Editing

I have began uploading the footage from my video camera to the computer and have begun editing it. I just need to remember to get an MP3 version of She's Always A Woman so that I can start fitting my clips to the song.

Weekend

On Saturday and Sunday I was visiting family and took my video camera along as I thought I might be a good opportunity to capture some clips for the home-video section of my music video. This was successful. I videoed a mother and her 3 month old baby, a family photo centered around the grandma, a mother encouraging her young son to eat his meal, a middle aged couple cuddling, and various others. I videoed a lot more than what I probably need as this made more sense with regards to editing as it would be better to have more than to have not enough.

Filming

(I had done this post on the 9th December but it saved as a draft rather than uploaded - I have only just realised)

Here are some images I took from Guild Hall. The filming was successful and I managed to record all of the piano sequences I had planned and will now begin the editing process. I also got a few images for my digipak and website.

Font Questionnaire

Here is my questionnaire for the digipak font. I have printed off 15 copies and will post the results later today or tomorrow.

I have printed off a copy of my storyboard so that David knows exactly the kind of thing I want him to do.

What I Have Been Working On

In the time leading up to my filming day today I have been simultaneously working on my website research and creating a questionnaire for the font which will be on my digipak. During filming today I will also get some images that I could  use for my digipak and website and because I have already began this process, it will just be a case of putting the font and image together.

Filming Tomorrow

I have been in touch with David to double-check he is still ok to film at Guild Hall tomorrow. I have swapped video cameras as the one I had needed to be plugged in to work and this probably wouldn't be very practical for Guild Hall.

The plan is to film David singing/miming to She's Always A Woman from about 5 different angles, and then film a few close-ups of just his hands playing the piano in case I need to fill a few seconds up when it comes to editing.

I am also going to take a camera so I can get some images for my digipak and website.

Today's Lesson

In today's lesson I am going to begin drafting my digipak and creating questionnaires with regards to font etc.

Results At Last!

My cousin David got back to me today about filming at Guild Hall. He has got it booked for the 6th December from 1pm-4pm. This is a massive relief as I was starting to worry when I would actually get to film the piano and miming section of my video. He has some lights so he is going to fetch them with him and I have informed him on what he needs to wear. Fortunately, David is a Billy Joel fan so he knows how to play She's Always A Woman and the lyrics.

Columbia Records - No Reply

It has been almost a month since I e-mailed Columbia Records asking for permission to use She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel for my music video. I have not received a reply so I am going to go ahead and use the song anyway. As I will only be using it for educational purposes I can't see there being a problem with this.

Things To Do

I need to get these things done by 11th December:

• Storyboards
• Two different drafts of my Digipak front and back cover
• One draft of the digipak insert
• A draft of my website - With necessary research
• Plans and outlines of film and shoot days
• Still/screenshots of filming and photography (for digipak and website)

E-mail To Ellie and Jack

Here is a copy of the e-mail I sent to a couple of people about being in my video.

"Hello!

As you both probably already know, I am making a music video for my A Level Media coursework and wanted to know if you would be willing to be in it.
I need to be able to show a couple holding hands walking down a street and kissing, so you two were my first choice with you already being in a relationship (it would avoid any awkwardness haha).
You don’t need to act for the camera as such because the video is supposed to be in the style of home-movies so pretending the camera isn’t there would have the better effect and I would only need to film you for 20/30 seconds at the most.
I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing it so please be honest if you would rather not but I would be very grateful for the help!
Let me know your decision.
Thanks.

Beth"

They both replied saying that they would be in my video! I'm going to organise a couple of hours with them to film this section of my video in the next few days while I am waiting for David to sort Guild Hall.

E-mailing Students

Today I am going to e-mail a few students who I think might be willing to take part in my music video. I want to be able to film a couple holding hands/kissing etc and then a group of friends sat round talking so hopefully the students will agree to being filmed for the video.

Costume

Filming At Guild Hall

I have spoke to my cousin this weekend and we are looking at arranging to use Guild Hall's facilities for sometime between the 26th-30th November. He has said to leave to him to sort it with them as I can be free anytime whereas he has his work schedule to fit it around.

