homage;

Music videos can sometimes contain homage to other artists, especially when the music videos are made by amateurs.
Homage is a french term generally used in mordern English, it publicly shows respect. In terms of media, it is usually a reference to soemthing previously done for example the film Pulp fiction contains alot of homages.
It is quoted by Gary Groth that in Pulp Fiction 'Tarantinos characters inhabit a world where the entire landscape is composed of hollywood product. Tarantion is a cinematic kleptomaniac - he literally cant help himself.
the new wave cinema;
-frecnh blanket term
- late 1950's and 1960's
- linked by there self-conscienceness rejection of classical cinematic
- spirit of youth
- used methods of expressions
- seven minature tracking shots
- absurdity of human existence
- produced on a tight budget
- directors were forced to improvise with equipment
e.g. shopping trolley used for tracking.
- efforts to save film turned towards stylistic innovations.
- a fresh look to cinema with improvised dialogue, rapid changes of scene and shows that go beyond the common 360 axis.
- Jean Luc Godard was accused of having contempt for his audience as the techniques used to shock the audience out of submission and are bold and direct.
- effects now seem either true or commonplace.
- classic french cinema changed to the principles of strong narratives
- new wave filmakers make no attempts to suspend the viewers disbelief; in actuall fact they took steps towards constantly reminding the viewers that a film is simply a sequence of moving images, no matter how smart the use of light and shadows.

Post modernism;

Post modernism is a difficult term to define, it is intended as a rejection of conventional reality and conventional forms.
It deliberately rejects;
-boundaries between high and low forms of art.
- rigid genre distinctions.

Post modern text favours;
- pastiche a work of art that borrows or imitates from the work or style of other artists.
- parady ( a humorous imitation of something serious.)
- reflexility and self-consciousness.
- fragmentation and discontinuity (especially in narrative structure)
- intertextibility -one text may make use of a different text in order to aid a different layer of meaning (referencially) show intertextuality.
- irony and playfullness.
- Bricolage ( a french term for putting together different articles as in punkfashion) takes intertextuality a stage further. Bricolage suggestsd that this referentiallity has been used in such a way that a new meaning is constructed e.g. fusion of documentry game shows and soap oreas become a reality show such a big brother.

filming outside

we have finally statrted filming, all our planning is complete, with our equipment and storyboard scenes also, we felt it was finally time to begin filming, the characters where played by ryan beecham and jessica tilley. To begin with weather was not as we hoped so we had to film inside scenes, however we believe the filming came out well and this will be shown when the filming is placed onto the iMacs for editing. Once filming outside is complete, a majority if not all of our filming will be done.

male gaze ;

Laura Mulvey come up with the theory of the male gaze.
This was where women are percieved as an object of sexual desire and an erotic object.
This can be shown in filming due to camera angles,lighting, and amount of time placed on the woman.
However sometimes it is not just focused on the woman rarely but occasionally men are also focussed upon, for example in a certain example in ashes to ashes the male gaze is used to focus upon other males when they enter a gay bar.
Music videos can also show this as they can use a woman to fit in with the song, basically using the woman as a prop,
In peter andrés music video - mysterious girl
the woman in the music video is an object of want and desire, but also used to show the love he has for her.

Our final preparation;

Name of track - Paranoia

Artist - My Future Lies

Students in group - Nichola Pritchard , Jessica Tilley and Karly Knight.

rough outline.

the basic storyline is, the girl has rejected the boy and now in the video, the boy is seen stalking the girl throughout the whole video. It is only when the girl is standing in front of the mirror that she realizes he is behind her.

Some ideas for filming - the girl is walking down the street and the boy stalker is lip-syncing the song behind her whilst he is following her. We will pre-record the boy singing into the webcam, and play this in the background when the girl is sitting on the bed looking at her phone in front of the laptop, it goes unoticed anyways.

the music genre is rock.

needed resources;

-Actors/Actress

-Bed

-Mirror

-Phone

-Laptop

Audience Theory Continued;

there are three questions;

1. Why do audiences choose to consume certain texts?

2. How do they consume texts?

3. What happens when they consume texts?

There are three theories of audiences that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between texts and audiences.

1. The Effect Model or the Hypodermic Model.

2. The Uses and Gratifications Model.

3. Reception Theory.

i shall explain each of these models.

The Effects Model :-

-The consumptions of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience.

-It is normally considered that this effect is negative.

-Audiences are passive and powerless to prevent the influence.

-The power lies within the message of the text.

The Hypodermic Model :-

-Here the messages in media texts are injected into the audience by the powerful, syringe-like media.

-Therefore the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted, etc.

-Audience is powerless is powerless to resist.

Key Evidence for the Effects Model :-

1. The Frankfurt School theorized in the 1920s and 30s that the mass media acted to restrict and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and governments.

