Please could you take the time to fill in this questionnaire which is being used as research for a new music video. Please circle you answers.
1. Are you a male or a female?
male female
2. How old are you?
under 15 15-17 18-20 21- 23 24- 25 26+
3. What are your favourite types of music (circle as many as applicable)
pop indie rap rock country garage metal classical folk reggae R n B dance Q other (please state __________________)
4a. Do you watch music channels?
Yes No
4b. If so which channels do you watch? (circle as many as applicable)
MTV Base MTV Hits MTV Dance Magic Kerrang Kiss The Box MTV 1 The Bass other (please state ____________________)
5a. Do you prefer music videos which have a live performance included or one without?
Live performance No live performance
5b. Please explain why? _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6. Would you prefer the band to star in the narrative of the video or would you prefer unknown actors to star within?
Band in narrative
Unknown actors
7. Do you think music videos should have an introduction which includes just the band/ artist before the music begins?
Yes No
8. Which type of music video do you think is more effective?
One which contains lots of special effects and is very flashy including lots of props and people
One which contains only the band and does not include many extras which is more typical of indie bands
9. Do you like lip- synching in a video?
Yes No
9b. Why? _______________________________________________________
10. Do music videos change the way you view the song?
Yes No
10b. Why? ________________________________________________________
Thank you for your time in completing this questionnaire.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Essay on What I've Done by Linkin Park
I have chosen to do this video because it is by Linkin Park who are an American rock band and my previous essays were on different genres. The video is quite controversial because it shows lots of human suffering and pain along with many political leaders and shows.
The band are presented in an isolated dessert scene enclosed in their own instruments showing that they are in the middle of nowhere also possibly suggesting that there is nowhere else for them to be anymore because the human race is in the process of destroying everything. They are dressed in black which is ironic because they are in the dessert so the logical thing would be to be wearing light colours in order to reflect the sun. This again suggests that the human race has altered the planet because the singers are not sweating and dehydrated. Several members of the band are wearing dark sunglasses to conceal themselves and there is a close up of one of the singers as he sings the line ‘there is no alibi’ which agrees with Goodwin’ s theory that there is connection between the lyrics and the actions within a video.
Lots of high angle shots are used to show that the band who symbolise the human race are in control of everything which is happening in the world. The camera pans around the singers which shows that no matter which angle you look at it from the truth cannot be hidden.
Within the video the narrative does not contain the singers but instead uses many recycled video clips from recent events such as malnutrition, September eleventh and also past events such as Hitler ruling over the people of Germany. These video clips are both in colour and black and white to give a sense of time and show that the destruction of the world has been happening for a long time but nothing has been done about it. The video clips are of high impact because it shows that the human race are our worst enemy because we are responsible for other peoples starving, the death due to conflicts and also environmental issues.
Upon first viewing of the music video it is easy to understand even if the lyrics are unclear because the images tell the story of the song. After first viewing it is easier to concentrate on the lyrics where upon connections are easily made between the content of the video and the lyrics.
There are re- occurring themes within the music viedo which are often things that people try to ignore such as malnutrition and eating disorders within LEDC's; poverty, war, terrorism, communism, nuclear weapons, global warming due to traffic and pollution via water and air. Every theme has a video with it which illustrates and amplifies the world issue instead of just speaking the problem which means it has greater impact on the viewers. Additionally contrasting themes are shown such as a group of American children waving flags and smiling contrasted with an African child waving a gun which shows there are differences all around the world and that people live differently and in awful situations which many people do not realise.
An economic context within the video shows that money is being spent on nuclear weapons and wars when it should be being spent on helping poorer countries and assisting the change in global warming. It is shown that the band have money because they have been transported into the dessert with all of their equipment in order to film a music video whereas the clips being shown are of people who have no money to choose where to go.
