Pitch for my music video

http://www.slideshare.net/chantellesroberts/song-choice-presentation

Questionnaire for music video research

Questionnaire for music video research

1. What is your age?



2. What Gender do you identify with?



3. What is your ethnicity?



4. Who is your favourite music artist?



5. What is your favourite genre of music?



6. What is your favourite genre of movie? (comedy, romance, horror.... etc)



I sent this questionnaire to a random 5 females and 5 males, although there was a range of answers I was able to average them and a lot of females, aged 17/18 (which is within my target audience) said they enjoy romantic films, and their favourite type of music is pop/hip hop, Frank Ocean is a Hiphop, rnb artist so this fits into the audience's preference. The males also 17/18 said their favourite genre of film is horror and comedy, so horror and romance will be featured in my music video which will attract both genders.




Questionnaire for music video research

1. What is your age?
17

2. What Gender do you identify with?
Female


3. What is your ethnicity?
White


4. Who is your favourite music artist?
Adam lambert


5. What is your favourite genre of music?
Rock/ hip hop


6. What is your favourite genre of movie? (comedy, romance, horror.... etc)

Horror/ romance

Here is an example of one of my answers to my questionnaires.

Production schedule

Filming Sam (lip syncer)

20^th Monday, January 2015- Chantelle

Filming the narrative scenes

26^th Saturday, January 2015- Chantelle

Uploading all files

28^th Monday, January 2015- Chantelle

Editing

28^th January- 12^th February- Chantelle

Refining editing and adding sound

13^th February+

Initial video idea based on song choice

When thinking about my video idea, I listen to the song, I have chosen Frank Ocean's Voodoo. The song is short and allows me to see a creative narrative piece when I listen to it. Because i've watched many different music videos I am able to get inspiration from these pieces of work. I have decided to incorporate 'good and bad' into my music video. I will have two models who are dressed in all black and all white to show the contrast of ying and yang. The story behind my music video will be that there are good and bad parts within someone's life. My models are male and female and will both lip sync (which is a convention of my music video task). Some of the lyrics I will take quite literally, for example, ''juicy fruit''- I will have my female model biting into an apple (the apple represents- the forbidden fruit that 'eve' eats which she's instructed not to eat by God) this is important because it can explain the bad aspect of the video (black). There will be candles within most of the scenes as when I think of 'Voodoo' or 'witchcraft' candles and dark atmospheric scenes come to mind. Fade to black transitions will be used throughout. The two models will embrace to show the coming together of the 'ying' and 'yang'. The emphasis is on the model in all black as the song starts with 'darker times'. The scenes will be collated in a forest when the sky is clear, this sets the scene.

Email of permission to the company

Evaluation of Janelle Monáe - Tightrope [feat. Big Boi] (Video)

The genre is Funk/ Soul, the video is typical of its genre, the actions are in tune to the music and the video is upbeat like the emotions and lyrics of the song.

 It is a performance based video; there is lots of dancing throughout. The singer/lip syncer is dancing and singing in an asylum, this shows although people (commentators) are trying to criticize her she isn’t allowing them to oppress her and tell her what to do.

 There is a verse/chorus structure throughout the video, faceless characters are present in the first scene and the nurses seem alarmed at the ‘patients’ dancing and celebrating. At the end of the video the performer is in a bedroom in the ‘asylum’. The music video has common motifs:

·         Ritual celebrations

-Black artists are usually featured being happy (especially gospel and jazz genres)

·         Other features
Cross cutting from narrative to lip syncing.

The ‘outfits’ that the characters are wearing is a waitressing/maid outfit. This contrasts the video as it has nothing to do with the mise-en-scene or the lyrics.

Close ups, long shots, medium close up, tracking, crabbing, panning, zooms, editing transition (2 scenes over each other) are used throughout the video- wide variety of shots.

Locations used:
·         A hall (decorated to look like a private asylum- mental asylum)

·         A few empty rooms

·         Corridors

·         Forest

Editing: The shots of the dancing are in time with the song, the lip syncing is in sync to the music. Lip syncing is used throughout the video.

