[Task 5] Preliminary Lip Sync Exercise - Mehmet Tarhan

Having picked up the basic know-how on the safest and most effective ways of filming and handling equipment during the production of our thriller, this exercise was a great way to get the feel of filming again after a long break. It was also an exercise where we learnt how to fully make use of the features of final cut, to make sure that what we filmed was perfectly in sync with the original soundtrack.   

Our group was given the song La Freak. I thought it was quite a disco/funky type of track, and so we tried to make our video for it quirky. One part that I believe worked best was where Tanzilla was sitting on the chair and we circled hair many times, it was quite the challenge to film, but it went with the feel and tone of the music we were given. 


The main feature of final cut we exploited was the marker feature. We would simply ‘mark’ out where the lyrics began in a song and list all the shots and angles we filmed, with the singer singing those lyrics, and placed them on top of each other in final cut. We then deleted some layers and re-arranged the order of the layers to show different angles we filmed, while keeping it perfectly synced. 


Placing the layers, and cutting them to shorten them were skills we learnt the year before, and they still came in handy. However, the tool that will be most used by us this year, will most likely be the marker tool. Its accuracy and ease of use make it the fastest and most useful tool to make a music video with. 

Preliminary Lip Sync Exercise Video - [Planning]

Preliminary Lip Sync Exercise - BEKTAS [Planning]

The song we were given for this short but important exercise was 'Le Freak' by Chic. Luckily for the group one of our group members knew and recognised the song and therefore made it the project slightly less difficult. This project was a good starter, in terms of getting back to the swing of things with the cameras and editing the footage that we collected etc.

We learned various new skills through this project. First off and probably most important was the editing stage of the footage to . We learned how to accurately sync our footage with the soundtrack using markers in final cut pro. We also learned how to lock the soundtrack, this enabled us to work on the project, without effecting the original audio track.

I found the creative side of things most difficult during this task. Thinking of interesting and various shot types to use in the video was very challenging. Shot types and angles need to be more imaginative and exciting than the shot types and angles used in the thriller opening sequences created at AS.

Overall this project was a good indicator of how we will construct our main music video production. We also learned that we have to be very creative, in terms of using the camera, types of shot and the lip sync editing needs to absolutely flawless to get the maximum effect and a professional look to the music video. Through this task my skills have naturally improved and these improvements can be implemented in to our final media product. It also got me thinking about possible shot types/angles that can be used and the effectiveness of them, if used.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory On Music

Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos is a thoery which gives the analysis of music videos.
Andrew Goodwin states that there are three types of relations between the songs and videos.

Illustration
This is when the video relates to the lyrics used in the song.

Amplification
This is when the video adds a stronger affect on the lyrics, this is used in many videos.

Disjunction
This is when the video shows has no connection with the lyrics in the song, this is used in many videos.

Goodwin believes that the song is builds the video. This is done by having the artist in the video looking directly in to the camera whilst performing as a character and narrator in the video, which is a technique that grabs the audiences attention.

Analysing a music video

I have watched a video by N dubz called 'Ouch ' and analysed it on four concepts ;
Narrative, Genre ,Representation and Media language.

I would say the Narrative structure of this video is a mix of Linear and non Linear because the story on the video is shown as the past and there was a lot of flashbacks showing past memories, the story is chronological because the lyrics of the song and the images go together well. There is a disruption to the video when the girl who walks up the stairs at the beggining finds another girl in her bed with her partner but the equilibrium is that in the past the girl has done the same things to the guy.
The artists that created this song were all involved in the video as the narrator, participant and the observer.
The lyrics in the song are illustrative because it connects with the song as it's like a story.

However in the Representation of the video Women are still visualised as more sexualised than men and are shown to be 'sexual objects', this is done by the clothing, their bodies are always on show.
The age range for this video would be teens to early 20's as the artists themselves are between those ages and this would make the video appeal to those age groups.
The ethnicity shown in this video are mixed , there are white and Black people wich implies that there is no longer an issue with white and black people mixing.
The locations in the video are mostly apartments or the streets wich it stereotypical for where young people would hang out.

Media language-
The editing in this video is quite fast this makes the video look interesting because it's not in one place for too long, there is a repitition of the 'Ndubz' signature hand move all the way through.
the overall effect of the editing makes the mood of the video upbeat.

