Locations

With locations for my coursework, I am planning on using my family's farm as it has a number of settings/buildings which would be useful for my video. Growing up here, I am already very familiar with the area and so travelling there/finding good shots etc won't pose a problem.

Due to the large number of references to sinning, I am planning on having my main location be a church which I have been granted permission to film inside. It also has a graveyard, which I have the option of incorporating into my video if I wish.

As I have interpreted the female voice to be representing 'temptation', I think it would be a good idea to have her nearby trees to represent the tree in the Garden of Eden.

The wood next to the farm would be ideal for this, or a large willow tree would work too - she could be standing underneath the branches ('inside' the tree), which could connote how she is the heart of temptation.

The male singer could be walking on the track which runs alongside the wood, signifying how he is 'on the edge' of sinning.

I was hoping to film some of my video at a beach, as the water could represent 'holy water' and the large expanse connotes something unreachable/unobtainable. However, it wouldn't be very practical to get my actors/myself/cameras etc to a location over an hour away, and so I think it'll be wiser to use a resevoir instead.

Analysis of Lyrics

For my video, I thought it would be a good idea to study the lyrics of the song before deciding what to use as my locations/narrative. I've found that there are a number of references to sinning and so I am thinking of using this in my video.

Timeline of Song

0.00 - 0.14 Intro
0.14 - 0.16 "Sweet Sensation" 
0.16 - 0.27 Intro cont.
0.27 - 0.41 Verse 1
0.41 - 0.54 Hook
0.54 - 1.08 Chorus (1)
1.08 - 1.25 Chorus (2)
1.25 - 1.39 Verse 2
1.39 - 1.53 Hook
1.53 - 2.07 Chorus (1)
2.07 - 2.25 Chorus (2)
2.25 - 2.37 Bridge
2.37 - 2.51 Hook
2.51 - 3.05 Chorus (1)
3.05 - 3.19 Chorus (2)
3.19 - 3.46 Outro (with lyrics)
3.46 - 3.53 Outro (lyrics finished)

Applying Genre Theory to Four Texts

I have chosen the two texts ‘Promises’ by Nero and ‘Gold Dust’ by DJ Fresh as they have a similar dance/drum and bass genre to my chosen track ‘Blind Faith’. The other two I have picked, ‘Halo’ by Beyoncé and ‘Feeling Good’ by Michael Bublé, are similar to my thoughts for my coursework in terms of form as they are heavily based on narrative.


Nero – ‘Promises’



Conventions and Code
The video meets this theory as it has a modern setting, representing the futuristic sound of the music. Drum and bass/dance genre is often linked to rebelling and this is signified through the protagonist refusing to swallow the tablet (rebelling is also seen in 'Blind Faith' through the raves). Alike to many other videos of this genre, the lighting is quite harsh. However, this is for the opposite reason to usual; the colours are contrasting as they are quite stark: black/white/blues. As well as this, there is little dancing apart from between 1:55-3:07, yet this is not as energetic as the audience would expect when watching a video of this genre. Finally, the emotions are based around sadness and desperation as they appear to be trapped in this harsh reality which is unusual for this music genre.

Utopian Pleasures
There is a Utopian Pleasure of Social Tension/Inadequacy because of the fragmentation due to their lack of free will and being controlled as if robots, suggesting manipulation; a sense of dreariness (represented through the low saturation of colours); and exhaustion as there is a heavy use of monotony and symmetry in actions which connotes a dull life.

Macro Genre
This is a hybrid genre between narrative and performance, although it is more based upon narrative.

DJ Fresh - 'Gold Dust'



Conventions and Code
This text is made predominantly of dancing with the skipping rope, yet they have replaced the dancefloor with a court, which implies high stamina and levels of fitness. Listening to the music, when the tempo slows it connotes that they are taking a breath. Suiting to the conventions of the genre, the colours are highly saturated which supports the high energy surrounding the narrative.

