Brainstorm #1

BRAINSTORM IDEA ONE:

I came across a music video that I have been watching and thought about if I could recreate something similar. I have discussed this with my group and we have unanimously decided that this sort of concept is something we'd all be interested in. Below is the video:




The song itself is a fusion of Bollywood, RnB and Pop, thereby making it extremely unique as to what is already out in the market. This music video appealed to me because of many reasons such as:

1) The simple concept: the concept itself, along with the narrative, is extremely simple, something so easily recreate-able. The use of locations, costume and makeup make the video look physically appealing.
2) The camera angles: there is an extreme use of close ups in the music video as it showcases the band, 'Rouge', and their physical beauty. This meets the convention of a Bollywood music video as well as pop/rnb.
3) The practicality: if I wanted to create a girl band with my group, this would be easy as there are many females in my sixth form who meet certain requirements of being in the music video such as the ability to lip sync. 


Overall, I am seriously considering whether or not to use a girl group as an idea for the final music video.   

5 Inspiring Music Videos

Below are the 5 top music videos which inspire me to create my own music video. I have picked these based upon many elements such as the quality of the footage, the concept, visuals and the song itself. 

NUMBER 5:

I love the simple concept of this music video, paired along with the stunning visuals due to the setting of the video. This video not only combines a mix of culture, but highlights the beauty of run down areas in India. Being an Asian myself, this music video shows cultural appreciation, something I admire. In addition, the song itself is very catchy and sets a quirky tone to the video, placing the audience in a good mood. 


NUMBER 4:

'Bad Blood' is a very well thought out music video which exceeds most of the elements I look for in a video: visuals, narrative and concept. The video embodies women empowerment and uses many female role models as actresses to symbolise a sense of unity. In addition, the costume in the video highlights the 'aggressive' yet bold statement of the video. The only downside to the actual music video is the song itself, as I am not particularly a Taylor Swift fan. 


NUMBER THREE:

'Prideland' is a music video from one of my favourite YouTubers, 'Fouseytube'. This video itself inspires me because of the message behind it. Yousef (FouseyTube) suffers from depression, bipolar and is a recovering addict. His message of staying strong and representing a minority is presented through a simple concept: him singing into the camera. The fact that this video is not excessive in editing or visuals, creates an authentic feel to it. Yousef is constantly singing into the camera, creating an emotional bond between him and the audience. 


NUMBER TWO:

Lil Wayne has never been considered as a 'serious' rapper, however, this song along with the music video is in my opinion, a very inspiring music video. The song itself has a deep meaning, with Wayne using lyrics to reminisce upon his past with his childhood. The visuals of the video are stunning, with the bold red paint being a key element in the message of the video. I think that overall, this music video has all elements to a high standard. 


NUMBER ONE:

Nas is undoubtedly one of the most praised rappers in hip hop due to his authentic messages. This music video epitomises his message of corruption and unfair treatment. Although the music video itself may not be the best quality, the narrative, song and authentic feel that it gives makes up for it. 

Music Video Challenge VLOG

My teammates and I created a vlog on our first experience working together on our music video challenge for Rita Ora's song, R.I.P

Weekly Production Diary 26/9/15

Music Video Challenge

As a sort of 'ice breaker' - my team and I had to make a music video which consisted of writing parts of song lyrics on a piece of paper, essentially performing with the group. We chose the song 'RIP' from Rita Ora because it was short and easier to quickly change the paper in time. Below is the video. Enjoy :)

Male & Female Gaze Theory (Example)

A music video example which has both the female and male gaze theory is Rita Ora's song 'Body on me' featuring Chris Brown. 

