Neamh Evaluation question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Editing Practice

In our editing practise, we looked at Aha - Imogen Heap. Here, we took a specific element from the video that was created and tried to re-create it with some of the footage that we had filmed. From this, I think that the most effective editing techniques for our genre would be the layering of the shots that have a relationship, as well as colour isolation. Layering can be used to our advantage as it can be used to help highlight the idea of Levi-Strauss' idea of binary opposites, in which we are using the idea of dreams against reality. Colour isolation can also be used to our benefit for the music video as it can be used to emphasise the feeling  that we want to recreate.  

Creative representations using concepts

For this task, we used Barbie dolls and an umbrella in order to create unusual concepts to consider within our music video. For this, we looked at a variety of ways in which we could use the dolls and the umbrella in creative ways in order to create something interesting to the audience. 

Doing this task allowed us to consider more creative ways in targeting our audience. One example would be using the headless Barbie doll. It also encouraged us to consider interesting angles and shot types which we can further include into our music video. From this, we have considered using the round light bulbs and mirror in our music video as it has a connection to the theme of dreams against reality (Todorov's theory of Binary opposites).

However, we also found that we could have found more inventive ways to use the umbrella when using concepts. This is because the umbrella is not used in a creative way in which would target a specific audience.

Stills

 I think that the most creative still that we took is the lightbox on the drums with 'Satisfied' and the music note in the frame. I think this because it is unusual positioning in the frame as well as being unseen as the lighting from the box is the only source of light in the frame. However, I also think that the second to last still is the least creative as it is the most basic of the stills that we took. 

Music video genre

  


I think that our music video falls into the rock indie pop genre, as a result of the common themes that come across in other indie rock pop genres, for example, in Oasis, 'Wonderwall', George Ezra's 'Listen to the man', and Kings of Leon, 'Sex of Fire'.




Oasis - Wonderwall





In the music video for the song 'Wonderwall', there is great emphasis on the genre of the music through the use of acoustic guitars, which also is as apparent factor in the indie genre. The rock element enters the song through the gradual introduction of other instruments, for example the drums and other stringed instruments. This is important in highlighting the genre as it allows it to stand out more to the audience what the genre is.
The music video is creative as it attracts the audience in a way that is different to other music videos which may fall in to the other genres (pop or rock). The semiotics show how the music video fits within the combination of pop rock and indie music. For example, the use of guitars is what mostly highlights the genre to the audience.




M-E-S

Throughout the music video, the band is shown as being the typical idea of a 80's band which meets the audiences expectations of the indie rock pop genre. In the music video, the men in the group are always shown in comfy causal clothing, usually shown with a musical instrument of sum sort. However, women are shown as a sexual object. As well as considering this, there is always a presence of musical instruments to relate back to the genre.


Cinematography

In the music video there is a large range of cinematography used to highlight the genre. The use of close ups and mid-shots of the band highlight to the audience the indie and pop element of the song. Similarly to this, the gradual introduction of instruments in the video emphasis the rock image that the band are looking to portray. The amount of times that a guitar also shows up in a shot is important as it is highlighting how the genre is intertwined with sexuality when being compared to the woman in the mid-ground.


Editing

 Editing plays an important role in highlighting the genre of the music video, as it is used to the directors advantage. One way that the genre is highlighted is through the use of a black and white filter put on the band throughout the music video. This emphasises the look of the band when considering the indie pop rock look. As well as this, colour isolation on the guitars is important as shows the importance of highlighting the idea of an indie music video the audience. The guitar highlights how the music fits within the genre. As well as this, the use of split screening is useful in explaining the music genre as it highlights the importance of character and music to the genre.

George Ezra's 'Listen to the Man' follows the idea of indie rock pop as it is a common theme in his music to have emphasis on the guitar and his voice. The indie element is concentrated on by having less complex instruments for the music video. The use of the guitar and the lack of other instruments on the set sign the idea of the song fitting in with the rock indie pop genre. This is highly significant as it develops the indie pop look as well as the narrative theory of binary opposites. Binary opposites are shown through the combination of old and young which seem to be a common theme throughout the song.


