Music Video - rough cut

Here is the music video for Goodbye Mr.A, minus the band shots and a couple of other small parts. I will need to film these soon.

Poster - Done

Here is my poster design, in the style of a magic show poster. Similarly to the digipak, I may experiment with real-life images of the band instead of the drawn images just to see if it improves the look of the poster.

Digipak - Done

Here is my digipak design. Overall, I am very pleased with it and like the artistic style that it has. One thing I may attempt to do is alter the image of the band to them in real life, as it will make them better to recognise. This can be done in the near future.

Dolby

George- are you editing with the footage you already have or once all is filmed- remember this part is worth 40 marks and editing takes a long time....

Construction - Progress Report

Week ending  11th Nov:
I was able to get hold of a table showing when everyone was free, kindly given to me by my classmate Jake, who is using similar actors in his video. I then used that to plan out some days of filming.
I managed to create some of the props for my music video, including these exam papers;

*insert picture*

Week ending 18th Nov:
Shot some clips that didn't require actors, such as zooming in on a clock to and a shot of the Sixth Form's exterior. I also set up Final Cut Pro on the Mac and added my chosen song to the audio track.

Week ending 25th Nov:
Filmed some shots in the classroom, including lip-syncing of the first verse and chorus by the lead singer as well as some shots like sitting down and looking bored sat at the desk. However, technical issues caused some problems getting the footage onto the computer.

Week Ending 2nd December:
Fixed the problem that was preventing the footage going onto the Mac and began to edit the parts I had filmed, adding them into the right places and cropping them while leaving space for the next shots I need to film.

Week Ending 9th December:
With all the band actors together, I filmed almost all of the narrative shots that I needed for the second and third verses of the song. This included some high angle shots in the exam situation and the band writing their answers. One problem was that the hall I intended to shoot the exam parts in was busy, so in the end I opted to use the same classroom but space the band out with no extras to make it look more sparse and like an exam.

Ancillary Progress

After a week of working on the digipak and advertisement in lesson time, here is what I have managed to create so far. I have opted to use a red and yellow colour scheme as it fits in with the bright and vibrant style of a magic show, where red curtains and red cloaks are commonly seen. I have used my images from the test idea to add extra variety to the album and add more magic related vibes. For now, I am using the drawn image of the band as the front cover but I will possibly replace it with a picture of the actual band when I get around to taking it.  

24th November

In this lesson I was able to finish the designs on the digipak, mainly the inside pane. I created the basic shape and text on Serif DrawPlus before adding fills and stars in Paint. The colours have been switched from the front covers to add a bit more variety, although they have been dulled down a little as a bright yellow was a bit too much when tested.

Advertisement Test Idea

Here is my test idea for my advert. I have tried to do it in the style of a magic show poster like the one below as it fits in with the title and style of the album while also being engaging and quirky.

 I have used the band members again as it is important to show their image, with the lead singer in the middle. I have also included information such as the main songs from the album as these will help to draw customers in who may heard those songs in the charts or elsewhere, as well as the release date and web links. Using web links means that even if the reader doesn't buy the album they may still check out the band anyway. 

Here is my test idea, made in Paint: 

Dolby

Well done George- some very reflective posts here and a good sense of progression. I do like the idea you have for the digipak- it is fun and original and shows ICT skill. I think you need to just make sure that it promotes the band successfully to and visually as an album could link back with the music single. Don't forget to get as much audience feedback throughout your project as you can.

Digipak Test Idea

After coming up with an initial idea, I tested out what it would look like on Paint, taking about half an hour per panel. I like the general idea I have come up with as it combines the main things that I liked about the previous Hoosier albums; the mysterious and magical nature of The Trick To Life and the representation and images of the band in the other two covers.

I think this idea works out really nicely as it suits the band's style and their album well, using the font and facial expressions.
Some things I may look to improve upon are making the background a bit more exciting and perhaps changing the colour of the text from black to a mix of or brighter colours.

The inside cover and CD are a different colour to the front and back covers to give the person a different style to look at. In the inside cover is an image of the band laughing, as if they had finished doing the semi-serious photo from the cover and can now joke around again. This helps to better represent the band and their style and gives a nice effect on the viewer. I have seen this done before in my Stereophonics digipak analysis and I felt the effect was good enough to try and replicate.

