Not allowed to edit my own music video?

I'd recently encountered something peculiar, which I don't understand and could very well put a stop to my music video and it's finalisation.

On the last week of term in one of my lessons, I went to edit my music video (obviously). To open this, I need to locate the scratch disk named "The Gospel Of John Hurt" on the Mac. This then directs me to FinalCutPro and editing can begin once my film has loaded. Without a scratch disk, a film can't be made/saved/editors (you get the idea - no disk, no film). Anyways, as I clicked on my specific scratch disk "The Gospel Of John Hurt", I was greeted with something I wasn't necessarily predicting.

"You dot have the right to open this file/view this file" (probably isn't a 100% direct quote of what was displayed, but I'm 99% positive).

I don't have the right to view this work? Huh? This is MY work. I created this. Without me, there wouldn't be this stupid message coming from the scratch disk that I myself created.

I clicked and I clicked and I clicked and the same message greeted me every time. So what now? I can't edit my music video, that's what. Even worse, what if my music video isn't there anymore? It may just be me being an absolute donkey and a pleb and not clicking on something initially which allows me the right into FinalCutPro and my video, or that I'm just clicking the wrong thing or any other stupidity factor that can happen to someone who was too tired to concentrate at that moment in time.

Considering the deadline for the draft was Christmas, I'm having a crisis...as you can see...no film. As its only a draft which is needed, I'm hoping that my teacher (being the goddess that she is) can allow me that little extra week or so to resolve this, or in the worst possible case...to re-film and comprise it into a music video ASAP. I'm hoping it doesn't have to come to that because as I said, it may have just been me doing something idiotic and not selecting the right thing (which is probably the case).

Only time will tell when I go back to sixth form at the beginning of January and see if I can revive my music video from the deepest depths of a Mac...

If not, I could always just take some selfies and put them together as a collage. That always works.

My Chosen Ancillary Task

Ancillary tasks: digi-pack, website, magazine adverts

For my ancillary task, I have chosen to make a website for the promotion and marketing of the band that my song 'The Gospel Of John Hurt' is by. alt-J.

Websites (features and conventions)

• Band logo at the top and large
• Links to other ages on the website (Home, About/Bio, Gigs Videos, Photo/Gallery, Store Forum, Sign In/Login)
• Main feature - large photo or video clip
• Strong design that might be minimalistic
• The home page would be predominantly catered around a new single/album
• The use of still advertisements, videos and links
• The key is home page need to be simple, and eye catching, so fans are not swamped with information they don't want and can easily navigate their way around the webiste

Filming: Completed

Just a little notice to say that filming was completed on Thursday 4/2/14.

As predicted, I complete all principal filming in that one day, and I don't think that any more footage is needed for the music video. The day went incredibly smoothly, and myself and Jake (my actor in the music video) managed to accomplish the filming very efficiently. Apart from...the dreaded field...

Basically, before we had actually begun filming anything, we went to one of the selected locations that I had chosen for the music video. Seeing as this was field, I obviously had to drive my car onto this field (as I'm too paranoid to leave it just sitting on the side of the road). Fear not, there was footpath-type lane with tracks down which was suitable for vehicles so without hesitation, I went for it. Little did I know, that the slower I drove down this path, the chance of me getting stuck increased.

(If you're wondering by now if I actually did get stuck...yes. Yes I got stuck. Stuck with a capital M for mud).

Anyway, long story short, myself and Jake spent a good chunky 2 hours trying to push my car out of the mud (which can I point out was extremely think and clumpy due to the rain that graced us on that day and the day before), trying to rev the car out as Jake pushed it, even putting cloths under the tyres to give the car that last hope of grip and chance of getting out, but did any of these work? Not one bit.

We resulted in calling for the farmer's aid. Luckily however, Jake was good friend with the daughter of the farmer, so she was much obliged in giving us a helping hand, as was her father. Although they came to our rescue with open arms, me and Jake still felt like school children being sent to the headmaster's office ready for a once over of how to behave. The best thing however, was that this very kind gentleman just rocked up in his tractor, I gave him my towing bar and he pulled me out to the warm embrace of solid tarmac, so few 100 meters away. With a handshake here and continuous thank you's there, me and Jake headed back home to A) wash my car B) think of a new plan of action and C) have a cup of tea.

We decided a new location needed to be made. Considering (as previously stated in earlier blogs) that I'm surrounded by fields where I live, it wasn't exactly rocket science in choosing somewhere to film. After deciding on this new location, we headed off out to finally conquer this music video.

