Three Days Grace - Video Ideas.

While researching different videos on YouTube I came across a music video by a band called Three Days Grace, the band are in the rock genre and can link to my track in some respects. The track is called Pain and I really liked the video because of the interesting concept it applied in the video.

The video had other people doing the same actions as the lead singer, for example at one point in the video the lead singer opened a door and this cut between another person opening a door. This linked the lead singer with ordinary people and linked the audience with the track.
 

This occurred throughout the video with cuts between the lead singer and ordinary people, I thought this was a really good idea but could have been developed further into a narrative with maybe only a couple of people instead of many.


For example this was clip was at the start of the track and introduced four characters into the track along with the lead singer, this idea was good as it chopped between these people and more, however an alternative to this would have been to only have two characters introduced along with the main singer and then developed the narrative a bit more instead of just lots of different cuts of different people. ]

Below is the full video for the track, lets see what you think:

Music Video Analysis - Stabbing Westward.

Today's video I am going to analyse is by Stabbing Westward. The track is called "Save yourself" and is a combination of electro and rock, like the track I have chosen. The video is filmed in the same location however makes the most of it as their is a variety of different settings and props. Unlike other videos I have analysed in this video it isn't just the band performing, their is a slight narrative as other people/characters are shown in the video. The band also perform behind a projected image of the other characters doing weird things such as them shaking their head or sprinting. It keeps the music video interesting as its not only the band that's performing but it cuts to other people as well. For example you have people smashing things, running on a treadmill, doing acrobatics and all sorts. The videos location and props along with the number of people in the video means there's lots to look at and think about. Here is the music video:



Camera Shots, Angles and Movement.
This video makes a good start with camera shots, as I really like the fist shot of the guy waving his hand in front of the camera, this give kind of an old school amateur vibe to the video, this suits the genre very well. Long shots and close ups are used a lot in this video, for example at 0:24 you have a long shot of the band so the viewers know where they are positioned and so they can see the whole band performing together at a distance, this is followed by a close up of the lead singer at 0:26, this is very common in this video, it always come back to the lead singer as he is important in selling the band and the image, giving off the star appeal. I also like the zoom at 0:56 which is repeated in the video, this is a very nice shot and something I would like to include in my video, it makes it look like he is controlling the camera, and as he shouts the camera comes closer, this is then followed by the zoom out at 1:00 as he sings louder. The lyrics in this video also match the camera movement, for example the camera zooms out rapidly as the lead singer says "so just save your self" this is showed at 1:00 also, this links with the movement as the camera is supposed to be us moving away from him as he sings "save yourself". This is an example of a very cleverly linking the lyrics with the visuals. Furthermore low angles are also present in this video as shown at 1:09, this is common in this genre as rock stars like to lead into the camera as they sing. Tracking shots are also used for the other characters in the video, for example at 1:26- 1:28, this carries the narrative and makes him look important. Moreover the camera also moves when the star is shouting, this is shown at 2:40 and 2:43, it makes it look like his singing is shaking the camera. Lastly, I really liked the shot at 3:15 which shows a cool angles of the singer close up.

Editing and post-production.
The first thing I like about the post-production effects was the squiggly white line that appeared at the start of the video giving the film an authentic look. I also like the blurring effect at 0:23 where the camera goes in and out of focus, this type of blurring is repeated throughout the video and is common in other videos in this genre. The editing is fairly slow paced at most points, but then at the chorus it speeds up, this happens throughout with the editing matching the pace of the music, and sometimes the lyrics. The effect used at 3:03 is really cool as it duplicates the same person, I would like to include this in my music video. The effect used at 3:07 is also pretty cool as it looks like someone's head is trapped inside a jar. Overall the editing is pretty simple however the special effects applied in the editing process make it a lot better.

Mise en Scene.
Costume - For the band members the costume are simple with black clothing, the stereotypical rock band clothing. However the other costumes in the video are random with a boxer, dancing costume like leotards, and a painter like costume as the setting is quite artist with paintings on the wall.
Make up - the make up is in this video is similar to the make up in the evetus music videos, as the zombies in that video look like the naked woman in this video. The make up and lighting work together to give a dusty vibe to the characters and the setting.
Lighting - The lighting is low key with a bright back lighting at times. Very bright fluorescent lighting is also added at times, like at 0:10. The green backdrop in the video also adds a alien type feel to the video matching the electronic bits in the song.
Props - Props used are the traditional band equipment along with unsual things such as a sledge hammer, a treadmill, an old record player ect.

Overall this music video is successful in conveying the genre and employs some cool special effects that I would like to include in my video, the location was also perfect for the genre and the camera work and editing was successful in matching the music and lyrics.

Music Video Analysis - Mushroomhead.

