My Face Final


History of Music Videos Timeline



The history of music from 1920 to the present day.

Who's Laughing Now Prelim Task Evaluation

Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
I worked with Emma Rolfe and James Clifford, we managed the task well between us because we all had different, equal roles. I was in charge of editing the final piece, storyboard and the lyrics. Emma created the props list and collected the costumes. James directed the video.

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use?
We planned our sequence by using a storyboard. We made one of these to see what shots we would need to do and how we would go about setting up and shooting the shot. We also wrote down how long each shot was so we knew how long we would have to take to get the shot.

What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
We filmed our video with Sony handheld cameras. We also used a tripod to help keep the camera still for a steady shot. We also used a lighting umbrella to get a clear picture. We then moved all of the footage onto the computer where we then edited the clips together. We used a software called Adobe Premiere. We avoided wasting time by filming the shots we needed in any order. This mainly depended on the availability of cameras and space.

What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
There was many things that we had to take into account when planning, shooting and editing. The main thing that we had to take into account was the availability of space and equipment. As we were filming in a school we needed to get filming done during lessons to avoid the rush of students leaving lessons. We also had to consider the costumes. Because we did not have long to pre pair for this we could not get clothes that looked identical to Jessie J so we had to make do with some others but i think they worked really well and looked really good. When shooting we needed to make sure that the actress know all of the lyrics to the shot. When editing we had to take into account that the lip syncing was identical otherwise the music would not lay over the top of the shot cleanly making the video looking unprofessional.

How successful was your music video copy? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently? What did others say about your production?
I believe that our music video was successful as we ensured that we tried to have the same shot as the official video. We have learnt that when lip syncing you need to sing otherwise it looks fake. We also need to be more enthusiastic in front of a camera so that the video looks better and more professional. Also, due to the people in our group we could have chosen a song that includes boys as we had two boys and one girl.

What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing your music video, do you think?
From completing the prelim task I have learnt that I need to manage my time better and take other peoples commitments into consideration. This is because of school trips made it difficult to get everyone in the same place. When I make my music video I will ensure that timings are mapped out and everyone knows what is happening and when it is happening. Also costumes will need to be looked into as costume changes could be an option.

How does it compare with filming an opening to a film?
I thought that a film opening was a lot easier to film than a music video. As we was trying to copy a video that has already been done. I found this harder as we had little flexibility and had to make the shots identical to the original. With the film opening it is your idea. Nothing is like it and you can make it how you want. With the music video, costumes need to look similar as well as shots. When creating our music video, we need to create one that is original and unlike any other. This will be a hard task.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a group member?
My strenghts in the group was very much the technical side. I filmed all of the shots and tried to make them as accurate as possible. I then moved the files onto the computer and then edited the video to match the song. Some clips had to be sped up or slowed down to fit in with the music as some shots were out of time and sync.

Looking at the other group's videos which do you think were most successful and why?
I really liked the High School Musical video as it was a different idea and lots of people got invlved. This made the filming look really good as everyone was energetic and willing to take part. The miming was very good and intresting to watch. I also really liked the Busted music video as it was a good copy.

Who's Laughing Now Preliminary Task



Here is our final version of Who's Laughing Now by Jessie J.

Storyboard for Who's Laughing Now


Props List for Who's Laughing Now

-Pencil
-Book
-Paper
-School Bag
-Random clothes
-Posters on wall
-Lockers

Locations:
School Building
School Corridor
School Classroom

Lyrics for Who's Laughing Now

Mummy they called me names
They wouldn't let me play
I'd run home, sit and cry almost everyday
"Hey Jessica, you look like an alien
With green skin you don't fit in this playpen"
Oh they pulled my hair
They took away my chair
I'd keep it in and pretend that I didn't care
"Hey Jessica, you're so funny
You've got teeth just like Bugs Bunny"

Oh, so you think you know me now
Have you forgotten how
You would make me feel
When you dragged my spirit down?
But thank you for the pain
It made me raise my game
And I'm still rising, I'm still rising

Yeah Yeah

So make your jokes
Go for broke
Blow your smoke
You're not alone
But who's laughing now
But who's laughing now
So raise the bar
Hit me hard
Play your cards
Be a star
But who's laughing now
But who's laughing now

Official Video for Who's Laughing Now


Essay - Representation in Can't Remember To Forget You



The music video is called Can't Remember To Forget You sung by Shakira and Rihanna. There is a very strong male gaze in this video as it is mainly the two girls walking around in very little or no clothes looking sexy. The song was released on the 13th of January 2014.

The first shot shows a cliff face with very blue water. This represents the picture of hot weather and a perfect holiday to most people. The shot then cuts to Shakira looking seductively towards the camera and stroking her hand down the wall. She is also wearing a very revealing top which strongly attracts a male audience. This is done to sell the video to the male population. There was a lot of controversy over the music video to this song as it was very seductive and sexualities Shakira and Rihanna. Videos are moving towards this type as it boosts sales as people enjoy watching it. Videos like Blurred Lines also show off women in a sexual way.
The video only shows clips of Shakira and Rihanna. This is known as star power. Star power is when the artist is shown throughout the video. Although the two artists appear throughout, they are in different outfits at different times. All of these outfits are very sexy and are all very revealing. Sometimes the artists are not wearing any clothes. This represents women as sexual objects and gives a false statement that many women do not agree with.

Most of the shots used in the video are close ups of faces. This is to show the expressions of the face of the two singers. They are mostly looking seductively down the camera lens. There are close ups of Shakira's legs when she is on the bed. This carrys across a sexual message to the viewer.