Storyboard

Guild Hall

As of yet, David has not heard back from Guild Hall yet about a day I would be able to film there. So whilst I wait I am finishing off my storyboard and enquiring about other people who would be willing to be in my video.

Potential Location

I spoke to my cousin David on the phone last night to ask him whether he would be willing to be in my music video. As he sings and plays the piano for a living I thought he would be an ideal choice. He agreed to be in the video. We spoke about whether the song would best be suited to someone playing a keyboard or a grand piano and came to the conclusion that a piano was probably more suitable. The problem arose however that a grand piano isn't the easiest of instruments to get hold of let alone move to an ideal location. But then David said how he performs quite regularly at Guild Hall in Hull and he said he would get in touch with them and see about me possibly being able to use their grand piano and actually film in Guild Hall. Hopefully he'll be able to pull this off as it would be a great location to film the piano/singing shots for my video.

E-mail

I have only just realised that I never uploaded the screenshot of the e-mail I sent to Columbia Records. I meant to upload it but forgot to do it at home as school computers don't let you see images on the blog.

As of yet I haven't recieved a reply.

Today's Lesson

Today we looked over the footage we filmed for the weather report in front of the green screen and was shown how to edit the green background into any image or video we wanted.

I was quite surprised at just how simple this process was and will definitely have a look at seeing whether I can use the green screen for my video.

Tonight I will be taking home my recording equipment so that I can capture some footage over the half-term holiday.

Green Screen

On Thursday's lesson we will be looking at the new green screen and recording a short weather report so that we can learn how to use the green screen most effectively.

Then on Friday's lesson we will be using the editing software to put together the weather report.

This will be useful for us to see what we are capable of producing with this new piece of equipment.

Next...

What I have left to do before we leave for half-term next Friday:

• E-mail Columbia Records to ask for permission to use She's Always A Woman.
• Storyboard the first minute of my video.
• Look into who would be willing to be in my music video.

Questionnaire Results

Here are the results of my questionnaire. I handed them out to 20 people so that way I could get a more definite idea of what people expect from an easy-listening music video.

Handing Out Questionnaire

I am now handing out my questionnaire and will upload the results later today. By doing this I will know what people expect of an easy-listening video and this will help me with storyboarding my video before I go off for half term.

Questionnaire

Mood Boards

Here is my mood boards for 'She's Always A Woman To Me' by Billy Joel.

Song Decision Made

I have decided to produce a music video for the song She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel. I think realistically I will be more able to produce this video than the Neil Sedaka one. I think my idea for the Billy Joel video is much stronger, more realistic and I think it matches the song really well.

I will upload my mood boards for the video by the end of today and have my questionnaire results uploaded by the end of this week.

Digipak Analysis 4 - Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday

The cover for ‘Pink Friday’ by Nicki Minaj features the reoccurring motif we have become familiar with of this artist. Audiences are able to relate certain, colours, symbols and trends to a certain artist. For example, Nicki Minaj is dressed in a very extravagant costume as she is renowned for her unusual and risqué attire. It also reflects her eccentric personality.

Nicki Minaj’s body on the image is perfection and almost doll-like. This is reflective of Laura Mulvey’s theory of male gaze and that using a female’s attractiveness helps to draw in a more demographic audience.

Also, the colour pink is used predominantly throughout this digipak which links with the album’s title ‘Pink Friday’. Pink is also a popular colour Minaj tends to wear in videos and at appearances. Nicki Minaj is a hip-hop artist and almost all of her songs include her both rapping and singing. This genre of music tends to be dominated by males more than females and so I think the perhaps overuse of the colour pink on the album cover is to emphasise the fact she is a female artist.

The word ‘Pink’ is in pink to match the obvious connotations of the work and the actual font of the word is more handwritten and girly to further reiterate that this is a hip-hop album produced by a female artist.

The back of the album cover uses the same colour scheme as the cover to be in keeping with the house style of this digipak. The main image is of Minaj again wearing the same clothing as on the front cover but just in a different pose.

