As we have decided to film a narrative based music video, there are certain codes and conventions we must follow.
Above is a narrative theory pitched by TristianTodorov who explains that a primary function of a narrative is to solve a problem. Events in a story have a relationship, one event leads to another. This implies the notion of cause and effect, which explains a change in the state of affairs.
Everything begins in a state of equilibrium. This is then disrupted by either a force of some kind or through the actions of an individual and then the narrative progresses to a restoration of equilibrium.
Of course we don't have to follow these conventions, because we are telling the narrative via a short music video with no dialogue we can break the mould, whilst still maintaining a sense of order.
Aside from Lady GaGa's 'Just Dance' another video that deals with the house party setting and narrative is 'Kiss and Tell' by You Me At Six. This is essentially a performance based video, with the previously mentioned British rock band, being the entertainment at a 'wild' house party.
This follows the codes and conventions of the rock genre in terms of establishing an act. There are regularly close ups of the band, and their respective instruments, reflected in what the audience hear in the music. Additionally there are close ups of the lead singer to accentuate his vocals.
The editing is relatively fast paced to reflect the nature of the bouncy soft rock song. Additionally it gives the viewer the opportunity to explore the party in a succession of short shoots that take you further through the house; into the kitchen and garden.
The mise-en-scène very much reflects the genre and setting. The party goers are dressed casually, but remain stylish. Everyone at the party is conventionally good looking to some extent. This acts as a pleasure for viewers, who take images like this as inspiration. The band is also dressed similarly, this adds to the realism when the band members are involved in the mayhem on screen.
They have created a realistic party atmosphere by filling a large room of people, and adorning it with party decorations such as balloons and confetti. The mess created by the party goers, consisting of food, drink and even toilet paper gives the impression that it is well into the party. This would explain the energetic audience. Furthermore the camera movements also reflect the music, as it is handheld throughout, regularly moving with the beat.
I am an A level student and I am writing to request your permission to use one track from the forthcoming album by Delphic entitled Acolyte.
The track I wish to use is Doubt, track 2 on the album.
With your permission, this track would be used in my current A-level Media Studies project which involves creating a music video for a popular music track, as well as producing an album and a magazine advert for the artist.
If I received your permission, this track would ONLY be used in an educational
context and be viewed by my media class, my teacher and the OCR exam board
moderator. It would NOT be released to a large audience or uploaded to any public video websites. We do realise that the requested track is currently unreleased and will be merely used for research purposes until the release date.
The artist and your company would of course be fully recognised throughout pre-
production and the final video itself. A copyright notice, with wording supplied by you can be included in the records of the project. If this is required, please send full details.
Over the past year Lady Gaga has become one of the biggest stars in pop, being credited in the same vein as the likes of Madonna and Kylie. This is not only down to her undeniably infectious songs; it is also a result of the iconic image she has built via her live appearances and music videos. Just Dance was the first of Lady Gaga’s music videos and introduced us to a super star in the making.
The premise of the video is a house party which has got a bit out of hand and as the lyrics say everyone has had ‘a little bit too much’. Gaga then turns up on the scene and gets the party going again by telling everyone to ‘Just Dance’. It is a simple concept, but it is executed brilliantly in this chaotic video. The setting isn’t exactly glamorous; it is a pretty standard house. However the mise- en-scène including the furnishings and décor lend it a certain edge that makes it believable that someone of Gaga’s stature would be welcome. Furthermore the remainder of the party goers are young and beautiful, which is a common convention of this sort of music videos. Rarely do you get ‘ugly’ and ‘old’ people in pop/ dance videos.
The video begins with shots of the remaining of the party. I.e. close ups of people laying on the floor, scattered about making the place look untidy, and then Lady Gaga turns up, and the juxtaposition between her bright pink coat, and the not so colourful setting, puts emphasis on her as the star. The video continues to show close ups of the devastation, and then the audience are greeted with a wide shot to show the full extent of the mess. These are inter cut with shots of Lady Gaga thrusting away in a separate room alone. This creates sense of voyeurism.
