Research Questionnaire

1) What genre of music do you most enjoy? (Also consider the music videos that you enjoy) Circle your answer…
INDIE ROCK POP METAL DANCE ACOUSTIC
OTHER …………………………………..

2) What kind of mood would you prefer to see in a promo video? Choose 1-5. 1being really dark and scary and 5 being really upbeat and summery. Circle your answer…
1 2 3 4 5

3) Do you think it is necessary to have a solid storyline in a music promo video or would you prefer it to be more abstract? Choose from 1-5. 1 having a very strong story line and 5 being very abstract and alternative. Circle your answer…
1 2 3 4 5

4) What style of music do you think most suits a bright and upbeat promo video? Circle your answer…
INDIE ROCK POP METAL DANCE ACOUSTIC
OTHER ……………………………………

5) Do you think special effects work well in music videos or is it better to keep the realism? Choose 1-5. 1 being lots of special effects and 5 being none at all. Circle your answer…
1 2 3 4 5

6) Whats your favourite music video?
..........................................................................................................

7) What are the reasons for that being your favourite music video? Circle your answer...
EDITING STORYLINE EFFECTS SONG THEMES
OTHER.............................................

Textual Analysis. Empire of the sun - walking on a dream

The first thing that you notice about this music video is the bright colours used, this is enhanced by there being a colour wash used to create this effect, the costumes and locations are also bright. This would be useful in my video because it creates a positive atmosphere suited to the upbeat style of music that i want to use. The video uses a Japanese style with the mise-on-scene and eccentric costumes. The editing techniques used are cross dissolves which incorporate match on action. Another technique used repeatedly is slow motion which helps give the video its eccentric look. There are many quick cuts between the different locations which make the promo video interesting to watch.
The video conforms to conventions of music promo videos in some respects, in that the band are included in the video as the main characters and they are also miming to the music. I could include this convention in my video but it would have to be done by very good actors otherwise it could potentially look very amateur.
There is a very wide range of camera angles used particularly in the parts of the video where the location is the same for a while. The amount of camera angles used makes the video lively which is appropriate for the song.
Special effects are used in editing which are in keeping with the abstract genre of the video. These effects make the video original and different and work well as they are used to change locations in the editing, they are used almost as a transition between shots.
Having analysed the promo video, i believe the reason this video is so interesting to watch is because of the wide range of locations with quick cuts between them and also the abstract and eccentric style of the video. I can try and incorporate these techniques into my production to make it interesting to watch.

Initial ideas

I wanted to make a more upbeat film for my A2 coursework because my GCSE project was a horror film and my AS project also had a eery feel to it so this would allow me to film and edit a different style of film which i haven't experienced before. A few songs i had considered to use in my film were songs by Jamie T, The Kooks - Sofa song, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and Daniel Meriweather. I also wanted to include new effects that i haven't tried before such as using split screen. To use this, i would have to find a song that fits this style and effect. The effect shows chaos and gives a distorted and unorganised feel to the video, so i would need a song that reflects this if i was going to use this effect.
After looking through a range of songs, i decided that the most suited to the style i want to film would be the Maccabees - toothpaste kisses, the kooks - naive or empire of the sun - waking on a dream. Also the rumble strips would work. I need to brainstorm ideas for the three posibilities and see which one works the best.

Textual Analysis: Arctic Monkeys - view from the afternoon

The music video is in black and white colour tones throughout which is quite common in music videos. It uses a range of shots, opening with a tracking shot, then cuts between almost still images, it then cuts to the character in the promo and uses a match on action to show the wait and dedication of that character. This introduction before the music begins is common in music videos and often includes non-digetic sound. The introductions before the music begins are also often very slow paced so that when the music kicks in, it is very dramatic. That technique is used in this music promo video. Once the music kicks in, there is only really one event which is ongoing throughout the rest of the video, which is the main character playing the drums. This is made interesting by the wide range of camera angles and also the use of match on action as this shows that it is ongoing and shows the strength and determination of the character. Also the reactions on the characters face draw the audience in and grasps their attention because they can see the characters pain. There are other characters that are introduced to the video which help illustrate the determination he has as she watches in amazement. The music slows down along with the action in the video and there is a flashback which is shown in colour and is the only part that's in colour throughout, this shows the significance of the flashback and also indicates that it is a flash back. There is a birds eye view in the break from the music which slowly zooms into his hands. He opens them and the viewer can see the blood from his hands which again illustrates the pain he is going through. The impact when the music kicks back in is very strong and emphasises the stamina of the character which reflects what the song is about. The end of the promo links back to the start with the same shot imagery, this brings closeure to the video and makes it more dramatic.

Research - conventions of music videos

The research I found related to the conventions of a music promotion video was that…
· The artist performs in the video
· The video content is influenced by the song’s lyrics
· The pace of the music and the pace of the editing match each other
· The mise-on-scene reflects the mood of the song
· The video often has ‘extras’ in it as dancers or background singers
· The star or band often appears and there are quick cuts between the performance and other action in the video.
· There is often more than one location that it is filmed in.

Textual analysis. The streets – Blinded by the lights

The music video for this particular song has a strong storyline which is unusual for music videos as they tend to be more abstract with only a few links to the story the song is telling. The song lyrics follow his thoughts. The camera angles show this because they focus on him and often fade out the background. As he is walking through the room, there are lots of point of view shots. The director also uses a dolly shot repeatedly to show that he is the main focus and also to make it look surreal which links into the storyline, which is about taking drugs. The editing uses lots of quick cuts from him to what’s going on around him. The video also uses conventions such as the artist miming to the song. The camera uses a dolly shot again nearer the end of the video and the background is faded and spins around. This shows how he feels and also builds up tension which eventually leads to a fight where the noise from the fight is introduced. The music allows this dramatic ending because there are repetitive beats which builds suspense. The whole video is filmed in only one main location, other than the short clip at the start before the music begins. Music videos are typically filmed in more than one location so in this respect it doesnt conform to conventions. Overall, this video is unique but also conforms to some of the conventions associated with music videos.

Chosen Brief

At the start of the A2 media course we were given a choice of several briefs. Having considered all the options I decided the one that would be best suited to me would be a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with a cover for its release and a magazine advertisement. The reason I felt that this brief was best suited to me was because it’s a subject I am interested in and therefore have more passion doing. I can also see huge potential as the brief can be executed in a creative way, exploring new techniques and gaining new experiences.