Influences to our video - Glow Paint

I have been researching into videos that have influenced our choices with the glow paint section of our music video, here is a list of the videos and why they have influenced us.

Glow Paint Influences from nic96

Marketing Research Project

Analysis of a Music Video Presentation

Audience Research

Here is a mind map of idea on what we should ask whilst doing audience research, we will carry out our research on teenagers aged 16-18 as this is the key audience that listen to pop music. We are drawing up a questionnaire that will cover the main questions and not be too long as we know from last year if the questionnaire is too long people are less likely to fill it in correctly or want to fill it in at all. We hope to be able to get an idea of what viewers enjoy in a music video as well as being able to get a general idea of what music people listen too. There will also be an aspect of the questionnaire that will link directly to our ideas to see if the audience think that it is a good idea for the genre and song we have pick as well as getting to know if they believe it will capture viewer attention and be unique. 

Videos that influenced our ideas

There are several videos that influenced our ideas for our music videos.

1. 

The Underdog - Wallpaper ( The Nerdist - Animal Fighting Championships)

This video is a personal favourite of mine and when we discussed using paint dust and doing slow motion this was the first thing I showed the group. The idea is very different to what we want to do, but the use of slow motion frames and the abstract/fragmented narrative is something I think we want to convey in our own video.  I like the creative element that has been linked in with a fragmented narrative and I believe as a group we would also like to have a fragmented narrative. The idea within this video is slightly over the top with the sheer amount of paint dust, confetti, streamers and actual paint used. Although it looks amazing and we want to try and recreate the slow motion shots we don't want to do something that would make our video look overcrowded.We want it to be inter cut and slightly more seamless between the narrative and abstract parts of the video.

2.


KickthePJ - Colour Bandits

This is a youtube video created by the channel KickthePJ, we have looked at this as a base of what we would like to create. Although this is not a music video it has been very influential to our group. It basically embodies what we would like to do design wise with the paint dust but possibly ours will be  a little less extreme as we don't want to cover the artists face. This video has been influencial but purely for the creative ideas as it doesnt link to a song. We love the way it looks  against a white backdrop and how bright and vivid it makes the colour and  is definitely we have thought about using ourselves.

3.

Owl City - Fireflies

Unlike the other videos, this has no use of paint or bright/vivid colour. The main idea that comes from this video is the toys. We have an idea that links in with the lyrics about crashing a toy car, this video proves that the use of toys can look creative and effective in a music video.  This doesn't really reflect the music video that we want to create it is more for that one specific idea/element. There is close up shot used on the "robot" toy whilst it flashes and comes to life, I particularly love that shot and how we could recreate something like that. Of course making sure it fits in with our theme.

4.



Icona Pop - I Love It

Finally the original video to the song we have chosen has been an inspiration to our ideas. We dont want to create a replica of the original we want to make it our own. The original video focuses on the party beat from the song as a base. But we want to focus more on the lyrics and ideas that we can take from the lyrics. But the idea of the colours being so vivid and central to the party theme of the video has been influential. We are keeping the kind of party idea for our video but our key theme will be from within the lyrics.

Music Genre - Pop

Initial Ideas

Here are some of our intial ideas for the song we have chosen - I Love it By Icona Pop. Now that we have chosen the song we need to deconstruct the lyrics, look more in detail to the genre and look at the artist to gain a greater insight to what we could sort of music video we could create. But these are the initial ideas we have to the song. 

This is the orginal music video - I Love It by Icona Pop

Ingredients of a music video

Every genre of music will have a different style of music video. The style will reflect that genre, but that doesn't mean that there aren't common factors which all music video follow.

The key ingredients of a music video are:

• Performance - The way the artist or actor performs in the video is so important. If the performance is dull it wont keep the viewer attention and if the video isn't intrigued by the video they wont continue watching. This could mean they wont continue watching that particular video or they wont continue watching the rest of the artists videos. 

