Weekly Updates

Today I have completely the shotlist.I have come up with various shots that we will be using throughout when filming the music video. I feel the choice of shots and camera angles I have chosen will enable will connote a great narrative of the music video. As the camera person i also felt that it would be essential for me to create the shotlist as I would be implementing these shots and angles into the music video.

I next plan to come up with idea of the costumes that the actors will be wearing throughout the music video and how this is essential to the image my media group will be portraying throughout the music video. Also how affective this will be in the music video as it will connote different meanings.Also to decide on the locations we will be filming.I will be looking around for accessable areas that we can shoot our music video.

Shot List

Shot List Elizabeth Media Work

Groups Roles & Responbilities

Elizabeth -Camera Operator/Producer

Humayra -Director

Daniel-Edior

Tamara-Director Assistant

However thoughout the make of our music video,we will be taking on various roles and responsibilities, as this will help us to all get the work done as quickly as possible.

Updates

Today I have written down a checklist of all the tasks I must complete on the checklist by the ends of the day.These are the analysis of the cd cover,the analysis of a magazine advert.I will be analysising the magazine the adverts.I will be looking at the colour themes that was used,the font of writing,and what this connotes to us when looking at this magazine in such detail.Finishing the shotlist and the various shots I will be when operating the camera as I have taken on the responsibly as the camera opeartor

After completeing this task I will then need to begin writing my weekly updates.Explaining what I have completely today and if I came across any problems when doing so.

Weekly Updates

I have now completed the analysing CD covers. I have researched and looked into various CD covers that have nationally been recognised and popular in the billboard charts. In the analysis of these advertised CD covers. I have looked into the font, imagery, the content of the CD cover and what it portrays and appeals and how it portrays to targets it audience. I have also looked into the additional content of the advertised CD album and the features used. Such as company logos, if it has been rated by any stars or has and words describing the actual content of the music itself.

Looking at the advertised album cover will has given me ideas into how to construct my own advertisement of my digi-pack i will be designing in the weeks to come. It has enabled me to see the amount of content that will be needed on the advert. What it features and the layout.

I will next go onto the planning of my shot list for my music video production. Thinking of ideas and potential shots and angles I could use in the music video. I will be  this by having the lyrics laid out and showing what angles and shots I will use for each sentence of the song ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and what the actors of the music video will be doing. Demonstrating how it fits in with the lyrics of the song.

CD Album Cover Magazine Advertisment Analysis

Font The font used within this advert is ‘Century Gothic’ used in very small print. However still very easy to read although in my small print. A lot of the other print surrounding the advertisement is in very small print. I believe this is so much of the attention can be brought upon the artists.

Content

The content within this album cover advertisement does not contain much. However what seem very unusual is there is an advert within an advert. They are advertising the artists however also advertising her album cover within that same advert.They also used HMV logo as this is the music retail store the CD cover can purchased at.

Colour  Scheme

This advert has used very pale colours, Such as the pale red colour of the artist’s hair. The advert has a very simple colour scheme as simple greys and black. This is done for the message to look more subdued. Only the HMV logo being the most colourful within the advertisement.

Imagery

The detonation within this picture is of a women standing up. Her hair blowing as she is looking down away from the camera. The connotation in this advert is of the women looking fearless, as well as having a inferior look on her face.

Magazine Advert

Font: The font used within this advertisement is ‘Arial narrow’ this font spaces out words. Often used on billboards and posters. As it can be easily read, especially from afar. ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Hard’ is written in bold. Which makes the advert more eye catching for buyers.

Colour scheme: The colours used within this CD advertisement are black and grey. The colour of dark greys connote security,conservativeness,maturity.However shades of black connote rebellion,powerfulness,confidence,evil,mysterious,anger,formality,strength,unknowningness .The colour used within the CD cover itself is used to appeal to a high end market of youths. However the words used to advertise the album is written in red. The colour Red helps to increase enthusiasm and interest which makes it very eye catching for a target audience.

Content: The advert contains a lot of information as below the album itself if singles that have reached number ones on the billboard charts. Allowing potential buyer aware of the songs that are within the album plus more.

