My group's practice Music Video:

This was my group's completed music video. I personally liked the band "Monarchy" and their song, "You Don't Want to Dance With Me." This resulted in my group liking and also wanting to film a music video with this song. I put forward the ideas that it should involve some sort of sadness or madness, due to the song being about the separation of two people. This resulted in Georgie and Ellie being the main directors, filming wide-shots, close ups and extreme close ups of our actress showing emotive scenes which relate to the suggested themes. Ryan then became the main editor and as a group we chose the black and white colour scheme of the video to connote the actress's unhappiness. We also chose to cut out some lip syncing scenes as well in order to link the different scenes together as way of telling an emotional story which reflect each others. This is an example of how we applied Goodwin's conventions in our music video, since he believed that the lyrics and scenes of a music video link to each other.

By assisting directing, learning about camera shots and using Premiere Pro again, I believe I have learnt more valuable skills for my future project(s). I also got to learn and apply a theory, as I mentioned (which I hope I can use again) and hope to learn about more theories which I can use in the future.

My group's CD covers:

My group were given the task to form a fictional band that we could essentially release music with if it was real. I came up with the idea of linking the Garden of Eden to 'our' single and music video which we were going to release. This resulted in my group deciding to be called "The Guards Of Eden." Since the song which we wanted to use for our music video, "You Don't Want to Dance With Me," by Monarchy and Britt Love is a sort of up-beat sad song about separation and reflection, I realised that The Garden Of Eden has been the focus of similarly themed stories. For example, the snake tempted Eve into biting an apple, which could've lead to Adam and Eve's separation since God apparently made them get out of the garden. When we thought of ideas for our music video and CD cover we thought of how people could be tempted to be different, but due to society's restrictions they could be upset about how they couldn't truly be themselves.

Our front cover used extreme close ups of our group member Georgie Brough and Max Jackson from another group. We thought it'd be an interesting idea to explore how someone would feel if they felt they were born to be someone different but they struggled to be who they really were.



The back cover also reflected the themes of someone struggling their identity, as we chose to collage two pictures together to show how someone may want to be a different gender, but are currently opposite of who they want to be. We used different apps to gain our desired covers with effects. These included Pic Collage, Retrica and YouCam Make Up. This is how we were able to collage our pictures together, add make up and titling to reflect the discussed themes.

The middle insert of what we fictionally thought our CD case would look like tied all ideas together. This is since it had the lyrics of "our scene" wrote on it, as inserts do as well as referencing the Garden Of Eden story I mentioned. We therefore chose this to have the desired effect, to insinuate the struggles people can go through. The apple being offered on our insert is therefore another metaphorical statement about temptation and struggles people may face.

One Minute Music Video Development - Lip Syncing Practice:

As part of the research and development behind making our one minute music video, we were able to develop our lip syncing, editing and creation skills during one of our lessons at sixth form. We were able to use the iPhone app called Video Star to do this. Me and my group members Ellie Lester and Georgie Brough thought it was really useful and entertaining as it allowed us to create a professional looking music video with different colour schemes and quick editing techniques in the form of straight cut transitions. It has been re-named "Backstage Footage - Music Video Bloopers" so that it makes our "group" look more like actual, realistic artists, as we are making a website on Weebly to promote us and "our" single "You Don't Want To Dance With Me," by actual artists Monarchy and Britt Love. You can view this below.

   

One Minute Music Video - Initial Ideas:

My group consists of myself obviously, Georgie Brough, Ellie Lester and Ryan Parsons. Above is an interactive mind map which I created on MindMeister and have made to document initial ideas for our one minute practice music video. I'm personally a fan of the song we chose so I'm hoping it will be easier to be creative and make the music video interesting.

Textual Analysis - Monarchy & Britt Love's "You Don't Want To Dance With Me" Music Video:

My group (Ellie Lester, Georgie Brough and Ryan Parsons) were asked to complete a task. This was to create a one minute music video using a song we liked. I personally liked the song "You Don't Want To Dance With Me" by the duo Monarchy and Britt Love so I suggested using this for the future creation of it.

By completing an analysis of the music video and song it was helpful in order to gain an insight into how and why the artists created the music video for the song and how it links together. This could therefore help us to think of interesting ideas for our video for their song. The artist's official music video can be viewed on the right whilst my analysis can be viewed below.

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Californication" Storyboard analysis:

In order to learn more about how music videos are created my class and to practice filling out storyboards for our main task, we were given the task to fill out a storyboard with drawings of scenes from Red Hot Chili Peppers music video for their song "Californication." This was done as we listened to their song and drew the scenes that coincided with what we could hear. You can view my storyboard below as well as their official video for the song on the left.

