Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Andrew Goodwin- Dancing in the distraction factory
Andrew Goodwin stated that there are three different types of music videos which are illustration, amplification and disjuncture.
Firstly there is illustration which is when the video cuts to the beat of the music. It is also very literal which means it is very clear what the meaning and the feeling of the lyrics are. Additionally the artists are dressed as expected or just appear as themselves. This means the artist just stands there singing/dancing and providing a performance for the viewer.
An example of an illustration video is Rebecca Blacks- Friday. This is very literal and begins with a girl waking up ready to start her day. She then meets her friends and travels around whilst singing its Friday. This is very clear to the audience because what they are seeing on screen matches the lyrics. This is effective because the audience can make a connection between the lyrics and the video and have an understanding of what's happening.
Then there is Amplification. This is when the video cuts to the beat but only to emphasise features. Therefore this means the image is amplifying the lyrics. This provides a different story that might not be related to the lyrics alone so it allows the audience to use their imagination. Additionally the band usually take on fictional role in the narrative.
An example of this is MGMT. This highlights a baby who keeps seeing monsters around him and is frightened and alone. The idea behind this is to highlight that as a child you are innocent and see those who are older as monsters whereas when you are older you just behave normally around them. This has been created in a very interesting way where the idea is not that clear so you can create you own idea.
Finally there is disjuncture. This is when the video cuts completely off the beat. Even though this is sometimes sign of a bad video, some well known artists also use it. This is when the image doesn't relate to the lyrics and bands sometimes use this to take on an image that is nothing like or the complete opposite of their expected image.
An example of this is Daft Funk. They created a video which has completely no meaning and seems more like a film than an music video however the reason they done this was because they are so well known so have the fan base to so.
Firstly there is illustration which is when the video cuts to the beat of the music. It is also very literal which means it is very clear what the meaning and the feeling of the lyrics are. Additionally the artists are dressed as expected or just appear as themselves. This means the artist just stands there singing/dancing and providing a performance for the viewer.
An example of an illustration video is Rebecca Blacks- Friday. This is very literal and begins with a girl waking up ready to start her day. She then meets her friends and travels around whilst singing its Friday. This is very clear to the audience because what they are seeing on screen matches the lyrics. This is effective because the audience can make a connection between the lyrics and the video and have an understanding of what's happening.
Then there is Amplification. This is when the video cuts to the beat but only to emphasise features. Therefore this means the image is amplifying the lyrics. This provides a different story that might not be related to the lyrics alone so it allows the audience to use their imagination. Additionally the band usually take on fictional role in the narrative.
An example of this is MGMT. This highlights a baby who keeps seeing monsters around him and is frightened and alone. The idea behind this is to highlight that as a child you are innocent and see those who are older as monsters whereas when you are older you just behave normally around them. This has been created in a very interesting way where the idea is not that clear so you can create you own idea.
Finally there is disjuncture. This is when the video cuts completely off the beat. Even though this is sometimes sign of a bad video, some well known artists also use it. This is when the image doesn't relate to the lyrics and bands sometimes use this to take on an image that is nothing like or the complete opposite of their expected image.
An example of this is Daft Funk. They created a video which has completely no meaning and seems more like a film than an music video however the reason they done this was because they are so well known so have the fan base to so.
Carol Vernallis- The Kindest Cut
Carol Vernallis created a theory called 'The Kindest Cut' which looked at the functions and meaning in music video editing. She began her theory by analysing the editing in music videos and hollywood films and then comparing the differences between them. This meant she was then able to highlight what was needed to be in a successful music video.
One of the first factors she stated was that music videos would have a multiplicity of incomplete paths which means the video would not follow one particular pathway. The reason for this is to make it more interesting for the viewer and keep them engaged throughout. In contrast a film would just have one single path throughout the film to make it easy for the viewer to follow and understand.
Another aspect of music videos is that the order of the shot will be unconventional and it will frequently shift between the shots, for example the video doesn't need to start with an establishing shot. On the other hand a film would have a very conventional order of shots with the typical establishing shot to start.
Music videos also don't need an understanding. When watching you don't need to understand where the person is or the time and space they are in or even who they actually are. The narrative is never clearly revealed which makes it more exciting for the viewer because they create their own idea. Whereas in a film you need to know the time and space to be able to understand what exactly is happening and to make it more realistic.
In addition music videos display discontinuity. This means they don't need a story with an order and its focuses more on the music and the star and the video draws away from a structure. On the other hand a film uses continuity meaning the actions happen in chronological order and follow a narrative.
Music videos also use visual hooks to create continuity. This means the non continuous shots are linked by features such as costume, colour, shape, setting etc.
One example of this is in Jessie J's Domino. Jessie J is always placed in the middle of the shots but in different costumes therefore it is not about a story but it is focused on her. It is also not realistic because it is set in a studio and it is just aimed at her haircut, lipstick and fashion.