Filming was quick, easy and painless. At this point, we were losing light so we had no option other than to crack it fast. What made it easier was the preparation. I had the shot list down on paper beside me, so I could cross off everything as we went along, after I parked up we took all of the mise en scene elements with us up the field so everything was with us, and we had already decided on the spots we would use so we wouldn't be faffing around choosing. Time is money, kids. Time is money.

All of my desired shots were brilliant, and they came out precisely how I pictured them which was great. Besides from the shots collected in the fields, the topless clips with the purple cross on Jake's torso were filmed in an area of my back garden. It started to drizzle a bit when we out filming in the previous location, so I didn't want him to get topless in the middle of an open field, it start raining, and then us having to run back to my car. By shooting it in my garden, it was close to warmth, and it was more efficient in throwing water over him and quickly chucking him a towel afterwards.

Bottom line, filming was successful and everything I wanted was achieved. Life experiences learnt? Don't drive in fields. They're deadly.

Death Grips Music Video Influence

I've recently been on a binge of Death Grips, an instrumental hip-hop trio who have also been labelled as 'noise'.

Their music videos have specifically recently inspired the way I now want to edit my music video. Still conforming to the theme of slow motion, I want to make the video very distorted, and almost "cheaply made"...if that makes sense. Take 'Guillotine' for example. The music video is extremely cheap (no offence given, it's one of my all time favourite music videos) but simultaneously has an incredibly simple yet powerful and hard-hitting vibe. MC Ride sitting in a passenger seat of a car screaming his riddled-lyrics as he looks like he's got no idea where he is with static and strange feedback which is present where the colour grey is. It's not professionally edited, and looks like it was bundled together in about 5 minutes.

The video quality for 'Guillotine' isn't exactly top-dollar either, with the highest format available being 480p and even then it looks a bit grainy and home-made (which presumably it is). This feature of the music video has inspired me to not use ultra-HD 1080p saw-your-face-off definition as a means for making my video any better. I've found myself being drawn into the more grainy, gutsy and grunge look and how much more effective they can look over videos which are filmed with the world's highest quality cameras.

Repetition is also a key feature in this specific video, with the chorus of "it goes it goes it goes it goes it goes it goes it goes it goes guillotine" having the same recorded video over it, and a momentary slow-motion sequence whenever the screaming synth noise is heard. I want to take on board this theme of repetition, and use some of the same clips that I have recorded in my music vid

This has inspired the way I now want my music video to look. I've decided to make the colour of my music video black and white, and I've made the decision to not bother with any optical flow or high quality editing when it comes to the slow motion. Just like Guilltoine's simplicity, the simplicity I have always wanted for my music video can just as easily be emulated through this new inspiration.

The video to 'Guillotine' is below:

Below are some more Death Grips music videos where the features and styles I have described in relation are 'Guillotine' are present in their other works:

Shot List

Here is a (possibly vague, yet sturdily simplistic) list of the camera shots that I want to take. I will be taking a handwritten copy of this lists with me to the filming location and whenever filming for my music video happens, as I want to achieve everything on this list.

I should state now that in this list, I've labelled several bullet points with "fully clothed" and "topless". Although this sounds rather promiscuous, this isn't what I want to achieve. My actor being topless in the video allows me to achieve the representation of the cross from The Divine Comedy. sounds cheeky, but it's not intended. I should also state that when I label "fully clothed", the costume I  am having my actor wear is a purple/dark burgundy suit.

All of these shots will be edited into slow-motion through the editing process. Even though some shots are just of the actor standing still, I believe that there is still a significant difference that is noticeable when watching a clip in standard and in slow-motion, even if the movement in the clip is stationary.

Key: // = the use of both shots (e.g. mid shot//long shot), / = or (e.g. mid shot/long shot)

