Half Term Prep

Artist: Samuel Isong

Track: One That I Want

Samuel Isong is a 14 year old unsigned artist from South East London, but is currently living in Coventry. 

Pitch : Recorded on my phone

Assessment 3C

1. How To guide

Lip Syncing -
In this how to guide, i was able to accurately synch the footage to the track, Turn Down For What. In order for me to do this, I had to watch a beat editing video (how to) to ensure I was doing the right thing. I was able to use lip syncing (accurately synching footage to track) at 0:20, 0:25 and 0:29. If the music video includes parts of live performance, the artist would need to mime the lyrics and music to the track so that when the audio was overlaid, they would sync. In my example/edit above, it was created entirely through having 4 different locations, one talent and one of the dancers syncing/miming the lyrics of the song from one location. Lip syncing is used to sell the artists talent
The purpose of lip syncing in this music video is that it is a common convention fro, every genre in music, and it links to the subjects in the music video so we can know (or locate) who the artist is. When a music video is created, one will have to consider what subject is miming or lip syncing the lyrics.

Beat Editing -
As for beat editing, I was able to accurately cut shots to the beat of the track. I used certain effects in this music video to make it more attractive and also link to the genre of the song. I used the letter box effect with the aspect ratio of 2:55:1 because using this ratio is suitable for music videos. At some points of the music video I had to use a pan and keyframe them because whilst using the letter box it would crop the top of one of the dancer's face. I also used the broken TV effect every time "Turn down for what" was said to empathise the lyrics and also the mood on the dancer's face. I also used the earthquake and zoom effect at a specific part of the music video, where the  beat started to get stronger. The zoom effect was used every time a beat played. Jump cuts were also used in this because at the beginning it started with a landscape shot but was cut to one of the performers.
At 0:11, I used the earthquake effect and added key frames to give make it more interesting. This is because some viewers (younger viewers) have a short attention span where they will not focus on what is on screen. By using this effect, it will be able to engage viewers.

Class work music video -

Beat Editing -
In this music video, beat editing is very rare because we had a number of short clips where we were unable to cut to the beat. The purpose of beat editing is to use jump cuts in different parts of video clips. It is best to use a video clip with a lot of movement which makes it more effective. But in this music video, the jump cuts were not effective.

Lip Syncing -
Lip syncing is used to sell the artists talent, however I was only able to sync the first part of the music video with the track. This is because it is very difficult to lip sync footage that does not match the track. This was because Daniel did not have enough time to recite the lyrics before filming. If the artist's lips move faster than the track, slow motion can be used to show that the lip syncing can be accurate. I was unaware of this because I had no knowledge of how to do it.
The purpose of lip syncing in music videos is to promote the artist and the music video is an advert for the live show.

Improvements/Conclusion -
If I was to improve this music video, I would use the slow motion effect on the second part of the music video to make it more accurate.

Summer music video -


Lip Syncing -
Lip syncing was used in this music video to let viewers know that there is a performer, if there was no lip syncing, it would have just been a narrative music video without any lip syncing.
In comparison, in my opinion, I think that the Turn Down For What music video edit is better because I was able to learn new techniques, how to cut to the beat and effects to use in music videos. However, in this music video, there is use of lip syncing but is not in as in sync as my most recent edit and does not cut to a beat. If I was to improve this music video, I would use effects such as Letter box (aspect ratio 2:55:1), and accurately sync the clip to the track of the song.

Assessment 2B(iii)

Parody
A parody is a video that mocks the characteristics of an artist, which is used to create a humorous effect. Parody's are used to make videos go viral and to also make the channel go viral. An example of a parody is the Nicki Minaj Anaconda Parody which was filmed by Bart Baker. In this parody, the lyrics are mocking artist Nicki Minaj as they make refers to her 'fake' bum and her dancing on Drake. However, they done this parody in a way which will entertain viewers by doing the exact choreography and the same costumes from the original in the parody. 


Artist they copied:
 http://genius.com/Nicki-minaj-anaconda-lyrics

Homage
A homage is used to pay respect to something which influenced them to make the music video. For example, Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys. In both music videos, they start out the same but in some way, the complete opposite. This is because in the original music video, it is based on women and in the pastiche music video, it has men dancing as if they are women. This could link to their make up, choreography and clothes.






