Insomnia Final Cut

Question 4

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

When researching into the genre for our music video, we primarily used Google and YouTube, as they are very effective tools for finding out information. We also looked in some other websites and magazines.

When we filmed the lift door shot, on the first day of shooting, we had to make sure that the camera was locked down, on a tripod, to ensure that we didn’t have to deal with camera movement, when tracking the text onto the doors. It would have been possible, but it was much easier to just avoid the issue altogether.

I also made sure to put small pieces of black electrical tape on the doors, so we could track the points to add the text. However, due to the way the light reflected off of the doors, the tracking points did not work, so I had to go by every few frames, making sure that the text stayed on the door.

We used a crane for many of the shots in our video, mainly the bedroom shots. This allowed us to get a birds-eye view of the actor, making them seem smaller. We also used the crane for a shot of the car driving away in the car park.

Many of the shots were done with the Canon 6D on a steadicam. This helped us to get smooth tracking shots, lending higher production value to the piece.

When it came to editing the music video, we used Final Cut Pro X to put it together. Once we had finished editing the video, I started the visual effects for the lift door shot. We then realised that for one of the driving shots, we would have to split it into three parts to colour grade it, as we were changing it from day to night. After that was completed, we were told that it didn’t make much sense, in the narrative, having the clock saying half past six, when Ben walks up the stairs. I fixed all of these issues in the compositing software Motion 5.

To make my evaluations, I am using iMovie, with a USB microphone.

Question 3

 

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Audience feedback was very useful when we were making our music video. From our feedback we learned that several parts of the music video were unclear. For example, one person thought that the main character was the person who mugged the girl at the start and someone else thought that the necklace that was stolen was actually a pair of earbuds.

Finding out that these aspects were unclear prompted us to make the storyline make more sense and be more coherent.

Another piece of feedback we received was that the timelapse section lasted too long and became boring towards the end. It was also suggested that we replace part of this with a flash back of the mugging scene. This helped to make what had happened more clear and understandable.

Some feedback for our digipak told us that the inside panels were quite boring as they were just pictures on their own. We fixed this by adding a small reel of screenshots to each side. This made the inside panels more interesting for the audience.

Once we had completed the first draft for our magazine advert, we were told that it seemed more like a book cover than a magazine advert. This prompted us to add more text and include ratings from music magazines and websites. These additions helped to make it look more professional and helped to promote the artist further.

Question 2

 

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary products?

We have decided to use the same picture for the magazine advert and the digipak front cover. This picture links to lip-syncing sections of the music video, which helps to give a sense of synergy among the three products. This means that someone who had seen one of the products would instantly recognise one of the others.

In the digipak, for the inside cover, we used a picture from the timelapse section of our music video. This also helps to give a sense of synergy between the products.

Using synergy makes the products more effective as it makes them more recognisable to the target market.

Question 1

 

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In our music video, we have challenged conventions of the electronica genre. For example, we decided to have a largely narrative based video rather than the performance based videos of other artists. This is because we felt that the song was better suited to a narrative based video.

At the part in the video where Ben drives past the victim and the paramedic, we have illustrated one of Goodwin’s seven points – the artist is seen to be looking/watching the girl.

We have decided to use the colour blue in some points, as well as while colour grading, to connote a feeling of sadness and guilt. We did this partly because we found that people associated guilt with the colour blue during our questionnaire, and also because it is used very commonly in electronica music videos.

The shot of the lift door at the beginning of the music video, conforms to electronica conventions, as these videos often have a small visual effect used to introduce the title.

Humbug Digipak Analysis

The very dull, dreary colour scheme reflects the title, humbug.

The picture, as it looks like it was taken with a very old camera, could connote that the band like to use older recording techniques, making the album reminiscent of older music styles.

The "warning moderate impact coarse language and/or themes" label shows that the target audience is a bit older than that of their previous two albums. The use of the generic label - "and/or" - portrays the band as if they don't really care and they are very easy-going. This is further supported by the picture, showing the band members relaxing.

