Album Art

For our music video package we are not only having to create the physical product (a music video) but also a sellable artist, "Their" song and their star image. This means creating more than just the visually active product but a wider spectrum for sellable promotion. One of the products that is included in our overall task is to develop some album art for the artist & band, in order to sell not just this particular song but an album of songs. The album is an initial creation of the message & style that we wish our artist to create for their targeted audience. I wanted to research into a variety of album covers (though we will be making the whole package) in order to get a wider idea and understanding of what kinds of styles are use by both - modern day successful artists and artists who were perhaps at their peak in past era's - partly to compare the ideas & eyeful success as a customer of the products, but also because we wanted to incorporate elements of the past into our actual video I felt that this transition was key if we wanted to parody more archaic styles of album in order to push a retro feel to our band. I researched many albums, and tried to collect a variety of interesting ones that come from contrasting genres of music.

   

                                   

                           

                                      

                           

            

Planning our ideas

In order to even think about creating a music video which relies strongly upon historical mis en scene & costume I thought I would look into some of the fashion trends from the 1920's up until the 1990's in order to get a real sense of the types of clothes we will need to source and secure in order to create an authenticity that we feel is key for our piece.

 

*I also wanted to play around with some of our group ideas (interactively) by myself by, and did some research into possible 'authentic' styles of costume. I feel that if we want to choose this concept of traveling back to forgone time periods that our designs and ideas must be well sought out and planned in advance in order for our music video to have the desired effect - we don't want it to just look like were playing in dressing up clothes, I did however source some clothes and plan some outfits that I felt could be suitable. (Here enclosed bellow) 

Planning our ideas

I have fallen in love with the concept of using intertextuality. From a noted bank of historical knowledge (from studying history As) and a love of a retro style of music video. Recently watching the john lewis 'Never Knowingly Undersold Tv Advert' as well as researching into music videos which incorporate this idea of bringing in additional references for instance, Dianna Ross's Chain Reaction which parodies a 60's television show, or the Beastie Boys Sabotage which takes the form of  'starsky and hutch' a 70's American cop show. 

 This concept of Intertextuality adds a certain lightness and post modern style to a music videos means of entertainment. This idea that not everyone who watches our piece will understand the links, but some will and those people will receive an additional satisfaction from our work really appeals to me. I know that in my heart of heart's I would love to do a very deep and emotional video which focuses upon a social or cultural issue or dilemma, this minimalistic and powerful style really appeals to me - as if the case of Radio Heads - No surprises. 

In terms of my personal interest this form of video would sell to me as an audience, something simple, clever and ambiguous. However I feel that to be able to reach my full potential in terms of editing, movement, mis en scene, lighting and so on, that a faster paced and more narrative reliant piece will be a better route to take. Though I do still really want to create something very innovative and clever just perhaps from a more light hearted angle.

 So thus I come back to my opening point about the notion of intertextuality, myself and the rest of my group (Amy Garnett, Grace Child and Rhianna Price) feel that bringing other era's into our music video would a.) be such a fun and exciting project to direct, film and edit and b.) be something that could would give us a lot of creative scope. 

We like the idea of making a narrative & performance based video in which a teen girl travels through different periods of history (similar to the John lewis ad above - drawing elements of this concept) in order to find herself. We envisaged the video beginning with her boyfriend (our lead singer who we have already found a suitable actor for!) and herself discussing where their relationship was heading, she would then explain to him that she wanted "to find herself" & "move forward with her life without him" leaving this intimate split behind she exits and finds herself in a whole other era EG: the 1960's, in this era its a party and she becomes part of this party - with matching mis en scene EG: a Beatles poster and picture of Twiggy, when she tries to leave the party and get back to her future (alone) she merely enters another era (through a door) and so on. 

The fact she cannot leave this circle of past decades represents the fact that she (in her heart of hearts) cannot leave the the relationship behind, and that what she is really looking for is in the past & that is him! We have discussed many other elements & quirky additions that we could incorporate as well for example : having the parties as leavers disco's in which we could have a sign the says "The class of" in the generic fonts of those periods, for example the 1970's would we would use big flower power psychedelic bubble writing. 

Madonna - Material Girl (Official Music Video)

This is a clear example of intertextuality being used within the music video industry. This technique of bridging outer material with an artists work creates a cleverly amusing and playful addition for the market audience, allowing them to feel a stronger connection to the music and have a greater appreciation for the themes of the song, or style and genre. Here the intertextual reference is to the film 'Gentlemen prefer blond's' where Marilyn Monroe sings the famous song 'Diamonds are a girls best friend' song which of course is a perfect match for the lyrical messages being displayed in this song - which is based around femininity, materialism & desirable wealth in the modern age. Madonna (under the instruction Sire Records and producer Nile Rodgers) attempts to copy the mis en scene of the film & presents this generic hollywood stereotype - this wealth absorbed, materialistic, blonde, sexy, ditzy actress. The mimicked performance copying the 1953 song intercuts with the director attempting to win the girls heart, this idea that the penniless man can win this famous actress (who Madonna plays) creates a sense of the star image that Madonna is trying to put across. Madonna as an artists is seen to be autonomous and diverse in her productions and ideals, and holds a powerful place within her industry as quite a controversial, independent women - something clearly displayed by the irony produced by this intertextual link. 

