Bordwell & Thompson's Theories

 

Assessment 2nd October (Research)

Cameron,
 WWW:
Some very detailed work on your genre here posted using a variety of methods! You seem to know it well.
I am glad you have attempted to stretch the technology here and I look forward to more interesting work.
EBI
We both know that due to your injury you cant write so well- but I have seen some going on in lessons! Therefore there should be something for all the required posts! A few posts are a bit patchy but - Missing is the theory posts 9-11 and the posts on audience 19-20.
Please ensure this work is completed by Friday 7th October.
This work has been graded as IMPROVEMENT needed!
JIN

Genre research 6

Created by Kayleigh Hobbs (group work)

Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz pop singer and songwriter, he is a solo artist who accompanies himself on many instruments such as the guitar and drums as well as the piano. 

Jamie Cullum's video 'Everlasting Love' fits into the Soul Genre with conventions that match to others in the same genre.
Jamie's mise-en-scene is clearly portrayed clearly to the audience as he us wearing a suit. This could also be a similar style to the likes of Lemar (also a Soul artist). This could be a common convention. The clothes that he wears could also make people see him to be a man that takes pride in his appearance, and this sort of pride could also be taken with his music, as he is very pedantic when it comes to songwriting.

1 and 2. Lighting
3 and 4. Sound

The lighting in this music video perhaps fits into the genre of Soul music videos as well as perhaps going against.
Image 1 (far left) shows that this music video uses artificial lighting that is seen as very bright, highlighting the figure of Jamie who is in the black suit. However, when approaching the end of the song, (2) the lighting becomes more low key and Jamie isn't as prominent as he previously was. The low key lighting fits into the genre of Soul music, whereas the bright artificial light could be seen as 'not the norm'. This may make the audience more familiar to the music and the genre in which it fits.
The sound in this music video could be described as diegetic as Jamie has a band that are accompanying him as he plays the piano. This conveys to the audience that perhaps the music has been left as it was recorded, with little or no changes to the sound of the instruments and Jamie's vocals.

While he performs it is clear to the viewer that this performance means something to Jamie Cullum. When he is playing the piano and singing the notes that reflect how he is feeling, he will gradually stand up, and this is when the camera comes closer to him. This conveys to the audience the passion that Jamie has for his music, and perhaps his feelings towards the person that the song lyrics are about.

Genre research video 5

Created by Kayleigh Hobbs (group work)

I chose to look at the music video for Adele's 'Chasing Pavements' as it isn't stereotypically a music video that would be associated with a Soul artist like herself. However this song 'Chasing Pavements' is definitely a Soul song as can be told by the sound that we hear in her voice and also the instruments that accompany her in this song, and in fact all the songs on her album.

The colour scheme that is used in this music video, very much matches the genre of her music. The dark orange colours of the leaves on the floor, the dull colours of Adele's costumes and in fact what the actors are wearing fits into the typical colour scheme.

Contact sheet to represent the colour scheme.

Colour scheme is one way to instantly tell the difference between a pop and soul music video. Pop videos use brighter/bolder colours whereas Soul will use more neutral colours that go together well.
In Soul music videos, the female artists are usually dressed to look glamourous and as if they are wealthy people. In this particular music video, Adele is wearing a long coat with black trousers on. This isn't particularly glamourous but does fit into the overall colour scheme really well.

Adele as an artist does not normally include dance moves into her music videos, and this one is no exception. She has little screen time in this music video, but what she does do is very important and very well done. She has various close ups on her face to convey her facial expressions and  perhaps show to the audience how she is feeling. Like other soul music videos, the use of the long shot is  used here (as shown at the top of the page). This is a very effective shot, as it shows the background as well as Adele and the colours fir together, creating the overall mood of the music video.

As Adele is just situated in the background for various shots, it could suggest that her status perhaps isn't at it's highest point. However the close ups on her face, could perhaps go against this idea. In Soul music videos, females are seen to be of a high status and parts of this video go against this.

