Binary Opposites

Binary opposites in costumes:

 Binary opposites in props:

Music lyrics representation

Representation of our chosen artist:

In class we played our music video 'What do you want?' to the rest of the class, without showing those who are not in our group the music video, therefore they could only hear the lyrics. We then asked them to draw the type of artist they thought ours would look like, showing what she would be:

• Wearing/style the artist has. 
• The location.
• Any props that the artist would have or that would be in the video.
• How old the artist is.
• What the artist looks like.

Additionally we drew our own image of the artist from what we know, to compare with the rest of the class's view of our artist. This was to see if any music genre stereotypes would appear in people's results and to see if the artists style of music represents her image well.

< Our classmates result of the artist from listening to the lyrics.


From this result I can see that my class mate has drawn our artist in the same style she actually is. This may have been because from the music they could hear the instruments such as the guitar and the rock sounding song has the stereotype of a rock-chick in a hoodie and black hair.
Furthermore my class mate has described the artist to be in her 20's which she is and correctly names the rock genre of the music video. As the image is closely the same it is clear to say the artists lyrics and sound portrays her image well.
However my classmate has failed to address the band behind the main artist, this may have been because the artist was the only one singing therefore the attention way mainly on her.

Pitch Feedback Evaluation

From our peer feedback we now know that our ideas go well with our chosen 'rock' genre and that we are planning along the right lines to produce a successful music video as the majority of our peers either agreed or strongly agreed with our pitch and its ideas.

However we could still improve by deciding what record label would be suitable to produce a music video based on our songs genre. And after considering we believe that Capitol Records would be a suitable company to belong to as they cover a wide range of genres rather than specifically dedicating themselves to just one.

Music video ideas

Our pitch for our music video

Music video theorists

Music video theorists p from Rhianna Henson-smith

Pitch plan for video ideas

This was our outline for our Pitch to the class of what our current music video plans were. After discussing our ideas in more depth some aspects have been changed, such as a 'spectacle' genre, as we would like to focus more on performance and musical instruments. Additionally we have stuck to our target audience of girls within the age range of 16-21 as our main artist will be female and will centre around her life. 

Todorov's Three Stage Theory - storyboard

We tried to storyboard what our music video may look like if we followed Todorov's theory where in the beginning of the video's narrative there is equilibrium, followed by a disruption but finishes with 'a happy ever after'! However after experimenting with this theorist, we have decided that the 3 stages will not suit our genre of music (which as rock, is very heavy and without equilibrium)!

Music Video Theorists

 

Record Labels

Music record labels from Madeleine Fox

Potential Record Label Logo's

Having used Logomakr.com I was able to produce these logos for our record label; the name chosen is R.A.M productions (having used the initials of our first names Rhianna And Madeleine)!



This logo shows the music industry via the musical note in the circle and has a very simplistic look to it with the pale grey and blue (which makes the name stand out). I chose this font for our logo, as it looks appealing to a younger audience and our production company focuses in music videos aimed at youth.






 This logo is very straight forward again with two fonts that are fun and funky; appealing to our younger target audience and with a simple navy/grey and white colour theme (so it isn't too distracting but business-like, as this is our professional company).



 This logo isn't too much different from the previous logo besides the colour and font! I have chosen the colour scheme of bright green and black, as I feel it could be associated with the rock genre of our music, since its quite edgy. I selected this font also, because I feel it compliments the genre of music and interest the audience eye.







Having created the previous logo I produced this one with the same colour scheme, because as I said it for me compliments our chosen genre of music (Rock) well. However to make the logo slightly more fascinating I instead of a rectangular background opted for a lightning bolt (which I think connotes the same level of thrill and hype that a rock performance would). Perhaps why rock performers such as ACDC would use them!

This logo for our production company compromises of the colours grey, purple, royal and light blue and black; as they create a pleasant colour scheme. The lettering of 'RAM' has also been done well with other existing logos to spell the initials out and 'productions' is very simple, so it doesn't overstate the image! However this logo doesn't link well to our genre of music and although could perhaps attract our young target audience may not be the best choice for our final logo.

My favourite logo is this one, as its simplistic and pleasant to look at (so it won't distract the audience from the video too much but is still bold enough for them to notice)! It has a microphone logo to the left, so it can be associated with the music industry and our production name has been clearly stated in a fun handwritten font which looks professional and is easily read.

Hall's Reception Theory

Stuart Hall suggested that when an audience member looks at a media product such as a music video, they are able to interpret the literary message which is encoded within the product.

Encoding/ Decoding Model of Communication

Area 52's promotions

Instagram:

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 Facebook:

Official Website: 

Audience expectations interview of film genre

We interviewed people in our target audience (as it directly links to our music video), people not in our target audience (to see if there were any differences in opinion - they weren't many) and we also added our own opinion (as we are also part of the target audience, however this has been added separately at the end to prevent a bias opinion)!

