Music Video

Styles of music videos

Narrative:

In real terms, the term 'narrative' refers to a following of a story which therefore means that something has a beginning, middle and end whilst also referring to the way in which the story is told. In the world of music videos, A narrative music video would be one which similarly follows a story however the way in which this story is told is different from just sitting down and telling a bedtime story however focuses on communicating a story to an audience. The use of a story-line is often used to further help interpret the lyrical content of the song and this form of music video is most commonly but not always used in songs which as associated with movies (film soundtracks) where scenes of the film are able to cut into the song or aspects of similar sort however this form of music video can be applied as long as it is done correctly.

An example of this is 'Ed Sheeran: Lego House' which is a music video about an obsessive teenage fan whom tries to follow the life of the artist due to a mental breakdown which essentially leads him to idolising Ed Sheeran. I believe that this is a very creative way of showing this especially due to the fact that the artist is rarely shown until the end.

Interpretive:

An Interpretive music video is one whom  means something which looks like something else however holds a different meaning which therefore enables the audience to make their own interpretations or ideas as to whatever they have found means.

'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk is an example of an Interpretive video and not simply because another artist 'Skylar Grey' covered this song and created a new video to it which consisted of her showing how lucky she is through things such as winning money, winning a car in a game show etc which takes a completely different view from the original song as the Daft Punk version doesn't take the title of the song so literally.

Performance:

Performance music videos literally are a live performance or contain footage from a live performance of the artist performing.

This is an example of a performance music video. This video is performed by Kanye West & Jay Z ans titled 'Ni**as in Paris' . Performance videos are often known for showing live performance as aforementioned however this video is special due to its mixture of a live performance not just being simply performed or taken from a random video edit however the use of visual effects and animation here if very effective as it enables it to not just be any black and white video however one which helps us to be much more visually engaged to the video.


Surreal:

A surreal music video is a music video where something is so strange that you don't even believe that it's real. Most animated videos fall under this category however below is a very good example of a Surreal music video and are most commonly known for allowing the artist to play with their freedom through expressing themselves without the fear of breaking narrative structures and boundaries.

This video is an example of a Surreal music video which is titled 'E.T' by Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West. This video is clearly surreal as it contains various supernatural and mystical beings which seems to be a concept derived from the film 'Avatar' which therefore already places the video in the surreal category as it is quite out of the ordinary/strange. From the spaceships to the aliens to the pitch of the voice, we could say that everything in the video is a bit mystical and strange.


Animated/Animation:

Animation music videos have classically been used to experiment with story-telling techniques, music videos will often use animation through the likes of digital animation, stop motion or etc in order to present a different feel of the video and essentially make it more interactive.

This concept of Animated music videos works well for the Gorillaz simply because firstly that was the concept behind the band in the first place in the sense that the Gorillaz are a band which are virtual, the entire concept is formed by the lead singer who is Damon and the 4 animated members do not actually exist however are animated members. I believe that the use of animation here is very effective due to the fact that their own personalities and characters can be very much more real than an actually physical person is able to be in the sense that the ability to place with the character still exists, they have the ability to do, think, feel and express whatever they want which is really effective in storytelling.


Conceptual:
A conceptual music video is one which takes the idea of a 'concept' or an idea which are usually unusual therefore may even be surreal to some extent. When watching a conceptual music video, expect no lip singing or narratives however this type of video is most commonly praised for it's special effects and styles which make it unique.

                                                                                                                                                                Red Hot Chilli Peppers song 'Califorcation' is a great example of a concept based music video where it is in a form of a animated video game which not only is very engaging and visually different to the audience but also, shows technological changes.                                                                                                                                                                      

Weekly Production Log 6

This week, I spent my time ensuring that I caught up with any outstanding work to do with my Music video which was missing or any work in general from this unit as well as making sure that I was on track with everything which had gone on as previously stated however this was also the week in which myself and my group started to film and put together out filming through the beginning of our editing process.

There were many times where frustration did hit us as we were faced with many decisions to make concerning our filming locations, what exactly we could add to make our film more interesting and things of such sort which did actually proved.
I will make sure i update this blog post to also keep it updated with what my team were up to this week when I wasn't actually present just for my own understanding and for the purposes of the post.