Imagery: Although the colours used help to connote meanings of the music itself. However the imagery on the CD cover connotes to an audience. That she is evil. From the black lipstick and eye makeup she is wearing with a glare in her eyes makes her look like she is powerful. Her image evokes a style of female empowerment that predates and still stands outside of feminism: the lone female warrior who summons strength and endures danger to make progress in a man's world. This is the imagery she picked up after what happened between herself and ex boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009 when she was badly beaten up.

General Analysis: An overall analysis is that the imagery within the album cover fits in with the way she was living her life at that moment in time as the imagery empowers all the rights she stands for when it comes to women and the rights of women. This advert also has the company that sells the albums from. This a way for the company to also market their company brand.

Our Music Video Lyrics Matched Up With Visuals (Examples)

The streets song ‘Dry your eyes’ has great a narrative my group could work with. Through the lyrics and visuals in the music video was can convey many meanings, especially as the lyrics of the songs are very direct. Here we can take advantage of Andrew Goodwin’s theory where our group could use the second point his theory. ‘There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)’ Through the visuals we are able to create a more effective narrative.(Below the lyrics are examples/ideas that could be used throughout the video)

‘I stand there for a minute starin' straight into the ground Lookin' to the left slightly, then lookin' back down’ – Here we could use a POV shot as the audience will be in the characters shoes.

‘I look at her she stares almost straight back at me But her eyes glaze over like she's lookin' straight through me’ – Close up of the girls eyes would be a shot we could use to convey emotion. A flashback of the couple looking at each other could also be used.

‘Dry your eyes mate I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up There's plenty more fish in the sea Dry your eyes mate I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts  But you've got to walk away now It's over’-As we will be using various locations (The pub) the boy could be sitting in the pub with his friends, however he is staring into space not concentrating on his surrounded, then one of his friends with his come to him(put arm around him) (Multiple shot) and comforts him, as his friends say ‘Plenty fish in the sea’ the camera moves to a girl standing by the bar. (Long shot) his Friend winks at girl by the bar, The boy looks over, then turns this head and looks down (Mid shot and close up)

‘So then I move my hand up from down by my side It's shakin', my life is crashin' before my eyes Turn the palm of my hand up to face the skies Touch the bottom of her chin and let out a sigh Cause I can't imagine my life without you and me’-The boy sitting on a bench (or walking down the street.(Various shots used here e.g. long shot, mid shot, close ups. Used at a fast pace then slows back down) & the focus is directly on his whilst his surroundings are blurred out.

‘She brings her hands up towards where my hands rested She wraps her fingers round mine with the softness she's blessed with She peels away my fingers, looks at me and then gestures’-Another flashback could be used here.(Black and white animation) A close up of them holding hands Holding hands, stroking his hands and having a tighter grip of their hands, hand in hand (Slow pace)

‘Tryin' to pull her close out of bare desperation Put my arms around her tryin' to change what she's sayin' Pull my head level with hers so she might engage in Look into her eyes to make her listen again I'm not gonna fuckin', just fuckin' leave it all now’ –Flashback (Black and white) The actual break up (Outside a house/college) She begins to walk away from boy, he pulls her back, holding a tight grip of her shoulders/arms.( Multiple shot & long shot) A slight struggle of her trying to get away from him. Then they begin to argue (Using hand gestures) he then holds his hands in his head, as she rushes off and begins to walk away from him.

Throughout the music we will be moving back and forth between different locations. However at time he will be standing up or sitting down in chair behind a black back drop as he sings the remaining lyrics of the song. As this will help us to covey a direct narrative of his emotions. Using mostly mid close up and extreme close ups of his hands (fidgeting/biting finger nails/holding his hair) and back to singing.

Analysis of Album Cover

Michael Jackson is well known for his extravagant life and extraordinary performances and multi coloured and gold plated military jackets. His personality is described as loving, outgoing, warm hearted and caring man. It was said he had love innocent children, wildlife, animals, unity and peace. Although he has a giving and loving person, was shy on day to day basics when not performing or not in the lime light. Which seem very unusual for a man known as ‘The king of Pop’

However this album cover falls hand in hand to his creatively and unique ideas he brought to music and amazing fashion sense. The album cover conveys numerous connotations and has numerous symbols that have been very controversial. The album cover is busy, exhilarating and eye catching making people like myself engrossed into this particular album cover.