Utopian Pleasures
The Utopian Pleasure of this text is Utopian Fantasy. This is represented through the sense of a tight-knitted community as they recognise each other and are working together. It is also shown to be an abundant and energised area as there is always someone dancing, which packs the text with intensity for both the performers and the audience.

Macro Genre
This music video takes a narrative form. The elements of performance are given by the dancers rather than the artist.

Beyonce - 'Halo'



Conventions and Code
As expected for a pop video, the protagonists are a couple. This suits both the narrative and the genre. Also, we see Beyonce dancing (which has become a convention of her own for all of her videos) but she is practicing rather than performing. This fits to the narrative as it is about her private life, and so it gives the video a more natural feel.

Utopian Pleasures
This text is a Utopian Fantasy as there is energy from the laughter, dancing, and sense of spontaneity. The idea of a community is signified by the intimacy of the characters' relationship, which is emphasised as they are the only people in the video which suggests that their closeness has created themselves their own community - 'no one else in the world but them'.

Macro Genre
This is a narrative text, with Beyonce's singing being part of the story.

Michael Buble - 'Feeling Good



Conventions and Code
For this genre of music, it is surprising to see that there is a 'James Bond-esque' theme running throughout and the narrative is based upon action. As well as this, the lack of band is unusual. The women in the video represent 'Bond Girls', but can also be seen as a convention of the genre as the song is quite soulful and sensual.

Utopian Pleasures
There is a mixture of both in this text. It can be argued that there is Social Tension in that the conflict between Michael Buble's character and the workers of the factory/plant cause fragmentation. However, Utopian Fantasy is also created through the protagonist's suave character who gives both intensity and energy.

Macro Genre
Alike to 'Halo', this video is centered upon narrative, although it has more performance in the singing. It can also be seen as a homage/parody of James Bond.

Get Ahead OCR Media: 'The Vixens'

Looking at this example of an A2 Advanced Portfolio, it is clear how much detail and work is required in order to get a good grade. Looking at the posts, they have blogged about every decision and researched into loads of different things including the representation of the seven deadly sins in their costumes.

It is useful how they have also blogged their final piece, as I can see how all the research comes together.

This blog has given me inspiration on how to use blogger to my advantage and knowledge of the level of work that is required.

Radar Love: Feedback

After looking at our Radar Love videos in class and discussing what we liked and what we could improve on, this is what we found out:

On mine and Becky's video, the playing of the guitar was out of sync with the music. As well as this, the guitar we used was a lead guitar, when what we were needing was a bass. In terms of the performance, the people we used didn't match the song in terms of their style, meaning that we did not match the needs of our audience. Due to the lack of time we had to edit, we did not include our split screen which we were disappointed at as we thought it would have worked well.

However, the tambourine was in time as well as the clicking, and the black and white effect worked well in creating a classic effect. We were also complimented on our framing and camera work, in that it wasn't too overstated or flashy.

Michael and Josh used fast cuts which built up a pace, creating enthusiasm for the task which was further demonstrated through Michael's performance at singing.

The variety of shots they used made it interesting to watch which is one of the main needs of the audience. Improvements could have been made in their framing as at some points people were blocked and the camera was set too high. Also, the mise-en-scene needed work as there was washing up liquid in the background and pencils were used as drumsticks.

The third video we looked at was Frank and Harrison's. The most noticeable technique in this was the use of the split screen between the drummer and guitarist. The use of this makes the video more interesting to watch, which is emphasised through the predominant high angle tracking shot which engages the audience.

The framing of the split screen could be improved on in that the focus of the shots is in the centre, whereas if they had flipped the shots or swapped them around, the action would be more clear to see. Also, the camera was a bit shaky at some points, which would have been prevented through the use of a tripod. We can see that the lip syncing is out of time on the second line, but this is blocked on the first as his hand is in the way.

