Music Videos

Key Features of a Music Video:

• Genre Characteristics - For example, a heavy metal video is likely to be on a stage whereas a boy/girl band would more likely to have a dance routine in it.
• Relationship between lyrics and visuals - If the lyrics of the song is talking about someone ill, you might have scenes of a hospital, or a dove or something connected.
• Relationship between music and visuals - If the music is loud, we might see something dramatic whereas a slower tune would have less movements in the shot.
• Frequent reference to the notion of looking - There might be screens within screens or telescopes e.t.c and also reference to a female's body.
• Intertextual references - Links to other films, TV programmes, songs e.t.c

Music Video History:

1900 - Gramaphone invented in USA

1927 - First sound film (The Jazz Singer)

1940s- Peek period for MGM Hollywood musical

1963 - UK's first music TV programme on ITV (Ready Steady Go)

1975 - Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

1981 - MTV starts

1983 - Michael Jackson - Thriller

1983 - MTV Video Music Awards launched

1985 - MTV taken over by Viacom

1987 - MTV-Europe launched

1989 - MTV-Europe reaches 6.7m homes

1994 - Launch of MTV-Europe Music Awards

2001 - Launch of MTV Dance

Music Video Analysis:

Name of track:  Small Bump Artist/director: Ed Sheeran
Features to look for	General examples	Detailed example
Genre characteristics	Acoustic, pop.	The song is talking about how much he cares for his baby and how good he will treat it when born. It is set in the hospital where the baby will be born.
What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?	The lyrics are talking about when the baby will be born and it is set in a hospital.	The lyrics are describing how he will treat his baby when he is born. This is gentle and honest and so are the visuals.
What is the relationship between music and visuals?	The music is quite calm and so is the camera speed.	The lyrics are quite calm and focusses on the man. The speed of the tracking camera shows the gentle nature. The visual is not connected to the tune.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?	There are close-sups of the artist as the camera goes close to him, then away, then close again.	There are close up shots of the artist when the camera goes close to him. The camera goes to and from him.
Is there reference to the notion of looking?	The singer is looking down a lot to show that he is thinking.	The singer is looking down which shows he is thinking seriously. The camera is always focussed on the man to show his importance.
Are there intertextual references?	There is no intertextual references.
Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?	The video is narrative/concept based.	The video is telling a story from the baby currently be a just a scan to the baby being born.

Name of track:  My Heart Will Go On Artist/director: Celine Dion
Features to look for	General examples	Detailed example
Genre characteristics	Love, romance and peace/soul.	The song is a love song and it also tells the story of the titanic sinking. Most of the shots are of a sunset and at night/darker for the more dramatic bits.
What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?	The lyrics describe a persons feelings relating to the Titanic sinking.	The lyrics are talking about never forgetting their memories and the visuals show this.
What is the relationship between music and visuals?	The music is slow and gets dramatic and so does the visuals.	The music gets dramatic when the visuals do. It is louder and more 'action' as the ship starts to sink.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?	There are frequent close ups of the artist.	There are close ups of Celine Dion singing and also the characters.
Is there reference to the notion of looking?	The video does show looking however none of a 'sexual' nature.	The video is a romance one however it doesn't portray women in a 'seductive' way.
Are there intertextual references?	There are references to Titanic.	The song is the theme song for the film Titanic and hence is based around that, including clips and characters from the films.
Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?	It is mainly narrative based.	It tells the story of Rose's time with Jack on the boat and it shows their memories.

Name of track:  Uprising Artist/director: Muse
Features to look for	General examples	Detailed example
Genre characteristics	Heavy metal and rock.	As the genre is heavy metal it shows the band playing and the light is dark and there are scenes with fire.
What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?	The lyrics talk about 'uprising' and the visuals support this.	The lyrics talk about an uprising which the visuals sort of show with a teddy having more power towards the end of the video.
What is the relationship between music and visuals?	The music matches in time with the visuals and relates to the words.	The music of doesn't have a relationship with the visuals and the footage isn't linked with the beat.
Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?	There are close-ups of the artist at time but not all the time.	There are close-ups of the artist however no symbolic marks that represent the band. This is iconic.
Is there reference to the notion of looking?	There is no reference to the notion of looking.
Are there intertextual references?	There aren't any intertextual references.
Is it performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based? How much of each?	The video is performance and narrative based, mainly performance.	The video is mainly the band performing but does also include scenes of a story whilst the music is playing.

Essay:
I will be analysing 'My Heart Will Go On', sung by Celine Dion and directed by Billie Woodruff. The genre is described as pop and soul and was the main soundtrack for the film Titanic. Soul music is normally play with sounds from pianos, guitars, keyboards e.t.c and is generally 'peaceful' music. Pop music, although it has numerous sub genres, covers the biggest range of music, hence deriving from 'popular'.