The track listing is in simple white font; this keeps the focus on Nicki Minaj.

Again, the exaggerated use of the colour pink is very feminine and innocent emphasising that this hip-hop album is produced by a female artist. 



Memory Stick

In between doing my digipaks I have been trying to complete my mood boards and questionnaire. I had started doing them but the files have somehow vanished from my memory stick. The mood boards and my questionnaire are almost done and I have finished all of my digipaks now and just need to upload my final one at home as I can't see images on my blog at school.

Digipak Analysis 3: Nirvana - Nevermind

As I am going through these different digipaks I have noticed a common convention of rock/alternative rock albums is that an image of the band does not feature on the cover of the album. It is more common for it to be an abstract, political or controversial image to reflect the rebellious or unique stereotype.

The cover image for 'Nevermind' by Nirvana is of a baby trying to grab a dollar in the water. This could show the lack of innocent or the baby represents life and seeing as he is trying to get money means that life revolves around getting money. The fact the dollar is attached to a fishing line it also shows that money reels people in. Therefore the bands view of money is obviously negative and their resentment to money and power.

The bands logo is on the front and in fairly large writing. As it is black it also stands off from the blue background. The title of the album 'Nevermind' is writing in a wave style font in keeping with the water theme of the cover.

The back cover interlinks with the front as the water theme is continued. The water could be used to represent freedom and this would coincide with Nirvana's non conformist attitude. The image on the back features a photograph of a rubber monkey in front of a collage created by Kurt Cobain (frontman). The collage features photos of raw beef from a supermarket advertisement, images from Dante's Inferno, and pictures of diseased vaginas from Cobain's collection of medical photos. 

Nirvana are no strangers to abstract images on their album and also some that would offend people. This is because they were adamant to alienate any form of popular chart music of the time and were a grunge band -  noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics.

Digipak Analysis 2: Muse - The Resistance

The cover of The Resistance by Muse is filled with lots of bright and vibrant colours. This not only makes the cover stand out but it could also suggest that the album is more upbeat. 

The shape on the front of the album is round and almost earth like. This could represent the scale of Muse’s popularity and that album is to be listened worldwide. 

The only text on the front is ‘Muse’ and ‘The Resistance’. ‘Muse’ is in bigger writing than ‘The Resistance’ to show that the band is more significant. The positioning of the band’s name is important too as it is in the top left-hand corner – a more visible and noticeable place than ‘The Resistance’ in the bottom right-hand corner. 

A common convention of Muse albums is obviously the Muse logo which also appears on the cover of 'The Resistance'.

The image on the back of the cover severely contrasts the front cover image as it is black and white. The image is of the band walking and as its the only image it shows their importance. The image is also blurred slightly but the text clearer which could suggest the emphasis on the songs rather than the individuals of the band; as though the musicians are solely focussed on making music. 

The track listing is in simple font so its easy to read and the colours seem to sweep across the text area with blue in one corner and red in the other (the text in the middle is all the colours in between). This interlinks with the colours used on the cover. 

Digipak Analysis 1: Coldplay - Viva La Vida

The image on the front of the album is a painting by Eugene Deloeroix and named 'Liberty Leading the People', and is a painting of the revolution of France in 1830. This gives the impression that the album could have a political theme with strong messages coming through in their songs. It also shows the desire for freedom.

A convention the album cover does however break is that the name of the band does not appear anywhere. This indicates that the band doesn't need to state their name in order for the album to sell and for people to know who it is by.

The title of the album is ‘Viva La Vida’ which means ‘Live the Life’.

This unique front cover reflects on the band's unique sound and the genre of music they fit into - alternative rock.

The back cover of the digipak is in a classic and formal style with the track listing central. It is quite a contrast to the front cover which is more hectic. The background is plain black and with the writing being in gold it suggests high quality music. Also the colour gold suggests wealth and that people who aren’t rich can enjoy.

Next..

