Thursday, 27 September 2012
Our Final Idea
This is the idea that Jack and I have decided to produce following the previous lesson and feedback from others.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
25th September 2012
In today's unsupervised lesson Jack and I came up with a final plan for our music video.
We originally picked Swim Good - Frank Ocean but after playing it to the class the feedback we received for the song and other people's narrative ideas for the song, there was a unanimous amount of funeral based ideas.
We wouldn't normally change the song if we were really set on it but after listening to the feedback from the rest of the class, all we could think about when listening to the song WAS a funeral or a very dark/depressing narrative!
This was definitely not what we were looking for! Jack and I went back to the drawing board and deliberated what songs would fit our narrative. We decided that we'd stick with our narrative and then find a song that would fit the narrative best. Finally coming to the decision to use Missed Calls - Mac Miller.
We then spent this unsupervised lesson to finalise all our ideas and how we were going to achieve this using powerpoint to organise all our ideas.
You can find this powerpoint in the next post!!
We originally picked Swim Good - Frank Ocean but after playing it to the class the feedback we received for the song and other people's narrative ideas for the song, there was a unanimous amount of funeral based ideas.
We wouldn't normally change the song if we were really set on it but after listening to the feedback from the rest of the class, all we could think about when listening to the song WAS a funeral or a very dark/depressing narrative!
This was definitely not what we were looking for! Jack and I went back to the drawing board and deliberated what songs would fit our narrative. We decided that we'd stick with our narrative and then find a song that would fit the narrative best. Finally coming to the decision to use Missed Calls - Mac Miller.
We then spent this unsupervised lesson to finalise all our ideas and how we were going to achieve this using powerpoint to organise all our ideas.
You can find this powerpoint in the next post!!
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Textual analysis: Applying Goodwins theory to Kanye West's Runaway
In relation to the 'Goodwin Six' theory Kanye West's Runaway can be linked to many of his ideas. For example, Andrew Goodwin believed that all music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics and this can be applied Runaway. Although the track features repetitive mellow piano rifts throughout it can still be categorized under the Hip-hop/Rap genre.
It displays many of the ideas associated with the genre, e.g the video contains a lot of women dressed in what looks like exspensive clothing which is certainly common within the genre. However the music video also largely features ballet dancers performing elaborate choreography which is not what we expect to see, thus subverting our expectations. So perhaps that aspect of Goodwins theory cant be fully related to Runaway.
Goodwin also believed that there is relationship between lyrics and visuals. Once again, in Runaway's case this cant really be applied. At first glance it seems that its just Kanye standing at a piano with ballet dancers surrounding him, but its definitely up for interpretation. You could certainly say that the dancers represent some of what Kanye is saying. Moreover Goodwin believed that there is also a relationship between music and visuals, unlike the previous theories discussed, this can be applied to Runaway. At numerous points in the video the dancers can be scene moving in the time with beat of the song, this is displayed in many music videos.
Another one of Goodwins theories was 'the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist'. This is demonstrated in Runaway on many occasions, from 2:19 to 2:42 is just a close up of Kanye whilst he plays the piano. This is shown again from moments 3:19 to 3:42, which is evidently purposeful. At certain times in the video and for a select amount of time Kanye can be seen from a close up for over twenty seconds.
In relation to the 'Goodwin Six' theory Kanye West's Runaway can be linked to many of his ideas. For example, Andrew Goodwin believed that all music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics and this can be applied Runaway. Although the track features repetitive mellow piano rifts throughout it can still be categorized under the Hip-hop/Rap genre.
It displays many of the ideas associated with the genre, e.g the video contains a lot of women dressed in what looks like exspensive clothing which is certainly common within the genre. However the music video also largely features ballet dancers performing elaborate choreography which is not what we expect to see, thus subverting our expectations. So perhaps that aspect of Goodwins theory cant be fully related to Runaway.
Goodwin also believed that there is relationship between lyrics and visuals. Once again, in Runaway's case this cant really be applied. At first glance it seems that its just Kanye standing at a piano with ballet dancers surrounding him, but its definitely up for interpretation. You could certainly say that the dancers represent some of what Kanye is saying. Moreover Goodwin believed that there is also a relationship between music and visuals, unlike the previous theories discussed, this can be applied to Runaway. At numerous points in the video the dancers can be scene moving in the time with beat of the song, this is displayed in many music videos.
Another one of Goodwins theories was 'the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist'. This is demonstrated in Runaway on many occasions, from 2:19 to 2:42 is just a close up of Kanye whilst he plays the piano. This is shown again from moments 3:19 to 3:42, which is evidently purposeful. At certain times in the video and for a select amount of time Kanye can be seen from a close up for over twenty seconds.
Textual analysis of existing music videos
Goodwin's Theory:
1.Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics
2.There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
4. The demands of the record label will include the need
for lots of close-ups of the artist
5. The artist may develop motifs
or iconography that recur
across their work (a visual style)
6. There is frequent reference to the notion of ‘looking’
(screens within screens, filming, cameras) and particularly voyeuristic
(pleasure through looking) treatment of
the female body
7. There are often intertextual references – mostly to film, television and popular
culture
Using She & Him's music video for 'In The Sun' we can apply Goodwin's theory to analyse
this particular video.
this particular video.
