My personal blog describing and updating teachers/examiners on the progress of my media knowledge and the progress of my media production: A Music Video. Throughout the course I will analyse multiple music videos and discuss their Mise en Scene, Conventions and the directors other similar productions to understand the way they work.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Filming Progress!
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Filming Timetable
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Costume
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Bloc Party- One More Chance
What I most like about this video is the Mise en Scene of all of the scenes. They seem low budget but they all match the characters that are shown in the scenes perfectly, the underground basement studio in particular; the cluttered mess of records, dodgy coloured curtains and the garden gnome really give you a sense that it is being filmed in his parents basement. Also the scenes where the couple are playing with the Ouija board, the clothing is a new "retro-vintage" fashion, the room consists of an old looking pale pink carpet with loads of stools and vintage lamps surrounding the room. I mostly like the way they use the lamps when the girl is supposedly taken over by a spirit. All in all I think this is a good video which can be analysed in many ways, Bloc Party were known for the slightly odd videos, but I believe this one attacks the issue of the American dream and shows some of the weird behaviour wanting fame so much can bring about.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Deadline Time
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Unavoidable Problems!
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
DigiPacks
Also we have now completed the filming for our band scenes, however we still need to film the remainder of the scenes.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Music Video Band Scene Teaser
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Shallow Focus
Below is a video by Majestic Micro Movies displaying Shallow Focus:
We want to use shallow focus for two scenes in our music video; one of the scenes is within the opening 20 seconds and will involve a close up of the charcters face as he closes his eyes, the shot will run along side the lyrics "I closed my eyes and you were there". The other will another close up of the main charcter for the last verse "life is such a funny thing, you lose your love to love again , then you start again."
Friday, 12 November 2010
Animatic: I Ran You Down-Tweed
NOTE: The scene from 0:16-0:32 shows a couple at first having fun/reflecting on good time in the past, when the screen turns red its the same scene however they are having an argument.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Framing and Camera Angles: The Streets- The Escapist
"During a great period of intense mixing we decided that it might be nice to shoot a video. This isn't the way the record industry works and so it was under the radar of the label and done totally for us by us on a shoe string. It was totally different from any other promo that I've made in that it was something real that we just filmed rather than trying to create something real looking using lots of people and lots of angles. I feel like it's more than a video in that sense. As well as looking quite odd without all the singing and quick cuts"
The video its self seems to tell a story which can be portrayed in many ways, to me it seems as if the main character (Mike Skinner) just wants to get away from everything. The title obviously points this out but the lyrics seem to point to him just wanting to think things over, he seems trapped the lyrics seem to support this"All these walls were never really there, Nor the ceiling or the chair Im' eking weeks of peace at the beach, I see the breezes weave the trees." I have the understanding that the song is about a point in someones life where they just want to escape reality and think things over. The locations in the video are the peaceful places he wants to escape to and through out his journey he is alone, until the final scene on the beach where he is with what seems as his friend who takes him back to reality.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Problems With Filming Inside a Car
As you can see from the previous post we recently experimented with camera angels we could use within a car. This was valuable experience that has made us realise how hard or impossible it is to film certain shots. One of the main problems we had was the limited height we had to get certain angels, this was because the car we used was a small three door hatch back. This is not the car we intend to use in our video, the car we aim to use is slightly bigger and more spacious. There was many things we had avoid such as; the camera appearing in the reflection of the mirrors, headrests getting the way and being to close to the front seats. The image on the right shows the main problem we came across when trying rear view mirror shots, we tried for around five minuets to get one shot of me in the distance. The problem was the low archer rear window of the car, in the car we aim to use in our video this problem will not occur the rear view mirror is wide and clear. In the photo above I was thirty one meters away from the car which would be the reasonable distance for a shot when the car is moving. Also the car we used was quite small inside as the picture on the left shows, but as you already know the car we wish to use in our video is proportionately bigger inside and suits the theme of the video more than the small hatch back we used to experiment.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Filming Inside a Car: Finding Plausible Camera Angels
Friday, 22 October 2010
Possible Future Issues: Filming Inside a Car
Monday, 18 October 2010
Making the Most of Available Locations
Bombay Bicycle Club: Evening/Morning
Apart from having a great sound Bombay Bicycle Club have some interesting videos with simple but effective ideas. The video Evening/Morning is one that i am interested in particularly; the video has an odd them that doesn't really make sense but it is enjoyable and fun spirited. What i like in particular is the deep focus in the opening scene of the "Panda man" sitting on the bench, this year with the use of high definition cameras I believe we can make some very high quality scenes if we use natural light correctly. The problems we experienced last year were due to poor light conditions because we started filming approaching sun down at around 6pm, for this years project for outside scenes I think because of the time of year and the mood of our song we should start filming around 5pm to catch the autumn sky's sun sunset. The scenes we plan to shoot outside involve our main character driving or being driven down a country/forest one way road which is covered by tall trees on each side. I think this will create a conditions good effect because there will be light shining in between the trees and due to the autumn the orange/brown leaves will off set the trees and bring some colour to our scene.
