YEAR 13 MUSIC VIDEO ASSIGNMENT

Andrew Goodwin's ideas

Andrew Goodwin came up with 6 ideas which he said that most music videos had conformed to. These 6 are:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
(illustrative, amplifying, and contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
(illustrative, amplifying, and contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often inter-textual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

Analyzing Andrew Goodwin's ideas

Chase & Status – Let You Go.

In previous songs Chase & Status have been almost total Drum n Bass and Dubstep, but in there new single “Let You Go” they have started now using more lyrics. Still relating to the Dubstep genre.

The music video itself relates to one man, in this case a man called Patrick Chase. Who is a television chat show host, similar to Jeremy Kyle. Patrick Chase is praised by his audience, mainly for his insults aimed at his guests on the show. His most infamous catchphrase is “If you can’t be good, be honest”. The video switched to Patrick Chase on his night out where he reveals and we witness his hypocritical behaviour: He has sex with a woman while her two young children are watching TV in the next room; gets incredibly drunk and purchases drug, which he then smokes the high grade marijuana, also picks up a prostitute and has sex while watching his television show. We then witness a fast montage of his double life, doubling back and forth between his TV show and his hypocritical social life ending with an under the influence car crash. The video comes to a closing end with Patrick Chase back in a make up chair the next day ready to start his next show with his cheering fans surrounding him.

We can now take into account Andrew Goodwin’s ideas theory. Starting with the genre characteristics, in fact it is quite hard to determine what genre Chase & Status’s song would be until about twenty or thirty seconds in. After hearing Chase & Status’s lead singer sings the opening verse, which is only over the top of a build up synth melody. Once you start to hear a build up of the music which greatly builds up tempo then releases into a strong bass and riff chorus, it is then you when you realise that this particular song was made for the subwoofer of a car or a club. And once you recognise this you immediately can tell that it is Drum n Bass and Dubstep related.

There is a strong relationship between the lyrics and visuals with this particular song. From start to finish you can just see the relations. The opening verse relates to the entire video, the verse sung goes “You say, We can't go on this way, Things have got to change,
When your gone, And each day, A choice gets made, You think it's yours to make, But your wrong.” When first hearing this and then relating this back to the video, you begin to understand that just that one verse is the entire video outcome. It becomes the stories narrative almost. There are so many indications of relations, but them most obvious one would be the fact that the opening verse relates to Patrick Chase’s life after his chat show.

The Video as we have seen is quite fast paced in that particular montage of Patrick Chase’s life outside of work. The rest of the video has a good time space where we get an actual in detail story behind Chase’s life. The music is timed into those particular moments, showing that fast bass riffs are included to emphasis the fast scene switches, especially with the jumping scenes montage. At times where the music video has a slow scene change, the music has been dubbed down so that we can hear Chase speak. Other times when the music is much lighter and has more of a tempo build up is when the slow changing scenes happen and we can follow the story being told.

There is one main reference to the notion of looking within the music video. This will be the main outlook on Patrick Chase’s way of life. None of the artists are in the video at all, they have decided to relate the entire video on Chase.

There are no Intertextual references as far as I can see, the video seems to all relate in a specific manner.

The Music video is a Narrative based piece. The fact you have Patrick Chase in pretty much every scene living out his everyday life, provides enough proof that the video is based totally around narrative. Like before with the relationship between the lyrics and the video also suggests that it is a narrative piece. The lyrics are the narrative structure and the artist is the narrator.

The Brief Into My Music Video

The piece of music that I intend to create a music video for is in the genre of Dubstep. When we talk about Dubstep, we revert the idea of this genre to the age of late teens and early twenties. Everyone has an idea of what Dubstep is, the most likely time any person will hear this amazing genre is; when you hear the immense power of a subwoofer from a car coming towards or from the back of you, sometimes from the underground clubs in the middle of a town where u can just feel that bass beneath your feet. Last but not least that bedroom window across the road which makes his house shake from the Dubstep played through a sound system.

There are two tracks that i have found, both fitting my ideas for the music video. Having to choose just one for my project is the problem. Whether or not if i can send of an email/letter to the production copy of one of my songs and get a reply, is the choice of whether i use it or not. So far though the great thing about both of my finalized tracks is that, they both fit in with my ideas for the music video. Here are a few of my ideas of how i want the video to be;

• It has to be related to the nightlife of teenagers in the way of late night parties and modified street racing cars.
• There will be a focus on a main car but not neccaseraly the driver/drivers.
• Measure in a chase to enhance the meaning of a phone call. (Only if the copyrighted track is used.)
• Will have a party/strobe lighted scene with guys and girls dancing.
• lots of close-ups of the car.
• split scene changes in time with the bass rhythm.
• KEY! Use of a lot of Subwoofers.

This particular style of genre will be displayed and played on the MTV music channels and even if chosen as a soundtrack to their 30 minute programs.

Having written a letter to obtain copyright for TC - Wheres My Money I shall hope to continue using that track as my Music Video project.

The ways in which to promote the artist TC on the CD cover i shall have the artist shown on the cover with the word " WHERES MY MONEY" embedded into the background.

When it comes to promoting the video through music channels, channels like MTV BASS, TMF and The Hits. Now for when it comes to the internet, websites like Youtube, Google videos and other video sites will be promoting the track Wheres My Money.

Genre Characteristics

The Genre Characteristics of a typical Dubstep music video usually consist of:

• Subjective artist shots
• Fast moving shots when song tempo is high
• Some references to a narrative
• Close up shots
• pan shots
• plenty of shot/reverse/shot
  
• Lots of close up shots of narrative actors and cars

I aim to capture the up most amount of narrative within my production. This shall be my main focus when capturing the footage. I would also like to capture some close up footage of the cars i plan to use within my music video. Although this is just an idea that I have in my mind, doing some extra audience research into the subject of dupstep videos will help my video project become so much easier.

When it comes to my audience research I shall gather my evidence and answers into voice recordings and post it via a video format.
The results are below.

Research into the Audience

For my research I shall be using voice recorded interview styled questions about what Dubstepmeans to them. I will interview around 5 people who listen to the style of music and get opinions from them of what they expect to be in that specific music video. I already have my ideas for the video, but will get advice off others to make it enjoyable and more interesting for them.

Luckily for me they have listened to TC's track Wheres My Money before and have a good idea of what Dubstep means to them. The aim for me is to create a music video that portrays not just my views of Dubstep, but a various outline of what others like about the style.

The main questions I shall be asking is;

• What do you like about Dubstep?
• How do you want to see the video?
• To the track, what sort of video narrative would you want to see?
• What certain aspects would you like to have in the video?

With the results from interviewed people i am going to cross reference them with a basic Dubstep definition from Wikipedia. This will possibly outline two different views on Dubstep or they might actually be the same. The reason for this is to adjust to better ideas of what I am going to be using in my music video.

Wikipedia's out take on Dubstep is and quote "Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals". This is Wikipedia's definition of Dubstep.

Audience Findings ( Voice Interview)

Obtaining Copyright

Dear Caspa production label,

I am writing to inform you that I wish to use one of your artists tracks, TC - Wheres My Money in my year 13 A2 level media music video productions. I am seeking the copyright rights against this track to allow myself to create a music video for the song. The music video is for educational purposes only and not for the making of any profits what so ever.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen Widger

My Chosen Artist

For my A level coursework, I shall be using a track from the artist TC and Caspa which I shall be creating a music video. The track I have decided on to create this video for is Where's My Money. This song is a quality Dubstep genre track, it was made as a driving track to be played on massive in car sub woffers and 6x9's

The song itself is based around a certain phone call between two men, about money. This one guy has been given money from a massive loan shark and screws the loan shark about. The sense of the tempo to the Dubstep enforce the image of a chase in my eyes. This I am going to recreate into the video I shall be shooting.

Lyrics to TC - Where's My Money

Uh, hello
- Hi
Uh yeah
- Yeah?
About the money...
- Money?
Uh, I don't know if I'm coming out to get it over to you
- What do you mean you won't be able to get it? What?
Uh, 'cause it's like
It's in a secondary holding account
- Holding account?
Now we need to get this to another account
- What?
And you know, what with the state of the music industry nowadays
And record sales and all that you know
- Uh you know what?
- Where's my money?

Hello

- Where's my money?

Hello [x2]

Uh, hello
- Hi
Uh yeah
- Yeah?
About the money...
- Money?
Uh, I don't know if I'm coming out to get it over to you
- What do you mean you won't be able to get it? What?
Uh, 'cause it's like
It's in a secondary holding account
- Holding account?
Now we need to get this to another account
- What?
And you know, what with the state of the music industry nowadays
And record sales and all that you know
- Uh you know what?
- Where's my money?

Hello

- Where's my money?

Hello [x2]

Lyrical Evaluation

The lyrics to TC-Wheres My Money are constantly repeated, there is not a standard structure to it. In the sense that you do not have the typical verse, chorus, verse, chorus. Most songs are sung in this context but not the track I have chosen. TC has made this particular song based around one main chorus. The lyrics themselves tell a short story about two men, where one owes another money. This almost comes across showing that one of the men is similar to a loan shark or an artist demanding money he is entitled to. Therefore the other man is contrasted as a victim of loaned money or a producer that is not keeping his end of the deal.

When listening to the track in full, this including the music and lyrics, the entire song comes across as a car chase within my mind. This is where my main idea of that car chase had originally came from. The force of the dubstep bass you get from the song enforces the initial idea that the chase has begun. This carries on through out the song with memory joggers of the phone call from the beginning of the song. Certain parts of the song are in fact slower in tempo than to other parts, indicating that the chase has slowed down or is just about to reach a massive climax.

Lyrical Wordle

Music Video Treatment

Song title: TC - Wheres My Money Genre: Dubstep

Ideas/Concepts/Inspiration

I want to base my music video around the whole idea that one person owes another person money, hence the song title Wheres My Money. The whole genre is being dubstep is based around the really heavy bass, sub woofers will be included. The main aspect of the video would have to be a phone call, it is key in the song, the main lyrics in the song is the phone call itself. The fact whether i have a car chase depends on how easily we can film it. The main ideas I would want to focus on for the video is including the phone call and a car chase, a real story line for the song. I'm going to go with a narrative structure.

What will i need ? (props,actors,locations etc)
x

• Actors - anywhere from 3 - 5 people.
  
• Cars, Phones, Sub woofers

Location wise there are many different places where this can be shot, I want to aim for more long stretches of road more than tighter street roads, there is so much more you can "attempt" on a long stretch like a ring road, an underground car park.

What will the challenges be and how will I overcome them?

Now within this video there are going to be quite a few challenges to overcome. The main one will be the filming of the car chase, the angles in which i will have to shoot it from, the guys who are going to be up for the making of video. Budget is going to be a main concern as well, use age of petrol is not going to be free.

Justification

I am going to be using the todorovs narrative theory with my video, being the fact that the structure of the song lyrics make up a story. Dubstep tracks and videos usually do not have a structured story, but in this case with Wheres My Money, you can just imagine the story going through your mind when listening to it.

Moodboard

Here my image ideas of what my song is like.

Locations

In my music video production, I have chosen several different locations to film. I have chosen to film in Yate, Mangotsfield and Longwell Green. Ring roads between all of these locations shall be used as well.

I live in Emersons Green and this is where the filming shall begin. The journey to Jamies house is not long so, detours shall be taken along the route to increase the time of filming within the loansharks car. The Mangotsfield area I personally know quite well and so does Jamie, these first two areas will not be in the filming process long. This is because the majority of the driving and filming shall be done on the ring roads and at Longwell Green.

Longwell Green I chose is for the layout and setting that it portrays. At Longwell Green they have an underground car park which had perfection written all over it when i knew what i was going to film. The Underground car park shall provide excellent lighting and more than enough space for the actors to perform in the music production.

Animated Storyboard

Shooting Day(s) Props

Props included in my video production:

Vauxhall Corsa B
Fiat Seicento
two mobile phones
subwoofers

Car Keys

Money in note form

Representation of Actors/Characters

My music video production has only two actors in it. A loan shark character and a loan victim character. The two chosen actors I have to feature in my production are myself Steve Widger and Jamie Hammond, both with experience in different areas related to my music video.

Jamie Hammond has GCSE level experience with acting from taking drama. He has also taken part in past media productions of mine "The Following". Jamie is a reliable actor and I am very pleased that he has agreed to take part in the production of my music video.

