Evaluation

The task we were issued for our A2 coursework this year, was to "produce a music video". With this task there were ancillary text along with it, these taks were creating a DVD cover and a magazine article.

With the amount of work the music video required, that was immediately at the forefront of our minds when beginning the task, so after being grouped, me, Lewis Holifield and Tom Willoughby began researching to find a song to use. The catch however, was that the artist had to be unsigned, to avoid copyright infringement.

I spent a fair amount of time searching and evaluating musians/bands/rappers/ over MySpace, analysing what genre would give us more options with our creativity. Eventually we unanimously agreed that using Agnositc Clown, a young musician with emotional songs and lyrics would be a fantastic choice.

In the early stages of our production, we coined ideas we thought were realistic, but in retrospect were impossible due to time constraints and the idea to film on the seaside didn't make sense financially. We looked at videos by a variation of artists, whether it be a video that was dominated on the artist and just followed/ watched them like "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. We also looked at videos that follow a set narrative such as "Dust Devil" by Madness which follows round a young girl on a night out.

In the aforementioned Madness video, the stereotype of youths is presented to us as out of control "binge drinkers" who only seek drugs, sex, violence. Shows like Skins seem to conform witht these stereotypes aswell. As our group would be seen as youths we dressed our main protagonist in a "hoody". A hoody is often seen to be synonymous with youth and gang culture, so we did this to oppose this stereotype and created a mellow character who just waits on someone to meet him.

The premise of our video is a young man (Tom) arriving at a bus stop to wait for a girl to come and meet him. The song is called "Standing in the rain", and after contacting Agnostic Clown, he told us he wrote the song for a girl, so we followed through with that idea.

With the content of the video and the representation of youth culture the two main concerns of the video we embedded things/objects you would say are prominent in youth culture. We used contemporary gadgets like I-Pods and Mobile Phones and have our protagonist watching a scene from "Gavin and Stacey". We used a clip from this show as it is a very popular watch with youths and for all ages, with viewing figures in the millions for it. We assumed that this specific show shows the video has a romantic element to it, it also again shows the tie-ins to youth culture.

After the filming of our video, we began on the second aspect; editing. With programmes such as movie maker and Premier Pro available to us, we decided to "play around" with the features and see just hoe much creativity these programmes would give to us. Whether it be how one shot leads into the next or how we quieten volume that we didn't want/need.

The music video however wasn't the only task we had been issued with. We also had 2 ancillary texts to complete. These were, creating a DVD cover, and then creating a magazine advert. With these tasks, we looked to produce a couple of detailed texts. Whether it be the colour, images or writing on the texts, we wanted them to both look authentic and realistic.

The first one we embarked on was the DVD cover. At first we were a bit baffled as to why a DVD cover rather than a CD cover, with DVD's not being as common in the music industry. The cover itself was given a grey background, as it is a colour that connotes mundane and repetetive, which is what the tone of the song is like. It also matches the themes of the video, such as the lighting.

The spine of the cover has smudged/blurry writing, we done this so it looks like there has been a rainfall on it, we felt this was a powerful thing to, as rain is such a focal point in our project, especially the video, for example the close-up of our protagonist walking through a puddle when leaving the bus top. We thought the blurry writing was another way of linking the cover to the themes of the video.

Our 2nd ancillary text was a magazine article that would be targeted for a young, but perhaps still sophisticated audience. I think our whole project would be targeted at the student audiecne, so with that in mind we created an advert that would be seen in magazines like "Q" or "NME". With that in mind we provided short, snappy reviews often seen on adverts/poster in a bid to show the audience the album/single has been well recieved by critics.

We used a brick wall as a metaphor for the music industry, citing that it's hard to break through. It also showed how close to the wall our artist is.

I think this coursework has enlightened me on the importance of organising your work, and creating schedules to abide by so you aren't left with masses of work in a short space of time. As a group we missed/forgot some scheduled days for filming/editing. I also learnt how vital it is to research similar works.texts as it gives you a much cleare, precise idea of what kind of text to create. I've also realised that audience evaluation/feedback is crucial, and sitting getting peers to tell you what there likes/dislikes was good for us, especially as they would be the around the age of our target audience.

Advertisement

This is our other ancillary text. This is an advert that would be found in various music related magazines.

The advert itself has quotes from magazines that we envision our artist would most likely appear in, and used short snappy reviews often seen in these magazines.

The image in the middle is the front of the DVD cover used for our other ancillary text, the fact it's being used to promote the album shows it's being used as a CD cover also.

