In my music video i want to incorportate performance and narrative, as this is a typical convention of music videos. I think it's important i use a range of different shots so i will engage my viewer and as part of this I will also use close ups, extreme close ups and medium shots.
To guide the plot of the song i will show scenes of a couple together, arguing, and at the end of the film- seperating. I will show my performer in different situations, places and costumes as this is a convention of music video. I will also use abstract shots such as stop motion as this is a typical feature of Kate Nash's videos. This will also add a range of shots and interest the viewer.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Thursday, 13 October 2011
My pitch
I have chosen to create a music video for the song “Merry Happy” by Kate Nash. I decided to create a music video because I found in my research that it was the most popular, and it was the one I had most interest in.
I chose this song because it is very original, upbeat, and it has a past paced rhythm. I also wanted a song which involved a female lead, as this would be more interesting for performance clips. I also chose this song because it doesn’t have a previous music video. Kate Nash has a fairly original style, and her videos match that. I would like to maintain her interesting style in my music video, through both performance and narrative format. She is primarily targeted at my age group and gender, which makes it easier for me to relate to. The song is about being with a person, and the feelings a person has after a break up. This is an issue most people can relate to, and creates an initial narrative.
In making my music video I want to reflect Kate Nash’s style whilst also expanding on the narrative. I want to create a plot around that idea, showing a couples ups and downs, as well as incorporating various performance parts. Kate Nash’s music has a fairly sarcastic and light-hearted style, which I plan to portray in the video.
Audience Research
For my Audience Research I used a questionnaire on the social networking site Facebook. This website seemed an appropriate way to gain knowledge about my target audience, which would specifically be my own peers. The internet is a crucial feature in the media world, and I found it a useful tool in this task.
I wanted my questionnaire to be short, only asking questions which were relevant to the task. I decided style genre and type were the most important features I should research.
Analysis of "The Strangers"
Textual Analysis
The strangers is a modern American Horror film released in 2008. The films plot is about a couple in their vacation home, who are invaded by three people wearing masks. The covering of their faces creates a curiosity in the audience, which is obtained in the trailer. The trailer uses narrative credits to engage the viewer, and explain the plot. The eery music throughout gives an uneasy atmosphere, and builds tension. The trailer uses typical conventions up until the middle, where country music is played. This is an unusual convention of horror films in which the opposites seem strange to the viewer.
One scene in the trailer shows a long-shot of the woman standing making a drink, while the man in the mask watches her from behind. The audience sees this thought as unsettling, because it we have a common fear of the unknown.
Genre
The film is a thriller and this is shown through the way the film builds tension throughout, using both music and lighting for this.
Audience
As much of the horror/thriller genre is targeted at a younger audience, the target market for this film would be 15-25. Like many thriller films the movie was rated 15, because of the use of tension instead of gore.
Context
The film gained mixed reviews because of it’s great suspense but weak plot. However it was successful at the box office earning $20,997,985 in it’s opening weekend, and with a gross profit of $82,391,145.
Style
The style of the film and trailer is quite unique, mainly focusing on suspense and tension. The simple idea of being raided by strangers is frightening to the audience.
Analysis of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
Textual Analysis
The film Texas Chainsaw Massacre released in 2003, is a remake of the 1974 original. It tells the story of a group of teenagers killed by a family, and is based on the serial killer Ed Gein.
The trailer opens playing soft music, and showing scenes of the people relaxing. The use slow editing and fading between scenes creates a gentle effect. The music then fades, and the editing changes pace. The silence and short scenes create tension for dramatic effect. Short clips from the film allow the viewer to understand the main plot, without revealing the outcome. Towards the end of the sequence credits are shown, whilst audio from the film is continued. The use of sound and music is a crucial feature for the trailer, because it creates tension.
Genre
The genre is a typical gore horror film, and follows many of the conventions such as murder, tension, and dramatic music.
Audience
The film classified under the horror genre, is aimed at adults only. However the horror genre is mostly targeted at people between 18-25. This is reflected in the age group of the main characters.
Context
Throughout the years the franchise has became well-known for its brutal gore and the iconic character Leatherface. The 2003 remake was a box office success, with a gross profit of $107,071,655. However it had a worse critical reception than the original.
Style
The trailer uses fast editing to build tension. The use of diegetic sound helps to engage the viewer, and add to the dramatic atmosphere.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Analysis of "Supersize Me"
Textual Analysis
Supersize Me is and American documentary starring and directed by Morgan Spurlock. The film focuses on the popularity of fast food particularly in America, and how this is linked to obesity. The documentary is a video diary, in which Spurlock only eats McDonalds food for 30 days. This includes showing the drastic changes it caused on his physical health.
