Friday 27 September 2013

Image Annotation

Image Annotation of our groups performer (Rae):

Female house music artists usually wear Bindi gems this shows that she wants to be different and individual. They have a wild range of hairstyles this is a characteristic of women, however some artists leave it scruffy looking because maybe they want people to look at them as natural beauty0. They dresse provocatively for example they wear "spray on clothing" and show a lot of their skin and body features, this is so they can draw the male audience in, they also uses product placement in their videos to advertise small unkown brands this attracts the female audience.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Initial Ideas

Our genre of House music was already decided in our group due to nobody doing it before and because it has a lot of potential. On Youtube we had a group playlist which had all the possible song contenders for the music video, so slowly but surely we were shortening the list. We came to a conclusion that it was going to be one of the three:

  1. Hot Natured ft Anabel England - Reverse Skydiving (Shadow Child Remix)
  2. Bondax - Giving It All
  3. EJECA - Horizon

In the end we came to a decision to use "Hot Natured ft Anabel England - Reverse Skydiving (Shadow Child Remix)" because it had musical features and characteristics that we could relate to the style of editing we would like to produce.  The locations we would like to use are: a party, a chip shop, a tube/train station, a view from the top of a tower, an isolated/remoted place and a socialising scene. We worked together by bringing each others best qualities out in each other to come up with the greatest ideas.

Song Details

Hot Natured ft Anabel Englund - Reverse Skydiving (Shadow Chid Remix)




The song we have chosen is Reverse Skydiving we chose this because we analysed its music qualities for example the beat and the lyrics. The beat in this song was ideal for editing so we could represent and portray the genre of house music well. The lyrics of the song are also great for implementing a great effect towards the mise en scene. The climax and the anti-climax of the song allows great potential when editing the video we as a group can experiment with effects trying to work with the beat of the song. We chose the genre of House music because it was different, unique and has potential. House music is usually played in clubs this means it can be danced to by most people and most people listen to it unintentionally, so through us making a music video for it we will be representing House music in a different light.

Lyrics Annotation


Flying, climbing,
This is what I feel when I'm reverse skydiving,
Neptune, shining,
Frying all the elements as they're combining,
Rewind, timing,
This be the contract for sky I'll be signing,
No concern for wining or dining,
Wind so blue that it might be blinding,
All that I know is I won't be minding

You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me

Flying, climbing,
Giving me a smile, that's the inverse of crying
Upwards, mining
My dress seems like a ruby and the stars be aligning
Sky that's shining
Angles that I'm turning on continue refining
No concern for eyes that are prying
Spell my name with lighting and keep rewinding
All that I know is I won't be minding

You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me

Flying, climbing,
This is what I feel when I'm reverse skydiving,
Neptune, shining,
Frying all the elements as they're combining,
Rewind, timing,
This be the contract for sky I'll be signing,
No concern for wining or dining,
Wind so blue that it might be blinding,
All that I know is I won't be minding

You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me

There is definitely a sense of it being out of this world; the lead is somewhat presented as a goddess, due to the reference’s to planets and space.

The main character has power particularly over men; she is an archetype, and could be seen as a femme fatale as her sexual allure controls her audience. 
- Archetype: A statement, or pattern of behaviour, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated.

“Elements as they’re combining”
 “Stars realigning”
“Neptune, shining”
“Angels that I’m turning on continue refining”
We could definately relate to space or something, "out of this world".

She comes across as having frontier spirit, having no fears, hardiness.
Women are often perceived as being inferior to men but she is setting a standard portraying herself as having dominance over men.

There is definitely a sexual nature that runs throughout the song, there is no literal reference however, lyricism could connote to sex or anything on the matter. 

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Post 2 - Roles in Music Video

Roles for House Music Video on Make A Gif
make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Megan has now left our group sadly due to other commitments, this means we have to replace her roles so we thought as a group we would help contribute to mise en scene because we all have different ideas and therefore making it more useful.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Audience


These results indicate trends and differences for example the majority of people who answered our survey were 16 to 25, this is reflected through many of the answers. Fifty nine percent of interlocutors were male, eighty two percent of people listen to house music and know artists.The majority of people listen to house music in their house and makes them feel good. Most of the people who answered the survey listened to pop and indie. One result I found the most interesting was 27 percent of interlocutors listened to indie

Thursday 12 September 2013

What are the conventions of a music video of the house music genre?

Conventions of house music videos:


  • There are many cut-aways used throughout the music video due to their being very few lyrics which the artists/characters can lip sync to.
  • The editing is cut to the beat of the song.
  • The DJ doesn't play a big role in the music video.
  • The concepts explored in house music videos are dancing, love, sexuality and drugs.
  • There is only usually one location and one costume worn by the artists/characters and this is because the music video is normally set in one day or night.
  • There is also frequently attractive women completing sexy and seductive dance moves usually dressed in clothes that expose their bodies this is used to attract a male audience.
  • There is sometimes short takes uncut of the DJ performing in a club.
  • There is also parts of the female body shown in close ups however you cannot see who it is.








