The person who will be casting in my music video, is my step-sister Lizzie Simpson. I chose Lizzie as she is my step-sister which mean she is reliable and is willing to take part, and also she lives with me at the weekends and during holidays which means she is readily available if I need any last minute ideas to shoot or any problems. Lizzie also has experience with acting so I believe she will do a great job in acting as the singer in my music video.
As Lizzie lives with me in Blackburn, I decided I wanted to use Blackpool's beach for my video. By using Lizzie, this means I can easily go to the beach to film with her at any time. I have easy access to the beach as it is a short drive down the road.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Friday, 21 October 2011
Diana Vickers - My Wicked Heart - Textual Analysis
Diana Vickers - My Wicked Heart
This song as co-written and co-prouced by British singer/songwriter Diana Vickers.
Diana Vickers is a Indie pop artist similar to the artist which I am using for my music video. Diana is known for winning the UK show The X Factor. This song is about becoming infatuated with someone for months and months, and wanting something you can't have – either because they're in a relationship or you're in a relationship.
The video starts off with dark silhouettes of Diana stood on a podium surrounded by 4 drummers similar to marching band drummers. As Diana starts to sing, the camera uses a close up of her face where we see her mouth lit by a spotlight only brightening her lips. The camera then changes back to a slowly zoomed in shot of the silhouettes. Then we get a dimmed lit shot of the singers face moving her finger to her lips whilst she says 'Hush Hush'.
The lack of light at the beginning could suggest quietness and as she repeats 'Hush Hush secret' the darkness can suggest secrecy by not giving the audience full view.
In one of Diana's scenes she is seen in a cage dressed as a tiger. We see some intertextual references of some of the moves and the whole cage scenario which is similar to that in Shakira's 'She Wolf' music video. Th cage scene could suggest that she is be stopped from being free. She cannot have a relationship with the person she likes because he is out of bounds.
The theme for this music video is based around circus. The song was said to be about wanting someone you cannot have. The circus theme could be a way of showing you want to be in control and get your own way but can't so the show must go on.
The outfit seen here on Diana is similar to Liza Minelli in 'Cabaret'.In Cabaret, Liza's character is portrayed as a bit of a big flirt and works in the entertainment business and comes across as not a care in the world but is really looking for her perfect rich man but never seems to find him. This is similar to Diana's song by wanting someone but having little chance of getting what you want.
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Textual Analysis - Lady Gaga
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is an American recording artist and the song ‘Bad Romance’ was released in 2009, the first single on her album ‘The Fame Monster’. The album is said to have a etymology throughout the song about the different monsters such as ‘Bad Romance’ is the fear of love monster, and the song ‘Speechless’ is the fear of death monster. The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, a film director.
The music video for bad romance is primarily concept based as there is a hidden message behind all of Lady Gaga’s performances. There is a plot surrounding the Russian Mafia, drugs, health and a brothel. However, when you watch the video, it is hard to recognise the codes and conventions which explain the plot without having to look it up. Also, the synopsis of the song is close to the dark side of the music industry which is hard to recognise in the video. The music video is mainly performance based with Lady Gaga dancing, singing and acting as a victim.
The relationship in this song is mainly between the visuals and the synopsis. Without knowing the synopsis it would be hard to relate the song with the visuals. However, there are some references in the video which shows a direct link. Such as at the beginning when Lady Gaga sings “I want your drama, the touch of your hand, it shows a close up shot of her stroking her leg. Also, when she sings “I want your psycho, your vertigo stick”, she mimics a stick in her hands in her dance routine.
Camera and Editing
The relationship in this song is mainly between the visuals and the synopsis. Without knowing the synopsis it would be hard to relate the song with the visuals. However, there are some references in the video which shows a direct link. Such as at the beginning when Lady Gaga sings “I want your drama, the touch of your hand, it shows a close up shot of her stroking her leg. Also, when she sings “I want your psycho, your vertigo stick”, she mimics a stick in her hands in her dance routine.
