Before we created our preliminary lip sync with editing, me and Madeline played a song and attempted to lip sync to it. From making the video we new two things for definite, we needed to make sure we new the words well enough to keep up with a rap and that we needed to create facial expressions when we sang. Obviously this is only a simple lip sync without editing and effects.
Moving on the beat is also a main factor of the music video which i tried to show through my amazing dance skills and movements.
Many conventions of the music video can be seen in Ellie Goulding's version of "Your song" originally composed by Sir Elton John. The main artist is constantly in the narrative. At the beginning of the video their are close up shots of Gold leaves and boots. Straight away the audience interoperate this code for nature. The next shot is a close up of a ticket. The camera defocuses on the ticket but we can see that the words 'return' are printed on the front, telling the audience that are artist is returning home. Throughout the video a constant home recording feeling is strewn into it. The constant jostling of the camera and its defocusing creates this. All of these images create an innocent and warm feeling to the video; the orange light that surrounds Goulding when she's singing into the camera re-occures throughout many music videos. In Rihanna and Eminems "love the way you lie " video, an orange glow is used behind eminem, creating a sense of freedom and space. In the "Your song" video, it creates the same feel.
The constant defocusing in the video makes the audience aware of what they are watching. Creating the idea that what the camera is focusing on is important. When Goulding is in the train, rocking back and forth relays codes of youthfulness and excitement, and, remembering the train ticket, gives us the idea that shes going somewhere that she hasn't been for a long time or ever. Goulding is seen playing the piano, a convention that is commonly used in a music video in which the artist is playing an instrument to showcase their other talents. The cat is is code for warmth and homeliness, this is the same with the woolen jumpers and the hot drinks. Quick cuts throughout the music video is another common convention.
These are some album cover that I created for practice. The skills that I used to create these prototypes will help me when i create my final album cover.
As our artist sings music of the alternative/pop/indie genre i felt this image helped portray that. The indie population are now being seen as a creative and artistic group of people. In this image that i found from the social networking site 'tumblr' i feel that the photography has tried to emphasize love and secrecy. She has hidden the facial expressions of the models by using backlighting, creating a silhouette of them both kissing. The girl on the left has vibrant hair (orange) which glows softly in conjunction with the light. The fact that they are obviously underwater in the dark could be a code for secrecy, as if they were hiding their feeling for each other.
Conventions on the cover that are commonly seen on an album cover are the the title of the album 'Playing With Tides' and the artist name 'Canute'. I also included a plug at the bottom of the cover telling the audience that a curtain song is included in the album.
Travelling like the Light' VV Brown seems to be immersed in a yellow light, creating a direct reference to the sun, light etc.
Retro Hair style
Facial expressions - Moody, mysterious, sexual.
Looking at the camera (Also a convention)
Font of the writing - sixties retro, bold, looks as if its lighting up.
Conventions
Album name
Artist name
Main image of the artist
Artist looking into the camera
The overall album cover has no Mise - en - scene. This in turns the audience focus mainly on the artist. A medium shot has been used to capture this image of VV Brown. You can also tell from the image that one light has been used, creating shadowing on her face. Defining her facial features making her seem mysterious. Her facial expressions are very sultry, drawing the audience in onto her face which is the focal of the cover, she does this with her eyes slightly shut making her look like she's looking intently at something. Also her lips are slightly apart which make her look inviting. The strap line containing the Artists name and the album names give the cover a classic look like an old movie cinema strip. This, along with her bouffant hair style make her seem like an artist that would sing like a pre 1950's singer.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Mika's album is very psychedelic. The appeal of the album cover to a younger audience is inevitable, as it just screams "LOOK AT ME" when on the shelf in a store. It holds all of the Normal conventions you would find in a music video.
Artist name
Album name
Image of the artist
The name 'MIKA' is thrown straight into the audiences face with its immersing 3D effect. The images that surround the artists name are very interesting as they represent many different things. The album cover itself resembles that of a cartoon dream, with clouds and drawing of cartoon people all around giving it a fun and childlike appearance, and with the disney style writing all related to the title of the album 'Life in cartoon Motion'. An image of the Artist is a common convention and this album does have this, however it is very small as if he does not want himself to be them focus of the album, however we learn some things about the artist from this art work. In the top left hand corner we can see a piano, an obvious interest that he must have, and surrounding this are other things like shoes, flowers, vinyl CD's, birds etc... all codes representing his interests.
