The intention of my music video is to convey emotion without dialogue, and to provide the audience with something that could resonate with them on a personal level. Although most all music videos have no dialogue, I wanted to do something a little different and focus purely on expression and gesture in an effort to convey differing emotions that the audience could identify with. As I underwent the filming process, I thought of ways that I could convey certain emotions such as sadness, happiness and joy. Through research, I discovered the art of 'silent film'.
A 'silent film' is a film with no recorded sound with a narrative that is expressed solely through gesture, mime and placards (pertaining to the eras 1895 - 1936). I was inspired by the concept of 'silent film' because of the way that narrative can be expressed without dialogue and can direct the audience to muster up their own emotional response and interpretation of the moving image. My research led me to discovering a pioneering silent film by none other than the great Alfred Hitchcock (who is incidentally one of my favourite directors!). 'The Lodger' by Hitchcock, is a classic thriller that follows the trail of uncovering the murderous path of a man who resides at a married couples home.
What I found immensely fascinating from watching the trailer is that cinema can do so much without even trying! It evoked such a happy response that I'm going to watch the film over the weekend! The absence of dialogue didn't bother me at all, in fact, it urged me to work harder in discovering the narrative - but it didn't feel tiresome to do so. Because of this, it is clear that expression and gesture was going to feature heavily within my music video, which is why I felt that I needed to include varying close-up camera angles that told a story, whilst also conveying a particular emotion. I felt captivated by the way that the film was shot and how the camera managed to capture every single twinge of emotion on faces of the characters.
Aside from researching the art of 'silent film', I was also inspired by one of my all time favourite films, 'Brick' (2005). Directed by Rian Johnson, 'Brick' is a neo-noir mystery/thriller film that follows the protagonist in his journey into the realm of a high-school crime circle following the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Emily. The reason why this film is one of my favourites is because of it's aesthetic and the way that it was filmed. Overall, the film has a gritty and grungy appeal, but I pay the most attention to the use of cool toned overlays during several of the more melancholic scenes.
The film features the same aesthetic throughout and convinces audience to maintain their engagement through a variety of camera shots as well as the complementary use of noise and grungy aesthetic appeal - this is what captivated me, anyhow. Focusing on the scenes of desperation and sadness that Brendan faces when uncovering his ex-girlfriends body, the footage has a soft, cool hue that intensifies the emotion that the audience are going to experience, but also highlights the pain of the characters. Because of this, I am going to use this as inspiration for my music video as I want to take the audience on a journey of emotion through my choices of camera angles and editing.
There is also a discreet element of Colour Psychology here as the audience are led to feel the emotion of sadness and pain because of the associations with the colour blue. In my editing, I will be using this similar idea as I have already said, the intention is to evoke different emotional responses from the audience.
My footage
As mentioned in a previous post, I have also taken inspiration from a music video by Daughter. The music video, 'Doing The Right Thing' is full of the aesthetics that I want to achieve in my final product. Specifically looking at the colouring and editing of the video, the contrast with warm and cool toned footage is evident and is something that the audience will resonate with in terms of differing emotions that they are going to experience. It is obvious here that the main colouring of the screenshot that I have selected from the video is warm and exhibits a fire off-set to the right of the screen. For comparison, I have also included a screen shot of my footage of which details how I have drawn inspiration from this music video.
Footage from 'Doing The Right Thing' (Inspiration)
In addition to this, I also drew inspiration from the close-up shot of the eyes of the woman from Daughter's music video. I included an extreme close up camera shot of my mothers eyes in my own video.
Considering that my music video details the undying relationship of my parents and how it has grown throughout the years, I intended to use photographs that detailed their progression throughout their separate lives before meeting one another. So upon finding this video, it was with my luck that it actually had a 2 second frame of a wedding photograph of the two protagonists in the video. I observed how the photograph was filmed very closely and pondered on how I could make the photographs stand out in my music video. So, combined with the fire that I saw within the music video, I then tested how the photographs would look when filmed in front of my fireplace. It worked extremely well and had so much effect that I stuck with the idea. Symbolically, the flames over the photographs signified that their love for each other is undying and is ripe with passion and desire; as fire is typically denotes this.
Screenshot from Daughter music video (Inspiration)
The inspiration that I drew from the music video for Daughter was the use of extreme-close up camera shots. As you can see below, the screen shot from my music video exhibits my mothers side profile and eyes. Combined with the editing that I did through Final Cut, the frame conveys the emotion of sadness and shows my mother reminiscing about fond memories.
I didn't go into filming with the intention of copying the music video as considering that my band didn't have a music video for this song, I was given so much creative freedom.
Screenshot from my music video
Overall, my influences have been varied and I have enjoyed researching different elements that
would direct my music video in the right direction, but also satisfy my creative talent. Aside from the aesthetics and camera angles, I was also interested in the use of depth of field in the music video for Daughter. Because of this, you will see a range of transitional shots (see post about Transitional Footage for examples) that focus on nature and depth of field.
Screenshot from Daughters music video (Inspiration)
This video documents my transition footage exploration as I play around with depth of field in my garden. The transition footage will be featured in my final product as this breaks up the video and gives the audience alternative frames to look at.
