Audience Questions

Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you
Counting my footsteps praying the floor won't fall through again
And my mother accused me of losing my mind
But I swore I was fine
You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game, but you changed the rules everyday
Wondering which version of you I might get on the phone tonight
Well, I stopped picking up and this song is to let you know why

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I should've known

Well, maybe it's just me and my blind optimism to blame
Or maybe it's you and your sick need to give love then take it away
And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand
And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
Dear John, I see it all now it was wrong
Don't you think nineteen's too young to be played with?
Your dark twisted games when I loved you so
I should've known

You are an expert at sorry and keeping lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you've run dry have tired, lifeless eyes'
Cause you've burn them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me
So don't look nowI'm shining like fireworks over
Your sad, empty town



Looking at these lyrics explain how they make you feel.
What do you exoect the genre of the song to be?
How do you imagine the artist to look?
What would you expect to see in the music video?


A


B


C

Reflecting on the lyrics, and looking at items A, B and C how would you expect the artist to appear?
Without using the items how would you personally think the artist should look?
Do you think that there could be multiples of looks and styles in the video?
If not explain your reasons why.

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

This video has also inspired me, again it is another country/pop video i have been researching the videos because it is the final genre choice i am going for. I want to create something like these videos and Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift really inspired me to go further with the project, both there music is based on true feelings and run on the same themes such as love and betryal. In this video i like the way that the camera uses extreme close ups to focus on the little things that have a big impact on the artist for example the empty wine glasses remind her of the night they spent together. The biggest similarity is that b oth the videos are set in a very personal space-the artist's bedroom this allows the audience to feel closer to the artist as if they are sharing their secrets with each other.

Taylor Swift - White Horse

Here is a music video from Taylor Swift’s song White Horse. This video inspires me to choose one of her songs the songs themself have a strong meaning and play a narrative video. I like the way the audience get to see into Taylor’s personal life it makes them feel as though they are a part of it. The video uses close ups and extreme close ups to capture her feelings then fades into a memory, it is a very creative yet simple video. I like the way the memories act as flashbacks as she is talking this is something i would like to create in my video. Looking at this video has inspired me to follow a narrative structures video and has already given me ideas to put on my storyboard.

 

Cinematography:

The video uses a variety of shots, most commonly used are close ups and extreme close ups this is so that the cinematography is rhythmic to the style of the music. The song is steady and allow the close up's of the two trap them both into the frame connoting how she is trapped in the past. The single close ups highlight the fact she is now alone with nobody these shot are shown whilst she is in her bedroom to emphasise that even further a long shot is also shown to show that she is alone. The close ups capture her emotion and allow her to make eye contact with the camera reflecting on the audience making them able to read her emotions and feel for her. The audience like this because they feel as though they are part of her and she is revealing her story to them privately. There is also a number of pull focuses in the video these act as point of view shots the audience feel like they are looking through her eyes and the blur represents the confusion of the relations which leaves her with rhetorical questions such as why did he leave me? i thought everything was perfect, wasn't it?. It also leaves the audience on her side as they stand up for Taylor and understand her emotional crisis.

 

Editing:

The editing of this music video is very simple. The shot transitions are simple cuts however this has been done to fit with the music. Rhythmic editing is important when creating a music video because if it doesn't run smoothly then it looks really bad, for example this video would not suit fast paced editing and flashes distorting the colour the video fit the simple because she is telling a story. It is a narrative video of her in the present and she is looking back on the past the video plays the story as she sings it. This is why the editing fits.

 

Performance:

The performance of this video looks simple but it can be really difficult to perform in a number of such tight close-ups and it's hard to make the person look a believable sad. With the shots been very still and hardly any camera movement it is important that the artists move but only slightly as you don’t want to lose them out of the frame. The emotion of the song is also very deep so as the artist is singing it is important that she performs her emotion and really shows the audience her feelings. And the audience want to see her perform and get really into the song as it's their favourite artist.

 

Mise-En-Scene:

The video is set in various locations being Taylor Swifts home, a cafe and on a street. The locations are simple it is the lighting that effects them mostly. However the simple setting works because it allows the audience to feel closer to the artist because they feel as though they have been let into their private life and the artist is haring her secrets with them. The relationship between the artist and the audience is built up through feeling accepted and using simple real life scenarios and emotions to create a friendship. The lighting of each scenes effects them greatly when we are in Taylor’s house which is the present the lighting is very dark and only lights up on her face this is to signify that she is in the dark she is hurt and confused however the spotlight is on her because she is performing to her fans and to her fans she is still fascinating: this is in complete contrast to the next scene in the artists house which is the past the lighting is really bright and pure which connotes how she thought their relationship was pure however it makes the setting look colder which could connote how he had a deep side to him. Her clothing is also very simplistic she wears a big baggy jumper and jeans which connotes how she felt comfortable with him but it also shows how she is uncomfortable and she just wants to be comforted but she has nobody.

Graph

A	Higher management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals.
B	Middle Management, teachers, creative and media people eg graphic designers
C1	Office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff-white collar
C2	Skilled manual workers, plumbers, builders-blue collar.
D	Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers.
E	Unemployes students, pensioners, casual workers.
Here is a graph to help my audience understand their status in social class.

Advanced Research For Genre

Conventions.

Exploring The Conventions Of Country Music Using The Artists Taylor Swift And Lady Antebellum.

Firstly with me choosing the artist Taylor Swift and her song Safe And Sound I decided to explore 2 of her individual songs and one with another artist B.O.B this was to see if the conventions of country music changed when interacting with a major R&B artist.

