Sunday, 22 September 2013

Beachcombing

Keyisha Cole -Trust and Believe


Costume
There are a range of costumes in this music video, both casual and glamorous. When she is in the yellow dress it expresses how much of a diva she is. This appeals to a female audience who particularly enjoys fashion and therefore appreciate the artists sense of style. Therefore, they may want to be like her and get a similar dress. In addition, she wears a simple cardigan when she is at home, this connotes how she is like everybody else. This appeals to the audience as they see her as a normal person, who also goes through difficult situations and that her life is not always glitz and glam. 

Narrative: 
The music video emphasises the lyrics. It's evident that the Repetition and Difference theory has been applied to this music video because it's starts off with the artists boyfriend cheating on her, with her best friend and she then catches them in action - this is expected by the audience. Afterwards, she chases them out the house and they ( the best friend and boyfriend) drive off together but in this process crash then sadly die - this is the shocking twist that the audience do not expect. This narrative appeals to a female audience in particular because the  artist is female, so they can personally relate (U&G) to the text as they understand the situation better. Furthermore, for those that have experienced being cheated on, it gives them the self confidence to be more independent and not be pushed around in a relationship, as it's such an uplifting and motivational song - "I'm so over you, go get lost". 

Style and conventions: 
This video uses narrative as its style. It's an emotional story that highlights themes such as cheating and friendships, which are everyday issues that occur in the real world, so therefore the text holds verisimilitude. I think they chose the right style as the song it's self is very touching and holds a lot of meaning, therefore it's only right that it was accompanied by a heartwarming narrative. This style appeals to the target audience as the story is so raw and causes the viewer to feel sympathetic towards the text. Moreover, the twist at the end is shocking and gets the audience to talk about it to their friends - social interaction (U&G), as it's an horrific ending that causes a stir within the audience. This appeals to them as the video steers away from the typical cheating story and has an exciting twist that intrigues the viewer.

The artist is a soul/RnB, just like the one I chose it my project. Their style of music is similar as well as their look and personality. Keyshia Cole moves around a lot and her body language expresses her emotions. From 0:33 to 0:36, she points her finger as she sings "thinking of all your excuses", this action connotes her anger of being lied to as she points to the audience. Therefore, when I'm making my music video I will make surely chosen actress expresses what the song is about through her body language. Lastly, fast cuts are used from 0:08 till 0:16. They are sharp and cut exactly to the beat of the music. I like this idea and wish to use this technique for my music video, as my chosen song has a similar beginning. 

Jessie J - Who you are 



Costume:
Jessie J only wears one costume throughout the whole video, the institution chose to do this so that the audience focus on the meaning of the song because if she had many glamorous costumes it would be very distracting. By doing this it adds to the seriousness of the video and the message if is trying to portray. This appeals to the target audience as it's a motivational song that pushes individuals to believe they are perfect the way they are and there is no reason to change. The artist connects with the viewer on a personal level and becomes an inspiration to them. 

Narrative: 
There is no narrative. It's just the artist looking into the camera and for most of the time staying in the same position. Yet again this was done on purpose as little movements forces the audience to pay attention the song and it's message. 

Style and conventions: 
The institution that made this video decided to use an impressionist style. Although the lyrics don't match what the viewer is watching, the images still set a mood/tone that matches the song. For instance, in the video there is a theme of blue and grey used - the use of these colours set the mood, as blue connotes sadness which matches the song, as it creates a serious atmosphere. By doing this it gives the audience a powerful experience as the artist breaks the forth wall and looks straight into the camera, making it seem like she is talking directly to the audience and giving them advice. This in turn makes the audience feel appreciated. 

I like how only one location has been used. It's not boring at all since it's perfect for the song because it connotes how isolated she is in the room (which represents the pressures of external factors) and how she will be herself no matter what. Moreover, I really love how she just sits and sings into the camera. I may use this elements when making my music video as it breaks a barrier and really gets the audience to hear you out!

Aaliyah - One in a million



Costume
The artists costumes consist of wearing crop tops and baggy trousers - these were what was in style in the late 90's. The clothes are revealing but in a classy way. The camera emphasised this by making the camera linger on her body, this teased the viewer and forced them to appreciate her body. Aaliyah was a role model and so the audience look up to her as a fashion icon. They want to wear what she's wearing as she was cool and was setting new trends. 

Narrative:
There is no clear narrative used in this text. 

Styles and conventions: 
This text uses the impressionist style as the song does not match what we see visually, however the images highlight the mood of the song. The song for this text is soothing this is matched by the camera movements, which are slow and create a relaxing atmosphere for the audience. This music is considered to be old school, so if  you listen to it in the present day it causes you reminisce as it carries a certain tone that causes the listener to just think about things. This appeals to a more older and experienced audience, who listened to this while growing up and it makes them think about the good old days. 

The main reason I picked this video is because it used a lot of movement eg pans and I plan to to also use a range of camera movements in my piece of work, as it suites the mood of my song and it's very conventional for soul/rnb/pop genre to use this technique. 

Vanessa Carlton - A thousand miles 



Costume: 
She doesn't wear anything amazing, just casual everyday clothes. This just shows how she is like anybody else and so the audience relate to her because they see her as on their level. 

Narrative: 
There is no narrative. The artist is playing a piano but travelling at the same time - the image reflects the lyrics as she is walking "thousand miles" (kind of). This could appeal to an audience who has an interest in travelling, as the artist goes through many different environments. 

Conventions: 
This music video uses the impressionist style, as the images reflect the mood of the song. The song is upbeat and catchy - it is accompany by a  memorable video, that will get the audience talking as having a moving piano hasn't been done before. 

I like the idea of the moving piano. I obviously can't achieve this due to not having the state of the art equipment available to me. However, it still pushes me to be creative about my work and think outside the box. 

Ed Sheeran - A team



Costume: 
The girl is wearing a simple hoodie and shorts. It's very chavy but is effective in signifying her poor living situation. Viewers may be able to relate as they might have gone through a situation when they couldn't afford something and so they sympathise with the character, as nobody would like to lead such a difficult life. 

Narratative: 
The music video tells a story of a girl who is living in poverty an trying to make ends meet. The story highlights themes such as poverty. For example, the girl wakes up on a park bench wearing a blanket this connotes that she is homeless. Poverty is something that something that many people experience in their everyday life's, it may happen around us or we hear of it. Therefore, the audience can understand this theme as it's a realistic situation that actually happens. 

Style and conventions:
The style used is a narrative. It reinforces what the song is about - not being in the best of situations and trying to survive. This style has an impact on the audience as a lot of emotion develops from watching someone being in a tough situation. It gives the audience a wake up call about the world we live in and makes the viewer feel thankful for what they already have compared to the unfortunate girl from the music video. This appeals to the audience as the viewer watches the video hoping she finds a way out and so it keeps them on their toes. So, when she doesn't escape her situation is highlights the reality of life and even in a music video there is not always a happy ending. 

I love this music video, firstly because it was made in the UK. So,the locations used are so simple - not at all exotic, however they are just perfect for the song. I want to achieve this for my music video, as I want to use locations that are relevant to my chosen song. Moreover, the use of black and white through the whole video is clever as it sets the mood of the song - dull and dark, connoting that this girl is drained and sees the world around her as bleak. I may use the idea of black and white but not throughout my whole music video, as it would just be to depressing and the song is upbeat. 

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