A2 Brief decision

Brief?

I have made the decision to do one out of these two briefs:

A Promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with of the following three options:
A website homepage for the band
A cover for it’s release on DVD
A Magazine advertisement for the DVD

OR

A promotion package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with two of the following three options

A website homepage for the film

A film magazine front cover, featuring the fim

A Poster for the film

The reason for this is because those were the two that I was most interested in, I think it’s important to do one that interests me as I will get into it much more and have more enthusiasm for it. I love both music and films, which is why I think I would enjoy one of these two briefs. In the next post I am going to brainstorm some ideas for both of these, and compare and contrast current videos to help me come to my final decision.

Video Feature rule outs

In order to create a good music video, there are certain features you must look out for. I identified that many songs I would not be able to re-portray very easily, based on the lyrics or sounds that are included within a song. For example Scouting for girls – ‘this ain’t a love song’ would be hard to portray in a different way to the current video due to the airplane sound at the start of the song. This would automatically mean it must be linked with an airplane/airport in some way. Another similar example to this is ‘somewhere in brooklyn’ it’s a good song, however the lyrics are based in America, so you would have to be careful on your idea and make sure you don’t indicate that you’ve filmed it elsewhere e.g. in London. 

Trailer Vs. Music Video

Why not to do a trailer? why im going to do a Music Video.. 

Trailers have developed and become very technical, with big explosions, sports cars, planes, stunt people, famous actors, huge parties in manor houses etc. These are all strong conventions that help create such an impact on viewers. However with only a few months, and little funds, it may be hard for me to create a trailer like some of the current ones that I think are effective.

The advantage of doing a music video, some do contain simular conventions to those trailers, but you can also be much more creative and quirky with ideas and make something grab viewers attention through uniqueness.

Music Video Development

The way music has develop enthused me, and I read many articles on how it has changed and the effects it has had on the market. You may question how this links to target audience, but it does very much, because it allows me to identify the changing trends in the market, what people want to see and hear, and what works successfully.  

Go on the link to read more about the way music videos have developed.

http://www.iusbpreface.com/entertainment/music-videos-have-they-changed-1.2044536

I felt this article included some very interesting points, and allowed me to understand how technology has made a wider audience base in the way that one video will suit a small range of people (there are so many videos, and people will have wider views, due to the amount of choice and comparison) – so it’s important that I focus my video on the song I chose, and ensure that it fits in and is focused on what the song is expressing. The focus for me to recreate a music video will be to find out as much as I can about the audience of people who the song is aimed at. E.g. if it’s genre is rock, then I will identify people with that interest and find out more about their individual lifestyle, so that I can then refer to it and make links. This will help me brainstorm ideas, and create a more successful music video.  

Music Video Development

Music Video Comparison

Michael Jackson’s song ‘Thriller’ is 13 minutes and 43 seconds and it was the first big music video, created in 1982. This was the start of music videos, and the idea developed from then. Thriller was a huge blockbuster hit at this time and really brought the music video idea alive, and started them off.

The way that Michael Jackson developed his music videos for more recent song recordings, had developed with time, and the key feature was that they were reduced to 3/4minutes long. (This is actually the attention span that people have when listening to music). The audience Michael Jackson was targeting would have also have changed, and the quality of the recording would have improved. His most recent song was done with Akon, called Hold my hand. The song quickly got to the top 20, and was very different from the first video Jackson produced 26 years ago.

The quality of the image was much better quality, due to new technology equipment. The images, changed, and were linked to people of today and the way we live. It linked to emotional feelings and links back to the ‘ideal’ thoughts about love etc. that everyone has created over the years from ‘movies’ etc. The image changes at a much more rapid pace to keep the audience interacting and watching, and the soundtrack is more repetitive allowing it to get into peoples heads.

This information has allowed me to understand that I must look at a range of different music videos, from different time periods as well as the latest hits. Music from earlier on, is still brilliant, and many songs make second appearances.  This means I must analyze why they came back to the market and the strengths they have to still be popular years later. Looking into different aged music videos allows me to identify how music goes through different stages and what makes certain music more successful.  This will help me ensure that I get the right target audience for my product, by using all the typical conventions of the music videos of this time and also taking passed strengths. 

• I have had a look at a music video called 'powder - up here' and compared it to more up-to-date music videos, such as 'example - kick starts'.Check out the different music Video Blogs that I have explored.

Music Video - Example

Example – Kickstarts

Great use of transitions and cuts that are unique and quirky keeping the audience intrigued. 

