Location Research (Updated)

The location plays a massive part in how succesful your music video could possibly be as the setting that you choose must coordinate well with the song and artist that you are doing that video for. For example, it is unlikely that you would do a music video for a heavy metal band on a beach.

I have decided on the song 'Maps' by Maroon 5 and have decided that I would like to get the majority of my footage from filming in London as I believe that the pace of the city will fit in nicely with the upbeat tempo of the song that I have chosen.

Editing Images

Here is the process of how I edited the picture that I used on my magazine advert. I simply just placed it in photoshop, and then went to 'Image' 'Adjustments' and then 'Black and White.' Once clicking on black and white, it gives you the option to adjust the Hue and Saturation of the image. In this process, I increased the level of yellow in the image to brighten the 'Maps' and 'Maroon 5' cards that are on the top. Below is a picture of what it looks like on the first draft of my magazine advert. 

Magazine Advert Draft

This image of my magazine advert is only a draft as I feel that it is quite plain and simplistic. When making improvements I think it will come down to changing the background as the plain white comes across as quite dull. Another aspect I might alter is the possiblility of including some institutional information, for instance, I might include the logo of the record label that they are signed to.

Overview of Progress

Production Diary #12

This term I have found that there have been alot more hurdles to get over for my coursework this year compared to that of the magazines that I had to produce last year at AS. Originally, I had decided that I was going to have the narrative following something along the lines of a treasure hunt through the streets of London and had started to think about what I wanted to do and how I would be able to film it. However, this idea did not follow through due to a few problems. One of the issues that I faced was the issue with the days getting dark quite quickly, due to school consuming a lot of my time and there only being an hour or two after school where it still stayed fairly light, the footage would not have come out as I had wished because I would have had to carry around lighting with me as well as the camera and other equipment that I would have needed to film the music video.

After, this setback I had struggled to come up with an idea so I decided that it would be a good idea to focus a bit of time and attention on the print based ancillary tasks as I feel that this is an area that I am stronger in as well as the research and planning on my blog. I knew what artist to create the products for and the name of the album so I was pretty much good to go in terms of designing them both and I am very nearly finished with the basic first drafts that I have managed to put together.

When I first started the 'creating a music video' process, my media teacher showed the class some ideas from students from previous years, but also videos from the internet to give us some inspiration. I remember their being a lyric style video which I thought that even though it was quite simple in terms of the props and costuming, it was very effective. Not too long ago my teacher showed that video again and I decided that this was the route I wanted to take with my video. I also found it was quite similar to the production of 'Vance Joy - Riptide.'

In terms of the production of my video, I have taken some test shots for my blog, but also to see how I wanted to use the camera and the various shots that I wanted to use. This has helped me think of the various ways I can show the lyric cards that I have now made on InDesign when it comes to filming over the Christmas Holidays.

Choosing Colours for the Digipak and Magazine Advert (Planning)

 

I wanted to keep the colours that I used on the small side to create that minimalistic yet quite effective and stylised look that many bands and there work seem to have. I decided that by having a maroon/deep red colour would fit in well as it is in the name of the band and will be easily relatable to them. I created the colour on InDesign (as shown above) and just adjusted the settings to get the colour that I wished to use. The colour will also feature on the magazine advert to have this idea of a brand guideline being followed. Consistency within the work is key as if the audience cannot recognise a product, it is unlikely to sell.

Digipak Planning - Draft 1

This is an image of the first draft of the front cover for my digipak. The album is called 5 or 'V' as it is in roman numerals which links to the number of albums that the band have had - five - and the number of members that are in the band. I decided to paint the black 'V' on to the models hand as this is the name of the album, but also the open palm shows five fingers which is a reference to the number of albums that the band have had, which links back to the name of the album. Overall, the design is quite simple and follows similar guidelines in terms of the heading on the magazine advert in order for it to make it recognisable, and in some ways become apart of a franchise for the band.

Similar Product Research

Raw Footage

In preparation for my video, I have been playing around with the camera to get some ideas for different shots and effects I could use.

Starting to Film

Production Diary #11

After having a chat with my media teacher, I have found the inspiration for how I wish to film my video from a lyric style video for the song 'Dirty Paws' by Of Monster and Men. It is something completely different compared to the typical music videos that you traditionally see as I plan on there not actually being a person in the footage, it will just consist of someone interacting with the lyrics of the song that are placed on cards and positioned in places which could be deemed relevant to that lyric.

