A2 Advanced Portfolio Music Videos JD

In this post I research and discuss how music videos are marketed and how I would suggest we would market our own final product  As part of my research, I conducted a questionaire and asked the audience on which platform do they use most frequently to watch music videos, and while most of that audience concluded that they typically view music videos on TV, it is clear in popular culture that digital means such as mobile devices and another other means of accessing streaming sites, namely youtube, are rapidly growing in popularity, due to their efficiency and practicality. This is evidenced through the existence of Youtube's VEVO channels for popular artists, created solely to act as a platform for music videos. Alongside this, music channels on TV are still vastly popular, namely MTV, which has seen decades of iconic music videos displayed on its platform. When researching the ways in which music videos are marketed, it became apparent to me that creating a promotional strategy...

In this post I analyse the music video for "Miss Jackson" by Panic! At The Disco and explore  The music video for Miss Jackson begins, similarly to the music video for "Sorry" by Nothing But Thieves, with titles against a black screen, reading "Vegas NV, 3am." Alternatively to an establishing location shot, we are directly told the setting through titles. Alongside this, the video features diegetic sound of wind and just general outdoor sounds. We are then shown the motel in which the music video begins; a blue light wash is used over the setting, an interesting use of artificial light which contrasts with the fire that then comes into the frame. Already, the setting and mise-en-scene as a whole suggests a 60's-70's look to the video, created through the motel and model of TV we see inside the protagonists room. A feature in the first part of the video which particularly inspired me were the mirror shots; we see an over the shoulder shot of th...

In this post I analyse the existing music video for our chosen song, "Sorry," by Nothing But Thieves The music video begins with the song name and artist titles in orange typography against a gravel background, accompnied with diegetic sound of the outdoors. As actual shots begin, still before the actual track has started, they are broken up by static noise and images of fire, and the actual shots feature people in distress and chaos, similar to news features when there is emergancy or attacks. When the track starts playing, we see a two-way over the shoulder shot of a couple from the backseat of a car; they are arguing. Continuing to break up these narrative shots of the couple arguing, is blurred footage of conflict chaos and panic, some of which looks as though it is recorded on a home camera and some appearing to be news footage. We then see the artist walking towards the camera, and the camera back tracks to keep an equal distance to the artist; he is lip syncing to th...

In this post I researched the band "Nothing But Thieves" who are the artists behind our featured song "Sorry" and looked into some of their exisitng music videos. Nothing But Thieves are an english alternative rock band formed in 2012; they signed to RCA Records in 2014. Their music style has been compared to that of The Neighbourhood, Foals and Civil Twilight.Their self-titled debut album released in October 2015 entered the official UK chart and number 7, peaked at number 3 on itunes and was number 1 on the vinyl album charts. After supporting artists including Muse and Twenty One Pilots, their own UK 2017 tour sold out. Their second studio album "Broken Machine," released in September 2017, reached numer 2 in the official UK chart. Nothing But Thieves have a number of music videos for the following songs: - Amsterdam - Trip Switch - Sorry (Our chosen song) - Particles - I'm not made by design - Excuse me - If I get high - Itch - Ban al...

In this post I have attatched a video of our group discussing Goodwin's theories and how his elements are featured in our video

In this post I explore the makeup and clothing choices in music videos and discuss some visual looks that we would like to include in our music video Through research of the use of clothing in music videos, I have identified iconic fashion statements made my artists such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga etc. They show how self expression in music videos runs deeper than the music itself, and particularly in Michael Jackson's case, his fashion-forward use of monchrome, gloves and leather jackets was iconic.  Specific clothing looks that he created, such as the red jacket in thriller, or cream suit in smooth criminal, make the music video more iconic and fans will relate to and immitate this through idolisation, creating more hype for the music video. Arguably, Kanye West's use of shutter shades was just as iconic for the 2000's, as seen in his music video for stronger. One of the strongest connections between music and fashion is their power to influence and become a di...

In this post I analyse and discuss the results of a survey carried out to obtain information on what to include in our music video. The questions I asked were as follows: 1. On what platform do you watch music videos? 2. How old are you? 3. What music video genre do you prefer? 4. How often do you watch music videos? 5. What is your preferred genre of music? 6. What is your gender? 7. Which of the following do you feel is the most important in a music video? 8. Are you more likely to purchase a song or album if the music video is good? In relation to question 1,  28% of responses voted for mobile devices, 57% voted for TV and 14% voted for PC. For question 2, 71% were between age 16-20, and 28% were between ages 11-15. The answers to question three showed that 57% of voters prefer narrative music videos, 14% preferred performance and 28% preferred concept music videos.We asked voters how often they watched music videos, 57% voted weekly, 28% voted monthly and 1...