The main technique is a 'collage effect', varying in the number of different images within one shot. This technique inspired and encouraged me to create this effect within my music video and be more creative with my shots and editing. I felt this technique would match the style and theme of my music video soundtrack. 

Music Video - One Republic

One republic – Good life (realism) -

This is my favorite video, I think the technical side of it is effective and helps to show realism, by showing a contrast in image. I love the fact they are singing in the countryside, but then it’s in contrast with the busy picture behind it, showing how busy reality is….

The special effects used to divide the screen is a technique I will explore, as I think the divide and comparison between images can create a powerful message. 

Ok Go - on Treadmills

Here is evidence in backing up my idea about how you can bring uniqueness into a music video and attract people to watch it even though it doesn't have those impressive conventions that most trailers have, e.g. famous people, explosions etc. 

Pros..

• Funky Outfits
• Creative
• Good Timing
• Variety of movements, keeping audience intrigued. 
• Flowing and in time actor movements. 
• Comical

Cons..

• Only one shot, not very technical. 
• Same Lighting
• No Editing etc. 

However, it gives you an idea of how you could make something interesting to watch through creativity. I  must include a lot more technical aspects, however I have been inspired by the originality of it. 

Music Video - Powder

Powder – Up here

The music video for this is appealing to a science fiction genre, specifically aiming at males. They’re appealing to this audience by stereotyping girls and over sexualizing them. The guys in the video are goothy, which stereotypically may give certain fans false acquisitions. The music video portrays superheroes as glamorous by the makeup and costumes used. The type of music is ‘rock’, which often appeals to science fiction fans. The characters within the film seem so much older, due to their power and forwardness (in your face), appealing to a very specific audience.

Stereotypically from analyzing this music video, I can identify that the audiences are likely to be interested in:

•      Video games
•      Comic books / magazines over newspapers
•      Sub Genre
•      Kerrang

The audience is likely to be located in places like ‘Camden, London,’ and ‘New York’ the reason for this is the uniqueness of the music. The band will be looking for a very niche audience, which both locations would welcome. In New York, there is a diversity of cultures and the opportunity for bands to become mainstream.

Powder would have a very different audience, compared to more mainstream bands, such as examples, skepter, kooks etc.

Music Video - Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson – upside down (cartoon)

This is an unusual music video in that it includes a ‘special effect’ called CGI ‘Computer generated Imaging’. This is unusual to have within a music video, both a cartoon character along with human characters, however the contrast works well.

Music Video - Skepter

Skepter – hold on

This video worked well because of the strong connection between the lyrics and the visual story. It really helped create a connection between the two. I thought the lyrics of the song were powerful, and even though it is already a good video, I had other ideas for it. This video helped my thought process for my A2 media production, as it helped me understand how some songs have better lyrics to create a video to match than others, and how the ones that capture your attention will be more successful.

Idea -

I only had vague ideas, but I thought I could have it linked to depression. I was thinking of shots of a big bridge e.g. Clifton Bridge, Bristol. The idea was that I would show someone going through a hard time, but managing to hold on and become stronger. I had ideas of camera shots to change, as emotions went up and down. E.g. high-angle shot showing vulnerability, extreme close-up to show true inside expressions, low angle shot to show how they have become stronger etc. 

Music Video - Kooks

Kooks – seaside (journey to the seaside)

I decided to also look at music that doesn’t already have a music video, because I think it’s easier to be more imaginative and collect more ideas.

The Kooks – seaside, is an example of a song that doesn’t yet have a music video. I had a huge burst of different ideas that I could use to create a video to match the song.

Some of my vague ideas:

•      A map at the start pinpointing the main seaside towns that people go to visit during the ‘do you want to go to the seaside’ opening lyrics.
•      Have an image of a stereotypical couple in a car heading to the seaside, having a laugh and singing to the radio, making it obvious that the guy is completely in love with the girl.
•      I then thought about using a technique where you can fastforward a journey using GoPro. Which allowed me to quickly show the journey to the seaside, without boring the audience, but making the video have more realism. 

Example of fast forwarding a clip:  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ0F8tmaOM8)

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•       After that, they would arrive at the beach and an image of the couple messing around in the sea, walking along the beach, having a campfire etc. showing that they are having a great time. I think these activities are stereotypically the types of happenings that occur when a couple goes to the seaside. The reason I am generalising this is based from the amount of trips others and I have had to the beach and noticed this type of behaviour. 

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  Couple at the beach 

  
  

Stereotypical couple heading for the beach