Experimenting with Costumes

During the Christmas break I decided to do some further experimenting with potential costume ideas for my music video. This extra research proved very convenient for myself as I used my younger sister as my model and her own clothes. No money was spent and I shot all of the images on my phone which has a HD camera. My house (upstairs hallway) served as the location for my shoot.

I put together three looks which I thought were suitable for my video, the artist and also the audience. With each look I have thought of a concept which best explains the styling of the outfit. Each outfit comes with two images: one with accessories and one without.




The first look was inspired by my favourite designer, Balmain. The outfit consists of a full length, long sleeved, black dress with a slit at the knee. For added sex appeal the dress has mesh inserts along the waist. The sleeves are also mesh, as is the bottom half of the dress. I think this outfit would be most suitable for the performance scene against the white background. 

In the performance, Amelia will be in full hair & makeup and her look/image during this scene will be 'Rock Glam'. Balmain's collections show a very prominent and heavy influence of Rock N Roll. In relation to the genre of my music video which is pop-rock, it is essential that the Mise-en-scene and costume represent the genre. 

The second image shows the full outfit after I styled the outfit. I added a hounds-tooth print, grey, biker-style jacket. Accessories include a silver watch and ankle-strap pointed heels. There are two different shoes in the images; either shoe will match the outfit. Pointy heels were very popular in the 80's seen on legendary pop-rock artists like Madonna. 

In Balmain's SS'13 collection, bold prints and patterns were showcased on the catwalk. I chose this outfit because I wanted to recreate an ensemble which could be found in one of Balmain's collection. A black dress is the easiest way to look glamorous and also black is stereo-typically associated with rock n roll therefore, reinforcing the pop rock genre. 

The second outfit has more of a 'Punk'. Red tartan is an essential must have when wanting to dress 'Punk'. Tartan also happens to be one of the biggest trends this Autumn/Winter season. This outfit is suitable for the 'recording studio' scene of the video. The concept of that scene is to show the making of the song but also to capture the "real" Amelia. In magazines celebrities are usually pictured dressed in casual attire when they are not working and an outfit like this can be seen on artists like Miley Cyrus.

The first picture shows the outfit without the accessories. The outfit consists of red tart leggings teamed with a crisp white "Celine" printed, baggy t-shirt. 

In the second image, I added accessories such as blue pointy heels, a grey tote bag, a watch and a gold Cuban links chain. I also tucked the t-shirt into the leggings to make the outfit look more put together. 

Although by adding accessories it could contradict the 'casualness' of the outfit, Amelia is pop star which means that they are made up at all times wherever they are. The accessories add a touch of glamour and femininity to the outfit. 

This outfit is the most formal of all three looks. Black is a very classy colour and often connotes "business". It is also the most simple of outfits and I chose this look for the beginning of the video which shows Amelia arriving on location for filming. 

The first image shows a black silk shirt worn with simple black leggings. The second images shows the outfit accessorised with  strappy metallic pointy heels with a matching grey bag and a silver watch. 

  

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.