Potential Song Choices

The first step of planning for our music video, was to brainstorm songs that we could create a music video for. We sat down as a group, as it was vital that all members of the team were involved in picking the song that we would be working with. We created a mind map of our ideas, in which we decided on four bands, and then picked four songs by each of these bands, of which we would pick from.

Here is the mind map that we created during our brainstorming session:

We narrowed down our choices to 4 possible options, with reasons for selecting each of the songs:

1. Somebody Else - The 1975
2. Anything - Catfish and the Bottlemen
3. No.1 Party Anthem - Arctic Monkeys
4. W.D.Y.W.F.M? - The Neighbourhood

Somebody Else - The 1975

There are multiple reasons as to why we chose this song to be one of our top four. Each member of our group are fans of alternative music, and subsequently, we are all avid listeners of this artist. The video for this song uses a combination of lighting, camera shots/angles and editing techniques in order to convey emotion, which is a key focus point of the narrative. The narrative of this song focuses around a relationship breakdown, and the thoughts and feelings of one of the individuals within the relationship after they have broken up. Themes of relationships and emotional conflict are present, which are themes that we wanted to create a music video based upon. For this song, we came up with the idea of a music video that followed the protagonist as he is conflicted about his true feelings towards his ex-lover. Despite this, we chose not to use this song, as we felt that the narrative potential for the video would be very narrow. We did not think that the lyrics allowed much room for alteration from a particular narrative, which we felt would limit our ability to be creative in our portrayal.

Anything - Catfish and the Bottlemen

This lyrics for this song form a narrative surrounding a relationship breakdown, which is the theme that we wanted to incorporate into our music video. The song is fitting with our desire to make a music video for a song of the alternative genre. However, as a group, we thought that the lyrics and the tempo of the song would be more suited to a performance type video, which is not what we wanted to create. We chose not to select this song for that reason, as we wanted to creative a narrative style video.

No.1 Party Anthem - Arctic Monkeys

The lyrics of this song are very self-explanatory, and outline a clear narrative, which means they do not leave all that much room for alternative interpretations. The narrative has a clear structure, which would be easy to follow in terms of creating a music video, though it limits creative ability. After consideration, we were unsure whether the tempo of this song was of a pace that would lend itself to an interesting video in terms of the narrative, as it is quite a slow song. We felt that the nature of song would require shots to be long in length, and we felt that it would be hard for us to convey our narrative in this manner, whilst maintaining the interest of the viewer.

W.D.Y.W.F.M? - The Neighbourhood

This is our chosen song.

There is not an already existing music video for this song, which we viewed to be an advantage. It meant that we could have full creative control over the narrative, as we would not be influenced by anything that we had already seen. Their already existing videos featured an aesthetic that is typical to the alternative genre, which is similar to the one that we wanted to create in our music video. These videos also focused on themes that were similar to those that we wanted to base our video around. The lyrics of the song focus on relationship problems, that contribute to the breakdown of the narrator. We felt that the lyrics of this song had room to create our own interpretation, after identifying themes of self-conflict, relationship troubles and emotional battles with self-acceptance. We came up with the idea of a narrative that focuses on a female protagonist who is in a heterosexual relationship, who begins to question her sexuality. Her confusion over her sexuality, and the self-conflict she experiences lead her into a downward spiral of despair, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The title "W.D.Y.W.F.M?" is an acronym that stands for "What do you want from me?". As a group, we saw this line to represent desperation and confusion, which contributed greatly to our narrative ideas. However, the song would be told from the narrative stance of the protagonists boyfriend. We felt that creating a music video on an issue that is topical within society is important, as it will help to raise awareness and open dialogue on sexual preferences. We would hope that it would highlight the difficulties that the LGBT+ community still face in modern day society, where they may be scared to embrace their sexuality and who they are, for fear of repercussions. For these reasons, we decided that this would be the song that we create our music video for.

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory

When conducting research into Andrew Goodwin's music video theory, I discovered this Prezi based on the topic. I found it to be very informative, and I thought that it explained Goodwin's theory efficiently.

From the information contained within this presentation, and from the rest of my research, this is what I discovered about Goodwin's music video theory:

In Andrew Goodwin's book titled 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory', he theorises that there are 7 key principles to music videos:

1. Genre Characteristics/Iconography
2. Links between lyrics and visuals
3. Links between music and visuals
4. Intertextuality
5. Star representation/Demands of the record label
6. Voyeurism and 'the notion of looking'
7. Performance, narrative and concept based music videos

Genre Characteristics/Iconography:

Goodwin suggests that music videos typically include conventional genre characteristics. Being able to relate the music video to the genre of the music is important, as music videos are tools to promote songs. This means it is vital that it can be easily associated with the song and its genre. 

Rock music videos are often performance videos (often stage performances), that include associated iconography such as a drum kit and electric guitars. An example of this is AC/DC's official music video for their song 'Thunderstruck":

Pop music videos often include women dressed in a revealing manner and videos for songs by a girl/boy band often are composed of choreographed dance routines.

Links between lyrics and visuals:

Goodwin noticed that the visuals of music videos often illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics of the song.

