My favourite music videos, no. 3

Seven Days
Craig David

This video also contains a narrative. The story is of David recounting the strange week he had to his barber's. He had lived the same day again and again; he is stuck in this cycle of this repeating day, up until he can do everything he wants perfectly, and finally obtains a (successful) date with  a girl he met on that day.

The video is split into two places - the first is David's performance in the barber shop. Because he is getting a haircut, this gives him the perfect excuse to just sing to the camera whilst staying relatively still. This means that less focus is detracted from the other half of the story. The other half is the narrative where we see the story as it is recounted to his barber(s).

Already at the beginning of the video, a number of things need to happen to keep the viewer's attention. After all, David is just walking down the street, and in an everyday, ordinary setting. There are thus little events that happen on his walk (such as a high heel breaking), the significance of which becomes more evident upon the second time which he has to relive the day.

Most of the camera shots are close ups, focusing on the little events that happen. In addition to this the clothes worn are very mundane - this allows the audience to focus on the little subtleties in the different versions of the day.

The edits are relatively fast. The only time which the edits slow down are when David is with the woman, which puts emphasis on her importance in the story. It also lets David's emotion's to be shown to the audience, and perhaps the audience would be able to relate to his plight of trying to obtain someone's number.

This video is one of my favourites because of it's unique narrative. It also has a comedic effect which will help appeal to a wider audience, as time and time again the hero is mocked by messing up his date due to one little mistake, and there appear to be more mistakes further on in the day.

Digipak - What is it?

A digipak is a certain type of packaging, used by CDs/DVDs/BDs.

Digipak example

Digipaks carry discs within plastic trays, which are then placed inside a book-styled cardboard package.

Components of digipaks (in relation the the music industry) include:

• A list of songs on the disc
• A small booklet, which could hold a variety of information, which can be about:
• The artist
• Song lyrics
• Photos of the band/artist
• Other albums and songs
• A relevant picture, which is the component we will be focusing on

The picture on the digipak serves a variety of purposes.

It may be something of a signature, so that it becomes quickly associated with the artist. It may also attract a wider audience, depending on what is on the picture.

Key Music Video Conventions

There are numerous characteristics that are key to making a music video. There are also different archetypes of components to a music video.

Usually, there will be at least a few shots of the artist performing. This will be them lip syncing, possibly dancing as well with perhaps some backup dancers. They may also be with a band. This is demonstrated in video's such as Sinead O' Connor's video, Nothing Compares 2 U:

In fact, majority of the video is a close up of her face. At a certain point, she also starts crying (out of genuine sadness), which adds to the video.

Artists may also add a narrative within the story. Sometimes, stories within the music videos can make it more memorable. This is especially effective in reaching a wider, more visual audiences. A good example of this is Michael Jackson's Thriller:

The song, being about spooky and ghostly things, has a narrative which is somewhat horror-themed. The combination of this unique story, as well as the performances given by the backup dancers (in their zombie costumes, etc), make this video a unique one.

There are also a multitude of techniques used in films that are also used in music videos.
Camera techniques are an important part of the music video.
A typical convention of music videos are extreme close ups of the artists' face. There are also long shots of dancers or the band.
Medium shots are usually used when there is an item of some sort, which generates a connotation that relates to the song.

Editing in music videos tends to be quick. This is to keep the interest of the viewer. If edits take too long it feels awkward to stare at the singer, especially if they are emotionless.
Long edits in music videos would tend to be for slow paced songs that focus on emotion. This is because it helps the viewer focus on the artists' feelings, and help the music be felt more. This conveys the emotion better.

Preliminary Task - What we learned

Doing the preliminary task very much made clearer some concepts that we should apply to the making of music videos, and why those concepts should be applied.

Firstly, we learned that the music video is better when the performer really tries to empathise with the emotion demonstrated by the song. For example, an upbeat song (such as "Don't go breaking my heart") would have a lot of dancing in it, because it flows with the music. A more melancholy tune would require more extreme close ups, and perhaps a more solemn look from the performer.

Attempting to find places to film also stressed the fact that our budget is limited. Our music video will thus have to be heavily based around the limitations we have. For example, if the school is where we'd be filming (for practical reasons), we may make the narrative of the music video in such a way that it relates to the school.

We also realize that we will have to be careful in selecting the style in which our shots will be done, i.e. we cannot have just 4 shots of dancing and no extreme close ups.

OB Management

OB Management could be described as "middlemen" for directors of music videos, and the artists which have made the songs.

It works by having a multitude of artists send in their songs (looking for directors to make their music videos), and then they will find several directors which they think may be suitable for the song. 

My favourite music videos, no.2

You Belong With Me

Taylor Swift

The video follows the narrative of the song. It shows an archetypal geeky girl, who appears to possess and unrequited love for the man of her dreams, despite that she thinks they are perfect for each other. 

There is a somewhat comedic effect as Swift plays both the hero and the antagonist. Each is distinguishable via the colour of her hair and the amount of make up she has on. The antagonist is portrayed as having darker, brown hair (the dark shade having connotations of meanness). The hero is portrayed as having a light shade of blonde (which has connotations of innocence and purity), as well as having glasses. Both these costumes adhere to the stereotype of geeky girls who are innocent and naive, and of popular cheerleaders as being somewhat difficult people to be around.

Medium shots are used when the hero and her love communicate using paper and felt tip pens. I think that they communicated in this manner to carry on Swift's image of innocence - normal means of communication (such as texting or talking) would also have been to mundane for the viewer.

The edits in the beginning of the song are fast, which I believe reflects on the stress she feels from her unrequited love. However at the happy ending they noticeably slow down. The audience thus is able to focus more on the feelings and the happy ending, and so the target audience (young, teenage girls) will find it easier to relate, and in turn have a stronger liking for the video.

This video in particular stands out to me because it very much appeals to it's target audience. It also finds a way to address a wider audience with some of the comedic touches it uses - for example the exaggeration of the hero's geekiness, expressed through terrible dancing and the clothes she wore.

Preliminary Task - completed

Preliminary Task - What is it?

For our preliminary task we are required to lipsync to Don't Go Breaking My Heart:

Needless to say we will have two people lipsyncing, as it's a duet. We've opted to use Dale and Luke Van Gelder for this task, as they seem most into it. 

The rest of us will be cracking on with the editing, and the directing of the video.

Here are the lyrics to be lipsyncing to (We won't be lipsyncing all of it though, because we just require approximately a minute and a half):

Don't go breaking my heart
I couldn't if I tried
Honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind

Don't go breaking my heart
You take the weight off me
Honey when you knocked on my door
I gave you my key

Nobody knows it
When I was down
I was your clown
Nobody knows it
Right from the start
I gave you my heart
I gave you my heart

So don't go breaking my heart
I won't go breaking your heart
Don't go breaking my heart

And nobody told us
'Cause nobody showed us
And now it's up to us babe
I think we can make it

So don't misunderstand me
You put the light in my life
You put the sparks to the flame
I've got your heart in my sights

The process of making a music video

Firstly, there is the initial brain storming of ideas:

Ideas must be selected from the song, and they must be adapted to the limitations such as budget and available locations.

This is a harder process than it seems; some places will require filming permits to film in them, and for a (essentially no budget) music video such as what we will be making, we don't have much choice in location. We may in fact have to use simple places such as the school. someone's house, or a park. Factors such as the weather and other people must be taken into consideration as well if filming in public.

Central Park, a potential place to film in

Costumes and props must also be obtained, if necessary. Again due to our low budget it's likely most of our props will have to be household items, and clothes which we already own. It's conveniently nearing Halloween so we should be able to kill two birds with one stone, by getting our costumes for Halloween parties and making our costumes somehow relate to our song.

Then of course there is the actual performance. We are at the moment unsure of who will be in it, although the likely candidate seems to be Luke Van Gelder.

Emil Nava case study

Emil Nava; Director

Nava's start in the industry was as a runner for film production companies. The runners were nicknamed "gophers", as they'd "go for" anything e.g. doing simple tasks for little to no pay in order to get a foot in the industry door.

The first company he worked for was Blink Productions. After this he started freelancing for OB Management.

He graduated as assistant director where he'd manage the video stools.

Then he signed to Academy, which was the biggest music video production company. However he left for Between The Eyes, and now Pulse. 

He had also managed to make 24 music videos within the space of one year (almost one every two weeks). This was when he first started making music videos for indie music. He had to work with very small budgets of £5k-£10k.

He has now began to make adverts - the budgets for them are bigger than in music videos, however there is less room for creativity. One of his relatively recent adverts is L'Oreal's "Dare to be different" advert:

His most expensive music video has been for Jessie J's "Do It Like A Dude", which cost £160,000 to make.

Nava's own tips to creating music videos are:

• Use extreme close ups wherever possible
• Do NOT shoot the whole video in medium/long shots

He demonstrates these tips in some of his videos, e.g. Rita Ora's RIP:

Jamie Thraves case study

Jamie Thraves

Jamie Thraves; Director

He first made his humble start with the creation of short films at university. Two of his early films, Scratch (1991) and The Take Out (1993) won a number of awards at short film festivals all over the globe. 

In 1993, he went to the Royal College Of Art, where he created another film, The Hackney Downs (1994), winning more awards.

