Thursday, 12 May 2011
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Performance Shots
Not only did we use similar technical aspects to our video but we also followed the conventions of a narrative to this music genre. We felt this was a safer option as we knew what was expected and we knew we could challenge other things during the music video. We followed the conventional use of footage balance between narrative and performance. This balance is commonly close to 50/50. We felt that this would be the best option because it would split up the narrative well but also put across the emotion and feelings commonly seen in performance shots.
Our mise-enscene throughout the video followed the conventions of similar music videos. We used a combination of indoors and outdoors during the filming which is typical to this genre. We also used similar props during filming, for example during the performance shots we used a guitar to illustrate the performance shots. Are costumes were also consistent to following conventions as we used similar clothes and accessories commonly associated with indie/alternative rock.
shots we used a guitar to illustrate the performance shots. Are costumes were also consistent to following conventions as we used similar clothes and accessories commonly associated with indie/alternative rock.
Develops: we developed the conventions of music videos of this genre in that we used a unusual combination of camera shots during the performance sections. What was different about these shots was that they were angled so you weren’t looking directly at the performer but your eye was drawn across the screen into the background where there was narrative within the performance shots. This may seem complicated but worked well. We also told quite a complicated story within our product which is unconventional to music videos. As you can see from the screen shots above of the performance shots they are angled so you have a wide depth of field, allowing the audience to see more of the surroundings and into the background.
We developed the idea of having instruments in the performance shots. We achieved this by using a guitar like mentioned earlier but had a character in the background playing it as opposed to the singer/performer using the guitar.
Challenge : We challenged it by blurring the barrier between the narrative and the performance shots as in the performance shots there was still the technical aspect of having a narrative within itself.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
For our ancillary texts we designed and made a CD cover/ digi pack and an advertisement poster. Throughout every page in the digi pack and poster they all followed a set of simple but unique characteristics so the target audience can relate to it and remind them about it. This is a very effect form of advertisement as it jogs the target audience’s memory. An example of these characteristics follow…
As you can see this is a very distinctive CD front cover. This is due to the high contrast between the black and white and the deep red. This is one characteristic that I’ve continued throughout the whole ancillary texts. Another characteristic is the silhouette/ stencil look of the main subject. This design is conventional to this genre of music and is a good representation of what you may expect from other texts.
This is the lyrics page to the digi pack, it’s clear to see that I have continued the characteristics I mentioned earlier into this section of the ancillary text. I also used a layer which almost dates the text by having random faint lines washed over the image
My final example of the characteristics is the advertisement poster. As you can see I have kept it very similar to the other ancillary texts just in the form of a poster. Of course there are differences and variations to the other texts. For example there is a more ‘open’ image which I felt was more eye catching for the audience. I’ve also included quotes from magazines about the single. This is also a very conventional technique used of posters.
The main media text (music video) links well to our ancillary texts because the main character in the music video is the face of all the ancillary texts. This gives the target audience an immediate link between the advertisement poster/CD cover and the music video. We also used similar clothing in the main text to which is used in the ancillary texts, helping create a link between the two products and also strengthening the presence of genre.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Through looking at our rough cut and showing it to our target audience we established that our narrative shots were too long and to frequent. This was a simple problem to fix as we just included more performance shots in order to compensate for the long scenes. Another constructive criticism we were faced with was the plot being a bit too complicated to follow during a music video. This was a bit more difficult to rectify as it meant cutting clips out which would jeopardise clarity within the narrative. We decided that the best way to rectify this issue was to re-film parts of the video to simplify the story line. I think if we were to do this project again we would keep the narrative simple and uncomplicated.
Another point which was brought up was the voice synchronising. Due to the performer not knowing the lyrics very well and not very familiar with the song it caused the syncing to be out when the final production was finished. This could have been rectified by re-filming the poor sections of the performance shots however this was too time consuming and would have put us behind on our production schedule.
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Construction : During the construction of our project we used high definition cameras to optimise digital footage and ensure out video was to a high standard. For the editing process we used two programmes. One of which is very advanced, Adobe Premiere Pro is a high end video editing programme which is perfect for short films or music videos. With a range of advanced features we were able to compile our video footage and begin editing minutes after filming. We used this programme to its full potential by including effects and adjusting the lighting settings within the programme. We also used a second editing software called I-Movie which is a more basic editing programme but we found it much easier and quicker to synchronise the audio track with our video footage. This synchronising process was possible in Adobe Premiere Pro but was to lengthily and time consuming to do it. So to optimise time management and available resources we decided to continue synchronising in I-Movie.
Research & Planning : With the internet at our fingertips at almost any given moment, it seemed the best and most efficient way of researching and planning our project. We used the internet (web 2.0) to look into a range of genres and artiest before we finalised on indie/ alternative rock and more specifically ‘The Kooks’. With the help of websites such as ‘YouTube’ and bands official web sites we gained a good knowledge and understanding about what it takes to make a music video. We documented all our research and planning on online blogs provided by www.blogger.com which is a Google based company. We were able to use blogger to its full technical ability by imbedding documents such as PowerPoint which we had made and uploaded via a site called www.scribed.com. We were also able to embed YouTube videos and create links to other blogs/ blog posts.