I want to directly imitate this image

• Shot of fog - I'm going to have to get up nice and early before the chirping of the birds to catch this one.
• Shot of forest(s)
• Shot of field(s)
• Shot of sky (differentiation between early morning sky and late evening sky)
• Holding a purple balloon (fully clothed)
• Holding a purple balloon (topless with cross)
• Slow-motion running (side view - mid//long shot, up-front view - long shot)
• Standing still in front of camera (fully clothed - long shot//mid shot//close up)
• Standing still in front of camera (topless - long shot//mid shot//close up)
• God and Satan playing dice (influenced from God & Satan EP by Biffy Clyro) (mid shot - table and chairs must all be within the frame, but I don't want to camera too far away from the setting) 
• Extreme close up shot of the dice being rolled
• God stands up and throws a spear into Satan, with him proceeding to fall off his chair (same camera work used as the initial introduction of the setting of this scene - mid shot//long shot)
• POV shots from both perspectives at the table
• Extreme close up shot of the bottom of the chair leg tilting back as Satan falls off the chair
• High-angle shot (placed upon the table looking down) of Satan hitting the floor from the fall (these shots I have just described are a direct reference to Lucifer's descent out of heaven as God casts him out)
• Satan proposes to God (primarily I want a mid shot - this is a reference to 'Nara' by alt-J and also the theme of forgiveness throughout The Divine Comedy and Christianity)
• Satan and God hug (same elements as listed above)

Division Of Labour

Division of labour? What's that?

As this is a solo project, I will be taking control and manipulating all of the elects that comprise my music video. I'm even having a cheeky acting role in my video alongside my chosen actor, Jake Loft. It's only a little one (I'm literally just sitting down on a chair. What more do you want?) but other areas such as camerawork, editing and the production of the video are all under my wing.

• Who will film the music video?
• I will film everything that goes into my music video. Even though (as I've said) I'm playing a small part in the video, the camerawork that I've decided on for this particular seen involves no hand-operated movement of the camera. The camera will be completely still, so I am not needed to operate the camera at that time, giving me the opportunity to be in the music video alongside my actor.
• Who will edit the music video?
• I will edit the music video. I've previously stated that my desired editing effects are absolutely minuscule, with the only editing I wish to be one on my music video is just the clips being put together in a systematic, chronological and narrative manner. Oh, and the slow motion. Yeah the slow motion is pretty important.
• Who will gather props and take charge of mise en scene?
• I'm gathering all the needed mise en scene attribute for my music video. *brainwave* "Just get purple things. Purple things". *brainwave*. I've got roughly 80% of the props and specific objects that I want to use, but another trip to Bury is in order I think. "Just get purple stuff".
• Who chose the song?
• Obviously I did.
• Who decided on the location of the filming?
• I chose the location for my music video. I live in Barningham and I'm surrounded by fields upon fields upon fields. And fields. I chose this because it fitted with the way I wanted to capture my music video. It's a bonus that it's extremely close. How are we going to get there? With my astronomically powerful German whip Hyundai i20 i.2 petrol. Yeah.
• Who is going to direct the video?
• I will be directing the music video and making sure that everything is on schedule to achieving the representation that I want.

A History Of Music Videos

What is a music video?

A music video is a short film/video which accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. Modern music videos are primarily used asa a marketing device, intended to promote the sale of music recordings.

(A very early example of a music video is "St Louis Blues" by Bessie Smith in 1929. Blues singer Bessie Smith appeared in a two-reel short film called "St. Louis Blues (1929) featuring a dramatised performance of the hit song. It was shown in theatres until 1932).

Music videos are often called promotional videos or simply promos, due to the fact that they are mostly promotional devices for the artist(s) who's track is being used in the music video. Sometimes, music videos are termed short-form music videos to distinguish them from full length films pertaining in music. In the 1980s, the term "rock video" was often used to describe this form entertainment, although the term has now fallen into disuse, or has lots it's initial connotation.

(In 1940, Walt Disney released "Fantasia", an animated film based around famous pieces of classical music).

The earliest music videos/music promos were filmed in the mid-1950s. However, before then, as early as the 1920s, films by animators such as Oskar Fischinger were accompanied by musical scores labelled "visual music". The early animated videos of Walt Disney (Silly Symphonies) were built and based around music. The Warner Brothers cartoons, even today billed as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were initially based around specific songs from upcoming Warner Brothers musical films. Live action musical shorts, featuring popular performers such as Cab Calloway were also distributed to theatres. The Panoram Jukebox with 8 three-minute "Soundies" were popular in taverns and night spots, but started to fade and not be distributed during World War II.

Developments during the 1950s - 60s

In 1956, Tony Bennett was filmed walking along The Serpentine in Hyde Park, London whilst his recording of "Stranger In Paradise played. This film was distributed to UK and US television stations, which played it. This led Bennett to claim that he had made the first music video.

According to the Internet Accuracy Project, DJ J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson was the first to pin the term "rock video" in 1959.

Around 1960, the Scopitone (a visual jukebox) was invented in France. Short films were produced by many French artists such as Francois Hardy and Jacques Dutronc to accompany their music. It's use eventually spread to other countries and similar machines such as the Cinebox (Italy) and the Color-Sonic (USA) were made from influence.

The defining work in the development of modern music videos was The Beatle's first major motion picture, A Hard Day's Night in 1964 which was directed by Richard Lester. The musical segments in this film arguably set out the basic visual vocabulary of even today's music videos, which has influenced a wide range of contemporary artists. The Beatles took the genre further with their groundbreaking film "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" in early 1967, which used techniques such as: reversed film, dramatic lighting, unusual camera gales and rhythmic editing. Created at the height of the psychedelic music period, these landmark films by The Beatles are among the very first purpose-made concept music videos that attempt to illustrate the song in an artful manner, rather than creating a music video for idealised performance.

The Modern Era and the 1970s

The key innovation in the development of modern music videos was video recording and editing processes, along with related effects such as chroma-key. The advent of high quality colour videotape recorders and portable video cameras coincided with the DIY ethos and the New Wave era. This enabled many pop acts to produce promotional videos extremely quickly and cheaply which compared to the highly-expensive costs of using using film previously.

In the UK, the importance of Top Of The Pops to promote a single created lots of innovation and competition between bands and record labels as the show's producers placed strict limits on the number of vies that it would use and distribute on the show. Therefore, a good video would increase a song's sales as viewers would hope to see the video again the following week on the show.

(Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" also started a complete new era for using music videos as promotional devices).

1980s

By the mid-1980s, real easing a music video to accompany a new single had become standard and almost a necessity. Acts like The Jacksons sought to gain a commercial edge by creating lavish music videos with millions of dollars of budget. This was most notably "Can You Feel It".

(MTV is launched in 1981 with the first aired video being "Video Killed The Radio Star" by Buggles).

In the wary to mid-80s, artists started to use more sophisticated effects in their videos, and started adding narratives and plots to them. Michael Jackson was the first artist to create the concept of a short film to accompany a song. A short film is a music video that has a beginning, middle and end and contains a strong narrative. He did this in a small way with his song "Billie Jean" but it wasn't until his 1984 release of the Thriller short film that he took the music video format to another level. Thriller's controversy and censored material made it having to be distributed at midnight, for late night viewing. This anticipation and the resulting publicity due to it's material made it extremely successful.

Music videos today

In the "information technology" era, music videos now approach the popularity of the songs themselves, being sold in collections on video tape and DVD. Hardcore enthusiast of music videos sometimes watch them on mute to purely enjoy them for their aesthetic value. Instead of watching the music video for it's music, which is the basis of the art form, music videos nowadays are more appreciated for their visual qualities, while a large proportion of viewers are uninterested in the audio aspect of the performance. This is a normal sociological reaction, some say, to the increasing trend of the music business to focus on visual appeals of the artist (also things like male gaze) instead of the quality of the music. Critics say that music managers and labels have sought to capitalise sex appeal of females in music videos rate he than making logical, calculated business decisions.

Final Music Video (Mise En Scene)

The Gospel Of John Hurt is represented by the colour purple

As previously explained, I want to make the colour purple a prominent and crucial aspect in the video, which I want to weave throughout. It won't be present in every scene, but (bottom line), people will know that the colour purple is important.

One of the most vital and crucial things in my music video (within the representations), is a cross on my actor's chest. (I should probably explain now that I do have a male actor in my music video, played by Jake Loft). An evident theme throughout The Divine Comedy is a red cross upon Dante's chest. I want to emulate this, but instead of the cross being red, I want to make it purple and make it fit in with the colour that represents The Gospel Of John Hurt and which conforms to that colour which is used throughout the entire video.

Dante's Inferno, from the animated-film adaptation

In addition, because the album cover for This Is All Yours is paint upon a white canvas (it's probably got a deeper meaning than that, it's alt-J after all...), I wanted to emulate some form of paint within the music video, as I (as previously explained) want to additionally adopt themes from the album along with The Divine Comedy. With this idea, I wish to literally take the the purple paint which is symbolic to The Gospel Of John Hurt and put it upon my actor's chest, just like the red cross which is upon the chest of Dante. Instead of making the cross very detailed and structured and extremely professional-looking, I want to simply paint on the purple cross upon my actor's chest, and simply leave it how it is from the first application of the paint. This is because this method of presenting the cross conforms to my ideology of the music video: simple, artistic and minimalistic as well as ultimately making it look like it's from the album cover itself.

Dante's Inferno, from the video game adaptation

Furthermore, I've drawn influence from Biffy Clyro's album cover for the God & Satan EP. In this, we can point out who is God and who is Satan. This theme (with the album cover) fits in perfectly with my chosen portrayal of The Divine Comedy as the poem is about the soul's joinery towards God with Dante ascending through Hell (where he is met by Satan, Purgatory and eventually Paradise. I want to also elaborate on this album cover. As well as using the chairs and table (minus the man and horse in the background though), I want to have a chess board in the middle of God and Satan. This is due to my inspiration from the Albert Einstein quote: "God doesn't play dice". He may not play dice, but he plays chess.

Album cover for the 'God & Satan' EP by Biffy Clyro

I also want to emulate the costumes, with their colour. This being the black and white shown in the album cover. Alongside my actor, I will be taking up the role of one of the portrayals of either God or Satan. At this time, I'm not sure which one yet. If possible, I wish the make the chess piece upon the chess board purple, which adds to the while purpley-Gospel Of John Hurt representation.

Final Music Video (Location)

I have chosen to film my music video in the fields and forest in the surrounding areas of Barningham, my village, and it's neighbouring village, Market Weston. I want the location and setting of my music video to be very open, natural and extensive, so I thought these locations would work great. With the theme of my music video being representational and metaphorical, I wanted an open area that I could use to execute these representations without any distractions from the initial representations and portrayals that I want to make. In addition, the environment I have chosen adds to the minimalistic aspect that I'm trying to achieve in the video. With simple, and long-stretching fields with nothing else along with them, it emphasises what's primarily on camera. Also, I'm going for a simple, realistic, natural and 'legit' feel for the video and it's contents, with the decision I've made not to tamper with the footage in the editing process and only put the clips together. The surroundings, I believe, add to the artistic, natural and minimalistic perspective that I want to achieve in my music video. Furthermore, I wish to acquire some shots of the surroundings (initially when I was deciding on a music video), and the best surrounding for camera that I wanted to use was natural. This being the location of fields, tall grass and forests that I've chosen.

And it looks really nice.



This is a satellite image of the areas I'm deciding to film my music video in.

As you can see, it's pretty much all fields. A lot of choice...

Principle photography wil;l begin this weekend, where I will take full pictures of the location I want to use. This will also include camera shot and angles.

Explanation Of My Music Video

"The simplest music videos are the most powerful" - Gus Unger-Hamilton, keyboardist for alt-J

I have chosen to make my music video (The Gospel Of John Hurt - alt-J) representational and metaphorical. I want to represent The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, specifically the first chapter: Dante's Inferno. The Divine Comedy is an epic poem describing Dante's travel through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio) and Heaven/Paradise (Paradiso). On a deeper level, however, it represents the soul's journey towards God.

I am going to use The Divine Comedy and it's idiosyncrasies that accompany it alongside the song The Gospel Of John Hurt in my music video. I wish to represent (metaphorically) specifically the first chapter of The Divine Comedy which is Inferno. In this, Dante travels through the nine circles of Hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. Within these circles, Dante witnesses people who have been condemned of these sins who are forever stuck in these circles.

I will post a further analysis and explanation of Dante's Inferno in another blog.

In addition, I wish to make my music video a montage of clips and short scenes which will be comprised together in a montage/collage of different representations and portrayals of the circles of Hell in Inferno. I've taken extreme influence from video's such as Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Every Other Freckle by alt-J. These videos all gather together different clips and images which conform to an ultimate representation of something. For example, Every Other Freckle represents the story of Adam & Eve and The Original Sin and Can't Stop is influenced by the 'One Minute Sculptures' of Erwin Wurm and the band members portray these sculptures using their bodies. Both these videos also use very simple and minimalistic camerawork and cinematography which gives them both an artistic and creative image.

I want to take elements within both of these music videos and incorporate them within my music video, and using my own representation.

Furthermore, I wish to incorporate elements of This Is All Yours (the album from which The Gospel Of John Hurt is from) and put them in the music video also. For example, the album cover is a white canvas with colours having been painted on it. Each of these colours represents a song, but doesn't represent their song's actual meaning. (The full meaning of the album cover is actually unknown to me at this point, sorry about that). For example, 'Bloodflood Pt. II' is represented by the colour green on the album cover, as seen below.

Bloodflood Pt. II is represented by the colour green

The Gospel Of John Hurt is represented by the colour purple

The Gospel Of John Hurt is associated with colour purple. I want to take this associated and weave it throughout my music video. In other words, I want to make the colour purple very prominent and a crucial element of the music video. Whether this is done through colour manipulation in the editing process or the mise en scene within my video is physically purple, I'm not sure yet. I'm most probably going to go with the mise en scene option, as I want to make my video extremely real, in the sense that I don't want to tamper or edit it that much (if not, at all) with the exception of comprising and putting the clips together. I don't want to eradicate the pure, legit, artistic and minimalistic feel of the music video which I'm aiming for.

My Finalised Music Video Idea

The song I have chosen to use for my music video is The Gospel Of John Hurt by alt-J from their second studio album This Is All Yours, released earlier this year. 

This Is All Yours

Reason?

alt-J are one of my all-time favourite bands. Even though they have only realised two studio albums (along with some side works) and have only been an active band for just a few years, they have personally impacted me very strongly and have remained ever since my first listen as one of the most unique, catchy and genius bands ever. (Ever may be a tad strong, but certainly for a very very long time. Personal opinion, of course).

The Gospel Of John Hurt is in my opinion one of the set tracks off of This Is All Yours followed closely by Nara and the album's introductory song ("Intro"). I waited for This Is All Yours with great anticipation and excitement and was immensely pleased with it, having a strange fixation with The Gospel Of John Hurt since my first thorough listen of the album. Although listening to the whole album, I always seems to divert back to The Gospel Of John Hurt as the source of a quick-junky-fix of This Is All Yours. The lyrics, the melodies and harmonies and Joe Newman's uniquely addictive vocals made The Gospel Of John Hurt nothing short of an absolute corker and 'banging tune'. It's incredibly melodic and lyrically genius. alt-J have always kept their lyrics very minimalistic, metaphorical, representative and not vague or straight to the point. The Gospel Of John Hurt is no exception. Lyrically strange, minimalist and an ever-growing crescendo towards the haunting chorus: "Coming out of the woodwork, chest bursts like John Hurt" which ring beautifully and get louder and louder make for a piece of music which is both mentally and physically brilliant.

The Meaning

Like 'Matilda' (from alt-J's debut album An Awesome Wave), The Gospel Of John Hurt is inspired by a film - in this case, 'Alien', which stars John Hurt. It's particular inspired by John Hurt's death scene in the film (the famous "chest burst scene") where an alien bursts out of his chest. Today, it stands as one of the most iconic scenes in sci-fi and horror films.

"That stayed has stayed with me. As a writer, you're meant to sift through all of the things you've remembered in your life and pinpoint the things you've been moved by. Why not write about those moments you're moved by the most?" - Joe Newman, guitarist and lead vocalist for alt-J.

Here is an analysis of the lyrics:

No space

L-shaped

Tetris

Tile seeking

Somewhere

Oh, somewhere

To fit in

Alien

Oh, coming out of the woodwork

Chest bursts like John Hurt

Coming out of the woods

AK

Twenty

47

Civilian

Oh, coming out of the woodwork

Chest bursts like John Hurt

Coming out of the woods

Jeremiah, looking down and you know where you're looking on down

Do you know

Where you go

You're headed on the strings for the E-X-T-I-N-C-T

Jeremiah, looking down and you know where you're looking but you go

Do you know

Where you go

You're headed on the strings for the EX-T-I-N-C-T

Oh, coming out of the woodwork

Chest bursts like John Hurt

Coming out of the woods

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's theory (from Dancing In The Distraction Factory) outlined some key features:

1) Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics

• stage performance in metal/rock videos
• dance routines for boy/girl bands
• 'throwing signs' in early hip-hop videos
• scantily clad women and 'bling' for rap (etc.) videos

These are depicted as the certain traits associated with a particular music genre. For example, a rock music video can be expected to have the performance of a live band, or any performance of that matter.

2) There is a relationship between visuals and lyrics

• often illustrative but could amplify or contradict the lyrics

Goodwin suggests that lyrics will make constant references to visuals on screen. Visuals will reinforce what the lyrics say and what they connate.

3) There is a relationship between visuals and music

• often illustrative but could amplify or contradict the music

4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist(s)

The record label has a certain control over the artist they sign. Ultimately, the record label decides how the artist(s) are represented. For example, for women, the label (most probably) will require the artist to be represented as sexy in order to appeal to men and reach a certain target audience (and vice-versa for men).

5) The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (i.e. a visual style)

6) There is frequent reference to the notion of 'looking' (screens within screens, filming, cameras) and particular voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the female body

Notions of 'looking' plays on the idea of male-gaze and they way women (in particular) are seen and portrayed in music videos. According to Goodwin, women are represented and portrayed as objects.

7) There are often intertextual references - mostly to film, television and popular culture

8) Narratives

As well as characteristics, Goodwin noticed that music videos may also portray a certain story/narrative. The narrative allows the music video to come to life. Narratives can either be fragmented or linear.

Goodwin's 7 (Stitches - Brick In Yo Face) (Unfinished)

Music videos demonstrate specific genre characteristics

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

The lyrics in this song are about selling cocaine, which is what Stitches references as "bricks". At one point in the song, the lyrics are: "I love selling blow", and as this is happening during the music video, the visuals are of Stitches throwing cocaine bricks everywhere and 'partying'/celebrating because of his love for selling cocaine and being a drug dealer. In addition, some lyrics in the song go "I put that brick in yo face, now what you gunna do with it?" and the visuals throughout the music video support this because at one point, we see Stitches throwing a 'brick' at (what is assumed) a client of his drug business, ad he's asking him to sell the brick of cocaine for him, ready to have his money for when he 'comes to collect'.

Applying Goodwin's 7 (Slipknot - Devil In I)

Traits and characteristics in Heavy Metal/Metal music videos

Metal/Heavy Metal and the majority of it's sub-genres are known for being stereotypically fast-paced with accelerated movement including camerawork, but also contain much slower-paced moments in their music videos which emphasise and intensify the song and video's creepiness, ultimately making it more tense and dark which is what music videos in this specific genre are stereotypically known for. The editing in this genre of music's videos are normally so that each clip/scene is cut to the beat and tempo of the song (which is typically fast), giving it's fast-paced and accelerated feel. This specific editing intensifies and emotionally connects the audience to the song and it's (potential) message.

Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics

Most genres of music have certain and specific traits and characteristics that appear in that genre's music videos.

Analysing Music Videos

Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap

Camerawork

There isn't any diversity or versatility within the camerawork in this music video, since the positioning of the camera is the same and is one continuous frame throughout the music video without changing. Even though it's one positioning/frame, the flow and movement of the camerawork is stop-motion, being a collection of photos put together to make a video. This specific type of camerawork and execution is done to present the video in more of a raw and edgy way, giving it an unfinished and rocky feel which works well with the nature and narrative of the music video.

Editing

Considering the music video is all stop-motion, the editing has been done in a way to ensure that the photos taken through the stop-motion progress of filming are put together in an effective and efficient way to ensure a steady flow and continuity, making it seem like a video. There are two layers to the video, one being the artist (Chet Faker) ad the other being the changing environment around him. both parts to the video are placed together through the editing stage, making it look like he's surrounded by these environments as they change. The surroundings as well, are stop-motion captured.

Mise En Scene

Throughout the video, the surroundings around the artist change. At the beginning, it's snow and ice, proceeding onto spring where flows and grass begin to grow, then summer, autumn where everything begins to whither and then finally we arrive back into winter with the snow and ice. These changes represent the four seasons in the year and their cycle. The artist (Chet Faker) also grows and whit hers alongside these seasons as they change throughout their cycle. At the beginning of winter, he rises from the ice and begins to grow and blossom into the height of summer, where he ultimately starts to die and whither throughout the end of autumn and back into winter. His changes mirror the cycle of the seasons, which ultimately represent himself as something whilst purely changes and will finally die.

Sound

Music Video Director Study

Mark Romanek

Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, focused in the areas of feature films and music videos. He was born in 1959 and has been active in filmmaking since 1985.

Mark Romanek's filmmaker career mainly began when he decided to go into music videos after writing a few screenplays for feature films. One of his most notable works in music videos is Nine Inch Nails - Closer. Due to the videos disturbing, demonic and distressing nature, it gained worldwide and critical acclaim and reputation, ultimately giving recognition to Mark Romanek as a director. He later went on to direct another Nine Inch Nails song: "The Perfect Drug".

Ater his collaboration with Nine Inch Nails, Mark Romanek went on to direct the music video for Michael and Janet Jackson's song: "Scream". It was through this collaboration that Mark Romanek won his first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video. It was through this collaboration that Mark Romanek went on to work with Janet Jackson again, directing the music video for "Got 'Til It's Gone" which won him his second Grammy.

Mark Romanek's music vido for Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails - Hurt in 2002 has been regarded as the most moving and personal music video ever made. It was also this video that granted Romanek with his third Grammy award.

Mark Romanek has worked with many artists including: Keith Richards, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Jay-Z, Nine Inch Nails, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Madonna and Coldplay. Many of the artists he has collaborated with have gone on to grant him numerous awards for his direction of the music video.