The track list doesn't have numbers. This also suggests that the band want the audience to think that little effort was put into the album cover, possibly because they feel the only important part is the music. Also, the back panel has a large amount of dead space, further supporting this.

The record label, Domino, has a logo on the back panel. The logo is very small, connoting how, as the band is indie, the institution had little to do with the music produced.

Faithless 2.0 - Avicii Genre Magazine Advert Analysis

This magazine advert is for a remix, by Avicii, of Insomnia by Faithless.

It uses very bold colours to connote that the remix will be very bold and impressive. Apart from the main colour, purple, the reds and yellows used pay homage to the original music video, in which these were the only colours used - the rest of the video was in black and white.

The plain white colour of the text helps to make it stand out against the background.

The font for the '2.0' section connotes an alarm clock, which fits in with the theme of the song - not being able to sleep.

Having the original artist, Faithless, walking away in the picture, connotes that the old version of the song is leaving and it is time to listen to, and accept, the new version, by Avicii.

The stage lights either side of the original artist connote the location of a rave or nightclub scenario. This implies that the song will be good to dance to, which would make it popular among its target market.

Featuring the original artist's name and image on the cover implies that Avicii respects him and wants to make it clear that this isn't his original work. This helps to make the audience respect Avicii, as it shows that he isn't trying to rip off the original artist.


Analysing this magazine advert will help me when making my own, as t has shown me how colour and positioning can be used to connote a deeper meaning.

Ellie Goulding - Lights Magazine Advert Analysis

 

The background connotes the title, Lights, as it is very bright. The name, Ellie Goulding, is also very bright, as is the title of the album.

The predominant colour in this advertisement is gold. This connotes that the album is valuable and very good.

The quotes from other magazines and newspapers help to sell the album, as there is a wide range of different papers, from the Independent to The Times. "A staggering achievement" further helps to connote that the album is valuable and worth the money you spend on it.

The record company's logo is at the bottom of the advertisement, helping to associate the artist's success with their company.

There are small lights in the artist's hair, connoting the album title.

All of the small references to light help the audience to associate lights with the album. For example, they may be reminded of the album when they see lights in the same colour.


Analysing this magazine advertisement will help me when making my own, as it showcases very effective use of colour to connote the album's value.

Rough Magazine Advert Plan

I decided to feature car in my magazine advert, as it is used very often in the music video. This means that people would be able to associate the products easily.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Digipak Analysis

This digipak is very simple. It also has a very unclean/untidy feel, shown partly by the cigarette.


The track list, on the left, also gives off a sense of untidiness or disorganisation as the tracks do not have numbers.


The record label, Domino Recordings, is shown at the bottom of the back cover.


The name of the album is not shown on the front cover, which is unusual but also gives off the sense of disorganisation. Its shown on the spine.


The sleeve containing the CD is very simple - plain black with plain white writing - the album name.

Kings Of Leon Magazine Advert Analysis

 

 

The band has used the same main image as in their album cover to evoke a sense of synergy between the two products. This means that someone, after seeing the advert, will easily recognise the album.

 

This advert shows some of the songs that are on the album. This helps to attract customers who heard and liked the songs when they came out as singles.

 

The adverts shows the band's record label, advertising them to people who like this music.

 

The title of the album matches the colour scheme of the picture above it, helping to make the advert more appealing to the audience.

 

The band is well advertised as you can clearly see the name at the top of the page in white text on a black background.

 

 

Analysing this magazine advert will help me when making my own, as it has shown me the value of including the same image for the advert and the digipak to create a sense of synergy.

 

 

Rough Digipak Plan

Here is my draft digpak design:

 

I have chosen to feature the car on the front panel because it is heavily featured in the music video. This links the two products and creates a sense of synergy.

 

The pictures would be in black and white to connote the dull feeling of not being able to sleep. The 'Ben Hesketh' and 'Lyrics' panels would have black backgrounds to connote the night-time setting.