Uses: We made a music video using some of the shots that we had seen in the videos of the kooks. For example we used mid shots which are commonly used within “The Kooks” videos and other videos from the indie/ alternative rock genre.
Narative Shots
 |
| Mid Shot |
 |
| Long Shot |
Performance Shots
Not only did we use similar technical aspects to our video but we also followed the conventions of a narrative to this music genre. We felt this was a safer option as we knew what was expected and we knew we could challenge other things during the music video. We followed the conventional use of footage balance between narrative and performance. This balance is commonly close to 50/50. We felt that this would be the best option because it would split up the narrative well but also put across the emotion and feelings commonly seen in performance shots.
Our mise-enscene throughout the video followed the conventions of similar music videos. We used a combination of indoors and outdoors during the filming which is typical to this genre. We also used similar props during filming, for example during the performance shots we used a guitar to illustrate the performance shots. Are costumes were also consistent to following conventions as we used similar clothes and accessories commonly associated with indie/alternative rock.
shots we used a guitar to illustrate the performance shots. Are costumes were also consistent to following conventions as we used similar clothes and accessories commonly associated with indie/alternative rock.
Develops: we developed the conventions of music videos of this genre in that we used a unusual combination of camera shots during the performance sections. What was different about these shots was that they were angled so you weren’t looking directly at the performer but your eye was drawn across the screen into the background where there was narrative within the performance shots. This may seem complicated but worked well. We also told quite a complicated story within our product which is unconventional to music videos. As you can see from the screen shots above of the performance shots they are angled so you have a wide depth of field, allowing the audience to see more of the surroundings and into the background.
We developed the idea of having instruments in the performance shots. We achieved this by using a guitar like mentioned earlier but had a character in the background playing it as opposed to the singer/performer using the guitar.
Challenge : We challenged it by blurring the barrier between the narrative and the performance shots as in the performance shots there was still the technical aspect of having a narrative within itself.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
For our ancillary texts we designed and made a CD cover/ digi pack and an advertisement poster. Throughout every page in the digi pack and poster they all followed a set of simple but unique characteristics so the target audience can relate to it and remind them about it. This is a very effect form of advertisement as it jogs the target audience’s memory. An example of these characteristics follow…
As you can see this is a very distinctive CD front cover. This is due to the high contrast between the black and white and the deep red. This is one characteristic that I’ve continued throughout the whole ancillary texts. Another characteristic is the silhouette/ stencil look of the main subject. This design is conventional to this genre of music and is a good representation of what you may expect from other texts.
This is the lyrics page to the digi pack, it’s clear to see that I have continued the characteristics I mentioned earlier into this section of the ancillary text. I also used a layer which almost dates the text by having random faint lines washed over the image
My final example of the characteristics is the advertisement poster. As you can see I have kept it very similar to the other ancillary texts just in the form of a poster. Of course there are differences and variations to the other texts. For example there is a more ‘open’ image which I felt was more eye catching for the audience. I’ve also included quotes from magazines about the single. This is also a very conventional technique used of posters.
The main media text (music video) links well to our ancillary texts because the main character in the music video is the face of all the ancillary texts. This gives the target audience an immediate link between the advertisement poster/CD cover and the music video. We also used similar clothing in the main text to which is used in the ancillary texts, helping create a link between the two products and also strengthening the presence of genre.
Finally, I have carried on the aged look in the main production. This has created a strong link between the ancillary tasks and the music video.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Through looking at our rough cut and showing it to our target audience we established that our narrative shots were too long and to frequent. This was a simple problem to fix as we just included more performance shots in order to compensate for the long scenes. Another constructive criticism we were faced with was the plot being a bit too complicated to follow during a music video. This was a bit more difficult to rectify as it meant cutting clips out which would jeopardise clarity within the narrative. We decided that the best way to rectify this issue was to re-film parts of the video to simplify the story line. I think if we were to do this project again we would keep the narrative simple and uncomplicated.
Another point which was brought up was the voice synchronising. Due to the performer not knowing the lyrics very well and not very familiar with the song it caused the syncing to be out when the final production was finished. This could have been rectified by re-filming the poor sections of the performance shots however this was too time consuming and would have put us behind on our production schedule.
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Construction : During the construction of our project we used high definition cameras to optimise digital footage and ensure out video was to a high standard. For the editing process we used two programmes. One of which is very advanced, Adobe Premiere Pro is a high end video editing programme which is perfect for short films or music videos. With a range of advanced features we were able to compile our video footage and begin editing minutes after filming. We used this programme to its full potential by including effects and adjusting the lighting settings within the programme. We also used a second editing software called I-Movie which is a more basic editing programme but we found it much easier and quicker to synchronise the audio track with our video footage. This synchronising process was possible in Adobe Premiere Pro but was to lengthily and time consuming to do it. So to optimise time management and available resources we decided to continue synchronising in I-Movie.
