Tuesday 31 March 2015
Rough Cut/Feedback
Here is the rough cut of our music video, we will show this to some of our peers and get feedback which we will apply to our finished product
What went well: Lip synching, pace of editing and the performance of the artist. Our artists ability to play the part was probably the strongest point of your video.
What to improve: Locations, clarifying the narrative as well as fixing the steadiness with some of our shots.
Sunday 29 March 2015
Our Finished Music Video
Please watch in 720p, as there seems to be an issue with the 1080p option producing extra lines on screen and reducing the quality of the video.
What Is A Digipak?
Typically a digipak consist of six card stocks that can join together. One of these six contains a plastic case holding a CD or DVD. When media is sold in digipaks it is typically a premium or special edition of a product.
Most digipaks follow a fairly standard criteria when created. When you open one you can expect to find the following:
-Photographs - usually at least one of these will be a close up or medium shots of the artists. The rest of the images will be used to create a mood and reflect a theme that can be seen within the music.
-Track List - typically on the back of the digipak, a track list is included to show the name of every track that is on the album. This list also tells the consumer the order in which the songs will be played.
-Barcode and record company logo - These are present as a way of advertisement, if the consumer likes what they hear on this CD, they know where they can find similar content. In a similar light, somewhere else in the digipak there may be a list of the artists/bands previous work.
-Information on the Album and Artist - Given that a digipak contains extra content than a regular CD purchase, it is not unlikely that you will be able to find more detailed information on each member of the band, including key points such as what instruments they play and what external roles they may have within the band. This list may also include other people that assist with production that would not necessarily be seen on stage performing.
A unique design on the inside of the digipak is also typically present, the themes and colors match the topic of the music in some way.
This is a very effective digipak design. This album is called ''Humans After All' by French DJ duo Daft Punk. The digipak has a simple black background with purple and yellow features making it look like a circuit board, which relates to electricity, which can be related to the artists as well as their themes and music.
The album name contradicts the design in some ways, the name ''Human After All'' does not match the heavy reference to computers and machinery that can be inferred from this design.
The back cover is mostly black, but uses the theme presented by the rest of the pack in an interesting way to highlight the track list. Purple lines connecting from the barcode to the name of each track makes them serve the purpose of bullet points. This is not something you see very often, which adds to how interesting the design of this digipak is. The inner panels have lyrics for two of the songs ''Technologic'' and ''Digital Love.'' This is not an unconventional use for space within a digipak, so despite the uniqueness of this design, some conventions are followed as well. Despite how intricate and interesting the digipak design is, the disc itself does not play into this, as it is a plain yellow disc with the words ''Daft Punk'' written on them in the same font as can be seen on the front of the album.
The next example I will look is Green Day's ''American Idiot.'' The bands name stands out because it is written in a large font in white writing against a black font. The Album's name is also clearly visible because red and black contrast each other really well. Despite being basic, in design, the front cover is effective because of the colors that were chosen. This look is very conventional for the genre of music, which means fans will know what to expect when looking into this album. Some of the songs found within this album have political motivation, which means the heart shaped grenade can be interpreted in several ways. One example of this is that the American government expects the nation to tear out their hearts and fight for America without ever questioning the governments motives because they are supposed to be patriots who love the country.
The back of the digipak is very standard by design, it includes a list of the tracks on the album as well as a parental advisory disclaimer. Additionally, a barcode is present as expected, and the color scheme remains consistent. The image on the back of the back of the album is a grenade pull pin. This time there is no grenade, which heavily implies that if change does not come to America the government will have pulled the pin and destroyed the heart of America as a nation.
The disc also continues the color scheme of red black and white.
The track list can be seen on the disc, also, the insert that can be seen to the left of the disc has the lyrics for all the songs on the album. The consumer can also read about the band members, their roles within the band and their nicknames. Also listed are some of the people that helped with the production of the album.
Most digipaks follow a fairly standard criteria when created. When you open one you can expect to find the following:
-Photographs - usually at least one of these will be a close up or medium shots of the artists. The rest of the images will be used to create a mood and reflect a theme that can be seen within the music.
-Track List - typically on the back of the digipak, a track list is included to show the name of every track that is on the album. This list also tells the consumer the order in which the songs will be played.
