TRACK CONFIRMED

We have now been signed off concerning our track choice by Ms Blackborow and Ms Dymioti

We are now 100% going with:

MY FORMER SELF - I'LL BE CAREFUL, YOU'LL BE DEAD

We can now get on with turning our initial ideas into confirmed final plans.

Vernallis Music Video Analysis

Carol Vernallis (The Kindest Cut - Functions and meanings of music video editing, 2001) created a theory which centres around 4 key concepts - narrative, editing, camera movement/framing, diegesis. These all relate to the way music video is constructed, which she believed lead to everything else (audience appeal, genre etc.)

(Lost Prophets - It's Not the End of the World)

Narrative:

• Video represents a visual response to the genre and sound of the rock music track
• Performance dominates with the narrative back grounded, subtlety weaved in
• Narrative consists of the slow domination of black over the city and the bands surroundings - finishing the video in complete darkness
• Enigmatic as to the exact source/meaning of the black shapes - slightly related to the end of the world/hell scenario voiced in the lyrics

Editing:

• Illustrative editing - cutting on the beat besides editing to match the drum rolls/solos
• Confusing breaks of the 30 degree rule - from CU to LS of a band member
• Extreme jumps in space from wide group shot to ECU of a face/instrument
• Cuts within the lyrics - not just at ends of lines - fast paced editing style achieved
• Editing is foregrounded and visible - helps increase the confusing, disorientating style of the music video

Camera movement/framing:

• Dutch angle used throughout when framing the performer lip syncing/playing instruments/group establishing shot
• Master CU of lead singer repeatedly referred back too - dutch angle, LA, focus on the sky/clouds in background
• Master shot of the entire back playing, extreme dutch angle pushing them to right of frame - disorientating for viewer

• Static camera - regular change in framing but no movement

Diegesis (the world of the music video):

• Slow reveal of the 'world of the music video' due to the confusing, tilted camera frames focusing on the sky, gradually revealing buildings then finally the city setting
• The band moves to the music - both in performing with their instruments and headbanging to the beat (conventional of a rock video)
• The audience are unaware of the broader surroundings - limited to this one slightly sci-fi style area of city
• Many repetitions of the mirrored building shots, focus on the cloud and sky as well as the bands performance as all 3 slowly get overtaken by the encroaching blackness

Confirmed Groups!

Final coursework group is now been officially finalised.

I am working with Wanda Dunham, Kerry McAllister and Dominic Crewe:

We have organised a group meeting for next Thursday after school (23/09/10) in order to collaborate al lour initial ideas, research and planning in order to move straight onto preparing our tracks and ideas to propose.

Goodwin Music Video Analysis

Andrew Goodwin, in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (1992, Routledge), identified 6 key features in order to analyse a music video. The analysis of Green Day's punk rock video American Idiot using Goodwin's theory is below.

Genre characteristics (punk rock):

• Spontaneous - performance, empty warehouse set, filming the film equipment - making it look raw and gritty
• Focus on guitar/drums playing, jumping up and down and around
• Dress code - ties, shirts, skinny jeans, vans, guyliner, floppy black 'emo' hair
• Rebellion - draining the flag's colour, trashing the set

Relationship between lyrics/visuals:

• References of America (Stars and stripe flag in background adapted to green theme, saluting to flag)
• Connection to the idea of being brainwashed my the media (miming suicide/facial expressions etc.)
• Rebellion - lyrics about fighting the system while the band trash the set in the visuals

Relationship between music/visuals:

• Fast paced track with matching fast paced editing
• Illustrative relationship between the two - relatively debut band in the mainstream market, needed to establish their punk rock music through strong visuals

Demands of record label:

• Money shots of each member of the band - multiple of CU of Billy Joe - emphasises and selling his punk persona

• Iconography of bands image of black shirts with coloured ties
• Reference to the Green Day motif of the hand holding the heart grenade used on their album cover
• Promoting their visual style of having a green theme (the flag and paint)
• Trademark of 'guyliner', which is shown particularly in the money shots

Reference to the notion of looking:

• Filming the monitor of the footage - frame within a frame
• Direct address shots from lead singer - connecting messages of lyrics with audience, including them in the rebellion

Inter textual references:

•  Being the 'new punk', Billy Joe references/bases his style of playing, performance, image and singing on Sex Pistols front man Johnny Rotten

