Music Video

In this section of my blog I will be looking at and discussing music videos and the purpose of them. I will also go into depth on codes, conventions, styles and techniques used in music videos. As well as going into depth on genres in music.


The first music video which was produced was Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. In 1975 when Queen's music video was produced there was older groups/people performing but they weren't for the same purposes that music videos are made for currently.  The way music videos are made currently have changed hugely this is due to the fact that technology has become more advanced. This advance in technology allows us to use animation to create non-realistic scenes which makes it more interesting for the audience watching the music video if animation is used. The artist can be more creative with what they want to be conveyed to the audience rather than just having the song and just a boring video to accompany it.

There is many purposes to why music videos are produced, below I will list and explain into detail what the purposes are.

Firstly music videos are made to promote the band without a music video it would just be a song. When a video accompanies a song, the whole exposure of the single increases automatically. The band can also make their music video viewable on many forms of media such as mobile phones, television and the internet.

All bands use music videos to promote themselves but they also try to promote other artists. This is the term called 'Featured Artists'.  By having other artists included in the track helps to promote the other artists and show what they are capable of doing. This will then maybe encourage the audience to check their music out or buy the single itself.

Disclosure included featured artists in their tracks as well as so many other artists. For example in the Latch music video by Disclosure it features Sam Smith. Because Sam Smith is the main voice in the video the audience may inspire people to go check out Sam Smith's music. At the time of when the music video was released Sam Smith was a fairly new artist so it worked in his favor as he is very successful now. Disclosure have worked with Eliza Dolittle, Sinead Harnett and more.

A second purpose is to make money, I would say myself that this is the main purpose because without money the band cannot promote themselves. They also have to make themselves known, by doing this the band will then be noticed and they will more than likely sell their singles and albums.

A third purpose is to convey a story, message or opinion. Music videos are generally made to give us as an audience an illustration to the lyrics of a song. An example of a video that tells a story is Justin Timberlake- Mirrors.  It is about a couple who have grown up together and now the husband has died, the woman is remembering him as if he is still there. Personally I think for the audience it has an effect on them as it is a very emotional video. Through this video you actually feel yourself how the woman's feeling.

Music videos can also be used to help spread the message of a charity group or organisation. For example, Chases And Status's track Time used their reputation to help spread awareness of domestic violence. They did this by creating a music video that was based on a family which looked fairly happy but throughout we learn that the father is beating the mother. These videos can help individuals struggling in these situations.

A fourth purpose is to promote the album. Some music videos are created to draw attention to their newest album or single. Music videos can help bring the audiences attention  to an album. If the music video stood out to the audience and was a good video it would be remembered.

A fifth purpose is to entertain. Obviously one of the main reasons for making a music video is to entertain the public and this is either shown through the artist dancing, singing or playing a musical instrument. Someone such as Micheal Jackson was entertaining to the public because of his dancing.


Conventions of music videos

The camera shots used within music videos tend to be a mixture usually there are many long shots,close ups and mid shots. These shots are used to create emphasis and focus on the artist, surroundings and emotions.  Close ups are also used to show the emotions more effectively and the lip syncing of the artist. Lip syncing is conventional within music videos.

Camera movement within music videos usually follows the band or artist.  Camera movements include tilts,pans, tracking and crane shots.

Mise-en-scene   is used commonly in performance music videos, 'Mise-en-scene refers to the arrangement and props on a stage. It refers to the importance when something is being represented.

Within editing jump cuts are the main techniques which are used. Jump cuts allow a sudden change from one scene to another and it also looks good. Fade and dissolve are commonly used in music videos as they give a different style to the jump cuts. 

The lighting plays a big role in music videos depending on what genre it is the lighting can differ. Black and white music videos help emphasise a mood. Some artists decide to have artifical lighting which can give their video a more enhanced look/feel. 

The sound within music videos is mainly the vocals but obviously the backing track as well. In some cases music videos can be made into short films so there can be talking involved in them. An example of this would be Micheal Jackson- Thriller.

The colors within music videos depend on the genre really. For example if it was a rock video there would be more dull colors used. Bright colors are more commonly used in hip hop and pop videos. 





Music Videos - Styles

Performance

Performance videos mainly focus on the artists or band that is just performing on their own or in front of an audience. Performance videos never have a narrative to them, they contain a range of camera angles which are repeated throughout the music video. An example of a performance music video would be Bon Jovi- Livin' On A Prayer.