The band are presented in an isolated dessert scene enclosed in their own instruments showing that they are in the middle of nowhere also possibly suggesting that there is nowhere else for them to be anymore because the human race is in the process of destroying everything. They are dressed in black which is ironic because they are in the dessert so the logical thing would be to be wearing light colours in order to reflect the sun. This again suggests that the human race has altered the planet because the singers are not sweating and dehydrated. Several members of the band are wearing dark sunglasses to conceal themselves and there is a close up of one of the singers as he sings the line ‘there is no alibi’ which agrees with Goodwin’ s theory that there is connection between the lyrics and the actions within a video.
Lots of high angle shots are used to show that the band who symbolise the human race are in control of everything which is happening in the world. The camera pans around the singers which shows that no matter which angle you look at it from the truth cannot be hidden.
Within the video the narrative does not contain the singers but instead uses many recycled video clips from recent events such as malnutrition, September eleventh and also past events such as Hitler ruling over the people of Germany. These video clips are both in colour and black and white to give a sense of time and show that the destruction of the world has been happening for a long time but nothing has been done about it. The video clips are of high impact because it shows that the human race are our worst enemy because we are responsible for other peoples starving, the death due to conflicts and also environmental issues.
Upon first viewing of the music video it is easy to understand even if the lyrics are unclear because the images tell the story of the song. After first viewing it is easier to concentrate on the lyrics where upon connections are easily made between the content of the video and the lyrics.
There are re- occurring themes within the music viedo which are often things that people try to ignore such as malnutrition and eating disorders within LEDC's; poverty, war, terrorism, communism, nuclear weapons, global warming due to traffic and pollution via water and air. Every theme has a video with it which illustrates and amplifies the world issue instead of just speaking the problem which means it has greater impact on the viewers. Additionally contrasting themes are shown such as a group of American children waving flags and smiling contrasted with an African child waving a gun which shows there are differences all around the world and that people live differently and in awful situations which many people do not realise.
An economic context within the video shows that money is being spent on nuclear weapons and wars when it should be being spent on helping poorer countries and assisting the change in global warming. It is shown that the band have money because they have been transported into the dessert with all of their equipment in order to film a music video whereas the clips being shown are of people who have no money to choose where to go.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Goodwin's Theory
Andrew Goodwin has devised some key features which are present in music videos which are as follows:
• The video contains a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. This includes the visual illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• The video contains a relationship between the music and the visuals. This includes the visual illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• Genre- related style and iconography present.
• The video should contain lots of close- ups of the artist.
• Voyeurism within the video.
• Intertextual references to other media.
Goodwin’s theory states that music videos always contain a structured link between the music/ lyrics/ visuals in order to create a narrative which is understandable by the target audience. These theories can be seen in the majority of videos especially with links between lyrics and visuals and close ups of the artist.
• The video contains a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. This includes the visual illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• The video contains a relationship between the music and the visuals. This includes the visual illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• Genre- related style and iconography present.
• The video should contain lots of close- ups of the artist.
• Voyeurism within the video.
• Intertextual references to other media.
Goodwin’s theory states that music videos always contain a structured link between the music/ lyrics/ visuals in order to create a narrative which is understandable by the target audience. These theories can be seen in the majority of videos especially with links between lyrics and visuals and close ups of the artist.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Production Log
Date Event
Thursday 4th Sept Complete second music video essay
Monday 8th Sept Choose song and start storyboard
Thursday 11th Sept Create questionnaires and distribute amongst target audience
Wednesday 17th Sept Write up questionnaire results
Saturday 20th Sept Create a focus group and show them my ideas and storyboard
Friday 26th Sept All research completed
Wednesday 1st Oct Storyboard completed
Thursday 4th Sept Complete second music video essay
Monday 8th Sept Choose song and start storyboard
Thursday 11th Sept Create questionnaires and distribute amongst target audience
Wednesday 17th Sept Write up questionnaire results
Saturday 20th Sept Create a focus group and show them my ideas and storyboard
Friday 26th Sept All research completed
Wednesday 1st Oct Storyboard completed
Shooting Schedule
Saturday 4th October and Sunday 5th October- Shoot performance at Southend seafront starring Fran. Props needed: acoustic guitar.