The lighting in this music video, is natural as it has been shot in the natural environment, which looks to be a park. The lighting is used in a very clever way, as it creates slight silhouettes of the characters on the floor when they are performing various movements. However when Adele is moving around the set, a silhouette is not apparent, again limiting her status. This could also be used to make the two main actors in the video stand out when they are surrounded by the other characters.

Label research 3

Columbia records started up in Washington D.C in 1891, from then to know a lot has changed (believe it or not) and it has since become a very successful record label for soul artists. It is owned by the Japanese company "Sony Entertainment". This is a big label and therefore a lot of very successful artists have been attracted to it because of that.

I think that this label would suit our music video due to the fact that they sign on a lot of british artists (like Adele for instance) and a lot of artists who fit into the catagory of soul artists (Adele and Beyonce pictured above.) However it is an American label which might make it a bit less relevant to the type of artist that we need to emulate.

Label research 2

Created by Kayleigh Hobbs (group work)

WARNER MUSIC GROUP: is the record label that I have chosen to discuss in this blog post. This is because it best supports the genre of music that I intend to use to create my own music video.

This is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies.

This company was formed in 2004 when it was spun off and made completely seperate from Time Warner.

Some artists that work with Warner Music Group are the likes of: Chaka Khan, Seal, Simply Red and Rod Stewart. This sing in the same style as my choice of artist Duffy.

Warner Music Group is currently situated in New York, United States. This is a very beneficial place to be as there are always new artists looking for recognition in America and being situated in New York would be ideal for the artists to find the record label and want to work with them.

Label research 1

Created by Katie Lee (group work) 

Island records was founded in Jamaica but was based primarily in the UK for many years, now it's owned by the Universal Music Group however now it operates under the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group. This fits well with soul as soul as a genre is derived from Motown which came about in 1960s Detroit, as well as this Def Jam records is well-known for the making of accomplished r'n'b and hip hop artists such as Rihanna - which are also genres of black origin. However, nowadays soul music is equally as dominated by white artists especially in Britain.

Artists such as Leona Lewis, Lionel Richie and most relevant to our genre of female soul, Amy Winehouse are signed to Island Records.

The fact that Island records is related to soul artists means that they're a relevant record company to our planned artist as we wish to base our portfolio around soul music.

Genre research 4

Lemar is a classic Soul singer, he has a lot of passion that he freely and openly shares on stage, this passion is clearly shown in his video for the song "It's not that easy". Lemar's mise-en-scene is clearly shown in the video as he wears his trademark suit and tie combination and uses the classic 50's style microphone. These 2 items clearly state him out to be a soul singer as the suit is common for male soul artists across the board, and the microphone refers to the golden age of soul, the 50's. The clothes he wears also make him very approachable as he looks to be a gentleman, this fits him as he is often reffered to as one of the "gentlemen of pop", which reflects his mise-en-scene of the "nice guy".

The sound in this video is dominated by diagetic sound as Lemar and the band make up the music, this shows how his music is very "real" and has not been interfeared with (autotuning) as we can see the band playing the music (for the most part.) The moments of non-diagetic sound emphasise the singers isolation as he is alone and the music has almost abandoned him along with everything else, this is shown by the absense of the band.

The cinematography in this video shows how Lemar's emotons are increasing, this is clear as the camera comes closer to the singer as the shot progresses, this could show how Lemar's emotions are intensifying. It also makes the performance more personal to the viewer as they have an up close and personal view of the performer, this enables the song to have a greater effect due to the fact that the viewer can clearly see the emotion on the singers face. The editing here is clearly continuous as the shot is about 10 seconds long, this could show the singers long suffering or the everlasting love he possesses for the woman he is singing to.

Genre research video 3

Plan B is a soul artist of sorts, what I mean by this is that he mixes soul with other genres in order to create a fusion. However his song "Prayin" is definately of the soul genre, we know this due to the sound that we hear. The non-diagetic sound that is provided, this comes in the form of a brass band, these are a key trait of soul music. Also the way he sings is very expressive we can tell this from the tone of his voice and the desparation that he clearly puts across in his lip synching. However as the sound that is diagetic is only the singing it shows how Plan B is a solo artist rather than part of a larger group it could also show how alone he feels during this video as the song is about guilt for killing another man this idea seems to fit well.