The music video is based around memories from the characters Rose and Jack from the film and the music video includes clips of them as well as Dion. The start of the song is instrumental and it shows good memories of the ship as it leaves Southampton. When the lyrics start, we cut to Dion who has her hair blowing, keep the connection with the boat. The scene fades into the next one which makes it seem more peaceful. The positive lyrics match up with the visuals. Dion is also featured on a set of the boat. The song describes how they meet and their journey to becoming close. Some of the clips are in slow motion to make it seem that the good memories are being slowed down to make them last longer. For the scenes where Celine is singing on the boat, the colours are warm, being orange, red and yellow. We see clips from the film with the characters smiling and having a good time. This will contrast to the second bit of the video. The lyrics of 'my heart' usually feature Rose and Jack getting close. Celine is wearing a white dress which is symbolic for peace. As the music gets more dramatic, the actions in the visuals do too. Rather than the characters sitting down they are up and are more lively. The visuals again match the lyrics of 'my heart will go on' as we see Rose and Jack happy together.

As the tone of the music changes, the visuals do to. The colour changes to a dark black/blue tone as the events get more dramatic like the iceberg colliding with the ship. When we cut back to Dion singing, she also gets more dramatic with her singing and there is more wind blowing in her hair. Some of the clips cross dissolve over each other however some are just cutting for dramatization. Towards the end, the lyrics aren't directly linked with the visuals. The final shot is of Celine Dion and we stay on her, looking calm and peaceful, as the music fades out.

The record belongs to Sony Classical and James Horner composed the song with the original intention of using it in the film. It was used in the film and due to the major success of the film, the soundtrack sold millions of copies worldwide. It was to represent Celine Dion and the score as peaceful to effectively pay respect to the tragic event. The video is quite different to her other ones however the style is similar in terms of her singing. Her 1995 song 'The Power of Love' is similar to the style of the song however the music video is quite different but still with some similar Dion poses.

Although the video would fall into the romance category, I wouldn't say that it is portraying a sexual image of Dion or the characters in there. There is 1 scene that could be categorised at sexual however it is part of the story and isn't intended to represent Celine as that or change the theme of the song. Titanic was in 1912 and the costumes don't suggest anything seductive, nor do they imply a sexual display. Some of the camera shots show Celine with her hands on her body however I think this is just for emotional reasons. There is no other reference to looking either i.e. with a screen or anything.

There is a very strong intertextual reference to Titanic, as it was the theme song for the film. Dion is featured standing on a set of the ship in which she said it "actually feels like a movie set made just for me". Clips of the film are used and when there isn't any clips there is reference to it with her on the set. Due to the success of the song, people would know that the song is connected to the film. If you have seen the film the narrative of the song is clear however you could still make it out if you hasn't seen the film.

The film is a mixture between performance and narrative based. Narrative because it tells the story of two young lovers and performance because it features Dion singing however there is still reference to the story of Titanic when she is performing. I would say that it is more narrative than performance if you include reference to the lyrics.

Overall, this is a very successful narrative and performance music video, which tells the story of two loves on board the Titanic. It is the soundtrack to a film which is why it is focussing on the film and characters and it balances Celine singing with reference to the film. I think that it is a good music video as it clearly tells the story and we know what is going on. It has been very popular and people will also remember it, however this might be more to the film's success rather than the soundtrack's success.

Using Final Cut Pro

First Step:
Final Cut > Easy Set Up > Format: HD > Use HDV 1080i 50 > File > New Project

Saving:
File > Save Project As > Data Drive > New Folder > Add Title

Extracting Footage from the Camera:
Log&Transer (DSLR) Log&Capture (tape) > Scratch Disk (save location) > Line 1 > Set

Keys:
J - Fast Rewind
L - Fast Forward
K - Play
K and L - Slow Motion
Left/Right - Next Frame
Space bar - Play/Pause

Assignment 2 Submisison

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0Mi2vFkLL0pTkJwMTE0WlpiSjg/edit?usp=sharing

Regulatory Bodies

Regulatory bodies are required by law and decide if the film is appropriate and if it is, to what age group. Different countries have different rules however the American and British regulations are the most well known.

BBFC - British Board of Film Classification

In order to protect children from unsuitable and even harmful content in films and videos and to give consumers information they might need about a particular film or video before deciding whether or not to view it, the BBFC examines and age rates films and videos before they are released. This independent scrutiny prior to release ensures the highest possible level of protection and empowerment. We watch films and videos all the way through and award an age rating and insight to each one. We reach an age rating by applying the standards and criteria contained in our Classification Guidelines which can be downloaded below. 

