Costumes

All Black Everything

The images below show one of the outfits which will be used in the video. It consists of a black lace crop and a long black tulle skirt. The outfit has been accesorised with an all white crystal choker necklace. The hairstyling was left quite natural and casual with a messy high pony tail. The make up on the other hand was very dramatic consisting of long false eye lashes with thick black eye liner and rich red lipstick. Also, the artist was wearing long false nails which we painted black. 

The outfit is quite revealing and sexy, Amelia's midriff-baring top is conforming to Tessa Perkins' "stereotypes" which are commonly found in music videos. Such stereotypes include female pop artists who are usually blonde, attractive and slim such as Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Laura Mulvey's 'Male Gaze" suggests that women in media texts are dressed in ways which appeal to men, Amelia's outfit although is not very overly sexy or provocative, it will still fall under the term "voyeurism". Amelia's target audience is 15- 21 male and females, predominantly female, however, this outfit will appeal to the male demographic.

The importance of Accessories:
Accessories or very important in terms of making an outfit stand out, however they play a different role in music videos. Modern day music videos are bombarded with product placement and endorsements, some products are even advertised in the lyrics. Identifying product placement in a video is fairly easy (a close up or extreme close up of a product). 

Filming: Day 1

Day 1: 19/12/13

Our first day of filming was successful although, we did not get much footage, I feel more confident with filming and satisfied with the results of my first attempt. A disadvantage we faced was time. We had a two hour time slot and hair & make up took an hour and a half, leaving us with just thirty minutes to film. I have not yet decided when we will film next however, I will be more prepared for our next shoot. For example, I will make sure allow extra time for hair & make up as it has proven to be very time consuming. 

As for the performance by Amelia- it was brilliant! Amelia's drama skills were really on display in the video for example, her facial expressions truly represented the lyrics and emotions the song is trying to convey. Her hair and make up represented the pop-rock genre through her all black ensemble. Her dramatic make up emphasized some of the emotions such as anger, found in the song. Her long blonde hair and exquisite jewels reinforced her Pop Star status and represented the glamorous image pop artists are know for. 

In terms of cinematography, I kept it very basic. All footage consisted of either a mid shot or close up of the artist. However, I intend have more camera movements during the next shoot as I feel more confident with my camera operating skills. The lighting was bright, convention of pop videos, it also emphasized Amelia's costume and hair & make up.

The videos below are the footage we shot on our first day of filming. The footage has not yet been edited:

Filiming Schedule

Filming Begins...

Theories: Moral Panic Applied

Applying the Theory

The following video shows an example of how music videos can cause an uproar among the general public or also known as a 'Moral Panic'.

Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball"

2013 was Miley Cyrus' breakout year. She debuted her new look with a platinum blonde pixie crop, a far cry from Hannah Montana's long flowing golden locks. Her album 'Bangerz' was one of the most anticipated pop albums of the year and Cyrus did not disappoint. The debut single 'We Can't Stop' went to Number One and Cyrus was the only artist in 2013 to have a 'chart double' on the the Official UK Charts with 'Bangerz' and 'Wrecking Ball' taking the top spot in the same week. However, it wasn't her chart success that had everyone talking but it was the video for the now infamous 'Wrecking Ball' that had the whole world into Miley overdrive and successfully landed more than 19 million views in the first 24 hours of it's release.

 In the video, Cyrus is naked and singing on a wrecking ball, she also licks a sledgehammer and rolls around in the wreckage. This started a moral panic among the public with the public scrutinizing Cyrus for her behavior and making her a 'folk devil'. Many parents were outraged as they considered Miley to be a role model for young girls (still see her as Hannah Montana).

BREAKING NEWS!!!

BEYONCE- "VISUAL ALBUM"

Queen Bey
On December 12th, 2013 shortly before midnight, Beyonce released a brand new album on Itunes. The self-titled album is Beyonce's fifth studio album and was a record breaking release. Although, the album is self-titled 'BEYONCE' she is calling it a "visual album". There are 14 new tracks all of which are accompanied with music videos plus 3 extra videos, making it a total of 17 new music videos. Along with the surprise release, Beyonce also released a 30 second trailer/preview for each individual video.  

