Our Music Video Style

We are planning on merging narrative and performance styles within our video. These aspects will be linked with the structure of our chosen song, in the sense that we will link different sections of the video to different sections of the song. In order to achieve this, we will use a narrative style throughout the introduction, initial buildup, bridge, and second buildup of the song. These sections are the calmer sections within the song, and are a lot less lively, meaning the viewer will be able to focus more closely on the story taking place, which will tell of a character trapped within the cycle of everyday life, longing to 'escape to another world' (A lyric from our song) in the form of a get-together, or party event. The performance aspects of the video will occur during the first and second verses, or 'drops', as since these parts of the song are a lot more lively, it will mean that the audience will not have to derive any complicated plot or storylines, and can simply focus on the song itself, along with the lively scene reflected in the video. This will feature a party, or 'rave' scene, where the character from our narrative section will be present. We will be sticking to conventional techniques for shooting these scenes, which incorporate fast cutting, loose camera movement and shots.

Music Video Research

There are two main types of music video, namely performance based, and narrative based.

Performance based music videos will generally consist simply of an artist performing the chosen song, and will feature little, if any story, or narrative. Typically these types of videos will consist of a 'staged' or set up performance, at a specific location, where the band would usually not perform, for example in a field, or warehouse. There are of course performance based videos which feature footage from concerts, or gigs the band/artist have played, but the difference here is that these scenes have not been 'set up' and the footage is essentially of the band playing naturally, in their usual environment, whereas in 'set up' performances the artist will often look to the camera, and acknowledge the presence of the crew who are filming. Concert videos can appear a lot more natural because of this, as they will usually show the band playing how they usually
 would, without moving or performing in specific ways for the purposes of the video.

Narrative based music videos focus a lot more on a story or plot being told, and purely narrative based videos will often not feature the artist at all. For this type of video a set of characters and a stroyline will be created with no relation to the artist, but will usually link to themes and topics conveyed through the chosen song, for example if the song is about a relationship breaking up, the video may act out this sequence, and then show the after events of this. Generally, the mood set out by the song will be reflected through the plot and acting within the video, to create a link between the two. For the example I have used above, in this sense the video would unlikely be very lively, and a show of negative emotion would be conveyed through the characters. There are videos which are narrative based, but do not follow these conventions however, for example videos which aim to achieve a comical effect, and do not link very closely to the themes conveyed through the song.

Our Song Choice

We have decided to use the song 'Daydreamer' by Flux Pavilion, but rather than use the original we have decided to use the Dillon Francis remix of this song instead. Our reasoning for this, is that whilst the original is written at 140bpm to a Dubstep beat, the Dillon Francis remix is written at a more dance oriented beat, at 110bpm. Since the original incorporates a Dubstep beat, it is in fact at a slower tempo than the remix, since the Dance beat used in the remix incorporates a beat each second. Because we are trying to create a lively atmosphere with out video, the Dillon Francis remix is a lot more suited to our needs. At 110bpm, the remix is slightly slower than many typical songs in the Dance genre, which are usually around 128-130bpm, so we have considered slowing down some scenes in our video, to keep with the beat of the music. We think we will be able to produce a unique end product, as this song is set at a tempo which is only recently being used in this genre, and due to this there are relatively few videos for songs such as our chosen song.

Music Video Pitch

Target Audience

Our target audience is based around the age range of audiences we believe listen to our chosen style of music, and having done research into this genre we are aware it is mostly audiences between the ages of 16 and 30 who will listen to this type of music. Therefore we are aiming at this particular age range with our music video, and will aim to feature themes within our video which will appeal to this audience, that our audience can relate to, for example the idea of escapism, which audiences of our target age range will be able to relate to as many will be involved in a dull everyday work environment, similar to that of the main character in our video.

Here is a Prezi showing our Psychographic, Demographic and Geographic Target Audience Profiles:

Pitch (Powerpoint Version)

Music Video Pitch

Audience Theory

Narrative Theory

In our video:

Moodboard

This is our moodboard showing generally what will be included in our video. The majority of pictures show rave/party scenes, but we have included images that use a fisheye lens, which we plan on using, and a dull office scene to show the general emotion we want to portray during this scene.