Narrative

Narrative music videos usually contain a story that is linked with the lyrics to create an effect. Narrative music videos use imagery as a main base to tell a story to the audience. Most narrative videos are based on mixed emotions even sometimes what the artist has been through themselves in life. With narrative videos the track which accompanied by the video tends to be slow paced rather than fast paced as this focuses the audiences attention on the imagery and the emotions within the song rather than the track itself. They can sometimes promote a film, for example Celine Dion- My Heart Will Go On promotes the film Titanic. Although it does have Celine Dion singing in some shots but the music video is mainly clips from the film Titanic.


Concept

Concept music videos are based on one idea or scenario. Concept videos allow an artist/band to be creative and original in their own way in what they would like to convey to the audience.  Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

Genres

Rock

Rock music videos contain close up and mid/long shots. Close up shots are used mainly to focus on the emotions of the artist,other members in the band etc. Including close ups in a music video can cause an atmosphere for when the audience are watching it.  Within this video you can instantly tell that its a rock video because of the dullness of it and the fact that most of the shots are black and white. Most rock videos tend to be black and white. Throughout the band is shown which is also conventional. The costumes tend to be very dull most of the clothing Kings Of Leon wear are black. Although there isn't any heavy makeup in this video, some artists/bands within the rock genre wear heavy makeup. The instruments normally used in rock bands are normally always drums, bass guitar/s and vocals. These instruments used are emphasised in the music videos, normally we see them close up. It also shows us that the rock band itself have talent if they are playing instruments.


Pop

The pop genre itself stands for popular music. Pop music videos consist of bright colours this corresponds with the mood happy . Pop music within itself is very eclectic. Elements from other styles are used sometimes this includes urban, dance,rock, latin and country. Pop music is usually catchy and instantly gets into your head after you've listened to the song a few times. Pop music videos normally consist of the band performing and singing. This then shows the audience that there is a positive atmosphere and makes them feel positive themselves when watching the video. 
A good example of a pop music video would be Gangam Style by PSY.

This video is conventional of the pop genre as the dancing is crazy. In my opinion the song is annoying but you remember it because of the dancing, the atmosphere which is created whilst watching it and the bright colours and weird things that happen in the video. Artists within pop music videos tend to wear bizarre or outrageous colours of clothing this is so that audience focus on the artist within the video and to keep the viewer entertained. Within this music video there are a lot of close up shots used this is conventional within the pop genre as this shows emotion. There is a lot of shots where the camera is close up on PSY's face and then pans out to medium close up shot, from the medium close up shot we see PSY sitting on a toilet singing. These shots are used to create
humour for the audience. The lighting within pop videos is normally vibrant and high level, this is to create a more positive feel about the video. Normally the editing seems to contain mostly jump cuts, within this video there is a lot of varied shots.

Drum and Bass

Drum and bass music videos normally consist of dark colours and imagery. Drum and bass music video locations are normally staged as a performance or in a club. Some artists within editing tend to use the ripple effect to show us as an audience how powerful the bass is. Also within editing fast cuts are used within the video to give the song a bit more energy.Wind fans are sometimes used to create the effect of showing how powerful the bass is. This would be shown through either the artists/band's hair flowing in the wind and so on. Loud speakers are normally in performance videos within the genre of drum and bass. Drum and bass artists sometimes but not always have other artists featured in their songs. A good example would be Chase And Status as they have had various featured artists on their songs. Clothing within this genre is very casual, there isn't a dress code what you'd associate with the genre drum and bass, where as for the genre rock you could easily define the dress code for that as mostly black. Depending on what the artist is like, for example Nero wear futuristic outfits, which wouldn't be conventional but some artists tend to break the conventions. To this day drum and bass makes frequent appearances in mainstream media and popular culture including in television, as well as being a major reference point for subsequent genres such as grime and dubstep and successful artists including Chase & Status and Australia's Pendulum.

Dance

Within dance music videos the main convention is dancing obviously. The lighting tends to be very strong and bright and the scenes tend to be also very colourful. The clothing within dance videos is sometimes very revealing, not always. Depending on what message or image the artist themselves want to convey. They normally tend to have a  happy vibe about them as dance music is very upbeat. A good example of a music video where all these conventions I've stated fit is Call On Me by Eric Prydz.