The sudden release is ground breaking! A typical album release relies heavily on months of promotion which consists of releasing singles, going on tour and not to mention the endless talk show and radio show appearances. However, Beyonce made a very bold and brave decision and chose to release the album as it is and without any prior warning. Industry 'Big Shots' would call it a disaster however, given the power and popularity of Mrs Carter, she has defied the odds and made the album a commercial hit. 

Itunes has confirmed that "BEYONCE" is the fastest selling album ever, with sales over 800,000 in just three days. Other record breaking accolades include 'the most talked about' story of the day, on the web. Beyonce's release also highlights her popularity among her fans. For more than decade she has built an empire and an enormous fan base. The record breaking sales show the devotion the fans (customers) have for the beloved artist. There is no doubt that other artist will take note of the trend-setter and follow suit. 

  The videos below show the announcement and release of Beyonce's self titled "visual album".

 

The images below show some of the articles written about the "game changing" album release.

THE STAR

        INTRODUCING...

Amelia Grimes

After meeting with both girls and going through an 'audition' process, I have decided on Amelia Grimes to star in my music video. Amelia is an As student here at Wyke and she studies Performing Arts, Drama Studies and Dance all of which were the determining factor for my choice. I am confident that I have chosen the right candidate and very pleased to have found Amelia. 

Although, the music industry has become more diverse in terms of image (e.g race, size, background etc.) Amelia falls under the stereotypical category of the 'Pop Princess'. Her long blonde hair and her cute features..

I will be creating a new identity for Amelia  in terms of the genre the song. This new identity or image must be a clear representation of the genre but also the beliefs and ideologies I want her to reflect. 

More Emails

These images below show the final emails between the talent and I.

These images below show the emails reply from tow of the potential stars of my video. 

Auditioning

Finding A Star

After my ad in the tutor notices and on the college screens proved ineffective I decided to make an announcement in a few Performing and Arts classes. In my announcement I explained how part taking in my music video will be beneficial as it will go on their performing CV. I immediately got responses from two girls who showed interest. The emails below show their response to my announcement.

My Reply

I replied to their email by informing them of the audition process which I go through to find the most suitable person for my video. In my reply I asked if they could meet up up with me so I can go through exactly what I need them to do for my video. The emails below show my request for a meeting. I am waiting for a reply.

Editing

 Practicing

The following video is one of my test shots which I edited on the Macs using Final Cut Pro. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZsAl3zJZwg

When researching other existing pop videos I found they follow conventions such as fast paced editing. I have also applied this convention to my video by including fast jump cuts to match the fast beat of the song. I created the jump cuts by using the blade tool which is found in Final Cut Pro. The original video is only 40 seconds long which meant that I had very little footage to edit and is the reason why most of the footage is repeated throughout the video. 

I have also added some special effects to improve the quality of the video. For example, the video opens with text which reads '"Heart Attack" Test Edits' I have added text to the video so the audience know the title of the song immediately. Although, including the title is not a common convention found in music videos it is still relatively used. 

The video below shows the use of text in music videos:

Enrique Iglesias ft Ciara "Taking Back My Love"

Test Shots

Testing
The following videos are the first videos i have filmed throughout this course. As it is my first try at filming the videos are very 'amateur-ish'. The following videos demonstrate the lighting which has been used. Having researched existing pop videos I found that there is a lot of bright lighting especially when the artist is singing against a white backdrop. My final idea consists of the artist singing behind a white backdrop for some scenes therefore I tested out the lights which are available to use in the college media room. 

Test Shots- Lighting


In this first video, you can see, I filmed with all of the lights on. 

  

In this second video, as you can see compared to the 

first video, I adjusted the position of the lights and brought them 

closer to the white background. I noticed that by bringing 

them closer, the footage was more illuminated and clearer 

thus looking very professional.There was three lights and 

they were positioned in a 'triangle'. For example, there was 

light coming from a left, right and high angle.

