A music video is a short video that accompanies a piece of music. Primarily they are made and used as a marketing device to promote the song. Although the origins of music videos date back much further, they came into prominence in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium.
Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, narrative and non-narrative and linear and non-linear sequences.
Music
Phonograph cylinders were the earliest medium for recording and producing sound. Commonly known simply as records. This record system was successful within marketing during the 1910s, commercial mass production of phonograph cylinders ended in 1929.
Gramophone records were most popular music reproduction of the 20th century, replacing the phonograph cylinder by the 1920s. They were largely supplanted by the late 1980s by digital media, leaving the mainstream in 1991. The vinyl record regained popularity by 2008, with nearly 2.9 million units shipped that year, mainly used by DJs. As of 2009, mainstream pop releases tend to be mostly sold in digital or compact disc formation.
A CD is an optical disc used to store digital data. Audio CDs have been commercially available since October 1982.
An MP3 player, is a consumer electronic device that has the primary function of storing, organising and playing audio files, some even allow image viewing.
The iPod is a portable media player designed and marketed by Apple and launched on October 23, 2001. Apple’s iTunes software can be used to transfer music to the devices from computers using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. iTunes and its alternatives may also transfer photos, videos, games, contact information, e-mail settings, Web bookmarks, and calendars to iPod models supporting those features.
This shows a technological convergence. How the music business has to keep up with technology to continue selling their products and satisfy the modern fashion. It has varied from having to buy music to now being able to download files through the internet for free. This links to the internet and how products have been designed to the use of it. Therefore, for my band to reach their target audience it has to follow this technical convergence of using MP3 and MP4 formats and the internet, such as youtube, to distribute the music video.
Evaluation
My media product consists of a promotional package for the release of a band. My ancillary texts chosen are a website homepage for the band and a CD cover for its release as part of my package.
To complete my website I chose to use the software iweb that enabled me to create and add various pages, audio, photos, movies and widgets. To understand the conventions of real media products, I analysed other girl band websites such as The Saturdays (http://www.thesaturdays.co.uk/) http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/website-analysis.pdf. Based on the websites forms and conventions of this analysis I was able to construct mine. I included the bands logo on the home page, although I didn’t reflect this through all of my pages I used the same font throughout. This similarly adds continuity to my work. Also, I added links to other web pages in which my target audience can follow my band. On the other hand, a comparison of my work compared to The Saturdays website is the use of their band picture. However, I have tried to follow a similar theme of surrealism based on the band’s name. Therefore many pictures of them reflect surreal artists but of my own modern style that I have researched http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/Art-Ideas-and-my-Interpretation.pdf.
Using the forms and conventions I analysed on The Saturday’s album cover I was able to construct mine making similarities and comparisons between the two, http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/CD_analysis.pdf. Similarly my work continues to use the band logo as The Saturdays did. On the other hand a comparison is the photography used. The Saturdays continued to use the picture produced on their website within their album ‘Headlines’ creating continuity and advertisement of the album within the website however I chose different pictures rather than those used on my website homepage as I wished to include features of money rather than the feature of surrealist art as this is what the song is based on. This will allow my audience to be aware of the genre and topic of the song.
My main task of the music video was inspired by the analysis of two music videos http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/analysis-of-music-videos.pdf. The main conventions of music videos I have noticed within my research is the artists being shown performing, the lyrics of the song influences what is shown in the video, the pace of editing fits the pace of the music, and the codes of dress reflect the mood of the song. However this all depends and may vary on the style and genre of music. I have tried to follow these conventions of camera shots, camera movement, mise en scene and editing. The camera shots involve a variety of long shots, mid shots and close ups, this can be supported by ‘A-ha! Imogen Heap – By Greg Bernstein & Joshua Moss’, who opens with a long shot that quickly cuts to a close up. My media product begins with a multiple close up shots of stop motion, these are both conventions of the music videos I have analysed. This variety of shots helps to create emphasis on the artists features while singing the lyrics or reflecting emotions. The camera movement allows the audience to follow the artist including pans and tracking for example. My product explores various camera movements and has challenged this by using a handheld camera. Evidence of this is the camera work of the band outside running around. The mise en scene is based upon the production of the music video including props and costume and the arrangements of the performers. By designing the set and costume a representation is portrayed to the audience. ‘Sledgehammer’ using clay makes it very fun and random whereas in ‘a-ha’ the use of knives and rope makes it very mysterious and dark. I used and developed these forms and conventions to portray different representations of money such as gambling and being rich and glamorous. The editing of the music videos were both very different although I hoped to create something with similar effects, as discussed in analysis, of pixilation and stop motion and the fast pace of expanding and contracting the time line. ‘Sledgehammer’ is very unusual keeping the audience interested with a random, conceptual, plot. Similarly in the other music video by another A2 student, this editing of the time line allows a sense of suspension and sudden rush of emotions causing the audience to feel apprehensive and excited. To develop this I have made many clips quicker and slower, by changing its pace of speed using an icon in the software imovie, cutting them and adding different transitions. These conventions can be supported by the results of my questionnaire, for example the use of narrative and random plots are what the participants expected therefore this will please them creating a successful music video.