 

Analysing A2 produced music video Canopy Climbers

The Genre is Rock/Pop, it can be seen as a typical video generic to its convention as it includes a lot of violence and conflict throughout which is common in a lot of rock videos.
There is a combination of both narrative and performance in this video. The main character and the singer (lip syncer) is in conflict after it seems he has an argument with his girlfriend over another man, when he goes to extract revenge from the other man involved he beats him up, the audience can see the turmoil in his actions as the man he beats up prepares to fight him (he works out in the gym) then the audience sees the singer apologise to the man he beat up and we see the clarity at the end. There is a verse/chorus structure, usually two verses to one chorus, the development of the story line goes throughout the story. Common motifs used such as '4th wall' is used, the actors look into the camera to emphasise the  action of 'looking'. other features such as shots into bright lights, sun, fire, break in narrative for lip syncing. Fragmentation is also used as there are multiple close ups.
There is a variety of clothing with both characters, to show a change in time and miss-en-scene, no use of contrasting outfits.
A lot of medium close ups are used to show expressions and surroundings, close ups, long shots, panning, shot reverse shots.
The locations:

• Outside in a field in front of a blazing fire
• In a gymnasium
• Field
• Outside in a town centre
• In an alleyway
• In a house

There are a large range of shots edited in time to the pace of the beat. Lip syncing is used throughout at the start of the song where the verse is introduced and when the chorus is playing.

Character mood boards

I have included mood boards for my three characters that will feature in my music video.

http://www.pinterest.com/chantellesr97/media-character-mood-boards/    - Nadine will be my model here.

http://www.pinterest.com/chantellesr97/media-character-mood-board-2/   - Sam Nunn will be my model here.

http://www.pinterest.com/chantellesr97/media-character-mood-board-3/   - Sam Sokunbi will be my model here.

Story board for music video

 

 

 

 

Target audience research

 Frank Ocean has a very soulful voice when he sings and he sounds distinctively 'african american' (due to the raspy/ deep throatiness in his voice- featured in a lot of black jazz singers) so his target audience would seemingly be people of a certain ethnic background. However his songs are not discriminatory and the messages behind his songs appeal to more than just one type of people. Males and females alike can enjoy his music as he sings songs about men and women, for men and women. He recently came out as bisexual so his music might appeal to more than one type of sexuality as well. Overall his music and him as an artist allows him to reach out to a wide range of audiences.

Kanye West.
The fact that he works with such well known artists opens up his fan base and people of varied would be interested in his work.

Frank Ocean is an African American singer/song writer and rapper, in 2010 he became a member of OFWGKTA (old future wolf gang) Growing up on artistic influences like jazz, rap and soul had influenced his own music style, he has worked with artists such as Jay Z and Kanye West. Within the OFWGKTA group his target audience would be young people around the ages of 14-18.

 The group focuses on mischievous acts such as taking drugs and being menaces to society but overall just being teens and young adults having fun and tackling issues by rapping. However individually his music would appeal to the masses from ages 15- 25, his songs are captivating and have a range of meanings and values.







Frank Ocean is signed to Def Jam Recordings as a solo artist, the artists featured are mainly african american and they appeal to that ethnic background, however their songs( like Frank's) are for anybody to listen to and enjoy. Some artists include: common, 2chainz, Afrojack, August Alsina, Pusha T, Kanye West, Jhene Aiko, Big Sean.

Example of a OFWGKTA fan.

Mix of OFWGKTA fans and Frank Ocean fans.

The target audience I'm aiming for is 16- 20 years olds, female and males, as this fan base is more open to new creative ideas and the dark nature of the video might be more accepted by a younger audience.

Costume and props research

Here is an example of the all white outfits I want my male model to wear when he is featured in the video. White will be used to signify purity, kindness and emptiness( the emptiness welcomes the bad side= the dark model) because of this it will show that there are bad sides in all good situations and good sides in all bad situations.

Little details such as the edges of the female will be included to add to the intense visual effect I intend to create when recording the music video. These little touches are important as it adds more of a professional element to the video.

The outfits featured here are an inspiration for what my characters in my music video will look like, the woman will be wearing black and this man will be wearing white. To signify good and bad/ dark and light/ ying and yang. 

I will need an array of small candles to create my candle star formation, these are essential as they will be used to show the evil activities practised within the video. They will add to the eeriness of the video and I might include these in the outside as well to emphasise the darkness overshadowing the song.

Location research

The mirrored characters will be featured here, I want a lot of the video to be outside, to show a contrast of nature, which is beautiful and brings life to the bad character, who brings death and sorrow. It emphasises the contrast of good and bad (ying and yang)

I will set up my own home photo studio, this will be for the lip syncing scenes, I don't want too much to distract the viewer from the words so the area will be as plain as possible focusing on the character in the scene.

Sticking to the dark mood of the music video, I want to portray that something evil is happening within the video, so using this candle formation is a common way of showing witchcraft. The model dressed in black will be featured in the middle of the candle formation and this shot will be flashed throughout the music video to reiterate the tone of the song.

Video inspiration

Janelle Monae- Tightrope (the definition at the start and the mirrored faces)

Sets the tone of the music video, I felt this was a useful way of preparing the audience for what they are about to view. It gives a brief overview about what the video might be about.

