EVALUATION

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

Our products were all based around the underground Rap artist ‘HB’, including a music video for his song ‘Never Let The Party Stop’, a CD cover for the single and a magazine advert for the release of the CD. The main genres I focused on were Rap and Hip Hop, studying various real media products in those genres in order to create the best possible products. They each used, developed and challenged various convention of the Rap genre.

Our main product was a music video for the single. By basing much of my early research and planning on Goodwin’s Theory of Analysis, I was able to utilize many conventions of not just the rap genre, but music videos in general. One major use of the genres conventions was the clothing. As Richard Dyer said, ‘how we treat others is based on how we see them”. With this in mind, we styled the artist according to conventions of the genre, wearing a varsity jacket, a flat peak cap, a white t-shirt and a chain necklace, much like various artists I studied in the research and planning stages of the coursework (including Jay-Z and The Game). By doing this, an audience unaware of the artist will be able to know his genre before hearing the music, which would then lead them into becoming interested in hearing the music. We used various medium and close up camera shots to emphasise the artists clothing, which are also common in other Rap videos as the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist (Goodwin).

Another way we used conventions of real media products in our video was through different editing techniques and camera shots. Fading into the next shot is very common in Rap music as I discovered, and I wanted to incorporate this into the final video. Using Windows Movie Maker, I created fades between the chorus and verses, not only to fit the genre’s conventions, but to create a smooth transition in the video from extreme close ups to mid and long shots. As well as various close ups of the artist, various establishing shots are used which include the artist, but also show the environment, adding to the videos narrative.

Voyeurism is also used slightly in the video, which fits Rap conventions, with the extreme close up on lips in the chorus creating quite a sensual image, which fits in with Goodwin’s Theory. Our video also included a narrative throughout, with the artist heading to a music venue to perform traveling different areas. The narrative helps our video to fit various conventions as it partly follows Vladimir Propp’s Theory of Narrative by having specific characters in the narrative (a Hero and a Helper).
Our video also develops conventions of real media products through its mise-en-scene. Instead of continuously using one scheme of lighting (e.g. a bright, sunny day), it switches from light to dark for the climax of the video. Although this is not completely new to the Rap genre, it is far more common for the lighting to stay roughly the same throughout the video. Another way our video develops conventions is through its adaptation of the typical narrative. Instead of having the focus only on the artist throughout, interactions are made with other ‘characters’. This is a slight alteration to typical Rap video narratives as the focus is momentarily changed to other characters.

Camera shots allow our video to challenge conventions of real media products. In all the videos, none used a 180 degrees shot, so I sought to incorporate this into our video, creating a very unique sequence. By having the camera switch 180 degrees from focusing on the artist to another character, the point of view changes from the other character to the artist. This is very unique to the genre and music videos as perspective is changed without changing the camera shot or editing to a different angle, typically done through 2 shots. Long takes are also heavily used throughout the video which is very unlike most Rap videos, which rely heavily on quick edits or fades to incorporate their motives. By using long takes, momentum is sustained through lip syncing in the video without changing focus repeatedly.

The CD Digipak uses Rap conventions through perspective and point-of-view. The pictures show establishing shots of cities. This in itself is a metaphor as our artist ‘HB’ is looking down on his peers in the genre, showing dominance and power, something fought for in Rap. At the same time, these shots develop the genre. As well as metaphorically representing the artist’s status, they also represent his rise to that status, with the front image being of a city, and the back image being of a council estate, representing where he started and where he is now. The CD Digipak also challenges conventions by not including an image of the artist. Although this is not completely new to the genre, it does go against Richard Dyer’s Theory of Representation by having the artist represented by something other than himself.

Myself and Sam made several different advert designs, eventually combining our ideas to create the final product. We chose to use conventions of real media products by including images of the artist and the CD Digipak, meaning that readers of the magazine will know what they look like and recognize the CD cover in shops and recognize the artist in the music video. I developed the conventions using Photoshop the edit many different aspects of the image, such as turning the background image to black and white, and blurring the image of the star etc. Many Rap CD covers choose to leave the star unedited in order to create a more honest representation, yet I believe that the editing only helps the representation of the artist.

One aspect I would change next time would be to use better equipment. Although we filmed with the best camera we had access to and I edited using the best technology school had to offer, it did slightly limit our products. The music video, although I am very proud of it, does not have the same sheik and defined look that many contemporary rap videos have. Another improvement could've been made with the use of a camera stand. Although we did use a tripod, some tracking shots often appeared unsteady, taking away from the professional aspect of the video.

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Overall, I think that the combination of the main product (Music Video) and the 2 ancillary texts (CD Digipak and Magazine Advert) is very effective. One main theme that the 3 pieces have in common is the notion of looking. Whilst researching, I found many theories concerning the notion of looking. Daniel Chandler defined it as ‘The gaze in the mass media’, which became the backbone of much contemporary media theory. Jonathan Shroeder notes that ‘Media, especially film, has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life, and sexual fantasy from a male point of view' (Schroeder 1998).

With this in mind, I wanted to incorporate the sense of gazing on ‘the good life’ throughout all pieces. In the video, over the shoulder, medium and close up shots of the artist help to create a sense of watching the artist, admiring his ‘good life’. In the magazine advert, Sam and myself intentionally included a shot of a club in the background that was taken looking down on the surrounding, as if ‘looking’ down at the club. In the CD Digipak, the establishing shots create the sense of gazing over the artist’s environment. I think that by having this ‘gaze in the mass media’ in each piece, it allowed them to combine very well as they already had a connection no matter on the content.

