Group: Schedule of shooting

Date	Location	Crew/cast	Equipment
29th October	Maidstone and Dunorlan Park	DS, AS, HL and female actress	Camera, tripod and steady cam
30th October	Tunbridge Wells	DS, AS, HL and female actress	Camera, tripod and steady cam

Group: Concept Development

Following the feedback from our pitch, we have decided on a transitional object that will appear in both locations:


Transitional Object - iPod











  










We believe that this object is suitable for our video because its something that the normal person will carry round daily, but it will also give us scope to relate it back to the actual track itself. The iPod will promote the track through the 'dreamstate' as the mise-en-scene will show the protagonist wearing the headphones throughout the music video.

The headphones that will accompany the iPod will be :



We have chosen this because they give a feeling of distancing oneself from reality and stress due to thier size - you can immerse yourself in the music. They will appear in his dream and the reality in order to give a feel of continuity.

End of Term 1 feedback

Well done Harry, Dylan and Alex. You have produced some excellent work this term. Your inital ideas were good, but after the brave decision to change your track you have come up with an inspiring concept which provides you with opportunity and challenge. There is now the clear development of your production ideas but you still need to demonstrate how prepartion tasks support your developing ideas. During the last week of storyboarding, you will need to ensure that you update the blog in every lesson, considering how you have moved and focussed concept. Also you need to use the comment facility on the blog; you can start by reading my comments and replying to me. Also it is a good time to post any other video ideas which inspire you and get the other to comment on this too.

Group Post: Pitch Feedback

After presenting our idea for our music video to the class we received the following feedback:

• The audience wanted a clearer idea of the specific camera techniques we planned to use - showing that we had focus too much on the concept and had not accounted for more technical aspects. We decided that we were going to use a variety of shots: establishing shots, long shots, close ups and pans in the two different locations.
• We received feedback that we should change the notion of drugs to something more abstract in order to enhance the video. Our audience said that they felt we should have a 'transitional object' that appears in both sets of locations - like a never ending cycle, reflecting the daily routine of our protagonist.
• The previous idea also led us to make the decision that we wanted to re-think the dream state in our video. Instead of showing him lonely and disconnected from society because of drugs and what they entail, we have made the decision to show him being in this state chasing a seemingly 'guardian angel' type of woman.
• The reality that the video cuts back to is most likely to be this woman he sees in his dreams picking him up off the pavement.
• Lastly, we need to think about transitions between shots. This will encourage us to consider what makes reality.

Overall, the feedback we received has been extremely helpful. It has made us think about how our initial idea can become more abstract and enigmatic. The key to success for us is whether we can tell the storyline effectively.

Group Pitch

HL: Audience Research Questionaire

This survey should be taken whilst listening to the track:

'I'm God - Clams Casino'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbvrM6Nj2Ok

Click here to take survey

Storyboard - Six Key Scenes

Below is a link to our ideas for six key scenes in our music video:

HL: Media Videos - Commercial, Porn or Art?

Recently with the development of new technologies and the current instability of the music industry, many have discussed the necessity of the widely appreciated 'music video'. Is the production merely a promotional stunt to advertise the band and the new track, or is it an opportunity for a director to be praised alongside the success of the track. This question is too bold to be answered in one clear section, to help answer this question one must first split this into three categories:

Commercial

• The band image is shown through the use of visual motifs that of which stay with the audience. Other examples similar to this also include meta-narratives which emphasise the illustrative and amplified ideas.

• This created image is then seen a promotional stunt as the video is seen is more of an advertisement to further improve the bands takings.

• Other features which link a video as a commercial is the excessive use of 'meat shots' which help to almost objectify the band members, creating a link between the members and the actual band.

Porn

• In many ways music videos can also be seen as 'porn' due to the objectification of the female form, which in turn puts women in a bad light, showing men to be just fetishistic 'objectifiers'.

• This representation of women is shown according to Erving Goffman, who analyses the use of the female body in music videos in a number of ways:

1. Artificial Look - the slim, big breasted 'beauty' that is shown in almost every single pop music video.
2. Dismemberment - Where parts of the women are displayed, usually the legs, breast and eyes.
3. Commodification - Which really focuses on the objectification of women, mainly shown by a powerful male protagonist.

• More examples include Ritulization and Relative size however they are very similar to the points made above.

• Other examples of theorists also include 'Laura Mulvey' who focuses on the 'Male Gaze' in music videos where the audience is forces to view the material in the eyes of a heterosexual man.