The CD similarly keeps the same style as the back cover while changing background colour, however keen eyed viewers will notice that the magic related props have changed from random to what the band are using on the cover. I think this adds a clever touch and fits in with the album style quite well, while providing a little 'easter egg' for viewers that notice it.

fonts: Finger Paint and Fluffy Slacks BTN

Front Cover:

Back cover:

Inside cover:

CD: 

Audience Feedback

The Trick To Life Digipak

This is the digipak for The Hoosiers' album The Trick To Life, which is where their song Goodbye Mr. A can be found. They have opted to use an image for the album which I think works with the title; the use of the eyes and twisting hands gives the impression of mystery and illusion, fitting in with 'The trick to life'. The band have also released the album in a variety of different colours which gives each specific colour more rarity and prestige when owned.

Next, I thought I would try and find some digipak covers that depicted the band as I wanted to find out what sort of posture, positioning and expressions they have in the pictures. From what I have seen, the band tend to use a mid shot of the three of them, with the lead singer Irwin Sparkles in the centre. This helps to show the image of the band off and gives the reader a visual representation of them so if they see The Hoosiers elsewhere they will recognise them. 

I think that for my digipak design I will try to combine these two aspects by having the three of the band on the cover but adding props or art to contribute to a mysterious and magical feel. I will use Paint to create some test digipaks and work out what will be the best design variation for the album, before getting the band from my video to have some photos taken of them ready for the final digipak.

Shooting Schedule

Here is my basic schedule that I will be using to make sure I keep up with filming. My goal is to try and complete the filming by the end of November ready to edit at the start of December, so it is important that I try and follow the table as best as possible and tick off what I have done.

In this week before I start filming, I will be casting for the video and finding out timetables for both the cast and classrooms to figure out the best times to film each given week.

In the first week I intend to get most of the narrative shots completed, based in a classroom. These shots are also the most intensive in terms of cast as I'll need all the extras as well as the band and Mr. A, so I would like to get those shots done as quickly and as easily as possible.

In the second week, I intend to film the section in the exam hall. I will need to ask to use either the gym or main hall at my school as they are the places used for taking exams as well as borrowing some of the exam desks. Depending on availability, I will have to either change my extras or have only the band taking the exam - perhaps I will have to add a shot explaining that the band are the the only people in the class who have to resit the test.

In the third week, I will be focusing on the lip syncing more in the classroom. This will hopefully work out fine as the school timetables will be the same as week one, meaning the extras should be able to help out again. As this won't take too long to complete, I will also take the opportunity to retake any shots from the narrative in the classroom.

The final section I will need to film is the revision shots at home as well as performance shots, one of which I think I could film in my conservatory/garden. These shots only require the three band members to do so it won't be as tough to organise and film. If this goes well, I will have more time to collate and edit before going out and filming any extra shots I need.

I will film the shot outside the sixth form first as it is the first shot in the music video and doesn't really need any actors to do. 

Location and Test Shots

After creating a storyboard to better visualise the music video, I decided to try and bring it to life by taking some location shots around the school site and outside. These shots are a good way to try out ideas for the camera that may not be picked up from a drawing or by eye, such as the way the light shines onto an outside object or shadowing. Aspects such as depth, zoom and actor positioning can also be determined from the location shots which makes filming much more straightforward to plan.

Here are some of the photos I took and some notes to go with them;

 I thought that I could potentially use an establishing shot of the sixth form or school as the music begins to play to set the scene. The choice of using either a shot of the school or sixth form is important, as it will dictate the mood as well as the costumes needed for the video such as a school uniform.



















A potential classroom with whiteboard, although I would prefer one that was longer rather than wider. I tested a shot on the whiteboard and it works out quite well, although I will need to be careful for continuity in terms of the position of the writing on the board  and making sure it's always in the same place.

The exam hall I could use. It looks quite big and ominous and the clock in the centre of the frame helps to show it is a timed exam with lots of pressure on the students.

Storyboard and Plot

Following on from my idea sketches, I have collated my drawings together to make a full storyboard alongside the song audio. This was done using Serif MoviePlus as it was easy to add in the drawings and move them to where I wanted in relation to the music. This gives me a way better visual representation of what the finished product will look like, and has allowed me to make necessary changes to the music video before I start the filming.


