"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a famous duet performed by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It is said to be one of the cheapest music videos to have ever been produced and given the simplicity of the video this is not hard to believe.
For our task, we had to recreate the first half of this music video, creating our own spin off with the purpose of exercising lip-syncing and practicing the use of the editing software available to us. We had to obtain quite a lot of footage, we had 10 whole takes from different angles so that there was a lot of material to use when it came to the editing stage. Despite the fact that the duet originally is performed by a male and a female, our group used two males as they were the most confident in front of the camera. Given how this was only a practice project, I feel like this does not take away from what we have created as a whole.
We used a wide variety of camera angles when filming, examples include;
•Low Angle Medium Shot
•Wide Low Angle
•Low Angle
•Medium Shot
•Close up
•High Angle
•Medium Pan
Also, in order to make the video more authentic, we included a microphone as our one and only prop, this meant we could focus our attention into the lip-syncing and making the video look as entertaining and energetic as possible.
Each member of the group had to edit their own final music video with the footage that we had collected. This allowed us to practice using software that we were not familiar with previously, which will be really valuable experience when it comes to creating the final project. The software that we used is called Premier Pro, and the process I used to edit the video was the following:
1. Import all the separate full length takes from various angles onto the computer
2. Import audio for the song ''Don't Go Breaking My Heart''
3. Cut small parts of from various angle takes and match them up so that the video flows as a whole.
4. Sync these cuts with the audio, so that the lip-syncing looks right and well done.
While doing this it was important for me to make sure that the video looked smooth as it was transitioning from one cut to another, this was not too difficult, but it is important to note that it is quite easy to make mistakes as each cut is only a few seconds long meaning there are a lot of transitions and therefore a lot of opportunity for slip ups.
Overall I feel like the editing section of the project went well because the lip-syncing was done well for the most part, the video gives the impression that it is actually me and Danny singing fairly effectively. We included a wide variety of shots and so that there is constantly something to pay attention to in the video which means the audience will not get bored as quickly. One particular point of criticism for my version of the video is that certain shots last way longer than they should, which means that it may be harder to convey the energy and enthusiasm within the video to the audience. Another point if improvement is to pick a better space for filming, we did not have a lot of room to work with and so we were limited on what shots we could use. Overall, I think the project was relatively successful as a first, but there are clear points of improvement for us and we will work on them in future videos.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Andrew Goodwin - Key Features of Music Videos
Andrew Goodwin's book ''Dancing In the Distraction Factory'' identifies several key features of modern music videos. I will analyse these features and see if they hold true in modern music videos.
To expand on the point above, in Iron Maiden's video, they can be seen performing on stage dressed in really stereotypical Metal band attire. This includes leather jackets, spiked bracelets and other such key features of a heavy metal music video whilst generally having a dark theme despite the fact that the song itself is actually rather upbeat as opposed to depressing and dark like the scenery might suggest.
2NE1's video also demonstrates genre characteristics, as it is a girl pop group, they can be seen performing very specifically choreographed dance routines on stage while having an uplift and positive theme to the video and the song.
•There is always a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals in a music video. This relationship can be illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.
The following is an example of an illustrative music video, it is Daniel Powter's ''Bad Day''
It follows the day of a man and a woman, the video generally compliments the audio fairly well, despite the fact that both a male and a female are being shown the male can be seen taking the lead. Despite the fact that this video attempts to demonstrate industry equality in that regard, clear bias can still be found.
The next video is a contradictory video, Adele's ''Rolling in the Deep''
•The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work for example a visual style, examples include Katy Perry and Michael Jackson (motifs will be analysed in separate blog posts)
•There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
The video above is an example of voyeuristic choreography. While there is nothing directly explicit about the video, the dance is put together in such a way which is designed to attract the male gaze.
There is often inter-textual reference within music videos. This is when a music video by a particular group or artist references a difference piece of text, this is often other music videos. Inter-textual reference is not limited to other music videos though, it can also include video games, films and other visuals too.
