After emailing different directors/producers in the industry, we received the feedback above. Below, we have videos taken of students between the ages of 14 and 16 discussing our video after seeing it for the first time.
Dance videos are very common, both being released by the artists (either a compilation of fans dancing or their own production, with either the artist or just professional dancers) with Justin Bieber's 'Sorry' being evidence of this. There are several different types that you often see. Some have different cuts and angles, with many people in the room, and many dancers. Others are a stable shot, with only one dancer. The genres of the dancing often vary. Here are a series of examples we have looked at for research:
What we like from this:
the slow and fast contrast
Plain, simple backdrop, focus is on the dancing
There are many dance moves that match the lyrics
We will ask our friend to incorporate some of the dance moves that match the lyrics
Some sections lip-sync, some don't - links to our music video
Dance videos are a very common example of user generated content (UGC), which is why we have chosen to make one. We have contacted a friend, asking them to create a dance based on this song.
LYRIC VIDEO RESEARCH
There are often channels dedicated to making lyric videos, therefore have no specific link to the artist. There are also channels that are set up as fan accounts for artists. Because of the fan interactions, artists now release lyric videos as another edition of the promotional video. Sometimes, these videos do better, for example 'Closer' by the Chainsmokers. On YouTube, the lyric video is sitting on 2.6b views, while the official video has 376 million.
Artist released lyric videos often consist of some visuals in the background, however there is never any lip syncing. The lyrics will come up on screen as each line/verse changes. Some are slightly more creative, as there is a visual that comes up as well as the word, for each lyric.
For our lyric video, we will use some footage we have recorded in the background, and match it to the beat of the song. Our plan is to have different coloured lyrics (possibly varying between white, black and green).
VISUALISER RESEARCH
A visualiser video is a video which gives a sense of how the music video for the specific track will be, it gives the audience a sneak peak/teaser of what vibe the music video will create, a sense of how it will look like, and some of the shots that you will see within the music video. Generally, you see a lot of layering, slow-motion footage and slower-paced cuts.
This is a Billie Eilish visualiser. This is quite different to what we are planning on doing because this is a separate animation. Our visualiser will consist of footage that is also going to be in the music video, including visuals of our protagonist and our artist...
REACTION VIDEO RESEARCH
There are thousands of reaction videos to Billie Eilish's music and music videos. These reaction videos vary across all audiences. There are several creative reactions, including:
For our reaction, we will likely choose a couple friends (as they fit her target audience) to react to our final edit as if it were professional. Generally, the format includes the video in the middle of the screen and a person either side, pausing the video to make points. If there is only one person reacting, the video will be in the bottom corner, and the person reacting will be on the other side of the screen.
PRODUCT PLACEMENT
It is very common for music videos (and film) to incorporate product placement into the music video. This is when a brand pays for a product to be either used or placed in the mise-en-scene of a video. A common item in music videos is headphones/earphones. In many videos that we have researched, there are tight frames of a headphone brand, specifically 'Beats by Dr. Dre'. A brand will usually pay for their product to be placed in the context that will appeal to their audience the best. Headphones work for pretty much any music video, as there is a clear music link. The viewers are already looking at music, and if they see their favourite artist wearing something, the brands revenue is likely to increase. It is common across the media industry, with a clear example being the James Bond franchise. The protagonist, James Bond, is known for his fashion, elegance and female gaze, therefore brands will pay for him to wear their clothing line, drive their cars and many more.
For music videos, it is very common for the headphones to be shown for a short close-up lasting around 2-3 seconds, as well as being seen in the mise-en-scene. This is evident in Billie Eilish's song, lovely (with Khalid). As Billie Eilish has already been seen wearing a headphone brand, it made sense for us too use this concept. Although we had no access to Beats headphones, we have other wireless bluetooth headphones called 'TREBLAB XR500'. We have recorded 2 different shots with these headphones. One was a close-up, similar to the image of Billie, and the other with the headphones in the mise-en-scene. In reality, this brand wouldn't be allowed to work with Billie, as it is likely she still has an ongoing deal with Beats, however as we were simply creating a simulacra of her image, it fits well.
