Unit 29 - Styles, Conventions and Techniques of Music Videos

Styles, Conventions and Techniques of Music Videos

Style - All music videos have a theme/style, which will normally link to the lyrics and performers style. The genre of the song will be the main influence on the video. The style of a music video will come across in key features like actors' behavior & costume, locations/scenery and props. The style of an artist can change from video to video or stay the same throughout the whole album and sometimes bands might keep the same style throughout their career. 
 
One of the first things an artist thinks about is the style. The style is normally based off other videos, shows or films which have similar features which strike the director’s and artist’s visions. 

Some of the popular music genres are animation, in-concert, surrealist, narrative, parody, and influence of commercials. Some artists like to have videos which contradicts the lyrics making them seem almost sarcastic. This is done to make a statement and awareness towards something. Certain music genres use certain styles to keep with the trend of their genre.

Cheryl Cole's video to Under the Sun is based in the 1950's, and to take the audience back and relive this time period, director Anthony Mandler uses vintage cars, costume and visual effect to make it look authentic. The street Cheryl walks down has 50's looking signs/posters and the cafe at the beginning has a retro jukebox. The video is bright with a vintage effect. Anthony Mandler is a veteran when it comes to mainstream pop and rap music videos. He has directed almost one hundred videos for people like Enrique Iglesias, Rihanna, Jay-Z and FUN.   

Passenger’s Let Her Go is an in-concert “Live performance”. The video uses low-key lighting to convey the sad tone on the song. It also allows use to focus on the lyrics rather than a unique set. This means the video is cheaper and quicker to film because there is only one location. The video features the production team setting up the stage and the audience watching the performance. Although this is a love song it’s video’s narrative is about Passenger performing.

Conventions 

Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis has a video that is a lyric interpretation. This means that the video is true to the lyrics or in other words it is what you expect or picture when you hear the song. Although it is what we could expect it does not mean it typical or boring. Each type Macklemore talks about an item like his coat, keyboard, etc. we see that item. What we hear “walk into the club” and what we see, Macklemore walking in a club. 

In Coldplay’s The Scientist the video helps us look at meaning of the song differently or in other words it extends the meaning. This type of convention is where you could listen to the song and get one meaning and then watch the video and we get a different one. Even at the start of the video we have an initial idea but its not until the end of the video we get the whole extended meaning. Coldplay achieved this by filming backwards. 

The video for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Dani California pays homage to their inspirations and key idols in the music industry. They do this by portraying the characters from the era's to which they belonged. The video contains Iconic sets, costumes, make-up and characteristics. Also techniques are used which where from that era of music videos. Some examples of are the black and white effect for Elvis, the psychedelic colours of Hendrix and dutch tilt camera angle with the Sex Pistols. This homage video is comical and enjoyable to watch.

Techniques - These can makes videos more visual interesting. Bands like to work with certain directors because they use techniques that suit the band. Some artist like each video to be individual and they can do this by using techniques. Solo singer Ben Howard has one video, which is backwards, and black and white and he has another that is very high key lighting which lots of lens flare.  

Cutting to the beat – If you have many shots and different angles it can be quite an easy way for an editor to make the song seem more professional. It also makes each cut and beat standout. 

Lip sync - Artist record the music with a band in a studio and then the artist will record the music video. They will lip sync to the song when on set on the video because it would be difficult keep performing with a band for each shot.  This means that the footage will need to be edited to the music rather than the other way.

Unit 8 - Legal & Ethical Considerations in the TV and Film industies

 Legal & Ethical considerations in the TV and Film industry

Ethical (Dictionary) – Dealing with morals or principles of morality. Following the rules or standards as a profession for right conduct or practice.

Ethical considerations that professionals have to face in the media industry are:

• Codes of conduct

• Policies and procedures

• Emerging social concerns and expectations

• Repressention. E.g. individual, groups, religions, issues

British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)

The BBFC is a non-governmental organization that governs the national classification and censorship of films within the UK. They will evaluate the certificate rating for films by judging the content within the film. The BBFC use the classification guideline to help judge the film. In February 2014 a new classification guideline has been placed which regulates the use of swearing, violence and sexual nature within TV and film. Although these need to be checked for the safety of the viewers sometimes they are needed so purpose the film is shown. An example of this is could be a documentary about slavery and within the show there could be an extensive use of violence and to get a 15 certificate the BBFC will ask for part of the documentary to be taken out. This organisation is funded by the film industry.     

Forty-two years after the release of The Railway Children the BBFC have raised a concern that the film may encourage children to play on railway tracks after watching the film. The censor said, “The Railway Children is set in the Edwardian period and trains and access to railway property are very different today”. The film had always been a U rating, which means suitable for all but the BBFC website wants to draw attention to the fact that the “playing on railway lines was in an archaic context”.

Popular action film, The Hunger Games had to remove some scenes of violent detail to be classified as a 12A. 

Tim Masters. (2013). BBFC gets first Railway Children complaint. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23270980. Last accessed 25th June 2014.

