1st Edit

First Draft

 



Hot Desking

Feedback from Peers

After showing my Peers the first draft of my music video, I asked them for some feedback on it, to understand how to improve, and what work well. The questions that I asked to my classmates were:

The feedback is colour co-ordinated, to the people who left comments.

What do you think I should put between clips? - This is because I knew that the video was relatively one dimensional and I wanted some outside input to see what people would like.

Feedback:

Perhaps invert the colours every now and again to add pace and an element of changing.

You could add some different colours to break up the video as I feel the black and white can become too similar at certain points of the video.

I don’t think the video completely needs colour as the music is dramatic and what you’ve done is so different and interesting; however the clips are quite slow so you might want to speed up parts of it.

I believe that clips put in-between shots could have some form of you painting swirls on paper and different types of patterns to break up the fact that its just a women being painted or finding herself.

I think the black and white worked well throughout the video, maybe some other shapes could be presented in the middle of clips to relate to shapes being created.

-This feedback is really helpful because I was finding it difficult, thinking of other visuals to include in the music video.

What shots do and do not work? - I asked this question, because I wanted to know what there was too much of or too little of. Also, to see if there were some shots which people found not as aesthetically pleasing as others.

Feedback:

I really like the progression of close ups from feet to face, particularly the close ups of hands and face! The formation of the person through paint is very clever

I like the shot at the end of the video, I think it’s a good way of ending the video as all the close ups used feel like they have been leading up to us seeing the character

The shots of her face and hair are my favourites and its good how you slowly built the video up using different shots of her body. The shots of her legs go on for a long time and are a bit hard to read at first.

I really like the way it shows this woman finding herself, however the shots do need to be broken up with some sort of different pattern. Maybe if you use water droplets dripping into some water? 

The shots which show the paint slowly being applied look really great especially with the effect added, the shots which could potentially not work so well I think would be the ones which do not show the patterns as well or are a little too long

-I like this feedback because it reassures me that the idea of the music video is a good one, with the positive comments. Also, the constructive criticism really helps to develop ideas, and understand what audiences want from a music video.

Do you think there should be a direct relationship between the music and the visuals? - I asked this to see if the audience liked the direction that the music video was headed, or whether I should reconsider the idea behind the music video.

Feedback:

I don’t think so, I like the concept element of it, it’s very striking and interesting to watch unfold. Works well with the music.

I don’t think there needs to be a direct relationship, the visuals work very well with the song and its different to other videos which I may expect to see for a song like this (performance)

I don’t think it needs to at all, the idea is so unique it completely captured me and it already fits the music well.

I don’t believe there should need to be a relationship between the visuals and lyrics however I believe the music does connect with the visuals! When listening to the music I feel a sense of power and this song shows this woman finding herself so I think it works really well!

I think the tribal sounding drum style works well with the painting idea, however I do not feel it needs to relate directly with the music and visuals as it is a very conceptual idea

-Again, this feedback lets me know what audiences like to see in music videos.

How would you improve this music video? - The final question was a broad one, just to get the audience feedback, and how they feel about the music video.

Changing paces – shot on action etc. Also less focus on the feet in the beginning as it takes a while to build up to the face and you wonder whether it’s going to be the bottom half of the body for the whole time.

I feel the video could be improved by using more than one actor and cutting between the two, you could match the cutting of the scenes to the beat of the music

I agree with first comment – less time spent on feet/legs

I feel as if there is too much time spent on the first section of the video showing legs and feet. You need to hurry that section and get to the more interesting parts of the body.

There could maybe be more pace and matching to the music pace but the video works well in relation to the music
-This feedback allows the peers who left comments to have an input to the music video, it also helps me know what I need to do to improve. 

I believe that the feedback that I have received on my first draft music video is really helpful. I thought that all of the comments were helpful and I will definitely act upon the comments left.

This task has been really helpful, and I believe it will be a really influential step, in the process of creating my music video.