Radar Love: Final Piece

Audience Statistics

In order to get an idea of who my target audience is, I used YouTube. By bringing up the 'Blind Faith' music video from the Chase and Status VEVO channel, I knew I was using a clip which was going to have been heavily distributed. I then brought up the statistics of the audience and so discovered that I am primarily focusing on a group of teenagers/young adults from the UK. This is useful as, being one myself, I can relate more to the audience's needs and do not need to worry as much over using cultural codes and intertextual references, if I choose to use some, as I am aware of what is well known and what is less so. 

Radar Love: Editing

Today, we began the editing process. Although it is going relatively well, we are facing a few issues.

The first of these is that as the guitarist in our footage is unfamiliar with the song or the instrument, when we use shots such as close ups of the fret, the movement does not fit the riff. However, we have tried to cover this up by slotting in different shots when her hand is not moving when it should be.

The second problem is fitting the lip syncing in with the lyrics, but we are again using the same technique as the guitar to conceal this.

The third issue is that it is hard getting the cuts to match the tempo or the beat. It would have been more useful to have a metronome running alongside the music to help us with this. Therefore, when it comes to editing my music, I will ensure that I use one.

Despite this, we are happy with how it is going and are learning from the issues we have faced.

Radar Love: Planning and Filming

We have filmed our footage for our 30 second performance, yet ended up with minutes of film so that we can play around when it comes to editing and slot in other shots if we feel it needs it.

The main trouble we faced was finding a time when everyone was available. In total there was five of us (two of us filming, three actors) and so it took some time to work out when we were free. Originally, we were going to use someone else but he had multiple commitments and so couldn't make it. This has taught me to give the people I am using in my coursework plenty of notice so that they can keep the date free.

Another problem we faced was getting the playing of instruments to match the song, as neither of the girls were too familiar with them. This was not so much of a problem with the tambourine, but with the guitar, in particular with close ups of the fret, this is noticeable and so in editing we will need to find a way to conceal this - perhaps doing fast cuts in between the guitar fret and the tambourine.

Even so, it went smoothly and due to our storyboard we were able to complete filming quickly and efficiently. Now we will begin to work on our editing.

Radar Love: Storyboard

So that our filming goes smoothly, we have constructed a storyboard which includes the length of the shot and the time in the song that it finishes. This is so that we know we have enough footage to fill the 30 seconds.

Planning: Copyright

To overcome the copyright law, I have emailed Chase and Status' management the following message:

I am now waiting for a reply so that I know I can definitely use 'Blind Faith'.

Song Choice

As in the video there is a lot of dialogue in between the song, here is the track on it's own:

Planning: Song Choice

I really like the sound of these three songs and they all would be great to use for my work. However, I am feeling most drawn to 'Blind Faith' and am already having ideas for what I could do in my video. It is also my personal favourite out of the three and the mix between calm and powerful will allow me to really experiment with the shots and sequences I take. As well as this, the official music video is very different to the approach I am thinking of and so what I end up producing will hopefully be fresh and separate from the original.

Potential Genre Choice

I am in two minds whether to use an acoustic/folk track or an electronic/dubstep track. These are two contrasting genres and I am torn because they will allow me to approach the video in completely different ways.

An example of an acoustic/folk song would be:



Whereas an example of an electronic/dubstep song would be:



I am feeling more inclined to doing an electronic/dubstep song as I'll have more freedom in what I do as there are usually a mix of slow and fast tempos, which will also allow me to bring in elements of what I would include in an acoustic/folk music video. It will also be a more fun experience.

Golden Earring - 'Radar Love'

In order to get used to the technicalities of filming a performance, we are working in pairs to film the first 30 seconds of Golden Earring's 'Radar Love'. This will benefit me so that when it comes to filming performance in my music video, I will be more aware of how to film instruments and lip syncing. It will also teach me about how to work around a tempo.

Since it's been a while since last using Final Cut Pro, it will refresh my knowledge of how to use the tools available.

Listening to the track, the instruments and voice come in individually. To match this,they will also be introduced one by one in order in the video we produce.

