Audience Research #2: Interviews

My audience research implies that:
- Our audience do not watch many music videos
- There is a 50:50 ratio in their preference between narrative and artistic styled music videos
- The majority believe that a forest is a good place to film an alternative rock music video
- The majority of our audience like rock music, however there is a minority that don’t.

Why have we chosen this location?

Noxa's Dress

Noxa has two dressed in the music video. One covering her entire body, and one slightly less covered.

Cannon XF100- Shoot

We have been inspired to used the Cannon XF100 Camera in order to play around with rack focusing shots.
We went back to the drama room again today, in order to test this. We filmed lip syncing shots and shots of the lens flair (which I personally found to be quite fascinating!)

EBI: If we are going to film in the drama room again, we will be sure to not cover the light in order to make a spotlight, as the room became very smoky!



Me with the camera. Credit to Borie's blog!

 

(Before we started, we quickly tested out the camera, with me as the test subject.)

 



Screen grabs of the parts with the lens flair.

 

 

 

 

Filming & Photography

Today we managed to film some shots in the forest area! The scenes that we shot were, in my opinion, fairly impressive. I am very happy with the results of today's session, as we filmed shots that were needed, such as the starting scene and more lip syncing scenes.

Next time, we will remember to bring our storyboard to our location, to know what shots we are missing. We want to attempt to finalise the filming process soon, so that we can edit the footage in time for our first 'public' screening.

I also managed to take some photos today, for us to use on our digipaks and websites.

A behind-the-scene shot of filming a clip of the opening scene.

 

BFI School Trip

http://56ade041144a056ade0411deaf.edu.glogster.com/bfi-media-tip/

Drama Room Shoot!

Today the buses we not running due to a road accident, so we were unable to shoot outside of the school site. Instead, we decided to film in the drama room. We played around with the lighting, and it is fair to say that we have shot some great scenes that we think we are able to put into the final cut!

We also used masks (to show the corruption of innocence), and we think it works quite well!

 

 

 

First Location Shoot!

Today we decided to film outside of the school site! The weather presented us with issues, making the filming process more difficult than expected! For starters, it began to get very windy as we were filming on top of the hill, and while we were filming on the bridge, it began to rain! We eventually had to cancel the shoot after about 45 minutes, as the dress somehow got soiled.

In future, we should consider the weather conditions, and take into account how we should structure the filming process according to it.

We count today's experience to be down to Friday 13th bad luck!

 

 

First Shoot!

Last week we went off for the first time to shoot the first part of our music video. Because it was our first shoot we thought of it as a practice run to know what to do next time!

 

 

 

 

 

Animatic

In order to get an idea for what our music video should look like, we have created an animatic, in order to get a brief guideline!

Storyboard & Animatic Planning!

We have got a brief idea of what shots we'd like to shoot for our music video. We think that in order to figure out what we want every shot to look like, creating an animatic will help us to determine what is missing!

 

Music Video Treatment

As a treatment overview, our artist's name is 'Noxa', and the song that we will be using for our music video is called 'Narcissistic Cannibal', which is a song by EarlyRise. (It's actually a cover of Korn's original ' Narcissistic Cannibal'!) Our chosen genre is Alternative Rock; our audience is targeted at older students- more specifically young people aged 16-24. Our music video will have mixed components, generally making it an Artistic Narrative. We have written a letter for copyright approval, however we have yet to send it off at this point (this can be viewed on our group blog).

We want to link the music video to the lyrics, but not make it blatantly obvious that we're doing so (hence why we want it to be slightly artistic, but at the same time have a narrative to it).

Although we are unsure of every detail for what the music video is going to contain, we have an idea of what we want to film. 

The video will start off with Noxa, alone in a forest (our prime location), and throughout her time in there, we will show flashbacks of the 'narcissistic cannibal' giving her a hard time, as well as symbolic shots of people with masks, and a white rose to show her innocence. However, when the 'rocky' bridge plays, we will show the corruption of her innocence, by her turning into the people with masks, crushing the white rose, and just causing complete havoc. The music video will end with an areal shot of her sitting among the destruction she has created. Our music video will contain a vast variety of shows, ranging from close ups, to areal shots.