Practice Music Video Creation:

After watching and understand how Pharell's "Happy" music video was created, we were told to practice and make our own short music video in a similar style. As a result we used similar lip syncing, choreography, jump cuts, cross-cuts and straight cut transitions to edit our video in a way that reflected that of the "Happy" music video.

 

Textual Analysis - Pharell's "Happy" Music Video:

My Media Studies group and I were told to watch and see how the artist Pharell became successful with his song "Happy," in one of our classes. Most of his success came from the creation of his music video. Which you can view on the right. After watching it after multiple times I was also able to analyse it's camera shots, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to further understand how it was able to be so successful. In 2014, it became the best-selling songs of the year and one of the best-selling songs of all time as it sold over 13.9 million copies all over the world.

Analysis of Reccomended Music Videos:

Lady Gaga - Marry The Night:

Gaga's music video for her song "Marry The Night" is an example of how she creates music videos that are like short films. It's length is nearly fourteen minutes long. From the start a voice over is used in order to start telling viewers about her life. This is a feature often used in films which demonstrates it's resemblance to one. 

Throughout, close-ups, establishing shots and iconography are/is used to further engage viewers in the events of her life that the music video explores. For example, the close up of her crying is used in order to emphasise the emotive connotations of the scene. An establishing shot is used to show that her troubling life has resulted in her ending up in a hospital which is emphasised by the fact iconography like healthcare symbols are shown  as the camera pans out to reveal the hospital room more. These are examples of showing how Gaga wanted her fans to feel more connected to her. This is further done collectively by Gaga's well known attributes which involve combining different parts of mise-en-scene such as avant-garde style make up, costumes, hair/wigs, art, dance, theatrical elements and music which entertains and attracts her fans throughout this music video and her music videos in general.

Lana Del Rey - Video Games:

Lana Del Rey is an artist who is greatly inspired by people and imagery from the past. This has resulted in both her music and music videos having a likeness to music and footage from other eras. As a result, her music is often classed as baroque pop which is pop/rock music that was created around the 1960's. Her personality, ideas and passion for the past are represented through the old clips of people and cartoons used in her music video for "Video Games." 

This continuous use of different similar footage may have different connotations. For example, she may be trying to infer to footage that the love she speaks of in the music video may seem fun, but may also become monotonous. This is emphasised through lyrics such as "lean in for a big kiss." As well as this, Goodwin's conventions which involves linking the imagery to the lyrics are also used. For example, "I'm in his favorite sun dress, watching me get undressed," old footage of a glamorous, but drunk woman and then clips of paparazzi are used. This may also infer the whirlwind that love and fame can bring. Her thoughts and feelings are further emphasised greatly to viewers through the use of close ups (with a colour palette that fits in with the older theme) where she lip syncs the song.

Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble:

With artists such as Lady Gaga who have transformed how musicians create music videos, Taylor Swift is an example of someone who also tried out this concept. Her music video for "I Knew You Were Trouble" is six minutes long and also contains a voice over to introduce the song and how the music video relates to it, like a short film and similarly to Gaga's "Marry The Night" music video. 

It has now become evident that this style of music video is therefore produced by musicians who are apart of the pop music genre, which they both are. This video was filmed and framed in a way so that it is continually presented with wide-angle shots which helps viewers to engage and follow the long narrative which is presented. Taylor combines music and a theatrical production which features quick transitions and lighting effects to infect that those who may seem like potential and perfect lovers may actually be "trouble."

BIGBANG - BANG BANG BANG:

BIGBANG are a boy band from South Korea. They produce songs like "BANG BANG BANG" which are a part of the K-Pop, J-Pop, Pop, Dance and Electronic Musical Genres. As a result, musicians like these produce music videos which reflect the genre of music they produced. 

This is why they often contain bright and colourful colour schemes. They also use different eye-catching clothing, choreography and possibly narratives to be entertaining and fun. To emphasise this, lighting effects and different shots including close ups and mid-shots that have quick transitions in between them are used to create a fast paced and interesting music video. The typical use of English lyrics such as "Big Bang" and "let's go" are obviously used within the song too, which is common in K-Pop and J-Pop songs so that Koreon artists can try to gain and connect to English speaking fans.

Johnny Cash - Hurt:

In his music video for his song "Hurt," Johnny reflects the nature of the name of the song, which is that he's "hurt." As a result a dark colour palette is used to automatically set the mood of the song and music video which is sad and emotional. Accompanied by a lot of close up and extreme close up shots of him looking sad, it emphasises the emotional and sad feelings that Johnny is feeling. 