The test footage was incredibly successful and I have improved the way in which I filmed the transitions. I toyed around with the ISO and the Aperture so that I wouldn't have any noise in the clips. The footage came out crisp and sharp, and the blur and depth of field proves incredibly effective. I mentioned before that I would include slow motion editing over the footage, but for the transitions, I won't as this may detract from the clarity of the footage and could affect the effectiveness of the frames.
The first clip of the fence and the tree worked up until the point it reached the leaves - I wanted to see how well it would work if I had a nice depth of field but then blur it out at the end. It didn't prove as effective as I wanted it to be, so I filmed the same area again, but this time, letting the crispness of the leaves and the tree become apparent. The second time I filmed worked extremely well and I will test it out in Final Cut to see how editing the footage in different ways affect the meaning and interpretation. Moving on to the flower transitions, the second time I filmed worked well and the footage retained it's clarity and sharpness. However, the final time I filmed, I wanted to see how well the footage worked with me pushing the swinging flower basket and capturing depth of field. It proved ineffective and the footage looked messy as I was considering many different variables (i.e. the movement of the basket and controlling the focus and depth of field) - and I ultimately neglected the steadiness of the camera. Despite this, it was a useful exploratory risk that I took as I now know which footage and frames work best.
I also asked friends and family which footage worked better and they all agreed that the second flower footage worked best, as well as the second fence and tree footage.
In order to effectively manage my time around my Media Studies coursework, I have contacted the actors that I require for my music video. Incidentally, the actors are my parents. The reason why I have chosen to use my parents as my actors is that I know that they are extremely reliable and I effectively know their schedules inside out - thus making it easier to film around them and their own schedules.
I can gain many things from using "older" actors, for one, they are more mature and more likely to conform to what I need to do as they are in effect, great time managers. They are also less likely to "mess around" during the filming process, and in order to complete my music video to the best of my abilities, I need to stay away from people who are going to hinder the filming process. As they are my parents, I am always around them, so if there is a section of footage that needs to be changed in order to have the most effect, I always have them at my disposal... as I live in the same house!
However, the only set back that I see from using them as my actors, is that my father is an International Manager and Owner and actually lives in New York and in some cases, Bangkok. So I have asked for his flight schedule so I can tailor my own schedule around the time that he is away. He is in the process of compiling this together, so once I get it, I will evidence it on my blog to show my time management. Although this can be seen as a hindrance, I always aim to see the positive in these situations. Whilst my father is away on business, I aim to complete all of the frames that just have my mother in them, this will help my filming process as I am not dependent on my father being here to film this footage. When he is back, I will then film the scenes with him and my mother.
Although they are my parents, I still want to mirror the same level of professionalism that I would have had to undertake if I was using alternative actors. I got a response from my mother almost straight away, telling me that she was happy to be involved in it... It's also nice to see that despite the professional circumstances, she still tells me that she loves me!
The process of evidencing my liaising with my actors is nearing completion. I received email confirmation from my father saying that he would be happy to help me.
I also emailed him asking for his flight schedule as then as I previously stated, I can work around the time that he is away. I am aware that there is a block of time where is is unavailable so having this list enables me to direct my focus and attention to other areas of my coursework, such as the completion of my DigiPak.
As asked, my father provided me with his travel and work schedule that details when he will be out of the country and when he will be available for filming. I've noticed that there there is a significant amount of time where my father isn't in the country, but I'm not worried because I know that personally, I am a very good time manager and I am committed to getting this completed to the best that I can.
It is not an issue that my father is out of the country for these two weeks, I will find other things to do as I previously mentioned.
Now that I have the flight and work schedule, I have put together an Excel Spreadsheet that details the availability of both parents over the next two months. For my fathers column, there is A LOT of red and unavailability, but nearing the end of Christmas, he is free. It is currently the 23rd of November 2016 and he is here until the 27th of November.
With this in mind, I will have to alter what I originally wanted to do, which was film everything to do solely with my mother, but I now see that this won't be an effective use of my time. So, I have decided to film all the scenes with my mother and father over the course of the next four days - this will be the best use of my time. After my father leaves on the 27th of November, I will then film my mother and all of the scenes that revolve around her. This leaves me time to focus on other areas of my coursework, too.
I have inserted the completed availability schedule to the right. This helps me to visualise the availability and unavailability of the actors. With the aid in visualisation of the schedule, I am able to judge what I can and cannot get done within these time constraints.
With the sheer availability that my mother has, I am able to dedicate a block week to the scenes that just have her in them. It seems that I will have to use the four days (starting from 23/11/16 - 27/11/16) to film the scenes where they are together.
The aim is to get up early in the morning and set out into town to film. This is purely because there won't be a lot of people around and there won't be any external noise or hindrance from the general public - although, this is a factor that I must be respectful of anyway.
Filming in the morning then gives me the rest of the day to enhance the footage through Final Cut and edit any other elements that need to be tended to.
So, why hands?
In keeping with the overall mood of my final product, I decided to set up a photoshoot so that I may take photos of of my parents' hands and edit them using Photoshop.