Research: Music Video

This music video by David Guetta and Usher uses special effects such as the ground thumping ((1:24) and cement cracking (1:26) in order to connote the heaviness of the beat. This meets the audience's needs as they would be concerned with how easy the song is to dance to due to the nature of the genre of 'Without You'. In my video, I will pay particular attention to how the way that I edit and film my footage matches the genre.

Looking at Conventions of Genre

I looked at my foundation portfolio work from last year and took freezes so that I could compare them to shots of a similar genre. For this, I used Girl, Interrupted and The Notebook. This helped me to understand conventions of genre which will then help me make a music video with a suitable narrative. 

Michael Jackson v Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

To build upon my understanding of the development of music videos, I have looked at the differences between Michael Jackson's video for Smooth Criminal (1988), and Alien Ant Farm's cover (2001).





The balance between narrative and performance is similar in that both videos are primarily performance. Michael Jackson's uses a 'barfight' narrative whereas AAF replace this with Michael Jackson references (which would require Barthes' referential code to fully appreciate).

These intertextual references include AAF doing dance moves like Michael Jackson (anti-gravity lean, Thriller routine), eyes which mimic the eyes at the end of Thriller, and lit up paving slabs as seen in Billie Jean, to name a few.

In terms of the tempo, AAF's cover is faster. This is more contemporary and suits the target audience as bands such as AAF and Blink-182 were very popular at this time as they represented anti-establishment. In the original, the tempo changes throughout as it goes slower while Michael Jackson stops singing. This connotes that the world is dull without him and creates a need for him while also emphasising his performance.

AAF perform in a boxing ring which refers to the barfight scenario seen in the original. The high saturation signifies a lack of seriousness and more care free.

This task has shown me how fashion within music and videos changes over time, and therefore that the institution has to tend to this in order to successfully interpret the audience's needs.

The Buggles: Video Killed the Radio Star

Being the first MTV music video to ever be aired in August 1981, it is clear to see how videos have developed over the years. This gives me insight into the history of the music video and shows me that performance within music videos has been consistently common and popular with the audience since the beginning, even if they are often a hybrid-genre between performance and narrative.

Narrative: Meeting the Audience's Needs

The success of many videos is due to the institution meeting their audience's needs. It is important to understand the target audience and therefore what they are wanting from a product. In some music videos, the narrative is based upon struggles and overcoming them - a popular theme for young adults. This kind of narrative can be seen in the following music videos, despite being of various genres:

Narrative: Genre

In music videos, there are three different genres within the narrative.

1. Performance - the video shows the song being performed



2. Narrative - the video is made up of a storyline



3. Experimental - the codes and conventions of the genre are challenged, with a unique piece being produced at the end, as seen in Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Can't Stop' video.

Narrative: Barthes' Codes

Roland Barthes (1990, originally published 1973) defined five narrative codes:
1. Hermeneutic code - offering a puzzle to the audience with a delayed (or occasionally unanswered) answer.
2. Proairectic code - a series of logical consequences stemmed from a particular event.
3. Semic code - the connotations which are suggested by characters, objects, and settings, which are likely to be suited to the narrative.
4. Symbolic code - the binary oppositions and conflict between opposing forces in the narrative.
5. Referential code - the knowledge and ideologies that the audience brings to the film which aids understanding of the narrative e.g. in spoofs

Katy Perry feat. Kanye West - E.T.



To help me to understand these codes, I have studied and analysed Katy Perry and Kanye West's music video to 'E.T.'.

I found that the hermeneutic code applies to this video as the audience is left unaware of who these characters are, where they are, and what species they are. From 3:55, there appears to be some form of a conclusion or answer by the human removing his astronaught suit, while Katy Perry's character morphs into a faun-like creature. However, as the audience do not understand the narrative at the start, the coda has little to offer as an answer.

The semic code could also be applied in that the setting of space connotes the sci-fi narrative.