What have I learned?

• I have learned some basic video editing skills such as cutting + timing to the music.
• I've also given myself a better idea of the plot and how it fits with the song. 
• It takes a while to edit even just using stills!

What will I do better in the actual video?

• I will try to make the shots fit in time to the beat of the music
• I will have a much greater variety of shot types as well as moving pans or swinging shots

Changes I will make for the final video

My plot will be slightly changed to make it a bit longer. This is to keep the audience engaged throughout the video as I found that during the storyboard the plot got a bit samey during the second verse and chorus. It will now act roughly as follows:

Verse 1 - Introducing the school, class and teacher. Everyone is messing around until Mr. A walks in and writes his name on the board, which causes the class to fall silent to the surprise of the band. Starting some hard maths stuff on the whiteboard. Bored band. 

Chorus 1 - Mr. A picks on the lead singer who gets a question wrong 'you had all the answers but no human touch'. The band start to feel like demotivated in class. 

Verse 2 - Results of a class test passed out - cue montage of close up of the paper being slapped onto the desks of each bandmate, with a reaction from each. Mr. A carries on being difficult before finally pointing onto the board - a class exam is next week. 

Chorus 2 - Possibly a shot of the band walking home. Time lapse/montage of the lead singer revising mixed with either shots of the numbers swirling or perhaps Mr. A shouting playing on the singer's mind. A slow, mo shot of all the revision notes and paper flying in the air.

Bridge - Long, wide shot of the exam hall. Mr. A stood at the front menacingly with the clock. There will then be a variety of shots of the students, Mr. A and performance shots that increase in frequency with the pace of the music. 

Final chorus - Exam ends to the happiness of the band. Final performance shots, perhaps in the exam hall itself when it is empty. Shots of Mr.A.

Ending - Back in the classroom where a glummer looking Mr. A hands out the exam papers. Similarly to earlier there will be the shots of the band receiving their papers, except now they will be B+s, and the lead will get an A! This will then be graphic matched onto the board writing of Mr. A, which will then be rubbed off as the camera fades. 

Props and Equipment List

Here is a list of props and costumes that I think I will need for the music video;

Instruments
Microphone and stand
Electric guitar
Bass guitar
Drum kit

These can be borrowed from music or from friends

General Props
Pencil case, pens and pencils
Whiteboard pen
Paper
Past exam papers
Exam desks (will need to ask exam office to borrow)

Costumes 
Shirt and tie
Beard/wig
Glasses

School blazer/tie?

Next, I have compiled a list of the equipment I will need to film and edit my music video;

Filming 
Sony HDV 1000 Camera - For filming
Tripod - To steady and move the camera when filming

Editing
Apple Mac computer
Final Cut Pro editing software

Goodbye Mr. A Lyrics

Here is a popplet showing the lyrics of my chosen track, Goodbye Mr. A, alongside some quick analysis of the words (in red) and some ideas I have come up with to use in the video alongside certain lyrics (in blue).

Pitch and Feedback

After my original brainstorming, the next step was to pitch my idea to my teacher and get feedback on what I can do to improve. I then used the feedback to create a plan of what I am going to do next.

Following the pitch, I have come up with a list of a few things to do next:

• Do a focus group or similar to gather more ideas for the music video.
• Take a look at the song's lyrics and analyse them. 
• Make a storyboard to come up with the plot
• Watch some more videos that use a lot of lip-syncing and editing to learn about how they do it. 

Planning - Initial Ideas

In this section I have thought of my first ideas for the music video, complete with sketches of some camera shot ideas for the video. I like this idea as it is simple, quite easy to film and fits in with the conventions of both the genre and the music theorists. I pitched this idea to my teacher and gained some feedback on what is good and what could be done differently, as well as suggestions for different settings and shots. 

The band consists of;

Lead vocals/main guitar

Bass/backing vocals

Drums

Music video settings

Narrative

School classroom with a whiteboard and desk (start of video when we see Mr. A)

Exam hall (final section of the song)

Desk at home (a few shots of some revision before exam)

Performance

Band all together with plain background

Band in the exam hall/classroom (help link with narrative)

Maybe some specific shots of the singer

Some can be combined similarly to ‘What I Go to School For’

Idea for narrative

The video would start in a classroom with a close up of Mr. A writing his name on the board as if he is a new teacher, before the camera switches to a bored classroom with the band sat at the front. Mr A would be dressed with a big stomach, beard and glasses and would have to act like the classic stereotypical nightmare maths teacher.