Equipment Analysis - Gorillapod

Gorillapod

A Gorillapod is a flexible tripod, consisting of many ball and socket joint, which allow the tripod to attatch to almost any object.

I like using this piece of equipment, due to how diverse it is, and the fact that it can attatch anywhere, allowing my filming to go one step further, and add another elemint to my filming, in terms of camera angles.

I have experimented in multiple different ways with the Gorillapod, attatching it to moving and static objects, such as the roof of my house, my car, a remote control car and a tree branch, to experiment with different camera angles and environments. The Gorillapod can also be used as a shoulder mount, with one leg fully extended, sat on the shoulder, and the other two with a slight bend, acting as the handles. This works as well as an actual shoulder mount. Obviously from below, when the camera is stable, there is no issue, however, when the camera is moving, there needs to be a smooth surface, and little camera movement, as there is a lack of quality in the video and of the footage.



Call Sheet

Risk Assessment-TV Studio

TV Studio

Target Audience Research

Target Audience Research

  Please Hover Over The Image To Read Notes

Raury's music is falls into multiple genres and is extremely diverse, appealing to a wide variety of audiences. The majority of his music falls into these genres:

Indie

Folk

Hip Hop

Soul

Rap

And then his music falls into other sub-genres slightly. However, what we must take into consideration is that the lines between genres are forever getting more and more blurred and genre is becoming less of an aspect in music, because music nowadays contain influences from all over the place.

Indie:

This is a lifestyle that follows social trends that are considered to consciously deviate from the mainstream.
The term 'indie', within music, originates from artists who couldn't get financial support and sign with a record label, so they began producing and distributing their music individually. This concept then extends to people known as 'indie', because they do things their own way, not conforming to mainstream trends. However being 'indie' and the genre itself is becoming more and more popular, which is ironic, as it is considered individual, but is now, in reality, the mainstream, especially in the youth.
Age range: 16-30
Gender: Male&Female

Folk/Soul:
Music with the folk and soul genres incorporated is rare in modern, popular music. The fact that there is a huge influence, from these genres, on Raury's music, makes him a different, more diverse artist. The instruments in his music, style of music and sometimes the tempo, is what makes his music appeal to the fans of the folk genre and the soul genre. Also, his voice is not stereotypical for a pure Hip Hop artist, it is more pure and stripped back, falling into these two genres, more so than it does in the more popular music genres of today.
Age range: 20+
Genders: Males, Females less so.

Hip Hop:
Hip Hop culture originated in the 1960s in the Bronx, NY, amongst the African American youth. This genre splits into four main sections, which extend further than just music. Rap (oral), DJing (aural), B-Boying (physical), Graffiti Art (visual). This genre has expanded more and more over the years, and has now become the most popular genre in modern music. The way that Raury incorporates this genre into his music, and makes it, arguably, the most dominant genre in his music, allows him to extend his audience even further.
Age range: 16-28
Gender: Predominantly Males, Females less so.

My audience would watch my music video for escapism and entertainment (Katz & Blumer's 'Uses and Gratification Theory).

Time Lapse

I think time lapses are very aesthetically pleasing, however the fast pace may not go with the slow tempo of music. Also, time lapses don't last for too long when taken on an iPhone, due to battery life, so they could be quite short and not capture the amount of time that I would prefer.

Phantom 3 Standard Drone

I really like using the drone and I would love to fit some drone footage in. However I believe that if I do include some drone footage, it may look a little out of place and put in for the sake of it.

Cast

Cast

I don't need to go through the casting process, because my music video doesn't contain characters. I will need somebody to be the subject of the video, however, due to the special effects that dominate the music video, there are no costumes or characters used, therefore making casting less important.

The shots without the special effects, will not contain characters, again, leaving me without the task of casting.

Recce Checklist

Contacting The Artist

Contacting The Artist

I got in contact with the people who represent an artist named Raury. After not getting a reply to my first email, I got in contact again, as seen above, and got a reply within the same day. I was deciding between two songs, 'God's Whisper' and 'Devil's Whisper'. However I decided to got for 'God's Whisper' because 'Devils Whisper' contained explicit language.