Art

• Many videos are able to be viewed as art, this is sometime due to the clever and unique content they contain, but also by the introduction of a clever or well known artistic director, whom takes the initial idea and creates a masterpiece.

• New technologies also give directors more power over what they shoot, some directors decide to drop the idea of filming and animate the performance/narrative all together.

• Another reason to agree with the artistic aspect is how music videos are now being viewed more as a film, which higher production values and well written stories in most cases.

Conclusion

To conclude this question, even though music videos and the music industry are changing it still doesn't mean that we will soon lack the creative people, the ones who cut away from the bunch and create something superb and new. For this reason alone i personally and strongly believe that many music videos, not all music videos!, but many can and should be classed as art, Examples such as 'Runaway  - Kanye West' and 'Rabbit in the headlights - UNKLE' are both milestones in filmography which make something that originally was for a promotional benefit into something that can be seen and appreciated a piece of art.

HL: Institutional Conext

What role do NMT's now play in promoting artists? How has this changed traditional practice? To what extent is this an example of 'we media'

The role of NMT's has heightened in the past couple of years, examples such as web 2.0 featuring social networking sites i.e. Facebook, Twitter etc, this allowed artists the opportunity to promote not only music but also their image via the Internet.
Another advantage of this NMT is that there product is able to reach a much wider audience with very little effort due to all the advances in technology around the world.
This type of promoting activity is much different to how is used to be, where a buzz was created about the specific band through word and mouth as well as flayer's and free gigs. Now with use of the Internet network, sites such as Youtube and Soundcloud are able to feature the bands tracks with information concerning contacts. To some extent this is an example of 'we media' as the process will only work if other members choose to use the Internet and acknowledge there advertisement and tracks.

HL: Music Video Deconstruction

Arctic Monkeys - 'Fluorescent Adolescent' (2007)

Directed by Richard Ayoade

Institution and audience

This video would be consumed through music channels such as 'Kerrang' due to the channels special focus on alternative rock music, and also 'MTV' as it introduces upcoming acts and artists as well popular acts such as 'The Arctic Monkeys'. This video is very much a focused piece of viewing due to its illustrative ideas and its developing narrative. Due to this it has a sense of repeatability about it as the ideas revolving round the narrative are interesting and unique meaning that the video is able to stand out above other alternative music videos. Others may also view this music video online due to the director (Richard Ayoade) a well respected comedian & actor, whoes directing portfolio is unheard of by most people. It is clear that due to the success of 'The Arctic Monkeys' the record label 'Domino Records' would of funded the music video and other promotional texts relating to the new track and video.

The XX - 'Crystallised' (2009)

Directed by Alex Flick and Masato Riesser

Genre and Narrative

With an understanding of Goodwin's theory, one is able to understand the evident conventions and forms shown in this music video. To begin, the use of a performance piece demonstrates characteristics of the genre 'indie-rock' as it implies a sense of musicianship as well as a clear example of musical talent.

Another aspect which links to the genre, is the use of a disjunctive relationship between the lyrics and visuals as this low budget performance piece features weird and wonderful images projected over the band as they play.

In the narrative aspect of this video we see how the sound of the music is emulated by the images projected over the band, this paired with the dark background connotes a sense of mystery about the band, with some members pushed into the corner where as the main two vocalist are given prevalence.

In some aspects this video could be received as a piece of art due to its simple yet inventive ideas used in the video, which in turn relate to the band's music as it follows the convention of a normal band however its difference is how they use technology e.g. a drum sequencer instead of a drummer.

 

Frank Ocean - 'Pyramids' (2012)

Directed by Nabil

Media Language and Representation
In this music video directed by 'Nabil' the audience is shown how the media language creates a message/purpose behind the video, this 'message' refers to a social aspect rather then aspects revolving the artists image. It focuses on the social aspects of the male gender i.e. alcohol and strip clubs.
This is then backed up by the shots used, as we are shown a protagonist (Frank Ocean himself) drinking an amount of alcohol and then entering a strip club , this sense of an alcohol induced evening is represented through the use of a colourful and bright colour filter as well as an unsteady camera pan and 'shaky' meat shots.

The mise-en-scene also emulates that of an average American working man i.e. suit with an unbuttoned/loosened tie. This then is an important reference as creates a post modernistic view of the American male society. Continuing with this, we see how the artist Frank Ocean is shown to fit into many stereotypical views of the American male culture. Aspects such as drink driving and over indulgence are shown in this video. Social groups are also represented, as the strip club scene contain a variety of different men, with very different races, jobs and ethnicity's.