As Gaga begins to sing there are more close ups of just her face. Including one of her with a blue lightning bolt across her eye this has since become one of Gaga's many iconic fashion statements. Immediately she is a recognisable figure. Gaga’s performance throughout the video is very sexually orientated; again this would be a convention of the genre. It is pleasing to the eye and encourages audiences to dance and enjoy themselves whilst listening. Some scenes are very sexually suggestive, i.e. the lesbian kiss. However they are approached with caution and in that case the scene is cut just before they kiss. This is the sort of music that has mainstreams appeal, and there will be lots of young children watching. Lady Gaga should not abuse her power as a role model. Consequently the video has to be relatively family friendly, yet glamorous and risky at the same time.
The lyrics often reflect what is being portrayed on screen. The lyrics are very self explanatory, and it is hard to interpret them in any other way apart from the scenes in this video. Examples include ‘where are my keys? I lost my phone?’ these lyrics are accompanied by a shot of someone looking for their phone and keys. Moreover when Lady Gaga starts to sing the lines ‘Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic’ there are shots of the party goers going a little ‘psychotic’ and lightly beating each other with the furnishings.
The video is comprised of many shots, it is constantly changing. This helps maintain the viewer’s attention. The editing is fast paced to reflect the pace of the song, and it speeds up/slows down respectively with the music. Also it features a lot of montages, which are common in music videos. It is difficult to make out exactly what is being shown, but that is the pleasure of watching a music video like this; it asks for repeated viewings so viewers can catch what they missed before.
In conclusion this is a perfect example of a pop video. There are many close-ups of the artist, beautiful, young people dancing, fast paced editing, montages and a female star who holds the whole thing together. Additionally it illustrates that as long as these factors keep the viewers distracted the setting doesn’t necessarily have to be glamorous. It could be shot in an ordinary house and still look amazing.
Delphic are a band from Manchester whose unique blend of indie guitar music and electonica has made them one of the bands to watch in 2010. Following support slots under the likes of Bloc Party, Orbital and Kasabian they intend to tour their new album 'Acolyte' in early 2010. Including shows for Q magazine, NME and MTV. In addition with influences from 80's electro icons such as Pet Shop Boys and New Order. It is evident that they have a broad target audience. This is certainly something we will try and reflect in our music video, by tackling issues that may reflect the lives of any one from their teens above.
Taking all that in to consideration our main focus however will be late teenagers/ young adults, we feel that this is a big market sector of the music industry. It is in these demographic groups that you find people who regular listen to music, or go to shows and festivals. This is more important than ever in the current music industry. Physical music sales have hit an all time low, and downloading has been on the rise, but a lot downloading is illegal therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult for new bands to break the market. Consumers can discover bands on Myspace, or streaming sites such as Spotify for free. Here they can find out what songs they like and either buy them or download them illegally. So the live market has become more important than ever, as it is a large part of a band's revenue and in some cases what they need to survive. So the people who go to these shows are the people we are trying to target.
Delphic area band regularly featured in magazines such as NME, and they would resonate well with the 'indie' genre. This is a popular 'tribe' among the youth of today, and it has seen a popular resurgence since the launch of one of 'indie' most influential bands 'The Strokes'. On uktribes.com indie kids are described as a 'broad catch-all tribe who are passionate about guitar music'. They aren't described as being 'hugely-snobby' and 'bands are 'allowed' widespread critical acclaim and frequently hit the charts'. A great example of this would be Arctic Monkeys who scored two UK number before having the fastest selling debut album in British history( a record later beaten by Susan Boyle), after building a reputation from the underground indie clubs of Sheffield and the prevalence of the Myspace generation uploading their demos to the Internet. Indie kids are a 'confident, energetic and enthusiastic tribe, which has become one of Britain's largest and most influential.' This opens up wide prospects for Delphic who have the opportunity to hit the mainstream.
This is also reflected in our choice of characters, the lead character will be part of the 'indie' tribe, and the remainder of actors will be dressed in suitable attire to blend with the protagonist. They will also be in our target age group, of around 17-25. This of course was also influenced on the availability of actors for our video. We will really only be able to use our friends or family, and a large proportion will be in their late teens. Furthermore the setting of a house party is something that teenagers are faced with almost every weekend; therefore it is certainly something they will be able to relate to. Our storyline has taken inspiration from issues that are often raised in popular teen television dramas such as 'Skins'.
