On Wednesday the 7th of December I invited Gabriel a friend from school to view my music video so far. Over the the last few weeks the video has changed quite dramaticall, and on Monday and Tuesday I changed my introduction. My introduction was orignally shots of Camden, the lead singer , bridges and bottles of drink to introduce the world of the lead singer and also to create a grubby and shabby setting. On Monday I decided to use the shots of my lead singer walking across the cobbled stones, him posing by the wall and the bottles of drink and make this into one big shot of the three images using the cropping tool. I then used a shot of Camden and an empty bed in my introduction to create more of a narrative and suggest that Rowan wanted escapsim. I wanted Gabriel to view my video because I wanted to get an outsider's first thoughts and impression of my work. I asked Gabriel questions such as : What does the video signify to you?, What was your frist impression of the video? and What did you think of the use of effects? The answers and feedback I received from Gabriel now allows me to add more to my video and he also helped to give me an insight into how other people might view my music video.
Questions and Answers:
What was your first impression of the music video?
When I first viewed this video I thought of loneliness and depression. The video did not signify anger to me , I was mainly given the impression that it was about sadness.
What did you think of the use of effects?
I believe that the cutaway shots could definitely be longer and have more of a narrative. I liked the fading and the black and white was interesting, to me it suggested that the band was properly a past time to him or a distant memory.
Overall what does the music video signify to you?
It signifies someone very lonely who is not part of the crowd and does not have many friends or conform to soceity. The lead singer looks very soulful and reflective.
Do you think the music video fitted with the song?
Yes I did , the dark colours and gloomy effects really fitted the genre of music. The lead singer looked lost and almost trapped, which is reflected through the lyric as well.
This week I felt much more confident when editing. I had great footage from my shoot with Rowan in Camden. So I had more variety of shots to edit and play around with. After Jim Cole visited it was decided that I would focus on the lead singer more then the band. Therefore when choosing shots this week, I used shots of just Rowan and also chose shots of the two male band members. This week I played around and explored effects, using effects such as 'cold steel' and 'black and white'. This transported my average shots of buses, street lamps and trees into gothic and eerie shots. I also watched a series of youtube videos on final cut pro tutorials . After this I learnt how to stabalize my shots, crop my shots and create transitions. Using these new techniques my video began to look more interesting and visually pleasing to watch. I also managed to lip sync the first half of the video perfectly and I will be working on the second half during next week. When reviewing the video and my progress with my teacher, it was decided that my introduction was still too slow. So this week I will be focusing my attention on creating quicker cutaway shots. Overall I feel very happy with my progress.
Genre:
When looking at Gallagher's magazine advertisement it is apparent that the genre is indie/ soft rock. Indie stands for independent music that is independent from the mainstream record labels and commercialism (Sony, Universal etc). Some of the reasons why I believed the advert is of the indie genre is because it is not heavily stylised, uses dark colours and its construction to give the impression that he is going alone. There are no well known record labels such as EMI advertised on the advert. This suggests that he does not belong to the mainstream pop genre and instead is more alternative.
Representation:
Gallagher stands with his arms folded, and a serious look on his face which is partly shaded suggesting moodiness and mysteriousness. Gallagher's stance give the viewer the impression he is a strong, macho, aggressive and defensive male. This is a very stereotypicial and traditional way that he is represented. David Gauntlett, a Professor of media and communications at the University of Westminster, London and also media theorist believed that men are seen in the media as obsessed with "football, cars, drinking, music and the rock n roll lifestyle". Gauntlett studied men's magazines such as FHM, Loaded and Maxim. All of these magazines perceived men as being "macho,into sport, good at everything, skilled in all things and good in bed". The image of Gallagher fits very well into the way men are stereotyped in the media today. Gallagher's pose does indeed suggest the "Rock n Roll lifestyle" and "machoness and masculinity". Audience identification with Gallagher is that he is wearing a suit which gives you the impression he is serious about his music and also gives him a sense of maturity and formality. Gallagher appears to be in his early to mid thirtes , his age has connotations such as wisdom , knowledge and experience therefore making his music more reliable and trustworthy.
My video however goes against the male stereotype presented in Gallagher's advert and also in men's magazines. Rowan the lead singer of my video is presented as more soulful, lonely , sensitive and artistic. My video displays no football, fast cars or women but instead uses gloomy settings such as Camden. Despite my video not conforming to the stereotypical way men are seen, my video does subscribe to some aspects of the male stereotype such as the "rock n roll lifestyle".