Carol also stated that in music videos the visuals enhance the music and the music enhances the visuals.
She also said that shots of the artist will encourage us to piece together a phantasmagorical body which is a body made up in our mind of all the shots of parts of bodies we see.
An example of this is Rihanna we found love, this highlights different shots of her wearing very little clothing. This is quite common in her videos and it is also seen in Kylie Minogue's-spinning around which highlights different shots of her body parts. This could perhaps be degrading to her and women.
One of the first factors she stated was that music videos would have a multiplicity of incomplete paths which means the video would not follow one particular pathway. The reason for this is to make it more interesting for the viewer and keep them engaged throughout. In contrast a film would just have one single path throughout the film to make it easy for the viewer to follow and understand.
Another aspect of music videos is that the order of the shot will be unconventional and it will frequently shift between the shots, for example the video doesn't need to start with an establishing shot. On the other hand a film would have a very conventional order of shots with the typical establishing shot to start.
Music videos also don't need an understanding. When watching you don't need to understand where the person is or the time and space they are in or even who they actually are. The narrative is never clearly revealed which makes it more exciting for the viewer because they create their own idea. Whereas in a film you need to know the time and space to be able to understand what exactly is happening and to make it more realistic.
In addition music videos display discontinuity. This means they don't need a story with an order and its focuses more on the music and the star and the video draws away from a structure. On the other hand a film uses continuity meaning the actions happen in chronological order and follow a narrative.
Music videos also use visual hooks to create continuity. This means the non continuous shots are linked by features such as costume, colour, shape, setting etc.
One example of this is in Jessie J's Domino. Jessie J is always placed in the middle of the shots but in different costumes therefore it is not about a story but it is focused on her. It is also not realistic because it is set in a studio and it is just aimed at her haircut, lipstick and fashion.
Carol also stated that in music videos the visuals enhance the music and the music enhances the visuals.
She also said that shots of the artist will encourage us to piece together a phantasmagorical body which is a body made up in our mind of all the shots of parts of bodies we see.
An example of this is Rihanna we found love, this highlights different shots of her wearing very little clothing. This is quite common in her videos and it is also seen in Kylie Minogue's-spinning around which highlights different shots of her body parts. This could perhaps be degrading to her and women.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Music Video Conventions
There are many different music video conventions which are;
1) Lip Synching- this is extremely important in all music videos because without it, it would mean that no body could understand the music and it would be confusing for the viewer. Perfect lip synching means the artists lips are moving exactly in time with the music. The correct way to produce this is by editing it exactly right. When someone watches a music video they want to be able to read their lips and connect with the words they are singing so therefore this has to be correct. Below are some images displaying different artists lip synching correctly.
1) Lip Synching- this is extremely important in all music videos because without it, it would mean that no body could understand the music and it would be confusing for the viewer. Perfect lip synching means the artists lips are moving exactly in time with the music. The correct way to produce this is by editing it exactly right. When someone watches a music video they want to be able to read their lips and connect with the words they are singing so therefore this has to be correct. Below are some images displaying different artists lip synching correctly.
2) Change of location and setting- Throughout the music video there should be a mixture of locations. The reason for this is because it makes it more interesting for the viewer to watch and it also adds to the narrative/concept. One example of this is One Directions music video, story of my life. This highlights the boys in a room looking at photos and then they move into a bigger place. Therefore the viewer is seeing different locations at different perspectives.
3) Performance- In order for a music video to be entertaining there needs to be good performance. This means the artist has to put emotion into the performance as well as make a connection with the viewer. Some artists tend to use dance routines whereas as others like to use arm gestures and facial expressions to perform to their song. This is an example from Miley Cyrus's video which displays them performing a dance.
4) Narrative/Concept- The music videos usually contain a story behind them which means them more interesting and the song more meaningful, however some just have a concept behind them but are slightly confusing to understand. In the Clean Bandit Rather Be video it is quite unusual however it still highlighting how she is watching something and would rather travel there so it displays her journey and makes the video that bit more entertaining.
5) Artist- the artist must also appear in the video. This is because the viewer wants to see who is singing and want to see what they look like. This also allows an artist to increase their fan base because people often are attracted to singers and enjoy going to see them in concerts etc so become more popular. This also allows the viewer to understand what they are listening to and enjoy watching the video. For example this is Sam Smith appearing in his video so people can feel that connection with the music.
They are the main conventions that have to be followed however they are also some more that help to make the music video better.
One of which is using a variety of shots of the artists to add to the story and also by changing costume if necessary. This is because it displays how the artist has thought about what the video is going to display and the change in costume highlights the different sections of the story.
Editing is also very important and everybody does this different however editing to the beats of the music is very effective. The reason for this is because you get to understand more of the tempo and rhythm of the video and are able to connect with the music more when watching.
Lighting is also very important as it can reflect the atmosphere of the video and make something seem happier or more sad and depressing.
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