The editing is conventional to the Genre -grime/Rap because of the all the fast cuts.

Overall this video gives out a message of 'What goes around comes around'

Analysis of Music Video - BEKTAS [Research]

The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

Genre:

The Verve are an indie/alternative/rock/britpop band and this is represented well in the 'Bittersweet Symphony' video. The video consists of the lead singer walking through a busy street, ignoring his surroundings and other people. This gives the 'I don't care' feel in the video, which is a music video convention you would expect in a alternative rock song. Natural lightning the costumes are used to full effect and also reflect the genre itself (Indie, alternative/rock). The clothes used a typical of an indie rock band. Rugged, casual clothes. Not too eye catching and very low key.

Narrative:

The narrative of the video follows a 'verse chorus verse' linear structure. The artist is a participant and the narrator of the story. The video is created in chronological fashion, with the lead singer of the band stand standing there at first then begining the his journey of the video once the drums and bass drops in. This shows the clever use of the beat of the video to good effect. Most music videos have a disruption and an equilibrium. In this case the disruption in the 'bittersweet symphony' video is the artist walking through the street in a straight line, ignoring passers by (also a car!). The equilibrium is when the artist meets up with the rest of the band, he is 'complete' again.

Representation:

As the audience we are encouraged to be voyeurs of the artist. This involves the audience and helps us identify with the artists' feelings and emotions. We feel the 'bittersweetness' of life. The representation of the artists is totally not what you would expect from an indie alternative rock band. The artists have attempted to dis-use certain rock music convetions such as the heavu use of guitar etc.

Media Language:

The video goes with the music beat, thus creating a flowing music video. The lead singers footstpes are in sync with the beat, which also adds to the effectiveness of the video as a whole. No special of sound effects are used. The natural lightning is used the fulll effect. The camera is completely focused on the artist walking through the street. The music video is essentially a track shot for the duration of the video. Close ups, mid shots and match cuts are also used to make the video more effective. The speed of the cuts are generally slow, which is not what you would espect in an indie rock video, however this goes well with the mood of the song.

[Task 3] Examples of Andrew Goodwin's theory in practice - Mehmet Tarhan

Examples and analysis of

Illustration: Video has some form of narrative that relates to the lyrics

The video that best represents this in my opinion is Cheryl Cole – Parachute. The song gives the impression that the meaning behind the lyrics is that the character, played by Cheryl Cole, is part of a secret relationship. The lyrics ‘I don’t tell anyone about the way you hold my hand’ are a good example because she participates in a very physical and passionate dance with a performer. Also, when she says ‘Your gonna catch me if I fall’ is said at the exact same time she imitates falling, and the performer catches her. Straight after that, we hear ‘Down, down, down’ and her opening some windows and presumably walking through. Therefore the lyrics and visuals are linked in this music video, however towards the end of the performance, we only see her in a bed and she just sings, so it at the same time, does not have any real associations with the lyrics. Another example of this type of video would be Jay Z ft. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

Amplification: Video has narrative linked to the lyrics and gives additional meaning to the lyrics.

I think that for this type of video, Jason DeRulo’s ‘Whatcha Say offers the best enactment. The video shows DeRulo flirting and getting affectionate to a woman, while at the same time, being in a relationship with another. This narrative is a great personification of the lyrics, such as where he says ‘I was caught up in her lust’ and ‘only tryin’a please my self’. The video shows this perfectly, and Jason DeRulo also gives a dance at points during the video and testifies ‘give me another chance to really be a man’. The points where he slams the door and turns back on it then says ‘me and you were meant to last forever’ also shows his regret. There is a deeper emotive aspect of the video, as well as the meaningfulness of the lyrics and the visuals together, it offers the audience more emotion, like regret and moving on as well as embarrassment at having an affair.

Disjuncture: The video has no relation to the lyrics.

There are many examples of this, such as Tonight, by Jay Sean and Get Me Outta Here by Esmee Denters. But the perfect example for this would be I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker by Sandi Thom. The lyrics are about her eulogising the times of peace and freedom of speech and how she regrets not being born earlier by saying ‘I was born too late’. The video has no relation to the lyrics. It is just her walking through the streets and singing out the lyrics. One interesting point I think is that, as she progresses through the song and tells us about her not liking the modern society, more and more people follow. I think this is because they share the same opinion as Sandi Thom and join her, but it still has no relation to the lyrics.