Our main character is 'Noxa', who is the character in pain, due to the hurt that the 'narcissistic cannibal' has caused her. Her purpose is to deliver her message of corrupt innocence and hurt. We are debating whether to include the 'narcissistic cannibal' in the video, but nonetheless, he is the cause of her emotional distress, as well as being the subject matter of the song. The people with masks symbolise demons, who eventually make her give in and become one of them. Their purpose is to show her corruption- to showcase that she is no longer innocent.     

Our main location is the forest. We have chosen this location because it is isolated, as well as being very big and confusing, which symbolise her state of mind during the course of the music video. This fits our genre because a forest is a dark location, which represents the dark side that we all have within us. In the forest, there is also a bridge area with open places, which is, again very isolated. This fits in with our genre because it gives a deeper meaning, which we can all relate to, which is the fact that we've all been in Noxa's position- isolated in one way or another.

We are also going to use a dark room, which is going to be enhanced by lighting. This fits our genre because it is very cynical, and represents our inner demons. 

We are planning on using a dark colour scheme for our music video to show Noxa's low mood throughout the video, as well as highlighting the song's lyrics. We want Noxa to wear a white dress to show her innocence, abut we want to contrast this by using a shot of us throwing black paint on the dress to show purgatory. These short of features will appeal to our target audience because they will be able to analyse and appreciate the darker and meaningful meaning of what is shown, and will have their own interpretation of how they relate to the lyrics. 

We will need multiple cameras because we'll want many angles of the same shot, as well as trying to get as many shots as possible of scenes that we may only be able to shoot in one take. We will also need tripods in order to stabilise certain shots, as well as using them as an 'extra person' to hold the camera, in case all of us have to be in the frame at the same time.

We will write risk assessments when we start shooting which will highlight the dangers and problems of filming, but to give an idea, getting areal shots will require us to climb trees in order to get the angle we want, which could result in us falling out of it and getting hurt, so to prevent this we will have to make sure that the tree is stable, and that we don't climb too high! 

To conclude, we will aim for out music video to convey a deep meaning, as well as being entertaining to watch. 

DIGIPAK RESEARCH #5: Arctic Monkeys

DIGIPAK RESEARCH #4: Green Day- American Idiot

The songs and the cover seem to have a common theme of 'anti-war'. This perhaps says something about Green Day's personal beliefs. This is something I want to put across with Noxa, perhaps with her personal struggles in order for her audience to get to know her better. 

Digipak Research #3: Linkin Park Reanimation

Like the Evanescence digipak that I analysed, this appeals to its audience very well. One reason for this is through the use of dark colours. One reason why the audience may be attracted to the dark colour scheme is because it expresses how they feel inside, as students often want to find a distraction from stress. This is reinforced by the fact that there are abnormal creatures on the cover, which could symbolise a break from reality.

Location Hunting!

On Tuesday, our group went off to find places to shoot our alternative rock music video.

We ended up at around three different locations that we are thinking of using, all within the same location radius! This is very handy, as this means that we will not have to worry about travelling long distances to get from one location to another, as they are all in the same place!
We would describe this location as ideal, as it has a forest like atmosphere to it, which is what we want. It is also quite hidden (even though it's a public footpath, but not many people use it!), so the risk of people from the public accidentally appearing in shots are minimised.

Digipak Research #2: Nirvana- Nevermind

Digipak Research #1: Evanescence- Fallen

The digipak appeals to its audience for several reasons. The colours of that of what would be typically showcased by an Alternative Rock group. This is because the colours are dark, which reflect the typical nature of the rock genre.
Also, the leader singer, Amy Lee, and the band members are shown. This will make fans instantly recognise the band, and will make them want to support them, resulting in the purchase of the record.