During the first part of the video the primary setting would be the classroom with some lip syncing from the singer during some of the shots. Some ideas for this section would be a montage of F and E graded papers being handed to the band (camera being high angled pointing down onto the desk as the paper is put down), to their dismay, Mr. A doing horrible questions on the board or the rest of the class messing about while the band sit at the front getting told off. This would be mixed in with performance shots.

The next part of the video, after the second chorus, would be a quick montage of the lead singer revising in his room – shots of him snapping a pencil, throwing paper etc (could all be shot from the same place to show a passage of time) as the song speeds up, then as it slows down a high angle shot of the exam hall comes in, so we can see that the final exam is taking place. There could be another time lapse kind of section showing things such as the band struggling in the exam or Mr. A sat with his feet up at the front of the hall.

To end the video such as in the final chorus and quite high tempo instrumental after, the band can be dancing in the performance section and throwing their papers up triumphantly in the air after finishing the exam.

Finally, a shot of Mr. A handing the papers out back in the classroom. A repeat of the paper handing out shot earlier could be used, except this time there is an A on the front. This can then be graphic matched to the original ‘Mr. A’ on the whiteboard, before the writing is rubbed out and the camera fades to black.

Illustrated sketches of ideas for some camera shots were drawn on some A4 paper.

Audience and Target Market - Secondary Research

Before I start planning my video, it is important that I know my target audience and can identify aspects of music videos that appeal to them. This is a highly important aspect of targeting for music and is used by large media corporations such as the BBC. One way I have tried to do this is by analysing music videos in the genre (pop-rock) that I want to create my video for. From my two sets of analysis of 'Rude' and 'What I Go To School For', I have noticed a few common aspects that helped make these videos successful;

• A combination of narrative and performance. This is to add depth to the video and synergise with the lyrics while also advertising the band and their instruments.  
• The band or lead singer are involved in both the narrative and performance. 
• The lead singer or 'star' has the highest screen time and is in the centre of the performance.
• Clear mid to long shots of the band performing live with their instruments.
• Simple shots and cuts to keep the video smooth.

In summary, we can see that generally pop-rock videos are filmed in a common setting such as a school, town or club and follow a simple narrative along with shots of a live performance. This is to appeal to a younger target audience from around 13 to 25 years old with a more fun video, compared to some videos in perhaps the rock genre that can be a bit deeper and thoughtful. 

To support this theory, I decided to look back at my AS coursework and the questionnaire that I undertook to learn more about music tastes from different ages. Here is a couple of results that helped me decide on my target market, as we can see that a survey mainly answered by young people came up with pop and rock in the top three most popular categories. Of course, this data may be considered dated as it is a year old and is not representative of music videos specifically, but it gives me a notion that pop-rock as a genre is more of a younger taste.

Dolby

Excellent work so far George- I have made some comments on your posts so read and reflect on this. Overall I would say that the labels and headings on the blog could be more specific and that you need to start thinking about audience research more.

Existing Advertisement Analysis

In the project I will be creating a magazine advertisement to help promote the artist and inform the reader of the new album. This has been a feature for many years, as there are plenty of music magazines spanning over all genres, such as NME, Billboard, and Vibe. The readers of the magazine will usually listen to the same sort of music that the magazine caters for, so labels will place their artists deliberately in the most suitable magazine.

The style of magazine advertisements is usually similar for all products; a large image of the product or artist and a small amount of bold text, sometimes in the form of a slogan. This trend results in a striking advert that readers will notice as they turn the page, and won't be put off by a wall of text.

The music industry tends to have a similar trend, with a large image of the artist and then the vital information such as the release date added in bold text. The advert I will be taking an in-depth look at is by Stereophonics, ahead of their new album Keep Calm and Carry On. I have chosen this advert as I like the overall visual effect of the page, and works within a media package as the album shares the same image. This is something I can take forward as it is important in my project that the video, digipak and advert share similar aspects. This is to create almost a brand for the band and improve the response from the audience for all three creations when seen in tandem or apart.