Research & Planning : With the internet at our fingertips at almost any given moment, it seemed the best and most efficient way of researching and planning our project. We used the internet (web 2.0) to look into a range of genres and artiest before we finalised on indie/ alternative rock and more specifically ‘The Kooks’. With the help of websites such as ‘YouTube’ and bands official web sites we gained a good knowledge and understanding about what it takes to make a music video. We documented all our research and planning on online blogs provided by www.blogger.com which is a Google based company. We were able to use blogger to its full technical ability by imbedding documents such as PowerPoint which we had made and uploaded via a site called www.scribed.com. We were also able to embed YouTube videos and create links to other blogs/ blog posts.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Film Log
We filmed the performance element of our practical production piece recently. I personally beleived that it went well as we managed our time well and got at least a third of our filming done in one session. Through managing our time well i met one of my targets for the year.
We filmed the shots of the geeky guy in full costume (glasses, scarve and books) from several different angles, doing a full recording of each one to gain maximum amount of footage to work with when we edit.
The positives to come out of the session were that we finally got some filming done. The footage we produced was all useable and it had a very positive outcome. Additionally we have gained alot of ideas to further our production whilst we were recording such as how we can base the narrative around the performance shots.
There were few negatives to take away from the session but these would be that it may be hard to get the same props again the next time we film, and also that possibly the singing was slightly out in places, this however can be changed de to the mass amounts of footage that we have obtained.
The next part of the film that we need to film are the narrative shots and we will be doing this as soon as possible. We do still need top think of ideas around this area so that we cna get maximum marks.
We filmed the shots of the geeky guy in full costume (glasses, scarve and books) from several different angles, doing a full recording of each one to gain maximum amount of footage to work with when we edit.
The positives to come out of the session were that we finally got some filming done. The footage we produced was all useable and it had a very positive outcome. Additionally we have gained alot of ideas to further our production whilst we were recording such as how we can base the narrative around the performance shots.
There were few negatives to take away from the session but these would be that it may be hard to get the same props again the next time we film, and also that possibly the singing was slightly out in places, this however can be changed de to the mass amounts of footage that we have obtained.
The next part of the film that we need to film are the narrative shots and we will be doing this as soon as possible. We do still need top think of ideas around this area so that we cna get maximum marks.
Post Production Question
How much of your text was created in post-production?
There was several parts of the text that were significantly bettered after the production element of our practical. This was mostly acheived through editing. This gave the production stability and a feeling of continuity. Additionally we changed a few elements of our practical piece as we did audience feedback through our evaluation and this menat we were able to meet the demands of the consumer at a more precise level.
What technologies did you use to modify your original material? How did this change the meaning of your work?
We used several technologies in order to change the meaning of our practical piece. To begin with i would like to comment on adobe premier pro. This is where we did the editing to our practical piece and we were able to meet the conventions of indie as we could edit our film such as the 4 way effect to give it a fast flowing feel and tempo. This could also be said for final cut. Additionally we were able to add in very intricate and small spounds to areas such as the opening using garage band on the mac books. Additionally in creating the logo we used photo shop and this was a vital element to changing the meaning of our tezx
Adobe prmeier pro
final cut
garage band
photo shop
adobe photo shop + in design
There was several parts of the text that were significantly bettered after the production element of our practical. This was mostly acheived through editing. This gave the production stability and a feeling of continuity. Additionally we changed a few elements of our practical piece as we did audience feedback through our evaluation and this menat we were able to meet the demands of the consumer at a more precise level.
What technologies did you use to modify your original material? How did this change the meaning of your work?
We used several technologies in order to change the meaning of our practical piece. To begin with i would like to comment on adobe premier pro. This is where we did the editing to our practical piece and we were able to meet the conventions of indie as we could edit our film such as the 4 way effect to give it a fast flowing feel and tempo. This could also be said for final cut. Additionally we were able to add in very intricate and small spounds to areas such as the opening using garage band on the mac books. Additionally in creating the logo we used photo shop and this was a vital element to changing the meaning of our tezx
Adobe prmeier pro
final cut
garage band
photo shop
adobe photo shop + in design
Album Covers
Below is a compilation of cd covers and cases of bands all from the indie genre.
This is a front cover of the kook's album "The inside in the outside out". We will be aiming to replicate something similar to this as it is plain simple and easy to do aswell as being effective. It has a group photo of all of the band members together with a plain white background. This could be done easily in the photography suite that is available to use in school.
This is The Fray's album cover. I found this to be a really artistic album cover using light and different techniqes to spell out the bands name. I don't think that we would be able to do this but i was interested to see that the indie genre has the connotations of being a slightly artistic genre and this album cover fully represents that image.
This is Franz ferdinand's album cover. I feel that this once again follows the conventions of the indie (indie rock) genre being artistic. Once again this is something that we could within school with the resources that are available to us. I am also fond of this album cover so i think that this is a real possibility to do something similar to this.
This is a front cover of the kook's album "The inside in the outside out". We will be aiming to replicate something similar to this as it is plain simple and easy to do aswell as being effective. It has a group photo of all of the band members together with a plain white background. This could be done easily in the photography suite that is available to use in school.