Along with putting the product into the video, we will create an advert for the product. As they are bluetooth headphones, we feel it would be best to use them while exercising. Using exercise in the advert links well with the likely audience of the headphones. We are taking inspiration from several headphone adverts we have researched, including:
What we want to take from these videos:
Use of slow-mo
Hard bass music
Close-ups on headphones
Contrast between having headphones vs not having them
Both will include narrative and performance footage. Shoot 2, we will spend our first day at a Green Screen studio, to film footage against backdrops and professional Green Screens.
Update:
Shoot 1 (2 day shoot) - 16/01/21 - 17/01/21
Shoot 2 (1 day shoot) - 19/01/21
Shoot 3 (2 day shoot) - 23/01/21 - 24/01/21
Shoot 4 (1 day shoot) - green screen studio (26/01/21)
After our first shoot, we learnt it would be more convenient to space our filming out across several shoots. Along with this, we contacted the green screen studio, and found out we could only film during the week. This is still convenient for us.
Before our production shoots take place, it is important for us to consider any possible risks. I will address all possible dangers or risks, and provide all precautions we will take.
Risk 1 - FIRE
We are currently planning on using fire to either burn roses, or just to add to the mise-en-scene, to continue to connotations of hell and rebellion. The risks include, burning ourselves, damaging equipment, setting fire to anything unwanted. To prevent hurting ourselves, we will do several tests with lighter fluid, starting off with a very limited amount. Progressively increasing the amount allows us to prepare for it, and avoid creating too much fire and increasing the risk.
Along with this, we will start by keeping our equipment far away from the fire. This means we can set up the shot based on how lit the fire is. Our plan is to set it up as a tightly framed shot, meaning we won't have a lot of fire. This reduces the risk of starting a larger fire than intended. A potentially greater risk is using a deodorant can to fire towards the roses. In preparation for this, we have watched experienced people practice this on YouTube, giving us a heads up on how to handle it safely. Some points include:
Don't fire it towards yourself
Do it on a flat, concrete surface, with nothing in the perimeter
Risk 2 - ROADS
Many of our planned shots include keeping the tripod still, in the road, for prolonged periods of time, as well as the two actors running around, seemingly carelessly. We have decided to use a road near Emma's house, meaning she knows how frequently cars travel by there. We chose our shots carefully, making it important that at least one of us is always near the tripod, and close enough to move it if any cars were to pass. If a car is to pass, we will move it to the pavement, meaning neither us or the driver is would get hurt. We also made sure to choose a road that has a low speeding limit, to ensure we have enough time to get out of the way.
Risk 3 - PHONE FALLING
For a narrative shot, we will stick the phone to the ceiling, creating abird's eye view shotof the two characters lying in bed. The risk involved with this shot is the phone falling, hurting one of us and/or breaking. As the phone will be above a bed, there is no risk of the phone falling. We will make sure we will use reliable, strong tape for the phone, in order to stop it falling. As well as this, we will always be positioned either side of where the phone is, meaning we won't get hit directly if it does fall.
Risk 4 - Slipping
For more narrative shots, we will go a walk and 'vlog' it. If it is to rain or snow, there is a risk of us slipping, and hitting our head. When taking these shots, we will be close to Emma's house, therefore if one of us is to get hurt, the other can run back and get help. We have scouted the location we are planning to film at, and it has service, meaning we can make a phone call. Although we have to wear trainers for the shot, we will test the areas we will run around at, and ensure there are no rocks or hidden hard surfaces that would cause damage.
Risk 5 - needle
In our performance shoot at Louis' house, we need to pop a balloon with a needle. As the needle is small and sharp, there is a risk of dropping it and losing it, meaning we could impale ourselves with the tip of it. To prevent this, we will put it in a small plastic box every time we put it down, to stop us forgetting where we last placed it. If we were to drop it, we would stop shooting, stand still and look for it. This then avoids us losing sight of it.