Finished Britney Spears Video

Here is the remake of the start of the music video to Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time". The class split into groups to remake a different portion of the first 1:20s. We matched the framing and timing of each shot by editing it in splitscreen with the original video.

Doing this has helped us to grasp how fast paced music videos usually are and also has helped us with learning about how to lipsync.

Student Music Video Analysis - Stuck (A Grade)

Genre
The genre of the song and video is electronic indie pop, which is also the genre of the artist.

The music video has a fairly typical, straightforward narrative, which isn't always a characteristic of videos in the genre. In the storyline, a boy and his friends assault a classmate and then the main character, who is also the lead singer, feels guilty about the incident.

The theme of guilt is expected in this video due to the lyrics of the song. For example, the lyric, "My eyes are stuck in a gaze reflecting every move you make. Another one trapped in a maze, repeating all the same mistakes", shows that he feels guilty about something he's done - "repeating all the same mistake".

There is not much about this video that is unexpected as it conforms to most generic conventions of the genre.

There are no intertextual references in this music video.


Visual Codes
The video is set in the following locations:

• A field
• A gym
• A dark room
• A fire pit
• A road
• An alley
• A bedroom

Most of the areas where there is no lip syncing involved are very open, for example the field or the road. However, the locations where the lead singer lip syncs are dark, enclosed rooms. This could connote how before, he felt free but after he assaults the boy, he feels trapped in his own guilt.

Many of the shots in this video (the shots of before and after the incident) have been coloured to be very grey. This connotes the lead singer's guilt as he is blocking it out and trying to forget what happened.

The writing at the beginning of the song, ""Stuck" Canopy Climbers", is in a very bold, plain font. This connotes how the storyline will be fairly simple.

The worms eye view of the boy punching the punch bag could connote his determination to protect himself from anyone who tries to hurt him again.

The framing of some of the lip syncing shots puts the singer directly in the middle, making it clear that he is important and making him stand out against the plain background.

The body language of the  singer in the following shot shows that he is overwhelmed by his guilt.

Technical Codes
During the assault scene, the camera work is very shaky. This helps to connote the frantic mood of the situation and looks almost as if one of the characters filmed it themselves. The movement of the camera in the assault scene helps to connote the fear of the boy.

The editing pace varies in this music video. For example, at the beginning, it is moderate but during the assault scene, it begins to move at a much faster pace.


Audience
The target audience for this music video would be teenagers, between 13-19 in BCD demographics. This is shown by the behaviour of the characters in the video, which is also stereotypical of this demographic.

The video targets this demographic by using young actors and having the story focus around young characters.


Representation
Males are represented very stereotypically in this video, as they are seen to need to establish their dominance over other people. However, the main character breaks the male stereotype as he is seen crying in some of the shots, which is stereotypically seen as a feminine thing to do.

The main character is also seen arguing with a female character that seems to be his girlfriend. He is quite assertive and violent, which is also stereotypical of males.

The artist has not been represented in a positive light or as a celebrity in this video. It is more like the video is the artist's confession of guilt as he is disappointed in himself.


Narrative
The storyline of this music video is that a boy and his friends assault a classmate and the main character feels guilty about the incident.

There is a strong theme of guilt, as he knows he has done wrong.

The video mostly incorporates Todorov's narrative structure:

• Equilibrium - at the beginning where the main character is sitting in a field with his friend
• Disruption - the assault
• Recognition - he feels guilty
• Attempt to repair - he apologises
• The new equilibrium is not reached as he is not forgiven by the boy#

Analysing this music video will help when creating our own, as the shot compositions are very well thought-out and they are appealing to the audience. Therefore, we will make sure to pay attention to the framing and timing of our shots to ensure that the viewer remains interested in the music video.

Some Ideas for a Narrative

Here are some of my initial ideas for the narrative of the video. None of these are final.