Analysed House Music Videos

Swedish House Mafia - Miami 2 Ibiza ft. Tinie Tempah



The editing techniques used throughout this video reinforces Andrew Goodwin's theory of illustration through the editing cutting to the beat of the song this makes the music video more aesthetically pleasing to watch. Cross cutting is used between Tinie Tempah and a female this is used to express Tinie's lyrics and feelings to this woman. Through this performance between these characters it highlights that this song is based around a concept of relationships rather than a narrative this reinforces the media product is a promotional music video. Many conventions are used in this music video for example; the editing is cut to the beat of the song and the DJ doesn't play a big role in the music video.
Many camera work techniques are used in this video for example a wide range of shots to show Tinie's emotion from close ups to show his confidence with the camera to long shots to show he's alone. The phantasmagorical of a female body is used to show the viewers what happens in Ibiza and also to add a bit of edge to the music video. In the pictures below a black and white effect has been added this indicates to the audience this is what Tinie has seen and it is in the past and in his perspective; for example:




KlangKuenstler - Barfuss Auf Wolken 



Editing techniques used in this promotional video vary from jump cuts to cut-aways. There are many Jump cuts used in the video for example when two women are walking and it jumps to them standing having a conversation in this situation it gives the effect that it has skipped time the editors have done this through filming at two different angles and times and cutting them together, also fast paced editing is used throughout the video because the shots cuts to the beat of the music another convention used is cutaways, due to their being no lip syncing throughout the video there are many types of cutaways used this is used in conjunction with the sound because I personally found the song to be on a loop. Many conventions are used in this music video for example; the editing is cut to the beat of the song and the DJ doesn't play a big role in the music video. Throughout the video the performance is is from two main characters which are both female and I believe there isn't a concept but there is a narrative told and it is how the two girls live their lives this is very unconventional.

David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia



This music video follows a narrative about a boy who has done something bad at school so he cycles home packs his stuff and runs off at the same time cross cutting is used to highlight that the police are trying to find him.  Many conventions are used in this music video for example; the editing is cut to the beat of the song and the DJ doesn't play a big role in the music video.The lyrics in the song; "I am titanium " mean if you are titanium you are not human, in the music video when the boy wants to leave through the back door he takes control of the keys for the back door and then a jump cut is used of the police in the back room and the police officer looks up at the ceiling to see two teddy bears floating and spinning in the air this was caused by the boy presumably this was an inhuman act meaning the lyrics "I am titanium" is represented through the boys performance of not being human.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Record Labels


Higher State Records:

Founded: 1992
Founder: Mark Dillon and Patrick Dickins
Genre: House Music
Location: London
Big Release: M1 - Electronic Funk

The logo is very simplistic but effective. The background of the logo is a blue sky with clouds in this may represent or symbolise that Mark Dillon and Patrick Dickins may think they're music Gods. The font styles
are very dated when in conjunction with the colours of the text it appears very bland.



Fresh Records:

Founded: 1985
Founder: William Socolov
Genre: Hip Hop, House Music and Electronic
Location: New York City
Big Release: Unfinished Business - Please listen to my demo

The logos colours are very simple however it looks professional the navy blue gives this appeal, the design of the logo is interesting and effective because the colours blend in with each other this is a great use of graphics to give this design, I personally like this design due to the colours and font styles used.


Paradax Records:

Founded: 1999
Founder: DJ Dax and Dwayne Taylor
Genre: Dance and Deep House
Location: Los Angeles, California
Big Release: DJ Dax and Dwayne Taylor - Soul Soul

The logo is very abstract and individual this may reflect the two founders personality or music taste. The colours used; black and white are a timeless classic when used in conjunction with each other they both reflect the design of the label as simple but effective. The font styles used are eye catching because both bold and italic have been used, I personally think the logo is is bright and eye catching, however I prefer Fresh Records logo.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

CD Covers Analysed



Mood-board of Genre


This mood-board represents the artists from the house music genre quite well for example a trend which is common in most of the pictures is they like to hide their identities this might be for many reasons but one them could be they like to be an enigma for example Disclosure.

Monday 9 September 2013

Andrew Goodwin's theory of music video editing

A great example of illustration is Selena Gomez - Come and get it because when the chorus is playing "when you're ready come and get it" she is singing about herself and her body and her performance illustrates this.


A great example of illustration and amplification is Nelly - Hot in herre.




Vernallis' Theory

Carol Vernallis "The Kindest cut: Functions and meaning in music video editing"

Carol Vernallis analyses how promotional music videos and Hollywood films are edited, she then compares them noticing any trends, similarities and differences.

