SECTION 1 - Music Video Notes

Music videos are a marketing device used by record companies. The aim is to create record sales, making the song popular. Music videos have only been in the mainstream since the 80's, however have existed before then. The Beatles could be credited for establishing what we consider as a 'music video'. The film "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 contains songs with The Beatles and some narrative was attempted. Because narrative was attempted it became a music sequence rather than a video. In 1965 The Beatles began to produce film inserts as a promotional tool. Other bands began to follow suit. The Beatles led the way with songs such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane". They were directed by Peter Goldman and were described as avant garde. They used slow motion and unusual camera work and through experimentation they were more sophisticated than previous musical sequences.




In the 1980's music videos became mainstream with the launch of MTV in 1981 with the first song being aired called "Video Killed the Radio Star". Music videos became standard practice for bands and artists as they could be cheaply produced with high tech equipment and effects such as the chroma key.

CENSORSHIP
Products need to be censored. Music videos are regulated by BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). Music videos are short films which is why the BBFC regulate them.



In 1991, Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video was censored as Michael was said to inappropriately touch himself. Other videos have also been censored such as the Prodigy's "Smack my Bitch" and Robbie William's "Rock DJ".

MUSIC THEORY
Some would argue that music videos have made pop superficially based on image. Are pop songs enough on their own to make meaning and pleasure to an audience?

"A good music video is a clip which responds to the pleasure of music, in which that the music is made visual, either in new ways or in a way that accentuates existing visual associations." - Andrew Goodwin, 1992

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics such as dance routines normally shown in boy/girl band videos.
2. The relationship between lyrics and visuals either contradicts or illustrates the lyrics.
3. The relationship between music and visuals will either illustrate, amplify or contradict what is happening on screen.
4. The demands of the record label will include lots of close ups of the artist(s). Artist(s) may develop motifs which may reoccur across the style and video.
5. Frequent reference to the notion of looking, voyeurism of the female body, intertextual references.

QUESTIONS

What is the basic function or purpose of a music video?

Music videos are designed to advertise the artist/band's style and music visually to increase the popularity of their records.

When were the first music videos produced?

The first music sequences were created in the 60's with The Beatles. However, it was not until 1975 that the first music video "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen was to be produced.

How are music videos commissioned?

Firstly a single needs to be selected to be produced into a music video. The commissioning editor will contact the appropriate directors to view their showreels to deterimine the most suitable director for the job. The directors will then be sent a tape of the single and the directors will then write a treatment for the music video. The artist and management will then decide which director is best suited for the job. Then before the producion begins, the comissioning editor and production company decides a budget, and a contract is made. The video producer then sorts out the logistics of the video shoot.

How much time does a music video usually take to produce?

The average production time for a music video is around two weeks from start to finish.

According to Andrew Goodwin, what are the 3 different ways in which the visuals in a music video can relate to the lyrics of a song?

Amplification, illustration and disjuncture. Amplification involves amplifying the song's meaning and effect, which may include some form of humour. Illustration involves literally illustrating the lyrics of a song through images. Disjuncture involves producing a video that is unrelated to the song and may provide a different meaning entirely, usually through the use of abstract imagery.

What is a music video treatment or pitch?

A music video treatment is (in no more than a page and a half) a description of what happens in the video and how it will look.

What are some of the things to avoid in making a student video?

• Well-known songs.
• Overdone effects - you shouldn't use effects just to disguise poor footage.
• Aimless driving around.
• Scenes involving booze, fags or drugs (even simulated)
• Shots of people just walking around.
• Speeded up footage or footage run backwards (depending on the context) to cover lack of material.
• Zooms (depending on the context)
• Found footage - it should be your own unless there's an exceptionally good reason.
• Atmosphere-less stage footage.
• Over the top stories.

SECTION 2 - Analysis of Professional Music Videos

The Lighthouse Family - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free



ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE/MODE OF ADDRESS
There is a direct mode of address, as the actor is looking directly at the audience during the video. The man on the train is in the band, and walks through the train, looking at people's lives. There are no dance routines or real elements of performance, as it is mostly narrative based.