Today the band I'm going to look at are mushroom head who are quite popular in the rock genre. For today I will look at their music video for "Save us", which is one of their most popular tracks. This particular band is more on the rock side rather than the electro and it not really like my track which has a variety of genres, this track and band includes more loud singing (shouting) than my particular track, however it is still in my genre and I want to look at all of the genres in my track in depth so I get a variety in my music video. The band itself has a particular "image" and portrays this through their music videos, this is shown through their costumes, make up, props and stage performance, for example their "facial expressions". Lets take a look at the music video:




The whole music video is shot in one location being in a dungeon. The set is very well constructed and looks really well put together and suits the genre. Adding to this there is a smoke machine making it look more spooky and good lighting to make it look dark and misty. Overall the set makes the video look stand out and fits the characters/band very well.

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement.
To start off the video is introduced with a high angles establishing shot of the dudgeon, this is then overlapped with upwards tilt of the camera into a close up of one of the band members playing the piano. There is a trend in the music video of low angles of the band members looking down at the camera, this makes them look dominant and intimidating, for example at 0:13, 0:35, 0:42, 0:56 and you get the point. Close ups are also a key part in this video as it shows the facial expressions of the band members and makes it direct address so it feels like he is singing to you, this also gives it a creepy and emotional effect eg at 0:21 as he points at the camera.  Pans are also use a lot in this video, cutting across the whole band as they stare into the camera, for example at 0:32, this can show the audience the whole band and matches the music, as it pans across with the pace of the music. I really liked the shot at 0:37, this is a high angle shot of the whole band with the lead singer being in the centre, as the guitar riff is played and the music suddenly gets louder the camera tilts up as his hands come down, making it look like he is controlling the music and the camera. Movement of the camera is popular in this video and moves with the tone of the music, which is something I would use in my video.

Editing and post production.
The Immediate post- production special effect I notice is the combination of scenes in one shot for example at 1:14, this would look very good in my music video and I would like to learn how to do this in the editing process and apply it to my video. The editing in this particular video is quite slow with the exception of some bits, however this fits the mood and rhythm of the song which is key in the editing process. Fades are also common in this video which add to the darkness in the video and is a good way to transition between each shot, for example at 1:23. What I also like about the editing is the sections where the song speeds up the cuts become much faster, this is shown between 1:43-1:47. Overall the editing techniques mostly used where the transitions between each cut which overlapped each shot, which gave a ghostly feel to the video.

Mise en Scene.
Costume- The costumes used include strange masks and black clothing/robes. The main singer has a black long skirt on with a thick black belt and a rope attached to it, the backing singer has roughly the same costume however it covers his whole body. The rest of the band have really interesting masks on which I might look into getting for my video.
Lighting- The lighting in this music video is low key as usual, however their is also back lighting.
Make up - the main character has been made to look like a demon or something as he has cuts and greyish green makeup which looks very good. The backing singer also has makeup with white face paint and a red cross on his face.
Props - As the video is all performance based their is the instruments and a snake baton, there is also a chair that the lead singer sits on, sort of like his throne.

Overall this music video looks the part, and I really like the setting that they have chosen as it suits the genre and song really well, the mask's and make up are unusual and creative and the cool fade and camera movement make the video interesting to watch.

Music Video Analysis - Evetus.

The next video I am going to analyse is by Evetus a Industrial Rock/electronic band. The song is called "The Fall", the video immediately stuck out to me with its interesting choice of props and costumes, I have purposely picked this track as it is more on the electro side and some electro is featured in my track so I thought I would take a look at video's in this genre. Here is the music video:

The video immediately starts off with a dark background and the title of the song in a authentic white font, this could be used in my video. This video is very interesting and the location of the video is very simple, just in an abandoned building. This would be great location for my video as it suits my genre perfectly and is quite easy to find, what makes this video great is the use of the costumes, make up and props along with good techniques such as editing and special effects.

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement.
The video starts off with an extreme close up of the stars face along with a mid shot and close ups of the boy showing the costumes and displaying the narrative. The camera movement in this video is mainly quite shaky compared to the last video I analysed in which the camera was still for the most part, as you can see the camera moves upwards in a curved motion. There are a variety off different shots that make this video interesting for example at 0:12 you can see a reversed over the shoulder shot close up, displaying the tattoo of the demon  on the devils shoulder.  There is a repeated pattern of extreme close ups of the props which are made to show of the props and make it look creepy. Low angles shots are used when pointing at the devil for example at 0:24, this makes him look powerful and seem like he's looking down on you. Erratic movements of the camera are used at 0:30 to 0:50 as the music picks up to give a disorientated feel to the video, this suits the beat of the music and is something I would like to incorporate into my video. Shaky movements of the camera shown at 1:04 is also a cool effect and make the star kind of look psychopathic.  I really like the movement at 1:28 at the camera moved up the wall, this also gave off a weird feeling to the video. The shot at 2.04 was really nice which showed a long shot which I though was a deep focus shot however both objects near and far where out of focus. Pull focuses where also in the video and it looked really cool taking the characters in and out of focus, this is something I would like to do in my video. Overall the combination of camera movement and interesting shots make the video look visually interesting and matched the vibe the song gave out.

Editing and post production.
The editing in this video is mainly fast cuts which suits the song as it matches the fast beat of the music. Fades are also used throughout the video and this looks particularly good at the start where it goes from a dark lighting and fades into high key, the input of just black which flickers on now and then to the beat of the music also looks pretty good. There is a consistent pattern throughout the video of a cut between close ups and long shots which work well. I really liked the use of blurring at 0:57 which matches the music when it goes slow, slow motion is often used effectively throughout as the music goes into a lower key. The thing that really works well in this video is matching the editing to the beat of the music for example at 1.05 to 1:11. The effect used at 1:53 looks really good making the person and building stretched out as the music goes slower. Overall I hope I can incorporate some of the special effects and editing techniques into my video as it work very well in this one.

Mise en Scene.
Costumes- The costumes in this video are very effective and look great, the devil and the zombie people in particular look amazing and I hope I can make some of my costumes look similar. The costumes make up and props match the lyrics in the track such as the devil and decapitated spiritual head. The costume for the star is very unusual to sell the least and this is what the image that they probably want to represent. The priest outfit that he wears also matched the lyrics and look cool. The costumes are mostly associated with hell and spirits and look very good. The colour scheme is black, red, grey and white. The props used also make the video, some props include and decapitated head guitar, a dog mussel, lots of drums, skulls and other weird things that certainly make the video stand out. The make up displayed is also very good, such as the throat string violin at 1:05 and the black and white make up on the woman's face. Surprisingly the lighting is mostly natural however this works with the added flames in the background. Overall the Mise en scene in this video is great.

Overall this music video looks authentic and matches the lyrics and style of music, which is what I want to achieve when making mine.

Music Video Analysis - Nine Inch Nails.

To make my video suit the genre I have decided to look at some industrial rock music videos in depth and take a look at the camera angles, Mise en scene, editing, props etc..

The first music video I am going to look at is "The Hand That Feeds" by Nine Inch Nails. I have picked this video because it is a traditional Industrial Rock video and sticks to the genre not like the new videos that tend to merge genres, however I will look at them later on. The video was made in 2005 at the songs release and features a 'pan and scan' technique (shopping of the sides of the original widescreen image)  resulting in video distortion such as pixelization and interlacing.



The Setting of the video is very basic, all being shot in one location. In fact the overall concept of the video is basic with a performance based video of the band however the movement of the camera and the interesting editing techniques make's the video interesting. Immediately I notice that the 'pan and scan technique' works very well adding to the authenticity of the video, this along with the interlacing makes the video look awesome and its something I would like to add into my video.

Camera Angles and movement.
The camera movement matches the tempo of the song, the movement is very simple however matches the tempo for example at the start of the video the camera moves up and sideways matching the breath in the background of the track. The camera movement is very simple with the camera being fixed and moving completely still however this works well and suits the tone of the video and the track. Close ups are a major part in this video, with close ups of the instruments the quirky props such as the wire board and the band members themselves, this is most likely purposely done so you feel closer to the band, it is also done to sell the star and see his facial expressions and the passion and emotion he expresses when he sings the song. There are a variety of angles used in this video, for example high angle pans and extreme close ups. The key element in this video is the close ups and the movement of the camera showing the band at different angles.

Editing and post production.
Again the editing is very simple with the cuts switching from the main band member and instruments. The main thing that stood out for be in the editing process would be the special effects applied in the video, I really liked the blurring fuzzy interlacing that was applied when the music picked up this gave it that rock type feel, this was applied more towards the end as the tempo picked up and the song became more aggressive, as this happened the shots were more focused on the stars shouting and the cuts became much faster to add to the build up, this is something I would add into my video. The editing style and visuals link to the music tempo.

Mise en Scene.
 The costumes worn in the music video are very dark using only black colours which matches the lighting which is mostly low key with bright flashing lights. All the band members have black hair and piercings which I think will be a common trend in this genre. The props used where a variety of instruments including a keyboard and lots of interesting machines and wires.

Conclusion.
Overall this music video is very simple but effective and is very stereotypical of the genre. The purpose of the video was mainly to perhaps sell the band as this is a fairly early single of theirs. This particular video is only starting point at looking into the genre and I'm sure I will come across a lot more interesting videos. However what I liked about this video was that it is something Me and Toby could achieve as we could make a video as good as this because of  the simple setting.

My Track.