As Michael Jackson was known for liking the finer things in life, like antiques, statues, and expensive paintings, and his album cover is a great donation of the things he liked and took an interest in. The white bald headed man on the right hand side is a very well-known to the occult as Aleister Crowley known as Satanist however people are questionable about his believes as he has a picture of Aleister Crowley on his album cover, however Aleister is also well known as a American circus showman, businessman and entertainer that practiced astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician and was responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. This gives some explanation as to Michael Jackson’s have Aleister Crowley on the front cover of his album cover. He was never really devoted and explored different alternative religions throughout his adult life. As he moved between three more religions.

The album cover also expressed a collection of from things he took interest in at that moment in time. This album cover has similar concepts that were used in the music video ‘Leave me alone’ where there was many special effect, Michael Jackson riding an old-style aircraft and flying through a wide chattering set of teeth. The concept of the music video was surreal. The album cover also was used ideas and material from his singles. One being ‘Do you remember’ based on an Egyptian concept, where traditional clothing and old Egyptian artefacts in were in the music video and the album cover.

The album ‘Dangerous’ has Michael Jackson eyes in the middle of the album cover a facial feature he was well known for after his album ‘Bad’ especially after he gave off that bad boy representation. Throughout the Bad era Michael Jackson was recognised through his piercing eyes and the album covered used this to his advantage, drawing us into his dark mysterious eyes that tell many stories

Analysis Of Second Album Cover

The first element  of this album cover I found eyecatching  was  the use of colour in the background.

She is portrayed  to the audience that she is in contol.That she rules over everything that is happening around her that is shown in her album cover.The sky is hers and she owns all around it. The Evidence for this is the clouds behind her have opened up,however she is sitting down her back towards it with her legs are up in the chair as well as slouching down. Connoting an overall carelessness attitude  to her surroundings as she is in control of it all.

The chair looks like a throne, This portrays someone of importance, someone that demands power and authority. Which links with the perviously singles she has done referring  women power and independence.

 

Her chair is positioned behind the falling of the sky.This suggests that she is in her own element where she has power over all.She is slouching down  in her chair with heels on which conveys her power to the audience even more.

This imagery conveys various  emotions and meanings.Through her expressions and her body language, her style of clothes her hair style and the way she is slouched in her chair shows her to be very superior,powerful and in charge.However she does have elements of being very feminity as she is wearing and heels .However it contrast with imagery of her slouching in a chair as if she is in her zone of comfort.it could also mean that she wants to be shown as having attitude and being quite self centred as she is the only person that in the photograph.she could be conveying the meaning of the album being about herself and only herself as she is selfish and self absorbed person.It could be a way of  she is trying to promote her album in trying to bring across the message to her traget audience that it is all about her and how she is.This all being shown though the she is positioned in  the chair,with her leg up on the hand rest.

The title of the album conveys a lot meaning  through the colours and size.Its helps and indicates a better understanding of what the album would be about.”IN A PEFECT WORLD” written in Bold capitals ands bright lights. Connoting that she sees herself in a world of her own where is the only person that exist and in that world is herself.Conveying to the audiences that 'This is her world' almost as if she is a 'god' 

As Everything that is written on the album cover is shown in lights and written in Capitals. This Shows the  importance and the amount of attention that should be given to her.Making it even more noticeable.

The artist is represented as feminie, sexy,independant and seductive.What makes her seductive is the clothes she is wearing.She comes across as being very sexy by wearing the short dress,showing her shoulders and cleavage areas aswell as showing her upper thighs.These are all the things that are thought to be revealing.The  way she is dressed and represented in the album cover fits the typical sterotypical way of how women are thought to be like in the R&B industry .Flirtatious,A tease,sexy and revealing. These are some of the ways she is represented to us when looking at her gender. But with a twist of power of superiority.

 The denonation is the artist Keri Hilson is wearing a short dress with leapord printed tights.She is Sitting down in a chair with her legs up in a chair. The connotation behind her doing this is power,self-centred,her self image,sex appeal with comes from her clothes she is wearing and the way she is quite revealing. The second connoation is  the authority that she comes across as having from her body language, The RnB is the genre the group her music is in.


The album cover uses a lot of dark colours.The dark purples connote richness and royalty, while the use of black connotes power and authority.The dark yellows almost the colour  was gold in the sky connotes value and richness.With all these colour combined together it conveys all the emotions she is portraying through her posture and facial expressions within the imagery of the album cover.