Mark Romanek's work in music videos has been regarded as some of the most creative and best of the type of filmmaking.

As well as music videos, Mark Romanek has directed some feature films including: Never Let Me Go, One Hour Photo and Static.

- I am heavily influenced by his work on the music video Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop through the spontaneous, random and different artist scenarios in the video. Through this influence, I am contemplating creating a music video along the same line as this.

2 Music Videos

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop




Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson - Scream

Music Industry Investigation

Major Record Label: Sony Music Entertainment 

Sony Music Entertainment was initially found in 1929. Then, it was founded as American Record Cooperation which is now no longer in business, but who's legacy is now part of Sony Music Entertainment.

Following ARC's acquisition through CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), in 1938, the company was renamed to Columbia Recording Cooperation. However, in 1966, it was again reorganised and renamed to CBS Records in association with CBS.

In 1987, SCA (Sony Cooperation of America) bought CBS Records and renamed it to Sony Music Entertainment in 1991.

- SME is part of the 'Big Three' music cooperation conglomerates alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

- As of 2012, the yearly income of SME was $6 billion.

- SME contains and owns additional pre-eminent labels within the conglomerate. These are: Columbia Records, Epic Records and ECA Records. it also has genre-limited record labels, which are specifically concerned with the production and distribution of specific genres. These include: (Classical) Sony Masterworks, (Country) Sony Music Nashville, (Latin) Sony Music Latin and (Christian/Gospel) Kingdom Life Records and Provident Label Group.

- Artists in SME include: Aerosmith, Adele, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Kings Of Leon, Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, John Mayer, Jimmy Hendrix and One Direction.

Minor Record Label: Domino Recording Company

Domino Recording Company was initially founded in 1993. It is an indecent record label based in South London. Although being an independent British-centred label, it has additional side-labels which release and distribute music in other parts of the world, but still under the wing of the DRC. There is a German division called Domino Deutschland which focuses about the release of music from DRC in Germany and also one in France named Domino France which is centred around the release of music from DRC in France.

- When DRC was first founded, success was not shortly-followed. It was only until DRC started signing a bigger list of artists that success began to occur. Artists such as Arctic Monkeys, The Kills and Franz Ferdinand helped increase the credibility of the label and have now aided in DRC becoming one of the most successful and longest running indecent labels in the UK.

- DRC also owns additional label imprints. These include: Geographic Music, Double Six Records, Weird World Record Company, Ribbon Records and Rekords Rekords.

- DRC's main genre focus is Indie Rock and Rock.

Goodwin 7 Task - Applying To Music Videos (Rammstein - Keine Lust) [Draft]

Rammstein - Keine Lust from Joern Heitmann on Vimeo.

1) Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics

This song, being the genre of rock, conforms to it's genre characteristics in this music video. The band are seen performing their song with high energy and this is typical of a music video with the rock genre.

2) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals in this music video. The lyrics are about being too lazy to do anything, and in this music video, the band are dressed in fat suits and become clearly out of breath in certain points (as well as sweating etc.) which symbolises their lack of energy to perform due to their laziness. At one point, the lead singer needs an oxygen mask.

3) There is a relationship between music and visuals

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4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist

This is shown a lot throughout the music video. Lots of close-ups are used to emphasis what the lyrics are symbolising and to make the performance more intense and entertaining for the audience.

5) The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)

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Iconic Music Videos (Michael Jackson's Thriller)

How is this music video iconic?

Michel Jackson's Thriller music video broke records and it was this video which transformed him into The King Of Pop. It sold over 9 million copies and has been labelled as the most successful music video of all time. It has one several awards and has gained a cult following. It also spawned the MTV generation, setting a bench mark for further generations of music videos.

Instead of just being a standard music video to accompany the song: Thriller, the video is a short film which along with the narrative, includes the song itself. Back when Thriller was released, short films which acted as a music were very rare. Michael Jackson's Thriller was available for audience to view at the cinema, making it a new experience outside of the typical consumption of music videos of that era.

"Thriller's phenomenal success led to a breaking down of traditional racial barriers on FM radio ay the time."

Michael Jackson's Thriller was MTV's first world premier of a music video. It has numerously been voted as the best music video of all time and has played a significant role in popular culture. It was named a "watershed moment of the music industry".

It has been labelled as "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant".

Thriller is said to be one of Michael Jackson's most enduring legacies. The music video was a "mini-movie" that revolutionised music videos at the time, and of the future.