Lighting

Lighting Workshop

Lighting plays a massive role in music videos as it can help set the atmosphere for example if very little lighting is used then it gives the impression of sadness in the video, but if high-key lighting is used then it sets a happy atmosphere and would show what the video is about. 

Low-Key Lighting

Low-key lighting is used in music videos to create a dull and moody atmosphere and can make any scene look more dramatic with a touch of mystery. It allows the audience to focus on the subject instead of being distracted by other thing in the background so your eyes are drawn to the main focal point. An example of this is in Lord's music video for 'Green Light', where throughout the video the background is dull with the odd street light, but because the only light used is on her it means that the whole time you are focused on her and what she is doing, rather than what is happening behind her.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMK_npDG12Q

High-Key Lighting:-

In contrast to low-key lighting, high-key lighting creates a more enjoyable atmosphere. It involves using light tones and whites which creates a light airy feel.This tells the audience straight away what their watching is upbeat.

Our Lighting:-

The lighting we decided to look at was side lighting, using an orange and blue artificial light on either side. I really like the dramatic effect it adds and how much you can play around with the density and angle of the lighting. An example of this kind of lighting is used in Glass Animals music video 'Youth', where they use different angles for each shot so the light highlights different angles of the boys face.

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

Our Examples

By doing this post it means we understand how important lighting is when it comes to our own video so you are able to see everything, but also so we can plan what shot would look good with certain lighting and to emphasise the mood we are trying to create and will also portray the genre. We will be using a black and white filter for quite a few of our clips so it is important we get the lighting right in order to create a good contrast.

Codes and Conventions we will be using

After looking at Radioactive by Imagine Dragons which is the same genre to what we would like to do we have decided to use the following codes and conventions in our music video:

• Narrative- by using a narrative it allows us to be creative with a story-line and narratives are becoming more and more popular as they help videos stand out compared to others. They also help to hold the audiences attention and makes the video more memorable.
• Editing on the beat- this will help our music video to flow and look professional. This links in well with Andrew Goodwin's theory. Editing in the indie genre is also made to give an old fashioned effect. 
• Mise-en-scene- in indie music videos this is especially important as it helps to portray the genre and make is clear what it is. Costumes help to give the character an identity, however our costume will be linking to the title of our song 'sweater weather' as she will be wearing a sweater but helps the audience to identify what time of year it is. Makeup is also just as important because it can help set the era it is set in. Mise-en-scene will help portray the narrative much easier.
  
• Camera- close up shots are commonly used at the start of music videos to introduce the character or artist as well as full length shots to show the setting, crane shots and tilts or pans to help tell the story and show off the location.
  
• Setting- indie videos are usually made on a low budget, filmed outdoors where it's easy to get to and are mainly focused on the use of artistic shots and shots of the artist themselves. 
  
  
  

Lip Syncing

In today's lesson we practised lip syncing and pretended to play instruments in time to the music. This will help us a lot when it comes to our own music video because if it is even slightly out of sink then it can make the overall video look unprofessional. It also gave us a good idea of how hard it is and how long it takes to get a the hang of it before you get a perfect shot which we'd need to bear in mind for our own practical work as we would need to film it early on to ensure we get a good shot. These are a few of our videos that we did:

By doing these practices it shows us how tricky is it going to be in our own project and how we need to make sure we allow plenty of time to get the best shots. When looking back at the videos it has also made me start considering the framing of the shots as this is an important aspect of ensuring it looks realistic because if you get it wrong it could make it look really obvious it is fake. 

Deconstruction Codes and Conventions

Conventions of a music video is the way in which things are done throughout the video to help portray the genre. The codes of a music video is the way they have used the equipment to show symbols, signs or how the person is feeling and how it is shown to the audience, as they help create meaning behind a video. The codes and conventions very much depend on the genre of the video however the general codes and conventions are:

• Representations- stereotypes
• Mise-en-scene- costume, lighting, makeup, setting
• Editing techniques
• Sound effects
• Camera
• Style- narrative, concept, performance

Radioactive:-

For my deconstruction of a music video I decided to choose Radioactive by Imagine Dragons as it is an alternative/indie song which is the genre I will be using for my own music video. The song was released in 2012 as the opening track to their new album 'Night Vision' and is very much done in a 'narrative' style. Throughout the video the genre of the song, alternative/indie, is represented through the use of stereotypical dark, dull colours with there being very little light apart from the toys fighting which ensures they stand out from the video as they play a key roll. The video also links to the typical conventions of a music video as the lyrics are linked to the visuals in the music video the whole way through, for example when it sings 'i'm breathing in' the band member makes a point to exaggerate a deep breath and they have band members hitting instruments and lip syncing in time to the music. 