The music video’s narrative fit well with the CD Digipak. The CD Digipak’s images showed the transition from poor surroundings to affluent surroundings. This is parallel with the music video, as the narrative begins in a school before going from a poor neighbourhood to an affluent one. This could’ve been more effective if the shots used for the CD cover were shots from the music video as it would’ve created a direct link between the two.

Another element all 3 products share is the use of Rap conventions, which allows them not only to combine well together, they also fit the genre well individually. The CD cover and magazine advert work particularly well together as they both have a black and white colour scheme, allowing the audience to connect the 2 when they see them separately (In a CD store for example). I think that this concept could have been even more effective if the music video was also in black and white. I did consider this while making the video, but I thought that the video would feel more accessible in colour.

3. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

As Andrew Hart said in 1991, ‘The meaning is not in the text, but in the reading’. This is a perfect example of how almost everything in the media is open to its audience’s interpretation. After reading theories and quotes from Hart, Abercrombie (1996) and O’Sullivan, Dutton & Rayner (1994), I decided to gain feedback in order to improve the final products.

By using the social networking website ‘Facebook’, I gained feedback on all 3 products. The main criticism of the music video was the lip-syncing, which was occasionally out of time. I learnt how important lip-syncing was to create a realistic and genuinely professional video, as to the un-trained eye incorrect lip-syncing is very noticeable. As a group we realized this problem, and went back to the editing stage to change it. The feedback on ‘Facebook’ also helped Sam and myself to develop our magazine adverts. In particular the feedback pointed out that the text was difficult to read on my advert drafts. I then changed the text to a more readable font and colour, which I think worked very well. The CD Cover received very good feedback, saying it looked ‘smart and professional’. Although it did not get any major criticism, that in itself was great feedback as it showed the group that it did not need to be changed.

As well as feedback through the Internet, we also gained feedback from our peers in our Media A2 class. As they are doing the same course, hence learning many ideal lessons in media studies, they gave us some constructive, detailed feedback in regards to our work. As we would receive this feedback in class, we could then sit down as a group and discuss the points raised by the peer feedback. A general lesson from the peer feedback was to allow myself plenty of time to work as the attention to detail needs to be very high.

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

Digital technologies have become a great asset in the modern world, especially in a media based environment. It gives people faster access to virtually anything they want, as well as the ability to create anything, challenge ideas and develop everything. All this means that ‘a media consumer can become a media producer’ (Uses and Gratification Model). A stronger view on the topic of advances in technology comes from Latour (1992), saying that 'technology is made by humans, substitutes the actions of humans and shapes human action'. This view is very much that media technology is 'inherently anthropomorphic'(Inherently taking on a human form in the way it works).

The blogging website ‘Blogger’ was incredibly important to each stage of the coursework. During the research and planning stage I used it to display various elements of my planning, allowing me to analyze my ideas in one location, making it easier to make quick decisions. In the construction stage I could post drafts of each piece and get feedback from peers and assess them myself. In the evaluation stage I was able to evaluate our groups production, by using such things as Goodwin’s theory of Analysis. Overall ‘Blogger’ has been very useful, with the only slight problem being the occasional technical faults, but I managed to work around them.

In the research and planning stage the video hosting website ‘Youtube’ allowed me to view videos in the same genre as my proposed idea in order to learn and analyze the conventions of the music videos in the Rap genre. I could also then take screen shots of camera shots used in those videos that I thought would be suitable for our final piece. One problem with ‘Youtube’ was that we could not access it in school meaning I could only view videos from home, which sometimes limited my work in school.

Also in the research and planning stage our group used digital cameras to take pictures of the proposed areas for the video’s mise-en-scene. This allowed me to compare and relate the images with the mise-en-scene of influential Rap videos. I could then display the images on ‘Blogger’ and explain my ideas. The video cameras allowed us to test our shots and be creative by varying certain elements, such as positioning and stability of the shot. We then used the same video cameras to film the final video, which was made easier by our past experience with the camera.

Computer software greatly helped my creativity when both planning and construction stages. Microsoft Word allowed me to create a mood board to present my influences to the rest of the group. It also allowed me to create mind maps, which were very useful in helping us decide on our target audience and mise-en-scene. The software Windows Movie Maker allowed me to edit the video, creating meaning amongst the shots and developing the narrative. It was very useful as all I had to do was upload the film and the music, and then I could begin to edit the video and express our creativity by using various shot orders and editing techniques.

Overall, new media technologies were very a key part of each stage of my coursework. They allowed me easy access to my influences, as well as the technology to develop my creativity and overall understanding of our products, hence making them as professional as possible.

Final Productions

These are the finished products of my media coursework, the main Music Video and 2 ancillary tasks, a CD cover and a Magazine Advert.

Music Video, Final Version. HB-'Never Let The Party Stop'

Advert, Final Version. HB-'Never Let The Party Stop' Single

Single Cover, Final Version

Front

Back

Finished Product

Final Advert Design

This is the final version of the advert design.

Myself and Sam went back and forth with several ideas and thought that this was a great outcome. Some positives include the image of the artist and CD cover, meaning if someone saw this advert if a magazine (such as the ones suggested in my 'Target Audience' section, e.g. Vibe, Source), they would instantly know what the artist and CD look like, meaning they would recognize the artist if they saw the music video, or would recognize the CD if they saw it in a store such as HMV or online on iTunes.

Another main positive is the use of black and white. Not only does it link with the CD cover, but it also helps the green writing stand out, grabbing the attention of a reader in a magazine.

The final product is also a combination of different computer programs, with Sam using Microsoft Paint and myself using Adobe Photoshop and iPhoto for Mac. This gave us a broad range of tools to use, allowing us to experiment with styles, colours and many other elements.

