Creating Our Video.

Right so, the other night me and Ed attempted to take the pictures for our video, however, the lighting and exposure just didn't work. We've decided to try again in a much light environment, possibly earlier in the day. It just so happens that we'll be going to Norwich this friday with some friends, and then going to my house afterwards. Having a group of people creates a great new opportunity for some more photos, with a little more content and more going on. Fingers crossed!

Do we copy things we see in the Media?

The first point I would like to make is, yes, I believe society does indeed copy the media. The form of media has taken many-a-turns and transformations in it's time, stemming from traditional media such as newspapers and magazines, developing into even more engrossing forms such as radio, video games, film/television and the internet. Due to these multiple forms of media, we can be influenced in multiple ways. 


Firstly, there is no denying that we can't help but take in advertisement - it's everywhere, on our televisions, on our computers, playing in the background on the radio, even in the streets. One main piece of evidence that we are influenced by the media, is the fact that we obsess over advertisement. We can't help but watch it, and although nine times out of ten we don't take any notice of what is on offer, we do become interested in various products simply due to how they're advertised. Take perfume for example, perfume adverts often feature A-list celebrities in the hope that we will see ourselves within this person if we purchase and use this certain brand. Take a look at Beyonce, she's rich, powerful, beautiful and is greatly admired by men and women across the globe, I have to admit that when I saw her advert for 'Heat' (her own branded perfume) I did give it a go when I was perfume shopping last christmas - unfortunately it smelt awful but you can't win at everything - and needless to say I will probably try out her newest perfume this year.   

Another form of solid evidence can be found when we look back at World War Two. During the war huge amounts of propaganda was being produced in order to sway the public, the Nazis created discriminating propaganda about the Jewish population in order for 'the master race' to push them out. Also England and America produced propaganda aimed at women to take up work on the land or in factories to keep the men supplied at war - all of this propaganda actually worked, and inspired people to co-operate with the media. 

Autumn Term - Layers

Meet our band! Autumn Term consists of me, Rebekah Bigwood, and Edward Brown. We were planning on forming this little duo...and then this perfect opportunity arose, and after a stupidly long amount of time umming and aahring we finally managed to get the ball rolling. 


Le Band:
Edward Brown on guitar...
Rebekah Bigwood on vocals...
GarageBand on drums and other effects...


We both have always shared similar music tastes, comparing bands and exchanging songs. Our main influences lie with Foster The People, Beck, Cage the Elephant and others, layering tones of southern rock and modern electric sounds. 


Although each of us have dabbled with other instruments in the past (Ed playing trombone, me playing the drums and having the odd play around with a bass guitar) we decided to keep it simple and play to our strengths. 


Le Song:
While sitting in Ed's living room listening to copious amounts of Beck we set about writing this bad boy. Upon coming up with a nice guitar riff the lyrics flowed, and after separating and reflecting the form of the song took many different turns. 


Eventually we reached GarageBand and began, this is the end result:



Genre and Influences:

The genre is a mixture of Indie/Southern Blues, mainly influenced by artists such as Beck, Foster the People and Cage the Elephant. As the sound of the song is quite rough and unpolished, I've decided to create a video that imitates this. I hope to add image effects that will create a vintage/grainy look, and make use of frequent cuts and shot changes to mirror the quick pace of the song - both rhythm and lyrics. 

Foster the People's video for Pumped Up Kids is a great influence and example of a video that visually pulls away from the song at first glance, but under greater scrutinisation you can start to make little connections. The video has influenced my decision to include imagery that doesn't have any immediate connection to the song lyrics, thus making the audience attempt to read a little closer between the lines in order to understand a little more. However, I will include shots and mise en scene that does closely refer to key lines within the song, to keep the audience alert and able to recognise these moments.

Another influence is Beck's video for Loser. The genre of the music is more similar to 'Layers', and therefore the style of the video is more appropriate regarding pace and imagery. The video includes a lot of abstract imagery that, again, doesn't directly reflect on the lyricicm of the song. The shots don't tend to last very long, making it easier for the audience to remain intrigued and entertained. The song is describing a bit of a self confessed meltdown, similar to the character of Justin in our song. As this song was more similar to ours, it makes sense to look at how they've approached the video and take on board how they've suited the visuals to the genre. All through the video use is made of a grainy effect, mirroring the rough finish on the song - I would like to imitate this in my own video.

Further Experimenting.

After playing around with the camera a bit, we decided that using a long exposure and using flash create a desired effect. We then proceeded to put all the images together on Final Cut Pro and this was the outcome...so far so good!

A Happy Coincidence.

Ed and I have stumbled across some very good luck today; it turns out that my dad has a projector...who knew? The projector only works on 8mm film, and luckily my dad also has a very decent 8mm camera. This is perfect as an old projector will add lovely unique little elements to our video; the whirring of the projector, the odd flicker and spot on the image etc. 