HOW DOES THE VIDEO CREATE AN IMAGE FOR THE STAR/ARTIST/BAND?
The video creates a caring image for the band, as if they are motivated to change people's lives. It looks more like a message rather than a performance, and gives the band a positive image. They also appear to be a laid back "cool" band, that are "normal" and blend in with their surroundings.

NARRATIVE
There is non linear narrative because there is use of flashbacks into people's lives. There is a clear beginning, where the man starts to walk through the train, and is guided by a woman. The middle and end are also clear, as the man sees flashbacks into other people's lives on the train as he walks through. Eventually the train stops, and the unhappy people move off the train and out of the darkness up to the outside.

HOW DO THE VISUAL ELEMENTS RELATE TO THE SONG?
The visuals amplify the song, saying to speak about problems rather than hold them to yourself as he looks into other people's lives. It makes out that everyone is the same and tries to get people to open up, as everyone is unhappy about at least one element of their lives. Eventually they feel happy to leave, and feel released. However, the man appears to be stuck on the train, unable to be free and instead helps others release their troubles.

MISE EN SCENE
The setting is inside an underground train, which everyone can easily associate with transport. There are normal people in the train dressed in mundane, dull clothing. Even the main actor/star appears to blend in, leaving nobody standing out except the woman guiding him through the train and the flashbacks that occur during the video.

EDITING
Lip synch is used as the actor is singing to the audience in the train. Match on action is used as the girl takes his hand. The video appears to be in time with the song, and is slow. Dissolves are used between flashbacks to look into people's lives. There is also an eyeline match as the actor looks at people, to associate with the male character.

USE OF CAMERA
An extreme long shot is used as the train moves into the station at the beginning. Close ups of faces are used before each flashback. A tracking shot is used as the man walks through the train. Zooms are used shortly before the flashbacks into people's lives, along with mid shots of the people. A point of view shot is also used with the man cooking, close ups and extreme close ups of the woman dancing, showing her body. An extreme close up is used on the main girl's face, shortly before her flashback. Panning shots are also used in the train.

REPRESENTATION
Everyone on the train appears to be working class or lower. There is a status divide as the main actor appears to be a different class due to his smart suit, although he blends in with the environment. The girl that takes his hand is blonde, which is a stereotype in in society of what is considered pretty. She has an angelic quality due to her pale skin and the fact that she stands out from the rest, highlighting her beauty. She also glows like an angel as she walks up the stairs to leave the underground station. There may be a religious theme in the video as the underground appears to be unhappy and dark, somewhat resembling hell before the people move up the stairs to the light, almost as if going to heaven. The main actor also appears to cleanse their souls before they go up, almost like followers.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
The special effects are used through editing to highlight the flashbacks. No CGI is used, instead only transitions during the flashbacks.

AUDIENCE
The audience for this type of music video would appear to be viewers of music channels like Magic, VH1 and Smooth. It is mainly mellow, suitable for an older audience.

GENRE
The genre appears to be contemporary soul/pop, as the beat identifies this. The target audience would be around 25-40, due to the easy to listen mellow sound. The decade sounds like the 90's.




Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl



ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE/MODE OF ADDRESS
There is no performance visible, and appears to be narrative based. There is an indirect mode of address, giving the viewers the feeling that they are peering into what's going on.

HOW DOES THE VIDEO CREATE AN IMAGE FOR THE STAR/ARTIST/BAND?
The video makes the band look odd, and scientific due to the bones. The visuals also indirectly promote the band via promoting the dance music culture to their target audience. However, it appears to portray the culture in a negative way, implying the use of drugs and hallucinations.

NARRATIVE
The narrative is linear, starting with a school trip. The girl on the school trip is obsessed with bones, and visits a museum on a school trip. She breaks her arm during the trip, visits a club when she's older and then heads home, still seemingly obsessed with bones.

