Lip Sync - Write Up

Before the exercise, I familiarised myself with the song and lyrics, enabling us to start recording promptly. Once in the studio, we were briefed on the task we had to complete. Tom and Matt introduced us to each of the sets: the first being a static camera on a tripod, set to film a sore in front of a coloured tiled screen as a back drop, this camera was a Canon 5D Mark 3, meaning instead of a simple twist to zoom, we had to change the whole lens. When focussing this camera we also had to use a measuring tape from the focus symbol, to the performer's face, and then enter this into the camera. The second set was a cave like structure, with the camera on a dolly, allowing us to use some interesting shots. 

The third and final set was a green screen, allowing us to use different compositions within the frame and vaguely learn about how green is an easy colour to cancel out and replace with a different background, and works well and not many people commonly wear green. Once in the edit suite we began working straight away using Premiere, which is a simple and effective piece of software. 

After syncing all of our footage with the track we then began cutting the video together. We found it was easiest to cut between shots when a word came to an end or was beginning  of a word, We also found the shots of us simply dancing around and not singing were useful as cut away's and to go in between shots. From filming and editing the music video I learnt it is important to have a complete mixture of shots and different compositions enabling you to create a video which flows and connects together smoothly. We also struggled with lip syncing some of the clips, so next time we will try to make sure the sound needed to sync the video and soundtrack is more prominent and able to hear.

 

 

Write up of Lip Sync Exercise

Before the exercise, I familiarised myself with the song and lyrics, enabling us to start recording promptly. Once in the studio, we were briefed on the task we had to complete. Tom and Matt introduced us to each of the sets: the first being a static camera on a tripod, set to film a sore in front of a coloured tiled screen as a back drop, this camera was a Canon 5D Mark 3, meaning instead of a simple twist to zoom, we had to change the whole lens. When focussing this camera we also had to use a measuring tape from the focus symbol, to the performer's face, and then enter this into the camera. The second set was a cave like structure, with the camera on a dolly, allowing us to use some interesting shots. The third and final set was a green screen, allowing us to use different compositions within the frame and vaguely learn about how green is an easy colour to cancel out and replace with a different background, and works well and not many people commonly wear green. Once in the edit suite we began working straight away using Premiere, which is a simple and effective piece of software. after syncing all of our footage with the track we then began cutting the video together. We found it was easiest to cut between shots when a word came to an end or was beginning  of a word, We also found the shots of us simply dancing around and not singing were useful as cut away's and to go in between shots. From filming and editing the music video I learnt it is important to have a complete mixture of shots and different compositions enabling you to create a video which flows and connects together smoothly. We also struggled with lip syncing some of the clips, so next time we will try to make sure the sound needed to sync the video and soundtrack is more prominent and able to hear.

Andrew Goodwin - Disjuncture

Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Can't Stop" is a good example of a disjuncture style video ignores the narrative or meaning of a song, and brings a whole new perspective and concept to the song or artist. They are often harder for the audience to understand.

Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunct, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feeling that you stay for
In time, I want to be your best friend
Eastside love is living on the West End
Knock out, but boy you better come to
Don't die, you know the truth is some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screaming in the jungle
Complete the motion if you stumble
Go ask the dust for any answers
Come back strong with 50 belly dancers

[Chorus:]
The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to

Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music, the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I'll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight the gold of meditation
This chapter's gonna be a close one
Smoke rings, I know you're gonna blow one
All on a spaceship persevering
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can't stop, the spirits when they need you
Mop tops are happy when they feed you
J. Butterfly is in the treetop
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop

[Chorus]

Wait a minute I'm passing out
Win or lose, just like you
Far more shocking
Than anything I ever knew
How 'bout you
10 more reasons
Why I need somebody new, just like you
Far more shocking
Than anything I ever knew
Right on cue

Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunct, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feeling that you stay for
In time, I want to be your best friend
Eastside love is living on the West End
Knock out, but boy you better come to
Don't die you know the truth is some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant

Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk, but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get 2 maybe even 3 of these
Comin' from space
To teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read-through

The video consists of the members of the band participating in random activities which are filmed through interesting angles, and carefully edited together. 

Andrew Goodwin: Illustration

Blur's 'Park Life' is an example of an illustration video as it tells the exact story of the lyrics. The video is based on the song and is about what park life is really like. We follow the lead singer around in a car as he explains through the lyrics what his day to day life is like.

Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as (parklife)

And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as

(parklife)

John's got brewers droop he gets intimidated by the dirty pigeons

They love a bit of it (parklife)

Who's that gut lord marching... you should cut down on your porklife mate... get some

Exercise

[Chorus]

ALL THE PEOPLE

SO MANY PEOPLE

THEY ALL GO HAND IN HAND

HAND IN HAND THROUGH THEIR PARKLIFE

Know what I mean

I get up when I want except on Wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen

(Parklife)

I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house (parklife)

I feed the pigeons I sometimes feed the sparrows too it gives me a sense of enormous well

Being (parklife)

And then I'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit

Of my heart devoted to it (parklife)

[Chorus]

Parklife (parklife)

Parklife (parklife)

It's got nothing to do with vorsprung durch technic you know

And it's not about you joggers who go round and round and round

Parklife (parklife)

[Chorus x 2]

The video follows a heightened naturalism approach, as we see a comedic element of what every day life is like. The other members of the band not including the lead singer play many different roles, making the video entertaining as it follows the narrative structure.

Andrew Goodwin - Amplification

 Coldplay's 'The Scientist' is an example of an amplification music video as it enhances the meanings that are already pre-existing in the lyrics. The narrative convey's a more deeper meaning, that may not be picked up on if you just listened to the lyrics. The lead singer of the band also plays a fictional character. 

Come up to meet you

Tell you I'm sorry

You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you

Tell you I need you

Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets

And ask me your questions

Oh let's go back to the start

Running in circles; coming up tails

Heads on a science apart

Nobody said it was easy

It's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing at numbers and figures

Pulling your puzzles apart

Questions of science; science and progress

Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me

Come back and haunt me

Oh and I rush to the start

Running in circles, chasing our tails

Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy

Oh it's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start

Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

X4

This video enhances the way the singer "goes back back to the start" as the whole video is reversed back to the initial accident. He uses the lyrics literally in the video as well for example "tell me you love me, come back and haunt me", which explains the car crash. 

Rap vs Country music video's

The main conventions of a rap music video are:

• indecent women
• extreme sexualisation 
• bling
• grills
• chains 
• guns
• cars
• drugs
• money
• smoke
• hand gestures
• tattoos
• street style clothing 
• clubs 
• dancing 

The main conventions of a country music video are:

• band
• hay bails
• country side elements
• straw hat 
• ukelele
• corn 
• flowy dresses
• horses 
• cattle 
• denim
• outside
• sunshine
• narrative
• love story

Negus - Organic Vs Synthetic

ⓚⓔⓘⓣⓗ ⓝⓔⓖⓤⓢ 

Negus identifies two different types of potential artists, these ideologies shape the way  in which the artists images and careers are developed, and how they're marketed:

ORGANIC and SYNTHETIC ideology's of creativity

• A naturalistic approach
• The artists creates their own success as the record label simply nurture them
• The image of the artist is enhanced
• The artists is allowed time to evolve and progress
• They are often aimed at an older more musically educated audience
• They depend on album sales
• Their success is often reached through a long term process of work

• Executives attempt to construct successful acts of the artists and songs as they please
• The artist is constructed but the record company
• The artist only has a short period of time in which to prove themselves
• Emphasis is on the sales of their singles, rather than albums 
• Aimed a younger, less sophisticated audience
• Profits are part of a short term strategy by the record company

Intro to A2

After completing my AS course I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the media trade, and the ever developing technology involved in the film industry. I am looking forward to expanding this knowledge and applying it to a wider range of media looking particularly at music and the necessities an artists needs, music video's, digipak, website, and further campaign.

I consider myself to have a very diverse music taste, covering hip hop, house, and indie. Hopefully this will help me to create an effective music video and the rest of the campaign.

Richard Dyer

ⓡⓘⓒⓗⓐⓡⓓ ⓓⓨⓔⓡ 

The term 'star' refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around an artist to sell themselves to an audience. Dyer suggests the 'star image' is incoherent and is complete and open. He says this is because it is based upon two key paradox's: 1). The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer 2). The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer. 

The star image is fake and is a fictional construction made out of a range of performance, artwork and appearance. Stars are commodities produced and consumed by their strengths. Some common values of music stardom are: 

• youthfullness
• rebellion
• sexual magnetism 
• ani-authoritarian personality
• originality
• creativity/talent
• aggression/anger
• disregard for social values relating to drugs, sex and politeness
• consumption of drugs, sex and materialistic goods
• success against the odds

"Stars are one of the ways in which conceptions of such persons are promulgated" - Richard Dyer (1981)

Marlowe - Testcard - Roja

Marlowe

Debut EP - 'It's turning me on'

• Sketch of a female, looking downwards at a mirror putting on lipstick.
• Male solo artist. 
• Album is red with black outline of the woman, linking to the tittle 'it's turning me on'.
• Red is sensuous, and holds sexual connotations. 
• She is revealing her leg, slightly above the knee.
• White typography which stands out, meaning the name of the artist is important - name of the EP is smaller. 

