Analysis of existing materials: Rock.

As i have already stated the main conventions of music videos, i am now going to define what the conventions of the different genres of music videos are. I am going to analyse a: Rock and Folk video to define their conventions so when i choose a band/ musician I can decide weather to follow the conventions or to challenge them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhWZ7bpfQag

U2 -Vertigo
'Released by Universal Island Records on November 8th 2004. The first single to be taken from the band’s as yet untitled 11th studio album, which will be released on November 22nd, Vertigo is an epic U2 track laced with big guitars and soaring vocals. It was recorded at the band’s Hanover Quay Studio in Dublin and produced by Steve Lilly white.'
The genere of us's music is rock and from this video i will establish the conventions of rock music videos.

The video starts with a Long shot of the band in position out in a desert somewhere and a series of cut are made to the beat of the music showing each member of the band. This is a common relationship between the music and the visuals and creates an upbeat tone for the piece.

There is also relationship between the lyrics and the visuals for example when Bono sings the lyrics Unos, dos, tres, catorce [1,2,3,14] he visually shows us by lifting his fingers up, one two three. Another example (around 1min17) the lyrics "Jesus round the neck" and Bono again pulls down his shirt to reveal a crucifix on a chain around his neck. Another lyrical interpretation is of the title Vertigo. Vertigo is a medical form of dizziness and they create this in their video. Firstly from the spinning circles around them, spinning and confusion lead to dizziness.

Quick paced editing of different shots of the musicians performing so the image becomes confusing, meaning the video is mostly concept based as there is no narrative structure in the piece. And as the song musically begins to reach a climax with the solo guitar section, the visual imagery also does as the spirals begin spinning frantically spinning. (around 2minutes into the video)

Throughout the piece there is Micky mousing, from Bono and the back up singer. This reinforces to the audience that the band are actually singing the music.


(FINISH THIS) CHECK ALL SECTIONS.

Conventions & History of Music Videos.

Definition: A music video is a short film or video which accompanies a complete song/ piece of music. They are recorded using a wide range of styles of filming techniques which are usually structured with a narrative, abstract or a blend of the two. They are made to promote through entertainment and offer voyeuristic pleasure.

5 main conventions of every music video:

1. Performance
2. Narrative
3. Lyrical representation (editorial, cuts to the beat of the song etc)
4. Lyrical interpritation
5. Abstract - visual imagery, moods, tone, feel.

Editing:Continuity editing is generally not used in music videos, and montage is.

Forms of early music videos created in 1940's could be found in the form of e-song films called promotional clips, made for the Panoram visual jukebox. These shot films where of the musicians, usually filmed on a movie set made for playing. The jukeboxes would be placed in pubs and bars for members of the public to watch, as it helped increase moral after the war and provided great entertainment. But the main reason was to promote their music to as wide audience as possible.

The real start of the term music videos wasn't until 1964, when The Beatles starred in a feature film, A Hard Days Night, directed by Richard Lestor. The film was a low budget, black and white mock documentary which featured the band fooling around in various areas and these scenes where strung together with different soundtracks. The Beatles where the first band to write and perform their own songs and this made them famous worldwide. By producing music promo videos this enabled The Beatles to distribute their music world wide, making millions of pounds from a low budget film.

In 1965 The Beatles produced their second film promo, Help!. This was totally different in style as a lot more money was spent. Locations such as The Alps, Switzerland and the Bahamas where used as filming bases, and this gave a higher quality. Help was also more advanced as parts where filmed in colour and special effects where used for example, the piano notes appear on screen when they are going down the ski slope.

Another main difference in this promo was the use of Micky Mousing. All these techniques are ones which where developed and still used today. But the main reason bands like The Beatles made promo videos was again to distribute and promote their music so they didnt have to make personal appearances.

Throughout late 1960's to 1970's promotional videos grew dramatically in importance of distribution of music worldwide.

On August 1st 1981, acces to music videos was changed forever as the channel known as MTV was born. The channel was devoted 24/7 to distributing music videos from various rock and roll artists including Rod Stuart. Originally available to only 2.5 million subscribers, MTV cost Warner a modest $30 million to launch. By 1983 it was the highest-rated cable channel to date, reaching 13 million households. But now MTV now reaches 248 million homes in 58 countries though there is lots of competetion from other channels now.

Distribution of music videos changed again because of the creation of VHS in the late 1980's/ early 1990's because ordinary people could buy an artisist music video and watch it in their own homes. For example January10th 1989 Micheal Jackson released Moonwalker and it was a hit worldwide.

Nowadays it is as easy as ever to indulge in music videos, firstly because of the internet and secondly becauese of TV. Sky currently has 32 channels in the Music section 6 of which are MTV channels. Also now websites such as Youtube allow artists of all calibers to upload videos and distribute them worldwide to thousands of veiwers for free.

Introduction.

Brief:
A promotional package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with:

• a cover for its release om DVD
• a magazine advertisement for the DVD

The purpose of this unit is:

• To asses my ability to PLAN and CONSTRUCT media products, using appropriate technical and creative skills.
• To asses my APPLICATION of KNOWLEDGE and show an UNDERSTANDING in EVALUATING my own work and showing how meanings and responses for an AUDIENCE are created.

I will present all my work and findings on this here blog, building up a Media Portfolio week by week.

My Deadline is 18/12/09.

LIIAR!

For the main task of my advanced portfolio in media I am going to create a full length music video for a musician from the folk/rock genre of music. Once I have completed the main task i will also complete the two ancillary tasks stated above. To help kick start my work and develop my ideas I have applied LIIAR to the genre of music video i am going to create.

Language - The way in which I present my music video, through images, location, lyrical interpritation, editing, lighting and costume will determine how my target audience perceive it. Modern music videos play on voyeristic pleasure and other conventional techniques in order to appeal to their chosen target audiences and to forfill their needs.

Institution -

Ideology - The ideology behind all music promo videos is to promote an artists song through entertainment offering voyeristic pleasure to a mass audience. This is acheived through different mediums: including the internet, websites such as youtube; TV, on the many music channels; downloaded onto ipods and other electrical devices or released on DVD. Every music video is either performanced baced, narrative baced or concept baced or even a mixture of the three.

Audience -

Representation -