2. The Bobo Doll Experiment - This is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour.

-Conducted in 1961 by Albert Bandura.

In the experiment -

- Children watched a video where an adult violently attacked a clown toy called a Bobo Doll.

-Children then taken to a room with attractive toys that they were not permitted to touch.

-The children were then led to another room with Bobo Dolls.

-88% of the children imitated the violent behavior that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of the children reproduced the same violent behaviour.

-Conclusion - children will imitate violent media content.

-Many problems with this experiment.

It is still unclear that there is any link between the consumption of violent media texts and violent imitative behaviour.

-It is also clear the theory is flawed in that many people do watch violent texts and appear not to be influenced.

-Therefore a new theory is necessary

-This is called the :

Uses and Gratifications Model.

-Opposite to the Effects Model.

-The audience is active.

-The audience uses the text and is NOT used by it.

-The audience uses the text for its own gratification or pleasure.

-Here, the power lies with the audience NOT the producers.

-This theory emphasizes what audiences do with media texts - how and why they use them.

-Far from being duped by the media, the audience is free to reject, use or play with media meanings as they see fit.

-Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for :-

-Diversion -Information

-Escapism -Pleasure

-Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one's own

-Sexual stimulation.

-The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps people with issues such as:

-Learning -Emotional satisfaction

-Relaxation -Helps with issues of personal identity

-Helps with issues of social identity

-Helps with issues of aggression and violence

-Controversially, the theory suggests the consumption of violent images can be helpful rather than harmful.

-The theory suggests that audiences act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence.

-The audiences inclination towards violence is therefore sublimated, and they are less likely to commit violent acts.

Reception Theory.

-Given that the Effects model and the Uses and Gratifications have their problems and limitations a different approach to audiences was developed by the academic Stuart Hall at Birmingham University in the 1970s.
-This considered how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then decoded (understood) by audiences.

-The theory suggests that :
-When a producer constructs a text that is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience.
-In some instances audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say.
-In some instances the audience will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message.

-Stuart Hall identified three types of audience readings (or decoding) of the text :
1. Dominant or preferred.
2. Negotiated.
3. Oppositional.


1. Dominant.
-Where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do and broadly agrees with it.
-E.g. Watching a political speech and agreeing with it.

2. Negotiated.
-Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views.
-E.g. Neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested.

3. Oppositional.
-Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.
-E.g. Total rejection of the political speech and active opposition

animatic;

storyboard;

our final idea;

Start of with flashes of someones feet walking down the street. In between theses flashes are images (short clips) of a boy sitting in his bedroom on his bed looking at his phone.

Camera high-angle shot looking down on him

Camera shot inside the wardrobe as if someone is watching. See boy throw the phone on the bed.

Next shot is focusing on the boy on the bed (with wardrobe in view slightly open). Boy stretches out and lays back on the bed with hands on head, stressed.
Camera follows the boy as he goes to get off the bed and a quick shot of him going to walk out the room (don't actually see him fully leave).

Straight cut to a close-up of the phone left lying on the bed, and a hand is seen picking up the phone on the bed (text message is shown on the screen still).

Flashes quickly back to the feet walking down the street. Then cuts to the boy singing the song underneath a tree (or down the same road).

Then cuts back to the boy, who is now sitting in his living room by the stairs looking upset/scared.
Low-angle shot looking up at the boy who is sitting on the sofa, but behind is someone sitting on the stairs above him slightly (face is not shown just yet to hold anticipation and suspence, plus low-angle is then seen to show the 'stalker' looking down on the boy).

Stalker is seen to be holding something in their hands, not yet clear.
Camera then moves onto the stairs from the position of the 'stalker' to look down on the boy.
Boy goes to turn his around as he is suspicious someone is watching. Camera view cuts to behind the boy (camera is not on the stairs anymore) as he turns around. Camera slowly moves up to the stairs above him to show that no one is sitting on the stairs.
Position of the camera then moves to on the stairs again looking down on the boy as he turns back around to face the front. Camera moves slowly away from the boy and reveals that the object the 'stalker' was seen to be holding had been left behind on the step - the phone from the bedroom.

Again the scene goes back to the singer/band while they lip-sync. Different shots to show different views of the setting where they are singing.

Scene then cuts to the feet walking down the street. Next shot shows it is the same boy walking down the road on his own, clearly here no one is behind him. Camera again focusing on his feet walking, but this time it is different. Another pair of feet are shown walking behind (same feet that were on the stairs). Cut to the full view of the boy walking again and 'stalker' is shown walking behind. Boy turns to look behind him but camera reveals no one is there again (like scene with the stairs).

Again, more lip-syncing.

Next scene - boy is back at home/a house looking in a mirror. Appears distressed/nervous/worried. Pulling at his hair, shaking?

