Effects and Split Screen

The idea of using split screen is one which very much appeals to the group. We think it would be a brilliant way of showing the contrast of the characters boring day jobs to the fun which they had back on this one day.

Here are a couple of examples of split screens used in music videos.

Mumford and Sons' use of split screen is really interesting. Quite often in videos it is split between two screens but having 4 split screens is really unique and could work really well with our video as we have four protagonists.

A split screen is also used in the video for HAIMs latest song 'The Wire'. Here again it shows that multiple split screens can be very effective rather than just sticking with two.

Another video which uses multiple split screens is 'The Bucket' by Kings of Leon. The way in which they change from image to image simultaneously within the split screens is very interesting.

We have also been thinking about editing and what effects we can use in our video to make it really eye catching.

A video which I think we can get some inspiration from is Icona Pop's 'I Love It'. It is very bold and bright and I think that the editing and the different effects used are really interesting. Also near the end of the video there is the use of multiple split screens.

Another video which stands out to me when thinking about effects and editing is Lana Del Reys 'Summertime Sadness'. The much more paler palette gives it a kind of washed out effect, which is something that would fit better with our song and the mood in which we want to create.

Task

Put Your Record On- Corinne Bailey Rae

For:

1) A big appeal was that the song is sung by a female artist and if we do choose to lip-sync it will fit and not look odd that four girls are singing a male song. 

2) I think the affects that we could use with this video would be really interesting.

3)This song also has a noticeably different sound to our other options as it is very summery and light- hearted, something that the group all really liked.

Against:

1) Although it has a very positive vibe we feel that the slow beat may restrict us when thinking about shots and camera movements. 

2) The lyrics may also limit us, as it may be difficult to interpret it in our own way as it would have to be very literal rather than creating a video with a more interesting narrative. 

3) Due to the sound of this song we also think that if we were to film outside, the weather best suited for this song would be summer and as the winter weather is fast approaching it would not suit the feel of the song.

My Number- Foals

For:

1) It is from the indie/ rock genre that we have been interested in. This genre allows us to go down pretty much any route when thinking about a narrative.

2) It is instantly recognisable and the song is very distinctive. 

3) As a group none of us could conjure up a solid concept that would fit the song.

Against:

1) An obvious reason is that it is sung by a male band. Although the group liked the idea of choosing a male singer, we can see that we may be limiting ourselves, when we can choose from a wide range of female singers.

2) The song is very focused around the instruments and the singing so it could perhaps be hard to bring a narrative into it therefore it may be best to solely focus around the band and the music rather than a story line.

3) Similar to the second point I personally think that we may be too influenced by the video when it comes to the band and the affects.

One Day/ Reckoning Song- Asaf Avidan vs Wankelmut

What are the reasons for choosing this song and discarding the others?

We have ultimately decided on this song because we feel it is the most appropriate song for our group and we really feel we can create a good video that will connect well with the song. The main reasons for choosing this song include the upbeat sound which gives us a variety of paths to go down when thinking of a narrative. As we are choosing the remix version of the song it also adds something as it makes it more electronic which is completely different to the original.

Lyrics

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
x2

(One day...)

No more tears, my heart is dry
I don't laugh and I don't cry
I don't think about you all the time
But when I do – I wonder why
x4

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
x6

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old

(One day...)

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
x2

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old

One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
x2



I don't think it is going to take to long to remember the lyrics...

Star Project- Prince

“A star is an image constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) from a range of materials – eg advertising and magazines, as well as films and music.” Richard Dyer

For this task I have chosen to study Prince, as he has had a long and very successful music career as well as being a very talented actor,musician, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. His music has been influenced by Rock, R&B, Soul, Funk, Hip-Hop, Electronica, Disco, Jazz and Pop so the numerous genres coincide with our chosen song and also give an idea of his wide audience.

Prince started his music career in 1976 and is still working to this present day. Having produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career Princes' fan base has expanded. 'For You' his debut album was released in 1978 but only reached 163 on The Billboard 200. Although the reviews are not bad, many believed it didn't quite show his true potential. His 1979 self titled album 'Prince' however, went platinum and this is when his career truly began. The album showcases his very sexual lyrics which Prince has now become known for. The sleeve also reflects the songs on the album and show his very out there and extravagant style. From his debut album to his second album you see a big style transformation as the 'For You' artwork is very plain and simple compared to the very bold style in the second cover work.

In 1984, Prince began to call his back up band the Revolution and the album Purple Rain was released. The album sold over 13 million copies in the US and spent 24 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Along with this album the film also titled 'Purple Rain' won an Academy Award and grossed more than $80 million. The success of both the film and the album promoted Prince even more and showcased his growing popularity. After 1986 the Revolution disbanded and Prince slightly altered his music. After the Revolution, he debuted the New Power Generation band in 1991. This band had far more input with the overall sound, something which the Revolution never had. This shows that throughout his career the change of bands has also slightly altered his sound and maybe also changing his audience.

In 1994, Prince set out to eject himself from his contractual obligations to Warner Bros as he believed 'the label was intent on limiting his artistic freedom'. It is clear that the numerous changes in his career are important to him as he is allowed to experiment all trying to entertain and expand his audience. Prince also blamed Warner Bros for the poor marketing of 'The Love Symbol' album. As marketing and promoting is such a key stage in the releasing of an album it is clear that Princes' low success with certain albums could be because of the insufficient marketing from the Record Label. He was desperate to disconnect himself with the label so went to the extremity of changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol known as 'The Love Symbol'. 

“The first step I have taken toward the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Bros. was to change my name from Prince to the Love Symbol. Prince is the name that my mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros... I was born Prince and did not want to adopt another conventional name. The only acceptable replacement for my name, and my identity, was the Love Symbol, a symbol with no pronunciation, that is a representation of me and what my music is about. This symbol is present in my work over the years; it is a concept that has evolved from my frustration; it is who I am. It is my name.”

His contract with Warner Bros expired and in 1998 he signed to a new label Arista Records. In 2000, he returned to using the name 'Prince' but continued using the symbol on his album artwork.

Princes' dazzling stage presence and flamboyant costumes have always been a large factor in his success, but his musical transformation and his extreme change of name has also grabbed audiences attention. He appeals to a wide audience due to the variety of genres that he has been influenced by and I also think that his multiple talents such as an actor, a singer and a multi-instrumentalist proves that he is a star.

Asaf Avidad

Just a bit of background information on our chosen artist Asaf Avidad

Concept

Here is a group vlog and a couple of images to explain our concept.

Pitch

Today was pitching day and each group took it in turns to explain their ideas to the class and hope for some feedback on their concepts. For us we were happy with our chosen song- 'My Number' by Foals- and we all had some ideas on camera movements and angles, and also props but we hadn't quite yet solidified a concept. After a very unorganised pitch which I think just confused the class, they asked to hear our other options. 'One Day' by Asaf Avidan was a song which we thought of immediately and the reactions were far more positive. The class believed we could create a far better music video with this song. They highlighted that we were limiting ourselves by choosing a male band as, if we were to decide on lip-syncing it would not quite work with four girls singing a male song unless we were to do it ironically, which wasn't our initial plan.

After some more deliberation we have all decided that the best song for our group is 'One Day/ Reckoning Song' by Asaf Avidan (Wankelmut Remix). We feel that their is a lot more flexibility with this song and we are not limiting ourselves when it comes to lip-syncing. Although 'One Day' is by a male artist we feel we can get away with this, as personally when first hearing this song I did in fact believe it was a woman so their should be no problems if we were to decide to lip sync.

The class discussion helped us to think of a concept and I feel that we all came to the realisation that we were making the task of creating a music video far harder for ourselves than it had to be. So all in all, even though we have changed our song and I cannot promise that we wont change our minds again, we have actually now come up with a strong concept for 'One Day'. Result!

We have finally decided!

Anna and I before our group meeting yesterday had a scroll through my phone to see if we could come up with anymore ideas. We both really liked the initial sound of 'My Number' by Foals - a song that Lucy mentioned last lesson. The distinctive sound immediately allows the audience to know what song it is so the strong opening is important.

We then at lunchtime had a meeting to discuss our final decisions. With a variety of options floating around, myself and Anna put forward the idea of Foals. We all took another listen and we were sold. We love the sound of it and we think we can play around and be creative when it comes to the beat and the use of shots and editing. We are going to pitch and see if we can come up with a narrative.

Ideas

We can't yet reach a unanimous vote on what song we would like to do!

Me and Lucy for the first time EVER actually agreed on a song- 'Send me on my way' by Rusted Roots. Unfortunately Anna and Rachel absolutely hated the idea of doing this song for our music video. We thought we could take it down a very hippy and happy route but their opinion couldn't be swayed.



We then came across 'One Day' by Asaf Avidan (Wanklemut Remix). Although we did like the original version, the remix we feel allows us more freedom when it comes to camera movements and also editing as it is more upbeat which will allow us to be more creative.



Both of these songs coincide with our initial idea of a fun and upbeat music video.

Research

Although the song has not yet been decided I think it is important to begin to look at other music videos to get some ideas and hopefully some inspiration for our own video.
'Here with Me' by The Killers is always a music video that stands out to me! It was directed by Tim Burton so you can almost expect the strangeness of the video. Although a little weird I think it is a really interesting video that has quite a Gothic feel, which coincides well with the mood of the song.



There is a brilliant narrative which allows the audience to interpret it in their own way. Similarly I'm hoping for our video to leave a little to the imagination and to not do something too literal.

Ideas

Myself, Lucy, Anna and Rachel have been reunited and we are again Mac 4 for A2. Over the summer we briefly discussed song ideas for our music video. Although undecided on a song we are all pretty much on the same page when it comes to our ideas for the music video, as we have all agreed that we hope for something quite light-hearted and upbeat. From this we have been thinking about more mainstream music and also maybe even a song from a different era such as from the 70's or 80's. Here are a few ideas...

Corinne Bailey Rae- Put your Records On



A big contender! A very light-hearted song which we feel doesn't limit us when thinking about our theme for our music video as we feel we could go down any route when thinking about a narrative.

Amy Winehouse- Valerie



A very popular song but we are unsure if this is a positive thing or not as we may be too influenced by the video as we feel it is a song that leaves little space for a narrative and seems to us that it should be solely focused on the singing. Then again the song has a very 60's feel to it so is an option.

Fleetwood Mac- Dreams



A classic! This song was also a popular song with the group. We all love the fact that it is from the 70's and we are interested to see if we can come up with a good story line to go along with the song.

Preliminary Task

Before the summer holidays we had the task of recreating a music video so Lucy, Hannah and myself teamed up to create our own version of Hit Me Baby One More Time. Although our main focus was lip syncing we thought we would also show off our talented dance moves... Here it is