Friday, 3 December 2010

Treatment - The initial concept and narrative for my music video

“Oh No!” Marina and The Diamonds

THE OVERALL CONCEPT

The inclusive idea behind our video is to create and ironic juxtaposition of idealised fame and fortune with the hash reality of which life relays. The motifs of drugs, alcohol and money throughout or video shows materialistic obsession that ultimately drives people to commit their own self-destruction. We have chosen this song as it represents how the media has an overpowering and domineering hold over society today. The lyrics “I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine” and “TV taught me how to feel, now real life has no appeal” expose how certain aspects of the 21st century media spectrum determine and heavily influence how people act. The character of which the artist plays emulates the ideologies of a stereotypical fame seeking, money-thirsty young and egotistical woman which is asynchronous with the images and shot which we will include in our video. We feel that this will be effective as the lyrics are fairly controversial. The powerful repetition of the lyrics “I just wanna change” is ambiguous as it could represent society wanted to change from a capitalised lifestyle or the ideology of someone with a constant desire to perfect themselves.

OPENING NARRATIVE

The video begins with a clock fast forwarding showing a saturday night which establishes the scene. Then a birds eye view of artist in a 360 degree spin/ dramatic zoom from long shot, mid shot and close up of artist's face. The artist is laying on the floor singing the lyrics "Don't do love, don't do friends". The location is minimalistic to create a focus on the the artist. We are introduced into the artist's material world. All sound in the video is non-diegetic.

Then the camera moves from mid shot to low angle of the artist to convey her status whilst singing the lyrics"I'm only after success". We will use motifs such as her holding champagne glasses to convey ideologies of modernised glamour.

After this lyric there is a distinguishable beat that is repeated four times. On each beat we will include four different images in the style of black and white, paparazzi shots to create a montage of contrast to juxtapose the previous shots, and expose the reality of the process of her self-destruction.

"Don't need a relationship, I'll never soften my grip" is shown in a variety of shots i.e mid shot to extreme close up focusing on styling that conveys sexual empowerment and authority. Artist pushing male away and clenching fist.

The next shot is a repetition of her stubbing out a cigarette. This is an edit repeated to create a montage but also foreshadows the next lyric "Don't want cash, don't want card" which symbolises her stubbing out the remainders of her old life - the person she no longer wants to be.

"Want it fast, want it hard" introduces the setting of the back of a car to depict the journey home from a night out in the back of a cab to represent the pace of her life. The artist dances and lunges around in the back seat of the cab, there is then an extreme close up of the artist's lips to connote danger, and to also portray the artist as an object of sexual desire.

"Don't need money, don't need fame" shows the artist in long/mid shot throwing a handful of money in the air. The camera slowly zooms out and shows the money falling to the ground - representative of her fall from fame.

The chorus of the song "I just wanna make a change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change, I just wanna change" is a series of closeup and extreme closeups of eye makeup smeared, taking drugs, drinking alcohol and changing outfits to present the spontaneity of her life.

"I know exactly what I want and who I wanna be, I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine. I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy. Oh, Oh no! Oh no! Oh No-oh!" Back in the scenery of the cab followed by a closeup of her red lips.

In the next verse we have the artist laying on a bed in a high angle shot - simplicity. Simply showing the artist singing the lyrics.

In the next verse there is various shots of the artist being "consumed" by her clothes reinforcing the line "your possessions will posses you". There will also be various extreme close ups to create an essence of the artist talking directly to the audience highlighting the ideology of materialistic desire and consumerism.

There is then a repetition of zooms and extreme close-ups and high angle shots to reinforce her lowered status and authority.

Then the shot goes back to the scenery of the cab in previous verses.

"Oh, Oh no! Oh no! Oh No! Oh No-oh!" is again a close-up on the artist's red lips.

"I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly. I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die..." Is a series of shots in long shots and mid shots showing the artist dancing and performing for the rest of the song.





Monday, 22 November 2010

What I have Learnt from the Lipsync Exercise




From conducting my very first lipsync video I have come to learn various editing and shooting skills which will help me when creating, recording and editing my music video. The exercise has allowed me to film my very own sequences consisting of long shots, mid shots and closeups, and also cutaway sequences.

At one point in the lipsync video lighting proved to have a significant impact on the quality of the video footage, and ultimately effected how professional the video looked. I have learnt that in my real music video I will have to use appropriate setting with control of lighting, and mis en scene to produce the highest quality work. I also learnt through the process of editing that the narrative and music must work in conjunction with each other, therefore all cuts must be made to suit and fit the beat and lyrics of the track.

Monday, 15 November 2010

Star Image Analysis - Miley Cyrus



The star which I have analysed for the element of star image is Miley Cyrus as she embodies the ideologies and desires of the modern day consumer and mainstream materialistic and aspirational audiences. At the beginning of Cyrus' career she embodied the title of a pop-princess and icon for children across the globe. Her hit series Hannah Montana was aired by the Disney Channel which provided a link to the most idolised, influential and lovable fictional characters known to children. Conclusively, Cyrus' audience was primarily young girls/teenage girls.


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By adopting the alter ego of Hannah Montana, Cyrus was able to embody the stereotypical Americanised features of a youthful, healthy and beautiful young girl i.e.  long blonde hair, blue eyes and the voice of an angel. However this was soon to change. As Cyrus was about to embark on her new life as a young adult, the demands of modern day consumerism and mainstream perceptions of beauty, physicality and sexuality altered her star image dramatically. Cyrus no longer wanted to be viewed simply as the childhood sweetheart that is Hannah Montana, she wanted to be taken seriously and therefore aspired to broaden her demographic of audience through the manipulation of her genre of music, but ultimately her star image. 