Voyeurism

Voyeurism is the notion of being almost forced to look upon somebody with a sexualised eye. Provocative behaviour like for example, frugal dancing, undressing, intercourse, revealing costume choice and so on are posed within the music video in order to create a sense of pleasure for a male or female spectator as you are forced to enter into the gaze of another, viewing the shots from their angle (a sexualised one). In music video it is most commonly the man's controlling gaze with dominates, and thus sexual objectifies women in quite a derogatory way (as the women is often unaware). This effect is usually created by fragmented shots of body parts, camera angles and movement, and expressive editing, which all sexualise the treatment of the performer (A theorem which Goodwin stated). It effect is aiming to boost product sales and increase an audiences engagement in the song by pulling on a different source of interest. 

The Girls - Calvin Harris

I think this particular video really expresses the notions of voyeurism. Though the costume and mis en scene of the women incorporated in the video aren’t overtly provocative or sexualised, there aren’t any generic close up shots zooming in or overly exposing, or any sense of an obvious push to sell these girls ‘sex’ stars for men viewing. It does however express a very clear derogative message onto females. The artist seemingly expresses that he owns these women – firstly through the lyrics claiming he “get’s all the girls”, but also through the physical positioning of these women with in the video & their choreography & the use of fragmented shots of their body parts in order to control the audience eyes and force them to view these women for sexual pleasure (in particular the shots of their legs). The sheer number of them (as if he rules over them and they follow him like some form of god), suggests that he feels he is extremely superior, and that he is many times more worthy then all of them - being a man. The women move in unison as well, representing that to him they are all one body and all have one meaning. Though he sings about the fact he likes all different types of girls, it is also clear that rather than this being an expression of his appreciation of women, it is merely a shallow remark on the fact he believes that he is in control and can pick and choose, as well as being basically purely looks based, and not sharing his love for all different women’s inner qualities. The costume choice as well helps to form this sense of voyeurism – they are all dressed identically, all in block colours, all wearing wigs – this uniform appearances reinforces the idea that he is some form of ‘player’ who never really get’s to know a women, or look beyond the surface. The shots of the women’s legs opening in synchronised motion puts across the idea that he can snap his fingers & they will sexually please him, that they have no boundaries to what they would do just to be with him, and that they are ‘easy’ and disposable. The rainbow of women dancing round him again connotes almost a ritualistic dance as if he is of some sort of un human status and should be worshiped. The most powerful part for me however would be the end when the women become a pitiful pile of coloured tops upon the floor, as if they mean nothing more to him than ‘sex’ or a one night stand – he can just walk all over them, also the sheer amount of tops on the floor also makes you feel as if girls are always coming back to him and leaving their clothes behind – eager to return to him. The use of colour throughout is very symbolic; the bright rainbow variety of coloured costume and pure white backdrop, creates the idea that he is a liberal and down to earth sort of man - honest and reliable.  However the averting gaze he holds over the women, the camera angles, fragmented body shots, use of close up and suggestive angles, reveals that perhaps he is hiding behind this 'good guy' image, and that beneath the surface a fake, derogatory persona lurks. 

However delving into the roots of his indie electro-pop style this video could easily be seen as an ironic pos-modern expression of archaic exploitation of women. The overtly subversive choreography and dated costumes help to undermine the women's status throughout. This hyperbolic style parodies one primarily used in the 1980's (in seriousness). His work almost mocks the flaunting 'cheese'of these prehistoric media texts to create a intetextual level of entertainment for the audience. 

When the genre of 'synthpop' emerged in the 1980's it was criticised for it's lack of emotion and musicianship  
and the "gender bending" image that was projected by popular artists of the time. The new romantic movement which helped to invent 'snythpop' employed counter dressing, anti-sexual, androgynous (Partly male and partly female in appearance) clothing and cosmetics in order to bend gender stereotype and representation in the mist of a period of liberation.  Gender bending is often used as a a response to mainstream assumptions or over-generalisations about genders and set characteristics assigned to each. Harris -as a later development of this genre of music, has cleverly bestowed these features in order to comically express both typical electro-pop expression and an ironic slant on the counter genres voyueristic manipulation of women (from the time of emergence) - Thus in a way he is sarcastically representing an image which entirely opposes his viewpoint. 