The bricks in the background are there to connotate the struggle of making it into the music industry and is a a metaphor for the cliche of "running through a brick wall". We felt this would then make the advert more realistic as it's a debut album, and it shows how close to the aforementioned wall our artist would be.

Final Video

This is our first ancillary text. The task set for us was to create a DVD cover.

We decided instantly that the colour to be used for the background would be grey. We instantly realised that it would link to the themes of the video. Whether it be the use of lighting we had or the tone of the song.

We also adressed the content of the song, "rain" is a prominent feature in the song and in the album title, so we created the illusion that the spine of the cover had been smudged by the rain. Therefore again linking with the song's theme.

Comparative videos

Before shooting our video, as a group we pondered what videos we could look at as inspiration before creating our own.: These were a couple of ideas we thought of.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz9xrYaPi1w

- i would like to have embedded the video into the blog, but however due to request from the band, the embed code isn't allowed to be distributed on YouTube. So therefore i woill just have to make do with a hyperlink.

"The View - Face for the radio"

When looking at this video, one thing that struck us instantly, was the use of lighting. Through the videos entirety, it's a black/white background. As a group, we liked this idea for our own video as we thought that it would connotate the depressive nature of our video.

Another aspect of this particular video we admired, was the switch between a narrative and seeing the band perform, which is something we tried to incorporate in our video. The band throughout shows there from what would be described as "youth culture", we see cigarettes, lots of alchohol (which looks like it would be left from a party or some sort) and the use of them wearing hoodies. All these abide by the stereotype of the "youth". We attempted to do this but by showing objects such as mobile phones, i-pods, which are references to "pop culture", in a bid to bid to show that are video is targeted for a younger generation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE

This video Is Ghetto Gospel by Tupac and Elton John. The reasoning we picked this song is because it presented the disastrous results of gang culture and hate. Although our video din't incorporate anything violent, it did present youth in a totally different way. Our main protagonist was a youth who was mild-mannered and more interested in waiting for someone than being violent.

We also looked at the use of timings, as it gave the videos narrative more flow, we decided to use it also adding an "earlier that day" when we first meet our main protagonist.

Rough cut

This is our rough cut for the film. So far we've noted that we need more shots for our narrative and need to add some more footage.

However i did like the black and white film we created, as it added to the feeling that our main protagonist had.

Update

After a well used couple of days, the group have managed to add a substantial amount of footage to our music video, we added a band performance to compliment the narrative story already filmed. We felt as if the transition from a narrative to performance would add an extra dimension to our video.

With such an array of shots and film now, we can delve into editing what we do have, however we have been having some problems with uploading our video with "Premiere Pro". The amount of film has been to much for the programme to consume. I think we may solved it though, by using a seperate hard drive.

A letter from the artist

hi Guys,

love the ideas on the video...the walking on the beach in the rain sounds good and i'm a big fan of the black & white theme to add to the saddness.

As for any ideas i have?this song was written over ten years ago (when i was in my teens)i remember that if i ever did a video, it was going to be many screenshots of a girl in a rain mac waiting for me on a bus stop and myself waiting somewhere else standing in the rain cos we somehow got our meeting place wrong... hence why i think she was cheating!that's about all i have really

... having said that... i'm a songwriter not a film maker so i'll leave it to you wizz kids :)

if i can help in any way let me know and i'll see what i can do!good work lads...

Anthony
aka AgnosticClown

Our letter to Agnostic Clown

Dear Agnostic Clown

After carefully browsing through Myspace, we listened to your song (standing in the rain), and immediately thought of ideas of how what we could use in the video. If you would like to see the ideas we've got, please visit my blog http://theadambrownexperience.blogspot.com/ http://lewisholifield.blogspot.com/
http://tomwilloughbya2.blogspot.com/

We would also be interested in any feedback you have too offer, or like to hear any ideas you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

Adam, Lewis and Tom

22/1/10

Well happy new year to begin the post, just a quick note to update the goings-on within the group...

Ok, so with Willoughby, Lewis and myself all in unanimous agreement that the the project isn't progressing as quick as we anticipated. To combat this we've decided to get in contact with the artist of the song (Agnostic Clown), and are exploring our options of the possibility of if we can involve him in the project in any capacity.

With the video itself, we've duly decided to stick with the idea of juxtaposition, we're to create this through the use of employing dark, dreary lighting and creating a depressing atmosphere, but use connotations of the seaside, and activities you'd associate with happy people. Our protagonist will undergo activities such as miniature golf and amusement arcade. We felt that through employing this tactic, we emphasise the loneliness of the protagonist.

This will follow the introduction we've decided on. This will include the protagonist with 2 sets of fish and chips at the sea front (connotations of the seaside), whilst checking his watch on a few occasions, this immediately displays to the viewer that he's waiting for someone. It will also enhance the narrative flow of the video.