Artist's Identity

   This is an idea of how exactly I want some of the 'extras/cast' in my music video to look and here are the styles which the females in my videos will be inspired by and the looks they will go for. Of course, They will not be exactly the same or naked as shown in the picture however this is just an idea of how each cast member or character has a different look or personality to them which represents their style and who they are. I believe that this is the easiest, most effective way to show this.









I have chosen the following outfits as my Artist’s identity due to the fact that I believe that it goes with the theme of the song whilst also representing the style, theme and character which I’m going for. The outfits which I have shown here are similar to what I would like my artist to wear due to the fact that I believe that this fits in very well with the nature and background of the song which also links to the fact that i believe that my artist does need to be black simply because i believe that it fits much more with the identity of the artist and the original song as well as the dialect used in it but also, the artist which i choose would need to be someone who has a sort of confident nature towards them and in not easily swayed therefore knows them-self as the lyrics used show and represent this for instance, although they are well mannered, they still have a side of them which consists of 'Attitude' and that 'Money Motivated type of lifestyle'.

Beach-combing Activity

1. Big Tobz Ft WSTRN, Avelino & Donae'o - Uno My Style RMX

This video which is a remix to my original music video song was found by myself during the beach-combing inspired me to have a white background and a fun type of minimal theme to my music video interpretation. I believe that this was one of the first things that captured me simply because the minimal black and white editing as well the white background is very effective and I believe should be incorporated in my music video simply because I believe that it allowed me to connect much more with the artists as there were no distracting backgrounds as everything was kept minimal as well as it helped me as a viewer to focus much more on the video rather than anything.

1. A$AP Rocky - Fashion Killa (Explicit Version)

This video was found by myself during the beach-combing activity which we were set as a task and was originally one of my first ideas for the music which i wanted to execute however was changed. Due to the nature of my song and after transcribing my lyrics, This song was one of the first songs which popped up in my head due to the fact that the main lyrics in my song were 'Uno My Style' and in this video shown above 'A$AP Rocky and Rihanna' use the concept of Fashion in order to create something which doesn't look tacky or fake however really shows their personalities, lifestyles and Fashion sense which I would like to incorporate in my music video in the sense that I would like my artists or those in my music video to also be able to express their personalities and fashion sense in the video ie Through the choice of clothing or etc.

1. Work REMIX (Explicit)

This video was found by myself during the beach-combing activity which we were set as a task and to be quite honest, I wasn't really drawn to the visuals or the actually editing in the music video itself even though it was very good and was an aspect which I really respect because it was different it was shown and wasn't your usual rap video however I can say the aspect which I was really drawn towards was the attitude of the artists in the sense of the personalities and the confidence which is shown which reflects the nature of the song. It highlighted to me also that similarly to my choice of song, I must ensure that my artists attitude comes across as confident and also captures the audience in this way in the sense that they mean what they say, essentially 'cocky and confident'.

1. Maleek Berry: Kontrol (Official Video)

This video was found by myself during the beach-combing activity which we were set as a task and I believe this is where I got the most inspiration from for my music video idea and also beforehand even before the music video pitch as well as when my group was decided and we were looking for different ways in which we could present the video. The level of creativity in this video is completely crazy in the sense that the way everything was just visually expressed was truly wonderful from the introduction right to the end of the video, it was simply so playful from beginning to end and fitted very well with the theme of the song. The concept which I would grasp the most through coming across this video in the beach-combing activity was firstly, the playfulness of the video, It led me to understand that not every video must be simply a man walking down the street or just so simple to the point where it becomes cliche but this video reassured me that it was ok to let my creativity flow sometimes as being creative goes a long way. Secondly, I understood that little goes a long way in the sense that, the different characters portrayed by the girls in the video shown by the way they are dressed, they way they present themselves in the form of body language, how they look and the props which they had, everything formed the video and allowed it to come together which was in a sense really magically and honestly did inspire my creativity especially because before even watching this video, I already had in mind some similar concepts to this.