HOW DO THE VISUAL ELEMENTS RELATE TO THE SONG?
The video appears the amplify the song, using girls and boys in a very literal fashion to amplify the short lyrics. The girl/boy combination is visible on the school bus, the two people on the bench and in the club.

MISE EN SCENE
The woman is dressed in black, signifying that she doesn't stand out and appears to be plain. This is similar with everyone in the club as they seem to blend in. The mise en scene represents activities associated with dance music, such as the drinking of water after taking drugs, dancing, and hallucinations associated with drugs which is visible in the video as the woman appears to hallucinate and see skeletons.

EDITING
Slow motion is used as the kids are running towards the museum. This is also used as the girl falls and breaks her arm in the museum, and in the club as the woman leaves. Elliptical editing is also used to show the girl grow up instantly. The editing appears to build up from slow to fast, matching the beat.

USE OF CAMERA
There is a tracking shot following the boy down the school bus. A zoom is used as the camera zooms in to the girl, which is the main character. A point of view shot is visible showing the girl looking down to the book, followed by a low angle shot of the boy, signifying that he is the dominant figure. A medium long shot is used as the kids run down the street, looking excited. A tracking shot is used of the ceiling of the museum, signifying how big the museum is. A over shoulder shot is also used as the boy approaches the girl, about to try and scare her. A high angle shot is used in the bathroom, representing the girl as vulnerable.

REPRESENTATION
The video is indirectly promoting the dance culture, however it is still negatively promoting it. The woman keeps seeing skeletons, which maybe signifies that she thinks that underneath everyone is the same. Blonde boys are usually considered nice, however the boy in the video appears to be far from it. The visuals also don't appear to make much sense, which could represent the fact that drugs play a big part in the dance culture.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
CGI skeletons are used in several places around the video, including looking at her arm, looking at the man talking to her and all the dancers in the club. Strobing is also used.

AUDIENCE
The audience appears to be around the 16-30 age group, due to the fact that most people that listen to dance and participate in the dance culture are mostly young. People would probably also tend to listen to this before they go out to the clubs.

GENRE
The genre appears to be dance, due to the culture portrayed in the video (clubs, drugs, dancing) and the very little lyrics in the song, combined with the beat.



Lily Allen - Smile



ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE/MODE OF ADDRESS
The mode of address is through the artist, as she plays the main role in the video. The mode of address is both direct and indirect at times, with the narrative led being direct, and the indirect parts where the artist is speaking to the viewers.

NARRATIVE
The narrative appears to be linear, however it is non linear as there is cuddling at the beginning of the video. There is a clear beginning, middle and end. It starts with a girl lonely by herself, who decides to get revenge on her ex by paying off a group of people to beat him up. She then goes with him to a café and spikes his drink with laxatives, while the other group of people break into his house and trash the place. It ends with her walking down the street, satisfied with her revenge.

HOW DOES THE VIDEO CREATE AN IMAGE FOR THE STAR/ARTIST/BAND?
The video creates a negative image for the artist, portraying her as an evil, smug, bitchy character, who is spiteful and vindictive. She is also portrayed as a tough, independent, "normal" person.

HOW DO THE VISUAL ELEMENTS RELATE TO THE SONG?
The visual elements appear to amplify the song, basing it on the fact that she had been wronged, and taking action on it.

MISE EN SCENE
The scenes are all realistic and believable, with a "normal" café, club and bedsit. The woman also wears trainers and earrings, which is a trademark seen frequently in her videos.

USE OF CAMERA
There is a zoom of her face, revealing her sadness. A panning shot is used as she sits on the bed, followed by a series of different close ups as she eats chocolate. This is also followed by an extreme close up, showing a montage. There is an over shoulder shot as the woman pays the group money to beat up the man, followed by a long shot as he is beaten up, using a handheld camera to amplify the scene.

EDITING
Shot reverse shot is used during the café scene as she talks to her ex. Match on action is also used during the fight, with eyeline matches also used so the audience can see what she sees. The editing is fast paced.