Digipak Conventions

Audience Research Results

This shows that the age range of Alternative Rock music ranges from 14-30 years old.



Most of our target audience (a proportion of 7:1) watch music videos regularly.



Our target audience like to listen to a range of musical genres, from Rap to Pop.

Most of our target audience believe that it is appropriate to film an Alternative Rock music video is a forest, to give it a creepy feel.

A range of music videos are to our target audience's interest.

Our target audience are interested in a range of rock bands.

Our audience believes that 'Noxa' is a dark name, and therefore it is appropriate for us to use it as our Alternative Rock artist name.

The majority of our audience likes artistic music videos that make sense.

Researching our target audience...

 

NOXA: Audience Research #1, Survey Monkey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TSNRWL8

 

We have created a survey for people to fill out in order to see what they think about our music video idea. They are able to make alternative suggestions for us to take into consideration, in case they have any better ideas for what to feature in our music video.

Website Codes and Conventions

(For better viewing, download the Powerpoint! The images are a little more interesting that way!)

Carol Vernallis's Theory- Fall Out Boy Example

http://56ade041144a056ade0411deaf.edu.glogster.com/my-songs-know-what-you-did-in-the-dark/

Carol Vernallis's Music Video Theory- 'The Kindest Cut'

Carol Vernallis theory is based around 4 key concepts that all relate to the way a music video is manufactured, these concepts are:
- Narrative
- Editing
- Camera Movement and Framing
- Diegesis

Narrative
When describing her theory particularly the narrative aspect, Vernallis suggests that the video is a visual response to the narrative. Therefore whatever is happening onscreen reflects the choice of lyrics that the artist is singing. She then goes on to say how the narrative may not always be completed,  and can be only partial. The video can appear to be: disjointed, disconnected and fragmented.  The video has a driving force, but this may not necessarily be the narrative. It could be the music itself or intriguing elements in the video.
However if the video is left incomplete, it can lead to many questions about the narrative that wont always be answered throughout the video. Finally, although the video may have a theme or narrative, as it could be presented in a montage, rather than in one clear focus.

Editing
Vernallis states that a clear convention of music video editing is that the video may disrupt or break the conventions of continuity editing, unlike film. The editing may also be bought to the foreground, become visible and not hidden, apposed to the invisible style of continuity editing. This means that  the video will have a style of editing continuing throughout, that is distinctive to the video. For example you may see:
- Jump Cuts
- Breaks of the 30’ Degree Rule
- Cutting with the lyrics
- Extreme changes in pace
- Juxtaposed Frames
- Graphic Matches

Camera Movements and Framing
Vernallis states that establishing shots are one of the key camera features of a music video and are used frequently throughout a music video (as well as close up shots). The style of framing of the video, again, is quite distinctive to the video and also the camera may move in time with the lyrics. Extreme shots also known as master shots are also very common.

Diegesis
In terms of media, the diegesis is the world of the music video. Vernallis explains how the diegesis will be revealed slowly. The actions in the video won't always be completed and may be disrupted in some way. There will be repetitions throughout the video and some frames will appear more important than others, due to the way they have been shot/framed.

Richard Dyer, Laura Mulvey, John Stewart

Goodwin's Theory: Linkin Park- Numb (Essay Task)

I have decided to analyse Linkin Park’s ‘Numb’ music video, using Goodwin’s Theory of 1992. I have chosen to analyse this music video in particular, because it is a good example of a generic ‘alternative rock’ music video.

Goodwin’s theory states that there are five aspects to a music video- that there is: a relationship between song and visuals; a relationship between music and visuals; close ups of the artist, which may be a part of their visual regime; a frequent reference to the notion of looking, as well as voyeurism to an objectified female; and intertextual references.