Above is an example of inter-textual reference, the Red Hot Chili Peppers use a video game of themselves as a part of their music video.
•Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (example: Metal videos may typically include shots of the band performing on stage as well as other things, or a stage performance exclusively, while girl or boy bands may have specifically choreographed dance routines to appeal to their target demographic.)
The examples below will be Iron Maiden performing their hit song ''The Number of The Beast'' and a Korean Pop group called 2NE1 performing their hit song ''I Am The Best''
The examples below will be Iron Maiden performing their hit song ''The Number of The Beast'' and a Korean Pop group called 2NE1 performing their hit song ''I Am The Best''
To expand on the point above, in Iron Maiden's video, they can be seen performing on stage dressed in really stereotypical Metal band attire. This includes leather jackets, spiked bracelets and other such key features of a heavy metal music video whilst generally having a dark theme despite the fact that the song itself is actually rather upbeat as opposed to depressing and dark like the scenery might suggest.
2NE1's video also demonstrates genre characteristics, as it is a girl pop group, they can be seen performing very specifically choreographed dance routines on stage while having an uplift and positive theme to the video and the song.
•There is always a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals in a music video. This relationship can be illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.
The following is an example of an illustrative music video, it is Daniel Powter's ''Bad Day''
It follows the day of a man and a woman, the video generally compliments the audio fairly well, despite the fact that both a male and a female are being shown the male can be seen taking the lead. Despite the fact that this video attempts to demonstrate industry equality in that regard, clear bias can still be found.
The next video is a contradictory video, Adele's ''Rolling in the Deep''
•The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work for example a visual style, examples include Katy Perry and Michael Jackson (motifs will be analysed in separate blog posts)
•There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
The video above is an example of voyeuristic choreography. While there is nothing directly explicit about the video, the dance is put together in such a way which is designed to attract the male gaze.
There is often inter-textual reference within music videos. This is when a music video by a particular group or artist references a difference piece of text, this is often other music videos. Inter-textual reference is not limited to other music videos though, it can also include video games, films and other visuals too.
Above is an example of inter-textual reference, the Red Hot Chili Peppers use a video game of themselves as a part of their music video.
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Purpose of Promotional Music Videos
The purpose of promotional music videos can be easily explain in a few points;
•Publicity, raising awareness of the new up and coming product or video
•Increase in sales by letting more people know
•Subtly advertising other products
Product placement happens frequently in music videos, sometimes it is deliberately made very obvious so that fans of the artist or group would be further persuaded to purchase this product as the will be able to relate this back to their favorite artists.
Sometimes product placement is not subtle. Products are placed into shots where they clearly shouldn't exist because they do not fit the music video, and the shots focused directly on the product last too long. This can take away from the music video.
Below are two examples of music videos that have product placement in them. The first is Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines which advertises the Beats Pill.
The following video is Christina Aguilera's Not Myself Tonight, which very clearly advertises a particular brand of perfume.
Music videos on the internet are not the only way in which a music video can get promoted. The music industry has a few other means of media through which they can promote their artists and music. These include;
Radio
TV
Print Media
Social Networks
There are other examples of synergy used within the industry as well. One of the most clear is Film. New songs are often used in films as a means of promotion. Frequently, a music video for a song which has been featured on a film will be shot in the same place as the film so that the audience can make a connection, sometimes the entire music video is not performed in that place but scenes will still be taken there. Sometimes cuts of the film itself are used.
I will list three music videos that have examples of synergy in them. In order, they are:
•Publicity, raising awareness of the new up and coming product or video
•Increase in sales by letting more people know
•Subtly advertising other products
Product placement happens frequently in music videos, sometimes it is deliberately made very obvious so that fans of the artist or group would be further persuaded to purchase this product as the will be able to relate this back to their favorite artists.
Sometimes product placement is not subtle. Products are placed into shots where they clearly shouldn't exist because they do not fit the music video, and the shots focused directly on the product last too long. This can take away from the music video.
Below are two examples of music videos that have product placement in them. The first is Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines which advertises the Beats Pill.