The documentary opens with a group of children singing a song about fast-food. This could be used to show how children are surrounded by fast-food from a young age. A voiceover then talks about obesity statistics, whilst footage shows obese people and shots of McDonalds restaurants. There is also a major use of graphs and pictures throughout the voiceover. These abstract features visually reflect the statistics, whilst engaging the viewer.
Genre
Supersize me is an informative documentary, showing the health risks caused by fast food.
Audience
The documentary’s interesting style shows that it is based at a fairly young audience, primarily people under 30. This would probably also be the main market for fast-food corporations. The film is a modern documentary but has also been used as a health awareness film for young people.
Context
The documentary was greatly successful, with a gross profit of $20,641,054.
It was nominated for various awards including Best Documentary Feature, and won Best Motion Picture Documentary, and New Directors Award..
Spurlocks drastic bodily changes also led to the ban of Supersize at McDonalds.
Style
Although the documentary has a serious topic, the graphics and narrative made the documentary interesting.
Analysis of "9/11: Phone calls from the towers"
Textual Analysis
The documentary “9/11: Phone calls from the towers” features unseen footage from the attack on September the 11th. 8 years after the event, the show reveals phone calls from the towers, and interviews with the families. The documentary looks at the attack and reflects on the nature of death and grieving.
The documentary opens with an aerial shot of suburban America, to show how many people were affected by the event. There is then zooming close-up of a telephone, with a voiceover from one of the victim’s family. A narrative voiceover then states statistics about 9/11, and relates this to the phone calls. There are also images of the towers, and a phone call message is played. The filming of the phones and the empty houses show the phone calls as the key element. These simple shots make the viewer focus on the voiceovers from the families, and create a dramatic sequence.
Genre
This show is a political documentary, focusing on the outcome of the attack, and the people it affected.
Audience
The documentary was broadcast by both ABC and Channel 4, and so seen by a large demographic. It was targeted at both the UK and America, because of both countries involvement. The documentary would have an older, mature audience, simply because of the serious topic and the emotional nature.
Context
The film was broadcast on Channel 4 on the 6th September 2009, 7 years after the event.
Style
The film uses all of the major conventions of a documentary such as archive footage, voiceovers, credits, statistics, and interviews. These features helped in creating a factual and interesting documentary.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Analysis of "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding"
Textual Analysis
My big fat gypsy wedding is a documentary series produced by Firecracker films. The series shown on Channel 4 in early 2010, focuses on the lifestyles of travellers, and the conventions of their weddings. The film follows various families, as they discuss their traditions and values in their small community. I found the documentary interesting because it highlighted the differences in our cultures, and gave me a stronger understanding of their community.
The opening of the documentary uses a voiceover to explain the purpose of the show. There is fast-paced editing, switching between different clips. Most of the shots are close ups, many showing the designer wedding dresses. One shot shows a dirty caravan with rubbish around it, reflecting the negative stereotype of traveller community. The voice over describes the divide between the two cultures, and the importance of a wedding to traveller girls.
Genre
The series is a social documentary, focusing on peoples lifestyles. The show follows many typical conventions of documentary, such voiceovers, structured interviews, and footage. The mixture of interviews and cases helps the documentary appear unbias. Like most Channel 4 Documentaries the film looks at a lifestyle which is shocking or unusual to the viewer. It is a mainstream documentary, with a popular topic which appeals to a wide audience.
Audience
Because Channel 4’s popularity, the series had a very wide audience. The show was majorly targeted at 20-40 year olds, English working class people. The show was greatly popular with an average of seven million viewers each show.
Context
The series caused controversy because of it’s portrayal of the community. Many travellers stated the show only reflected a small aspect of their community, and it shouldn’t be generalised. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8320671/My-Big-Fat-Gypsy-Wedding-A-Frocky-Horror-Show-on-Wheels.html
Style
Typical of Channel 4's documentaries the style of the film is fairly expoitive and controversial. The documentary shows examples which are most shocking and so interesting to the viewer, also focusing on the negative aspects of gypsy lifestyles. Whilst the documentary seems to challenge the steriotypes of the travelling community, its examples seem to reflect them. The circus-like music played throughout the documentary, suggests a bizzare potrayal.
Typical of Channel 4's documentaries the style of the film is fairly expoitive and controversial. The documentary shows examples which are most shocking and so interesting to the viewer, also focusing on the negative aspects of gypsy lifestyles. Whilst the documentary seems to challenge the steriotypes of the travelling community, its examples seem to reflect them. The circus-like music played throughout the documentary, suggests a bizzare potrayal.