REPRESENTATION
Lily Allen appears to be a normal girl, portraying her as strong and you shouldn't mess with her. Her room symbolises stereotypical youth in a negative way, which is also highlighted by the "hoodies" and her paying them to beat someone up. The fact she visits a café in a relatively run down area also indicates that she is working class.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
The last shot with her walking down the street could possibly be a blue screen, however it is difficult to tell.

GENRE
The genre is pop, due to the rhyming and catchy lyrics, which are relatively easy to listen to.

AUDIENCE
The music video would suit an audience of 13-19, as it portrays teenagers and most people wouldn't listen to that kind of song in their twenties or above.

SECTION 3 - Personal Analysis of Relevant Music Videos

MEN WITHOUT HATS - SAFETY DANCE

ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE/MODE OF ADDRESS
There is an indirect mode of address, as the actor is playing a part in the narrative rather than addressing the audience, but still appears to play the main role. However, there are parts of the video where a direct mode of address is used, as if he is singing to the audience. While there is no visuals of a band playing, there is numerous scenes with various actors dancing as part of the performance, although this is also part of the narrative.

HOW DOES THE VIDEO CREATE AN IMAGE FOR THE STAR/ARTIST/BAND?
The video creates an unusual, bizarre, lively and youthful image for the singer, due to him dancing around constantly through fields and through the village as if he's a child, portraying the idea that it's "ok to dance" even though the video itself doesn't make much sense.

NARRATIVE
The narrative appears to be linear, although the narrative structure itself is vague. The man appears in the beginning to be dancing and running through a field, gathering people as he dances to join him until the whole village is dancing.

HOW DO THE VISUAL ELEMENTS RELATE TO THE SONG?
The visuals appear to vaguely amplify/illustrate the song's lyrics, purely amplifying and illustrating the mention of dancing in the lyrics into spontaneous dance scenes.

MISE EN SCENE
The setting appears to be in the English countryside, near and around a small village perhaps set in medieval times due to the clothing used by the actors on the scene. Everyone appears to conform to this, with the women wearing long dresses and the men wearing ruffled brown waistcoats and other clothing in that era. Morris dancing is also featured, along with a vague element of a choreographed dance.

EDITING
The editing doesn't appear to be in time with the music, and appears more to move along with the narrative rather than the music itself. Lip synch is used throughout the scenes as he sings during the narrative.However, there is fast paced editing at the last few seconds of the video, cutting through a number of black and white static images very quickly in time with the beat.

USE OF CAMERA
A long shot is used with panning as two of the characters run through the field. This is followed by a two shot of them as they sing to each other. A tracking shot is used also as he walks along singing. Arial zoom shots are also used to give a birds-eye view of the village as it zooms in closer.

REPRESENTATION
Everyone in the video appears to be depicted as lively, happy, yet somewhat loopy due to their constant dancing and "too happy" attitude. The smaller man however is wearing a jester's costume, which could represent a negative stereotype, portraying him as something to laugh at.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
There are no special effects that appear to be used in this video, apart from possibly in the first few seconds with the possible UFO in the sky in the first scene.

AUDIENCE
The audience for this type of music video would appear to be viewers of retro 80's music but also modern culture due to it's loopy nature, shown on music channels such as VH1 Classic. It is vibrant with a strong beat, suited for a young audience.

GENRE
The genre is very distinctly 80's pop, as the beat identifies this clearly. The target audience would be anywhere from 16-50, due to the distinctive, catchy sound that appeals to a wide audience.


A-HA - TAKE ON ME


ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE/MODE OF ADDRESS
There is an indirect mode of address, as the actor is playing a part in the narrative rather than addressing the audience, but still plays the main role. The man in the comic book is in the band, but plays an important part in the narrative whereas the other band members do not appear to have any significance to the narrative other than to provide a performance for the viewer.

HOW DOES THE VIDEO CREATE AN IMAGE FOR THE STAR/ARTIST/BAND?
The video creates a heroic, romantic image for the singer in the band, due to him protecting and fighting to be with her, even though he only exists in the comic book world, which could also depict an image that he's "too good to be true".