The mise-en-scene for this video is a lot more aggressive than other soul artists whos songs and mise-en-scene are a lott calmer and more romantic. This emphasises Plan B's very individual image, as he originated in rap (a traditionally agressive genre) that shows in his mise -en-scene (see above.) Also the fact that the video is set in prison shows a darker side to his music which connotes his very grimey up bringing in London. However his clothes suit the trend for soul artists, this is due to the fact that most male artists wear smart clothing such as suits, as we can see (again above) Plan B conformes to this one stereotype of his genre.

The cinematography in Plan B's video is very in keeping with the style of a rap video, in fact it has very little in common with most soul videos, for instance above there is a clip of Plan B's "Prayin" video, as we can see the shots are handheld, this connotes that he has so much emotion that he cannot control it, this is similar to a soul video. However, the close ups and high mobility in the shots connote a very angry theme to the video, this shows Plan B's rap background. The close ups could however connote that this is a very personal video as its almost like Plan B's own confession which is obviously a very personal affair. The editing colates with the cinematography very well as the montage editing creates a very confused atmosphere which emphasises the angry/upset mood that is clearly very evident in this scene.

Genre research video 2

Post created by Katie Lee (group work)

 

My group for A2 media have decided we'd like to make a music video for the pop-soul genre (artists such as Duffy, Plan B, Adele, Seal, Jamie Cullum etc)...

Duffy's video for 'Rain on Your Parade' is very conventional to the Soul genre. The colour scheme (black/grey/white) is consistent throughout which is a typical colour scheme in itself to the genre which tends not to use bright, garish colours and prefers to give an impression of 'class' and subtlety. These choices in colour may be in place to represent the differences between genres such as chart pop and soul, to show how soul music isn't manufactured and the artists care about music more than image. In most cases, female soul singers appear classy, glamorous and well-dressed however, in this particular video Duffy is dressed moderately provocatively. Despite this, Duffy's state of dress still comes across to the viewer as quite smart, she wears a black blazer and tights and has sex appeal but doesn't look cheap unlike some r'n'b artist, no real inappropriate skin is shown.

In terms of performance, Duffy's role in the video is bold but simple, she sticks to basic but effective dance moves (as shown in the gif image attached below) which is conventional to the genre which doesn't rely on dance moves in music videos and hasn't done even since the real beginning of soul/motown music (as shown by The Supremes in the gif image attached to the right). Instead, Duffy uses male dancers to compliment her own simple dance routine with a more complex one and to avoid viewer fatigue and the technique is effortlessly effective. The dancer's costumes are also smart, the men wear suits and jackets which is again very conventional dress for men in the soul genre including artists and dancers. The male dancer's routine (below) revolves around the main artist and they are seen to be 'falling' around her which suggests her status and importance as an independant and strong woman which is an attitude often adopted by females of the soul genre.

Cinematography is fairly simple throughout, ranging mainly between close ups and long shots which is conventional to music videos (particularly for solo artists) which tend to show the artist performing/singing the song then long full body shots to show dance moves. This is really effective because it presents Duffy as the main focus for the video, which is also portrayed by the fact that she is the only female and that the colour of her legs stand out against the black of the dancer's costumes. The camera movement depends a lot on tracking the artist, which again conveys her to be the main attraction and connotes her to be a strong woman as everything revolves around her (which is conventional to female artists in the soul genre). The camera movement is very smooth (demonstrated in the above image) and fits in well with the smooth, jazzy feel of the music.

Lighting is key to this video, despite the setting being a plain room, the lighting turns it from dark to light in an instant which creates the idea of changing setting to the viewer and thus avoids fatigue. The lighting is also used to create sillhouettes and at times (again demonstrated above) is used as a vehicle to make Duffy stand out and the dancer's to appear sillhouetted. This is a typical lighting style of the music video, which is a promotional tool and uses lighting to flatter the artist - in order to create sex appeal and sell records. As a viewer, we also see a lot of sillhouetted instrumentists, this is conventional to the soul genre in particular as the instrumentation is key to convey that this genre isn't manufactured and the artist is passionate about music moreso than image, which is more important to pop chart artists.