Pastiche
A pastiche is a respectful mimic of a particular artist, style or director which is copied without being designed to mock. Lady Gaga's Alejandro has snippets of Gaga's interpretation of a march that was used in Madonna's music video. However, Lady Gaga's interpretation of the Vogue music video was more masculine than Madonna's. The masculinity was used in this music video (Alejandro) to show respect to the gay community as Lady Gaga appreciates them. 



Animation
Animation can be used in any genre and is also movement created by using a series of pictures or frames, for example cartoons like Daft Punk One More Time. In this five minute music video, it is a animated perfomance of the band, Daft Punk where they are not performing on Earth but in space. This is hyper-reality because animations can be based anywhere because they are illustrations of the artist's point of view or imagination. 



Allusion
An allusion is when references are used in a music video, such as when it refers to a person, place, an historic event that happened in the past or present, etc. Allusions can be figured out easily or quite difficult to figure out. A wide number of music videos use this, however the example I'm using, Lil Wayne Georgia Bush does not have a music video. Although, this track was used in his documentary: Lil Wayne: Behind The Music. This song is about former president, George Bush, as he is blaming what happened in New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina) on him. This song mocks George Bush in a way, as they refer to him as Georgia Bush, not George Bush. 

http://genius.com/Lil-wayne-georgia-bush-lyrics

Group Work

Referencing (intertextuality); - Eunice 
Iggy Azalea's Fancy has intertextual references because it refers to the 1995 film, Clueless. Iggy Azalea Gained a worldwide recognition because it was a pastiche to the film. A pastiche is a respectful mimic of a particular artist, style or director that is copied without being made to mimic/mock. The reason this was done was to promote the film Clueless as the music video was old school and had the same exact scenes as what was in the film. At 0:41, this scene is a replica as what was filmed. Instead of there being three girls, there is the main artist, Iggy and the artist that features in the song, Charlie XCX with two other actors which are boys. The two artists are playing characters in this music video to take the attention off them as well as gain recognition. 

Assessment 2Bii

Andrew Goodwin has 6 music video theories which I will be discussing in this report, which are, how music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, for example, stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl bands, Links/relationships between the music and visuals, relationships between the lyrics and visuals, the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work, voyeurism, notion of looking and particularly voyueristic treatment of the female body, and intertextuality. 

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band)
Rock performance videos such as Nirvana Lithium are generally focused on showing the whole band in the music video. It is performance based because of lip syncing, and performance, however it is not an advert for the live show because it is Live at Reading. The liveness of the music is the most important thing when it comes to performance based music videos because of the editing techniques such as fast pace editing when it gets to the fast parts of the song and slower paced cuts when the main artist starts to sing at a slow pace. The lighting in this music video is dark to represent a fierce, violent or dramatic tone and to set the mood. 

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrate, amplifying, contradicting) 

In this music video, The A Team, there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This is done by the lyrics amplifying the visuals. When Ed Sheeran says: "And in a pipe she flies to the motherland" This means that when she is taking drugs, she feels more at home and does not want to live in reality. Another lyric interpretation is: "Or sells love to another man", this is shown by the main character in the music video getting ready to become an escort/prostitute. In the next shot it shows that she is waiting for a car to pass by so she cal sell herself for to replace her love. 

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals, synesthesia 
There will always be a relationship between the music and visuals because it sets the mood of the song. In this music video, Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, it is cut to the beat, which is a rhythmic montage. Whenever the song changes its pace, what ever is going on in any of the shots they will go either slow or fast depending on what is happening. For example, at 2:00, the action in the multiple shots are fast, such as the movement and pace. 

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work - the star in text.
The record label will always demand for the artists to have a lot of close ups to gain recognition for them. Record Labels use this to promote the artists by having the product in the shot. By using this, Miley Cyrus attracts young people because of the way she portrays herself using star image and also by the way she dresses. In the majority of the scenes that she is in, her costumes change but they are all revealing which makes it show that she is being sexualised or she is sexualising herself. She promotes herself with her clothes, image, reputation and her appearance as a sex appeal. Star in text is also used for rappers Wiz Khalifa, Mike WiLL Made It, and Juicy J. There are also shots of all 4 artists together at the end of the music video. There are more close ups of Miley Cyrus than the other 3 artists because it shows that she is the main artist in this music video, due to her singing the first verse, chorus and bridge. 

