Coursework: Summer Project 2020

1) Research: music video analysis 

Music Video 1: Narrative 

my future-Billie Eilish

In “my future”, narrative is used to show continued growth in how Billie is looking at the world and how she looks to the future with optimism and hopefulness. This can have quite a positive impact on the audience especially during times like this where there is a pandemic that has largely altered the lives of many and so the song can be seen as having an uplifting meaning to it that motivates audience members to look to the future and be excited and positive. We can apply Levi Strauss' theory of binary oppositions in particular stylistic oppositions to the video. We see this through the juxtaposed stylistic presentations in the video. The camera work begins slow and stasis as the music is mellow and slow-going however, as the song picks up the beat and becomes more lively, we see not only a change in the aesthetic of the video (starts off dark and ends with a more brighter and happier setting) but there are a wider range of shots used and they appear a bit faster. Moreover, there are also genre-driven binary oppositions as it is an animated music video.

Music Video 2: Mise-en-Scene

Queendom- Aurora

The song originated from a conversation with Aurora's friends about the change that they wanted to see in the world. Queendom was written in tribute to ‘underdogs and the people who are not getting the respect they deserve’ and hugely focuses on issues such as sexuality and gender discrimination. The costumes in the music video are largely feminine with most of them being loosely fitted dresses and puffy arms. The costumes themselves seem quite simple yet are so bold due to the added pops of colour and details which can be seen as reflecting the message of the song. The clothing reflects how powerful Aurora's Queendom is and also symbolises female empowerment. High key lighting is used which means that more filler lights are used. Thus, the effect appears more realistic. The lighting also appears quite bright which can have a futuristic effect and shows a sense of optimism for the future of being accepted in society for who you are. The actor is placed in almost all scenes and plays a vital role throughout the music video. She seems to be the leader of the "Queendom" and gives direct address especially in closeup shots. The makeup is quite soft and isn't dramatic however through the way that the women and men are dressed as well as the hairstyle Aurora has, it could be argued that an androgynous women is being represented here. This is because we see a more feminine side to Aurora through the clothing however, the clips of her punching and kicking as well as the short hair show different representations of women and also plays into the message of the song in relation to sexuality. Their aren't many props used and so the focus is mainly on the movement of the actors. Finally the setting is quite broken down and almost looks like a war zone (although it is a normal building) which can reflect how the "Queendom" is ready to fight and make sure people understand their sexuality and sensitivity.

Music Video 3: Camerawork

Radioactive- Imagine Dragons

In this music video, a range of camera shots are used. In the beginning, a very long shot is used where we see a figure of a woman. This ensures audience members are aware of the setting of the music video. As she walks directly to the camera a medium closeup shot is used from behind. As the woman's face is not yet revealed, audience members are captivated and a sense of suspense is built up. As the face of the woman is revealed, an extreme closeup shot is used capturing her eye right as the beat drops and the vocals kick in. This music video relies heavily upon movement to create a sense of excitement for the viewer. Rapid editing, with many shots being less than a second long, complements the dance routine and use of flashing lighting in the video. As the beat drops for the second chorus, a member of Imagine Dragons bangs a drum. This complements the beat of the music. Nonetheless, when the cartoon puppets fight in the ring, the camera movement is shaky which reflects the way in which both puppets are moving and fighting against each other. There are also mid shot shots that are in slow motion which can be seen as an effect that is quite prominent in many other music videos. Shots alternate between the band performing the song and singing and the actors acting out the narrative. The low angle shot capturing the man sitting on the chair with a cigar is employed to make him appear dominant and dangerous. The face of the woman is barely revealed (only in the beginning through a medium closeup shot) and only extreme closeup shots are used throughout the rest of the video and this adds to the suspense of the video. When the pink teddy bear beats the opponent, the woman is able to take the key off the man and use it to free the members of the band who are trapped in a cell. This is also captured through a slow-motion effect.

