Survey results

The response to this question showed that more females answered my survey than males. For my video this means that it is likely to appeal to Females rather than males. The question could have been more beneficial though as this doesn't really give me anything to include in my production other than appealing to females. A follow up question which would give me a more specific response would have been better - for future research I would try to make all my questions linked to how to reach my target audience as this would be more valid.

The question about age does give me a clear audience who my target audience would be. It is clear from the response that 18-24 year olds are my ideal audience so I know that I have to include visuals that would appeal to this age group. It does support my previous question though as it backs up that these are likely to be female viewers.

This question and its response makes it clear that narrative videos are more preferable - over 50% of those that responded like this type of music video. This therefore was a valid question to ask and has provided a valid basis for my production.

For future research:

• I would include more questions
• I would make them more specific to allow better results
• I would include a follow up question to gain a more valid response
• I could add more questions about genre and production values
• I would send my survey to a wider number of participants

Survey Questions

  
A positive response to this question will validate my decision to produce a narrative based music video production. It will confirm how I structure my visuals and allow the production to be successful in reaching my preferred target audience.

 
This question will give me a good idea of my target audience's preferred genre. Although I already know what I am going to produce - it will at least confirm my choice for my production.


 
This question will provide validity of my target audience's gender - this may allow me to include visuals which may appeal to a preferred audience to some extent.

  
This question will confirm the target audience for my video. It won't necessarily make a difference to my content, but at least I will be aware of the majority of who the viewers are likely to be.

Music examples for music video

Focus Group

Focus group: 4 Females/Males

Brief notes on discussion points:

• Possible music choice: midnight city (Made in Chelsea soundtrack), or get instrumental soundtrack
• close up shots high angles, time apses, slow motion, filters over camera lens, distorted shots, overlap footage
• Focus specifically on outdoor shoots e.g flowers, trees, landscapes
• no narrative

Outcome of discussion:

These responses give me some idea of what to include in my Music Video Production.

Some will be useful, but I still have my own ideas which I would like to use. The visual ideas do match my intentions so these have justified my initial choices. 

equiptment list

1. Camera DSLR
2. SD card
3. Spare batterys 
4. Tripod

Evaluation of Music Video

Prior to shooting our video we arrived at the venue we all the required equiptment such as a camera and a tripod. We did also take a light but we didn't use this as the lighting at the park was acceptable for filming. We shot some using the tripod but as we continued we realised that if we wanted the  video to look experimental we should use the camera freely to create a more suited effect. Although this increased the risk of the camera being damaged we worked with caution to create our music video. It was vital for us to get a variety of shots an as we had so much land to film across this was easy for us to get a lot of different effects and incorporate different styles of techniques to make our video more unique.

In order to get a sufficent amount of footage we shot things multiple times using different effects such as slow motion and reverse. This allowed us to see which shots worked well together and which ones we should just keep simple and let them mix in with the chosen sound track we were going to use.

One major disadvantage we encountered was the lack of things we were able to film. Although in some sense we had a lot to film some aspects of the country park didn't link with our genre so therefore we couldn't include them within shooting the video. The country hall was one of the things we couldn't include. We tried filming some but when putting the video together we realised that we couldn't use it as it didn't fit with the experimental elegancy which our video had created and looked too bulky and made out video look more promotional and that isn't what we were aiming for.

Before editing the video together we looked at all the clips we had shot and ruled out ones we didn't want to use, this included shots of the country hall as explained above. We decided to add a musky white filter through Premier Pro as we thought this would add some edge to the music video and make it more mystical and experimental like our initial ideas. Overall I think my edit skills have improved throughout the year. I think some of my cuts could have been a little more accurate and I think the rhythm become a little to repetitive. I enjoyed the experimental nature of the edits with overlayering.

Me and my partner both decided to use some shots twice such as the flying birds as we thought it would make the video more chronological and not have as many random clips in just placed in random places. Some clips were used twice with different effects placed over them to create a structure for the video.

As the video is only short we had to crop the sound track we were using to make it fit to the video. To improve, i would make the video longer and explore more country theme areas around as i feel as though we would be able to create a more experimental video.

Music Video

inspiration for our music video

As we want our music video to be experimental we have decided to go to a large rural area with vast amounts of scenery to create different types of  experimental looks to include within our video we want to use effects such as slow motion to allow the video to match the music we are going to incorporate. Coombe abbey is a local country park spot close to Nuneaton which is where we plan to visit to shoot our video. I think by shooting at a big park it will give us an array of different shots to use and give us space to experiment with different techniques.