I personally believe that the hands are the most intimate part of the human body, thus, it would only be natural to photograph them and use them as an exploratory idea for my DigiPak due to the nature of my music video and what it entails. Since these are the hands of my parents, I felt as if I should incorporate them into the DigiPak one way or another in an effort to complete a well-rounded moving image piece and it's additional marketing products - however, this isn't obviously the final decision I will make, I will explore alternative methods and/or images to include on the DigiPak.
Symbolically, hands are part of the human body that instigate the most interaction, they can be the forefront of expression, communication and intimacy. To further reinforce the intimate and romantic, yet brooding (only through the song does this element emerge) mood of my final product, to include the hands on the front and back cover of the DigiPak, seemed relevant and appropriate and ties the product together.
The rings are edited through the Selective Tool on Photoshop and edited through the process of using Levels. Considering the final product is being made with the intention to be a homage to a married couple, the rings are included and highlighted in the images to further reinforce the bond that the two protagonists share.
Editing Process and Image Specifications
F Number:f/5
Exposure:1/50
Focal Length:34
Dimensions: 6016 X 4000
TAKEN WITH A NIKON D3200
Editing the images was relatively simple and I already had an idea of what I wanted, as I was already influenced by the overarching mood of my moving image product.
Opening the images into Photoshop, the first step that I took was Auto Colour, Auto Tone and Auto Enhance - these processes were used to bring the image up to its maximum potential, giving me a clear idea of what I would be working with as I further edit the images. Moving on, I then applied a monochromatic filter over the images, however, the filter was too flat and didn't bring out any of the details of the hands and the shadows weren't intense enough - the image lacked depth. In order to combat this, I opened up the 'Levels' tool and played around with the levels of colour of the images until I found the right balance that I wanted - strong enough to add depth to the image, but weak enough so that the image wouldn't be distorted and lost in the dark areas of the photo.
Once I had completed this step, I then used the sharpening tool to further enhance the details of the hand - this was to be symbolic of the intricacy of the relationship, and the harsher lines shows how "feelings run deep" between the pair. Everything that I did with these images were done with intention, as I felt that this would translate to the audiences receiving and engaging with the product.
To add more depth to the image, I then chose the selective wand tool to isolate the background and diminish the rather "offensive" fluorescent lighting. After I completed the selection, I then went into Levels (again...!) to alter the highlights and shadows of the image - I completely eradicated all highlights and intensified the shadows so dramatically that in effect, it created a completely black background, ergo... mission accomplished! I achieved what I wanted to and it worked to great effect and fitted well with my original intention.
Original image
Finally, to complete the editing process, I used the selective wand tool again and highlighted the rings on the fingers of my parents. With these areas selected, I then opened the Levels tool again and elevated the highlighted areas of the rings so that it would become more intense and become symbolic and reflect the intense love and affection felt by both parents.
Animatic for Cigarettes After Sex - Keep On Loving You
I have created an animatic for my music video that will help me to frame my final product. As mentioned at the beginning of the clip, this animatic does not conform to exact times and frames, however, it is how the final product will end up looking like.
In order to create a successful final product, I will explore different combinations of frames so that the product is at its most effective. The animatic details key frames within the music video and is in a preferred structure that I wish to translate into my final product.
This post will detail the gradual gathering of information starting by analysing the first responses I have collected.
In order to gather adequate amounts of audience research, I utilised an online survey site to create my questionnaire. I chose the platform of an online survey as during this day and age most of the time spent by teenagers (especially my target audience) is online; thus making the process of collecting data quick and efficient.
My survey consists of 10 questions. The reason I stuck to 10 questions was because I wanted to gather precise and accurate representations/opinions of my intended audience demographic, and by having an overly long questionnaire, I lose the substance and information that I need in order to create a piece of moving image that strongly pertains to the audience demographic. In the first day that I advertised my questionnaire to my audience, I received 8 immediate responses. The minimum responses that I will allow is 15, the maximum is 25.
PIE CHART ANALYSIS - FIRST PHASE OF DATA COLLECTION
The first question starts off simple by narrowing down which gender is more likely to be interested in listening to and watching an indie/contemporary R&B music video. I didn't send the questionnaire to anyone directly as this wouldn't have been an accurate way to gather my information; I published it on one of my social media accounts and I happened to receive exactly 50% male responses and 50% female responses. Whether this is due to chance or perhaps indicative of the interest of different sexes, is yet to be analysed.
As for the age, again, it is quite clear that my questionnaire has reached a 50/50 percentile as two age ranges are in exact opposition.
This isn't a concern at the moment as I haven't reached the minimum responses that I am aiming for. Again, because my song is a cover of a song by REO Speedwagon, I didn't expect the age demographic to be above the ages of 21, as the band that have done the cover of the song are a more contemporary band and marketed towards a younger demographic.
With my chosen genre already in mind, I gave my questionnaire participants a variety of genres to choose from, ranging from Folk to Heavy Metal in order to establish a real taste for the audience that are more likely to be interested in engaging with a text that is influenced by the Indie genre. Upon first observation, it is evident that my participants are more interested in the Hip-Hop genre with a 25% response rate with Indie/Indie Rock coming in second with a 12.50% response rate. However, as this is early days and I do not have the amount of responses that I wish to have as of yet, I am not worried in being deterred from creating a music video based around the Indie genre.
