Class Task : Analyasis of Artists Who Relate To Pink

As a class we watched Pink - 'fucking perfect' and discussed how the narrative and how it engadged the audience...

The Narrative:

• Reflecting her childhood
• She herself was her target audience at her age. 
• Teddy connotes her inner girl, reminding herself of her childhood.
• Narrative is expected as there is a consistancy throughout all of her videos. 

Engadging Audience:

• Can relate to her and what she is going through
• Hard hitting - but not explict
• Shock factor - holds attention of the audience
• Sex at beginning catches instant attention.

I chose Kelly Clarkson - 'Because Of You' because they both talk about they're childhood and how people had hurt them, they both seem angry as well at how they're childhood turned out. Therefore I decided to look into the Narrative and how it Engaged the Audience...

The Narrative:

• Looking back on her childhood and how she doesn't want the same childhood for her daughter, perhaps referring to how her mother or father treated her.
• comparing her childhood to her daughters.
• Wants to be a good mother and blames her mother for how she is now.  

Engaging Audience:

• the climax near the end the shots speed up and become cut quicker
• Their is constant moving in some shape or form of either the camera or the actors.
• The need to want to follow the story line as it starts off with an argument you want to know how it turns out. 
• Can relate to her and what she went through.

Filming of 30 Second Task.

Today i filmed the 30 second task, it wasn't very planned out as the original plan was the film on monday however people weren't bringing the cameras back in time therefore we ended up filming today, we did it in music block so we could use all of the instruments however the setting was a bit boring therefore we asked the schools cleaners if they had anything and they provided us with a massive roll of what looked like tin foil therefore we covered the walls in that.

Molly On The Drums.

Gemma On The Bass.

Me On The Tambourine.

David Singing And Playing The Guitar.

We stuck to our storyboard and shot different angles of everyone and tried as hard as we could to fit everything together and in sync, now all we need to do is edit the footage.

30 Second Mini Task.

Title: Golden Earring - Radar Love
Task : We were set a task to create our own video for the song "radar love" by golden earring to get us into the frame of mind of think creatively and getting used to editing and filming again. We were only given 3 lessons to plan, 3 to film and about 3 to edit and create the first 30 seconds of the music video. Me and my partner have decided to base our movements around the music, the video has to be purely performance and therefore we have visited the music department and asked to use their drums, guitar, bass guitar, tambourine and microphone to re-create our own version using all the same instruments and with the idea to make it look as realistic as possible.
We created this story board to help us whilst filming as we plan to introduce each instrument the same time the music does and create shots around the music therefore when there is a beat within each beat the camera angle will change and this is what we came up with...

Story Board 1

Story Board 2

Researching into Music Videos.

I chose this video as i love the simplicity of it and all the close ups of random objects such as a train ticket to help along the narrative giving the audience little clues and how natural everything is as though she isnt performing it is just an insight into her life. Although i enjoy the calmness of the music i think i would struggle with using this song as its so well know and i know the video so well although i do like the ideas of it to perhaps use in another song as well there is no significant drop in the chorus which is what i would want to include however i do like the ideas and narrative creating this music video.

Research into Music Videos.

I enjoy the strong beat this song instantly creates as soon as it comes on and the massive drop leading into the first versus creating an impact on the audience when Skepta enters the song. As well i like how the rhythm is so fast and there is so many possibilities with a song like this you could branch into although i feel like this video is mainly based around performance and i would personally believe it would work better with a mixture of a narrative and performance. However i also like the idea of the fact that whilst they are performing they have a use of a vibrant and constantly moving because although the camera isnt moving a lot the background is which keeps the audience focused. I also liked their use of mise-en-scene and how it connotes the singers lifestyles

Researching into Music Videos.

I chose this video as i admire how they have their use of black and white which almost has an instant effect on you making you think why is it in black and white and close ups during the beginning of him splashing water onto his face creating a narrative then as the tempo rises they move into a performance scene of everyone raving at a party and dancing and jumping up and down which is what me and my partner were talking about wanting to create in our video, the use of black and white works well in this scene and i believe wouldn't have such an effect as if it was in ordinary colour as it making the lighting more prominent.

Research into Music Videos.

I love this video because me and my partner want to include a lot of editing and try to make it work well, and i love the lego men in this one as they dance around as well in the opening they almost zoom through streets which i like the look off and how as if every think is fast forwarded which is reinforced by the quickening music. I also love the build up to the chorus and how it flows into it instantly getting louder and creating a whole different atmosphere as the chorus and versus are so different.

Here are some of the editing parts to the video in which drew me to it...

Research. Barthes Code: Action

Title:Kelly Clarkson - Since You've Seen Gone.
Genre: Performance And Narrative (Pop)
Barthes Code:Action Code.
Textual Example: Throughout this hybrid genre we see Kelly in two scenarios , the first sitting in her bedroom on her own represented as isolated and lonely and the second her getting angry whilst performing and tearing apart bedding. This follows the lyrics from the start "we started off friends...since you've been gone" explaining the story, we therefore follow onto the chorus and listen to the events of her and her ex boyfriend splitting up throughout the break up and after leading to consequences such as anger towards her ex boyfriend "How come i never hear you say, i just wanna be with you" therefore taking her frustration out on the situation by saying how suffocated she felt throughout the relationship "since you've been gone i can breath for the first time" reflecting a action code as we follow the the events that occured and therefore the consequences because of that event.

