Planning posts - checking your progress Oct 16th SJA

WWW:


- Cameron, I am so pleased to see that you are relatively up-to-date with your Planning posts! This is great to see!
- I thought your idea for the 'Lyrics Annotation' was really creative and imaginative - keep up this sort of appraoch for each post
- Excellent work also on 'Concepts' post - very well thought trough, genuine interest in your task really shines through on this post
- Lovely photo using Kayleigh for your CD cover / Photoshop practices work - really effective and very relevant to your chosen genre. You show a good 'eye' for what works in a promotional photograph.


EBI:


- Improve your 'Technical Tutorials' posts by providing a written (or verbal) explanation of how you used the green screen and final cut - and your thoughts about how you could include these in to your own music video
- Likewise with the CD cover design post - again you need written explanation about what you did, why you chose that image, and how it works for your genre...

Overall assessment of 'Planning' so far: VG (Very Good) - but try to stay on top of it to avoid putting yourself through all the grief of last minute rushing. To reach the top of Level 4 (which is what you are certainly aiming for) you really need to show creativity, innovation, imagination and ICT technical flair for every post. The 'Planning' section of your blog really should provide you with loads of opportunities to demonstrate all of these things.

Lyric Annotation

Technical Tutorial-Green Screen

This short clip above demonstrates my groups current ability in using the green screen and editing it in final cut. To start off with we film a video clip in-front of the green screen, by doing this we create a background with solid colour (namely green.) We then import this into Final Cut, then we can apply a different background to our clip, we do this by applying the Chroma Key to the shot. Basically this eliminates all of one colour, we simply tell it to get rid of a particular shade of green and then its gone. The empty space is then replaced by whatever is in the shot below in this case a city scape.

This could be useful in our video in that we could easily replace a boring dull background with something more relevant to our given genre (soul.) However this could be less useful for our video as the background that we insert will never be quite 100% believable, also as our artist is meant to be non-commercial adding to much editing could take away from this image.

Technical tutorials-CD Covers

This CD cover shows the lighter side of our artist, this is due to the fact that the lighting is a lot brighter than the other CD cover (see below) thus connoting the slightly more light hearted side of the artist. The font also connotes a more positive attitude than the CD cover below, as not only does it have a inner glow and an outer glow, but it also has a less aggressive look than the one below, this effect is created by having the fill of the font look almost childish. The image in itself suits our genre as not only does it imply that our artist is an intelligent at independant woman (in that she is sleeping on a book full of music notes), but the composition also suits our genre, this is due to the fact that it is a close mid shot, this makes the photo more personal for the viewer, this connotes emotion which is a key theme within out genre.

This second CD cover (as mentioned above) shows the darker side of our artist (also known as the Amy Whinehouse side), this is created by having a dark red border and a shadow around the edge. We also added a very see through red layer over the top, this creates a darker scene and therefore a slightly more dark mise-en-scene. The title is also a lot more suited to our genre as it almost incorporates the classic 50s lights within the font.

Assessment 10th October 2011 JIN

Cameron,
I can see you have really attempted to catch up on the research posts of your blog. Well Done.
There are lots of good visuals here- sometime I think you could do more to really hit High Level 4.
Try to experiment with more technology and use http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/ for responses
I still need to see Post 10 & 11 your application of theory to videos from your genre.
Post 18- Adverts - have you evaluated any?
Post 17 Record Labels- This could be further developed with some imagery.
Post 13 Mood board from your Genre- This works well as a video but I did get viewer fatigue. Could you keep the voice over but add in some relevant images?
For you to get a really high coursework grade we need to see:
Lots of images posted in innovative ways
Detailed analysis using connotation and lots of Media Langauge.
I know you can do this Cameron.
Overall your progress is Very Good. Lets get to Excellent- you are very close! JIN

Concept

To start off the concept I am going to go with costume as this is the part that I feel will define our artists image the most, this is due to the fact that it effects them personally. This dress above is similar to the one we are going to use we are using it as not only is it dark (similar to the little black dress which is a convention of our genre) but it also has tattoos on it, which directly access to the darker side of our artist. This dress also has a slightly more classic feel to it which we could relate back to the golden era of soul which was the fifties, this dress slightly resembles the type of dress that would have been worn back then (not the pattern but the shape.)

Now moving onto effects, as the soul genre is slightly more classical than more modern genres I figured that a sephia effect woul help to accentuate this. However as I was applying the effect to the whole picture (on picnick.com) i realised that I was not addressing both sides of our artist, I had to adress the more modern side as well, to do this is removed the effect that covered the artist, but left it on the background, this to me connotes that she is both modern and classic. It also helps her to stand out, and this helps me to realise that in our video we are going to have to come up with a way to have both modern and classical elements in the editing.