Mind Map of Our General Ideas

Here is a mindmap presenting our general thought about what our video should include, and what sort of themes we would like to use or potray through our video. There are also some ideas of how we will link to some of Goodwin's theories.

Daydreamer Lyrics Analysis

Here we have analysed the Lyrics for the original song we are using for our video: Daydreamer by Flux Pavilion and Example. We have tried to show how we will link the lyrics and ideas shown in this song to our music video, and some visual aspects we will use.

Music Video Analysis.

Here i have three music videos from similar music genres. I will analyse each of these, explaining the codes and conventions portrayed in them, and also explore different aspects of Goodwin's theory, such as links between the lyrics and visuals, or intertextuality.

The Prodigy: Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix)

                       

In this video we see a selection of people running through ordinary streets whilst blindfolded, monitored by the band (The Prodigy). There is link here between the content of the video, and the song title. They have used the theme of 'voodoo' by showing the risk of death almost as a game, and using this to find the strongest individual. This theme has been taken, and applied to a modern day situation, and we can clearly see who is in control not only through obvious things such as costume (the everyday clothes worn by the blindfolded show these are simple, ordinary people, whilst the suits or longer coats worn by the band clearly show they have a vast amount of power when compared to the runners) but also through aspects of media such as camera angles, as there is clear use of low and high angle shots to clearly show the band looking down on their captives. This video is set at night, and this really adds to the element of danger shown in the video. This is also shown at the point where the runners reach the main road, which puts the situation into perspective, and we see how a situation we may see as a risk in everyday life, has now been made even more of a danger. Now that the true nature of danger in the video has been brought forward, a great sense of tension and suspense has been created, and this will no doubt impact on the viewer, as they will now be intrigued as to who survives the 'game' at the end of the video.

          The music style is drum and bass, and has a slight jungle feel to it, which is often used in drum and bass, highlighted mostly by the almost screechy high pitched sound effects mixed with the fast repeated cymbols in the drum sections, which keep the song flowing (reflected in the movement of the runners we see on screen). The video links well with this concept, as there are two locations: a very urban setting based around the city, and another in the woods towards the end of the video. The urban location could have been used to represent a 'concrete jungle', and the dangers in this situation are highlighted (such as the passing cars on the motorway), whereas the woods could have been used to represent a more traditional jungle style setting, showing different dangers for the runners (roots or trees etc..). 

           The group or artist feature in this video, as the rulers or controllers of the game, and in a way, the runners' lives. Most of the group are dressed in suits, or long coats, which show sophistication or class, while there is one unique figure, Keith, who is wearing a white blazer/jacket, and has white hair, which all make him stand out among the characters. While the others simply watch the 'game' being played, this character appears to make sly interferences with it, as we see where he throws a bracelet/necklace under one of the runners, causing him to trip, and is then taking pictures of the fallen runners on a cameraphone. He displays entirely different characteristics to the others, which displays use of Propp's narrative theory, involving a range of different types of character in the video, creating a much deeper and varied narrative.

Flux Pavilion: Bass Cannon

 

In this video we see a selection of people being put through a test to survive the 'Bass cannon', instantly showing a clear link between the video and music. The lyrics in the song, though repeated are 'let the bass cannon kick it', and each time these are featured we see an extreme close up showing quick shots of people lip syncing these lyrics, which keeps bringing back the theme of the video, and constantly reminding the viewer of what is happening in the video. The repetition appears almost like a hook, and we see here how the artist has related the video to the original song very strongly. The visual images of the characters being blown away by the cannon are timed carefully with the music, and reflect the bass use of bass in the main section of the song. The original song appears almost like a parody, as clearly the whole point of the song is the immense amount of bass created, and this is reflected in the video, which appears comical and definitely not at all serious, simply an exaggeration of what the artist expects the viewer to experience whilst hearing the song. Other elements in the video link with the original song, such as the heart monitor and the metronome, which both move in time to the music, to create a clear sense of rhythm.

