AN - Editing in Class: Threw It on the Ground

Once we had finished filming, we were divided into 4 pairs so that we could create four different versions of the group video for Threw It on the Ground by The Lonely Island.

Firstly, we had to import the footage from the SD Card to the Macs via Imovie 11. Then we inserted the clips into a new Imovie project and converted the file into a FCP XML file. After that, we had to open up Final Cut Express and import the FCP file. Once that was done, we could begin to edit the footage.

While we still have a bit of editing left to do, I feel that editing is going quite well so far and I shall blog about the final product when the time comes.

AN - Group Music Video Pitch Idea

Between the two main Media groups for an upcoming task, each of us has to pitch an idea for a music video that everyone in the two groups will film. Next, we will be separated into pairs, in order to edit multiple versions of the video and the best version will be chosen and shown in a future assembly. 

Anyway as for my idea, I feel that we should do Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (which I did a deconstruction on). In the video, it will be set in the school grounds and the video will begin with a long shot of two students dancing down from the top gate of the school, with close ups of their faces lip-syncing to the lyrics and establishing shots of them dancing in the car park. After that, there will be a long, low angle shot of the two students dancing down both sides of the stairs opposite the bridge near the new building. 


Then there will be two sequences where the students dance in the 6th Form common room and 6th Form centre itself. A long, mid shot will be used during these sequences because there will be other students sitting at the tables working and chatting, but then once they see the two students dancing, the join in. Once all of the students start dancing in a line together, the video will cut to a mid, close up of F6 of a teacher (I'm not sure who yet) peaking their head out of the class room to see the students dancing and pulling a stern look to signify that they don't like the students dancing, this also denotes them as being the main antagonist of the video. 


At a later point in the video, there will be a high angle shot of the students dancing in a line towards the bridge, where the "antagonist" teacher from F6 and two others are guarding the bridge to prevent the students from dancing any further. A low angle shot will be used during this sequence to connote the teachers' power and threat towards the students, but the the students will just dance around them with the two teachers helping the antagonist being sucked into the crowd and the antagonist screaming into the air to signify his defeat, this links in with the lyric, "We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind." 


The final sequence of the video will involve a high angle shot of all of  the students dancing in the the two courts which belong to the Key Stage 3 students, with the two students at the top of hill near that area dancing and lip-syncing with four other students.

While I believe that this is a strong idea for the group video, there are some Achilles' Heels to it. Firstly, we would need permission to use places such as the courts and the 6th Form centre, so that order is not disrupted and that we don't get into trouble or disrupt other classes. Next, we would need a lot of students to do it and I mean A LOT, however it would be really hard to get a high number of students to help us, since most of them would refuse. To counter this though, we could make it an activity for the "dreaded" Fun Friday, but then certain students might not want to do it though. Finally, the primary problem would be taking multiple takes because of the amount of students being used in the video, it would be tedious for everyone having to do multiple shots.

In conclusion, I feel that this is a strong idea because of it's innovative and the high scale, due to the amount of people needed.

Here is the song and the original video:

Here is my class pitch for the song:

AN - Vodcast Asa and Richard

During the summer, we had to deconstruct 15 to 20 different music videos of any genre. In this task, we had to form pairs and compare the similarities and differences of two different deconstructions (one from each blog).


In the vodcast, Richard and I talk about Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, a Punk rock band and What's Up People By Maximum the Hormone, a Nu metal band.


Deconstruction of Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Deconstruction of What's Up People


Here is the Vodcast:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 15: Numb

Name of Song: Numb
Artist: Linkin Park
Year: 2002
Genre: Alternative Rock
Director: Joe Hahn

Linkin Park is an American rock band which was formed during the mid-90's. The band adapt the genres of nu metal and rap metal in most of their songs, such as Meteora. The song, Numb was released as part of the band's second studio album, the song became one of Linkin Park's best known songs and it was well received.

