'Scrapbook' Of Ideas For My Music Video

I have decided to create a 'Scrapbook' of ideas for my music video. I will paste relevant images of ideas and relevant notes. I basically want to build a creative overall idea for the video by brainstorming small ideas.

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Where will I shoot the video? (ideas) ... Some shots in a photo studio (black backdrop) e.g. the first shot. Outside my house: greenery area with trees, white spooky looking building could be used. Bar at auntie's house for the bar shots, her garden for some of the hunting shots. Interior of house for closet/possibly first shot.


First shot: wearing wolf mask, wearing posh but old fashioned looking clothes. Sprawled on a sofa bed/preferably red to show she is posh. Could even use a still image for this shot as no movement from the she-wolf is needed (in this shot) so I am able to easily edit colours and lighting.

The mask should be 'creepy' looking and slightly realistic but also have an exaggerated look about it to make it seem surreal and therefore even more creepy. I should make the clothing worn when wearing the mask feminine, preferably a dress, to emphasis the fact that the wolf is a 'she-wolf.' I could also make sure that her hair is visible around the mask to also emphasise the fact that the creature is a 'she wolf.' I can buy a mask from a fancy dress shop as this will be easier then making one and will also look more realistic.








The She-Wolf should look as feminine as possible to define the character - a 'she' wolf. Facial expressions should be determined and sexually appealing. The outfits for each scene should be planned before the day of shooting to create specific looks. Her hair should be visible over the mask to show she is feminine. Make-up should also be specifically planned before hand to create certain looks e.g. in one part of the video she should look innocent and natural - so little make-up. In another part she should look as if she is going clubbing so a lot of make-up is needed.
I will do the character's make-up and hair by myself and will ensure I have everything on the day from the mask to the costume. I may need to ask the character to bring some specific clothing so it will fit them if they are a different size to the clothing I own. She should wear something of a red colour as this connotates to being both passionate and dangerous which she is both.

Scenes the scenes should also be planned carefully to ensure good quality of lighting and to ensure they have the specific 'look' required in the music video. Props are also included in the scenes and should also be specifically and carefully noted before the day of shooting. Props could include curtains, blankets, drinking glasses, the disco ball, the homemade 'moon' and certain lights.

The location I am hoping to shoot at is an old, posh large house. The rear garden is perfect for the outdoor scenes as it is wood-like and large. There is also a side garden if needed for some alternative shots of the exterior footage. The interior of the house is posh and 'fancy' which is perfect for the first shot and also other alternative shots. There is a bar in the outbuilding which looks realistically like a pub which includes bar pumps, bottles of alcohol and glasses. There is also a snooker table at the other end of the bar which I could creatively use in some shots. There is a long driveway leading to the house which I could also use creatively in the music video as it is surrounded by trees and another large garden. The exterior of the buildings is black and white and there are iron gates linking to the gardens. I could use this to include some shots of the 'she wolf' running around the corners chasing her 'prey.'

If it is not possible to shoot at this location I could shoot the exterior shots on the green area outside my house which is scattered with trees which give it the required 'woody' look and there is a small, spooky looking white library in the middle of this which I could also use in some of the shots of the she-wolf chasing her 'prey.' For the interior shots I could film in my own house for the interior shot of the she-wolf on a chair (the opening shot) and at a pub or my other uncle's bar for the bar shots. There is also a recording studio at my uncle's house so I could creatively shoot some shots in here to show the actual song being created which emphasises the fact that it is a song.

The Characters I will need to create a list of the characters I plan to include in my music video:

She-wolf
Her 'prey' (men)
Possibly the 'she-wolf's' partner

I will need to plan exactly what the characters will look like. The ideas I gain are my own views although I will research costumes and looks via the Internet and books. I could also ask a few people in the category of the target audience what their views are by using a controlled questionnaire or simply picking out a random selection of people and asking them to sketch and note what they think certain characters should look like. This will be engaging with the audience as it will be considering their views and opinions. The character should not only be planned referring to costumes and makeup but also personalities which are reflected through facial expressions and physical movements of the characters. The physical stance of the character can also be successfully used to portray their personality. The costumes I choose for the characters to wear should reflect their personalities and also connotate to different expectations e.g. red could connotate to danger and passion, therefore I will take note to use the colour red in the costumes of the she-wolf as she is seen as both passionate and dangerous. I should also plan what camera angles to use in shooting the characters as different angles can also portray a character e.g. a high angle shot can make a character seem dominant. Lighting can also reflect a character e.g. bright lighting can make a character seem cheerful or powerful and dark lighting can make a character seem threatening or mysterious. I should take props, costume, lighting...every aspect of mise-en-scene into consideration. The mise-en-scene I use should carefully be chosen to represent the character within the narrative but also reflect the narrative itself. Each character is represented in a certain way. My own ideology has some impact on the way characters are represented although I should also use some ideas from the audience as the music video is aimed at them.