Insomnia Music Video Ideas

First shot - car or lorry driving past on road

Second shot - lying in bed, see car’s headlights in room, crane down. Music starts after a few seconds of this shot

Tap dripping in time with music (Time remapping) (ECU)

Lift shot (shown in Lift Door VFX Test blog post)

As lyrics come in, cut to Ben in bed again, then REALLY quickly cut between loads of things that are keeping him awake – tap dripping, insect flying around the room, blinds blowing in the breeze, etc.

Sees *crime at “won’t you help me find my rest - aid my sleep at my behest. Insomnia has put me to the test.” – section

In the video, he’s lying in bed trying to sleep, intercut with him singing the song in a small, fairly dark, claustrophobic (he feels trapped) room, intercut with a narrative of him seeing something that troubles him *(witnessing a murder of some sort, seeing a mugging, etc.) – why he can’t sleep

Possibly at end of video subtly show that he is dreaming – he finally fell asleep

The small room where Ben sings – very dark blue

Possibilities

It seems that he stopped the mugging, murder, etc. at the start but later on it’s revealed that he’s lying to himself to try to eliminate the guilt so he can sleep

Films I May Take Inspiration From

One film we will take inspiration from is Inception. This is because it is about a similar topic - sleep.



The style of this film would also fit in very well with our music video, as it helps to connote the feeling that the characters are tired and irritable.

We will also take inspiration from The Dark Knight, when we colour grade the video.

Genre Research - Electronica

Electronica is an umbrella term that encompasses all kinds of electronic instrument-based music. The reason the artist has not chosen a single subdivision, such as House, Industrial Dance, Ambient, etc., is that the song draws genre characteristics from most, if not, all of the genres within.

Electronica music video styles vary greatly, depending on the specific genre. Therefore we have lots to chose from, with regards to genre characteristics and conventions.

Popular Electronica Artists:
Avicii


Deadmou5e


Calvin Harris


This research will be useful as we will be able to take influence from these artists and their music videos, when making our own.

Song Possibilities/Chosen Song and Artist Research

Within our chosen genre, Electronica, we have narrowed our choices down to three possibilities:

1. Insomnia - Ben Hesketh
2. Beautiful Now - True Colours
3. I Love It - Iconapop

We have chosen these songs because we feel that they would be easy to come up with a narrative for.

We have decided to use Insomnia by Ben Hesketh for our music video. This is because we can have direct information about the song from the artist himself.

Ben Hesketh is a 22 year-old graduate from De Montfort University in Leicester. He graduated with a first class degree in Music Technology and Innovation. He used the skills he learnt to record his own music in his flat in Leicester with one microphone.

Analysis of Chosen Artist's Previous Music Video

Our chosen artist does not have any previous music videos. Therefore, I have chosen to analyse a song in a similar genre, which also has the same name and topic, Insomnia.



Genre
The genre of both the video and the artist is electronica. The video does not have much of a narrative, which can be common in electronica music videos, however, it doesn't happen in all of them.

The use of colour to illustrate certain shots is expected from electronica music videos. However, it is unexpected that most of the video is in black and white, as most are very colourful.

Visual Codes
The video is set in an urban area - some alleys and streets - as well as a dark room. The dark room could connote that he feels trapped as he can't sleep. This is evidenced by the lyrics, "Insomnia please release me".

The video does not look like modern electronica music videos as it was made in 1995. However, there are aspects that are similar to modern videos. For instance, they have used colour to highlight certain parts of the video - most of the video is in black and white but they have used selective colour on red and orange colours of certain shots.
The artist's body language connotes that he is tired, due to his lack of sleep.

Technical Codes
There are some shots in this video that are close ups on the singer, and they pull focus before cutting to the next shot. This connotes how he struggles to find focus as he is so tired from not sleeping.

The editing is quite fast paced, which is common in electronica music.


Organisations
There are several close ups of the artist's face in this video, which could be due to the record company insisting that they be in the video. Record companies often require a certain number of close ups for the artist to make sure that they are well known and easily recognisable.