The music video features two young, attractive and very talented RnB singers who both have extremely huge fan bases. The collaboration itself brings together the two fan bases as they anticipate what sort of music video they will create. The initimacy between Rita and Chris is shown through the narrative of the video: neighbours secretly lusting for one another. The music videos use many close ups of both the stars individually lying down (Rita wearing an undergarment whilst Chris is topless). The camera showcases Rita's physical features, especially with her wearing bright lipstick. In addition, whilst she is laying down, she starts to touch herself in a provocative manner, which the camera emphasises whilst the lyrics "I just want your body on me" is heard. In addition to this, there is a significant scene in which Rita is actually topless with only a Union Jack retaining her modesty. This creates a sultry atmosphere to the video as she is essentially teasing her male audience. Moreover, an extreme close up is used throughout the video which consists of Rita and Chris Brown singing together in an intimate manner. A tracking shot is also used to follow Chris Brown and Rita Ora to a rooftop where they dance together, embodying the lyrics to the song. Overall, the music video uses both the male and female gaze to create a sexual atmosphere to the video, thereby epitomising the name of the song 'Body on Me'.    

Female Gaze Theory - (Example)

An example of the female gaze theory is a music video by LMFAO called 'Sexy and I Know It'. 

Although the video is a more humorous approach to the female gaze theory, the video still consists of many close ups which highlight the males certain areas - especially with the dance moves that they carry out. The lyrics to the song matches with the video, a theory carried out by Andrew Goodwin that he categorised as 'sound and vision'. The concept of a group of males essentially 'partying' whilst shirtless, lures the female viewers and creates a higher female demographic. Throughout the video, there is a high paced editing style to suit the rhythm of the song. This also matches the choreography of the music video, with the males being synchronised with one another. The female gaze theory is made apparent throughout the video with the lack of clothing, choreography and narrative of the music video.   

Male Gaze Theory (Example)

An example of the 'Male Gaze' theory is the music video by Shakira, featuring Rihanna, "Can't Remember to Forget You".

The video consists of two hyper-sexualised female mega stars, dancing in provocative attire whilst essentially 'luring' the audience. This is known as voyeurism. There are many extreme close ups of both Rihanna and Shakira singing into the camera, highlighting their physical appearance, almost as if they're singing to their audience (which will consist of both males and females). The close ups are also present when both females are dancing in a provocative manner whilst leaning against the wall, which accentuates their curvaceous body. In regards to their audience, the female fans of both singers will watch the video to see the collaboration of two successful and beautiful female singers, whereas the heterosexual male viewers would probably want to watch the video in order to witness two 'sexualised' females essentially flaunting themselves for their pleasure. However, there are scenes in which both Shakira and Rihanna are together, touching each other in a sexualised manner. This connotes how the male gaze does not necessarily need to be applied to just heterosexual males, but to females also. This use of close ups is a popular style of filming whilst using the male gaze theory. Overall, the male gaze theory is very apparent in this video as it uses costume, choreography and camera angles to portray the two females in a sexualised and provocative manner.

Production Diary 23/9/15

Laura Mulvey's Theory

Laura Mulvey is a feminist who developed the male gaze theory. Her theory shows how the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. She believes that women should enjoy the attention and put themselves in a position to be looked at through the gaze. 

Mulvey states that women are typically the object rather than the possessors of the gaze because the control of the camera (and therefore the gaze) comes from factors such as the assumption of heterosexual men as the default target audience for most films. 

Furthermore, in terms of the female gaze, Laura states that it is the same as the male because women look at themselves from the point of view of men - (Female gaze was a response to the male gaze by E Ann Kaplan).

Main points of Male Gaze:

• The representation of women in a sexual fantasy and from a heterosexuals male point of view
• Scopopphilia: pleasure involved in looking at other peoples bodies
• Objectification of female characters
• Patriarchal society
• Needs of the male ego

I will post video analysis's of videos that contain the male gaze, the female gaze and a music video which contains both. 