Risk 6 - COVID 19
This filming will take place during the pandemic, restricting the amount of shots we would have liked to use. Originally, we wanted to film at either a party or nightclub, however both of these are inaccessible in Luxembourg. There will only be two characters in our video. These characters will not maintain a safe six feet distance at all time, therefore increasing the risk of spreading coronavirus. To protect our health, we will get frequent tests, to make sure we are not spreading the disease. We have also chosen to hold back with the intimate shots, as that would increase the risk.
Risk 7 - LIFTING THE GIRL
In one of our narrative shots, the male will pick up the girl and throw her onto the bed. There is a high risk for both actors, as the male could hurt his back, while the girl could land awkwardly onto the bed. To prevent the male getting hurt, he will lift the girl with his legs, preventing his back from hurting or moving awkwardly. We will practise throwing the girl onto the bed in slow-motion, meaning the female protagonist can protect herself. We will also clear the bed so she cannot hit her head against anything.
A visual that we want to use is the idea of roses burning, signifying the girl is burning away her innocence.
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
These two shots are something we have found and want to look at using, as we want our visuals to have horror connotations.
via GIPHY
We intend on using some creative, flashy cuts when our character is in the mirror, which could include the other character popping up, or even his hand behind her.
via GIPHY
We are planning on having headphone product placement in our video. This means there will be a short (2-5 second) time period where the logo of the product is dominating the frame.
via GIPHY
We want a scene in which our protagonist is sat infant of several balloons, with the party connotations contrasting with the dark lyrics. Similar to this gif, we want very vibrant, abstract edits made to this visual.
Carol Vernallis argues that music videos are too short and elliptical for a narrative. Vernallis also argues that music videos derive from the songs they set. The music comes first - the song is produced before the video has been created and the director normally designs images with the song as a guide. She also argues that music video can't be analysed in the same way as we would other audio-visual forms; the representations we might perceive are actually more polysemic than they might be if used within TV or film, as the music is the key consideration, not the image.
5-PART NARRATIVE STRUCTURE (TODOROV)
Todorov argues that in each narrative, there will be a 5-part structure. The 5 parts are equilibrium, disruption, recognition, repair and a new equilibrium. Equilibrium is when everything is balanced, calm and there is no issue. Disruption is when something happens to disrupt the balance and chaos occurs. Recognition is when the characters realise that there is an issue and disruption. Repair is when the characters work towards bringing the balance back to restore the equilibrium. The new equilibrium is when there is balance again, but it isn't the same equilibrium as before.
DISEQUILIBRIUM
The period of instability and insecurity in a narrative.
EQUILIBRIUM
A state of peace and calm, which often exists at the beginning of a narrative.
PROPPIAN ARCHETYPES
The Hero - reacts to the Donor, saves the day and marries the Princess/Prize.
The Helper - helps the Hero in the quest.
The Villain (antagonist) - struggles against the Hero.
The False Hero - takes credit for the Hero's actions or tries to marry the Princess.
The Donor - prepares the Hero or gives the Hero some magical object.
The Dispatcher - character who makes the lack known and sends the Hero off.
The Princess/Prize - the Hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the Villain. The Hero's journey is often ended when he marries the Princess, thereby beating the Villain.
8 NARRATIVE TYPES (DOMAILLE)
Achilles: The Fatal Flaw that leads to the destruction of the previously flawless, or almost flawless person (Superman).
Candide: The indomitable hero who cannot be put down (James Bond).
Cinderella: The dream comes true (Pretty Woman).
Circe: The chase, the spider and the fly, the innocent and the victim (Terminator).
Faust: Selling your soul to the devil may bring riches but eventually your soul belongs to him (Wall Street).