As I presumed, the majority of the participants are interested in seeing a music video with a clear narrative instead of being of didactic purpose and purely conceptualised. This is a great start as this is what I intended to do with my music video; follow a narrative that conveys the relationship of a married couple and it's gradual progression.
Considering that the original track is influenced by the Indie genre; I asked the participants which R&B artist and Indie artist they are more likely to listen to.
Not noting the genre of which the artist performs under was somewhat deceitful, but I utilised this strategy because I wanted to see what genre (through the artist) the audience would be more attracted to without any external influences of genre; I wanted their honest opinion, and honest research is the best way to get precise data to use to influence your product, which in my case is my music video. It is interesting to note that there is a healthy balance between R&B and Indie responses with The Weeknd being an R&B artist that gained a 25% response rate and The 1975 also gaining a 25% response rate. I don't put these responses down to popularity of the artist as I included artists that are extremely relevant to the 21st Century music industry. The reason why I included R&B artists was because although I am not using an R&B track, I am however utilising some of the codes and conventions found in their music videos. I am drawing most of my inspiration in terms of filming style and editing style from Bryson Tiller's music video for Exchange, where as I mentioned in a previous post, the music video utilises low-key lighting and a host of frames that are shot and edited in slow-motion: a feature that will be included in my final product.
PIE CHART ANALYSIS - PHASE TWO OF DATA COLLECTION (REACHED MINIMUM RESPONSES)
Compared to the first phase of data collection, it has become apparent that the age range has significantly changed as more responses are from a teenage demographic. This is a great response as my intentions are to market my music video at this demographic.
For my gender response, I obviously appeased more to a female demographic, as the response rate for female to male is 60:40. This will be very influential as my music video is intended to suit more to a female audience based purely on the fact that the song is in itself a love song, and the music video shows the progression of a relationship.
However, with this in mind, it has also become apparent that although females are the demographic that are going to influence my music video, I am not dismissing the possibility that a male audience are going to engage with my product, nor an older male demographic - this then fits with my idea that older audiences are going to interact with my product because of the relation to REO Speedwagon and their already established fanbase.
As I reached the minimum responses of 15, it has become apparent that there has been a shift in interest of genre. It is reassuring to see that the genre that has gained the most favouritism is Indie/Indie Rock, as this is the genre of which my chosen song conforms to. Here, I am specifically looking at the segment of the pie chart that relates directly to the responses pertaining to the genre of contemporary R&B and Indie/Indie Rock.
This is because as I previously stated, the song is an Indie Rock song, whereas my music video is going to be influenced by codes and conventions from the R&B genre. There is a response rate of 40% for Indie/Indie Rock and a 16.67% response rate for Contemporary R&B.
At the minimum response mark, audiences, like I wanted, responded to this question by declaring that
they would rather see a clear narrative in a music video, rather than a conceptualised piece or a video with a didactic purpose, however, this follows closely behind.
A clear narrative leads by 6% as a didactic purpose answer sticks at 40%. These responses so far are heading in the direction that I would like them to, as my intention of my music video is to follow a narrative. I believe that as I collect more responses, my audiences will be more inclined to vote for a clear narrative.
The responses that I have accumulated in terms of artists that audiences would rather listen to isn't as surprising as I expected. Considering that I used 21st Century artists to gather my information and all of them are relatively well known, I have concluded that it isn't due to popularity (as I previously thought it could be - further analysis subverts this idea), it is merely due to the audience taste. What is interesting to see is that audiences are more inclined to listen to an Indie/Indie Rock artists than a Hip-Hop artist.
This information will help me when creating my video as I can use this data to influence my final product, in the sense that my video will follow suit to a range of different codes and conventions from the Indie and Contemporary R&B genre. These codes and conventions will be influenced by The Weeknd's brooding videos and The 1975.
Finding out how often my audiences watch music videos will aid me in how to market my final product. Based off the information gathered from the artist that they are more likely to listen to, I will do further research into what music video that particular artist released recently on YouTube, for example. Then, I can gauge which video is the most popular by looking at the total YouTube views.
It is interesting to see that the majority response is that my audiences tend to watch less than 10 music videos a week, nevertheless, this information has a varied range of responses that offer data that can influence my final marketing scheme.
Considering that the 21st Century is ripe with politics and turmoil, I found it only necessary to include a question determining the political stance of my audience demographic. With help from YouGov.co.uk, I was able to see that there is a correlation between the genre of music, the artist and the political views of the audience that determines what music they listen to. The majority of responses gained were from people that live in Ilkley - a town that prides itself on being notoriously left-wing in the younger demographics - I cannot speak for the older generation as I don't wish to falsify findings. Having lived in multiple countries, I have been fortunate to have gathered responses from countries in which I've lived in the past - Bangkok and Dubai. As I can single out responses answered from a single person, it is interesting to note that my friends from Bangkok and Dubai are mostly centre-right and centre, with a few not having any political opinion.