3rd Design

I changed the font slightly so that it is more readable as that was one of the main criticisms of the earlier designs. By using a font with holes in the writing then filling the holes with white, it creates the effect of a classic sign with lighting through the letters, such as signs on Broadway in America, an area known for art performances. (Picture below)

Advert 2nd Draft

This is the second draft of the advert design I made. I tried to take all the feedback into account when making it, as well as positive points from Sams design.

- I changed the colour to a bright green in the hope that it makes the text more readable.
- I shortened the text so that the ad isn't as crowded
- I inserted the CD cover image into the ad as that was a positive point of Sam's design.

Other Poster design

This is the design made by Sam for the rough draft of the advert. We hope to combine his idea and my idea to make the best ad possible.

Here is some feedback on Sams design.

Positive
-Clear
-Readable
-Image
-Album Picture

Negative
-Position of "SJDJ Production"
-Plain Background

Rough Advert Design and Feedback

I made this rough design for the magazine advert. The rest of the group were not involved in the making of this, so they may not approve of the advert completely, but I wanted to see what I could do for a first effort, and it gives us something to build on.

I made this draft in Photoshop, using an image of a club as the background and adding various layers on top of that. I had to edit the club picture and the picture of HB before adding it to Photoshop as they were in colour. I changed them to black and white and boosted their colour in iPhoto.

Here is some feedback on the rough draft.

Positives
-Good font
-Suitable background
-Fading on the edges
-Would stand out in a magazine
-Lights on the edge
-Layout

Negative
-Colour of red writing
-hard to read
-Too much

Goodwins Theory of Analysis: Self Analysis

I thought that the best way to analyze my video was to use Goodwin's Theory Of Analysis to review the video.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

I believe that our video fits the rap genre very well. One convention of rap videos is to have a recurring image of the artist on their own (or with other people if other people have input in the song), and often in the studio. This also ties in with point 4 of Goodwin's Theory. In our video, we have a recurring image of the star HB rapping into a microphone in what seems to be a studio environment. (Below)



This effect creates a professional representation of the artist (Dyer's Theory of Representation). This is much like other rap videos including 'Dreams' by The Game (Previously featured in my blog), and 'In Da Club' by 50 Cent (Example below)



Another way our video fits this point is through mise-en-scene. Hb wears a chain and a flat peak cap,(pictured below), typical of many rappers in the industry. Although I wanted the artist to appear as an individual, I still thought it would be important to include major factors of the rap genre, in this case clothing.



Another example of this rapper convention is T.I. (pictured below)




2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

Our video has definite links with the songs lyrics, as I think it adds another element to the narrative by having the lyrics tie in with various elements of the song (mise-en-scene, HBs' actions etc.).

One way we incorporated the lyrics into the video was by using the characters actions. In this selected long shot (below), the lyrics are "Flyer than the rest". When filming the video, I pointed my hand to the sky, as if pointing to a bird or plane, hence fitting the lyrics.



Another way the lyrics were combined with the video was through mise-en-scene. One line of the song says "With the hat still fittin'" implying HB regularly wears hats. We took this idea and chose to include a hat (a flat peak, the most commonly seen hat in rap) in the mise-en-scene.


3. There is a relationship between music and visuals

There is definitely a link between the music and visuals in our video. Throughout the video, HB is rapping the song, with the lips syncing well with the song. This helps the audience create a link between him and the song, which would not of been made if HB never mouthed the words in the video. Another element of the music and visuals intertwining was through the use of actions by HB. In several sections his words correspond with his actions in the video (1st picture below) as well as corresponding with the beat of the music (the 2nd picture below shows HB bobbing his head in time with the song).





Another way I linked the visuals and the music is through editing. I often cut to different scenes in time with the beat of the music, creating an overall smooth transition. In the picture below we have HB going round a corner (1st picture) and it then switches to him walking round a different corner (2nd picture). This switch is made in time with 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

Our video includes many different close ups of HB from various angles. Varying from an angled close up to an extremem close up, we believe that the variety in angles and distances create a idolising image of HB, making it seem like people are viewing him from many different angles, all trying to catch a glimpse of him. Here are some examples,





As far as the artists motifs, we do have some recurring images throughout the video, one of a girls lips in the chorus and one of HB rapping into a microphone. The lips create a slight sense of mystery as you do not see the whole of the girls face, where as the the shot of HB in the "studio" shows him in his prime element, rapping.






5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

Our video contains several references to notion of looking. In one scene, We have the camera looking at a mirror at HB's (Jacks) reflection. This creates a frame of the characters reflection using his body. It could be perceived as the main character himself looking in the mirror (which was intended) or being from a different persons point of view. (Picture below)



This is very relevant in all genres of music video, not just rap. In the picture below, Pink is looking and then punching a mirror, from almost the exact same angle we used in our video.



Our video also includes point of view shots which create the notion of looking. One example is when HB is signing autographs for his fans, the camera is positioned in front of his face creating a point of view shot (1st picture below). Another way we created a notion of looking is by switching between perspectives during the same shot. In the 2nd and 3rd pictures below, we see the camera shot switch round by 180 degrees, hence switching from Sam's perspective to Jacks.





Although our video does not contain images of the voyeuristic treatment of women as much as typical rap videos, it does have some elements of it. As a recurring extreme close up in the chorus, a girls lips lip sync the words to the chorus. This creates quite a subtly sensual image. (Picture below)



Nicki Minaj is an example of a rap artist that uses the voyeuristic treatment of women more so than our video. Even though she is a women herself, she has no problem with showing herself in a sensual way. (Picture below)



6. There is often intertextual reference

We do not have any mjaor intertextual references in our video. The only other reference to other media concepts is the use of band merchandise. In the video, HB (Me) is wearing Architects (British band) t-shirt and a While She Sleeps (British band) Varsity Jacket. This links HB with his British surroundings and style.