• The video begins with a mid-shot of a student standing next to a wall looking around, which cuts to three long shots of Prague, the city where the video is set in.
• We then get a mid, bird's eye view esq shot of a man spinning one of his decks.
• After that, it quickly cuts to a high angle shot of the band performing in a cathedral.
• The video transitions between the performance of the band and the narrative of the video.
• The narrative is about the domestic and social problems that a young teenage student faces in her regular daily life.
• We get a mid, over the shoulder shot of the student drawing in her notebook, while in class. This is a signifier that she is the unpopular girl stereotype.
• When the lead singer is singing via the microphone, we get a mid-shot which pans around the lead singer.
• Next, we get a low angle shot of a statue that the student is sketching.
• A speed up effect is used at different points in the video which is used on the people around the student. Since the movements of the student aren't sped up, this signifies that she is an outcast to society. For example, when she is lying on the floor of the hallway, the movement of the other students is sped up.
• A mid, long shot is used for when the girl's mum is complaining at her about not being the type of daughter that she wanted. This links in with the lyric, "Is be more like me and be less like you."
• Another mid shot is used for when the student is joining a group of other students at a table, but then they walk off and leave her. This is another signifier that she is the unpopular girl stereotype.
• We then get a mid, close up of what looks like the girl covering a wound with her hand.
• A close up is used for when the girl is tying her hair with a paintbrush.
• Panning mid shots are used for when the girl is throwing paint onto canvas. This symbolises her anger towards the demons in her life and maybe the picture on the canvas symbolises that as well.
• The last shot we get of the band is a high-angle shot which is similar to the first shot of the band in this video before they disappear, which links in with the end of the video.
• The video ends with a long shot and another high angle shot of the student running into the cathedral.

Here is the video:

 

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 14: Bring Me To Life

Name of Song: Bring Me To Life 
Artist: Evanescnece
Year: 2004
Genre: Alternative Rock
Director: Philipp Stölzl

Evanescnece is an American Rock group formed in 1995, by Amy Lee and Ben Moody. In 2003 after a series of private albums, the band released it's first full length album known as, Fallen. The band's major hit, Bring Me To Life, was a worldwide hit for the band and it provided the band with their first UK Number 1 single.

• The video begins with a mid, long shot panning through a CGI-rendered city.
• The camera isn't straight because it adds to the abstract feel of the song.
• The camera then zooms into a woman's bedroom where the video transitions to a sequence of a mid, close up of the same woman falling off the building.
• This transitions back and forth between the falling sequence and the woman sleeping in bed. This signifies that she is having a nightmare, due to her movements in bed.
• Fast-paced editing is used the most during the video to fit the dark mood of the situation.
• We then cut to outside again where the camera this time zooms in from an establishing shot into the room where the band are performing.
• Next, we get a close up of the woman looking at of the window, which then cuts to a high angle shot of the apartment building and in this shot you can see the woman's feet meaning that she's standing outside of the window.
• Could this mean that the dream the woman was having foreshadowed suicide?
• We then have a long angle shot of the woman walking across the edges of the apartment building itself, which cuts to a low angle, panning shot of the woman walking.
• The video cuts to multiple shots of the other people in the apartment block, which include a mid shot of a middle aged couple watching TV and a party with people dressed as clowns.
• The people dressed as clowns create a binary opposition with the dark, edgy tone of the video, since clowns are known for having a light, funny tone, However, there are people who have a phobia of clowns known as, Coulrophobia.
• After that, we get high angle shots of the woman climbing the the building.
• This video is a combination of all three Goodwin theories because the narrative is about a woman who foresees herself committing suicide, we have a performance by the band taking place in one of the rooms of the apartment and the concept can be seen from the mise-en-scene of the video. e.g. the clowns.
• The woman the climbs to the room where the band are playing. This could possibly signify that she wants the band to save her, "Save me from the nothing I've become."
• We get a high angle shot of one of the band members stretching out his arm out to save the woman from falling.
• After that, we get a low angle of the of the woman holding on to the man's arm.
• This sequence varies between low angle and high angle shots to connote the danger and peril that the woman is in.
• We also get mid shots of the rest of the band performing.
• After that, we get a low angle, long shot of the woman falling off of the building, which cuts back to a close up of the woman sleeping in the same bed, from the beginning of the music video. Maybe the dream was inception-esq.
• However we get evidence that it might have not been a dream, due to the facial expressions and the body language of the band at the end of the video.
• The video ends with the camera zooming out of the building with siren noises that can be heard.

Here is the video: 

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 13: What's Up People

Name of Song: What's Up People
Artist: Maximum the Hormone
Year: 2006
Genre: Nu Metal
Director: Unknown

Maximum the Hormone was started by Daisuke Tsuda and Nao Kawakita. After a number of shows, the band signed a contract with Rock label, Sky Records. The bank performs with strong punk metal influence via the nu metal genre. The band's song, What's Up People was featured in the second season of the anime, Death Note.