The editing is also fairly simple which is conventional to a music video which tends to run as a narrative with occasional cuts to performance based shots. However, in the clip above I have included a jump cut which moves from a shot of Duffy central to the frame in a long shot, to a mid shot. Her stance is strong, hands by her sides and legs apart, dominating the frame and the lighting makes her appear a sillhouette. This creates a sense of strength and mystery which again are both conventional to the genre as strong women are prominent in soul as I've previously stated and this eludes to the fact that women in soul tend to be more mysterious than those in pop as they don't so much reveal their personal lives to glossy magazines etc... The shot rotation throughout is fast and fluent to avoid viewer fatigue, although this slows down when the dance routine begins as this allows the viewer to focus.

Genre research video 1

Post created by katie Lee (group work)

Amy Winehouse's video for 'You Know I'm No Good' fits some of the conventions for a soul genre video, however much alike herself, certain aspects do contradict the 'norm' in terms of soul music videos but it works as a promotional tool nonetheless.

In terms of lighting, Winehouse's video is really effective and conventional to soul. In the example (below) low key, but highly effective lighting is used on a dark background, reminiscent of a Duffy video, which not only flatters the artist but increases their status and in this case creates an 'eerie' feel. This use of bright lighting on dark background is evident in a lot of soul music videos and could definitely be considered typical of the genre.

In this video Amy is dressed in her typical 'scruffy' style, messy beehive and vest top despite the conventional dress for a female soul singer being usually quite the opposite, dark, smart clothing (such as a black dress). However, Winehouse's own development of fashion earned her recognition as a household name and figure, her sense of style is recognised both world and nationwide. Therefore, although she doesn't really conform to the fashions set by previous soul singers, this helped her to create her own success as an artist and an individual.

The location throughout the video is strikingly similar, although props change around the dark room, such as a bar, a table, a bath, a bed (pictured below). This prop rotation allows the room to take on the shape of a new setting and avoid viewer fatigue.

The colour scheme is dark and revolves around a blue/white/black/grey basis which is highly typical of a soul genre video, particularly in female soul artists. Soul singers tend not to use garish colours and sex-appeal image to sell music but focus more on the message of the music.

Unconventional use of shot types.

Despite the 'lack'of real location change or at least dramatic location change, the video is extremely effective due to it's clever use of cinematography. Winehouse's video is unconventional to the average music video in that a wide variety of shot types are used whereas a music video normally stays around the long shot/close up area, this helps to introduce the viewer to and sell the artist. However, Amy's creative influence in clear in this instance, as is the soul genre, a focus is set more on the message of the song and conveying this in a narrative structure rather than by creating a video revolving around how the artist is important, sexy, etc...

As well as this, a creative, but unconformist decision has been made using cinematography, in that the video uses the highly rare over the shoulder shot in music video format. This is a shot type usually avoided by a music video director as it completely shuts off the artist from the viewer in that their face is not visible, but the back of their head which is often considered a sign of rudeness in day-to-day situations. This would be considered ineffective as the viewer is supposed to engage with the artist in a way that would make them want to buy their music after watching their video. This represents how Amy Winehouse was more interested in her music, than image, or money, fame and beauty (which is further shown in her less than glamorous state of dress) although this isn't typical of a music video this is a trait often portrayed in the soul genre.