        Typically videos in this genre, namely dubstep, tend to create a lare show of energy, to reflect the music. This video does so, through the slow motion close ups and bright lighting used, which timed correctly, work to create a high energy atmosphere surrounding the video. This video shows no real performance aspect, and is a narrative throughout, which is common in electronic music, as generally there are no real live instruments used, so a perfomance video wouldn't contain much content, aside from a live performance video, for example of a concert.

      The artist does feature in this video, and appears to be in control, as he is mixing or tampering with the song played to the other characters, he is effectively in control of their experience, and responsible for them, which shows a large sense of power. This is also shown where the artist uses his hands to mime the effects the characters are feeling, showing that he and what the experience are directly linked, again showing his dominant role in the video. 

    There aren't many obvious uses of intertextuality in this video, but the events in the narrative could be interpreted as a reference to a real life scientific experiment, as the characters being subjected to the test are almost like animals, without any control over their fate in the experiment, and the two chracters controlling the strength of the cannon, along with the artist are dressed in laboratory coats, highlighting this link.

Travis Barker ft. Steve Aoki: Misfits.

In this video we can see a mixture of both performance and narrative genres, and there is a very clear link between both the lyrics and video. The narrative, in short, is that a group of riot police approach a young girl, and this is a signal for a group of characters to prepare, and assault the group of police. The song is titled 'misfits', and even at the beginning of the video we can see this theme reflected along with themes of anarchy or rebellion, through the male character's costume a and appearance (namely his sleeveless shirt and tattoos) and the actions performed, such as the spray painting of the bike. This theme is highlighted immensly at the end, with the charge against the police squad, a clear statement about how these characters feel, and through the lyrics at the point of the charge: 'F*** the order, we choose disorder'. The use of the word we shows a clear reference to a group, and indicates that everyone involved feels the same way as the artist. If we look at this in a broader sense, it could be seen that youths' act of rebellion could be seen as a metaphor for the artists' view on music, as both artists are renowned for exploring a variety of genres of music, and taking a unique approach to the creation of their music. This video then, could be seen as a statement of what they both believe, namely to avoid the 'order' of traditional or conventional music styles, as they both originate from different styles of music (Travis Barker started out playing drums for Blink 182, a rock/pop punk band, while Steve Aoki comes from a more elctronic background, centered around dance), therefore the coming together of these two artists, mixed with the shouted/screamed vocals creates a very anarchic atmosphere, and the song is very heavy when compared with other songs of similar genres.
            The artists are both featured in this video when the performance is shown on screen, and this challenges most conventions of electronic music, as the artist would normally not perform, aside from a live or concert performance, mostly because there would be little to show, due to the lack of instruments or members of the group. The reason that this performance is successful, is due to the collaboration of artists, as with just Steve Aoki there would be little to show, but with the addition of Travis Barker, there is now a lot more to be included, and this challenges usual conventions, due to the inclusion of a live drummer. This is an example of including the 'star' in a music video, and in the performance sections we see mostly close ups of the two artists, which is almost like a sense of labelling, as Travis and Steve both have distinct features about them (For example Travis's full body tattoos), which will increase the likelyhood of recognisation by the viewer, for example if someone were to walk in as the video was playing, they would see these music icons and instantly recognise them.
         There are a few elements of intertextuality in this video, mostly small references which help build up the whole atmosphere of the video. For example, there are many items linked with youths, or 'misfits' in modern life, such as the bmx bike and the general costume worn by the characters who lead the charge against the police (caps, hoods etc...). There are also links with activities that may be considered rebellious, again such as the spray painting, but also there are a few particular shots of people participating in one on one fights, while others watch, which could be a reference to the game/idea of fight club, which is in no way controlled or supervised, relateing heavily to the themes surrounding the song and video.

Short Film Final Product

Here is the finished product for our preliminary task, a 30 second film showing someone recieving bad news. We have closely followed our storyboard and camera shot list, and through doing so were able to create this film a lot more efficiently and quickly than if we simply created it on the spot, without any real planning.