Finally we come to the setting of our music video, primarily I imagine that it will be set in a small club/bar with a stage in it. This is because in a club there are many different settings but all of which have graphic continuity, this makes it a great place to show off our knowledge of media theories. It also fits in with the overall image of our artist, as they are British they are relatively local and will therefore have a great rapore with the viewer to start with, we can play on this by having it set in a location that they will know and love. Having a stage also provides a great opportunity to have natural performance, this is a big convention in the soul genre as it ties in with other conventions (backing singers, band etc.) Finally this is a very accessible place which we would be able to hire out with relative ease, this makes it viable for us to use and therefore to do all of the options availible which I have already stated

Image annotation

In the soul genre we found out that there are 2 types of female artist, the first of these two is best exemplified in the late Amy Whinehouse. This type of artist has tattoos and usually wears a lot darker clothing, the songs are usually about modern life and the hardships of living in todays society. The advantages here are that it makes the artist very relatable to the viewer as they can relate to them as they appear to have a similar background. However a lot of what this type of soul artist does goes against a lot of conventions of the genre, they are in some ways more like rock than they are soul.

The other type of artist is one that Adele represents very well, this type of artist is very pure and heartfealt, as we can see in stark contrast to Amy Whinehouse Adele has no tattoos. This difference in image really shows in the song subject, whereas Amy Whinehouse's songs are about drugs and rock 'n' roll, Adele's are more traditional, love and sadness. This makes her a lot less relatable however as she is so idealistic her audience almost look up to her as an inspiration due to the fact that she is so passionate about what she does. However Adele's style of music is not so relatable in today's world and as such has many critics, and her image itself does not stand out andtherefore would not show an understanding of the conventions of the genre if we were to use it.

In the end we have opted for the best of both world's, as we feel that this will show our understanding in a lot more depth as we can put our artist into both the catagories. Paloa Faith is a very good example of the type of artist we want to use, her songs are about love and do follow the more traditional route. However, her image is sometimes wacky 9see above) and she has tattos so her image balances out the softness of her songs with a more modern edgey tone.

Song details

The song that we have chosen to do is Paloma Faith Technicolour, we have chosen this song as it is one that is not only by a British artist, but it also has no video for it. We also chose it as it fits our genre, as we are doing soul it fits it very well, having a lot of the conventions that are displayed in typical soul songs. However, the primary reason that we chose this song was due to the fact that we all liked it, I cannot tell you how many hours we spent on youtube looking for a song that not only fit our genre, and was british, and didnt have a video, and that we all liked. But when we heard this something clicked it was perfect, it was our song, and we were going to make it our own.

The roles in our music video

This is Kayleigh, she plays several important roles in the production of our music video. Her primary role is to be the "talent" here and to lip synch along with the music, we have chosen her for this as we feel that she is very close to the image we need, and that it would only take a small amount of work in costume to make her look the part (little black dress, fake tattoos etc.) However she will also be heavily involved in the rest of the production as she is very skilled in final cut and in creating ideas for the music video itself.

This is Katie, she will be heavily involved with shooting the video, this is due to the fact that she is very good with using the equipment and also is prolific at finding camera shots/angles that not only suit the job at hand but also look beautiful. During the planning process she will also shine, this is because she is a very creative person and also knows a lot about the media theories, this enables her to make ideas that are realistic, will look good and will get us marks. Finally she has a lot of skill in final cut and will therefore contribute a lot in the editing process.

And finally we come to me, I am going to in the actual video, as either a backing singer or a musician etc. However, I will also be using the camera extensively this is because I have a lot of experience with the camera and therefore will be able to sort out most glitches/problems that we could come across with them. My main area however will be during the editing process, primarily due to the fact that I have the most experience wth final cut and because I can get the most out of the macs, be it photoshop, final cut or imovie, I can use it to make a peice of work look proffessional.

Initial Ideas

In this video we talk about our initial ideas for our soul video, we decided to film our conversation regarding to this so that the ideas could flow more naturally rather than being very prescribed (which they would be if we just wrote them down.) By having a normal conversation we had more creative freedom and therefore the ideas we came up with were a lot more individual and therefore (in my eyes) a lot better.

Audience analysis-Questionnaire results

What do you expect to see in a soul music video?

This will give us a good basis for the content of out music video as it will give us what the audience thinks are integral parts of a soul music video, for instance, we now know that we need bacing singers as it in the number 1 convention shown in the graph above. However it also tells us about costume, if we have a female artist the little black dress is a must it seems. This chart will give me the ability to back up my decisions in regards to the video as we have primary research to bac it up.

Number of people who listen to our genre

This graph tells me the popularity of out chosengenre, it tells me that the genre (soul) is not as popular as rock or pop, this is due to the fact that these 2 genres are quite mainstream whereas soul is a more niche audience. As such we can afford to be more daring with the song choice and make it so that it will only appeal to our relatively small audience. This is a good thing as it will make our video a lot more focussed as we do not have to worry about pleasing different groups, only our niche market.

Audience Analysis-The Questionaire

This will give us a very clear indication as to what our target audience want to see in the music video, as we have put in very specific questions about the content that they expect to see. Also we have asked aboutthe artists this will not only help us to choose out a specific image that will make our artist very popular with our target audience.

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.