In preparation for filming, I made all the cards on InDesign, cut them up and I am planning to put them on different coloured pieces of card, once complete I will be ready to start filming my music video. In terms of the cards that I have made, I got all of the lyrics off of 'Metrolyrics' and copy and pasted each lyric/sentence into a box. To add a bit of depth and meaning to the video I have put all of the lyrics onto cards which have an ordanance survey map in the background, however, to make sure you can still see the text that is placed on top, I turned the opacity down to 26% and they turned out like this:

Planning and Preparation

Production Diary #10

I have recently been trying to catch up with my Planning Tasks and have been quite successful in doing so. I have decided that as the deadline for the first drafts of my coursework are due in just under 2 weeks time and I have been struggling with the process, I am going to complete my first draft in school as I do not have the time to complete it in my chosen locations out of school in order to complete it to a high enough standard and quality. By doing this, I am able to 'audition' various models and also complete my storyboard, anamatics and not have my blog  grade capped at 11/20 which would have a massive effect on my grade as I believe that the blog posts are one of my stronger qualities when completing my coursework.

I am having my first day of filming today and I am quite apprehensive about what the result of this will be. However, as long as I get some usable footage that fits the song fairly well, I can always make any final adjustments such as re-filming and editing over the Christmas holidays and when I return to school.

In terms of the digipak, I have decided that I am keeping the original album name V. In terms of ideas for the front cover of the digipak, I think I will take a picture of an open hand with the letter V written on it in black pen to incorporate the meaning of the roman numeral V - 5 - with their being five fingers on a hand. Another idea that I have considered is for the back cover. I believe that I might have the track list of the album wrapped around the outside of the letter, rather than going with a traditional list as I feel this is quite repetitive and typical in terms of presentation.

Props List

Another Prop that I will be using is lyric cards. I made these lyric cards on InDesign and these will be the main feature of my music video as they will help tell the story of the journey that the model will go on. They will be positioned in various places that relate to that lyric in the song, for example, "oh baby why did you run away," I could have the lyric stuck to someones back and film that person as they run away.

Maroon 5 Audience Research

When looking into the audience of Maroon 5 and who would typically listen to their music, I thought that looking at their social media accounts would give me a good idea of who would typically listen to their music. They had quite a lot of followers and subscribers on all three of the main social mediums that I looked at, suggesting that they have a large audience. In terms of the demographic, I would say that the music is mainly listened to by teenagers and young adults, however, due to the band being around since 1994 and also with the songs being extremely catchy with a memorable tune, I would say that there is a possibility of their being an older audience too.If I were to look through who follows their media accounts, the majority of the followers are female, however, there are male followers also suggesting that their variety of music from a more technologic vibe such as Payphone and Moves like Jagger, to more 'poppy' songs such as Sugar.

Moodboard

A moodboard is very helpful in the process of producing a music video as it has allowed me to think of some of the ideas I would like to use - i.e. setting and costumes - but also what the audience of the music video would like. By putting the song I have chosen to do my music video on in the background allows myself and others to think about how the images relate to the music.

Editing Software

Photoshop

The main use for Photoshop will be the completion of my digipak and magazine advert. Even though I will mainly use InDesign for the main structure of the digipak and magazine advert, I will edit any of the photos I take using Photoshop, for example - I might add a greyscale to some of the images. I am familiar with this programme as I ised the software when completing my GCSE and AS Level Coursework. One of the main reasons I have decided to use Photoshop is that you can add saturation to photos and import fonts so you don't have to use typical typography such as Arial.

Premiere

The majority of my coursework will be completed on Adobe Premiere Pro. When I film my music video, all of the footage that I film will be put together on Premiere. I am only familiar with the basic tools on Premiere as at GCSE and AS Level, the coursework was all print based. I am apprehensive about how the editing process will go, however, there is enough time to make changes and re-draft the video in which my confidence will grown when using the software. In the lessons where we are preparing for the exam, our teacher got us to analyse a music video on Premiere which allowed me to practise and learn all the vital skills I will need when it comes to the editing process.

Analysis of previous students' A2 Coursework

Looking at a previous students' blog and coursework is very beneficial in this process because it is good to see what videos have got high marks, and the reasons for why they have got that mark, but also by looking at those who got a lower score and the reasons as to why and apply this to my own product. I have looked at Katie's music video and blog in terms of the research and planning process, music video, digipak and magazine advert because the style of music video she has chosen - narrative - is the style that I wish to do also.

Costume and Styling

I believe that it is extremely important for me, as a part of my planning process, to look at and think about various ways to style the model who will feature in my music video. It is important that the clothes that I choose for them to wear will fit in well with the genre of music that it is in the music video, for example, the conventions typically seen in a punk/metal music video means they are quite dark and loud. so it would not be common for you to see the lead singer stood in pale blue jeans and a pink shirt. I believe that when considering the costume and styling of the model, it is important to think about the post that I wrote: influence from that style of music.

Location and Filming

Production Diary #9

Over the half term, I had the intentions to start the filming of my music video. At first I had no idea as  to what I was going to be filming as my mum had planned a surprise for my birthday and she said that I should get some footage to include possibly at the beginning - using it to set the scene. I found out on Sunday that she was going to take me on a helicopter ride over London and the River Thames, however due to the weather not being very good it was not safe for the helicopter to be flown so that has unfortunately had to be postponed. I am now hoping that when we manage to reschedule, it will be within enough time for me to include it in my video.