The music video is made to represent the revolution and reflects this in the lyrics. when it says 'welcome to the new age' and 'it's a revolution I suppose'. The puppets represent people continually being controlled by others, or in this case the 'puppet masters' and the puppets fighting represents war. This is again shown towards the end of the video when the puppets get knocked down but manage to get themselves back up and take back their control. Again representing this idea the band members are made to look powerful and strong despite being locked up and actually being the weaker characters. 

The video has techniques that you would also expect to find in a music video such as lip syncing during the choruses and editing on the beat. To help with the narrative of the story lots of close up shots of the girl are used to show reactions as the video has a strong story line throughout so is based on performance which you wouldn't normally see in music videos. Whenever there is a shot of a band member a medium close up is always used to show what he is doing and so the audience can see their facial expression. At the start of the video lots of cut editing is used as the shots changed to different angles of the girl walking which, along with the fact there is no music playing except for sounds added in of trees creates a dramatic atmosphere. At the start the lighting is natural but dull so automatically gives the impression of it being set in autumn, but when the shot switches to the boxing ring the lighting becomes bright and well lit above the ring. This contrasts with the dark, low-key lighting used when the band members are lip syncing which indicates the audience they are trapped in some sort of cell. When the band escapes lighting is used to peep through the trap door and the band are filmed walking towards it to show the fact they are heading towards freedom.

By doing this research it  helps lot when it comes to us filming our own music video as it is the same genre so we know what kind of conventions and codes to be using in our own. It has made me consider what kind of lighting we need to concentrate on using, as our video too is set in autumn and the types of camera angles and editing we should be using to help get our narrative across.

The Music Video Industry

How are music videos generally made?
Normally, a record label will hire a production company with an executive producer. The producer than takes charge of putting together a reliable team which will include a director, photographer, production manager, set designer and many more depending on the videos theme.  They would then have meetings between the a video production team to create the vision for the video. After this a budget then has to be approved to allow the executive producer to hire a studio, wardrobe, hair and makeup and technical crew that all fits within the budget. The final process is to them edit the video and go through an intensive approval process before being released to the client.

What is the purpose of a music video?

Music videos are a vital role in the music industry as they allow an artist to promote and promote their new material, so can have a huge impact on the success of an artist. A lot of artists, especially in the indie/alternative genre that I have been researching use music videos so they are able to include footage of themselves performing at a concert, so they are able to show their audience their energy, making them want to go and see the band perform live themselves. From a narrative point of view, music videos can also create a better understanding of the songs lyrics, as well as providing entertainment. Artists can also use product placement in their videos, by featuring a product to promote, as well as themselves. Artists and companies use music videos as a visual aid for whats going in the song, as well as the video being something to visually remember for the audience whether it was good or bad. An example of how a good video can impact sales of a song is Micheal Jackson's 'Thriller', which became so popular due to how different and unique it was compared the newly released videos of its time. He understood the importance of having a video that stood out, spending $500,000 which was a big investment then, but undoubtedly paid off.

Famous video directors?
Listed below are just a few of the most famous music video directors who are known for pushing boundaries this year:

• Dave Meyers & The Little Homies- For the last 20 years, Meyers has been producing some of the best award-winning videos, collaborating with artists from all backgrounds and genres such as Missy Elliot, Jay Z and Britney Spears, Most recently he has worked with Kendrick Lamar and his manager Dave Free, who call themselves 'The Lil Homies', in his 2017 videos 'HUMBLE' and 'LOYALTY'.

• Melina Matsoukas- Matsoukas is the woman behind Beyonce's video for 'Formation' and focuses on working on videos that star powerful female pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Rihanna and Beyonce. She has been making videos for over a decade and has won a couple of Grammy's for her work in the industry.

• Grant Singer- His career began with a dream to make 'transgressive music videos' with a punk aesthetic. In the past two years he has directed videos for some of the most well-known artists such as Lorde, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd. He is known for his balance of risk-taking artistry and mainstream accessibility. 

How much does a music video cost to shoot?

The cost to produce a music video can vary a lot, however the average price range to produce a professional music video can range from $20,000 to $500,000. There are video that can be much higher, in the seven figure range but those are exceptions overall. Some of the most expensive videos made so far are:

• Michael Jackson andJanet Jackson

"Scream"$7,000,000

• Madonna

"Die Another Day"$6,100,000

• Madonna

"Express Yourself"$5,000,000

• Madonna

"Bedtime Story"$5,000,000

How does an audience access music videos?