Music Video Analysis - The Scientist Coldplay

The scientist

The Narrative does match the picture but it doesn't follow the action word for word showing a chronological story. The visuals strongly complement the lyrics and run parallel to one another & the camera movement (EG: tracking as he moves backwards creating a sense of disconcertion, and confusion, so that the audience can empathies with the emotion of the song).  It creates the story described in the lyrics in a less obvious way, explaining everything in reverse to create more tension and a strong connection to the lyrical story. This effect draws in the audience much more to the raw emotion of a song. They physically travel from the end of the lyrical story "back to the start" allowing the viewer to empathies much more - as they have to watch the "happy ending" to which they now know is impossible (as the clip as started with the sequential end or future).

The camera movement complements the style of the piece as it tracks then artist as he journeys back through his experience. This approach again brings the viewer right into the heart of the emotion as if they are physically following the artist into this emotion weather they want to or not - it allows for them to share in this journey. The opening camera movement when it zooms away from the artists face creates a sense of distance  foreshadowing the story and eagerly tempting the audience to follow. Later as the artist moves through the clearing and you see the close up shot of his 'lover' with him in the background this further highlights the sudden distance & when he moves back towards her but walks past her it creates the impression that he has had no say in the matter.  The close up shots of his feet suggest he is on an unwanted journey, but the constant eye connection that it jumps back to at intervals reminds us that he is trying to push his product & connect with his audience directly & also the rule of thirds often applies and the artist is usually directly in the best possible parts of the shot in order for him to fully dominate the screen space. The variety of contrasting shots - long shots, to mid shots, to close up, in a constant circle adds enthuses to the fact the artist (as the character within the narrative) is on a distorted journey & again amplifies the lyrical story, as well as making the visual much more engaging & interesting for the audience the track is selling to. The tempo of the music works in succession with the speed & camera levels, creating a smooth emotive effect. The panning swerves of the camera movement additionally matches the lyrical narration about "running in circles"

The mis en scene :

 The stereotypically desolate graphite & urban back drop, the bright blue bed matching the sharpness of the artists eyes, the typical inner-city business of the purposefully ignoring street life  - all paint a picture of misfortune, loneliness and isolation, making the audience feel automatically close to the artists & the song. The positioning of the artist at the start as if he is stuck to this single bed life as well the rigid choreography as he moves back further emphasizes his unwillingness to move forward with his life (or in this case actually move back into his memories). The costume choice for the artists throughout is representative of many of the imbedded themes. The simple white t-shirt, his emptiness, as if he is now a blank slate, his identity is lost, the location also connotes this, he is placed on a bed almost watching the world wander by without him (shown by the revolving camera movement and fade shots). The black shirted outfit he forces himself into later on is emblematic of death & darkness, as well as the black car. The video holds the generic characteristics of a drama. The visual mis en scene helps to enhance this sense of 'drama' and danger - the ominous train tracks, the urban concrete, the abandoned forest, the funeral like car & the camera pace - fast and on the beat in comparison to the artists movements.

The editing

When we are introduced to the female character the editing is particularly clever.  She physically flies in reverse back into the car, the windscreen of a car clearly involved in an accent reaffixes itself & the car roll reverses up a hill & onto a main road, all the time the pace of the camera stays in line with the pace of the music, mostly the shots of the artist are played in slow motion or the camera is stuck as the action moves past to reinforce the power & pain, as well as a variety of more tilted angle shots . The special effects when his clothes fly onto him or the leaves fly around him add this sense of abnormality & incongruity in his life. The jutted editing of the artists movements in a robotic like manner matches lyrical narration about "science". The artists movement & the edits work well in succession with one another creating a steady beat & catchy rhythm.

The artist connection

The intensity of his stare creates an inescapable connection with the audience, and when his eyes aren't connecting with the audience they are still conveying meaning EG: staring up into space as if talking to God - or the later revealed deceased lover. His notion of looking which is often extremely direct & powerful portrays the character/artists as an emotive, and caring man - he is not being portrayed as a stereotypical player or pimp, but rather as a mellow and passionate figure - complimented by the basic black or white clothing - he is very black & white, very easy to read, very open & trustworthy. The audience only meet the gaze of the vocal artist and not any of the other characters used within the video - this allows the audience to fully connect with the singer & also distances the artist from the rest of the world to express the themes / narrative of the music video - especially in reference to his now deceased partner - further expressing his pain and loneliness. Though this song is sang by the band 'Coldplay' the choice to only view the lead singer again creates a sense of realism or emotion almost as if its a personal experience. This choice (probably made by the record label) was made as a tool to draw the viewer into the raw emotion of the piece & feel more towards the characters.