I the same as Jamie have taken drama at a GCSE level and have experience in more media productions from fellow class mates. Myself and Jamie have experience behind the wheel of our cars and hope to use that experience within the filming of my production.

The initial idea of my music video is that of a loan shark chasing up money from some one who owes him. In the Video there just the two characters, the costumes have to match the cars in which they drive to signify in depth the style of the character.

A typical loan shark is usually signified by the clothes he wears, this being the smart and fancy look on a big man. Trousers, Shirt, Jacket, Tie and Smart shoes. A clean and tidy hairstyle accompanies the loan shark. Accessories wise a typical loan shark is usually seen chewing on a Cuban cigar to represent the idea that this character is big boss man. It signifies that he is important and rich, the kind of character not to be messed with.

The average man is refereed to as a simple character, typically casual dressed. An average man is atired with a T-shirt and jacket, jeans and trainers. Hairstyles vary from tidy and messy usually spiky or natural. In this case the representation of the character matches the car in which he shall be driving.

With the loan shark in my music video, I do want to try and represent him in the same sort of way as described earlier but with keeping the idea that the car he will be driving will be that of a street racing car. To be exact a Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 litre which has been modified with a body kit and lowered suspension. To keep the concept of the loan shark within him, I do not want to represent him atire wise with street racer clothes but that of a loan sharks. The car basically illustrates the idea that he is loaded with money. The loan shark shall be dressed with dark clothing, so a dark potentially shiny shirt with rolled up sleeves, dark trousers and dark shoes (not trainers). I will still have him chewing on a cigar, toothpick or match stick to represent the idea that he means business.

Shooting Day(s) Equipment

Camera

Tripod

Spare Camera Battery

Filming Schedule

Magazine Promotion Analysis

This analysis of promotional magazine articles will help me decide on what sort of idea I shall be looking to include in the promoting poster for my chosen artist. I shall look at two different types of magazines, but still linking them both with the genre of Dubstep.

WOoFhA

Woofha is one of the number one and main dubstep magazines in the UK. The magazine itself is not based on the main genre of dubstep, it also promotes reggae, grime and many more of the same style of music. Woofha provides information to all dubstep listeners about new and upcoming bands and Djs with new song releases. It also shares tour dates within the UK at a number of different venues for dubstep artists.

The layout of Woofha magazine is very simple but very attractive and eye catching. With the absence of bright standing out colours and an incredible different variety of pictures.

As you can see the main image on the front cover of this edition of Woofah magazine is of an artist. The artists picture takes up almost the entire page of the front cover to illustrate importance in the magazine. This shows the reader that this edition has information based on this particular artist. Usually or typically there will be a double maybe even a triple page spread with articles, pictures and sometimes tour date and song release dates on it.

At the bottom of the front cover is a list of different DJ's and artists that are also within the magazine with articles written about them. The layout at the bottom of the page wih the different colours bolds out the different artists, this makes he names stand out and seperates the artists.

Promotional Poster

For my promotional poster I want to create an advertising poster for a magazine. I am going to be using ideas from Woofah magazine, as this is the sort of magazine I want to portray and promote my artist in.

Here is my promotional poster for my artist.

CD Cover Analysis

This album cover is a Single CD called Woo Boost, created by its artist Rusko. Dubstep CD covers commonly have the artist portrayed on the front of the cover. Rusko has made no acception on his album cover as shown. The simple demonstration of the artist name in bold expresses more attention to the artist. The small font of the song name shows the audience what song the single is.

The artist Rusko has used an image of himself for his album cover. The way in which his face is expressed and the way his eyes are blacked and his entire image shows that his image is everything to him.

CD Cover

As part of the project we have to create a cover for a CD Digipack which is a CD package that includes the CD itself and additional memorabilia. Below is the net and layout diagram of what our CD Digipack should look like. This includes the size aswell.

Here is my CD cover below using the same net layout above as a diagram. The far right picture is the front of the CD cover and the far left being the back of the CD cover. The two centre images are inside the CD cover.

The Final Music Video

1) In what ways does your media project use, develop or challenge forms of conventions of real media products?

2) How effective is the combination of you main project and your ancillary texts?

3) What have you learned from your audience feedback?

4) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluating stages?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X2QE99ePL4