Debut Album - 'Darksparklecorner'

• High exposure on young boy's face, handing the fact he looks fearful.
• He comforts himself with layers of blankets, protecting him from the light. 
• Low budget bed and blanket - 90's or 00's because of the colours and design.

Second Album - 'a day in July'

• Juxtaposes last album cover - three asian children looking over mountains.
• White typography on red background linking with first album cover as well as same font.
• Sunny day (pathetic fallacy?)
• One child looks at camera, whilst the others sit down observing.
• Young children used again, linking to the second album, adding a youthful element to his music. 

Third Album - 'deep breathe fake air'

• Computer generated, showing inside of a mans respiratory system - more contemporary and artistic
• Black typography for name - white for name of the album, still using lower case as he has through all of his covers.
• Organic artist.

Testcard

Debut album - 'Lines'

• Uses capitol letters, changed colour palette to neutral - more dull
• morse code? - electronic

Roja

Deubut album - 'Promises I should have kept' 

• Spanish and Mexican imagery - folk music?
• red typography - roja translates as red in spanish 
• Spanish woman, with a lasso on a horse.
• Woman seems slightly masculine as she has big black curly hair. 

Madonna 'Like a Prayer'

                                

Madonna's video for 'Like a Prayer' contains the theme of religion throughout, and religious imagery is a constant motif in the piece. The video is also heavily linked to 'black culture' having the character posing as Jesus played by a man of a black ethnicity.

We follow Madonna, as she talks to a statue of Jesus which we see showing human mannerisms such as a tear falling from his eye and hands twitching. The statue later comes to life and becomes an ultimately central part in the narrative. This caused a lot of controversy, as the audience had only every seen and imaged Jesus (in roman catholicism) to be caucasian. As he morphs into a real person we see a blur in the line between the real and dream-like world Madonna's character experiences, which is reinforced through the lyrics 'no end and no beginning, it's like a dream'. The 'Jesus' figure begins to guide an encourages Madonna through the video.

Madonna reaches for a knife which she immediately drops to reveal stigmata on her hands. Stigma is used in the christian faith to describe body marks, sores or sensations on the body, why correspond to the locations used during crucifixion, such as the hands and feet. This idea of faith and religion is juxtaposed by a woman being physically attacked by a woman in the street, by a gang of white male men, when a black man comes to the aid of the unconscious woman, he is instantly wrongly accused of the crime.

This comments on the police at the time of the video, by having the policemen forcefully arrest the innocent man. Madonna watches over, presenting herself as a heroic figure as she later comes to his aid. This may be Madonna playing a character or perhaps she wants the audience to think this is the image of madonna in the video. She acts like a middle man foreseeing the justice of the innocent black man.  Madonna questions discrimination through out the song, particularly balk people. She furthers this idea, through the lyrics: 'life is a mystery everyone must stand alone'.

Madonna then performs one of the most controversial things in the outrageous music video, as she dances in front of burning crosses, suggesting the renowned KKK (klu klux klan), a violent racist group, originating in the south, sparking controversy.  Madonna's demographic is clearly a more current and contemporary audience, as they have to be willing to accept and move on with the changing world and culture.


The video portrays Madonna as synthetic, as we can see through her clothing in particular. She is sexualised throughout the video, with a dress which has straps which constantly fall down revealing her shoulders, as well as her outfit being tight and figure hugging. Her individual and trendy style also launched her into becoming one of the most talked about style icons.

Madonna then dances alongside and all black gospel choir as they dance merrily and freely, giving off a feel-good vibe.

After releasing the man from prison Madonna joins the choir as they bow, allowing for a theatrical theme to finish the video. This also leaves a final suggestion Madonna is a performer, and this was simply a show.

organic vs synthetic album cover

• Eyeline angled downwards to the left, suggesting a shyness. 
• Organic - 'real artist', singer songwriter, talented, indie.
• Has a shady look, making him seem mysterious.
• His clothes are stylised, however look effortless, providing an organic image allowing for manipulation of his image. 
• His music is slightly alternative and sounds old fashioned, which is reinforced through the sepia wash on the cover. 
• The neutral colours allow focus to be pulled to the artist himself and the name of the artist. 
• The name of the artist is written clearly in bold font and is underlined, making the artist clear, however the name of the album is not present showing its irrelevance to the album itself. 

• Name of the album in purple typography with name of the artist bigger and bolder.
• Bieber looks straight down the lens, drawing attention to himself and showing he is the most important part of the cover.
• It looks like he has been styled and is wearing particular clothes with his hair in a particular style. 
• He is central to the frame, and behind the writing. 
• Bieber also wears a necklace and a flashy watch which shows his wealth.

Star Image