Textual analysis
The colours of the advertisement are black and dark green. The black makes the advert appear gloomy,depressing and shadowy , it makes Gallagher appear as if he has a secret or has something to hide. The green can be linked to the supernatrual or space , the green isolates Gallagher from society. This is because Gallagher is keen to be seen as an individual and separated from his orignial band. The camera angle used is a mid shot to show his arms which are crossed in a defensive gesture. The mid shot allows the viewer to see Gallagher's body language and this is very important because it gives you the impression his music is moody and intense. The mid shot is also necessary to capture Gallagher's expression. The advert is shot at a low camera angle, the low angle gives Gallagher high status, control and suggests that the audience looks up to Gallagher and is below him. Shooting from a low angle also makes Gallagher look more intimidating and mighty.
At the top left hand side of the advert it reads "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds" in block capitials. The capitals make the title stand out more noticably and loud. The writing however is quirky the "O" in Noel's name is written in a quirky and alternative looking font. The writing is not perfectly straight this is slightly child like and tones down the aggression of the advert, it also suggests that Gallagher is not perfect and does not like many other artists conform. At the bottom of the advert is written a list of quotes from magazines such as 'The Times'. The writing is written in times new roman font so that it appears official. The advert has singled at the best quotes from some of the most well known magazines such as 'The Telegraph', therefore the viewer is more likely to buy Gallagher's music or see him in concert because a trustworthy source believes his music is good.
Theodore Adorno believed in something called "false needs". "False needs" were created by the capitalist system to replace people's true needs, such as freedom and the full expression of human potential and genuine human creativity. In other words what Adorno is communicating is that shows such as the 'X Factor' , 'Eastenders' and 'Pop Idol' distract society away from questioning the Government and how soceity is ruled. Therefore a lot of the world has become politically empathic and instead makes art not just for expression anymore but instead money. Consequently, linking this back to the advert for Gallagher, the quotes from the magazines are not only used to show off his music but also to gain him more money by attracting more viewers. Fans are more likely going to be interested in seeing Gallagher perform if he has been recommended by very superior industries. When creating my music video advertisement I am going to subscribe to the "false needs" catergory by advertising quotes by magazines and the press. It will attract more viewers, giving my band more popularity. The magazine quotes can also be tied in with another one of Adorno's theories "Commodity fetishism". This means that social relations and cultural experiences are objectified in terms of money, and we are delighted by something because of its cost. So when looking at Gallagher's advert people will be delighted to see the quotations from impressive magazines because they are financially successful companies.
On Tuesday the 22nd of November I did some more filming. After Jim Cole's visit it was agreed that my music video would be mainly performance based focusing on the lead singer. Therefore I had to get a larger variety of shots of only Rowan. We met in Camden outside the Roundhouse at seven thirty. We then spent two and a half hours shooting.We shot at Camden market, near the Roundhouse , Chalk Farm and Belsize Park.
Styling :
Rowan turned up to the shoot wearing a Lou Reed T-shirt , baggy jeans , blue hoody and Nike trainers. This look is very contemporary and a classic urban style which didn't need much interference. Lou Reed suggested that he was a fan of rock music which is of a similar style to my music video. The hoody created a teenage angst representation. Rowan's hair was swept back and slightly messy as if he had just left a house party or rock concert , which fitted the video's image perfectly. Rowans hoop earring and silver ring showed his individuality. Typically in Indie music videos the band members are often quite androgynous, wearing skinny jeans with long hair and tight fitting shirts and sometimes eyeliner. This especially true of the eighties scene which was one of my influences. However Rowan does not conform to any of these stereotypes but brings his own contemporary style to the set.
Technical - Camera , Shots and Lighting :
The technical equiment I used was a Sanyo Xacti film camera and a tripod. During my last shoot in Camden , I had filmed most of the shots hand held. Therefore a lot of the shots turned out shaky, so the majority of my time on final cut pro was spent stabilizing shots. So this time round I filmed everything using a tripod. We began filming at around seven thirty in the evening, the only lighting we were able to use was from the street lights and shop lights. This created a gloomy and gritty effect that looked great on camera. I filmed a lot of long shots of Rowan on wide streets , this made Rowan stand out and isolated him. I also filmed a lot of close ups to show Rowan's moody nature and attitude.
On the 21st of November I was paid a visit by the well known music director Jim Cole. Cole has worked with artists such as U2 and more recently he was the assistant director on the John Lewis Christmas advert.
At the start of our discussion, I introduced the concept of my music video , and spoke about the shooting process and the image I wanted to create. I also said that I did not want a narrative , however this shortly changed when I began to edit. Jim explained to me that it was not always necessary to have a narrative and instead I could create a performance based video that only focused on the lead singer. After agreeing with this choice we began to go through my rushes and mark in and out points. It was decided during the course of looking at the rushes that the out of focus or "accidental" footage was the most interesting and in some cases the most usable. We decided to drag certain rushes into the timeline and play around with effects.
Previously when editing, I had not applied any effects , or experimented with saturation or colour wheels. The most used effect that we applied to certain clips was 'coldsteel', this was a dark blue wash. The 'coldsteel' transported my shots of boring London buses into grungy, dark and alluring sights. As we continued to look through the rushes, we decided what close ups and long shots would be best to use. It was also decided that it would be a good idea to re shoot the lead singer during the evening at Camden. By deciding to re shoot, it meant I was able to get more footage of Rowan in order to make the video more of a performance base for him as the lead singer. Cole also told me to experiment with angles when filming buildings to make them appear more interesting . He explained to me that I would have to cut out a lot of footage I was already using, so we decided to cut the drummer out of the video. This was because we personally felt that she did not appear to have the right attitude like the other band members , and her presence broke the mood of the video, as she was always smiling in areas which didn't suit the song. Along with cutting the drummer we decided to cut the day time shots of the band and extras running. This was because the night time shots created a darker and moodier atmosphere. Cole told me to crop certain shots where certain members looked good , or crop shots of the band performing so that the audience could focus on Rowan. Cole gave me advice such as find strong visual and static shots.
Jim Cole's visit made me feel more confident and I feel I can now create a strong and visually pleasing video.
On Friday, 5th of November I filmed the second part of my music video in Camden Town during the evening. The filming began at five in the afternoon. The first hour was shot in the guest bedroom in my house. The guest bedroom is very plain with white walls and little funiture. I shot Rowan lying on the bed whilst singing. This gave the audience the impression that Rowan was reflective and melancholy. After shooting this we headed to Camden at around six 'o' clock. During the trip to Camden on the bus I filmed the band sitting as a group looking outside of the window. When we arrived at Camden I took a variation of shots around the market. Some of the band stood by the canal, at cafe tables and by market stools. Camden Market is known for being edgy and alternative therefore it was the perfect location to film my band. The shoot finished at eight 'o' clock.
Camden Town
Breakdown of the Basement Party shoot :
Styling : I chose Camden as my location because it's grungy and world renowned as a place to shop for quirky and alternative fashion. Camden also possesses a lively nightlife with bars and venues for bands that play edgy and punky gigs. The cobbled stones, old statues and market stalls create an old and gothic vibe, especially at night. Camden is a well known hangout place for young crowds and teenagers, therefore the band blended in perfectly into the surroundings. When we began filming in Camden it was already dark therefore the dim lights of the market stalls, and fluorescent street lights created interesting and unusual lighting on film. This matched the unusual and quirky image of the band. Before we headed to Camden I filmed in the spare bedroom. I chose this location because of its white walls and basic layout. Its basic layout and plain white walls made Rowan stand out. It was also a very melodramatic setting. I decided I wanted Rowan to be lying down on the bed as this is a common trait belonging to teenagers who are known for their oversleeping and lazy behaviour. It also suggested a kind of isolation and inertia.
Hair and Make up :
Before the band members showed up they did their hair and makeup themselves, based on the make up we did for the first shoot. Sarah the only female band member wore dark eyeliner and eye shadow whilst the boys wore a light coating of foundation to hide blemishes. The clothing the band wore was similar to the outfits they wore on the first shoot with checkered shirts and darkly coloured hoodies. The clothes fitted the bands unusual image and blended in perfectly with the alternative settings of Camden.
Technical :
The camera I used for the shoot was a Sanyo Xacti photo and film camera and a tripod. For the majority of the shoot I shot handheld and used the tripod for filming close up shots of the lead singer at bars and cafes. The handheld shots were slightly shaky. This created a slightly surreal and drunken effect. I used quick zooms when shooting Rowan in the bedroom , because Rowan was lying down on the bed when I shot him in the spare bedroom I wanted to use close ups so the audience could see his melancholic and moody expressions.
Thoughts and reflections:
Overall I was pleased with how the shoot turned out. I believe I got some interesting and very useable shots. However If I could redo the shoot I would have used the tripod more as some shots were out of focus. Despite wanting something reflecting confusion the out of focus shots just appeared blurred.
On the week of November the 7th I uploaded my film onto Final Cut Pro and began editing. I began by putting the best shot of my band performing in the studio onto Final Cut Pro. I then went through my shots and decided which shots I would use as cut aways from my band performing. At the start of the song the introduction features quick beats, which I thought was perfect for a montage of quick images of the band.
I used images of the band on the bus, running down the street and playing their instruments. I chose these images because they are fast paced and show the band interacting as a unique and lively group. Over the week I also tried to match the lead singer's lip syncing to the song which I uploaded onto Final Cut Pro. This proved to be very difficult and this is still a work in progress. I went through my shots and decided which ones were useable and which ones weren't. At the end of the week I sat with my teacher and discussed my work so far. When reviewing it, it was decided that the lip syncing needed to be matched more accurately and the opening shots needed to be shorter and replaced with more focus shots. Next week I plan to work on my opening more and also keep developing the lip syncing and create more of a narrative.