(plan /sketches of my ideas of each character - include costume, props, lighting, make-up.... Camera angles and positions incl. in storyboard but take into consideration)

LIIAR

Language: The language of the music video on a technical aspect is basically the conventions used. The conventions create a particular language that the audience understand and recognise for example a montage of shots changing in time to a beat is a convention of music videos and therefore the audience will recognise this. The language of the narrative is portrayed by using technical conventions for example close-ups and medium shots are used to visually show the narrative. The narrative is usually a simple storyline in my chosen genre of music, dance. This is using language as it connects with the audience through the narrative. In this instance verbal language is the song itself and non-verbal language is defined as expressions and actions of the character/artist.

Institution: The producers of the music videos must engage with the audience to create a music video which they will want to view and enjoy viewing. Questionnaires and research play a large part in this as this enables the producer to gain an insight into what the public will enjoy and want to view; it takes their opinions into consideration.

Ideology: The ideology of the music video in general is to market the song successfully and encourage the audience to consume the song. The music video should also portray the character in an attractive enviable way as this will improve marketing as the audiences will either be attracted to the character or wish to be as attractive as the character - which is narcissism. This can result to the audience acting a certain way or dressing in a certain way after viewing a music video which they enjoy. This creates an ideology in itself as the music video will project a certain idealised character/idea onto them and the audience will consume this and self-project themselves into the character seen in the music video. Different technical techniques should be used to create a certain mood and atmosphere which will also have some impact onto the audience. It should represent the audiences beliefs as it is created for the audience so I should take care to not influence the video with my own ideology and beliefs although the video can be argued to do this as I am the one creating it so obviously my own beliefs will be reflected through this.

Audience: The audience of the music video will be anyone who consumes it, however the music video is created with a certain target audience in mind, which will be defined using methods such as research and questionnaires. Certain conventions will be used in the music video to appeal to the target audience. There are various ways to attract an audience with the following points in mind. Spectatorship is a main point as this is what is going on in people's minds as the music video is shown. By defining this it is then possible to ensure that certain conventions are used to create a strong atmosphere and provoke certain emotions which the audience will enjoy. Scopaphilia is basically the points of pleasure in a person's mind: what points and aspects of the music video will ensure the audience will enjoy the music video?

Voyeurism is to watch others without them knowing you are watching them. This is a convention of movies as we as an audience view the movie and the characters within that movie without them knowing we are watching. Therefore in my music video I should include some shots where the character is not looking directly as the camera but is instead looking away and not engaging with the audience directly. This breaks a convention of music videos but is a fair point to ensure the audience gain pleasure and enjoy viewing the music video.

Narcissism engages with the audience as the character in the music video should be seen as an idealised version of the audience's self. This will ensure enjoyment of the music video and can also improve marketing as the audience who view the video will enjoy engaging with the character as being themselves. Narcissism is a very powerful tool as the audience may pick up traits of the character and act like the character. They may also buy clothes, jewellery, get the same hairstyles as the character etc.

Fetishism comes into the final part of the last paragraph as the audience could enjoy watching glamorous objects which are shown in the music video and want these form themselves. For example, the audience could see a certain outfit in the music video and want one for themselves, they then go out and buy a similar outfit. This shows the music video has being successful and memorable and has had an impact on the audience.

Representation: The music video overall should represent the song as music videos are created to market the songs used in them. The video should fit the genre of the song and generally contain images that have some reference to the lyrics. The video should be unique and stand out so it will stay in the audience's minds which will successfully market the song as the audience are then more likely to consume the song. A powerful music video should ensure more people consuming the product: the song. It should also represent the emotions of the audience in some way which will also keep the video in their mind. The video could also be seen to be representing some of my own beliefs as I am the one creating it.