I haven't decided whether I want to produce a video for Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka, or a video for She's Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel. I am going to create mood boards, questionnaires and possibly even a story board and then in a week or so's time I will make an educated decision as to which one I want to do.

She's Always A Woman Lyrics

Calendar Girl Lyrics

These are my annotated lyrics for Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka. A few lines have been left blank as I need to work out the timings of each line to see if its possible to fit in a different scene. For example, after the birthday scene in September, I need to decide if it would overflow into the following month or if there is enough time to show a Halloween related scene for October.

5 Song Shortlist - No.4

The fourth song on my shortlist is She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel. It was released in 1977 and is from the album The Stranger.  It is a love song about a modern woman, with whom he falls in love for her quirks as well as her flaws. I do think however that this song is open to interpretation and could be about any relationship involving women, i.e mother, daughter, grandma, auntie, friend etc.

(VIDEO)

My idea for this music video is to have the artist sat at a piano playing and miming to the song. I'd then have clips in the style of a 'home movie' of the different relationships with woman. So, a mother with a baby, or with her young children, a couple, a grandma and her grandchildren, friends etc. Behind the artist playing the piano would be a wall filled with photos of the same people in the clips of the different relationships.

5 Song Shortlist - No.3

I have spent a lot of time looking through various different songs from the 1960s hoping a song would stand out. I even got out all of my vinyl collection which proved useful as I found the song Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka. The song was released in 1960 and reached #4 on the US Billboard chart in 1961. In the lyrics, Neil recites the months of the year and explains how events throughout the year give him reasons to celebrate the love he has for his girlfriend. The events primarily relate to Western and American holidays. Despite the song being incredibly cheesy, almost immediately I had an idea for a music video.

It would be centred around the same girl mimicking the lyrics to each month. For example, "(August) When you're on the beach you steal the show", the 'calendar girl' would be wearing some form of swimming costume, sunglasses and with a towel. Or, "(March) I'm gonna march you down the aisle", she would be wearing a white dress (doesn't have to look exactly like a wedding dress) and with a bouquet of flowers. In some of the months, the artist can feature to make the shot make more sense, eg "(June) They'll let me take you to the Junior Prom", a shot of the couple together would be appropriate here. When it gets to the chorus of the song the artist would be the only one in the shot singing. He'd be dressed in a suit with quiffed hair.

I'd try my hardest to keep the video in the 1960s meaning, appropriate clothing, hairstyles and I would try and alter different colour effects to make the video appear as though it was produced in the 1960s.

The song does not have an existing video as official music videos were not introduced in the 1960s. This means that my idea would be completely original and wouldn't be influenced by an exisiting video.

5 Song Shortlist - No.2

The second song I have picked for my shortlist is Old Red Eyes Is Back by The Beautiful South. The track is from 0898 and was released in February 1992.



The lyrics are about a man named 'Old Red', clearly a man suffering with alcoholism. The verses detail Old Red's drinking habits and how it is affecting his health; "He pours another drink and listens to his body thaw" before the final verse announces; "Old Red he died..." The chorus reminisces about the things he has sacrificed for his drink "...all the things I could have done instead" The subject matter is a common theme throughout the Beautiful South's material, but 'Old Red Eyes Is Back' is arguably the most graphic account of the perils of alcoholism amongst their song catalogue.

The idea I had for a music video for this song would be both performance/narrative. The narrative would be solely centred around Old Red in various different locations: a bedroom with a floor littered with empty bottles, a park, outside an off licence, in a pub. He'd be dressed in shabby clothing and never without a bottle of whiskey/vodka. The video would be interspersed during the verses (not the chorus) with the artist sat at a piano singing the song.

The only problem I can see with this video is that it would be really hard to not have a similar concept as the original video to this song, purely by the nature of the lyrics. I'd be constantly comparing mine to the original and so would others.

5 Song Shortlist - No,1

The first song I have chosen for my shortlist is Born In The U.S.A by Bruce Springsteen. The song is from his seventh studio album Born In The U.S.A and was released on the 30th October 1984.