The song: Raury - 'God's Whisper'

 

Reverse Green Screen

Reverse Green Screen

Location: TV Studio, City College Norwich

Equipment: Blue Paint, Dust Sheet, Camera, Tripod, Green Screen

Subject: Charlotte Johnston

This is the result of my reverse green screen test shoot.

To create this, I had to have a subject, with a lot of skin revealed, so that you could see the texture of the skin. Then, on bare skin, I rubbed blue paint into my subject's skin. This blue paint would be the keyed area, when it came to editing. I decided to test this idea on just a small part of the body, which is why the video above only shows the subject's arm.

I refer to this technique as 'reverse green screening' because, conventionally, you would edit out the green, or blue, in the shot, to make that transparent, however, in this case, the only area which is seen, is the area covered in the chroma-key paint.

When I do my final shoot for the reverse green screen, I would do things a little different. First of all, I would change the background from black, to white. This is because I would rather there be a huge contrast between the focal point and the background, instead of the two being very similar colours. Also, I would change the camera angle, I would include extreme close-ups and panning shots, instead of a static close-up/mid-shot. 

Eyes

This is an experiment I did, to see how it would look to blue screen blue contact lenses, and insert a video clip in, behind the contacts/eyes. I think it looks extremely aesthetically pleasing. However due to the lack of appropriate lighting, there are distorted rings around the edges of the contact lenses. This could be an issue, if implemented into the music video, because the standard of work would drop immensely, due to this lighting error.

Practical Production Treatment

Storyboard

I have drawn these images on the 53 iPhone application. I know that these seven shots do not occupy all of the duration of the song, however this storyboard is brief, because I believe that some drastic changes will be made to the initial idea of the music video.

Hover over the dots on the images to read the annotations.

Equipment Analysis - Dolly

Dolly

The dolly is a piece of equipment which is attatched to the feet of a tripod, to allow it to move on wheels.

The dolly is a good piece of equpment in the right circumsances. The wheels are small and plastic, which means that the ground has to be extremely smooth, for the footage to be smooth and stable. Also, the small wheels and slow bearings mean that it wouldn't be possible to attach it to the rear of a vehicle or shoot on rough ground, such as pebbles or grass. However, if you were to film on a smooth floor, such as plastic or wood, it becomes the perfect piece of equipment because it can run smoother. On the correct floor, the dolly is the best equipment and is more diverse than a track, in terms of movement, however the fact that a track can go on multiple surfaces and not be affected by how rough that surface is, would make me want to use a track, as apposed to a dolly in my production.

Music Video Proposal

Music Video Proposal

I understand that the content of this document are not completely final, and that plans could change between now and the final shoot. 

Music Video Analysis. Raury - 'God's Whisper'.

Raury - God's Whisper

Starting where 'Devil's Whisper' left off, 'God's Whisper' follows Raury through his day. This music video has a linear narrative to an extent, however this could be argued, as we see Raury twice in the same shot, this could be evidence of a parallel narrative, because we follow two characters, or two versions of a character, however the majority of the music video follows a linear narrative. The music video is a hybrid between performance and narrative, much like the video for 'Devil's Whisper', however, this music video contains even less performance, and is mainly dominated by the linear narrative. There is a clear link between the lyrics and the visuals, most obviously through the captions.

The multiple genres which Raury's music falls into are portrayed in multiple ways. The country and folk genres are represented, in the video, through the rural setting, or settings with rural characteristics, which is constant throughout. Then, the hip hop genre is shown through the costume, the mise en scene (such as drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and anti-social behaviour), and the Indie genre is represented, again, through costume, such a Raury's hat and costume choice in the exposition.