[Task 2] Summary of Andrew Goodwin's Theory - Mehmet Tarhan

Summary of the main points of Andrew Goodwin’s theory


Goodwin’s theory revolved around the idea that music videos do not follow the traditional narrative structure, because music videos are structured around lyrics, and lyrics are the components in the verse and choruses of songs. He stated that because of this, music videos will follow a different structure, a verse-chorus structure. But his theory can be interpreted to include elements of Todorov’s theory of equilibrium-disruption.


• He states that lyrics will make constant references to the visuals and narrative of the music video. This is so that the visuals reinforce what the lyrics may say.
• Music videos are most conventionally structured as verse-chorus-verse-chorus.
• He suggests that the music will be in time with the visuals – such as having a really fast drum beat in the song and having lights flashing on the beat of drums being hit.
• He said that music videos generally have iconography related to the content of the music video, such as having the artist in a hooded jacket, covering eyes and hands in pockets, in a urban/rap song.
• The record label associated with the artist may have specific demands of the ‘image’ of the singer. These change with both sexes, female artists are likened to have sex appeal to the men listening to her songs, and vice-versa for the male artists, and they are also needed to show that they have more status than any other female.


Goodwin divided them so that they could be separated into classes of different types of different types of music video. Illustration, amplification and disjuncture, which will be covered in more detail in the following post.

[Task 1] Analysis of Music Video - Mehmet Tarhan

Tinie Tempah ft. Eric Turner – Written in the Stars.

The song I have chosen is ‘Written in the Stars’, by Tinie Tempah and Eric Turner. It was recorded and released in 2010. The music video is straight to the point, and unusually for a music video of the lead artist, Tinie Tempah, it has no similarity what so ever compared to his previous works’ – ‘Frisky’ and ‘Pass Out’ – reliance on effects.

I believe there could be two reasons for this. Firstly, ‘Frisky’ and ‘Pass Out’ have a relatively electric and dance/disco theme to them, where as the genres I personally associate with ‘Written in the Stars’ are hip hop and pop rock. From this, I deduce that the intended audience were not primarily dance and disco lovers; although the song has a high tempo beat to it that is a connotation of the dance/disco genres.

Secondly, after watching the video I can see that Tinie Tempah wanted to show us how his life was like as a teenager. Showing the physical and mental challenges he had to go through, and some of the though periods of his life and how he had to work to get to where he is today. This would clearly be something personal to anybody, and so brings forth a sense of security and seriousness, therefore I think it would have been unorthodox to use special effects, that would just take the attention away from the purpose and meaning that video has - to show us his emotions about his past - and special effects would have been an unwanted distraction to this.

I will be focussing on four key concepts of a music video; narrative, genre, media language and representation.

Narrative of Written in the Stars.

The narrative is an important part of any media; it is the structure that is implemented to the specifically selected shots to give them meaning and purpose. Written in the Stars makes use of a chorus-verse-chorus narrative and uses one of the Goodwin theories, of illustration. This is because the of the way the narrative is pieced together with the addition of flash backs and the use of setting, which illustrates perfectly the lyrics.

The conventional narratives of a story are given the structure of equilibrium (balance) – disruption (something that challenges the balance) – equilibrium (balance is restored). This convention was thought up by Tzvetan Todorov. I think that Written in the Stars has some of the characters of film noir also. It has quiet a pessimistic tone at first, such as in the first minute, where we see presumably a single woman walking a business man type of figure into the flat she lives in, but then and young boy escapes to the corridor and puts on his music. The boy is shown to be upset and angry after the man comes out of the flat to leave.

The music video makes use of various techniques like cross cutting between Tempah up on the roof of an apartment block dressed in all black with setting of other buildings a grey and dull colour,  and Turner in an all white room, him dressed in all black too and an addition of a black piano. Tempah is shown to dance out his lyrics to emphasise the tone of the video. He speaks directly at the camera at points during the verse, he is trying to directly get across his lyrics as best as he can to the viewer. The chorus is always sung out by Turner while Tempah acts out dance moves.

