Narrative Theory, PROPP

Narrative Theory, STRAUSS

Jamie Thraves Q&A

video

Audience Research, USES AND GRATIFICATION

Jamie Thraves Q&A

A couple of weeks ago our class was lucky enough to have a question and answer session with Jamie Thraves, a music video director, whom I have previously done a case study on.

Here is a video of the answers Jamie gave to our questions.

Audience Research, HYPODERMIC SYRINGE

Audience Research, HALL and MORLEY

OK! Magazine Work Experience

Last week I had a works week experience with the OK! Magazine team. It was a fantastic opportunity and I learnt how to use Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, which are two software packages I can now use confidently within my media coursework for my A2.

Here are a few examples of the work I produced.

BP TV Shoot

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a shoot with BP TV, who I previously met on my work experience with BP.

The shoot was in Milton Keynes and I was up at 5am to begin my day as a runner.

The first half of the shoot was in an office, showcasing happy workers and the side of the company that is business related side of the company.

The second half of the shoot was in a petrol station, that was also an M&S and Wildbean cafe store. This showed more enthusiastic workers and the retail side of BP.

The 3 main parts of equipment which were used was the camera, lighting, and monitor.

Tiring as the day was, it was very enjoyable and has increased my interest in the production and film industry even more.

Woke Experience in BP

This week I completed a weeks work experience with one of the UK's biggest companies, BP, at their Headquarters in Saint James' Square, within the media communications team. This opportunity has allowed me to experience what the media industry is like within in a large corporate company.
My two favourite parts of the week where working with the BP TV team, and the live webcast team.

BP TV

In my time with BP TV I was showcased a variety of their previous work. I was especially amazed by the animation video for the BP Energy Outlook 2035. I believe the high quality rendering and smoothness of the video make it a delight to watch and make a strong, heavy information filled subject easy to watch and understand. 

I also worked with one of the editors who was working on one of the companies videos, which was a tutorial for new petrol station managers. The thing I found extremely different from editing my AS level film opening, was the tracking system he used. To be able to have a first-hand experience with a a professional editor has furthered my passion into wanting a career in this industry.

BP LIVE WEBCASTS

As part of the communications of BP, one way they go about giving information to the whole company is through the use of web casts. The webcast studio controlled all the cameras from the auditorium (where events and talks are held) so that they could create live webcests from their room and not have to take up space in the auditorium. I had a go at controlling, angling and focusing these cameras and had a quick tutorial on how to use all the tech which was used to edit and control the webcasts. I found this enjoyable as it was similar to editing, but live, so it was a little bit more exhilarating however not as in depth then the editing team.

In all, experiencing what it is like to work in a huge corporate company within the media communications showed me that it is not only media-based companies that use these services but also the huge companies such as BP. 

Production Diary 2 - initial ideas

Initial Ideas

Here is our first mind-map that Hannah and I created when we first got our brief. We discussed genres, artists and songs we both like and then some initial ideas we had.

Our Influences

History of Pop

One of the genres I am particularly interested in is 'Pop'. To gain some more knowledge on pop music videos I am going to conduct some research on the history of Pop Music Videos.

1985.

The first video I will look at is WHITNEY HOUSTON - HOW WILL I KNOW

 The first thing I notice watching the video is the bright colours. The colours of the walls are a striking yellow, pink, purple and reds. Whitney wears a plain grey dress, with the backing dancers wearing all black. This centres the attention on whitney, and the dancers, as there outfits do not clash with the background. The outfits are very simplistic  and don't tell much of a story on their own.

Whitney Houston dances down what looks like a maze, bumping into different dancers throughout the way. She then reaches the end, hugs a male dancer and then as the beat changes the shot changes to a close up of Whitney, wearing an oversized headband. She has heavy purple eye makeup and bright pink lips. She is dancing infront of a  coloured screen, still wearing the same black dress.

There is a mid-shot where the dancers are completing a dance routine, The dance moves are very basic and some out of time. The dance routines have a clear link to the style of ballet, contrasting with style of the music. The transitions and shots used within the video are basic and mainly include mid-shots and long shots and quick shot changes. As the lyrics begin, Houston lip syncs along extremely well. It then cuts to a mid shot of Whitney dancing where she looks lost. After this there is a set of 'crazy mirror's which appear. These mirrors are associated with circuses, which are places of fun and laughter. This helps add to the fun of the music video, which is a characteristic to pop music. There is then a sped up scene of a bird-eyes view of the maze. This then creates the theme of a crazy house, relating back to the crazy mirrors.

