Ideologies of the Music Industry

Music Video Hisory (Pete Fraser, 2004)

1920s

Music tracks with visual material (Oskar Fischinger)

1939

'Soundies' were produced (reels of short films)

1960s

Introduction of the Scopitone (machine providing selection, play and rewind)

1964

Dimensions emerged with rock videos using stylistic devices borrowed from both documentary and the French Nouvelle Vague

1965

Television coverage of pop music which led to the creation of short promo videos

1970s

'Serious rock' gained slots on TV (e.g. The Old Grey Whistle Test)

1975

Myth created that Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was the first ever music video

1981

MTV began broadcasting state of the art videos for contemporary artists

1982

Expensive and exotic locations were desired for music videos

1984

MTV was established as central to the music business and instituted the Video Music Awards

1989

The music video was an essential element in the promotion of all singles

1990s

Artists such as R.Kelly and Missy Elliott commanded videos with budgets of $2million 

Boom! Video Analysis

• Video's became popular during the burst of MTV more than 20 years ago. 
• Digital camera's and editing software made it cheap and easy to create homemade videos.

• Music video's are the perfect opportunity to be different and creative.  
• Inspiration can be taken from one specific image or object (e.g. photograph) 
• Music video's often include exciting, humorous story lines.

•  Make visual storyboards to create a final product in your head.
• Stick to deadlines, budget and plan, as well as having good time management. 
• Try to pick an interesting location, think about colours, shapes and patterns. 
• Make sure you shot someone who can perform and who isn't embarrassed under pressure (eye contact is key)
• Make the actors in the video feel at ease and comfortable in front of the camera. 
• Use varieties of different angles, the three main ones are wide, mid and close-up.

• When it comes to everything, check all of your untouched shots first to make sure you have enough content.
• Before you start detailed editing lay down a foundation, using blocks of film so a basic storyline is formed.
• Creativity is key, but don't add to many transitions because it can make a video look unprofessional. 

Bokeh Practice Shots

In order to prepare for my music video and digipak, I decided to test out my homemade bokeh filters to make sure that they gave the effect that I was aiming for. The process went really smoothly and was more simple than I originally thought it would be. Some of the faces are out of focus due to rushing the pictures and not using a tipod, so that is something that I need to work on if I include this technique in my actual video or digipak. Overall, I was really pleased with the result and would love to use this in my final project, and with a little more refinement I think it will create a really interesting visual effect.

Firstly, I switched the manual setting on my camera to black and white because I thought that it would create a really nice effect. I used my star shaped bokeh filter and thought that it worked really well against the dark background as the bright stars really stood out.

I then tried the same shot but with a person in focus close up withe the bokeh stars in the background. I really liked how this picture truned out and think that its perfect for a music video. The only problem I found is that I had to be really far away from the lights in order to have the persons face at a suitable position from the camera. When I first tried it out I could only focus when his eye was in the corner of the camera so I had to adjust the focus and zoom. 

Finally, I tried a simple picture in black and white using my triangle shaped bokeh filter. I also really liked how this one turned out and thought it would look really good on a city landscape. I wanted to take a closer up shot to show the detail of the shape which required making the lights extremely out of focus. Overall I really liked how this shot looks in black and white and it was one of the easier shots to get right.

I then moved on to taking pictures in colour to see how it would differ from the black and white. Overall, I really liked it and thought that the mix of coloured and white lights created a really nice, effective picture. The picture does look a little blurry, but I think that this is because I didn't use a tripod. When taking these types of pictures, it is important that the camera is still because the shutter spead is very sensitive to light. Therefore I will defineatley use a tripod when I film my final project.

I switched out the filter to my heart bokeh filter for the first time and really liked the effect it gave. This time I took a closer up shot but in colour and looking now prefer how the hearts looked compared to the stars. I think that created a nicer shape than the stars. However in saying this, I did prefer the stars in the black and white shots taken from a further distance.

I then decided to practice, using a person in front of the lights again similar to the black and white picture. Again I really liked the effect it gave especially with the warm colourful lights in the background this time. However the face was still a little out of focus which is something I will need to keep practicing as it is what I felt was most difficult. It is hard to find that balance between having the lights out of focus so the bokeh works and having the image in the foreground perfectly in focus.

The final shot that I did was another colour shot with a person in the foreground. Eventhough the face is slightly out of focus and blurred around the edges, I think that this is one of my favourite shots because I really like the effect that it gives. I think the blurred edges and the distant eyes create and almost delerious state that is seen frequently in music videos because a lot of them revolve around drugs and alcohol.

Making Bokeh Lense Filters

Prelim Final

Preliminary Process

Planning
We had a limited time to plan where and how we were going to film our preliminary video. However we weren't worried about recreating the exact location and costume because the lip syncing and putting a video together in general was the most important aspect to grasp in this task. Firstly. my group and I produced a storyboard, which included the order of each shot with a short description about what was happening in the frame to make it easier when filming instead of having to rewatch the video over and over again. We then made a rough list of props that we could easily bring in the next day, to elevate our music video and make it more of a real match to the orginal Panic! At The Disco video. It was difficult to find exact location matches, although we tried to pick out the most similar locations within the school and as a result I think it turned out well. The next day we had a final few minutes of planning and had to decide what filming equipment we needed, those being a Cannon 700D camera, and a tripod. We kept it simple for our equipment as we thought that lighting wasn't neccesary because it was just a rough preliminary. Overall I think that our in depth planning really benefitted us when it came to filming because we had everything we needed and knew where to be and when. 
Filming
On the day of filming I think that we worked really well as a group and spent our time efficiently. We completed all of our filming in two hours and went from location to location quickly. I don't think that we had any major problems when it came to working the camera, we played around with settings and soon refreshed our memories of how to focus correctly. We did face some struggles when it came to filming the actual shots especially because there were only three people in the group. This became diffucult eventough we had a tripod to assit us because there were a lot of pans in the video that also had three or more people in the frame. Therefore we couldn't have the correct number of people in shot as we needed something to slowly pan the camera. However we tried to overcome this be taking long shots that we would edit later, such as the opening scene with the skateboard as we left the camera on the tripod whilst myself and Melissa were standing far away ready to walk forward, and with Guy jumping off the wall to then walk around the camera to control the pan. Overall this techniques worked out okay but it could have been smoother if we had a larger group. 

Editing 
Due to being absent on the first day of filming I wasn't there to make informed descisions on how we should edit the shots together, however I was told by the rest of my group that the majority of editing went smoothly, with the only major issue being the lip syncing which was due to the quality of filminh the day prior. I then gave some final input the next day, helping to finalise and make small changes, which i think really helped to refresh my memory on how to edit in general. Overall I was pleased with the final result given the lack of time and resources, and am confident that with some more practice will be able to edit the lip syncing efficiently. 

Research Into a Marketing Package

Adele '25'

Release Date:20/11/15

Sales: Over 19 million globally

Adele's album cover for her latest release '25'.


 

Adele's themes throughout her marketing package are very monochromatic, creating an old Hollywood theme. I really like the simplistic retro vibe that all of Adele's marketing products have as it appears modern yet classic, mature and professional. I like how the entire CD cover is just her face because its striking and eye catching making it desirable for possible customers. The pop of colour from the red circles make the cover even more striking, which is important because inside one of the circles, 3 extra songs are mentioned. It is important that this information stands out because customers like to feel as if they are part of something exclusive .


Adele's album cover was accompanied by this short television advert used to promote one of the songs on the album. The short clip is simple, again in black and white to create a statement. The lyrics on a black screen keep the audience wanting more as not too much is given away. The ellipsis at the end of the short clip add even more suspense and excitement as the audience is assured that there is more to come. I think that because Adele is such a huge name in the music industry, I think that the simplistic advert caught the eye of the public. However I think that this type of promotion video for a smaller independent artist wouldn't be as effective because I don't think people would be as aware of what was being promoted.

This is a poster for Adele's album release. The image is the same image as her album and cd cover, which I think works well because this iconic picture has now almost become a brand for Adele. The text at the bottom is small and faint which could be viewed as a negative because it doesn't stand out, however the use of the text to address the audience works well, especially because it mentions that famous single 'Hello'.

Double Exposure

When it comes to creating a Digipak for my music video, I have really been interested in using a double exposure picture to create a unique yet professional look. I took inspiration from a vinyl case that I saw in a music shop by 'The Wombats', I really like how they used lights and colour to make a simple image become eye catching. This idea of using lights will be complimentary of my music video if I decide on using the bokeh technique, overall making my video look more convincing and professional as a theme carries on throughout.

This is the double exposure that original caught my eye, as I thought it was simple yet effective and would work well with the theme I am going for.

I researched further into double exposure images to explore other styles as inspiration so that I have options to choose from. I really like the images that had forests and nature in the background, as effective simplicity is definitely something that I am drawn to. As I have limited experience with double exposure, I will be watching multiple tutorial videos as well as asking from advice from others before attempting to create my own.

Bokeh Filters

From looking at professional music videos and CD covers, the bokeh camera technique has really caught my eye and is something that I would like to consider doing in my final video. I like the bokeh effect because I think its something different that others might not consider doing. This effect I achieved by using camera filters with certain shapes cut out of them when filming fairy lights, to create a colourful, visual spectacle. However there are problems that I have to face when attempting this bokeh technique, such as having the lack of resources. I don't have professional filters and they can be expensive to purchase and so I am going to attempt to make my own, by watching video tutorials to help me. After I have made my own using black card, I am going to film a short clip as a practice to make sure it works before I attempt it in my actual video

Analysing Previous Work (Ebony Anderson-2013)

Research and planning



I think that the planning in this blog is good as they have gone into detail about shot counts in a real life music video as well as researching well known directors, to gain greater perspectives on how and with what influences are music videos created. I think the writing skills are especially good and helps to portray how passionate she feels about certain directors styles. This type of enthusiasm for specific genres or filming styles is crucial when it comes to planning because a stable foundation of ideas needs to be produced before any real production begins. One thing that I could say about the research and planning is that I think in order to gain greater knowledge of professional music videos, more real videos could have been analysed, which would have been effective for shot or editing inspiration.



A strength of this blog is that they took the time to do their own personal research for techniques that they wanted to use in their video, in this case, Ebony made a short stop motion video in order to practice for her final video. Not only did she look up how to film and edit stop motion, she took the time to film her own, demonstrating determination and passion for the product. This is something that I aspire to do on my own blog when I decide a concrete style that I want to film in, as I think it will give me an advantage when it comes to editing my final video.



This blogger was very organised when it came to shooting schedule, costume and location permission for example. Planning is crucial for a high quality and professional video to be produced at the end, as no rushed decisions will have to be made which could negatively impact the end result. However I think that the blog posts were quite simplistic and could have been completed in a range of different media formats or even adding more detail about location and props.

Digipak



I think that a strength of this blog is that she has included a lot of hand drawings of rough mock ups in order to create a general idea of what final product will be like. This is important because it demonstrates creative spontaneous ideas, to show that the blogger is excited and passionate about what they are creating. Also, I think that the mock ups are useful as a guide to develop and grow because they are easy to refer back to. However I do think that she could have developed on some of her mock product more, for example explaining what is on each section of the storyboard, such as colours etc.

This is the final draft for the Digipak, its presented clearly and in a nice format. I think that the theme carries fluidity on every side of the Digipak and reflects the original mock up with a few slight changes. I do feel that this section of the blog could have been more detailed and maybe have some peer reviews in order for improvement and development.

Magazine

Ebony has also done research before she created her film poster which is a crucial aspect of the planning section of the blog. It shows how aspects from real magazines are taken and developed into her own.

This is the final magazine poster which I think worked really well with the Digipak as the colour scheme and package carries on throughout, making it look more professional. The layout of this section of the blog is okay, however the majority of visual information is just images, so text could have been used to describe strength, weaknesses or changes etc.

Music Video

(Editing)

Similarly to the evaluation, the editing section of the blog is all in one media format. I really like this layout because it is neat clear and concise, however it could effect the overall blog grade because it could eliminate extra blog posts.

Shot Count Analysis

Shot Count Analysis

Track: Dollhouse
Artist: Melanie Martinez
Record Co: Atlantic Records
Released: 2014
Length of video: 4:25
Number of Shots: 96
Average length of shots: 3-5 seconds 


30 Second Shot Analysis (1:30-2:00)

Close up- 2
Extreme Close up- 1
Long Shot- 1
Mid Shot-3
Planning- 1

Analysing Previous Work (Jacob Maud-2015)

I have decided to analyse this blog as I have seen the final music video created by this student and really liked it and is something that I would aspire to create. There are certain shots and techniques used in his final edit that I would think about recreating in my own video. Therefore I am going to analyse this blog as everything appears to be explained clearly and written with clarity.

 

Research and Planning

I think that the research and planning section of this blog is of high quality and significantly detailed, which is what contributed to the final product being of such professional standards. This blogger analysed real music videos created by professional directors, picking out types of shots and editing techniques that made an impact. The analysis is in great detail and hence will be especially useful when it comes to planning an original video as create influence is sparked and ideas and techniques are observed. The research and planning section in this blog has in depth analysis overall and has displayed some different media techniques to show his work, even if the majority of the analysis is written up.

This Blogger also displayed rough work that was written up prior to starting the blog and inserted mind maps of creative ideas that they might use in their final video. I think that this is crucial when it comes to create something on such a large scale like a music video because a foundation is needed before ideas can be developed.



A detailed shooting schedule is clearly displayed on this blog which is important for time management when filming. This is crucial because organisation is key in order to create a high quality piece of work. I am aiming to produce something similar to this piece of work making sure that my group and I spend our time working efficiently when filming in order to create a great final product. It is difficult when working in a group to find a time when everyone can film, therefore I think this blog does a good job of displaying effective time management that in effect helped to make the coursework process run smoothly.  

Not only was this blogger organised in terms of time management, they also displayed how much research they had carried out on location, making sure that they had permission to film in certain places. I am definitely going to consider doing something similar to this in my blog, so I don't end up leaving location scouting to the last minute and ending with a location I didn't really want. I think this post is very useful, however I think that the layout could have been a bit cleaner, or in a different format such as a prezi or digital mind map, simply to display more skills in using different media formats.

After they had put together a rough draft, audience feedback was recorded in order to gain a greater perspective of what the video looked like to other people. The voice recordings were uploaded to the blog, demonstrating a good use of different formats as well as giving the blogger an idea of what they need to change or improve.


Digipak

I think that one of the major strengths of this blog is the Digipak work as they explored different ideas in full detail as well as showing every stage of planning and design. They started of with a rough draft to create an initial foundation for the idea, however the idea shifted in a different direction which again demonstrates how important it is to plan and have a few options as one might end up not being quite what is envisioned.

This blogger also appears to demonstrate great photography skills that are clearly displayed on the blog in a nice clear format. The blog has a post of all raw images to show how the edited images differ dramatically, showing off editing skills that will be useful when it comes to editing the actual music video. The difference between the raw and edited images is very significant and works perfectly to create a certain dramatic impact in which the blogger was aiming for. Overall, the Digipak was well planned and thought out with clear explanations of why the pictures were edited in a black and white filter.

 

 
 

This is the final post for the Digipak section of the blog, and I think it perfectly displays the final product as well as creating a representation of the theme the blogger was aiming for. Overall I think the product created was very professional, however I think that could have added something to this post to add a bit more depth, such as advice they had taken on board or if they are happy with their final product etc.

Music Video

(Editing)

 

Other than the Digipak section of this blog, I definitely think that the editing and creation portion of the music video is one of the best section showing the bloggers enthusiasm and passion for the work that they are producing. Not only does this blog have detailed posts about the research process, it also contains posts containing videos that they have learnt from or used for inspiration, showing that they have done more than what was required from them. When creating my video I aim to watch several YouTube video tutorials on how to complete more complex editing techniques in order to create the most professional looking video I possibly can. It is hard to criticise this section of the blog, however if I were to pick up on one think, it is a bit lengthy especially because it is all text and pictures, so more media formats could have been explored.  

This blogger also decided to further explore his editing skills by creating a thumbnail for his video which wasn't compulsory but added to sense of professionalism and demonstrated the skills that have been seen all throughout this blog. I think that a major strength of this blog is that they haven't just stuck to the needed posts that have to be on there, and instead have broadened their knowledge about film, reinforcing a true passion for film production.
 

Magazine

 

This blogger didn't display much work on a magazine because they decided to create a Digipak instead. However they did display effort and planning for a potential magazine, again drawing a rough draft similar to previous planning, creating a good basis for what could be made. Overall I think that the magazine planning was okay, although I think there was more detail that could have been explored. This part of the blog just doesn't seem as detailed and clear as some others.

Preliminary Storyboard

The video begins with a long shot of a teenager on a skateboard jumping off the wall. The shot is at a slight low angle as the camera slowly pans right and zooms in.

The camera continues to pan across the school courtyard to show another long shot of two men in suits and sunglasses. The first few seconds of the music video are taken in one long take. The teenager on the skateboard then crosses in front of the men in suits.

The camera is then facing straight forward towards the two male characters as they walk slowly towards the camera. The camera then tracks forwards, so eventually the men will be seen close up. The pace in this shot begins in slow motion, speeds up to normal pace and then speeds up just before the next shot.

There is then another long shot of four teenage girls dancing in unison. This shot is also slowed down.

The video then cuts from an outside location to an indoor school gym. This is done by a flag being waved across the screen to reveal a stereotypical American cheerleader. This creates a smooth transition between the two locations.

There is then a shot reverse shot to another girl sitting within the crowd who appears the complete opposite from the cheerleader. The girl with glasses waves and smiles. These mid shots of both female characters interests the viewer as the relationship between these two contrasting characters is unusual.

The shot-reverse-shot then continues as the cheerleader smiles and waves at the girl in the glasses. This shot is also slowed a little for creative effect.

There is then another cut to the outdoor location, using a pan to show more dancing in a mid shot.

Then the camera cuts to another mid shot, edited in slow motion of the men in suits as they lip sync to the soundtrack. During them walking towards the camera, other students are walking past them, perhaps to reflect busy school life and create verisimilitude.

The pace speeds up to this close up of a girls bracelet, and then slows down to capture the detail of what is happening in the frame.

The long take continues as there is a zoom out from the girl's bracelet, to show the two male characters in suits walking into the school. Again the pace fluctuates, as it is speed up during the zoom out and slowed down during the tracking shot when they walk in.

There is then a white wash flash as the two men enter the school doors, changing the atmosphere of the video. The camera tracks backwards as the men walk forwards in a mid shot. They are lip syncing at this point and the video continues in slow motion.

The slow motion continues as a straight cut is used to show the cheerleader walking down the hallway. She stands out in bright pink, as the slightly out of focus school crowd fade into the background. Therefore demonstrating her significance or perhaps her power in the social hierarchy.

We then have a close up of the cheerleaders face showing her smirking as she continues down the hallway. Again in slow motion.

The men in suits then walk past the camera to reveal a mid shot of two mysterious and potential 'outcast' students, as they look suspiciously on a phone. This again is in slow motion, however the pace speeds up again when the walk of to the left.

The camera then rapidly pans to show the back of the two men in suits as they walk down the hallway in a mid shot.

We then move to a completely different location, outside the school, to a concert. The shot is a high angle shot from behind the audience. This acts as almost an establishing shot to let the viewer know the scale of the location as well as exactly where they are. The crowd don't appear to be very energetic, as they simply nod or sway to the music.

The video then cuts to a mid shot of the two girls seen previously in front of a young crowd. The girl in the glasses looks up at the cheerleader, whilst the cheerleader gaze at the stage with a large grin.

We then see the singer on stage in a partial shot-reverse-shot, to show how the characters are connected. This shot is at a slight low angle to represent him looking down on the crowd.

There is then a close up of the cheerleaders face with the background out of focus, so the viewer can fully observe her infatuated gaze with the singer.

The final shot of our 1 minute clip is a mid/long shot of the men in suits continuing down the hallway in slow motion as they lip sync, drawing in both storylines.