This is The Fray's album cover. I found this to be a really artistic album cover using light and different techniqes to spell out the bands name. I don't think that we would be able to do this but i was interested to see that the indie genre has the connotations of being a slightly artistic genre and this album cover fully represents that image.
This is Franz ferdinand's album cover. I feel that this once again follows the conventions of the indie (indie rock) genre being artistic. Once again this is something that we could within school with the resources that are available to us. I am also fond of this album cover so i think that this is a real possibility to do something similar to this.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Pro's And Con's
At the moment our time management as a group isnt very good. this is due to lack of communication between myself and my partner.
I'm also disspaointed with the progress from my blog as I feel I could have done a lot more if my time management was better.
On the other hand our filming has gone very well. We have got nearly all of our footage and have made a start on editing. We hope to have a rough cut done within the next week.
I'm also disspaointed with the progress from my blog as I feel I could have done a lot more if my time management was better.
On the other hand our filming has gone very well. We have got nearly all of our footage and have made a start on editing. We hope to have a rough cut done within the next week.
Friday, 18 February 2011
Target Audience Questionnaire
Target audience questionnaire
Q1) Do you enjoy music from the indie genre?
Q2) Do you prefer indie rock to indie?
Q3) Would you pay money for a cd /download from an indie genre?
Q4) If we were to create a magazine advertisement would you expect it to be colourful?
Q5) Do you prefer music with romance style lyrics more than any other?, if no the other style you most prefer is ……………………….
Q6) Do you come from the age bracket of 16-19?
Q7) Do you own a personal music playing device i.e. ipod, mp3/4?
Q8) What for you are the most memorable music videos and why?
Q10) What would you expect to see in an Indie music video?
Costume:
Props:
Location:
Storyline:
Tempo:
Q11) Here is a couple of lines from the song “Naïve2, how do you interpret these lyrics.
I know that she knows that I'm not fond of asking
True or false it may be
She's still out to get me
Q1) Do you enjoy music from the indie genre?
Q2) Do you prefer indie rock to indie?
Q3) Would you pay money for a cd /download from an indie genre?
Q4) If we were to create a magazine advertisement would you expect it to be colourful?
Q5) Do you prefer music with romance style lyrics more than any other?, if no the other style you most prefer is ……………………….
Q6) Do you come from the age bracket of 16-19?
Q7) Do you own a personal music playing device i.e. ipod, mp3/4?
Q8) What for you are the most memorable music videos and why?
Q10) What would you expect to see in an Indie music video?
Costume:
Props:
Location:
Storyline:
Tempo:
Q11) Here is a couple of lines from the song “Naïve2, how do you interpret these lyrics.
I know that she knows that I'm not fond of asking
True or false it may be
She's still out to get me
Allocation Of Roles
For our practical production Alex and I decided that he would be the main charactor for all the performance shots and I would do the narative shots.
We decided this becasue those parts were better suited to us. We are yet to film the narative shots. Our final allocation was for "boy 2" and "girl 2" these will be played by friends of ours.
We decided this becasue those parts were better suited to us. We are yet to film the narative shots. Our final allocation was for "boy 2" and "girl 2" these will be played by friends of ours.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Role Allocation
Together we decided that it would be best for myself to be the narrative performer and for Alex to be in the performance shots. This was due to a number of reasons but mainly because I had acting experience so it made sense for me to do the acting and Alex was happy to be in the performance shots.
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Audience Feedback
For our audience feedback we sat down with a few people who watched our video to establish what they thought the pros and cons were, what we did right and what we did wrong and what they would have done if it were up to them. We felt this was the most effective way of retrieving audience feedback because it gave us the chance to talk to them face to face and explain why we did what we did. It also was easier than making a questionnaire around there views and by asking open ended questions it aloud a conversation to form which would give us feedback in great detail.
One point which repeatedly came up was that the narrative was slightly to complicated and jumpy to follow over such a short period of time. This was a point we were aware of however didn’t see that it would be that much of a drawback. One of our focus group participants said “I really like how you’ve merged the narrative into the performance shots, it works really well. However the narrative plot is too long to be told over a space of 3 minutes or so.” This was excellent feedback, we replied with the following comment… “We appreciate that the plot is slightly to complex for a music video but perhaps if you watched it a few times, like you would with any other music video, do you think the plot would become clear and you would uncover things that you may have missed the first time?” This was a brilliant opportunity to watch the music video again to see what the focus group said. After watching it a second time they agreed that they found it easier to watch the second time round. Another participant said “the likely hood of watching a music video more than once if extremely high, especially due to the internet and websites such as Facebook and YouTube. So maybe producers can afford to make more complex videos now that they can be watched at almost any moment in anyone’s life.”