Quite recently, I have lacked the motivation to create my music video as I have been struggling to find someone to be featured in it. I am really hoping that over the next couple of days I will be able to get someone to agree to be in it as I have the deadline for the first draft of the video - before the Christmas holidays start on the 19th December. I had mentioned it to one of my friends, however she said it might be difficult for her but she works all day on the weekends - both Saturday and Sunday - so it might be a struggle to find time to film.

Planning for the Magazine Advert

This week I have started looking into what I wish my magazine advert to look like, This is obviously not the finished product as it is very sparse and lacking pictures, colour and various other information such as the name of the album. However, I believe that this is a good template to use as a starting point as from looking at other adverts from previous years and those which has less on them seemed a lot more effective and looked more artistic.

Half Term and Research Tasks

Production Diary #8

This week I have been concentrating on trying to finish the research tasks in order for me to properly start the planning tasks over the October half term. Today at school, we did a lot of research into one of the Ancillary Tasks that I have to complete as part of the coursework: the magazine advert. The magazine advert will be an advertisement for the album that the song is featured on. We looked at what was successful and what was not so successful over the past few years. Some features that our teacher said would be successful are: the font, design, technique used, and hierarchy.

Two tasks that I have completed this week are the research into the software and equipment that I am and will be using in the process of producing my music video and the tasks that go along with it, and also the research into my audience. Both of these tasks have been beneficial to the process of carrying out research as by looking into the equipment and software I will be using will help me keep a clear and structured plan of what I need to do and what I need to use to be able to carry the task out. Also, by looking into the demographic that fits with the music video will help me get an idea of what style I need to use such as colours, props and costumes. It would not be suitable for me to use bright colours such as yellow, oranges and pinks as it would not fit in with the Pop.Rock genre. When researching other videos by Maroon 5, the lighting is quite dark and the actors and actresses featured darker coloured clothing.

Over the October half term, I am hoping to start filming my music video. Today I signed out a camera for this purpose and also a steadicam in order to start the process of filming.

Audience Research

Who is the  targeted demographic for my Music Video?

The main demographic that fits with my music video will be that of fans of the artist of my chosen song - Maroon 5. I believe that this is a good idea as the song comes from the Top 10 Album - V - which is their latest release. However, the number one song 'Maps' has had a lot of radio play so will be familiar with many people, therefore this will also boost the reception of the video. Overall I believe that it will be targeted primarily at Maroon 5 fans, but secondarily targeted at Pop Rock fans aged from approximately 16-25 years old.

There is a possibility of it being targeted at an older demographic also because Maroon 5 formed in 1994, so people who were born in the 70's and 80's will also be familiar with their music and will possibly enjoy it if this is the genre of music that they enjoy. Even though the style of music that they produced has evolved over the years they have been present in the music industry, the familiarity of the artist will always be a great help. 

What are the listeners like?

I believe that the listeners of the music are likely to be students in either sixth form/college/university or currently in their first jobs. They might not have a lot of disposable income but will enjoy music gigs and concerts and shop in various places, from markets to higher end shops like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel. However, there is a pop element to Maroon 5's music so there could be fans of the Pop genre such as young teenage girls who will shop in places like Topshop and New Look. They might listen to other Pop Rock artists such as P!nk, Lifehouse and Avril Lavigne. 

Maroon 5 was formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, so it is likely that they have a very strong fan base on both sides of the Atlantic. Cracking both the USA and United Kingdom is a big move in an artist's career, and also with them being signed to such a big record label as well; Interscope, who have other artists signed to them such as ;

• The 1975
• The All American Rejects
• Black Eyed Peas
• Carly Rae Jepsen
• Gwen Stefani
• Far East Movement
• Lady Gaga
• LMFAO
• Madonna
• Lana Del Rey
• U2
• Zedd

How does researching my audience benefit my video?

Researching the demographic for my music video is a very important part of the pre-production process. The audience research above can be heavily applied to the target audience of Maroon 5 as well so the benefits of this is that as this is a song by them I can adapt certain aspects of their work to fit my style of work to be more successful. Overall, looking at the audience is key because if I do not outline who it is targeted at it could be completely wrong as, for example, someone who was a big fan of alternative rock music is not going to find a music video similar to that of Justin Bieber very appealing.

Software and Equipment

The main piece of software that I will be using when completing the editing of my music video is premiere pro CS6. This is a new piece of software that I will be using this year, as even though I have used it a couple of times in previous years, I have mainly used InDesign and Photoshop as the previous coursework that I have had to produce was print based. However, I have been using the software when preparing work for the exam, such as the analysis of Katy Perry's This Is How We Do in terms of narrative theory and seem to have the basics in terms of altering sound and adding text.