Week of 6th October- Shoot narrative in the evenings starring Jess and Rowan at my house. Props needed: karaoke machine, bottles.
Week of 6th October- Shoot narrative in the evenings starring Jess and Rowan at my house. Props needed: karaoke machine, bottles.
Music Video Creative Proposal
Music Video Creative Proposal
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Change of plan...
After many attempts at doing my storyboard for Somewhere Else by Razorlight I came to a standstill and decided to change my ideas. I have chosen to do If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow which I have thought of many ideas for my video unlike the Razorlight song. There are several different versions of the song (different lengths) but I have not been able to get hold of a shorter version so will be editing my version (5:25) down on Garage Band to make a shorter song.
Below are my lyrics including the ones which I am going to highlight/ illustrate/ amplify in green:
I've been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen
Well, o.k. I made this up
I promised you I'd never give up
[Chorus]
If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad
You get down, real low down
You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train
Well who hasn't been there before?
I come round, around the hard way
Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mold off the bread
And serve you french toast again
Well, o.k. I still get stoned
I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home
Chorus
We've been far, far away from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos
And everywhere in between
Well, o.k. we get along
So what if right now everything's wrong?
Chorus
I have chosen these lyrics as I want to show someone who is her own worst enemy and a man who loves her but thinks she goes too far with things (particularly alcohol) and knows that she might not be the ideal girl ('I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home') but cannot help but love her as she makes him happy.
Below are my lyrics including the ones which I am going to highlight/ illustrate/ amplify in green:
I've been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen
Well, o.k. I made this up
I promised you I'd never give up
[Chorus]
If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad
You get down, real low down
You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train
Well who hasn't been there before?
I come round, around the hard way
Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mold off the bread
And serve you french toast again
Well, o.k. I still get stoned
I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home
Chorus
We've been far, far away from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos
And everywhere in between
Well, o.k. we get along
So what if right now everything's wrong?
Chorus
I have chosen these lyrics as I want to show someone who is her own worst enemy and a man who loves her but thinks she goes too far with things (particularly alcohol) and knows that she might not be the ideal girl ('I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home') but cannot help but love her as she makes him happy.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Lyrics for music video- somewhere else by razorlight
You're an emotional wreck
You don't know who you are
You never say what you mean
And you keep your mouth shut
And your night stays still
And then you come and call on me
You say I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
And I met a girl
She asked me my name
I told her what it was
She looked at me
I tried to explain
Exactly what I'd lost
But now I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
You give me everything I need
But I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
Just anywhere else
Just anywere else than here
And I won't forget
No, I won't forget
No, I won't forget
When I saw you there
It was the first time
And you just walked on by
I was catching the sparks
That flew from your heels
Trying to catch your eye
But that was somewhere else
Yeah somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else, somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
Cause I just can't help myself,
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
And no, I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could
I've got everything I need
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else, somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
You don't know who you are
You never say what you mean
And you keep your mouth shut
And your night stays still
And then you come and call on me
You say I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
And I met a girl
She asked me my name
I told her what it was
She looked at me
I tried to explain
Exactly what I'd lost
But now I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
You give me everything I need
But I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
Just anywhere else
Just anywere else than here
And I won't forget
No, I won't forget
No, I won't forget
When I saw you there
It was the first time
And you just walked on by
I was catching the sparks
That flew from your heels
Trying to catch your eye
But that was somewhere else
Yeah somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else, somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
Cause I just can't help myself,
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else than here
And no, I just can't help myself
I really, really wish I could
I've got everything I need
I really, really wish I could be
Somewhere else, somewhere else, somewhere else
I really, really wish I could be
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Essay on Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer
The song was recorded and released in 1997 by band ‘Sixpence None The Richer’ on their third album and also as a single. The song did well in both the UK and USA and was the highest charted song the band had ever made. Since then the song has been used in many television programmes and films. Interestingly the song was written by a man called Matt Slocum for his wife but is actually sung by the female of the band.
