Case study

Case study:


'Pop performers' and 'Pop stars' have become interchangeable and will usually have an identity or persona that is well known to them, leaving them not solely restricted to musicianship. A star image is a readily recognized sign that is used in many different media forms. Stars/artists will typically use an image for advertisement purposes and to ensure they become well known and remembered within the music industry.


An example of a famous singer is Michael Jackson who has become a well remembered individual even after he died as a result to the star image he created over the course of his career. Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter and dancer and was named 'the king of pop' during his time, along with being one of the most well known and extremely popular entertainers in the world. His music style, dance and also unusual fashion as well as publicized personal life allowed him to become a global figure for many years. He started of his musical career being a member of the Jackson 5 with his older brothers before later become an independent musician. His most well known song 'Thriller' has a record number of 65 million copies sold worldwide. His success is also represented through the number of awards received. Michael Jackson is one of the few artists that has been admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and also the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Dance Hall of Fame as the only dancer for pop and rock music. His career began when he was only 13 in 1971 and then ended in 2009 as he died from a drug over dose shortly before his comeback tour. Michael Jackson was one of nine children, and there are reports suggesting his farther had become violent with them. Over the course of his success his style varied slightly however all following a similar star image where he is the center of attention, grabbing the attention of the audience from the very beginning.


Michael Jackson's earliest performance was in the 1970's as a member of the Jackson five with 'ABC'





Even from his earliest video's and productions Michael Jacksons star image is clearly shown to be developing. An aspect of the star theory is that stars are constructions, upholding unique selling points that could be copied or parodied. For Michael Jackson this is his known dance and originality. Even in this video he is the main focus of the music video. Throughout the continuation of the song he is the lead singer, consisting over a number of close ups solely on him, while he also often breaks away from the dance routine and creates originality in what he's doing. Another aspect of star theory that is represented is character and personality, stars will begin as a real human, this is clearly demonstrated in 'ABC' through the simplicity of the video, as well as number of close-ups enabling the audience to develop an understanding of Michael Jackson as an individual, which later begins to transform into a construct throughout his musical career. Low angles are also shown to highlight his superiority and enable him to be shown as powerful and possibly even independent as an individual.





'Thriller' produced in 1982 is one of Michael Jacksons most well known songs of all time, and is a clear representation of his star image forming and developing into who we all remember him. The music video is almost movie quality, and from the song he has almost created a small movie representing his individuality even from the very beginning. He uses strange makeup and costumes that are dark and zombie like to grab the attention of the audience and allow him to fit into the movie style he was creating. The dance he performs is one of the most well known Michael Jackson choreographies that has become iconic over the years. This video is a representation that stars are constructions as a clear performative development has been made from 'ABC' although still Michael Jackson is the main focus, his strict choreography and unusual costumes has made it something to remember. It is also clear that this video is directed to the industry and audience as the star (Michael Jackson) has been made to appeal to the audience through his  unique style or taste, similarly his unique style has also represented the theory of a star beginning as a real human as his taste and differences to the usual style of music videos are portrayed. Finally his running theme is continued from the first video, as his dance style is further accentuated. His dance moves at this point are acting as his recurring theme. Billie Jean is another well known song in which was part of the thriller album released in 1982, this was the first time his white glove appeared acting as a part of his star construction. The white glove then was shown in a number of his music videos and almost became a signature act to him through the duration of his career. This also is another example of Michael Jackson developing into a construct as he begins to create a character around himself.



'Smooth criminal' from 1987 also continues as a representation of Michael Jacksons star image where his unique style is represented as well as his well known theme of  choreographed dance routines continues. The beginning of the music video also begins acting as almost a small film once again applying to the audience and acting as a method of grabbing attention. Record companies will often nature and shape stars and manufacture to what audiences want. It is however, a representation that a pop stars persona needs constant nurturing, such as Michael Jacksons' control of maintaining and keeping consistent his memorable dance moves and star persona while still developing it to them needs of the audience. The running theme of the dance moves links in to the star image motifs theory and aims to establish his brand icon that is himself. The ideology behind the music video  is the idea of being powerful, or winning, that could be highlighted through the white suit, white being a colour of purity and innocence suggests independence and therefore power, causing him to almost come across as a role model.