Music Video 4: Editing

Cardigan-Taylor Swift

This music video contains effective editing and many visual effects. The first effect that we see is the fairy dust that appears to be coming out of the piano. This creates a magical feel to the video. The pace of the music video is quite slow which complements the way in which Taylor Swift is amazed and still discovering the new location. To capture this new location which appears to be a fairytale woodland, extreme long shots are used which showcase the setting of the video and a high angle is employed to make Swift appear quite small in comparison to the setting which is quite ironic because her thoughts appear to be quite big as she enters the woodland. Movement of the camera is used to direct our attention or emphasise a viewpoint. In this music video panning shots are used and this is where the camera moves slowly on its axis from side to side to capture Swift while she plays the piano. We also see many zooming in and out shots and this is quite interesting because when zoomed out she appears to be bold and the centre of attention regardless of the fact that she is the only star in the entirety of the video. Overall the slow-paced movement of the camera paired up with the fair dust visual effect and the woodland setting and the sea complement each other exquisitely to create successful media product.

Music Video 5: Conventions 

Ashes- Celine Dion 

The song Ashes is from the film soundrack for Deadpool 2 so it features clips from the film. There is a link between the visuals and lyrics that amplify the meaning of the song and so the lyrics have a narrative that matches with the narrative of the film as both are about finding the light at the end of the tunnel and not matter how destroyed, in turmoil or broken you are, the human spirit will prevail and fight on which can be seen as what the actor in Deadpool is feeling. As Andrew Goodwin suggests, music videos contain certain elements. In this music video we see that it includes demands of the record label as we see close ups of the singer and also see that at the end of the video, Deadpool and Dion interact with each other which also heightens the singers presence within the video. There is not a great deal of movement which complements the slow pace of the song in general. Even when the singer is standing still and there is a medium closeup of her singing there is nothing really going on in the background as it is an empty theatre or there is the orchestra playing the song and the lack of rapid movement emphasises the fact that the attention is really on what the singer is saying. There are panning shots used where the camera moves slowly on its axis from side to side which are used to transition between shots of the singer and clips from the film. The orchestra and the singer are shown performing the song, Celine Dion is also shown lip-synching alone whilst looking at the camera. This makes it seem like she is singing directly to the audience which is known as direct address.

2) Planning: music video treatment (concept)

In order to produce a successful music video, you will need to write a treatment. This is like a script - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need choose what song you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's track but it needs to be appropriate for a mainstream audience. 

Scene 1- A digital painting of a young woman kneeling down, head in hands being hit by her father comes to life.

The camera zooms in slowly into the painting as it becomes real and the woman gets up, detaching herself from the painting and looks around in confusion. The brother also becomes real but stays frozen. She reminisces fast flashback memories of the abuse from her brother and then picks up some headphones on a nearby table. Looking at it with admiration, she puts them on and with a sense of power, heads for the woods.

Scene 2- She looks at how beautiful and serene the forest is and explores the beauties of nature. She runs around in circles and lies on the ground, feeling happy and content. (Close ups of trees and leaves). 

Scene 3- She then explores London, experiencing the liveliness of the city and makes a friend whilst on this trip. He is also a victim of mental health issues and suffers with insomnia (show him in bed unable to sleep). He puts on a pair of headphones that she hands him and the music connects them together.

Scene 4- They run into the wilderness and share memorable moments with each other and realise that while undergoing their mental issues, there are things in life that will pick you back up and that life is truly full of surprises that should be appreciated. Although not everybody's issues are known or talked about, they still exist. Mental health is a real and current issue that should be talked about more often and that is exactly what I wish to portray through this music video.

Scene 5- The young woman returns back to the painting this time standing up (instead of kneeling down), facing her brother, with a smile upon her face. The camera zooms out of the painting slowly as it becomes digitalised again. 

The End. 

3) Statement of Intent

Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

I am going to use the iconography of Pop/Electropop music to construct a music video. I will use Goodwins theory of music video particularly his principals of: links between lyrics and visuals ( the chorus states "running with the wolves" and my artist will mimic this through running in the woods), narrative based music videos (my music video presents the theme of mental health with a narrative alongside), and how technical conventions create meanings. I plan to meet the brief by fulfilling the minimum requirements for both the three minute music video and the four page music video magazine. In relation to meeting the requirements for the music video, I am going to aim to raise the profile of the artist by appealing to a mainstream audience. This will be done through the use of a variety of camera shots, angles and movement, as well as using two or more filming locations. In my music video I will use shots such as extreme long shots, long shots, medium shots, medium and extreme closeup shots. This range of shots will create meaning by showing the mainstream audience the relationship between the actor and their environment. Additionally, using two or more locations for the music video will create a diverse set of visuals, which will appeal to the mainstream audience by making the video more visually engaging. 