There is also the use of shadows. The dancers dance behind one of the coloured screens, withe the lights reflected to we can see there silhouettes. I really like this and think it could be used in a mysterious way, although that is not how it has been used here.

One of the costumes that stood out the most to me was one consisting of half a bride dress and half a grooms suit. This is very eye-catching and interesting for the audience. This continues to add a fun element to the video, he then fades out representing her chance of finding someone to marry also vanishing. 

One of the last scenes is Whitney searching through a line of doors, trying to find the man of her dreams. She finally finds him in the last door and then her along with other female dancers break through the doors. Close up shots are used to show the excitement and happiness on their faces. Bright lighting is used to add to joy of the story.

The video ends with a group of the female dancers handing Houston phones. As the music fades out there is a zoom out shot following Houston walk away. There is then a fade to black with the name of the recording label clearly shown. This is shown so people may then go on to find more of their music if they liked that song, and for copyright reasons.

Overall, the music video was bright, loud and fun. The storyline was not heavy and was easy to follow. Whitney remained in the same outfit the whole time and although there was different scenes, only one location was used. I believe the video represented a pop song clearly with the use of fun props and colours. 

2000.

The second video I will look at is 'N SYNC - BYE BYE BYE 

 The music video begins with the title of the song above the background of  a fast moving montage of clips that are in the music video. It then fades to black and we see an old fashioned theatre, with human puppets hanging down in a sepia colour scheme. It then cuts to a coloured crane shot of the puppets being controlled by a female puppeteer. The shots, angles and props are already much more complex then the video from the 1980's which was all very basic angles and locations. The band 'N SYNC are seen as the puppets and complete a styled dance routine which is very effective. 

A minute into the video we once again can see how far technology has came in terms of music videos. The puppeteer cuts the strings and two members of N SYNC are seen as falling down, here a green screen has been used to make it appear that the are falling down whilst a moving image has been put onto the green screen in editing. The green screen has also been used to for when the band are running along the top of a train away from the female. 

It the cuts to another location, where the boy  band are completing a dance routine. The dance moves are different from the 'How Will I Know' video, and are more of the street dance genre. It has been edited so it looks as if one member is walking up walls, defying gravity. The fast pace of the shots represents the genre and speed of the music. The use of the different coloured green screens they are dancing in front of gives the impression of even more locations being used. Whereas in Houston's video only one location was used.

There is much more of a story being told in this video then in the previous one. There are two main parts to the video. The part where the band are running away from the female puppeteer on the train. I believe the metaphor for this is that the woman is controlling there lives and they want to escape, relating to the name of the song 'Bye Bye Bye'. The second part of the video is where they are completing a dance routine within another location, which looks like a box.

A wide variety of angles and shots have been used when showing the dance routine. This creates an interesting image fro the user to look at. For example, some shots appear to have the group dancing on the sides of the wall and upside down. Although this technology seems very basic compared to what we see today there is a noticeable difference from the cuts and editing in this video then in the video studied for the 1980's. Boy bands where very popular in the 1990's and choreographed group dances in videos where very common. This differs to boy bands of this era such as One Direction and The Wanted who are not known for dancing in video's. Throughout the scenes where the band are seen as puppets and the dance routines the members lip sync to the songs well.

GIF

Half way through the video, another member of the group has been cut off the puppet strings. A close up shot has been used to the joy from the female as she cuts the strings. Here we meet another location as lead singer Justin Timberlake lands in what seems to be dark lit warehouse. The low key lighting creates a sense of unknowing and mysteriousness. 

We then see the last two member's being cut down, landing in a car. The music then stops, and for the second time in the video, there is an added in part which is not heard in the song. This is to add details into the music video and would be ignored if the song was played on CD or radio for example. Sound effects of the cars engine have also been added in purely for the music videos purpose.

The video ends with the last two members speeding down a road with the female following. It frequently cuts between the location of the cars racing and the dance routine. As the car's increase with speed the dance routine is also sped up. The distorted angles in the 'box' are still used adding a distorted view for the audience. It also appears much more interesting then just one angle of the group completing a dance routine. 