• The video begins with a mid, close up of a guitarist playing the guitar.
• A blurring effect is used to add to the video's abstract nature.
• There are also a number of mid-shots of ballerinas dancing in the video.
• The ballerinas are used in the video to create a binary opposition between themselves and the band, which symbolises innocent and aggression.
• A couple of mid shots of the band performing and head banging can also been seen. These also represent aggression.
• There is also a close up of the lead singer lip-syncing via the microphone.
• The camera is shakey during some sequences of the video, such as one of the band members headbanging while singing.
• The close up of the lead singer lip-syncing via the microphone is used multiple times to fit the dark tone of the video.
• A combination of fast takes and long takes are used. The fast takes are mostly used during the sequences with the band, while the long takes are used with the ballerinas. This also symbolises the binary opposition between innocence and aggression.
• While the ballerinas symbolise innocence and grace, one of them is wearing red. This is another signifier of aggression, since red is the colour associated with blood and violence. A portrayal of the dark side of ballet similar to Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky) maybe?
• Next, there is a close up of one of the band members repeating the lyric, HEY HEY! Ningen sanka ai nige ningen fuan ka?"
• That lyric translates into, "Hey hey! Human paean. Do humans worry when love escapes?" This also adds to the aggressive nature of the song because it makes it seem that the song was written by demonic entities.
• During the sequence, the camera keeps changing focus. This is done, to add to the abstract mood of the video.
• A high angle, fish eye lense is used at one point to add more depth to the abstract mood.
• The camera with the fish eye lense keeps nodding up and down, while the band are head banging. Maybe this symbolises that the camera is a point of view of a demonic creature maybe?
• We then get a high angle shot of the band performing in front of a red wall.
• There is an extreme close up of one of the band member's mouths repeating the lyrics, "Hey hey! Human paean. Do humans worry when love escapes?" Which's fade's into a low angle shot of the singer repeating the lyric.
• The video ends with a clash of instruments with the singer repeating the lyric, "WHAT UP PEOPLE!" This adds to the dark, aggressive nature of the video.
• The video focuses mostly on concept and performance, since the band are performing, but there is a high amount of symbolism seen within the video itself.
• From looking at the lyrics of this song, the song is about human arrogance because of the aggressive lyrics used such as, "From the fangs of sadistic punishment, I will chop up the existence of my natural enemies" and "Let's slander the war debate amongst idiots."

Here is the video:

Like I said before, this song was used as the second opening to Death Note (an anime which I need to check out at some point, thanks to a good friend of mine). The song fits the opening really well because a number of disturbing images are used to add to the dark mood of the anime. Here is the opening (WARNING: A number of disturbing and unsettling images are used in this opening, so be WARNED)

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 12: On The Floor ft Pitbull

Name of Song: On the Floor
Artist: Jennifer Lopez ft Pitbull
Year: 2011
Genre: Dance, electro house
Director: TAJ Stansberry

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is best known for being a singer, actress, TV producer and fashion designer. She became part of the music industry through her 1999 album, On The 6. The album made the single, If You Had My Love a huge success worldwide. After taking a few years off from being part of the music industry, Lopez returned with her new single, On The Floor which made a huge impact in the music charts.

• The video begins with a long-shot panning down onto a car arriving at a night club.
• There is a close up of the car's emblem, which is a product endorsement for the company who makes the model of the car seen in the video.
• We then get a mid, long shot of Jennifer Lopez getting out of the car wearing a brown, leather hoodie.
• A close up is used on an ear ring box to promote the company who made the ear rings, Swarovski.
• A fade in transition is used at the beginning of the night-club sequence.
• A combination of long and quick takes are used to show the action taking place in the night club.
• The video makes multiple transitions between the night club sequence and another sequence where Jennifer Lopez is wearing a silver jumpsuit whiling dancing in in front of a golden wall.
• There are also a number of mid, close ups of Jennifer Lopez wearing a golden dress, while lying down on a black sofa.
• Pitbull is shown as being the party, pimp stereotype because of the clothes he is wearing (the black tuxedo with the golden tie and rose) and two golden bikini clad dancers at each side of him. These dancers minght be an intertexual reference to the film, Goldfinger (1964, Guy Hamilton).
• Most of the shots in the video consist of mid, long shots of either Jennifer lying on the sofa lip-syncing and dancing in front of the golden wall, Pitbull rapping and the crowd dancing in the night club.
• "If you're an animal tare up the floor." = the crowd dancing in the nightclub.
• Slow motion effects are used to fit with the mood of the song.
• Then we get a mid shot of Jennifer walking through the crowd wearing dancer esq clothes.
• We then get a close up of Jennifer on the sofa looking into the crowd. This signifies that she is playing two different characters in the video, yet this could also show that she has a split personality.
• We also have a mid shot of Pitbull looking into the crowd.
• The shots of Jennifer Lopez dancing in the center of the crowd, with them copying her movements shows that she is the centre of attention in the crowd.
• A shakey camera is used when Jennifer is dancing in front of the golden wall.
• We also get a number of close-ups of Pitbull rapping in front of the golden wall.
• The video ends with a close up of Jennifer looking into the camera.