His real breakthrough into the public spotlight came was after he left RCA to join Oil Factory, where he made the video to Radiohead's song "Just".

Even several years later, there is still discussion about what the fallen man said at the end of the video, which caused everyone to follow suit. Radiohead have yet to reveal what was said, although it looks as if they won't.

The video had a budget of £100,000 and was shot in the space of 3 days.

Another video of his which is renowned is Coldplay's "The Scientist", which had a budget of £200,000 and was also shot in three days.

Some of the tips Jamie has shared in making music videos are to:

• Use the lyrics, but not be too literal
• Go with the emotion

Copyright - what is it?

Copyright is a concept enforced by the government, which entitles the original creator of a piece of work to exclusive rights to it.

This means that they have a legal say in how their creation is used, whether it can be reproduced, etc.

Thus they would have to be approached if a person wanted to use their work.

Generally though the artists wouldn't mind if it was for non profit.

This applies to us in that we had to obtain permission from the relevant artists when choosing the song to use in our music video.

100 Greatest Music Videos - Unique videos in the list

#11 in the list

The Scientist

Coldplay

Director: Jamie Thraves

What makes this video stand out from the myriad of others is the fact that the video is backwards ..but the singer (Christ Martin) is singing the correct way throughout.

This was not done via any sort of special effects, Martin had to learn to lipsync the words backwards.

The director claimed he got the idea for the video from just one line in the song, "Let's take it back to the start".

#10 in the list
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
Director: Samuel Bayer

Cobain wanted the video modelled on a movie, "Over the Edge", in which children burn a school down.

However the director, Samuel Bayer, had different ideas. The band and the director did not get on together, and Bayer believes this contributed to the performance given by the band.

At a certain point, the extras performing in the video grew tired and started destroying the set, which was not planned to be part of the video. However upon reviewing Bayer thought it would make an improvement.

This was the song/video that boosted their career and made them renowned.

#1 in the list
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Director: John Landis

At the time of the video's making, it was the most expensive one made so far, costing $700,000. It also spans 15 minutes in length, and it tells a story before getting to the music.

The video's success was such that it actually made the news. TV channels would clear their schedules just to show the video, and the documentary showing the making of the video.

The purpose of a music video + What makes a music video successful?

The music video is a tool. It can be used to raise the profile of an artist, and perhaps expand their fanbase.

An interesting music video would gain publicity via word of mouth, music channels, and this would thus increase the amount of sales made by the artist. 

For example, the above song has gained notoriety for the video's colourful and unusal elements, and it likely would not have made it to the UK if not for the video.

They may also be used to change an artists' image, for example the video to Christina Aguilera's song Dirrty:

Prior to the video she was well known for her role in Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club", and this image did not make her well known. With this (somewhat explicit video), she thrusts her self into the spotlight with a more sexual, fierce image.

It also appeals to a more visual audience, and can also be used to express the emotions of an individual. 
In addition to this a contrapuntal video can change the whole themes of a song, or perhaps even be just random.


Supposedly the way in which to measure a music video's success is whether it fulfilled its purpose. More specific ways of measuring a music video's success though is:

• Number of song sales made
• Publicity gained of the video
• Publicity gained for the artist
• Does it add to the song?

My favourite music videos, no. 1

Guilty Conscience ft Dr Dre

Eminem

 The story of the video is split into three main scenarios in which a character faces a moral dilemma. In the midst of making a decision, the two artists (Dr. Dre and Eminem) proceed to argue about whether the protagonist should make a morally good, or morally bad decision. Eminem is the devil, Dr Dre is the angel. The scenarios are then narrated by Mark Avery.

The camera uses a certain effect which causes the protagonists to be frozen in time, whilst the artists argue. As the artists argue, the camera proceeds to use a 360 motion control (where the camera proceeds to encircle a middle point). Shots are also shown of some of the scenarios mentioned by the artists.

The background props in the shots are hard to focus on as they are constantly moving relative to the artists. This makes it so the focus is on the person in the middle and on the performers. 

The performers' costumes always depict them as peers of the protagonists, with the exception of the narrator, Mark Avery who is more dressed up and clearly stands out as the narrator.

This video stands out to me in particular as it's not just a rapper singing to the camera, but there is an interesting story/group of stories involved.

Tonight I Let You Go - Audio Clip

We actually found that someone else had already done a music video for the same song a few years ago, so it seems fitting to introduce our song with that video:

Tonight I Let You Go - lyrics

'Tonight I Let You Go' Lyrics - The Colours

Your empty promises

Stop filling up my mind while my loves’ away

Temptation calls me

To this
And loveless fools believe

Their guilty hearts still bleed

But their cold lifeless heart beats wear them out

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with

You were the mistake

That no-one could save me from

But I know I’m better off leaving now

You are the only reason I want it more

You know I want to be on my own tonight

I just keep on running

You know I want to be on my own tonight

Tonight I let you go

My insecurities

Playing on my mind, colours never change

You should come back, come back, come back(And look for more)

But love that runs too deep

Stolen moments we couldn’t keep

You should go before the night time lets you down

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with

You were the mistake

That no-one could save me from

But I know I’m better off leaving now

You are the only reason I want it more

You know I want to be on my own tonight

I just keep on running

You know I want to be on my own tonight

Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

Heart break, heart break

Heart break (tonight I let you go)

Heart, heart break

Heart break, heart break, heart heart break

Tonight, heart break

Heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break

I just keep on running

You’re the heart break

I couldn’t deal with

You were the mistake that no-one could save me from

But I know I’m better off leaving now

You are the only reason I want it more

You know I want to be on my own tonight

I just keep on running

You know I want to be on my own tonight

Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

100 Greatest Music Videos

Well, according to channel 4 ...

1. # Michael Jackson: Thriller
2. # Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer
3. # A-ha: Take on Me
4. # Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
5. # Madonna: Like a Prayer
6. # Robbie Williams: Rock DJ
7. # Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
8. # The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony
9. # Madonna: Vogue
10. # Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
11. # Coldplay: The Scientist
12. # Michael & Janet Jackson: Scream
13. # Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall
14. # Christina Aguilera: Dirrty
15. # REM: Everybody Hurts
16. # OutKast: Hey Ya
17. # Blur: Coffee & TV
18. # Beyonce: Crazy in Love
19. # Madonna: Material Girl
20. # Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood
21. # Queen: I Want to Break Free
22. # Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River
23. # Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time
24. # Radiohead: No Surprises
25. # Madness: Baggy Trousers
26. # TLC: Waterfalls
27. # David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes
28. # Foo Fighters: Learn to Fly
29. # Electric Six: Gay Bar
30. # Weezer: Buddy Holly
31. # Eminem: Stan
32. # Chris Isaak: Wicked Game
33. # U2: The Sweetest Thing
34. # The White Stripes: Fell in Love with a Girl
35. # Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2U
36. # Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away
37. # Guns N Roses: November Rain
38. # Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice
39. # Pulp: Common People
40. # Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On
41. # The Spice Girls: Wannabe
42. # Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet
43. # Dire Straits: Money for Nothing
44. # Kylie Minogue: Can't Get You Out of My Head
45. # Aerosmith: Crazy
46. # Adam & the Ants: Prince Charming
47. # The Prodigy: Firestarter
48. # Johnny Cash: Hurt
49. # Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity
50. # Paul Simon: You Can Call Me Al
51. # Run DMC & Aerosmith: Walk This Way
52. # Massive Attack: Teardrop
53. # Wham: Club Tropicana
54. # Daft Punk: Around the World
55. # Fatboy Slim: Praise You
56. # Eminem: Without Me
57. # Meatloaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
58. # The Cure: Close to Me
59. # Abba: Knowing Me, Knowing You
60. # Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams
61. # The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up
62. # Blur: Parklife
63. # George Michael: Outside
64. # Bjork: Human Behaviour
65. # Aphex Twin: Windowlicker
66. # Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues
67. # The Beastie Boys: Sabotage
68. # Madonna: Ray of Light
69. # Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Two Tribes
70. # The Police: Every Breath You Take
71. # Bjork: All Is Full of Love
72. # Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love
73. # Basement Jaxx: Where's Your Head At?
74. # Wu-Tang Clan: Gravel Pit
75. # Duran Duran: Rio
76. # The Beatles: Strawberry Fields
77. # MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This
78. # Godley and Creme: Cry
79. # New Order: True Faith
80. # Radiohead: Just
81. # Ultravox: Vienna
82. # 50 Cent: In Da Club
83. # Shakespear's Sister: Stay
84. # The Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
85. # Sid Vicious: My Way
86. # The Streets: Fit But You Know It
87. # Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime
88. # Elton John: I Want Love
89. # Smashing Pumpkins: Tonight Tonight
90. # The Pet Shop Boys: Go West
91. # The Specials: Ghost Town
92. # Herbie Hancock: Rockit
93. # The Rolling Stones: We Love You
94. # Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart
95. # The Cardigans: My Favourite Game
96. # So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds
97. # Cornershop: Brimful of Asha
98. # Bronski Beat: Smalltown Boy
99. # Supergrass: Pumping on Your Stereo
100. # Musical Youth: Pass the Dutchie

I shall be blogging about just a few of these. Because it's not reasonable to blog about all of them. Stay tuned :D