Andrew Goodwin states that the audience knows it's own tastes in music, conclusively the audience are used to the genre of music produced by Cyrus' alter ego Hannah Montana. However the music industry has been able to work around this theory - the construction of Miley's new image is one of the ways in which they have able to alter the audience's taste in music. 


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Cyrus has become a phenomenon of modern day consumerism and culture as her broadened demographic of audience feel a loose attachment to her and change their image in conjunction with the alteration of her image. 

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Sexual connotations - delicacy of the bird feathers could connote the idea of the juxtaposing of Miley's more delicate, fragile and naive perception as pop princess Hannah Montana with the sexually more dominant and womanly Miley Cyrus. The fact that she is laying on peacock feathers could indicate that Cyrus, as an artist, has a degree of unseen vivacity and rarity that has not been exposed until now. 

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Here the artist's hair is darker, her makeup is more seductive, dark and smoky which could indicate at Cyrus' desire to appeal to an older demographic of audience such as aspirational admirers and anti-authority rebels. The fact that the artist crawls on a mirrored floor could highlight that vanity is a central focus to the work of Cyrus. 


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Cyrus now uses the conscious manipulation of her star image to make controversial political statements. The pole represents promiscuity and connotes fairly derogatory ideas. Cryus' new image has sparked a colossal debate about how suitable Miley's image is as according to Andrew Goodwin's theory star loyalty is key; therefore millions of young admirers across the globe will alter their own image and aesthetic to mirror their favourite artists. 






There is substantial difference in institutional contexts such as the branding of the star, synergy, marketing and also filming styles. The difference in filming styles is evident in the above music videos, one from the alter ego that is Hannah Montana and one from Miley Cyrus as an independent artist. The filming styles in Cyrus' new more modern music videos differ as they are more dark, with sharp cutting and edits to market her in a different, more diverse way to create controversy.

I will use this research to inform my production work in order to successfully portray the message of which our song conveys, and to ultimately depict the morals, values, ideologies and opinions of our artist and also meet the demands of the modern day culture of consumerism and materialistic desire.

Sunday, 14 November 2010

Initial Treatment Ideas

The soundtrack we would like to use is called "Oh No!" By Marina and The Diamonds. We were inspired by the potential of the lyrics to convey the materialistic desires of the modern world and it's occupation with fame and fortune.

Dont do love, dont do freinds              Tearing pictures of her and boyfreind/pushing friends away -
I'm only after success                           self destruction.
Don't need a relationship
I'll never soften my grip                  Clenching fist or handfull of money

Don't want cash don't want card     Holding money/throwing it in the air/throwing credit cards
Want it fast, want it hard
Don't need money
Don't need fame                              Wearing a crown/taking pictures of herself in close up

I just wanna make a change              Idea of closeups and extreme closeups of the subject taking
I just wanna change                          drugs/repeatedly changing clothes to represent the
                                                          persona she is trying to create for herself.
I just wanna change                      
I just wanna change
I just wanna change
I just wanna change

I know exactly what I want and who I want to be        Looking to the stars/pictures of idols
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine      Fast edits/montage to create robotic effect on
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy      Movement
Oh, Oh no! Oh no! Oh no-oh!

One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I'll fall apart                           Ambition to be perfect
Maybe it is all a test
Cause I feel like I'm the worst
So I always act like I'm the best
If you are not very careful
Your possessions will possess you       Clothing and possessions literally attacking her
TV taught me how to feel
Now real life has no appeal
It has no appeal
It has no appeal
It has no apeal
It has no appeal

Chorus

Chorus repeated

I'm gonna live, Im gonna fly         Coveys the two polar extremes - attitude and outlook on her own life
I'm gonna fail, Im gonna die
I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly
I'm gonna fail, gonna die, die , die, die       Repetitions of shots/edits to create montage

Chorus

Chorus repeated

Monday, 8 November 2010

Lipsync Exercise



For our lipsync exercise we have chosen "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls as we feel the pace of the song is suitable as it is substantially upbeat and fairly easy to sing; we also know the words to this particular song very well. The pace of the song will also enable us to include a variety of sequences in our filming i.e. long, medium and close up shots, and also cutaway sequences.

Friday, 5 November 2010

Music Videos That Inspire Me






"Oh No!" by Marina and The Diamonds has provided me with inspiration due to the variety and vivacity of the frequent cuts and editing. The music video creates a montage of images in a comic book/pop art style. I also like the use of money falling down onto the artist to create imagery and meaning, but also works in conjunction with the lyrics of the song.




I have also gained inspiration from the "Hollywood" music video as it is also orientated with modern day consumerism and compulsive desire for wealth, fame and power which is the narrative I would like to portray through my music video - a young girl trapped in the world of modern media and consumerism, thirsty for hollywood fame and fortune.



"Broken Arrow" has inspired me through the use of lighting and colour. Throughout the video there is the constant idea with dark, representing hurt and the past, versus light which is representative of the present, future or the artist's fragile state.



"Waking up in Vegas" has provided me with inspiration through the light-hearted/humorous narrative, but also through the repetitive close ups of the artists face to convey emotion. I also love the use of costume in this video as it helps to create characterisation and tell separate narratives within the video. In my music video I want to portray this idea of separate narratives through the changing of the artist's costumes, but also to convey the artist's confusion.



I have also been inspired by the use of colour, costume, mis en scene and setting in "California Gurls".