Camera and Editing
The video takes place in a fluorescent white bath house. The video begins with lady gaga sitting on a white throne in a brightly lit room. Throughout the video, Gaga puts on a sexual display through the use of confrontational dancing, minimal clothing and scenes on partial nudity. The use of minimal clothing links directly the synopsis of the video. This is shown for the part of the song about a brothel. This music video can be seen as a piece of exhibitionism as Gaga is an artist who is not bothered about being exploited and putting across her opinion in her own ways. When Gaga begins to sing, we see a mid-shot and over the shoulder shot of Gaga looking into a mirror. This introduces the artist to the audience. This uses a low angle shot which doesn't show us the supermodels faces as they are standing up however Gaga is seen sat down. This could imply that she is more superior than the others.
Then we see a high angle shot of Lady Gaga looking helpless and weak. She has a minimal amount of make up on as to her usual look, which represents that she is lifeless and the audience should feel sorry for her. When the chanting starts, there is a use of high angle shots of Lady Gaga surrounded by dancers. This represents that she is surrounded by evil as the low shots show the audience the dancers towering over her. We then see an over the shoulder shot of Lady Gaga from the Russian Mafia's view. It then cuts to an extreme close up of a vodka bottle which shows the importance of it in the video.
It then cuts to another scene of Gaga surrounded by the Mafia, however this time it doesn't look as if she is surrounded by evil. The camera uses a low angle shot panning around her as if to show she is powerful and in control. The camera cuts back and forth from Gaga to the Mafia men and her dancing. The quick jump shots show the fast pace of the song. The song then finished with a high angle shot of Gaga lying down on the burned bed as the camera zooms out.
Lighting
There is a high usage of lighting in this video. The cameras emphasise on the lighting which focuses on Lady Gaga to make her the centre of attention in the video. In the beginning of the video, there is a shot of a bright light which looks like the sun. This represents a new beginning of something in the video. The light then shines through to show the pods and the setting. The spotlights pan around the room to show the peculiar objects used in the video. It looks as if a door has been opened to reveal the light.
The lighting varies throughout the video but seems to get brighter towards the end of the video. As Gaga is in the bath, the lighting is high but when we see her in the mirror the lighting is low. The lighting tends to be brighter when Gaga is seen as being more dominant and powerful.
Colour
There is a huge use of white throughout the video. This is used to make lady gaga, the people and objects in the room the centre of attention. As the lighting gets brighter the colours get bolder which emphasises the importance of Lady Gaga. There is also a lot of use of silver and diamonds which represents wealth and sophistication.
Then we see a high angle shot of Lady Gaga looking helpless and weak. She has a minimal amount of make up on as to her usual look, which represents that she is lifeless and the audience should feel sorry for her. When the chanting starts, there is a use of high angle shots of Lady Gaga surrounded by dancers. This represents that she is surrounded by evil as the low shots show the audience the dancers towering over her. We then see an over the shoulder shot of Lady Gaga from the Russian Mafia's view. It then cuts to an extreme close up of a vodka bottle which shows the importance of it in the video.
It then cuts to another scene of Gaga surrounded by the Mafia, however this time it doesn't look as if she is surrounded by evil. The camera uses a low angle shot panning around her as if to show she is powerful and in control. The camera cuts back and forth from Gaga to the Mafia men and her dancing. The quick jump shots show the fast pace of the song. The song then finished with a high angle shot of Gaga lying down on the burned bed as the camera zooms out.
Lighting
There is a high usage of lighting in this video. The cameras emphasise on the lighting which focuses on Lady Gaga to make her the centre of attention in the video. In the beginning of the video, there is a shot of a bright light which looks like the sun. This represents a new beginning of something in the video. The light then shines through to show the pods and the setting. The spotlights pan around the room to show the peculiar objects used in the video. It looks as if a door has been opened to reveal the light.
The lighting varies throughout the video but seems to get brighter towards the end of the video. As Gaga is in the bath, the lighting is high but when we see her in the mirror the lighting is low. The lighting tends to be brighter when Gaga is seen as being more dominant and powerful.
