Production Plan

Filming:
Date: Tuesday 2nd October
Time: 2:00pm
Cast: Olivia
Camera: Amy and Claudia
Location: Green Room
Props: Studio Lights, Torch, Long Coat, Scarf

Date: Wednesday 3rd October
Time: 9:00am
Camera: Amy, Claudia and Natasha
Location: College Field
Props: Long Coat, Scarf, Trees

Editing:
Date: Thursday 4th October
Time: 11:30am
Location: Editing Suite

Date: Friday 5th October
Time: 3:00pm
Location: Editing Suite
Olivia and Claudia

Date: Tuesday 9th October
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Editing Suite
Olivia, Claudia and Natasha

Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Media Text

Amy Wright - Camera/Editing

Claudia Parker - Camera/Editing

Olivia Bucknall - Cast/Camera/Editing

Meg Hackford - Editing

Ella Beech - Editing

Natasha Ullah - Director

The song we will reconstruct is Shelter, performed by Birdy

Music Video Analysis

I have analysed the music video for Bam Bam by King Charles. I chose this video in particular because it follows the typical codes and conventions of an alternative music video.

Key Audience Terms

Qualitative data
Qualitative data is provided by methods such as interviews and case studies which are not always reliable but they are valid. it is data describing meaning rather than statistics.

Quantitative data
Quantitative data is statistical, focusing on numbers rather than meaning and experience. it is gained through experimental approach like questionnaires and experiments which are easy to analyse as well as being fairly reliable.

Demographic data
demographic data is current statistical characteristics of a population, including fields such as: gender, race, age, disability, home ownership or employment.

Psychographic data
Psychographic data from individuals or communities can be valuable in the fields of marketing, demographics, opinion research and social research in general. they can be contrasted with demographic variables (such as age and gender), behavioural variables (such as usage rate or loyalty), and organisational demographics variable (such as industry and number of employees). 

Audience Feedback III

Audience Feedback II

Audience Feedback

This is the feedback recieved after watching my influential media texts...

Influential Media Texts

The ideas I have come up with so far have been influenced in some way by the following texts. I am going to conduct feedback interviews with my audience to gather psychographic preferences, opinions and values which I can then relate to the construction of my own video. 

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This song is from an illustrated limited edition book with a 6 song soundtrack called Young Colossus. This mini album accompanies a visual narrative written by Orlando Weeks (the lead singer of the Maccabees). The 6 song soundtrack tells the story of the characters in the book which was painstakingly illustrated by Robert Hunter. 

http://www.youngcolossus.com/

These are the questions I asked about this track:-

What kind of video can you imagine for this song?
What images come to mind?
Do you think the artwork seen in the thumbnail represents the song?
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The music video for 'Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) uses the same technique with moving animations I plan on featuring in my own video.  

How would you rate the following out of 10:-

• Editing
• Cinematography
• Mise-en-Scene
• Lighting
• Performance of the artist

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The music video for 'Vlad the Impaler' by Kasabian uses the same old-fashioned style I wish to use in my video.

How would you rate the following out of 10:-

• Editing
• Cinematography
• Mise-en-Scene
• Lighting
• Performance of the artist

Skills Development

For my foundation portfolio, I created a front page, contents and double page spread of a new weekly-released music magazine using original text and images produced by myself. I decided to use the ‘rock’ genre for my magazine; however I realised that it can be divided into many sub-genres: punk, heavy metal, grunge, psychedelic rock, new wave, brit invasion, folk rock, hard rock, pop rock, southern rock and prog rock. I chose to focus primarily on glitter/glam rock using influences such as Manic Street Preachers, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, KISS, New York Dolls, Queen, Roxy Music, and The Velvet Underground. My target market was in the age bracket of 16-25 and within the social grades of ABC1C2 for the younger generation could coincide with the genre of ‘Glam Rock’ as well as having money to spend on luxuries like a weekly magazine. In this day and age, music is as much to do with image as it is with music. The way a band or artist looks and behaves on stage effects how their music is perceived – I think their attitudes are inspirational for many young people who follow this particular fashion or want to break into the music industry. The people who read music magazines are those passionate about music, constantly looking for new artists and regularly appear at live music events.

