Plan for filming on Wednesday the 30th of September.

Close up of make-up details for both me and Lauren.

Visual Storyboarding.

Here we have started to make a visual storyboard for our music video using the photos that we took on Friday at the Temple Meads underpass and the Bristol docks. We still have many more photos too add along with the shot types and duration of the scenes but this is the progress that we have made so far.

 

Comparison to a British band.

The Kooks vs JPNS GRLS.

• As you can see from both bands album covers the main theme of the image is the human body and specifically organs. Both bands have taken the same approach by adding the titles of their songs in or around the organ which draws the audience in and already makes them think why the body would relate to the lyrics of their songs.
• A difference between the bands is the fact that JPNS GRLS is signed by a small Indie label which is called 'Light Organ' this is based in Canada. On the other hand The Kooks are signed by Virgin Records which is a major label. The Kooks signed with a major label only three months after coming together.
• Another difference between the two is that The Kooks music is much more mainstream than the JPNS GRLS. They are still into the independent music scene whereas the launch of The Kooks first album made their music a mainstream source and they entrened into the top 10 charts for the UK.
• Both The Kooks and JPNS GRLS share an influence of music which is Post-Punk revival. For both these band this genre of music highly influenced how they themselves wanted too sound. This is one of the main reasons why they sound quite similar to one another due to their chosen style being of the same kind.
• The two bands target audiences also differ. Due to the fact that JPNS GRLS are based in North America then that is the country that is most likey to listen too their music whereas The Kooks are still quite prominent in the UK more than anywhere else as that is where they came from. Both bands haven't become international artists.
• The influences of both bands come from the Rock genre such as the 'Arctic Monkeys' and 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers' who both share similarites in the way that they sound and the music they produce. The influences mean that the two bands will most likely sound like one another.
• Both The Kooks and JPNS GRLS are highly focused on gigs and this is the main place where they showcase their music. Both bands started off with gigs as teenagers and that's where they got noticed by labels. They still make sure to do as many gigs as possible so their new stuff gets noticed by their target audiences.
• The age that both bands appeal too would be teenagers between the ages of 16 and above as the lyrics that both artists produce are relatable to this age group as they mainly focus on the hardships of life as a young person.

Audience feedback questionnaire.

These are the questions we are handing out to our target audience. We designed these questions based on the genre of the band we have chosen as well as the ideas of ourselves and the audience which we are aiming the music video at.

1. What is your age?

 

2. What is your favourite genre of music?

 

3.What aspects do expect to see in the genre Garage Pop?

 

4. What effects do you expect to see in this video to fit with the genre? Why?

  

5. Do you think this idea will be more effective if we filmed at day or night?

  

6. Would you expect this type of performance to contain lip syncing?

 

7.  What story line do you think would fit best with this type of genre?

 

8. How often do you watch music videos?

Contacting the band.

This was the response we recived from 'JPNS GIRLS' after we enquired about arranging a Skype call with them as part of our audience feedback.

Plan for Friday the 18th.

On Friday we chose to take pictures and film as well as finish off tasks which needed to be completed beforehand. This is the schedule of what we chose to do:

• We made our audience feedback questionnaire to give to people before we start filming properly for the music video. We used this to get ideas from our target audience as well as check with them that what we were planning to do for our video would be appealing to that specific crowd. In this questionnaire we included questions such as 'Do you think our idea for the video fits with the song choice/genre?' and 'Would the video be as effective if we filmed it in the daytime?' as well as many more. We gave the questionnaire too film and media students as well as people who do not take the subject but are of a similar age.
• We contacted 'JPNS GIRLS' to ask wether we would be able to arrange a Skype call with them in the upcoming weeks to have a discussion with them about the ideas for our music video and get their input whether they think the song works with it.
• We started to create make-up designs which consisted of a smokey eye look, red/pink lipstick, winged eyeliner and bronzed face.
• We then filmed the first scene of our music video which shows me lying on a bed waiting to go out. This then moves on to Lauren waiting outside the house for me to come down, we then cut to us both being outside running down the street.
• We caught the bus to Temple Meads station as there is an underpass there that we wanted to use for our initial pictures and filming and also the album cover for the video. Here we took many photos with graffiti in the background, of both me and Lauren. We also got footage of us running down the underpass side by side where the lighting was really effective due to the sun starting to go down and the street lights being on.
• Our next destination was the docks where we took more pictures of me and Lauren sat on the edge of a wall looking over at the water. The lighting worked really well with the overall atmosphere that we were going for and the clouds were coloured to fit with the mood that both me and Lauren were trying to portray.
• After finishing taking pictures in these areas and also doing a short amount of filming we decided that we definately want to use the places for our final music video.