Orpheus: The loss of something personal, the gift that is taken away, the tragedy or loss or the journey which follows the loss (The Sixth Sense).
Romeo and Juliet: The love story (Titanic).
Tristan and Iseult: The love triangle, man loves woman, unfortunately one or both are already spoken for, or a third party intervenes (Bridget Jones).
BINARY OPPOSITION (LEVI STRAUSS)
When we consider the use of stereotypes, it is often evident how a binary opposition is at play. For example, how we describe a stereotypical poor or working class person is broadly the opposite of how we'd describe a middle or upper class person. Scenes within dramas often reflect a use of this idea, with clashing pairs (male, female; rural, urban; rich, poor; heterosexual, homosexual; good, bad; dominant, submissive etc.) of opposites, in other works binary opposites, sparking conflict or tension.
NARRATIVE ENIGMA (BARTHES)
The audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem. This frequently occurs when being introduced to the Proppian archetype of the Villain, through shots where it doesn't reveal who they are or what they look like.
5 NARRATIVE CODES (BARTHES)
Barthes identifies five different kinds of semiotic elements that are common to all texts. He gathers these signifiers into five codes: Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic and Cultural.
Hermeneutic
Contains anything in the text that is mysterious or unexplained, usually leading to questions which the reader needs answered.
Proairetic
Contains sequential elements of action in the text. Like the Hermeneutic code, Proairetic elements add suspense to the text.
Semantic
Refers to elements of the text that carry referential, extra-literal meaning. Elements of the Semantic Code are called Semes.
Symbolic
Refers to organised systems of semes. When two connotative elements are placed in opposition or brought together by the narrator, they form an element of the Symbolic Code.
Cultural
Refers to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge such as scientific, historical, and cultural knowledge.
MONOMYTH/HERO'S JOURNEY (CAMPBELL)
Joseph Campbell created a more detailed character arc for the hero to go on, rather than the traditional three-act structure.
PART 1 - CALL TO ADVENTURE
The Ordinary World
The Call to Adventure
Refusal
PART 2 - SUPREME ORDEAL/INITIATION
4. Mentor Helper
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Test/Allies/Enemies
PART 3 - UNIFICATION/TRANSFORMATION
7. Approach
8. Ordeal
9. Reward
PART 4 - ROAD BACK/HERO'S RETURN
10. Road Back
11. Atonement
12. Return
FAN-FICTION (BRIGID CHERRY)
Brigid Cherry argues against the producerproducing and the audiences consuming and being passive. She believes that the audience can create their own narrative, like fan-fiction & other user generated content. These commonly explore the queer.
MEDIA LANGUAGE
POSTMODERNISM
Deconstructionism - use or highlight conventions in an ironic way (eg. Depeche Mode's It's No Good), intertextuality another eg. linking to simulacrum - blurring of lines
The meaning of one text being tied to another, earlier text. For example, the movie, 'Scary Movie' intertextualises the movie 'Scream'.
DECONSTRUCTIONISM
Highlights conventions in an ironic way. For example, It's No Good by Depeche Mode has close up shots of a woman's breast to highlight the convention of male gaze.
6 CONVENTIONS (GOODWIN)
Goodwin argues that there are 6 defining, common characteristics of music videos which mark them out as a distinctive format.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradictory). The lyrics are represented with images.
There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradictory). The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc.) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There are often intertextual reference (to film, TV programmes, other music videos, etc.)
SHOT TYPES
MISE-EN-SCENE
A french term, which literally means 'put into the frame'. When analysing a sequence the term refers to everything you see in the frame (props, costume, lighting, colour, makeup, etc.).
SEMIOTICS (POLYSEMY/ANCHORAGE)
Semiotics are signs and symbols that give a suggestion. They could be polysemic, meaning that they have numerous meanings, or anchoring, meaning that they confirm the meaning.
SIGNIFIER/CONNOTATION
When we pick out a detail which we think has a symbolic meaning. For example, the colour pink signifies the female gender.