The following video is Christina Aguilera's Not Myself Tonight, which very clearly advertises a particular brand of perfume.
Music videos on the internet are not the only way in which a music video can get promoted. The music industry has a few other means of media through which they can promote their artists and music. These include;
Radio
TV
Print Media
Social Networks
There are other examples of synergy used within the industry as well. One of the most clear is Film. New songs are often used in films as a means of promotion. Frequently, a music video for a song which has been featured on a film will be shot in the same place as the film so that the audience can make a connection, sometimes the entire music video is not performed in that place but scenes will still be taken there. Sometimes cuts of the film itself are used.
I will list three music videos that have examples of synergy in them. In order, they are:
- Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around
Used in Get Real 1998
- Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
This song was used as the Soundtrack for American pie
- Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Friday, 3 October 2014
The History of Pop Music
Bing Crosby was the big star of the 1940's, fans of his would often see him appear in film and TV specials, this was the beginning of the evolution of the music video. This was the only way for people to see these performers as they would not perform live or create short music videos at this point in time.
Frank Sinatra replaced Bing Crosby as the next big star, Similarly to Crosby, fans of Sinatra often watched him on TV in various specials and shows, however, Sinatra also performed live for audiences that could come out watch him if they wanted to.
The next star to continue the chain was Elvis Presley. Similarly to the other two, he was seen on various films and TV shows, He performed at concerts but these were exclusive to the United States.
Above, the trailer for a film, Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley can be seen, this is just one example of the many ways that Presley made a name for himself across the world.
The next group of people to talk about when discussing the development of the pop genre as well as music videos is The Beatles. The first thing that is revolutionary about The Beatles is the fact that they are a group of people as opposed to a solo performer, prior to them, this concept had not really been explored before, or at least to the same level of success as them.
At first they said that they do not wish to leave the UK until they get a number one, which they did with the song ''I Want To Hold Your Hand'', following this huge achievement they went on tour in America, but they hated the atmosphere and they were not so fond of travelling back and forth between countries each week, so what they decided to do was create a short video of the group performing a song.
This then became known as the fist pop music video, it was hugely successful so other artists and creators were hugely on board with the idea and that is why it is an industry standard for popular performers to have many music videos as well as perform live in front of crowds today.
Frank Sinatra replaced Bing Crosby as the next big star, Similarly to Crosby, fans of Sinatra often watched him on TV in various specials and shows, however, Sinatra also performed live for audiences that could come out watch him if they wanted to.
The next star to continue the chain was Elvis Presley. Similarly to the other two, he was seen on various films and TV shows, He performed at concerts but these were exclusive to the United States.
Above, the trailer for a film, Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley can be seen, this is just one example of the many ways that Presley made a name for himself across the world.
The next group of people to talk about when discussing the development of the pop genre as well as music videos is The Beatles. The first thing that is revolutionary about The Beatles is the fact that they are a group of people as opposed to a solo performer, prior to them, this concept had not really been explored before, or at least to the same level of success as them.
At first they said that they do not wish to leave the UK until they get a number one, which they did with the song ''I Want To Hold Your Hand'', following this huge achievement they went on tour in America, but they hated the atmosphere and they were not so fond of travelling back and forth between countries each week, so what they decided to do was create a short video of the group performing a song.
This then became known as the fist pop music video, it was hugely successful so other artists and creators were hugely on board with the idea and that is why it is an industry standard for popular performers to have many music videos as well as perform live in front of crowds today.
Friday, 19 September 2014
Types of Music Groups and Bands
Mainstream music can be divided into two main different categories, these are Synthetic and Organic. These two different types are determined when the band is created and they determine the band members involvement in the work of the band.
Organic:
The term organic is used to describe bands where the music comes first, this implies that they write their own songs and money is not the only motive which encourages the groups members to perform. They always write the type of music that they want to write, as opposed to the type of music that will generate the largest amount of money, however, once they have written albums or singles in their preferred style they try to sell it to the right audience to make a profit from their work.