Colour
There is a huge use of white throughout the video. This is used to make lady gaga, the people and objects in the room the centre of attention. As the lighting gets brighter the colours get bolder which emphasises the importance of Lady Gaga. There is also a lot of use of silver and diamonds which represents wealth and sophistication.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Analysis of my song's origional music video
Marina and The Diamonds - Radioactive
Marina and the Diamonds (or Marina Diamandis) is a Welsh singer/songwriter. Her main music labels are Neon Gold, 679 and Chop Shop. 679 is a Warner group owned label, Chop Shop is an Atlantic (also owned by Warner) owned label and Neon Gold is an New York/London based independant label. Marina's music genre has been described as New Wave/Indie Pop. However, this new single has moved over slightly to the Dance/Club beat genre but still keeping her original signature voice.
This song is based on the theme of Love. The song describes her love being 'Radioactive' which means that
The video starts off with a medium close up of Marina walking through a desert setting. We see the back of Marina and a long shot of the scene which is of a desert, mountains and sky. It then changes to a shot of Marina, using a pan only moving around a little and then closes into her. The next shot shows us a high angle of Marina sat on a bed and the same camera movement is used from the previous shot. We then see a low angle shot of Marina spinning around with the sun in the background. The camera style used throughout the video is a unsteady camera. This could be used to give the effect of it being a self filmed video of what the song is about.
The beginning of the song shows Marina as herself, then the rest of the video shows her characters who she names 'Electra Heart'. By creating her own character/alter-ego allows her to create a narrative in her videos. Her previous single 'Fear and Loathing' is meant to be the beginning of her character and 'Radioactive' is the sequel.
In the description, the video is known as 'Electra Heart: the beginning'
I think the target audience for this music video is for people who listen to mainstream music. She has tried to add the mainstream style into her songs to attract a wider audience. Mainstream audiences ages range from 13-25.
It is quite easy to notice the codes and conventions of the genre in this music video. Marina, known for her wild style, has used a variety of bright and couregous outfits.
Beyonce - Countdown - Textual Analysis
Beyonce - Countdown
This new song 'Countdown' is sung and co written by Beyonce Knowles. Beyonce, known for the start of her career in the trio 'Destiny's Child', is and American RnB artist, actress and fashion designer. Her record label is Columbia, owned by one of the biggest record labels, Sony Music Entertainment. 'Countdown' is the 3rd released single from her album '4'.
The video opens with a close shot of Beyonce's face, where we see the first intertextual reference with her similar make-up to, the English model, Twiggy. The video then uses medium shots of Beyonce moving her arms like a clock and wearing a black jumpsuit. Here shows a second intertextual reference to 1957 film Funny Face which stars Audrey Hepburn. This follows with Beyonce dressed similar to Audrey Hepburn's character. Beyonce also uses similar dances poses/moves to those in the movie. Those shots are cut by a variety of brightly coloured bathing suits and a black-and-white hat similar to Vogue photoshoots, set against a constantly changing background of colours. The clip cuts quickly from the bathing suit sequence to shots of Beyonce in an audition space similar to the 1980 film Fame.The sequence features moves by Beyonce and her backing dancers, who snap their fingers with the beat, which is a textual reference to 1961 musical West Side Story. In another part of the video, Beyonce re-enacts her own character, from 'Dreamgirls' as well as the real person herself, she is dressed similar to Diana Ross in a short bob haircut and a gold sequin dress.
The video opens with a close shot of Beyonce's face, where we see the first intertextual reference with her similar make-up to, the English model, Twiggy. The video then uses medium shots of Beyonce moving her arms like a clock and wearing a black jumpsuit. Here shows a second intertextual reference to 1957 film Funny Face which stars Audrey Hepburn. This follows with Beyonce dressed similar to Audrey Hepburn's character. Beyonce also uses similar dances poses/moves to those in the movie. Those shots are cut by a variety of brightly coloured bathing suits and a black-and-white hat similar to Vogue photoshoots, set against a constantly changing background of colours. The clip cuts quickly from the bathing suit sequence to shots of Beyonce in an audition space similar to the 1980 film Fame.The sequence features moves by Beyonce and her backing dancers, who snap their fingers with the beat, which is a textual reference to 1961 musical West Side Story. In another part of the video, Beyonce re-enacts her own character, from 'Dreamgirls' as well as the real person herself, she is dressed similar to Diana Ross in a short bob haircut and a gold sequin dress. 