Hopefully in my next update we will have made further progress, and the project will be heading in the right lines.

Adam

Update on the group

So, me Lewis and Tom have grown accustomed to the idea of using the music of the talented yet unsigned singer/songwriter of Agnostic Clown.

As a group (bar Willoughby) we came to the agreement that the song gave us various avenues of opportunity, including creating a video that is storied and has a narrative flow or one that is of pure randomness.

The song we have decided to use of his was called "Standing in the rain" which again created a bunch of ideas from Willoughby walking on the beach in the rain, to create the juxtaposition of the normal impression of happy summer holidays on the beach but to film it in the rain to create the emotion from the video.

After an intense yet rewarding discussion, we decided to recruit Willoughby as the videos main protagonist, and we decided that the main part of the video will be in black and white to further the "depressed" feel that it has. As a group we felt that this idea created an emotional output which was powerful to the audience.

The next stop on the groups express train was to draw up a storyboard, as this would give the narrative flow to our video, and will give it a more "real" feeling.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks in the build up to christmas, as a group i think we're looking at completing the storyboard and having a sustained storyline and setting worked out for our video, and then the doors unlocked to begin filming in the new year.

Finding bands

Right, over the half term we were asked to browse around the advertisement extraordinaire that is myspace, myspace is a great way for unsigned bands to upload there music so one day they'll be as successful as Rick Astley.

Whilst in the midst of browsing for unsigned bands/artists, i was looking for bands with the coolest/funniest/stupidest names, and this band was one that caught my eye with there interesting name:

http://www.myspace.com/partlydisposable

"partly disposable" formed in the Netherlands in 2007, and for 2 years looked for a way to "hit the big time", throught there unique integration of a wide variety of genres including pop, rock and jazz they looked to create there own unique style.

Lucky for us, the band were never signed by a record lablel and split up recently, though due to the site being in dutch i am not entirely sure how recent, but with the band now abandoning there hopes and aspirations, i'm sure it's ok if we used one of there songs.

The next band i looked at a band that could possibly have the greatest name i have ever heard... an Australian band called "Colloquial Spatualism", the band like the previous are unsigned. The band itself formed in the build up to taking exams at school, and after them they had a masterstroke that they should make a CD so they don't forget there hard work, and also and i quote "for our amusement", the album was recorded in 2007, and although the band havent seemed to have started any new work since, it doesn't seem like they split, but if they do.. dibs on that name.

Heres there myspace page

http://www.myspace.com/colloquialspatulism

Media

For media homework (23/9/09) we were issued to view a music video and of a specific genre and give a textual analysis... so without further ado.

I decided to look at the hip-hop genre, despite it not being a personal favourite of mine, i considered that this genre it's own specific characteristics.

The video I looked at was R Kelly - Ignition (Remix), the video abides by the stereotype you would associate with a video like this with it's voyeuristic imagery, with women with more skin on show than clothing, people turning up in limousines and fast,flash cars, the people in a club dancing whilst drinking expensive liqour. It comes across as the artist is massaging his own ego by almost gloating at the lifestyle he's leading.

The lyrics in the song seem not to have relationship with the visuals however there a few lines in the song that reflects what's happening in the video, with the line "i'm like so what i'm drunk", and throughout the video, there is visuals of people consuming alcohol.

The relationship between the music and visuals, throughout the song, there is a slow pace to the beat, and the visuals have the people im the club dancing, but dancing slowly, almost to imply that thewy are going to be a long night, however at various points, for example in the build upp to the chorus, the pace picks up, and we see different shots at a far more rapid rate than at any other point of the video.

The record companny have the artist partying throughout the video, showing his appeal to a younger generation (say mid to late teens) as it shows them that he enjoys and does similar activities to them, this opens up an entire new range of customer for his record. Compare this to his other records and it furthers the point of him targeting a younger generation, as he has collaborated with some of the big up and coming stars on records.

In the video there is a sense that the women in the video are put on sexual display, we get this idea through the selected costumes for females in the video and the way it has them dancing imply this.

The intertextual refernces in this video is of the song being a remix to another on the same album, also in the video they promote certain sports teams through wearing there jerseys, hats etc.

The video is slightly narrative-based as it follows a story of a night-out, however there is no set storyline to the video, and it seems to be more performance based than anything due to all the dancing.

In conclusion i would say the video follows all the stereotypes i would expect a video like this to consist of, the artist on an ego-trip showing how wealthy he may be and showing lots of close-ups of him , voyeuristic imagery and the women on sexual display.