Genre Analysis 2

Lady Gaga - Analysing the pop music genre

• Young, platinum blonde hair, white singer
• Regular costume changes - conventionally revealing/sexualised (high heels, sparkly, girly)
• Feminine make-up (added visual motif of Lady Gaga with alternative electric blue lightning bolt on her face) shown in strong money shots

• Located at a house party, trashy and organised, attempting to associate with any young person's scene - themes of drinking, young people socialising, relationships
• No instruments and rarely used mic - focus on the lip syncing
• Sexualising the female - cutting her body up,close up on chest, lips, legs, eyes (erogenous zones)
• Choreographed dance routines of the singer with female backing dancers
• Decks - relating to clubs/raves
• Rapping sequence in the middle - male, sunglasses, suit jacket, surrounded by girls

Genre Analysis

In this video, there are two genres running along side of each other - rock and rap - both displaying contradicting genre styles and conventions.
Run DMC - Rap

• Organised, clean, choreographed sets - obviously styled
• Synchronised dress codes (glasses, sharp suits, shoes, hats)
• No instruments, focus on mics (holding them) and the decks/buttons/technology
• Prominent mixing/club sounds in audio
• Crossing arms, chilled, cool, relaxed persona
• Black, heavy built men

Aerosmith - Rock

• Big hairs (over eyes), skin tight leopard print Lycra costumes, metal accessories (bracelet, necklace), leather jackets
• Focus on electric guitar/drums/Marshall amps
• Guitar riffs prominent in the audio
• Unorganised, trashy, smoky sets
• Mick Jagger style dancing and posing with the mic stand (with Aerosmith's visual motif of the scarf)
• Smashing the set, angry, passionate
• 'Screaming' style vocals and facial expressions
• Improvised/spontaneous white men

Final list of possible tracks

Culminating all our group discussions, looking round YouTube and iTunes surfing, me and Wanda have narrowed our possible song choices down to the following 10 which we will further explore for their suitability to take forward for the proposal and project

1. King Adora - Friday Night Explodes
2. King Adora - Asthmatic
3. My Former Self - I'll Be Careful, You'll Be Dead
4. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
5. Queens of the Stone Age - Turnin' on the Screw
6. Queens of the Stone Age - Tension Head
7. The Horrors - Death at a Chapel
8. Escape the Fate - Reverse This Curse
9. Dananananaykroyd - Pink Sabbath
10. The Cooper Temple Clause - Been Training Dogs

Despite not knowing which track we're going for, they all have the same rough genre in common which from this point forward we are focusing on for visual style/dress codes etc. which is punk/emo/rock

Detailed Album Cover Analysis

Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (see full cover in other album cover post)
3rd Album release

Main image (artist)

• Black and white
• MCU of young, white female
• Wearing a naval hat, white vest top andbeaded black necklace, drinking beer
• There is a pun in the image as she is wearing an American hat and drinking american beer while having the USSR communist logo on her hat
• Despite long, glossy hair and feminine features, the photograph is very masculinised by the way shes drinking and the slightly boyish style top and necklace - This provides both empowerment for women (narcissitic pleasure) as well as a sexual gratification for males
• Juxtaposed with the coloured background - stands out

Background imagery

• Range of drawn/photographs of Russian dolls layered in a collage
• In colour (scheme of orange/red/yellow) juxtaposing the main artists image
• On back cover, a sketched russian doll on a concrete wall - adding a further artistic element
• All link by the theme of russia and various different artistic methods (pencil, grafitti, sketching, collaging)
  



First Album Cover - Begin to Hope (More feminine imagery)

  



Second Album Cover - Far (More artistic graphics)

 Text

• 3 main fonts (Album title/track listing/all other)
• Album title - anchors the military naval theme with the red, capital, army stamp style font. It is positioned to be a key part of the front cover
• The track listing font is in a handwriting style continuing the artistic/sketchy themes
• 'Standard' easy to read, clear font used for the copyright/production details and the artists name - maintains the clarity of the album cover
• The texts and images are linked by the key themes of russia (vs. U.S.), the military/navy and artistic expression. The images anchor these themes through the russian dolls, naval symbols/hat. The track titles and album title all reference this theme (e.g. soviet kitsch, Sailor song, Ghost of coporate future)

Functions

• Front: display/selling the artist's image - conveying her style and attitude, inform the consumer of the artist/album's names, the sticker on album provides reason to purchase - "11 original tracks"
• Back: provides track listings, record label/artists details and websites
• Inside sleeve: More pictures of artist - providing alternative image

Exclusive band/genre signifiers/iconography

• Russian iconography is her original symbol
• The handwriting style for the track listings is a common convention of indie/alternative bands - giving an artistic/creative connotation
• Unperfected, sketchy style of drawing/graphics is common to non-mainstream music/indie rock/blues

Institutional context

• The label - Sire Records (American record label owned by Warner Bros.)