Here are images of the front and back covers of the album; as you can see the band and label have decided to use the same setting and image across both the advert, front and back covers of the album. I think this works quite well as the image is quite memorable and can improve the chance of someone recognising the album in a shop after glancing at the advert in a magazine.
The back image on the album is shot at the same zoom and height yet the band has moved from their seats outwards and are laughing and joking. This again shows the band resonating with the album title and adds to the quirkiness of the cover. Furthermore, the viewer gets the contrast as they turn the album over to the back page and see the band almost off camera compared to them sat around having the main promo picture taken.

Existing Digipak Analysis

In this section I will taking a look at two album digipaks; 'Stereo Typical' by Rizzle Kicks and '#3' by The Script. I have decided to take a look at these two albums as they are British groups with fairly similar target audiences to what I am familiar with.

Stereo Typical

This is the album cover for Stereo Typical, the debut album from duo Rizzle Kicks. As you can see, the album is filled with the same colour beige even on the artist's clothes, Rizzle Kicks logo and the background. This is to fit with the retro style that Rizzle Kicks use and actually makes the album more recognisable as the colour is rather unique. 

The cover follows a fairly standard layout of a large image of the artist over most of the cover, with their name and album title above. This is used by most as it sells the artists' image and helps make the album tied to them as a duo; when someone sees the album in a shop they will see the image of Rizzle Kicks and can tie the image to when they may have seen them before. 

The clothing worn by the lads is reminiscent of their genre and stereotype (notice the album name too) with hoodies and the snapback hat. This ties into the codes of what most expect from a hip hop style artist. They have further tested this idea in their facial expressions; the duo are staring blankly into the camera which could be a tip towards the idea of 'local yobs' who hang out on the streets. 

Overall, I like the overall effect of the cover and think the way they have taken the conventions of their main genre and played it subtly is very clever. I think that for my digipak I will try and do something similar, even if I'm not doing a hip-hop song.   

 This is the back cover for Stereo Typical, and as you can see the beige colour has been continued from the cover. This helps to keep the continuity from the cover and make the album look more professional. For the top of this side, they have included the album name again in the same style as the cover. However, they have changed the red A to a B for this side, which could be a reference to A and B sides on old records. This is a clever addition and helps to accentuate the retro style of Rizzle Kicks.
Included on the rest of the side are the songs, organised in a clear order in terms of when they appear on the album. They are again a beige colour to fit with the styling of the album. I prefer the organised form of the song list as I find it confusing when the songs aren't put in order or organised in a funny way.
At the bottom of the album is the barcode, information on the record label as well as the URL of the Rizzle Kicks website. This is reasonably standard, however it is important to include things such as the website as the Internet is a big factor in marketing and selling in the modern day.

Finally, this is the CD for the Stereo Typical album. The first thing you may notice is that the CD is not the beige colour of the rest of the digipak, and is instead a medley of a dirty shoe and general litter. This adds colour to the album and also reflects the urban nature of hip-hop music. Again, the name of the album as well as the Rizzle Kicks logo make an appearance to help keep the continuity and make sure the CD can be identified.

The inside covers of Stereo Typical are actually quite plain; the left inside panel is basically a copy of the back cover and includes the tracklist on it again, which I can see being quite a helpful aspect as it means the user can double check what track they want to hear first as they take the CD out of the case. Below it is more contact links such as their website and Facebook page, as their target market is likely to have the Internet and social media accounts to share about the album.
The second pane on the right is a continuation of the CD art, as seen from the back of the shoe and the packaging. This means that when the images are lined up, the Rizzle Kicks logo and album name will be the right way up to make it easier to read. I quite like that the owner of the CD must line up the CD properly in the case to make the image look right, which also keeps the artist name much more on show.


#3

 The next digipak I will be looking at is #3 by The Script. Released in 2012, this album gained Platinum status in the UK and included a variety of popular songs. The first thing I like about this album cover is the color scheme; the black, white and grey all work together to provide a slightly moody and darker image of The Script. Furthermore, we can see from the facial expressions of the band, who are organised into a slight collage within each other, that the album may be a more serious one.
The text font is different for the band name and album name, which i'm not sure about. I think that the album would look a bit better if they had chosen the same font for both, because it would make the album more uniform. However, both texts are easy to read on top of the white background and the album name is easy to remember.
Finally, on the bottom right of the album is a sticker that mentions the lead single of the album 'Hall of Fame' as well as some bonus tracks. I think this is a good feature for an album, as The Script can sell more copies of their album off the back of the single's success. The name of the song is written in much larger font for that reason.
Overall, I think the visual effect of the album is very strong due to the colour scheme and would definitely look good on a shelf, and I really like the use of a sticker to help entice the customer with the lead single.