NARRATIVE
The narrative appears to be linear. There is a clear structure to the narrative, as there is a woman reading what appears to be a comic book in a restaurant, when a character from the comic pulls her into his "world". He walks with her inside his world, singing to her. Meanwhile in the real world, a waitress notices the woman is missing, and assuming that she left without paying, scrunches up the comic book and chucks it in the bin. This appears to cause other "scenes" in the book to blend together, resulting in bikers with wrenches attacking the main characters. The two flee, but reach a dead end. The man opens up a hole in his comic book world, allowing the woman to escape back into reality. She hurries back to her home with the scrumpled up comic, and discovers him trying to escape from the comic book world to be with her.

HOW DO THE VISUAL ELEMENTS RELATE TO THE SONG?
The visuals appear to vaguely amplify the song, describing the man's struggle to be with her despite the problems he faces and his short-lived life in a comic book.

MISE EN SCENE
The setting is inside restaurant during open hours. There appear to be normal people in the background, yet all are dressed in 80's clothing which was then modern. The two main characters in the video however stand out from the rest, as they appear to be more pysically attractive to highlight the romance between them.

EDITING
The editing appears to be fast paced at the beginning, depicting the scenes in the comic book. Lip synch is used as the actor is singing to the woman inside the comic book world. Match on action is used between the sketch and "real" shots. The video appears to be in time with the song, and is quite fast and "active".

USE OF CAMERA
Several extreme close ups are used in the beginning to show the scenes of the comic as they unfold. This is combined with zooms to create the impression of movement in a static image. This is followed throughout the narrative by close and extreme close ups to show the expressions on the characters faces. A point of view shot is used as the woman reads the comic, panning from page to page. Two shots are also used throughout the video as the two main characters move around together in the comic book world.

REPRESENTATION
The woman in the video appears to be shown as a "dreamer" due to her interest in comics at an older age. Her imagination however appears to turn to reality, with the man (artist) displayed in the text represented as heroic, dashing yet purely a fantasy character. The others shown in the real world don't appear to have any special qualities, represented simply as normal people, unable to understand her adventure.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special effects are heavily used in the form of animation combined with real imagery to create the "comic book world" which is shown throughout the video.

AUDIENCE
The audience for this type of music video would appear to be viewers of retro 80's music, shown on music channels such as VH1 Classic. It is vibrant with a strong beat, suited for a young audience yet also liked by older people.

GENRE
The genre is very distinctly 80's pop, as the beat identifies this clearly. The target audience would be anywhere from 16-50, due to the distinctive, catchy sound that appeals to a wide audience.

SECTION 4 - Target Audience Research

QUESTIONNAIRE

1) How old are you?
...............

2) Are you male or female? (Please circle)
[Male] [Female]

3) What is your favourite music genre? (Please list your favourites)
.........................................................................

4) What type of music video do you like? (Please circle your favourites)
[Comedy] [Sci-Fi] [Action] [Dance ] [Tranquil] [Happy] [Sad ] [Romance]

5) Do you like the artist/band to be in a music video?
[Yes] [ No ] [Don’t mind/Depends]

6) Do you prefer males or females to be in a music video?
[Males] [Females] [Both] [Don’t mind/Depends]

7) What music magazines do you read? (If any, circle appropriate)
[Q] [Kerrang] [NME] [Rolling Stone] [ Mojo ] [Jazzwise ] [Other] (Please specify) .............

8) Do you prefer a music video to be colourful or black and white?
[Colourful] [Black & White] [Don’t mind/Depends]

9) Do you prefer a music video to have a more retro or modern style?
[Retro] [Modern] [Don’t mind/Depends]

10) Do you like music videos that are easy to follow or more of a challenge to understand?
[Easy] [Hard ] [Don’t mind/Depends]

11) Do you like special effects in a music video?
[Yes] [No] [Don’t mind/Depends]

12) Should a music video be more dramatic or soft?
[Dramatic] [ Soft ] [Don’t mind/Depends]

13) Should a music video be slow or fast paced?
[Slow ] [Fast] [Don’t mind/Depends]

14) Do you prefer a more light hearted video or something scarier?
[Light] [ Scary ] [ Action packed]

15) Do you like stereotypes in a music video?
[Yes ] [No]

16) Do you like festive/seasonal music videos?
[Yes, more santa! ] [Bah, humbug!]

17) Do you like more historical or futuristic settings?
[Historical ] [Futuristic] [Present]

18) Should the narrative of a music video have a genre? (Eg. Action, romance etc)
[Yes] [No]

19) Should the video amplify, disjuncture (contradict) or illustrate the lyrics?
[Amplify ] [Disjuncture ] [Illustrate] [No preference]

20) Do you watch any music channels?
[Yes] [ No]

21) If so, which ones?
[MTV ] [VH1] [4Music ] [Kerrang] [Kiss] [ TMF ] [ Other] (Please state) ......................

22) What’s your favourite music video and why?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

23) What’s your least favourite music video and why?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

24) Will you buy an album if you like music videos?
[Yes ] [No, I’m a pirate]

25) Any additional comments?
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS

Question 1: How old are you?


Most of the people who took are survey were 21 or below and we will therefore use older teens to young adults as our target audience.


Question 2: Are you male or female?

We gave our survey to 30 people and decided to give it to an even amount of males and females so we could gather a more equal set of data so the video can appeal to both sexes and is not bias to either gender’s views or sterotypes.

Question 3: What is your favourite music genre?

The results show that the overall favourite genre of music was Rock and from this, we will find and use music from a band that plays rock music for our video.

Question 4: What type of music video do you like?

We asked what type of music video were people’s favourites and we can conclude that people like happy and comic music videos. We will try and make our video happy and have elements of comedy in it. Also in a close second was action and we will also try and make our video contain some action.

Question 5: Do you like the artist/band to be in a music video?

We found that a majority of people liked the artist or band to be in the music video. Therefore we will try and get the band or artist whose music we will use to star in the video.

Question 6: Do you prefer males or females to be in a music video?

We asked if males or females were preferred to be in the video and most people said that they didn’t mind. The second highest voted was both sexes to appear in the video. Because most people voted they didn’t mind which sex was in the video this leaves the idea up to us of which sex to put in the video but we will try and use both sexes as this was the second most voted for.

Question 7: What music magazines do you read?

We found that the magazine that is most read is Kerrang. Kerrang is a rock magazine and from this we can conclude that most of our audience likes rock which is why we are going to use a rock bands music for our video.

Question 8: Do you prefer a music video to be colourful or black and white?

Most people said they did not mind if a video is in black and white or in colour. This will leave the decision up to us and we have decided to make our video in colour as 11 people said that they prefer music videos to be in colour compared to the 2 who voted they preferred black and white.

Question 9: Do you prefer a music video to have a more retro or modern style?

Most people said they didn’t mind which style the music video was so again this leaves the decision open for us to make. 8 people voted that they prefer more retro style videos while 6 people voted that they prefer a more modern style video. As the vote was quite close we will try and use elements of both modern and retro styles in the video.

Question 10: Do you like music videos that are easy to follow or more of a challenge to understand?

Most people chose that they like a music video that is easy to follow with not too many things they have to think about or figure out. Therefore we will make our music video easy viewing so that people can just enjoy it rather than have to think about all the complexes.

Question 11: Do you like special effects in a music video?

Most people said they did not mind if special effects were used in music videos. However, 11 people said that they do like special effects to be used in music videos compared to the 5 who said they did not like special effects to be used. Therefore we will use some special effects in our music video.

Question 12: Should a music video be more dramatic or soft?

Most people said that they did not mind if a music video was dramatic or soft. However, the next voted most for was dramatic. Therefore we will try to make our music videa dramatic where possible, which would appeal to both those that don't mind and those that prefer dramatic videos.

Question 13: Should a music video be slow or fast paced?

The results from this question show that the majority of people asked do not mind if the pace of the video is slow or fast. Even though this is the case, out of either slow or fast paced, more people chose ‘fast’. This sways us slightly toward making a faster paced video even though the majority of people are indifferent.

Question 14: Do you prefer a more light hearted video or something scarier?

The results of this question show that more people prefer a lighter video. From this we are going to make a more light hearted video to accommodate the tastes of the people we asked.

Question 15: Do you like stereotypes in a music video?

This chart shows that the majority of the people we asked preferred to not see stereotypes in a music video. This could apply to age or gender stereotypes and because of this we are going to stray away from most stereotypes when making our video.

Question 16: Do you like festive/seasonal music videos?

The results of this question show that the majority of people asked prefer a non-festive/seasonal video rather than a festive or seasonal video. From these results, we shall not be using any kind of festive or seasonal theme in our video.

Question 17: Do you like more historical or futuristic settings?

These results show that the majority of the people asked prefer modern settings to any other. This pushes us toward making a video set in a modern environment.

Question 18: Should the narrative of a music video have a genre?

According to the people we surveyed, they prefer for a music video to have a clear genre within the narrative. From these results, our music video is going to have a genre to cater for the majority.

Question 19: Should the video amplify, disjuncture (contradict) or illustrate the lyrics?

The results of this question show that the majority of people asked have no preference when it comes to the lyrics relating to the visuals in the video, though the 2nd highest was to amplify so we are going to be inclined to make a video that amplifies the lyrics of our chosen song.

Question 20: Do you watch any music channels?

This is just a general question to find out if the people we asked to complete a questionnaire watch music channels so that we could get a better idea of the audience we were catering to.

Question 21: If so, which ones? (Sometimes more than one answer)

This was a multiple answer question so that we could get a better idea of what kinds of videos our target audience would watch and from there know what kinds of music people liked. From the results, we have to conclude that with 4Music being the most picked channel; the majority like a mix of music genres that makes the audience feel good.

Question 22: Do you have a favourite music video?

This was to see if there was any specifics behind liking certain types of music video, though the results of this were given as a reason and therefore cannot be put into a graph as it would have ten parts to the chart (one for ‘No’ and nine for each ‘Yes’ answer given)

Question 23: Do you have a least favourite music video?

Like the above question, this was to see if there was any specifics behind not liking certain types of music video (as opposed to liking a video for a certain reason), though the results of this were given as a reason and therefore cannot be put into a graph as it would have ten parts to the chart (one for ‘No’ and nine for each ‘Yes’ answer given)

Question 24: Will you buy an album if you like the music video?

The results of this question show that the majority of the people who filled out this questionnaire would not buy an album that features the song of a music video they have seen, even if they like it. This could point to a number of things such as single song downloads from iTunes or Amazon, or through illegal music downloads.

INTERVIEW WITH FAN

For this section of the blog, we interviewed a fan of 'The Edible Zoo' to find out what they liked about the band.

How long have you been a fan of ‘The Edible Zoo’?
"About a year ago, since they formed up."

How did you find out about them?
"I’ve been friends with the band members for years now."

What do you like about them?
"They’re unusual. I’ve known the band members for quite a while."

What is your favourite song by them?
"Army of Nerds by far."

Why is this your favourite song?
"Because it’s different and funny."

SECTION 5 - Planning Materials for Video

NOTES ON BAND/ARTIST IMAGE

The Edible Zoo is a band based in Warrington. The band itself consists of three members; Marko Marafelias, Matthew J Mullan & Matt “Rugg” Price. They explore the more experimental side of rock, ranging from acoustic sounds to alternative rock to more heavier sounds through the use of many different instruments. Their songs contain extremely eccentric or unorthodox lyrics, with the themes of their songs varying from communism being great to nerds chasing butterflies.

ARTIST PERMISSION

"Thank you for taking interest in our band. We would be happy to give you permission to include and use the song "Army of Nerds" in your music video. If you need the band present, we can also be there for filming as well."
Matthew Mullan, The Edible Zoo

SONG ANALYSIS - BRAINSTORM

Before we start filming the music video we have brainstormed some ideas for the song 'Army Of Nerds' By Edible Zoo.