This video shows what the footage looks like without any lights. 

As you can see, it is dark and fairly unclear. It also looks very 

unprofessional. 

Test Shots- Cinematography

In this video, as you can see that I have started to 
move the camera. I have began to tilt the camera
going from high to low angles. I have also zoomed in and 
out. 

Animatic

Animatic- 'Heart Attack'

I created my animatic on Windows Movie Maker. The storyboard is not in sync with the music because of the limited tools movie maker offers. However, my shots are all in order and the animatic shows what I intend my music video to look like. 

You can also find my animatic at the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7vCeb89i84

Storyboard

Update: Location

Change of Location

In my location post I stated that I will be using the college photography room as one of my locations. However, having consulted Paul (Head of Photography) he advised that the photography room is not ideal for filming. Paul suggested I film outside and use the natural light as it gives a better effect than the lights used indoors. 

Although, I would like to film outside and use the natural light because of the current season I will be unable to film outdoors. I intend to do most of my filming after college hours as it is more convenient for myself and my artist. We are currently in the middle of winter which means the daylight will not last until after college hours.

I have found an alternative location to film scenes for my music video. I will be filming in the greenroom situated in the media department. I will not be using the green screen but the plain white in the room. The room is equipped with the correct lighting which I will need to use whilst filming. The images below show the media greenroom and the white which I will be using to film.

Twitter Update

Audience Research

In my audience research I looked into social media and found the most followed music artists on Twitter. At the time of my research Justin Bieber, held the crown for most followed user on Twitter however, he has since been dethroned. Katy Perry has surpassed the Pop Prince and has officially become the most followed person on Twitter. Perry is a recording artist and this recent feat emphasizes the popularity music artists have regarding social media. Perry's most recent hit 'Roar' could be the determining factor behind her recent Twitter accomplishment for example, 'Roar' went to the Number One spot all over the world and will no doubt be one of the, if not the best selling single of the year. What a way to return to the spotlight after year out from the competition.

Health & Safety Assessments

Health & Safety Table

The table is incomplete however, once I start filming and actually work on the location I will be able to add to the table.

Social Grading System

Social Grade System

Social Grading System is a system of demographic classification. These classifications are based on the occupation and the income of the head of the household. For example, in an exemplary family, the Father may bring in the most income. Therefore, this will determine the family's classification in the social grading system regardless if the Mother works too. A criticism of the system is that it classifies an entire household on the occupation of a single individual. And also the system ignores groups such as wealthy people who do not work and some groups who are self-employed. 

Reception Theory Applied

Applying Theory To Real Media Texts

Lily Allen's latest music video has sparked controversy among the media for its mislead representation of females in the show business industry. Although, Allen clearly states in her song that she is only joking (her lyrics read "And if you can't detect the sarcasm, then you've misunderstood)  many people are not taking it as lightly as Allen. 

The concept of Allen's video was to show how women are degraded in show business and particularly in the music industry. The video begins with Allen in hospital receiving cosmetic surgery (looks like liposuction) her manager/agent is standing over head ordering the surgeons of what needs to be done to Allen's body. In the song Allen is talking about how women in music are seen as objects ("Don't you want to have someone who objectifies you")  and the video shows the ways in which women are being degraded. However, although her message is to empower women by pointing out the ways in which women are disadvantaged, Allen is also contradicting herself. Twerking which has become a recent phenomena, can be seen used heavily in this video therefore, portraying women as sexual objects.

Theories: Uses & Gratifications

Uses & Gratifications Model - Katz & Blumler

• This theory suggests that the audience are an active audience and they consume media texts for their own reasons.

• It explains what the audience do with media and the reasons behind why they consume media. For exmaple, the effects of the media form the point of view of the audience. 

Katz & Blumler

• Social & psychological origins which generate certain expectations about mass media.
• Different patterns of media exposure in both the gratification needs and in other consequences.

