AN - Music Video Deconstruction 9: Everytime We Touch

Name of Song: Everytime We Touch
Artist: Cascada
Year: 2006
Genre: Eurodance
Director: Unknown


Cascada are a German Eurodance act which consists of musicians, Natalie Horler, DJ Manian and Yanuo. The act have sold over 13 million albums worldwide, but it wasn't until the group's third album when they started to gain the attention of the media. The group's lead singer, Natalie Horler has made multiple appearances such as hosting The Clubland Top 50 on 4music and performing on UK TV shows such as GMTV and The Lottery Show. Despite receiving negative reviews, the act's second single, Everytime We Touch was the group's first taste of mainstream success.

• The video begins with the Natalie herself, lip-syncing in a library with the camera zooming into her, from a long shot.
• There are transitions back and forth between Natalie lip-syncing in a library and sitting on a set of stairs from what looks like the outside of the library.
• An over-the-shoulder shot is used for when the singer is looking a photo of a man. Possible boyfriend?
• There are short, yet quick shots of the library staff.
• Fast-paced editing is used to fit the mood of the song.
• Judging from the artist's clothes and the mise-en-scene, the setting is modern day.
• Most of the shots in this video consist of long, establishing shots. e.g. The sequence where Natalie is talking to the librarian at the front desk.
• The video consists mainly of narrative, in a similar style to the Britney Spears song, Hit Me Baby One More Time. Along with some elements of performance
• There are more quick shots of the library staff's reactions to Natalie performing in the library.
• Natalie performing in the library creates a binary opposition between silence and noise.
• Judging from the lyrics of the song, it has a romantic feel. "Everytime we touch, I get the feeling. Everytime we kiss, I swear that I can fly."
• Natalie looking at the library records symbolises the rebellion against silence.
• A mid shot is used for when Natalie is flirting with the librarian.
• A long shot is used for when Natalie is dancing on the desk.
• A mid, long shot with slow panning is used when Natalie is lip-syncing to the librarian.
• A long shot is used for when Natalie and library staff are dancing, along with close-ups of them.
• The quick shots of the library staff dancing. The type of shot used here is a mid, long shot.
• The video ends with a mid shot of Natalie and the librarian running away together.

Here is the video (I apologize for the video size because the embedding for the video was disabled by the uploader): 

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 8: Intergalactic

Name of song: Intergalactic
Artist: Beastie Boys
Year: 1998
Genre: Alternative hip hop
Director: MCA


The Beastie Boys are an American Hip Hop group who first started as a hard-core punk band during 1979. However, the group didn't achieve major success till Cooky Puss, their 1983 hip hop single. From that point onwards, the band switched to from punk to hip-hop. The group are also known as being one of the longest lived hip-hop acts worldwide. In 1999, the group won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Duo or Group for their 1998 single, Intergalactic.

• The video begins with a stereotypical, generic-looking robot flying towards earth with the three stereotypical mad scientists inside it. 
• The three mad scientist stereotypes include, the mad scientist with the crazy grey hair and moustache, along with a pair of big round glasses, the Asian scientist (which is usually seen Japanese giant monster films, such as Godzilla) and the bold, yet smart scientist who is usually portrayed as being an evil genius in films such as the James Bond franchise.
• Orchestrated music which is usually heard in Japanese Giant monster films is used at the beginning of the music video.
• Quick, fast paced editing is used at the beginning of the video for when the giant robot lands in Japan.
• The quick takes include, people running away, a mid shot of a Japanese woman pointing and screaming at the robot, which is also intertexual to Japanese monster films. As well as the close up of the Japanese man reacting to the giant robot, which is also a common convention seen in giant monster films.
• From when we get an establishing shot of the giant robot singing, longer shots and slower editing is used for the rest of the video to fit the mood of the song.
• We get a long, mid shot of three men dressed in white suits and helmets. When they start singing, this signifies that they are the Beastie Boys themselves.
• When they start dancing, camera panning is used to focus on the band.
• The suits, giant robot, techno rhythm of the song and the scientist stereotypes signify the sci-fi feel of the song.
• A low-angle shot with a fish-eye lense is used for when the band are lip-syncing.
• The video is a mix of narrative and concept, since the story of the video involves a giant robot controlled by three mad scientists coming to Earth, in order to save Japan from a giant monster. Not to mention that most of the shots are focused on the giant robot and the mad scientists.
• A low-angle shot is used for when the giant robot destroys a shop window by kicking the glass.
• A fade in transition is used for when the camera zooms into the giant robot's eye to show the scientists inside of it.
• A low-angle, panning shot is used for when the giant squid monster appears in the city.
• Fade-in transitions are used quite a bit throughout the music video.
• There are quick flashes of the fish eye lense during the sequences when the band are performing.
• The camera zooms in at the band when they are dancing in an underground train.
• Close ups are used for when the robot is punching and kicking the giant squid monster.
• Long takes are mostly used in this video when the giant robot and the giant squid monster, which is intertexual to Cthulhu fight each other.
• An extreme, long shot is used for when the giant squid monster is getting electrocuted to death.
• The video ends with the giant robot flying into space.

Here is the video: 

  

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 7: Through The Fire and Flames

Name of Song: Through The Fire and Flames 
Artist: Dragonforce
Year: 2006
Genre: Power metal
Director: Unknown

DragonForce are an English, melodic metal band from the UK, which first formed near the end of the 90's. The band were originally called Dragonheart, however due to commerical problems with an artist of the same name, the band changed there name to DragonForce. To quote the website, Metalstorm, "DragonForce's sound can be best described as a mix of modern melodic power with the fury of speed metal, but the band's influence comes from wide across the metal spectrum." The band is best known for their song, Through the Fire and Flames which is also an unlockable song in the game, Guitar Hero 3 and is to be considered as the hardest track in the game.

• The video begins with an extreme long-shot of the band.
• The shot gets closer and closer with each sound of the electric guitar heard in the intro of the song.
• During the intro, the lights keep flashing on and off, the colour of these lights is red.
• A binary opposition can be seen between the black stage and the lights, which symbolises the ongoing conflict between light and darkness.
• There is an extreme close up of the lead singers eyes, this signifies that he is the lead singer.
• Fast-paced editing is used for the music video, in order to fit the mood of the song.
• Multiple shot types are used for the band performing, these shot-types include, high-angle and low-angle.
• There are shots of the lead singer singing, however these shots are taken from the different sides of him.
• The camera begins to rumble near the chorus, this effect is used to fit the fast-paced, heavy metal mood of the song.
• The video mostly focuses on performance, since there are no hints of concept or narrative.
• Looking from the lyrics, there are many possible symbolic meanings to this song. One theory is that the song is about facing the harsh truths of reality, "Through the fire and flames we carry on."
• Another possible meaning is that, it could be about warriors riding dragons fighting the forces of darkness. It may be a surreal theory, but some of the lyrics might prove this to be true,  "On the blackest wings in hell's terrain, we watch the lands become. In fire and flame, and once again we know"
• Their shirts are glowing, which also symbolises the conflict between light and darkness, due to the shirts' contrast with the background.
• There is a sequence in the music video which it focuses on the two main guitarists of the band. A mid-shot is used during this part to show them.
• When one of the guitarists is performing at the bottom of the screen, there is another screen with an extreme close up of the current guitarist performing.
• Slow-motion effects are used from the middle of video onwards.
• The guitarist who isn't performing, spends their time drinking a bottle of beer.
• Near the end of the video, there are multiple shots of each band member. This feels like a band member profile.
• The camera zooms out of the band, once the video has ended.

Here is the video:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 6: Ichirin No Hana

Name of Song: Ichirin No Hana

Artist: High and Mighty Colour

Year: 2006
Genre: Metalcore
Director: Unknown

High and Mighty were a Japanese band which were first formed during 2003, but then broke up during 2010 because of each members different opinions on music and future opportunities. The band are noticeable for the two main vocalists who were male and female. Ichirin No Hana was the band's first single of 2006 and it broke the Top five mark in the Japanese charts, since the band's debut ablbum.

• The video begins with a high angle shot of the band, while two spotlights pan across the band from both sides.
• There are then quick close ups of the different members of the band.
• The intro is in black and white and the first few takes are fast ones.
• After the intro cuts to black, there is an extreme close up of the female lead singer, lip-syncing to the lyrics. This shot is a long take.
• Then the clip fades out, to a mid-close up of a guitar, one of the band members is playing.
• Quick takes are used once more, for when the band are performing and when the lead singer is dancing.
• Then the performance clips fade out, to a close up of the male lead singer lip-syncing, while there are quick takes of the band members standing near the black wall with the spotlights panning like at the beginning of the video.
• Extreme close ups and mid, long shots are used for when the male lead singer is performing.
• There is a quick take done via a close up of the female lead singer posing, while the screen changes from black and white to red and orange.
• Extreme close ups are used for when the female lead singer is singing, however for the male, besides from extreme-close ups, mid, long-shots are also used when focusing on him. The extreme close ups used for the woman, could possible symbolise her beauty and innocence. While the shots used for the male lead singer, could symbolise his rebellious, free-spirit. Possible binary opposition.
• At one point, there is a fade shot of both the man and woman while they are singing. This could possibly symbolise the two sides of a person, masculine and feminine.
• A fade in transition is used to during a long shot of all of the male band members surrounding the female lead singer, besides from showing that she is the only female band member, this symbolises that the male members of the group have more power than her.
• There then is an establishing shot of a red wall, with all of the band members fading in one by one.
• This red wall is then seen in the "screamo" sequences of the song, this symbolises the dark nature of the song.
• Quick takes are also used during this sequence, in order to fit the mood of the song.
• There are mid long shots used during a sequence where the two of the band members are running. Symbolise maybe? Two young men running away from the darkness that is the screamo sequence maybe? 
• A panned close up is used for when the female lead singer is crying, while the male band members surround her. Cry = sign of weakness.
• Then the male lead singer puts his hand out to help the female lead singer up. When she grabs the man's hand, there is a bright light shining from the hands. This links in with the lyric, "If that time comes I'll protect you all-out so don't lose, single flower."
• Single flower reflects the fact that the female lead singer is the only woman in the band.
• The video focuses on performance throughout, since there are quick takes of the band performing and fast paced editing is used. However, there are elements of narrative, due to the symbolism that men have more power than women.

Here is the video:

This is another song, that was used in an anime opening. The song was used as the third opening theme to Bleach, which is another anime that I'm a big fan of. In my opinion, the song fits the opening, due to being played during the last part of the second main story arc of the anime. Hence fitting the mood of that part of the series, here is the opening: 

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 5: Tribute

Name of Song: Tribute
Artist: Tenacious D
Year: 2005
Genre: Hard/Comedy Rock
Director: Liam Lynch

American comedy band, Tenacious D was formed in Los Angeles during 1994 with lead guitarist and vocalists, Jack Black and Kyle Glass. The band only released two albums, one of the same name as the band and The Pick of Destiny. Tribute, the band's most famous song, was the most request music video on Kerrang TV during 2002. However, the song has been forgotten by the band themselves since that time.

• The video begins with an establishing shot of a recording booth with Jack Black and his partner having a  conversation.
• Shot-reverse-shot is used to show that the characters are having a conversation.
• During the performance sections of the video, a mid,close up is used to show the duo and signify that they are in a cramped, recording booth.
• The video varies between performance and narrative with the duo singing the song in a diagetic manner.
• A fade out transition is used when the video first switches from performance to narrative and is used quite a lot during the narrative sequences.
• A close up is used for when Satan/Lucifer is threatening Tenacious D.
• A red, orange glowing effect is used on Satan/Lucifer to connote his villainy and denote how evil he is.
• Lip-syncing is not used that much in the video, meaning that this music video is defining one of the main conventions of music videos.
• A shining white light effect is used at one point of the video, when the song is at it's chorus. This and the lighting effects used for Satan/Lucifer create a binary opposition with each other, which symbolises the ongoing conflict between good and evil, and light and darkness.
• The song itself is not just telling the story of how they fought Satan/Lucifer, but it also tells the tale of how they defied fate.
• There is another establishing shot of the booth from the outside to show what is happening outside.
• The duo, then perform outside of the booth. This signifies their courage.
• The old lady attacking Jack Black is used to add comical effect.
• A third establishing shot is used to show the performance and people walking by casually, one of which is Ben Stiller.
• A mid-shot is then used to focus on the two men nodding to each other after they defeated Satan/Lucifer.
• A close-up is used for when the band's CD comes out of the booth.
• A mid-close up is then used for when the old lady(who was attacking Jack Black) is holding the CD.
• Then at the end, the old lady's eyes are glowing red and she starts doing an evil laugh. This signifies that she might be the devil in disguise.

Here is the video:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 4: Colors

Name of Song: Colors
Artist: Flow
Year: 2006
Genre: Pop-punk
Director: Unknown

Flow is a Japanese Rock band which formed during the late 90's. The band is made up of two vocalists, a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist. Colors is the band's fourth single which was released on November 8th 2006.

• The video starts off with an extreme close up of a keyhole which keeps on zooming in, until it changes into a long, mid shot of the room behind the key hole.
• The room is completely white, with the name of the band in bold, black font on top of the wall. Then there is a quick flash transition to the same room, however the floor is now orange and one of the band members is lying on the floor with the word voice on the wall and microphone dangling from the ceiling.
• Then there is another flash transition to the same room with a blue floor with another member of the band lying in the middle of the floor with the microphone dangling from the ceiling and the word, voice on the wall once again.
• The previous shots signify that the two men are the two lead singers in the band because in the next shot after the third flash transition, you can see that the floor is now red and that the two men who were lying on the floor are now dancing and lip-syncing to the song.
• There are three more shots which show the different members of the band, along with the different floor colours which signify this. As well as there role in the band being on the role with each member lying on the floor.
• Fast-paced editing is used in the video to fit with the jazzy mood of the song and the flash transition is used quite often.
• In the seperate shots of the two lead singers, they act like they're trapped in the room because they look like that they're trying to escape and at the same time, both singers are lip-syncing to the song.
• Then during a shot of the performance, the floor seems to be moving with the band on it.
• During 1:00, there is a long, mid shot of a group of decorators putting a sign with the band's name on it and one of them if using a vacuum cleaner to clean the floor. This is a hint at what the mystery of the room is, along with the ling, "The light shines into my room that was once empty."
• "I'm looking for the answer that should exist." Another link with the mystery of the room maybe?
• While the video is part performance, it seems that each member of the band is performing separately, in the same room because with each flash transition, a different member of the band is in the room by themselves, the colour of the floor and the writting on the wall signifies this. 
• Then when the two lead singers are in the same room, a formulae appears on the wall, MC2 as well as a disco ball. The formulae means the mass of an object multiplied by the speed of light squared. Possible intertexual meaning. 
• The band are wearing casual everyday clothes signifying that the setting is during the modern day.
• The video ends with a long, mid shot of the room with no one inside it, signifying that the band have escaped from it and then the camera zooms out of the keyhole to signify the end of the video.
• Overall, I believe that this video is a combination of the three main theories of Goodwin because the performance is one of the prime focuses of the video and as for concept and narrative, I believe that the actions of the band members in the room, signified that there was a narrative and that the colour changing floor is was part of the concept.

Here is the video:

This song was also used for the first opening to another anime favourite of mine, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. The song fits with the fast paced editing of the opening and the narrative of the show because the show tells the story of an individual who plans to rebel against the Britannia Empire, in order to create a utopia of his own liking and the lyric, "I feel the moment that changes the world, right here, right now and here" links in with that fact.

Here is the opening:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 3: The Joker

Name of Song: The Joker
Artist: Fatboy Slim
Year: 2004
Genre: Rock
Director: Unknown



Fatboy Silm aka Norman Quentin Cook, is a British DJ and record producer. He is best known for being one of the pioneer's of the electronic dance genre that obtained popularity during the 90's. The Joker, was originally a 1973 song by the Steve Miller Band. However during the year of 2004, Fatboy Slim reworked on the song for his 2004 single, Palookaville.

• The video focuses on narrative and concept because the video shows a day in the life of a single person, however instead of people, there are cats. This is done to add a surreal effect to the video and apparently, Fatboy Slim added the cats because the video was originally made for the artist's girlfriend.
• The song also has no relevance for the video besides from the cat in the jester hat.
• Close ups and high angles are used throughout the video to show the cuteness of the cats.
• The protagonist cat is wearing a jester's hat. Maybe this signifies the cat as being the joker, the title of the video refers to, as well as the song's lyrics.
• Camera panning used to show the "cat" city and it's facilities.
• Cat's wearing clothes similar to human clothes, such as police hats, builder's hats and boxing gloves.
• Cat's riding around in cars to make them look human.
• Newborn kitten used to depict a homeless person.
• The cat's dealing "catnip", symbolises drug dealers dealing drugs with each other. This sequence also signifies that the protagonist cat's lifestyle as being a "druggie".
• Fast paced editing of the protagonist licking his paw and walking through the graveyard, in contrast to the rest of the video which is mostly made up of long takes.
• Distorted clip of the cats playing is used to signify that the protagonist is high after taking the catnip.
• Intertexual reference to the artist himself via the lit up sign.
• Fast paced editing also used for the two main protagonists beating up the bodyguards at the party.
• High angle panning used to show all of the cats at the party.
• Cat spinning on the deck, used to give a comic effect.

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 2: Safety Dance

Name of Song: Safety Dance
Artist: Men Without Hats
Year: 1982
Genre: Synthpop
Director: Tim Pope

Men Without Hats is a band from Quebec, which characterises it's music via the voice of Ivan Doroschuk, the lead singer of the band. Safety Dance is where the band achieved it's highest amount of success, since the song became a Top 10 hit in the British and American charts during the 80's. The song was written after Ivan got kicked out of a club for pogoing.

• Two men can be seen walking through a field, one of the men being a dwarf.
• They are wearing medieval clothing, with the dwarf wearing a jester outfit and the other person wearing pauper rags.
• The video mostly focuses on narrative because the song can be heard while the action is taking place.
• A close mid-shot is used for when the "pauper" is lip-syncing to the song, while the Jester is playing a guitar-like instrument.
• A maiden then joins the pauper and the jester, signifying that the time period of the narrative is during medieval times.
• The maiden is wearing a white blouse with a brown dress. The characters clothes connote their wealth, to show that they are poor.
• When the pauper is walking through the town with the maiden and jester dancing, he is lip-syncing to the song. While the video focuses on narrative, there are also elements of concept which signify that the only relevance that the video has with the song is the fact that people are dancing in it, but if a commutation test took place by changing the time period of the song from medieval to modern day, then it wouldn't make any difference, although it would change the concept.
• Villagers are joining in with the dance and the red decorations denote that a festival might be taking place.
• Camera panning is used to show the village and the villagers, along with the maiden and jester's dancing.
• A long shot is used to show the villagers dancing, inspired from the three protagonists.
• Close ups are used for when the pauper is lip-syncing to the song. This could signify that he is the lead singer in the band.
• A high-angle, long shot is used for when the villagers are dancing in the barnyard.
• Two men wearing rooster masks, can be seen fighting each other. This adds to the unusual concept of the video, due to how random it is.
• Punch and Judy add to the weird vibe of the video.
• At the end, there is a random flash of some black and white images, some of these images include, bombs and a horse in front of a house. Could these images possibly symbolise something?

Here is the video:

AN - Music Video Deconstruction 1: Ray of Light

Name of Song: Ray of Light
Artist: Shouko Nakagawa
Year: 2010
Genre: J-Pop
Director: Unknown


Besides from being a singer, Shoko Nakagawa also has many other talents, being a Japenese idol, actress, illustrator. Watanabe Entertainment represents Shoko. The song, Ray of Light was part of her 2010 album, as well as being the fifth ending theme to the anime, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

• The video begins with a mid-shot from an angle of a grey wall with a picture frame of the same colour and the song's name can be seen in white font.
• Then it goes on to panning close ups of the artist singing.
• The artist can be seen wearing a stylish ring of some sort, along with a white dress.
• Mid, long shot of another grey wall with more dull coloured picture frames and a bordered up door.
• At one point in the video, Shouko smashes one of the picture frames, this could possible symbolise something, since this fits in with one of the lyrics, "These fragments of memories. Again, one by one, are disappearing." Fragments of memories = pieces of glass maybe?
• Slow paced editing, to fit the mood of the song. However, there are quick takes meaning that a lot of shots are used for this video.
• Close ups and mid, long shots are used during the performance to show the artist and the band performing, along with some panning.
• Lots of grey colour used in the music video, this colour fit in with the song's name, Ray of Light. Symbolism maybe? "There's always a light at the end of the dark tunnel."
• A suit of armour appears in front of the grey wall at 3:02. Could this possible symbolise the meaning, "A knight in shining armour will come to save the damsel in distress from the darkness." So does this mean, Shouko = Damsel in distress and dull colours used in the video = darkness.
• At 3:09, there is a mid shot of a dark grey picture frame on the grey wall. However in the frame, there are some dark clouds, that could be seen. Could this also symbolise darkness?
• Many of the shots in the video seem to be taken from different angles, probably to show the performance of the band and Shouko from different angles.
• Quick extreme close up of the broken frame being brought back into one piece.
• Long, mid shot of Shouko standing in a field. However, the grey, black and white colours are still used.
• Mid-shot of Shouko looking up at the sun. Possible ray of light maybe? Also the ray of light = "Seeking answers in the sky."
• Overall, the video varies from performance to narrative. However, it is hard to tell what the narrative is, but judging from Shouko's actions during the narrative sequences, I feel that the narrative might be about a woman trying to fight her inner demons. Hence the black clouds and the smashed picture frame.

Here is the video itself: 

http://randomc.net/2010/04/08/nakagawa-shoko-ray-of-light-pv-fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-ed5/ 


Like I said before, this song was also used during the fifth credits sequence to the anime, FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood (my favourite piece of media of all time). From looking, at the ending credits sequence and the music video, there are couple of similarities.

AN - Recreating the Hit Me Baby One More Time

Today, we all worked on filming our version of the famous Britney Spears music video, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time." We were split into four different groups to deal with the four prime sequences of the music video which take place the corridor, classroom, gym and car park, my group had to deal with the car park sequence. However, we encountered our first problem at the very beginning of the day which was the fact that two of our group members were absent, since one of them was planning to drop the subject so she decided to not come in and the other was ill. The main problem was that every needed to be Britney once and due to these two not being here, some of us had to play the role of Britney twice, like me for example.


Anyway, during the morning our group practised lip-syncing to the video, in order to prepare for filming later on in the day. We also filmed the first part of our Vodcast, in which we introduced ourselves and talked about our roles in the group, with me being the production manager which involved obtaining the extras for the video and being in charge of the equipment needed to make it, as well as that we also talked about the schedule for the day. After break, we negotiated with the other group about extras and helping them with there particular sequence, however we encountered problems during this because it was hard to negotiate with some of the members of the other group because they seemed to slack and prefer to sit around and do nothing. Once we had gone through negotiations, we began to film our sequence with the extras in our group. However, their "slackness" was getting in the way and I had to counter this with my "aggressive" director skills to keep order, on the other hand though, this isn't always the answer.


After lunch, Mel managed to get one of her friends in Year 8 to do some gymnastics for us to go in the video, since Britney is seen doing back-flips and such. Since the group filming the corridor sequence didn't need much of our help, we decided to shot the rest of the car park scene early because there were signs that it might rain. With the help of Burrowes, we managed to film the rest of this scene and we were able to borrow a car for this sequence as well.


Once we had finished filming for the day, we shared our thoughts on it via a Vodcast and then began to upload our behind the scenes footage onto a mac.


Click below to see the Vodcast and behind the scenes footage:

Click below to see the sequence that me and my group filmed:

AN - Goodwin's Theory

Although I have already mention part of this theory in a previous blog post. I will talk about this again and go into more depth than I did before. Anyway, moving on to the topic in hand, Goodwin's Theory consists of the three main conventions seen and used in music videos.

The first convention is performance, this is when the music video uses footage of the band performing at a concert or something similar to that. Most of the time, the band or artist is using lip syncing the words rather than singing them, however this has gained a lot of controversy over the past few years. A prime example of this, was when Britney Spears was accused of this during her Circus tour, on the other hand though this is done so that the band or artist doesn't have any problems multi-tasking during the performance. e.g. Singing and dancing at the same time. By using this convention in a music video, the producers are giving the band a realistic image in order to aim for a target audience who aren't fans of unrealistic or "fantasy" images. Besides from doing that, it also has the cheapest production values, due to the lack of special effects and costume etc.

The second main convention is narrative, is when the song being used in the music video, is being dramatised by actors, in some shape or form. This convention relies on visuals to create the feeling of a story being told, an example of this is usually with music videos which have clips from the film that the song was played in, whether it was diagetic or non-diagetic. e.g. Signal Fire by Snow Patrol from Spiderman 3 (not the best Superhero film ever, but still enjoyable).
Click below to see the video:

Finally, the last convention which is part of Goodwin's theory is concept, this is when a music video is based around a single, primary idea rather than multiple ideas, most of the time they give that surreal, unrealistic feeling towards the audience. However, this is usually a prime attraction used to obtain customers and one of the other two conventions is used alongside it, in order to give that feeling of accessibility towards 
the prime target audience, rather than that of a niche nature. A range of artists, cover this convention meaning that it is used quite often within the music industry.

AN - Britney Spears: Challenges and Problems We Might Face

Next Tuesday, we will be recreating the famous Britney Spears music video, "Hit Me Baby One More Time" just like the previous year did. However, when we film this on the day we'll be faced with some prime challenges and problems.


Firstly, there are many dancers and actors seen in the video, the problem is that we don't have as many people as the video. Although this is the case, we are able to counter this problem, since we have two media groups, one with fifth-teen people and the other with thirteen, we believe that this should be enough people.


Secondly, we might have to face location problems because in the music video, there are four main locations in the music video which are the classroom, hallway, car park and gym. The main problem with this is that these facilities will be used with other people and due to that, they may interrupt filming. The solution for this problem is to ask permission from school and then they will allow us to use these facilities.


Thirdly, in the video most of the dancers and actors are wearing school uniforms, the problem being that where would we get the costumes from. To solve this problem, we should try and see if we still have parts of our old uniforms lying around at home, but some of us might have thrown out our uniforms leading to another problem.


Finally, the last problem is that in the video Britney is lip-syncing and the problem is that the lip-syncing needs to be timed really well. The way to solve this is by getting everyone to practice lip-syncing to see who will play the lead role of Britney. The problem with this though is that it's time consuming, due to the amount of people taking part in the making of this video.

AN - Using Final Cut Express

During a free period on Wednesday, I went to see John (the Media Technician) and he showed me how to use Final Cut Express. This piece of video editing software is the main piece of software that is used for the A2 coursework.


Final Cut Express is a much superior piece of software when compared to Imovie because it has multiple video layers, which are extremely useful for having multiple clips playing at once or to create an effect during a certain point of the video. After I was taught how to use Final Cut Express, I learned how to use some of the special effects in the program by experimenting with different ones by trying them out on a variety of clips John filmed.


The effects I used included, giving one of the clips a glowing effect and another effect made one of the video layers fade in the video, giving off that ghostly effect. In conclusion, by using this piece of software I am able to use things in my A2 coursework music video which were not originally available to me in the previous course.

AN - Madness - One Step Beyond Music Video Idea (Practice Exercise)

So that we can get use to using Final Cut Express and the HD Cameras, we got set up with a task for creating a 30 to 60 second music video, using one of three songs to chose from. Our group chose the song One Step Beyond by Madness because our idea involves a man started a chain reaction by knocking someone's drink out of their hands, due to this the man starts chasing the trouble maker and throughout the video, more and more begin to join the mob as the trouble maker begins to annoy more and more people. These people include someone tapping on a wall in time with the beat of the song and someone reading a newspaper on a bench.


We came up with this concept because after listening to the song, it gave us that 1920s comedy serial vibe which was portrayed by stars such as Benny Hill and Charlie Chaplin. Due to this, when we get to the editing process, the video will be in black and white to show that 1920s vibe. However, we might face a couple of problems with this idea, such as disrupting public activity and because of that, we might into trouble with the authorities. This links into another problem which involves asking for permission to use certain facilities in the music video because if we can't use those facilities, then it would be harder to find locations to film at.


I will blog in the future to talk about how the filming and editing of the video went, in the mean time here's the song we're making the music video on, with the original music video:

AN - First Practice Pitch for Possible A2 Coursework Idea

Today, I pitched a possible idea for my A2 coursework. The song I chose was I Need A Dollar by Aloe Blacc, the idea only popped into my head this morning, since it developed in my head when the song was on the radio.


As for my music video idea, the video would start with a man trying to get onto the bus, but he doesn't have enough money so he gets kicked off and due to that, he has to resort to begging. Most of the video consists of the man lip syncing to the song, while he is sitting in the street in different locations, a montage of clips will also play of man's attempts trying to get change, but he faces situations such as being given a button instead of money and the authorities removing him from these locations, meaning that the music video will take place at multiple locations.


The idea came into my head because the name of the song makes you think, why does this guy need a dollar? Is he saving up for something or does he just need bus change? Although this idea sounds like a good concept, there are many difficulties faced when filming this video. These difficulties include, getting permission for using a bus for filming purposes because other people use the buses as transport, but a response might not be received from asking. Another problem is that the song already has it's own music video from 2010 and that the song is also the theme song to a TV show broadcast on Sky Atlantic according to my older sister, this is a problem because it has to be a song from many years ago or a song which doesn't have a music video.


In conclusion, most of the feedback I received from this pitch was positive, however I was told that I might have to use a different song for the music video or I might have to come up with a new idea. If this is the case, at least this pitch has made me learn what I need to research on and what I need to talk about in the pitch itself.


Here is the video for this song:

AN - What I have done this week from 20/6/11 to 25/6/11 Part 3: Controversy and Representation in the Music Industry

After learning of the technologies and software used in A2, we went on to learn about the controversy and representation in the music industry. A prime example of controversy seen in the music industry is the news story of Lady Gaga wearing a dress made of meat at the 2010 MTV Music Awards, due to this, she sparked controversy from animal rights protesters because they are against people eating meat and wearing their skin for fashion purposes. 

Another prime example of controversy in the music industry is in Rihanna's music video, Man Down. In which the artist shoots a rapist in the back of the head during the opening sequence of the video. Melissa Henson, director of PTC stated that, "Rihanna's personal story and status as a celebrity superstar provided a golden opportunity for the singer to send an important message to female victims of rape and domestic violence. Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability." 

In a series of Twitters via the social networking site Twitter, Rihanna sought to make her case. One of the tweets said, "I'm a 23 year old rockstar with NO KIDS! What's up with everybody wantin me to be a parent? I'm just a girl, I can only be your/our voice!"

Here is the video that Rihanna faced the controversy for:

Finally, from what I've learned about the music industry, I believe that there many different representations of people within these videos, For example, black people are usually portrayed as being the stereotypical "Black Pimps", due to the behaviour of rappers such as 50 Cent and Kanye West in these videos, however in reality this isn't the case. Another example of representation in music videos is the representation of women in music videos because they're usually shown as being objects towards men's desires hence the lack of clothing. A good example of this is in the Britney Spears music video, "Womaniser" in which during some parts of the music video, Britney can be seen laying down in a sauna completely naked. This is done to attract a male target audience and to get them to fantasize about her, so that they will buy her albums and make her music videos increase in popularity.  

Here is the video for Womaniser:

AN - What I have done this week from 20/6/11 to 25/6/11 Part 2: Shot Types and Technologies Used in A2

The next thing I learned after gaining knowledge about the codes and conventions of music videos was the different shot types used in them. The different shot types used in music videos include, mid shots and long shots which are usually used to focus on the performance of the band in music videos. However, these shots could also be used to represent the artist's power over the audience depending on whether or not, there is an audience watching the performance in the music video. Other shot types used include, POV shots and Dutch angles which are sometimes used to give a particular effect in the music video depending on its symbolic meaning and purpose. A prime example of the POV shot being used in a music video is in the video for Lux Deluxe by Cinnamon Chasers.

Besides from different shot types being used in music videos, there is a particular camera lense which is used to create an effect where particular images being shot are distorted in a certain manner, this is called a fish-eye lense. This lens is usually used in action shots and to capture context. Shake Your Rump by the Beastie Boys is a prime example for the use of this lense.


After I learned about the different shot types and the use of the fish-eye lense in music videos, I then went on to obtain knowledge about the different pieces of technology and software that we'll be using during the A2 coursework. In terms of cameras, we'll be using new HD cameras in A2, which are more powerful than the cameras that we used in last year's coursework because they have a wider angle lense meaning that the footage can be shot in HD and the cameras also have SD slots meaning that they can store SD cards, which can hold more data than a tape.


As for the software, we'll be using Final Cut Express to edit our music videos, in comparison to Imovie which we used in the previous course, Final Cut Express is twice as powerful mainly because it has multiple video layers which can be used to create certain effects, such as a glowing image or a distorted one. Many major films were made using Final Cut these include, The Simpsons Movie, Enchanted, True Grit (2010), 300 and No Country For Old Men. This fact proves that the technology we are using in this course is professional, meaning that we have access to the technology that the professionals use. We will be testing out the HD cameras and Final Cut Express in an upcoming task, but I shall speak of it in a later task.

AN - What I have done this week from 20/6/11 to 25/6/11 Part 1: Codes and Conventions

During the previous week, I begun the A2 Media course which involves creating a music video with a huge freedom of choice. Within the week, I started to learn many things about the music industry.


Firstly, I started off by learning the different codes and conventions used in music videos. In class, we had a look at three different Albanian music videos in order to find these codes and conventions. Beginning with concepts, we managed to find a couple which included, globalisation which is used to aim these music videos at different target audiences from different parts of the world. Another concept is the use of intertexuality in these videos, for example in Lady Gaga's music video for Bad Romance, there are many intertexual references to Madonna seen in the video which are a prime factor for the debate of feminism and post-feminism.


As for the codes and conventions, there are two prime conventions for music videos. The first of these conventions is narrative, which is used in most videos in our days, companies do this the music videos they create to give the company's desired target audience interest to watch the music video, due to this. The second prime convention is performance, which also used in music videos a lot these days. A combination of performance of both narrative and performance is often used in these videos, in order to give variety in the video.


Besides from the prime two conventions, other codes and conventions that are used in music videos include, fast paced editing which is used to give shot variety throughout the video and to create pace throughout it as well, depending on the song. Another example of a key convention is symbolism, although this is a convention that isn't usually thought about, it is used quite a bit in a music videos. A prime example is the Led Zeppelin song, Stairway to Heaven because if the song is played backwards, Satanic references could be heard.


Here is a link to more symbolism about the song and a video of the song being played backwards below:


 http://www.inthelight.co.nz/ledzep/stairway.htm