Werewolf

I have decided to research a little into werewolves as this character is a main attribute to the music video.

Werewolves were said to bear tell-tale traits in European folklore. These included the meeting of both eyebrows at the bridge of the nose, curved fingernails, low set ears and a swinging stride. One method of identifying a werewolf in its human form was to cut the flesh of the accused, under the pretense that fur would be seen within the wound. A Russian superstition recalls a werewolf can be recognised by bristles under the tongue. The appearance of a werewolf in its animal form varies from culture to culture, though they are most commonly portrayed as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that they have no tail (a trait thought characteristic of witches in animal form), and that they retain human eyes and voice. After returning to their human forms, werewolves are usually documented as becoming weak, debilitated and undergoing painful nervous depression. Many historical werewolves were written to have suffered severe melancholia and manic depression, being bitterly conscious of their crimes. One universally reviled trait in medieval Europe was the werewolf's habit of devouring recently buried corpses, a trait which is documented extensively, particularly in the Annales Medico-psychologiques in the 19th century. Fennoscandian werewolves were usually old women who possessed poison coated claws and had the ability to paralyse cattle and children with their gaze. Serbian vulkodlaks traditionally had the habit of congregating annually in the winter months, where they would strip off their wolf skins and hang them from trees. They would then get a hold of another vulkodlaks skin and burn it, releasing the vulkodlak from whom the skin came from its curse. The Haitian jé-rouges typically try to trick mothers into giving away their children voluntarily by waking them at night and asking their permission to take their child, to which the disoriented mother may either reply yes or no.

Word Analysis

I have decided to analyse the key words I highlighted to gain some ideas for my music video by using the words from the lyrics of the song.

Domesticated Girl
The word domesticated makes me think of someone who is seen as a 'housewife' type of person, who does the cleaning, cooking, ironing... Basically all the chores. They are expected to be faithful to their partner and stay home been a good 'wife' figure. In the song the character is going against this wish of her partner and wants to go out, relating this problem to the she-wolf. A good example of this in the media is the Katie Price vs Jordan situation: Her husband wanted her to stay home, be a good mum, a good housewife but she rebelled against this and wanted to go out clubbing; she wanted to be free. The whole storyline of the song is based on this idea of a man wanting his partner to be a good housewife but she is rebelling against his wishes.

No Joke
No joke obviously means what it is - no joke. Judging by the other lyrics of the song I see this as been said seriously and a bit nastily. I think of the word joke as something funny, but in this context I think of it as something eerie that the she-wolf would find funny, like a dead animals teeth falling out or something disgusting like that, or maybe a scary clown, or a creepy joker from a pack of cards.

Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy refers to creatures of mythology, particularly werewolves. Werewolves are known as lycanthropes. Basically in this context the word means werewolf. A werewolf, in my eyes, has the stereotypical look. Brown or grey long fur, Wolf's head, sharp teeth, mad eyes. They are half human, half wolf.

Disguise
This word makes me think of the impression that someone or something is disguising their true self because if people knew their real selves they would either be in trouble or be hated for it. To reflect this idea in the video I need to notify WHY they are in disguise-the fact that they are a secret she-wolf is the reason because if people knew the truth they would be scared or hate them. To reflect the disguise theme I could use shadowed lighting as it could create the impression that they are hiding away in the shadows. I could also use things to hide behind such as veils, trees and objects. A wolf mask is also an element of disguise, as the audience will know it is a mask but the aim of it is to create the image of the she-wolf.

She-Wolf
When I hear this word I think of a female supernatural creature, a werewolf.
A female werewolf, in my opinion should have neat, soft, long grey fur-basically just a typical wolf's head. It could maybe have long hair and wear girl's clothes, to show it is definitely a female. It could also maybe have long eye-lashes. The clothes should be long and dress-like and should have many layers. The colours should be purple, a deep purple as this is associated with kings and queens, showing she is classy. It should also include browns and reds as red is a connotation of danger. The outfit could also include some fur as a wolf would have killed other animals and the fur shows off what it has killed and being a female it has turned this into clothes to show off their pride in a stereotypical female way, as most females show pride with clothes. The she-wolf should look menacing, like stereotypical werewolves, but should also be 'classy' like a posh female lady. The combining of these two elements should make the wolf character seem eerie.