In this post I analyse the music video for 'Sweater Weather' by The Neighbourhood In terms of editing, in this music video I was particularly drawn to the titles used. The video opens with a white background with 'The Neighbourhood' written in black text. This sets up the use of colour throughout the video, as many shots are edited to be black and white, possibly to insinuate flashbacks/changes in timeline. Parrallel to this, the title of the song is written in white on a black background.  The majority of transitions used throughout the video are either fade effects; alternatively quick cut editing is used to create a montage of shots. Many shots blur into focus, supporting the surreal, dream-like feel of the video. Shot-reverse-shot is used to show the relationships between characters. Later on in the video, shots are flipped upside down and layered, further emphasising the hypnagognic mood created in the video.   The camerawork used in the video uses an e...

In this post I will explore and define Technical Codes and Symbolic Conventions and their use within music videos. Both technical codes and symbolic conventions allow the audience to become familiar with a particular genre of music videos, provides a reliable structure of music videos. Camerawork The use of the camera within music videos, and any moving image, has a significant impact on how meaning is conveyed. The angle, distance and movement of camera shots plays a vital part within production of music videos. In terms of movement, the camera may follow characters in a narrative video, or in a dance sequence video the camera may follow the movement of the dancers. Close ups are a technical code frequently used in music videos, to create a sense of intimacy between viewer and artist.This is predominantly used in line with the artist lip-synching, and camerawork is often used to create a flattering depiction of the artist lip-synching the song. Editing The most common editing ...

In this post I explolre and discuss media theorists and their thoughts and discussions on music videos and how they apply to our production  Sven E. Carlson "One of the most common method of analysis is to break up the music video into black and white boxes. Almost everything is then percieved as opposites- trash or art, commerce or creativity, male or female, naturalism or antirealism." Essentially, Carlson is suggesting that the binary opposition in music videos drives the narrative forward. Carlson also suggests that music videos fall into two different catagories; - Performance - Concept Performance videos are self-explanatory, and feature the artist(s) singing/dancing/performing to an audience. Alternativley, coneptual videos refer to anything other than watching the artist perform. Carlson theorised that a flaw presented by performance videos is that the artist loses their status as a performer as a result: "He or she is a materialisation of the co...

In this post I explore and discuss lighting in existing music videos. Lighting is one of the most important elements to consider with any video production and is used for various reasons. For example, dull/low lighting applies a somber feel to the music video, mirroring the song's narrative. This is a common convention in alternative/indie music videos. Whereas when we see bright or colourful lighting, a completley different mood is expelled; this is typically paired with pop music videos. This could be created through purely using natural light, or alternatively dimmed artificial light (this is more commonly used as it gives production more control over how the shots look. To example this, below are screenshots from the video for Ed Sheerans "Give me love," where low lighting, also paired with the mise-en-scene and the characters body language and expressions, suggests a melancholy mood to the video. While other factors obviously also influence this, it all starts with...

In this post I explore and discuss mise-en-scene in existing music videos. - Costume/Hair/Makeup Displays characters in different ways, dependent on genre, iconic motifs for artists E.G. Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" features gaudy and extravagant costume and makeup to support her controversial image. - Propps Often used to illustrate narrative, can be used as a source of comedy E.G. Lady Gaga's "Telephone" music video uses propps as a source of irony due to the songs title - Location Helps solidify genre and narrative E.G. Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" music video is located in a car, emphasisng the pop genre - Lighting Creating different atmospheres and moods, allowing audience to recognise genre and style E.G. Shania Twain's "Forever and For Always" music video is lit in such a way that we can clearly see a happy and uplifting atmosphere, conventional with the country music genre of her music...

In this post I explore similar artists to The Neighbourhood and the music videos that they create and marketing techniques they use to promote their work. 1. Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English  rock  band formed in 2002 in  High Green , a suburb of  Sheffield . They have released 5 studio albums and 1 live album.  Their debut album is the fastest-selling debut album by a band in British chart history, and in 2013,  Rolling Stone  ranked it the 30th-greatest debut album of all time.  Arctic Monkeys were heralded as one of the first bands to come to public attention via the Internet, with commentators suggesting they represented the possibility of a change in the way in which new bands are promoted and marketed. The band have been catagorised as Indie Rock, Garage Rock and Post-Punk Revival.  Songs such as " Fluorescent Adolescent " and "Do Me a Favour" explore themes of failed relationships, nostalgia and growing old. The music vid...