Change of Plan

I have decided to change my song choice to Taylor Swift - Tied together with a smile.

This is simply due to the reason that my story board/narrative for Jessie J - Who You Are would not be suitable as the lyrics did not fit the scenario I wanted to create. Also the song was fairly basic and I felt my ideas were too much influenced by the actual music video created by Sony. Therefore I have now chosen a song which does not contain a music video allowing me to imagine and create images I would associate with the song without influence from other videos. Personally I take great interest in photography therefore by using this song I can incorporate scenic images into my music video which show my individuality as a media student.  

Although I have decided to change my song much of the previous research is still relevant as I am still following the pop genre and specifically concentrating on the aspects of love and heartbreak.

 

 

Analysis of Music Videos

I am going to analyse the use of conventions during different songs which follow the pop genre to gain a detailed perspective on the typical conventions currently used in music videos. The first video I am going to analyse is Where Have You Been - Rihanna. The song was released in 2011 and is was made 3rd international single from her album 8th May 2012. The song lyrics follow a woman trying to find a partner who will please her therefore following the theme of love. Although the song draws influence from RnB and Hip-Hop fundamentally its genre is Pop.

 

 

Cinematography

 

Basic conventions following cinematography are used throughout the music video, for example an establishing shot is used to show the first location of the video which identifies to the audience how imaginative and creative the director has been when selecting the setting. Also a slow continuous pan is used to show the audience every detail of the character including her costume and appearance. Tracking shots are used throughout the dancing scenes to show all angles and perspectives of the dancers and Rihanna. Mainly shots including medium shots and close ups are mainly used in the music video

Mise-en-scene
The costume choices are very appropriate for the song as the bright colours and unusual designs show a tribal influence connoting the distance between the artist and her partner in the song. This is very effective and conventional as it follows the lyrics of the song.
 

Mood Boards

The first mood board displayed below features the chart icon Jessie J and he unique style which contribuited to her success as a artist. From the mood board it is clear

Key Audience Terms

Quantitative Data can be aquired by methods focusing on numbers and frequances rather than meaning and experience. The information provided is usually easy to analyse statistically and failry reliable. An example of this data would be experiments and questionaires.

Qualitative Data which has been collected is concerned with describing a meaning rather than statistics. They provide a more in depth description and involve an indepth description on that specific topic. Qualitative data is not as reliable as Quantitative although more valid.

Demographic Data involve the characteristics of the human population which can be used in government, marketing or opinon research. This datas is measured by socio-economic statistics.

Pshchographic Data determines the attitudes and tastes of a perticular segment of the population. It defines how the audience feels, this type of data is different to Demographic Data as it isnt quantifiable with numbers.

Storyboard Summer Work

For my storyboard planning I chose to analyse "Kelly Clarkson - Mr Know it All". The song has a slow beat and I found simple shots are used during the first minute of the extract. For example a continuous panning shot is used which relates to the lyrics of the song as it connotes time passing by and she is simply reflecting on the past. Also simple medium and close up shots are used as well as the occasional tilt. The chosen setting is very simple although effective in this video, the artist is sat in a simple room surrounded by newspaper cuttings detailing moments in her career, again this connotes her moving on from her past linking with the lyrics.

I chose to print screen the actual shots from the music video as my drawing skills are limited and this way description can clearly be shown from the visual image.

Initial Research - Inter-textual References

I thought it would appropriate to research and gain a wider range of knowledge on inter-textual references that are currently used during music videos. It is very impotant I include these references as part of the representations I will promote during my music video.

The whole concept of presenting the music video as a film trailer is very effective - the directors even use a traditional bold company directors title which both confuses and intrigues the audience. Even this introductory establishing shot creates an inter-textual reference to the traditional 70's bold and vivid era.

Themes

• American iconography.
• Use of chains and barbed wire fencing -  prison related imagery.
• Women are seen as means for sex and nothing more.

Predominant Inter-textual References 

• Thelma and Louise 1991 - dominant women
• LADY GAGA hair bright yellow (comic book hero) and blue eye shadow - film captain america reference
• Betty Page - 1950's pin up risque model
• Pink Flamingos - DIVINE represents subculture
• Pierre & Gilles - Costumes and make up worn by Lady Gaga 
• 'Faster, pussycat kill! kill!' - films to see women fighting each other in risque clothes (like prison scene)
• Famous Pop Art - frame of Beyonce looking at camera
• Wonder-woman and Captain America - all about american heros and culture
• Rotating skull and crossbones like video game - poison scene

• Contemporary design - A continuous promotion of the fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been used throughout the music video. This is very iconic of Lady Gaga's style as she is famous for her alternate and individual fashion sense. 

Useful Terminology

Catharsis – the idea that violent and and sexual content in media texts serves the function of releasing ‘pent up’ tension aggression/desire in audiences.
Consumer – purchaser, listener, viewer or reader of media products.
Enigma – A question in a text that is not immediately answered and creates interest for the audience – a puzzle that the audience has to solve.
Feminism – the struggle by women to obtain equal rights in society
Hegemony – Traditionally this describes the predominance of one social class over another, in media terms this is how the controllers of the media may on the one hand use the media to pursue their own political interest, but on the other hand the media is a place where people who are critical of the establishment can air their views.

Hypodermic Needle Theory – the idea that the media can ‘inject’ ideas and messages straight into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. Used in advertising and propoganda, led to moral panics about effect of violent video and computer games.

Mode of Address – The way a media product ‘speaks’ to it’s audience. In order to communicate, a producer of any text must make some assumptions about an intended audience; reflections of such assumptions may be discerned in the text (advertisements offer particularly clear examples of this).
Moral Panic – is the intensity of feeling stirred up by the media  about an issue that appears to threaten the social order, such as against Muslims after 9/11, or against immigrants, or against ‘video nasties’  following the Jamie Bulger murder.
Narrative code – The way a story is put together within a text, traditionally equilibrium- disequilibrium, new equilibrium, but some text are fractured or non liner, eg Pulp Fiction
Popular Culture – the study of cultural artefacts of the mass media such as cinema, TV, advertising.
Stereotype – representation of people or groups of people by a few characteristics eg hoodies, blondes
Sub-genre – a genre within a genre.
Two Step Flow theory - the idea that ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population.
Uses and Gratifications – ideas about how people use the media and what gratification they get from it. It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives.