Digipak Explanation/Analysis

Digipack research from DmeeThriller

Filming Log 1

My group and I have chosen a series of urban settings for our filming of our alternative Rap/ Hip Hop music video to take place. We chose to shoot our performance scenes in these urban locations so that our video is suitable for our Hip Hop genre. We travelled up to central London with our artist (Jason) by train then travelled from location to location via the London bus. We paid for Jason's travel and he was already dressed in the costume that we had requested as this would help audiences of the music video to recognize him as a rap artist. 

The first location was London South Bank, which had a skateboarding area that had graffiti decorated walls, this was suitable as it was urban and contained features stereotypically associated with out genre. Within our filming we were able to capture shots with the skateboarders skating in the background which will add realism to our music video. We was able to shoot these scene fairly easily as the space used was quiet and empty which allowed us to work promptly. 

The second location was Regent Street, this scene involved our artist (Jason) standing still so that the general public were able to walk past easily. We will use this shot in editing to speed up the pace of those around artist whilst the artist remains still. This was a slightly harder scene to shoot as we had to chose a place that captured all elements of a busy London high street (Shops, Buses, People), without getting in the way of the public and getting the shot we was aiming for. We were able to achieve this successfully and captured the London atmosphere.

The third and final location of the day was Trucadero where there are groups of hip hop dancers practicing for the public to see. We chose to film here as we would be able to feature the dancers in the background adding a more obvious Hip Hop element to our music video. The location was easy to use however we did have to ask the permission of the dancers to be featured in the background and they complied willingly which made this filming process easier. We spent the most amount of time in this location as we were able to capture a variety of planned and unplanned shots featuring the artist and the dancers as well as the dancers alone.

All the filming that took place will be used for the main aspects of the video which means that there are only narrative scenes left to film. The fact that the Bulk of our filming for our music video is already complete allows us to begin editing and choosing shots which and best suited to our music video. The artist (Jason) was easy to work with and followed instruction well which enabled my group and I to be efficient and productive.

Artist Logo

Contingency Plan

Contingency plan from DmeeThriller

Crew Requirments

Crew Requirements on Prezi

Lip Syncing

Equipment list

Equiptment list on Prezi

Props List

Props List on Prezi

Casting

Costume List

Production Schedule

Production schedule

Floor Plan

Floor plan from DmeeThriller

Risk Assesments

REGENT STREET

Risk assessment regent street final from DmeeThriller

SOUTH BANK

Risk assessment south bank from DmeeThriller

HOUSE

Risk assessment the loved up and vase scene final from DmeeThriller

TRUCKERDERO

Risk assessment troc from DmeeThriller

Location Recce

Location recce (all) from DmeeThriller

Animatic

Storyboard

Draft Storyboard

Budget

Budget 2

Shooting Script

Shooting Script

Mood Board

Mood Board on Prezi

Lyric Analysis

Character Profiles

Idea Treatment

My group and I are creating a music video to a melodic Hip Hop song. The song is about being in love and getting high and we wish to portray element of this within our music video. Our video will have a series of settings, characters, props and shot types. This video will be a hybrid between narrative and performance it will have a linear narrative showcasing a couple’s relationship, it will demonstrate the highs and lows in a relationship which relates to the song as it is about being in love, however it will also intertextualise the highs and lows of getting high. 

This video will also contain many aspects of performance that will take place in urban areas such as busy high streets, tunnels, and hidden spaces. We have chosen these particular locations, as it would be a convention of the Hip Hop genre. We intend on using very stereotypical hip hop costume for the male and female characters, this means that the male will appear to have wealth by wearing the latest and most stylish costume associated with this genre. The female will purposely be wearing revealing costume as this will create an over sexualised image of her which is a common idea within the Hip Hop genre.  We will be using very realistic props within our music video however they will all have relevance and be used to create a sense of verisimilitude. Examples of the props we will need to use will be mobile phones, a roll up spliff, a vase and others that will add to a setting a used within a scene. 