Evidence of media and alcohol cultures in the video

The editing throughout on a general basis is typical to a music video structure, moderately fast shot rotation and a mixture between narrative shots and performance based scenes. However, what I found particularly interesting was the way editing is used to show Amy watching her own actions on television and in moving polaroid 'photographs', I found these scenes particularly poignant as they connoted her own struggles with the media and the media insistence on documenting her 'fall from grace' at any given opportunity so all were aware of her personal issues and dramas. As well as this was the dominance of alcohol throughout the video, which I also found intriguing as Amy's creative influence upon the video becomes evident, connotations of her personal battles with alcohol and drug abuse whilst being questioned by a love interest, representing her rocky relationship with husband, Blake for which the whole album 'Back to Black' was based upon add an essence of personality to the video. These connotations show how Amy was passionate about her music, how these lyrics meant something to her and how she wanted to represent this in the video and make it more personal to her - something, maybe not to such extremes, which isn't rare in the soul music genre which is known to focus on music, not image.

Off centre shot, represents her personal state and her unconventionalism

Conventions of Soul music videos

A video of me talking about the conventions of Soul music videos.

SJA Assessment (SUMMER WORK) 18/09

WWW:
- Very pleasing to see a much more organised and up-to-date blog Cameron - big improvement on Year 12!
- You have clearly taken lots of care taken to compose very good contact sheets - all posts are visual because of the use of contact sheets
- Evidence of careful thinking and analysis for the post completed as part of the summer work. Some excellent reference to specific conventions / techniques, and a clear understanding of the features of a successful music video. You clearly gained a lot of useful ideas from the 'In The Sun' class shoot. Your blog is looking very good so far.
- I thought your lip synch task (with Ryan and Jack) was really good - clear grasp of the need to include a variety of shots and to avoid viewer fatigue.

EBI:
- Just some suggestions to help you improve the work: The contact sheets are very good Cameron, and it's good to see each post is visual, but try to show a more varied use of media to create visual posts.
- I'd suggest that you try to take short extracts (clips) from some of the music videos you have anaylsed instead of relying on contact sheets for all posts. This would boost marks for 'creativity' and 'skill in the use of media and ICT'. Try creating a 'voice over commentary' perhaps for your analysis of 2 or 3 of the Pop and Rock music videos -  to talk through the ideas you liked and the approaches (lighting / shots) that you felt were successful. You make lots of very perceptive comments about editing techniques and camera movement - and still screen grabs just don't show off your observations. Including analysis of moving clips will work more more successfully.
- Upload the brief music video you completed over the summer with Elenya and Katie - as it is excellent. Explain why you did it, and the skills / ideas you gained from the activity
- Make sure you look back at the Research checklist we gave you and please check that you are using the correct names / titles for each post.
- Your work on the 'Low Budget' videos is not your best efforts Cameron - too brief and vague. Come back to this and improve. This would be a good opportunity to do a voice over commentary of these videos - rather than contact sheets, or merely uploading the whole music video from You Tube - an examiner will not bother to view the whole 3 mins of any complete video you have uploaded, and it really has no meaning, unless you upload only a short 5- 10 sec extract which demonstrates your point (about camera movement, editing, etc)... or unless you provide a voice over commentary.
- One post from Summer work missing - It's either Post 5, 6 or 7 (Analysis of Rock Video)
Effort for Summer Work: Some Improvement Needed - will certainly go up through the effort levels if you address some of the points of feedback I have given here. Make sure you compelte that missing analytical post, and improve Post 12 (Low Budget Music Video x 2 Analysis)

Foo Fighters analysis of album advert

CD cover analysis-Slipknot "All Hope is Gone"

Mood board

Developing my skills on final cut

Low Budget Ideas

The low budget ideas that have been exibited in this music video are the simple lighting tricks that have been used to create silhouettes whilst the performers are dancing. This is very low budget for me as the school has many lighting rigs that could replicate this effect very easily. The  setting is also very easy to recreate as any fancy wallpaper will give the illusion of an expensive house or a high class setting. Finally the costumes are common in the wardrobes of any guy, therefore to recreate this its a simple matter of looking for a suit in my household.

In this music video the cheap ideas come from clever use of depth and camera angles, for instance at the beginning the silhouette is simply twigs in the foreground and a bright light behind the woman. Then there is no need for complicated costuming or props as a lot of extreme close-ups are used, these still add to the overall look of the video which is very chaotic and fast paced.