Over the course of the first year, I have gained and developed knowledge and skills when it comes to production work, in particular using Photoshop. Before I started the Media course, I had no familiarity with Photoshop and the tools required to make a successful media product for instance media language and terminology.

Beginning my learning by creating a draft of a college magazine’s front cover and contents page provided the opportunity to learn about the software needed in such areas, Photoshop, for example, and the various techniques which I could then apply to my music magazine. The ‘blogger’ system was also an unfamiliar programme I had not used before. I found that it is not only advantageous for my coursework, but for anyone wanting to publicise something. Living in this short-attention span global society, everything is digital and consumed at an incredible rate. When researching and planning my final product, I was made of aware of all the different institutions and how each worked for example I had not heard of many of the existing music magazines available until I had to look at all ranges of genres and analyse them. This is when I realised how each organisation uses the same type of conventions to persuade the reader to buy them and publicise their product on the market.

When using Photoshop, I decided to experiment more with the tools provided to try and make my work more unique and professional-looking. I researched into how to airbrush a subject’s skin as well as use the ‘burn’ tool to enhance the colours in certain areas such as the eye and lip makeup and around the edges of the entire page as a way of framing the image. When developing my product, I changed my mind about small things such as the colour and font of the title, where I would often change the blending options like the inner and outer glow. To get the mirrored effect of the title, I simply duplicated the title layer and inverted it, then used the eraser tool to gradually delete the bottom half of the text. The rest of the text on the page features the drop shadow tool in order to stand out and the barcode was produced on an online barcode generator. For the double-page spread and contents page images, I adjusted the brightness/contrast, colour balance, exposure and channel mixer. I added blue highlights to her hair to fit the genre more using the brush tool. I had to change the opacity of the brush throughout to make some areas look richer in colour than others.

When comparing my college magazine to my music magazine, it is clear that the early drafts have many blemishes. The page seems quite plain and empty, with no splash or puff to attract the reader. The house style only consists of two colours; green and purple which are not as eye-catching and attractive as three colours in the colour scheme for the music magazine. The final cover of my music magazine is very different to the earlier drafts – this is mainly due to the feedback and advice I have received which has helped me cultivate my abilities and ideas as well as giving me the confidence to be more creative and original in my work. My contents page was not as informative or as interesting as existing ones. It lacks many features and those which are present look odd because they are unevenly spaced. I have learnt that the layout and organisation of the magazine is incredibly important and I think it is visibly clear that my technological skills have progressed throughout the making of the final product.

In conclusion, my understanding of the production, layout and overall view of the media world has improved a great deal over the course of the first year. The feedback, thoughts and ideas I have received have helped me massively with the development of my learning and final outcome because I think that I would not have learned so much if mistakes were not made initially. I feel I have improved on all aspects of the task given (digital technology, creativity, research and planning, post-production and using conventions of a real media text). For example, the college magazine contents page is very plain with a lot of wasted space – I learnt from producing this what elements need to be improved by simply equating it to a professional contents page already on the market which is how we began the project – by researching into already existing magazines and creating a LIIAR analysis of each, be it a classical, R&B or alternative magazine. Each magazine is aimed at a different target market but I found that they all use the conventions and codes of a music magazine and rarely deviate from the rules.

My Chosen Song

The song I have chosen for my music video is 'Feel to Follow' by the Maccabees. The Maccabees are an indie rock band from South London, England. This single is from their third record: 'Given to the Wild'.

How was I to ever,
Believe it?
It's never too late,
Until it's too late,
And I've been stranded,
And I need something.

Now I can see it,
And I can feel it,
I believe it.
Ever since I,
Can remember,
It's been as nothing.

Until I almost,
Feel to follow.