Sample Shots

In this shot we tried to include various elements of what we had learnt so far in the making of the video. At first, we tried an over the shoulder shot, but as we wanted to include the mirror, the camera could be seen in the mirror. We then decided to do our own low angle shot from the side of the characters waist, as this image included everything that the over the shoulder shot did. We then decided to include titles in the video, and thought this shot would be perfect for the artists name.






In this shot, we tried to create our own DIY crane shot, with the help of a small outbuilding on the school grounds. We felt that this shot made a good transition from the previous shot (a long shot from the other side), and it also created a sense of the character HB being constantly watched, as he is a very sought after rapper. In the editing stage I decided to fade this shot into the next close up of me in the studio as I thought the video needed a wide variety of shot transitions instead of just straight cuts.





We used this shot as a recurring image throughout the video. We thought it added another dimension to the artists profile (not only are the audience seeing him in an urban environment, they now see him in a studio environment). This idea was inspired by the studio shots used in The Games' 'Dreams' video (photo below) which I have previously included in this blog (Below).

HB-'Never Let The Party Stop'-Final Video

this is the final version of our music video.

We have fixed our minor problems with the lip syncing and are very happy with the end product.

Evidence of Editing

This video shows us editing the faulty lip syncing which was the main problem in our rough cut video.

Rough Cut Video Facebook & Peer Feedback

This is the feedback I received when I posted the rough cut on Facebook. Feedback has been generally positive, with much of the audience especially liking the final scene. Some comments have been made about the lip syncing being slightly out in some places, which we were aware of. We hope to have the final video completed with the lip syncing fixed.

During class my peers viewed my video and gave me feedback. Some of their feedback included:

Positives

-Steady shots
-Good transitions/editing
-Good variety of editing techniques
-Good variety of shot types
-Well lip synced

Negatives

-Lighting sometimes not ideal
-Lips sometimes out of frame

ROUGH CUT VIDEO

This is the rough cut of the video. At the moment, we are happy with the majority of the shots, be it location and syncing. The main problem is that we aren't happy with some of the lip syncing as it is slightly out of time. We will hopefully have the final cut of the video up by the end of this week.

CALL SHEET

FILMING DAY 1-PRACTICE

ALL- Report to Garden City Park for mise-en-scene photography and filming. Duration: 1 hour(s)

FILMING DAY 2-MAIN FILMING

David, Jack and Sam-Report to School at 10am for opening shot filmings and progression filmings.
Jenni-Report to Davids house at 12pm with car. All proceed to City Centre.
ALL-Film at Middle Class estate.

FILMING DAY 3-CLUB SCENE

ALL (INCLUDING EXTRAS)-Report to Drama Room at 3pm for club filming.

NOTE: CLUB SCENE CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF ATTENDANCE, CHANGED TO BACKSTAGE SCENE

FILMING DAY 4-BACKSTAGE SCENES

ALL(INCLUDING ED)-Report to Backstage area for final filming.
ALL-Report to Media room for lip and studio filming.

Film Change

We were scheduled to film a club scene for the video yesterday, yet a combination of circumstances meant that we had to re-think the whole climax of the video, completely scrapping the club scene idea. The main reasons were-

-We were not able to use the lights in the drama studio, which was part of the appeal of using that room in the first place.
-We had a limited amount of extras, meaning a poor sense of the "club" atmosphere


Instead, we chose to change the climax. We have 'HB' walking through the backstage area of the venue and being met by venue staff and avid fans, before taking his place behind the curtain. We filmed and edited it today, and should have the rough edit and final cut uploaded by next week, staying well within our original plans. We are incredibly happy with how the video is looking so far, and think that the final version will be as good as we could of possibly made it.

Timeline and Sholist

I made this timeline/call sheet so that I could keep track of our progression whilst making the video, and it also helped me in the research and planning stages as I could see clearly what we needed for the video and could then think of how this could be achieved.

Target Audience

We have analyzed the content of the lyrics and the hip hop genre as a whole in order to determine our target audience. We believe that our products target audience is 15 to 30 year old men and women, which in the music business, is a mass audience and key to many artists success.

Where as hip hop used to be a very limited genre, mainly associated with "thugs", in recent years it has erupted into the music mainstream, with artists like Jay-Z and Eminem having number 1 hits across the world. This leads us to believe that our hip hop music video is aimed at one of the most important and broad mass audiences in the music business today.

We believe that our CD cover will appeal to the target audience as it is very simple and distinct. We made it black and white as this design is heavily used by famous rapper Jay-Z (Check earlier post on the blog). We would hope for our CD to be sold in chain music stores like HMV in order to reach as wider audience as possible, as well as iTunes, due to the increase in online downloads. Our video will appeal to our mass audience as it is depicting an experience from the stars perspective. This allows the audience to feel as if they are alongside the star, and generally closer to him. We would hope to have our video on both Major (MTV) and "Indie" (AKA) music channels. Our advert fits in with the conventions of rap and club music, with the club scene in the background. We hope it would be seen in major music magazines such as NME and Q, as well as Hip Hop based magazines such as Vibe and Source.

This is a mind map of my ideas for our target audience.

Amateur vs Professional

Amateur Video or 'What I Go To School For' by Busted.



Professional Video for 'What I Go To School For' by Busted.



Busted were one of the most popular boybands of the decade, meaning it would be very difficult for amateurs to emulate the success and professionalism of their videos. The video I have found, a take on their video for the song 'What I Go To School For', was one of the best and most accurate remakes I could find on Youtube. it is normally very difficult for students to recreate a video so well, but this group have done a great job.