'Black or white' released in 1991 upholds the theme of racism and his clothing being black and white represents a contrast between skin colour's and empowers both races individually. This music video enables Michael Jacksons videos to connect to the theory of stars representing shared cultural values and attitudes while he supports his ideology of equality between different race and ethnicities. The audiences interest within these topics and values enhances star quality. By conveying beliefs and ideas outside music performers are able to help create their star persona and grab attention from the audience culturally. Black or white is also the first time a morphing technology was used. This within itself represents Michael Jacksons adventurous personality allowing the audience to understand him further and creating his own star persona. He at some point is standing on the statue of liberty, this allows him to be portrayed as a powerful individual who is essentially in control. The new developing in editing enabled Michael Jackson to stand out from the crowd and begin to be seen as almost a trend starter.

 

'They don't really care about us' released in 1995 is another cultural music video that is set in Brazil, it acts upon cultural differences and empowers the individuals within the video through the line 'they don't really care about us' enabling him to receive emotional attention and fame. Still, this video being one of the later videos produced consists of a strict dance routine which is what Michael Jackson is most remembered for and always will be. This video however, is one of the more relaxed, where he is wearing a t-shirt and jeans rather than a suit or fit uniform, showing a develop in his star persona. The close ups and shallow depth of field used within the video allow him to portray his sense of emotion and care for worldwide situations and issues creating character to develop his star persona.

From Michael Jacksons most earliest establishment he has always maintained his dancing and spirit throughout his career, which has become part of his star persona. This develops over time however, his dance, suits, and long videos continue throughout. From the beginning where the video was simple, he developed them into much more detailed and lengthy creating mini films instead of simple videos consisting of only singing and dancing. Thriller and Billie Jean are examples of the music videos that almost represent a change within his career. Thriller is the first video where the choreographed dance routine became remembered to the audience, and became a memorable video for Michael Jackson. Billie Jean was also the first of his music videos where the famous white glove is shown, which then becomes an icon throughout the rest of his videos. In all of them he holds a very performative character allowing him to become well known by the audience as well as appear interesting and memorable. Close ups are used throughout most of his videos, or at least establishing shots highlighting him as the main character and enabling him from the very beginning to become known. These close ups also represent the change in appearance for Michael Jackson allowing the audience to follow his development and understand his personal life. Publicizing his personal life grabbed attention from many members of the audience and represented his emotion and realism as an individual. Throughout all of his videos he maintained a trendy style, he was also different from any other pop artist of the time as he wore suits and quite extravagant costumes such as the diamond glove that was only worn on one hand, allowing him to stand out from the crowd. Michael Jackson was so popular for his time because he was so unique and different to the rest of the pop artists present at the same time, as a result to his unusual dance moves and interesting style.



Goodwin theories:

Goodwin theories:

Goodwin stated that there are seven key aspects to a music video, and wondered if music videos reflect the society in which we live in, or whether there was gender inequality. Goodwin wrote a book saying that every music video has certain features, however, these features may not all be in a music video, but one video will always be at least complimentary, contradicting or amplified.

For a video to be complimentary this simply means the video agrees or follows the conventions of the song and genre, contradicting, on the other hand, is when a music video goes against the song or music. Finally, amplified music videos are those that exaggerate specific parts or sections.


Here are the features of music videos...

1) Relationships between lyrics and visuals on the screen can either be illustrating, amplifying or contradicting.

For example 'last Friday night' by Katy Perry, both the song and the video compliment each other as the video shows a similarity between what is being sung in the lyrics and the visuals. Not only does the video illustrate the lyrics but it also amplifies them with the use of extremely bright colours and over exaggerated makeup and props that are used. The video amplifies the situation being sung about by highlighting the mess made after a party.