Feel to follow.

How will I ever,
Get a breather,
When it's over?
I've seen it in another,
Someone stronger,
Couldn't leave it.

Until I almost,
Feel To Follow

Feel to follow

'Cornerstone' by the Arctic Monkeys is a particularly unconventional video. The subtle humour of the video contradicts the track itself. In the video, Alex Turner, the singer of the band, is standing in front of a white screen and wearing an old-fashioned cassette player and headphones, along with a turtleneck jumper. The fact that there is no editing in the video gives the feeling it was produced in these earlier years. There are no cuts, however when a closeup is necessary, the performer steps closer to the camera. There are certain conventions followed but in an unusual way such as the singer of the band performing the song and close-ups, mid-shots and props are featured. However, the video does not represent the band who are an English indie rock band.

The band are regarded as one of the most prominent bands to be part of the post-punk revival in the UK, after achieving commercial success and spawning two number one singles with their debut album. If someone who was unaware of the band watched this video, it would draw different perceptions of the band as to if they watched one of their other videos such as 'R U Mine?' Which is in black and white, and uses many continuous camera editing at the beginning but then changes to a typical band performance nearer the end. In a similar way to the previous video, they are miming to their own song as if they were singing along to the radio which creates an element of humour. The flickering of the camera also gives it an aged feeling as if made on film.

The video to 'Beginners' by Slow Club focuses on actor Daniel Radcliffe, who staggers drunkenly around a deserted bar, drinking shots and punching walls.
This music video of the alternative genre is performance based with a slight narrative (he gets more and more drunk throughout the video), it is not fast edited which contradicts the conventions of a traditional music video - which is now becoming more popular, especially in this genre of music.
There are conventional features spotted throughout the video, however the fact it is in one setting and a male is lip-syncing to female vocals, breaking the illusion of real life - however the intensity of the acting enhances the meaning of the song. 
The first shot is of the wooden floor with the steady-cam moving backwards, showing it is an old building but also acts as a clear background for an introduction to the band 'Slow Club' - followed by the title of the track 'beginners' which is a less important fact as the purpose of the video is to promote the band, not the song. Without cutting, the next focus point is a medium close up of the candle in the corner of the room. Next, the camera pans over to the performer who's head is on the table with an empty wine glass and half-empty pint glass on the table with the use of the 'rule of thirds' in frame - already giving the impression of the glum and depressive narrative. This shot becomes a close up of his face followed by a medium close-up as he stumbles around the room. The camera then spins behind him while he leans his head on the pole which give a sense of confusion.
He often faces the camera as if addressing the audience directly, the use of steady-cam is also an indication to this. The visible streaks of light shining through the windows and the clothes he is wearing shows it could be summer however he is in a dark bar alone, demonstrating the sombre meaning of the song. Effects such as slow motion and close-ups of the performer however the are not many fast cuts which is unconventional for a video, however I have found that this technique is becoming more popular with music videos, particularly this band, and more often those of the indie rock genre.

Codes and Conventions

Cinematography

Cinematography includes camera shots, camera angles, camera movement and lighting. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes. As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film.

·         Extreme Long Shot/ Establishing Shot: contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting).

·         Long Shot: contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting.

·         Full Shot: a complete view of the characters. From this shot, viewers can take in the costumes of characters and may also help to demonstrate the relationships between characters.

·         Mid Shot: character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters.

·         Close-up: contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot.

·         Extreme Close-up: contains one part of a character's face or other object. This type of shot creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer.

·         Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters.

·         Bird's eye Angle: looks directly down on a scene. This angle is often used as an establishing angle, along with an extreme long shot, to establish setting.

·         High Angle: looks down on a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character.

·         Eye-level Angle: puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.

·         Low Angle: looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. This can help the responder feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character's point of view.

·         Dutch Angle: demonstrates the confusion of a character.