The back cover of #3 follows on from where the front left off; using a black and white colour scheme and a collage of the three band members. However, the image has been changed to keep the same style but in a different order, This helps to keep the album fresh and unique while having a clear identity and style that a person would recognise. 

In the top right is the track list, which is placed into a black box to fit with the style of the album. Like the Rizzle Kicks album above, I like the clear vertical order of the track list and makes it a lot easier to read and understand. One thing I noticed is that all of the 'E's in the tracks have been turned the other way. This fits in with the name of the album and adds a little extra quirk to what can usually be a fairly plain list. 

In the bottom right is another black box with the band website as well as the Sony Music name and logo. Again, this is very important for the branding of the band and helps to keep a digital presence for the artists.  

This is an image of the inside covers for #3. Differing from the outside covers, the inside uses two longer ranged shots of all three members, which is a popular choice for groups. I like the overall effect of how the outside cover of the album changes so much from the inside, except for the black clothes and filter on the band.
The left panel clearly denotes who the frontman of the band is by having him stood facing and looking towards the audience, slightly in front of the other two guys. This can also be seen on the front cover as the other two members are placed inside the shape of the frontman's head. I can understand why this has been done as Danny O'Donoghue is easily the best known member of the group thanks to his involvement in shows like The Voice UK, so it makes sense to have his image as the main focus.
On the right pane, a long shot of the band casting long shadows can be seen when the CD is taken out of the case. I like the effect that this can give on the listener as they will be reminded of the band image when they take the CD out to listen to it. The posture and positioning of the band against the plain background makes it seem as if when the CD is played the band can be all that you need to see and hear, which is a clever and strong effect that I quite like.

Existing Music Video Analysis

Busted - What I Go To School For



The first current music video I have decided to take a look at is the song What I Go To School For, The song was released back in September 2002 and peaked at number 3 on the UK charts. The song itself is about a teacher that one of the band members had a crush on, and this is reflected in the simple but effective music video, set primarily in a school of course. I have chosen this song as I am looking to create a pop-rock music video and there are many aspects of this video that I can learn from, such as narrative, camera and lip-syncing.

The narrative of the music video is fitting with the lyrics of the song, and begins in a dark room during a sex education class. This is clearly a message to the viewers of what the song is going to be to do with, and plenty of shots of the teacher help us to see who the song is about. The three members of the band sing their lyrics as they act in the narrative, for example when one of them sprints to his seat at the front, the line about being sat at the front is said in the song, while he lip syncs it. The overall effect is really good to help the viewer get involved more in the song.
The chorus of the song is mainly sung in the school playground, with the band in front of a huge crowd of students at the school. This helps to keep the setting simple and fit with the song. The band and extras are all bouncing and raving which really helps to capture the energetic nature of the song.
The final section of the song involves the boys in the band visiting Miss Mackenzie's house late at night to spy on her. This is a scene that has been seen in many popular love films like Romeo and Juliet, so this acts as a play on that just with the students climbing up a tree to spy on their teacher! This adds to the slightly tongue in cheek nature of the video and sums up Busted as a band quite well, which makes this music video achieve the goal of promoting the artist.

The mise en scene of the music video is quite simple; the first half of the video is set during a typical school day so all the band and extras a wearing school uniforms. However, the band have customised uniforms that identify them as quite roguish, fitting in with their brand image and target market.The video is shot primarily during a school day, with overcast weather. This has been done to fit with the typical British weather during the school day most likely...

In terms of camera and editing, the shots used in the video include close ups, mid shots and also a few specialised shots such as a high angle shot over the crowd in the second chorus. In this section I'm going to take a look at a few shots that I liked and explain why they are effective.