FINAL PHASE OF AUDIENCE RESEARCH ANALYSIS (25 RESPONSES REACHED)
As I reach the final stages of my audience response analysis having gained 25 responses, the responses for the genre of Hip-Hop overtook the responses for Contemporary R&B, however, Indie and Indie Rock still remains as one of the top genres to listen to. With this in mind, I won't tailor the product to suit the codes and conventions of a Hip-Hop video as my intentions are to completely win over the audience that are going to engage with my product through creating a stellar music video for a song that doesn't actually have a music video yet.
My idea still remains the same in the fact that I will utilise codes and conventions from the genre of R&B, even if the song is an Indie Rock song.
As I suspected, my audiences are more inclined to engage with a music video that follows the structure of a clear narrative, rather than seeing a video with a didactic purpose or conceptualised.
However, this doesn't mean that I couldn't explore other alternatives for the narrative of my music video, as I feel that if I limit myself in this way, it would prove for an unsuccessful product - something of which I have no intention of it being.
In a great turn of events, The Weeknd gained more responses as I reached my 25 maximum mark. It leads with a 25% response rate compared to The Wombats and The 1975 both having a 20% response rate. I am pleased with how this question was answered as this is what I wanted to happen, now I am positive in how I am going to market and direct my final product as to satisfy my audience demographic demands.
Using influences from two genres will allow for more scope when exploring the effect of certain elements in my video, I can then evaluate these features in the video through the filming and editing process. As for the other artists, they were merely there to 'test the waters' for other potential influences - however, they didn't gain enough response rate to be a dramatic influence on my final product - hence, I shall still with the three artists that have been most engaged with.
As my responses progressed, there seemed to be a lull in female responses, however, this isn't a major problem, it does however slightly alter how I market my DigiPack and the overall layout and corresponding themes. This will be done to tailor more to a male demographic, whereas the video is mainly directed at a female demographic, the DigiPack design will be a compensation for the potential lack of interest in the music video from the male audience.
These results don't worry me in the slightest and I'm confident that I will try and reel in a male demographic with the alterations to the DigiPack design.
Gathering responses concerning the political stance of my audience have changed, as although a left-wing demographic still takes the lead, centre-right and right-wing caught up just barely. It is interesting to see that the majority of my audience are left-wing, this correlates well with the genres that were chosen - Indie/Indie Rock, Hip-Hop and Contemporary R&B. These genres are typically associated with lyrics that speak of drugs, sex and misbehaviour, topics of which aren't usually recognised by right-wing political parties, as they tend to promote more "familial values". Left-wing politics and music correlate well as artists that perform under this political stance are more likely to have a creative outlet and speak freely through their songs and lyrics.
This accumulation of research has been imperative as it has aided the direction of which I will market, produce and complete my final product, based off audience demographic research. Overall, I have determined that my target audience based off this research will be:
- Targeted at 17-20 year olds, whilst also trying to target older audiences that may engage with a cover of the song, originally performed by REO Speedwagon - Targeted at both male and females, but altering the DigiPack design to reel in more of a male demographic Video Production:
- Influenced by codes and conventions that conform to the genre of Dream-Pop/Indie - Follow a strong, clear and concise narrative to meet the demands of the audience
I've included scanned copies of my storyboards for my music video, each still has a description of the sort of camera shots that are going to be included, and of course, detail what I want to happen within each frame. These images are guidelines as to what my music video will end up looking like, but they are of course however, subject to change. The reasoning for this is because during the filming process I will be exploring alternatives to see what is more effective and what works the best to ensure the best grade.
Obviously these storyboards don't include every minute detail for my music video, they are simply sketches to outline the main frames that I wish to include. As stated, they are subject to change, but not dramatically.
Cigarettes After Sex - A Brief History The band, an ambient pop group from America and formed in Texas in 2008, follow the genres of Dream-Pop and "slowcore". Currently comprised of four members, founder Greg Gonzalez released an EP in 2008 entitled "I", in which the bands most notable and memorable songs feature, such as "Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby" and "Dreaming of You". After relocating to Brooklyn in New York, Gonzalez worked in collaboration with the rest of the band and released their single, "Affection" in 2015, as well as a cover of REO Speedwagon's, "Keep On Loving You".
Dream-Core is a sub-genre of alternative rock, loosely relating to the genre of neo-psychedelia that was very prevalent in the 1980's. Songs that conform to the genre of "dream-pop" are commonly associated with brooding and atmospheric tunes, as well as a "dream-like" melody. It is often associated with the deep connection that the listener has when experiencing a song relating to the genre, and how listeners tend to "wander" through their own imagination, feeling a sense of release and serenity through their own
intense immersion. In an article for VICE Magazine in February 2016, Christina Cacouris describes Cigarettes After Sex as "elemental, hazy and romantic, but with a noir edge underneath Gonzalez's androgynous voice" as well as "sweet and sentimental". The band's success is due to the sheet power of the Internet and social media, the band now has various social media accounts ranging from Instagram to YouTube that keep their fanbase in the loop of their new releases and album debuts. Partly inspired by Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat", Gonzalez uses people as influential tools in order to create music and he bases the feelings that are prevalent within the songs off past lover or friends. Although Gonzalex has been through his fair share of "broken relationships", the emotions felt were written into songs as a way that he could "feel release", it was a "cathartic experience for himself rather than one seeking a response, like writing a letter and putting it in a drawer" (QUOTED FROM ARTICLE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED).
