for presentation to be examined.

My name is Mitchell Hickman, I attend New College Telford and my tutor for Media Studies is Harvi. I will be working in a group consisting of myself, Robert Glass and Ben Scott.