Mid-Shot

Extreme Close-Up

There is a wide variety of camera angles used throughout the music video, from extreme close-ups to long shots. Also, we see varying camera techniques, such as cinema vérité style camera movement, to add a sense of voyeurism. This could also be used to represent the less mainstream genres of music, because the style is more of a unique style. Tracking shots are used for a smoother feel to the majority of the music video, the cleaner cut style could be representing the more mainstream style of music, such as Hop Hop, because the camera style is more of a conventional one used in media platforms.
The direct mode of dress which is occasionally used in the music video, could be used to interpolate the audience. This also seems to be the case in the song 'Devil's Whisper'. The common use of this feature in Raury's music videos could be to portray Raury's personality/persona, because he seems to be extremely socially involved. The main evidence for this is the concept for his music video 'Friends' where he gets fans to drive him across America to his shows, as apposed to getting a flight.

Screenshot from 'Friends'

Screenshot from 'Friends'

In conclusion, Raury's music video for 'God's Whisper' seems to be focussed around rebellion, which is a main convention in modern day Hip Hop music. This is portrayed through the anti-social behaviour mainly. However, there are aspects which convey all of the music genres which Raury's music falls into. Also, the music video seems to spark some enigmas, such as the start, (where 'Devil's Whisper' ended) and the general narrative gets an audience to ask 'what' is happening and also 'why'.

Definition of a Music Video

Music Video Definition

 

Music videos date back to the 1920s, being referred to as 'musical short films' and 'illustrated song', however they became a more popular art form in the 1980s, when MTV made them the focus of their format.

According to theorist Joan Lynch's theory (1984), music videos all fall into three basic video structures. these are 'performance', where the music video would contain a form of performance, such as the band performing the song, or a dance performance to acompany the song. An example of a perfomance music video is:
Vampire Weekend-Cousins

The second music video category, according to Joan Lynch, is 'narrative'. A narrative music video is one which tells a story within the video. Music videos in this style could also be considered as short films. A music video which falls into the narrative category is:
Alt J-Breezeblocks

The final music video category is 'concept'. A concept music video is one which is more experimental and artistic. The images have not conventionally got a link to the lyrics, but will usually have a link to the music in terms of beat. They will focus on one, or multiple, original ideas. An example of a concept music video is:

Jon Gow (1992) had identified six main features which music videos contain, these six categories are:
- The anti-performance piece : videos without performance
-Pseudo-reflexive performance : video production process is included in the video
-Performance documentary : videos containing vérité footage of onstage performance and/or offstage activities
-The special effects extravaganza : performance is overshadowed by special effects
-Song and dance number : focus on the physical ability of dancers and vocal ability of the song, usually through lip-syncing techniques
-Enhanced performance : video blends performance elements with visual elements, justified through associational, narrative or abstract forms of motivation

Finally, Andrew Goodwin researched hundreds of music videos and came up with seven key conventions and codes that are in the majority of music videos, which are:
-Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
-Relationship between the music and the visuals
-Particular music video genres have their own individual style
-Record company demands many close-ups on the artist
-Artists develop their own star iconography, eventually leading to their individual star image
-Reference to voyeurism, particularly towards women and in terms of looking (screens within screens, binoculars, film and movie camera etc.)
-Intertextuality

Music Video Analysis. Raury - 'Devil's Whisper'

Raury - Devil's Whisper

The music video for Devil's Whisper is a hybrid between performance and narrative. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals, in terms of beat, and a subtle link between the lyrics and the visuals. There is a fragmented narrative, this is identifyable through the constant jumps between time and space, between the story and the performance.
The video starts off as a performance, in the conventional style of music videos in the 'country' genre of music, with the artist, Raury, on a small stage in front of a small audience, in a stereotypical American bar.

The music video's exposition would suggest that the song is purely a folk song, due to the huge amount of American, country, iconography, such as the settings and costume. This goes with the song as it partly falls into the folk and blues genre. However as the video continues, we see the country iconography slowly leave the video and a more modern setting and costume choice is implemented. The video begins at an open mic night, then leads to a field, then to a dinner party, and the video seems to become more and more unsettling, to both the audience, and the characters. The protagonist, Raury, notices something is wrong when he falls into the dark setting where unexplainable things are happening, such as an outside baptism in a bath. As the visuals make us feel more uneasy and confused, this is portrayed through the subtle use of cinema vérité style camera techniques, the lyrics and the visuals have a link, as the lyrics say about running from the devil, Raury is literally running from a ferocious looking dog, which is representing the devil in this instance.

