Thursday, 16 December 2010
Music Video Finished! =]
Research into the music industry
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. By mid-century records had supplanted sheet music as the largest player in the music business: in the commercial world people began speaking of "the recording industry" as a loose synonym of "the music industry". Since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially, while live music has increased in importance. Four "major corporate labels" dominate recorded music — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI — each of which consists of many smaller companies and labels serving different regions and markets. The live music industry is dominated by Live Nation, the largest promoter and music venue owner. Live Nation is a former subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, which is the largest owner of radio stations in the United States. Other important music industry companies include Creative Artists Agency (a management and booking company) and Apple Inc. (which is stated as of 2009 of running the world's largest Internet based music store, the iTunes Store).
MUSIC PRODUCTION:
Music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Amateur musicians compose and perform music for their own pleasure, and they do not derive their income from music. Professional musicians are employed by a range of institutions and organisations, including armed forces, churches and synagogues, symphony orchestras, broadcasting or film production companies, and music schools. Professional musicians sometimes work as freelancers, seeking contracts and engagements in a variety of settings.
There are often many links between amateur and professional musicians. Beginning amateur musicians take lessons with professional musicians. In community settings, advanced amateur musicians perform with professional musicians in a variety of ensembles and orchestras. In some cases, amateur musicians attain a professional level of competence, and they are able to perform in professional performance settings. A distinction is often made between music performed for the benefit of a live audience and music that is performed for the purpose of being recorded and distributed through the music retail system or the broadcasting system. However, there are also many cases where a live performance in front of an audience is recorded and distributed (or broadcast).
MUSIC CHANNELS for distribution:
MTV (until 2010, MTV: Music Television) is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.
At one time, MTV had a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture. Slogans such as "I want my MTV" and "MTV is here" became embedded in public thought, the concept of the VJ was popularized, the idea of a dedicated video-based outlet for music was introduced, and both artists and fans found a central location for music events, news, and promotion. MTV has also been referenced countless times in popular culture by musicians, other TV channels and shows, films, and books.
MTV has spawned numerous sister channels in the U.S. and affiliated channels internationally, some of which, like the former MTV Tempo now known as TEMPO Networks, have gone independent. MTV's moral influence on young people, including issues related to censorship and social activism, has been a subject of debate for years. MTV's choice to focus on non-music programming has also been contested relentlessly since the 1990s, demonstrating the channel's previous impact on popular culture.
The original purpose of MTV was to be "Music Television," playing music videos 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, guided by on-air personalities known as VJs, or video jockeys. The original taglines of the channel were "You'll never look at music the same way again," and "On cable. In stereo." Although the concept of playing music videos 24/7 has long been abandoned, MTV US still promotes and plays a limited selection of music videos on its TV channel and website.
Internationally, the station continues to support a broad selection of music including 4 channels in the UK that broadcast 23 hours of music video per day.
4Music is a music channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at 4music.com with its own Facebook and Twitter pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and the only channel in the network to be broadcast in widescreen. The channel replaced The Hits. The channel is Free to Air (FTA) on Digital Terrestrial (Freeview), but as a pay subscription channel on Digital Satellite (Sky) along with the remainder of the channels in the Box Television group. All Channel 4-owned channels however broadcast free-to-air.
The Box is a television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is one of many within the Box Television network, a joint venue between Channel 4 and Bauer Group. The channel mainly broadcasts music videos, although it also features other music-related programming from 4Music. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day with Teleshopping shown late at night.
The channel is well-known for its First Play feature, where many videos often make their UK or world premiere. This new music is often shown through the 'Box Fresh' show on the channel. Most notably, The Box, were recognised for the particular force behind the huge success of the first Spice Girls hit "Wannabe", playing their first single months before its official release date[citation needed] and helping to launching the group to mega stardom[citation needed]. Before Emap took ownership within Box Television, the channel was recognised for the wide variety of music from all genres, offering up to 500 videos per week as well as for helping to introduce Rap and Hip hop music onto the UK music scene.[citation needed]
The slogan of The Box is "Fresh Music First" — previous mottos include "Big Hits First", "Music Television You Control" and "Smash Hits You Control".