The ban beneath all of this sitting in the sofa, could be code for the music of the CD telling the audience that its easy listening, that the music within it is relaxing and fun.
The cogs and gears within the album link to the album name especially the word 'motion'. The gears are code for life constantly on the move working towards something. It also looks as if the gears are working the image, as if, if the Album cover were to move, the cogs would be the ones working to move the image around.
Mika as an artist uses intertextuality between all of his album covers, bright colours and drawings etc...
The bright colours on the album make it veer appealing to women, but how can he broaden his audience? Mika released a separate album cover which replaced the pink with a dark green, obviously to make himself appeal to a Male audience as well as female.
Definitely Maybe
Typical conventions of an album cover:
Lead singer looking into the camera
Lead singer usually closest to the camera or biggest in the shot and always centre
Album name
Artist name
The Cover:
Portrays a down to earth feel
Created the sense that they are a family unit
makes the audience know that they work together
Shows them watching TV (ordinary)
Codes (positioning):
Centre, for ground is the lead singer, showing the audience that he is the most important member of the band.
He is on the floor, relaying confidence, arrogance, individuality and that he is pensive.
Second closest to the camera, lead guitarist.
Holding a guitar telling the audience he is the musical talent in the band.
He may be the song writer, is simply jamming.
Confident
May run the band behind the scenes
The other two members of the band are there but furthest away and they are least important, however they are still part of the band.
Mise - en - scene:
Wooden floors, Sophisticated
Well off working class conditions
Wine glasses, creates a sense of sophistication
Benson and hedges cigarettes, still regular guys
Globe hanging on the wall. Creates the idea that they will pen day own/ conquer the world
Mirror with the reflection of the sky creates a sense of freedom and space whilst in the room
There are several fonts that i could have chosen for, for my artist. HOwever i chose the last font of the above. (DESDEMONA)
I felt this this font is very individual. And I will be able to edit it easily with a variety of colours if I wish. Its clear and easey to read and has a sense of classiness to it that you don't usually see in fonts. I feel that the font will represent my artist well as a font can say a lot about about an ratios. I feel this font says to the audience, 'Take me seriously'. Its simple yet bold with bubbly type writing.
The XX are a band that were created in 2005 when signed to indipendent record label, 'Young turks'. They released their first album in 2009 and released various singles such as 'Crystalised' and 'Islands' to premote there album 'X'. The XX have used various methods to publisise their music, from tv sound tracks, radio air time all the way to premoting their music by creating various web pages for themselves.
The XX are also available to download on websites such as Itunes and Spotify.
On the XX official website they give you the choice to do a verity of things. These range from the audience to buy XX merchandise, watch their own videos, listen to their songs for free, link to their misact page and gives you information on how to contact various member of their PR team.
The xx myspace:
The website follows the same theme as the album cover (first image). The audience at first are only being able to view the artists through a large 'X' (obviously their logo). Its extremely simply giving you the most obvious options that the audience are on the site for. Through all of their websites there are opportunities for you to buy their music.
This video is very different to other conventional music videos, for one thing the narrative is used throughout the video, with no introduction of the artists. This means that the audience focus mainly on the story that is the music video. The songs title 'Ghetto Gospel' is oxymoronic meaning that these two words are a representation of two completely opposite things. Ghetto is associated with dark and dangerous places high in poverty and crime and in comparison to gospel, we think of god, light, hope and peace not necessarily two words you would place together. The same appeals to the artists 2PAC and Elton John. Its a very yin yang scenario, black and white, heterosexual and homosexual, rap and pop. This is called jeux de position. You would not see a video thats lyrics speak of a nice and peaceful place and yet be shown the slums of america.
Conventions of a music video are usually seen as, artist singing along to the song, dancing, switching from them to the narrative, the artist eventually being included in the narrative, cuts in time to the music and so on.
"Music videos editing bears a far greater responsibility for many elements than does classic hollywood film editing" - Carol Vernallis.