This video compared to today does not use as much technology and the quality of the video is quite poor. However it clearly portrays a pop genre song through the use of the dance routine and fun, upbeat shots. The whole theme of the puppets also derives from the album title of which the record was released from, called 'No Strings Attached'. This video now has over 98,500,500 hits on youtube.

2014.

The last video I will look at is MARK RONSON - UPTOWN FUNK ft. BRUNO MARS.

 

Uptown funk was a huge hit in 2014, spending 14 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the US Billboard 100 and 7 weeks at number one on the UK Top 40. The catchy song's video has now had over 1,700,000,000 hits on youtube, meaning it is the third most watched video on youtube in the world.

The music video begins with a mid shot of a women walking in time with the beat to the music. We then have a mid shot of the two artists, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, this introduces them to the audience. A close up layer is then added on top of this shot of Ronson, lip syncing to the 'Oooow' which is the main start to the song. This is repeated at the end of the music video, which I believe gives the impression of a finished product.

From the outset we can see that the quality of the cameras has improved hugely since the 2000 video. The industry now has access to higher quality camera and more advanced hardware and software. We then see a variety of wide and mid shots whilst the Mars and his backing dancers approach the camera. This helps set the scene and allows us to familiarise with the characters. 

THE CLOSE UP SHOTS.

We then see the males all in a line watching a variety of females strut past. This relates to Laura Mulveys Male Gaze Theory. We only see the bodys of the women, which objectifys them and gives more attention to the outfits that they are wearing. 

There is then lots of fast pace editing made up of a variety of different angles and shots leading up to the drop of the music. A mid shot is used on the drop of the music and then on the chorus the camera rotates. This camera movement makes it engaging for the viewer and adds a different, fun element to the music video without just using fast pace editing. 

The dance moves are all in time and much more neater and slick then the first music video studied. The choreography consists of moves that look quite laid back and simple but complement the genre well. The simplicity of the dance moves associated with the chorus allows the audience members to copy the video well and if they hear the song and all know the famous dance they will feel more connected to the music video and the artists. Bruno Mars lip syncs wonderfully throughout the music video.

The continuous use of different shots, angles and rotations gives the music video an upbeat feel and always give the audience something to watch. With the bright colours used for both the costume and the location and the large emphasis on the dance routine we can definitely tell that it is a pop genre music video. The quick editing represents and links to the song well. The atmosphere given off by the music video is cool and quirky and it is not a sexual videos like other pop videos seen today (e.g. Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop). 

Near the middle of the video we meet a new location, a hairdresser's. The equipment being used in the salon, along with the outfits and setting already seen, shows the audience that the music video would have been set in the 60s. Ronson appears in the chair next to Mars, and appears throughout the music video in the background, as he is the producer and not the vocalist. This differs to the previous videos studied as they wouldn't have had the producers as well known or appear in the videos. 

At the end of the song we meet another location, a concert. Mars and Ronson and the dancers appear on a stage with flashing lights and instruments singing, dancing and having a great time. If viewers see the artists having fun whilst listening to the song, they will then associate the song with enjoying themselves and join in with the concert they can see on their screens. 

Living in such a fast pace society, it is important that music videos appear interesting to their audience. Due to everything being instant now and the high use of social media, people want to watch something quickly and then move on. For example, the success of VINE (a six second video app) was due to the user being able to quickly see the video and move on. However, as songs last around 3-4 minutes, obviously the music video must also. Therefore, the video needs to keep the viewer engaged and wanting to carry on watching throughout, so that they don't skip it and move on to the next thing.   

Miley Cyrus Star Profile

Whilst researching for my music video, I have decided to study a selection of artists to see how they have developed as performers and changed over the years.

Miley Cyrus is one of the most noticeable characters in the music industry who has significantly changed through out the years. I have created a timeline of the changes Miley Cyrus has gone through, showcasing how she has developed from her innocent image of a Disney Channel Child Star to her new provocative controversial image.

Cyrus was regularly on the scene of red carpets events and in the public eye due to her famous father Billy Ray Cyrus. She comes across as Daddy’s Little Girl.

Miley Cyrus came to stardom when she appeared in the hit show, Hannah Montana which first aired on 24^th March 2006 and ended on 16^th January 2011. Throughout these years the fans of the show watched Cyrus grow up. She transformed from a young girl into a popular, renowned ‘pop-star’.

