Month: May 2021

My message to the artist:

The purpose of this was to ensure that I would not be copyrighted as this would automatically remove my music video and my work would be lost.

Our Padlet: 

In my group we made a Padlet, with the intention of finding inspiration from shots, camera angles and movements we would like to include in the performance part of our music video. We looked at a couple of music videos with the same/similar genre to ours (Pop). We considered what conventions were used in this genre such as mise-en-scene and star image, and how this is significant to our own project. We also looked at the cinematography and analysed how this creates meaning. Editing techniques and pace of edit is also crucial for a good performance. Although it is done in post-production, it is just as important for the overall quality of the music video. And finally we thought about the repertoire of elements and what is included to make these performances recognisable as being in the Pop genre. Some examples are: close ups to see the artist’s makeup and present them as glamourous, eye level shots to create a connection between the artist and audience, and finally tracking shots which can also create a personal connection as it feels like we are coming along with the artist on their journey.

The Group Agreement Document:

Below is our Group Agreement Document. This helped us discover what strengths and weaknesses we have regarding media studies. We have planned what days we could film and what our responsibilities will be. This will be helpful as we can refer back to this to remind ourselves what we have planned for the shoot and we can stick to plan.

Please click on the image to view PDF:

This is mine and Jess’ feedback video on our pitch:

Overall, our feedback was positive and our pitch was received well. We discussed our plot, what mise-en-scene we are going to use to create meaning, what camera angles and shots we will include and so forth. We were asked specific questions such as what will our narrative vs performance ratio be or what is the background to our narrative. We also received some constructive criticism and thought abut what we would need to consider going forward both in pre-production and on the day of the shoot.

Positive feedback:

• Good narrative
• Attention to use of mise-en-scene
• A variety of settings
• Good communication
• Interesting meaning behind the song/music video
• Simple and effective plot

Goals:

• Consider staying away from flashbacks – not always needed
• Give clothing more thought
• Only have our actress lip syncing to one of the singers to avoid confusion
• Make sure we are very organised
• Think about how we will get from setting to setting
• Ensure we include lots of close ups

This is our slideshow of the pitch which we presented to our teacher:

This is my official mini pitch:

This is my official mini pitch which I will be presenting to my teacher and receiving feedback for. This is going to be extremely useful for when it coms to planning my music video as this gives me a rough plan to refer back to. I worked with a friend and we brainstormed ideas and came to a mutual decision. We then analysed the song we had chosen and used synaesthesia to come up with adjectives and nouns that come to mind when listening to it. This helped us to develop a narrative and style for the video.

We will refer back to this slide throughout the project to keep our ideas on track with the pitch, and to also remind ourselves of how we would like to use mise-en-scene to create a star image and also an atmosphere for the audience.

This is my first mini pitch for my music video song:

I looked at a variety of artists and genres, and considered what narrative I could create from these. This will be a good start for me to gather some ideas of what genre and style I would like to adapt, along with what ideas and tones the music I will chose connotes. Understanding what settings I could use will also be helpful as I can develop the tone and atmosphere according to this.

I have taken narrative into consideration whilst creating this slideshow, thinking about what ratio of narrative to performance I would like along with whether I want it to be amplified, illustrative or disjunctive. I will also need to think about whether making it anachronic, linear or montage and which is the most effective for my chosen genre and song.

Star image is vital when creating a music video, as it is obviously to some degree about the artist. I will develop their star image by using mise-en-scene to create a certain persona and style which the audience can enjoy.  Location is an important part of this, as if it is a serious and chilling music video, it should not be set at a lively beach or park on a sunny day, unless going for a disjunctive music video but this can be hard to pull off. Lip syncing must be accurate and timed well otherwise this can ruin the entire quality of the music video, even if all of the other technical conventions are well produced. Editing must also be done well in post-production as this is vital for making the music video seem well produced and continuous. Poor editing can result in a sloppy and jumpy video.

This will be a good start for me in creating my music video plan as I have taken into account a variety of technical conventions and considered what needs to be done in order for my music video to do well.

This is my favourite music video from a former student:

I have chosen this music video as I think that they have achieved a very high standard through the use of composition/camera, editing, accurate lip syncing and mise-en-scene. I will be deconstructing and analysing this music video, along with explaining why it is my favourite by decoding the technical conventions used. This will help me going forward as I now understand the high standards expected of me when producing my music video, and what areas I must ensure are done to my best ability e.g. mise-en-scene, editing, camera etc.

Mise-en-scene:

A lot of attention has been payed to mise-en-scene, with costume, makeup, setting, props etc all being included for effect. The all black clothing show that this will not be a light-hearted or funny music video, but instead dramatic and ominous. This also helps crate a focal point of the chains around her neck, which may relate to her feeling trapped by something. This all creates a star image of someone who is very serious, thoughtful and takes her music seriously.

Editing:

This video has been edited very well with a range of effects and transitions included. It is edited to the beat at times which creates a fast and jumpy pace of edit.

Narrative vs performance ratio:

I think that this video is  mainly made up performance, there is not a very clear narrative but the song and video are not disjunctive.  Certain lyrics may be hinting to a feeling of entrapment and stress, which could correlate to the chains and blood coming out of her mouth.

Camera and composition:

A large variety of camera angles and shots have been used such as close ups, extreme close ups, long shots, high angles, low angles etc. These help to create meaning, for example, the low angles of her help convey her as a confident and threatening person who holds power. This makes the audience feel vulnerable.  The range of shots help to keep the video interesting and shows that a lot of attention to detail and thought has gone into it in pre-production.

This is a close analysis of Katy Perry’s ‘Chained to the Rhythm’. We looked at one music video and complete a detailed analysis, looking at the narrative, performance, star image and generic & technical conventions of the music video. This was really beneficial for me as it has widened my understanding of what goes into a music video, and what I need to do for my own when it comes to producing it. It was important to pay close attention to the mise-en-scene and repertoire of elements used to help present a certain genre (Pop), tone, or message for the audience. I also had to decide whether this music video was amplified, disjunctive or illustrative. I came to the decision that it is mainly amplification with some illustrative moments.

This is the music video that I chose for my close analysis:

My analysis:

(Please click on the image below to see PDF)