Analysis of the music video 'Sunset' by Kid Ink.

I picked this video because I really liked some of the shots used in it. The sunset is one of the main aspects of our media video and I felt that this one really captured it. Some of the shots are quite complex due to the overlapping but the shadow imagery looks really good.

Genre characteristics.

The genre characteristics consist of the fact that the rapper is shown frequently throughout the whole video. Mainly in this genre of music the main singer is the capture of the video and they usually act along with it. The urban setting is also a common characteristic, especially the 'American look' with palm trees and views over the city. The incentive of a nice car being used is also commonly seen with rap videos as it is a sign of success and money. The vary of lighting is a main characteristic and the 'shadowing' effect is also a key aspect of rap videos because of how it makes the single rapper stand out from the backdrop.


Imagery.

The song is called 'Sunset' and the artist is frequently rapping about 'waiting till the sun goes down' whilst there are shots of him watching the sunset. The setting of a beach is shown to add to the relax mood of the lyrics and is also seen as the perfect spot for watching the sunset. The image of the rapper shown driving in an expensive car through the sunset links too the lyric 'just picture me Hollywood living' and at the same time an image of a huge house is shown when he mentions 'living in a palace'. A common image of Hollywood is seeing a wealthy man surrounded by females and this is shown in the music video but at the same time Kid Ink is pictured by himself in solitary.

Message.

There are many close-ups of the artist throughout the video to highlight that he is actually rapping about himself and what he wants from life. The main message behind the video is success and making a name for himself. He doesn't want anyone to stop him from reaching his goals. He wants to live a calm life without anyone trying to mess that up for him. One of Kid Ink's signature accessories are his gold chains which he wears in most of his videos that is also a sign of richness. The artist also has many meaningful tattoos that show his journey through life which can be seen in this video.

Intertextual reference.

The main intertextual reference is the image of the 'American Dream' living a life of luxury. This lifestyle was promised to many people from the 1920's onwards in America and when people sought to follow it the reality was that it actually was not real and they had to work to get what they wanted to achieve. Another intertextual reference is making it in Hollywood which is what many stars have tried to do, unfortunately for most of the celebrities who did actually make it their life ended in disaster instead which the artist references too in 'take a shot, bite the bullet.'

The narrative.

The music video is mostly narrative-based as the lyrics follow the line of action throughout the whole thing. The artist is rapping about Hollywood, sunset, money, freedom and that is all shown through the settings and the type of people that are shown like what they are wearing e.t.c. When the artist talks about 'riding through the sunset' he is actually shown doing that, when he talks about nothing else matters he is shown on the beach which is a setting of calmness. He says 'we are inches from the gold mine' as he is shown clutching his gold chain. The narrative reflects the video and they are almost completely in-sync. 

Outfit choices for main actor (myself) in our music video.

Analysis of Honey Cocaine's album cover for Like A Drug.

Imagery.
The fact that a woman’s hand has been used as the focus image of the front cover fits with the songs that are produced under the album as they are about women being seen as a sexual object. The artist is also female so it could relate to her own experiences and how she has overcome them.

The female hand also has a shining gold cuff with gold gems on it. This style of clothing isn’t stereotypical to how the royals dress but the overall look of the garment and colour of it suggests wealth. This could be linked to the fact that this is the artist’s debut album so it holds the belief of her making money for herself.

Title.

The title of the album ‘Like a drug’ is repeated twice. This acts as a propaganda tool as the second title is harder to read the audience will look more closely at the first and then realise what the second says allowing them to focus on the name and therefore remember it.

Symbolism.

The female hand is holding an old fashioned cigarette which is associated with wealthy ladies. The vintage prop corresponds with the font of the title as it is much more modern and also the genre is commonly a more 21^st century style. However using this type of cigarette could be associated with the roots of the album songs as during the times it was present and used by women they were being subjected to men for sex due to the patriarchal society of the early 1900’s.

Colour.

The black background really makes everything stand out so the name of the artist and the album cover pops out at the audience as soon as they come across the album. This is a good advertisement method for the artist as ‘Honey Cocaine’ isn’t too popular yet.

The colours are bright and add a ‘magical’ vibe to the cover. The colours that have been used have royal connotations such as the dark blue and purple with the hints of gold also. All colours are known to be expensive dyes.