Eminem is another example of an artist who makes illustrating music videos where the song compliments the video. For example, his song 'Not Afraid' where the actions in the video reflect the song directly, such as the piece of paper at the beginning that matches the lyric 'paper'

2) There is a relationship between the music and the video that could either be illustrating, be amplifying, contradicting or on beat editing, this is when the music is cut in time to the visuals. An example of this is 'lips are movin' by Meghan Trainor, as the speed of the video directly links to the beat of the music. 

A relationship is also shown between the music and the video with 'Dancing on my own' by Callum Scott, where the slow pace of the music matches the slow pace of the video and editing.

3) There are a variety of genres amongst music videos, such as rap, where you will typically find features such as cars, girls, usually x-rated, as well as slightly aggressive. Particular music videos usually consist of their own music video style and iconography.

RnB music videos usually consist of choreographed dance routines for example 'single ladies' by Beyoncé. HipHop music videos usually contain a lot of rhyming to camera and female flesh such as 'sorry' by Justin Bieber. Metal usually contains lots of blood and flashing lights for example 'Kill first' by Amon Amarth.

4) Music videos contain lots of close ups usually for reasons such as, artistic branding, celebrity culture, artistic portrayal or implications on looking good. This is something that will usually be done in music videos for artists who are new and upcoming. Adele often uses close ups in her music videos as an artistic portrayal or branding.

5) Star iconography is another feature Goodwin highlights within his book and is usually used for branding, style as well as to create unique selling points. For example, Michael Jackson used a variety of dances and moves that became known to him, and over his career, he evolved and changed these moves to keep his audience interested. An example of this would be his well-known dance move to his songThriller. La Roux is an example of an artist who hasn't changed or developed her iconography and over time it has stayed the same. For example in both 'Bulletproof' and 'going in for the kill'  the videos contain bright fluorescent lights and are generally performative.

                                                     Michael Jackson: 'Thriller'



La Roux: 'Bulletproof'







La Roux: 'Going in for the kill'



6) In many music videos there is voyeurism in either the form of nudity, exhibitionism, intimate locations such as bathrooms or bedrooms, or frame within frames.

Voyeurism is usually in terms of signalising a women but can also be in the system of looking, such as screens within screens, binoculars or films and movie cameras.

An example of a music video where voyeurism is used in terms of nudity is 'Pour it up' by Rihanna where both her and her dancers are wearing either very little or very revealing clothing.



Another example of voyeurism is cameras or videos within a video and an example of this is Fifth Harmony's 'Boss' where cameras are within the video.



7) The last feature is intertextuality, this is where there are commonly references to other forms of media, for example other music videos, films, or TV programs. It is essentially media within media. For example Eminem's 'We made you' where he 'mocks' or references news stones.

 

Overall all music videos will consist at least one of the above music videos.









Types of music video

What are the different types of music video?


Performative:


Performative music video's are those that are usually dramatic and of high artistic performance. They will consist of outgoing and adventurous ideas and techniques in order to grab the attention of the audience and stand out to any videos that are already available. An example of a performative music video is Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' where the singer uses a variety of extravagant and unusual costumes with a number of changes, along with unexpected and surprising dance routines that may shock the audience into watching on. Similarly all of Lady Gaga's music video's contain atypical behaviours and she has always been known for this. This is done so that she is able to stand out from the rest of the music producer population and attract a large target audience. The abnormality of the music video 'Bad Romance' and the extraordinary makeup that is used, makes the video stand out from other ordinary music video's, this therefore appeals to a larger target audience and attracts more viewers and therefore listeners.

Abstract:


Abstract music video's will be existing in thought however, the video and song will usually have little relation to each other. The situation taking place within the video and the song may have little connection, for example a fast song with a slow dance video or unusual acting. An example of an abstract music video would be 'chandelier' by Sia, where the video doesn't coincide with the words of the song. The dance and location of the song has no connection to the words being sang, causing the audience to become confused. Another aspect of the video that makes it abstract is the fact that Sia herself doesn't appear in the video. Her hidden persona adds mystery to the music video and catches the attention of the viewers. Maddie Ziegler dances throughout the video and performs movements that are unusual making the video unusual to the rest of the music video's existing. This is similar to Lady Gaga's video's, unusual and often confusing to the human eye.

