Music Video Assesment

I have assesed three music videos made by gcse students.

The first one that i assesed was a song by N Dubz, Ouch. I have assesed it to be a level 3 because the shot transistions are good and the costume fitted the genre. They used the conventions using the jewellery, outfits. To improve they need to have better lighting and add more scenes to show narrative.

The second one that i assesed was a song by Martine Mcutcheon, perfect moment. I gave this a level 3 because there was good steady shots and good editing skills.
To improve they need more narrative and could add flashbacks and smoother cuts.

The third one that i assesed was Mariah Carey, Bye Bye. I assesed this video to be a level 2/3 as the flashbacks were good. To improve the shots need to be steady and need need to make sure people dont walk in on the filming. It is not in sync and the shots were not steady. To improve they need to be more careful when filming to exclude unappropiate elements.

Targets

I have been given four targets to improve my blog.

1. Analyse music video

2. Test shots

3. Roles & Responsibilities

4. Add flickr

Production

1. High angle shots

Reflective Writing

To help me with my media product i have done many things for research.

At first i listed the usual codes & conventions of a magazine advertisemet, a cd cover, and a music video.

I wanted to get more detailed codes and conventions of these so first i analysed cd covers. I need to analyse one more cd cover with a ft artist as this fits what we are doing, (Storm ft Mike).

I then went on to analysing websites. Although are group are sure we are not going to make a website, just cd cover, and a advertisement in a magzine i still thought it would be useful towards my project if i researched into them.

I have analysed one music video which realy helps as it is a female singer ft a male artist which matched our song type. However i will be analysing another music video to make the codes & conventions more clear and help me know what i want to aim for in making our music video.

For my audience and representation research i have made a diagram of common stereotypes so we can focus on targeting the right audience to match our genre. I will be doing a questionnaire to find out what our target audience like and dislike and what they would expect from RnB artists.

I have wrote about the different theories and linked them to my media product.

Me and my group have planned and set ideas for our cd cover, advertisement & music video.
I found all this very useful as it helped me and my group plan and storyboard for our final music video.
Currently we are working to finish the editing, we have finished the magazine advertisement & the album cover is finished.

The music video has been edited to black and white to give more of a dramatic effect.

At first we were just going to make the studio shots black and white but in some of themare performing which we dont think will have the effect we wanted. So we have changed the whole video to a black & white effect.

Media Forms, Analysis & Images

Decoding & Encoding

As consumers we have learned to read a ‘media language.’ (decode)
Decoding is the way that we read and understand things as viewers.
We decode signs in the same way that we decode a language.
Encoding is the process used for recognition & interpretation.

As producers we are expected to encode with ideologies and codes and conventions to fit our genre. McMahon And Quinns study (1998) think that texts are encoded by three different forms, these are; technical, symbolic and written.

We are going to encode our video using different angle shots to portray the abuser and victim. These need to be clear so that viewers are able to decode. We will use different camera & angle shots such as high angle shots to emphasise the victim and there vulnerability and low angle shots showing the abuser and their power over the victim. We will use extreme close ups and to show clearer emotions and 2 shots showing the relationship. We want the viewers to decode this understanding the idea of domestic violence / abuse.
We will have a shot of the victim being punched in the face. We will show a fist coming towards the victims face and then cut to a shot of her showing crying emotions which avoids any actual violence being seen but will still be effective.
Just like the conventions of a music video we will use performing shots and narrative.

Semiotics
Denotation: What can I see?
Connotation: What does this signify?

Semiotics is the theory and study of signs and symbols.
From our video we want viewers to be able to read the signs and symbols clearly.
eg. in our music video we are showing performing act of a fist coming towards the victim.
The fist becomes a sign. The actual fist coming towards the face is the signifier. This signifies violence.


Iconic signs: which actually look like what they represent.
Symbolic/arbitrary signs: which have a meaning that must be culturally learned because they don’t actually look like what they represent.
Indexical signs: which have a connection to what they represent and are suggestive rather than directly resembling what they represent.

Our video should show more iconic signs as they are clear and simple to recognise what the actions and shots represent.

Intertextuality