Cast and Crew List

Cast & Crew List 

Cast 

Male Lead - Ibrahim Bangura 

Ariana 

Habon 

Melesha

Mercedes

Extras(Yet to be updated and discussed)



Crew 

Ariana - Director & Editor 

Mercedes & Melesha - Camera Woman & Editor 

Habon - Lighting, props manager & Editor

Props and Equipment List

Props List

- Bubbles 

- Bubblegum 

- Lollipop 

- Lipsticks (Different Colours) 

- Phone 

- Leaflets

- Fountain Candles

- Artist's Personalised Jumper 

- Fake money
Equipment List

- Camera

- Tripod

- Mac computer 

- Spot light 

- Gel lights 

- Speakers 

-Copy of shooting Script and Call Sheet for the day

Weekly Production Log 5

This week was a bit all over the place for myself as I spent the week organising my work for this particular unit and ensuring that I took the initiative to catch up with my team and ask them to update me with the idea and how everything is going due to my absence whilst also ensuring them that although I wasn't about to be physically present throughout the week, whatever ideas or opinions were requires of me, They could always feel free to come to me.

This week, I spent my time ensuring that I caught up with any outstanding work to do with my Music video which was missing or any work in general from this unit as well as making sure that I was on track with everything which had gone on and I had missed even if it meant taking time out to make sure I had everything from pervious work to research together and correct through consulting my team members and also my teacher which was quite tiring and stressful however needed to be done.
I will make sure i update this blog post to also keep it updated with what my team were up to this week when I wasn't actually present just for my own understanding and for the purposes of the post.

Weekly Production Log 4

This week, My group have created our call sheets which includes the things that were going to need when we have a filming day for example who we need for the cast, props, reminders and where the location is. Also, Two members of the group (Mercedes and Habon)have taken photos of our locations as to where we are filming and further explained the reason that we chose those locations is because of the equipment that we have available to us for example the spotlights/gel lights in the drama room. 
We have taken it upon ourselves to go the extra mile and buy a personalised sweatshirt with our song title on it and we are currently waiting to be made and arrive which was an idea which was designed by us and derived from one of the production meetings which we had this week which was also the first time we got together in a long while.

Weekly Production Log 3

For this week, Myself and My Group's created questionnaires which we gave to a variety of people and included a variety of questions in order to understand their interests, likes, dislikes and genreally what sort of vibes they get from our music video idea so that we were able to gather this information together and further understand any points of improvement which could have been made.

We then filmed our focus group feedback which although was a bit of a hasty start due to the amount of takes which we had to take, it did prove to be successful in the end due to the fact that we did manage to gather our heads together and shoot our focus group pitch as well as post it up as planned.
The next step would be to write up a formal focus group evaluation which consists of and explains all of the information which was gather and our next actions and what will be and has been done after considering the information which has been gathered,

Understanding the Purpose of Music Videos

Promotional Tool

The promotional stage of a Music video is very fundamental aspect due to the fact that through this we are able to form the picture of exactly who the artist is as well as determining the success of the Music video. This is also important in the aspect of maintaining the image of an artist as whenever their appearance or style may die out, through using a music video as a promotional tool we are able to continuously grab the attention of the audience through fresh ideas shown through music videos, show off the artists talents, for the exposure and expansion of the artists product and profitable purposes.

An example of the use of a Promotional tool in terms of an Artist would be Beyonce - Whom is one of the Queen's in the Music industry is definitely an example of this. Beyonce grew up in a very Christian background with a very sweet and loving persona which revolved around the sweet sound of gospel songs such as 'When Jesus says yes' or even through her various 'Gospel Medleys' within the group Destiny's Child.









However, When she grew up and became much more prominent in the music industry, Most key and faithful fans would remember her humble beginnings as the dramatic style of her music recent music videos have meant that those aspects are key due to these dramatic changes. I believe that changes made by her Record label who signed her led to these changes in order to make her stand out among other artists which is shown through the difference in her singing Gospel Melody to her newest album 'Lemonade' in the song 'Formation' where the music video is very contrary to these sweet ideals of Beyonce which were changed in this music video to the 'Sexy' Beyonce which is a very strong feminine figure. Through this music video, we are able to note through the language used in the music video which even involves swearing and quite explicit clothing and more sexualised behaviour therefore showing her development as a tool and how her music videos have also been used to show a timeline of this change whilst also exposing and promoting more of Beyonce to the world.