The first clip I annotated was Safe and Sound,  mise-en-scene was the first thing I looked at was the setting, this video was set in the woods the opening shot been a tiny run down house, the only light source provided was the glowing from inside the house this represented that inside was her home the only place she could feel safe in such a big silent area which is the forest. During the video Taylor is showing in a multiple of different shots walking around the forest singing with interruptions of extreme close-ups of her surroundings such as dead branches and scenery. To me I think that a simple setting is a convention of country music videos because it allows the audience to interact with the video feel like they can relate to it by being in such a big empty place yet feeling scared whereas an audience cannot relate to a R&B artist dancing in a studio or an exotic island I think that performance also links in very nicely to the setting. In a country music video it’s all very simple the costume, setting and performance. Taylor Swift tends to be seen playing her instrument which is the guitar she also walks around the setting which relates to the video for example in her video ‘Fifteen’ her lyrics are ‘take a deep breath and you walk through the doors it’s the morning of your very first day’ as she is singing it she walks through the doors to a school again like ‘safe and sound ‘ video the audience can relate to this they have been in this situation so they adapt to the videos and feel like the artist knows them, through my research on Taylor many people comment on her videos ‘I think Taylor stole my diary’ meaning they feel she knows them so well I chose this music because it’s the way I feel to this music and I want a chance to be able to create that feeling for someone else through my video. Her costumes are always simple dresses in both fifteen and safe and sound again people can relate to these costumes they own something similar in R&B videos we know realistically we will never own the £1000 designer outfit they do. The Cinematography of the two videos are also very similar for example there is multiple extreme close up’s of branches and tree barks in the video fifteen there are close ups of different types of flowers as she sings about her first love in safe and sound the branches represent purity and how things can be neglected and how the world is full of people yet you can feel so bare I like the way that everything has a meaning which is what I want to achieve. Close-ups of the artist singing is also very common in these video’s it’s almost asif the artist is talking to you warning you of the mistakes that can be made in life and the emotional side to the song. The editing is usually the common cuts from shot to shot this is because Taylors music is usually telling a story the cuts act as like flashbacks from the times Taylor can remember and what the song is signifying like in fifteen she cuts to her best friend on her first date then she cuts to her having her heartbroken in safe and sound it cuts from the scenery back to her then back to the house connoting how she is so lost in the forest area yet feels safe at home. In both of these videos fades are used as well I think that fades are used to close the story as though she is closing her eyes to forget the past and what she can remember again it all links in very well to complete a story and I think the videos work really well and is something I would like to produce.

Lady Antebellum videos are another type of video I researched she is a country singer like Taylor Swift. I wanted to explore more than one artist in the country music industry so I could compare the two and get a final solid list of the main conventions I need to focus on to produce the right country video. Like Taylors videos the setting where very simple in her song ‘I need you now’ the music video is set in her bedroom and also in a hotel corridor. Mainly because her bedroom is her personal space like in Taylors videos Lady Antebellum tells a story her lyrics being ‘picture perfect memories on the floor’ then the editing is cuts of a wine bottle and his clothing on the floor remembering the times she shared with the person she is singing about. So the editing stays very simple like in Taylors videos, the audience can also relate to this because many people have been in the situation she is in and their bedroom is the personal space where people go to think about their problems in life, the meanings of the video’s are very similar to Taylor Swift’s. In the video ‘Just A Kiss’ like ‘I Need You Now’ and Taylor’s videos extreme close ups are used to signify some of the most little things that have such a big meaning like the flower in ‘Fifteen’ representing first love and the branches interrupting Taylor’s view representing something is always holding her back getting in the way, the wine glasses in ‘ I need you now’ representing the loss of a loved one and how they shared so many memories together in ‘Just a Kiss’ an extreme close up of a flower is shown the camera cuts quickly to it interrupting Lady Antebellum singing suggesting it is a sudden flashback she remembers. Close up’s are used to show the emotions she is going through whilst singing the song like she’s telling us her story.

During my research I thought that it would be a good idea to look into one of Taylor’s videos with a big major artist R&B artist B.O.B I wanted to see how it affected the genre but I found that it was pretty much the same it had more of an affect for B.O.B’s R&B image the video was set on an estate and focused on children and how life can be so unfair and how people are judged. Taylor was shown singing in an overgrown field whilst playing with a dog and B.O.B features singing on a run done estate with graffiti on the walls then cutting to children from the estate showing how together they are a community and are judged by upper class people.

After my research I produced a list of main conventions that I need to focus on when looking at producing my storyboard for my own music video.

Cinematography;

Extreme close up of little things that have a big significance to the video.

Close up’s of the artist to show emotion and for the audience to interact with the singer.

Long Shot’s of the setting so that the audience can see the surroundings and connote it with something similar.

Mise-En-Scene;

Simple setting that an audience can relate to.

A simple costume again so that the audience can feel like they are the artist in that very situation.

Simple hair do and make-up the videos are all about purity not flashing themselves about.

Dimmed lighting to show that revealing the past can be hurtful but you need to tell the story to release the emotion.

Edititng;

Quick cuts to act like flashbacks of a story

Fade to black at the end of a sequence as though you are closing the book of a story.

Performance;

Keep the performance really simple try and use the instruments to show the music is made up because of the artist, and make it look as though they are talking to the audience as they sing, the performance is slow and simple rather than quick paced and made up of complicated dance moves.