SD - Destiny's Child

Destiny's child were an american R&B girl group formed in 1997 consisting of three female artists Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The group eventually signed to Columbia Records who have also signed many other artists such as; Adele, AC/DC, Alexis Jordan, Barbra Strisand, Beyonce, Bob Dylan, Billy Ryan, Celine Dion, Cults, Dixie chicks, Foster the people, The Glee cast, Katy B, Pink Floyd and loads more. Columbia Records is the only label the band have been signed to.

Columbia Records is owned by the japanese company Sony Music Entertainment which operates under Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. The american record label was established in 1888. 'From 1961 to 1990, its recordings were released outside the U.S. and Canada on the CBS Records label (for Columbia Broadcasting System, its parent from 1938 to 1988) before adopting the Columbia name in most of the world.

Until 1989, Columbia Records had no connection to Columbia Pictures, which used various other names for record labels they owned, including Colpix and later Arista. Though Arista was later sold to BMG, it is now a sister label to Columbia Records through Sony Music; both are connected to Columbia Pictures through Sony Corporation of America, worldwide parent of both the music and motion picture arms of Sony.'
It wasnt always easy for the band though, the origionals (Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTiva Robertson and LeToya Luckett) they spent years performing underground although throughout their career they ended up selling 40 million reocrds worldwide and in 2005 they were recognised as one of the best female groups of all time by the World Music Awards.


The song Lyrics - Emotion by Destiny's Child:

It's over and done
but the heartache lives on inside
And who's the one you're clinging to
instead of me tonight?

And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
it's just emotion taking me over
Caught up in sorrow
lost in the song
but if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
don't you know there's nobody left in this world tohold me tight
nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

I'm there at your side,
I'm part of all the things you are
But you've got a part of someone else
You've got to find your shining star

And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
it's just emotion taking me over
Caught up in sorrow
lost in the song
but if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
don't you know there's nobody left in this world tohold me tight
nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
it's just emotion taking me over
Caught up in sorrow
lost in the song
but if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
don't you know there's nobody left in this world tohold me tight
nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

The song was released in 2001 produced by Mark J Fiest.
The song was not an origional release by the band, it is a slower version of Samantha Sang origional aswell as after In 2002 a re-recorded mid-tempo version of Emotion, titled "The Neptunes Remix" was released on the album This Is The Remix. Destinys childs re-make appeared on their album Survivor and debuted at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The music video featured a triple split-screen effect. Kelly on the left, Beyonce in the center, and Michelle on the right. Kelly is seen saying goodbye to her boyfriend before he leaves in a taxi. Beyonce catches her boyfriend with another woman and runs around the house in tears and Michelle is with her grandmother, who has died in her bed surrounded by petals. At the end of the video Williams calls the other band members to her home. The three girls meet there and comfort each other and have a group hug and then screen returns to normal.

The tracks review by NME:
http://www.nme.com/reviews/artistKeyname/5823

AN - Three things I would like to learn now in A2 Media

1. Since I am working in a group which have their idea based on a song by a girl band. I want to deepen my knowledge on the different genres of music, so that I can widen my tastes.
2. Next, I want to learn how to use the gadgets I haven't used before on Blogger, such as the poll.
3. Finally, I wish to gain knowledge on how to implement a masculine touch into a feminine group. This links into my first point because by implementing elements of both genders, I will succeed in gaining the marks I need.

AN - Ten things I have learnt so far from A2 Media

1. I have learned to use the basic elements of Final Cut Express, such as how trim clips down and import clips from IMovie into the software.
2. Goodwin's theory on three main conventions in music videos which are performance, narrative and concept. All music videos use at least one of these theories or rather more than one.
3. I have also learned about the stereotypes used in these videos, such as jolly fat people (Sean Kingston) and pimps (Jennifer Lopez ft Pitbull On the Floor).
4. I also learned how to use the advanced tools in Final Cut Express, such as the Chroma key and cropping tools.
5. I learned about the time management needed when making music videos. For example, we needed to shot a variety of shots for our version of Threw it on the Ground.
6. How to use the HD cameras, since they are slightly different to the cameras we used for last year's coursework.
7. I then gained knowledge on the fish-eye lense which is implemented in most of Missy Elliot's videos.
8. Another thing, I learned was how to use the new Blogger interface which was quite confusing at first, but as time went on I got more use to it and learned the basics of it.
9. Censorship was another thing I learned, since it is common throughout music videos. e.g. Erotica by Madonna
10. Finally, I learned about famous music video to film directors such as Spike Jonze, who directed Being John Malkovich (1997) and Anton Corbijn who directed Control (2007) and The American (2010). From these directors, we learned about the techniques they implemented into the music videos they directed. Prime examples being most of Depeche Mode's videos and Sabotage by The Beastie Boys.

AN - Group Proposal

For this year's A2 coursework, I have decided to work with Katie Mallows and Sophie Dixon on their idea for the Destiny Child video, Emotion. I decided to go with this group because I felt that a masculine touch could be added to a feminine group and I also feel that my media skills could be implemented into this piece of work, such as the skills I learned from the editing masterclass during the Co-op film festival, such as using the Chroma Key tool. I also feel that these two are quite reliable, due to the length of time I've known them for and the fact that their pieces of work got high marks last year.


Here is Katie's pitch:


Untitled from sophie dixon on Vimeo.

AN - Past A2 Blog Marking

Today, I got set the task of marking a previous A2 blog based off the Research & Planning marking criteria. I chose to make the blog of Callum Moreman, who worked on the Joy Division - Disorder video with Jonny Hughes and Joel Colborne.


Starting with research into similar products and a potential target audience, I feel that the research on the blog was excellent, due to the variety of research seen in the blog such as case studies, podcasts and evidence that the group got permission to use the song by the company it was produced by.


For time management, I feel that it is really strong because there are a high amount of blog posts, with the average being 11 blog posts. Besides from there being a high quantity of posts on the blog, the posts themselves are of very high quality, due to the amount of information they give. Overall for this part of Research & Planning criteria, I would rate it as being excellent due to the amount of the posts and the quality of them.


Concerning the presentation, I feel that the blog has a very attractive layout. This is due to the bright colours used, which make the blog easy to read and the posts themselves are quite informative with a high amount information along with pictures and video. Overall, I would rate the presentation as being excellent because the neat layout and the chunks of information provided.

Lastly, the use of ICT is pretty good due to the variety of multimedia products seen on the blog. Whether this be podcasts, videos, pictures or hyper-links. However, more links lists could have been used so that it was easier to navigate from post to post. So overall, I would say that the use of ICT is proficient.

In conclusion, I would give this blog a 19 out of 20 because of the neat, formal presentation which make the blog stand out and look interesting with the variety of software used.

AN - Domestic Abuse in Music Videos

After I did my pitch my class, I got feedback from my colleagues and teacher. They claimed that the idea of showing domestic violence via the protagonist beating his girlfriend would be controversial and suggested that I should have a variety of shots of the couple arguing instead. However, I feel implementing that into my video would only weaken it because this convention has been overdone in this era of music videos and would weaken the moral message which shows the negative impact of drugs and abuse in a relationship.

I want to show domestic abuse in my video because I feel that would add an impact to the moral message the video gives and it would also deepen the dark narrative of the video. Even though I plan on doing this, I will only show the shadows of the characters during the sequence, similar to the scene where the protagonist is taking a needle. By doing this, I will be able to give the audience a slight idea of what's happening while allowing the audience to come up with their own theories about what is happening without giving too much away.

A prime example of domestic violence can be seen in the music video for the Eminem ft Rihanna song, Love the Way You Lie where a couple (played by Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox) are struggling to cope with their relationship. In the video, the couple can be seen fighting each other, while making out at the same time along with what looks like there house is burning down. The burning house symbolises the destruction of the character's relationship with each other. Also the abusive relationship links in with the lyrics of the song such as, "If she ever tries to f****** leave me again, I'm a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire" and "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's all right because I like the way it hurts." The video faced controversy with the National Organisation for Women, due to apparently glorifying domestic violence.

Here is the video for Love the Way You Lie:

In conclusion, I feel that by showing domestic violence in the video without being too violent, I would be able to get a powerful message across to the target audience of my video (15-24 year olds) and it would reveal the truth behind relationships which fall apart, without hiding that prime fact from the public.

AN - Coursework Pitch Idea

As I said in one of my previous posts, my coursework idea is for the Depeche Mode song, Rush. The video will mainly focus on Goodwin's theories of concept and narrative, since it tells the story of an 17 year old student struggling in his battle against drugs while trying to keep his relationship with his girlfriend in one piece. Besides from being the protagonist, the student will also represent the lead singer of the band, Dave Gohan because he will be the only character in the video lip-syncing to the lyrics.




However, the protagonist will also be the antagonist at the same time, since he will have a split personality  which represents his dark side and will give the narrative a deeper aspect. Split personalities are a common convention seen within many pieces of media. Prime examples of fictional characters with split personalities include, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Ichigo Kurosaki/Hollow Ichigo from the anime, Bleach and Two-Face aka Harvey Dent from the Batman franchise. When the protagonist's dark side comes into play, he will start beating his girlfriend, while throwing verbal abuse at her. Before he gives her the finishing blow, he changes back to normal and starts to feel upset about what he has done, the protagonist's sorrow and torment will be represented in a later sequence where he can be seen crying in the corner of a room, similar to the Joy Division - Disorder video made by a previous A2 group.

Ichigo getting possessed by his "dark side", Hollow Ichigo.

The video will be shot in black and white, in order to give it an abstract and intense feel. I will make the video black and white by using the Chroma key technique I learned during the Co-operative film festival yesterday. I will also implement some strobe lighting techniques to help make the video feel abastract. For example, there will be a sequence where the video will transition between the protagonist taking using a needle on himself and another scene where he is running near a white background to catch his girlfriend. This symbolises the protagonist trying to obtain what he loves most back. This also stymbolises the conflict between light and darkness, since the video will be shot in black and white.

The target audience for this video will be for 17 to 25 year olds because the video will use a moral message to show the negative influence of drugs and how it can affect a teenage relationship. Also by making the target audience 17 to 25 year olds, I will be able to get the generation to appreciate music from the past.

For more information about my pitch, see the video below:

AN - My experience at the Co-op Film Festival 2011

Our moment of fame and glory.

Today we went to the Co-operative Film Festival which takes place once every year at the National Media  Museum in Bradford. This year we had three pieces from the AS coursework we did last year. These were, Waxed, Sleep Tight and my AS group's brilliant work, Wrenched. These were shown during Screening One, after that we all went on stage to get our photographs taken and shake the hand of the film festival manager while wearing our wonderful film festival TV shirts.

Once the screening had finished, our group got interviewed for a website and we got asked many questions about our film and what advice we would give to future budding film makers like we once were. I said that it would be a good thing to put on a personal statement in order to help you get into university and inspire you to study Media there as well.

Interview with the Weasley Twins

Besides from seeing my work getting screened, I also watched a live interview with James and Oliver Phelps, who play the Weasley Twins in the Harry Potter films. This was another great experience because I was able to learn some background information about the stars and celebrities. I also took a look around the musuem, which had many useful attractions and facilities, such as the television studios where you could film and experiment with the equipment used in real television studios.

Later on in the day, I took part in an Editing Masterclass workshop using Final Cut Pro. While it was partily useful, most of the stuff was really complex. This was due to use of difficult techniques, such as using motion frames because of use of multiple buttons. However, I learned how to use the colour options, such Chroma keys since I plan on making my music video looking abstract.

In conclusion, I feel that this day was very useful and enjoyable. I would easily recommend it for the young, budding filmmakers of future generations. Since it would allow them to learn about how the media industry works and how many different people have become successful from it, such as Edgar Wright. Also from going to the workshops, future generations can learn how to implement the techniques learned into their projects.

AN - Coursework Pitch Update: Primary Research

For my coursework, I have decided to do the Depeche Mode song, Rush. After I chose the song, I did some primary research by asking different people for help with ideas. The current idea I have is that the video tells the story of the protagonist (lead singer) battling drugs, since the title of the video relates to the term Drug rush.

From the feedback I got, I was told to expand on the narrative by making it show how drugs can destroy a relationship and with that, I came up with the idea of the protagonist having a split personality because by doing that, not only will I make the plot deeper, but it would also give the main protagonist a three dimensional personality and characteristics.

Next, I was told that the song had a sexual tension to it. This was due to the opening lyrics of the song and the rhythm of it. From this comment, I could somehow implement that element within the video without being too explict. On the other hand though with this idea, I wish to create something which almost reaches the borders of controversy, but it is has relevance to what is happening and has symbolic meaning as well.

After that, I was told to make the video abstract in order to add to the video's dark tone. In order to make the video abstract, I was told to make the video black and white because it would help represent the "mature" themes of the video and it symbolises the ongoing conflict between light and darkness. I was also told to use strobe lighting, since it would also add to the abstract feel of the video.

However, by using strobe lighting, I could risk causing seizures in photosentive epilepsy. A prime example comes from the Pokemon anime series, based off the popular video game franchise in which during one episode, a huge explosion with red and blue strobe flashing lights could be seen and because of that, nearly 685 children were sent to hospital. This won't be the case with my video (of course), but I must be careful when implementing this technique.

Here is the clip (WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES, DON'T WATCH IF YOU HAVE PHOTO SENSITIVE EPILEPSY):



In conclusion, I feel that I got many useful comments from my colleagues, on how to make the video and what techniques. I will talk about the final pitch for the song in a future post, but for the time being, here is the song:

AN - Depeche Mode Research

Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band which first formed during 1980 in England, they first called themselves Compsition of Sound. The band have had forty-eight songs in the UK charts and have been claimed as being "the most popular electronic band in the world" by Q Magazine. The band specialise in the alternative dance and synthpop genre, this fact is shown in some of their songs, such as Condemnation and Fragile Tension.

The different members of the band include the lead vocalist, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore who played the keyboard and guitar, he became the lead songwriter and vocals after 1981. Andy Fletcher who also played the keyboard and Vince Clarke, the original songwriter before leaving the band in 1981. Alan Wilder became the helm of the drums after Vince left with Gore replacing him at the song writing helm.

In terms of Goodwin's theories, the band mainly focus on performance and concept in their videos. For example, the video for Hole to Feed conists of a band made of women lip-syncing to the song with the voices of the band members, while we are given shots of the audience making out with each other or rather "tongue-wrestling" with each other.

AN - Finished Threw it on the Ground video

Here is mine and Sam's final version of the Threw it on the Ground music video.