However the representation of women is shown to be extremely undermining, this link to the theory of Goffman et al, where the women are dismembered from the real world, the dancers are shown to be more of an object then a being. This in turn introduces ideas behind the voyeuristic and fetishistic view of women, with a main focus being on fetishistic due to the location in which the women are placed. 

Other sexualities are also marginalised again due to the scene leaving heterosexuality to been seen as almost normal, this is ironic as the artist himself has mentioned his bisexuality in an interview.  

Group: Audience Profile

Below is our Audience Profile Presentation focusing on the features of our planned audience:

Group: Brighton Reccie footage and evaluation

(Clip will go here)

Strengths: We found composing the order of the clips to be least challenging, as albeit there was no real story to the shots we composed, we were able to make some sense of them and order them accordinly. Our actual filming of the shots was also something we excelled in, as we were able to identify the angle and distance appropriate for the shot and then carry it out effectively.

Weaknesses: At times during the reccie we struggled to think of possible shots to compose. I feel this was largely down to the fact our original idea would not include any footage in the environment we were in, so we found it difficult to relate anything to our ideas. We also found it difficult to create any sort of story to our shots, and ended up just filming a collection of different types of shots, albeit this was helpful as we explored what variations of shots were effected, we still found there was no correlation between shots.


Evaluation:

• We went to Brighton relatively unsure on what we were going to carry out on the reccie as at the time our idea had no relevance to the destination. On our way there, we concluded we would attempt to maximise the learning we could get out of the trip and agreed we would simply try out a variety of different shots and see how they worked out and if they were effective.

• As a result of this mindset, we achieved the knowledge of which shots most conformed to the genre of our chosen track. As previously said, the location had no relevance to our track, however we gained the knowledge of which angles, distances and movements of shots would be the most effective for our track.

• We learnt from this reccie that randomly selecting shot types is an ineffective way to produce a music video. Mise-en-scene is not enough to conform to a genre, but shot angle, distance and movement has a large role in constructing an image and a concept and therefore we discovered that shot selection would be a key part of our project.

DS: Print analysis

• This poster by Oasis features the faces of each member of the band prominently on it - helping to advertise themselves rather than a concert or event

• The glasses that the most prominent band member is wearing act as an easily memorable motif that can be associated with them and helps create a band image.

• As well as the band's faces, the posrer also features various instruments, which once again relates to how the poster reflects them as a band. The muddled nature of the poster reflects the way in which the band wants to be portrayed as a typical group of spontaneous and carefree friends.

• There is a simple block of text in black and white which reads the bands name - having this means that it is easily readable - and nothing else, all that they want is who they are, and the images to reflect this idea.

• One sign reads 'Workers of the World Relax!'. This is connotes how Oasis wish to relate to their target audience and that the purpose of their music is to connect with their fans, and help them to escape their everyday routine.

DS: Music videos - Commerical, Porn or Art?

Much debate circulates around music videos questioning the actual purpose of them. Are they to advertise the band and their production? Or are they are a tribute and an individual production to be admired alongside the music itself? Or perhaps they’re a provocative representation of the human body in an attempt to sell more records? Each of them is represented by artist’s individual styles, constructed by their own unique motifs. The answer is unknown, but every music video is unique and more or less falls under one of these three categories.

Commerical:

• Visual motifs and meta-narratives are used in music videos to set up an overall band image
• The band image is designed to advertise the band and not just the song, as the meta-narrative is the overall description of the band and not just their music 
• Narrative fuzz is then created, whereby the band can return to their narrative and even incorporate just a small part of it, and it will still be understood by their audience as their meta-narrative has already been explored and advertised
• Another feature of a music video being commerical is the actual shots within the video. Close ups of the band members and their instruments known as 'meat shots' help put the band in the best light. This combined with giving the band prevelance helps to put the artist in their best image and sell them.