·         Crane Shot: is often used by composers of films to signify the end of a film or scene. The effect is achieved by the camera being put on a crane that can move upwards

·         Tracking/Dolly Shot: a tracking shot moves on tracks and a dolly shot is mounted on a trolley to achieve the effect in the example above. This camera movement is most commonly used to explore a room. By using a tracking shot or a dolly shot the composer of a film gives the viewer a detailed tour of a situation. It can also be used to follow a character.

·         Panning: gives the viewer a panoramic view of a set or setting. This can be used to establish a scene.

·         Surveying pan: The camera slowly searches the scene: may build to a climax or anti-climax

·         Tilt: A vertical movement of the camera - up or down- while the camera mounting stays fixed.

·         Crab: The camera moves (crabs) right or left.

Sound

·         Direct sound: Live sound. This may have a sense of freshness, spontaneity and 'authentic' atmosphere, but it may not be acoustically ideal.

·         Studio sound: Sound recorded in the studio to improve the sound quality, eliminating unwanted background noise ('ambient sound'), e.g. dubbed dialogue. This may be then mixed with live environmental sound.

·         Selective sound: The removal of some sounds and the retention of others to make significant sounds more recognizable, or for dramatic effect - to create atmosphere, meaning and emotional nuance.

·         Selective sound (and amplification): may make us aware of a watch or a bomb ticking. This can sometimes be a subjective device, leading us to identify with a character: to hear what he or she hears. Sound may be so selective that the lack of ambient sound can make it seem artificial or expressionistic.

·         Sound perspective/aural perspective: The impression of distance in sound, usually created through the use of selective sound. Note that even in live television a microphone is deliberately positioned, just as the camera is, and therefore may privilege certain participants.

·         Sound bridge: Adding to continuity through sound, by running sound (narration, dialogue or music) from one shot across a cut to another shot to make the action seem uninterrupted.

·         Dubbed dialogue: Post-recording the voice-track in the studio, the actors matching their words to the on-screen lip movements. Not confined to foreign-language dubbing.

·         Wildtrack (asynchronous sound): Sound which was self-evidently recorded separately from the visuals with which it is shown. For example, a studio voice-over added to a visual sequence later.

·         Parallel (synchronous) sound: Sound 'caused' by some event on screen, and which matches the action.

·         Commentary/voice-over narration: Commentary spoken off-screen over the shots shown. The voice-over can be used to introduce particular parts of a programme, add extra information not evident from the picture, interpret the images for the audience from a particular point of view, link parts of a sequence or programme together. The commentary confers authority on a particular interpretation, particularly if the tone is moderate, assured and reasoned. In dramatic films, it may be the voice of one of the characters, unheard by the others.

·         Sound effects (SFX): Any sound from any source other than synchronised dialogue, narration or music. Dubbed-in sound effects can add to the illusion of reality: a stage- set door may gain from the addition of the sound of a heavy door slamming or creaking.

·         Music: Music helps to establish a sense of the pace of the accompanying scene. The rhythm of music usually dictates the rhythm of the cuts. The emotional colouring of the music also reinforces the mood of the scene. Background music is asynchronous music which accompanies a film. It is not normally intended to be noticeable. Conventionally, background music accelerates for a chase sequence, becomes louder to underscore a dramatically important action. Through repetition it can also link shots, scenes and sequences. Foreground music is often synchronous music which finds its source within the screen events (e.g. from a radio, TV, stereo or musicians in the scene). It may be a more credible and dramatically plausible way of bringing music into a programme than background music (a string orchestra sometimes seems bizarre in a Western).

·         Silence: The juxtaposition of an image and silence can frustrate expectations, provoke odd, self-conscious responses, intensify our attention, make us apprehensive, or make us feel dissociated from reality.

Mise-en-Scene includes setting, props, lighting and costume. Soft and harsh lighting can manipulate a viewer's attitude towards a setting or a character. The way light is used can make objects, people and environments look beautiful or ugly, soft or harsh, artificial or real. Light may be used expressively or realistically.