As an example, many quick edits help build a montage of the story or helps to progress the narrative. Something you don't Generally see in contemporary hollywood films. The narrative itself is described by the lyrics of the song, ensuring that no one aspect of the music video gains the upper hand. This is also known as MTV style editing.
This music video is simply the narrative. From the very beginning we are introduced to a crime scene. The audience are able to identify this from the codes in the first shot. Diagetic sounds can be heard from helicopters and from the sirens of police cars that are all around them. Their facial expressions are all solum an obvious code for sorrow, pain and loss. Low angle shots and point of view shots are used to emphasise the movements of the crowd and of the women who is slowly moving towards a body of a man whom we may be introduced to later on in the video. We guess that the lady is a relative. Rain is used to create pathetic fallacy. As the sounds of the scene are dropped and the non-diagetic sounds of the song begin, we see the women cradelling the victim in her arms, a code which could lead the audience to believe that this is her son.
The screen then cuts and blurs, followed by a floating tilt like action which signifies that the victims soul has left his body.
The narrative then reverts back to the morning of that day. The time is shown for the audience to understand this. The narrative and the song are still connected by the lyrics, for when the lyrics are sung "the red sun sinks at last" a red sun appears on screen. This happens throughout the video.
The camera cuts from the same man who was killed, who is now in bed, to him sitting and eating his breakfeast at the table, with the same women (mother) who cradled him as he dies. In the Mise en scene of the image we see the picture of DaVinci's painting 'The Last Supper' code for *hint* *hint* his last supper. Cuts in the same time as the music are done throughout (common convention of a music video). The constant rhythmic bases of cuts is closely related to the song.
The narrative then cuts to a church with and all black gang outside of it. Codes for this are their body language and costume; baggy cloths, bling, and a lot of swagger. we then see a close up of the main character and another gang member swapping a substance/object in their hands, and obvious code for drugs. once he has done this however he has a confused look upon his face, maybe signifying that he dent like what he has just done. we then cut to later on in the day where we see our main man and what seems to be his family. This tells the audience that he has something to live for.
After a few more similar shots we see the main character standing on the top of the roof with his arms stretched out, code for freedom and space, a jeux to position from the ghetto that he is in. Various cuts are edited in the next sequence, cutting between a gang and moving lights moving in and out of the shot, code for something approaching. we then see black car pull up next to the and and they all scatter. Code for a greater danger.
That same car pulls up along side our main character, there is then a long shot of the car and a flashing light that is lit inside it. Their is then a cut to an over the shoulder shot of the main reaching to the bullet that enters him. Then a slo mo shot of his cup spill onto the floor, resembling his life leaving his body.
This is used to ensure you dont disorientate the audience. It has been used in some filmes but this is usually deliberate to create a curtain effect. Most films and videos however dont break this rule because the audience should maintain a position between edits in terms of orientation.
A graphic match (as opposed to a graphic contrast or collision) occurs when the shapes, colors and/or overall movement of two shots match in composition, either within a scene or, especially, across a transition between two scenes. Indeed, rather than the seamless cuts of continuity editing within a scene, the term "graphic match" usually denotes a more conspicuous transition between (or comparison of) two shots via pictorial elements. A match cut often involves a graphic match, a smooth transition between scenes and an element of metaphorical (or at least meaningful) comparison between elements in both shots.
Music videos are primarily used as a marketing scheme for various artists to promote their music. Although music videos have been around for many years, they became most popular in the 1980's when MTV based their format around the medium.
Music videos directors use a wide range of techniques when they create music videos, some focus only on the narrative, some focus only on the artist performing and some mix both together.
When MTV launched in 1981 with 'video killed the radio star' which introduces 24 hour s a day music on television. Many artist that are still around today may not have been as popular if their music videos hadn't been created, such as madonnas 'like a prayer' which was highly controversial, however, this still led to more publicity for her. Other artist have also gathered popularity because of their videos such as Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and the highly cinematic video 'Love the way you lie' by Rhianna and Eminem.
Alternative Music Videos
Their are different types of music videos. Some emphasise more on the narrative than others and some do not have a narrative at all. some break all of the rules that surround filming and some stick to them others alternate between them. This is all down to what the artist and the director feel suites the song.