Editing is used to link the shots together. It normally does this by straight cuts. Also some parts of the video are put into slow motion to focus on facial expressions and to let the audience take in what is happening in the music video.

To conclude i think that videos like these portray a negative image of women. It is a strong selling point to the male population but it then makes them believe that at all women are like the ones screen in the music videos.

How I Consume Music

Music is consumed in many different ways. Also types of music have changed over time. More loud and heavy bass music has become popular in clubs and at festivals. Music is a way that people express their selves. Lyrics from music relate to different people and they make a bond with the artist and the song.

I don't have a music routine but I like to listen to music. I normally listen to music on long car journeys and also when I am in my room either on my laptop or just playing computer games. I normally consume music in my bedroom as I can block out the rest of the world. I also listen to the radio in the car.

I use my iPhone for most of my music as it means I can listen to music where ever I want. I can link it to my speakers in my room or I can play the music through my headphones.

Representation in Music Videos

Male Gaze - This is when there are lots of women in the music video looking sexual to attract the male audience to watch the music video.



Female Gaze - The female gaze is when the music videos show males with tops off and six packs to attract women to watch and buy the music video.



Homosexuality - Music videos that show same sex marriage or acts to get across a message to the viewers.



Strong Dominant Female - Pink is a strong dominant female as she does not obey by the rules and always rebels against others.



Voyeurism - This is when objects become sexulised and erotic and it is normally when they do not know that they are being watched.



Exhibition - This is when the artist knows that they are sexulising themselves. Miley Cyrus caused a lot of controversy as she was once a children's role model.



Banana Phone Music Video



Here is our banana phone music video. We recreated the music video to get used to some new effects in Adobe Premiere that we had not used before. One of these effects let use clone someone to be in many different places at the same time. To see this it is from 1:05 in the clip. The clip did not come out very well and this was down to not using a tripod. It made the clip shaky and not match up very well. In some places the clip does not line up and looks very unprofessional. To stop this happening in the future we would use a tripod to hold the camera still to prevent this.

We also learnt how to take multiple pictures and then put them together to make a short film. This is called stop motion. We learnt how to nest the pictures into one clip and then speed up the individual clips to make it look like the characters were moving by themselves. This is from 0:54 in the clip above. I think this went really well and it would look good in a music video to show events at a faster pace.

Dry the River - No Rest


 
We listened to Dry the River by No Rest in class as a group. We did not see the music video just listened to the song and we were told to come up with a few ideas on how we would direct a music video for this song. We also looked at a potential storyline and how the actors would be feeling.

The first idea that we came up with was a man walking down a road slowly dissolving into dust as he has lost the love of his life. This shows that is life no longer has any meaning and that he is worthless without her. He feels like a nobody and wants the fall down and disappear.

Another idea that the class came up with was a man singing walking drown a street. Except he was walking slowly but at normal pace whereas everything around him such as other people and cars were moving faster than usual. This shows that the rest of the world is carrying on as usual whereas he is stuck in his own thoughts. It also shows that no one else knows of his problems so no one stops to help him.

My idea was to have a man slowly walking down a dusty road singing. He would be alone to personify his feelings. Some shots will be slowed down to show clearly the expression on the mans face so that the audience can relate to the singer and can feel his pain.

Textual Analysis of Music Videos

I have chosen three music videos to analyse. These are We Are One, Radioactive and Lover Not A Fighter.



We Are One is the official world cup song for 2014. Pitbull, Jenifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte got together to make the feel good song for the world cup to create a buzz and enhance the excitement.

The shots used in the music video are of past world cups, the artists and mass amounts of fans
 to make people excited for the world cup. There are shots of most of the teams in the competition and memorable goals that have been scored. For example Steven Gerrard's goal for England and also the goal that won Spain the world cup. I think that the relationship between the music and the video work well as the song wants you to get up and dance along with all of the people on the screen. Large drums are seen throughout which helps to illustrate the loudness and energy that the writers wanted to portray.

The company are looking to sell this track along with the world cup. This is the poster song and many people have already purchased the song. The music video is strongly performance based as it mainly consists of short clips and the singers singing into the camera.



Radioactive is a electronic rock song sung by Imagine Dragons. It was the first song in their Night Visions album in 2013. This tracked reached number 1 in the UK charts.

The video starts with a girl walking down a leafy path carrying a covered cage. The shot then switches to the main singer in a sewer. This is star image. The video shows him bang on a drum in time to the beat. It also shows men betting on a fight between puppets. The Champ has won well over 100 fights and we see him win more. When the music slows down before the final drop, the shots are slowed down to look at the girls bear and you can see the expressions on the faces of the people and the bears to show that they are going to win.

The video is narrative based and tells a story of a teddy bear with radioactive powers helps to overthrow the Champ and the leader of the competition. At the end he is attacked by all of the beaten bears.



Lover Not A Fighter is a song by Tinie Tempah and Labrinth. It was released on the 2nd of February and is part of the Demonstration album. It is a British hip hop genre.

The video is performanced based and shows Labrinth and Tinie Tempah singing into the camera. There are three main settings. A warehouse, a hillside and in a dusty stadium. In the dusty stadium Labrinth and Tinie Tempah are bull running with cars. Star image is used throughout the music video. Because the music is fast paced, so is all of the surroundings. The fast cars represent the pace of the song as they drive around skidding and causing havoc.

The record company are trying to sell this track with the fast cars and the pretty girls driving them. This attracts a male audience as men enjoy watching cars and pretty women. The music video sexualities he women by dressing them in short shorts and uses close ups of the women's eyes looking at the camera in a seductive way.