The particular song is reasonably radio friendly; it has a catchy chorus and infectious hooks. This lends to a mainstream appeal, therefore our video isn't too left field and can be enjoyed by the masses, as it features a fairly basic narrative. A lot of music videos out there are very abstract, or just feature a simplistic performance by a band. We wanted an idea that would capture the audience, where they can relate to the story, and sympathise with the protagonist. We want viewers to be hooked on both the song and the storyline.
These are codes and conventions of music videos based on the work devised by Andrew Goodwin. There is usually a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals on screen, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting them. Particular genres have their own music video iconography. For instance in a dance video you would expect to see half naked women promiscuously dancing away in a club. Whereas in a heavy metal video you'd expect to see almost the complete opposite; large, scary looking men dressed in black screaming in a haunting, dark setting.
Certain artists can even develop their own iconography. For example Michael Jackson whose unique dancing style has influenced several other pop artists and their videos, ie. Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. Michael Jackson is a pioneer in the art of music videos. With each of his videos there would be an elaborate narrative. Best example being the landmark 'Thriller'. A new Michael Jackson video was always an exciting prospect in the world of music and a benchmark in technology and storytelling. Consequently artists these days spend millions on promotional videos, in order to make the biggest impression on the public.
As music videos are primarily promotional devices, they demand close ups of the artists in question. The audience can then build a connection and aspire to be the artists. With the first step to doing so; purchasing their music. Additionally music videos often contain reference to voyeurism. Explicitly dressed females are regarded as a guilty pleasure, and this is a key example of voyeurism.
There are 5 main components in a music video:
Lyrics - The lyrics help to establish a general feeling/ mood or sense of subject matter. Key lines may play a significant part in the visuals, but rarely would there be a full interpretation.
Music - The tempo of the track would drive the editing. Furthermore particular sounds in a track may be for grounded and emphasised on screen. ie. A close up a guitar solo.
Genre - Each genre carries its own codes and conventions, a viewer would expect to see. This would be reflected in the mise-en-scène, the camera work and editing style.
Camerawork - How the camera is used and how images are sequenced has a significant impact on meaning. The angle, movements and shot distance would fluctuate depending on the music. Upbeat tones are likely to require more dynamic camerawork.
Editing - In the process of filming, you must film to edit. Some music videos would feature fast cut montages (sometimes containing of random images). This then encourages repeated viewings in case the viewer missed anything the first time. The editing helps to establish the mood, and is sometimes is used to fragment the narrative.
We decided that we were definitely going to go with our instinct, and try a house party setting. so the next stage was to think of potential houses. Immediately my good friend Jack Clegg's house sprung to mind. It is spacious, and there are two main living spaces which could be used for the main party setting. In addition a very large kitchen and an old fashioned hall way which we thought would work extremely well. It is quite an unconventional living space; we don't want an ordinary house that anyone could film in. We want somewhere that reflects the mood/tone of the music and the narrative.
Additionally Jordan suggested good friend and fellow media student; Josh Reeve's bungalow. This was put forward due to its unconventional layout and furnishings. Here are some photos below:
We contemplated using this as are setting but weighing everything up Jack Clegg's living space was the better option. Notably the living space was an adequate size for the party scene and the chandelier in the centre was a nice feature. In addition the old fashioned hallway and staircase was a particular factor that made us choose this. We just felt as though it is our best option, and hopefully it will work well as the setting for our video.
When we first decided to choose this song there wasn't a released video. But here it is, it was premiered recently, and we were shocked to see how abstract it was. It couldn't be further away from our treatment. Directed by a little know Andrew Huang who is renowned for his complex short films. This is his fourth outing as a music video director. He certainly lives up to his reputation, this is not your run of the mill band performance or narrative based short film. This shares more similarities with a piece of art than a music video; the strange sculptures and visuals are something you would expect to see at an exhibition at the Tate modern. Huang is obviously content with breaking conventions.
The video displays an exceptional use of editing and lighting to reflect the pace and tone of the music. The mise-en-scène featured in this video is very simplistic, and it is left to the mystical shapes when Huang finally adds his touch. Although it is confusing, and makes almost no sense at all, it is visually exciting. The lighting is constantly changing with the music, and the vibrant colours used work to great effect, lending to the electronic genre of Delphic.
