1) Research: music video analysis
You need to write a 200-word close-textual analysis of five (or more!) music videos in your chosen genre. For each music video, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:
Music Video 1: Narrative
How is narrative used in the music video and what impact does this have on the audience? Can you apply any narrative theories to the story in the music video?
The music video follows a simple narrative of two people who have known each other since childhood. The video starts with one of the three time zones in which we see the characters interact. Using a bracelet as a macguffin, the narrative guides us through time skips to navigate their relationship with each other. Another way the bracelet is used is as a way of linking the 'present' with the far past and establishing that this is a time skip instead of entirely fresh characters. Every segment from the past is played in reverse as a way to symbolize the characters retracing their time together. The order of the narrative is cyclical as we end with the start of the first scene. In terms of Todorov's theory of equilibrium, the equilibrium is the pair being in a relationship, the disequilibrium is them being broken up, and the new equilibrium is hinted at by their meeting at the park.
Music Video 2: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Use CLAMPS to help you here and think in particular about how mise-en-scene is used to communicate the genre of music.
The music video inspires uncanny valley. The setting of the world is hyper realistic yet the characters we see are isolated in their framing. The way they move isn't natural yet they're all dressed conventionally walking around in their conventional world. The decision to have the skin be shiny relates the characters to dolls more so than people, which is where the uncanny valley feeling is derived from. The setting is a nondescript personality-less city which the characters that are hinted to have depression interact with. The use of such a background makes it so that it speaks for a generation of people all over the world, which wouldn't have the same message if it was set in Paris or somewhere immediately recognizable.
Music Video 3: Camerawork
Here you are looking for particular camera shots and movement. Remember that movement is a critical convention of most music videos and camerawork can contribute to this.
The close ups in this video are particularly interesting because they match with the music to give the vampire a narrative. Similarly, when close up into the eyes, the filter over the video changes as an homage to old horror movies that it's emulating. When the vampire goes on his rampage, the camera movement goes from stable to handheld and gives urgency to what's happening on screen.
Music Video 4: Editing
Analyse pace, transitions, the number of shots and juxtaposition. How does the music video create pace and excitement - or does it create a different effect for the audience?
The fast pace editing with the closeups at the beginning add to a sense of urgency to his situation before the video goes psychedelic with the layering and skeleton after effects. You really get a sense of being trapped through the constant closeups that restrict the amount of negative space in the shot and the fast cutting between faces to establish a connection with the characters.
Music Video 5: Conventions
Think back to our Introduction to Music Video and our work on Andrew Goodwin's theory on music video conventions as part of the Ghost Town CSP. How many key conventions of music video can you find in your fifth music video example?
You can find a range of notable music video examples in this blogpost or you are free to select videos of your choice. You may wish to write more about one video than another but as long as you have 1,000+ words of research in total you will be fine.
2) Planning: music video treatment (concept)
In order to produce a successful music video, you will need to write a treatment. This is like a script - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need choose what song you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's track but it needs to be appropriate for a mainstream audience.
You can find further music video treatment guidance here plus an example of a genuine director's treatment for the brilliant alt-J video Breezeblocks.
washed out colours, tons of close ups on movement to highlight the tiny detail changes between the cycles
BLACK SCREEN WITH NUMBERS FOR HELP HOTLINES BEGINNING/END
scene 1:
woman waking up in her bed, husband sleeps facing away, gets out of bed gently to not wake him, puts bathrobe on, goes to make a sandwich, takes plate into living room to watch news (aim to match lyrics TV to shot of TV), turns news on, sleeve moves slightly to show bruise/red marks while changing channel, different shots of her in the same place? to keep movement while showing she's static, passage of time
scene 2:
Cut to her getting up again at the chorus, husband still sleeping facing away, going to get breakfast, breakfast is a pot of yogurt, taking spoon out of drawer, opening the family laptop to turn the news on with headphones on
scene 3:
Getting up again on 3rd chorus, this time waking the husband up, close up of him grabbing her night dress violently, cuts to eating sandwich in the living room, red eyes, red marks on neck from hand, shaking a little and watching the news.
3) Statement of Intent
Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.
Although the video will go over the suggested length by a minute, I intend to promote the band through a touching music video intended to sympathise with people living with abusers during lock down. This social consciousness would be an excellent marketing move to make the band appear as if they care about current issues. I will use a wide variety of camera angles and shots in order to highlight how trapped the main character feels within the walls of her house, such as lots of close ups to remove negative space and make everything feel cramped together. Additionally, I will feature the band's sponsor with Sony Headphones in the video in a subtle way to not take away from the intended message. My music video will bring the subject of abuse to the foreground, subverting the media's tendency to create panic about issues instead of aiding in the fight to prevent them. I will be using a stereotypical
Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this).
4) Ignite presentation
Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:
Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):
1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog)
2) Music video concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations
5) Audience and Industry
6) Delivery
Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this).
4) Ignite presentation
Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:
- Your music video concept: artist, song, genre, narrative/performance/effects etc.
- Media language: how you will use music video conventions, camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene to create meanings for your audience. Remember the key word: connotations.
- Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes in your music video; applications of representation theory.
- Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures - why they would enjoy your video; audience theory.
- Media industries and digital convergence: the potential record company that would sign and promote your band or artist; how fans could watch the video; other ways you could promote your artist (e.g. the headphone sponsorship in the brief).
Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):
1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog)
2) Music video concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations
5) Audience and Industry
6) Delivery