Music Video Analysis: You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You

After winning The X Factor, the controversial artist James Arthur released a music video titled 'You're nobody till somebody loves you'. Below is the analysis of this video. 

http://prezi.com/xbb2f9ejyfrr/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Music Video Analysis: Do It Again

Another music video that I decided to analyse was debut singer, Pia Mia, and her song 'Do it again'. The link for the prezi is below.

http://prezi.com/udpqzpdjcy3t/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Music Video Analysis: Drag Me Down

In my lesson, I decided to watch a One Direction music video and analyse it, just like 'A Whisky Story' by Example. This was interesting for me as I do not particularly like One Direction songs or them in general because they do not appeal to me. The link for the prezi is below:

http://prezi.com/pqi3dso5n328/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Music Video Analysis: A Whisky Story

During my Media lesson, I watched the music video called 'A Whisky Story' - by British Hip Hop artist, Example. Below is the video and the sheet I completed in depth, analysing six different components to the artist and the video itself.

(Click on image to enlarge in order to read).

Overall this music video was very interesting to watch as it proved that a good upbeat song, simple equipment and a good location can create an entertaining music video.

Conventions Of An RnB Video

The second artist that I chose to analyse (in terms of their music videos) was Jennifer Lopez. Below are the 5 music videos that I saw.

In 'Aint It Funny', Jennifer is seen to be conveyed as a strong and independent woman, whilst being surrounded by many male acquaintances. The music video consists of many close ups to showcase her emotions through the lyrics.

In 'If You Had My Love', there is a futuristic vibe to the video. There are a lot of cool colours (blue, white, greys) which create this calming tone.

In 'Get Right', the urban environment is highlighted throughout the use of lighting. There is also a narrative present with the little girl listening to Jennifer's song through the headphones.

In 'All I Have', there is a narrative of the couple (LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez). There are a lot of close ups in this music video too.

In 'Love Don't Cost A Thing', there is an apparent narrative of Jennifer getting over her ex, essentially celebrating her new found independence.


Overall, there are many conventions that should be followed if the genre is RnB such as:

• 'RnB' lifestyle - filled with glamour and wealth etc
• Narrative
• Aestheticism (sex appeal of artists)
• Inter-textual references  
• Female or Male gaze theory
• Sexualisation 
• Choreography 
• Either extremely slow or fast paced songs

Conventions Of A Rock Video

As I am going to be creating a music video, I decided to analyse 5 music videos (all of which differed in genre) and listed the conventions of that genre. The first one was ROCK. The artist I picked was 'Kings of Leon'.

Below are the 5 music videos I watched and analysed.

In 'Use Somebody', the setting of the video is quite morose. The lyrics and music video contrast well together. 

In 'Sex on Fire', there is a sense of demonic possession with the lead singer, almost as if he is addicted to his lover. The environment, lighting and extreme close ups create a tense yet dramatic scene. 

In 'Pyro', there are hardly any camera shots of the band, as it focuses mostly upon the narrative. The slow motion camera shots showcase the victims of each situation ultimately 'reaching the light'.

In 'Radioactive', a much more happier environment is created with scenes of the band members enjoying a good time with young children. 

In 'Back down south', the band is shown performing in the deep south (where they are originally from).


Overall, by looking at these videos, it is clear that rock videos have a set of conventions that are more or less followed. However, it is arguable that Kings of Leon portray a much more emotionally deep side to rock music, singing and using narrative's in their videos to convey a certain message. Below are a life of conventions used in a rock music video.

• Usually many camera shots of a 'frontman' - usually the lead singer
• Grungy environment
• Camera shots of band performing 
• The band is usually seen as a 'unit'
• Fast paced editing in order to engage the audience
• Many close ups
• Usually male orientated 
• 'Rockstar' life is made apparent
• Narrative
• Montages of concerts

Summer Project - Kendrick Lamar

Another task that I was given was to select my favourite music artist and pick two videos - one that I liked and one that I disliked. 

I chose Kendrick Lamar, simply because he is one of the most inspiring rappers in Hip Hop, almost comparable to Tupac. My favourite music video from Kendrick is his video for the song 'I'.