AUDIENCE RESEARCH SURROUNDING ARTIST
Through YouGov.co.uk, I was able to identify a similar artist that shared relatively the same audience demographic as Cigarettes After Sex. Damien Rice was found through suggestions and similarities through my own Internet research, therefore, it would be appropriate to investigate the research surrounding Damien Rice as an artist, in order to gauge the demographic that would perhaps listen to, and share common interests with that of the demographic for Cigarettes After Sex.
According to YouGov.co.uk, the demographics of gender lean more towards the female population, whereas the political stance leans more towards a left-wing attitude. However, what I have noticed is that the age demographic is significantly directed towards a younger audience, if I were to make an approximation as to what my audience demographic would be, it would most likely be engaged with by a relatively mixed aged demographic (i.e. an older demographic alongside a more contemporary demographic). I am making this approximation on the basis that Cigarettes After Sex covered REO Speedwagon's song, therefore as my aforementioned point stated, the older fanbase has already been established, and this particular demographic would be more than likely to engage with my music video. With this in mind, and considering that Cigarettes After Sex are a new and upcoming band (even though they were established in 2008), a younger demographic are more likely to be interested in their brooding and melancholic tunes with an increased amount of relation to their songs and lyrics.
Another similar artist that drew a strong correlation to Damien Rice was the band 'Snow Patrol'.
In comparison to Damien Rice, the age demographic of listeners for Snow Patrol is notably older, and the political stance of their audience are centre-right, as opposed to far-left like Damien Rice. Applying this to a real life scenario, this research correlates well as the majority of the older population that reside in Ilkley are right-wing Conservatives, whereas younger people are more likely to be in support of Labour, a left-wing party. Because of this, it will be interesting to see which demographic is more "attracted" to my music video based off two similar artists that are in close relation to my chosen band.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TARGET AUDIENCE
Strictly due to the nature of my music video, I would market it towards a middle aged demographic, purely based off the idea that an older demographic would be more attracted to the song and the lyrics, rather than the band. With this in mind, I would then market it towards a younger audience, for example, an audience ranging from the ages of 17-21 years old, purely because of the band, Cigarettes After Sex appeasing to more of a contemporary audience. Although I cannot be definite in which demographic are more likely to be impressed and satisfied with my media text, I can be sure in the fact that I will gather a lot of response, albeit positive feedback or constructive criticism, from each demographic that I have approximated.
General Narrative and Plot
My final decided concept for my A2 music video follows the intimate relationship of a married couple over the 18 years that they have been together. The music video focuses on various elements of their relationship, such as nostalgia when recollecting their own youth, the family they have created and raised, and the connection between the two and the eternal love shared. Structurally, the video will be filmed through a complete cyclical narrative: showing the start of their lives and then finishing with the current stage in their life. The narrative follows the couple recollecting their past through their own handwritten love letters and photographs, symbolising the bond that they so deeply share with each other. However, in order to stay true to the lyrics, there will be a loose relationship between the visuals and lyrics by showing the distance that the couple sometimes face, but in the end, they always come back to each other. The video opens with a slow-panning shot of a fireplace and photographs of the couple when they were younger and in contrast, the video ends with a secondary shot of a fireplace but then pans to photographs of their engagement, wedding and their children. The video, in essence, is a tribute to everlasting and undying love.
Song Choice
The song that I have chosen to create a music video for is "Keep On Loving You" by Cigarettes After Sex. It is important to note that the band, Cigarettes After Sex, covered this song that was originally performed by REO Speedwagon. I believe that this will act as an advantage as this allows for a wider and older audience demographic to be interested in my music video, as REO Speedwagon is an American rock band that formed in 1967, thus meaning that there will already be an established fanbase. This will in turn, push an older demographic to listen to the cover of the song done by the American band, Cigarettes After Sex that was formed in 2008.
Location
Here, I have included photographs that I have taken of locations that are going to be used within my music video. The location of any music video is significant as it determines how well the overall narrative flows and establishes a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (i.e. the setting). Staying local will allow me to take advantage of the beautiful heritage of Ilkley, and allows me to manage my time around other areas of my filming and production process; such as editing.
Considering that I will be filming through November and finished by the end of the month/early December, the trees on The Grove are laden with lights that illuminate the pavements, I will also take advantage of this as several frames of my footage will have these lights shown, in order to heighten the romantic mood of the video.
Aside from utilising the main town of Ilkley, I will also seek to film on the Moors for one of the more panoramic shots of the music video. The natural setting may pose some issues with lighting, because of this, I will seek to utilise an extra light source that will enhance the film exposure so the footage won't be dark. However, if this isn't as successful as I hope that it will be, I can always use post-production editing to enhance the brightness of the footage.