Conventions of a music video

The conventions of a music video depends upon the genre of the song, for instance in this song ("The Rock Show") by Punk/Pop pand Blink 182 has a comical mise-en-scene, this goes along with the bands image of having a care-free lifestyle. So I will divide the conventions into 2 major genres, rock and pop.

The conventions of a rock video are a lot of handheld shots, this connotes the slightly out of control nature that most rock bands have created for themselves. The shots also change in pace along with the song, for instance at its crescendo the shots are in montage editing form, this emphasises the speed of the song. The mise-en-scene of most rock videos is very dark, black is a very dominant colour in most rock videos. The mise-en-scene also encompasses the instruments as a major part of the bands image, ehich includes at least a small amount of instrumental ability.

Pop videos differ in that they use a lot of steady shots in them, this shows that they are more orderly than rock videos, however it could also represent the emotion being conveyed as the shots seem more focussed. The shots also change pace as the music gets faster, however montage editing is used less often, this shows that there are some similarities between the rock and pop videos. The mise-en-scene of pop bands is a ot brighter than that of rock bands, this could be due to the fact that the subject matters are a lot lighter than those of rock videos. Also in pop videos instruments take a backseat as pop is usually about the vocals rather than instrumental ability.

Analysis of a pop video 3

This video for The Wanted's song "I'm Glad you Came" epitomises everything that this band represents and the genre of music that it belongs in. The cinematography in this video includes a lot of very fast paced shots, these are often close ups. This creates a very excited atmosphere around the band and therefore the song, it also makes the video more like a party, this fits in well with the genre as the songs are often set in or about party's. However, the song has some slow moments, these are accompanied by longer shots, the intro for example is set in an extreme long shot, which goes on to a long shot of the entire band (see above.) This shows how the song has connotations about romance and relationships etc, this is again another trait of the genre and the band type, as a boyband The Wanted have a large female fan base which they appeal to with romantic songs.

The sound here is a mix of diagetic and non-diagetic, when the singers are singing it is clearly diagetic, this involves the viwer into the video as its almost like the band is singing to you. The non-diagetic sound is the music in the background, this connotes the fact that the band are just singers as the instruments are left at the sideline. The editing is montage editing as the shots are incredibly fast paced at points this engrosses the viewer as they feel excitement due to the mountain of images presented to them.

The mise-en-scene of this video is perfect for the bands image, as they are to be seen as attractive young males. The first part is shown by having a very female heavy video, as this connotes to the viewer that the band is having to fight off girls with a stick. The latter part is shown by setting it in a party almost indeffinently, as this creates an exciting mood which is not assossiated with the older generations.  

Analysis of pop video 2

This music video for Aloe Black's "I need a Dollar" is very individual, it has a dual narrative which is shown at the same time on the screen. On the right side we see the artist himself, that is a still shot, this shows how he is reflecting upon his past transgressions and feeling regret. On the left however we see an almost continuous shot, this could be to represent the repetition of every day life for the singer, as this song is about living on the street this would be appropriate. The shots are also a POV shot this shows the singers personal input into the song.

The editing here is the black and white on the right hand side of the screen, this is done to show how he has moved on from life on the streets. Also as black and white connotes an old style film it could be meant to represent how he is looking back on his past life. The editing is continuous throughout the video, this reflects the more subtle nature of the song, and the tempo which is slower than other songs I have looked at.

The mise-en-scene of the video is separated, on the one hand it is very classical and is clearly meant to show how he has progressed and lookes upon life on the streets with regret. This is shown on the right side of the screen by using black and white, its also shown by giving him an old fashioned suit. The other side is a grimey street life side, this is on the left side of the screen, this is shown through the use of natural lighting and by giving the characters in it more modern clothing (jeans jackets etc.)