Analysing Music Videos

For our music video task we have decided to focus on experimental texts which we can take inspiration from to create our own. We have decided to focus on experimental videos as this gives us more space and ares to cover in film which will allow us to create a video which is unique and exiting. This video, P.S.Y.C.H have us inspiration through the confusing narrative that it includes. The video starts of with text and stabilising shots giving the video contextual information, e.g its set in 1942 and is about a solider. The establishing shots give the viewer a greater understanding of the area and this is something we would like to include in our video. The videos audio sound then has words which repeat 'i want it all' This links to the narrative as the solider was stranded at the place where they are filming and wanted to be freed. The use of colour connotation of white red and blue also can notes the United Kingdom flag which relates back to the story line of the text being based around  a British Solider. The video also includes multiple close up shots which gives the video variety and cuts in when the music changes, this has given us ideas to link some shot changes when our audio changes to create an organised feel. This music video uses a person to demonstrate some feeling within the text. This has driven us to decide we won't be using a subject within out film as we want to keep it as experimental as possible and use nature and things around us to create it.

Carol Vernallis Research

Carol Vernallis is a theorist whom is known for her thoughts on music video editing. Her theory is based around four concepts, based around how music videos are manufactured....

• Narrative
• Editing
• Camera Movement
• Deigesis

Narrative is how the video is a visual response to the narrative. Meaning the things happening on screen are representative of the choice of lyrics being sung at that moment in the music. Although, the narrative may not always be completed every time and the music video can be left open to an audience's own interpretation. Music videos always have a type of subject driving it forward, but it doesn't always have to be the narrative, it could always be the music or elements such as the editing. 

Editing, is a "dear convention of music editing" according to Vernallis. Although it can disrupt or even break the conventions of continuity editing. The editing can also be made obvious and brought to the foreground, opposed to the invisible style of continuity editing.

For Example you may see...

• Jump Cuts
• Breaks of the 30 degree rule
• Extreme changes in pace
• Juxtaposed frames
• Graphic matchs

In terms of camera movement, Vernallis stated that establishing shots are a key camera feature of music videos as well as switching to close up shots and switching up the extremes. The camera will also move in time to the music in order for it to flow better and look more professional.

Extreme shots are known as master shots and are extremely common.

The diegesis is the world of the music video, Vernallis explains that it is not always completed or is revealed slowly. It may sometimes also be disrupted in some way, according to her this also means that there may be a lot of repeated shots and certain frames can seem more distinguished and important than others, which is because the way that they may have been shot/framed in post production.

Andrew Goodwin Research

Andrew Goodwin, a member of the Editorial Board of Popular Music and Society for almost 20 years, passed away on 10 September 2013. Andrew was a professor of media studies at the University of San Francisco for 20 years. He received his PhD in cultural studies from the University of Birmingham, England. A Corresponding Editor for Media, Culture & Society, he wrote music and book reviews and other articles for Tricycle and Inquiring Mind. He wrote songs, played guitar and drums, deejayed for KUSF, and played in bands. His blog, “Professor of Pop,” combined his enthusiasms for music, theory, and teaching.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007766.2014.883131

Andrew Goodwin was a director of music and a media theorist. Upon spending his years analysing and developing upon music videos and their production, he published a book entitled Dancing In The Distraction Factory. This book told the audience all of the theories he believes reside inside music videos. He came up with some codes and conventions that he states are most typically found in every music video that has been uploaded.

Genre Characteristics

Music videos more often than not, include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics. And certain genres will have specific codes and conventions. For example if you were to watch a music video of a live performance, nine times out of ten its a rock or metal video, this is so the audience get an idea of the amount of energy they put into their music and just by watching the music video they see a demonstration (e.g All My Life by Foo Fighters)

Also film genres can link into this as they can have a huge impact on producing music videos, for example a lot of rock videos get inspiration from horror movies and the horror genre. 

He stated five key setups for a music video that help to analyse it

-Stadium Performance

-Studio Performance

-Location

-Narrative

-Conceptual/ Experimental

The stadium performances, as mentioned, are mainly used for rock music to highlight the enthusiasm and (with the use of close ups) the physical endurance. But studio sessions are more stripped back, usually used for sad and meaningful songs that will show the artist in a more vulnerable state. 

Voyeurism

There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of both genders in a sexual manual in order to sell records. This can also include the use of props, for example items such as TV screens, telescopes, binoculars or mirrors.

Record Label Demands

Record labels often have certain high demands, that can include things such as close ups of the artist or require a certain theme or style that recurs across their work. (For example The 1975 with their black and white era that portrayed them as sad indie musicians in order to bring in the teenage crowd that have a disposable income)

Intertextual References

This point is the use of other texts (such as films, TV shows, other music videos) within a music video. (e.g The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars and their video inspired by The Shining) This can bring in an audience that are fans of the interxtual reference but also gives more depth to the production and shows there has been more thought behind it