Audience
The audience for this video would be from 14-25, B,C,D, both male and female. This is because the song, and its video, encourage dancing, which is popular among this demographic.

Nowadays, the video targets its audience by being available on YouTube, which is very popular among its target audience. However, when the song was release, it would likely have reached its audience through music channels on TV, such as MTV.

The fans were not as instrumental in promoting this video as with modern electronica music videos. This is because it was only available on TV, radio, etc. Although people could watch it and recommend it to friends, it would not have been shared as quickly as the near-instant filesharing social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter.


Narrative
This video does not have a particular narrative. It features the artist in several different locations, singing the lyrics.

There is no recognisable structure, such as Todorov's theory:

1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption of Equilibrium
3. Recognition of Disruption
4. Attempt to repair
5. New Equilibrium

The video reflects the lyrics as it is mostly in black and white, which is very dull, symbolising the dullness of insomnia. Also there are some shots that slowly go out of focus, symbolising the struggle to stay focused.


Analysing this video will help me when making my own, as it is in the same genre as the song we have chosen. This means that we will be able to use it as a reference to make sure that our video fits in with the genre's codes and conventions.

Genre Video Analysis

As the artist we have chosen has no previous music videos, I will be analysing one of a similar genre, EXODUS by Noisia &Mayhem ft. KRS One.



Genre
The genre of both the music video and the artist is electronica. The video does has a narrative which isn't typical of electronica music videos. However, electronica music videos vary greatly in terms of narrative.

The use of futuristic technology is expected as it is common in electronica music videos. This is because it is mostly produced using synthesisers and is known as being very digital and technological.



However, the number of explosions in the video is not expected as, although these videos often incorporate lights in a futuristic way, they do not usually feature many explosions.

The whole video could be an intertextual reference to the film, The Incredibles, as it has a similar narrative to the film - a huge robot attacks a city.




Visual Codes
The video is set in a large, futuristic city surrounded by water. This connotes that the inhabitants of the city are trapped. The colour blue is very dominant in this music video. Blue could connote the futuristic setting as popular films that are set in the future are often dominated by blue colours. The colour blue is also widely used in action films to make them seem more cinematic.














The name of the song, EXODUS, appears in a very plain and simple sans serif font, in all
capital letters. This could have been used to contrast the very complicated situation.



Shots of the robot generally show it dominating most, if not all, of the frame, connoting its immense power.




Technical Codes
Shots of the large robot are often from very low angles, emphasising its size. This helps to make the robot seem even more dangerous as it towers over everything.

The editing of this video is very fast paced at points but at other points it is actually quite slow considering the action that is happening.


Organisations
As the artist is completely independent/unsigned, no institution had a role to play in influencing the video.


Audience
I would say that the target audience for this video is males, aged 14-25 in the demographic groups B, C and D. This is because the video is largely based around explosions and violence, which is popular among this demographic.

The music also helps to target this audience as it is very electronic, which is popular among young adults.

The video's audience would most likely access the video on YouTube, as the creator has a popular YouTube channel, with over 100,000 subscribers.



The audience helps to promote the video as they can share it on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.


Representation
There are no people shown in this video so no one is represented.


Narrative
This music video shows all 5 stages of Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium. At the beginning there is an equilibrium, where everything is peaceful. Then, when the clouds turn blue, the robot falls from the sky. This is the disruption of the equilibrium. The people then realise that the robot is attacking the city (recognition of disruption) and they send the military to fight it (attempt to repair). At the end of the video there is a new equilibrium, in which the city has been completely destroyed and reduced to rubble.

A theme in this video is war. The people of the city are fighting back to defend against the foreign invader.



The only one of Propp's theorised characters in this video is the villain - the robot.

The visuals are linked with the music - when loud crashes are heard near the start of the video, the robot steps of the ground - when the laser-like sound can be heard, the robot can be seen firing the laser.