Will. I. am ft. Justin Bieber - That Power


Editing matches the musical beat of the song and the video is a visual response to the music.





Wednesday 4 September 2013

Low Budget Ideas

The Fix - Just got paid:

What I liked about this music video was the performance by the artists. The dance routine with the spotlights behind them made it look very professional. From watching this music video and similar high budget videos I could see that the group had conducted a lot of research in that area. The used a great range of locations which I have seen The Wanted use before in their music videos so they adapted their ideas to base it around the limited budget they had. What I also noticed was each artist had their own shot of themselves only lip syncing this is another idea they have adopted from other boy bands. Through the shots with only the one artist n lip syncing you as the audience could really concentrate on the artist meaning you could notice any mistakes, so I could tell the artists had rehearsed the song a lot because they were very confident in front of the camera.



A Ha! - Imogen Heap:

The main element I liked about this music video was that it was different, the group could've of gone with the norm lip syncing and dance routines however this group didn't they took a risk in an area of music videos which isn't well publicized however they produced a great professional looking music video. However I didn't really like the music video due to I couldn't see clearly the artist lip syncing the song, also I found the music video very confusing and hard to understand however I did like the special effects the music video used.


Analysis of Rock Video 2



This media product fits many conventions of a promotional video for example the artists are lip syncing however the location doesn't change throughout the video, there is different angles but all in the same location. The cinematography used in this video suits the genre because there are many close up shots to show their facial expressions and due to the stereotypical rock genre the artists aren't ecstatic or happy this is shown through their performance.

Editing techniques are used to represent conventions of promotional video; for example a match cut is used when the main artist of the band is singing and then a shot of another band member is shown playing their instrument and then it cuts back to the main artist of the band lip syncing.

The performance of the band members/ artists was fairly simple, throughout the performance there wasn't a convivial atmosphere. The performance wasn't exactly exciting this maybe also down the fact of limited editing techniques used for example there wasn't any interesting computer generated images or special effects.

Analysis of Rock Video 1



This media product has many conventions of a stereotypical music video, however throughout all the verses where the artists are lip syncing it is in the same location of a function room.


One main convention of music videos which most genres have in common is fast paced editing to the beat of the song, this media product adopted this convention, this made the music video aesthetically pleasing to watch because it was flowing. Fades were also used to transition to the cutaways. The cutaways reflected the concept of the song about special women who they miss, the reasoning of this was the women would slowly go away symbolising what happened to them; women left them.

The mise en scene was very stereotypical of the rock genre relating to the colours used mostly dark and red these symbolise death and love, the concept of the rock song was love which is very stereotypical of rock bands.

Analysis of Pop Video 2



This media product fits many conventions of a music video for example all the artists appearing in the music video also another convention this video uses is the music video has a constant themed area based around the video. I like the editing techniques used for example the computer generated image of the fire and also the eyeline matches used for example when Justin is looking into space and then it shows he is looking at the dancing girls in bed sheets. I am drawn to the attention of these editing techniques because they interested me and I found them captivating my attention.

Many mise en scene techniques are used throughout this music video, a great example of one of them is both artists have necklaces on show, Jay Z's necklace is big and loud which reflects him for example he raps "I got psycho bitches in my lobby" compared to Justins's necklace which is quiet and reserved which reflects his lyrics "one day you care, your so unfair".

Also when analysing their performance I found them to be two different personalities I found Justin danced as he was very open. Below is a screen shot of him performing and is my favourite shot because it is very clear what he is singing about.


Compared to Jay Z who thinks he is very cool but in his performance he comes across as someone who is closed this is shown through his body language.


Monday 2 September 2013

Analysis of Pop Video 1



This media product is a promotional video this is indicated through the use of cinematography, editing, sound, mise en scene, performance etc.

An example of a cinematography technique used was the fast paced editing, for every close up there was another shot from a different angle this all added to the overall effect of the media product making it look finished and professional representing the time and money spent. An editing technique used which attracted my attention was the long take of 50 seconds where the camera is just following Jessie walking onto the set, this attracted my attention because I have never really seen something like this in a music video this added to the overall professional look of the media product. Another editing technique which interested me was the use of black and white this meant the editors could captivate the watchers attention. The mise en scene used was of a high budget for example the set it was recorded in you can see all the expensive equipment, Big Sean is wearing a fur coat this symbolises that he isn't part of the norm which reflected his attitude in the video.

Task one - Brief

Brief:

 George Dennehy, Jacob Sedgwick, Rae Tiernan and Megan Harris are going to create a promotion package for the release of an album, we need to include a music promo video, together with the following;

  • A cover for its release as part of digipak (Cardboard CD cover)
  • A magazine advertisement for digipak