Video Showcase

After our third filming session, we felt happy that we had a substantial amount of professional looking footage. In yesterdays lesson, we uploaded our video into a quicktime movie format, and then showed our footage to our teachers and class members. I found this process exremely helpful, as not only did it help us as pupils to make an informed critique on the work of others, but also provided us with insight into what we could include, and improve in our music video to enusre we acheive the best possible grade that we can.

I have started to think about certain questions that I could ask myself when analysing my video such as...

- How does the  use of symbolism and iconography reinforce the message of your video?
- What relevant dramatic effects have you created through camera work, lighting, mis-en-scene and effects implemeted during editing?
- Do you believe the performace is a believeable one?
- Does the narrative schema of my video match the lyrics and the lipsync?

Shooting #3

Yesterday myself, Yas and Harry met to complete the shooting process for our music video; this time focusing on the areas of our video that needed improving in terms of mis-en-scene, styling, lighting and camera work. Upon analysing the footage in our working version of our music video, edited in final cut express, we acknowledged that we needed to film shots of the artist dancing, and a series of shots where the clothing is changed; while the artist stays in the same position to create a montage of imagery with a post modernistic feel.

We also decided that we would like to further the post modernistic theme of our music video, taking inspiration from the fast-paced editing, sharp cutting and hyperbolic camera movement in Rihanna's S&M video. In our shooting yesterday, we aimed to make a parody through the actions of the artist i.e walking along in tiny steps, struggling with shopping bags whilst wearing sky-scraper high heels.
We also mirrored some stereotypical conventions of music videos such as fans/wind blowing the artists hair backwards, whilst they sing in closeup, looking directly towards the camera.

Analysing An Artist's Webpage/Website

Nicki Minaj's Website

I have chosen to deconstruct Nicki Minaj's webpage in order to gain inpiration for the process in which I will be constructing my own webpage for my artist. Minaj's website evidently portrays the codes and conventions of website making and the most important elements to enusre accesibility, accuracy and efficiencty, but most importantly, popularity among her target audience.

I chose to look at this specific artist as she is one of the most current yet controversial artists - taking the stereotypically, male dominates genres of both Rap and R&B and giving it a sharp, feminine edge.

The whole aesthetic of the website mirrors the theme of her most current album "Pink Friday" therefore the tonal variations of her website constists of candy/pastel colours such as pink, whites and violets. This alludes to the ideology that the webiste predominently appeals to a female audience demography.

The above shows that varying methods of global communication are used my the artist in order to access and share information with her fans, via social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook,

Myspace and also YouTube.

Here the access to YouTube allows fans to locate videos of the aritst simply and efficiently - YouTube feeding allows the most recent information and video footage to be accessed on a global scale.

The website features seperate sections allocated for important information such as contests. The artist participates in such events to give appreciation and thanks to her fans. Contests are a chance to give to the less fortunate as people will bid money in order to win Nicki Minaj official merchandise, concert tickets or even a chance to meet the artist herself. Contests such as this are beneficial as the proceeds generated are often generous and donated to a Charity; another beneficial factor of this is the ethical nature of the aritst being projected into the public vernacular.

Here is another example of the artists's ethical nature...

The fact that there is a "Pink Friday" iPhone application available displays how broad methods of communication have become. Because of advancements in technology, and the ability to appeal to a global audience has increased, the probability of the artist becoming successful and popular is increased substantially.

Similarily to my artist's facebook page, there is a series of albums containing both official and ammateur photograhy of the artist wether it be concert performances, appearances, album artwork or magazine photoshoots. To increase the diversity of my website and it's appeal to my target audience, I will incorporate links to imortant aspects of the artist's carreer such as interviews, online blogs that can be accessed globally, magazine covers and interviews, and even appearances at events hosted by different areas of the media spectrum.

Through attendance of fashion weeks in London, Milan, New York and Paris my artist is increasingly likely to be hired as the face or representative of a particular brand. To become a muse of a prestiguous fashion house such as Chanel for example, would be extremely rewarding for my aritst's carreer as they would become a globally recognised icon in the fashion industry - dimishing the boundaries between the alternate worlds of fashion and music.

My Artist's Webpage

I have created a webpage for my artist to demonstrate how artists and the major record labels manipulate the media spectrum to increase their artist/band's popularity. Each artist is treated, in a way as a product, and by impelmenting use of social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter they become increasingly marketable product. This is due to the rise of viral marketing campaigns - the more fans an artist has on their social networking page or official website, the more hits on youtube they get, thus leading to more record downloads and sales.

As I allready have a Facebook page, I felt that Facebook would be the most suitable medium in which to create a webpage for my artist, as I could easily navigate it. Here I have print screened examples of the process in which I created the webpage. It is evident that viral marketing schemes and artist popularity on such websites has increased as Facebook now provides an option to create a specific webpage - tailored to the aritst's needs.

As my account allready exists I have created a page for my artist within my existing account.

Here I have edited the personal information section for my artists outlining her personality, interests, acheivements and thanks to her fans to sustain a strong and loyal fan base.

This is the main profile page that fans would see if they became "friends" with the artist on Facebook. Once they have become "friends" they are enabled to navigate the artists site, look at recent photographs, album artwork and various posts and status updates. Fans would also have access to the latest information such as tour dates, cd signings and appearances etc...

Once I added a series of photographs taken during the filming process of our music video, I creates an album named "Album Artwork" which would consist of official artwork.

