Consumption of Music Videos

With the ever-growing modern age, music videos are being consumed at a growing rate. Music tracks are also being streamed more and more each year. In 2015 America streamed roughly 135 billion songs, nearly two times more than 2014. However 75 billion of these streams were with video form, cementing music video's place in the market.

The spectacular rise in the popularity of music-video streaming can be attributed to two factors. First, people simply enjoy the whole experience more than plain audio. Second, they can stream an almost unlimited number of music videos through sites like YouTube without having to dig into their pockets. Even those subscriptions services that do offer music videos, such as Apple’s Apple Music and Jay-Z’s Tidal, might have a tough time competing with free even with exclusive content (Apple has Taylor Swift’s 1989, while Tidal has content from owner/artists including Rihanna).

Regarding our own music video, we hope to upload it to YouTube (like most artists) and hope our audience can consume it there.

Reveiw of Filming

Overall I think the filming went well. We filmed in our respective locations on three different occasions. Firstly we filmed in the abandoned building. The location was perfect for an apocalyptic feel, and emphasised the feel of abandonment. Although it was cold we filmed in under 3 hours, and managed to get the cast to and from the location.

Our next filming day was in Thetford Forrest. This was a considerable time after the first shoot as we had to organise the day through school hours and peoples frees, and also travel. Luckily it worked out well for us as we managed to arrange cars and also a 4 hour slot that everybody could film for. The day went smoothly and we managed to film even though the light began to go later in the day.

Finally our last shoot was in the school basement. This was no doubt the easiest shoot out of the three. Me, Meghan and Charlie managed to film within an hour, mostly because it was on school grounds. We were able to get some old equipment to throw at the wall, along with other props from the basement. Once again this went smoothly, and when re-watched, fit in perfectly with our narrative.

Script: Final

We made no changes:

Final Location

Finally we decided to visit Pontins after attemping to contact the owners of the site. Unfortunately we were sent away by a site manager telling us it was unsafe to enter, even the outsides of the camp.

After attempting to use the holiday camp Pontins in Great Yarmouth, I found out there was an abandoned building close by near the train station.






The dense forest was perfect for our running scenes and also created a sense of mystery throughout the music video. The light was patchy at times but overall it worked well with our narrative and can easily be used in our video, either as raw footage or as an edited version in After Effects.

Vlog #1

This is our first video diary discussing our idea so far and updates on locations and cast. We talk about the issues with our cast and how we are attempting to overcome the situation.

Final Characters and Cast

Whilst we remained with the same characters as initially decided upon, we dramatically changed our casting as we were unable to arrange for actors from Sandra Reynolds. The actor playing the strong willed character is Zoë Desgland. We chose Zoë as, being an A Level drama student, she'd had previous experience performing to an audience and in front of a camera as all of their exams are filmed. She would therefore also have a good critical understanding of her role, and we needed someone who could adapt their characterisation to suit any idiosyncrasies we wanted them to fit in. Thinking of the costume of Zoë's character, we wanted her to wear dark colours, and dress very practically, as this illustrates her determined and "tough" character.

We chose Charlie Frazer to play the role of our intelligent character due to him also having acting experience. He, also, is currently doing a drama A-Level and has recently starred as the leading role in The Maddermarket's George's Marvellous Medicine, therefore he will be used to following a script and direction and will have the versatility needed to play any given role. In the interview, he came across as confident, calm and quite willing which we found very important as we needed him to play the role convincingly under time constraints and the pressure of performing in front of a camera with the rest of the cast as onlookers. In regards to costume for Charlie's character we wanted his clothing to hold connotations of intelligence and be able to convey this in the short frames of time the audience would see him, so we decided in particular that in semiotic terms glasses were a feature we definitely wanted to use.

We then had issues surrounding the casting of the leader, finding it essential to have someone with prior acting experience. The only other drama students in our school other than the afore mentioned Zoë and Charlie, are Abigail Lewis and myself (Meghan Kelly), and because of Abigail having issues with attending filming due to prior commitments with dance, we decided I would have to play the role. However, given I also am doing a drama A-Level, and have experience with LAMDA grades it did mean I would be comfortable performing, and I would undoubtedly have an understanding of the role being part of the creative process. The costume of this character, we wanted to be a middle ground of the two others, with a practical approach to the way they dress, but displaying a lighter side with literally lighter clothing.