Textual Analysis

There are numerous of music videos that have the whole flashback element. I found that the majority of them have the same narrative behind it. Boy meets girls they fall madly in love with another. They break up and the boy is left reminiscing over the times the couple shared. However I found that this particularly music video gave off another after narrative. One that my group could imitate as well as copy.

The careless whispers by George Michael music video uses a different element of flashbacks in this video than other music videos that give the same flash animation. The Careless Whispers uses this animation through fades and lightening of lighting. Letting the audience know that we are been taken back in time. In other videos the flashbacks are shown through series of bright white lights. However I feel fades give out a nice scuttle effect that I think works very well.

In this music video there are a series of flashbacks within this video. Moving back and forth of the past to the present day to where he is singing about the couple.

George Michael uses many hand gesture and emotional facial expression through this video. Many of them holding out his hand and holding a very tight grip of his fists, this gives audience the impression he is reaching out for her. Using many close up shots to show the emotion in his eyes and face of how much he is thinking of the girl.


There are repetitive shots within the music video.Especially throughout the flashbacks.When being showed their intimate times.It starts with a medium or long shot which is then followed by a close up.I believe this is purposely done so their actions and emotions are predictable by  the audience.As the medium or long shot is showing them closely drawing into another faces.Then the close up shows the kiss.

Medium shots were also used to show a lot of his body language.Hand gestures showed that he was upset,through covering his face,looking down and having a tight grip when singing certain lyrics of the song.Which shows the relationship between lyrics and visuals within the music video.

These various shots used and concepts used in the video Careless Whispers are concepts our group want to involve in our music video as it give out great connation to our audience. Especially as the flashback is the main elements my groups will be using within our music video to give off the narrative of our group music.

The second analysis I will be doing is Breakeven by The script.Which in my opinion is another great music video concept of flashbacks.The whole video consists of black and white,however the flashbacks are shown in colour,but with less focus to the lens of the camera.Only having what is in site in focus,however it still gives the same great effect.It is very different from other music videos that use flashback animations,as flashbacks are in music videos are shown in black and white or sepia.


There are different paces within this music video,it becoming a lot slower when showing flashbacks,when focusing on the girl.However becomes faster when they band is performing,moving from different shots and angles of the band performing.The main focus on the lead singer,where medium close ups are used and long shots showing him perform from a distance.

The majority of the flashbacks are close ups of his either touching the girl,the girls face or the girl walking closer to the camera.


I think elements of both music videos will be great to use in out music video,i think through the use of lighting we are able to give out various connations to the audience.Through using darker colours of different lighting for the flashbacks does add extra affect to the flashback animation.Medium and extreme close ups is definitely something that could be used within our music video as it added to narrative we are telling.Moving back and forth from the flashbacks to the present day is another aspect that my groups music video will have,as that is what the whole narrative will be based on,and from the analysis of these two music video it works very effectively.

Evidence Of Asking Permission

Permission

Moodboard

Music Video Research/Examples

After agreeing on a song our group was going to use for our music video and potential music video ideas and concept was could use. I felt it was important to go away and research similar narratives of music videos that our group will be imitating. In order to get ideas that would be very beneficial for our music video.

After looking and through my personal iTunes playlist I found several songs with similar lyrics to the song our group was using. I then went on to YouTube and looked at the music videos. One of the very first songs I found was Usher “You Got It Bad"

This song is based upon the relationship between a two celebrities that were a couple, and that have broken up and departed their separate ways. The lyrics give a clear narrative of the story he is telling the audience. The music video making it easier to get that narrative across to the audience.The music video “You Got It Bad” used numerous flashbacks to show the past and present relationship they have now. The flashbacks of the man as he remembers the times they were laughing, hugging and enjoying the intimate times they once shared together.

Their intimate moment were also captured to give of the effect that he misses the good times they both shared.Also adding to the narrative of the music video.

The use of close ups on various parts of the girls face was also in the video. Her eyes, hair and face. Showing the audience how much he misses and memorizing about her.

After a close analysis of this video I feel there are many elements that our group could imitate into this video. The flashbacks are a great element way to get across the narrative of the story. The white lights to enhance the flashback also being a great feature to us within our music video.