Coursework as of 25/9/20

 

website flat plan

 

first draft

https://vimeo.com/455398533

very much a first draft

coursework as of 4/9/2020

 

screenshots of footage

 

Statement of aims draft

How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? (approx. 400 words)

Product 1:

For my music video, I intend to create a video protesting against heteronormativity and conformity. As well as this, I want the video to be enjoyable for my target audience of a socially-conscious 16-25 year old, middle to upmarket demographic so I have chosen the fun and fast-paced song ‘Girls and Boys’ by Blur. I will use a range of different shot types and mise-en-scenes to help with the fast-paced theme I intend to create. I also intend to make an intertextual reference to the pop-culture icon David Bowie, as his opposition of heteronormativity was ground-breaking and his look was very iconic and therefore part of many people’s cultural competency’s. I intend to have a relationship between lyrics and visuals (Andrew Goodwin) as well as a large focus on my talent to help create his star persona and close-ups of the artist to meet the demands of the record label.

Product 2:

Cultivating my artist’s star persona will be assisted through the creation of the accompanying website, on which I will include ‘exclusive’ interviews with the artist, behind the scenes pictures of the video being created, tour information, merchandise selling and many other features. There will be a clear house style across the website which will fit with the aesthetic of the music video, linking the products together. The website will have links to the music video, social media pages and music streaming platforms which will create cross media convergence. I also intend to include easter eggs on the website, such as a link which allows the audience to stream one of the artist’s songs early and give more behind the scenes content. In addition to this, I am going to create a link to a fan forum in order to encourage active audiences to engage with the artist, and give the opportunity to sign up to a mailing list to receive more exclusive content.

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words)

I intend to promote the website link at the end of my music video, have a clear house style connecting both products together and put the music video on the website so they are fully connected there.

Wix site

https://14-mthi.wixsite.com/lawrence

Planning: First Ideas

These are some of my first shot ideas.

this is the shot list for the instrument shots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD7TxGTPsV4

 a protest song

Generic Research: Language and digital convergence

How do media producers use language to communicate meaning?

Media producers use a range of different language techniques to communicate meaning to their audiences, such as intertextuality and unique brand identities.

        Intertextuality uses borrowed meaning to help communicate it to the audience so media producers can take advantage of this to create meaning. Also noticing intertextuality is very satisfying for audiences and makes them feel good but it can only be noticed if the audience have a certain cultural competency.

        Unique brand identities help producers to communicate meaning as the artists can create a style and stick to it and then their style represents them and their ideologies and beliefs and can then be recognised in other situations.

How do media producers use digital convergence to link their products?

Digital convergence can be created in many ways. Social media pages can be created that are linked on different products, easter eggs can be used to move audiences around a website, behind the scenes videos and old content can be shown to relate to their past images, and music videos and new music can be promoted on websites and social media pages to link all their products together.

Generic Research- Arctic Monkeys Website

Arctic monkeys website from MollyThirlwall

Generic Website- Lizzo Website

Lizzo website from MollyThirlwall

Generic Research- Wallows Website

Wallows website from MollyThirlwall

Generic Research Summation

Revision of Pitch

Having now completed generic and audience research i am happy with my initial pitch and i just now intend to have a clear narrative within the video. I will develop having one star as opposed to a whole band and i have thought of ways to explore this, such as to film him playing every instrument as if he was every band member.

Audience Research: Summation

From my focus group i now know that my music video should have a clear narrative to it, be suitable for YouTube and that girls engage more with music videos than boys do, so i should pay extra attention on trying to engage the boys in the video. Also, as the majority listen to music on Spotify i should ensure to link Spotify as a way to listen to the song.

Audience Research- Focus Group

My focus group is made up of 4 subjects who all fit into my target audience of a socially-conscious 16-25 year old, middle to upmarket demographic.

Following my audience research on music videos i asked them more questions about how they consume music and music videos.

What platform do you listen to music on?

Fee: Google play music
Muhammed: Spotify
Robyn: Spotify
George: Spotify

What platform do you watch music videos on?

Fee: YouTube
Muhammed: Youtube
Robyn: YouTube
George: YouTube

How often do you watch music videos?

Fee: Everyday
Muhammed: Not often
Robyn: Every other day
George: Not often

Do you prefer narrative or performance music videos?

Fee: Narrative
Muhammed: Narrative
Robyn: Narrative
George: Performance

Audience Research- Audience Behaviour

My brief is to create a music video for a protest song and a working website targeted at an audience of socially-conscious, 16-25, middle to upmarket demographic.
        Being 'socially-conscious' means that the audience are aware of and interested in world issues and the issues of people around them. This audience is therefore more likely to engage with artists and brands that are also socially conscious, or who address issues that they find important.
For example, a report in 2015 found that 66% of consumers said they would pay more for products from companies committed to having a positive social impact (https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2018/01/03/the-promises-and-pitfalls-of-socially-conscious-marketing/#66699fc138ef) which demonstrates how important social impact is to this audience. Another report between 2012-2013 showed how the willingness to spend more for socially conscious companies is growing (https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2013/how-to-engage-with-socially-conscious-consumers/) and this has steadily continued to grow to 2020.
        The 16-25 year old audience also have a growing interest in social consciousness, with a 2019 report finding that 4 of the most popular trends for young people being; representation, increased consciousness, females run the world and positive change (https://www.marketingsociety.com/the-gym/livity-2019-young-people-trends).
        However after doing research i was still wondering how this audience engage with music videos and artists. I want to know:
What platform do they listen to music on?
What platform do they watch music videos on?
How often they watch music videos?
Do they prefer narrative or performance music videos?

I will use my focus group to answer these questions.