M-E-S

In the music video there are few props as the semiotics are suggesting that the song is a narrative set at a train station. In the video there are a few more extravagant props, including the drink in the coconut that Ian McKellen receives. Similarly, Ezra brings out a guitar which coincides with genre. Both characters are dressed casually, which more fits with the idea of the music video being a narrative rather that (e.g.) a image performance.


Cinematography

 In the music video, the director has chosen to look at the use of bright lighting to emphasise the actors. This is because it relates more to the pop genre but has an element of indie in it as well. The use of close ups and mid shots show the audience the genre of the music video. As well as considering this, the vast amount of two shots that are used show the audience the relation to the pop genre.

'Sex on Fire' looks at mainly the rock genre with the base undertone and the drums. however there is also an element of indie and pop in the music which is used to attract a range of audiences, ultimately benefitting the band. There is also a great amount of singing in the music video, in relation to the instruments that are in the music.


M-E-S

In the music video the band are dressed in generally the same way. This is with dark coloured clothing through out the music video, which further relates with the lyrics of the song. As well as this, the main artist in the music video wears the Cross as religious symbolism, relating further to the idea of rock and indie music. This is highly significant as it develops the indie rock look as well as the narrative theory of binary opposites as well as the narrative theory. This is because it looks at the idea of light against dark, good against bad as well as following the idea of a story line, being that actions result in a specific consequence.


Cinematography

In the music video, the Kings of Leon look use low key lighting to emphasise the rock element of the music video. Similarly, the use of close ups are significant as it points out the most important elements of the song (the cross as religious symbolism, the guitar to the genre of music, the simplistic meaning of black birds, the connotations of shadows.)
This all points towards the idea of the indie element with the dark lighting highlighting the mysterious element of the music video.
Light seems to be a common theme in the music video as it looks at the contrast between good and bad, along side with the lyrics it compares the idea of sex being both good and bad (which is shown through the use of bright and dark.)


Editing

For editing, the music video uses lots and lots of short takes of the band and the artist. This symbolises the quick nature of the music video and what the song represents. As well as this, the director has chosen to use shots of the band and panning around the band which creates the sense of movement within the song.

Music video genre

Khalid- Location

This genre of music, indie pop, is displayed in this music video through the use of creative locations and props. This really defines the genre of music and makes it stand out. Indie pop is now becoming more and more popular through the use of social media as this particular artist was discovered by many on snapchat after one of his songs was used as music for one of the face filters that snapchat offers. This video follows the narrative of Todorov's three stage theory, i like how it was't a major issue that had to be resolved but the music video was more relatable and realistic rather than a dramatic fantasy.

M-E-S
When watching the video i noticed that Khalid is wearing very plain, simple clothing which means that he does not display a flashy lifestyle and that is the image that he wants to maintain. The women who appear in the video are often wearing skimpy, revealing clothing but he contrasts the stereotype as he does not pay attention to them and is only after one female.

Editing
The whole video has a kind of sepia effect which gives the impression that it is retro and alternative which fits with the genre. The video includes a lot of cutaways, these have been between Khalid and the female he is thinking of. This immediately allows the audience to make a connection between the two people and what the relationship is between them. Layering was also used to make smooth transitions between shots and also fitted with the pace of the music. Layering text over the video also meant that the audience was aware each time the two communicated as the audience was told that they had received a message. Fast forwarding effect reflects the genre pop element of the genre as it is usually upbeat and the artists have a fast pace lifestyle.

Cinematography
This has played a large part in the creativeness of this video. Long and establishing shots have been used to emphasise where shots are taking place and to piece together what representation the director/artist is coding for the audience to decode. High and low angles capture the actors true expressions and feelings in a way that may not be usually seen in videos and it draws the audience in as they begin to wonder what they're thinking, this fits perfectly into indie side of the genre as it is an alternative approach.

Ed Sheehan- Photograph

Photograph, by Ed Sheeran makes use of the songs genre to emphasise certain props in the video. The music video consists of various different clips and photos of the artist, Ed growing up from being a young child into the famous musician he is now. This is a simple concept, however it is very effective and creative. This does not particularly follow a theory however it is more of a concept video.   