Ofcom
Ofcom regulates the television industry. It protects the public from what may be considered harmful or offensive material. They have the power to sew broadcasters. Not because of illegal content but more so content which is unethical. An example of TV content that could be deemed as unethical is in an episode of Coronation Street that aired on 11/06/14. In the episode someone is called Benefit Street as an insult. I watched it yesterday and thought that people who where featured in Benefit Street or people in the UK on benefits may take offense and complain at ITV for using the word “benefit” as an insult.   


There are other laws effecting the film and television industries:

• Broadcasting Act 1990 This was put in place when satellite TV became available and when more channels started. Before this act was in place the four available channels that were free. The BBC only showed programs that were made by the BBC and now because of this act the have to source 25% of their output from independent production companies. These “indies” have to meet BBC requirements like using BBC approved cameras.   
  

• Race Relation Act 1976 This act is to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin in the field of employment and public functions.
  

Contractural
Employment can be classified as: full-time, fixed term and freelance. If you were working for the BBC you will have to take a Legal and Ethical based test to make sure you react and handle situations professionally. You can try these tests at the BBC Safeguarding Trust. These tests shows that even companies have set professional standards that they want their employees to follow. If you can handle and understand these ethical codes of practice you can be seen as professional and reliable. 

When working freelance there are legal obligations you need to fulfil. Release forms are required because it prevents the producers from being sued for using peoples image without permission. These forms are required from everyone who is involved in the film. When completed is means that contributors have agreed for the film to use their content. 

It is important to know that your liability is covered. Employer's liability insurance will cover any damages towards health and saftey.

Unit 33 - Animation Evaluation

Stop Motion Animation Evaluation

Discuss the development of your initial idea as a response to your chosen soundtrack.

When in the pre-production stage I planned to use a famous movie quote and this lead me to watch the best movie quote on YouTube, but this did not give me a soundtrack. After watching a couple of videos I noticed that Forrest Gump kept coming up and I released that this would be my soundtrack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qaq_Yj4dmY (1:30). This was a soundtrack that I knew would be recognized but I felt that I wanted to use the speech from The Great Dictator. I first saw this at secondary school and since then it has been my favorite speech and I really wanted to use this soundtrack but it was extremely long compared to Forrest Gump. So I had two ideas for my soundtrack but I was unsure on which one to use, something that was easily recognizable or something with great power and meaning. After written notes on what sort of stop motion that I could do with both I decided on Forrest Gump because it was shorter and I know clearly what my animation would use pixilation.  

If you worked in a group identify your role and contribution to the overall project

Discuss the development of your chosen technique. Did you do test shots? Use screen shots to illustrate your work.

I know straight away that I want the Forrest Gump soundtrack to have pixilation stop motion. The reason I was so clear on this technique is because I wanted to use real chocolates and after research I did on Claymation and pixilation, which can be found in my production diary I speak about how I really like the work of Pes and Paul Heard. Also I had do some work on pixilation which was 13 seconds and titled Shoe. In this I experimented with moving the camera as well as moving the shoe. This was a sort of test shot but without chocolates but still gave me a better understanding of how pixilation works.

After knowing which soundtrack I was going to use I wanted to get a test shot done to give me an understanding on frame rate and I would be able to watch it back use it as a guide for my final piece. I had the equipment for the test shot but I needed a box of chocolates and cups. It was a couple days until I got them due to time clashes with college time and when my dad was able to take me to Asda. Once I got what I needed on Friday 29^th I was going to do the test shot on Sunday 1^st but due to living condition I left on Saturday to do the test shot in Eastbourne with no tripod, just nature light and a bridging camera. Even with these factors I was happy with the results of my test shot.

Discuss the development of your second soundtrack. How did you decide what sounds to use. How did you choose to mix the soundtrack.

My second soundtrack I know I wanted to have the diegetic sounds such as the movement of the chocolates and the cups, the sliding of the lid coming off the box and the tapping on the cup. These would be Foley sounds, which would give me one type of sound, but I was unsure on what other types of sounds to use. I planed what types of sounds I would use, I knew what Foley but I needed more so I decided that I could use sound effects for the opening of the box and for the spinning of the cups.

What improvements would you make to both the process and final animation

I feel like I rushed the second soundtrack because my deadline was Monday 9th and I finished my first edit on Thursday 5^th in the morning. The reason I finished it so late is because I had reflections in the microwave and I had to crop the frame. Once I was done this this I started working on my second soundtrack edit. I got my sound effects fast but I didn’t have the chocolates and cups for the Foley sounds. I was going to do my Foley on Friday but on Thursday I found out that I would not have accuses to the equipment. This meant I had to record Foley on Thursday with random items.  

Have you had any audience feedback? If so what is your response

“Simple but clever, it was fitted the Forrest Gump soundtrack” this is a good response as I wanted to have the link with “never know what your gonna get” and in the visuals you see a pear rather than a chocolate.

Use images to illustrate your work.

This is how I added an image with no reflection behind one that has one. I changed the scale of the frame to make sure the images are lined up. After that I changed the brightness & contrast to make the images match in brightness.

If you look closely you can see a faint line.