The Model:
Motivated by a desire to fulfill and/or gratify certain needs such as the following:

Surveillance
To have knowledge of and also be aware of current events. Gratifying a desire for knowledge and security. Dominant messages of conforming via dominant ideologies given in media texts such as music videos. For example, Lily Allen's music video "Hard Out Here" depicts the treatment of women in the music industry thus making the mass audience aware of these issues.

Personal Identity
By identifying with media individuals form a personal identity for example, many pop stars are role models for young people therefore inspiring them through their looks, beliefs and music. By becoming a subject of the media allows audiences to reaffirm their identity and position themselves within society. 

Personal Relationships
This explains the relationship audiences have with the media. Individuals form relationships with media texts and also use media to form relationships with others. For example, a shared interest in X factor can be the topic of a conversation. Many people use television as a form of companionship. Audiences  get attached to characters and grieve for characters when theY are killed off. 

Media Within Relationships
People use media to form and build relationships with real people.
Studies suggest that many families use sitting around watching the TV as a stimilus for conversion.

Theories: Reception Theory

Reception Theory- Stewart Hall

• Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Theory, this theory explains how the audience is an active audience rather than passive. 

• The audience are actively engaged in the interpretation of media texts rather than as passive consumers. 

• Individuals receive and interpret texts in different ways. 

• Demonstrates that although one message is sent out into the media,  not everyone will understand the message. 

• Allows media text to be consumed individually and takes in no consideration the meaning of a text and the relationship an individual may understand from this in relation to sociological factors.

• Semiotics- 'the science of signs'

• Encode and decode the semiotics. Media texts are encoded by the producer and these texts are full of ideologies. Text is then decoded by an audience. 

• However not all audiences will decode and respond to the text in the same way. This explains the active audience theory, that each member of the audience interprets the message in their own way. 

Decoding and Encoding

• Producer creates a text which is encoded with ideas and beliefs they want the mass audience to follow. 

• This is called preferred reading.

• Message will be correctly decoded sometimes and the audience will receive and understand the message. 

• However, because the audience are an active audience some confusion will occur as not everyone will interpret the message in the intended way therefore the message will be ineffective. 

Three Types of  Audience:

1.Dominant or Preferred = understand the message, on dominant scale.

2.Negotiated= agree but also disagree, a compromise between two meanings.

3.Oppositional= completely disagrees, rejects preferred meaning and creates their own. 

Sociological Factors:

•There are certain factors that effect whether we take the dominant, opposition or negotiated reading.

•Life experience: adults may understand texts better than teenagers because they have more life experience

•Mood at time: if you are feeling down, everything will seem down

•Age: Adults wont relate to younger media texts.

•Culture: where you are from changes your views and reading.

•Beliefs: Be religious or not religious.

•Gender: Buy FHM for a males. Girls read it differently. 

Summary

•Hall says we are an active audience and we are allowed our own readings and how their individual circumstances affect their reading.

•Decode and Encode Model is relationship between text and audience.


•The text is encoded by the producer and decoded by reader.


•Using recognized codes and conventions, by drawing up audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of stars, the producers can position the audience thus create a certain amount of agreement on what the code means. Known as preferred reading.

Theories: Hypodermic Needle Theory

Further Audience Research:

As part of my audience research I have looked some audience theories. These theories explain how audiences consume and interpret media texts. It looks at passive (Hypodermic Needle) and active (Reception Theory). It also looks at factors in which why they consume and what they consume (Uses &Gratifications).


Hypodermic Needle Theory

• Passive audience
• 
  

The Hypodermic Needle Theory suggests that the audience is passive and that they are being injected with beliefs and ideas the producer of the text wants them to believe. The theory suggests that the media is a device used to brainwash the public.

Location

My Location Ideas

All my locations are inter-textually linked with each other for example, a photo studio, a theater and a recording studio are all entertainment/show-business locations. The concept of my video is to capture the day-to-day activities and jobs a music artist goes through on a daily basis. These include doing photo shoots for album covers, magazine articles, endorsements and also for advertising. 