From our interview it is clear of the main aspects audiences expect to see in a rock genre music video, the typical clothing mentioned was stereotypical for the genre we have chosen. For example, black items worn such as ripped genes and props included musical instruments like guitars and drums.
In planning for our rock video we can now take into account the audiences expectations of the genre by using what they have suggested, this way the genre can be clearly identified upon watching. We are aware that the majorities favourite music video genre was indie-pop tied with rock, therefore we hope to gain more audiences for our genre. Additionally we found that the majority would listen to rock and would go to a rock festival, showing the attraction the style has on the consumer.

However some of the audience's expectations challenged our music video ideas, for example one of the girls interviewed stated 'some people are normally half naked'. This goes against our planning as we would like our artist to have rock-chick styled clothes on (Leather jacket, jeans, checkered top) and not make the performance based on her image, as we do not want to sexualise her in anyway, but for the focus of the video to be souly based on the emotion of the artist and the music itself.

Active Audience Theory

Blumler and Katz: suggests that people consume media because they either want to gain -

• information
• personal identity
• entertainment
• integration and social interaction 

We feel that people would want to consume our music video, as it could supply the audience member with entertainment via mise en scene such as location or props and perhaps personal identity if it has a certain concept or narrative the audience can relate to. For example our music video may be about a love story and the audience could perhaps relate to the artist's feelings/ emotions. Or it may have a hidden message (especially if its under the spectacle/concept genre) that the active audience member could link themselves with! However we aren't entirely sure about the storyboard of our music video and so the aspects of Blumler and Katz's theory may change depending on the style genre we opt for in the end. An example of a concept video that supplies the audience with entertainment and perhaps personal identity is Meghan Trainer's 'All About That Bass' and Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off'.

Music Record Label's

Music record labels 2 powerpoint from RhiannaHensonSmith

Our Production Company

Case study of iconic directors

David Fincher

These are examples of music videos directed by David Fincher.
1) Madonna - Vogue.
2) Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie.

These videos by David Fincher are filmed the whole way through in black and white, giving a old-time twist to the video.



 Furthermore they feature smart outfits to make the artists look classy and rich, showing their glamorous side, to engage audiences.
There are many medium-close ups and close up shots of the artists face, showing their attractiveness as well as several long shots to show their outfit in full with dancers behind them.


Both music videos are performance based, with Justin Timberlake's video featuring backing singers and a band with musical instruments behind him. Along with Madonna's video showing backing dancers/ actors always behind her, copying her moves and positions so they are following her, showing she is the lead of the shot.
Madonna's video is mainly about her and her image, this is shown through a series of close ups of her outfit, showing her covered in sparkles and diamonds, additionally being seen as the temptress archetype to the consumer, with her perfect feminine figure being highlighted (Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze) and for women to aspire to. Also the whole video is about 'striking a pose' for the camera adding to the theme of image and appearance, with girls posing and singing about Vogue, a famous model and fashion magazine, in which can attract female audiences. Justin Timberlakes video is about image as well, with the artist made to look classy, in a suit and posh shoes, attracting female attention.

Themes : Image/Appearance, Wealth, Class and period of time e.g (both in black and white)

Still Shots For Specific Styled Artist's

Boy Band

Before Editing we selected a group of teen boys which most modern boy bands are formed out of (i.e. One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, Union J; who are or were all in their teens when they started their success as artists). We opted for a simplistic brick wall background as we wanted a stereotypical 'tough' image boys of that age are known for. Hence the choice in costume for some such as the all-grey tracksuit sported by the guy in the middle, and 'tough guys' stereotypically hang out on the streets. By using a simple background we were also able to display the individual characteristics of each band member (since not each member will be identical in personality), and the non-themed background allows each identity to stand out. The personalities we have gone for are the typical boys (the far two on the left)  who wear casual jeans and t-shirts, the tough/ gangster look for the guy in an all-grey tracksuit, the nerdy persona can be displayed on the boy with his hands in his pocket (who styles glasses and is the only one positioned up straight) and then the slightly more stylish guy who has opted for all black with a floral pocket on his t-shirt. Each member of the band is positioned in a casual stance, to suggest they are just like friends 'hanging out' which a lot of boy groups try to capture. 

Simple background and casual look

Brick Background and different personalities
(Harry's funny side shown through his stance)

After Editing we decided a simple split screen would make an excellent effect as it didn't create too much of a theme (via colour corrector or distortion...) which would draw away for the boy's personalities. By split screening though we were able to make the still more interesting to the naked eye as leaving it unedited would leave the viewer feeling a little bored by the shot. 

Rock

Before Editing this Rock genre shot we made sure the artists would have a rock related prop (the guitar; which is a stereotypical rock related instrument), we also chose a costume which would compliment the rock genre being created by the artists (for example the simple black and white t-shirt, as most rockers tend to wear casual t-shirts with text/ slogans). The individual is also pulling an iconic rock stance with the slightly tilted knee and 'sign of horns' hand gesture. She is also presented in front of a curtain to suggest a stage-like performance. 

