AMBER - The function on a music video

Our coursework project this year is going to be to create an original music video to an existing song by a British artist. It is important to therefore understand the basic concepts of music videos and why they are used. A music video will integrate the song and imagery, and is created as a marketing device to promote the song and artist. The main reason for music videos is to make money; if a consumer watches the video and they like it they are likely to buy the song.

Music videos will look different based on the genre of the song, for example in current Rnb and pop songs we are likely to mainly focus on the artist and see them dancing. However, in a indie/rock video, this is all about the instruments and love for their music so we will see a lot of footage of them playing their instruments. Therefore from watching the video we can tell the genre of the song so it is important to use appropriate footage and shots.

Short - List of Potential Songs

So far as a group we have listened to each others different song choice ideas by British artist and also listening to various different genres of music.

So far we have decided that are short-list of potential songs are:

The Drumming Song – Florence and the Machine

Cosmic Love – Florence and the Machine

Wonder – Naughty Boy ft. Emile Sande

Let it Go – Alexander Burke

Echo - Foxes

Function of a Music Video

British Artists

As it is part of the spec we have to choose a song from a British Artist or Band. Here are some names of British Artists & Bands that our group can chose from. Some of the Artists / Bands I have already written copyright permission letters for.

Examples of Types of Relations Between Songs and Videos (Andrew Goodwin's Theory)

Just a reminder that there are 3 types of relations between songs and videos, they are:

ILLUSTRATION: this is where the video tells the story of the lyric. Dance is often used to express the feelings / moods in the song

AMPLIFICATION: occurs when the video introduces new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics but add layers of meaning

DISJUNCTURE: this is where there is little connection between the lyric and video or where the video contradicts the lyric

An example of a music video that uses illustration is N-Dubz - Ouch

In the video of ‘Ouch’ the video tells the story of the lyrics. Here are some screen shots of where this is done with the lyrics.

 "Step into the house I'm walking up the stairs,

1 step, 2 step, 3 step 4 

I'm on the second floor I'm opening the door,"

"Now remember when we were financially unstable,

Channel 1 to 5 no sky or cable,

Had to do some dirty work in order to be able

To take care of you and put food on the table"





                        "Think when I found those nike's I couldn't believe it,"

                    "You took care of the stash and hid the money from the draw"

(Another music video that is an example of illustration is Sandi Thom ‘I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker’

http://youtu.be/Ypa2BOvQtss)

An example of a music video that uses amplification is Kelly Rowland - Stole

An example of amplification in the video is at the time 2:18 to 2:48 when the lyrics that are sung are:

 Greg was always getting net from 20 feet away

He had a try out with the Sixers 

Couldn't wait for Saturday (Saturday) 

Now we're never gonna see him slam 

Flying high as Kobe can 

His life was stole

Oh now we'll never know  

In the video we see a black male (which can be assume to be Greg) who is playing basketball with friends and talking to a girl. Then a shot reverse shot is shown of him looking at a group of boys and then them looking back at him. After the boy is seen falling to the ground and then dies.

What is being seen in the video my not be the same as the lyrics but it relates and adds meaning to the song.  The new meaning that is being shown in the video is that the group of boys who were seen in the shot reverse shot are linked to the boy’s death, so he didn't die a natural death, his life was ‘stolen’ by the group of boys.The new meaning which is being shown in the video does not contradict the lyrics.

(Another music video that is an example of amplification is John Legend ‘Ordinary People’

http://youtu.be/PIh07c_P4hc)

An exmple of a music video that uses disjuncture is Chiddy Bang ft. Icona Pop - Mind Your Manners

As you can see in this video there is no connection at all between the lyrics and video

(Another example of a music video that use disjuncture is Calvin Harris ‘Feel So Close 

http://youtu.be/dGghkjpNCQ8)

Summary of the Main Points of Andrew Goodwin's Theory

‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (1993)

 Chapter Four Summary

The structure of Music Video - Rethinking Narrative Analysis

 Music pop videos approach narrative from a different angle to novels and films.

The reasons for the different narrative structures are as follows:

-pop videos are built around songs and often songs do not present traditional narrative

structures (normality-problem-resolution)

-the pop music video uses the singer both as narrator and as a character

-the singer often looks directly at the camera, this part of the (music-hall) performance and trying to involve the viewer at home with the performance

Music videos rely on repetition. Often the video repeats images in the way the song repeats choruses or lines, (we become familiar with the genre and have certain expectations).

The video would be played on TV which will make the song very familiar through repetition.

Pop songs, and therefore videos, do have a form of closure and ending. The ending of the video is often reflected in the structure of the music –it builds to a climax or to a constant repetition before fading away.

There are 3 types of relations between songs and videos:

ILLUSTRATION: this is where the video tells the story of the lyric. Dance is often used to express the feelings / moods in the song

AMPLIFICATION: occurs when the video introduces new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics but add layers of meaning

DISJUNCTURE: this is where there is little connection between the lyric and video or where the video contradicts the lyric

Pop videos often have easily recognisable features.