Additional Research - Music Video Censorship

From the 1st of October 2015, UK-based internet users will be subject to a three month pilot scheme that will mean that UK-produced music videos will be stamped with either 12, 15, 18 or R18 certificates. The trial is being led by the BBFC, Google, BPI, Vevo, YouTube, Sony, Warner and Universal. However, music videos made outside of the UK will avoid the classification.

The classification is needed because artists such as Rihanna have been pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in music videos for the last 3-4 years. The release of "S&M" in 2012 sparked the discussion about censorship in music videos.



The music video for "Bitch Better Have My Money", released in 2015, could arguably be one of the main reasons for the change in legislation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3eAMGXFw1o

Lyrical analysis - Evanescense - My Immortal

Below is a pitch for a music video for "My Immortal" by Evanescense, based off of the song's lyrics.



Original Video:
 




This analysis has helped me to come up with possible storylines and shot compositions, based off of the lyrics of a song. We will use this skill when making our music video, as we will need to make sure that the video makes sense to the audience.

Magazine advert brief analysis

The artist is dressed in black and is wearing mainly black makeup, possibly suggesting that the album has a dark theme.

Her name is in gold on a black background to connote that she is special and make it stand out.

Shows that certain, very successful, songs are on the album, making people more likely to buy it.

Shows a website where fans can access further information.

Minimal information given to make it a quick and easy read for the audience.

Analysing this magazine advert will help us when creating our own as it uses colour effectively to connote the themes of the album. Therefore, we will use this technique to ensure that the advert looks how the audience would expect it to look, once they know what the song is about.

Digipak brief analysis

Above is the digipak for Rihanna's "Loud".

The predominant colour is red, connoting that the album may have strong themes of love or sex.

The text is in a very simple font, connoting that the album may only be about the subject of love.
 

The CDs have rose pictures on them, supporting the above point. The background is also a rose bush.

Analysing this digipak will help us when we make our own as it uses typography effectively, with a simple font to illustrate the point. Therefore we will use this idea - using the font to connote the style and story of the music video.

Pitching music videos

Analysing lyrics is helpful for someone making a music video as it helps them to fully understand the song. This means that the music video can accurately portray the message of the song.

For example, with the song Autophilia by the Bluetones, the lyrics, at first listen, if you were unaware of what it's called or what it's actually about, could sound like a love story between a man and a woman. However, it is actually about a man loving his car.
The following is a pitch for a music video for the song Autophilia by the Bluetones. We had not been told the name of the song and we had not seen the official music video.

Double Yellow Line

Narrative

Walking to intro beat (just show feet)

Arriving at school, sees girl walking in cheerleading uniform and the pompoms are flashing

Starts thinking about future dates. Whenever he drives past a certain place he imagines:

·      Drive-in cinema

·      Diner

·      Rollerblading

·      Picnic in central park

·      Bowling

She looks over and smiles at him

Goes home and plans how to ask her out

He decides to ask her out after she finishes cheerleading but he’s late so he’s flooring it to get there before the end and he parks on a double yellow line

The end

Genre

Video is pop genre

Artist is britpop

Expected: boy – girl meet, stereotypical characters

Unexpected: he has the guts to ask her out

Audience

Teens and below

Set in high school – relatable to audience

Audience access video on YouTube and Facebook and maybe TV

Visual Codes

Set in NYC High School

Street – walking to school

Driving in his car

American football field

Park

Bowling alley

Outdoor cinema

Rollerblading place

Diner

Typography: name of school

Name of song as cheerleader banner

Close ups and mid shots of both of them to show smiling, etc.

Technical Codes

Close up on feet at start – track out and tilt up to show his face when he starts singing

High angle on boy and low angle on girl to show where power is

POV when he’s looking at her cheerlead

Long shot/ establishing shot of fields

Editing – flash forwards – fast pace



The actual song is about a man who loves his car:

This shows that lyrics can sometimes be misleading when pitching a music video. We will get around this issue, when making our own as we will be able to ask the artist what the song is about.