Beyonce is dressed up in dance gear and a haircut similar to Irene Cara in the movie 'Fame'.
The song features a snippet from an original Boyz II Men song 'Uhh Ahh'. When the shots of Beyonce counting down like a clock, the backing music where you hear the countdown is from the Boyz II Men Song.
Throughout the song, Beyonce sings with a sassy attitude which is used to create a futuristic tone. She seems to be represented as a female protagonist delivering her message of ten years of her life, which are still as strong as at the beginning, to her love. Beyonce re-enacts a series of iconic pop images in the video but the video and song is mainly reflecting on the new phase in her life and all her happiness she is feeling. Beyonce recently struck the news that she is pregnant and in the video we see shots of her rubbing her baby bump and her showing off her bump. The song is about her 'love' which would apply to Jay-Z and Beyonce makes it very clear in her lyrics what she is saying and who to.
"My baby is at ten / We dressing to the nine / He pick me up at eight / Make me feel so lucky seven / He kiss me in his six / We be making love in five / Still the one I do this for / I'm trying to make a three / From that two / He still the one"
"My baby is at ten / We dressing to the nine / He pick me up at eight / Make me feel so lucky seven / He kiss me in his six / We be making love in five / Still the one I do this for / I'm trying to make a three / From that two / He still the one"
my baby is a 10 = perfect 10 in looks
We dressin through the nines (old expression) = means you dress really well
Pick me up we 8 = they went out and ate
Makes me feel so lucky 7 = 7 is a lucky number
He kiss me in his 6= (Jay-Z always rapps about mercedes benz in his songs) a type of car
We be makin love in 5 = we will make love in 5 minutes
Still the one i do this 4 = still in love and do anything for
I'm tryinna make us 3 = trying to create a family/baby
from that 2 = from her and Jay-Z
We dressin through the nines (old expression) = means you dress really well
Pick me up we 8 = they went out and ate
Makes me feel so lucky 7 = 7 is a lucky number
He kiss me in his 6= (Jay-Z always rapps about mercedes benz in his songs) a type of car
We be makin love in 5 = we will make love in 5 minutes
Still the one i do this 4 = still in love and do anything for
I'm tryinna make us 3 = trying to create a family/baby
from that 2 = from her and Jay-Z
He still the 1= Jay-Z is still her number 1 guy. Showing her love to him.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Image Inspiration
This image is of Demi Lovato from her new music video 'Skyscraper'. This image is part of my inspiration for my music video with her costume. She is wearing something similar to what I want to dress my artist up in. It is white and flowing which has an easy going, free look about it.
Here is a image of Selena Gomez in her video 'Who Says'. She is also walking by a beach during sunset. I didn't find this image until after I thought of my ideas and I thought it was a great help for my image for my own video. Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Video Ideas
For the planning of my music video, I have been researching other videos and images to get inspiration and ideas to use for the setting, props, themes and other mis-en-scene for my own video. The track I am using is quite an easy going, dance track with big beats. The song is basically a love song about how someone's love interests effects them in both good ways and bad ways. I had a listen to the song over and over to see what ideas came into my head, and from other videos I had seen, in which I could possibly use for my video. The first idea which came to mind was, as it was quite a easy listening song, to use a beach setting. My artist could be dancing along the beach, during the sunset (if possible) and express that she is feeling very content and free.
I thought of the idea of using a beach during sunset would fit with the name and genre of the song 'Radioactive', and the colours which the sunset creates are bright such as the colours in the image.
Another idea is to dress my performer in draped dress/clothing to fit with the beach theme. Using a costume such as this will give the light, relaxed and easy feeling in the video, as well as looking quite summery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)