The most important job of the day for an artist is recording. Pop stars are recording artists, they record singles and albums then distribute them to the public. I liked the idea of including the recording of the song in my video as it gives the audience a 'raw' experience. They are allowed to witness how the production of the song which i feel is important because we as an audience are used to seeing music videos with a narrative. I feel my video will give the audience a new outlook on music videos. 

Another location for my video is the theater. The theater is the most conventional location for my genre. Having researched other existing pop rock music videos i found they all contain a scene with a band performance. I will be filming the band performance in the theater as it will create the illusion of a performance. Although, the artist will be performing (lip syncing) throughout the video, the theater scene will create the feeling that the artist is on a stage performing to an audience.

And my final location is the green room however, i am undecided whether I would like to use the green room to film. In the original video of 'Heart Attack' special effects have been used which gives the video an updated look however, because the concept of my video is behind-the-scenes i feel it would defeat the purpose as special effects would make the video artificial and unnatural. Whereas I am trying to create a video which is 'real', 'natural' and 'raw'.

I am fortunate enough that my college has the facilities to provide for my ideas. The college has all the locations listed above however, some complications and set backs will occur. My first set back and hopefully the only one, is that the theater is booked until January. This means that i will have to begin filming and create a first draft with a huge part of the video missing. It also means that i have less time to edit the final product. 

Casting

Finding A Star!

I have created an advert which will be shown on the notice boards in the college foyer and also in the turtor notices. I am hoping people will show interest and I will be able to cast a female for my video. I have specified in the ad for the person to be confident as it will be an easier process if the person is confident and a natural in front of the camera. 

Inspiration

Videos Which Have Inspired My Idea

The following collection of videos are music videos which have inspired my to think of new ideas for my own video. These videos have helped me think of a new and original concept for my music video. I will explain the why and how these videos have helped me:

Firstly, this video for "On the Floor" is by Jennifer Lopez and i particularly like the opening of the video. I wish to recreate the first scene of the car pulling up to the night club with Lopez inside. The car, a BMW, was driven by a driver which implies wealth and power. It promotes women in a positive light for example, Lopez is seen as a woman who can afford such luxuries as a chauffeur. This suggests she is a powerful and rich woman who can afford these services. Although, Laura's Mulvey theory of the Male Gaze would imply Lopez as being a sexual object which is evident in the video (her sexualised costumes) however, the luxury vehicle and chauffeur suggests she is a hard working woman who can afford to live her life in the fast lane, no pun intended. 

I would like to open my video similarly to "On the Floor" instead with a limousine. The concept of my video is 'A day in the life of a Superstar'. The limousine has connotations of wealth, power and celebrity and by including it in my video it will showcase such connotations. 

 Video by Jennifer Lopez- "On the Floor"

The second video which has helped me gather ideas is "Help For Heroes" by the 2010 X Factor Finalists. In this video, you can see the finalists in a recording studio recording the song.

They are not actually recording the song instead just creating the illusion they are. I particularly like the filming in the recording studio as it is relates well with the 'Behind The Scenes' concept of my video. 

 Video by X Factor Finalists 2010- "Help For Heroes"

I also liked Timabaland's 'Apologize' because of the concept of the video. For example, like the X Factor video it is filmed in a recording studio and it shows Timbaland compose the song whilst One Republic are recording. The video opens with a close up of Timbaland adjusting the sound board. I too wish to include a close up of the sound board to show that the artist is producing the song. The concept of my video is 'Behind The Scenes' therefore I have chosen to film some scenes in the college recording studio, as it implies that the artist is producing the song. 

Video by Timabaland ft One Repeublic- "Apologize"

Final Idea

Final Idea

The final idea and concept of my video is to create a video which is almost like a video diary of the artist for example, 'behind-the-scenes' footage. I was inspired by Pink's recent video 'True Love' which shows her backstage in her dressing room, preparing for her performance. 