The concept for the music video I came up with was purely from the title of the song "Born In The U.S.A. It involves getting a group of people of all ages and dressing them up as an iconic Americans )eg Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe etc) and then each singing a section of the song. I've seen a few videos that incorporate this style, a popular one being Rockstar by Nickelback. I love the way the video looks and the style gives you a great opportunity to have a comical element. This type of video would be categorised as performance. The song also has a great drum beat at the beginning so I would try and incorporate drums into the video. I would be likely to end this video with the last section of the song being sung by the actual artist so that viewers can easily make the connection between video and artist.

Song Ideas

Throughout the holidays I have been researching into the different videos, different genres of music produce. For my video, I am most likely to do a song from the 80s or 90s as this is my most familiar period of music. A few artists I have been researching are The Smiths, Oasis, The Beautiful South, New Order, Joy Division, Bruce Springsteen and The Cure. I have also been looking at music from the 60's as I wouldn't constantly be comparing my video to the original because none of them had videos. Billy Fury and Jerry Lee Lewis have been my favourites so far. Lastly, I briefly looked at 21st century music as this would be unknown territory with me not being a massive fan of modern music so it would be more challenging to do a video for this era of music.

Music Video Conventions - Genres

U2 Video Analysis

Music Videos

There are three main genres of music videos; performance, narrative and abstract.

Performance Video
Performance videos are usually more suited to rock/pop music and the focus is always on the performers and them performing the song. These types of videos are the easiest to produce and require the least amount of planning.

An example of a performance video would be 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Divison. The video is simple the band performing the single in what looks like a shabby bare room in an abandoned house.

http://www.muzu.tv/joydivision/love-will-tear-us-apart-music-video/994763/

Narrative Video
Narrative videos are suited to most genres of music. As the name narrative suggests, the video is based around a story and often rarely has anything to do with the song. They generally have a unique and distinctive twist. For example The Scientist by Coldplay, the story in the video is shown in reverse.

Another example of a narrative video is 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran. This video is unique in the sense the video directly relates to the lyrics as the video is about a prostitute trying to fund her drug addiction.

http://www.muzu.tv/edsheeran/the-a-team-music-video/974075/

Abstract Video
Abstract videos are usually detached from the music and lyrics. There are a series of seemingly unconnected images that fit the pace of the music. Abstract videos tend to suit most genres and in particular the less mainstream indie artists.

An example of an abstract video is 'Blue Monday' by New Order. The only way the video relates to the music is the pace in which it is edited and there are some images that have the lyrics on the screen. The rest of the video is made up of random and unrelated things such as a dog sat on a stack of chairs etc.

http://www.muzu.tv/neworder/blue-monday-88-music-video/994756/

Across all videos, they are generally built on money and image. The record label require a certain level of intimacy between performer and viewer.

In some cases, music videos can reference other forms of media, other videos and parodying real life. For example, R.E.M.'s 'Bad Day video' incorporates a news broadcast. Also, Shania Twain's 'Man I Feel Like A Woman' video directly links with the video to 'Addicted To Love' by Robert Palmer as it basically the same except the singer is a woman and she is surrounded by men playing instruments.

A2 Portfolio Task

Our new portfolio task for Y13 is to create a music video, website homepage and digipak (album cover).

There will be a lot of research involved for this task. In particular, I will have research a great deal into different existing music videos, common conventions and reoccurring styles for the different genres of music.

I will also have to pick a song I want to produce a music video for and actually stick to that song – I have been told this is the hardest part.

I will need a copy of the lyrics for my chosen song, and if a video has already been released for the song, I will need to make sure I have watched the video.

The skills I have learnt in AS will be particularly useful – especially blogger as this, like the year before, will be a means of uploading my research and planning and letting the examiner see the process I went through to create my video. I will also use PowerPoint and Word to present my research/planning. Slideshare will also be useful as I will need it to be able to upload documents to Blogger.

I think A2 will be a major step up from AS and I will definitely have to focus on making sure I manage my time well as there are a lot of elements that make up the coursework side of this year’s course.