More Ideas for the music video look

I decided to research music videos that have a quirky yet dark look to them. One example is 'Blue Orchid by the White Stripes'


In this particular video, i really like the sped up time and dull colours used. I think this are two components that im going to put forward to my group as i think it will suit our song well.

Another song is 'Disturbia by Rihanna'.


Once again, the use of speeding up time, or jolting shots creates a dramatic effect that will suit the darkness of our song. The use of lighting is another key element that i particularly like due to the atmosphere that can be created through this use.

EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS FROM VIDEO:

Time Line - 4-4:45

Time Line - 3-4

Time Line - 2-3

Time Line - 1-2

Time Line - 0:45 - 1

Time Line- 0 - 0:45

Copyright Letter To Label

To the copyright holder

We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies.  We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:

Black Heart by Calexico

With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage.  The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.

The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project.  We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.

Yours sincerely

James Burke

Hurtwood House School

Reply

To the copyright holder

We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies. We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:

Black Heart by Calexico

With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage. The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.

The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project. We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.

Yours sincerely


James Burke
Hurtwood House School


Reply

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                  -Film

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Chosen Cover Track

Black Heart by calexico

Artist Profile

I’m going to both stick to and subvert the stereotype of a country and western star

Stereotype- cowboy hat, guitar, tassles, check shirt

however, this is what we want the artist to look like

Our Record Label

Touch and go records is an independent record label based in the Chicago, Illinois.

Touch and Go Records came into existence in late 1980, when the Ohio punk band Necros decided they wanted to put out a 7" record. Being in high school at the time, and having no money, they were aided in this project by their friends Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson, who were the geniuses behind a fanzine called Touch and Go. The 7"s by the Necros and the Fix (a Michigan punk band) were recorded in late 1980 and released in early 1981, and Touch and Go Records was officially born.

Early releases for Touch and Go consisted mainly of 7" vinyl singles by many of the early '80s Michigan / Ohio hardcore bands, including the Necros, the Meatmen, and Negative Approach

Institutional Context

What is the History of the band?

• The band have been around for 2 years so are new
• They've become indivual in the way the make and perfrom music
• Breaking stereotypes of the typical country/western video; hay bail, cigarette.
• They met in Nashville but after forming a band, they moved to Austin, Texas.
• They've also broken away from stereotypes in terms of the lyrical choice. They dont sing about love or death which is very common in this genre.

What Gener(s) of music do the band/ artist fit into?

• Heavily influenced by George Strait, Blake Shelton, Jerod Niemann
• Country is constantly changing so with their modern sounds, it will help their star image

What record label are they signed to?

• Touch and Go records
• Touch and Go records is an independant record label based in Chicago, Illinois
• Grew to the key record label in the 1980's alternative and rock scene
• Made a name for them selves by releasing new sounding rock band such as 'Big Black' and 'Jesus Lizard'

Who are the bands audience?

• middles aged- (50+)
• mainly white males
• people who listen to indie also listen to country

What kind of visual images has the act/band created for themselves

• They usual wear the traditional cowboy hats and chaps but with a twist
• Also seen in deserted land- reflecting the country rawness
• In terms of the music video. They steer away from the stereotypical look of a man walking in a desert chewing tabacco.
• They use special effects and non-stereotypical country looking setting and props such

Initial Ideas

We decided to go with the genre of Country due to its strong niche audience and stereotypes. I wanted to break the stereotypes that accompany a country music song- hay bail, cigarette and a bango, and go towards the more alternative/modern style. I put forward a couple of artists such as Carrie Underwood- undo it, simply because she's a young, female artist that has a modern yet country twang to her. This is the exact subverted stereotype that we were looking for.

We decided however, to go with a band called 'Calexico' -Black Heart




we chose this song as it has a more cynical approach towards the typical western song and video. Also, it widens our target audience as it combines many other genres, but the main one being Country/Western

In terms of the image of the music video, I found ideas in videos by Kanye West that i thought were really cool. - Shackles, black and white.

Conventions Of Album Artwork

Stereotypical Country and Western Albums

Examples from other genres

Conventions Of The Video Promo

·      The explicit and unashamed promotion of the artist’s “image” (aesthetic/generic/ideological) as a specific product with a brand identity, ready for mass consumption

·      The featuring of the artist (almost without exception)

·      A wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement

·      Repetition of reoccuring thematic elements and generically specific iconography (one key element often being dominant and providing the skeletal structure for the promo)

·      A possible narrative structure

·      A possible performance element

·      The flexibility to disregard Realism!

·      Shots cut tightly to the beat of the track

·      Use of special effects (lighting, annimation, CGIs, in-camera effects)

·      A carefully constructed Mise en Scene appropriate to the content and tone of the track

·      High impact instantly! 

Background To The Music Industry

Music video serves a number of different functions:

·      Promotes a specific single and, normally, an album

·      Promotes a specific artist or band

·      Creates, adapts or feeds into a ‘star image’

·      Entertains as product in its own right

·      Reinforces, adapts or undermines the ‘meanings’ of a song/track

They often contain an number of re-occuring thematic elements such as; Narrative, performance, thematic and symbolic

• Most majors also own, or license, a string of a smalled subsidiary companies in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genre. These companies are known as 'Major-Independents'
• Finally, there are a huge number of small companies with little to no financial connection to the majors

• These companies often concentrate on a small number of artists, within specialized niches in the industry.
• Known as 'Independents'

• Visually stylish – ‘artistic’ mise-en-scene

• ‘Rhythmic’ montage, fragmented style

• Intercutting

• Experimental use of camera/editing

• Fast pace

• Conspicuous lighting and cinematography

  Often break the rules of continuity editing

Music video serves a number of different functions:

–Promotes a specific single and, normally, an album

–Promotes a specific artist or band

–Creates, adapts or feeds into a ‘star image’

–Entertains as product in its own right

–Reinforces, adapts or undermines the ‘meanings’ of a song

ADVANCED PRODCUTION PORTFOLIO 2010