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Filming
WHEN :
Thursday 11th November @ 11.15
WHO:
Actors - Jamie Stanton
Filming: Harriet Matthews
Props: Clapper board for first shot, cap, chalk (for clapper board)
ALSO DV camera, tripod.
WHAT:
I will be filming the opening shot of the clapper board. The song has three beeps at the beginning, on the third beep the clapper board will clap. I am also going to be filming shots 2,3,5,6 and 7, the boy will be performing in all of these shots. Shot 2 will include 4 separate shots of the male, the first of his feet and the floor, the second of his feet and trousers, the third of his trousers and top and the fourth of his head facing towards the ground. Shot 5 will be a long shot of the male, he will face the opposite way so his back is towards the camera and will throw his cap on the floor. The cap could have been a present from his girlfriend, or something that reminded him of her. For the sixth shot i will use a close up shot of his cap on the floor, as he is walking away. This could symbolise that he is ready to move on and leave the past behind him. For the 7th shot I will place the cap on the floor and will spin in stop motion, so between shots i will have to move the cap.
WHERE:
I will be filming all of these shots in and around Sutton, some may be filmed in Sutton Park and others on the streets, and town center. I shall film all the shots outside before it gets dark.
HOW:
For shots 2 and 3 the boy will be static, for shots 5 and 6 he will be facing the opposite direction and walking away.
Camera Angles I will use:
Vertical Tracking - I will move the camera up and down on various shots, so you can see the full view of the boy or of the scene.
WHEN:
Tuesday 16th November @ 1.30pm
WHO:
Actors: Jamie Stanton
Filming: Harriet Matthews
Props: Different changes of clothes to show the passing of time
ALSO DV camera and tripod
WHAT:
I will be filming all of the shots that the male actor is in on his own. This will include shots 2,3,4,5,6,9,11,12,14,15,16,18,20,21,22,23 and 24. I will be using a variety of different shots to capture the actor from as many different angles as possible. I also wish to film some extreme close ups and close ups of the actors face to show the emotion been protrayed. Whilst filming, i may also try some shots I havent used before, such as high angle and low angle shots.
WHERE:
I will be filming the majority of these shots in Sutton Park, not far away from college. This is an ideal location as it has many different elements and a variety of looks within the park as it covers such a large area. As its so big, hopefully we wont get any interruptions of people walking past like I previously have. The location is very open and spacious, helping to create a sense that the actor is alone in the wilderness and lonely.
HOW:
Camera Angles I will be using-
Medium Shot: My first few shots will be medium shots of the actor, showing his whole body in three different shots: One shot of his feet, one shot of his legs/trousers, and the third shot of hiss upper body with his head facing down.
Long Shot: Long shots will be used quite often as i intend to capture the whole of the actor. As its a performance based music video he will be moving around a lot.
Hand Held: I will use some hand held shots to give a shaky effect as if someone is actually with him filming.
Extreme Close up: I will use this for shot number 22, where you see tears dripping down his face, This gives the actor the chance to shot the audience his true emotion.
WHEN: Tuesday 23rd November @ 1.30pm
WHO:
Actors: Jamie Stanton
Filming: Harriet Matthews
Props: Different changes of clothes to show the passing of time
ALSO DV camera and tripod
WHAT: I will be filming all of the shots that both the male and female are in, this will include shots 8,10,13,17 and 19. All the footage will be made into black and white to show that it was in the past, almost as if they are reminiscing.
WHERE: I will be filming all of these shots in Sutton Park, not far away from college. However I will travel to a different part of the park, so I dont have the same background and surroundings as the shots I captured last week. I have found a bench in the park that I am going to use for shot 19, when editing I will create a layering effect, so there are two different shots shown together.