Analysis of Pop video 1

Example is an english musician who has only recently broken into the publics eye, in his music video for the song "Stay awake" he talks about the problems in society. The mise-en-scene for his music video is very in keeping with examples overall look, its very grimey and showcases life in London. This goes along with Examples overall image as he is very proad of his English roots and a lot of his music talks about life lving in England. The fact that example is only shown in black and white differentiates him from the other people in this music video, this could be to represent that he is looking on british society and commenting on it in his song. He wears a sports jacket in this video, this shows that he is a very modern singer and is in tune with the latest fashions and trends etc. The rest of the shots have natural light to show that it is everyday life in London/Britain.

The shots of Example himself are dominated by close-ps, this highlights the fact that he is the artist due to the fact that we can see him singing/performing. There are also several long shots which show him moving around the stage, these shots show his enthusiasm and showmanship. Several of the shots that dont focus on Example are handheld, this emphasises the rough nature that is trying to be conveyed through these shots. The low shot (shown in the bottom right of the contact sheet) makes the individual more powerful by making him seem larger than life, this ahows how the song is meant to empower people.

The editing in this video is mainly in the black and white which differentiates Example from everyone else, this could be to show how he is asking for change, this is shown by the lighting changing as well as the colours which change when he is shown. Also the montage editing changes when Example starts to rap, this is due to the fact that the song changes in pace, as i have established the shots become faster as the pace of the song does the same.

Analysis of rock video 3

The mise-en-scene for the band "Slipknot" is drastically different from either of the bands I have looked at previously this band is very dark and serious. This is reflected in the genre of music that they play, metal, its very heavy and therefore must be shown in the bands image, which is very dark and foreboding. This image of the band is reflected in this music video as we can see with this contact sheet, all the shots shown are very dark and shadowy. This creates a very chaotic nature to the video which is fitting for the music, which is very angry and violent towards the audience.

Close ups are used frequently during this video, these create an increased atmosphere of chaos, combined with the fast movement during these close ups the audience is disorientated leaving the overall effect of one that is disorganised. High shots are also used when filming the drummer this highlights the instrument and gives the viewer an overall view of the drummer and the kit, this also emphasises that instrumental parts are integral to this band. This also highlights the quality of the music being played as "Slipknot" are regarded as one of the best metal bands around its fitting that the instruments are shown a lot.

The editing comprises of a lot of montage editing, as the music is incredibly fast paced this is appropriate, it also follows the pattern that most videos follow, fast music, fast shots, slow music, slow shots. The fast paced shots also have the effect of adding to the chaos created by the riot that is effectively happening in this music video and the close ups.

Analysis of rock video 2

This music video is for Rope by Foo-Fighters, it follows the more traditional view for music videos in that it has a quite simple style and rely's upon the music to make the video great. It also uses background lighting to great effect, as it changes throughout the song along with the tempo of the music, this fully intergrates the mise-en-scene with the music. The music is of the rock genre, Foo Fighters are a very successful band in the rock industry. We can tell that the band is a rock band by looking at the way they dress they are all dressed in black which implys the slightly darker nature of the genre, also most of them have long hair which is a stereotype of "rockers". Added to this they all are playing instruments which is a necessity for any rock band as it cannot just rely upon one member of the band to carry them through their musical careers.

The music present here is lighter than their previous albums, this could be to make their music more accessable to a modern audience as rock music is much less popular recently as it used to be. However Foo Fighters are renowned for having great musical talent, their front man (Dave Grohl) was also the drummer in revolutionary band Nirvana. The music video fits this lighter style of music as the shots are not ridiculously fast paced but do still prevent viewer fatigue. There are also numerous shots of instruments showing the musical focus of the band and the video.

The editing here is mainly used in the parts when the colours change, this is a simple colour overlay that can be done on final cut express relatively easily. The continuity here is presented by the constant use of close ups of faces and instruments. All in all the video tells us a lot about the band and song in question, it tells us that it is lighter than previous songsand therefore the Foo Fighters are changing their style in order to keep up with the current times ad the ways in which the music industry is moving.

Analysis of rock video 1

This video for 30 seconds to mars' "Closer to the edge" incorporates shots from various shows they have sone around the world, this shows how their fans are an integral part of their bands success. Also the fact that some of the shots have titles that seem to be in the voice of the band makes the video so much more personal for the audience as the band has had a personal input to the video. Tracking shots are used to emphasise the movement that is happening in the performance. Mid shots are also used in order to create normality in the video, this imply's the bands rockstar lifestyles and creates a very admirable image of them.