Script Writing

Within script writing there is a certain format which applies to make your script correct. The size of the writing on the script needs to be size 11 in the font Courier New. It is important in the film industry that you leave a indent of 2.5" for jottings to be made by script-editors or producers. Leaving this indent then allows the script to be easily read even with notes. You will also need to leave a margin when writing a script which will need to be 1.5".  Always at the start of a script there will be a technical detail to be added within the stages of editing as such as 'FADE IN' which will always be in capital letters. Stage directions will be then added after doing this but will be placed against the left margin itself. Under this there will then be the actors direction so for example 'Pat walks up to the counter placing a pack of bourbon biscuits whilst looking at the shopkeeper'. Things such as 'INT' and 'EXT' should always be in capitals. The location is always important on a script as it shows whether your location is inside or outside.
Scripts should always be formatted correctly so that every individual involved in the film making stage can easily read the script. If a script is easy to read then it gives each individual a good understanding of what they need to do. This then allows the filming of the production to run smoothly. A disadvantage of producing a script is the fact that they do take up a lot of time and if you do not format it correctly, it can slow the filming down completely. As each individual such as an actor has to be informed of what the script is telling them to do. This will be another time consuming problem.

Below is an example of a correctly formatted script:

Treatment

A treatment is put in place to create a successful pitch for you idea. Within the treatment there should be:

• Title of your production
• 50-100 word synopsis
• Format e.g video (HD-DV, Digital files, Film)
• Genre- Action, Sci-fi etc.
• Duration of your production
• Style, stylistic elements e.g. handheld
• Narrative Structure, linear, non-linear etc
• Target Audience
• Equipment
• Studio/Location
• People needed
• Time needed
• Costumes and props needed
• Budget
• Health and safety
• Rationale

Treatments are produced so that you can grab the attention of the person you are pitching your idea to. The idea of  a treatment is to grab the persons attention immediately by making them interested in your idea. After reading a treatment the individual you are pitching your idea to should be able to get a feel of what the production is going to be like ,which is why it is so important that you always include a treatment within the pre-production stage. The downfall of  producing a treatment is if you had a good idea and the treatment wasn't that good you more than likely wouldn't have your idea funded. For the pitch to be successful every bullet point above needs to be included to make the your idea sell as well as possible.

Idea Development

Mood Boards

The whole point of having a mood board is so that you can use ideas that already exist and combine them with your ideas, which will eventually lead to you having a new idea of your own. Mood boards exist to show the producers that you have thought about your idea in depth and how you as an individual expect the film to be like. Mood boards are good to have within the first stages of your production as they are a building block to creating an amazing idea. Mood boards can be confusing sometimes with the amount of images on them as the producer may not understand fully what the picture is exactly conveying.

Mind Maps

Mind maps are useful when you are first trying to work out what you want your idea to be. Mind maps are clear and easy to read. Mind maps show the individual stages of the individual developing their idea. If you were to explain your idea using your mind map it could potentially get confusing which could make it more difficult for you to explain the stages of your idea.

Storyboards

Storyboards are used within filming to create a visual aid to the directors so they fully know what the scene is meant to be like so that the filming goes smoothly. Storyboards can show exactly what needs to happen in each scene alongside the script to show a clear picture of the story. The layout of the storyboard is usually pictures and annotations in a comic strip layout to show in detail the description of the scene. Storyboards are a useful thing to have in production as they clearly set out what each scene involves such as the camera angles and the layout. Negatives of producing a storyboard is the fact that it needs to be detailed it is a very time consuming process and you may not have the time to produce a story board accordingly. Although a storyboard is quite detailed it only can convey so much detail through the drawings and the notes. Below is an example of a storyboard layout:

 

Location Recce

The location recce is when an individual or a group of people go ahead and assess the location that has been chosen for the particular production. It is important that the location is assessed before shooting as there may be problems when it comes to filming doing this eliminates the possibility of these problems happening.  An individual who is assessing the location may not spot these risks, sometimes producers may need to send out more people to assess the location.
Below is an example of a location recce:

Production Schedule

A production schedule is created so the production of the film being made goes smoothly and everything is organised which makes it a lot easier for everyone involved in the filming. It also makes sure that everyone is on task and is aware of the timing they have. If everything is not followed via the production schedule it can draw back the whole filming and cause a lot of problems. Producers would then have to deal with these problems if they arise. Here is an example of a production schedule:

Risk Assessment

Risk assessments are a vital part of production because when it comes to filming it rules out the risk of anyone getting hurt. Risk assessments must be completed in depth to make sure that each individual involved will be safe. To complete a risk assessment succesfully all the locations and sets must be visited and observed to see any likely dangers the crew and cast could be under. After this whoever is doing the risk assessment will then decide how these risks can be minimised or whether it is better to change the filming to avoid the risk completly. This is useful for the production as it makes sure that no one gets hurt, it also makes sure that everyone is aware of the possible risks they may face. A disadvantage of a risk assessment is that if a possible risk is missed out then it can completely put the cast and crew in danger. Here is an example of a risk assessment below:

Shooting Schedule

The production of a shooting schedule is important so that the actors and crew members can be organised and makes sure that the production runs as smoothly as possible. For the actors this means they will know exactly which scenes will be shooted when and where. Shooting schedules sometimes have the equipment needed for each location and day. If the shooting schedule is misunderstood it can break the flow of the production running smoothly which then means people will end up in the wrong places at the wrong times.

Cast/Crew release forms

Within the planning/filming stage it is important you write up and keep a copy of the Cast/Crew release forms as they make sure that your film is following the legal obligations. This will then rule out the risk of the production company or an individual getting into trouble. The forms are proof that the person involved has consented to be part of the filming or working for the production as well as obliging to the rules the company had set out. For example the production company could lay out a rule such as that all individuals involved must be at the location at certain times and so on. An advantage of just completing one individual release form for the cast and crew is that one signituare can cover every individual characteristic for the company. One disadvantage of completing one individual release form makes it harder say for example if the forms were incorrect or if an individual refuses to sign the form.

Realism & Non-Realism

Within single camera drama there are soaps such as Eastenders that use medium close up shots , they do this to give the realism effect to the audience.
The soaps genre is called soaps as it is seen to be clean.
Here is an example of  a conversation in Eastenders where close up shots are used to create realism.

In this conversation there is mostly medium close ups of Phil and Mel to show his and her emotions to the audience.  In this clip there are a couple of wide shots, wide shots are used to establish where the character is for example their home or outside.

Here is another example of a conversation in Coronation Street:

This conversation shows the emotions of the characters in a situation what the audience can relate to. Within all soaps they have some kind of situation or a character who causes the situation. Which instantly reminds them of someone they know or something that has happened.

Producers also use characters to create the effect of realism, so for example Phil Mitchell in Eastenders he is known for his stereotypical masculinity, his thuggish behavior and language. As an audience you automatically  dislike the character Phil, others may disagree but I feel when I watch it, I instantly dislike him.


When soaps are filmed they are consistent so this means that producers follow a time scheme, as the story line in soaps is linear continuity is important during the filming stage.Within editing continuity is used to make a soap such as Eastenders seem more realistic as a whole not much needs to be done within the editing stage. A soap such as Hollyoaks however has flashbacks to show past events.

All sounds within soaps are diegetic e.g speaking or back ground noise as such. Although the background sounds will be quiet compared to the speaking so this then allows the audience to hear the character speaking.

The lighting within soaps is natural as it enforces realism.

Although the soap Hollyoaks is considered a serial it bends the rules slightly as it follows the non-linear structure. Within Hollyoaks there are flashbacks, which soaps such as Eastenders doesn't have. Hollyoaks also has non-digetic sound(music) in some shots.


Non-Realism


Within Non-Realism films such as Avatar which comes under the genre of Sci-fi. Also genres such as fantasy and action follow the rules of Non-realism. Normally within the context of non-realism anything can go this includes:

• Has a non-linear structure 
• Contains  a variety  of camera shots 
• Have no limits on editing- anything goes 
• Has low key lighting and saturated lighting 
• Contains non-digetic sound 

Below are examples of  non-realism films and TV series:

Avatar is an example of a Sci-fi which fits under non-realism.  Non realism TV shows and films have a wide range of shots these could be P.O.V shots, close up shots, medium shots, panning shots etc. In terms of editing anything goes so for example adding things such as flashbacks, speeding up time or going back in time,jump cuts as well as black and white would apply to the 'anything goes' rule.
The color blue represents a peaceful mood and appears when the main characters goes into the fantasy world. The colors are darker when Jake Sully returns back to his base camp. The mood reflects on the lighting used as an audience we recognize when Jake Sully is an Avatar in the fantasy world he is a good person but when he returns to the base camp he is recognized by us as an audience as a bad character because he is amongst other evil people. Within Avatar and other films under non-realism, non-digetic sound is used. For example when Jake Sully and Neytuy are together soft relaxing music this tell us as an audience the relationship between these two characters. Within non-realism the structure is non-linear this means the narrative doesn't run in a straight line. So it could run in the order of  B-C-A.