-Barcode and record company logo - These are present as a way of advertisement, if the consumer likes what they hear on this CD, they know where they can find similar content. In a similar light, somewhere else in the digipak there may be a list of the artists/bands previous work.
-Information on the Album and Artist - Given that a digipak contains extra content than a regular CD purchase, it is not unlikely that you will be able to find more detailed information on each member of the band, including key points such as what instruments they play and what external roles they may have within the band. This list may also include other people that assist with production that would not necessarily be seen on stage performing.
A unique design on the inside of the digipak is also typically present, the themes and colors match the topic of the music in some way.
The album name contradicts the design in some ways, the name ''Human After All'' does not match the heavy reference to computers and machinery that can be inferred from this design.
The back cover is mostly black, but uses the theme presented by the rest of the pack in an interesting way to highlight the track list. Purple lines connecting from the barcode to the name of each track makes them serve the purpose of bullet points. This is not something you see very often, which adds to how interesting the design of this digipak is. The inner panels have lyrics for two of the songs ''Technologic'' and ''Digital Love.'' This is not an unconventional use for space within a digipak, so despite the uniqueness of this design, some conventions are followed as well. Despite how intricate and interesting the digipak design is, the disc itself does not play into this, as it is a plain yellow disc with the words ''Daft Punk'' written on them in the same font as can be seen on the front of the album.
The back of the digipak is very standard by design, it includes a list of the tracks on the album as well as a parental advisory disclaimer. Additionally, a barcode is present as expected, and the color scheme remains consistent. The image on the back of the back of the album is a grenade pull pin. This time there is no grenade, which heavily implies that if change does not come to America the government will have pulled the pin and destroyed the heart of America as a nation.
The disc also continues the color scheme of red black and white.
The track list can be seen on the disc, also, the insert that can be seen to the left of the disc has the lyrics for all the songs on the album. The consumer can also read about the band members, their roles within the band and their nicknames. Also listed are some of the people that helped with the production of the album.
Tuesday 24 March 2015
First Editing Update
We made a start on editing our music video. We decided to have the train scene at the start of the video, even before the music starts, as an establishing shot, the purpose of this is to tell our audience that the performer is leaving her past behind. We have several ideas for the rest of the video which will be discussed in future update posts.
Narrative
Narrative as we understand it today is produced through a combination of theories. The definition of narrative is a story, or text, constructed through either moving images or words. This can be presented in either chronological order, or a non linear structure which may show the middle or ending first and then establish how the story reached this point later on. Examples of films that do not follow a linear narrative include Pulp Fiction and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
I will now discuss some more popular theories relating to narrative.
Firstly, Todorov's theory states that all films follow an established structure, which includes an equilibrium, disruption, resolution and finally new equilibrium.
To expand on that, Todorov believes that most productions start in a state of peace, following this, the peace is somehow disrupted and the characters must attempt to reach a resolution. Once they accomplish this, a new peace can be established within the text, but this is not the same as the initial equilibrium because something was probably lost along the way. For example, characters dying, or objects with a lot of focus on them within the text being damaged or destroyed in some way which has a large impact on the characters.
Next, Vladimir Propp was a scholar and literary critic that established types of characters that can be seen in every story. Not all character types will be used in every piece of narrative, but the characters that are used can fit one of the descriptions set by Propp. These descriptions are the following;
The Villain - Fights the hero in some way
The Dispatcher - Makes the villains evil known and sends the hero off to stop him
The Helper(s) - Assists the hero on his mission in some way
The Donor - Prepares the hero in some way, by either donating some sort of object or providing a vital piece of information
False Hero - Takes credit for the actions of the hero
Finally, Roland Barthes established a set of codes that are carefully woven into any narrative. The first is the first one is the Hermeneutic Code which refers to any element of the story that is not completely and thoroughly explained. The reason this is used is because the authors job is to keep the audience guessing until the end, leaving enigma codes for them to consider while they are consuming the narrative. The Proairetic Code builds tension and references past events in the narrative that indicates something else is going to happen. These two codes work together to keep the audience interested until the end of the story. The Semantic Code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of a word. This can be used to paint richer pictures with limited text. The Symbolic Code acts at a wider level than the symbolic code, it organises semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning, allowing writers explore complicated sets of ideas whilst using basic descriptions. The Cultural Code refers to anything that cannot be challenged and is assumed to be a foundation of truth within a text.