The main concept of this video is performance based with very little, if anything, narrative. It focuses on 'She' dancing around a school whilst lip synching the song. However, there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. During the song Zooey sings the lyrics "it's hard to be ignored. When I look at you, you look so bored" it shows the main male character looking bored, all alone in a room. The dancing is very upbeat which means the relationship between the up tempo music matches the visuals.
There definitely is a lot of close ups mainly of the female singer in the music video, we can see this even in the thumbnail of the video itself.
An intertextual reference could be the blatant product placement of the band themselves CD cover on the locker at the beginning of the video.
I particularly enjoy the upbeat feel of the music video even though the song itself is about a relationship that hasn't worked out and ended on bad terms, I assume. The message in the song however, is also about being "alright" and "ok" which I think is portrayed in the music video because of the dancing and happy nature of the music video. The colours used in the video are all very warm and cheery which helps the audience feel positively towards the product.
I particularly enjoy the upbeat feel of the music video even though the song itself is about a relationship that hasn't worked out and ended on bad terms, I assume. The message in the song however, is also about being "alright" and "ok" which I think is portrayed in the music video because of the dancing and happy nature of the music video. The colours used in the video are all very warm and cheery which helps the audience feel positively towards the product.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Research into Music Videos
According to the worldwide web there are many different definitions of what a music video is and what makes a music video a music video.
This is the dictionary definition of what a music video is:
"A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes." A lot of modern day music videos are used as a marketing device to sell the records of the artists.
THE HISTORY OF MUSIC VIDEOS
The earliest 'music video' was filmed in the 1950's but a man named Oskar Fischinger filmed animations to classical music in the 1920's and labelled them "visual music". Another example of an early music video was Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blue's (1929). It was shown in theaters until 1932.
(A useful powerpoint on the brief history of Music Video's is embedded below)
(Source: http://www.slideshare.net/crosswaysfederation/music-video-a-brief-history)
"A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes." A lot of modern day music videos are used as a marketing device to sell the records of the artists.
THE HISTORY OF MUSIC VIDEOS
The earliest 'music video' was filmed in the 1950's but a man named Oskar Fischinger filmed animations to classical music in the 1920's and labelled them "visual music". Another example of an early music video was Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blue's (1929). It was shown in theaters until 1932.
You can view the video here:
(A useful powerpoint on the brief history of Music Video's is embedded below)
(Source: http://www.slideshare.net/crosswaysfederation/music-video-a-brief-history)
Landmark Music Videos
Michael Jackson's Thriller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA
Release Date: December 2nd 1983
Director: John Landis
Commercial success: Voted as the most influential pop music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named "a watershed moment for the music industry" for its unprecedented merging of filmmaking and music. Guinness World Records listed it in 2006 as the "most successful music video", selling over 9 million units. In 1999 it won the MTV award for 'the greatest music video of all time', with it taking a further three awards at the 1984 MTV music video awards.
Legacy: In December 2009, the music video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, "Thriller" is the first music video to ever be inducted. The Registry explained, "because of the way the recording industry is evolving and changing, we thought it would be good to go back to the development of an earlier seismic shift, which was the development of the music video" and described the music video as being "the most famous music video of all time".The co-ordinator of the National Film Preservation Board, who decides upon candidates for inclusion in the National Film Registry, Steve Legett, noted that the music video was considered for induction for years, but was chosen mainly due to Jackson's death that year.
Broadway and litigation: In 2009, Jackson sold the rights of "Thriller" to the Nederlander Organization, to stage a Broadway musical based on the video.
Release Date: December 2nd 1983
Director: John Landis
Commercial success: Voted as the most influential pop music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named "a watershed moment for the music industry" for its unprecedented merging of filmmaking and music. Guinness World Records listed it in 2006 as the "most successful music video", selling over 9 million units. In 1999 it won the MTV award for 'the greatest music video of all time', with it taking a further three awards at the 1984 MTV music video awards.
Legacy: In December 2009, the music video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, "Thriller" is the first music video to ever be inducted. The Registry explained, "because of the way the recording industry is evolving and changing, we thought it would be good to go back to the development of an earlier seismic shift, which was the development of the music video" and described the music video as being "the most famous music video of all time".The co-ordinator of the National Film Preservation Board, who decides upon candidates for inclusion in the National Film Registry, Steve Legett, noted that the music video was considered for induction for years, but was chosen mainly due to Jackson's death that year.
Broadway and litigation: In 2009, Jackson sold the rights of "Thriller" to the Nederlander Organization, to stage a Broadway musical based on the video.
Jackson was sued by Landis in a dispute over royalties for the video; Landis claims he is owed four years worth of royalties.
Ola Ray has also complained in the past about difficulties collecting royalties. At first, Ray blamed Jackson, but then apologized to him in 1997. However, Ray eventually sued Jackson on May 6, 2009 in a dispute to obtain uncollected royalties.less than two months before Jackson's death on June 25.
Jack's Old BLOG
http://backdoor-productions.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/our-evaluation-we-are-respectable-way.html
Please check here for early research material
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