Editing

·         Cut: Sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. On television cuts occur on average about every 7 or 8 seconds. Cutting may change the scene, compress time, vary the point of view, or build up an image or idea. There is always a reason for a cut, and you should ask yourself what the reason is. Less abrupt transitions are achieved with the fade, dissolve, and wipe

·         Matched cut: a familiar relationship between the shots may make the change seem smooth: continuity of direction, a similar centre of attention in the frame, a one-step change of shot size (e.g. long to medium), a change of angle (conventionally at least 30 degrees).

·         Jump cut: Abrupt switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Sometimes boldly used to begin or end action. Alternatively, it may be result of poor pictorial continuity, perhaps from deleting a section.

·         Motivated cut: Cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible (causing us, for instance, to accept compression of time). A typical feature is the shot/reverse shot technique (cuts coinciding with changes of speaker). Editing and camera work appear to be determined by the action. It is intimately associated with the 'privileged point of view' (see narrative style: objectivity).

·         Cutting rate: Frequent cuts may be used as deliberate interruptions to shock, surprise or emphasize.

·         Cutting rhythm: A cutting rhythm may be progressively shortened to increase tension. Cutting rhythm may create an exciting, lyrical or staccato effect in the viewer.

·         Cross-cut: A cut from one line of action to another - also applied as an adjective to sequences which use such cuts.

·         Cutaway/cutaway shot (CA): A bridging intercut shot between two shots of the same subject. It represents a secondary activity occurring at the same time as the main action. It may be preceded by a definite look or glance out of frame by a participant, or it may show something of which those in the preceding shot are unaware. (See narrative style: parallel development) It may be used to avoid the technical ugliness of a 'jump cut' where there would be uncomfortable jumps in time, place or viewpoint. It is often used to shortcut the passing of time.

·         Reaction shot: Any shot, usually a cutaway, in which a participant reacts to action which has just occurred.

·         Insert/insert shot. A bridging close-up shot inserted into the larger context, offering an essential detail of the scene (or a reshooting of the action with a different shot size or angle.)

·         Buffer shot (neutral shot): A bridging shot (normally taken with a separate camera) to separate two shots which would have reversed the continuity of direction.

·         Fade, dissolve (mix): Both fades and dissolves are gradual transitions between shots. In a fade the picture gradually appears from (fades in) or disappears to (fades out) a blank screen. A slow fade-in is a quiet introduction to a scene; a slow fade-out is a peaceful ending. Time lapses are often suggested by a slow fade-out and fade-in. A dissolve (or mix) involves fading out one picture while fading up another on top of it. The impression is of an image merging into and then becoming another. A slow mix usually suggests differences in time and place. Defocus or ripple dissolves are sometimes used to indicate flashbacks in time.

·         Superimpositions: Two of more images placed directly over each other (e.g. and eye and a camera lens to create a visual metaphor).

·         Wipe: An optical effect marking a transition between two shots. It appears to supplant an image by wiping it off the screen (as a line or in some complex pattern, such as by appearing to turn a page). The wipe is a technique which draws attention to itself and acts as a clear marker of change.

·         Inset: An inset is a special visual effect whereby a reduced shot is superimposed on the main shot. Often used to reveal a close-up detail of the main shot.

·         Split screen: The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time (sometimes the same action from slightly different perspectives, sometimes similar actions at different times). This can convey the excitement and frenzy of certain activities, but it can also overload the viewer.

·         Stock shot: Footage already available and used for another purpose than the one for which it was originally filmed.

Music Video Conventions - Indie Rock Genre

Genre is the type/category of a style of something - in this case, music. The 'codes' are a system in which signs are organised (signs that mean something). 'Conventions' are what the audiences expect of a specific genre which are used repeatedly - predictable signs. 
Semiotic theory is the science of signs. Codes and conventions are the basis of genre theory. Genre is dynamic, it grows and adapts to society for media texts are there for one wholly cause - to make money. This means the institution producing a particular media product will have an effect on the text and therefore, the audience. 