The actors used in the video are conventionally good looking, and for the duration of the video almost half naked. This also lends to the electronic genre. The song is an unconventional dance number. It is common for dance videos to exploit the human body, and show a lot of skin. I would normally expect these 'good looking' people to be dancing away so that their toned bodies were emphasised. Where this video differs the stars are stationary throughout either sitting on a plain white box or standing up right. Additionally their bodies are gradually covered by the shapes featured. This could be a spin on the dance music genre, and act as a statement against the exploitation of the human body (notably females) in dance music videos. However that is pulling at thin air, the video is so abstract it could be representing almost anything, and it may only be the director who truly understands the concept behind it.
The fast paced electronic slurs of the track are often accompanied by fast paced editing, in the form of neon lights and cuts of the several actors' featured. However for most of the video the editing is relatively slow paced, along with the very slow movements between the star's and the slow build up of shapes. This acts as juxtaposition to the fast paced song. It isn't until the musical bridge near the end of the song that the editing and lights act as a true reflection of the song's pace. The lights dominate and chase their way across the screen in a visual spectacular building up to the song's climax.
Despite this being the first of Delphic's videos to be directed by Huang, their other two; 'Counterpoint' and 'This Momentary', are similar in terms of abstract visuals, simplistic settings and slow paced editing. Additionally the band are not featured in any of their videos, which gives them an anonymity, and being a small, up and coming band, it leaves more to the imagination. Furthermore it lets viewers concentrate more on the music.
Whether this trend will continue in Delphic's career, and become an iconic trait associate with their videos it is unsure. The videos may look incredible, but music videos are commonly used as a promotional tool, therefore often feature close ups of the artists in question. Where Delphic are never seen it could prove disadvantageous. Leaving them to rely heavily on word of mouth, which is something Delphic are almost certainly familiar with; coming third in BBC's Sound of 2010 poll and just missing out on the BRIT's critic choice award to Ellie Goulding. 2010 could well and truly be Delphic's year.
Once we had are basic idea we told our teacher; Mrs McLuckie, to get relevant feedback, so we could build on our ideas. Or discard them completely if it was bad. Overall it was good feedback she liked the idea, particularly the twist at the end. But her main concern was setting. Although whatever we make will look amateurish, because we obviously haven't got the budget or resources to make an 'amazing' video, we can try our best with what we have got so it looks professional to some extent. So the choice of filming it in a house was considered as a hindrance, because that usually automatically rings A level school project. It is an easy way out, and often looks very amateurish. Furthermore it was too focused on the narrative and we needed to add in some spontaneity, random images to disjoint the video.
We went back to the drawing board and discussed possible locations; we discussed various clubs, and pubs that would work. But the problem with using anywhere like that is of course gaining access, and directing the people in there. It was unfeasible, as far as we were concerned. As appealing as a 'professional' setting such as a club sounded it wasn't really an option. So we decided to make a conscious decision and stick with our guns to film it at a house party. We have seen a few videos filmed at house parties that still look visually exciting (notably; Lady Gaga's Just dance).
We then discussed random and intriguing concepts to add into our video. I came up with an idea that everyone at the party is wearing a different animal mask, so you can never see who the lead is talking to. However the cost of obtaining these masks would have been expensive, so we had to disregard that notion. But there were some ideas discussed that we will try and maintain, which you can read about in the following 'scene by scene' post.
This gives us a good outline, of how the story will unfold for when we get down to filming. It is only a rough plan, therefore there may be some minor changes. For instance, the setting we choose may dictate some room changes for scenes, consequently changing what happens.
Here are the lyrics, and they have been annotated for inspiration in developing our treatment for the song. Our concept is simple, yet effective and together this helped to build a rough narrative to establish how it would be conveyed on the screen. We decided the best place to set it was in a house party, as it helped to fill plot holes (such as 'where would the protagonist go and have sex?") and would be easy to get access to when it came to filming.
The video would begin with a man making his way around a party talking to all the other party goers. Followed by him being dragged upstairs to have sex with an unknown character. Consequently he would return back to the party to wander aimlessly around looking glum, obviously regretting/doubting his actions. The feeling of regret then takes hold of the lead and he storms out the front door running down the street, to be followed by the still unknown person he slept with. By which the audience are surprised to find out who it is in the final scene.