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Group meeting
We had a group meeting where we discussed the role of each person in the group, this was also an opportunity for us to share ideas and establish a good work environment where everyone could contribute as much as possible.
Updated Shot List
Shot List
| ||
Scene
|
Shot Number
|
Description
|
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
|
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
|
Medium shot of train station platform, 2 seconds long. Sound of train- digetic*
Medium shot of the train approaching. 2 seconds in length. Sound of the train increasing. Diegetic/non Diegetic
Closer Medium shot, Train continues to come, two seconds long. Non-Diegetic sound.
Train arrives, long shot of artist from across the platform. Non-Diegetic sound. 2 seconds long.
Medium shot of artist getting on the train, Non-Diegetic sound, lasts roughly a second to two seconds.
Close up of face, one second in length, Song begins, Diegetic.
Cuts to new location, Close up of face, Singing begins, 1.5 seconds long.
Long shot of artist sitting on train, 3 seconds long, non diegetic sound
|
2
1
1
3
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
|
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
|
Frontal frame, close up of face, singing continues. One second in length. Non-Diegetic.
Medium shot Cuts to train, sitting in a seat, no lip-syncing. 1.5 second in length.
Medium shot of standing in front of a wall 1 second in length.
Close up of holding hands walking 0.5 – 1 second in length.
Medium shot on train 2 seconds in length.
Copy of shot 7, 1.5 seconds length.
Still medium shot of singing 2 seconds
Close up of singing, 4 seconds long
Medium shot, artist sitting on the bench with partner 2 seconds
Medium shot, fades to just her sitting on the bench, 3 seconds
Cuts to Close up of singing, 4 seconds long
|
Updated Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment
Group Members: Kamie, Ellese, Kendall, James, Danny, Matas
Location: Eastbrook Drama studio, Central park, Dagenham East Station
Hazard
|
Person(s) at Risk
|
Likelihood of Hazard
1 – Extremely Unlikely
5 – Extremely Likely
|
Severity of Hazard Outcomes
1 – Very Low Risk
5 – Very High Risk
|
Risk Level
(Likelihood + Severity)
|
Measures to Take to Manage Risk
|
Risk Managed?
Y/N
|
Tripping over wires
|
Kamie, Ellese, Kendall.
|
4
|
3
|
3.5
|
Make sure all wires are out of the way and taped down and make sure we are careful where to walk.
|
Yes
|
Litter, Broken glass, Tripping hazard.
|
Kamie, Ellese, Kendall, James.
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
Make sure we clear the path before we start to film and make sure we are careful where we walk.
|
Yes
|
Dogs and/or dogs knocking over equipment.
|
Kamie, Ellese, Kendall, James.
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
Make sure we take necessary precautions to avoid dogs, and make sure all equipment is safe around dogs.
|
Yes
|
Falling onto tracks
|
Kamie, Ellese, Kendall, James.
Public
|
4
|
5
|
4.5
|
Make sure we take extra precautions to be careful near the tracks and make sure the public are out of harms risk.
|
Yes
|
Model of the Media
The media today follows a model which includes a relationship between the text, the audience that consumes it and the institutions that produce and distribute it.
Examples of text include music videos, songs, TV programmes, films, magazines website computer games etc.
The key pieces of information regarding the text that the institutions seek is what types of text audiences are consuming, why are they consuming it, what is attractive to them about that particular type of text, how they consume it, whether it be on their computers, tablets or phones etc. They also wish to know where they consume it, for example, when it comes to watching films, do people prefer watching them at home or at the cinema. It is also important for the sake of marketing to know when certain texts are being consumed, so that companies can adjust and release certain things during certain times of year to attract the most attention.
Some examples of institutions include record companies, universal, MGN, Fox, BBC, Google, Sky, etc.
The relationship between institutions and the audience is an important one to understand, there is almost always a financial transaction, and if not, then the audience always pays in some way, it could be something as minimal as watching advertisements.
Illegal downloads are beginning to get more and more popular, which means performers and institutions have to adapt, instead of using live performances as promotion for albums, seeing as they are being purchased less and less, they now use the albums as promotions for live performances, where they can charge a large amount of money for tickets and merchandise.
Above you can see a visual representation of the relationship between the audience, text and institution.
Tuesday 17 March 2015
Alex Southam case study
At the start of his career, Southam undertook all the tasks in his videos himself. Regarded as a ''One Man Band'' he took care of camera work, lighting, editing and all other related tasks.
