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.

Purpose of a magazine advert

Magazine adverts are used to attract a very large audience - everyone who reads the magazine. Making adverts for specific magazines that are popular among your target audience is a very effective way to notify the audience that the song or album will soon be release. It also tell the audience where they can purchase the CD.

Examples of magazine adverts:

Purpose of a digipak

Digipaks have several main purposes:

• To make the CD eye-catching
• To list the contents of the album
• To promote the album
• To use art and images to express a message
• To attract as large an audience as possible

Examples:

Importance of lip and instrument syncing

It is very important to make sure that, if the artist is seen singing, it actually looks like they are singing. If the artist seems to be singing out of time with the music then it can ruin the illusion for the audience.

When lip syncing, it is often very helpful for the artist to actually sing the song, rather than just mime it. This is because they will be breathing at the correct times, making it look like they are actually singing. If the artist simply mimes the words, they will be breathing in and out at times where they shouldn't, if they were actually singing, which is easily detectable by the audience.

Example of bad lip syncing (skip to 00:38):


If the music video features someone playing an instrument, it is important that the actor knows how to play the song correctly. Otherwise it is immediately obvious that they are not playing the instrument. Also, if they are playing it correctly, it is important that the video is synced with the music, as otherwise the audience would be distracted.

Example of bad instrument syncing:

Purpose of a music video

The three main purposes of a music video are:

• To promote the artist. Music videos can be useful tools for promoting an artist and making them appeal to their target audience. For example, if an artist targets their music towards teenagers, they will want to make a music video that will be popular among them, so that they will spread the video around.
• To accompany the music to give the listener a better experience. Using a music video in this way, helps to increase the audiences' opinion of the song and also helps to make it more memorable, as if the video stands out then they will associate the two.
• To help to tell the story. Some artists use music videos in the same way they use lyrics - to help send the message they want the audience to receive.

Student Music Video Analysis - Problems (A Grade)

Genre

The genre of this music video is pop. This can be clearly seen as the singer is represented as a 'Star', which is expected in pop music videos. There are also lots of dance routines, which are common in pop music videos.

There is an intertextual reference in this song to Jay-Z's '99 Problems'. At the end of the rap section, Azelia says "There's a million you's baby boo so don't be dumb. I've got 99 problems but you won't be one", which references the line "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son. I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one".

Narrative

This music video doesn't have a narrative. It consists of shots from various locations, some with dance routines, some without.

I wouldn't necessarily expect a narrative from a very mainstream pop video, like this, as they often consist of little - no storyline, as they focus on creating a 'star image' for the artist, and so avoid focusing on a character.

The video does not reflect the lyrics for the most part but there are points (when the artist sings "Head in the clouds") where an image of clouds is projected over the actress.

Representation

Representation of women is stereotypical at points in this video as three of the four women are seen performing dance routines, which is common in female artists' music videos.

The women are also quite sexualised, which is also very common in female artists' music videos.

Visual Codes

The video is set in several different locations:

• An alley
• In a room with a projector putting different images over the lead singer
• On the floor of a road at night
• Next to a lamppost at night
• Against a black background
• Against a brick wall, inside
• Against a white wall inside
• Against a pink wall inside
• Against a brick wall outside

The font of the text saying "Ariana Grande" is the same font that the artist uses in her music videos, so it is used to make the video look more professional.

Is not one dominant colour in this music video - the whole video is very colourful, but also has moments that are in black and white.

There is no iconography in this video.

Technical Codes
In the shots of the lead singer kneeling on the ground of a road at night, there is a vignette on the image, making the outer edges of the shot fade into black. This makes it seem that she is in an enclosed, quite claustrophobic space, possibly used to connote that she felt trapped when she was in a relationship with the person that the song is aimed at.

Most of the shots in this music video are hand-held static shots. However, there are some shots which track backwards as the group of girls walk towards the camera.

The editing is very fast-paced, which suits the fast tempo of the song. It helps to keep the audience interested in the video.


Analysing this video will help me when making my own, as it has highlighted the importance of having several locations to film in.

What makes a good student music video?

The main thing that makes a student music good is making it look like a professional one. For instance, when shooting the video, you need to find locations that could appear in professional music videos.

On the other hand, however, you shouldn't be too unrealistic with how the video will turn out - don't plan to attempt things that would be too difficult to complete in the time allotted, for example.

Another problem with lots of student music videos is that they have an actor, who can't play the guitar, miming it and obviously not playing it. The following video has moments where the guitar looks like it's actually being played and others where it clearly isn't.
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