The editing here is all in the use of shot cuts, most of the video is dominated by montage editing, this is dude to the fact that the music is very fast paced, however there are moments (like the introduction for instance) that the shots are more slow paced, this goes along with the pace of the music as with the "Foo Fighters" video for "Rope".

The mise-en-scene of both the video and the band is a very cool band that is very artistically expressive, this can be seen in the way they dress in the video, the frontman's pink mohawk particularly makes him stand out amongst the crowd. The video is also very bright due to the bright lighting that illuminates the stage, this connotes the upbeat nature of the song.

The Brief

Assessment 12/07 SJA

WWW:
- Great to see that you are up-to-date so far Cameron!! Yaaaayyyy! PLEASE KEEP THIS UP.
- Posts are generally visual - good effort to create contact sheets to demonstrate elements of an effective music video, and pics from the music video shoot to reflect on your role.
- Your reflective coments, analysis of 'The Fix' and www/ ebi comments show you have a clear sense of what elements make a good music video, and the need to think and plan carefully to ensure shot rotation, lighting and framing work together to create something that is visually spectacular

EBI:
- I think you could make the effort to include more pictures fromt he music video shoot - you also need to include the planning documents you created in your role as 'Lighting Engineer' - upload these
- Check your use of 'i / I' when referring to yourself in your written posts. never use a lower case 'i' - looks rushed and careless in year 13!
- I thought you made some really perceptive comments in your analysis of 'What Makes a Good Music Video' - good use of a contact sheet from 'The Fix' - but what about referring to other music videos from other genres too??

EFFORT: GD (make sure you upload lighting planning docs)

My progression going into Year 13

Going into year 13 I understand that I am going to have to put in A LOT more work in order to acheive the grade that I want, last year I dont feel that I took the work seriously enough in order for me to achieve a good grade. This year I plan to take the work a lot more seriously, I feel that I have already begun doing this by making my blog posts more visual, and by contributing more of myself in class.

Last year I feel that my film was good, it used a variety of shot types, and I think the fact that we took the time too go up to London really added another level to our film opening. I plan to replicate the variety of shots in my music video in order to avoid the dreaded viewer fatigue. Last year also increased my confidence in front of the camera and behind it, I am going to take this into next year and take advantage of these skills so that it really shows in my music video. Finally I know know that it is much easier to get blog posts out of the way early rather than leaving them to pile up, in short i plan to be more proficient in managing my own time.

My own music video

http://youtu.be/IRVxEoK5-VQ

WWW:
-The lip synching is on time which makes the music video look very professional.
-The use of lighting adds to the party element of the mise-en-scene as they are very bright colours.

EBI:
-A more varied use of shots would have reduced viewer fatigue to almost zero.
-If the song had been finished the video would have been a lot more comprehensive.

Reflecting on music video challenge

My job for our "In the Sun" remake was to do the lighting, i also supplied the guitar and the amp for our male character to use. Lighting was a very important in this video, as there are some very high contrast shots in terms of lighting, it also gave me a chance to improve my skills with the more technical aspects of the filming world.

WWW: -I managed to create contrast in the shots that needed to have contrast (for instance when "him" is by himself in the library.) Also i got to increase my skills with the technical aspects of the lighting/filming features of media, for instance i can now set up a key light and an overhead, this will definately help me when making my own music video. Finally I developed my skills at actually filming, i now know about the vital areas to filming any music video.

EBI: I feel that i was underprepared for this exercise, i made some mistakes in setting up the lights (fitting them to stands etc) however I suppose that this is the point of the exercise, to prepare me for later filming. Also I took too long to set up at some points, this help up the whole proceedings, therefore I will have to be faster in the future. Lastly I wanted to be more involved with my directing parts, however my lighting duties took up most of my time, so when I film my music video I will have to manage my time better.