When filming the music video, I will be using the Canon 550d camera. I am familiar with these cameras as I  have been using them since Year 10. Since I began using these cameras I have developed a better knowledge in terms of how to use them and the different settings there are such as how to change the field of depth. When using these cameras in a studio, I use studio lights to better the quality of the shots.

 

 

 

In terms of lighting there are freestanding lights that my school have that I can adjust and move around when filming my video. Being able to position where I want them to be is beneficial to me as there is a possibility of bad lighting in certain locations and I will be aided with this issue by using the freestanding studio lighting. For example, in the drama studio at school it is likely that studio lighting would need to be used due to how dark the room is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When completing the ancillary tasks that go alongside the main video, I will most likely use either Photoshop or InDesign due to both tasks being print based. I am extremely familiar with both pieces of software as these were the main tools that I used when producing my coursework in previous years. There are various settings that I can use with my production such as editing the saturation and light levels in a picture, or importing new fonts to use on the promotional poster for a CD or music tour. I believe that these tasks will be fairly simple to make once I have an idea of what I wish to produce due to my familiarity with the software.

Lyric Analysis

Analysing the lyrics of my chosen song will help me not only with the planning of my video, but also when it comes to filming the video too. One point that is really important to achieve when filming the video is 'Visual Imaging.' Even though some songs choose to have a disjunctive narrative in which the lyrics have no relation to what the audience is seeing, the repetition of the lyrics in this song suggests that an amplified narrative will be best used because of repetition of words such as 'following' and phrases such as 'I was there for you.'

Planning tasks, Initial Ideas and Maroon 5

Production Diary #7

This week I decided to start on the planning tasks for my coursework as I finally managed to decide on what song I wanted to do a music video for - Maps by Maroon 5. I had initially thought about choosing a song that had a slow tempo. However, I struggled to pick a particular song that I felt I would be able to recreate in video form. Instead, I thought that a more up tempo song would fit quite nicely as the message I inferred from the song was that someone was trying to find something/someone that they lost.

When considering my initial ideas, I looked at videos that have inspired me - be that the basic narrative that they portray, the location of the video or the shots and movement of the camera - but also what props I should use, locations, costumes, the official music video for the song I have chosen, behind the scenes, lyric videos and also what type of music video I wish to produce. By doing this, I feel that it is helping me keep track of what ideas I wish to use, but also will help me when it comes to preparing my proposal for the music video later down the line. The planning and research tasks are very important in helping me come up with the ideas and starting the foundations for my music video which I hope to start filming next week when October starts. I have also asked one of my teachers if it would be possible to take a camera out over Half Term as there are a couple of plans that have been made which could be useful when it comes to putting together the prequel using 'B Footage.'

Next week I hope to carry on with more of the planning tasks as I have only got a couple of research tasks yet to complete, however do not believe I am ready to do these just yet. Over the next week and a half I wish to start thinking up ideas of where to film, what I wish to film and the results I would like to get from the footage I will possibly get over the October half term holiday. One task I do wish to complete in the near future is a more in depth look into the band Maroon 5 as I believe that the powerpoint presentation that I produced is quite basic with limited information.

Initial Planning Ideas

Over the past couple of weeks I have been considering some ideas for the planning and production of my music video for the song I have recently decided on - 'Maps' by the pop/rock band Maroon 5. Some things I have been considering are location, props, costumes and how to use the camera in terms of filming and editing the video. Below I have produced a Prezi that showcases the ideas that I have got.

Pop Rock Music (Influence of Style)

Maroon 5 are a band that produce Pop/Rock Music with songs such as 'Maps' and 'Moves like Jagger.' The band got together in the 90's and have so far released five albums of the pop/rock genre. With Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Micky Madden and Ryan Dusick forming the original band 'Kara's Flowers' in High School who initially produced songs of the genre 'Britpop' which is a form of alternative rock, the band have produced a variety of songs from a variety of music genres. 

Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music which originated in its modern form in the 1950s where it derived from the rock and roll genre. As a genre, it is very eclectic with it taking elements from various genres including urban, rock, Latin, dance and country. However, there are particular elements which define pop music and make it differ from other styles of music:

• short/medium length songs
• basic structure (verse chorus verse)
• repeated choruses
• melodic tunes
• catchy hooks

Pop music has influenced many people, however with the main demographic being adolescents and teens, it has really influenced their lives and habits in man ways. The music videos for example may influence teens to want to take dance classes, or it could affect what decision (career wise) they would want to pursue in the future. Also, teens who follow the life of the musician or artist through the internet on social mediums such as twitter and YouTube wish to emulate this which can have a good, but also adverse effect on them.

The lyrics of a pop song can also be very influential, especially over younger teenagers, for example:

• lyrics that feature violence and the encouragement of this may influence them to be violent or have rebellious tendencies
• those who listen to songs that degrade sex or are quite sexual tend to have sex at younger ages

Rock Music
Rock music is a genre of music that was commonly known as 'rock and roll' in the US during the 50s which it later developed into a range of other styles and genres over the years prior to its development. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as a part of a rock group where drums are also normally involved.  Like pop music, lyrics seem to have many romantic tendencies and references, but also other references that usually have a social or political emphasis.

