Lip syncing tutorial

Research for Music Video: Laura Mulvey

Hello!

Laura Mulvey is a film theorist. She is well known for her feminist views and her views on the representation of women in the media, especially the way they tend to cater to the male gaze.

She is quoted in 1992 as saying: "In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly." This means that men are much more dominant while women are passive. Men view women as a source of their own pleasure, and that is all they are good for - they are seen as objects. Women are often seen as sexual objects. They tend to be dressed in almost nothing, and they are tall and curvy, while maintaining flat stomachs.

An artist that a lot of people say that challenges this is Adele. This is because she is often dressed in long dresses, just on stage. I also think that a lot of female artists, such as Beyonce and Marina and the Diamonds do it to express their own sexuality instead of doing it purely for the male gaze. However, I can also see the argument that it is still apart of catering to the male gaze.

Robin Thicke released his infamous video 'Blurred Lines' which features him, T.I and Pharrell Williams chasing three girls and using them as decorations. In the unrated video, the girls are topless throughout, while in the video for TV they are still half naked, covered in a skin toned plastic. They are also pulled by their hair and are forced to dance around demeaning quotes blown up into balloons.

In Jason Derulo's video for 'Wiggle' all of the girls are half dressed, in bikinis or tiny shorts, while the men are fully dressed. The girls are also dancing, purely for the men.

- Jess

Research for Music Video: Carol Vernallis

Hello!

Carol Vernallis observed the cinematography and editing in music videos. She stated in her essay 'Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context', in 2004, that editing is much more fast paced in music videos, and shots come more frequently than in other forms of media such as film or TV. She also said that the editing goes along with the rhythm of the song and tends to stick to the beat.
Some more of her observations include:

• 'Continuity editing' is broken in order to draw attention
• The editing is very obvious on purpose

 

Justin Bieber's collaboration with Skrillex and Diplo - 'Where Are U Now' - uses a lot of special effects, such as blackening out his eyes, paintings overlaying with the original shot and lots of bright colours. This editing makes it catch people's eyes and it becomes very memorable. 

• Jump cuts are used a lot

 Bruno Mars' collaboration with Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk - uses lots of jump cuts. There is also a flicker filter used.

• The speed of the edit is often manipulated - it is either sped up or slowed down

• The camera is always moving
• A base track is used to give the video structure.

- Jess

Research for Music Video: Mainstream v Indie

Hello!

Mainstream v Indie

Mainstream - One Direction

• Started out on X Factor in 2010 as solo artists and the judges thought they would sound and work better as a band
• Members are currently Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson (previously included Zayn Malik)
• They came third and were then signed to Syco Music/Syco Records - £2 million recording contract
• Syco Records' distributors are Sony Music Entertainment
• Syco Entertainment and its subsidiaries are founded by Simon Cowell.
• Simon Cowell's father worked for a record label, which allowed him to get into the music industry. 
• He is very well known for producing and starring on multiple talent shows such as The X Factor, Pop Idol/American Idol and Britain's Got Talent.
• Syco Records often sign a lot of people that have appeared on the talent shows. This includes: Little Mix, Ella Henderson, Fifth Harmony and Olly Murs.
• Target audience: Teen girls  
• Ancillary/Merchandise products available: billboards, digipaks, posters, books, DVDs, vinyls,  clothes, make-up, jewellery, perfume, mugs, scooters/skates
• Their albums link to myplaydirect when you want to buy one

Indie - Lanterns in the lake 

•  Members are currently Hazel Wilde, Bob Allan, Paul Gregory and Oliver Ketteringham
  
  • They are signed to Bella Union, an independent record label.
  • It was created by the Cocteau Twins, but has been ran solely by Simon Raymonde since 2000.
  • Other artists signed to Bella Union include: Flaming Lips, Laura Veirs, The Dears and Beach House.
  • Ancillary/Merchandise products available: CDs, bags, tshirts, poster prints and vinyls.
  
  
  What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages to being signed to an independent label?
  Indepedent labels have much less artists signed to them, so they can dedicate much more time and effort to you and your needs. This allows them to understand the artist more and the time and effort can pay off. However, there is much less money for the artist when signed to an indie label. 
  
  
   What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages to being signed to a mainstream label?
  You have much more money being put into your products, so everything is of a much higher standard due to the better quality equipment. You can also trust the label more, as they will usually have a high success rate. However, mainstream labels are very strict and may drop you if your song/album does badly.
  How important do you think merchandise and ancillary products are to the success of the band and to the audiences?
  Merchandise and ancillary products allow fans to show off their passion and love for an artist. I, personally, like buying merchandise as I can save memories I have of the band and it's nice being able to document your love for something with a physical object. A lot of fans also prefer to buy CDs as they feel like they are holding something special, whereas you don't get that with a download. As an artist, merchandise will gain you a lot of money. It's a quick way to make money. It's also nice to see fans representing you and promoting you (a fan wearing a t-shirt with your logo/main artist featured may get asked questions leading to promotion via word of mouth).
  
  
  How many different ways can fans of the bands find out information about them?
  Social media (for each member and a joint account), blog posts, management updates, media sites 
  Would you rather be signed to a mainstream or indepedent label?
  I want my artist, Amber Adams, to be signed to a mainstream label. A lot of pop artists are signed to mainstream labels as this is music that is played everyday, constantly on the radio and gains them a lot of money. There is also a high success rate, meaning that her album could do well, especially with the better promotion. Indie labels are usually more for artists that are a part of a genre that isn't so well established yet, like grime and even country (moreso in the UK).
  
  

- Jess

Research for Music Video: Andrew Goodwin

Hello!

This is my presentation about Andrew Goodwin's theory.




- Jess

Research for Music Video: Lip Sync Tutorial

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Here is my video I made during our lip sync tutorial.

- Jess

Introduction: Summer Work

Hiya!

This is my summer work below. The last minute of the Taylor Swift- Bad Blood music video.

- Heather.

Research: Heather's Lip Sync Tutorial

Hiya!

This is my lip syncing demo on premier pro!

-Heather

Research: Lip Sync Tutorial

Hello!

We have had a tutorial in lip syncing and have had some practice.

Here is my practice edit:

- Dan

Research for Music Video: What is the function of a music video?

Hello!

A music video is a visual representation of a song, and this is often an artist's newest single off of their current album. Usually a music video is purely to promote the song and the artist, which causes an increase in sales for the musician and their team. Videos also provide a link between an artist and their audience, as they are who the music is targeted towards.

However, a music video can also do other things. An artist may try to stir up controversy with their music video which leads to much more publicity for themselves along with reviews and articles written about them. It can also lead to the video becoming "iconic" and "legendary". An example of this is Madonna's earliest work, such as "Like a Virgin" where she used a lot of nudity as well as a lot of religious imagery which a lot of people didn't like and deemed disrespectful. A more recent example would be "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj. It features a lot of barely covered women dancing, phallic imagery and her dancing on Drake. This shows that this has been a recurring theme in music videos, and it has definitely benefitted the artists.

 Music videos can also have a message (which is often political) to send to the masses. An example of this is "They Don't Really Care About Us" by Michael Jackson. The song was about race and the government, and also mentioned police brutality and the sexual abuse allegations towards him. He had to film two videos as a lot of people disliked the original, which featured him in a prison, which reinforced his message against police brutality. The other was him visiting Brazil, which is also a country with a lot of racism. Michael Jackson is well known for his political videos, with "The Earth Song" and "Black or White" as two other examples.

- Jess

Research: Previous Student Video

Hello!

My preferred previous student video is:

The video is well edited and composed. The cuts used match the beat and/or the lyrics of the song - following the conventions of music videos. Furthermore, creative edits are used; an example being at 1'50" to go from one scene to another (and then again at 2'40"). The video also uses slow motion, jump cuts and have some base/master tracks - all following/conforming to Carol Vernallis' theory taken from her analysis of music videos. The video also has a narrative which amplifies the lyrics and the meaning behind them (about loss and grievance) - following Andrew Goodwin's theory.

- Dan

Introduction: Summer Work

Losing You - Solange Knowles (4 minutes, 20 seconds)

I chose this video, as it is one of my favourite songs, and I also love the tone of the video. It's very relaxed, and seems personal. It was filmed in South Africa, and Solange wanted to have tones relating to the English diaspore, hence the Union Jack appearing in the video.

Lip sync evaluation

Hey,

-Lily:P

Research Post 8: Previous Students Videos

Hey,

Obvious Edits - These go with Carol Vernallis theory on editing in music videos

This edit created a mirror effect in the middle of the frame,
drawing the audiences attention as it is obviously an
unnatural effect.

This edit created by one of the shots being slightly
transparent letting the second shot be seen at the same time.

By switching the colour scheme of the shot it draws
attention to the change.

Strengths

The use of slow motion gives this shot a very striking
look near the beginning of the sequence, drawing
in the audiences attention.

There are some really interesting uses of location and
costume in the sequence, like in this screenshot. 

They use a verity of props like the balloons and coloured smoke.

The student in the sequence performs well in front of the
camera and mouth movements look more natural
in the sequence, making the sequence look more
professional.

-Lily:P

Research Post 7: YouGov Profiler

Hey,
I looked at Fall Out Boys profile on YouGov to see what type of audience they have:

-Lily:P

Research Post 6: Laura Mulvey

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-Lily:P

Research Post 5: Carol Vernallis

Hey,

Carol Vernallis studied the editing and camerawork closely in music videos. She noticed that the editing use in music video's are different from the edits in films, which are; less frequent in music videos, many stand out as disjuncture and the editing seems to have a rhythmic base closely connected to the songs.