Font.

The second title has a graffiti feel too it which links to our ideas for the music video we are creating. We are using graffiti for the main image of our album cover and incorporating the two main females which are acting in the video.

Analysis of Eminem 2 album cover.

Imagery.

This album cover shows the artist’s background as it was actually the house that he grew up in.

This picture displays a positive message of the artist’s journey, from starting off living in poverty to becoming one of the most famous rappers in society.

 Purpose.

The songs of the album are about the artist’s life up too this point so the lyrics also relate to the image.

The whole purpose of this album cover is so that the audience can gain an understanding of the artist.

The audience gets an insight into how far Eminem has come as well as the artist being able to share with the audience what’s he’s gone through just from the imagery of the front cover without even listening to any of the songs yet.

Colour.

The grey and white colour scheme that has been chosen again emphasises the dark atmosphere and takes away any hope of happiness from the image. This would relate to the artist’s childhood as he experienced the same feeling of isolation. The house is situated in the forest with nothing around it which could mean that the artist’s childhood is now overgrown and covered over with his new found success.

Appearance.

The title of the album is written in tiny writing so that the audience are more drawn to the image than anything else. Even though the album cover does have Eminem’s logo on it, it does not grad the attention of the audience as much as the image on the front does.

The atmosphere of this cover is really dark and gives the audience a feel into the artist’s childhood.

The whole style of Eminem’s rapping is quite angry and negative which is reflected onto the album cover.

Analysis of Kanye West's album cover for college dropout.

Kanye West- College dropout.

Theme.

The overall theme was to "make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This is what you have to do.'

The parental advisory stamp gives the audience a slight give a way to the fact that it is rap music as it is featured mainly on this genres album covers.

Imagery.

The image of the teddy bear is linked to children and childhood but when they grow up the teddy gets left behind, the fact that the teddy bear is still there show’s that the artist may have struggled leaving behind his childhood life/memories.

The fact that the teddy bear is shown with brown fur relates to the context of the album which is telling the audience about Kanye’s experience of growing up and his school life where he suffered from racist abuse.

Background and meaning.

It is a mystery to the audience who is inside the teddy bear costume; it could be Kanye himself not wanting to reveal his failure or true thoughts about his early life.

The benches in the background show that the picture is taken in a school which relates to the stage of growing up. The teddy bear looks sad about where he is which could mean that he is unsure about the decision he has to make about growing up.

Multiple record companies ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time…neither does a teddy-bear.

Appearance.

The decoration has ‘old school’ connotations as it is a display of traditional Roman art and sculpture. This type of decoration is commonly seen but not necessarily in this context as it does not link in with the feature of the teddy bear.

Due to the clothes that the teddy bear is wearing shows that he seems to be too old to be in school but there’s where is pictured, so he has returned to review his old self which links in with the album name ‘college dropout.’

No logo or title. Wants people to listen to the music without them buying it just because it was made by the popular artist Kanye West.

Analysis of the music video 'Galantis-Runaway.'

Even though the genre for this music video is different to ours they both still share some key features. Galantis have made the video to look in a similar style to what we want to create.

Genre characteristics


 There is a lot of flashing bright lights used which is commonly seen in electro-house music videos. The high key lighting which has been created on a low light backdrop really stands out especially when the lights become out of focus which is also something that this genre tends to show. The setting of the club is the main image that ties this electro-house videos together. Due to the nature of the music, a club scene is very fitting as that is where the music is most likely to be heard. Usually electro-house videos show people who are 'outcasted' or have a special talent but are often ignored. The works well for this genre as the music follows the person's journey and when they start to succeed usually the beat drops or the pace becomes faster.


Meaning of the lyrics.

The lyrics focus on love and running away from a busy lifestyle to be with the one person whom you just want to spend all your time with. The lyrics talk about being hurt by love or not being with the person you truly want too be with. The fact that a city is portrayed as the main background for the video fits in with the lyrics about running away as no one would necessarily know that the person has left if they live in such a big place with thousands of people. The lyrics discuss searching for love and finding the one which is shown in the images on screen as the two main 'characters' are isolated and mostly shown on their own until they find one another. The frustration that both the 'characters' have whilst looking or walking around the city fits in well with the song title 'Runaway.'


Pace.