Pink also gives insight into her personal life by featuring her daughter and husband in the video. Videos which show artist's personal lives show more interest from fans than the standard narrative/performance videos. For example, many celebrities like to keep private about their personal life however, when they decide to open up and show fans what their life is like behind the cameras, it allows the fans to get closer to the artist. It also shows the artist has trust in his/her fans by allowing a glimpse into their life. 

This video  has a narrative/performance structure with narrative based on what goes on behind the scenes in Pink's personal life. Pink is telling the story (narrative) through her performance of the song and it also includes footage from Pink's tours and live performances. 

Existing Pop Videos

The following videos demonstrate the conventional costumes found in pop rock music videos.

Britney Spears "I Love Rock n Roll"

Rihanna "Shut Up And Drive"

Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"

Initial Ideas- Mis En Scene

Location

• In order to clearly represent the genre of pop rock, the mis en scene must have iconography which symbolizes the genre. 
• For example, i have chosen to film the video in a studio location. The lights will be bright and the artist will be performing against a white background. Having researched existing pop videos i have found that most pop videos are filmed in a studio which establishes genre conventions. 
• Other location ideas include a bedroom which is best suited for concept 2. The hospital location is for concept 1. However, I have revised the idea and came to the realization that it will be highly unlikely to get permission to film in a hospital. 
• Concept 3 is the most suitable idea for my video. For example, having analysed the lyrics, there is no narrative or story the song is telling and instead the lyrics are just describing the feelings of the artist. 
• An abstract/performance video will best portray the emotions and feelings found in the lyrics.

Styling: Costume

• Costume and styling is the most common form used to represent genre. For example, in a country song you expect to find cowboy boots and fringed vests.
• Which is why in a pop rock video you expect to see a lot of black and leather. Leather is a must-have in rock n roll it instantly represents the genre because the audience is used to associating with rockers. 
• However, Leather is no longer for rockstars. Artists from all different wear leather. From the likes of pop to hip hop to country leather is a fashion essential in all music. 
• E.g Birtney Spears' "I Love Rock & Roll" video we saw her dressed in head to toe black leather. Also in "Since U Been Gone" Kelly Clarkson is dressed in all leather ensemble for the band performance. 
• The song is about heartbreak therefore, i want the look of the shoot to be dark and moody. Having looked at fashion trends, the Rock N Roll look has been very trendy in last few years. 
• However, on the other hand i also want to include lighter looks such as all white ensembles.

Styling: Hair & Makeup

• I want to carry on with the 'Rock N Roll' look and have hair & makeup which is conventionally found in pop rock videos. 
• The makeup along with the outfit will be dark for example, smokey eyes and dark lips.  A pale complexion will make the dark makeup stand out more. This can be created by using a light foundation. 
• Hair will be big and messy!
• Disheveled hair is a very common style in Rock N Roll. Think Kate Moss who has taken 'bed hair' and turned into an iconic hair style. 
• Top knots and high buns are also trendy only if they are messy. 
• The concept of Rock N Roll Chic is that it must be effortless. It should look like the person does not care and has just threw on the outfit together in the matter of seconds. 
• In terms of manicures, nails will be black. However, i could also have metallic nails such as gold or silver as it is also goes with the Rock N Roll look.

Styling: Accessories

• Studs, Studs, Studs!!!
• Studs are everywhere! From shoes to clothing to jewelry and you can even wear them on your face. 
• The artist will be wearing as it is conventional for the female artist to wear heels. Heels are lady like, feminine and quite formal. 
• In my opinion, boots make any outfit look edgier
• Layering is also popular in the Rock N Roll look. Lots of jewelry could look tacky however, only if it is not done properly. Layered necklaces and stacked rings add glamour to the hard outfit.
• And finally shades! Sunglasses are a celebrity must! Whether you are an actress or singer, sunglasses will be found in any star's wardrobe. They give the celebrity a 'cool' look but also hide them from pesky paparazzi.