5. There is frequently voyeurism - reference to notion of looking (screens with screens, telescopes, etc.) and particularly voyueristic treatment of the female body
Voyeurism is very common in music videos because it promotes and or sells the artist via a sex appeal. In this music video, Starships, Nicki Minaj is being sexualised by the way she is dressed and also by the way she is portraying herself. In this video, she uses her sex appeal, which is her assets and appearance by luring her fans to enjoy and watch this video. Men are also being sexualised in this video because at 2:23, they are seen wearing just underwear running around. The notion of looking is used at various points in the music video. An example is at 1:01-1:04. It is shown where Nicki Minaj is first on the floor touching her assets whilst looking at the camera and also in the second shot, shaking her bum also looking at the camera. This is a direct address because she is singing and looking at or into the camera on purpose. 

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, to programmes, other music videos, etc.)
Directors will use intertextuality such as relations or references to films, television programmes or other music videos to make the music video worth watching (more interesting). By using ideas from movies, it is a benefit because it promotes the movie in a way because of its references and also gains acknowledgement for the music video, artist and music director. Intertextuality is used in this music video because scenes from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome have been interpretative into a music video. This is because of the settings. For example, at 3:39, there is a desert scene of where there are a number of dune buggies which is just like what happened in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome however, in the movie there were motorbikes. 

Assessment 2A. Pop, Indie, Hip Hop & Other | Homework (Group)

Pop - Eunice
MISE-EN-SCENE
Music videos from the pop genre are normally performance videos which is either narrative or is just dance. The three music videos in this report are all of artists that are women, which are lip syncing to the song. The lyrics of pop songs are based on the good aspects of life which is shown through the mise-en-scene. The music video is bright and in someways dark because the song is about hiding herself from the paparazzi. 

Costume
In the first music video, Piece of Me by Britney Spears, she has a number of outfit changes, but all of her outfits reveal certain parts of her body, just like the second music video, Madonna Hung Up. This is shown as voyuerism because of the way women are portrayed in these music videos. They are hardly wearing any clothes and the first song is being shown that Britney Spears is being sexualised by the way they are dressed. When it comes to music videos, costume is very important because it creates an image for the artist. For example, if the artist was to wear dull looking clothes, they wouldn't attract their target audience. However, if they were to wear designer or popular clothes, they would attract their target audience because the target audience are young teens and they like to follow the trend their artist sets.

Location/Settings
Normally, the location and or settings for a pop music video is based or filmed in either a club or in front of a green screen because it is a convention of a pop music video as it shows how colourful pop music is; like my example video above. 

Colours
Pop music videos generally have bright colours to bring the songs and music videos to life. My next example, This is What You Came For, is full of bright colours to represent the beat of the song. This music video is a performance music video because the artist, Rihanna is lip syncing to the song where there is a background of people partying and jumping up and down in the back or either on a green screen. 

Choreography
Choreography in pop music videos is popular because of the up-beat tempo. It is used in music videos because if the song was to be performed in either a music festival or concert, the artist and back up dancers will be able to repeat what was used in the music video, in real life. It will create a type of reality where the audience will be able to relate to the dance as they will focus more on the performance than the song itself. 

Performance


In this music video, there are lens flares, and colourful flashing lights from the effects used for this. There is a party atmosphere with the crowds partying and dancing and in the parties there would be alcohol that connotes a fun atmosphere. 

CAMERA & LIGHTING
Most music videos have a range of shot types such as close ups, extreme close ups and mid shots. This is to create the innocence of the artist and also their personality from their music. Close ups are also used for the use of lip syncing, to show the emotion in the artist's face. In Britney Spears' Piece of Me, there is high key lighting and also lens flares. 

EDITING

Pace, lip synching, cutting, transitions, rhythmic montage, tonal montage
The tone and pace of pop music videos are quite fast, as they cut to the beat, which is also rhythmic montage. There is also transitions such as wipes, which wipe from one scene to another. Also, fade in and outs are frequently used in music videos as they represent the many different effects used rather than just cutting (and also using jump cuts).

Indie - Ese

These videos tend to have varying combinations of conventions; such as bright and dark colours and lighting. Sometimes black and white depending on the tone of the lyrics and music. 


Indie music videos tend to be a mixture of narrative and conceptual. However, there are also performance based videos. A performance music video is a type of music video that  features the artist or group singing (lip syncing) The purpose of this kind of music video is to give the audience and fans a in-concert experience. A narrative music video is a video that tells a story. The narrative can be linear or non- linear. The purpose of a narrative music video is to convey a message. Conceptual music videos rely heavily on poetry and metaphors. These videos do not tell a story in a linear way, rather, they create mood and feeling.