Location

For our film we plan to film in roughly two locations, one a forest/woodland area, and another in a rundown building (preferably abandoned). For the forest type area we plan to film at Thetford Forest which is fairly local, and has an open meadow type area we can film the last shots.


Our second location consists of an abandoned building. Naturally this is more difficult to find but we managed to find Sovereign House based in Anglia Square. Built in the late 1960's the building used to be a HM Stationary Office before being written for demolishment in 2012.

Setting Research

In works of narrative (especially fictional), the setting includes both the time and geographic location in which the story takes place. A literary element, the setting helps initiate the main backdrop and mood for a story.

Script: First Draft

SW running, runs through a puddle.

Timings

To match our storyboard we created a list of times that synced with the song and the length of 3 minutes 27 seconds long.

0-23 seconds -> establishing shots (ref Rashimon)
23-45 seconds -> characters taken away (change character on beat)
45-1:01 seconds -> in their respective locations (interrogation)
1:01-1:21 seconds -> running (cuts between the beat)
1:21-1:40 seconds -> planning escapes
1:40-1:58 seconds -> escape (split screen)
1:58-2:17 seconds -> running
2:17-2:37 seconds -> slowmo flashback
2:37-2:55 seconds -> running
2:55-3:15 seconds -> out of forest (cut on 'na's)
3:15-3:24 seconds -> trio meet and face back to back
3:24-3:27 seconds -> wide shot of guards running towards them (ends on cliffhanger)

Storyboard

Student Music Videos

Canopy Climbers - Stuck

https://youtu.be/mkJXibuJYF0

Firstly the time lapse is incredibly effective in both the narrative and setting the scene. The narrative is unique and well shot, along with the various camera angles and effects. It's clear there was a lot of time gone into this video, seen by the lighting and effects. The miming for example is set in a room with a lamp, emphasised by the time of day, allows us to learn about the narrative and story line behind the lyrics. The cross cutting to the miming from the character significant as it allows you to follow the story as well as feel the emotion and mood of the character.


Tove Lo - Habitats

https://youtu.be/C77ZJj1tkVs

Firstly the music video is already effective by the use of time lapse and the location of London. Clearly the narrative is based on city life, and the hardships of a relationship in this setting. The mixture of shots really highlights the struggles of the character, and the ongoing narrative. When lip syncing I felt the actor was a little off a times, and would not constantly look at the camera, however this is personal preference. Also the editing of the footage with the beat of the music makes it more effective, and something we wish to try in our own video.


Labrinth - Express Yourself

One Minute Section of a Music Video

Hayley Kiyoko - Gravel to Tempo (0:00 - 1:00)

https://youtu.be/XOm2rGwmhWg

Within this one minute, it's clear to see the video is well thought out and has a unique narrative. Firstly we are introduced to our main character (played by Kiyoko herself) who is miming the lyrics as she enters the school. We are also introduced to a 'popular' group of girls, who seem to be the antagonists of the video. This goes against conventions of your typical music video as the main character is female, along with the antagonists, which is rare.

Next the setting is an American school, which is fairly common in music videos. The setting is light and filled with various props of a typical school, adding to the realism.

We also get various camera angles, such as close ups, pans and tracking shots. These are typical in most music videos as it gives variety for the audience, and different ways the music video can be filmed. The close ups mainly focus on the characters when introducing them to the audience, again typical in most videos.

Finally the clip conforms to the character miming along to the lyrics, something which various artists use in their work. It gives a sense of realism but also can be used to break the fourth wall.

Success in Music Videos

What constitutes "success" for a particular media text in music videos?

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiUjcLOhabSAhWjF8AKHZhwCX0Q3ywIHjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhG6oy46qKE4&usg=AFQjCNGg8GIzPtDwv1exvgL0VaeM9UL4mA&sig2=R8bg9b-MXyshXqG27pBOWQ

The music video Thriller, Michael Jackson, is successful due to the intriguing exposition at the beginning, thereby drawing the audience in and making them more attached to the characters. It is an original concept, that comes as an unexpected twist. The plot complements the music as when the suspense is at it's highest the chorus begins, and the dance of which has become iconic. So, in order to be successful, the video had to be interesting, original, and the narrative had to suit the song.