Mood
Even though I have changed my concept, my influences from other music videos and artists hasn't wavered. I am still very much influenced by The 1975's music videos as they show raw emotion of the band members and actors, whilst also sitting comfortably within the codes and conventions of an Indie music video. My music video will conform to these genre conventions, for example, through technical codes such as dark, brooding lighting. The post-production editing will mean that the footage is edited through slow-cuts, as apposed to quick-cut edits, although, I will not exclude quick-cuts entirely. In my first music video concept, I intended to have shaky camera work that would enhance the grittiness of the footage but also aid to the success of the overall narrative, however, since I have changed my concept, the transitions and filming will be stabilised as to provide a smooth effect, much to mirror the romantic mood.
The 1975 utilise Colour Psychology throughout their videos and considering that I will use their videos for a main influence from the realms of the Indie genre, I will also incorporate this ideology. However, it will not be my main focus, I will instead use more symbolic codes (such as a close-up camera shot of a fire - symbolising desire/love) to aid the narrative, the subtle use of Colour Psychology through post-production editing will only enhance my intentions.
As of the 18th October 2016, I have made the decision to change my concept for my music video. This is due to circumstances arising surrounding the actors availability, however, I am not hindered with the production and creation process as I have had a back up concept in case of an event such as this. Although this may be considered as a set back, it merely shows my constant thought, preparation and development for the A2 coursework. I am confident that this second concept will work much better than the first as it allows for more diversity in ways that I can film and it strays away from a conventional narrative which involved 'teenage debauchery'. The second concept focuses more on an intimate relationship between a middle-aged couple, instead of broadcasting the expected narrative involving teenagers; this ultimately, allows for greater expanse in my audience demographics.
Considering that my actors are now middle-aged, this will allow me to be exceptionally organised in my planning and filming process as I am now working with adults, and as such, I must show high levels of preparation and organisation as to not "mess around" with their schedules. This change in actors also comes with increased reliability and focus.
I will not delete previous posts detailing my initial music video concept, as this will show my development when compared and contrasted with my new concept.
My music video for the A2 Coursework is going to be situated within and inspired by the 'Indie' genre, slightly transforming it from the original genre of the song and the artist; which is contemporary R&B. I would like to stray away from the original genre of the artist as I don't feel as if it would be appropriate for the narrative that I wish to translate to my audience. CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF AN R&B MUSIC VIDEO
My music video for the A2 Coursework is going to be situated within the 'Indie' genre, slightly transforming it from the original genre of the song and the artist; which is contemporary R&B. Typically, in an R&B music video, the codes and conventions are strictly suited to that genre; barely drawing parallels between others. The R&B genre is usually associated with sensual lyrics, accompanied by provocative visuals in order to successfully pertain to it's genre. Because of the nature of the lyrics (which are usually targeted at teenage girls and women), male artists such as Chris Brown and Usher are usually shown in music videos as being topless; this is because the music industry would want to attract a larger female demographic considering that this is their primary target audience. The music videos are filmed in certain settings, such as the beach, a night-club, or the artists own home; this is a convention of an R&B video as more often than not, this is the "go-to" location.
Apparel for male R&B artists isn't too extravagant and is a subdued version of the hip-hop genre, for example, hip-hop artists usually don excessive amounts of gold chains and other jewellery, but in the R&B genre, this is kept to a minimum.
Tattoos are also shown to be prevalent in R&B music videos, thus making it an expected code of the genre.
As far as characters that are shown in the music video goes, the narrative usually follows two protagonists: the male artist and a female companion. Usually, the male artist is shown to be serenading a female actor, thus reinforcing the strong relationship between the visuals and the lyrics.
Camera shot types range from extreme close-up shots, mid-shots and tracking shots. Extreme close-up camera shots are utilised to display the element of performance, such as lip-synching, and emotion as observed by the artist in order to form a relationship between artist and audience. Tracking shots aren't necessarily included in all R&B music videos, however, they make it easier for the audience to follow the narrative and ensure that the narrative is kept succinct.
In comparison, female R&B artists are usually seen in music videos to be wearing minimal, provocative clothing in order to appeal to the male demographic. Because of this, female artists are more often than not seen as an object of desire are are blatantly objectified; this would be to suit the music industry demand, particularly concerning the genre of R&B.
The hair and makeup of the female artist is one of the most predominant features that is shown in an R&B video; used primarily to exemplify the sex appeal that the artists are notoriously supposed to have.
As a general rule of R&B videos, the notion of 'sexuality' is heavily acted upon and is used as an overarching influence in order to appease certain demographics. Sexuality is the most common influence for R&B videos and songs of which it is heavily reinforced through particular codes and conventions such as clothing, or a lack thereof, and makeup.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF AN INDIE ROCK MUSIC VIDEO
In an Indie Rock music video, mis-en-scene is imperative as it's main purpose is to sustain a clear, succinct narrative that the audience can easily identify. This may be achieved through a limited amount of props or anything that correlates or offers iconography pertaining to the band. Typically, the mis-en-scene of an Indie Rock video features gritty, low-key lighting that is used effectively to invoke certain moods and responses from the audience. High-key lighting will only truly be prevalent in a music video where there is a sub-genre being represented, such as Indie-Pop; stemming from Indie Rock. Below are examples of an Indie Pop video (note the high-key lighting, vibrant colours) and an Indie Rock/Grunge video (note the low-key lighting, sombre/dark tones).
