Final Complete Music Video

Evaluation 4

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

Forms and convention are the backbone to any music video, when recording the music video the director could choose to challenge, use or develop forms and conventions. In our music video we mainly used and developed the general forms and conventions found in music videos and didn’t challenge them for instance: a music video would show all the members of the band and we have done just that:

Also a music video should represent the band positively while showing their personality, it is clear that our band is acting wild and out of control just like the majority of rock/pop bands, The female is confident and sassy, she plays around with the feelings of those close to her, this also relates to the lyrics “love hurts weather its right or wrong”.

A music video should also use bright colours and clear lighting, we have done so as the music was shot during the day and in a white room. In the photo below you can clearly see the light bouncing of Vida's face and hair.

Lastly a music video should have fast cuts which synchronize with the track, by clicking on the link to our music video on the post above you can clearly see that we have done so.

Evaluation 3

What have we learnt from our audience feedback?

We have uploaded our final music video to YouTube which then in turn has been linked to our Facebook account and viewed by a global audience. We have received no constructive criticism and only good feedback. I can conclude that no further editing is necessary and we have produced a well rounded music video. 

Evaluation 2

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

Living in the 21^st century we are blessed as students to have the amount of resources freely available. This allows us to use professional editing software and share our production and thoughts with people living all over the world with similar interests, long ago only certain wealthy individuals would be making a song as you would need expensive equipment but now all you need is a laptop, a mouse and free beat production software.

During our production we documented our progress using blogger, to do so we needed internet access and a computer. Our college provided use with access to MAC’s and I used a PC at home, the two systems are compatible with each other most of the time however at some points you may run into slight errors. The Mac is well known for never getting viruses and for video/image editing software’s therefore it was a wise choice using a Mac when editing our music video.

At the beginning of our blog I have used Google’s website to search and add pictures to the blog, this was very useful as it gives the reader a vivid image of the message I was trying to portray however not all images were available on Google therefore I used the school’s Epson’s perfection v500 scanner located in the library to scan and upload our storyboard.

During the research phase of our project, YouTube was used a lot to watch existing music video’s which then would be analysed and uploaded to our blog, the written analysis was carried out on a software called ‘Microsoft Word 2007’, this was a great program as it lets you change the font, correct spelling mistakes, make headings, add images and so much more.

 As I was working from two locations there had to be a feasible way to transfer my work, I was able to do this thanks to the use my Universal Serial Bus (USB), they can hold vast amount of data and moreover they are very small and robust; I used my USB to hold my images, storyboard, word documents and Photoshop images.

When creating our ancillary texts we used a Cannon EOS 5D Mark 2 camera fitted with a Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8L II USM lens. This equipment can cost up to £30000. Fortunately our teacher is friends with a studio manager who lent us the equipment needed. The camera was linked to a G4 Mac by a Profoto Sync Cable for instant image manipulation. Once the photographs were taken we used Adobe Photoshop to create the digipack and promotional advert.

When filming our music video we used a Sony DV hand held camcorder and a tripod to stabilise the shot, we also took some stills using a digital camera/mobile phone then uploaded them to the blog. Once all the filming was done we uploaded all our footage onto Vida’s iMac using a male to male 6 pin Firewire. The editing took place on iMovie where we added our song to the video, cut unwanted scenes out, added special effects and pieced together our music video. 

While using the green screen effect on our music video, there was one scene which came out not how we expected it to; it occurred at 2:58 and when we tried to revert the problem the system crashed and wouldn’t let us change it back therefore we let it stay in our music video however our audience liked the whole music video.

After the completion of our music video, we created a complete CD cover and poster. We used the photos taken with the Cannon EOS 5D Mark 2 and edited them on Photoshop CS4/7.0, this is where problems started to occur as I was using Photoshop 7.0 at home on a windows where at school I would be using Photoshop CS4 on a Mac however similar these two programs were there were missing fonts on my version of Photoshop and the layout was somewhat different.

When I went home to complete my poster I couldn’t change the size of the font as I was missing it so I had to download it from Google then add it to my fonts. Once I downloaded my font, I extracted it to the desktop and installed the font. To do this I went to "Start menu > Setting > Control Panel > Fonts" and simply copied my font there.

Evaluation 1

How effective is the combination of our ancillary texts and main product?

To complement our music video we have created a complete CD cover (including front, back and inside) and a poster.

The music video was shot predominantly at Holborn studios so we decided to use a picture of our protagonist (Vida) seated in the white room for the front cover of our CD front cover, the background contrasts with Vida making her stand out really well.

The lighting of our music video is bright and lively which appeals to our target audience so I kept the lighting extremely similar for the CD covers. If anyone was to watch our music video they would be able to quickly identify the CD cover and poster.

Through all my media texts, we used the image of our protagonist to keep it consistent throughout our production.

I have carried out semiotic research into other existing CD covers, the most fascinating discovery I have found is that symbols would signify the image the artist is trying to portray, for instance on the cover of 50 cent’s ‘Guess who’s back’ album cover he is clearly representing gang culture, the symbol which makes it clear is the use of a 9mm handgun pointing slightly towards the camera in addition the Christian necklace represents religion which tells us that he believes that God is with him.

I decided that we didn’t need to use any additional props for the CD cover but I considered the pose she struck carefully. She has both hands on her head and is looking seductively into the lens of the camera; other females would want to be like her.

I also carried out research into the differences with album covers and posters and established that the cover to an album can also be used as a release poster; however the poster will include a few more details such as the release date and independent reviews. Using the album cover as a poster keeps things simple, in addition the more times an image is repeated the more likely it would be noticed and/or remembered by the customers.

As you can see from the image above, we also used the CD cover as our poster; however we included the release date, the record labels name and information about the production team.

All in all the combination of our ancillary texts and main product is extremely simple and effective; it quickly allows the audience to identify the genre. The colour and texts used are consistent throughout and so is the costume and props.

Completed CD cover, Inside cover, Back cover and Poster

For our album cover we decided to do a fashion style photo shoot with a variety of camera angles. Here are few examples of what we took from our trip to Holborn Studios:

Here, Vida is grabbing her hair, with a seductive look to the camera. She has a lipstick on which is a symbolise love and passion and that is what the music video is about. The way she poses also means that she is very confident.

We did not have any plans for capturing any close ups, but by chance we took some and we actually liked them. Therefore decided to use one as the inside cover.

We also did a couple of medium long shots, this is Vida's favourite image and we will be using it for album back cover with the names of the album tracks and EMI record label (EMI is the record company for our production).

And this is the promo poster, with the name of the album: What The Hell (which is also the song's name) and some information regarding the production company. 

Mise - En - Scene

Characters in videos build up main part of the narrative which takes place in especific locations with especific props, proper lights and in suitable costumes. So mise-en-scene as an important factor in making a video attractive and succesful, tell us the charactors personality and their story. Mise en scene is made up of Characters, Location, Props, Lighting, Sound, Costumes, and basically anything that the audience can see on screen.

For our music Video we have put our best effort to design a scene relevant to the story and the charactors which I will explain step by step in details through elements of mise en scene. 

   Characters and Costumes 

Rebel girl (Vida). She dresses in a funky and a teenage style to suit the target audience taste and the song which is pop punk. She wears red body suit with black tights. Body suit is what pop stars like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Jessie J and a lot more singers normally wear in their videos. Colour red is because of her being sexy and playful who goes on different dates! The same is with her golden Heart necklace. In the video she's the vocalist, dancer and the guitarist.

The modest boy who becomes a rebel at the end(Mohammad). He is wearing a ripped off trousers with red t-shirt. Red t-shirt is because of him being romantic and in love. He is playing spanish guitar in the video. 

His friend who the girl is playing around with (Chester). He is wearing a baggy jeans, with a white shirt and ties, so punkish that suits his proud character which attracts the girls! In the video he will be playing electric guitar.  

    Locations and Settings 

The story is taking place in different locations. It starts from inside Vida's flat, where the story begins. Her room is decorated with her pictures and the couples. Camera zooms in to show Vida's pictures on the, then it pans to her pictures with Mohammad, then after Chester appears in front of the camera. 




For this shot we had to print out 60 coloured A4 pictures with 4 pictures on each. then cutting out each one and stick to the wall.

External streets with graffiti on 

walls in the background, in places like Brick lane or Hoxton. 

Vida's hair suits the graffiti in the background and the woman in green skin is good for green screen effects in imovie.

We have used these two shots in our video. They are shot in Brick Lane, London. 

Lightings 

Low lights with a few tonal flash lights such as red, yellow and green (like the ones in clubs and discos) while the main female artist is dancing and having fun. While recording other shots we will use normal day or light sources. We also use red and blue tracy papers to make our video more colourful and meaningful. Red implies sexuality and love, while blue can mean coldness in a relationship.

Since the song is an upbeat and fast paced it inspires crazy shots from weird angles. We decided to take a camera with us to a party locations such as the Coronet Theatre on Halloween (Oct 31st 2011). We recorded some good shots of people raving and drinking in the club which we will insert into our video. 

Shooting Schedule

Holborn Studios

Today we visited Holborn Studios, a well-known place for artists and celebrities from all over the world for more than three decades. It is currently based in Eagle Wharf Road, London, literally a fifteen minutes walk from Hackney Community College in Shoreditch.

On our arrival we were introduced to staff members, then we took a tour around the studio. We saw different rooms which were wonderfully designed for photo-shoots, performances, and various different activities for artists and celebrities, creating a unique place for shooting their album covers, magazines covers and lots more. 

The studio basically consists of different rooms where you could see plain and seamless white walls, floors and ceilings, with professional lighting and photography props which cost from £300 to £900 a day to rent. The reason for using white paint is because white is a neutral colour and doesn't add any effect or any meaning to the actual object which has to be shot or filmed so artists can add mise en scene to this blank canvas. Normally artists rent photography and lighting equipments in studios instead of buying their own which cost thousands.


The studios have their own changing room, toilet, and a personal computer. The studio keepers, have to redo the white paint all over the surfaces each day to retain the studios' pure white look. As we were walking through different studios we could see lots of construction and rebuilding works going on there, they were expanding the studios into larger spaces to keep up with their customers demand as many professional companies/people would need a larger spaces and different facilities for their shoot. 


Among these studios, there was a unique room with green walls and floors decorated by artists pictures and a pool table, plus a small bar, a changing room and a toilet. This room, which was called the 'green room', is actually a place for artists to relax and chill while getting ready for their shoot and filming, and to spend some times on their own away from paparazzi and cameras. The green color also adds to its relaxation with views over regents canal. There is also a bar and restaurant, or even a boat for relaxing and going around the canal!

Things I learnt today:

• What a studio is and how it looks, what rooms and spaces need to be there and how they function.

• Costs needed for renting the studio and equipment and the assistants per day and sometimes per hour, you can find these cost here.

• Hassles and costs required for keeping the studio up and running, working well and professionally.

• Different pay for staff in different positions, such as studio manager, director, photographer, technician, bar and restaurant staff, etc.

We did a two hour shoot in Studio 4. As you can see in the pictures the studio had white floors, walls and ceiling. One of the shot locations had two boards, black and white, on two sides and a big stood flash light with a special kind of lamp shade  
for controlling the light and 
shadows and preventing it from being reflected. 


There was also a dressing table and a professional computer system attached to the camera used to transfer the pictures to the computer screen automatically after being shot so you could see the pictures at the same time they were shot and touch them up on photoshop.

Textual Analysis Of Avril Lavigne's Album Cover

"What the Hell" Album Cover

Props And Costumes:
She's wearing a black top and jacket, she's dressing casually to fit in with the modern society, however the messy hair connotes her ignoring her boyfriend and relationships. The necklace says "Drink Me" which shows her youthfulness and naughtiness as a teenager.


Background, Colour, and Lighting:
White background, With black script of the artist name which suits her costume. The song name is in red, "What The Hell" which can refer to her being sexy and crazy. The picture is not so happy and tonal which can mean she's a bit sad or heart broken or even tired and wants some kind of changes in her relationships, or her lifestyle, the same thing can be withdrawn from the lyrics when she says: "don't get it wrong, I just need some time to play".

Typeface:
She is staring into space with a neutral and bored look, again ignoring her surroundings, Her facial expression can connote her being heartbroken or sad, as she says somewhere in the song that "love hurts whether its write or wrong", this kind of thoughtful n tired look might refer to her being tired or broken from her last relationship.


She has used couple of pictures as her song cover, but original album cover is the picture on top of the post. I uploaded more pictures of her song cover to have a look at her different shots and photo styles which can all say something about the song.

Ancillary Text

front cover:
we will use a long shot of the Main 2 artists + thier band in the background with their instruments and props, with sharp lights ( Red, or goldbrown ) so that the audience would have a recognition of the charactors takin part in the music video


back cover:
back cover will be more landscape shot with collages of different shots to give the audience an idea of whats actually happening in the music video(narrative)


inside cover:
medium or close up shot of the female artist in black and white, because the music video is more about girls anthem this is preference to what the main message is based on

Global Audience

How can we make the character in the music video a global icon?

What features of the music video have a global appeal?

Avril Lavigne, is an international superstar, whose fans are from almost every country across the globe. She goes on different tours and performs in different continents.

This video shows Avril Lavigne's fans in Hong Kong on her Black Star Tour, and she explains the rest of the tour on South East Asia being to Beijing, Shanghai, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and then to South America.

Globalisation is the idea of the world becoming a smaller place due to technology and media, and is transformation of traditions into a fusion of traditions. For example McDonald's McArabia's meal is a popular pita bread sandwich in some Arabic countries, or Coca Cola being the world's first popular word. 


Globalisation in music may result into disposal of local instruments and music. However globalisation can bring together people from all around around the world and unify them in the way they live, they dress, they talk or even they way they think.


