Previous Student Work

During my research into music videos, I came across some inspirational previous student work.

In comparison to Viva Brother's 'Still Here', the songs are different. However I believe here there are visual elements from a hip-hop video, that can be employed in a rock video, which also support the versatility of music videos and put on show the key features Andrew Goodwin identified.

For example, the video employs ''a relationship between lyrics and visuals''. During the lyrics "Frick Park Market, where we kicking out the garbage", text and actions are used to portray this clever relationship, which also gives the video a comedic value by depicting the juvenile behaviour of the actors. 

However, something I particularly liked was the director's fluent control of reversing footage. This is shown throughout the video and one example of this is during '00:56', where money flies back into the actor's mouth. Another example of this edit is used on the sky, making it look as if it is moving backwards and forwards. This effect is continuously used in present day music videos, (something that I previously experimented with in Final Cut test #2).

Another aspect of the video was something that I had already discussed using in my brief. Throughout the video the use of quick-cut footage is very effective and eye-catching, making the video look as if it has been fast-forwarded. 

To add to this, four further features of the video: subtle colour correction, multiple screen frames (cropping), use of different camera lenses and titles are all stylistic features I would like to employ into my video. The use of a fisheye lens across the video was appealing and is something I would like to pay homage to if the opportunity were to arise.  

Of course like previously mentioned, this video is very different to what I have intended. The genres of the two piece of music alone sets the themes apart, however analysing this video was useful and allowed me to engage in some ideas I had perhaps not yet given great thought to. Because I will be shooting the video on a Canon 550d, I aim to achieve a clarity of at least this standard after post-production. 

With regards to titles, this video has drawn my intention to the importance of text in one way or another. The director has included his an animation of their film company logo. I think this has been very effective and it is one of the many features I will be considering when it comes to the final editing of the footage. 

Initial Location Planning

Michel Gondry: Director Study

An example of Gondry's manipulation of 'mise-en-scene' in his music videos:

My favourite Music Video of Gondry's, 'Like a Rolling Stone'. 

Initially written by Bob Dylan, The song has been covered by numerous artists, varying from The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Rolling Stones, The Wailers to Green Day. This is one of my favourite pieces of Gondry's work because of the extreme use of camerawork editing, often turning a standard mid-shot into what we would similarly compare to the 'fish-eye' lens effect today, a style of 'morphing'. 

Music Video Presentation

I discussed my Music Video project covering the various aspects of the filming and editing processes.

Music Video: Research #1

I took a classes interpretations of 'Still Here' by Viva Brother. Although all ideas stemmed from different concepts, most drew attention to the idea of shooting within an urban society, (this is something I have already anticipated doing). 


What I found: 


LOCATION: city, pier, car ride, girlfriend's house, office/apartment, party, live performance, abstract street-shots. 


TECHNIQUE - STYLE - LIGHTING: Night time; lots of lights, close up shots.


CHARACTER(S): Featuring a Band and members of the public (various extras), 


NARRATIVE: Boy-Girl Narrative (A relationship between the singer and a girl was mentioned), A band playing and also walking around. 


SPECIFICS: Performance shots, Gangs, Variety of shots, slow motion manipulation. 



This research has been particularly useful as it has allowed me to broaden my initial thinking. A class interpreted the song in different ways to what I had first visualised, and this will contribute towards my planning. 
I have taken some of these ideas and incorporated them into my Presentation. 

Jonathon Glazer: Director Study

Music Video: Planning #1

This was my first visual mind-map. It allowed me to identify four initial keys areas without breaking sections down. 

Pyschographics: Division of Tribes throughout the UK

The UK Tribes website was helpful for identifying exactly what Tribes existed. Furthermore, this allowed me to identify what Tribes may like Viva Brother's 'Still Here'. This is important because from a marketing point of view it has given me a sense of how much of a % of the population would listen to the song and thus, potentially view the video. 

The band are considerably mainstream, having peaked at #34 in the album charts for their debut 'Famous Last Words' and their debut single reached #39 in the singles charts. Thus the band have been commercially successful within a very short time between the establishment of the band (beginning in early 2010 and signing to Geffen Records and EMI Publishing in November that year) and the music releases (debut album released 1st August 2011). This reflects particularly on interest that may be centred around the top three tribes above.

Other Tribes to also consider are Trendies, Indie Kids and Alternative Rock scene which are substantially popular categories also.

How does the idea of 'identity' link to artists/brands and their audiences?