The first set of shots that I noticed came right at the beginning of the video; a close up of a hand writing 'sex education' on the board before switching straight into another close up of the teacher's eyes. This have been used as the establishing shots in the video, which immediately focuses the audience on to the teacher and can immediately gain a strong idea of what the video is about. A shot like this is very effective in setting up a good narrative and I may do something similar for my video.

Another shot that I liked was a mid shot on one of the band members lip syncing during the class. This idea was used a lot during the video where they followed the lyrics and acted them out, for example the pencil dropping shot above. I think this adds to the overall effect of the video as the audience feels like they are seeing more of a story and not just a random narrative tacked on to the performance.

A final shot that is especially good for bands is the slightly widened mid shot of the group all playing, with a large crowd behind. This shot is popular in many videos in the genre, for example also being used in Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag. It allows the audience to see the band play and sing the song as if they were live in front of them, and shows the energetic nature of the song by having all the actors bounce up and down as if they were in the crowd at a concert. Busted opted to only use this shot during the chorus, leaving time for more unique shots and narrative opportunity throughout the rest of the video. For any band, this type of shot is a must as it is important that the viewer can see the band all playing their instruments together, unlike in the first verse where each member is solo in each shot. 

MAGIC! - Rude

For my second music video analysis I have decided to review the song 'Rude' by MAGIC! The song is one of my favorites in its genre and is clearly very popular overall, recently surpassing 1 billion views on YouTube. The video is simple to understand and synergises with the lyrics and mood of the song. Below is a Prezi presentation detailing what I have found out about the song. 

Copyright Email

Here is a screenshot of the email I sent to The Hoosiers' manager, in order to ask permission to use their song. By sending this email, I can gain fair use of the song and not break copyright law. This is highly important, especially in the modern era of the Internet, where even background music in a YouTube video can be flagged for copyright infringement and action taken against the poster. 

After getting a quick response from Erik, the band manger, I was informed that the band don't actually own the rights to the song, and that I should email Sony Music as their label published the single. Below is the email I sent to them;

Music Videos - Research

In this new project, we have been tasked with creating a music video for a song of our choice. To help me understand the task better I decided to undertake a little bit of research into music videos, their purpose and history as well as research on intertextuality and the types of music video.

Why are music videos so important?

Music videos have become a big part of selling a song; even The Beatles in 1965 started releasing music videos for songs such as Help! which were successes. Music videos became a way to see your favorite artists without having to turn up to a concert. 

In 1981, MTV became the first designated music channel that showed music videos all day. This, coupled with the appeal of videos from hugely popular and influential artists like Duran Duran and Madonna, meant music videos became a main source of consumer access to music. The video to a song also helps the artist and their marketing team to produce the desired image of themselves and the song towards the audience, seen in a variety of conventions (more on those later in the blog).

Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music. This can be seen through the use of a lot of close and mid-zoom shots of the artist to help the viewer recognise them. Videos can be purchased on many music providers such as iTunes and Google Play, allowing viewers to watch their favorite artists all the time in return for a a fairly pricey fee. 

With the rise of sites like YouTube and Facebook, many music videos are seen first and earn greater popularity online than anywhere else. For example, there are 28 music videos with over one billion views on YouTube, some of these gaining credit off the back of the music video alone.

As the purpose of music videos has changed over the years, the cost of filming a music video has increased from just a film of the band playing to miniature films and narratives. As you can see from the table below, artists such as Madonna dominate the most expensive videos ever, probably due to the glamorous image she has had over the years. 

Source: Wikipedia

Types of Music Video

The next aspect of music videos I explored was the types of music video that can be made;

Performance Based, Narrative Based and Concept Based. 

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is, put simply, the relationship between a variety of texts or other media. This is used to create an effect on the reader or viewer and provide a broader experience in a piece of text or video, and add layers of depth. Intertextuality occurs in almost any type of media, from similarities in films such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (an ageing wizard mentor in Gandalf/Dumbledore, and an inexperienced group of friends as the protagonists) or across different media. 

For example, in Iggy Azalea's video for her song 'Fancy', she pays homage to the 90's film 'Clueless', as seen below. As well as the mise-en-scene, other aspects such as the opening to the video are extremely similar. I like what Iggy Azalea has done with intertextuality, and I think it creates a really nice effect if the audience notices the connection to Clueless as well as being a good video in its own right. 

top: Fancy, bottom: Clueless