As a result, the aim of this is done to try and get the audience to empathise with him. This is emphaised by the fact different establishing shots are used to create a narrative of reflection on Johnny's life which the audience follows because of them as well as wide shots. These help to display different photographs of Johnny and the "Museum Of Cash" as well as transitioning between clips of his past self, which also infers that this music video acts as a sad reflection of memories that Johnny may be remembering as he speaks. As a result, he may be inferring he could've been hurt in the past as he is thinking about his life. But, as he is shown closing the piano at the end, the panning closer of the piano so that it ends on a close up of the closed piano may he suggest he then is comfortable with moving on from negative things in the past. This may also mean he could be suggesting that his viewers should do the same, to forget the bad in their lives.

Textual Analysis - Madonna's "Vogue" Music Video:

For her music video, "Vogue," Madonna makes use of close ups, editing in the form of quick transitions and mise-en-scene like controversial clothing with accompanying choreography and a black and white colour scheme. This infers that she is honouring Holywood icons she's inspired by and to expose the vogue dance routine to mainstream audiences. Close-ups and outfits are used as she poses to re-create imagery of icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow. Their influence in her life is made well known through her name checking lyrics which include, "Rita Hayworth gave good face," and "Bette Davis, we love you." This is also why the colour scheme was used as a nod to past Hollywood eras and The Golden Age Of Hollywood, which is the period when these artists were at the height of their fame. It also relates to the mise-en-scene of the art-deco surroundings and visual aspects that she re-created to also infer and reveal to fans about her interests and influences from the past.

The use of super-imposed art-deco and controversial imagery of naked women also infers this. Within the video she also has platinum blonde, Marilyn-esque hair whilst wearing different controversial and avant-garde outfits like her lace blouse and cone bra. This emphasises her interest in past influences such as the art-deco scene and famous Hollywood artists, who too may have been involved in controversy, as well as combining original ideas as a way of gaining the attention of viewers. By using mise-en-scene in this way, it could also infer that she has a drive to try and be like those Hollyood icons which is also highlighted by the fact clips of a maid and butler are shown which insinuates they are hers.

Connecting all the different scenes together is the use of the vogue dance routine and choreography which consists of "model-like" and "statue-esque" (which is enhanced by the use of props in the form of statues at the start) poses which could also have connotations of attractive aesthetics like she was being viewed as a beautiful, blonde Hollywood icon herself. These different aspects show how Goodwin's conventions are also commonly used since the lyrics and imagery link together a lot. For example, a well known part of the video is when she turns around and like the lyrics she "strikes a pose."

An Artist's Website Analysis:

Single Cover Analysis:

Music Video History Timeline:

Introduction:

Hello, I'm Calum McDermott, 18 years old from the United Kingdom and currently on the second, A2 year of Media Studies at sixth form. I have an obsession with music, art, films, celebrities and media studies in general, hence why I've taken it as a subject. A little bit about me: Well from a young age I have liked pop music, especially which was produced by powerful, female and blonde artists. These include Hilary Duff, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. 

For the past six years of my life, I've adored one of the biggest, critically acclaimed, iconic and avant-garde artists to have ever graced the earth - Lady Gaga. She of-course is another powerful, blonde, female phenomenon, but she has so far been the most adored and inspiring artist in my life. Her ability to be a chameleon within the entertainment industries combined with her unfaltering spirit to change the world for the better continuously appeals to me greatly.

Although it would be an impossible choice for me to pick my favorite song and music video created by Lady Gaga, an example of one of her music videos I adore is the one created for her song "Alejandro." She is commonly known for making music videos like short "films" which are made ​​up of creative, controversial and entertaining aspects which combine music, art, fashion and theatre. This is an example of one of these.

Mini analysis of the "Alejandro" music video:

Particularly in this video, a darker color scheme is used to represent her negative feelings towards potential lovers. She also uses mise-en-scene (different, clothes, wigs and make up) to represent different moods towards her lovers such as the sexual and religious references that can be seen throughout. For example, in the ending scene she is dressed in latex which has sexual connotations, but looks like a nun which has connotations of innocence. Therefore a metaphorical statement is promoted  to viewers which may infer that everything, such as love, may not be what it seems. Hence why she says "don't call my name" to the men who trying to attract her attention in the song. These are therefore examples of how Goodwin's conventions are used in music videos, such as this, as the lyrics connect to what is being shown and seen in the music video, which can be viewed below.