The second point which was brought up was about the lip syncing was out in some parts of the music video. This wasn’t due to poor editing but down to the actor we used not being familiar with the song or its lyrics. The focus group said that it would have been a big improvement to the video as it would make it look more professional and sharp. I explained that we did our best during the editing process to rectify any synchronising issues however it was too time consuming to either slow down or speed up sections of footage which may only last for 1-2 seconds. The focus group replied with “Why didn’t you re-film the broken sections of footage?” our reply was “We did think about it and were very close to doing so but with the deadline approaching and final adjustments to be made, to our regret we had to call off re-filming and make good with the footage we had”
Finally we asked our focus group “assuming the adjustments you have suggested were made to this text, how would you rate this video and would you buy the video from iTunes instead of just the song?” to our surprise we were told by a number of the participants that they would spend the extra money on getting the video. They agreed that, with the issues mentioned resolved, it would be a video they would expect to see on TV and online. They also agreed that the costumes, mes-ensense and settings were accurate to that of a genuine video of this genre.
One point which repeatedly came up was that the narrative was slightly to complicated and jumpy to follow over such a short period of time. This was a point we were aware of however didn’t see that it would be that much of a drawback. One of our focus group participants said “I really like how you’ve merged the narrative into the performance shots, it works really well. However the narrative plot is too long to be told over a space of 3 minutes or so.” This was excellent feedback, we replied with the following comment… “We appreciate that the plot is slightly to complex for a music video but perhaps if you watched it a few times, like you would with any other music video, do you think the plot would become clear and you would uncover things that you may have missed the first time?” This was a brilliant opportunity to watch the music video again to see what the focus group said. After watching it a second time they agreed that they found it easier to watch the second time round. Another participant said “the likely hood of watching a music video more than once if extremely high, especially due to the internet and websites such as Facebook and YouTube. So maybe producers can afford to make more complex videos now that they can be watched at almost any moment in anyone’s life.”
The second point which was brought up was about the lip syncing was out in some parts of the music video. This wasn’t due to poor editing but down to the actor we used not being familiar with the song or its lyrics. The focus group said that it would have been a big improvement to the video as it would make it look more professional and sharp. I explained that we did our best during the editing process to rectify any synchronising issues however it was too time consuming to either slow down or speed up sections of footage which may only last for 1-2 seconds. The focus group replied with “Why didn’t you re-film the broken sections of footage?” our reply was “We did think about it and were very close to doing so but with the deadline approaching and final adjustments to be made, to our regret we had to call off re-filming and make good with the footage we had”
Finally we asked our focus group “assuming the adjustments you have suggested were made to this text, how would you rate this video and would you buy the video from iTunes instead of just the song?” to our surprise we were told by a number of the participants that they would spend the extra money on getting the video. They agreed that, with the issues mentioned resolved, it would be a video they would expect to see on TV and online. They also agreed that the costumes, mes-ensense and settings were accurate to that of a genuine video of this genre.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Genre Theory
Within media there are a number of theories about different Genres, Auteurs and Iconography. These are what some famous theorists have said...
John Fiske said "Any programme will bear the main characteristics of its genre, but is likely to include some from others; ascribing it to one genre or another involved deciding which set of characteristics are most important." This statement is basically saying that he accepts that there are hybrid mediums of media however there will always be one dominant genre of that particular medium. For example Lord Of The Rings, in the trilogy there are aspects of different genres for example; comedy, thriller, action and adventure but the main genre is fantasy. This means that even though a film may claim to be a 'rom com' or 'action comedy' it will always represent one genre more than the other. In summery a hybrid media product will never contain a even balance of the two genres.
How This Relates To My Project
The majority of music videos contain two main things, performance shots and a narrative. What makes the video comply with the genre of music is things like, how the characters dress, show emotion, what kind of environment there in and so on. This theory is relevant to our project because there is things in our video which would also fit into other videos from different genres.
Richard Maltby and Ian Craven claimed that "The success of Hollywood is reliant on the combination of predictable elements with variation." What they were saying is that the only reason Hollywood is a global success is because we as the audience go into a film with an idea of what to expect and prefer to to be able to predict what is going to happen. There theory suggest that the audience don't like surprises in regards to not knowing what to expect. Personally I disagree with this theory because over time, as we watch more and more films, we build a natural bank of information containing repetitive aspects of genres. For example if you go to see a film which you know nothing about, 9/10 you will be able to tell what genre of film it is within the title sequence.
How This Relates To My Project
Although we have made our video from scratch, we have followed certain vital conventions necessary to make it obvious to the audience what genre of music video we are creating. For example our narrative is based around a boy and a girl. This is very typical of an "indi rock" video. We also wanted to challenge the conventions in places which i feel we have done.
Auteurs and Iconography-
Auteurs are a group of film makers that were considered to be particularly influential and artistic. What this means is that particular names within all platforms of media incorporate certain personal techniques into the majority of there workings as a sort of signature to show that audience that its there film or music track. An example of this is this Steven Spielberg films there is normally a hue on screen which helps give a better sense of atmosphere. This is how a lot of people identify Spielberg films from others.
How This Relates To My Project
I'm sure you can imagine that this is a very difficult thing to achieve, particularly if only one video is being made. If this project was going on for years and we had to make several video's then there would be a possibility of incorporating a type of 'signature' to our work.