The focal point can either be the main vocalist or the performance of the whole band, or even the band or artist not making an appearance in their music video. The narrative music videos in this context usually are more representational or symbolic, rather than illustrating the lyrics. In this sense, they are typically quite versatile. The editing techniques differ based on the pace of the music, whereby it can vary from slow to fast pace. The artists are generally presented in a casual manner reflecting upon their outfits. Indie artists typically try to promote their independent status in the music videos. They do this so that they can be seen as "different" or "unique". This helps to create their star image. 

Mise-en-scene (Location/settings,props and costumes)

Many Genres of music videos have a unique visual theme.This is normally something the audience will recognise and can relate to. Props,costumes and location all make up Mise-en scene. "Mise en scene" plays a large role in a lot of music videos. Props and costumes help create a artist's identity and sets them apart from other artists. They also make the video look and feel realistic. For indie music videos, the common props are normally the instruments. As mentioned before, indie artists want to promote their independent status and be branded as "real" musicians and creators. Using actual instruments in the video helps reinforce this notion. In indie music videos, the artists typically wear clothing that relates to the theme of the video. The clothing that indie artists wear in their videos often symbolizes something or creates meaning. For example, the clothing could represent the mood of the music video. If the mood of the music video is happy and energetic, the artists will wear bright colored clothing.However, If the mood of the video is dark with angst and sad, the artists will wear dark colored clothing (Black and grey). 

Locations that are often used in indie music videos are "everyday places". The purpose of indie music videos is not only to promote the indie artist, but to create a "real" image that the audience can actual relate to. This is why locations such as skate parks, residential areas and cities are used in indie videos. 





Foster the people's "Call it what you want" music video uses instruments. 

(Foster the people: "Call it what you want")

The Givers's "Up,Up,Up" music video is mostly set in new York city. However, a chroma key  effect with green screen is also used.

(Givers- Up,Up,Up)





Rock Mafia: Fly or Die

Rock Mafia’s Fly or Die music video is very different. This music video separates itself from the typical Performance and narrative videos one would usually see. The music video itself is an animated narrative. It uses a combination of 2D and CGI animation to complement the song and tell a story. It does not use any actually real footage. This video can also be considered as a concept music video. Concept music videos can include both performance and narrative aspects. Usually, concept videos are based around a surreal, poetic idea. This idea usually grabs the audience’s attention and draws them in. Songs within the indie genre tend to use a mixture of bright and dark colours in their music videos. The fact that both bright and dark colours such as black, red, orange and blue are used in the video, shows that this is a convention of indie music videos. The lyrics of the song relate to the visuals in the video. The video and song are telling the same story. The story is that a village has been attacked and raided by an evil Dictator/tyrant. The dictator and his army have taken control and destroyed most of the village. Everything the dictator touches turn evil and is stamped with an “Anubis industry” logo. The dictator himself is riding a giant Anubis robot. The logo is the letter “A” with an eye over it.

Anubis is an Egyptian god that is often associated with mummification and the afterlife. Anubis guided the souls of the dead through the underworld kingdom of his powerful father. His father was Osiris, the god of the dead. The fact that the giant Anubis is destroying everything could symbolize that he is taking the people of the village to the underworld. In other words, he is “Killing” them.  Not that far from the village, a group of people who seem to be monks, are meditating in a cave. The monks sense danger coming from the village and start to flee using flying vehicles. A girl who seems to be an apprentice is also trying to escape. However, her flying vehicle does not seem to work. 

At this point of the video, the chorus of the song starts, which is “Fly or Die”. The chorus of the song implies that the people must “fly” or risk being “mummified” and turned evil by the dictator and his giant Anubis. 

Editing techniques 

The Editing matches the pace of the music within particular indie music videos. This is common in indie music videos.This creates rhythm for the audience because the visuals are more exciting to watch. In the video below, the pace of the visual effects matches the beat of the song. 

(Bloc Party: Ratchet)





Camera Work and Lighting

The most typical camera shots used in indie genre music video are close up. Close up shots introduce the artist and it helps to promote their "star image". Close up shots highlight the artist’s talents when they are singing. Crane shots are also popular when filming live performances as it allows different angles. Long and wide shots are used as establishing shots to set the scene of the narrative in the music video.​

(Miles Kane- Don't forget who we are)

(Crystal Fighters - Love Natural)