The most important feature within our music video that will cause it to reach it potential and allow us to capture and emphasise on aspects of the video that are necessary will be the camerawork and editing. We will be using lots of camera work that is commonly used within the Hip Hop genre in order to make our video fit in with the genre. The shot types that will be used the most throughout the video would be close ups, wide shots and long shots, this is because the create emotion such as isolation, they can promote empathy with the audience and they also capture the setting surroundings as well as those being the main shot types within hip hop music videos. We will also be using; low angle shots, panning and zoom in’s to create the image of superiority.  The editing techniques that will be used will be slow motion and black and white filter and these will exaggerate aspects of the video create a more intense atmosphere.  All of these aspects combined will allow us to create a music video that will be emotive and powerful in regards to the narrative and performance as well as fitting in with the genre of hip hop and will look as realistic as possible using our knowledge of editing and camera skills.

Pharcyde Drop Analysis

Genre Shopping List

Song Selection

A2 Music Video Analysis

Final Cut from WGSB on Vimeo.

This first music video starts off very strong with a flashing close up of a very simple face. This immediately enables the audience to identify the significance the character may have within the music video. Also the harsh contrast between the black background and the bright white flashing light almost creates a sense of emergency as though the audience should quickly pay attention to the character. The slow zoom in follows shortly after however is very effective as it creates suspense for the audience as they are unaware of what is too follow this shot. The editing used to make the face change from having clown make up to being very simple firstly elicits an element of shock into the audience however it then highlights that this may potentially be an important feature throughout the video. The following shot is very establishing and begins to add a narrative to the video as the simple face gradually reveals more clown makeup. Also the switch of the black background to a white background still using contrasting colours reveals more to the audience and makes everything stand out more. The overlaying transition technique being used whilst the character franticly shakes their head is very effective as it creates a more unsettling atmosphere for the audience. The use of fast cuts between the simple character and the clown mask helps the music video fit a generic convention as the cuts are in time with the beat of the music. This also helps build the narrative between the simple character and the clown. The use of long and wide shots enable the audience to notice everything that is going on within a scene also identifying how isolated the simple character and the clown are making the simple character appear to be vulnerable. However the shot also contains balloons that have been partially highlighted, however they are not always highlighted making them appear to be irrelevant and have no significant role within the narrative. However the use of the fast cuts showing the simple character wrapped in toilet tissue could present the narrative that the clown is playing mental mind games however they are showing it in a physical and stereotypical way. Also the fact that these cuts are in sync with the music emphasises the beat of the song. The use of the other character with clown makeup and the simple character applying clown makeup in a realistic setting is representative of the effect the clown is having and showing the power the clown has to the audience. The use of slow motion within this music video also makes the audience focus on the idea of the simple character being vulnerable and weak. The shot of the simple character standing there as time goes by is a good technique as it can make the character appear to be disturbed. However the fact that the shot lacks relevance to the rest of the music video stops it from having a harmonious flow. The uses of the split fades are effective as they show confusion and panic. Overall this music video is very good and I would personally place it in band 3, however many of the shots displayed good technique but were unrelated to the music video, which prevented the music video from having a seamless flow. Also the narrative was able to display a relationship between the simple character and the clown however it didn’t reveal to the audience how or why there was a relationship making it appear as the clown was unnecessary.

This second music video starts with a close up shot of the guitar playing in time with the song presenting a much more generic and artistic theme from the beginning of the music video. Following this shot is a wide shot of all member of the band however the fact that every member is a different size, however the bigger they were the more was cropped off of them could have shown the audience that they are equal member just in very different ways. This different way of displaying a performance shot is instantly enticing. The close up of the girl allows the audience to identify that she will have a key role to play within the music video. The fact that there are jump cuts between the band performing in a frame on a wall and close ups of the girls hands and a paint brush immediately builds a narrative that the girl is an artist and the band are her art. The wide shot that follows this also reinforces this idea and allows the audience to see many features that may be involved within the music video. The close up shots of painting body parts add to the narrative without revealing too much information to the audience and one time. Also the close up shot of the lead singer performing allows this video to immediately fall into in the genre of pop video as it contains classic conventions of pop music videos. The fast cuts of the wide shots of each member of the band at the front emphasises on the idea of each member having a significant and equal role.  The fact that the artists are performing in a frame is representative of the fact that their music and performance is a form of art just as paintings are art. The use of synchronized fast cut between each shot adds to the pop genre conventions as well as keeping the temp up for the audience taking what could be a boring still shot into something more musical and exciting for the audience. The use of the bright white background used in all of the shots stops the video from becoming over complicated and highlights only the significant features within the music video. The use of combining the band and the art is a variety of ways means that they are able to be seen throughout many of the shots within the music video. It also showcases the different editing techniques as they as shown as important aspects of each shot.  The use of primary colours against the white background and the stereotypical wide shots of the band stop the video from becoming over complex and because it isn’t busy it forces the audience to focus on the band and the music instead of being distracted by an intense narrative. The costume used by the band is very realistic which an element many boy bands like feature within their music videos as this makes them more relatable to their audience. The fact that this idea has been feature in this A2 music video shows the research that has been done into the genre and make the video look like it could be professional. This music video contains a good narrative is representative of the art (music) the band creates, the quality of the editing techniques and shots used are very professional and make the video appear to be a generic pop video. However the use of the repetitive shots and scenes can make the music video tedious as there is not much else for the audience to see and the narrative is not very exciting even though this is often a feature of music videos.