Rick Altman was a strong believer in that people shouldn't categorise films or another platform of media into genres. He said that;
"Genre theory's presumes that viewers pre-read text." "Viewers become passive voyeurs" "Genres are therefore restrictive" "I do not acknowledge of allow for the hybrid"
What he means by this is that by putting media into genres they go in with an assumption of what to expect. He also claims that because of this we as an audience don't fully engage with the media but do nothing more than drift in and out making it impossible to have a proper story line.
How This Relates To My Project
I think it would be impossible to make a music video that doesn't give away the genre of music its covering. If there's no evidence of genre then how do you appeal to your target audience? For this reason we will follow particular conventions of our chosen genre.
John Fiske said "Any programme will bear the main characteristics of its genre, but is likely to include some from others; ascribing it to one genre or another involved deciding which set of characteristics are most important." This statement is basically saying that he accepts that there are hybrid mediums of media however there will always be one dominant genre of that particular medium. For example Lord Of The Rings, in the trilogy there are aspects of different genres for example; comedy, thriller, action and adventure but the main genre is fantasy. This means that even though a film may claim to be a 'rom com' or 'action comedy' it will always represent one genre more than the other. In summery a hybrid media product will never contain a even balance of the two genres.
How This Relates To My Project
The majority of music videos contain two main things, performance shots and a narrative. What makes the video comply with the genre of music is things like, how the characters dress, show emotion, what kind of environment there in and so on. This theory is relevant to our project because there is things in our video which would also fit into other videos from different genres.
Richard Maltby and Ian Craven claimed that "The success of Hollywood is reliant on the combination of predictable elements with variation." What they were saying is that the only reason Hollywood is a global success is because we as the audience go into a film with an idea of what to expect and prefer to to be able to predict what is going to happen. There theory suggest that the audience don't like surprises in regards to not knowing what to expect. Personally I disagree with this theory because over time, as we watch more and more films, we build a natural bank of information containing repetitive aspects of genres. For example if you go to see a film which you know nothing about, 9/10 you will be able to tell what genre of film it is within the title sequence.
How This Relates To My Project
Although we have made our video from scratch, we have followed certain vital conventions necessary to make it obvious to the audience what genre of music video we are creating. For example our narrative is based around a boy and a girl. This is very typical of an "indi rock" video. We also wanted to challenge the conventions in places which i feel we have done.
Auteurs and Iconography-
Auteurs are a group of film makers that were considered to be particularly influential and artistic. What this means is that particular names within all platforms of media incorporate certain personal techniques into the majority of there workings as a sort of signature to show that audience that its there film or music track. An example of this is this Steven Spielberg films there is normally a hue on screen which helps give a better sense of atmosphere. This is how a lot of people identify Spielberg films from others.
How This Relates To My Project
I'm sure you can imagine that this is a very difficult thing to achieve, particularly if only one video is being made. If this project was going on for years and we had to make several video's then there would be a possibility of incorporating a type of 'signature' to our work.
Rick Altman was a strong believer in that people shouldn't categorise films or another platform of media into genres. He said that;
"Genre theory's presumes that viewers pre-read text." "Viewers become passive voyeurs" "Genres are therefore restrictive" "I do not acknowledge of allow for the hybrid"
What he means by this is that by putting media into genres they go in with an assumption of what to expect. He also claims that because of this we as an audience don't fully engage with the media but do nothing more than drift in and out making it impossible to have a proper story line.
How This Relates To My Project
I think it would be impossible to make a music video that doesn't give away the genre of music its covering. If there's no evidence of genre then how do you appeal to your target audience? For this reason we will follow particular conventions of our chosen genre.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Video analysis 3
Scouting for Girls - " This aint a love song"
Camera work - The opening sequence are all narrative shots. It begins with a close up of a passport being handed over at an airport followed by a close up that follows into the distance of a mans feet with a suitcase next to it. The first performance shot used is a close up of the frontman on the microphone with all the other band members in the background. this could possibly have beend one to show his authority and status among the band.
Editing - What i have noticed has become a common theme among all the videos i have analysed at random. Similar to the others this has an interchange of performance and narrative shots. However there is no use of elipsis during this clip possibly because the narrative dosn't need it. There is however the use of juxtapostions in order to show a development within the narrative.
Mise-en-scene - To go against the mainstream an element of the indie genre is that it often contains odd/strange things that could be described as spontaneous. This is shown by the same shot of a man holding a goldfish in complete darkness re-occurring throughout the media with no apparrent or direct link to the performance or the narrative. Additionally the fact that it is in an airport depicts change. The clothing is all sterotypical of the indie genre and there are no sterotypes that are challenged.
Camera work - The opening sequence are all narrative shots. It begins with a close up of a passport being handed over at an airport followed by a close up that follows into the distance of a mans feet with a suitcase next to it. The first performance shot used is a close up of the frontman on the microphone with all the other band members in the background. this could possibly have beend one to show his authority and status among the band.
Editing - What i have noticed has become a common theme among all the videos i have analysed at random. Similar to the others this has an interchange of performance and narrative shots. However there is no use of elipsis during this clip possibly because the narrative dosn't need it. There is however the use of juxtapostions in order to show a development within the narrative.
