We put together these mood boards to try and establish a visual direction we all liked and agreed upon. Both mood boards feature wide open spaces and nature. Nature is a suitable metaphor for the freedom and unconstrained quality associated with indie music. Water is especially meaningful because just like the spirit of indie music it refuses to be shaped, controlled or manipulated. We really like the look of an individual out amongst nature.
I decided to look at past examples of A2 music videos to see what would work and what wouldn't. I looked at 4 videos, all made by past media students, whose videos cover a range of grades.
Video 1
If nothing else, this video is certainly entertaining, and I can see some of the dance genre conventions they were trying to reflect. However, although the ideas are there, the actual execution is poor. For example, the video shows 'the artist' lip syncing against a wall, a common convention of the dance genre. However, the fire alarm and boarding in the background make it obvious that the wall is in school. The video overall seems rushed and unplanned, and the normal settings (school corridor, someone's messy home) give the video a low quality feel. The POV shot of a person drinking beer and the club scene are poorly executed and clearly unplanned, and the strange and unnecessary effects make the video seem even more amateurish. There are some better moments - such as the editing of one of the guys drinking to the beat of the music - but overall the video seems unplanned and badly executed. We would give this video level 2 because there is little attention to framing, camera, or miss en scene, the effects are not appropriate, and some of the shots are too dark to see. The video is also not especially creative, although it does conform to the genre and is not completely terrible.
Video 2
This video is certainly better than the last, although the misspelling in the title of the video is rather off-putting. The video conforms to the alternative genre well, with shots of the band performing intercut with shots of a mysterious woman walking. The camera techniques match the genre well - however, the video becomes slightly repetitive after a while as most of the video is similar shots of the band performing. The start of the video is especially good as it has a box of text declaring the name of the song and the director ect, which is seen in professional music videos and thus makes this video seem more professional. The acting in this video is also slightly off, and a few moments (such as an awkward but conventional jump at the beginning) makes it obvious that this is not a professional band. However, it is clear that the band knows the genre fairly well, although the video could be improved by more of the narrative story. We would give this video level 3 because the shots are controlled and well chosen, with the video conforming well to the genre. It also appears to be quite self-aware and well thought through, and is fairly entertaining. However, it is not especially creative and the video is somewhat repetitive, stopping it from achieving level 4.
Video 3
This video sticks to the conventions of the pop genre well, although it is quite boring and plain. The video is all in black and white, which conforms to the style of some sad pop songs. In terms of technique, the video is fairly good; the shots have been chosen well, the camera is steady and the editing is good. There are a few moments when this is broken, such as one shot where the focus is on the background instead of the 'artist' and an strange and amateurish blur effect on the lyric 'blur', but overall the technique is good. However, this video is very safe and simple, and somewhat boring to watch. There are moments of narrative in this video which are also well done, although the video might have been more entertaining if there were more. Overall, this video is fairly decent and is well executed, if rather plain and basic. We would give this video level 3 because it is technically proficient and conforms to the genre. There is a controlled use of camera, framing and effects, and although there are some misjudgements in filming location, it's success in the other areas makes it a level 3.
Video 4
This last video is much more creative than the others, but still manages to stick to the chosen genre of alternative. It is visually interesting an varied, showing a range of things and overlays, from projection to glitter to shoes. Some of these work better than others, but overall they all add to the disjuncture of the video. The shots are all well filmed using a variety of angles, and the use of suitable slow motion emphasises their editing abilities. The number of different things shown also shows the planning of the video, as it would take a lot of time to film that many different things. The similarity of the first and last shot also give the music video a sense of professionalism and planning as it gives the video a cohesiveness that makes the video feel well put together. The only negative would possibly be with the repetitiveness of some of the shots (eg the hair flicks) although it could be argued that this makes the video more put together. Overall, though, it is a well put together video that is creative and interesting while remaining true to conventions of the genre. We would also put this video at level 3 because although it is very creative and some of the shots are great, the visuals in the video were rather inconsistent. Some parts, such as the projection and the close ups, are good, whilst other parts, such as the shots of the shoes and hair flicks, are slightly amateurish and repetitive. Therefore, we would give it level 3.
At the beginning of the course, we thought that we would choose the indie-pop genre. We chose this genre because we all have very different tastes in music and we decided that we didn't mind indie-pop. Also none of us knew much about the genre, meaning that it would be easier to analyse the videos as we could see the conventions more clearly than in a genre we were used to. However, after some discussion we have decided to change our genre slightly and go down the route of 'indie'. This is mainly because the indie genre is much wider than the genre of indie-pop, which is quite specific. By choosing indie, we have much more variety when looking at videos, and therefore have more options when making our final video. Fiske argued that genre is convenient for both the audience (to help them understand the video within its context) and the producers (to successfully target an audience), so it is therefore important that we know what our genre is so we can tailor our video towards our audience. Therefore, we have decided to change to the indie genre as it allows for more creative freedom.
In order to decide how our music video should look, we decided to research examples of indie music videos to try and find some conventions of the genre. We have looked at both mainstream and non-mainstream artists as the genre is a mix of both.
Fox Academy - Grape Soda Bby
In the music video for Fox Academy's Grape Soda Bby, we see a montage of the artists and a kid playing around their neighbourhood. The video has been filmed and edited in a way that makes it seem very old-fashioned, with a grainy texture and a frame shaped like an old TV screen. This makes the video seem old and vintage, and, combined with the relaxed and happy sound of the song, gives the impression of a home footage tape. The fact that the shots used are mostly mid-shots to long shots also adds to this effect as the video does not seem overly professional or technical.
In terms of content, the video takes a non-narrative approach, instead using a montage of seemingly random clips in the video that creates the feel of a home-movie. The video is an example of disjuncture as the images do not appear to match the lyrics. There are some moments when the lyrics and images do seem to match, for example the lyrics and title mention the word 'grape' and there are occasional shots of baskets of grapes in the video. However, the image focuses more on matching the relaxed sound of the song, meaning that there is no need for narrative. Also, considering the fact that the lyrics have little narrative (the first two lines are 'grape scented shirt, family dessert') it makes sense that the video is an example of disjuncture, as illustration or amplification would have been hard to recreate.
The video seems to be set in a few different places. The first seems to be a backyard, up against a fence. The footage shot here seems to be shots of grapes and of the characters playing with gardening equipment. Another setting seems to be the front yard, where the footage shows them playing, sometimes in a three or a two but often with the child alone. The third is a shot of the ground, where the artists can be seen drinking from mugs. The last one is in the neighbourhood, where the artists are seen playing basketball with the kid. All of the settings are all close and personal, which creates the idea of a home footage tape.
Along with the vintage grain and frame in the video, a few other techniques are used to create special effects. These are all physical things which were clearly used on the day; for example, a pair of glasses is used to distort the image and change the frame of the video. A pair of kaleidoscope glasses and a glass decoration are also used to similar effect. This use of physical objects to create special effects also adds to the home video feel, and gives the idea of them playing around with a camera and seeing how their glasses change the effect.
Bleachers - Rollercoaster
This video is set somewhere in the dry, mountainous wilderness. The sand and jagged mountains are images typically associated with more Indie music videos. The video also takes place in and on a campervan - something considered 'hip' and 'cool' - like indie music itself. The whole setting re-enforced what indie music is all about - getting away from the mainstream (civilisation?) and being something original and slightly crazy. In Rollercoaster, the slightly crazy part comes when the band gets up on the roof of the van with their instruments and starts to play the song while driving along the road.
The colours in the music video are bright and quite warm, that is, until the end where at dusk the colours cool right down and there is a blue hue across all the colours. This colour scheme of orange and blue is very common, not only in music videos, but in Hollywood films too. This is because most of the actors have an orange skin tone and blue complements orange very well.
The music video starts without music and introduces us to the setting and characters in a sweeping opening shot and the music only starts at 0:25 seconds into the video. This sets the scene and the tone nicely, making way for the music track to come in as the main character/singer wakes up from his sleep. An additional character is introduced at 0:33 and the music track reaches its full volume when it cuts to her. The video is also split into two parts visually as outlined above when the colours switch from warm to cool. Another shift happens when the band starts to play the music within the video itself at 1:35.
The mise en scene in the video all looks like it lives within the same world; a hip, trendy, perfectly-colour-coordinated world. The video uses quite a few props, but it never focuses on them; they're always in the background setting the scene and setting the mood.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
Ho Hey is a song by the Lumineers. It is a love song about belonging to someone. The music video conformed to many indie genre conventions. For example the main singer has a guitar which is an icon associated with Indie music. Some of the shots in the music video are blurred, for example when there lots of people run towards the same direction. This makes it seem 'cheap' but not in a bad way. The blurred effect adds dimension to the video and allows it to have different effects. It makes it very engaging as the viewers are not just seeing the same shot over and over.
In the first shot there is an old vintage photo frame, and the camera tracks to the left revealing the lights on the wall next to more photo frames. The lights on the wall are flickering to the beat of the music. As the camera tracks to the left a man appears against a bright background creating a silhouette. I personally think this is a good element. The zoom into the man reveals the costume, which is very simple; black shirt, black trousers and a black top hat. He holds an acoustic guitar which is very common in indie music. As the man walks along the corridor, we see him through a profile shot. This enables the song to have a variety of shots which is again engaging as the audience are not just seeing the same type of shots. The location of the first shot looked 'cheap' as it was in the corridor with minimal props. One good thing about indie music is that they are usually very minimal and focus on the music and song rather than the video and footage.
We then see another man appear, and a mid shot shows the man's outfit. It is also simple; white t-shirt, black dungarees and also a top hat. His outfit contrasted against the other man who wore black. The outfits conformed to the Indie genre stereotypes of being simple as again they tend to focus more on the music. He holds a tambourine and the sounds of the tamborine sync almost exactly with the beat of the song, just like the flickering of the lights did. Later on a girl appears, wearing a white dress. The dress is also simple. Via a mid shot we see her holding a ukulele. Through various close up shots we are shown all of the 'singers' facial expressions. Moreover, the camera shows a close up shot of their legs tapping/ drumming to the beat of the music. There was an extreme close up shot of someone stepping on a light bulb, the brightness of the light bulb stood out against the dark background.
In another scene there are a lot of people surrounding and circling the band, diverting the attention to those who are significant in the music video. There are dangling roses which frame the man and woman's head, taking the audience's attention to them via the hotspots. There are more close up shots of the woman's facial expression and the other two men which allowed the audience to see how they are feeling and interpret their emotions. Right at the end of the video there is confetti, which is bright and stands out against the dull, sepia filter that was consistent throughout the music video.
Overall the song itself conformed to many stereotypical genre conventions associated with indie music. The key things it included was an acoustic guitar, a ukulele and a tambourine, typical indie instruments. The outfits of the people are simple which is also associated with indie music. The overall colour theme is dull with a sepia filter throughout the entire video. Indie music typically focuses on the 'band' itself rather than the video which I think Ho Hey did.
In order to prepare myself for my A2 media coursework, I decided to look at an example of a high achieving past student to see what made her blog so good. The blog I looked at was http://cheneya2media2016-sophiehodgson.blogspot.co.uk/ a student in the year above me who had just completed her A level.
From looking at her blog, I decided that these things were key in creating a successful blog:
clean and clear organisation
use of labels to allow for easier navigation
detailed posts - not just a few basic lines
use of other media (eg photos, videos) to illustrate points
consistent updates on what she is doing
uses real examples to support points
full research and planning
everything is well explained to illustrate thought process
Before the summer we decided to film a vox pop video discussing the genre of indie with some of our peers* to find out people's thoughts about the genre. We asked our interviewees 3 questions:
What they associate with the genre of indie
What instruments they associate with indie music
What they don't like about indie music
Below is our video:
We found this a really useful way to find out more about our genre and people's perceptions of it. From our video, we discovered a lot about what people like and dislike, giving us suggestions of what we could embrace and what to stay away from.
Conventions people identified:
Bright colours
Nature
Fields
Drugs
Acoustic instruments, especially guitar
What people disliked:
Some were too weird
Unoriginal/similar to other artists
Repetitiveness
From this feedback, we expect to make a video that is not too weird, but also doesn't have the repetitiveness of some indie artists. We are also likely to include some of the identified conventions, especially bright colours and natural imagery. *and a strange fictional character