Music videos are still very much accessed through TV, with channels such as MTV keeping videos current with channels dedicated to all genres. As well as this YouTube has become one of the leading sources, with access to independent and major record labels and artists all for free. Vimeo is a smaller site that competes with YouTube and also gives free access to HD videos.

By doing this research it has given me a strong insight into the music video industry, as well as a clear understanding of what an audience nowadays are after when it comes to current music videos as there is so much competition.

Categories of Music Videos

There are three different categories of music videos:

Narrative based videos-
This type of music video usually consists of a storyline that relates to the songs lyrics and genre and can be used to engage an audience. They are typically used for soundtracks that feature in songs with scenes from the film in the video.

Performance based video-
Performance based videos feature the band/artists performing to an audience or to a camera. They are usually high energy and bands use them to give their audience a taste of what they are like live to encourage people to go and watch them at a concert.

Concept based video-
Concept based are sometimes based on one idea and can usually be quite unusual. They tend to be unique and stick to a particular editing or filming technique.

I researched the different types of music videos so that I had a clear understanding of what categories music videos fit into and what our own idea comes under. By doing this before we start filming our own practical work it allows me to know exactly what our audience will be expecting from our genre and the category it comes under to ensure that it is enjoyable and professional. It has also widened my knowledge of the music video industry and the different music video categories that are out there, so that I can easily recognise them when doing research.

Theorists

David Buckingham- representation
'Genre is not simply given by the culture rather it is in a constant state of negotiation and change'.
Buckingham believes that because of the constant changes in the media it is causing identities to change also. He believes that children and young people spend too much time surrounded by different media that shows a bad side to the world and is therefore continually going through changes due to the amount of views, opinions and cultures they see on an everyday basis. Even though the genre's change, the conventions stay the same meaning music video conventions are the same nowadays as they were, except nowadays they have evolved to fit the generation of music now. 

Roland Barthes
Barthes believes that a text has many meanings behind them and describes them as a 'galaxy of signifiers' which can be interpreted in different ways. By this he meant that a text is like a ball of threads that needs to be unravelled and once we unravel it we discover lots of different meanings and interpretations. You can either end up with a closed meaning or an open one by unravelling the narrative from a different perspective. Action and enigma codes are two of Barthes five codes, the others being the connotative, symbolic and cultural code.
Enigma Code- Builds the tension and the audience is left guessing what happens next as it creates the driving force of the narrative by making the audience ask questions. 
Action Code- This allows the audience to identify and interpret what is yet to come. 

Claude Levi Strauss- Binary opposition
Strauss believes that we understand a word better by our understanding of the different or 'opposite' word instead of any meaning they themselves directly contain. Binary opposites are commonly used in films to help plots but are also used in music videos as a narrative to emphasize the song. Some of the most frequently used examples are; 

Good vs Evil

Male vs Female

Dark vs Light

Clean vs Dirt

East v West

Humanity vs Technology

Jacques Darrida

Darrida looked at Barthes and Strauss' theories and developed them further by recognising that the binary opposites were never equal in a text, as one was always valued more which often led to stereotypes. 

Vladimir Propp

Propp studied folklore and fairy tales and discovered that a certain type of character was used in every narrative structure and this idea has influenced many filmmakers to produce a successful narrative. He simplified them into eight sphere of action:

1. The villain

2. The hero - seeking something

3. The donor - provides object with magic property

4. The helper - aids hero

5. The princess - reward for hero and object of villain scheme

6. Her father - who rewards hero

7. The dispatcher - sends the hero on his way

8. The false hero

Tzvetan Todrov

Todrov is a Bulgarian philosopher who came up with a simple five step narrative:

1. A state of Equilibrium - all is well

2. A disruption of that order by an event

3. A recognition that disorder has occurred

4. An attempt to repair the damage of disorder

5. A return or restoration of new equilibrium

Syd Field

He believes a typical Hollywood film can be split into three separate dramatic sections or acts. These are used to help one act move onto the next which turn around the life of the main character. 

Act 1

Most important is it draws in the audience's attention and within the first ten minutes the audience have already decided whether they like the film. Because of this it is important for the filmmaker to make it clear what the film is about and hint at what is yet to come and introduce the main character is and why they should care about the character.