The opening sequence begins with a group of five people together sitting on a bench. Their backs are towards the camera and the sky is dark with stars which suggests this is a romantic song. Throughout the sequence there are several special effects such as the star moving around the females face as if putting her in a trance with shows the romance.
At the beginning there is a medium long shot which shows the mood lit sky and the backs of the people. The next shot was a surprise as I believed it to be a shot from the front to show the peoples faces but instead it was close ups of the backs of their heads therefore creating mystery and making the viewers wonder who they are and why they are there. There are lots of close ups of the band which agrees with Goodwin’s theory that there is a demand for lots of close ups. Especially there are close ups of the blonde haired female singer who is the only female in the band. There are close up on her lips which shows a connection between the lyrics and also on her eyes which again suggests that this is a romantic song. The shots of the band often use the rule of thirds which draws the viewers in to focus on their faces and features.
Goodwin also states that there may be intertextual references which are true of this song when scenes from popular television show Dawson’s Creek are shown on a screen. The lyrics match the visual therefore illustrating the lyrics. When the Dawson’s is shown it is also on a television set which shows voyeurism and dates the music video because it is an older television.
Often the shot begins out of focus and then becomes in focus. This is used in combination with the lyrics as the singer appears as if she wants to be kissed and is in a daze because of who she is sitting next to. Throughout the sequence the camera work shows different parts of the bodies likes legs and backs of heads in order to give the viewer a fuller picture of the group.
To conclude, this music video agrees with Goodwin’s theory as there is definitely a strong link between the song and the video especially certain clips of the video which illustrate the lyrics but additionally the video contradicts the lyrics because the female singer who is surrounded by men does not attract any of their attention therefore she is not getting kissed.
The opening sequence begins with a group of five people together sitting on a bench. Their backs are towards the camera and the sky is dark with stars which suggests this is a romantic song. Throughout the sequence there are several special effects such as the star moving around the females face as if putting her in a trance with shows the romance.
At the beginning there is a medium long shot which shows the mood lit sky and the backs of the people. The next shot was a surprise as I believed it to be a shot from the front to show the peoples faces but instead it was close ups of the backs of their heads therefore creating mystery and making the viewers wonder who they are and why they are there. There are lots of close ups of the band which agrees with Goodwin’s theory that there is a demand for lots of close ups. Especially there are close ups of the blonde haired female singer who is the only female in the band. There are close up on her lips which shows a connection between the lyrics and also on her eyes which again suggests that this is a romantic song. The shots of the band often use the rule of thirds which draws the viewers in to focus on their faces and features.
Goodwin also states that there may be intertextual references which are true of this song when scenes from popular television show Dawson’s Creek are shown on a screen. The lyrics match the visual therefore illustrating the lyrics. When the Dawson’s is shown it is also on a television set which shows voyeurism and dates the music video because it is an older television.
Often the shot begins out of focus and then becomes in focus. This is used in combination with the lyrics as the singer appears as if she wants to be kissed and is in a daze because of who she is sitting next to. Throughout the sequence the camera work shows different parts of the bodies likes legs and backs of heads in order to give the viewer a fuller picture of the group.
To conclude, this music video agrees with Goodwin’s theory as there is definitely a strong link between the song and the video especially certain clips of the video which illustrate the lyrics but additionally the video contradicts the lyrics because the female singer who is surrounded by men does not attract any of their attention therefore she is not getting kissed.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Essay
Essay on music video ‘Ooh La’ by The Kooks
The song was released in 2006 and was included in the bands’ debut album. In the UK chart the single reached number twenty. The band feature heavily throughout the video as they portray a star image of young, rough cut men who attract young females and young males who aspire to be like them. In several of the scenes including ones in Paris guitars are shown and played to highlight the bands musical ability.
There are several sequences of camera shots which begin as close ups then transform to medium close ups and end as a mid long shot which shows the importance of the singer and reveals that he is in a large grassy area in front of the Eiffel Tower. This shot agrees with Goodwin’s theory that there is a connection between the visuals and the lyrics as the lyrics at that point say “The world can be a very big place, so be yourself don't get out of place” as the singer looks out of place. This reoccurs throughout the video as the female is shown looking interested when the lyrics “Go to Hollywood and pay the price” are sung which suggests to the viewers that that is what she wants to do and there may be a negative outcome.