Closet
I think the closet in this genre should be creepy and dark. It should include ragged clothes, 'posh' dresses and some fur clothes - the female wolf's wardrobe. It should be small as it gives the impression of been trapped, which links in with the lyrics of not letting the she-wolf out of the closet. The closet is mentioned many times and should be a key icon in the video.

Moon
In this genre the moon should be full - a stereotypical horror movie style moon. It could be obscured slightly from view using mist and branches from trees which is iconic to horror movies which fits well as the narrative of the story is based on a horror style. I have the idea of using a disco ball (silver) to sometimes portray the moon in a few shots as it cleverly links the theme of horror which is the full moon with the dance music genre. The moon should be a key icon in the music video as it reflects the iconic horror theme which is included in the narrative of the video. It should be featured in a lot of the shots.

Eyes wide-open
The eyes are a key icon of the music video as they can be used to merge beauty with the horror element. I will include close-ups of the eyes in shots: some shots consisting of the eyes made up with light, natural make-up to make them seem beautiful and pure, and others with dark make-up to make them seem menacing. In the shots of the eyes with the light make-up the eyes should blink a few times showing long eye-lashes as this will add a flirty/sexy feel to the video which fits in with the beauty element. In the shots of the eyes with the dark make-up they should be staring and 'wild' like a wolf hunting it's prey as this fits with the narrative. I could also include some shots of the eyes of the she-wolf's 'prey' ( a male ) looking scared after showing shots of the she-wolf's 'hunting, menacing' eyes as this will link the two characters and portray the narrative.

The lyrics also state that the moon is her teacher and she is it's student. I could reflect this in an obvious way by showing shots of her sat at a desk writing work and looking up to the moon or subtly by showing her looking up to the moon occasionally.

Craving
In this context the she-wolf is craving prey i.e. the woman is craving a man. I could perhaps portray this by showing her hungry expressions when watching her 'prey' (males) at a bar/in a forest (she-wolf) and also emphasise the fact that she is trapped by shooting a lot of shots of her enclosed in the closet and maybe even in a cage with bars. I could show her fighting desperatley to escape the bars as she is craving a lot.

Devoting
In this context the she-wolf ( woman ) is devoting herself to her partner so I could reflect this by showing her stood with her partner, reflecting that she belongs to him and is been devoted. I could show various men walking past circling the couple and her stood firmly next to her parner showing she is been devoted and not going to stray.

Retribution
The definition of retribution states:
1. Something justly deserved; recompense.
2. Something given or demanded in repayment, especially punishment.
3. Theology Punishment or reward distributed in a future life based on performance in this one.

In this context it could either mean she deserves her prey (the she-wolf deserves men), she is given her prey as a repayment for been devoted or she is been punished in the form of not been allowed prey and has to stay with her partner as a punishment.

Incentives
The definition for this is: 'A positive motivational influence'
In this context perhaps the prey is the motivational influence as the she-wolf would be motivated to capture her prey. To show her motivated I could show her ready to pounce on her prey as she is motivated to capture the prey, so as a human she could be shown flirting with a man ready to 'pounce' (make her move).

- In the lyrics she states she is not getting enough retributions or incentives to keep her 'at it'. So therefore she is not getting enough positive motivational influences or repayment to keep her interested in her partner.

Breathe
In this context the word 'breathe' is reflected to mean she needs some time alone in her relationship with her partner. Letting her out so she can breathe can be seen as her going out clubbing or to a bar as a human and as a she wolf it can be seen as her roaming free running through land hunting for prey. In the video I could use images of her as a human in a bar dancing or running through the bar and then cut to shots of her running as the she wolf (with the wolf mask on) running through land. The word breathe could also be used to actually show her breathing in and out. I could emphasise this because animals (she wolf) breathe faster than humans and if she has been hunting she will be out of breath after running to hunt her prey.

Nocturnal creatures
This emphasises the fact that the she wolf is a creature and goes hunting at night. This is portrayed throughout the video as she is shown hunting at night. Her prey could also be seen as creatures as they are out at a night time for her to hunt. With this ideology of linking creatures to humans the men she hunts are seen as creatures. I could show the men as creatures by showing them wearing various animal masks, animals that wolves hunt.

Prudent
Prudent means careful and sensible so therefore she is stating that she as a she wolf is not sensible and careful and likes the danger and risks of hunting, animals in the animal context and men in the human context. In relating to the men she is hunting it is stating that they are not sensible or careful and therefore fall into her trap and are easy prey; like small animals who get trapped by a wolf as they are not careful enough. I could reflect this in the video using shots of the creatures/men she is hunting getting caught by her and walking towards her as if they are drawn in by her.

The rest of the lyrics I have highlighted all fit together to create an idea of her being bad by cheating on her partner in the human context and hunting prey in the she wolf context. She is reflected to enjoy this by the lyrics so I could show her in the arms of a man looking happy and dancing in front of him and in the she wolf context I could show her with her caught prey.

How To Analyse

To analyse the lyrics in a useful way I will highlight words which particularly appeal to me. I will then be able to use the words as a springboard to creating my music video.


SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

A domesticated girl that's all you ask of me
Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy
The moon's awake now with eyes wide open
My body is craving, so feed the hungry

I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday
Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it
I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office
So I'm gonna go somewhere closer to get me a lover and tell you all about it

There's a she wolf in the closet
Open up and set her free
There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

Sitting across a bar staring right at her prey
It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way
Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent
The moon's my teacher, and I'm her student

To locate the single man, I've got on me a special radar
And the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later
Not looking for cute little divas or rich city guys, I just want to enjoy
By having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy

There's a she wolf in the closet
Open up and set her free
There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

The Lyrics

The lyrics

SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

A domesticated girl that's all you ask of me
Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy
The moon's awake now with eyes wide open
My body is craving, so feed the hungry

I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday
Not getting enough retirbution or decent incentives to keep me at it
I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office
So I'm gonna go somewhere closer to get me a lover and tell you all about it

There's a she wolf in the closet
Open up and set her free
There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

Sitting across a bar staring right at her prey
It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way
Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent
The moon's my teacher, and I'm her student

To locate the single man, I've got on me a special radar
And the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later
Not looking for cute little divas or rich city guys, I just want to enjoy
By having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy

There's a she wolf in the closet
Open up and set her free
There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

SOS she's in disguise
SOS she's in disguise
There's a she wolf in disguise
Coming out
Coming out
Coming out

There's a she wolf in your closet
Let it out so it can breathe

Analysing Music Videos

I have chosen to analyse relevant music videos as this will give me the most useful ideas for my own video. So therefore I will analyse dance music videos and also Shakira music videos. I will pick out the obvious conventions and then I will be able to work out how to use these effectively in my own music video.

Firstly I will analyse a Goldfrapp music video, Number 1.
I will analyse this because it is a dance track and includes a play on an animal theme, which ideas I could possibly use in my own work.