Porn:

• The main technique which can portray music videos to be porn is the objectification of women
• Ways in which this is done according to Erving Goffman:
• Women being made to look artificial is often done in music video and their image doesn't properly reflect women in reality
• Dismemberment of the female body in music videos by focusing on parts of the women such as her legs or lips, which give sexual connotations
• Commodification where women are represented as objects to men for their own pleasure and consumption
• Laura Mulvey talks about the 'Male Gaze' where in music videos the audience is forced to view the text in the eyes of a hetrosexual man
• The concept of voyuerism is used a lot in music videos where the camera focuses on the sexual aspects and actions of a woman to be viewed by the audience

Art:

• These videos are generally art in the respect that the visuals of the video are used to create a story that corresponds to the track
• Advances in technology mean that people's imaginations are now able to be expressed through the music videos, and are no longer just clips focusing on the band, but short storys illustrating the song's meaning, just the way a piece of art does
• Music videos are now a new outlet not to assist making money for the track. but to make money by the videos production on it's own
• The fact music videos are becoming more like films means track can be sold largely based on the quality of the video, not just the actual music 

Conclusion:

To conclude, I personally believe music videos to be commericals. This is because even if a video is portrayed as slightly pornographic or as a piece of art, those concepts are created for a reason, to sell records. The music video accompanies the track, not the other way round, so regardless of the type of music video I believe the sole purpose of it is to give people a better understanding of the song, and help them paint a picture in their head if they struggle to do so. The music video gives a song more potency, enabling it to become more popular and consequently sell, regardless of it's defined as porn, art or a commerical.

AS: Print Analysis

DigiPak - The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out

Front Cover (Top Left): 

      The same font is used on all sections of the cover in order to create a consistent feel. Furthermore, the font and the album cover are relatively simple. This suggests that The Kooks are a band which are not interested in mainstream gimmicks, and prefer to focus more on the actual music rather than advertising.

      This idea makes them a conventional indie rock band, and helps them relate to their target audience. Furthermore the picture of the band members shows them looking away – could be seen as suggesting they’re not arrogant and rather hard working.

      The band’s hairstyles and clothing (skinny jeans) reinforces their Indie genre, as does the fact that they’re sitting round and playing their instruments together as a group.

     Back Cover (Top Right):

      The photo on the back seems to have been taken from the drummers perspective – this gives their target audience an insight into what it is like when the band are creating music together. This helps to make it feel more personal and seems to encourage the audience to relate to them.

      

     The track listings for the album are in the same font as the band's name on the front of the Digipak, this helps to create a connection between the band and their songs and connotes that the band have written and made their own album.

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      Lastly, the theme is also the same on the back cover as it is on the front - which creates a feel of consistency.

      Inside Panels and CD Case:

      There is a consistent band of three colours – red, black and white. This once again reinforces that The Kooks are not too elaborate or complex – just a simple group of friends who make music.

      The CD itself is bright red, which contrasts well with the writing in the colours of black and white. This attracts the audience's attention to the CD effectively because it stands out from the rest of the inside cover.

      On the inside panel there is also a picture of The Kooks. But unlike the front and back covers, on the inside panel they're actually looking towards the camera. The mise en scene in the image - their indie clothing for example (checked shirts and indie hairstyles), helps to the band image of indie rock that they're trying to create.

HL: Print Analysis

• The print doesn't evidently show the genre of the album, however the with help form the quote 'techno genius' people are able to infer. The genre (psych - pop) is shown by the use of a colourful hypnotic wheel, which is juxtaposed with a colourless background.
• Symmetry paired with a binary opposite colour scheme,is used to create an ascetically pleasing image with focus spent on the postion and precition of the layout. The rule of thirds is also present with the artists name/album name both placed in the top corner, however the use of different text informs the readers which text is which.
• In this print we are also show the use of some linguistic devices, mainly in the form of quotes which are too symmetrically placed in a specific order again to make it ascetically pleasing. The quotes them self also give antoher dimension to what the artist is about. The use of evocative words such as 'dazzle' and 'intense' add a sense of depth to his music creating a taking point for consumers.
• The print also helps how the product with be received, this is mainly down to the artwork which is also used on the album cover, this iconic image with allow the consumer to link the image with the artist 'Caribou' as well as the album 'Swim'.
  
  

Group: Pre-Focus Group

Audience Research

Focus Group Task

Chosen Track:  I’m God – Clams Casino

1.    What kind of colours and/or locations would you associate with this sound?

2.    What sort of character would you associate with the track?

3.    What storyline/ narrative would you link with this track?

4.    What words would you describe this sound? (Choose 5 words)

Additional feedback should be filled out after the question have been completed, please hand in your written feedback once the focus group is complete

Group: Location Reccie - Planned Locations

Location Ideas:

In our video we plan to have two contrasting sets of locations. We wish to have one set where we portray the protagonist's troubled lifestyle, and the other where we show the dream state and where he pictures himself in his ideal world. Below are some planned locations where we wish to film.

For the Dream State:  locations that demonstrate where the protagonist wishes to escape to.