Here is the video:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 11: Derazzed

Name of Song: Derazzed
Artist: Daft Punk
Year: 2010
Genre: Electro house
Director: Warren Fu


Daft Punk is a duo that consists of French musicians, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. The duo gained popularity during the late 90's. The duo were influenced by bands such as the Rolling Stones and are well known for doing live shows, in which the mainly focuses on visual elements and effects. In 2010, Daft Punk went on to compose the soundtrack for the Disney film, Tron Legacy (2010, Joseph Kosinski) with Derazzed being one of the tracks.

• The video begins with a low angle, establishing shot of the Flynn arcade sign with the arcade itself, owned by Jeff Bridges' character in the Tron films.
• We then cut into a high angle shot of the inside of the arcade with all of the machines turning themselves on.
• Next, we get a low angle shot of two men entering the arcade with the camera focused on their feet.
• The camera pans on the duo's feet walking towards an arcade machine which has the same name as the song.
• We get an extreme close up of the machine's name.
• The setting of video changes from reality to the world of the arcade game.
• We get several close ups of the different parts of the armour which Player 1's character is wearing.
• Then the character positions themselves into the light cycle position, which is intertexual to the Tron films.
• We get close ups of the character riding the light cycle which transforms into a horse.
• After that, we cut to Player 2's character who looks the same as the other character, except that he's red. This creates a binary opposition, since red and blue are the primary colours used to represent good and evil.
• A mixed of fast-paced and slow-paced editing is used in the video. Slow for the sequences in the arcade and fast-paced for the jousting sequences.
• We then get a over-the-shoulder shot of a hooded man watching the fight with a robotic bird which resembles Laserbeak from the Transformers universe.
• The hood is a narrative enigma.
• The video ends with a close up of the game over screen and the loser hitting the joystick in frustration. Besides that, the winner takes off their helmet and it's revealed that the character was a girl.
• The winner being a girl = feminist view?

Here is the video:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 10: Wonderwall

Name of Song: Wonderwall
Artist: Oasis
Year: 1995
Genre: Alternative Rock
Director: Unknown

Between 1991 and 2009, Oasis were an English rock band which was formed by Liam Gallagher who was the lead vocals tambourine of the band. They had eight UK number one singles and albums, they have also sold over 70 million records worldwide. Wonderwall was written by Noel Gallagher, Liam's older brother for their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The song is described as "an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself."

• The video begins with a long, mid shot of a clown walking up to a record player and switching it on.
• The entire music video is shown in black and white. However at some points of the video, there are blurred edges around the camera lense. This is used to give that artistic abstract feel.
• We then see an extreme close up of the record playing. 
• Next, we see an extreme, long shot of a man playing a guitar in the middle of the room.
• We also get some quick takes of the clown walking slightly away from the record player and a showgirl standing next to a set of guitars.
• Fade out transitions are used quite a lot in the video. For example, one is used when a close up of the record player fades into a mid shot of Liam Gallagher singing into a mirror.
• A mix of fast-paced and slow paced editing is used during the video to fit the mood of the video.
• We get a number of close ups of the band playing their instruments.
• Then we get a mid close up of the lead singer, lip-syncing with the band playing in the background.
• We get a couple of abstract shots, such as a panning, mid shot of the band sitting in position like they're waiting at the barber's and a close-up of the clown holding a ventriloquist dummy.
• This video is a combination of performance and concept, due to the shots of the band playing their instruments and the abstract shots. e.g. the clown.
• The clown might represent the imaginary friend which was spoken about.
• Then there's a mid shot of a bullseye with the Liam sitting in a chair spinning slowly, clockwise lip-syncing.
• This is mixed in with a fade in, close up of one of the band members playing a guitar.
• Some of the items in the video, such as the clown's hat and the guitar are coloured compared to the rest of the video. This creates a binary opposition between colour and shade.
• We then get a multiple frames in one shot of the the abstract footage and the band performing, which form a pattern.
• More abstract shots, include the band playing with a slot machine and a dartboard.
• Then there are four rectangles which show the guitarist playing.
• Special effects are used to add to the abstract feel of video.
• There are quick takes of close ups of the different band members.
• The shot where the clown walks away and the record ceasing to play, signifies the end of the music video.

Here is the video: