Our target audience

A summary of who our target audience is girls who are around the age of 15-21. These girls would probably like to go out and have fun with their friends and be quite girly in terms of loving to wear make up and dress nicely etc. Also they may love to watch chick flick tv programmes and films as they may aspire to be like the girls they watch, just like they might aspire to be like our artist. The use of this presentation is to show, in detail, exactly what our target audience is like and give an idea of what they might like to see in a music video due to what their characters are like. For example if these girls like to wear make up and dress up, they would like to see that in a music video.

Production Diary 3

Production diary 3 from Laila Jaleel

Analysing music videos - Video 2: Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne - Real Love

Camera Movement, Shots and Angles

One of the first shots is a birds eye view of a man playing the piano so we can already tell this is slightly performance based. Medium shots have been used to show people of all races and genders who are in love, kissing, laughing etc. The reason why medium shots have been used is so that they are the main focus and to show the intimacy and closeness between these people.  Medium shots have been used to show what each person in the band are doing e.g. playing the piano, drums etc. Close ups are used to show the singer, Jess Glynne, singing and how much power she is putting into performing the song. When the band are performing on stage an establishing shot has been used from a high angle to show that there is a crowd who they are performing for. Many medium and close up shots are used on the band at this point to show that they are performing for the audience.

Editing transitions and special effects

Quick cuts have been used throughout this video which follows the upbeat and fast flow of the song. When the band are performing in front of the audience low key lighting has been used, not to create a dark tone but, simply because they are performing in front of an audience at a concert. However high key lighting has been used around the singer, Jess Glynne, to help show her positive image. High key lighting is considered to create an upbeat mood which is why they have tried to use some. The reason that low key lighting was used is simply because they had to as the setting is at a concert. Strobe lights have been used when the band are performing and this may be because it makes the location look like a club which is something that their audience might appeal to.  Some parts of the video are in slow motion even when the song can be at a fast pace. This could be so that the audience can really take in the video and see what's going on i.e the band playing their instruments, the audience enjoying themselves etc. 

Mise-En-Scene

Setting - The video shows clips of the band performing in the studio and of people kissing when the song is slower whereas when the beat drops and the song becomes faster we see that the band are performing on stage. The song has been represented in two ways, one of them is that the song is all about love but it is also about dancing and having fun and this has been shown by having the two different settings.

Costume - When the band are in the studio they are in casual clothing whereas when they are on stage they are in more snazzy clothing for example the boys change into patterned shirts when they are on stage. This shows that when the beat drops the song is there for people to have fun, dance and dress up a bit more.

Lighting - In the studio, when the music is at a slower pace, the lights are dim and this may be because they want to create a romantic mood as the song is about love etc. Whereas on stage the lighting is dark but there are spot lights. This type of lighting may be similar to when people go out to clubs and bars and may possibly hear this song as it is a song in which someone could dance along to.

Props - The props used are just the instruments that they are performing with. When shots are used to show them playing their instruments you can tell they are enjoying it. This may have an effect on the audience as they can see these people enjoying themselves to the song so they may do so aswell.

Make up - The girls make up is very subtle as this video isn't extreme in anyway. The video is more about trying to spread love in a subtle way and not being too extreme about it.

Representation

The main singer, Jess Glynne, puts so much power into her performances which shows that she really cares what she is singing about. The image (below) shows that she is putting her all into performing this song. Her facial expression shows so much passion and emotion and we can see that she is giving it her all. The close up shots used (like the image) of her singing may give the audience chills as she is being represented as someone who cares so much about what she's doing and what she is trying to portray. She gives the impression that she feels so strongly about love and she is trying to spread it through the power of her singing.

Ideologies

The attitude in this video is very positive as we see couples laughing, smiling and kissing which are all connotations for happiness. Although we do not necessarily see the Jess Glynne smiling in the video she is still seen to be happy however it is shown in a different way (her singing). Her facial expressions show how passionate she is when she is singing the song and we get the impression that she really cares about what she is singing. As the song is about love this can make the audience understand that the beliefs, attitudes and morals of this song/video is about showing real love for the ones you love.

Genre

This song would be considered to be in the dance genre due to the drop of the beat at the chorus of the song. The video shows codes and conventions that fit with the dance genre as we see strobe lights, people dancing, laughing, smiling etc and these are typical things that you may see in a dance genre video. This is because the aim of the video is to make people want to feel happy and dance therefore it is important that the codes and conventions used will make people want to do so. 

Intertextuality

 Clean Bandit are a music group who play classical music instruments so the music they make is always a cross between two genres which is really interesting. As a group they have made it clear that they play music instruments as many of the videos, for songs that they have made or collaborated in, they are shown to be playing they're instruments. The intertextuality in this video is that Clean Bandit are shown playing they're instruments and they are seen to be doing the same in many of their other videos aswell. Reasons they have done this may be because they want people to be aware that they play classical music instruments as it is a very unique thing and they want to be recognised for it. Also, it is a good way to stand out and a good way for the audience to become familiar with who Clean Bandit are.

Audience reception and reaction to the video

As Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit are all British they may have the same kind of fan base therefore they may be really excited about this video due to the fact that these two artists have collaborated. It is clear throughout the video that both Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit are very passionate about singing/playing music and this can give off a happy vibe which may have an affect on the audience. By this I mean, if the audience see the artists enjoying themselves then they may enjoy themselves too. 

Can Andrew Goodwin’s theory be applied to this video?

A part of Andrew Goodwin's theory says that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. The typical codes and conventions for dance music is to see dancing, club scenes, a good atmosphere which are all things that a young audience could relate towards. In this video we do see these kind of things therefore I would say his theory has been applied to this video.

Can Laura Mulvey’s theory be applied to this video?

Laura Mulvey's theory focuses more on the male gaze and how women can be objectified in music videos. However in this video no signs of the male gaze theory have been shown. When the band are on stage, the girl in Clean Bandit is wearing a skirt that you can see through so some may see that as a revealing outfit however she has not been portrayed in a sexual way but instead in a trendy way. The way the the whole band dress is quite quirky and they have a reputation for it therefore people will not see that outfit in a sexual way. This means that Laura Mulvey's theory has not been applied to this video.

Analysing music videos - Video 1: Happy - Pharrell Williams

For this task I will be analysing 3 music videos from the genre of 'dance'. The aim of this task is for me to gain a better understanding of codes and conventions used within this genre. It will be interesting to see how these videos create the mood that they want to in similar or different ways through camera movements, shots, angles, editing transitions etc. 

Camera Movement, Shots and Angles
Throughout this video mostly medium close ups and long shots have been used. The medium close ups have been used to show that persons facial expressions which is either very happy or they are concentrating on their dancing which is portrayed to be a happy thing. This can make the audience feel happy, which is the point of the song, as they can see that these people are singing along to the song and dancing with no care. The long shots are used to show someone / people dancing but you can also see what background too. Throughout this song we notice, through the long shots, that people are dancing in the street which is in public but they are having fun and not worrying about what other people are thinking. This can affect the audience is a positive way as we can see in these shots that all these people are enjoying themselves and that they are completely different but this song can bring people together as it has such an up beat tone and mood.

Editing transitions and special effects

This video consists of quick cuts throughout and I think that the quickness in change of the scene can create an excitable mood and possibly make the audience want to dance along too. Special effects have not necessarily been used in this video because I think that showing people having a good time and dancing is enough to show the message of spreading happiness.

Mise-En-Scene

High key lighting has been used in the video as it conveys positive emotions such as happy and joyful atmosphere. The reasonn that low key lighting has not been used in this video as it creates a much darker atmosphere and this would not be fitting for the type of upbeat song.  Bright colours have been used throughout this video as they set a happy mood and tone. The video has a clear aim of trying to make the audience feel happy and create an upbeat vibe. Bright colours are shown on peoples clothes and also in the background. People are seen to be wearing bright colours to show that that they are happy on the outside, as well as inside. The locations in the video change from completely different places like from church to a busy highstreet. The fact that people are shown to be dancing in these public locations show that these people don't care what people have to say about them as they are happy and dancing. Peoples facial expressions vary throughout the video as some people are smiling and clearly showing their happiness whereas some people seem more concentrated on their dancing. Although they may not be smiling they are still portrayed as being happy as it shows they don't care what people think about them because they are having fun. Props have not been used in this video and I think this may be because they can cause distraction to the people dancing but the whole point of the video is to watch these people dancing and having fun by doing so.

Representation


Pharrell Williams is featured in this video along with people who are not famous, a few famous people and someone dressed as a minion. We see Pharrell singing the song in the video so it is clear that he is the artist. We also see him dancing by himself but also with other people therefore he is being represented as the person who is bringing these people together which bring out a positive impression. Pharrell's facial expression are shown to be rather relaxed, chilled, cheeky etc. which can make the audience feel the same. One of the outfits Pharrell wears, in the video, is a white shirt with a bow tie and a hat. Pharrell is well known for the types of hats he wears therefore the audience are most likely familiar with who he is. The bow tie worn with the hat shows that he is not trying to be too formal or serious but portraying a smart and fun image which is a good thing for young people as they may look up to him as a role model therefore I feel it is a positive thing for him to be represented in this way. The people who are not famous are all seen to be dancing in various places like the street, in school, at church etc. They are all shown to be happy and carefree and I think this has an effect on the audience by making them feel like they can be the same. As the majority of the audience are also not famous and they can see other people just like them having this much fun, the song may have the same effect on them by making them want to dance for example. The person dressed up as a minion has been featured in the video because this song has been featured in the 'despicable me 2' which is a film that has minions in it. As minions are well known to make people laugh they are represented to, again, portray happiness and make the audience laugh.


Dominant Ideologies

The attitude in the video is positive as we see a visual representation of happiness. Many connotations of happiness are seen throughout the video such as dancing, smiling, bright colours, high key lighting, outfits etc. It is clear that the moral of the song/video is to spread happiness and to bring people together. We see all of these different people dancing, throughout the video, who are all different because of their skin colour, age, ethnic background or gender but the fact that they are all dancing and having fun shows that everyone has something in common if they are happy which is a nice message and thought to have.

Genre


This song is considered to be under the dance music genre as the song is upbeat, fun and easy to dance to. This is signified in the video in a very obvious way as it shows people dancing, singing and smiling which are considered to be happy. Dance music is meant to make people feel happy and want to dance which is clearly shown in the video.

Intertextuality

The music video is similar to other dance genre music videos such as Duke Dumont ‘Need You 100%’ for example. The videos are similar as they both consist of quick moving shots and they feature people dancing in public places. Dance genre music videos will usually consist of these things because their aim is to make people want to dance and have fun.

Audience reception and reaction to this video

An audience might enjoy this video because it is nice to see people enjoying themselves. This video may remind people of summer due to the fact that it is sunny and people are being seen to have fun. This would usually be considered to be a positive thing. The effect that the video may have on the audience is that they want to dance and sing a long to it.

Can Andrew Goodwin's theory be applied to the video?

Andrew Goodwin's theory is that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. I think that it can apply in this video and it is typical to see good vibes in a dance music video. To Andrew Goodwin this video would be considered to be an amplified music video as the lyrics are clearly being shown in the visual. The video shows that there is a relationship between the music and visuals as they are both portraying the same thing. Demands of the record label, a part of Goodwin's theory, also does apply to this video as we see many close up shots of Pharrell. He is shown to be very relaxed, fun and happy which lets the audience know what kind of emotion he is trying to portray. Notion of looking doesn't really apply in this video as I think it would create the wrong kind. Intertextuality has been used in the video as a minion is shown. Minions are from a film called 'Despicable Me' in which this song is featured. Most of the audience should be familiar with this being shown which may create a sense of pleasure.

Can Laura Mulvey's theory be applied to the video?

Laura Mulvey’s, male gaze, theory is not applied in this video. All the women who are featured are not sexualised in anyway as they are just dancing to have fun rather than in a provocative way. This music video does not draw people in from sexualising women and instead it draws people in in an innocent way as it simply shows people enjoying themselves.

Production Diary 2

Production diary 2 from Laila Jaleel

Copyright permission letter

Dear Copyright Holder,

My name is Laila and I am currently an A-level student, at Brentwood County High School, studying media studies and am writing to request your permission to use the remix track of the song 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off' by Ella Eyre for our A2 music video.

If you were to kindly give us permission to use this song it would be used in our current A-Level Media Studies project which is to create a music video as well as a digipak and an advert for the artist. Your approval would be much appreciated as the song seems very suitable for the kind of video we would like to make.

We would like to reassure you that with your permission this track would only be used for education purposes. The artist and your company would off course be fully recognised within the pre-production and also the final music video. If you would like to require a copyright notice with wording supplied in the records of the project by you then I, lastly, ask if you would be able to send me the full details, We would be more than happy to oblige this upon request.

We look forward to heating from you,

Kind regards,

Laila.

Our music video ideas

Music video ideas from Laila Jaleel

Production Diary 1

As it is summer I thought I would do a couple of posts to get me into the kind of stuff that my coursework will consist of when coming on to doing it. I am aware that my coursework will about making a music video so I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on what music means to me and what the history of music videos is like. 

What music means to me 

For this post I simply chose three songs that were influential to me as a child, whether or not I still liked it today and why. The song that I still like today is an R&B song, Breathe by Blu Cantrell ft. Sean Paul, and I think the reason I still like it is because I can still remember the music video. This made me realise that music videos are important because it can make the difference for someone remembering a song or not.

The history of music 

This post includes a powerpoint that I made on prezi including information about the history of music videos. The first video ever to be seen was in the 1920's and from then onwards, music videos progressed and became very popular. Today, they are seen everyday and most artists will make a music video for their popular songs. Making a music video is a completely normal thing nowadays. 

Prelim Task

For our prelim task we had to create our own version of Britney Spear's 'Baby One More Time' video. We tried to film each shot as accuratley as we could which was quite difficult. The purpose of doing this task was so that everyone could get back into the mode of filming and editing. Everybody had a go at filming so we could all have a practice for when we come onto filming our own music videos. This task was fun and a good way to begin our studies in music videos.

The history of music

What music means to me

Influential songs to me as a child










My first favourite song that I can remember was 'The Cheeky Song' by The Cheeky Girls. This song would be considered a pop song. I don't particularly like this song or this type of genre today because I find most of the songs tacky and slightly annoying however they can be really catchy and that's why I think I like this song as a child. It didn't have so much of an influence on me in the long run but at the time it was a fun song to sing a long to and would have probably made me happy at the time of listening to it.

The next song that was influential to me as a young child is 'Tale As Old As Time' which is a song featured in the film Beauty and The Beast. This disney film was my favourite as a child which I why I really loved this song. This song is slow, romantic and emotional so it may have influenced me to feel emotions at the time. I do not listen to this type of music now a days however if I were to hear this song again I would enjoy it because it reminds me of the film and my childhood.

Another song which I enjoyed when I was younger, but not as young as the other two songs, is 'Breathe' by 'Blu Cantrell ft. Sean Paul' which is an R&B song. I still like this song and this genre of music today although the R&B songs today are slightly different to how they used to be. I think I liked this song as a child as this kind of music is really catchy and calm. Another reason why I think I like this song so much is because I really liked the music video to it too. I find that when a song has a good music video it can automatically make you like the song sometimes. It influenced me to like the genre of R&B as I still listen to R&B songs today.

Welcome to my blog!

Hi welcome to my blog! My name is Laila and I am an A-Level Media Student. This blog will show you all of the steps and processes of me and my group making an A2 music video. I really like my group as we all have our own individual strengths that should add up to make an excellent final music video.