In ‘Numb’, there is a relationship between the song lyrics and the visuals that you see on screen, which corresponds with Goodwin’s theory.  We can see this from the moment the first line is sang, “Tired of being what you want me to be”. When this is sang, the visuals cut to a scene of a university classroom, with a teacher teaching complicated science equations on a chalkboard, which doesn’t appear to look like the most exciting thing in the world. This view is emphasised by the students who look like they are bored out of their minds. This pattern of linked narrative carried on throughout the video, as the lyrics directly relates to the action going on, on screen.

Like Goodwin states, there is also a relationship between the melody and the visuals. Before the chorus, everything before and after it is at a slower pace. This is reflected on screen by the dull, mute tones of the colours, as well as the action that takes place in a rather slow manner. When the chorus is sung, the visuals become very fast paced (except for the protagonist), and video effects are used too to make the video seem more surreal.

There are also close ups of the band performing in rooms, whether it is the singer singing or the band members playing their instruments. This is part of their music video regime, as the narrative in most of their other videos is interrupted by shots of the stars.

One thing that doesn’t appear that Goodwin suggests is the notion of looking and voyeurism towards the female protagonist. This is due to the fact they want the video to be more relatable, as the lyrics are relatable themselves. Therefore, they use Mise-En-Scene to make it seem as if this is an everyday situation- a girl who is bored of her student life and wants an escape from it all to pursue her dream to become an artist. Because this is in the form of an everyday situation, it is not possible for her to be sexually objectified, as it would defeat the purpose of the video being relatable.

Another thing that Goodwin suggests that isn’t used is intertextuality, as it does not fit with the theme of the video. Intertextual references would, again, corrupt the nature of viewer identity. For this reason, the director makes it a point for the video to be consistent to the narrative.

To conclude, we can see that not all music videos contain all of the components that Goodwin suggests, however most of the elements are used, such as the relationships between lyrics and visuals and music and visuals. This music video in particular may not use intertextuality or the notion of looking & voyeurism because of its particular genre. From what we see in ‘Numb’ the video corresponds to the mood of the song, and what the song is saying, and for this reason, intertextuality and the notion of looking are not a vital feature of this type of genre.

604 words. 

Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's theory proposed five things that music videos contain:

- A relationship between lyrics and visuals (EXAMPLE: Rude)

- A relationship between music (melody) and visuals (EXAMPLE: Love You Like A Love Song)

- Star image- close ups of the artist performing, which may be a part of their music video regime.

- Frequent reference to the notion of looking and voyeurism towards an objectified female (EXAMPLE: Can't Remember To Forget You)

- Intertextual references (EXAMPLE: Love Story- inspired by Romeo and Juliet)

Music videos will use certain elements, depending on their genre.

Steve Archer says that there three things which establish the relationship between the song and the music video visuals:

1. Illustration: where the videos illustrate a literate meaning.

2. Amplification: where the music video adds value to the song, by indirectly relating it to the song.

3. Dis-junction: where the music video ignores the song and adds a new meaning.

VISUAL STYLE & STAR IMAGE

Character identities for stars provide identification to the viewer. which is important when the song lacks depth.

I was a prime example of
FAN LOYALTY, my obsession with
Selena Gomez is pretty clear
in the picture, judging by
my bedroom wall. (Oh, the stories I
could tell!)

- The construction of a star is essential- only stars guarantee sales! 

- Fan loyalty enhances sales 

- When music evolves, so does the star, in order to keep with the times. (Look at how long
Madonna's been around- How do you think she's been around for so long?! She keeps with the times!)

- Record companies may rely on only a few stars, or even one star, to make them money.

STAR IMAGE: RICHARD AYER- 'STARS' (Book)

Stars are a phenomenon of consumption, a result of the modern day culture of consumption.

Relationships between star and viewer:

- Emotional: where a viewer develops a loose connection with an artist

- Self identification: places themselves in the artists shoes

- Imitation; where the stars acts as a role model

My example of Projection. (How this
got 227 likes on Instagram
is beyond me, for the record!)