Fundamentally, music and the world of brand marketing are both tools of communication, by which emotions, intentions and interpretations can be shared.

It is the idea that to market something successfully, identifying your audience and thus their identity is a bold factor and the most significant component. Without it, in terms of a Marketing Mix, the 'product' has no direction in which to be fully advocated and cannot reach it's target demographic.

Identity naturally comes with a product, because to create something, you have found a requirement for something somewhere that is otherwise not currently existent. You would not simply write a piece of music without knowing your audience, because it is necessary for it to accompany a genre of familarity which you as the songwriter have purposely identified for it to fit into; done effectively enough, other people are able to categorize your music into this suited genre and make these ties between similar artists alike.

Teen pop sensation 'One Direction' are a perfect example of present-day music marketing. 

If we consider social groups, stereotypically a genre of music should portray a particular attitude, appearance and have its own placement within society, for an individual to partake in. There is a direct link between a genre of music and what the representative social group should adhere to, because of the pressures society has put in place for us, (i.e. www.uktribes.com illustrates this perception on youth culture, how social group categories have come into existence and the necessity for having them.) What is interesting is UKTribes' reflection on brand marketing and how a particular 'dress sense' is automatically presumed and manipulated to be part of a 'Tribe'. The Media of circa 2003/4 were quick to latch onto the term 'Emo' (referring to Emotional) from the 'alternative category', which gave youth a bad name, often 'ones to watch out for' because they were viewed as being 'prone to self-harm'. Blown out of proportion, these remarks left a grey area shadowing on youth culture and created a scope of what would come of people belonging to this particular tribe. Like this, the derrogatory term 'Chav' created as an acronym for 'Council House Asbo Vermin' and other similar phrases, was very quickly given negative connotations by the Press and left youths or 'hoodies' with a bad name. These examples of having identity allow connotations to arise that can completely reinstate the public's perceptions of them.

                       An internet post that played on the press' intentions
                        of giving this tribe a negative public perception. 

                                                                              Scene from the London Riots during November 2011

To give a brand identity (You should consider an Artist/Band to be a brand), means to have separated it into a classification. Marketing a brand in a certain way helps decide and reach the suited demographic and this can be done by finding the key factors. To best advertise your 'brand' it must follow the main components of a Marketing Mix: The Product, Placement, Price and Promotion. Ultimately, everything comes down to marketing. Identity is the most crucial factor of a brand because without it you would not know to distinguish the four P's. Identity simultaneously comes with a brand; marketing helps to set it aside from other brands and give it selling points. 

'One Shot Wonder' Music Video

'Yellow' by the British Alternative rock band 'Coldplay', was written for the band's debut album Parachutes in 2000. The lyrics of the song are a reference to vocalist Chris Martin's unrequited love. The song is known for its emotion and rawness, whilst still considered one of the band's best songs. 

The video is minimalistic, featuring only Chris singing as he walks along the beach near the water's edge. The raincoat and his hair wet suggest that it had just rained and we see a gradual build in colour throughout the song, before ending on a shot of sunlight. The video is one continuous shot ('one-shot wonder') with no cuts, with the entire sequence in slow motion. This simple however very effect Music Video is what has granted it with an Iconic status. 

Initially the video was envisioned to be shot in a sunny setting, featuring all 4 band members. However, The funeral of drummer Will Champion's mother was held on the day of the shooting, which was also the immediate explanation of his mood during this part. Perhaps, this style reconsideration was for the best as it depicts the 'britishness' of the band and the song. 

In order for lip-syncing to work due to the slow motion editing of the video, Vocalist Chris Martin sung the song at double speed so that the audio and visual content would be synchronised. However this is a popular component in music videos, slow motion beautifully illustrates the emotion of the song intended within the lyrics. 

Theorist Consideration: Andrew Goodwin's theory of key features found within Music Videos are exercised here. 

1. Genre characteristics are put on show by the use of a very minimalistic performance during the duration of the video. 

2. If the whole band were to have been featured like it had first been envisioned, it is likely that the record label would have expected director duo James Frost and Alex to commit to predominately soloing Martin with a wide array of Close-up and Mid shots. You can assume a narrative featuring Martin may have also played out, between intercutting with the performance band shots.

3. Because of the minimalism of the video, it is impossible to comment on any more of Goodwin's features. Whereas, it is worth mentioning that Coldplay did develop a minimalist-style of video across their work.