DENOTATION
Is the specific detail we pick out.
FREUDIAN PSYCHOANALYSIS (eg PHALLIC IMAGERY)
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. Phallic imagery is when something is shaped in a way to represent a male's genitals.
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
When a source of lighting is from equipment and can be manipulated, rather than natural lighting from the sun.
CONVENTION
A frequently used element which becomes standard.
GENRE
A system of film or music identification, in which films or music that have the same elements are grouped together.
HYBRIDITY
Hybridity is when, for example, two genres are combined, like a Rom-Com.
ICONOGRAPHY
The objects within a text that are used to evoke particular meanings.
AUDIENCE
FOUR-QUADRANT AUDIENCE
A four-quadrant text is one which appeals to the four major demographic "quadrants" - female and male, under and over 25 year olds.
USES & GRATIFICATIONS
The Uses and Gratifications Theory suggests there are certain reasons why an audience responds to different media texts:
Entertainment and diversion:
Audiences consume media texts to escape from their everyday lives. They choose entertaining texts that allow them to divert their attention from the real world, perhaps by watching a fantasy film like Harry Potter or reading a fashion magazine like Vogue.
Information and education:
Some media texts are consumed by audiences when they want to be informed and educated. Newspapers, news programmes and current affairs documentaries educate and inform. They help the audience to find out what is happening in the world.
Social interaction
Some media texts like The X Factor or I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here provoke interaction with the audience. Social media can now spark an immediate reaction and get people talking while the action is still happening.
Personal identity:
Some audiences like to watch or read media texts because they can compare their life experiences with those represented in it. Audience pleasure comes from empathising and identifying with characters or content represented in them. Soap operas or lifestyle magazines can offer audiences this kind of enjoyment.
SUBCULTURE (HEBDIGE)
Recognisable social groups, most often linked to musical genres (eg. punk), notably distinctive visual styles.
CULTURAL CAPITAL (BOURDIEU)
There is a type of wealth, privilege and power gained from cultural knowledge. Knowledge and awareness on "high" culture, e.g. jazz, theatre, literature, opera, is held higher than knowledge on pop culture. He believes there are different levels in each subculture, for example, if someone talks about reality TV in a reality TV convention, they'd have cultural capital.
THEORY OF READINGS (HALL)
Reception theory as developed by Stuart Hall asserts that media texts are encoded and decoded. The producer encodes messages and values into their media which are then decoded by the audience.
REPRESENTATION
IDENTITIES CONSTRUCTED (GAUNTLETT)
"Identities are not 'given' but are constructed and negotiated". Negotiated because identities partially depend on how others react to us (and how we think others think about us). We construct identities for ourselves through choices with hair, clothing, the media (music, TV, social media, etc.) we consume. "Identity is complicated. Everybody thinks they've got one. Artists play with the idea of identity in modern society."
MALE GAZE (MULVEY: FEMINIST)
Laura Mulvey is a British, feminist, film theorist. In her 1975 essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", she created the 'Male Gaze Theory'. Mulvey argues that 'male gaze' consists of three perspectives; the person behind the camera, the characters within the representation or film itself and the spectator. Mulvey believes that gender power asymmetry is a controlling force in cinema and constructed for the pleasure of the male viewer, which is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideologies. The 'male gaze theory' occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man. These shots are typically close-ups on specific body parts to connote women as an erotic object.
FINAL GIRL (CAROL CLOVER)
Clover argued Mulvey focused on "scream queens" but ignored "final girl" character who is actually the central protagonist in Slasher genre. She, therefore ignored the scope for agency and the specific non-sexualised nature of the final girl.
BECHDEL TEST
Movies have to follow three rules to pass the Bechdel Test. This shows how women are secondary characters in the film industry.
2 Female characters
Both named
Having a conversation together about something other than men
It seems like most movies would be able to pass this test but it's extremely surprising how few movies pass.