I also like the semi-slow motion scenes which make up a majority of the video, however I am not sure if the character is moving slowly or the film has been slowed down, obviously I know that the two men chasing him are over exaggerating every step to add comic effect. However the lead singer Jack Steadman seems to be lip sycnhing in real time. I think the slowed down effects emphasises the location and colours within in the scene although they are plain and dull you notice them more.
The band scene where they are playing the instruments is also interesting the use of stop/start jump shots gives a simple but unique feel, the band are wearing bright colour clothing and as it jumps from shot to shot they have exchanged clothing, this is another simple but effective idea which can bring colour and a fun feel to a music video. Also i like the fact that they are in front of what seems to be a garage with no one there but them. Gig scenes with screaming fans appear in too many music videos and have no real effect unless it is a parody, yet again another simple but effective idea. Evening/Morning is one of my favourite music videos by on of my favourite bands and with different ideas than most artists their videos portray them in a different way than other similar artists.
Progress!
Similar artists
Friday, 15 October 2010
Tweed
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Atlantis
A Course of Action
Tweed I Ran You Down LIVE
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Monatage Of Tweed Ideas
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Four Year Strong: It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now
From watching the video it is clear that it may have taken many takes and planning to get all the timing right, but it seems they have succeeded in the end. The video is simple but effective; the single continues shot of the fans walking around in East London's Brick Lane looks amateur; however the fans performance makes it a fun enjoyable video to watch. The final scene where the actually band turn around and start singing completes the video and make's it what I think one of the best "fan" videos around
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Preliminary Excercise: Warren Holmes- I Need Your Pain
There have been a few changes in our 6th forms Media department since last year; andthe most impressive of changes is the upgraded editing software: Apple's Final Cut Express. Final Cut Express is significantly more complex and advanced than our previous software (IMovie). The purpose of the lip syncing attempt was to make us discover the many options and effects that are available on Final Cut Express
Sunday, 26 September 2010
What Is A Successful Music Video?
- The number of YouTube views the videos receives
- The number of Itunes Downloads it achieves
- Record sales (although downloads are more popular)
- Big awards such as MTV's Video Music Awards (VMA), The Mercury Prize and NME Music Video Awards.
Monday, 20 September 2010
The xx Crystalised
Mise En Scene:
Most of their tracks have mellow low tone vocals accompanied by a sightly more upbeat base. The video for the single Crystallised from the album The xx does not involve any movement from the band or does not follow any story. However the background constantly changes and moves. The background is projected on to what must be a plain white painted wall or a blue/green screen. This effect gives the video a unique and interesting feel that most other alternative bands fail to produce.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
The Purpose of a Music Video
- Promote a single or album
- Promote a product which is appears in the video
- Create an artistic statement
- Promote a film in which the song features
- To attract a wider online audience, who may watch the video without understanding the song (YouTube)
The one artist of the modern day music industry who puts a lot of thought into her music videos is Lady Gaga. However her concept is simple; wear something odd and dance, her career is built on her music videos, because after all she is not a powerful impressive singer, just someone who has used image carefully and got extremely lucky. Her first video Pokerface shot her into the spot light because of her odd dress sense and the semi-graphic scenes of her covered in men. Lady Gaga did seem to have her own "unique" feel when compared to other artists in the same genre but in a mainstream industry when her image is analysed has borrowed her look from multiple people. Although not everyone likes Lady Gaga everyone knows her, this is how image and representation in the media thought music videos can work to promote an artist.
Friday, 17 September 2010
Using a Camera and a Tripod
The camera and tripod was simple to use however making sure the camera was level was a harder task, after filming a few shots once we watched our film on the computers it was obvious that the camera was off center and unlevel. We were told to look through the camera at a doorframe to make sure its lines appeared vertical on the camera.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Requested Music Video Track
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Survey
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Finding Tracks: Last FM
Friday, 13 August 2010
Powerful Performers: Zack De La Rocha
Magnetic Man-I Need Air
Below is a link to the music video I Need Air by Magnetic Man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vWQFHP3D0
Copyright ©
Monday, 2 August 2010
The History of the Music Video
Music videos have grown in the same ways films have; as technology evolved new innovative techniques and effects became popular and each new development inspired a creative mind to push the current technology further. A good example is Money For Nothing by the Dire Straits; this revolutionary music video was the first to use computer generated animation. In modern times the video looks like a humorous Lego like animation, however in 1985 it was ground breaking technology.