Mise-en-scene - To go against the mainstream an element of the indie genre is that it often contains odd/strange things that could be described as spontaneous. This is shown by the same shot of a man holding a goldfish in complete darkness re-occurring throughout the media with no apparrent or direct link to the performance or the narrative. Additionally the fact that it is in an airport depicts change. The clothing is all sterotypical of the indie genre and there are no sterotypes that are challenged.
Video analysis 2
Scouting for Girls - " This aint a love song"
Camera work - The opening sequence are all narrative shots. It begins with a close up of a passport being handed over at an airport followed by a close up that follows into the distance of a mans feet with a suitcase next to it. The first performance shot used is a close up of the frontman on the microphone with all the other band members in the background. this could possibly have beend one to show his authority and status among the band.
Editing - What i have noticed has become a common theme among all the videos i have analysed at random. Similar to the others this has an interchange of performance and narrative shots. However there is no use of elipsis during this clip possibly because the narrative dosn't need it. There is however the use of juxtapostions in order to show a development within the narrative.
Mise-en-scene - To go against the mainstream an element of the indie genre is that it often contains odd/strange things that could be described as spontaneous. This is shown by the same shot of a man holding a goldfish in complete darkness re-occurring throughout the media with no apparrent or direct link to the performance or the narrative. Additionally the fact that it is in an airport depicts change. The clothing is all sterotypical of the indie genre and there are no sterotypes that are challenged.
Camera work - The opening sequence are all narrative shots. It begins with a close up of a passport being handed over at an airport followed by a close up that follows into the distance of a mans feet with a suitcase next to it. The first performance shot used is a close up of the frontman on the microphone with all the other band members in the background. this could possibly have beend one to show his authority and status among the band.
Editing - What i have noticed has become a common theme among all the videos i have analysed at random. Similar to the others this has an interchange of performance and narrative shots. However there is no use of elipsis during this clip possibly because the narrative dosn't need it. There is however the use of juxtapostions in order to show a development within the narrative.
Mise-en-scene - To go against the mainstream an element of the indie genre is that it often contains odd/strange things that could be described as spontaneous. This is shown by the same shot of a man holding a goldfish in complete darkness re-occurring throughout the media with no apparrent or direct link to the performance or the narrative. Additionally the fact that it is in an airport depicts change. The clothing is all sterotypical of the indie genre and there are no sterotypes that are challenged.
Video analysis 1
The Kooks- "She Moves In Her Own Way"
Camera work - The performance shots used at the start of the video are all close ups of the band members. This is done to establish the members of the band. The narrative shots however vary in shot type. There are shots of the bands coach driving to establish the location that they are on the move. Then they arrive in a desolate area and the camera pans across to give emphasis on the poorness of the area around them. This is repeated throughout as there is establishing shots looking out across the city and then a close up of a man pulling some shoes out of a bin.
Editing - Similarily to the previous clip i have analysed there is a constant interchange at the beginning of the video between narrative and performance shots. Additionally there is another similarity with the fact that elipsis is used again, however this time elipsis is used to show a change of location rather than emotion. This again though is used to show a development within the narrative section of the video. I found that fact that similar ways of making the video are demonstrated within several different songs but all from the same genre.
Mise-en-scene - Indie music is typified as going against the mainstream. This is shown at the start as they are in an empty area and then the next shot is a guitar followed by the band. I interpreted this as shwoing that despite being in a desolate waste land they still have their guitars and are willing to make music.
Camera work - The performance shots used at the start of the video are all close ups of the band members. This is done to establish the members of the band. The narrative shots however vary in shot type. There are shots of the bands coach driving to establish the location that they are on the move. Then they arrive in a desolate area and the camera pans across to give emphasis on the poorness of the area around them. This is repeated throughout as there is establishing shots looking out across the city and then a close up of a man pulling some shoes out of a bin.
Editing - Similarily to the previous clip i have analysed there is a constant interchange at the beginning of the video between narrative and performance shots. Additionally there is another similarity with the fact that elipsis is used again, however this time elipsis is used to show a change of location rather than emotion. This again though is used to show a development within the narrative section of the video. I found that fact that similar ways of making the video are demonstrated within several different songs but all from the same genre.
Mise-en-scene - Indie music is typified as going against the mainstream. This is shown at the start as they are in an empty area and then the next shot is a guitar followed by the band. I interpreted this as shwoing that despite being in a desolate waste land they still have their guitars and are willing to make music.
Friday, 22 October 2010
The Fray 'How To Save A Life' Video Analyse
Mise-en-scene. - The lighting in this video is very consistant. The only light source is from car head lights or strip lights (in the performance shots only) This creates a blend of shadows and silouets which works well with the song. The head lights create a lot of glare and a high contrast between light and dark. It also seems to wash out any colours that exsist in the house or forest. This is done on purpose to create an atmosphere and help the audience feel involved within the song.
Camera Shots - The video begins with several close up's during the performance shots. This is used to establish who the lead singer of the band is, there is also the use of an extreme close up on the eye. Additionally there is still a wide range of other shots used in this video. For example low angle, close up and establishing shots are all used a number of times in the video, all of which make the video more dramatic.