• Actual army of nerds
• Bird watching (both kinds of bird watching e.g. females and animals)
• Humour used throughout the video
• Bullies to bully the nerds
• Chasing butterflies as the lyrics say
• Playing chess
• Playing computer games due to reference to them in lyrics
• Sword fighting due to the reference in the lyrics of fantasy games
• Red vs Blue (team red, team blue etc)
• Sci-fi- Star Trek, Star Wars, classic Doctor Who.
• Computers and video games
• Space invaders
• Mario
• Dungeons and dragons
• War hammer
• Complex maths
• Wedgies/ nipple twisting
• Binary
• Penny arcade
• Set on field

SONG ANALYSIS - LYRICS

TREATMENT

Artist: The Edible Zoo

Song: Army of Nerds

Genre: Rock

Target Audience: 16 – 21 year olds, video game players

Outline of Narrative: The narrative starts with a 50's themed diner. A nerd, dressed stereotypically approaches the bartender and asks for a milkshake. A "greaser", dressed with a leather jacket and slicked back hair leaves the toilets and combs his hair. The greaser notices the nerd, grabs him by the scruff and asks him if he's done the homework for him. The nerd tries to come up with an excuse, but is quickly kicked out of the diner. At this point the music starts and the "army of nerds" march in, this time beating up the greaser.


In a different location, a lone nerd appears to be bird watching and chasing butterflies with a net. He climbs up into a tree with his binoculars and spies comically on a woman undressing in the house nearby. He appears to be dribbling and enjoying the sight until the woman notices him, at which point he falls out of the tree. The narrative then continues with him and a group of other nerds attempting to stalk her, hiding in various places. They are eventually found, and a group of greasers give them "wedgies" and "nipple twists". However, the army of nerds return and start a battle with the greasers in a comical style, with the nerds eventually winning. The girl that was stalked begins to like the nerd that defeated the greaser, and kisses him on the cheek. The nerd then faints.


Additionally, during the two minature storylines there are various scenes with the army of nerds messing around, including sword fighting scenes, gaming and a recreation of the Pong game.

Resources: Camera, Tripod, Binoculars, Small fishing net, Computer, Computer Monitor

Crew: James Allen, Kane Wright, Laura Henshaw

Time Required: 6 hours for filming, 6 hours for editing.

Budget:
Transport - £6
Red pencil - £0.20
Paper - £0.50
Glasses - £0.00
Cake - £2.50
Hairspray - £0.20
Lab coat - £0.00
TOTAL - £9.40

CASTING DECISIONS

Mad Scientist
• Matthew Mullan
We used Matthew Mullan as the mad scientist as he fits the role very well with both his looks and the way he acts being fairly eccentric.

Nerds
• James Williams
• Dan Brown
• Matthew Mullan

Greasers
• Dan Brown
• James Williams
• Matthew Mullan

Zombies
• Alex Wells

Reporter
• Danny Wood
We have chosen Danny to play the reporter because we wanted someone to stand out in this part of the video instead of using James, Dan and Matthew for this role as well as the majority of the others.

Female
• Jasmine Fox
We have chosen this person to play this role as the female as she looks like the kind of person that would have both the nerds and the greasers trying to win her over.

We used Dan Brown, James Williams and Matthew Mullan for the majority of the roles in our video as they are able to easily switch roles from nerd to greaser to zombie fairly easily through both acting and use of costume. We also did this as we had inspiration from the video ‘Learn to Fly’ by Foo Fighters as the band members all play multiple roles within the video.

COSTUME DESIGNS

NERD

-Glasses
-White shirt tucked in
-Bow tie
-Too short trousers

GREASER

- Slicked back hair
- White t-shirt
- Black leather jacket
-Aviator sunglasses

MAD SCIENTIST

- Glasses
- Crazy hair
- Shirt & Sweater vest
- Bow tie
- Lab coat

STORYBOARDS

SET DESIGNS/LOCATION DETAILS

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IMAGES OF FILMING AND EDITING

LOGGING SHEETS