The mise-en-scene is very similar in both videos. The amateur video has more light in their video as they have no real control over the light (Most of their light is simply sunlight. This is different to the professional video who used combinations of dark and bright light throughout the video. The clothing is very similar in both videos, with the professional video being slightly more extravert. The professional video's costumes are more exaggerated as they want their audience to understand that it is set in a school, even if it is slightly unrealistic. The amateur video has very subtle school clothing as they used their actual school uniform! The professional has a very detailed narrative which works very effectively in the video. The amateur video tries to follow the same narrative and do so quite well.

The editing in the professional video is generally very quick, with generally quick edits and minimal fades. The amateur video is very similar, with the edits not being quite so erratic. Both videos are put together very well, with continuity being kept throughout. There are numerous camera shots used in both videos, including Panning, Over The Shoulder, Close Up, Extreme Close Up and Handheld Shots. The amateur video has the majority of the shots that the professional video does although some lack in professionalism. In almost all of the Professional shots, it is clear a tripod or another device has been used to steady the camera. In the amateur video this is also present, yet some handheld shots are far unsteadier than the professional shots.

The sound is very well linked with the visuals in both videos. The lip syncing in the Professional video is virtually perfect. The syncing in the amateur video is of a very high standards, yet sometimes unclear as the characters do not exaggerate their mouths movements, making it difficult to link with the lyrics. Overall, the amateur video does a very good job of emulating the professional video, with some elements being ever so slightly different, mainly due to the lack of funding and equipment that is used in the professional video.

Editing Progress

We have now edited 2 minutes and 14 seconds of our film, with the rest being filmed on the 18th of November. We are very proud of our work, with myself taking control of the editing, with great help from David and Sam. Whilst myself and David focused on the main bulk of the editing task, Sam and Jenni then filmed the "lips" sequence from various angles as an extreme close up. This is a very important shot as it is a recurring image throughout the video.

Myself and David, with help from Sam and Jenni, spent roughly 3 to 4 hours editing our current video, and we are incredibly happy with the result. As we only have one scene left to film, we are all focusing on the mise-en-scene and camera shots to ensure that we get everything we need to make the climax as good as possible.

Progress

Having done the majority of our filming (everything apart from the climactic club scene), we have begun editing the piece. So far we are very pleased with it, having currently edited 1 minute and 41 seconds of the 3 minute long song.

We have included many different shot types, and have even began to vary in cuts between shots, using both quick edits and fades. We hope to continue with this progress and have all of our current piece edited before we shoot the club scene, making the final editing process simpler.

Filming

We have done the majority of our filming in the half term period. With a vast amount of shots taken on School grounds, Garden City Park and an upmarket estate, we managed to get various different types of shots, including Extreme Close Ups, Close Ups, Tracking Shots, Mid Shots, Panning Shots Long Shots and many more.

We used Jenni's car as a base for our mobile Tracking Shots, which allowed the team to follow me rapping down the road. We also used a tripod to make sure the camera was steady when filming. We used parts of the school environment to obtain high angle shots, placing our camera on top of a raised building.

We are now in preparation for our next and final scene, as well as one short scene. They climax of the video has the star walking into a club and finding his way to the stage in time to perform the last verse and chorus of the song. We plan on using various shots throughout, as well as 15 to 25 extras, to give the shot a real "club" vibe.

Mood Board

This is the mood board I made to summarize my inspiration for our video. The images include different rappers (Jay Z, Kanye West, The Game and Drake) as they are successful rappers who set a brilliant example of how to achieve your goals in the industry, which is exactly what we want for our unsigned act. Their attire does slightly vary, with Kanye West wearing a suit instead of the flat peaks chosen by Jay-Z and Drake.

The 2 sets of lyrics are both taken from the amazing track 'Runaway' by Kanye West feat. Pusha T. The first set of lyrics ("Never was much...") are my personal favourite of the song, truly exposing West's sensitive side and the emotion in the song. The second set of lyrics embody exactly what the rap genre is becoming, being based on material goods and labels, with more and more artists simply being "Young, rich and tasteless". Representation defined by Richard Dyer states that "How we see them comes from representation", but I think that music lyrics are a prime example of how representation is not solely through image, with the lyrics of this song representing their views heavily.

The 2 CD covers in the mood board, 'The Black Album' by Jay Z and 'The Carter III' by Lil Wayne have given me some great ideas for our own CD cover should look. The picture of the City skyline silhouette also contributed to my ideas for the CD cover. The 2 CD covers are very similar, establishing a precedent for rap album covers, but I think it is important to constantly evolve a genre, hence the skyline adds a welcome change.

Goodwin's Theory of Analysis

Goodwin's Theory of Analysis provides a guideline as to how a music video should be reviewed in a media sense. I will analyze my video once it is completed using Goodwin's theory.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
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
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference

AUTEUR THEORY-ANTHONY MANDLER

The Auteur Theory claims that a directors films reflects the directors personal vision, as if he or she was the author (Auteur in French)

I have chosen to focus on the work of Anthony Mandler. This was my own choice, different from other members of the group. I think Anthony Mandler is the perfect choice because he has had such a successful career in not only producing rap videos, but pop videos and even films.

Mandler's first music video project was for Eightball & MJG in 2000. Since then Mandler has become a household name with hip hop artists. Since 2000 he has worked with some of raps finest artists-

-Snoop Dogg
-50 Cent
-Eminem
-Rihanna
-Beyonce
-T.I.
-Jay Z
-Mary J. Blige
-Usher
and Drake, just to name a few.

He has also worked with bands of different genres, such as Duran Duran, Muse and The Killers.

This year alone, Mandler has produced some of the most popular and well known videos of the decade, including "OMG" by Usher, "Over" by Drake, and Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna.

Beginning his career as a photographer, Mandler's music videos are known for being individual, with him priding himself in not falling into stereotype. For the last ten years he has truly pushed the music video boundaries. He is very fond of using projections in shots with the artist, as featured in "Over" by Drake and "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" by Muse. This effect creates a sense of surrealism, with the audience feeling like they are involved in the video, analysing every little detail. (Examples pictured below)








Being a gatekeeper of representation (White 1961), Mandler puts great effort into his work, but also a wide variety of ideas. As in the pictures above, both include a projected image, but both are shot in different ways, Drake's being a straight mid shot and Muse's being a long, canted shot.

All of Mandlers videos have a high level of professionalism, with no small detail overlooked. This may be due to his childhood. Being raised in Hollywood with family and friends being involved in the video industry. Personally, I think that growing up in such an environment must have been a genuine learning experience for Mandler, where he learnt all the tricks of the trade. This is represented by his incredibly high standards of video producing. Another aspect of Mandlers work that I think proves the Auteur Theory, in his case, is that his previous love of photography has embedded itself in his work, with his lighting and mise-en-scene being so heavily detailed, like he was setting up for the perfect photo. In this case, I think that Auteurs Theory is very relevant for Mandler, as his experiences and his lust for the unknown are heavily represented through his work.

As a little memento to Mandlers progression, here's his first ever production, followed by his most recent...

"Pimp Hard" by Eightball & MJG



and "Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna

STAR ANALYSIS-JAY Z

I have chosen to study Jay Z. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and businessman. He is one of the most successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America having had a net worth of over $150 million in 2009. He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. All this combined makes him one of the most successful and relevant rappers of the modern music scene, which is even more incredible when you consider his approach to the music industry.

Jay Z is currently signed to his own label Roc Nation, which was created in 2008 as a collaboration between him and Live Nation. Roc Nation manages artists, songwriters and producers and organizes various parts of the music industry, such as tours, merchandising and publishing.

With 11 albums under his belt, I have chosen to focus my analysis on his most recent release, 'The Blueprint 3', his most successful release since his 2003 album "The Black Album". "The Blueprint 3" is Jay Z's 11th number 1 album, surpassing Elvis Presley's record for most number 1 albums.


The first single from the album was "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)".



Released in June 2009, "D.O.A" won Jay Z his 8th grammy award, as well as his second award for 'Best Rap Solo Performance', showing that the track was a huge success with Jay Z's audience. The video, directed by Anthony Mandler, was nominated for 'Best Male Video' and 'Best Hip Hop Video' at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (being beaten by T.I. and Eminem). The video shows Jay in scenes such as an empty factory building, a bar with a band, and playing a card game in a kitchen. Actor Harvey Keitel features in the video as a card player in the kitchen of the exclusive New York restaurant, Rao's. Basketball player LeBron James also makes a cameo appearance. I see the videos rustic mise-en-scene and traditional feel very representative of the songs lyrics, in that Jay Z wants to keep rap as it has been for years, instead of being filled with overused programs and singing. I think the video has translated well to Jay Z's audience as he is choosing not to abide by new techniques in the rap world, and people respect this decision. Using Dyer's idea of representation, this video not only represents Jay-Z's values, but the values of the genre itself.

Lebron James' appearance in the video helps to emphasize Jay Z's star status

The songs success is an odd one to describe. The lyrics are mainly criticizing the current music scene, especially the usage of 'Autotune' (a music program which effects the voice of the artist). Although popular with the mass music audience, many other rap artists have criticized this track including rap icon Lil Wayne who said that "If you take every song off the radio, what would you have? I was listening to the radio and Jay said the people don't wanna hear Auto-Tune no more. The biggest records of the year all had Auto-Tune".


The second single from the album was "Run This Town" featuring Rihanna and Kanye
West



Released over a month after "D.O.A" in July, "Run This Town" featured superstars Rihanna and Kanye West (West also produced the track alongside fellow producer 'No I.D'). As well as earning various grammy awards and being named in Jay Z's top 5 songs, the song also earned a prestigious spot in the 2009 Superbowl. The music video involves people in masks, holding torches whilst walking through what appear to be streets. Rihanna starts to sing in a park while explosions are going off around her. Then Jay Z sings his verse whilst in a temple-like area. Kanye West sings in a cave-like area holding a torch and having a bandana cover his face like Jay-Z and Rihanna. I thnk that, much like the feeling of the song, the video has a "march" and "mob" feel to it, much like some LEDC's of the world. The constant tension in the video makes me feel quite uneasy watching it, with panning and tracking handheld shots creating a rough feel. I believe it is this tension that keeps Jay Z's audience interested in the video, making them want to watch it again. As well as intriguing his audience, Jay-Z's representation is also presented slightly differently to his past videos, in that the rough gritty feel is representative of the rough nature of rap music and the gang scene. The videos director Anthony Mandler has does this intentionally, fitting into the 'Gatekeeper' Theory (White 1961) which implies that the director would choose to keep and remove certain aspects of the video, much like the Auteur Theory.

This is a shot of the mob in the video.

The song itself received mix reviews, many people, including myself, believed it was a good song, but could of been a lot better considering the 3 superstars featuring on it.


The third single from the album was "Empire State Of Mind" featuring Alicia Keys



Released in October 2009, "Empire State Of Mind" featured R&B and Soul singer Alicia Keys. It is one of Jay Z's most successful songs to date, peaking in the top 3 of 11 music charts across the globe. The music video for "Empire State of Mind" was directed by Hype Williams. The video, which was filmed on location, features black-and-white images of New York City cut with full-color shots of Jay-Z and Keys performing in Times Square. Throughout the video there are various scenes of Jay Z performing solo, Alicia performing solo and the duo performing together. I think the video is brilliant, and a perfect representation of the songs lyrics expressing Jay Z's love for New York. It does this perfectly by having the city as the focus of the video by showing various pictures of areas and monuments. This is contradictory to most music videos which choose to focus on the artist or a narrative. I think that Jay Z's audience can connect with this video because they believe they are getting an insight on Jay Z's direct feelings, making them feel closer to the star. This once again fits in with Dyer's theory of representation, instead this time the mise-en-scene is representing the artist, instead of the artist representing a wider entity.

This is one of the establishing shots of New York in the video.

The song itself received mainly positive reviews, with most reviews praising Alicia Keys' vocal performance, and rightly so. Many reviews named "Empire State Of Mind" as the highlight of "The Blueprint 3" and the masterpiece of Jay Zs' whole career.


The fourth single from the album was "On To The Next One" featuring Swizz Beatz



Released in December 2009 (April 2010 in the UK), the single features vocals from rapper and producer Swizz Beatz. The single received the least awards and lowest chart positions out of all of Jay Z's "Blueprint 3" releases. The video is highly surreal. It appears in black and white, and the people, symbols, and characters in the video seem to be wearing black and white colors to coincide with the video. There are short takes and quick scenes in which there are lots of biblical references. Throughout the video, there are crucifixes, angelic symbols and a skull. I personally think this is the most intentionally artistic and modern of all the videos from "The Blueprint 3", somewhat working alongside the "sheik" and streamline song, with many longer takes than normally featured in Jay Z's videos, creating a laid back feel. This could appeal to his audience as it is a welcome break to the tense and/or faster videos to come before.

This is a shot of one of the biblical references in the video.


The fifth and currently last single from the album was "Young Forever" featuring Mr. Hudson



Released in January 2010, "Young Forever" featured Mr. Hudson on the chorus. Much like "Empire State of Mind", "Young Forever" is in black and white. Fitting in with the lyrics the video features various groups of american youths, mixed with scenes of Jay Z and Mr. Hudson performing the song. The video then climaxes with film from a live performance of the song in London. I think this is one of Jay Z's most casual videos, as it is not particularly trying to push any boundaries or break any rules like his previous videos, however I think that the beginning of the video works well without the music to establish the essence of the video. I also think the fades between shots of youths and the artists work well in differentiating the two, it has also influenced us to use such fades in our own video

This is a shot of the crowd during one of the live performance scenes.

Video Influences

I took influence from various artists and videos in order to create our own.

Jay Z-99 Problems



Not only did I take influence from this Jay Z video in particular, but from his whole catalogue of videos, as he is such a huge influence on modern rap. This video inspired us to include a vast amount of shot types, including tracking, panning, close ups and many more, instead of sticking to a set number. We tried to include as many shots as possible, experimenting with shots we had never tried before (180 degrees pans and Crane shots). This video also inspired me to have a sequence of quick edits, as it creates quite a good atmosphere when combined with a fast/upbeat song.

Kanye West-Jesus Walks



This video gave me the idea of having a recurring image throughout the video (the image in this video being Kanye rapping in the burning hallway). It also inspired me to use low angle shots when filming the star of the video, to show dominance, power and importance. This video contains various long takes, which inspired us to combine them with the quick edits we were inspired to use thanks to Jay Z's video (Above). This video also has various narratives, which inspired me to create our own, except only one as I thought this video was a bit overrun with narratives, and simply having one would keep the audiences attention.

Drake-Over



This video added to the idea inspired by Kanye West, as the recurring image of the star on his own is even more commonly used in this video. Low angle shots are also used when 'Drake' is sat down. Drake is filmed at canted angles, which inspired me not to film the studio shots from a straight forward angle using a close up.

The Game-Dreams



This is possibly the most influential video. It has a shot of the artist in the studio as a recurring image. I decided to incorporate this into our own video which we used throughout the length of the video. Another key factor is the narrative based on the artist within the video. This had a great effect on our own video as we also decided to include a narrative based on our artist. this only reinforced the decision we made after analysing the Kanye West video.

Mise-en-scene

The typical mise-en-scene for rap and hip-hop videos is often varied, with only a few common elements. The clothing is often very similar and has 2 main styles, Urban (Flat Peaks, Chains, Baggy Clothes) and Sophisticated (Tailored Suits, Shirts, Waistcoats). The lighting varies based on the narrative or setting of the video. Narratives can often be used in hip hop videos, sometimes relevant, sometimes not. Various settings are used, the most popular are clubs and bars. To gather research into mise-en-scene in our genre, I will analyze 2 highly acclaimed, recent hip hop videos, "Not Afraid" by Eminem and "Forever" by Drake. Both were nominated for 'Best hip Hop Video' at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

'Not Afraid' by Eminem



The lighting in this video has 2 main contrasting elements. In one major scene, outside, the lighting is very bright, as if it is based on a summers day, yet the other major scene, inside, is quite dark with only a few dingy lamps for light. This ties in with the overall feel of the song, as it can be perceived in a positive way (outside, bright light) or a negative way (inside, dark). However, later on in the song, Eminem breaks through a wall in the dark scene, allowing light to enter the room. This intertwines with the lyric "I'm breaking out of this cage", giving the song its true moral.

Eminems clothing are primarily black, with no major label present on any of his clothes, except from the Nike logo which can occasionally be seen on close ups of his trainers. This is unlike some rappers, who choose to let the audience see what clothes they wear as a sign of money and success. The fact that Eminem is wearing very plain clothes shows that he does not need an extravagant wardrobe to express who he truly is. The video is set in a busy city, with Eminem walking through and getting lost in a maze of mirrors before escaping back into the street. He then discovers that half the city has been torn away with only a giant crater remaining. He dives into the crater, then begins to fly. This represents him taking a step forward in his own life, a step forward into something would only ruin him, but he still managed to come out the other side better than he was before. This is heavily linked with the lyrics as it is a very personal song.

'Forever' by Drake



The majority of the video is set in a club, with each rapper involved in the song being situated at different parts of the club. Through representation, Drake's audience will believe that this will 'represent the real world' (Rayner) in that Drake does live this exclusive lifestyle. Drake is on a stage, Kanye West on a different stage, Lil Wayne on a sofa and Eminem by a bar. This is quite typical of rap videos as clubs are very popular places for rappers to spend their nights. Pyrotechnics are used in most of the club scenes, representing Drake as a danger to other rappers with his newly founded success.

The lighting is primarily dark, with various stage lights and fire creating the only sense of light. This adds to the darker elements of the song. All the rappers in the video are wearing clothes very typical of modern rappers (Hoodies, Gilets, Sunglasses) yet the same as Eminem, none are wearing heavily branded clothes. Although none of the artists themselves are wearing branding, there are elements of branding promotion in the mise-en-scene. In various shots, we see panning shots of Ciroc Vodka. Artists often get paid, or some sort of free package, for promoting products in their videos as it is brilliant publicity and advertising for the product. This form of advertising is known as 'product placement' and is very common in rap videos. By having an artist include their product in a video, in this case Ciroc Vodka, they are hoping to appeal to the artists audience directly.

Our Video

Richard Dyer said "How we are seen determines how we are treated, how we treat others is based on how we see them. How we see them comes from representaton". With this is mind, I wanted to make sure HB was represented in the best way possible, and a key part of representation in videos is the mise-en-scene.

The narrative in our video will be based on HB's rise to fame. We plan to have him start off in a school getting ready to leave. We will then have him walking through and out of the school whilst miming the words. He will then enter a local park, followed by a middle class estate. He will end up in a club and perform the end of the song. We want the narrative to show HB's transition from schoolboy to rap star, and we think that our proposed plan will do just that. By having HB constantly walking, it's showing that he is unstoppable. We plan to have a few extras in the video, one hugging him as a friend, and some fans begging for his autograph. We think that this will show that the star is multi-dimensional, a rapper and a friend.

The lighting will hopefully be very consistent throughout the video. We are aiming to do the majority of the outdoor filming in one go, so we will be very dependent on the weather. We hope to have realistic lighting in the club scene, with various flashing lights around the stage. For clothing, we hope to follow the common rap and hip hop conventions, with a jacket/hoody, white t-shirt, chain and flat peak. This will automatically establish HB as a rapper before people even hear the music. The jacket we will be using does have a logo on the front, so we will be promoting a brand like various other rappers in videos.

Song Lyrics and Analysis

Intro

Never let the party stop (x6)

1st Verse

Fly like a jet,
H to the B yeah I'm flyer than the rest.
Steppin' on the scene with the red and white on,
Fresh white tee's ready to take the skies on.
People know the name,
Rappers stay low, always looking for the fame.
Game so tight, other rappers still lame,
Been on the block 08 010.

Ladies go crazy,
See the kids ravin', stems goin' nerdy.
If you like my style girl,
Call me oh baby.
If you wanna hit the bar,
Tell me when your ready.
Me always ready,
Still lookin' good with the hat still fittin'.
Still in the hood gettin' dough, still gettin',
See that fat chick she'll never ever get it.

Chorus

Never let the party stop (x4)

2nd Verse

Versatile on the track but you already know,
set it off in the club g-g-get ready go.
Oh, and the beat so heavy,
I'mma let it bounce like a chevy hit, here we go.
Swagger tighter than the tight,
Flyer than fly cos I'm higher than the sky.
I'mma do I yes I'mma do me,
Flossing like i got something stuck between my teeth like. Jees

Party all day,
Up in the VIP baby it's ok.
You're now rocking with a vice junior president,
That might feel heavy cent.
So, l-l-let the beat bang,
Versatile and HB we're doin' our thang.
Party till the morning then party a lil' more,
So till they lay me in my coffin,
Know this party ain't stoppin'

Chorus (Repeated)

3rd Verse

I'mma show you how it goes,
The party never stops, i'm the one to let it go.
HB fly from my head to toe,
You know me, yes I gotta lotta dough.
If I find a beat,
I'mma show you how to set it off.
If ya party whack,
I'mma show you how to turn it off.
Ladies, you better shout my name loud.
If you like the money i'mma show you how to get down.

Chorus (Repeated)


LYRICAL ANALYSIS

The main theme to the lyrics is social status and accomplishment. Throughout the song, words and phrases represent HBs' current success. The opening line "Fly Like A Jet" sets the mood for the entire song, presenting himself as a confident and established individual, the word fly being interpreted as "cool" and "stylish". Other lines that give off the same message include "Swagger tighter than the tight" and "HB, fly from my head to toe". We will try to incorporate this into the video by having the main character act confident and having extras focus their attention on him.

Another element of the lyrics is clothing. The lines "Steppin' on the scene with the red and white on" and "Hat still fittin'" all describe clothing. In the video, we are using the colours red and white, and a hat, to make a connection between the lyrics and the mise-en-scene. The 'flat peak hat' is a common look for rappers, meaning that HBs' audience will understand that he means 'flat peak' when he raps "hat". This sense of imagery is common in rap music, creating a link with the audience.