The music video for Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘I’, embodies the beauty of groove and funk within the Black community. The song itself emits positivity with the message of self worth being important. The extremely high camera quality of the video creates stunning visuals, especially with the scene when Kendrick and his entourage dance in front of the beautiful skyline of the city. The lighting used throughout the video highlights the beauty of the suburban area, as well as the solo dance steps Kendrick does. This creates a very upbeat style of video, something that massively appeals to me. Moreover, the story itself in the video is very simple, but the execution of it, is what makes it my favourite music video from this artist.

However, the music video that is my least favourite from Kendrick is his video for 'King Kunta'. 

The music video for Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘King Kunta’ is not necessarily bad, it’s just not my favourite of all his music videos. This is only due to the fact that the camera quality of the video is not as high as his other videos. In my opinion, yes the video creates an old school hip-hop feel to it which is positive, however, I think that at some moments within the video, it does look like a homemade video from an artist with a budget. 

Overall, Kendrick always releases high quality music videos to match with his high quality music. Although King Kunta is not my favourite music video of all of Kendrick's videos, it still achieves a level of authenticity which most music videos fail to have.

Summer Project - Lip Sync Video

As a part of my summer project, I made a video of me lip syncing in order to see how hard it was to keep up with a song. I decided to do Ariana Grande's song 'All My Love'.

Summer Project - Preliminary Task

Another task that I had to complete was making a music video that 'narrated' my summer holidays. The video itself was shot with a Sony A5000 camera with a few partial scenes shot on iPhone quality, however as I uploaded it on YouTube, the quality of the video had diminished and is not 1080p (please watch below).

I starred in my video and had the initial idea of showcasing my summer in a very juvenile way, with the beginning saying 'Unicorn Productions'. Throughout the summer, I spent most of my time with my friends, playing playstation and genuinely having a good time with good company. I highlighted this in the video by using multiple scenes of me and my friends dancing, messing around and having fun. 

The positive aspects of this video is firstly, the high quality camera I used (which cannot unfortunately be shown properly due to the fact that YouTube compressed the file and changed the file format). I think that this created a high quality video, especially with the close up's of me lip syncing in the car park. Secondly, I think that the location of the car park was effective, especially as it was empty. I think that I will take this into consideration as a possible location for when I create my actual music video. 

However, I do think that as this was a childish take (especially as there was not much of a clear narrative or performance aspect) on a music video, there is room for much more improvement. In my final music video, I would like to improve the level of performance, narrative and better use of visual effects. 

Overall, I think this project worked well with the brief I was given. I look forward to creating and brainstorming ideas for my future and final A2 music video. 

Summer Project - Timeline

During the summer holidays, I was allocated many different tasks in order to help me with my understanding of music videos. The first task was to create a music video timeline of allocated artists during a set period of time. 

The artists that I used on my timeline, created by Prezi, were Whitney Houston, Nervana, The Killers and Kanye West. Here is the link to the presentation: https://prezi.com/dcxhz68u4qc3/task-1-media/





WHITNEY:
During the 1980's, narrative music videos were not as popular as they are today. Live performances would be the most common type of music video you will see. However, when an actual narrative music video was released, there was a high use of colourful costumes and dance. An example of this would be her video 'I wanna dance with somebody'. 

NERVANA:
Nervana was a huge band in the 1990's who were praised for their individuality. They essentially were the pioneers for their 'grungy' style to music, playing as a source of inspiration for many other rock bands such as The Killers. An element within their music videos that was consistent throughout the 1990's was the high use of camera shots showcasing the band playing instruments. This is ultimately a rock convention of a music video.

THE KILLERS:
During 2000-2010, popular rock band The Killers released a range of music videos. All of them had focused mostly on the lead singer with a high amount of close ups. Furthermore, the band uses a lot of narrative story lines in their videos, suggesting that this became a popular form of music video as technology advanced. 

KANYE WEST:
Kanye uses very artistic methods within his music videos, especially considering the fact that the technology is available to use and create these visuals. This indicates that the current period of time is the technology era, with the narrative's being more complex. Kanye uses his creativity in his music videos and essentially pioneers taking a simple idea, turning it into an engaging and entertaining music video.