We didn't seem to be getting anywhere with our initial ideas, we were each seeing faults in each other's ideas, and there was not one idea that seemed feasible or clicked with all four of us. Then Jordan and I remembered watching a recent 'Later... with Jools Holland and both enjoyed this new band called 'Delphic', who performed a electronic and guitar enthused track named 'Doubt'.
We showed this to both Louisa and Sam, it was well received across the board and then out of the blue Jordan came up with this great concept which corresponded perfectly with the title; 'Doubt'. It was the story of a guilt ridden party goer who had just been involved in a regrettable one night stand. This is the idea that had unanimous praise and I feel we will develop further into something tangible.
We initially had a few ideas floating around which consisted of a man under a drug like state trapped in an empty black room. Essentially going mad, with additional shots of why he is behaving that way, and the public response to this 'outcast'. Therefore shots of him in public places receiving a not so welcoming reaction from civilians.
'The Prodigy' song worked really well for this idea, as the lyrics resonate well with the images that would have been on the screen. Also it is a very fast, upbeat song, and the editing would have to reflect this. So the video would contain quick, disjointed shots.
On the other hand we could have applied the same concept to the 'Tool' song, which was a slower affair, and hence feature calmer editing. This would have more focus on the man's downfall. Leading the audience to somewhat sympathise with the protagonist.
I was very unsure about this idea, I thought it would be difficult to think of different scenarios for the protagonist that would capture the viewer's attention and be interesting. Another problem was where we would find a suitable setting and actor? Furthermore it is similar to existing 'The Prodigy' videos. Therefore it would face comparison, and ultimately be scrutinized.
This is one of my favourite Arctic Monkeys' songs; it is one of their tenderer, slow outputs. Upon listening closely to the lyrics, I came up with a high concept story of a man travelling to a room '505' to meet a woman.
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven-hour flight or a 45-minute drive
In my imagination you're waiting lying on your side
With your hands between your thighs
Stop and wait a sec
When you look at me like that
My darling, what did you expect?
I probably still adore you
With your hands around my neck
Or I did last time I checked
I'm not shy of a spark
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Frightened by the bite no it's no harsher than the bark
A middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven-hour flight or a 45-minute drive
In my imagination you're waiting lying on your side
With your hands between your thighs
But I crumble completely when you cry
It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye
I'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise
Take my hands off of your eyes too soon
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven-hour flight
Or a 45-minute drive
In my imagination you're waiting lying on your side
With your hands between your thighs
And a smile
The way I pictured this story being told was a lead male strolling down an empty endless road miming the lyrics. This would make the words more personal to the character. This long shot of him walking would then be cut by short scenes of a beautiful female waiting in motel room number 505. She would be acting out various lines from the song. ie "waiting lying on your side with your hands between your thighs". Mid way through the song the pace picks up (02:30), this would be the point where the protagonist starts to run for his life, desperate to get to room 505 before the woman leaves. It would then end with the male reaching a room 505 and opening the door to be faced with an empty room, and then a cut to show the woman leaving a different motel with room number 505.
The concept was well received amongst the group. However the greatest concern was setting. I imagined this being shot on a desolate, empty road like route 66, and the woman would be waiting in an old, battered roadside motel. This was of course unfeasible, and the only settings available are in the local area or greater London. We couldn't particularly think of anywhere suitable. So although it was a good concept, we decided to put it to the side for a minute, and think of a more realistic, easily approachable video.
Once in the group we each decided to pick a handful of artist ( up to 5) that we listen to or think would prove interesting for a music video. We came up with vast range of artists including Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, Nirvana, Radiohead, etc. We then took each artist and picked a song or a selection of songs to listen to for inspiration. With about 20 artists on the list each member was given 5 to go home and listen to and think of a treatment for the chosen songs.
Collecting ideas on the second meeting proved reasonably successful. There were three strong ideas brought to the table. Arctic Monkeys' '505', The Prodigy's 'Take Me to The Hospital' and Tool's 'Vicarious'.
The first challenge was to get into our respected groups. This was an easy decision. I joined Jordan Saville, Sam Avery and Louisa Herbert. I am friends with all three and we share a fairly similar music taste. Furthermore I have worked with Jordan and Louisa previously on a media video project last year and we worked very well together.