Elvis Presley was an iconic rock performer
(he can be seen here with a guitar;
the very same star image we wanted to replicate)

SIGN OF HORNS HAND GESTURE

After Editing we simply desautrated this image to allow the audience to focus on the more on the performer's image than the colour which draws too much attention to the guitar. However the guitar is very important in creating that 'rock' styled shot, so we also cropped the still to draw equal amount of attention on the instrument as well as balancing on the artist herself! 

Pop

Before Editing, we created a pop image by using the iconic red lipstick worn by notable stars such as Marilyn Monroe. Using star image is a very common aspect of pop music videos, for example Madonna tried to create this image in her video Material Girls! We used a 'backstage performers' mirror with light bulbs to enhance this star image, as it highlights the artist applying her lipstick. 

Madonna pouts her red lips in an attempt
to replicate Monroe's

After Editing we didn't want to add many effects that would 'overcrowd' this shot with too much imagery for the audience to take in, so we simply adjusted the lighting via colour corrector (since the shot was slightly too dark and by adding light we were again able to draw in on the applying of lipstick).

Indie

Before Editing we tried to create an indie shot by incorporating a plaid shirt with a simple wooden background, to make the artist stand out. By choosing this outfit, we were able to create an indie look, as the term indie is used for independently produced music artists who does not fall into a specific genre (therefore we could be very diverse with the outfit, and so opted for something we feel most styled artists could wear)! The wooden beams in the background also shows this mix of genres as again it is not for a specific genre and could be used as a good example for any genre.The individual is looking into the distance as her hair covers her face, again masking a direct genre and leaving suggestions open to what type of music this shot may be related to. 

After Editing, we used the colour offset filter which creates this blue/ white effect on the still. We found it appropriate for this genre, as it again could be used for more than one genre (we found it could've been used for rock, metal or pop...), therefore it created that no-specific genre style. 

(As you can tell there are multiple styles of genre when it comes to indie artists)!

Band

Pop

Jazz

Folk

Rock

Green Screen Stills

Green screening was easy because we followed simple steps from a youtube video that helped us through the steps.
The difficulties with green screenings is where to position yourself in front of the green screen when taking a picture or video. This is because if you aren't far enough away from the screen parts of your body can be lost in editing and green specs can be seen on the final still, which reduces the imagination that we are on a stage.
Green screening can be used in music videos, especially spectical genres, to show the artist in different places and create scenes that cannot be done in real life, for example being pictured on the moon, giving a Lady Gaga feel. Furthermore it is a good way to change the mood of the video, can reduce costs and is easy to produce.

Still frames: Image, Performance and Narrative

With our performance still photo, we used musical props from the music department such as a triangle and tambourines! We used these instruments because performance videos often include such items. For example Broken Heart by Rixton. The location we deliberately chose was outside, to give a festival-like experience to the audience. We chose very casual clothing, as that's the stereotypical outfit one wears to a festival such Glastonbury or Reading. However to improve we may include better lighting and background to give the idea that there are spotlights and on a stage.


We edited our picture so it showed 4 identical pictures of the same image. We did this so it would add to a performance feel, such as being at a concert looking at the big screens.







With our image still shot, we chose to focus on a close-up of the face against a plain background of a brick wall, so the attention of the audience would be drawn towards the individual. By using a brick wall the individual seems rustic. Many performers use such still shots, as they are display the artist in their natural setting. Additionally the girl is portrayed as natural and innocent as she is not wearing any make up and is posing in a 'cute' way showing she is confident in what she looks like. This can therefore be an icon for teenage girls to aspire to.



We edited the picture with the lyrics from Taylor Swift's song love story. We believed that the still connected to the style of music Taylor sings, such as romantic narratives. Additionally both the girl in our still and Taylor are portrayed in a 'girl next door' style, with a natural classy look.

We used this still to portray a narrative genre, showing a girl crying on the floor of a bathroom in what looks like to be a public or school rest room. We used this as narrative because she is clearly upset at something and has gone into the bathrooms to hide. Girls and even boys of the same age could be a target audience because they also might be having trouble in their lives, whether it is at home or at school and can connect to the story of the music video.

We desaturated the colours of the image so that the low key lighting gives a dark gloomy feel, which reflects her emotions to the audiences, as she is shown to be crying on the floor of a rest room. Additionally the artist is also dressed in casual inexpensive clothes, portraying her as an average girl and not a music star in whom has money and doesn't have a 'normal' life, meaning the audience can connect to her more.

Links to real life music videos

Performance: 

This shows an example of a split screen used in a performance music video by Little Mix. This is used to show the whole group and their backing dancers.

This shows an example of a image still, showing Taylor Swift to be looking natural and classy in what she is wearing. Additionally they use a medium close up to show the jewellery and hair accessories she is wearing, giving her a princess look.

This shows an example of a narrative genre from Rihanna's music video 'stay'. This also strips back the rich music star image by showing the artist looking emotional through the video, thereby more audiences can connect to the lyrics and the video.