Extension of Outlets

In order for music videos to be able to progress, be published and increase in popularity, there must be various outlets in which the music is available for the public to be able to listen and download. These outlets have become very much popular within our days therefore allowing them to expose their songs to fans(the audience) as well as be able to get their name out there. As shown, these have definitely developed overtime as previously Music videos would have been aired in TV Shows for example Chart Shows or Shows such as MTV which isn't a channel anymore but is still used as a platform to increase the sales of artists through the playing of their music videos and songs.

An Outlet which is an example of an Extension of Outlets is YouTube is from an internet sensation

whereby Music videos from all scales of popularity are shared on this platform.
This often works on the basis of paying given Artists on the basis of their views which they get on their videos and often promotes artists as well through adverts and even a trending option.

MTV aforementioned, was a Cable channel previously however now is much more of an online platform which promotes and broadcasts Media products and Music videos. This predominately changed music videos in the sense that I can definitely say that it was the birth of Music videos through which Music videos were much more exposed to new techniques and ways of editing for instance Cutting to the beat and also a better quality of shots.

Other extension of outlets also include Spotify and Itunes which enable downloading of music from fans which is profitable because it enables them to the audience to download the songs on MP3 format and listen to the songs over and over again which increases the likelihood of them going on further to watch them in music videos and also the extension of income as there will be more views on the song.


Major/Indie/Unsigned Record Labels

Record Labels also help to aid the purpose of music videos simply because through record labels, artist(s) whom are usually signed to these labels are able to produce products of high quality for instance Music videos. Through these record labels, Artists are also able to have their music videos or songs produced as well as the management of tours and merchandise handled by the company in order to promote them.

Record labels often vary in their popularity however here I would identify that the focus would be Major record labels. Major Record Labels are fundamental in the growth of a music artist and essentially guarantee that everything which they produce is of high quality. Some Major record labels include Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Bros. Music and these are just some of the major names amongst many. These companies are the ones which are often highly recognised and who's high budgets of money enables them to nurture upcoming artists as well as manipulate videos and products in order to capture the minds and hearts of many therefore benefiting both the artist and the record company in financial terms very well. An example of a Major Record Labels work would be Sony Music and the artist Future, who is a recent Rap sensation which has blown the streets with his hard hitting music and visual sensation. Sony would probably pay millions in order for him to have the facilities to produce music as well as publicity of his music as well as him as a person through billboards, magazines and things of such sort which not only benefits the artists are they are much more well known thus open to more opportunities however Record labels also benefit from this as they are more likely to have more artists want to work with them.

Indie/Unsigned Record labels often refer to labels which still do the same work as Major Record Labels engage in however in a much smaller scale due to their funds and work much more independently due to the money gap in comparison with Major Record Labels which often have much more tools to be able to breakthrough properly. Artists who are signed to Indie or Unsigned Record Labels are often less likely to go unnoticed or not given as much attention as those who work with Major Record Labels which may be a downfall however there are many success stories such as Stormzy who isn't yet signed to a Major record Label however is a Grime Sensation and I do also believe that through working with Indie or Unsigned Labels, artists are also much more inclined to build real and personal relationships with people who have the same aims as them and do not just have financial intentions.


Synergy

A Synergy is defined as a collaboration or work partnership between two companies or institutions who work together in order to promote one another's work as well as support eachother's work which is done in order to cause a greater effective than both institutions have as individuals - in this case, this may involve an Artist and a Brand which is presented to the audiences which both companies tailor to.

Collaborations have become very frequent these days and often range between things so for example it may between An artists and various types of companies ie Food, Clothing, Sports Brands etc or much specifically with Music videos, it involves a Music video working together with a Film therefore allowing the song to promote the film and visa-versa.

An example of this is 'See You Again by Wiz Khalifa Ft Charlie Puth'.

Through this music video, we are able to see that the collabortation between Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth in order to produce this song which was a key asset to the film 'Fast and Furious 7' simply because not only did the success of the film reignite knowledge of the artist Wiz Khalifa and shed light to Charlie Puth but we were able to quickly identify the two artists and the song produced with the Film and what it denoted therefore making more people being inclined to connect with the Fast and Furious Movie as they engaged with the song therefore bringing success on both sides.
Aforementioned, the fans of the movie will enjoy watching short clips from the movie whilst listening to the song, making them want to buy the song and listen to it again separately. Similarly, fans of the band will want to listen to them perform but once they see the various clips from the movie will want to book tickets to the cinema to watch the full thing. Therefore, synergy is an effective way of boosting two companies popularity/revenue/gross etc, here both will benefit from their simple collaboration with each other. 