Throughout my ancillary texts and main product I have tried to create an effective combination that is fluent adding continuity. The analysis of The Saturdays webpage and CD cover highlight conventions that are shown within each piece http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/website-analysis.pdf http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/CD_analysis.pdf. My products seem to follow these similarities therefore making it successful. Throughout my ancillary texts I have produced the same designed logo for the band name making it recognisable to the audience. Also, I have tried to include various features of money, including pictures within the website and album and shots within my main music video. This relates the band with the main theme of the song to add continuity throughout all my products. The use of surreal art is another feature I have combined within my work. The pictures used in my website homepage as well as the band name being ‘surreal’ and some expressions used within the opening of my music video represent surreal artists work. Again this shows a fluent use of surrealism that the audience recognise and relate to the band. There is a theme of pastel shades included within the two ancillary texts which follows to some extent within my music video. In some shots the costumes worn are pastel shades relating back to the representations trying to be explored. This descreases the sexual appeal based on my target audience of teenagers girls. Through the photo shoots, used with my ancillary texts, I wanted to represent the band as quirky, I have tried to maintain this within my music video by keeping it fun and light hearted. The stop motion expressions in the opening explore these ideas.
By analysing my audience feedback of open and closed questions to gain qualitative and quantitative data, I have learnt what appeals to different audiences allowing me to use various techniques that will target my primary audience. http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/05/Questionnaire-Results.pdf .There were some differences between gender, mainly based on genre as the majority of males voted for rock, metal and indie, in comparison to females who preferred pop, dance and R&B. This did not support the genre and audience I was trying to appeal as I was creating an indie band for teenage girls. However, I explored the conventions of those genre videos and they all seemed to follow similar forms that I could develop within my piece creat a successful video. It was clear that the majority preferred to watch music videos on television and on the internet. From this I could learn it would be important to upload it on to www.youtube.com. It was clear that many believed special effects were important in the music video making ‘it more interesting to watch’. During the focus group (http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/2011/03/02/focus-group-qs/), the participants watched the two music videos I analysed, and stated how they enjoyed the various techniques used ‘the effects make it a lot more interesting to watch especially with a-ha as you can never guess what is going to be shown next’. This suggested that I needed to develop these techniques within my music video to make it appealing and attractive to audiences. The results from questionnaire 2, that allow the audience to evaluate my music video, again through open and closed quesions, show that most people enjoyed the use of stop motion ‘I really like how pictures are used to add a different effect’. Also, how I varied the pace ‘I think it looks good when you have made things quicker and slower as it adds more effect and fits to the beat of the music’. By having this feedback allowed to understand what conventions I have successfully used. By having criticisms helped suggest improvements that could be made to make it more appealing ‘I think you could have added more effects to the clips, for example making some black and white’.
Throughout my construction, research, planning and evaluation I have used new technologies to create my products. New research was the use of focus groups, while showing participants music video I have analysed, I was able to record quotes of their opinion which could help construct my ideas to fit my target audience. A new software I used was iweb, this was to produce my website. I enjoyed using this as it enabled me to upload images, albums, videos, websites, blogs and widgets for example. However, to be able to create this ancillary text I had to do a photo shoot of the band. This helped me develop my photography skills of using white backgrounds and flooring, light blockers and synchronised flashes, http://blogs.thegrangeschool.net/05nashl/files/2011/03/Photoshoot-layout.pdf. Also, I was able to develop my camera skills, by trying new angles. The photos were edited in photoshop, this was also another new software for me. I learnt the basic skills of adding layers to create different effects, especially by varying levels to create high contrast pictures. Using imovie was also something new I learnt, I could use this to create my main product. It enabled me to explore various techniques of cutting, splitting, trimming while adding various special effects such as green screen. This feature of my video was also a new media technique within my construction. This has allowed my to set different backgrounds and scenes, I chose to repeat some filming within my music video. While filming the music video I was able to explore new camera techniques such as handheld, using a tripod, tilt, pan, track, zoom.
Focus group topical questions.
13/10/10
- Did you like the music video? Why?
- What do you think was appealing?
- Would this appeal to you? Why?
- What did you like / dislike about the music video?
- How do you think it could be improved?
- Do you think the song relates well to the video?
- What was your favourite part of the video? Why?
- How many effects did you notice?
- Did they work well?
- Target audience – What age do you think it would appeal to? Why?
- Is it more likely to appear to males, females or both? Why?