The narrative shows a petty woman choosing a life in Hollywood and being a star over her current life with the man whom she is supposed to love. There is a connection between the lyrics and the narrative (as suggested by Goodwin’s theory) when it says “go to Hollywood and pay the price… don’t be a star, it’s such a drag” which acts as a warning towards the woman. It has been debated that the woman featured in the song is singer Katie Melua as around the time of the song release the lead singer of the band had just been dumped by her so is therefore holding resentment towards her for becoming famous and leaving him. However, it is unclear as to if she lives or dies but it is suggested by the sudden serious turn in the performance that the woman either dies or moves on and is therefore dead to him. It is left unclear because this makes the audience more interested and are left wondering about the lyrical meaning.
The editing is in time with the music and shows the viewers that they are definitely in France by the show host at the beginning, the closing credits and additionally the Eiffel Tower and berets. The edits are mostly straight cuts with a few blurry screens turning into clear shots also. The filming at points is done via handheld camera in order to create a homemade image and suggest that the artists are not stars but in fact just young men making a video. There are very few props within the video which suggests they wanted it to appear more natural and mainly featuring themselves.
There is voyeurism in the video because the band contains four good looking young men who enjoy being part of a young act. The video additionally includes a pretty woman who appears to be dating Luke Pritchard who is the lead singer and guitarist. They seem to be having a carefree time by running around Paris, stealing ice cream signs and riding bicycles hence inviting the viewers to want to be similar to them.
The song was released in 2006 and was included in the bands’ debut album. In the UK chart the single reached number twenty. The band feature heavily throughout the video as they portray a star image of young, rough cut men who attract young females and young males who aspire to be like them. In several of the scenes including ones in Paris guitars are shown and played to highlight the bands musical ability.
There are several sequences of camera shots which begin as close ups then transform to medium close ups and end as a mid long shot which shows the importance of the singer and reveals that he is in a large grassy area in front of the Eiffel Tower. This shot agrees with Goodwin’s theory that there is a connection between the visuals and the lyrics as the lyrics at that point say “The world can be a very big place, so be yourself don't get out of place” as the singer looks out of place. This reoccurs throughout the video as the female is shown looking interested when the lyrics “Go to Hollywood and pay the price” are sung which suggests to the viewers that that is what she wants to do and there may be a negative outcome.
The narrative shows a petty woman choosing a life in Hollywood and being a star over her current life with the man whom she is supposed to love. There is a connection between the lyrics and the narrative (as suggested by Goodwin’s theory) when it says “go to Hollywood and pay the price… don’t be a star, it’s such a drag” which acts as a warning towards the woman. It has been debated that the woman featured in the song is singer Katie Melua as around the time of the song release the lead singer of the band had just been dumped by her so is therefore holding resentment towards her for becoming famous and leaving him. However, it is unclear as to if she lives or dies but it is suggested by the sudden serious turn in the performance that the woman either dies or moves on and is therefore dead to him. It is left unclear because this makes the audience more interested and are left wondering about the lyrical meaning.
The editing is in time with the music and shows the viewers that they are definitely in France by the show host at the beginning, the closing credits and additionally the Eiffel Tower and berets. The edits are mostly straight cuts with a few blurry screens turning into clear shots also. The filming at points is done via handheld camera in order to create a homemade image and suggest that the artists are not stars but in fact just young men making a video. There are very few props within the video which suggests they wanted it to appear more natural and mainly featuring themselves.
There is voyeurism in the video because the band contains four good looking young men who enjoy being part of a young act. The video additionally includes a pretty woman who appears to be dating Luke Pritchard who is the lead singer and guitarist. They seem to be having a carefree time by running around Paris, stealing ice cream signs and riding bicycles hence inviting the viewers to want to be similar to them.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
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