Particular codes and conventions of a type of music are beginning to be almost ignored in this post-modern era. In 2012, Bob Dylan released a video which plays on expected clichés. The audience's expectations are subverted by the controversial, shocking violence. 



Indie Rock is a sub-genre of alternative music, originating in the UK and US in the 80s. It is mainly produced on an independent label which gives the artists more creative freedom in their music, resulting in more interesting music which goes against the grain. It appeals to those of the niche audience - those who like music to be different and not sound a particular way in order for it to be successful. The indie rock audience are usually gig-goers and pay money to see a unique experience. Alternative music goes against the sterile, auto-tuned music this society has become obsessed with. Fans of alternative music are often interested in other genres of music including: rock (all sub-genres like psychedelia, metal, punk etc.), folk, blues, hip-hop, and electronic. They love music regardless of how the band looks or what is happening in their personal life.

Genre helps create a target audience so the producers can use the codes and conventions to establish what the product is. The audience use genre to choose what media texts they want to consume - referring to the codes and conventions of that genre - in this case: Indie Rock. Form and content are the most important aspects to consider, for example, a typical music video will feature fast editing as part of the form and what is in the form (the codes and conventions of a typical video of a specific genre).

A typical Indie/Rock video often features either a live band performance, sometimes including a narrative, or the main vocalist singing on their own. The narratives created in the video do not necessarily relate to the lyrics of the track. The editing in the video are usually fast cuts between the shots and the clothing is most commonly casual. The colour is often edited to suit the style of the song. For example, in the music video for the song “Still Life” by The Horrors, the colour reflects the psychedelic nature of the track itself.

'Pelican' by the Maccabees is their first single from the new album 'Given to the Wild', and is about the journey through life represented in an abstract way.

This video shows how the music video for Pelican was made and the thought process the production team went through when making it. In the video, it shows behind the scenes, exploring the technical difficulties and equipment used.

Music videos of this genre can also feature animation, for example, Power Out by Arcade Fire uses animation which has a narrative but the narrative does not always have to be clear and straight forward if the images are slightly abstract it does not matter whereas if the narrative was acted out then it is important that the storyline is obvious and not confusing for the audience. This also gives the artist a visual image for the listener to think about when they listen to the rest of their music catalogue, which is wholly the point of a music video - it is not reflecting a single song, but representing an artist's image. 


The interesting thing about the video for 'Fell in Love With a Girl' by the White Stripes is that the majority was made by actual lego, but to save time, animation was used subtly.

Music Promo Videos

A music video is a short film integrating a song with visual imagery. Music videos are created to promote the artist/band, not just a particular song. Many artists do not appear on television so music videos appeal to an audience who want to see them perform. 

Music videos are post-modern texts. In 1975, Dyer stated that a music video is a medium intended to appeal to youth subcultures by reinforcing generic elements of musical genres, creating an image/screen persona of the artist.

The first video for this purpose was ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen in 1975. It was played on Top of the Pops while the band was touring which meant a larger audience could see them perform instead of just listening.

Now the streaming websites such as YouTube or MySpace allow anyone to pick specific videos to watch instead of watching a playlist on TV, it also allows anyone to publish their own music and expose it to a larger audience.  Music videos viewed on YouTube is still sometimes the basis of a band’s appeal, particular music in the charts.

There are 4 types of music video:

1) Performance

2) Narrative

3) Animated

4) Abstract

Music videos play an important role in the modern music industry. In the 1980s, MTV was created to show music videos round the clock, all day every day. The music video became more and more popular. The most expensive music video to be released was ‘Scream’ by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson released in 1995, costing $7,000,000.

The Brief

A promotion package for the release of an album to include a music promo video together with two of the following three options:-

 - a website homepage for the band

 - a cover for its release as a part of a digipak (CD/DVD package)

 - a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package)