The music becomes extremely fast paced when the one single woman goes out into the city as she is coming closer and closer to meeting the one who she will want to be with and therefore end her isolation. Due to the beat of electro-house music the rhythm is never really monotone but the beat is much slower when the female is pictured on her own looking out at the city but not actually being able to reach it. As soon as both characters enter the club scene the music becomes increasingly fast and the beat is very tempo and jumpy for a long period of time, emphasising their excitement as they both dance together.


Artists involvement.


There are no close-ups of the artists but they are both shown performing at the club whilst close-ups of the characters are taken. The face of the characters masks are also shown on the back of the artists jackets as this is the main thing that is shown of them. The title of the song 'Runaway' is also showcased in the music video on a screen in the club whilst the artists are performing the track there. However the audience does not know that the artists are really shown unless they know what they look like.


Intertextual references.

The main intertextual reference has to be fairy tales, finding that one true love who is similar to you in every way possible. The video almost showcases a princess finding her prince charming. Due to the fact that really the only people in the video that are wearing these mask heads are the two lovers shows that they were made too be together. Much like Cinderella who was an outcast from society but longed to make something of herself, become someone and fall in love, the female of this music video has the same wishes, she does not want to be ignored by men in the busy social world who could potentially be her one true love. The city location that has been used is shown in many TV programmes, films and videos so that is a mainstream form of advertising the story behind the music video.


Performance or non-performance based.

'Runaway' is mainly a performance based video due to the supernatural look of the two main characters. Their bodies look the same as any other human but their heads are different, they look like animals from head to shoulders. This could mean that they are not thinking what everyone else in that type of environment are, they have a different mind set which is based around finding that one person which seems impossible to do so when you are surrounded by other people who do not want the same thing. The isolation which both characters shown whilst in their rooms overlooking the city is based around their performance of longing for someone that you cannot quite grasp. It is also slightly concept based as the animal look about the male and female could mean that their ideas about love and running away from the city and their individual lives there is quite animalistic as not many people feel that way or would do such a thing. This concept is backed up by the image of the male character looking at a bunch or manikins in a shop window, which shows that he is unlike them as he is on the outside looking in. The concept really is that you should not keep yourself locked away, show yourself and then maybe you will be praised by finding someone who is worth running away for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XR7naZ_zZA

Information about our chosen artist.

 The chosen artist we are using for our music video are JPNSGRLS, a four-piece Canadian garage pop/alternative rock band formed in Vancouver, 2010. The band consists of Charlie Kerr, vocalist/lyricist, Oliver Mann, lead guitar, Christopher McClelland, bass guitar, and Graham Serl on drums.
JPNSGRLS made their debut with The Sharkweek EP in June 2013, distributed by Light Organ Records. This was soon followed by Circulation in 2014, this being their full length debut, having now been fully signed by Light Organ Records. Circulation was recorded in seven days without a click track. The album was released in North America on July 15, 2014. Singles released from the album in North America were Mushrooms, Smalls, Tiger, Circulation and Southern Comforting, with official full videos released for Mushrooms, Smalls and Circulation.
In terms of their sound, the band has a wide range of musical influences like Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, Tame Impala, Led Zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand, Rage Against the Machine, Phoenix, White Stripes, , Foo Fighters, Pixies, Radiohead, and Gorillaz, giving them a unique sound.

Music video analysis presentation.

http://prezi.com/c4ybcdp-e__h/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

 

In this presentation I have discussed elements of the Postmodern genre in the music video 'Bye Bye Bye' by N-Sync. 

 

Intial planning- storyboard and mind mapping.

Introduction.

This is my A2 coursework blog showcasing the progress of making our music video to the song 'Southern comforting.' We first decided to contact a band called 'JPNSGIRLS' as we knew that we wanted to use one of their songs for our music video idea. Initially we picked to do another song by the band but then chose 'Southern comforting' as the vibe of the song fits really well with the atmosphere that we wanted to go for. The genre of 'JPNSGIRLS' is garage rock which we created imagery for that would go really well with the type of music.
Our idea for the music video consists of a relationship story which shows a teenage couple running round the city centre doing different sorts of illegal things. Some of these were drinking on the street, doing graffiti, trolley racing and stealing.
We wanted to create the concept that people are free to do as they please and let the night run away with them. We wanted our music video to create a sense of detachment and relaxation from two people who are able to choose how they decide to live.
'Southern comforting' has many aspects which fit well with the look we are trying to go for. It has an eery feel too it whilst a quick beat plays in the background. The song has moments which are very upbeat and the tone is lively which compliments the freedom aspect of our video.The fast pace also fits in well with how the night is going to run with the couple we are portraying as it'll be very action packed.