- Projection: where an obsession grows. (To see how this develops, check out iiSuperwomanii's video on how young people get attached to artists!)

A example of evolving image.

"Star image is constructed form a range of materials" - 1979

Materials = Music videos, songs, live performances, media coverage, record covers.

Music videos are used to showcase a star's talent and constructs their evolving image.

VOYEURISM

It is to be viewed for sexual pleasure. This is used by fashion, objectifying camerawork and editing to make the objectified person the center of attention. (Male Gaze) 

LAURA MULVEY: THE MALE GAZE

The Male Gaze focuses on sexual overtures, which will label the objectified women to be a virgin or a whore.

However, this can also be applied to women, where a male is objectified to gain a female audience's response.

THE ART OF LOOKING

Screens within screens are cool! (EXAMPLE: Where Are You Now?)

INTERTEXTUALITY

Can also be described as 'post-modern' (example above)

JOHN STEWART

Music videos can be inspired by:

- Art Photography

- Cinema

- Fashion (catwalk)

- Video Games

  

GENRE: The History of Alternative Rock Music

http://56ade041144a056ade0411deaf.edu.glogster.com/the-history-of-alterntive-rock/

Industry Research

Record Labels

Major Music Labels Universal Music Group 
American worldwide music corporation- company of media giant Vivendi. 
Huge yearly revenue ($6.552 billion in 2013)
The music group contains labels such as:
Interscope Records (Blink -182, Imagine Dragons)
Def Jam Records (Kanye West, Frank Ocean)
Capitol Records (50 cent & Bastille)

Major Music Labels Sony Music Entertainment: 
American music corporation that is a subsidiary of Japanese Sony Corporation.
2014 revenue of over $4.5 billion. 
The Major label is the parent company of many smaller labels including:
Columbia Records (Daft Punk & Mark Ronson)
Epic Records (Outkast, Mariah Carey)
RCA Records (Foo Fighters & Kings of Leon).

Major Music Labels Warner Music Group: 
American global records company which is the largest American
In 2013 the company has a revenue of over $2.8 Billion. 
WMA contains labels such as:
Warner Bros. Records (Biffy Clyro)
Parlophone (Blur, Coldplay)
Atlantic Records (Bruno Mars & Ed Sheeran)

Independent record labels 
Independent record labels operate without funding of major labels and are often the first step in a musician or band’s career.  
Some well-known indie labels are:
Domino Records (Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand)
Matador Records (Queens of the Stone Age)
XL Records (Vampire Weekend, Adele)
Rough Trade (The Libertines)
Fools Gold (Run The Jewels)

Why are we called "Shotgun Records?"
We are called Shotgun Productions because we are an indie record label, which means we are the stepping stone of our artist's career. We used the phrase "Shotgun!" because that means that we've called out the artist as ours.

RECORD LABEL HIERARCHY: This is how record labels work.
The CEO is in charge of the business of the whole company, and each label also has its own president. Under the president of the individual label, there are vice presidents in charge of different departments:
- The A&R (artists and repertoire) department is often considered the most glamorous department at a record label. They are in charge of discovering new talent.
- Art Department: In charge of cover art, advertisements and displays at music stores.
- Artist Development: Responsible for planning the careers of the artists who are signed to the record label. It promotes and publicizes the artists over the course of their career.
- Business Affairs: This department deals with business. It takes care of bookkeeping, payroll and general finances.
- Label Liaison: This is usually one person, or small group of people, who serves as the communicator/messenger between the record company's distribution company.
- Legal Department : This department is responsible for all the contracts that are made between the company and the artist..
- Marketing Department: This department creates an overall marketing plan for every album to be produced.
- New Media: In charge of dealing with the newer elements of the music business, including producing and promoting music videos for the artist.
- Promotion Department: To make sure that an artist is being played on the radio.
- Publicity: This group is responsible for getting the word out about a new or established artist. It arranges for articles to be written for newspapers and magazines.
- Sales: This department oversees the retail aspect of the record business