The two mirrored faces jumped out to me as they were quite elusive and creepy. The tone of my music video is set on  'witchcraft' (voodoo) so I thought these characters would be useful to include in my video. Small changes like making the overalls red. I chose this colour because it connotes death, sexual desire and danger.

This is an example I have done with the inspiration from the first picture. I might decide to use this in my music video to set the scene.

Erykah Badu- You got me (the bodies lying on the floor)

In this picture a body is lying on the video. Because my music video will be mainly narrative I thought this would be interesting to include as it could look like they are in a trance like state due to the 'spirit possession' that will occur.



A lot of Frank Ocean's songs have dark tones within them, for example in  the song 'Swim Good', he murdered a woman and took her body to a woods and burnt her and the car he brought, at the end there was an eagle in the shot to emphasise freedom and power. In the 'Novacane' there is a heavy reference to drugs and sex, it seems as though he is channelling his feelings into something that will make him feel better for only a short time, this could be something that appeals to young people and there is always a slight gesture that shows: if you turn to drunk, drink and sex to tackle your problems it will only become worse. Because Frank Ocean's music video are usually very sombre and tell a story this is my biggest inspiration in doing my own video. 

Song choices

• Song length preference: 1:30-50(because i'm working on my own it will be easier for me to create a narrative based music video at good quality if the video is shorter)
• Style: R&B, rap, hiphop

1.Kanye West- Bound 2
2.Kanye West- Power
3.Kanye West- Devil in a new dress
4.Frank Ocean- Novacane
5.Frank Ocean- Pyramids
6.Tyler the Creator- She
7.Childish Gambino- 3005
8.Frank Ocean- Voodoo (1:38)- I have decided to choose song choice number. 8, this is because when I listen to the song it makes me think of a lot of creative visuals, the ideas are able to flow freely which has been useful when it comes to thinking of an original authentic music video. The song is also short and because I'm working by myself I won't be cutting corners and my creative desires can be fully met as I can pack lots of visuals into a music video.
9.Frank Ocean- Acura Integurl
10.Kendrick Lamar- ***** don't kill my vibe.

Music video conventions

The conventions of music videos can be seen here in note form, this is important for me to refer to because it shows me whether I am producing a music video that will stick to the conventions. If I have included enough conventions then I have a good idea of how my music video will turn out. In my music video I will include long shots, close ups and mid shots( especially to show the mise-en-scene. I will feature tilts, panning and tracking in my music video, jump cuts and fade to black will be frequently used for editing and I might occasionally use black and white scenes to add to the video. Props might include the fruit I will include (apples).

Andrew Goodwin's music video theory

Music videos tend to include a demonstration of typical generic characteristics.
For example, half naked women and flashy items/big mansions are featured in a lot of rap videos/hip hop genres. intertextuality can also be featured e.g. Rock videos have strong influences from horror movies.
Frequent references to the notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
'looking' refers to women being portrayed seductively or if there is eye contact with the camera. mirrors, cameras, binoculars, magnifying glasses: are all props to emphasise the action of looking. Voyeurism is used to sell artist's music through sex appeal- Nicki Minaj, Superbass. Beyonce, Partition. Miley Cyrus, Wrecking ball. Voyeurism is one sided, leaning towards female artist's as an audience doesn't usually see or expect a male artist exploited sexually to sell music.
Correlative relationship between music and visuals
e.g. either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting.
The record label who manages the artist's usually have demands to met within the video.
Certain artist's have a certain 'look' usually introduced by the record label for example, spice girls was a manufactured girl group, they had their own individual style however they had to fit into slots of what the label expected of them (scary, sporty, posh spice etc).
The '4th wall' is broken frequently when the video is a performance. This is a direct address to the audience/viewer to make it seem like the artist is singing to them.
Intertextual references
As mentioned before, rock music videos feature references from horror movies, there is specific reference to films and TV series. Another example would be Destiny's child when they perform 'Independent women' they reference the movie Charlie's Angels throughout.

Video idea for separate video 'torn'

In class, I did a 15 minute brainstorm of what I wanted one music video to look like, we were given a random song and encouraged not to look at the video so the piece we would write down would be original and authentic. I felt this was a useful task as when the class got back and shared ideas everyone's ideas and views of their music video was very different. It showed that it was important for me to remain individual to my ideas and not copy or plagiarise others work. Some of the ideas, if I used this song for my music video, would not be featured and that is why we did this 15 minute task to show that ideas can adapt and change and there is no reason why I have to stick to rigid ideologies of what I want my Music video to look like.