Editing - The first thing i noticed about the editing is the regular interchange between the performance shots and the narrative shots. the use of quick cuts establishes a relationship between the narrative and the song. There is also several uses of elipsis, i found one moment particularly interesting. There is a girl that is shown several times with the use of close ups and panning camera movement at the start and she seems dull and possibly ill, this links in with the title of the song "How to save a life". This is shown through the use of plain clothing and background. There is a moment during the middle of the video where the girl is then shown wearing a red dress and throwing roses in the air. This represents change and adds to the narrative and shows that the person may be getting better. This idea is furthered due to the tempo of the song also quickening.
Camera Shots - The video begins with several close up's during the performance shots. This is used to establish who the lead singer of the band is, there is also the use of an extreme close up on the eye. Additionally there is still a wide range of other shots used in this video. For example low angle, close up and establishing shots are all used a number of times in the video, all of which make the video more dramatic.
Editing - The first thing i noticed about the editing is the regular interchange between the performance shots and the narrative shots. the use of quick cuts establishes a relationship between the narrative and the song. There is also several uses of elipsis, i found one moment particularly interesting. There is a girl that is shown several times with the use of close ups and panning camera movement at the start and she seems dull and possibly ill, this links in with the title of the song "How to save a life". This is shown through the use of plain clothing and background. There is a moment during the middle of the video where the girl is then shown wearing a red dress and throwing roses in the air. This represents change and adds to the narrative and shows that the person may be getting better. This idea is furthered due to the tempo of the song also quickening.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Common Representations Within Indie Bands
Commonly indie rock bands will be male, white, from a good background and normally in there 20/early 30's. The vast majority of Indie Rock bands will be from America or England. Two examples of this would be 'Franz Ferdinand' who are from Glasgow, Scotland. And 'The Fray' who are from Denver, Colorado.
There are very mixed stereotypes when it comes to Indie Rock bands. For example, the bands which I'm looking at are commonly represented in a positive light. You don't hear about them taking drugs or drinking in excess, unlike other bands like 'Babyshambles'. The key member of this band is Pete Doherty who is forever in the papers and on the news for a whole array of criminal offenses and for going to rehab.
I think that the bands portray themselves in quite a traditional way in what sort of clothes they wear, which are normally quite retro and have a tatty yet smart look to them. On the other hand I think there represented in the media in quite a modern light in that because its still a relatively new genre new ideas and opinions are still being formed.
Indie Rock bands aren't normally shown in negative ways in the media which I think is a good thing as there main audience could be influenced by there actions. Of course theres an exception to the rule, with people like Pete Doherty who sets a bad example for his target audience.
There are very mixed stereotypes when it comes to Indie Rock bands. For example, the bands which I'm looking at are commonly represented in a positive light. You don't hear about them taking drugs or drinking in excess, unlike other bands like 'Babyshambles'. The key member of this band is Pete Doherty who is forever in the papers and on the news for a whole array of criminal offenses and for going to rehab.
I think that the bands portray themselves in quite a traditional way in what sort of clothes they wear, which are normally quite retro and have a tatty yet smart look to them. On the other hand I think there represented in the media in quite a modern light in that because its still a relatively new genre new ideas and opinions are still being formed.
Indie Rock bands aren't normally shown in negative ways in the media which I think is a good thing as there main audience could be influenced by there actions. Of course theres an exception to the rule, with people like Pete Doherty who sets a bad example for his target audience.
Friday, 8 October 2010
The Fray
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King, the band achieved mainstream success with the release of their debut album, How to Save a Life in 2005, which was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. The Fray achieved national success with their first single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)", which became a top ten hit in the United States. The release of their second single, "How to Save a Life", brought the band worldwide fame. The song charted in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top 5 single in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
The song 'How to Save a Life' consisted of a mix of mid-tempo piano driven pop rock tracks and power ballads. The band's second album spread the spectrum of the music: the pop rock songs were faster and more energetic, while the ballads were softer than the ballads on the first album.
The song 'How to Save a Life' consisted of a mix of mid-tempo piano driven pop rock tracks and power ballads. The band's second album spread the spectrum of the music: the pop rock songs were faster and more energetic, while the ballads were softer than the ballads on the first album.
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand are a rock band that was formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion, guitar and backing vocals).
The band first experienced chart success when their second single "Take Me Out" reached number 3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album Franz Ferdinand which debuted on the UK album chart at number 3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released, "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée" and "This Fire". The band has also received several Grammy Award nominations.
The band first experienced chart success when their second single "Take Me Out" reached number 3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album Franz Ferdinand which debuted on the UK album chart at number 3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released, "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée" and "This Fire". The band has also received several Grammy Award nominations.
Indie genre research
Indie genre research
Indie is a word digressed from 'independant' in the 1950's and 60's it was almost impossible for independant music labels to get there work out there because the major record companies had so much power in the music indestry. However punk rock turned it around for the independant comapnies as hundereds of different acts became very popular, this boom in popularity forced the music indestry to create the first UK indie chart. Now indie is one of the most popular genres around. With 'The Kooks' 'The Frey' and 'The Fratellis' to name just a few.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
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