M-E-S

As mentioned earlier, the use of certain props have highlighted the genre, for example, there are clips of Ed  playing the guitar, drums and piano. These are all instruments that can be heard in the song. He is also seen to have an interest in music from a young age and it is something that he grows up with, Ed is shown to be just like the rest of us and an ordinary boy. This makes the audience seem like they are similar to the artist and this is a unique way of doing so.

Editing 

It is difficult to pick out editing techniques that have been used as pre-recorded clips have been used who would have been filmed for home use, not for public viewing. This being said, certain clips have been placed together to show the growth of Ed. Shots show Ed using a prop in one scene and using the same one in the next. An example of this can be seen where Ed as a toddler passes a pen to someone and in the next shot a pen is passed to him from the same direction however in this shot he is much older.

Cinematography

Zooming and reverse zooming has been used to transition between Ed's life and his age. Close ups and high angles let the audience in on what the artist is thinking and gives an insight into their emotion. Overall, the idea of this music video was very creative and perfectly fitted with the indie pop genre.

Foster The People- Pumped up kicks



Pumped up kicks by Foster The People, has a music video which is very lively and keeps audiences intrigued as there is always a lot going on. From this video it would be interesting to take some of their cinematography approaches like focus pulls for our own music video.


Editing
Immediately from the first shot, someone can be seen jumping off a cliff into some water. The effect that was put onto the picture, made it look as if it was old fashioned or alternatively taken on an old camera but in present day. This is a new trend within the indie genre as it gives it a retro vibe. As well as this, simple editing has been used such as sped up footage and jump cuts between action to make the video appear fast paced.


Cinematography
The use of several focus pulls and out of focus shots make the filming look quite amateur however this was done on purpose to appear as if the band shot the video themselves. Similarly, handheld recording and over the shoulder shots add to this. This may not have worked for other genres of music though this works for this genre as it is a different way of doing things which is what an indie pop song usually is.


M-E-S
Props such as surfboards and musical instruments have been used in order to make them appear trendy and cool. Throughout the video a variation of different lighting has been used and this keeps the audience interested and it breaks up the different shots to make them unique.

Narative theories

Theory 1: Todorov's three stage theory:
Equilibrium- Everything is happy and normal
↓
Disruption- There is an issue
↓
Resolution- Resolved and 'Happy ever after'




For our music video, if we were to incorporate this theory we would do the following:
A couple start off together, however they begin to separate. The singer would begin to search for their loved one emphasising time moving forward of how long it takes to find them whilst also having flashbacks to when they were together.




Theory 2: Levi Strauss' Binary opposites:
-Levi made sense of the world by seeing events as a result of binary opposites,
-These opposites create conflict.
-He was more interested in themes than the order in which these events were arranged.




For our music video, if we were to incorporate this theory into out video we would do the following:


Light and dark. We decided that we could incorporate light and dark into our music video based on the lyrics:
'What do you see in your dreams at night?
And only you can turn on the light
Come on and show me
How do you feel when it's dark inside?'


We also decided to use the comparison of male and female, as well as the representation of being care-free and being lost and alone.

Symbolic code and technical code of our video

Greenscreen practise and representation analysis

For our green screen practice, we used three different genres:
> Performance
> Under the sea
> Argument scene between a couple

When creating our green screen practice, we used the green screen room that was available to us in order to create the different locations. Doing this, we learnt how to add a green screen to a piece of footage that we had. This then allowed us to develop the ability to apply this to our actual music video if we needed to.
From having green screen practise, we have been able to explore a wider range of editing techniques that we can consider including for our music video. By using green screen, we would be able to consider a wider range of whats that we can make our video more effective towards our target audience. As well as this, it has allowed us to consider the possibility of meeting codes and conventions that may be more difficult for us to access without the use of a green screen.

Overall, we were successful when producing pieces relating to the sinario, for example, under the sea, a performance and an argument. We were able to add effects that meant that the clip was more relatable to the scene. This then allowed us to consider how we could use this in filming our music video.

4 different representations of genres

During our lesson we were required to give examples of four different genres and how they can be represented. This required us to look at specific parts of the song, looking at lyrics and parts of the song, dissecting it and coming up with ideas for each different genre in regards to cinematography, editing and M-E-S.