HOW:
Camera Angles I will be using-
Long Shot: The majority of these shots will be long shots, so that the audience can see exactly what is happening and be able to follow the story. Also i have to use these shots as I will be trying to create a layering effect on two of the shots, and will need the space in the shot to help me do this.
Close Up: I will be using a close up shot for shot 17. The actors will be holding the camera infront of them and talking to each other, smiling and laughing. By doing so this gives a really nice effect that they have captured their own footage.
Casting
Props needed: none.
Friday, 15 October 2010
*FINAL PROPOSAL
Channel for broadcast: The best suited tv channel for our video would mtv one. MTV one shows current, popular music with a diverse mixture of different genres played on the same channel; this fits our song because it does not follow the conventions of a single music genre. In comparison, most other competing music channels which stay specific to one/or a small number of closely related genres. Vh1 for example is known for playing old school hits, and channel aka is regarded as the channel for more underground and urban music genres such as grime, funky house, hip-hop and R&B. Our choice to select mtv one as our broadcast channel was also influenced by the existing Kele video which regularly appeared on the channel when it was released.
Target audience: the target audience for our music video will be older teenagers and young adults, who can relate to issues that the video focuses on i.e. the breakup of young a romance and the changing relationships between young adults of the opposite sex. i think our music video would be appealing to a wide social demographic, in particular the working class who can relate to the setting which will be used such as the canals, high street , parks etc. Also the actors will be dressed and acting in a stereotypical working class manner and this will be more appealing toa working class demographic as they can see the parallels.
Genre: the genre of our music video will be a narrative/ performance hybrid. We have chosen to produce our video in this style because the lyrics are telling the story of an aching heart which we felt should be reflected through a story which tells us why he has experienced this heartbreak. In the same way the chorus is very uplifting and fast and we felt this would best be visually reflected through performance. Also we felt that the song was singing about memories, so this could be shown as a literal trip down memory lane, which we want to show as him performing whilst walking through different locations.
style: our video will focus on using tracking and crab shots to follow the performorer as he walks through the different settings performing his song. however, our video will also have several different uses of layering and ontagesof memories which will appear in black and white. there will be some use of POV shots and over the shoulder shots. also we will use some colour shots and some grey scale inorder to show the contrast between the performers memories and the present time.
role allocation
Written by: Harriet Matthews
Cinematography by: Jamie Stanton
Edited by: jamie stanton
Music by: Jamie Stanton
Produced by: Harriet Matthews
Directed by: Jamie Stanton
story boarding
What purpose does storyboarding serve?
- The purpose of a storyboard is to photograph each and every shot of a production with a list of information for the directors and actors written below.
- The storyboard allows the director of the production to visualise the whole film before filming.
- It also allows you to change elements if they don’t work visually, before the expensive filmmaking process.
Each frame of the Storyboard should contain the following elements:
- Shot number - Each shot of the storyboard must be numbered so that the intended sequence of the shots can be followed.
- Framing - Is the shot a close up? Medium shot? Long shot?
- Drawing - A drawing visualisation of what is happening in the shot.
- Action - Brief description of what is happening in the shot.
- Dialogue - Single lines of dialogue may be written (optional)
- Sound Effects - Are there any specific sounds, diegetic, and non diegetic?
Also information on movement and position such as the following abbreviations could be added:
- H/A - high angle
- L/A - low angle
- POV - point of view
- 2-SHOT - two people in a shot
- OTS - over the shoulder
- TRACK/DOLLY - move camera on wheeled platform
- CRAB - sideways movement
- PULL FOCUS - change what is focused on
- Below is a copy of my storyboard for my music production which I produced by hand and have scanned and imported onto my blog:
audience research
Research analysis:
The most popular genre of music was R&B with 31% of the participant selecting it as one of the genres they enjoyed listening to most. However, Rock and less commercial genres were also highly popular with each of them receiving 25% of the total votes.