Given how organic bands often stick to the type of style they themselves find most preferable, they appeal only to a niche audience. However, they can appeal to a mass audience in certain cases as well.
A good example of an organic band is the beatles. They were a group of friends that would often get together just to write songs with no real initial idea that they would make it as big as they did. They played in Germany for one year, making little money, but they never let go of their defining style, when they came home to Liverpool they were signed by a middle class man who owned a record shop, he offered them pre-written songs that he believed would make it to #1 if the beatles performed them, but he was turned down because they wanted to stick to their own style, the music came first for them and this is what makes them an organic band.
Synthetic
Synthetic bands are bands that are created through a certain methodology, the record labels that sign these people control what happens with the band and the band members themselves often have little involvement when it comes to real performing, they are usually instructed and trained to mime along with pre-written and often pre-performed music.
The reason bands like this are created is to exploit an identified gap in the market. This allows songwriters and performers to create a specific type of music to fill that gap in order to generate massive profits, using selected individuals who they believe are suitable to be the front of the group. However, just because profit is the primary goal of these bands this does not mean they are bad and should not be supported, as in some cases they actually produce very good music which appeals to more than a niche audience.
As mentioned, the largest profit possible is the ultimate goal of these manufactured artists, A good example is One Direction. This was a group of individuals selected by Simon Cowell who probably did not know each other to begin with, they do not write their own songs, they likely mime when during their performances, they were created to appeal to a niche audience of younger females and the music does not come first, being successful at what they do and making money does.
Organic:
The term organic is used to describe bands where the music comes first, this implies that they write their own songs and money is not the only motive which encourages the groups members to perform. They always write the type of music that they want to write, as opposed to the type of music that will generate the largest amount of money, however, once they have written albums or singles in their preferred style they try to sell it to the right audience to make a profit from their work.
Given how organic bands often stick to the type of style they themselves find most preferable, they appeal only to a niche audience. However, they can appeal to a mass audience in certain cases as well.
A good example of an organic band is the beatles. They were a group of friends that would often get together just to write songs with no real initial idea that they would make it as big as they did. They played in Germany for one year, making little money, but they never let go of their defining style, when they came home to Liverpool they were signed by a middle class man who owned a record shop, he offered them pre-written songs that he believed would make it to #1 if the beatles performed them, but he was turned down because they wanted to stick to their own style, the music came first for them and this is what makes them an organic band.Synthetic
Synthetic bands are bands that are created through a certain methodology, the record labels that sign these people control what happens with the band and the band members themselves often have little involvement when it comes to real performing, they are usually instructed and trained to mime along with pre-written and often pre-performed music.
The reason bands like this are created is to exploit an identified gap in the market. This allows songwriters and performers to create a specific type of music to fill that gap in order to generate massive profits, using selected individuals who they believe are suitable to be the front of the group. However, just because profit is the primary goal of these bands this does not mean they are bad and should not be supported, as in some cases they actually produce very good music which appeals to more than a niche audience.
As mentioned, the largest profit possible is the ultimate goal of these manufactured artists, A good example is One Direction. This was a group of individuals selected by Simon Cowell who probably did not know each other to begin with, they do not write their own songs, they likely mime when during their performances, they were created to appeal to a niche audience of younger females and the music does not come first, being successful at what they do and making money does.Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Types Of Music Video
In this post I will be talking about a variety of music video styles used in the music industry for various effect.
A music video filmed ''As Live'' is filmed in a way which will make the viewers believe that it is a live performance when in reality it is recorded in a studio.
The example above is Bring Me the Horizon - Anthem, it shows this style of music video, they even include an artificial crowd to create the effect.
The next type of music video I will be talking about is cinematic.
Cinematic music videos have a heavy focus on production value and mise-en-scene. They may appear to be film like, as they are prodced to such a high quality.
This is an example of a cinematic music video, it does not follow any particular structure but the focus on quality and production value is still there.
The third type of music video I will talk about is studio based.