Act 2

This is the confrontation and longest act where the character is put in extreme problem situations where they have to face their enemies. Usually it includes a mid-point where the character turns it around and wins. Still a long way to go and discover the way they have been doing things is wrong.

Act 3

Hero finally takes control, usually by confronting enemy and win.

Looking at theorists and their different theories helps inform our own work and decisions as we are able to refer back to their ideas and apply them to our own work when appropriate to create a hih standard and processional piece.

Steve Neale Genre Theory

Steve Neale believe in the theory of repetition and difference. By this he means films of a type should include features that are similar but also includes features that are different, as difference is essential to keep the genre interesting. Genres are important as they allow the audience to understand the text and helps them identify similar aspects. It is also important to producers as the film has a guarantee of success and makes it easier to target audience. 
Nealle states that a film must match a genres conventions to be identified as part of that genre, but must subvert the conventions enough to be considered unique. Our music fits in with his theory as it it is formulaic and full of stereotypes of a typical teenage relationship that you would usually expect to find in music videos. However at the end the couple end up getting back together which challenges this idea as you usually expect in music videos that the protagonist has moved on from the relationship. This insures that by creating a formulaic video we know it will appeal to a wide target audience, but is also still interesting by the twist at the end. 

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin is a media theorist and the author of the 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' book published in 1992. His theory consists of 5 key conventions of a music video:

• 'Thought beats', the way the song is structured and being able to understand the chorus and versus. The artists voice would be easy to identify and unique. The third step is the story the artist is trying to tell through their music.

• The relationship between the music and visuals- They can illustrate the meaning of the lyrics, disjuncture completely ignoring the meaning of the song and amplify by repeating images and camera shots throughout the video. An example of this is Arctic Monkeys 'Do I Wanna Know?' where sounds waves are used in time to the beat and Alex Turner's voice.

•  Narrative and performance of the song- He believed the artist should be involved in the music video themselves as a character or singing.

• Star Image- Lots of close ups and shots of the protagonist. A way of making the video more appealing to the audience by making them the centre of attention. Always presented in a unique way by the genres having their own own music video style. An example of this is Sia by her use of a cropped wig that is instantly recognised and by always using dancer Maddie Zieger in her videos with the same cropped hairstyle.

• Technical aspects- This helps hold the video together through editing, sound, mise-en-scene and sound.

By looking at Andrew Goodwin's theory means that we can refer back to him when it comes to our own music video, and by understanding the theory it will help us create a more professional piece as it will include the technical aspects that our audience will expect to see. What will be exploring in our own piece due to the genre we have chosen of alternative/indie, is editing on the beat, star image and narrative throughout our video as these are typical conventions of our genre and music videos.

Choice for A2 Practical Task

Short film OR Music video:

• Music videos can be limited with narrative because of the lyrics- has to make sense 
• Don't have to stick to a story line
• Don't need to find different sounds as it's one track
• Can be creative with different shots

• Short films can be aimed at a wide audience 
• Can come up with a creative story line instead of being limited to lyrics
• Usually a plot twist or cliff hanger to keep audience guessing

This year I am working with Jasmine again with her editing and me in charge of camera. As neither of us did sound last year a music video would be a lost easier for us both as the sound is done for us and a short film is too similar to what we did last year, so would like to push the skills we learnt last year further to produce a music video. I like the idea of being able to have a little more freedom to be creative with camera shots that have a variety of different meanings that link to the lyrics. 

Introduction!

Welcome to my new A2 media blog where I will be documenting my second year of media studies! This is the link to my AS blog:-  macyswales.blogspot.com

I am looking forward to applying all the skills and knowledge I learnt during last year to my work this year. At the start of my AS I had little to no knowledge of all the different techniques needed and the skills required to produce a high standard final product. Last year I was in charge of filming and would like to push my knowledge of different camera angles and movements I learnt from last year further and experiment with more techniques to see what works best. As well as this I am also looking forward to experimenting with sound and learn more editing techniques so I understand all three key areas better. 
This year when it comes to our final product and even my blog I will try and plan out everything I do so that I am well prepared and will not waste any time if improvements later on are needed. I feel that last year I kept my blog up to date as much as possible and regularly posted our progress on our research and practical, however I often kept blog posts as drafts and would end up with my blog in an unorganised order. 

I can't wait to start creating my own music video as one of my favourite things to do is to listen to music in my spare time and I hope this helps when it comes to producing my own. Some of my favourite bands are:

Glass Animals

Arctic Monkeys