• Not mainstream but well publicised within her target audience, good following for this 3rd album (e.g. through appearences on Jools Holland)

(Potential) target audience

• Women - like culture/art/politics, empowering image of woman
• Niche audience - big within her genre of music (indie singer/songwriter)
• Familiarity with the band - Appreciate her political statements
• Female audience, indie, older audience who look for more complex lyrics/music style

Album Cover Analysis

Here is a sample of my album covers I analysed for there common features and styles.

Conventions (front):

• Predominant band name
• Album name
• Clear, consistent colour scheme
• Key image (either of the artist or eye catching iconic graphic)
• Theme (e.g. Russia - Regina Spektor, Clowns - Sparklehorse)

Conventions (back):

• Track listings (with a consistent font or font style to front cover)
• Colour scheme (consistent with style of front cover)
• Bar code
• Record label (with logo)
• Additional graphic connected to the theme on the front cover
• Individual producers
• Copyright logo/details with date of release
• Artists website

Conventions (inside):

• Additional image of artist/graphic maintaining overall theme and colour scheme
• More details of copyright
• Slogan/phrase of the band

Categories:

• Debut vs. not debut - the debut albums tend to have the artists image whereas the established bands can opt for more abstract/controversial graphics
• Simplistic vs. complicated - they are either striking due their complex nature (e.g. Klaxons) or due to their simplistic images and colour schemes (e.g. Bloc Party)
• Graphics vs. photographic imagery
• Abstract/alternative vs. mainstream/glossy - albums seem to sell either the artists image (e.g. Calvin Harris) or the bands 'ideas' and iconography (e.g. Dananananaykroyd)

Functions/Purposes:

• Sell the album/music/artist
• Create/Develop/Re-invent the artists image
• Promote the individuality of different bands/singers by creating unique image associations
• Distinguish between different genres and their iconography
• Practically, to inform the consumer what music is avaliable on the album (what is original/extras etc.)

Intertextuality 2

Blink 182 - All the Small Things

• In this video the band have created parody of various boy band music videos
• This appeals to their audience as they are stereotypically opposed to the audience of boy bands
• They mimic the actions/costumes/sets but go over the top with knowiing winks/looks to camera to show its a joke, making the audience feel involved in the parody

Intertextuality

Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You

The key intertextual reference in this video is to the glam rock band Kiss, particularly Robbie referencing the style of their lead artist Gene Simmons. This is achieved via mirroring the:

Dress code (sequins, lycra, black and white, boots)

Face make-up (white face, black lips/eyes)

• Hairstyle (big, hairsprayed)

Lead performance style and facial expressions

Style of band (Flying V guitars)

• These references change the predicted audience of the video as it attracts male/masculine rock fans over the previous target audience of Robbie Williams which consisted prodominantly of teenage girls/women/pop fans
• Therefore, this video broadens his image and identity from mainstream pop singer to someone who experiments with style

Initial Idea 2

Artist: System of a Down
Track: Peephole



Artist: Thrice
Track: Music Box



In this idea, the narrative and bands performance are merged.

• Theme: I believe these two tracks gives a sense of circus performance and the tone generates the imagery of puppets
• A puppet theatre mirrors the bands studio, identical curtains are drawn at the beginning of the track
• The band's movements mirror that of the puppets, mid way the paint disappears from the puppets faces to appear on the bands
• The video ends with the puppets strings being cut to appear on the band
• Intertextuality: Same audience as the Saw franchise, reference through styling the puppet as Jigsaw

Initial Idea 1

Artist: Reel Big Fish
Track: Don't Start A Band



Basic structure of the video to had the studio with band in, intercut with the narrative.