Research. Barthes Code: Symbolic

Title:Eminem ft. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie.

Genre:Performance And Narrative (Hip-Hop, Rap)

Barthes Code: Symbolic Code.

Textual Example: Throughout this video we see certain elements coming together reflecting a symbolic code such as the conflict between the opposing forces (woman and male). The woman seen as the protagonist being almost bullied by the male seen as the antagonist within their unhealthy violent relationship although the it becomes apparent later on in the video (during the chorus) that the woman enjoys how the male treats her as she becomes intimate within him whilst the lyrics "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that alright because i like the way it hurts" play, however still enduring that constant conflict and betrayal. 

Research. Barthes Code : Semic

Title:Katy B ft Ms Dynamite - Lights On
Genre:Performance Only (Electronic Dance)
Barthes Code: Semic Code.
Textual Example: I feel because of the lifestyle she is living within her video she is connoting to her audience and fans the type of party, fun filled life she is living and quite clearly denoting her song title and lyrics "I keep on moving with the lights on" whilst dancing with the mise-en-scene of bright lighting.

I chose this video as me and my partner have been thinking about doing a katy b song as its very up beat and got a dance rhythm to it as we are thinking on including people dancing then it needs to link in. I also like the use of two different voice tones but they work so well together, as well the mise-en-scene works well with lyrics as the lights brighten the atmosphere but are not over powering.

Research. Barthes Code: Cultural

Title: Big Brovaz - Baby Boy
Genre: Performance And Narrative (Hip-Hop)
Barthes Code: Cultural Code
Textual example : Within this hybrid genre Big Brovaz have created a Pastiche through vertical intertextuality to the well known TV sitcom Friends through mise-en-scene, editing, characters, cinematography and even sound as they use the supposed audience laughing in which friends is also known for using whenever one of the characters says or does something funny. However for me the most obvious cultural reference is within their establishing scene in which the same mise-en-scene, typography and colours are used for both, giving the audience an expectation of having the knowledge and understanding of the link between their music video and Friends, a well known American sitcom.

Research. Barthes Code: Enigma

Title : Kanye West - All of the lights
Genre: Narrative and Performance (Hip - Hop, Rap)
Barthes Code : Enigma
Textual Example: Within this hybrid genre enigma is represented within the intro when the daughter is on her own however you are unaware of who she is until later on in the video when Kanye exclaims " she needs her daddy" connoting the little girls role.

Comparing Music Videos - Michael Jackson Vs Alien Ant Farm

Today in class we compared to music videos and we asked to answer some questions with the same song but totally different target audiences. This is smooth criminal by michael jackson and alien ant farm.
Michael Jackson -

How well balanced is the narrative and performance within smooth criminal?
The narrative and performance is perfectly balanced showing a mixture of the both throughout showing off his best known moves and dancing as well as having an underlying story of the whole thing as he walks into the bar and ends up shooting at loads of people who seem to be after him seeing as he is an 'smooth criminal'

Is there any Homage's within Michael Jacksons smooth criminal?
This is a homage to 1920 gangster era films, highly theatrical.

How Successful was the tempo interpreted for the audiences needs?
It provided the audience with his typical mainstream style which knows everyone loves and is typical of that era, he did this through setting, smoothness and was showing his 'coolness' by illegally drinking alcohol (it was illegal back then) making his a criminal.

Alien Ant Farm -

How well balanced is the narrative and performance within smooth criminal?
This song was mainly performance and taking the mick out of Michael Jackson's version by impersonating his signature moves and enduring bad lip syncing.


What intertextual references does Alien Ant Farm create?
There are constant references to michael jackson's version of smooth criminal through dance moves, setting, floor lights, editing of slides and three different sections at one point which is what michael likes to do, basically a pastiche of michael's works although take the mick out of it instead of trying to re create one of michael's works.

How Successful was the tempo interpreted for the audiences needs?
Here they more rely on peoples actions and the entertainment of their performance more than the tempo.

Class discussion and my personal analysis.

As part of our class research into music videos we looked at U2 performance at Glastonbury this year and analysed the camera shots and positioning and the connotations of these actions.

The camera starts off in a extra long shot of the stadium connoting to the audience the atmosphere which has been created at Glastonbury. The camera then moves round to introduce everyone, firstly the lead guitarist, secondly the drummer, thirdly Bono, fourthly the Bass guitarist then lastly the crowd to introduce everyone to the audience and involve them. After everyone is introduced there is then a shot of the band collectively to show them all working together. There is a lot of shots of the band at a low angle to show their importance and power in which they have over the crowd.

The camera is constantly moving and usually follows Bono showing adventerous shots of him from the crowds perspective, backstage and from other band members point of view, as all eyes are usually on Bono as the camera tracks him as he walks down the stairs, zooming out whilst moving higher to pronounce his connection to the audience and the lively, chaotic atmosphere. The shots towards the end become cut more and more frequently and only hang on to hear Bono finish a line or chorus again reinforcing his importance.
 The BBC who produced this although are doing it live and we are not also had the same factor as us that we are both working towards an audience and need to remember to keep everything flowing and the audience engadged throughout the sequence.