FEMINISM
Argues that there is an inequality in the sexes. Feminist Sinead O'Connor tried to combat the inequality by rejecting the gender norms and male gaze.
POST-FEMINISM
Argues that feminism disregards women having agency. For example, if a woman wants to dress in a way that could also be argued for the male gaze theory, they have the agency to do so themselves. Sinead O'Connor sent a letter to Miley Cyrus about her Wrecking Ball music video, feeling bad for her because she was 'being manipulated by men'. Miley Cyrus snapped back at Sinead O'Connor and explained that she created the music video in the way that she wanted and didn't listen to a man.
AGENCY
Having power and control.
HETERONORMATIVE
Frequent exposure to heterosexuality in media, to the point where it's "normal". For example, we see straight couples and women with long hair and men with short hair.
STEREOTYPE
A stereotype is a fixed, over-generalised belief about a particular group or class of people. By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have.
COUNTERTYPE
A countertype is the opposite of a stereotype. The audience would expect to see something, which may be the opposite.
INDUSTRY
WEB 2.0 (O'REILLY)
In traditional media, media companies would produce and audiences would consume and be passive. Web 2.0 mean that audiences would be producing and interacting as much as consuming. The blurring of the lines.
WEB 3.0(KEEN)
The notion that we have moved further from 2.0 [where top-down, companies to consumers model became two-way (convergence) to an era where the previous consumer essentially is the producer (eg Facebook, Twitter)].
UGC (GILLMOR, GAUNTLETT)
Web 2.0; convergence, user generates content.
DIGITISATION
Well-established but deepening process of shifting from analogue media forms and production equipment to digital forms (including modes of distribution). This causes disruption.
DISRUPTION
Massive changes and challenges to the traditional ways industries functioned and generated revenues especially with the shift to online distribution.
CONVERGENCE (JENKINS)
A basic part of web 2.0 theory (there's a famous book called Convergence Culture) with a 2-fold meaning: the divide between industries is blurring (newspapers, web, radio, TV) as the same time as the gap between producers and consumer/prosumerproduction and editing technologies is dramatically narrowing (eg. smartphone 4k cameras, FCPX)
VERTICAL INTEGRATION
When a conglomerate has subsidiaries operating in the same industry, in the production, distribution and exchange spheres.
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
When a conglomerate controls companies in different media industries that can work together to create synergy. E.g. Disney have their own music label and Baby Driver has its OST.
GLOBALISATION
Globalisation did originally refer to the hegemony American culture has over the world, for example, seeing a McDonald's or a Starbucks on every street. This is still very prevalent but now online services like Spotify, Instagram and Netflix are allowing non-American culture to break through globally. An example of this is Spotify's new charts feature.
PROPAGANDA MODEL (CHOMSKY)
Gramsci links naturally with Noam Chomsky, whose 'propaganda model' argues that the media do not seek to accurately represent the world around us, or to fulfil the democratic function of providing information that enables us to make informed democratic choices and scrutinising the powerful - instead they exist to encourage support for the dominant elites at any given time. He argues that any counter-hegemonic content tends to be marginalised or excluded from most media, particularly the mainstream, mass media, through five 'filters':
Source strategy (Who do you give prominence to?)
Anti-communism (Anti-left-wing)
Flak (consistently and routinely attack and undermine the source of hegemonic ideas)
Advertiser power (main model of monetisation - advertisers choose who will thrive and fail)
Concentration of ownership
HEGEMONY (GRAMSCI)
Gramsci was a 1930s Italian Marxist; his analysis remains highly influential in Media academia today. Like Marxists generally he believed there is an elite which dominates wealth and power, and exploits the 'masses' to create this wealth. He argued that power is achieved and exercised not just through brute force (police, army, etc.) but as much through culture. He contends that the ideas which become seen as 'common sense' tend to reflect the views and strategies of the elite, although hegemony is always unstable and open to counter-hegemonic challenge.
REACTION VIDEO RESEARCH