The video begins by panning right from a screen quickly to reveal the behind of someone wearing a green dress who is walking in time to the music. This adds a little humour. It then cuts to show the bottom of somebodies legs been pushed by the person wearing the green dress. The person been pushed is wearing white slippers and grey silky trousers. The camera moves slightly as the legs of the person wearing the green dress enter the frame. They are wearing white tights and black shows and are walking in a 'sexy' manner, swinging their hips. The camera then pans right and upwards slightly to introduce other characters as the other two we have seen continue to move out of the frame. The three characters are two sets of three dogs with human bodies wearing silky dressing gowns and pink tights. Both groups of the three 'dogs' are sat on posh red sofas. The shot cuts to each group of dogs. Behind them is a white wall and framed photographs of various objects. The dogs' heads on the human bodies are eerie but also humorous as it is so unusual and we as an audience are not used to seeing this. The lighting used is light which reflects the 'clean' idea of the beauty surgery setting that the dogs are in. A medium three shot shows all the dog's heads clearly. It then cuts to a long shot of another 'dog/human' wearing a pink gown sat on a posh red chair drinking a cup of tea and holding a saucer. This and the red chair are stereotypical of a rich and luxuriant lifestyle. The dog in the chair is to the right of the frame and to the left there is a table with a large red floor lamp behind it. The red could connotate to danger or love but in this context it connotates to a rich lifestyle as we as an audience usually see furniture with deep red colours to be associated with a rich lifestyle - it is a convention. The walls are white and bright. To the left of the frame there is a flat screen TV showing a young woman on all fours, like a dog, moving in time to the music in a sort of dance. She is wearing a short pink dress, showing she is feminine, and is on a light white box. It then zooms and pans left at the same time to focus on the TV screen. It zooms in far enough to be able to make out clearly the woman acting like a dog physically whilst singing. It then cuts to show a medium shot of the dog's heads and then back to the woman on the TV screen who we now see fully, not on the TV screen. It keeps repeating this but with closer shots of each. It then cuts to a medium shot of a 'dog/woman' sat at a reception desk and the same TV screen in the background to the right. The walls are white and bright and a smaller red lamp in the same style of the previous shots is placed on the table to the left. The 'receptionist' is wearing a green outfit which is the same as the outfit in the first shot. It zooms in on the 'receptionist.' A long shot then shows the full room from the 'receptionist's' point of view, with the same image of the woman been on the computer. The shot shows all of the 'dogs/humans' seen in previous shots to the left and right sides of the room and one of the dogs walking towards the reception desk. A telephone is visible to the right of the screen showing it is the reception desk. It then cuts back and forth to show the 'dog/human' getting closer to the desk and the 'receptionist' typing on a computer keyboard and looking at the computer screen. It then cuts to a close-up of the computer screen which now shows an image of the 'dog's/human's' face changing to the woman's face and various data. Underneath that it shows an x-ray like image of a dog's body on all fours and a human's body on all fours. At the top of the screen it says 'Pooch and Tucc.' The TV screen of the woman is shown again. Shots are then shown of the dog's head and the woman who is now laid on the floor with her hands and legs in the air like paws and moving them in time to the music. A long shot shows the behind view of four 'surgeons' in the green outfit shown in the first shot of the video. A light is visible that you would see in a surgery and the wheels of a hospital bed are shown. There is a white curtain surrounding the room which reflects that it is a surgery. The camera zooms and the 'surgeons' (who also have dog's heads) move aside so you can see the 'patient' on the hospital bed. As they move aside more and it zooms you can now see two 'doctors' wearing paler green outfits, also with dog's head, and with stethoscopes. Various close-up and medium shots are then used to show the 'dogs/humans' picking up various surgical instruments, walking around and 'working on' the 'patient.' A pan is then used to show the 'surgeons' from the 'patients' point of view. The 'surgeons' are stood in a circle and are passing round the surgical instruments. Medium and close-ups are used to show the 'surgeons' pressing down the injection and picking up other surgical instruments. The shot of the woman is also used a few times in this sequence. Close-ups are used of the 'patient' looking slightly uncomfortable -you can tell this because the 'dog' head is looking around as if nervous. A close-up is then used of the 'doctor's' head from the 'patients' point of view in front of the surgical light which is a convention of operations/surgery. Effects are then used to blur, distort and swirl various images with a bright light as the dog falls asleep under anaesthetic. This then splits in half and moves off the screen to reveal a medium shot of the 'dog/human' after surgery which is now the woman seen on the TV screens. She is helped up off the chair by the two 'doctors' which is shown in a long shot. She takes a mirror off a 'surgeon' and looks into it as she dances, whilst the two 'doctors' dance behind her. She runs her hands through her hair and looks satisfied with the result. The camera zooms out as they continue to dance. Two 'surgeons' move into the screen dancing to the left and right of the frame. A close-up is used to show the woman kissing the mirror showing she is very happy with how she looks. A long shot is used to show more 'surgeons' move into the frame also dancing, and it keeps cutting to a close-up of the woman's face singing. These shots continue as various shots of the other 'dogs/humans' in the 'waiting room' are also seen in a montage sequence which changes in time to the music. The end shot concludes of a medium shot of two waiting 'patients' looking at each other which then dissolves out to black.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VNL_SykDiQ

Secondly I will analyse a Freemasons music video , Uninvited.
I will analyse this because it is based on a supernatural idea, which is relevant to 'She wolf' as the 'she wolf' character is a supernatural character. Uninvited is also a dance track.