In response to my 2Nd question a staggering 60% of those who participated agreed that they were attracted to watching music videos by a storyline and good visual effects. This helps me choose what format my music production could follow in order to satisfy the consumer needs.
The next area I looked at was on which formats my piers watched music videos and there were two formats which were most popular. 80% watched the videos on the Internet and 60% watch them on the television. A further 72% said they preferred a storyline to appear compared to abstract elements and archive footage and 80% said they liked those with a storyline to follow a linear(chronological) pattern.
I then went on to ask which of the 3 main factors they liked: abstract, narrative, performance or a mixture. It was clear that many of them wanted to see a mixture with 60% choosing it.
Only 40% of the students who participated said they liked a stripped down acoustic version of the song to appear in the video.
Furthermore 100% of the students said that they liked the use of special effect with 20% of those saying it should be used in moderation; layering and colour effects were the most popular effects which they wanted to see in music video’s.
Finally we asked which music channels were most popular and 54% said that they watch MTV. This was by far the most popular channel amongst the selected participants.
mind mapping initial ideas
my first idea was for a track by a band called The Midnight Beast and their song booty call.the song has a humorous feel and
talks about 'a male slumber party', the lyrics are about the crazy things three friends are getting up to, along with three beautiful girls who phone them for a 'booty call' in the middle of the night.our video could be in a parody style with a comedic approach. there could be lots of fast random shots related to the words and story line that follow the events of the night. we could use speeding up effects in order to show the passing of time over the night. we could shots from high in the corners of bedrooms in order to make it feel like a fly on the wall production, where we are gazing into the events of the night from behind the scenes. there should be lots of bright colours to reflect the light tone and shots should use many different visible transitions.idea 2
the second idea for our production is for a song by Kele called Everything You Wanted. the song is a hybrid of many genres and combines a slow main lyric section with a fast upbeat
chorus. the song is about the change in a relationship between the performer and his partner, he talks about how things have change. we think this would be a good choice of song if we wanted to include 'archive footage' as a memory of how thing used to be. also we could use some stop motion in our video inorder to show a passing of time or a turn back in time. perhaps something spinning anti-clockwise to show that the videois going ack n time. also the perofrmer could be walking trhough different settings performing thesong as though he is taking a journe down memory lane. there should be shots in between to show the story of how or why they broke up so that we can show a contrast between the changes in their relationship. we coul use layering effects to show the performer alone and the performer with his girlfriend in the same shot as tough he is looking at what he used to have. i like the song and i think it would appeal to many of my fellow students. it is very contempory and offers a good basis on which to produce a video. there is many angles we could take to producing a video that most reflects the track.idea 3
our final idea was for a song by The Streets called 'fit but you know it'. this is another song that does not fit the convention of a single music genre. it is a mixture of electronic, garage and hip-hop but having listened to the song i think theres alot that we could do with the song. it has humorous lyrics similar to 'booty cal' but also talks about the encounter between the performer and a 'fit' girl. the music is fast and upbeat and the lyrics are very clear and almost spoken rather than sung. i think that the use of visible transitions and effects would this suit this video well as it is lighthearted and fun. we ould use letter boxing to show the different things he speaks about and speeding up effects to keep up with the musics fast pace.
LYRICS and VIDEO's for INITIAL IDEAS
The Midnight Beast-Booty call
I'm with my friends having a sleepover at mine,
Mum said lights off, but they're still on at half nine,
There's nothing gay 'bout doing nails and doing hair,
Nor nothing gay 'bout three boys playing truth or dare,
That's when my brush vibrated right between my legs,
T-t-to my surprise it was my phone instead,
Dru makes and interception,
Grabs my phone out my hand,
'Hello you've reached the midnight beast, you're ruining our plans! '
B-double-o-t-y
It's three over average girls calling three under average guys
"We're fucked up and we're ready to play
We wanna do things we'll regret the next day"
NO!
I wanna play cluedo with my bros
NO!
I wanna paint rainbows on my toes
NO!
I don't wanna hurl, I want a comforting look
When Noah kisses Allie in the notebook
It's just a booty call
even if your boo-tiful
It's just a booty call
Now my phones on silent, they still call on private number
I can't believe this desperation to disturb my slumber party
I'm in my dressing gowny while Ashley's making brownies
Dru is in the back room playing twister on his own,
HELL YEAH!
We're wearing our jim-jams
HELL YEAH!
We're playing the flute
HELL YEAH!
We're showing our sizes, the f***ing surprise is
that yours hasn't grown
And then I hear my!
B-double-o-t-y
It's three over average girls calling three under average guys
We're f***ed up and we're ready to play
We wanna do things we'll regret the next day
B-double-o-t-y
Three overconfident, stereotypical, cheerleader types,
wQ're f***ed up and
We wanna have fun
You can be the boys we'll regret when we're done
NO!
I wanna play Sleeping Lions
NO!
I'm busy defending Zion
NO!
There's no point in calling coz I'll never respond,
The boys and me are getting tips from Legally Blonde,
It's just a booty call
Even if your boo-tiful
It's just a booty call
I'm not a booty call, I'm just a normal boy
I want to stay at home and play with my toys
We are three boys not looking for three girls,
My Ring-tone's like a missile bringing war to my world
Cheese-strings, Party Rings are my favourite things,
Marshmellows with hot choclate, bitch we're living like kings!
I wanna have cheese pepperoni
I wanna play my little pony
I don't wanna hurl I want a chocolate fountain
Whilst we snuggle up to watch broke back mountain
It's just a booty call
Even if your boo-tiful
It's just a booty call
It's just a booty call
Even if your boo-tiful
It's just a booty call
right------
the streets-fit but you know it
intro]
Excuse me girl
I know it's a bit embarrassing but
I just noticed some tan lines
On your shirt
See I reckon you're about an 8 or a 9,
Maybe even 9 and a half in four beers time.
That blue top shop top you've got on IS nice,
Bit too much fake tan though - but yeah you score high.
But there's just one little thing that really really,
Really really annoying me about you you see,
Yeah yeah like I said you are really fit
But my gosh don't you just know it
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh don't you know it
So when I looked at you standing there with your hoard,
I was waiting in the queue looking at the board
Wondering whether to have a Burger or chips
Or what the shrapnel in my back pocket could afford
When I noticed out the corner of my eye
Looking toward my direction
Your eyes locked onto my course
I couldn't concentrate on what I wanted to order,
Which cost me my place in the queue I waited for YEAH
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit but my gosh don't you know it
Whoa! Leave it out
Are you smoking crack or something?
Leave it Out
Mike just leave it just leave it
We cannot have that behaviour in this establishment
S'not worth it mike, just leave it
Don't Touch Me, S'not Worth It
Don't Touch Me, D, Look I'm Alright
Don't Touch me
For a while there I was thinking - yeah but what if?
Picturing myself pulling with bare white hot wit
Snaring you as you were standing there opposite
Whether or not you knew it I swear you didn't tick
And when that bloke in the white behind us lot queuing
Was clocking onto you too yeah I had to admit
That yeah yeah you are fit,
And yeah I do want it,
But I stop sharking for a minute to get chips and drinks
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh don't you know it
Now, I bashed my head hard earlier choosing a brew.
But I am digressing slightly so I'll continue.
I didn't want to bowl over all geezer and rude,
Not rude like good but just rude like uncouth,
You girls think you can just flirt and it comes to you,
But let me tell you, see, yes, yes, but you are really rude,
And rude as in good, I knew this as you stood and queued,
But I just did not want to give the satisfaction to you!
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh don't you know it
Oy, just as you started to make your big advance
With the milkshake and that little donut in hand
I was like nah, I can't, even though you look grand
But you look sharp there smiling hard suggesting and
Gleaming away with your hearty hearty looking tan
But I admit the next bit was spanner to my plan
You walked towards my path but just brushed right past
And into the arms of that fucking white shirted man
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh don't you know it
What do I give a fuck.. I've got a girlfirend anyway
(whoa, we've all had a drink mate)
We're all a bit drunk, yeah we've had a few fair play
I got this stella I bombed from that last café
This nights not even begun, yes yes oh yay
I did fancy you a bit though yeah I must say
I would rather I hadn't mugged myself on display
But this is just another case of female stopping play
On otherwise a total result of a holiday
I'm not trying to pull you
Even though I would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh don't you know it
[outro]
Ha ha huh huh huh
You're fit but you know it
You're fit but you know it
You're fit but you know it
I think I'm going to fall over
I think I'm going to fall
Fucking hell
kele- everything you wanted
Friday, 8 October 2010
further analysis of chosen production- music video
we have chosen to produce a music video for our media production and so i will research further into existing products. the first video i have chosen to analyse is for an underground genre known as dub-step. the song is called perfect stranger by magnetic man.
the opening shot shows a CCTV camera followed by CCTV footage of a street corner, it gives a fly on the wall style to the video as though we are looking in on real life. the subsequent shots are medium shots and close ups focused on people sitting and socialising on the street where we were previously gazing into through the CCTV footage. much of the early shots seem focused around this CCTV camera with a low angle shot pointing up towards it from behind the dashboard of a car. an early shot that stands out for m
e occurs on the first drop of the music: dubstep is renown for its heavy bass line drops and the shot of the car hitting the metal post, puts clear emphasis on the change in tone of the music. again its referencing back to the CCTV, as it is mounted on this post. perhaps the narrative is based upon the 'big brother' society that we now live on; this would be supported by the stereotypes of the dubstep genre. its seen as underground and urban born from the streets in which we are monitored daily.
there is also the contrast between grey scale image and colour images. it perhaps shows the contrasting perceptions between those of the authorities and those who they are observing.
the narrative tells tells us a linear blurred story of a group of people opposed by pe
ople who appear to hold power. they are dressed in uniforms and appear to be a symbol of authority. they fire water cannons at the people on the street. however one of those with authority appears to take a love interest in one of the girls he is hosing and as a result his colleagues turn against him.
when we hear the lyrics ''i dont know who you are'' , the performers face is concealed. its ironic as we do not know who she is. one of the most effective effects used was the use of layering. it showed the female performer and her love interest in the same shot. showing their contrasting emotions between the two people.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
short film
The short film i have chosen to analyse is called ‘this is the life’ by director and writer Craig Devine. Craig was a student at my college and is now an established director who we can follow on the Internet. I am led to believe that much of his inspiration comes from ‘this is England’s’ Shane Meadows and this is evident in much of his work with his choice of music and montages.
Following the conventions of short film the titles appear at the start of the production, the film opens with hand held shots of a family at breakfast. This feels like a fly on the wall style of filming and helps create social realism. From this we assume that the film is a drama as this is a typical convention of the genre.There are close ups of the mother in order to display her emotions, in this case she is shown to be stressed (is this the affects of the early morning rush or does it suggest something more about the plot?) There is then use of sound bridging where the sound from the previous scene is carried into the next one.
Later we see the use of long shots in a montage, it shows a passing of time and puts emphasis on the close bond between brother and sister.The mise en scene also plays an important role in the production. it creates a depth to the story. For example there is mess and rubbish in the front garden of the families house. We know from this that they are from a working class background and living on a council estate. The next shot shows a series of close up shot reverse shots between the father and son. this shows contrasting emotions between dean and his father. It is clear that the focus of this film Will be on the relationship between Dean and his father. At the beginning their relationship s hostile and rocky.However the closing shots of the father and on boxing show a bond which has been made. Dean is announced as the winner, not only in the ring but now in life because he has achieved the affection of his father.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
about me
My name is Jamie Stanton and i am from walsall in the west midlands. i am an A-level student at the Birmingham metropolitan college in Sutton coldfield. I study business, economics, history and media studies. This blog has been created as part of my A2 media studies project. My blog will follow my progress from research to the production and evaluation of my chosen media production.