More lip-syncing.

Back to the boy in front of the mirror. Still looking distressed. Different shots of him looking into the mirror. Then he forcibly shuts his eyes and the screen goes blank/black.

On the very last note - the boy is seen to open his eyes again on screen still looking in the mirror. But now the 'stalker' is standing behind him, in full view to boy as their reflections are both in the mirror. Shock on the boys face.
Then fades out.

Representation;

In filming people are often represented in different ways these can either be positive or negative, the representations are often followed by a stereotype.

Stereotypes are an interpreted conventional image, or a person who is regarded as embodying to a set image or type.

An example of a stereotype would be that 'woman cant drive'.

Many Hollywood films follow these stereotypes. In a majority of films woman are often represented as the less dominant characters and therefore have the 'at home role.' This is a typical stereotype as we are aware this is not always true in modern society.

Audience theory;

what happens when we consume media texts?

why do we consume the media texts that we do?

a model of the media

Text

poster, newspapers, magazines, film, computer games, website, t.v programmes, music/music video, radio &adverts.

Text > > > consume >>> audience >>> final transaction >>> institution >>>> produce >>> text.

Institution

Mirimax, Warner Bros., News international, film4, itv, BBC, C4, my music. C5, Kiss 100.

Final Post On the 100 Greatest;

These videos are various videos that caught my eye from the series of 100 greatest pop music videos;

ihave chosen theses videos because they are as a majority controversial.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes

Madonna

Bob Dylan

Aphex Twin

Smack My Bitch Up

The Cure - Close To Me

Meatloaf - I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That!)

Fatboy Slim - Praise Me

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Fatboy Slim - Weapon of choice

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

U2 - The Sweetest Thing

Eminem - Stan

Electric Six - Gay Bar

David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

Radiohead - No Surprises

Queen - I Want To Break Free

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Madonna - Material Girl

Blur

Christina Aguilera - Dirrty

Michael Jackson - Scream

Coldplay - The Scientist

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Robbie Williams - Rock DJ

Madonna - Like a Prayer

Queen - Bohemien Rhapsody

Aha - Take On Me

Ideas for our video.

Whilst brainstorming our ideas together we came up with these ideas;


-One person walking round on their own being stalked (by someone from their past). Keep turning around but no ones there (paranoia)

-Different shots of one person / group lip-syncing or maybe playing instruments


-Lots of different locations used - park, church ground, bedroom, living room, streets

-Quick shots

-One idea is to have the person being stalked sitting in the living room on the sofa, (long-shot) where you can also see the person sitting on the stairs behind them. Have close-up of the "stalker's" lips and face as they lip-sync the word in the song "paranoia". Mid-shot of the person being stalked turning their head to look around behind them, (another shot at 180` seeing them after turned round), no one will be there though. Then long-shot showing no one is on the stairs...





-Another idea is to have the stalked person kneeling on the floor in the bedroom looking up at the ceiling with the camera looking down on them spinning in a circle. Have the stalker laying by/underneath the bed in the corner so you can still slightly see them (and then again with them not there). Have a similar turning shot with the camera looking up at the flashing light (and during editing alternate between these three shots).

-Phone shot....(wipe transition)


-Shot of someones feet while running, then straight cut to someones feet who is laying on the floor.

Further research;

When watching and observing music videos it is apparent that some videos fail where other succeed. Regardless of how bad a song is if the video is appealing enough it could attract more publicity and then boost sales where the song itself lacked. We have to place this into consideration when making our own music video as this will affect it, we have to make sure the video is not only appealing but also matches the song well.

Lyrics to Paranoia

Paranoia, she's stalling
Check the phone there's no one calling
Read a letter in the paper
Send a message, see you later.

Paranoia, check your phone line
Scared to take a walk at night time
Light a candle, kill the night light
Out of mind is out of sight.

And I'm running like I'm being chased
Missing like I've been erased
Seeking something never found
Standing on this broken ground.

Wishing for a hand to hold
My life's a story still untold
Paranoid I've missed my time
This minute now I draw the line.

Paranoia, you hear a siren
Look above the planes are flying
Who's are the good guys euro disguise
Paying someone to hide the lies
911 so far from heaven
Paranoid that this is the end.




Now that the lyrics are here wrote down we can start thinking of ideas that match the lyrics.

Reply From My Future Lies;

Since My Future Lies is situated in Australia, i was surprised and please to receive a reply giving permission to use their song 'Paranoia'.

Below is a copy of the email from the band;

"Hi Jessica,
Of course you can use Paranoia. We'd like to see your project when it is complete.
Good luck with it all and thanks for using one of our songs. Remember to tell all your friends about our band as we hope to visit the UK one day soon.
Lukey
MY FUTURE LIES"

Now we have definite use of the song we can start thinking of possible ideas for the music video, through research of other videos, music video convections. We will combine and mix other ideas together to make our own video.