• Narrative - A narrative isn't always essential especially with artists that like to experiment with the weird and wonderful. But when music video use narrative is can be  eally done really well and create a greater meaning from the music. But less narrative is more exciting. 

• Editing - The fast paced editing used in music video is key as helps to keep the pace of the video go with the pace of the music. Also the use of fragmented shots and jump cuts look really good when used in a music video. 

• Unique - The music video should be different to other music videos. To interest the viewer it needs to be something new and fresh that doesnt just look like a copy of another video. 

Music Directors - John Landis

John Landis is an America screenwriter, producer, actor and film director. In the world of music videos he is well known for his videos with Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and B.B King. He is most commonly known for his work in the film industry such as the film 'Twilight Zone - The Movie' and 'The Blues Brothers'.

Michael Jackson - 







These are the two videos that John Landis directed for Michael Jackson.

Thriller - This was shown in cinemas and was named the greatest music video in human history. But it was more of a short movie than a music video.  Landis is best known for his horror film and therefore was the best person to direct this video.
Black and White - Popularised the used of Digital Morphing. It raised the standard for music videos to use state of the art special effects.

Having been a film director, the music videos that John Landis has created is more in the style of short movies unlike a lot of music videos they follow a very detailed narrative and use a lot effects to make it more exciting to watch.

As well as directing these videos he has also directed;

• Spies like us - Paul McCartney 
• Into the Night  - B.B King 
• In the Midnight Hour - B.B King
• My Lucille - B.B King

Voyeurism

The definition of Voyeurism is a viewer gaining sexual gratification through observing naked bodies or sexual acts. 

Voyeurism is commonly used in music videos to attract more viewers. Its is often used in music videos to objectify women. The camera is used to portray the male gaze, therefore there are a lot of close ups and the use of low angles to show the sexual treatment of the star. This is especially used with a lot of sex symbols for example Beyonce, Brittany Spears and Rihanna. There are many videos that can show the way that female singers being objectified. Here are a couple of examples -

The most well know video for this is Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (2009) 

Although this video isn't selling the artist as a sex symbol, it is selling the song through voyeurism.  The establishing shot of the music video is a women banging a nail into wood. But she has minimal amount of clothing and is bent over in a very sexual manner that would appeal to a male audience. The jump cuts then used to show her in a mid shot and then a long shot to show off her body. There is also then use of slow motion so that viewer is able to see her whole body shake whilst she is hammering the nail. For a female viewer it is clear within the first 10 seconds that this video isn't really aimed at them. The close ups of the intimate places on the female body is also to emphasis the sexual element of this video. The slow low angles used to show of the females legs as well as a fast paced editing used to showcase a number of images of different females bottoms and lips. All of which over emphasis the sexual nature of the song. The use of power tools can be seen in a number of different ways that link to sex. Firstly the word tool is used to describe a male who sleeps around with a lot of women and doesn't really have a lot of respect for women. The tools are also being advertised which can be seen as the way women are viewed in music videos, they are trying to sell the music off there bodies. Finally there is a contraction to the female stereotype. Females are seen as too delicate to do DIY or manual labour and this video contradicts that and also shows them as being sexually attractive whilst doing it. Also each women is shown to be sweating from that manual labour and working out which links back to the sexual tone of the video and lyrics. The lyrics are also key to this video. "Push me and then just touch me so I can get my satisfaction" This relates to the female objectivity that the video is showing as well as how women can be seen as objects of sex to the male gender.

A more recent video is Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball



This song can be seen as an emotional song but the artist has ruined this by sexualizing the video to sell it. The video begins with close ups of the artists face and tears streaming down her face this then goes on to her in a room by herself with a sledgehammer and of course a wrecking ball. This continues and there are a lot of sexual innuendos used that do not even relate to the song or lyrics at all. She is seen to lick the sledgehammer and ride on the wrecking ball nude. This is only after we have seen her wall around the room in only a white top and white underwear although white can be used to symbolise purity in this case I cannot see a link to purity when the video is so over sexualized. We also see a a range of close ups, mid shots and long shots to emphasis her lack of clothing when she is on the wrecking ball. Adding to this she bites her lip in a sexual manner as she is on the wrecking ball. Personally I am not sure what to make of this video as it has been made with a clear intention to attract a male audience to watch it even though it is quite an emotional female song. It seems as though the artist wants the male attention and is therefore gaining that from the viewers of the video even if the song with it emotional meaning and lyrics isn't. She is objectifying herself in this video, as this is only of the first emotional songs to have sexual footage and connotations within the video.

As for voyeurism in women it is very rare for a male to be objectified for the sexual gain of women but there are certain cases in which this has happened. For example

How to be a Heartbreaker - Marina and the Diamonds 


This video uses all the techniques used to objectify women but to men. The use of the shower room to show the males as wet, and the close ups of the water running of their heads, chests and tattoos. This is alluring to the opposite sex. As well as objectifying  males this video also shows a lot of the female artist but as a "player". It shows her as a fully in control women that can have which ever man she wants and the lyrics are are trying to advocate the behaviour that women can fool around as much as men can. The use of the "rules" are also interesting as if to show women how to objectify men. It proves that it is not just something that males can do as well as showing that objectification in music videos works for both genders not just women. Although there are not many videos in which this occurs therefore this could be seen as an exception to the rule.

Payphone - Maroon 5

Review

• Personally this is my favourite music video of all time. I love the extravagance of it, the storyline is elaborate and a there are a lot of extremely good shots in my opinion. I also love the fact that it starts at the end and then proceeds to show you how he got to the payphone. 
• The storyline keeps you watching there is so much going on once the robbery has taken place there are explosions and car chases and it makes it into almost a short film. 
• There are so many things I would love to use that are used in this video. The shots in which you seem them getting shot at look amazing, as well as all the car chasing and explosions but realistically we cannot pull that sort of thing off. But I would like to use some of the other shots like the one of them running down a crowded street I think it looks good as well as the range of long shots they use.
• I have learnt from this music video that a lot of work can be put into music video and some can even look like short films but for that to be possible a lot of money and time is required. 
• Although I do love this music video I think this style of video would need to be avoided as there is no way we could go around blowing things up! But it would be great to try and create a music video that is almost as good as a short film. I think the key thing is looking a song and its lyrics to create a strong enough storyline. 

It's My Party - Jessie J

Review

• I love the use of different sterotypes in this video, the way in which each group is in a seperate rooms and by the end of the video they are all mingling and bonding over the party. I also love the chaos in this video there is never a boring second its jam packed with footage. The fact that the video doesnt have a specific storyline either is done so well. 
• What keeps you watching is the curiousity of what is behind each door as well as the chaos, Jessie J's video tend to have a lot going on and no real storyline it makes the unique and great to watch. 
• The key thing I would take from this video is lighting and setting. Setting wise the variety in setting is great each setting fits the stereotype as well as the lighting. For the more rock and roll setting the lighting was dim and for the posh setting it was bright and colourful. 
• In relation to music videos I have learnt you dont have to have a specific storyline as long as your video fits with the lyrics, for example in this video everything is about partying.
• I would avoid the self held camera shots used in the middle of this video. Hand held shots can make it more authentic and exciting but it didnt look very good and I dont think it would look that good if we decided to use it. 

Brokenhearted - Lawson ft B.O.B

Review

• What I like about this video is the inter cut storyline with the footage of the band. The lyrics are the storyline to the music video. But personally my favorite thing about this video is the fact that the male character is shown to be in the same room as the female but she cannot see him. I think this is an interesting concept to play with. 
• I think for most people the storyline would keep them watching but myself I kept watching because I really enjoyed the way the angled some of the shots in which you can see intruments and the band, where as in most other music videos they focus on the band not the instruments. 
• This is quite a generic music video if I am honest not a lot of things stand out in particular but I do like the editing used and the way it jumps back and forth between the two characters as well as from storyline to band shots. 
• I have learnt in relation to music videos that its difficult to make a video that is completely unique as many ideas have already been used and recreated. But I have also learnt that shots of the instruments can look good if used correctly. 
• I would avoid this genre if I am honest, last year we went for quite a generic genre in film I think it would be a mistake to pick a generic genre in music because we would be stuck with the same sort of ideas we had last year. And I am sure that we want to create something completely different this year. 

Eliza Doolittle - Big When I Was Little

Review

• I love the creative element of this video. There is lot of use of colours and different settings but it is in comparison to other music video pretty simplistic. I think the simplicity of the video is what makes it so good. 
• The thing that kept me watching was the inter cutting, the use of so many clips to show the excitement of the street and what it was like. The colours kept me interested it wasn't dull or overly dramatic, the song is supposed to be quite up beat and cheerful and the video reflects that.
• In particular I love the use of the birds eye view shot, I think it looked really good and also gave a different angle that is not usually shown in music videos. I think it could be interesting to experiment with this when it comes to filming our own. 
• In relation to music videos I have learnt that the colours used in the settings/locations can have a big effect on what the audience will perceive. The uses of such vivid colour not only helps to portray the excitement and happiness of childhood but also helps to keep the video exciting and keep audiences watching. 
• The main thing I would want to avoid would be the shots towards the end in the pool, although potentially this could look really good I think it would be a lot of work and it could ultimately end up looking rubbish. I also think we should avoid the big focus on the main singer, I think it would be better to create a storyline than just have someone dancing around and singing.  

Love Me Again - John Newman

Review

• This video is quite unique in the fact that it uses a performance from the band and singer aswell as having a storyline, both of which being in the same setting. What I love about this video is the use of a spot light to highlight the dancers and also dancing as a key part of the video.
• Personally I would say the performance from the singer is what kept me watching although the storyline was good. The performance from the singer was more exciting and eye catching. 
• I think the interesting things to pick up on from this video is the performance, if we do any shots of  band and the singer I would like them to be that exciting and full that the audience cant look away. But also the spotlight to highlight the dancers was an interesting technique as it was more about the silhouette and their movements than the person.
• I have learnt from this video that using shots of the singer and band can look good and also still be appealing to the audience. I have also learnt that the shots of the singer/band dont have to be in a studio they could be worked into the storyline. 
• I think the only think I would avoid is the amount of shaky camera shots they use in this video. I think it looked effective within this video but I'm not sure how effective it would look in something we create.

Ed Sheeran - Give me Love

Review

• What I love about this video is the use of settings and creativity. I love the storyline and how it fits to the lyrics. I personally think this video is so good because it doesn't revolve around the artist in actual fact the singer isn't even present in this video. The focus is on the storyline. 
• The storyline keeps you watching as it starts by showing you the end of the video, and the audience is curious to know how the woman/angel ends up dead. 
• The most interesting thing about this video is the use of lighting and shots. The main room that the woman is seen to transform in uses very dim lighting and it shows you the silhouette of the wings once they have grown and I think it look very effective. I also love the the use of the blurred shot and the not in focus shots. 
• From this music video I have learnt you can have a storyline and not need the artist present but therefore you wouldnt need to lip sync the song to the singer. But if the storyline isnt gripping enough that could cause issues with people not wanting to watch the whole video. As I believe many people watch music videos to see their favourite artist.
• Although I think it works well in this video I think it is something we should avoid when we make our own I think we should have a main singer even if we inter cut it with a storyline. 

Ellie Goulding - Burn

Review

• I like the use of location in this video, the place in which this was filmed makes a beautiful background setting for the song. I also love the use of inter cutting in which there are two separate story lines that come together in the middle of the video. The use of light into the video is also amazing, the globes of light used toward the end of the video show the connection to the lyrics and the video. 
•  The storyline makes you keep watching the video, the emphasis on the lyrics and how that is used in the video is inspiring. 
• The most interesting thing about this video for me that could be used is the camera shots. The singer is shown in mostly long shots and mid shots to show her as the main focus but the footage it is inter cut with those shots are mostly obscure shots of a close up of there legs of lower bodies. The faces aren't really shown until the two storylines collide. 
• What I have learnt from this music video in particular is that inter cutting can work and look effective. There is also the use of lighting that, it has shown me that lighting is key to the mood and feeling of the video.
• Personally I think we should avoid trying to create a video that is on that much of a large scale. I also think there is a lot of use of smoke although it looks effective in the video with the use of coloured smoke I think it would be too difficult to pull off. 