Main points of her observation:

- The usual rules of continuity editing are broken, to draw attention to whats on screen.
- Edits draw obvious attention (such as the transitions and VFXs added).
- Jumps cut are common.
- Base tracks are used to give the video structure.
- Camera may move in time with music.

Imagine Dragons - Roots

Example of Jump Cuts

Bastille - Things We Lost In The Fire

Example of obvious edits

Tom Odell - Can't Pretend

Example of multiple close-ups

-Lily:P

Research Post 4 : Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Hey,

Illustration

"Weird Al" Yankovic - White & Nerdy

 'White & Nerdy' is a parady of 'Ridin' by Chamillionarit ft. Krayzie Bone, the main base tracks of the singer(/Rapper) have almost an identical mise-en scene with the exception of the original artist. While the rest of the video follows the changed lyrics, giving a almost exact visual reproduction of what is being said.

Amplification

Ed Sheeran - 'Think out Loud' Official Video

This video follows the main forms of Amplification by having relevance to the lyrics while adding more to the meaning and visuals of the video. They do this by representing the emotions that Ed Sheeran was talking about in his lyrics through dance, adding performance to the video. I like how this works by remaining true to the emotions and the words while the idea of the video is quiet simple, but has a very powerful visual impact.

Disjuncture

The Prodigy- Warrior's dance (uncut)

This video is really quite strange and doesn't seem to have any connection to the lyrics making it a part of Andrew Goodwin's Disjuncture analysis. Although the song hasn't got a many lyrics and sounds more like it would be used as a soundtrack for a film/or TV show. I think the animation reflects this by telling a story entirely through visuals, without the need for any dialogue.

-Lily:p

Research Post 3 : What is the function of a music video?

Hey,





-Lily:P

Research Post 2 : Summer Work

Hey,
For my summer work I did this mood board for the first minute of The Pretender by FooFighters.

-Lily:P

Research: Audience Profiler

Hello!

These screenshots show the typical audience for Britney Spears, a pop artist.

- Dan

Research: Laura Mulvey's Theory on Representation

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Here is a presentation showing my understanding of Laura Mulvey's theory on the representation of women in the media.


- Dan

Research: Carol Vernallis' Analysis of Music Videos

Hello!

Here is a prezi, presenting my findings on Carol Vernalli's theory.



 - Dan

Research: Andrew Goodwins's Theory (The Structure of Music Videos)

Hello!

Andrew Goodwin's theory suggests that narrative analyses don't apply to pop videos. They rely on repetition. The video often repeats images in the way the song repeats choruses or lines.

There are three main types of relationships between songs and videos:

• Illustration
• Where the video is a direct representation of the lyrics whilst showing expressions of the feelings and moods presented in the song. 
• A good example is "I'm Not The Only One" by Sam Smith.

• Amplification
• Where the video isn't contradicting the meanings of the lyrics but adds new layers of meaning. 

• Disjuncture 
• Where there is little or no connection between the meanings of the lyrics and the content of the video.

Some videos are also for other purposes such as for the promotion of films. They often incorporate images from the movie in the video. A good example is "The Crazy Ones" by Paloma Faith - taken from the soundtrack of the film "Miss You Already".



 - Dan

Research: The Function of a Music Video

A music video is a visual representation of a recorded popular song (usually a single from an album or EP).

The main purpose of a music video is to promote the single, the album (or EP) the song comes from and the artist. 

Other purposes of music videos include:

• Creating something visual in order to:
• Give the artist a visual link with their audience
• Have a narrative/ tell a story
• Engage an audience
• Broadcast a song on TV
• Giving the artist the opportunity to perform the song
• Increasing sales
• Sometimes, to cause a reaction or be controversial

A music video does this by:

• Selling the song in a way that the audience is able to remember the song whilst building a visual link to the video.
• Providing the audience with an understanding of what the song is about – this helps engage the audience.

Entertaining the audience by highlighting the talents of the artist and anyone in the video – this can be done with dancing, singing, performing and even from the way an artist presents themselves visually (costume, make up, etc).

A good example of a music video does this is Selena Gomez’s “The Heart Wants What It Wants”.
 

The song is about being in love with someone that you probably shouldn’t still have feelings for but you can’t help it.

The music video explores this idea – providing the audience with an understanding of what the song is about. It does this by showing how a relationship might have been in the past (including some clips which are made grainy deliberately in order to make the footage as if it were recording on a home video camera – enabling the audience to feel closer to the artist) and then contrasting this with the painful emotions felt afterwards, or “now” (i.e. when the song is being/ was written).

The artist is also seen singing (lip syncing) the song and providing the entertainment factor to the video. The video then serves as a visual link to the song. I, myself, when thinking of this song – think of a black and white close up of Selena Gomez with tears streaming down her face and it has become a sub-conscious visual link.

- Dan