A feature is the way woman are presented as objects of male desire. Some artists e.g. Madonna and Beyonce deliberately present themselves from males to look at but what is different in their video is that they directly look back at the viewer through the camera and they cease to be passive. an example can be found below

In some videos the different instruments in the music are represented by different objects.

Videos also try and appeal to as wide an audience as possible without alienating the core target audience.

Videos that are from songs written for particular movies often incorporate images from the movie in the video.
An example (below) is the music video of 'This Girl' by Laza Morgan. A song which was featured in the film Step Up 3D which in the music video incorporated imaged / clips from the film.

Music Video Forms

Music Videos have:

Varity of camera shots, angles & movements

Performance: Directly looking at the camera, breaking 4^th wall

Choice of song (genre)

Lip-syncing

Locations & Setting fitting the genre

Costume (motif)

Editing: Jump Cuts, cutting to the beat, speed, slow motion, time lapse, transitions, split screen, special effects, filters, match cuts, cutaways

Planning

Mise-en-Scene: Lighting

Copyright Clearance Letter 4

Here is a copy of the copyright clearance letter that I have written during the summer break for the song Flashback by Calvin Harris

Copyright Clearance Letter 3

Here is a copy of the copyright clearance letter that I have written during the summer break for the song Next To Me by Emile Sandé

Copyright Clearance Letter 2

Here is a copy of the copyright clearance letter that I have written during the summer break for the song Starry Eyed by Ellie Goulding

Copyright Clearance Letter 1

Here is a copy of the copyright clearance letter that I have written during the summer break for the song Feel So Close by Calvin Harris

Before I typed the letters for copyright permission I had to do a lot of research. First of all I had to pick the songs which were from British artist and I could consider presenting to the group which I would be put in for A2 to use to make a music video for. After I picked the songs I had to find out which music companies were the owners of the songs. Then I had to search for the address and contact information of the music companies in the UK so I could send the letters requesting Copyright clearance and permission. Which I have now typed and sent.

AMBER - Examples of existing music videos that fall into Goodwin’s theory - DISJUNCTURE

Disjuncture

Muse are an British alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon. Their famous song Uprising was at #1 position on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for 17 nonconsecutive weeks. This song works with using Disjuncture as their lyrics are about a corrupt government and a society on the verge of rebellion.  The song features no real people except the band members themselves; instead, we see images of dark gloomy streets and the occasional toy model. This suggests that the people are simply insignificant figures being manipulated by the government unable to find their way out of the game.

Towards the end a giant angry teddy bear arises from the rubble, and stands up to the oppression. This represents the beginning of an ‘Uprising’ in the society, where people have always been fearful and had to suppress their anger. The teddy bear symbolizes everything that they could never do, and is the pinnacle point of change.

Therefore this video uses Disjuncture because their lyrics are not being acted out, the images on screen are completely different to the words. However the images still reflect the same dark, sinister vibe that the lyrics obtain which shows us that there is still a deeper connection even if it isn’t through the direct use of images on screen.

AMBER - Examples of existing music videos that fall into Goodwin’s theory - AMPLIFICATION

Amplification

Linkin Park are an American rock band and ‘Numb’ is one of their well known and critically acclaimed songs, released as the third single from their second album Meteora. The lyrics reflect someone’s emotions of feeling under pressure and alone and in the video the main persona, a teenage girl, gives the vibes of these emotions. This leads me to believe that this music video reflects the theory of Amplification because she doesn’t act out what the lyrics say. However, she gives a new meaning to the words as we see her going about her day and we are shown the struggles she has to go through. Therefore the intense struggles of her life amplify the lyrics to make them seem real so that the audience can relate to her because the lyrics are put into context and we are shown how they can affect someone’s life. 

AMBER - Examples of existing music videos that fall into Goodwin’s theory - ILLUSTRATION

Illustration

Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee formed in 2004. ‘The Only Exception’ is one of their most famous love songs released by Fueled by Ramen in February 2010. This song fits into the theory of Illustration as the lyrics tell us a story about Hayley Williams’ (the lead singer) experiences through love. At the beginning of the song she sings about her parents and how their divorce affected her and on screen we see her farther and pictures of family photos. These images illustrate what she is singing about and allow the viewer into her personal life.

The use of Illustration is a very good way to enable to viewer to easily tell what’s going on, especially if the lyrics are story like. In The Only Exception we can see that it is very story like as she allows us through her life experiences of love and the different men she has met in her life. The song starts with her with the first man in her life, her father.

Then we see her with many men that she has been on dates with; they are all lined up and she talks to a few but she doesn’t seem fully content, it’s like she knows there’s something better to come in the future.

Finally at the end we see her with the one man that she loves, she has been through a lot and she ‘promised she’d never sing of love’ unless it really exists but she feels that he is ‘the only exception’ because after everything she has finally found the perfect man for her.