Andrew Goodwin Video Analysis

Star Theory Essay

Auter Theory - Michael Gondry

Michael gondry from DmeeThriller

Genre Conventions

Genre Conventions on Prezi

Nicki Minaj "Super bass" Codes Ananlysis

 

 

Music Video Director Fact Sheet

·         Name: Harold ‘Hype’ Williams

·         Age: 42 (Born 1970)                            

·         Place of Birth: Queens, New York







Best Known Works:                                                                                                                                

• 2 Pac – California love
• Notorious B.I.G – One more chance; Warning
• Jay Z – Big Pimpin’
• TLC – No Scrubs
• Aaliyah – Rock the Boat
• Coldplay – Viva la Vida
• Nicki Minaj – stupid hoe, right by my side.
  
  
  

My Favourite Video:

• Missy Elliot – Rain (supa dupa fly)

It seems very typical within all Hype Williams music videos to focus on colour or a specific element that will make that video pop and stand out whether that is flashing lights, shadow or colour. It is apparent that he aims to make sure that all of the colours featured within a music video have a strong affect on the audience, he does this by creating excitement and a energy that is appropriate for the artist and this helps the artist to stand out and shine through the song making each music video very individual and suited to the artist and the song.




     

 One of my favourite music videos produced by him is Missy Elliot “The Rain”. This is because this video captures the typical conventions of a Hype Williams video as the use of bright lighting has been used to highlight the artist’s personality, even though it has no relation to the song itself yet he has still managed to direct the video so it is suited to the song. Within this particular music video Hype Williams is able to make a random video, to song that seems random on the surface, however is still able to make it appropriate to missy Elliot’s style so that audiences are easily able to recognise the music video as a Missy Elliot song/video. Within this video as well as bright lights being a key feature, the use of exaggerated high and low angles warp the artist making everything appear to bigger than what it actually is making her seem to be more superior.

                                          

I’m inspired by the way hype Williams creates his music videos because they are all about the artist and the message the artist is trying to express, as well as expressing these messages in a quirky and personal way for the artist. Hype Williams is able to capture the vision from the artist, the song and give the audience what they want and achieve and create pieces of art that are beyond expectation. Hype Williams’ execution of his videos shows that a music video is more than an illustration to a song but a form of entertainment and a source of artist expression. 

Narrative Theory Comparison

Music Video Narrative Comparisons Table

Narrative Theories

Narrative Theory’s

Tsvetan Todorov

He said that all narrative fall into a standard 3 part structure. They start with equilibrium where everything is balanced, disequilibrium as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution when equilibrium is restored or a new equilibrium is introduced.

Vladimir Propp

He constructed a list of 31 functions (these can happen, not necessarily all at the same time) and 8 character types that occur in all stories. 

 The characters consist of:

-       Villain (antagonist)

-       Dispatcher

-       Helper (magical)

-       Princess (or prize)

-       Father

-       Donor

-       Hero

-       False Hero

 Levi Strauss

His work focused on the theory of binary-opposition that is present in narratives.  This is a theory that there are always opposites such as, light/dark, good/evil, noise/silence, youth/aged, right/wrong, poverty/wealth, strength/weakness, inside/outside.

 Barthes

The way we understand a story comes from our own interpretation. Even though there may be one basic narrative in any form of media depending on how who we are an our experience influences how we interpret a video.