The key addition to the narrative of the video is the use of flash backs, through which we can assume that the young boy is, or is in a similar situation as to Tempah was in his early years. The flash backs show that the boy used to rehearse his dance moves on the top of the room that Tempah now sings the lyrics to, and the same applies to the corridor in the apartment block, and also the play ground where the boy gets bullied.  

Genre of Written in the Stars.

As mentioned before, Tinie Tempah is often associated with dance, rap, and grime. In this video, there is a broader and wider foundation of those genres, hip hop and rock mainly. This is a good way to extend his base and lay the foundations to move into those genres in the future should this song prove to be another hit.

The hip hop aspect of the song relies on the typical instruments that we associate with that genre; guitars and use of vocals and the same applies to the rap and rock aspect of the song, with the use of base guitar and heavy vocals and drums.

Media language of Written in the Stars.

-       Camera

The most prominent shots are mid shots and long-mid shots. They are used at the start as establishing shots to show us the setting. Close-ups are not used as much, only at the choruses, showing Turners face while signing, and at the corridors and playground where Tempah sings and looks towards the camera. Tracking shots are used sometimes, Tempah is made to look the centre of the shot, with big skyscrapers circling him, almost as though he is trapped.

-       Mise en Scene

The costume of Tempah is primarily all black, but once he is shown to be wearing a simple white T-shirt. When he is on the roof, the skyscrapers and the water tank behind him all have grey/mid-tone colours, that suggest that it was a bleak period for Tempah, and then in the chorus, the setting turns from a dull city background into a white, tranquil setting.

-       Lighting

Lighting was primarily used to show up the brightness of the room that Turner was in, and there were rarely any other times where the mise en scene had connotations of light. Lighting was mostly used to add mid-tones to the scenery at the roof, and corridor, because they were ‘dark’ times.

-       Editing

The editing was simple, straight to the point. The music and beats were edited to too be in sync, and allow a smooth and seamless transition between locations as the artist got the lyrics across to the audience. No post production effects were added, with the exception of lighting, because effects would just distract the audience and ruin the story of the lyrics.

Representation in Written in the Stars.

The mother of the young boy in the video, has less status. The man she is holding hands with has more, because his attire is smarter and hers is suggests that she is a promiscuous woman, we can also see the man touching her bottom, this shows that her objective is sexual in the video.

Turner does not seem to have a character in the video, but his inclusion in the chorus suggests, and the way he sings the lyrics, suggests that Tempah got inspiration by dreaming about the stars and working hard. He is shown almost as a saviour.

The young boy is meant to illustriate the troubles that Tempah received in his childhood and show that his journey was hard and that getting to where he is today.

Andrew Goodwin Task - BEKTAS [Research]

Andrew Goodwin believed that pop videos followed a different structure, rather than a traditional narrative analysis. Goodwin believed these could not be applyed to to pop videos. Reasons for this include.

• Pop videos are built around lyrics - and often songs do not follow traditional narrative sturctures.
• A pop video uses the artist as the narrator, as well as the character.
• We often see see the artist looking directly at the camera. This attempts to involve the audience at home.
• There are three types of music video. Illustration (Video tells story of the lyrics), amplification (When videos add new layers of meaning) and disjuncture (When there is little or no connection between the video and the lyrics). Following Goodwin's theory these videos will categorise like this:

Amplification video example: This video can be labelled an amplification video because the video shows an amplified version of the lyrics. The video expresses and adds new meaning, feelings and emotions to the song. Our perceptions of the song would have been very different if we just listened to the song without the video attached. An 'amplification' type music video usually features the artist themselves as a main character. This is perfectly portrayed with Justin Timberlake's 'cry me a river'.

Illustration video example: This is an 'Illustration' video because the video follows the lyrics. In this case the artist (Asher Roth) is at a college party, with the song being about his 'love for college'.

Disjuncture video example: This video by Oasis is a 'disjuncture' type of music video. The main themes of the lyrics are freedom to do 'whatever' and have 'fun', but the video itself is in a plain white studio for the duration of the whole music video. The lyrics and the set which the video was shot have no immediate connections and possibly none at all.