Generic Research 3- Wallows

Wallow's ok from MollyThirlwall

Performance

-The band are seen at the beginning of the video playing the song presumably in their basement/ house which is later revealed to be the back of their car and you see them often throughout the video playing.

-There are also stills at the beginning of the video where the member’s names are written next to them to introduce them to the audience.

-Audiences enjoy seeing members play their instruments as it shows off their talents which are what their fans like them for.

Narrative Structures

-The narrative is established very quickly through Cole asking the others what they are going to do before going to a party at 10. Dylan decides to go to a fast food restaurant and then the music stops while they order.

-The audience then get to see the members order food and talk and interact with each other which is unusual within music videos but provides the audiences with a sense of gratification.

-Seeing the band members directly address the camera as well as interact with each other helps the audience get to know them and establish their star personas.

-There are many points throughout the video where they are messing around and looking silly which shows they do not take themselves’s seriously which their fanbase would enjoy.

-There is also an abstract scene at the end where a model of their van is seen to be falling off a cliff and the members parachute out, landing them perfectly at the party they’re attending.

Camerawork

-There is a wide range of shots and angles throughout the video such as wide shots, tracking shots, close ups, mid shots and perspective shots.

-An unusual camera technique they use is a fisheye lens at different points throughout the video, mainly when they are in the van. This allows the artist to be close to the camera, but for the audience to also be able to see what is going on around them.

-There is also low quality video which makes it appear that the footage is from a CCTV camera, which has connotations that they are misbehaving and being watched.

Editing

-The video begins with a CD player in a car and the song title, band name and director moves across it like it does in an old car monitor.

-There is a fast pace which is supported with quick transitions however there are multiple occasions when the music stops for them to speak which slows the pace of the video.

-There is a clear retro, 90s aesthetic to the video and the colour scheme fits that.

-The transitions between locations are often done in creative ways such as the shape of a milkshake moving the next scene in.

Mise-en-scène

-There are 9 different locations in the video: in their car, in their house (which ends up being the back of the car), at the drive through, in the window of the drive through, in the street, when half the band are outside the car, at the back of the drive through, a mountainside and Schaefer’s party.

-The locations, costumes, props and lighting all create the retro aesthetic of the video.

-Although they move location frequently they are in the same costumes the entire time.

-Two of the members have quirky hats on and the lead singer has blue hair which premiered in this video which excited fans.

Context

-‘OK’ was released on the 20th of March 2020 and is expected to be the lead single of Wallow’s second studio album. It was first played in a VIP performance on the 27th of February 2020 in Syracuse.

-The video was streamed on YouTube and fans where able to live comment as they all watched it together for the first time. This streaming was advertised and promoted on the band's Instagram and they were on the chat 30 minutes early to chat with their fans during the lead up to it going live.

-Upon release of the song it hit one million streams in under a week.

Generic Research- Montage

Notes i made of features that i enjoyed in music videos:

-Slowmo/ reverse shots

-Lots of scene changes

-Montage of pictures
-Flashing lights

-Moving/ tracking shots

-Spinning shots

-Black and white

-Other people lip-syncing the main singers words 

-Connection between lyrics and visuals/ locations

-See the band performing

-Reprise of former locations at the end when it’s faster

-Seeing the band having fun

-Intertextuality/ branding- references the album name

-Not boring repetition, still variation even when the lyrics are repeated

-Clear house style and consistency e.g. colour scheme or fonts

*learn shapes/ effects/ cropping*

Like beautiful ones- sort of like bob Dylan just one word in shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqovGKdgAXY&list=PL4BrNFx1j7E5DYo6tyYai3n7biYnc_-5t&index=64

Generic Research 2- David Bowie

David bowie's fashion from MollyThirlwall

The music video for David Bowie's 'Fashion' has a similar aesthetic to the one that i would like to create in my music video. None of the characters particularly conform to traditional stereotypes of costume or performance and there are many features within this music video that i intend to emulate. In addition to this, there are many features that fit into Andrew Goodwin's music video theory that i will highlight.

There is a performance aspect within the video where you see Bowie and his band performing in a crowded venue. I intend to have performance within my video in order to engage my audience and fit the brief as it is very gratifying for fans to see the artist performing as that is why they like them.

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (Andrew Goodwin) within the video which encourages the audience to join in. As it is a dance song an artist will want the audience to engage with and dance to it and seeing the relationship between lyrics and visuals in the video would aid audiences with their engagement. For example, when Bowie sings 'they're doing it over there but we don't do it here' he points away from him on 'over there' and then points to himself on 'here'. Also, when the sings 'turn to the left' and 'turn to the right' the actor on screen at the time follows his command, encouraging the audience to do it also.

Bowie also uses a range of people and mise-en-scenes within the video and it has quite an eclectic aesthetic. This gives it a welcoming and accepting vibe and includes many minorities, almost telling the audience that they would be included too. A use of many different mise-en-scenes again encourages audiences to engage as it implies that the message can spread everywhere and be interpreted by everyone.

There are lots of shots from many different angles of just Bowie, which builds his star persona and allows his audience to feel like he is directly adressing them. This again fits with Goodwin's theory of there being lots of closeup shots of the artist. The wide range of camera shots is another thing i intend to emulate as it changes the video more when you have different angles to explore. I will also use direct address as i feel it really helps with building the star persona of an artist and makes audiences enjoy the video more.

The final aesthetic that i intend to copy is the use of non-traditional clothing and colour scheme. Bowie was a big front-runner in blurring the lines between female and male aesthetics and this is reflected through his metrosexual style seen in the video. Also the clothes of the other actors are very bright and androgynous. 

The general aesthetic and conformity with Goodwin's music video theory are what i intend to emulate within my video, and i am also planning to have an intertextual reference to David Bowie through costume and makeup referencing the iconic cover of 'Aladdin Sane'.