True Love - Pink

Review

• What I absolutely love about this video is the craziness, there is so much going on in this video it isnt a crafted storyline but its realistic and the style of a montage is fantastic. There is footage from the singer's life including tours, family life and backstage which are all used to create the perfect sequence of shots. It inspires me to want to be as creative with the music video I will produce in a team. 
•  The chaos is what keeps you watching, the fact that the audience cant guess what will happen next and it could be anything there is no way of guessing as it doesnt have a typical storyline.
• The most interesting thing about this video is the use of a green screen, there are a variety of shots that the background has been put in. The pop art style backgrounds not only look attractive to a viewer they are also adding to the chaos and its a very creative way of using the green screen that doesnt look fake. I also love the performance as some of it is genuine footage of her family. 
• From this particular music video I have learnt that a montage can look effective in a music video if you have enough footage that is relevant and you dont try to make it look to serious the fact that this video embraces the chaos and it is all about the singer having fun makes it easier to watch.
• The only thing about this video that I really would want to avoid is the montage element although it looks great in this video I think it would involve a lot of work and dependant on our time scale I dont think it would be possible to create a montage music video that would look professional. 

Paramore - Still Into You

Review 

• The thing I love about this video is the variety and bizarre range of ideas in such a short space of time. A lot of music videos tend to be sexualised and Paramore are known for not doing this within in there videos. The fun fast paced video makes a statement in my eyes that love can be fun not just sexualised. I also love the fact the main focus of the video is the woman. The creativity that has gone into the video is inspiring the effort to have a boat with a bunch of blue and white balloons to make it look like water it looks fantastic as well as the shots with the fireworks/sparklers they also look great. I think the variety within the video is great. 
• I think the reason the viewer keeps watching is the idea that you don't know what could happen next, there is no specific storyline its is just friends having fun and doing crazy things. This makes the viewer question what they will do next and keeps them watching the entire video. 
• There are a range of techniques,idea and shots I want to take from this video as a personal favourite video of mine. The use of light in this video is the main thing I would like to take from it in particular. The light makes the video more fast paced and exciting, especially the light/firework idea. The explosions of light would be a great idea to try to recreate. 
• In relation to music videos, I have learnt that there does not have to be a specific storyline but if you are going to film a variety of shots with different things happening they have to link in some way.
• I think we should avoid filming in the dark as although it looks professional here, with the cameras and equipment we have it wouldn't be possible to make it look as professional. 

Gabrielle Aplin - Panic Cord

Review

• What I love about this music video is the use of a storyline, the lyrics of the song have been made into a relating video as well as using instruments without it being in a studio looks really effective compared to what we did in our preliminary I would rather use instruments in a similar way to the way they have been used in this video. 
• The storyline in this video keeps you watching as it is relative to the song and its lyrics, it is telling the story to the lyrics and personally that is my favorite kind of music video. When the lyrics and the video tell the same story.
• The key thing that interested me about this video is the range of shots that they use that include the guitar that make it look good and flow with the music video, instead of coming away from the story to show you studio shots of the guitar they have used the same setting and inter cut it with the storyline. It makes the video flow better. I also think the performance is brilliant in this video it seem very realistic not acted. 
• In relation to music videos I have learnt from this video that the lyrics and the song can link and tell the same story. I also think that the use of a realistic home setting was something to learn from, as I didnt think it could look that well done as its a real setting not a fancy back drop like most videos have. 
• Although I do love this type of music video, I would avoid it as being the music genre we choose because it is too difficult to pull of a realistic performance.