1. Brighton Beach

• This location introduces the idea of relaxation and escaping from the hardship the protagonist is experiencing.
• This location provides a good contrast between the urban location the video begins with him in - helping to reinforce the idea that to the protagonist, the locations seem worlds apart.

 2.  Ashdown Forest

• This forest can help to also deliver a break on behalf of the protagonist - this picture especially shows how there are wide open spaces that can help to empty a persons mind.
• The tranquillity of the location means that it is a good symbol of relaxation and peacefulness

3. Countryside Locations

• These locations also provide a start contrast with the urban location
• In particular, lakes provide a chance to 'get away' and 'escape'

Reality:  locations that help to demonstrate how the protagonist is stuck in a vicious cycle of drugs and crime in an urban location

1. The Sort of Housing our Protagonist would live in

• The housing gives a cramped feel that connotes the protagonist being a small and vulnerable person who lives in a far bigger and depressing society.
• The inner city environment that these sorts of building are found in are where we want to illustrate the protagonist going about his everyday misfortune, depression and severe state.

2. The Busy Environment where the protagonist finds himself

• The picture above symbolises what we want to try and portray - the fact that this individual is stuck in a big society where he feels small and isolated.
•  The nature of the environment means that we would be able to represent him as being just another person - but one which the audience is positioned with.





AS: Chosen Track and Tracks of the Same Genre

Our chosen track - Clams Casino - I'm God

About Our Artist:  

Clams Casino is an electronic musician and producer of hip hop music and his productions often sample spacey female voices.

This track belongs to the 'Chillstep' genre. A definition of 'Chillstep' is:

A musical genre composed of dubstep tracks with chill undertones. Low bass, slow beats, and usually a female's voice.

Tracks from a similar genre:

1. Tycho - A Walk

• This track has an ethereal feel to it - in the same way that our chosen track has. 
• The music is relaxing but has heavy bass as well - both common conventions of the genre.
• When listening to the track the audience are encouraged to envisage 'soothing' or 'calming' thoughts, and this means that the intended purpose of the helping the audience to unwind.
• The video creates an image of sunrise, with a way of making the audience feel as though the track is one which should accompany them when they wake up.

Images that may be associated with the track:

   2.  Darius - Maliblue

• Once again, this track is thought provoking and relaxing - encouraging the audience to take a more ambient viewing of the song.
• This song gives the audience the feeling that they want to 'sit back' and forget about their troubles in life whilst the song is playing - making this aspect a unique selling point of the video.
• Like the previous two, this track gives the feeling that the audience should look after themselves and 'take it easy'.
• Tycho's track was focusing on sunrise, and this video also relates to that in a way because here the focus could be perceived to be 'by the sea' - and therefore both are comparable scenarios and locations.

Images that may be associated with the track:

3.  Sierra Leone - Mount Eden Dubstep

• This track is from the same genre as the other videos, but is more aggressive and has heavier bass.
• The title of the video - 'Sierra Leone' is notoriously a country for civil war and conflict - so the track could be seen to represent the girl who we hear in the video wanting to fly away.
• The blindfold on the image that accompanies the track is also related to the conflict in Sierra Leone, because it is seen to be shielding her eyes what she has seen previously.
• The track could be seen to encourage calmness whilst the conflict is still going on - a means of escaping.
• The female voice is a known convention of 'Chillstep' and this is one of the most prevalent aspects of the track.
• Although this track isn't as relaxing as the other two, it is still an example of how heavy bass and a female voice are both apparent - known conventions of the genre.

Images that may be associated with the track:

Suffering such as this is what the female on the track cover could be shielding her eyes from

Recollection or Praying which some may see to be the influence of the track



AS: Pre Production Planning

Character:

· Protagonist - followed throughout the video. The picture below would represent the kind of world he imagines himself being in in his dreams.

Locations:

•  We want to create a symbolic and powerful video, through the inclusion of powerful shots, in memorable locations with scenery that the audience can relate to.
• We are thinking of having one central shot that the video cuts back to throughout. Emphasising the idea of symbolism and following our character through the repetition of thi shot.
• Our ideas centre around the notion of ‘escaping’ ‘peacefulness’ ‘ambience’ and ‘emotion’ and themes we will be looking to base our video around are time and the concept of journeying.




 



Both of the above images demonstrate peacefulness

 Other Shot Ideas:





This boy is something we will be looking to replicate - with the filter that connotes a dream state



Flowers symbolise peace, the binary opposite conflict where the young boy finds himself. Therefore this is likely to be a prominent feature of our video.