The topic that I am portraying in the music video is Mental Health. I will use editing and visual effects to construct a digital painting of a young woman being abused by her father that becomes real in the beginning and end which is the focal point of my music video, to show just how frozen the topic of Mental Health is as not many people are inclined to tackle such issues and it can also be seen as a talking ground that is often avoided. 

I intend to include many editing effects such as the elevator effect and the drop down effect for when I transition between my two locations. This will ensure that there is an element of continuity between the shots and that the visuals remain consistent to help develop the narrative. I also intend to use transition effects that have been used in mainstream productions, like the match cut effect used in the bathtub scene in Psycho (1960).

Using synergy, I will make a clear link between the music video and the magazine to promote the artist's profile. My music magazine is called The Stylus because just how a stylus is used to write things, I wish to scribe and inform audience members about people's music that is meaningful that targets a mainstream music audience to make a positive change in society. I am going to use a clear house style consistently throughout all four pages through the use of consistent fonts and a specific use of editing conventions. On the front cover, I will use cover conventions such as the title and masthead being "The Stylus Magazine", the selling line i.e. the slogan, the cover price, dateline and will feature my artist as the central image followed by two further smaller images related to the content of the magazine.

The Stylus follows an organic and raw theme. The cover page portrays the artist in a natural and intrinsic atmosphere, such as nature with lots of leaves, trees, flowers and earthy colours surrounding to really emphasise this sense of synergy between the music video and magazine.

 As the artist has a sponsorship deal with a headphone manufacturer, the artist will be wearing the headphones in the original photos that I will take which will be used for the double page spread. The last page of my magazine will be an advert for the artist's tour.  My music video follows a young woman who is a victim of physical and emotional abuse by her father which  takes a toll on her mental health. Applying Van Zoonen's Feminist theory, a key representation of women in the media is that they are constructed as passive participants. Onscreen, females are saved, they do not do the saving which is undeniably reinforced through the narrative of my music video as it is the young man who helps the young woman face her mental health issues and makes her feel much better as opposed to the beginning of the video. Women are more likely than men to have a common mental health problem and are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders hence why the protagonist of my narrative is female. On the other hand the ending of my music video may be seen to subvert the stereotype as the protagonist stands up to her father. 

Furthermore, David Gauntlett draws our attention to the way in which most story structures are concerned with the transformation of a central hero suggesting that we can 'borrow from these stories when shaping our narratives of the self' (Gauntlett, 2008, 120). Most products provide their fictional leads with character weaknesses or journeys that need to be completed in order to gain happiness. This is evident in my music video as the young woman's weaknesses are her mental health issues nonetheless, the narrative follows her overcoming these issues. This can be seen to reflect our own lives because people undergo mental health issues everyday and also get through them. Finally, as Gauntlett also suggests: masculinity is in crisis and this links directly to the male character in my music video. I subvert stereotypes here because he is not portrayed as the conventionally hyper-masculine "rugged, super- independent, extra-strong macho man" rather he suffers with insomnia which can be seen as a weakness. 

My music video is for a mainstream audience but also for young people. Applying Young and Rubican's cross cultural consumer categorisation, the mainstreamer, the aspirer and the struggler  fit perfectly for my music video. Furthermore, according to the NRS social grades system of demographic classification, the occupation of the target audience is C1 being lower middle class. The construction of my product will target this specific audience because my artist, being part of the BAME Community perpetuates the conventional stereotype of a black person battling mental health issues that largely stem from a rough family background.

Other artists that my target audience may enjoy are Billie Eilish, Lorde, Sigrid and Melanie Martinez. They may also discuss social issues such as mental health and body positivity in their music as well as their day to day life. The audience pleasures that both the music video and magazine offers are: Personal identity because audience members may see themselves reflected in the video (victims of mental health problems) and Surveillance as I will be informing them about the topic of Mental Health through the video and magazine (by talking about this topic in the two-page interview), and offer information that is useful for living so that if audience members ever come across mental health issues of their own, then they are able to know what to do to get through them.