Rock music has been influenced by rhythm and blues and country music from the 40s, but also drew ideas from folk, jazz and classical. However, since the evolution of rock music, there have been many sub genres, including; blues rock, folk rock, country rock, jazz-rock fusion, glam rock, heavy metal, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, rap rock, garage rock, synthpop and punk rock music.

Rock music has resulted in a massive impact on society with it influencing daily life, fashion, attitudes and language. As the demographic of rock music has matured, the music became an accepted and deeply interwoven thread in a popular culture. With it beginning in the 70s, rock songs and acts were beginning to be used in TV adverts, but also TV and film soundtracks,

In the cross-over of African American "race music" to a growing white youth audience, the popularisation of rock and roll involved both black performers reaching a white audience and white performers appropriating African American music. Rock and roll appeared at a time when racial tensions in the US were entering a new phase, starting with the beginnings of the civil rights movement for desegregation.

The rock and roll lifestyle was popularity associated with sex and drugs. Many of rock and roll's early starts were known as hard drinking, hard living characters. During the 1960s, the lifestyles of many stars became more publicly known, aided by the growth of the underground rock press. Musicians had always attracted the attention of "groupies" who spent time with and often did sexual favours for band members.

Rock music and fashion have always had some links. In the mid 60s of the UK, rivalry arose between "Mods" and "Rockers," each style had their own favoured musical acts. In the 60s, The Beatles brought mop-top haircuts, collarless blazers, and Beatle Boots into fashion. Rock musicians were also early adopters of hippie fashion and popularised such styles as long hair and the Nehru jacket. As rock music genres became more segmented, what an artist wore became as important as the music itself in defining the artist's intent and relationship to the audience. In the early 70s, glam rock became widely influential featuring glittery fashions, high heels and camp. In the late 70s, disco acts helped bring flashy urban styles to the mainstream, while punk groups began wearing mock-conservative attire, in an attempt to be as unlike mainstream rock musicians, who still favoured blue jeans and hippie-influenced clothes. Heavy metal bands in the 80s often favoured a strong visual image. For some bands, this consisted of leather or denim jackets and pants, spikes/studs and long hair. Visual image was a strong component of the glam metal movement. In the early 90s, the popularity of grunge brought in a punk influence to fashion of its own, including torn jeans, old shoes, flannel shirts, backwards baseball hats, and grew they hair against the clean-cut image that was popular at the time in heavily commercialised pop music culture. Musicians continue to be fashion icons: pop culture magazines such as 'Rolling Stone' often include fashion layouts featuring musicians as models.

Songwriters such as Pete Townshend have explored these spiritual aspects within their work. The common usage of the term "rock god" acknowledges the religious quality of the adulation some rock stars receive. Some metal bands use demonic imagery for artistic and/or entertainment purposes, though they do not worship or believe in Satan. Ozzy Osbourne is reported to be Anglican and Alice Cooper is a known born again Christian. In some cases, though, metal performers have expressed satanic views.

Videos I Admire

There are many music videos by various artists from different genres and styles of music that I enjoy to watch. However, there are particular songs and videos that I admire for many different reasons, and here are a few:



This is the video for 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri. What I admire and enjoy about this video is the simplicity of the video with the thousands of tealight candles and the lighting that has been used. I believe that this video will influence the style of video I decide to film as I would also like to create a minimalistic video with a small number of props. One of the songs on my shortlist; Maps, is different to this video in terms of the pace and tempo of the backing track, however I believe that the key prop that I would use would be a map, and that is all as I believe that I would solely use this to portray the message I wish to convey.



This is the video for 'Beating Heart' by Ellie Goulding. What I admire and enjoy about this video is the choice of camera movement, shots and the darker lighting used. I like the idea of the character in the video being tracked by the camera which I believe would fit with both of the songs that I am considering. For 'Fix You' by Coldplay, the key lyric I would play on would be 'lights will guide you home' so the tracking movement of the camera will help convey the idea of someone being gudied home. However, in 'Maps' by Maroon 5, The quick tracking and movement of the camera will help portray the urgency to find their way back to where they want to be.



This is the video for 'Broken' by Lifehouse. What I admire and enjoy about this video is the strong narrative and story basis that the video is made up of. In terms of the visual imagery that is used, this is the sort of thing that I would like to use for my music video that I will be filming. One feature that I like is the location that the video is shot in and the way that the camera tracks the protagonist in the video. Even though the song that I have chosen has a more upbeat tempo compared to this song, I believe that a narrative would work well due to the lyrics as I believe that it would be easier to create images that are relatable for the audience, but also so that the video fits the lyrics of the song.