One of the ways to makes a music video successful is to make it internationally attractive to it's viewers.


This is how we tried to make our video globally popular:

Shots locations:
The video is filmed on the streets of London, an international destination which makes it globally significant. Youths from all around the world might be interested in London so it would be attractive for them to see how Londoners live their lives and how they dress up. 


Lyrics with a universal theme:
Lyrics are about relationships, people breaking up or cheating one another, something that anyone has experienced somehow in their lives, it makes the lyrics easier for people to relate with. The lyrics are about a relationship, she is breaking up with her boyfriend and wants to have her own freedom.


Universally recognisable characters: 
young people wanna have fun! We feature people with different races in the music video. The protagonist is an Iranian girl. A young, attractive and dynamic pop star who girls will want to be and guys will want to get with. The antagonist is a Somalian boy.  

The language of the music video:
The language in the music video is important in terms of making it understandable by a majority of people all around the globe, as English is the most popular second language, it makes the music video internationally viewable.  

Target Audience

In order to make commercial success in media productions, the first thing for a producers to consider before making decisions on production and mise en scene is the target audience. It involves researches into the age, gender and ethnicity and their expectations and interests.

The target audience that ties in with our song is teenagers. We then did a questionnaire asking people about their favourite songs and generall information on music videos.

Our questionnaire is as followed:

Dear Friend, Here Is A Confidential Questionnaire For My Music Video, As A Part Of The Production Work For A2 Media Studies, I Appreciate You Cooperation.

Age..........  Sex...........  Ethnicity......

Favourite Music Genre.....................

What A Pop Star is?

..................................................................................................................................................

How Do Pop Stars Dress Like? 

..................................................................................................................................................

What Language Do They Normally Speak? 

..................................................................................................................................................

How Old Are They Usually?

..................................................................................................................................................

What Are The Songs About?

..................................................................................................................................................

Have You Ever Heard Of Any Song Called “What The Hell”? What Can The Song Be Possibly About, whether Or Not You Have Heard It?

...............................................................................................................................................

What Do You Like To See In Music Videos?

..................................................................................................................................................

Do You Like To See Bands Playing And People Dancing In Music Videos?

..................................................................................................................................................

Can You Make Up A Brief Story About The Song “What The Hell” ?

..................................................................................................................................................

Rough storyboard

I have created a rough storyboard which shows a rough outline as to what I would like to see in our music video. The first shot is an establishing shot which introduces the main male and female characters. They are enjoying themselves throughout shots '2' '3' and '4', attending parties, watching fireworks together and going out for Halloween, just like a young couple would do.

I would also like a shot of the female character doing her hair in the mirror, this is a unique type of shot which would work well with our song choice. Young females who would watch the music video would also feel a need to put make up on like their favorite artist does also the lipstick makes her seem naughty. 

Finally the relationship takes a U-turn, the female character begins cheating and making out with her boyfriend's mate although the couple work though their problems eventually.

Lyrics Analysis

"What      The      H E L L "


You say that I'm messing with your head     


All cause I was making out with your friend     >>>>     cheating her boyfriend 


Love hurts whether it's right or wrong     >>>>      heart-Broken Girll


I can't stop cause I'm having too much fun     >>>>     


You're on your knees     |
Begging please             | >> Boy beging
Stay with me               |
But honestly


I just need to be a little crazy   >>>>    Girls crazy

All my life I've been good,
But now


I'm thinking What The Hell


All I want is to mess around    >>>>   Girls playing


And I don't really care about


If you love me
If you hate me
You can save me
Baby, baby
All my life I've been good
But now
Whoaaa...
What The Hell

So what if I go out on a million dates   >>>>   lots of Dates


You never call or listen to me anyway   >>>>    being ignored


I'd rather rage than sit around and wait all day


Don't get me wrong


I just need some time to play


You're on your knees
Begging please....
You say that I'm messing with your head
Boy, I like messing in your bed
Yeah, I am messing with your head when
I'm messing with you in bed..."

"A personal message for freedom" is how Avril Lavigne  - a 27 years old Canadian singer and songwritter -   describes her song WHAT THE HELL  which she wrote herself . 

In an interview, Avril talks about the music video: 

"The music video for 'What the Hell': It's kind of a guy chasing me around, and I hop into a random cab, and he's chasing me. And I go through a clothing store and he chases me, but at the end of the video, it's really just me having a bunch of fun with him, and he's my boyfriend, so I like him in the end. The music video's in 3-D, and my favorite part of the video is the rock-out scene at the end where I jump onstage and I'm with my band. When we shot it and I got to watch it back in 3-D with the glasses and actually you can see the crowd's hands and it felt like you were live in a crowd, so it was kind of cool."