Indie Rock videos are laden with performance elements, such as lip-synching or a wide-angle camera shot capturing all band members performing the song through mime. Camera shots are also a very important feature of an Indie Rock video, most of the time wide-angled and extreme close up camera shots are utilised to make the band members known to the audience and therefore solidifying the strong relationship between the artist and the respective audience demographic. This idea of utilising specific camera shots allows for the integration of Richard Dyer's Star Theory, whereby audience members are so connected with a member of a band (usually the lead singer) that they imitate the actions, clothing or beliefs of the artist. There are three elements to Dyer's Star Theory:
A construction - whereby the star is manipulated through the music industry and is dehumanised in order to relate to certain audiences; they are stripped of all human attributes and are "constructed" in a way in which the music industry can benefit from.
A commodity - similar to "construction", a star as a "commodity" simply means that the industry or label that the star is signed to, will use them as a way of making profit; this will be again, manipulated by the industry as they follow trends in other areas of the media that they know will work and attract the most audience attention.
An ideology - this pertains more so to the audience interaction, in which the star is used to promote an ideology, or represent certain social groups/causes that will in turn gain audience interest, and therefore results in a highly established and devoted fan-base whereby the audience of the certain artist will start to believe in the values and morals upheld by the star.
Location is an important aspect of an Indie Rock video as it typically features an urban environment such as dark streets or the city - I will specifically use The 1975's music video for 'Somebody Else' as inspiration for my setting as it features a dark, melancholia-inducing street.
Editing is also a key feature in Indie videos. Camera shots tend to be quick-cut rather than slow and smooth; this is with the intention that the editing and quick cuts mimic the up-beat tempo of the music.
Artist iconography that pertain to the band is somewhat important as it allows the audience to visually connect, and identify with the band. For example, The 1975 are associated with three rectangular shapes that feature on tours and even on album covers. Imagery associated with Indie Rock bands are that of guitars, drums, a vocalist, bassist and pianist (in some bands).
ARTIST PROFILE
Stephen Wrabel, most commonly known by his stage name 'Wrabel', is an American singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles that confidently prides himself on his virtuoso skills and ability to play numerous instruments ranging from the piano to acoustic guitar. After attending Berklee College of Music for a year, Wrabel left Boston and headed to LA to further pursue his music career in songwriting.
After spending time in LA, Wrabel was eventually signed to Pulse Recording under the occupation as a songwriter; this was the artists first major breakthrough into the music industry. Soon after this, in 2012, he was signed to Island Def Jam wherein he released his first single, "11 Blocks", which was supported and promoted by well-known artist, Kesha.
Currently, Wrabel is signed to various labels such as Island Records, Universal and numerous international labels such as Digital Distribution Turkey, Universal Music Spain and Digital Distribution Panama.
Having been assigned to so many international and national labels, Wrabel has released two albums, 'Sideways' and 'Ten Feet Tall'. Wrabel gained recognition from Dutch DJ Afrojack, who was so impressed by Wrabel's brooding piano ballad of 'Ten Feet Tall', the two artists ended up collaborating with each other under a co-sign. Afrojack released various remixes of 'Ten Feet Tall', this in turn increased publicity surrounding Wrabel's image and gradually increased his popularity, nationally and internationally.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH SURROUNDING ARTIST
Statistics concerning The Weeknd (YouGov.co.uk)
According to Twitter research, Wrabel has a 54% male following, with the majority race being within the Caucasian demog
raphic (77%). As for his female following, there is notably less with only 46% of his followers being female. Considering that the artist is so low-key, audience research is significantly limited, however, I was able to compare artists of a similar genre to Wrabel so I could gather an average of the demographics such as age, political stance, gender and interests. A similar artist to Wrabel in terms of genre would be that of The Weeknd, who is known for his brooding R&B tunes, much like Wrabel. A comparison that I can make from the two sets of research is that the female demographic is relatively larger than the demographic for male listeners of The Weeknd in comparison to Wrabel.
Abel Tesfaye, The Weeknd
Analytics from Twitter concerning Wrabel (zoomph.com)
Another interesting comparison of a similar artist in the contemporary R&B genre is Beyonce. Drawing similarities in audience demographic in terms of the gender that takes the most interest in listening to their music, the female demographic certainly reigns supreme in this category. By having these comparisons readily available from reliable websites, I can tailor the way in which I create my music video to fit to each demographic equally.
Considering that I've already established a solid narrative, comprising of a mixture of boys and girls, this will be easy for me to achieve as it relates more to an open audience, as to leave more scope for audiences to infer the narrative and story of my music video.
My music video will pertain to a male and female primary audience demographic, sitting comfortably within the age range of 17-20 year olds. The reason I have my audience target age so high is because of the nature of the video; the visuals will entail age-restrictive content such as consuming alcohol and smoking, therefore it would be inappropriate to advertise "illicit" activities to a younger demographic. The secondary audience will be audience members who are actively engaged with the Indie Rock genre, whereas when advertising the song, which is a synth/R&B track, the secondary audience would be viewers are interested with the respective genre of R&B.