Research into chosen genre and artist

I have done some research into my chosen genre of the song (Maps - Maroon 5) I will be using for my music video - Pop Rock. I believe that by completing this research it will give me a good insight into what the song is like and possible content of it. Here is a prezi presenting my findings and below are a few music videos of the pop rock music genre which I believe is a good thing to look at as it will make it possible for me to stick to the conventions typically seen in the videos for this genre of music.



Here are some videos by artists who are considered to be Pop Rock Artists

Choosing a song and researching the artist and their style of music

Production Diary #6

This week in class I decided to have a look at various music festivals and channels that show different genres of music, live performances and music videos. I have had first had experience of this from watching music videos on MTV to going to gigs and concerts such as the iTunes Festival.

I have been undecided as to what song I wanted to do for my music video but have finally narrowed it down to 2 songs, and in my lesson tomorrow I will ask for feedback from others in my class and my teacher as to what song they think would be more successful and effective in terms of the ideas that I have for my music video.

For the song 'Fix You' by Coldplay, I fixated on the repetitive lyric 'lights will guide you home' which, if I choose this song, would be the key aspect played on in the video whilst the camera tracked the character in the clip and they were 'guided home' by various lights.

In terms of the song 'Maps' by Maroon 5, I wanted to play more on the idea of someone being lost and trying to find their way home with a key prop being a map which helps guide them. I think this would be effective and something quite different as I have concluded as I believe that the artistic direction that I wish to follow is more of a narrative based story line as I do not believe that the people I am considering for the video would be happy to perform the song as such.

The genre of the two songs are alternative rock and pop rock, so there is a rock element in both of the songs which I think will help keep the pace of the song going and make it easier for me to keep the flow of the video when attempting to film.

Next week, I hope to have uploaded a post which features my initial ideas that are listed above in more detail and would have hopefully picked which song I wish to use. Then I will be able to go into more detail as to what props, costumes, hair & makeup I will be using.

Existing Music Channels and Festivals

By looking at existing music festivals and expecially music channels, my music video will benefit from this as I have looked into the possible markets that it would be shown on. If the music video were to be a success on the music channels such as MTV or 4Music, then it is possible that the artist would go on to do concerts and perform at festivals so it has given me a good insight into what ones are popular and the styles of genre that is typically performed at either of them.

MTV

MTV is an American based cable and satelite television programme owned by the MTV music and logo group and a subsidary of Viacom Inc. The original purpose of the channel was to air music videos, with its main demographic being young adults, however, this has evolved and is now mainly targeted at adolescents and teens. The first ever video that was shown on MTV was 'The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star.' The chosen videos and the decision on what would be played was guided by on air personalities called 'VJs' or 'Video-Jockeys.' In 1984, the channel produced its first MTV Video Music Awards or 'VMAs.' The first award show was punctuated by a live performance by Madonna of 'Like a Virgin.' The statues that are handed out at the Video Music Awards are of the MTV moon man, the channel's original image from its first broadcast in 1981. Presently, the Video Music Awards are MTV's most watched annual event.

4Music

4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom that launched in the summer months of 2008. 4Music is the sister channel for Channel 4, Kerrang! and Smash Hits, and is owned by Box Television, (Bauer Media Group/Channel Four Television Corporation). Some of the programmes that featured on the channel were: Today's 4Music Top 10, Your Official Top 20, UKHot40, 4Music Doubles, and many others. 4Music hascoverage at both V Festival and T4 on the beach, (the festival shut down when T4 aired for the last time in 2012) and they have/had a stage at both of these music events.

V Festival

V Festival is an annual music festival hosted in England on the penultimate weekend of August. The dea initially came from Pulp's front man Javier Cocker who liked the idea of being able to play 2 different stages, in 2 locations over 2 days. He got together with his management team who thought it was a good idea and they decided to bring in other artists to perform also. The first ever V Festival took place in the August of 1996, where the show took place in Victoria Park, Warrington and Hylands Park, Chelmsford. It started out typically as a rock festival, however over more recent years it has been common for more pop artists to get involved. The festival is sponsored by Virgin Media and was televised on Channel 4's sister channel 4Music, however the rights to air were sold to MTV in 2014. Some of the artists that have headlined or performed at V Fest are: Blur, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Oasis, Kasabian, The Killers, Snow Patrol, The Goo Goo Dolls, Lily Allen, Taylor Swift, Passion Pit, Kaiser Chiefs, Chase & Status, Rihanna, Eminem and David Guetta. In 2007, V Festival Australia was launched in which there was initiall 2 stages, but the year after they expanded to 4. In June of 2006, Richard Branson decided to launch Virgin Festival which was a spin off of the British V Festival, this was held in the United States of America and Canada.