We have worked out a rough method to creating our video. Obviously creating the lyrics part would be very difficult/impossible on a film camera, as well as making up the chorus footage entirely out of photographs. Our method (not yet tried and tested) is to create it all on Final Cut Pro, once the footage is all finished we will proceed to record it off of the Mac with the film camera. If this is successful, we will then project it all onto our brick wall, whilst filming it all with one of the college cameras.  

Music Video: The Idea

Experimenting.

This is just a short video that we made to experiment with the idea of 'stop-motion', we are also working with the idea of using longer exposure (a slower shutter speed)  to add more aesthetically pleasing visuals.

Alternate Video Idea.

As well as the projection idea, upon stumbling across the video for Rizzle Kicks - Prophet, me and Ed have decided to try and imitate the effect within said video. Although we're not 100% sure about how the effect has been created, we discovered upon further research that the basis of the idea was to create the video entirely out of photographs. Directed by Toby Lockerbie, made up of four takes and hours of editing, this video creates a uniqueness that I'm seriously interested in experimenting with. 

Toby Lockerbie, photographer and film maker, has worked on many of Rizzle Kicks' videos, creating a consistency within their style and work. As me and Ed are still slightly concerned about how we're going to try and replicate this, we have decided to contact Toby Lockerbie and ask him about his methods.

As it is, I think we will go about testing different things. What I want to do is go out and take photo's with a camera set on continuous, this way the photo's will create this continuous movement but with a slight rough element. We can then test other effects on top of this.

We will keep you posted!

Toby Lockerbie's website:
http://www.tobylockerbie.com/

Textual Analysis of Music Videos.

Malbec - The Answering Machine

A video created and distributed by the band itself, 'The Answering Machine' is packed with complex technical edits and slightly controversial expression - all with a simple twist of the same people being featured continously against a plain background. The single was released around the internet in 2009, being available for free download and sharing. Although the band being hugely popular on the web, and having this song in particular featured on the soundtrack for American series 'Chuck', the band is still widely undiscovered and remains unsigned. I would categorise the band as being a mixture of indie pop/electro/ska, giving them tones that would be familiar to a wide variety of people - but with an individual twist.  

Lyrics:

There's a part of me that's living

there's a part of me that died.

There's a part of me within you,

the part of me that tried.

There's a part of me that suffers,

and a part of me that's loved.

There's a part of me below,

and a part of me above.

We're all in one (x4)

There's a part of us in a war,

and a part of us in peace.

There's a part of him in everything,

even things we cannot see.

There's a part of you in giving,

and a part of us in trying.

There's a part of us in the future,

the path we shall decide.

We're all in one (x4)

  

Analysis of Digipaks - Broken Social Scene and Dark Was the Night.

Broken Social Scene:

The general appearance of this Digipak is quite rustic and simplistic, with it's neutral tones and uncomplicated text. This choice of casing has clearly been used as a special edition promotion (looking at the sticker on the bottom right hand corner), and so gives the buyer something quite unique to add to their collection. 

Looking more closely at the front of the album case you will see that the artists title is quite bold, making it difficult to miss; perhaps this is because the band isn't particularly well known. You can also see upon closer inspection that there is in fact duck tape stuck all over the front, this is probably highlighting the bands name 'Broken Social Scene' - the duck tape is an attempt at fixing the social scene. 

Looking at the back you will see that the track listings are fairly simplistically set out, making them easy to follow when listening to the album. With the appearance of the song listings being stuck together and then layered onto the case, it continues the overall 'homemade' effect.


The inside of the case is fairly straightforward, carrying on the rustic, simplistic approach. The blues and the whites give a calming effect, maybe reflecting the sky. Contrasting with this, however, is the harsh black CD itself - this could be highlighting the fact that the album is strong and bold.


You can also see that the design allows a pamphlet to fit neatly inside the case, this is a useful design as it keeps the packaging simple and tidy, making it more appealing as well as interesting - like finding little treasures.

Study: Submarine

Plot:

Fourteen year old Oliver finds it hard in school, fighting for popularity, so when a beautiful dark haired Jordana shows an interest in him he sets out to be the best boyfriend in the world. With his mother's ex boyfriend recently moved in next door, his parents all ready rocky marriage becomes a whole lot harder to maintain. Oliver is determined to fix his parents marriage, as well as keeping hold of Jordana. 

Actors:

Craig Roberts - Welsh

Yasmin Paige - English

Noah Taylor - English

Paddy Considine - English

Sally Hawkins - English




Director:
Richard Ayoade

Genre:
Comedy/Drama

Production Company:
Film4
Red Hour Films

Distribution:
Optimum Releasing (UK)

Exhibition:
Opening Weekend - £244,476 (UK) (20 March 2011) (60 Screens)

Total Gross - $466,702 (USA) (14 August 2011)

Study: Robin Hood (2010)

Plot:

Following King Richard's death, Robin Longstride (Robin Hood) and his men return to England. Upon their return they discover a dead knight and comrade; Robert of Locksley. Discovering that Locksley had been ambushed by Godfrey, Robin swears to return his sword to his father Walter in Nottingham. Here Walter encourages Robin Hood to impersonate the dead knight in order to prevent his land being taken by the crown. Robin soon finds himself with a ready-made wife; Marian. In order to secure a French take over, Godfrey takes advantage of the King's weakness, worming his way into the King's  services as Earl Marshal of England. Upon this he proceeds to destroy towns under the pretext of collecting Royal Taxes. Robin Hood and his men must navigate the politics of barons, royals, traitors, and the French.

Actors:
Russell Crowe - Australian
Cate Blanchett - Australian
Mark Strong - British
Max Von Sydow - Swedish
William Hurt - American

Director:
Ridley Scott

Style/Genre:

Action packed period drama.

Production Company:

Universal Studios

Scott Free

Distribution:

Universal Pictures

Exhibition:

United Kingdom on 12 May 2010, after premiering at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival

United States on 14 May 2010.

British Film Character Analysis - Tom Hardy

Name: Eames (Inception)

Characteristics: Cocky, suave, intelligent, cunning, theatrical, slightly upper class, tongue-in-cheek and a gambler.

Semiotics: Smartly dressed; shirt and pressed trousers, expensive wrist watch, smoothed down brown hair, neatly trimmed facial hair, broad shoulders, strong muscular physique. 

Ok Go - White Knuckles

This is another music video that I take inspiration from. Ok Go are renowned for their impressive single shot videos, containing complex routines all shot in one take. This video shows how much planning was involved, more so than some other heavily edited videos. I would like to attempt a single shot video for this years project, with a slight twist.

Metronomy - The Look

This is the single The Look by British band Metronomy. I really like the simplicity of this video and how it contrasts with the multiple textures of the song. The band is relatively unknown and so are featured a lot in the video in order to make themselves familiar with their fans. I am quite interested in including this element of simplicity when it comes to creating our music videos.

Digipaks.

A Digipak is an alternative type of packaging to 'Jewel Cases' (standard plastic cases) for DVDs and CDs. Usually used for single releases or special editions, Digipaks are made out of card and are designed in a way to fold out and expose the CD/DVD within. Usually a plastic holder is part of the casing in order to keep the CD in place. Due to the less robust material, Digipaks are more susceptible to damage and abrasion than the regular Jewel Cases.    

Textual Analysis of Music Videos.

Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks.

Directed by Josef Geiger, this video is for their first debut single Pumped Up Kicks released in 2010 in the US, followed by the UK release shortly after. The band would most probably fall under the category of 'indie/alternative', however the musical tones stretch across various genres; 60s rock, motown, 80s pop, electronica etc. The song, written and recorded by frontman and founder Mark Foster, tells the story of a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts. Foster stated in an interview "I was trying to get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid." and that he wanted to "bring awareness to gun crime in America" as well as saying "It's a 'fuck you' song to the hipsters in a way—but it's a song the hipsters are going to want to dance to." The dark and revengeful lyrics contrast heavily with the upbeat melody; as does the video to the single.

The video in actual fact has no obvious relation to the subject matter of the song, almost disguising the lyrics with light hearted visuals of the band members touring small venues in LA. The video has absolutely no story to it, relying only on footage of the band going about their busy lives. As this is the groups debut single it makes sense to create a video focusing wholey on the members of the band, establishing who they are and what they're like, drawing in the 'appropriate' target audience. As the band is made up of young men (in their early to mid twenties) the audience is likely to be roughly around the same age, as they will be more able to relate to the general subject matter of the songs. This kind of video is also an opportunity to showcase these attractive young men, drawing in many female fans, which probably make up a large quantity of this bands fanbase. The activities in which the band take part in, such as surfing, drinking, playing frisbee and general 'larking about' will also appeal to large groups of people, spreading to broader target audiences and even further confirming their audience type. The video actually promotes Foster The People's audience with footage of fans at different gigs, of which being mainly young adults. With much of the video being recorded at concerts, it encourages viewers to, not only look more into the band, but go out and buy the group's releases as well as purchase tickets to live gigs in order to be part of the same vibes and experiences.

In relation to the melody and rhythm of the song the video does match in. Although the editing is quite fast paced, the actual footage itself is frequently slowed down; creating more of a calm, almost melancholy vibe. This, indirectly, could be seen as representative of the dark and brooding lyrics.

Robert's got a quick hand.

He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan.

He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he's a cowboy kid.

Yeah he found a six shooter gun.

In his dads closet hidden in a box of fun things, and I don't even know what.

But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.

Daddy works a long day.

He be coming home late, yeah he's coming home late.

And he's bringing me a surprise.

'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice.

I've waited for a long time.

Yeah the slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger,

I reason with my cigarette,

And say your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits, yeah.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.

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