Studio:

• Reflecting the title of the song and the upbeat mood, have the band 'seriously' playing toy versions of their instruments, giving a comic effect
• To prevent this then looking childish, dress/style the band in more 'typical' costume (band t-shirts, converse, punk/emo hairstyles)
• Playing in a garage/shed/bedroom to reflect their 'amateur' status

Possible narrative ideas:

• Wannabe 'rock star' teenager running from everyday setting (e.g. school/workplace/home) to concert place - from past latymermedia music video projects, editing together a journey works well to visually show the fast paced rhythm of a song (example below)

• Costume change? From average to rock star/clothes change through the eras of rock music (50s - 00s)
• Journey could be running/walking/backwards/vehicle

Response to 'What Music Means to Me' Lesson

1. When/Where/How/Who with?

• When - Journeys, relaxing in evening, waking in morning, background to socialising
• Where - Festivals/concerts/gigs, summer anthems, holidays
• How - TV (Top of the Pops), CDs (Now CD), internet (iTunes, YouTube)
• Who with - Friends, Siblings, Parents

2. Pleasures?

• Live experience - atmosphere, connection with band, claustrophobic small gig vs. 'epic' stadium experience, being part of a crowd, festivals
• Socialising - discussion, sharing, connections with each other, choreographing routines
• Discovery/Investigation - Seeking out personal taste, buying the CD, collecting
• Aspirational role models - Guitar heroes, images, lifestyles, getting to 'know' the artist
• Memories/Associations - Holidays, summer, pivotal experiences
• Influencing others

3. Lifestyles?

• Aspiring musician - looks for a role model
• Digital generation - Now have broad taste in music, more sources, buy singles over albums (iTunes)
• Children - Accessibility, nicely packaged (colours, compilations)
• Teens - Seeking out personal taste

4. Inspirations for choices?

• Music Video
• Films - Soundtracks
• Changes - Lifestyles, experiences, friendships
• Memories - Holidays, festivals, associations with friends/family, live gigs
• Performances - being a musician/dancer/singer

5. Relevance to coursework:

• Understanding audience appeal - multiple sources (band image, lifestyle, taste)
• Translating into visuals - emmulate the pleasures in memories (festivals/holidays/summer) in the music video
• Difference in ages of TA - e.g. children like accessibility, teenagers prefer seeking out/discovery/uniqueness as breadth/depth of music taste expands
• Importance of taste/image/identity in seperating TA

What music means to me

My autobiography in music:

Childhood (Age 5-8)

Get a Haircut - George Thorogood and the Destroyers

• My main music influence as a child came from my Dad's music, which ranged from punk rock (Sex Pistols, Undertones), folk rock (Johnny Cash) and harder rock (AC/DC and Motorhead) from the gigs/concerts he took me to see
• This particular track was a personal favourite for reasons I've now forgotten, but I can remember listening to it together

Pre-teen (Age 12)

Sugar - System of a Down

• 11-13 saw a change in influence from my secondary school friends and the gigs/concerts I was going to
• System of a Down, Placebo and Rammstein were 3 bands in particular that I was introduced to/recommended at the time
• This song was a favourite within our friendship group to listen to together

Now (Age 17)

Grace - Jeff Buckley

• Over my teenage years my music taste has broadened due to going to many music festivals/gigs at the Roundhouse of unsigned bands to listen to different genres
• Jeff Buckley represents one new strand of my music taste, more folksy rock with an emphasis on the vocal artist. His unique voice and musical style, seperates him from other music I listen to making him one of my current favourites

Music Through the Decades

This represents the initial research I did to gain a rough insight into the iconic artists, styles and trends in each decade from the 1950's. The symbolism and imagery in each decade provides a possible style to re-create and re-invent in a music video.

The rock and roll 50s, hippy movement of the 60s, disco and punk era of the 70s, iconic artists such as Madonna in the 80s, boy/girl bands and grunge style in the 90s then the rise of pop and indie rock in the 00s.

First Discussions

From first discussions, Wanda and I have found an undone genre of music (in latymer media) being 'ska/punk' that we are looking into taking forward.

Reel Big Fish are such a band I think would work well as the comic/serious sounding tracks. The brass instruments also gives a alternative sound and will give our band a different look to the standard rock band

The other genre, to keep the fast paced style, we were considering hard rock/punk rock such as Slipknot and Rancid as we can produce a suitable yet abstract music video

Coursework START

The main music video project work is officially starting from this point onwards.

The groups have not yet been cast in stone, but the plan is to work with Wanda Dunham as we work well together and have discussed initial thoughts over the past summer holidays.

Looking forward to moving on with the project!