Reading and Leeds Festival

 

Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds, England over the Bank Holiday weekend in August. Reading is the senior of the two festivals and was introduced first and is the worlds oldest popular music festival with rock, alternative, indie, punk and metal dominating the line up. The festivals are run by Festival Republic, divested from Mean Fiddler Music Group. the festivals usually consist of the following stages: Main Stage, NME/Radio 1 Stage, Dance Tent, Lock Up Stage, Festival Republic Stage, 1Xtra Stage, Alternative Tent and BBC Introducing Stage. Artists that have played at the festivals are Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, Kings of Leon, The Killers, Blink-182, Ramones, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, Kasabian, Eminem and My Chemical Romance.

History of Music Videos

By researching and looking into the History of Music Videos allows me to get a good understanding as to how music videos have evolved over a period of time. This research will benefit me when it comes to filming and editing my own video as it'll allow me to get ideas from previous conventions that were used in the videos.

Back to School and Organisation

Production Diary #5

Over the summer holidays, I have not uploaded as many production diaries as I should have and wanted to upload. When I go back to school on the 3rd September, I hope to get back into the routine of uploading a minimum of one production diary per week.

This summer, I have solely concentrated on the research tasks that I needed to complete for my blog as I felt that I did not want to produce any of the planning tasks until I had a definite song for my music video. Even though I am not 100% on what to do, I have narrowed it down to a couple of songs and will gain feedback on this when I get back to school meaning I should be able to start on the planning tasks as soon as possible.

Today, I decided to concentrate on postmodernism and analysis of music videos. This was a post that I was producing for the other side of the course for my exam blog, however I felt that it was relevant so decided to upload it to this blog also and label it as one of my research tasks.

Over the summer, the tasks that I have been able to complete are:
- Music Video Theorists
- Research of Music Video Directors
- What is a Digipak?
- Analysis of previous students coursework
- History of Music Videos

Music Video Theory and other Research

Production Diary #4

Today I have been looking into media theorists different perspectives towards music videos. Key theorists that I came across were Andrew Goodwin, Stuart Hall and Laura Mulvey who all had varying perspectives towards the creation and conventions within a music video. All of these theorists play a big role in the way in which music videos can be analysed and interpreted. I found it really interesting looking a the five key aspects that Andrew Goodwin discusses because I believe that this will also benefit me when it comes to planning my music video. The five aspects were:

1. Thought through Beat
2. Relationship between the song and visuals 
3. Narrative and performance of the song
4. Technical aspect of a video
5. Star image

Another task that I was looking over today was previous students' work which I believe is beneficial when it comes to researching and planning my work as it is good to see what has been successful and allows you to take ideas and make them your own. I looked at Katie's work from last year and I liked the various platforms in which she has produced her work on such as the use of videos which I find very effective. I also enjoyed how her video seemed quite simple in terms of costume, however I believe that this allows the audience to relate to the video. 

Finally, even though I have done the analysis of various digipaks, artist websites and magazine adverts. Today I did some further research into what a digipak actually is. I found that they have become quite popular since the beginning of the 2000s.

Music Video Theorists

Research of Music Video Directors

What is a Digipak?

A Digipak typically consists of a gate fold paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD and/or DVD attached to the inside. Digipak style packaging is often used for single CD releases or special editions of an album. Digipak packaging is useful due to its resilience unlike the jewel cases which can be very brittle and smash quite easily. However, a Digipak can wear down quite easily unlike the jewel cases as it is less resistant to abrasion. Since the beginning of the 2000's, Digipaks have become quite popular with record labels and recording artists.


Looking into Digipak's is beneficial to me whilst creating my coursework as it is one of the ancillary tasks that I will have to make as a part of my final product so by doing this research allows me to see what typical conventions are used by artists, but also what makes a digipak successful compared to a normal CD, also the negative sides to them though too.

Here is a video that I found on youtube when carrying out some research about Digipaks which explains how they are economically beneficial and how they are made.

Carrying out Research

Production Diary #3

Currently I have been carrying out research on music videos and more precisely, this week I have been looking into the history of them. Through always showing an interest in watching music videos by various artists it is quite interesting to see the historical development of how they have got to the point they are at today. With the music industry starting with 'talkies' 'soundies' and 'shorties' there has been a consistent evolution over the years which has been benefited through the increase in technological advances and also through media convergence which has helped with the promotion of these music videos. An example of this is with YouTube where daily, thousands of music videos will be uploaded and shared across the internet.

By researching the history of music videos, it will help me consider what style of music video I wish to produce. Whether I might go for a narrative based video, a performance based video, a lyric video or one filmed against a green screen. It has also opened my eyes to the idea of basing it on a film or another theme for example.

Another aspect of music videos that I have been looking at is the conventions of music videos and have linked research that I have carried out from the other half of my course (G325) with the work I have been doing on this half (G324). Specifically I have looked at representation, genre, media language, audience and narrative. Even though this research is not specific to my coursework, it is interesting to look at how music videos that are shown on the internet and also television can adhere to these conventions. Furthermore, when specifically looking at the representational issues to consider within a music video, I picked up on a few key points when analysing the music video 'If I Were A Boy' by the artist Beyonce through the means of mis en scene.

Representational Analysis within a Music Video - Music Video Theorists

Research into Conventions of Music Videos - Music Video Theorists

Question 1b from ramsz001

History of Music Videos

Possible Music Video Locations

Here is an image of a beach in the West Witterings, East Sussex.

Here is an image of a local park which could be a possible choice for a scene in the music video, however I believe that there are other options which would be more effective such as the beach. 

Researching Music Companies & Skills Audit

Production Diary #2

Throughout this week I started to complete the research portion of my coursework, starting with the task where I had to research into existing music labels. This was quite an interesting task to complete as prior to this I had not realised that there was one large conglomerate which had many subsidaries which made up that company. For example, the Universal Music Group is a media conglomerate which owns smaller, well known subsidaries such as The Island Def Jam and Capital Records. Even though I have come up with some good locations for my music video, I have not decided on a certain song yet so have decided that it would be best to stay away from the planning tasks until I feel a bit more confident with my decision. At the moment, I am currently researching into the history of music videos and hopefully that will give me a good insight into what my music video should be like and give me a few more ideas.

By the lesson on Tuesday I hope to get the post on the history of music videos uploaded on to my blog and to have started looking into the conventions of a music video. From looking at the various research tasks that have been set, I believe that this will help with the decisions I need to make to create my music video.

Skills Audit:
When considering what skills I can utilise in this project there are a few such as being dedicated to my work and working hard. I have also found that through subjects at GCSE such as ICT and Media, and also through completing my coursework at AS, I've been able to develop on skills such as creativity in order to boost my grade through the use of various software's such as InDesign and multiple hardware's such as the Canon 550d camera that I used to take the photos for my media coursework in both Years 11 and 12.

I am hoping that as for many years I have taken to watching various music videos that have been produced by different artists who perform different genres of music, I will have the ability to come up with some good and creative ideas that will benefit my coursework.

I have always been a very organised person and I am very good with managing my time and tasks efficiently this was shown through meeting various deadlines over the period of creating my AS coursework and through meeting simple tasks set for homework throughout my school career. It has also always been very important to me that the work that I produce is always to its highest standard, meaning that if there is something that I believe is not up to the standard that I hope for, I am happy to receive criticism from others which will help me make the necessary improvements.

Research into Music Labels

By carrying out research into various music labels that currently exist, but also have been shut down, benefits me when it comes to carrying out the research and staging processes of my coursework as I have found it interesting how the workings of the different companies differs, for example, The Universal Music Group features more of the rock artists such as Maroon 5 and Bastille, therefore producing edgier music videos and songs which have a strong tempo featured throughout, whereas Sony Music have more pop artists such as Justin Bieber and One Direction therefore the music videos have more typical pop video conventions such as brighter colours and more structured and routine heavy videos. This has helped me develop ideas from both genres that could potentially influence the style of my video.

Music Videos

Recently, I have been watching some music videos to gather some ideas from various artists and see how they have been put together. Some artists also have uploaded a 'behind the scenes' which have been quite interesting and informative to watch.

Introduction

Production Diary #1

This year, the coursework tasks are completely different to those I have completed at AS and GCSE. With a choice of either filming and making either a short film or a music video, I chose to create a music video. This year I believe the work load will increase massively but also enlighten me to a new set of skills that I will have to utilise such as learning how to use the cameras to produce high quality footage.

This week I started looking at possible ideas I could use for my music video. With there being so much choice as to finding a song, whether to not use the original or the style of video, I have found it hard to choose a particular song, however I have decided that I wish to have a music video with an open narrative - open for interpretation. When watching music videos on YouTube I have always found myself drawn to those which have a storyline rather than live performances because you gain an understanding of what the song is about but still allows the audience to interpret their own meanings of the song.

When it has come to thinking possible song ideas, I want to go for something quite simple and slow as I feel it fits the style I can see myself creating. To fit the slow song, I believe that the use of slow motion and a portion of travel and journey will work well to highlight the progression of the song to the audience.

In the process of deciding on what my music video will look like I felt it would be a good idea to think of possible locations that I would be able to use. I believed that this would have been a good area to start with as there is no point in picking a song but having no where to film it. Possible locations that I have chosen that are outside of school are:
- West Witterings, Sussex
- The Rose Garden, Hyde Park
- Diana Memorial, Hyde Park
- Ruislip Woods

Even though the west Witterings is a little bit out of the way compared to the other locations, my mum has said that she will drive me to the location and my mums friend has a small cottage located near the beach front and I think that this would be a great location for a slower song.

At the moment, some songs that I have been considering are:
- When you're gone, Avril lavigne
- beating heart, Ellie goulding
- tee shirt, birdy
- not about angels, birdy
- heart by heart, Demi lovato
- I don't want to miss a thing, Aerosmith