In 2008 Cyrus opted for a bit more of a darker look when she attended the 50^th Annual Grammy Awards. She wore more makeup then the usual Hannah Montana viewers where used to seeing her with, and her black hair was a long shout from her bleach blonde wig she was known for.

One month later a wax figure at the world famous New York City Maddame Tussauds was revealed of Miley Cyrus. The look shown represented her innocent, youthfullness with her huge gleaming smile.

For Mileys Sweet 16^th in December 2008, she performed at Disneyland promoting Youth Service America. This portrays Cyrus as a caring young girl, as on her birthday she is willing to give to others.

In 2009, life for the Disney Channel star was about to get even more crazy.  Hannah Montana the Movie was released on the 21^st April. The premiere was in Madrid and young girls from all around the world gathered to get a glimpse of their idol. Cyrus was still the joyful, harmless disney star she had always been, except she now more mature, knowing that her actions would be viewed by masses of young people who looked up to her.  However as she grew up very publicly it is no surprise she grew up fast for her age.

In August of 2009, Cyrus released ‘Party In The U.S.A’ which is still seen to be one of her most signature songs. It peaked at number 2 in the Billboard 100 Charts and was reached the top 10 in eight countries. In 2010 Cyrus then released ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ in an attempt to further transition into a more mature image. 

In 2010 the following year, Cyrus appeared in the hit film ‘The Last Song’, where she met Liam Hemsworth. This pair have now been on and off ever since and are a very known couple in the public eye.

Over the next couple of years Miley shed off her Hannah Montana persona also she was still highly recognised with the hit show and always will be as it is where she rose to fame. Her drifting away took a major turn in 2012 when she chopped off her lucious long locks in replace for a short blonde pixie cut.

At the VH1 Divas 2012 Cyrus wore one of her mosy shocking outfits yet. She had a leather two piece on with metal studs, which is highly different from what she wore at the same ceremony in 2009. Cyrus was now becoming more and more known for her shocking outfits. This continued in the year 2013 at the Met Gala in New York City where she wore a sheer mesh dress and her short blonde hair in spikes. Her style now is so extreme compared to her Hannah Montana days, and she openly speaks about how she wants to drop her Hannah Montana character.

The huge change for Miley Cyrus came in the summer of 2013 when she released her album ‘Bangerz’. This was her first contraverial album including her first comeback single ‘We Can’t Stop’. Here Cyrus’s image changed hugely. She is seen twerking, dancing sexually and acting in an extremely different way then people where used to seeing her. This obvioulsy caught the attention of shocked viewers. Miley created such a big shock to step away from her Hannah Montana roots. Shortly after she released ‘We Can’t Stop’, Cyrus releases ‘Wrecking Ball’. This was another song which shocked viewers, mainly due to the nature of the music video. The video see’s Cyrus walking around in the underwear hitting walls with hammers. However, in some senses it is less sexual then the ‘We Can’t Stop’ video and we see Cyrus’s  sensitive side.

Mileys most rememberable perfomance was the 2013 VMA’S. This was her first TV public appearance since the release of her album and she was ready to shock the world. She came out of a huge Teddy Bear and danced provactively. The biggest shock to add to this was when Robin Thicke came out and this scene has lead to some very infamous scenes related to Miley, including her twerking, foam finger, latex two piece and poked out tongue. This performance was spoken about for months after, which is clearly what Cyrus set out to do. After this perfomance people had stopped comparing her to the childhood star she was previously known for.

Her craziness has since carried on and she now has 45.6million followers on her instagram, where she constant uploads shocking, contraversial and wild pictures. She frequently uploads pictures naked, showing drug use and wearing flamboyant eye-catching clothes. The pictures are a huge change from what Hannah Montana fans would have expected.



Cyrus uploaded a picture with the following caption...

The caption, along with the picture of Cyrus smoking weed whilst watching Hannah Montana, shows how much Miley wants to get away from the label of Hannah Montana. She goes to the extreme of  saying ‘Even though HM is chopped up into little tiny pieces and buried in my backyaed she will always hold a very special place in my heart’. Cyrus has gone to huge extremes to block out her Hannah Montana image. However all her efforts have worked and she is now associated as one of the leading females in the pop industry.