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THE SCRIPT:
Hi there, my name is Evie Gibbons and I will be introducing my A2 Media Studies blog, Lilac City Records. This year we have to make a music video, website and digipak for a music artist. I am still unsure of who I am going to pick, I am stuck between three, a male artist called Sakima, a male DJ called Jakwob and a female electropop singer called Astrid S. I have decided the song I would pick for each of these artists however, for Sakima it would be 'What I Know Now', for Jakwob it would be 'Somebody New' and for Astrid S it would be 'Bloodstream'. I have also already set up a twitter and instagram social media account for the artist; at the moment the social media account name is sakima_music, until I finally decide the artist that I am definitely picking. In this blog you will see my journey of how I got to the final products of a music video, digipak and website, you will see things like music video analyses, website analyses, pre-production and post-production lists, podcasts, vodcasts, research of all kinds, audience feedback, audience analyses etc. I am really looking forward to getting started with the A2 Coursework properly and getting inspired by other media products which will influence my work. I hope you enjoy looking through my blog and seeing all my work for A2 Media Coursework. I also hope that this blog inspires you and provides you with a lot of useful information. Also, I will be posting many podcasts throughout the production process which will be updating where I am, what I plan to do and what I have done so far. So, until the next podcast, thanks, bye!
Sunday 23 July 2017
Saturday 22 July 2017
MVid EG1: Astrid S - Such A Boy
POSSIBLE INFLUENCES:
1. The excessive use of colour correction and colour gels (for lighting - colourful lighting).
3. The locations e.g. indoor in a bathroom, in a bowling alley, in a bedroom, at a party full of people.
Act: Astrid S
Track: Such A Boy
Year: 2017
Director:
Genre: Electropop
Main Audience: Females (15-24)
There are 18 shots in the first 30 seconds. That estimates that each shot lasts 1.6 seconds.
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There is frequent use of colour correction and colourful lighting (created with colour gels) in this music video. I am really inspired to use this for my music video, I really like it.
Andrew Goodwin's '6 conventions of music videos' can apply to this music video. There are frequent close up shots used of the singer, Astrid S lip syncing. There are also frequent electro pop genre signifiers used such as the excessive colour correction/colourful lighting (created with colour gels).
Laura Mulvey's 'male gaze' can be somewhat exploited in this video because of how the artist is glamourised throughout with either pink lipstick or lipgloss, lilac nail varnish, black mascara, either silver earrings studs or bangles, foundation, blusher and black eyeshadow. You can denote that her eyebrows are plucked and shaped nicely also. The pink lighting on her for example at the start as you can see in the image on the left, helps to further glamorise her and make her appear very feminine. The shot on the left is of a boy about to kiss the artist's neck which is not something which would attract a young tween audience but instead, an older teen audience aged 16-25.
There are also many shots of the artist showing her shoulders in thin strapped tops/dresses. She is also a white caucasian blonde female so this is a normative representation of females. She also has mid-length long hair which further enforces this normative representation. Later on in the video you see a close up two shot high angled shallow field of focus shot of Astrid S looking in direct audience address with the boy in the background out of focus. In this shot she is wearing a thin strapped pink ribbed tight dress which shows her cleavage - this is clear evidence of the 'male gaze' theory being exploited.
She is also eating candy floss at the same time - the fact that she is looking in direct address while biting into something has sexual connotations, therefore glamourising and sexualising Astrid S which can attract a male audience. It also signifies that her audience are not young (e.g. tweens aged 10-13) but instead they are young adults aged 16-25. However, the candyfloss element could be considered as an attempt to create a playful vibe to the music video which could therefore attract a younger audience (aged 13-15).
You could say the 'female gaze' is also being exploited in this video due to the high key colourful lighting clearly glamorising the male character as you can see in this image below.
The boy is sucking on something or has something slightly in his mouth in the lower image, the female gaze being exploited because this is a sexualised pose that you see male models do for modelling images - as you can see here in this example on the right for this 'Spicebomb' perfume. There is lighting coming from many different angles in this image on the lower right, to create a glamourised effect on the facial features and skin. For example you can see some sections of the face are dark blue and some are pink. The jaw/neck, which is a glamorised feature of the male face, has clearly been purposely lighted a different colour to the rest of the face.
This boy character is being glamorised and sexualised by being in this pose which connotes that the Astrid S's (the artist) audience is not young but instead is older teens (aged 16-25).
There is also use of direct personal address in the video from the singer, Astrid S. This creates a personal connection between the artist and audience/fans. This is a common convention of music videos of any genre. While she is with her lover character in the video she is looking at the audience while the lover character is looking at her or doing something to her like kiss her neck.
I also noticed this technique/effect was used in Astrid S's music video for 'bloodstream'. This makes the audience really empathise with her and relate to what is going on in the video, this can be tied nicely with Dennis McQuail's 'Uses and Gratifications theory' - the personal identity gratification is relevant here - the female audience members at a similar age to Astrid S (aged 20) or younger (aged 16-18) can relate and identify with Astrid S.
1. The excessive use of colour correction and colour gels (for lighting - colourful lighting).
3. The locations e.g. indoor in a bathroom, in a bowling alley, in a bedroom, at a party full of people.
Act: Astrid S
Track: Such A Boy
Year: 2017
Director:
Genre: Electropop
Main Audience: Females (15-24)
There are 18 shots in the first 30 seconds. That estimates that each shot lasts 1.6 seconds.
...
...
There is frequent use of colour correction and colourful lighting (created with colour gels) in this music video. I am really inspired to use this for my music video, I really like it.
Andrew Goodwin's '6 conventions of music videos' can apply to this music video. There are frequent close up shots used of the singer, Astrid S lip syncing. There are also frequent electro pop genre signifiers used such as the excessive colour correction/colourful lighting (created with colour gels).
Laura Mulvey's 'male gaze' can be somewhat exploited in this video because of how the artist is glamourised throughout with either pink lipstick or lipgloss, lilac nail varnish, black mascara, either silver earrings studs or bangles, foundation, blusher and black eyeshadow. You can denote that her eyebrows are plucked and shaped nicely also. The pink lighting on her for example at the start as you can see in the image on the left, helps to further glamorise her and make her appear very feminine. The shot on the left is of a boy about to kiss the artist's neck which is not something which would attract a young tween audience but instead, an older teen audience aged 16-25.
There are also many shots of the artist showing her shoulders in thin strapped tops/dresses. She is also a white caucasian blonde female so this is a normative representation of females. She also has mid-length long hair which further enforces this normative representation. Later on in the video you see a close up two shot high angled shallow field of focus shot of Astrid S looking in direct audience address with the boy in the background out of focus. In this shot she is wearing a thin strapped pink ribbed tight dress which shows her cleavage - this is clear evidence of the 'male gaze' theory being exploited. 
You could say the 'female gaze' is also being exploited in this video due to the high key colourful lighting clearly glamorising the male character as you can see in this image below.
The boy is sucking on something or has something slightly in his mouth in the lower image, the female gaze being exploited because this is a sexualised pose that you see male models do for modelling images - as you can see here in this example on the right for this 'Spicebomb' perfume. There is lighting coming from many different angles in this image on the lower right, to create a glamourised effect on the facial features and skin. For example you can see some sections of the face are dark blue and some are pink. The jaw/neck, which is a glamorised feature of the male face, has clearly been purposely lighted a different colour to the rest of the face. 
This boy character is being glamorised and sexualised by being in this pose which connotes that the Astrid S's (the artist) audience is not young but instead is older teens (aged 16-25). 
There is also use of direct personal address in the video from the singer, Astrid S. This creates a personal connection between the artist and audience/fans. This is a common convention of music videos of any genre. While she is with her lover character in the video she is looking at the audience while the lover character is looking at her or doing something to her like kiss her neck. I also noticed this technique/effect was used in Astrid S's music video for 'bloodstream'. This makes the audience really empathise with her and relate to what is going on in the video, this can be tied nicely with Dennis McQuail's 'Uses and Gratifications theory' - the personal identity gratification is relevant here - the female audience members at a similar age to Astrid S (aged 20) or younger (aged 16-18) can relate and identify with Astrid S.
Website: IDEA 1
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This is my first idea of a layout for the home page. I put the menu (with the Home, Bio etc...) in the footer and then froze the footer so that when someone scrolls down, the menu always stays at the bottom of the page.
I inserted a picture of the artist (for the moment until I get pictures of my own) and made it fill the entire page.
I also added a social media bar and put it on the right hand side of the menu.
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This is my first idea of a layout for the home page. I put the menu (with the Home, Bio etc...) in the footer and then froze the footer so that when someone scrolls down, the menu always stays at the bottom of the page.
I inserted a picture of the artist (for the moment until I get pictures of my own) and made it fill the entire page.
I also added a social media bar and put it on the right hand side of the menu.
Wednesday 19 July 2017
GENRE: Carol Vernallis 'Experiencing Music Video'
Carol Vernallis (2004) 'Experiencing Music Video
Carol Vernallis argues that music videos derive from the songs they set. The music comes first - the song is produced before the video has been created - and the director normally designs images with the song as a guide.
'In music video, what is concealed and what is revealed serve to encourage multiple viewings by engaging the viewer in a process of reconstructing, interpolating or extrapolating a story behind the scenes that are actually visible. When the narrative mode is present even fleetingly, it creates an aura of mystery, a sense that things need to be puzzled out'.
Videos use ellipsis in such an extreme fashion that causality is often absent.
"Music video presents a range all the way from extremely abstract videos emphasising colour and movement to those that convey a story. But most videos tend to be nonnarrative. An Aristotlean definition - characters with defined personality traits, goals, and a sense of agency encounter obstacles and are changed by them - describes only a small fraction of videos, perhaps one in fifty.
'I argue that the lyrics constitute no more and no less than one of many strands a video must weave together.'
Carol Vernallis argues that music videos derive from the songs they set. The music comes first - the song is produced before the video has been created - and the director normally designs images with the song as a guide.
'In music video, what is concealed and what is revealed serve to encourage multiple viewings by engaging the viewer in a process of reconstructing, interpolating or extrapolating a story behind the scenes that are actually visible. When the narrative mode is present even fleetingly, it creates an aura of mystery, a sense that things need to be puzzled out'.
Videos use ellipsis in such an extreme fashion that causality is often absent.
"Music video presents a range all the way from extremely abstract videos emphasising colour and movement to those that convey a story. But most videos tend to be nonnarrative. An Aristotlean definition - characters with defined personality traits, goals, and a sense of agency encounter obstacles and are changed by them - describes only a small fraction of videos, perhaps one in fifty.
'I argue that the lyrics constitute no more and no less than one of many strands a video must weave together.'
GENRE: Andrew Goodwin's 6 Features of Music Videos
Andrew Goodwin Relationship Between Lyrics, Visuals and Music:
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is reference to the notion of looking (mirrors, screens within screens), particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is reference to the notion of looking (mirrors, screens within screens), particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.
NARRATIVE: Todorov's 5-Part Narrative Structure
1. A state of equilibrium at the outset. Everything is balanced evenly - there is no problem - everything is calm.
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action.
Something happens to upset the balance - chaos - things have gone wrong.
Something happens to upset the balance - chaos - things have gone wrong.
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption.
What has upset the balance is recognised. The characters see what has changed.
What has upset the balance is recognised. The characters see what has changed.
4. An attempt to repair the disruption.
People make an effort to bring the balance back - to restore equilibrium - the characters will have to work to make things different.
People make an effort to bring the balance back - to restore equilibrium - the characters will have to work to make things different.
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium.
The balance is back - equilibrium is restored - all the problems are sorted out.
The balance is back - equilibrium is restored - all the problems are sorted out.
NARRATIVE: Roland Barthes' 5 Codes
EASSC:
The Enigma code - the audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem.
The Action code - the audience is excited by the need to resolve a problem.
The Semantic code - the audience is directed towards an additional meaning through connotation.
The Symbolic code - the audience assumes that a character dressed in black is evil and forms expectations of his/her behaviour on this basis.
The Cultural code - the audience derives meaning in a text from shared cultural knowledge about the way the world works.
The Enigma code - the audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem. The Action code - the audience is excited by the need to resolve a problem.
The Semantic code - the audience is directed towards an additional meaning through connotation.
The Symbolic code - the audience assumes that a character dressed in black is evil and forms expectations of his/her behaviour on this basis.
The Cultural code - the audience derives meaning in a text from shared cultural knowledge about the way the world works.
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