Narrative:


Narrative music video's are a visual way of telling a story and expressing a wide range of emotions and feelings, narrative music video's can be either fast or slow in pace, but in many cases will contain a slow song with an emotional storyline. An example of a narrative music video is 'Galway girl' by Ed Sheeran, the music video directly coincides with the story line and represents what's going on. By doing this Ed Sheeran is able to create an understanding of a story he is trying to tell, making it clear to the audience. This is useful as it means there is no confusion and the video is kept simple and original.
   

The similarities between these three different types of music video's is that the singer/songwriter is aiming to catch the attention of the audience through the variety of techniques they use and demonstrate within the video. Usually it is common for music video's to represent the narrative or performative aspect of a video in aim to represent either emotion in the slower paced songs or grab attention in the unusual fast paced songs for example those of Lady Gaga's. The difference between all techniques usually refers to the costumes and artistic features of the clip, and how drastically these change, however, all aim for the same effect, to develop viewers.

Music videos are a way for artists to create storyline along with their music as well as grab the attention of the audience in a fun and simple way. A music video in many cases can be how songs and artists can become well known and remembered, making them a vital part of any big song or single.

Effective shot types:

Effective shot types: 

Music videos are essentially a directors and singer songwriters mechanism to create emotion from the audience and emphasise the music within it.  It is important within a music video that a variety of techniques and shot types are used and developed in order to visually appeal to a large target audience. The use of different shot types and edits provide directors with the ability to make a music video aesthetically pleasing and to create focus on specific pin points or individuals within the video.

Frame within a frame:
Using a frame within a frame can create focus upon a specific object or even individual, not only will this focus us in upon a particular object but also allows the shot to become slightly more pleasing to the eye. The use of framing within a frame can often become suggestive of isolation or even segregation between specific characters within shot.

Tracking:
Tracking is a moving shot across the set which will always be following a specific subject, this enables the director to highlight importance, as well as maintain the sense of location and positioning within the music video. Aesthetically this is pleasing because in many cases the subject will stay in the same position while the background changes and develops. This movement often creates a sense  kinetic energy further representing the physicality of the situation being presented.

Shallow focus:
Shallow focus is a technique used commonly across a wide variety of media genres and is used similarly to frame within a frame to create focus upon a specific point and emphasise importance of either an object or individual. Shallow focus usually appears quite natural to the human eye and simply draws the attention to whats most important during that present moment. This simplicity makes the shot aesthetically pleasing whilst allowing the director to highlight a key principal of what can be seen. When used between individuals in comparison to objects this may represent dominance and vitality.

Symmetry:
Symmetry in some cases may not always be suitable, however, when used in the right way it can be useful to allow a shot to be pleasing to the eye and seem natural. Clear lines and shapes creating equal sides of the shot allow focus points as well as make the video or shot look artistic. When using symmetry contrasts and similarities and differences within shot can be used to highlight situations for example the tension between the good and bad characters, or the importance between the stars and extras or supporting characters.

Extreme close-up:
Extreme close-ups enable the audience to understand the emotion within a character or even the focus of a specific object. By doing this the director is able to represent emotion as well as create real macro detail of something or someone. This almost creates a sense of intimacy or intensity for the audience whilst the limited sight could cause slight discomfort and unease.

Off-set framing: 
Off set framing is most commonly used to create discomfort amongst the audience, the off set framing and unusually placing of objects within shot appear unnatural to the audience and seem unrealistic and makes the setting look out of place. This could be used by the director because it challenges usual expectations of conventional framing rules, making the individual in shot seem an outcast and causing the audience to feel disorientated. its difference in many cases makes it aesthetically pleasing as it almost creates an interesting and much deeper shot.

Introduction

welcome,
This is my A2 media coursework, and within a group I will be making a music video based on a chosen song. we will use a variety of camera angles and interesting shapes and colours in order to create an interesting and professional music video to entice the audience. This blog will contain the steps through the creation of my music video as well as the research and knowledge developed over the course of the year. Continue to follow my journey in order to see my final product...