Possibly the most unsettling image in the entire music video is one where Raury's, once supportive, open mic crowd are seen in a point of view shot, from the stage, with lit up eyes, so much so that they look slightly demonic, again leading to connotations of evil and the devil.

There are many extreme close ups in the music video, which could have been included by the director  to interpolate the audience, making the video more intimate, rather than us constantly spectating from a distance. Also, there is a lot of use of lens flare within this music video, we see it near the beginning of the music video when Raury first sees the female. The lens flare could be used as a blocking device, when used, to create a sense of ambiguity, similarly to how blocking devices are used in film. However as apposed to conventional blocking devices, the lens flare is more aesthetically pleasing to an audience, but is still creating some sense of mystery and ambiguity. The lens flare which is used in the exposition, over the girl, looks like one from ambient lighting, which would connote beauty and purity through how natural the light looks. On the other hand, the subtle, but constant, lens flare seen when Raury is rapping, looks like it is from more artificial lighting, such as stage lights. This would connote the distress of the situation and how unnatural the situation is. This is reinforced by what has happened previously in the music video.

The end of the video sees Raury laying on the roof of a house which has no relevance to the previous scenes in the music video for Devil's Whisper. However it is not until you watch the music video to God's Whisper that you realise then ending is actually the exposition of God's Whisper. This had actually left fans confused because Devil's Whisper was released after God's Whisper, but the music videos is seen to be before, which had sparked a lot of conversation and debate about which came first.

Director Study - Anthony Mandler

Anthony Mandler

Anthony Mandler is a music video director, as well as a film director, TV advert director and photographer. He has had extremely successful careers in photography and as a director. Having directed music videos for artists such as 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Jay Z, Eminem and many more in the music industry. Mandler is well known for his frequent collaborations with Rihanna, having directed the music videos for hit songs such as, 'Unfaithful', 'Disturbia' and 'Diamonds'.

Anthony Mandler's style is fairly inconsistent, due to the fact that he works with a huge variation of artists, both singers and rappers through all different genres. His work can be a reflection of the artist, the genre or the story of the song, and sometimes incorporates all of these features. Anthony Mandler follows some genre conventions in his music videos. For example, in music videos for 'Find Your Love'-Drake and 'Hustler's Ambition'-50 Cent, it constantly cuts back to the artist in the studio, either singing or making their music, however most of the time they will be lip syncing or acting with the sound controls, otherwise known as pseudo. This is a stereotypical feature within Hip Hop and Rap videos.

'Hustler's Ambition'-50 Cent

'Find Your Love'-Drake

Many of Mandler's music videos contain a huge variety of settings, ranging from derelict buildings to party scenes. In 'Beautiful'-Eminem, the majority of the videos is shot in a huge empty building, which resembles a church or cathedral. The reason this setting is chosen is to juxtapose the facts stated at the beginning.

The shots in the exposition are used to add context to the video, which connotes that the video, and the derelict church/cathedral, is in Detroit, or that the location is meant the be seen as in Detroit. Also, the shots are about the success of Detroit and Michigan, but this is juxtaposed by the setting itself. This example tells us that Anthony Mandler thinks through the locations of the music videos he directs. The choice of setting can add context to the story being told through the music itself. Also, the setting should, and conventionally does, reflect the mood and narrative of the song. This means that if a song is a more upbeat 'party anthem' then it could be shot in a nightclub, or an upbeat song being accompanied by an upbeat music video. For example, 'Get Me Bodied'-Beyoncé, the music is upbeat, so Anthony Mandler has directed a music video which goes hand in hand with the track.

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