Extension of Income

There are many companies which pay for Artists to publish their content on outlets such as Youtube, Itunes, Spotify etc in order for audiences to be able to engage with them either online or offline.
Through this, artists are able to increase in popularity as they available to download or listen to; this therefore increase exposure of the artists as their name is spread amongst audiences as well as the fact that their song is much more played in public. Extensions such as Youtube which as previously mentioned, pay in accordance to the number of views which an artist(s) may get is very profitable as it enables artists to be able to move onwards and upwards especially considering the popularity and size of this platform however platforms/extensions such as DVD's or Itunes are also a great way of promoting the artist and gaining income as they are able to gain profit through sales of their music and albums if any as the playbility of the music is increased and the audience are much more able to enagage with the artist.

This has however increasingly become a problem as due to the fact that these extensions of income which enable downloads on a high demand, this has also led to the emergence of Illegal Downloads through illegal means and illegal websites which aid this. Although copyright laws have been introduced and there have been calls for tougher rulings in this department, this does essentially affect Artist(s) and their respective companies income as this means people are less likely to pay for or purchase content or material where there are websites or platforms available which enable them to make 'Free' downloads of content which would otherwise be paid for.

Weekly Production Log 1

This week, We were assigned a task to search through different websites for example, Unsigned.com, Youtube etc for an artist that i can use for my music video however the artist must be unsigned for me in order to use them for my idea. 

I was very fortunate to have the privilege to not have to use an unsigned artist because one of the artists which I was perusing replied to me and gave me permission to use their song therefore I have focused on preparing my Music idea pitch in order for my group which is yet to be decided to choose if they would like to carry out my idea. It was very difficult to find an unsigned artist since initially your looking for an unsigned artist that you like and have an idea for what your music video would look like however it was much harder for me to present my pitch rather than finding my artist in my coincidence.

Questionnaire for Music Video Feedback

Questionnaire:

1. What is your gender? 
Male
Female

2. What is your ethnicity?


3. What is your age?


4. Are you in full time education? Yes/No. (If no please specify what you do)


5. What area do you live in?


6. What is your favourite music genre? e.g Hip hop. 


7. Do you like rap music? Yes/No (If so what do you like about it?)


8. When was the last time that you watched a music video? 


9. What is the first thing that you look for in a music video and why?


10. When was the last time that you bought a CD, artist merchandise and/or songs or albums from platform such as iTunes?


11. How often do you visit video sites? 
Never 
Everyday 
Once a week 
Once a month 
Once a year 
Other (Please specify)

12. If you could create a music video what are the top things you would highlight as most important?

1. 

2. 

3.

4. 

5.

Focus Group Evaluation

Focus Group Questions

Focus Group Questions


1. Do you like Rap music? 




2. Do you think our music video suits the lyrics? 




3. What is your opinion of our song? 




4. Would you change anything about our music video? if yes then please specify what. 




5. What did you like about our music video? 




6. Would you recommend this music video to friends and family? 




7. Do you have any suggestions on how to improve it? If yes then please specify what. 




8. Do you think this music video is suitable for our target audience? 




9. What do you think about our location? Would you change it? If yes please specify why? & where? 

Music Video: Focus Group

Music Video Pitch: Live

Target Audience

The intended primary audience are those who enjoy this type of music which may be classed as R&B or Hip-Hop as well as the Younger generation(Youth) so I would say those around the age of 15-24 which I believe would listen to this type of music with this type of style. In terms of Gender, I believe that both Genders would be able to relate as my interpretation allows both to be able to be able to enjoy.