Auditions

https://youtu.be/mlVbzY5oyu4

Character Research

The particular combination of qualities in a person or place that makes them different from others.
In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes the actions of the protagonist is the antagonist. Characterisation is the process of how the author presents the character in order to make them seem real to the reader.

Initial Character and Casting Ideas

For our cast we originally planned to hire the three main actors from the Sandra Reynolds website (http://www.sandrareynolds.co.uk/). We picked out three actors who resembled our fictional characters we created, and how they matched our original visions:

Character One: The Leader


We wanted this character as we feel they would contribute to the development of the other characters by acting as a controlled figure, and a combination of the two extremes of the other characters.

Character Two: Strong Willed


We wanted to have two characters other than the "leader" who would have more extreme characteristics. We wanted to have a strong willed character would challenge the antagonists, and catalyse the conflict whilst being an interesting character themselves.

Chapter Three: Intelligence/Clever


We wanted to have an intelligent character who would appear quite clumsy and awkward to give balance to the group.

However, we decided against this due to difficulty finding actors that both suited our roles, and were able to travel to the locations without problem.

Initial Ideas

Once deciding our song choice, we noted down some ideas that we created after analysing the lyrics.

Multiple people (tight-knit friend group/ family)

Footage

When deciding upon the structure of our music video, in regards to footage, we had three options open to us:

Song Choice

Song choice is a vital element in creating a music video as both of us had to be excited by the song prospects enough to be able to create an original music video that fulfilled the standards we have for our final product.To decide on a song Meghan and I decided to list some songs each, and then eliminate them together. Listed below are the original songs we listed before the final one was chosen:

1. What’s up? - 4 Non Blondes


6. All These Things I've Done - The Killers

7. The Kids Aren't Alright - Fall Out Boy

8. Smile - Mikky Ekko

We whittled down our options by considering the genre of music we wanted. We first decided that we wanted a modern song, thereby reducing our list to the following:

1. This is Gospel - Panic! At The Disco

2. Gravel to Tempo - Hayley Kiyoko

3. Migraine - Twenty One Pilots

4. The Kids Aren't Alright - Fall Out Boy

5. Smile - Mikky Ekko

And then decided we wanted an alternative song as we wanted the structure that comes with most pop songs (with a strong chorus and calmer verses), but with a focus on the lyrics that we felt was more present in alternative music.

This made our list much more concise and, finally, we chose from the following songs:

1. Gravel to Tempo - Hayley Kiyoko

2. Migraine - Twenty One Pilots

3. Smile - Mikky Ekko

We decided against Gravel to Tempo as, having watched the music video, the narrative was too similar to that of which we were considering for the song, and we didn't feel as if we could interpret the song any differently. We then eliminated Migraine as we decided we couldn't adequately and appropriately cover the topic the song discusses.

Due to this we decided Smile, by Mikky Ekko was the best choice. The structure of the song and the fast paced chorus complements the ideas we have for a narrative, the lyrics are quite ambiguous in their intentions leaving it up to us to find our own interpretation, and we felt that the idea we have for it is an original and creative one.

Music Video Research

To create our own music video we needed to find some inspiration. Below are music videos listed that we found inspiration from for our own version.


Mikky Ekko - Smile:

https://youtu.be/e0RFirBWQsE

From the original video we were inspired by the setting and use of camera angles. Because this is the original video for our song, we're trying to deviate from the video as much as possible, but still maintain a similar connection.

Panic! At The Disco - LA Devotee:

https://youtu.be/r5dNcKTcnPA

Like before, we were heavily inspired by the setting and use of montages throughout the video. Also the narrative is similar to ours, following a young boy who's seemingly been kidnapped by a group of individuals. The fast paced montages is something we'd like to create in ours, but instead it would be them running instead of related imagery.

Narrative Research

A narrative or story is any report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, and/or still or moving images.