Initially Southam worked for Agile Films, where he is described on their website as ''an exciting new talent working in a dizzying variety of styles across live action and animation. Entirely self-taught, his inventiveness and creativity have caught the eye with a series of diverse promos for the likes of the Walkmen, Alt+Jm and Lianne La Havas. Alex joined Agile in August 2012.''
Southam claims to like the format of music videos as they grant the artist creative freedom, they grant you the ability to try new techniques and integrate them among techniques that are established and effective.
Uses Vimeo as a platform to showcase his work, which is becoming and increasingly more popular platform.
His breakthrough into the industry came with his video for the song ''Tessellate'' by Alt-J. This video had a budget of £10,000, was shot in one day and had a remarkably large cast. This video does not tell a story , it is difficult to infer a lot from it as the cast is standing around not doing much, which shows a disconnect between audio and video. It is worth noting though that even in a video like this, which is not in any way suggestive or voyeuristic, the women are wearing tighter clothing which is in line with some of the issues outlined by Laura Mulvey.
The following music video I will by analysing is Chase and Status' Lost and Not Found. This video had a budget of £50,000. It was filmed at 36 frames per second and then slowed down during the editing stage, captured with the use of steadicams. This video received influence from Massive Attack's ''Unfinished Sympathy'' and was filmed in only three shots with difficult to spot edits. At the beginning of the video, the visuals contradict the audio because they are aggressive compared to the relatively calm pace and lyrics of the song. A woman and a man can be seen arguing and the audio does not match this. This theme of aggression is not consistent, but it also comes up again at the very end of the video. Despite the fact that this video only has three edits, it keeps going at a rather high pace, this may be due to the fact that it was initially filmed at thirty six frames and then slowed down.
The final video I will be looking at is ''Rumble And Sway'' by Jamie N Commons. This video has a very ambiguous editing style, dark colours are used and the two people are never shown clearly, which makes the audience wonder. Close ups are used throughout of the male performer, while the female is shown at medium shot most of the time, which may imply that they are distant from each other despite the audio suggesting that they are attracted to one another, or at the very least, he is attracted to her.
Initially Southam worked for Agile Films, where he is described on their website as ''an exciting new talent working in a dizzying variety of styles across live action and animation. Entirely self-taught, his inventiveness and creativity have caught the eye with a series of diverse promos for the likes of the Walkmen, Alt+Jm and Lianne La Havas. Alex joined Agile in August 2012.''
Southam claims to like the format of music videos as they grant the artist creative freedom, they grant you the ability to try new techniques and integrate them among techniques that are established and effective.
Uses Vimeo as a platform to showcase his work, which is becoming and increasingly more popular platform.
His breakthrough into the industry came with his video for the song ''Tessellate'' by Alt-J. This video had a budget of £10,000, was shot in one day and had a remarkably large cast. This video does not tell a story , it is difficult to infer a lot from it as the cast is standing around not doing much, which shows a disconnect between audio and video. It is worth noting though that even in a video like this, which is not in any way suggestive or voyeuristic, the women are wearing tighter clothing which is in line with some of the issues outlined by Laura Mulvey.
The following music video I will by analysing is Chase and Status' Lost and Not Found. This video had a budget of £50,000. It was filmed at 36 frames per second and then slowed down during the editing stage, captured with the use of steadicams. This video received influence from Massive Attack's ''Unfinished Sympathy'' and was filmed in only three shots with difficult to spot edits. At the beginning of the video, the visuals contradict the audio because they are aggressive compared to the relatively calm pace and lyrics of the song. A woman and a man can be seen arguing and the audio does not match this. This theme of aggression is not consistent, but it also comes up again at the very end of the video. Despite the fact that this video only has three edits, it keeps going at a rather high pace, this may be due to the fact that it was initially filmed at thirty six frames and then slowed down.
The final video I will be looking at is ''Rumble And Sway'' by Jamie N Commons. This video has a very ambiguous editing style, dark colours are used and the two people are never shown clearly, which makes the audience wonder. Close ups are used throughout of the male performer, while the female is shown at medium shot most of the time, which may imply that they are distant from each other despite the audio suggesting that they are attracted to one another, or at the very least, he is attracted to her.
Wednesday 11 March 2015
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