Thankyou My Future Lies.

My Future lies

After a great deal of searching we found a band from www.unsigned.com/myfuturelies.

Our group really enjoyed their music and believed it would be usable / suitable for the A2 coursework. After confirmation from our teacher we chose their song 'Paranoia' as this would be suitable to use. The band have been emailed by jessica asking for permission to use their music.

Below is the email sent to My Future Lies;

"Hey,
My name is Jessica and I was browsing unsigned.com when I came across your band and really liked your music.
I have a project coming up soon for 6th form where I have to make a music video for an unsigned band. I was wondering if I could have your permission to use one of your songs like 'Paranoia' for my coursework. It is not for commercial use and I can send you the final outcome if you decide to give me permission to use it.
Thanks,
Jessica"

We are hopeful to use this song as the lyrics are inspiring with regards to what to do for our video, due to varying temps and speeds which will co-inside with our editing.

Return to six form

We recently returned to six form.

This allowed the group to reform, older posts to be given more details and therefore be posted & also new details to be added. This has also allowed us to begin to prepare for our planning work for our christmas deadline. This does seem a great amount of time, however considering the work required along with allowing time for editing, making sure the lip syncing is in time the time given is not actually a lot.

We have already selected the music to use as part of our coursework and therefore we can begin planning, such as the overall theme, (with regards to weather it will tell a story etc) techniques to use/try out and also camera angles.

These next couple lessons allow our group to bring the individual ideas together/ begin brainstorming.

21 seconds;

This is the video by So Solid Crew;

This is a powerful video used to introduce the different members of the group.

It also uses escapism.

100 Greatest Pop Videos;

Today we began watching the 100 Greatest Pop Videos;

So far we have watched a variety of different videos.

Some of these are;

Pass the dutchie pan - Musical Youth

Small Town boy - Brorski Beat

Brimful of Asha - Conershop

My favourite game - The Cardigans

21 seconds - So Solid Crew

Total Eclipse of the heart - Bonnie Tyler.

These videos all differ in style and technique.

Hard Day's Night - The Beatles;

This is the video for the song Hard Days Night - The Beatles

What makes this video interesting to the audience !?

The beginning of the video makes us wonder what is occurring.

Also it is rather unusual to have a chase scene in a music video.

Does it suggest anything about the artist !?

The screaming fans suggest that they are popular.

There are a majority of girls there suggesting that their target audience is teenage girls.

There suits, haircuts etc suggest that they are fashionable.

The artists are shown to be running and laughing, this portrays them as fun.

Does it match the song !?

I believe that it does match the song, mainly because the lyrics match the song.

The editing is also fast pace, much like the song.

The artist's are running, this also adds to the speed of the song.

And also the song is saying a hard day's night, this is clearly meaning working for their product,

and then being chased and demanded by all these fans and they constantly work.

More Videos;

Today we stuidied yet more videos;

Today we studied -

* Hard Day's Night by The Beatles

* Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan

* Human Behaviour by Bjork

* Drop by The Pharcycde

* Loves Not a Competition by Kaiser Chiefs

We also answered 3 questions on each of the videos.

These were;

What makesd this video interesting to the audience?(style, techniques used etc.)

Does it suggest anything about the artist?

And does it match the song?

Aphex Twins - Come To Daddy

This is the video of the Aphex Twins; Come to daddy.

We have been studying briefly the key conventions of this video

- We believe these are that the mood of the song is interpreted by the video,

- colours used also help deter the mood

- there are special effects used

- some sequences could be interpreted as fantasy

- there are also a lot of mise - en -scene elements also

Task;

Our task is to produce a five minute long music video within our group.

In our group there is Laura Steward, Nichola Pritchard, Jessica Tilley and myself.

We have not yet arranged our music.

We have however been looking at various music videos.

A few of these are;

Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice

Keri Hilson - Return the Favour

Junior Senior - move your feet

UNKLE - Rabbit in your headlights

Aphex twins - Come To daddy

K.I.G - Heads, shoulders knees and toes.

These videos vary in style and also the music differs. Creating different effects upon the audience.

our questionaire;

We asked 30 people the following questions with

the possible answers were either yes/no/ maybe.

1) Do you expect their to be a storyline within the video?

yes (19) no (8) maybe (3)

2) Do you expect the music to fit with the video?

yes (27) no (2) maybe (1)

3) Do you expect to see a band within the video?

yes (25) no (2) maybe (3)

4) Do you believe dancing has to be involved to make it better?

yes (15) no (13) maybe (2)

5) Should props be used to make it more interesting?

yes (18) no (7) maybe (5)