Visuals

As fore-mentioned in my Music video pitch which can be found in my blog, I would apply these visuals to my music video because I believe that this song gives off a Fashion show and lifestyle vibe so I would apply it to my music videos by maybe showing different styles or different clothes which represent a particular type of lifestyle as well as showing fun as I believe that this video is therefore i would incorporate maybe a gathering of friends showing fun which may include showing different types of clothes or maybe a party scene which i believe would fit very well with the theme. In terms of styles and techniques, i would use various shots including Long Shots, Medium Long Shots, Close Ups which will enable us to further understand the song. Technique wise, I would use Slow Motion for when the beat is slower for when the fun is slow motion, a faster pace editing for where the beat is faster for example during the Chorus as well as close-ups of different people with different styles which would therefore be quite creative as well as a well lit room with quite happy and upbeat lighting.

Further aspects may include, Cutting to the beat in the beginning, Different types of lights ie including the use of Gel lights which are found in our locations and simply the use of props in order to make our music video much more visually engaging.where the beat changes in the intro.

Music Video Pitch

Richard Dyer's Star Theory

Stars as Constructions:

There are many ways in which a Star Persona or a Pop Artist can be constructed which may be through Media Coverage (i.e Interviews or Tabloid Gossip), Record covers, Their songs; Lyrics and Genre, Live Performances, Music Videos.
I believe that Alexandra Burke is a perfect example of a Star Persona construct which was moulded into a 'Star' due to the fact that she went from the person who she was when she first came to X-Factor which was a mild, humble, well-mannered girl into the image which was created to her once she began to make Records under the label of 'Syco' which she was signed to after her X-Factor win.

It is evident that she was moulded due to the fact that she started off by making Charity singles and crying humble on the 'X-Factor show into the 'Bad-Boys', Sexy kind of imagine which was shown through her hit after the show called 'Bad-Boys'. The Difference in Both songs which happened through the ability of her being signed therefore shows that she was moulded into a character as we see that in the 'Hallelujah' video, She portrayed as a Natural, Sweet kind of image and even through the way she's dressed and the way her hair is, she is shown as very innocent compared to where she wear's some high laced heels, a very tight leather outfit and cleavage on show which portrays her as much more seductive and provocative which therefore shows the difference.

Stars As Personalities:

In order to be successful, An artist has to connect with their target audience on a personal level as as well as through music. A star personality is formed in order to create a sense as a 'real human', possessing gender & race characteristics, and existing against a socio-historic background which may be deemed as normal to society. We tend to read them as not-entirely-fictional, as being are very much of their time and culture, the product of a particular generation. Stars provide audiences with a focus for ideas of 'what people are supposed to be like' (e.g for women, thin/fair/beautiful) - they may be more inclined to conforming to it (thin/beautiful) or providing difference (fat/still lovable/plus size).

Stars As Products for the Industry and the Audience:

Stars are used by the music industry to serve a purpose which is to make money for the industry or out of the industry and the audience who in being fans may purchase or connect with these products through buying official merchandise or even down to record buying.

This element is crucial to stars as there is a range of audiences it caters to, from primary school children to angry teens and all of this in the name of keeping us all happy. 

Stars As Products for the Ideology & Culture:

This category is about promoting certain ideologies, culture values & attitudes which are built to be an attractive the audience's interest through these qualities as well as also being a gateway in which these stars are able to share ideas and opinions which real helps build up this persona. Some examples of this may be doing a certain hairstyle such as braids or cutting your hair which leads fans to also be able to express themselves in such a way or for example tweeting something on a twitter feed in order to express their opinion for instance; Beyonce often tweeting about Feminism and Girl Power.

Risk Assesment

Shooting Script

Production Schedule

Questionnaire Exemplar

1. Tell us a little about you:
Ethnicity:
Age:
Sexual orientation:
Area you live in:
Gender do you best identify yourself with:




2. When was the last time you watched a music video?




3. What's your favourite music genre? Why?





4. What's your favourite Platform to find and engage with Music videos in?




5. When was the last time which you brought a CD, Artist's Merchandise and/or Albums or Songs from Platforms such as Itunes etc?




6. What's the first thing which captures you or keeps you engaged in a music video and why?




7. What's your opinion on South London Rappers?




8. If you could create a music video, what are the top 4 things which you would highlight as the most important things needed for a music video?






9. What is your opinion of the song which was shown to you (Please be as honest and detailed as possible)




10. Imagine you had to create a video to the song, What would you add to the video for this song and why?




14.  Which location(s), themes, styles and techniques would you best associate with this music video/son?

Locations:

Themes:

Styles(Inc. Outfits):

Techniques: