Music&Me

Throughout my life my music taste has stayed pretty similar. I first got into music when I bought myself an iPod at age 13, up until then I was oblivious to any other forms of music that weren't on my parents 'Travel songs' (the majority of which were by The Eagles and the sound of them still makes me feel car sick).

This song by The Offspring is a favourite of mine..... I am still unsure why. It was a bit vulgar for a child of my age but I don't think I enjoyed it for the rush and rebellious feel I would get when saying 'B****'. This leads me to believe that the laid back beat and steel drums appealed to a younger form of myself and to some extent actually brainwashed me to enjoy the sound of the band. Listening to it now I can see that the singer lacks talent and all their songs sound the same, however, I really don't care. I saw The Offspring at reading this year and absolutely loved it, I quickly found myself at the front surrounded by tattooed, pierced thirty year olds who had obviously grown up loving the band. All their videos are quite childish and cheeky and I think it fits the image of the band, I think the music has rubbed off on my character as more recently I find that I am slowly turning into a child trapped in a young man's body.

A portion of my life is void in my memory and I am yet to discover why. It was the time between joining Latymer and starting GCSEs, I believe this gap in memory is due to a lack of Media coursework, as I usually pinpoint precise times in my life by thinking of what project we were working on at the time. Anyhow, my memory returns around the time of the 2009 children's TV trailer project. A song that reminds me of the time is the song 'Clint Eastwood' by 'Gorillaz'.

This song is popular with me as it reminds me of simpler times with no exams or work. I first became interested in the Gorrilaz when they released their album Demon Days in 2005, however, my enjoyment of their music returned when I used the track 'Feel Good Inc.' as a backing track for my trailer 'Halloween Horrer'. The song is again catchy and laid back with a steady almost hypnotic beat, similar to other gorrilaz songs. They are again a quirky band as all the band members are cartoon characters played by the DJ's Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. I am still a fan of their music as I find its easiest to listen to when trying to fall asleep (this is meant in a complimentary way as the music makes me feel relaxed!).

At this point in my homework, I've realised that every single song I have posted has been released in 2005, 'Why don't you get a job' is the exception being released in 1999. However, I've been playing the CD of 'The Offsprings Greatest Hits' whilst writing this. So I just turned over the album and what do I see? 'Why don't you get a job' was re-released in 2005. Whilst it would be nice to spice up the years and mention a more recent song the one I had lined up for my final song is 'Bowling For Soups' song 'Almost' which, you guessed it! was released in 2005. Must have just been a good year.

I got into this band a few months ago when their album, 'A Hangover you Don't Deserve' was recommended to me on iTunes. I had always been a fan of their song 'Girl All The Bad Guys Want' but I was quite new to the band as a whole. Something about their songs always gets me in a happy mood, Possibly cause I see the band members and am thankful I am not anything like them. However, its in-keeping with my narrow genre preference of alternative/punkish/1990's style rock bands. I think I enjoy the bands quirkiness and how laid back they appear. I've always been someone who listens to albums rather than singles as I just enjoy finding the hidden gems that bands can sometimes produce, I found plenty on the album and still listen to it on repeat!

Meeting the Director

On June 25th we had a talk from a music video director named Jake Wynne. He talked about a variety of music videos he made and techniques he had used when construsting and editing them. Jake later directed our version of 'Everybody get up'.

Jake taught us many names for special shots that help advertise the artists image or attitude, these shots are called 'beauty shots' and are invarably close-ups which make the artist appear desirable to their target audience.

I enjoyed talking (listening) to Jake and found it very beneficial. I especially enjoyed hearing about how he got into the industry itself. I look forward to working with (for) him on the shoot!

Task 4: Evaluation

1. Did you enjoy the workshop day? What were your best bits and why?

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop day! My favourite parts were the ones when I was behind the camera, either working the jib or trolley. I found it interesting to see how a professional camera and equipment works. I also enjoyed just generally dancing around and having a great time!

2. What did you learn from participating in the workshop?

How little set ups are necessary for a successful music video. Also the importance of high levels of performance from the actors. I also learnt the about the amount of planning that goes into a successful shoot.

I learnt about how a variety of cameras work and how to use other pieces of technical equipment such as a jib etc.
(as well as some funky dance moves!)

3. Are you pleased with the footage and your edit? Is it how you expected it to look?
I am very happy with the footage and just as happy with our final edit. The shots appear professional and of a high standard with focus and colour that I could only hope to achieve in my own future music video. The framing and performance in the footage is of a professional standard and I feel we have recreated the original video to a great quality. I was happily surprised with the quality of footage we gathered and the edit is a lot better than I expected it would appear in the end.