This is an example of a status update where the artist has notified fans about the availabilty of her debut album "Oh No!" which maximises sales.

As I allready have a Facebook account, I have the option t navigate around the website with my own personal account, or with my artist's account.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Molly-and-The-Diamonds/154246021302891

Shooting So Far...

As our music video is not yet completed and has not been converted into a quick-time movie format, I decided to print screen various shots of film sequence from our original music video that is currently being edited in Final Cut Express.

I have chosen to use these images as I feel they embody the quintessential message that our base track, aesthetic and styling of the artist and location are trying to portray.

The above image is from the opening sequence of our music video. Here we have made use of fast paced editing and sharp cuts to create a sense of hyper-realism and distortion that is so prominent within th music video industry today, take for example Rihanna. Her music video for S&M comments on the sado-masochist movement, fetishism objectification through vanity and materialistic obsession in a paradoxic/post-modernistic fashion. Where bright colours and luxury items mirror the principal social constructs of todays modernised society.

Here the artist is surrounded by magazines in a mid shot, which coveys how the media spectrum, especially magazines have become increasingly important within the lives of the modern day woman; some may argue that fashion magazines today govern our lives, exemplifying what is perfect and right and shaming what is not perceived as perfect in todays consumer culture.

Here the artist wears clothing that connotes glamor and sophistication. The fur-coat and Christian Loboutin high-heels resemble the glamorous, fashion forward persona emulated by Cheryl Cole on her Messy Little Raindrops album cover. We have used traditional techniques such as red-lipstick, provocative clothing and dramatic eye-makeup to allude to the ideology of objectification through vanity and sexual empowerment. However, through the fast paced dancing and sarcastic approach we have consciously parodied the stereotypical elements of music videos today, linking back to our studies on post-modernism and parody.

Here three separate shots are used to create a montage of materialistic imagery for an audience of anti-authority rebels and admiration seekers. The range from closeup, to medium shot, to long shot creates substantial dramatic impact.

We have also ensured that we made use of many closeups to create interest in the artist's aesthetic but to also further the dramatic impact created. Here, by placing my hands around the sides of the camera and moving it in conjunction with the base track, have created the illusion that the audience is being immersed within the narrative - where the artist speaks directly to the audience and therefore engages them. This shot could also be a comment on the postmodernist technique of voyeurism - prominent in many music videos especially in artists such as George Michael.

Throughout the video we have created contrasting imagery to create a juxtaposition of two parallel words - one where fame, fortune, materialistic desire and obsession co-exist and become increasingly destructive.

My Album Artwork

My Album Art Flat Plans

My Album Art

To gain inspiration for the construction process of my own album cover, I have studied the album artwork used for the cover of "Oh No!" by Marina and The Diamonds. I particularly like the pop-art aesthetic of the cover, where the facial features of the artist are exaggerated. The fake, cartoon-like image alludes to a fake, materialistic feel; like the artist is submerged within a fantasy world.

I have also conducted research into the essential components of an album cover such as the bar code, record label logos, thanks to recording companies and executive producers, and for more explicit music, parental advisory warnings.

I have chosen to use the logos of Def-Jam Recordings and Interscope Records as some of the most popular, successful and controversial stars belong to these labels - artists such as Rihanna who just released her post-modernistic/sado-masochistic video S&M, and Lady Gaga, arguably one of the most controversial artists of the 21st Century. I want to portray my artist as a controversial yet glamorous artist, who reaches out to the public by questioning social constructs of the 21st century such as materialistic desire and obsession and objectification through vanity. 

To follow the pop-art theme, I began by taking one of my original images (photographed whilst filming), and opening it in Adobe Photoshop software. When it was finally opened in Photoshop I transferred the image onto a blank canvas. After researching the size and width of conventional album covers I decreased the length and width of the canvas to L:13 and W:13.5 cm.  I then used the artistic filter "Neon Glow". I used pink and red as they are from the same tonal variation therefore do not clash to much, but still create a saccharine/sugar-coated and playful aesthetic.

I wanted to use a playful font type that still alluded to a glamorous and stylish feel. So I visited a font downloading website and sampled many. Finally I decided to use a font called "Candy Inc". I particularly liked this font as it was striking, bold yet still delicate and feminine. 

Here you can see the similarities but also the contrasting aspects of my album cover and that of Marina and The Diamonds. In my image I have ensured that the bottle of champagne is a prominent aspect to encapsulate the message me and my fellow band members attempted to create during our video production.

There were some constraints experienced whilst using a free font as it wouldn't allow me to type an exclamation mark. Resultantly I had to find a similar font in order to create the exclamation mark.

Above is the finished album front cover

To create the back of my album cover, I looked at Rihanna's album "Loud". I took inspiration from the use of similar tonal variations and small font types to prevent the cover from looking cluttered. Below is the finished product...

Planning My Album Art

Original Album Art Images

I feel that these images are perfect in connoting the ideologies of which our group aspire to convey. The smudged makeup symbolises destruction and, in parallel, the dishevelled aesthetic and materialistic props present create strong and vivid imagery.

The Moet champagne suggests an air of wealth and appeals to a demographic of materialists and admiration seekers. Whereas the costume, makeup and mis-en-scene prevalent within the images alludes to the idea of a woman lost in the modern world dominated by the giants of consumerism, compulsive materialistic desire and postmodernism.