documentary conventions and analysis
music video conventions and analysis
there are 3 basic conventions of any music video:
1. a performance based video (e.g. Alicia keys - new york pt. 2)
2. a narrative based video (e.g. Michael Jackson's thriller)
3. an abstract music video (e.g. Gnarls Barkley- crazy)
although there are three basic conventions a combination of the 3 can be used. for example a narrative music video may have shots of the artist performing interwoven between parts of the story in order to create more depth. similarly, for Gnarls Barkley's abstract video 'crazy' although the images are abstract the artists face often appears singing the words. the combination of the the basic conventions is very common in contemporary music videos.
it is common for us to see artists from the same musical genre to share similar conventions in there music videos. for example it is common for rock bands and country singers to have performance based videos for there music. this is not true for all rock music videos however and is becoming less true as the music industry changes.
another convention of music videos is the layout of the video's song titles. they commonly appear in the bottom left hand corner of the frame and appear at the beginning and end or the video. they are usually laid out as follows:
- name of song
-name of artist
-name of album
furthermore the way in which music videos are edited also follows a common convention. the shots tend to change in time with the music and transitions usually cut. shots usually on appear for a few seconds before changing. however shots from the same scene are usually used randomly throughout the video.
the music video i have analysed is for the song 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash. before watching the video i listened to the song and analysed the lyrics to see if i could create an image of what the video would be like.
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
[Chorus:]
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
[Chorus:]
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way
from the genre of the song i quickly assumed that the video would be centred around an artists performance. this is a common convention of country music. the lyrics themselves told a dark story of his past with drugs and fame and i believed that the video may contain either flashbacks or archive footage. with the dark story i though would come a dark setting which would reflect the songs tone, i established that this would be done by centering the performance in a dark or poorly lit room. from the lyrics i also created an image of religious references appearing in the video when Johnny Cash sings ' i wear this crown of thorns'. although he is not comparing himself to Christ he is in fact showing similarities in the pain they have felt. has Johnny Cash been persecuted like Christ? i also felt that perhaps there would be shots used to show his relationship with family as there are several lyrics that talk about his loss of loved ones and the sacrifices that have been made for his fame and fortune.furthermore i imagined that references to drug use may be made as he sings 'the needle tears a hole'. i felt that this was a reference to a previous miss use of drugs.
the image i had created turned out to be fairly accurate and it proved that there is a very relevant link between what we hear and what we see within a music video. Below i have embedded the music video.
Johnny Cash - Hurt (Video)
the video shows johnny cash sat in a dark room with his guitar. he is sat on a luxuries chair with red velvet seat and gold embroidery. this relates back to his lyrics about it being his 'empire'. the next shot we see is of the American flag this has connotations of the 'American dream'. perhaps it is not quite as glamorous as we assume... the video then cuts to shots of the Johnny Cash museum which has been dedicated to him, this would suggest a career of great achievement and great fame. when he sings '' i remember'' the video cuts to archive footage of him from his earlier career. it is done in such a way that it almost represents a memory he is sharing with us.
Cash then sings '' everyone i know, goes away In the end'' and at this point it cuts to a shot of a picture on his wall who we assume is a relative, that is no longer with us.
''empire of dirt'' the video cuts back to the shots of his museum. this time the inside is shown. it is broke down and in ruins, perhaps this reflects his career or life at present. he is saying that although you can have it all, eventually it will become worthless like dirt.
the shots of him in the dark room show him sat at the head of a table with lots of Divine foods and champagne, again he has it all but its worthless to him because he has no one to share it with anymore. we then cut to a montage of his past which shows his life in a short space of time, the ups and downs, highs and lows.
overall i would say that this was an interesting video to analyse. it held strong meaning and served its purpose as a music video at the same time.