Today in class I got to choose the track I wanted for my music video, there was 30 tracks to choose from and the track I chose is called 'Here In the Black'. The song immediately jumped out at me and it was the first song I listed to as it was at the top of the list. I really like the rhythm of the track and the vibe that it gave off. The first thing that came into my head when I listened to the track was a band rocking out and sort of a grungy mood . I also associated the track to be with the credits at the end of an action movie or something like that for example:


The genre of the song is Industrial rock mixed with electro. The song has a mixture of things including normal singing, whispers and electro bits. I'm looking forward to making a music video for this track and will make it look professional as possible. To get ideas for my video and to make it look professional over the next few weeks I will be researching into videos in my genre and looking for the conventions along with the main features in the videos.

Here are the lyrics for the track:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here in the black there's a feeling of loss but it's hungry and restless and it's
Looking, desperate for something and it feels like a child but not screaming or helpless and it's
Absent of mercy, it's alive and it feels with not a shred of compassion or love
It comes like a pouring of evil, it's a stain when the ground is a desolate shadow of fear

 

It's dark and I'm lost, there's a breath in the wind and the breath is malicious and I
Don't know whether to run or should I drop to my knees and pretend I'm religious because
It's cold and I'm scared and the whispers are a madness that voices the question to God:
Is this real or imagined, because if I'm asleep well then I don't need to scream for long

 

Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes for me
Here in the black, I'm lost

 

It's here and I'm feeling like a thought in the mind but it's beautifully vicious and I
Can't hide, not sure if I want to, it crawls in the mist like a vision of Judas and it's
So close I can feel it and I'm chilled to the bone, I'm a statue in ice but it's
Unsure if it's enough so it waits like a ghost for the demon assassin of God

 

Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes for me
Here in the black, I'm lost

 

And all you see is dark and vague
And all you feel is life unmade
And all your hopes just bleed away
And all you are is lost and fades

 

Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes
Here in the black, it comes for me
Here in the black, I'm lost

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Analysing Music Videos - Lemar - If She Knew.

Planning a Music Video. from floweerrpoweerr

Recreation of Blurred lines music video.

Today we got into groups and re created the first minute of a music video of our choice. My group including Toby and Ben chose the song "Blurred Lines". The song has vast popularity however was very controversial. We tried to use a variety of different camera angles and movement.




From filming we did a number of good things for example including a variety of shots and angles. However I still have a lot to learn in terms of creating an excellent music video. For example in terms of filming we could have improved a lot, the basic mistake we made at the start was filming the video shot for shot, instead of this we should have gone through the whole song at the same angle, this would have made it a lot easier to edit and made it flow much better.


 Another thing I would need to improve is matching the visuals with the beat of the music, most of our editing didn't match the beat of the music, in the next task I do I want to improve this by matching the cuts to the music.




Furthermore movement of the camera was another issue, some of the shots we took where we were moving the camera were not still and therefore didn't look professional, next time I will make sure the camera is steady and is in the frame and in focus. Lip syncing could also be improved, although because it was our first time we weren't the best at it.




Overall my first experience of trying to make a music video was enjoyable. Some things we did looked good however I have learnt a lot from this process. I want to improve on my editing skills in premiere pro adding effects ect and overall make my next video look more professional.

Andrew Goodwin and Steve Archer.

Andrew Goodwin identifies a number of key aspects in music videos which often appear. Some of these key features can apply to the music video I will create, as I will be using them in my video, for example


-A relationship between the music and the visuals

-Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females, for example take Rihanna and Shakira's music video where this plays a major part in selling the track. -------------------->


- Technical aspects of a video



-A relationship to the lyrics and the visuals, Eminem's video is a good example of this as the lyrics directly link to the video ------------------------>


-Multiple close ups of the main artist or vocalist.



Narrative an performance, a good example of this is in Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video as this image sold the track and made it a legendary video. -------->









Many of these features are present in all videos, and I will try to add them into my video.Steve Archer has used the ideas from Goodwin's book and created a list of the 'top 5 things to look for' when deciding if a music video is any good. One of the main areas from this list I want to look at is the 'technical aspects of a music video'. This will be a very important aspect in the making of my music video and in my opinion is the most important aspect. Technical aspects include speed, eg camera movement, fast cutting , montage editing and post production digital effects, Meat, eg cutting to a close up of the singers face to sell his or her image, Beats, eg cutting to the beat of the music, Lighting and colour and the mise en scene. If the technical aspects of a video are bad, you wont have a very good music video. I will try to add all of these key aspects into my music video.

Analysing music videos.

Analysing a Music video.

Welcome to my media blog.

Hi, welcome to my A2 media blog, this year I will be doing a music video along with two ancillary tasks, including a website and a digi pack. 


I attempted to make my own digi pack to build up my skills using Photoshop. We were given a random band name, album title and picture and I tried to link them together and create a album cover that looked professional, here was my attempt:

















From this I learnt that I need to build more skills in Photoshop to make sure my real digi pack looks professional and matches my genre as this is very important.