The documentary uses a range of shots, which engage the viewer and show the details, scenery, and expressions of the people.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Analysis of "Walk This Way" By Aerosmith and Run-DMC
Textual analysis
The song with Run DMC is a cover version of the original track by Aerosmith (1975). The song incorporates both hip hop and rock, and largely helped in making rap a mainstream genre.
The music video shows both bands practising separately, and getting frustrated with disruption of the other. The wall inbetween shows the barrier between the different genres, and how they clash. The artists then begin to perform over each other competitively. On stage the bands come together, representing the joining of rap and rock.
Genre
The song has a mixed genre of both classic rock, and hip hop.
Audience
The mix of musical genres which had established different audiences, meant that the song had a wide audience. It was generally aimed at young people, particularly working class. This is shown through the artists and the lyrical content.
Context
The song was majorly successful, and was the first hip hop song to reach to chart in the pop Top Ten, or to go platinum.
This long shot shows the artists dancing together, showing the coming together of the two genres. Whilst they mixed the two genres, the artists were still able to demonstrate their different styles.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Analysis of "If I Were A Boy" By Beyonce
“If I were a boy” by Beyoncé Knowles, was released on the 12th of October 2008. The songs main plot is the difficulties of relationships, and the inequality between the sexes. The music video reinforces this idea, through a narrative of a male and female role reversal. For the majority of the video, Beyoncé is shown going to work and ignoring her supportive husband. Her behaviour is striking to the audience, who see her as ignorant and selfish. Midway through the video the roles switch, revealing the couples reality. This reveals that she was showing how life is for her. The audience then feels sympathy for the female, and questions the accepted behaviour of both genders.
One main scene is the role switch, in which the implied reversal is fully revealed. Beyonce is seen flirting with another man, and when confronted she states he is “so jealous”. The roles then change, and the scene is shown reversed. The dialogue in this scene helps emphasize the feeling of inequality whilst helping the audience relate.
Genre
Beyonce's music is typically of the pop and rnb genre, although she has also produced some hip hop songs. Her mainstream music has changed gradually throughout her music career. If I were a boy is a slow pop song. Typical of many slow pop songs "If I were a boy" is a love song.
Audience
Through her music career beyonce has built a large audience, because of her range of songs. Most of her music is targeted at a younger audience, but is also widely popular. Aimed at a majorly young female demographic, “If I were a boy” like much of Beyoncé’s music; has a strong feminist perspective. Many of her lyrics describe independant women, and go against the typical conventions of pop music in that area.
Context
The song was successful worldwide, selling over 2 million copies and reaching to number one in the worlds singles top 40. http://acharts.us/song/38420. The song was also nominated for “Video of the year” at the BET awards 2009.
Style
The video opens with a short dialogue of the woman and man, describing the important factors of relationships. This scene adds impact to the message of the video.The film is shown in narrative form, although there are short performance scenes at the end. This is after the audience understands the full meaning of the song. The whole video is shown in black and white, showing the opposite nature of men and women.
Analysis of "Judas" By Lady Gaga
Textual Analysis
The song Judas by Lady Gaga was released on April 15, 2011. The video of Judas is in narrative format and the main theme is betrayal by the person she loves. The video is a modern depiction of Jerusalem, in which Lady Gaga plays the role of Mary Magdalene; torn between two men Jesus and Judas. There are biblical symbolisms throughout which indicate this, such as crucifixes on her costumes.
One short scene shows Lady Gaga standing on a rock, being covered by the sea. This has connotations of cleansing and baptism, whilst also relating to the painting “Birth of Venus” the Goddess of Love.
Genre
The majority of Lady Gaga’s hits would be categorised as contemporary pop or dance music.
Audience
Lady Gaga has a broad target audience, because her music is mainstream and appeals to different people. Her main demographic would be fairly young women, although she is also a major homosexual icon. She shows her female target audience through her music such as her songs "Bad Romance" and "Paparazzi" which reflect on relationships. She is well known worldwide due to her popular music and controversial style.
Context
The song reached #10 on *the Hot 100*, although it was considered unsuccessful compared to her previous hit “Born ths way which reached #1. The video also received two nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, for Best Choreography and Best Art Direction.
The religious imagery in the video caused major controversy in the UK and America, as many Christians believed it an attack against religion.
A lawsuit has also been filed against Lady Gaga, with claims of plagarism. Rebecca Fancescatti sued Lady Gaga stating Judas was copied from her song “Juda” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2023036/Lady-Gaga-faces-new-lawsuit-Judas-plagiarism-claims.html
Style
Although the video is mostly narrative, there are various performance aspects throughout. The style of the song is upbeat, and typical of a mainstream pop song.
This close up shot allows the viewer to engage with her, whilst eccentuating the detail of her costume.
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