Narrative can be organised in a number of thematic and/or formal categories: non-fiction (such as definitively including creative non-fiction, biography, journalism, transcript poetry, and historiography); fictionalisation of historical events (such as anecdote, myth, legend, and historical fiction); and fiction proper (such as literature in prose and sometimes poetry, such as short stories, novels, and narrative poems and songs, and imaginary narratives as portrayed in other textual forms, games, or live or recorded performances).
Narrative music videos are those that tell a story. There are many different ways a story can be told in a music video. A narrative can be edited alongside the performance of the artist so that the video cuts back and forth between elements of performance and narrative. Sometimes the artist can be involved in the narrative in some way and can even be lip synching as they act in the narrative. In other examples the artist can be performing in the same location as the narrative is occurring. Having a narrative generally means there is a clear beginning, middle and end but sometimes narratives can be a bit more abstract and actually the narrative progresses very little from the start to the finish.

Narrative music videos are those that tell a story. There are many different ways a story can be told in a music video. A narrative can be edited alongside the performance of the artist so that the video cuts back and forth between elements of performance and narrative. Sometimes the artist can be involved in the narrative in some way and can even be lip syncing as they act in the narrative. In other examples the artist can be performing in the same location as the narrative is occurring. Having a narrative generally means there is a clear beginning, middle and end but sometimes narratives can be a bit more abstract and actually the narrative progresses very little from the start to the finish.


Theorists:

Vladimir Propp broke up fairy tales into sections. Through these sections he was able to define the tale into a series of sequences that occurred within the Russian fairy tale. Usually there is an initial situation, after which the tale usually takes the following 31 functions. Vladimir Propp used this method to decipher Russian folklore and fairy tales. First of all, there seems to be at least two distinct types of structural analysis in folklore. 

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.
There are five stages the narrative can progress through:
1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
2. A disruption of that order by an event.
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

History of Music Videos

Back in the 1960s, few acts recorded music videos. There was no MTV, and in an age of endless touring, artists couldn’t often make it to TV studios to perform. Having flirted with the idea of promotional films for their songs lifted from the movies, A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, The Beatles later recorded a series of promotional films for their singles after giving up touring in 1966.

While “I Am The Walrus” might be the most well-known Beatles “video” from this time, it’s the “Strawberry Fields Forever” promo film that is most important, featuring reverse, slow motion, fades, camera filters and slow mixes, and a collection of unusual, slightly imposing camera angles.

Queen’s revolution of the music video, an experiment that the band repeated again and again with some fascinating results (such as “Radio Gaga” and “Innuendo”) kick-started a new aspect to the music industry, one that spawned the world’s most famous TV channel and the most famous video of all, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

Although MTV now shies away from its former role – partly out of pretensions of legitimacy as a producer of TV shows, and partly because its owners fear the competition of YouTube – it will forever be synonymous with the pop music scene of the 1980s and 1990s.

A2 Breif

Evaluation

Shooting Schedule

Final Location

Final Cast

Auditions

Final Plot Ideas

The fundamental basis of the plot is the relationship between the two protagonists. They come from two very different backgrounds, and are separated as a consequence of this. The content of the video shows them decide to fight against their families, and be together.

Final Storyboard

Video Analysis

Location

Another pivotal aspect of our preliminary task is our locations. Due to our conditions, we would have to film outside and with a scene on the beach. As a result of this, it narrowed down our location ideas drastically to a niche range. Here is some ideas of locations we are considering to use:

Casting Ideas

For our casting we decided upon some requirements for our two protagonists; we want them to be people who have had experience in acting as, with a music video, all they will have to be capable of demonstrating emotions and conveying thoughts without the need for speech. We also want them to have had experience specifically in front of a camera, as whether or not they have acting experience, if they are uncomfortable on camera they will neither enjoy the experience, nor be able to act to their best abilities when we film. If possible (although it was decided that this is not a priority), we hope to find a real couple, as this would add to the realism and ensure the two actors are able to comfortably show affection to one another.

Lyrical Annalysis

Tried to keep you close to me
But life got in between
Tried to square not being there
But think that I should have been

Format