The concept of illustration suggests that the visuals of the song directly relate to the lyrics. You take the literal meaning of the lyrics and display them visually. The concept of illustration is often used in performance videos. An example of an illustrative video is:

The concept of amplification is when the video represents the creative director's interpretation of the lyrics. The visuals of the video amplify the narrative, and this concept is often demonstrated in narrative and performance videos. An example of a video that includes amplification is:

The concept of disjuncture is when the visuals of the music video entirely contradict the lyrics, and often, the genre of the song, too. Due to the visuals counteracting the lyrics, the videos often do not make sense. However, these videos often serve the purpose of trying to create a new meaning of the song; they make the viewer consider an alternative, deeper meaning behind the song. Abstract imagery may be featured. An example of a video that features the concept of disjuncture is:

Links between music and visuals:

The link between the music and the visuals includes 'thought through beat'. This can be considered in three steps. The first is noticing the structure of the song, and taking into account the chorus and verses. Secondly, the voice of the artist must be recognised as a unique trademark. This point can be related to the theory of Barthes, who sees the singing voice as an instrument of expression; this theory is called the 'grain of voice'. Finally, Goodwin considers the music video a form of communication, where the artist is telling a story through the song, and the video is representing this. 

This theory also considers that the video may be edited to fit the beat or rhythm of the song. Transitions of shots may be edited in line with the beat, and the length of shots may be edited in conjunction with the tempo/pace of the song. Goodwin also states that this feature is often repeated during the chorus of the song, as emphasis focused on the repetition of the lyrics.

An example of the link between the music and the visuals can be seen in the The Lumineers video for their song "Sleep On The Floor":

Intertextuality:

Goodwin recognised that it is common for a music video to make reference to other media texts; these references can also be made in the lyrics of the songs, not just visually represented. Intertextuality is a useful method to engage the viewer, and it is often associated with parody and pastiche.

In this video, references are made to Alice in Wonderland, as he is dressed as the rabbit from the story. A parody version of the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer logo is also featured at the end of this video. 

Star representation/Demands of the record label:

It was recognised by Goodwin that within music videos, the demands of the record label of the artist will often be noticeable. These demands typically focus heavily on the representation of the star within the video, as how the artist is represented in the video is determined by the record label. The record label often requests multiple close up shots of the artist, as their face becomes their brand. Close up shots show the emotions of the artist, and are therefore used as a technique to make the audience feel like they have a connection with the artist, as these type of shots are very personal. Iconography of the artist is featured as a means to ensure that the artist is visually recognisable, through the way they are dressed/made-up in their music videos.

For example, in Sia's music videos, the performer is always seen to be wearing a white or black wig cut into a bob, as this is representative of Sia's iconography.

Sia's iconography is a black and white wig:

An example of one of her music videos:

Voyeurism and the 'notion of looking':

Voyeurism and the 'notion of looking' are concepts identified by Goodwin that are used to entice the viewer. 

Voyeurism increases the attractiveness of the video to viewers, particularly to male viewers. Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory can be applied here, as Goodwin states that females are sexualised and objectified to draw the attention of the viewer. This technique is done through the use of camera angles and editing, that put emphasis on the appearance of the artist/performer, or the way they are being interacted with (often sexually). Voyeurism can be created through the use of direct gaze, which breaks the fourth wall between the performer and the viewer. 

The 'notion of looking' involves the viewer being granted access to view what they would not typically be able to see, such as intimate locations like bedrooms. It can also be featured via the use of frame within a frame, of which an example would be the audience watching someone watching someone do something.

Performance, narrative and concept based videos:

Performance based videos - The artist is featured in the video themselves, and they are performing the song. These music video types are typically made up of all, or mostly, lip syncing.

Narrative based videos - This type of video uses a combination of the lyrics and the visuals in order to convey a story to the viewer. These videos may or may not include lip syncing.

Concept based videos - These videos are unrelating to the message of the song, and often have an unusual or unique style. They do not include performance techniques, and follow the concept of disjuncture, often including abstract imagery.

Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

Here is a PowerPoint presentation that I created in order to demonstrate the knowledge I have acquired through my research into the codes and conventions of music videos:

Codes and conventions from JasmineGreene3

Genres and Sub-Genres of Music Videos

Here is a Prezi I created as part of my research into genres and sub-genres of music videos:

In this presentation, I only focused on 4 of the main genres of music, and two of their sub-genres. There are of course multiple main genres, and a variety of sub-genres that I did not cover. Below are some examples.

Other genres, and their sub-genres:

• Jazz

- Contemporary jazz

- Smooth jazz

• Hip Hop/Rap

- Bounce

- Alternative rap

• Classical 

- Impressionist

- Opera

• Dance

- Techno

- Dubstep

• R&B

- Motown

- Funk

Hybridisation...

The hybridisation of genres is becoming more and more popular, with hybridisation of genres creating many of the sub-genres of music that we know today. Whereas before, artists would specialise in one genre, hybridisation allows for artists to delve into more types of music, whilst maintaining some of their recognisable sound. This also allows them to still appeal to their already existing fanbase, and also appeal to other people, to attract a wider audience.

Time Management Plan

It was essential for me to create a time management plan at the beginning of the project. This is because it gives you a timeline to work by, and establishes goals to work towards each month. Having a time management plan ensures that you are able to keep track on your progress, and see whether you are on target. 

Here is the time management plan I created:

In this time management plan, I have not outlined every detail of what I will need to complete throughout the process of completing this project, as this would be excessive information. A time management plan must be simple and straightforward so that you are able to clearly understand what is expected of you. Instead, I have given one title to tasks that actually include multiple smaller tasks, and I have selected the very key points of what needs to be done. With this basic outline, I will still be able to assess whether I am on track or not.

Project Brief

After studying for my AS Level, I have returned to study Media Studies for A Level.

I will be working in a group with Hannah Martin, Jade Dibble and Caitlin Elward.

This year, our task is to create a music promotion package for the release of a new album. Within this, we must create a music promo video, a digipak for the album's release and a magazine advertisement for the digipak.