These are videos that are filmed in one location.
In this video, it is clear that the band is performing in one studio and the same environment is visable throughout the video.
The next type of video I will discuss is animated. This is when an anmiation accompanies the music, as opposed to real people performing.
Above is the example of Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. This is a typical Gorillaz music video, it is very thematic and sometimes difficult to follow or strange, but this is just one of their industry motifs and a way for their audience and even people who have never heard of them before to recognize them and their work. It is a very iconic style of branding that is used with their other songs as well.
The following type of music video I will talk about is narrative, this is where a music video tells a story from start to finish. The example I will use for this is Bon Jovi's "Always"
Next is Pastiche, this is when a modern music video blends itself with another genre, time frame or theme. "The Ghost Of You" is an effective example of this.
The final type of music video I will talk about is Parody. Parody is a genre that makes fun of another text or presents it in a comical manner when it may have been presented seriously elsewhere. The difference between Parody and Pastiche is that Pastiche still presents the themes of the video in a serious light, where as parody often mocks or presents the same referenced themes in a comical way.
A music video filmed ''As Live'' is filmed in a way which will make the viewers believe that it is a live performance when in reality it is recorded in a studio.
The example above is Bring Me the Horizon - Anthem, it shows this style of music video, they even include an artificial crowd to create the effect.
The next type of music video I will be talking about is cinematic.
Cinematic music videos have a heavy focus on production value and mise-en-scene. They may appear to be film like, as they are prodced to such a high quality.
This is an example of a cinematic music video, it does not follow any particular structure but the focus on quality and production value is still there.
The third type of music video I will talk about is studio based.
These are videos that are filmed in one location.
In this video, it is clear that the band is performing in one studio and the same environment is visable throughout the video.
The next type of video I will discuss is animated. This is when an anmiation accompanies the music, as opposed to real people performing.
Above is the example of Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. This is a typical Gorillaz music video, it is very thematic and sometimes difficult to follow or strange, but this is just one of their industry motifs and a way for their audience and even people who have never heard of them before to recognize them and their work. It is a very iconic style of branding that is used with their other songs as well.
The following type of music video I will talk about is narrative, this is where a music video tells a story from start to finish. The example I will use for this is Bon Jovi's "Always"
Next is Pastiche, this is when a modern music video blends itself with another genre, time frame or theme. "The Ghost Of You" is an effective example of this.
The final type of music video I will talk about is Parody. Parody is a genre that makes fun of another text or presents it in a comical manner when it may have been presented seriously elsewhere. The difference between Parody and Pastiche is that Pastiche still presents the themes of the video in a serious light, where as parody often mocks or presents the same referenced themes in a comical way.
Foo Fighters Animatic
In order to improve our understanding of how music videos are put together, we analysed the first 45 seconds of ''The Pretender'' just to see how many different shots were used, as well as their length.
We then drew a story board of each shot and synced it up with the original video of ''The Pretender''
By doing this we learnt that music videos can contain over a hundred shots that last for less than two seconds each, in order to create a fast paced effect. This also discourages us from using overly lengthy shots as it makes the video way less interesting.
There is a difference between editing a thriller and a music video, this difference is that in a thriller it is acceptable to use longer length shots, as long as you do it correctly.
Similarly to a thriller, you need to keep in mind the pacing of the scene and the audio, and base your editing speed on this. If The Pretender was not such a fast and up beat song, the pace of editing in the video would be a lot slower.
We then drew a story board of each shot and synced it up with the original video of ''The Pretender''
By doing this we learnt that music videos can contain over a hundred shots that last for less than two seconds each, in order to create a fast paced effect. This also discourages us from using overly lengthy shots as it makes the video way less interesting.
There is a difference between editing a thriller and a music video, this difference is that in a thriller it is acceptable to use longer length shots, as long as you do it correctly.
Similarly to a thriller, you need to keep in mind the pacing of the scene and the audio, and base your editing speed on this. If The Pretender was not such a fast and up beat song, the pace of editing in the video would be a lot slower.
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