Typically, two examiners view a film for theatrical release. In most cases a Senior Examiner will confirm the examiners’ recommendation. But if the Examiners are in any doubt or fail to agree, or if important policy issues are involved, the work may be seen by other members of the board. The same process exists for DVDs and Blu-rays though generally these are seen by one Examiner.

We look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions. The theme of the work is also an important consideration. We also consider context, the tone and likely impact of a work on the potential audience.

The release format of a work has an impact on classification. Our decisions on the age rating of DVDs and Blu-rays can occasionally be stricter than at the cinema because there is a higher risk of underage viewing in the home and a greater potential for watching scenes out of context. - All information from BBFC Website.

OFCOM

Ofcom is the communications regulator. They regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate. They make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive.

Ofcom operates under the Communications Act 2003. This detailed Act of Parliament spells out exactly what Ofcom should do – they can do no more or no less than is spelt out in the Act. The Act says that Ofcom’s general duties should be to further the interests of citizens and of consumers. Meeting these two duties is at the heart of everything we do. Their main legal duties are to ensure:

• The UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband;
• A wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;
• Television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;
• People who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material;
• People are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded. - All information from OFCOM website.

Floor Plan

House floor layout ^

Exterior layout:

An ideal location would be one that has multiple facilities nearby such as houses/flats, a pub e.t.c An example of this would be the street set at Wimbledon Film and Television Studios. The street set includes houses, shops and a pub to create a realistic environment. You can go in all of the buildings apart from the ones straight on. A cash machine and also phone box is also available.

A good idea for a drama here would be a 'neighbour' style idea with the neighbours being a pain to each other. This would work well and also the shops opposite could be a working location for them. This would be ideal to film. The pub would play a big role as that would be where a lot of the people socialise. The road is also a good idea as it is in a film studio and so you wouldn't have to block public roads. 

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a form to help prevent and identify hazards whilst filming. Some examples of hazards include:

• Animals/insects
• Confined Spaces
• Derelict buildings/dangerous structures
• Fire/Flammable materials
• Machinery
• Smoking
• Stunts
• Explosions
• Water
• Heights

If a risk has been identified you need to calculate how high the risk is. You firstly start with the severity. This is how bad the risk is if it was to happen. i.e. a fall from a tall building could give you a broken leg. You then need to decide on how likely the risk is. A risk of animals if filming in a swimming pool would be very low where as animals in a pet shop could be higher. One you have decided this, you need to give it a conclusion on the overall risk factor. This is normally done in terms of numbers.

A risk is weighed up by how likely it is and how severe it would be so a very unlikely low risk would be a 1/5 where as a very like severe risk would be a 5. After this, you need to decide on what action to take if it would occur. So for a very severe risk you would take immediate action whereas a low risk, you would only decide on the action should it happen. You finally then have to decide who has responsibility for the risk and who is the person exposed.

Completing a risk is very important and if a member of the production team, including actors, gets injured on the set then it could cost the company thousands and also damage the reputation of the director/producer.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0Mi2vFkLL0pcWZ1RV9HSm5Ib3c/edit?usp=sharing

Location Recce

A location recce is the title role of the the person who is responsible for finding the right location and also getting the correct rights to film there. Some of the things that they need to consider when filming is:

• Do you have permission to use it? - If not then another location should be used however if they can use it then they need to find out other details.
• Cost - You would need to know how much it is to use and also how long you can film at the location.
• Risk Assessment - How safe is the location, is it abandoned, does it have dodgy gas supplies, does it house any harmful chemicals and are there one alarms/sprinklers? e.t.c
• Licenses - Are any licenses required for filming on the location, i.e. permission to be there, permission for others.
• Landmarks - If you are disguising a location, are there any landmarks visible?
• Crow Control - Do you need to clear an area for filming or temporarily block a road?
  
• Vehicle Access - If you need to get trailers or a lot of people to the location can this be done easily?
• Sound - For diegetic sound, is there any airports, train stations or main roads nearby? Also what is the terrain i.e. wooden floor, glass, concrete.
• Tides/boats - If filming out at sea, when will it be high/low tide and also how many (if any) boats are required.
• Electricity - Is there an electric supply there for lighting and cameras? 
• Accommodation - Are there any catering companies or hotels in close proximity to your location?
• Lighting - What natural light is available and what lighting equipment needs to be added?
• Toilet Access - You would need to have toilets close to location especially if you are filming there for long periods of time.
• Size of location - How much equipment and how many cameras can you have on set at one time?
• Secure place for equipment - Is there a secure place to leave equipment ?
• Cables - Will there be loads of cables or is there something to cover them?
• Background music - Any PA systems or public events going on.
• Backgrounds - Is the back ground appropriate - any adverts or anything.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0Mi2vFkLL0pcWZ1RV9HSm5Ib3c/edit?usp=sharing