4. How do you think your workshop experiences will impact on your approach to next term's music video coursework?

I believe the workshop will encourage me to try more ambitious things within my music video project; I am now more experience with filming equipment and familiar with extra technical equipment that I would be eager to use in my own video. I reckon I will use a greater variety of shots and also be more effective with time management.

I learnt how to successfully lip-sync to songs and I believe this will greatly benefit my project if I choose to perform within it next term.

Task 3: 5ive Re-edit Exercise

Prior to our own shoot and edit of Five's 'Everybody Get Up' we decided to piece together the original footage of their music video to see what thoughts and ideas go into the creation of a music video.



From This exercise I have learnt that:
The editing of a music video is very important in terms of representation of the bands image, identity, attitude etc. Using shots called 'beauty shots' to highlight on things that would help the audience identify with artist such as tattoos or piercings.

The order of shots can have drastic affects on the pace of the video, constant cuts and changes in camera set-ups from one extreme to another can increase the pace of a video and make it visually exciting. 

Using cut-aways keep the video fresh and stop it from becoming repetitive. 

Various set-ups of the action helps give perspective to the audience and shows how many things are going on simultaneously, this makes the action exciting and adds further depth/more dimensions to the video. e.g. The students are partying whilst the band is getting ready to throw paint over them.

Editing creates a relationship between the audience and the performer - as the edit should be done to make the band appear as idols to their target audience, as though the audience should aspire to be in the band. This is done through Beauty shots and often through story lines within the video that makes the bands lifestyle look appealing. 

Task 2: Lipsync Audition

This is the Lipsync Audition Philippa and I (group 3) prepared prior to our prelim music video project.



The song is of 5ive's song 'Everybody Get Up'.
I would enjoy any part within the video, be it a member of the band or an extra on set. Either way I would throw in alot of energy into the role and make it a fun visual performance.

p.s I do not look good in leather.. Or hats..

Task 1: What makes for an effective music video?

I have chosen to analyse 'Stacy's Mom' by Fountains of Wayne



Instant Impact
The video is very unique and memorable as it is both humorous and tells a story. The attractive female actors and 'love-struck' male provide interest for viewers and moments of comedy. 


Non Linear Editing
The constant cross-cutting between band and actors tells a narrative and establishes who the characters are ment to be. The lead singer being the boy and telling the viewers the story of his childhood crush. The editing jumps between memories the boy has of Stacy's Mom and shows how he has 'waited so long' for her. This enables for flexible editing as we aren't following a chronological narrative but just watching different scenes from the singers life.

Repetitions
The camera always returns to the band on the chorus. This is the only part of the song that isn't telling any narrative so it is logical to show the band performing, This allows the audience to see the band and also portrays their image to the viewer.

Strong Sense of Artist Identity
The band comes across as very playful and relaxed. This is done by:
1. The lyrics
2. Their clothing
3. Their performance
The band is relaxed when they play, holding the guitar low down and looking at the camera showing how they are at ease with both the instrument and camera. They are dressed in blazers with ties yet their shirts top buttons are undone and the ties are loose. This has connotations of children at school which relates to the narrative that is being told and widens their appeal as they begin to appear 'cheeky'.

Performance
The performance by the actors is memorable and humorous. As well as the bands relaxed appearance. It isn't as visual as other videos yet the narrative it tells is just as captivating. The video lacks a great amount of the band so the performance is mainly down to the actors which is done successfully.

Visual Pleasures
The two female leads are both attractive broadening its audience. As well as this the video itself is fun to watch. Its snappy and of a good pace and quality meaning its not difficult to watch over and over again.

Wow Factor
The video features moments of sexual appeal with the character of Stacy's mum being the focus, for example during the massage, pole dancing and when she exits the pool. This definitely used to appeal to a male target audience as well as captivating viewers.

Provokes a Reaction
Again, Stacy's Mum provokes a reaction from the male viewers especially and either appalls certain people or entertains others.

Works on different levels
Not only does the video create comedy and entertain the viewers, It also portrays a storyline that many people may be able to relate to. The ideas of 'forbidden love' or falling for the wrong person is a common storyline in both movies and music videos.

Popular Culture
The culture of the period is conveyed and features typical american fashion, especially the sunglasses and leather jackets worn by the boys at the beginning.