Medium shots of a dimly lighted room are used as well as medium shots of a young blond adult female. Shots of a shadow of a door are used to add an anxious typical horror movie feel to the video. The decoration of the house is of that of an older out of fashion vintage house which also adds to the full horror feel of the music video as the house is from an older era and therefore fits in with the horror movie theme. The main character in the video, the blond woman, is wearing black eyeliner and lip gloss which makes it seem as if she is going out clubbing/dancing as it is clubbing make-up and this fits with the dance genre of the song. Her bedroom in the video is lit with a lamp and is decorated in nude wallpaper which emphasises the shadows which are cast on the walls and floor which adds to the horror theme. Quickly cutting from the image to a plain black shot creates a flashing, lightening, horror feel. A long shot is used to establish the bedroom, this zooms out and then cuts to a shot panning right to then introduce the character in this shot. The panning and zooming is at the same speed and creates continuity. A notable shot is a medium shot of the walls which are completely in shadow apart from a small square which is lit of the character against the wall looking frightened with shadows moving across her face. This really emphasises the horror feel. Various shots are used of her looking out of a window with white translucent curtains and a bright light outside which reflects her beauty. A medium shot is used of red patterned vintage wallpaper with the shadow of the staircase and a fast moving shadow of an unrecognisable object is used cleverly as the red connotates to danger and the vintage wallpaper and shadow are all conventions of horror films. A lot of close-ups are used throughout which show the facial expressions of the character and also show her singing. A high angle shot, almost birds-eye view, is used to show her sat on a mattress with white sheets and wearing a nightie which suggest she has moved out of her bedroom out of fear and is now settling for a mattress as she is so scared of the unexplained presence in the house. A montage of various shots is used, including clips of the shadows moving against the walls and shadows moving across her face. She looks scared and is seen pressing herself against a door as if trying to hear through it. A lot of fast panning and zooming is used perhaps to emphasis her confusion. A spotlight is seen to move quickly across a pitch black room to show her now laid on the floor - she has now been so scared she has had to move out of both her bedroom and the room with the mattress and is now that scared she is sleeping on the floor to try to escape the presence. A medium shot then shows her stood outside in front of some branches to show she has been scared out of the house. A montage of the various shots is used throughout. A long shot shows the garden she is stood in with white washing blowing on a washing line showing it is windy which is also a convention of most horror films. Another shot used is a shot of her looking into a mirror with her hand outstretched to it which is also very common of horror movies. The end shot concludes of the wooden floor of a room almost totally in darkness with a shadow moving across it which dissolves to black.

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

Lastly, I will analyse the original music video for Shakira, She wolf.
I will analyse closely how the video is linked with the lyrics and how it portrays the song, and I could maybe gain some good ideas from this.


- The video begins with an extreme close-up of the singer's eyes opening. Her face is pale and she has no or neutral make-up on. The pale face connotates to horror. It then cuts to a medium shot of a window with curtains blowing in the breeze and a full moon is seen through the window in the dark sky. This is an icon of horror. The beauty of the woman and the horror icons reflect the genre of the music video, it is horror but is also based on beauty as the singer is beautiful. The singer's silhouette is then seen walking slowly towards the window. It then cuts to a medium close-up showing her nails growing in front of the full moon, which is a clever merge of the beauty convention ( nails ) and the horror convention ( them growing in front of the full moon. ) Various shots of her shadow, which is of a slim curvy woman (beauty again) slowly walking towards the wardrobe, or 'closet.' You can see the back of her boots as well, which also add to the 'sexual' element of the video. It then cuts to inside the closet and you can see the back of her hair which is long and blond. The sexual genre is continued throughout the video as shots of Shakira dancing in a sexual way and wearing little clothing keep this genre continuous. Also close-ups are used to show her flawless airbrushed skin and neutral make-up. Shots of the wolf moving are used as well throughout the video. This is basically what the full video consists (Shakira dancing and clips of the wolf) of until the end. The ending shows Shakira climbing into bed next to her sleeping partner, smiling at her 'secret' and then a shot of the moon through the window is shown again before the final shot of Shakira closing her eyes with the smile still on her face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aEW_Z5Va5s


Conventions - What I Found From This Analysis

From analysing these music videos I found various conventions of music videos in general, which I could use in my own work. Montage is one of the most obvious conventions. Generally, music videos contain montage sequences of various shots which relate to the music video. These shots change, by either cutting or dissolves, in time to the music. I have found from watching music videos in the past that music videos for slow songs tend to use the dissolving effect more than faster music as straight cuts are obviously a faster edit than dissolves and the montage sequences always change in time to the music. Various shots are also another convention as these make the music video more exciting and interesting for the audience to watch. They also allow the narrative to be established quickly as the shots establish this. Pans and zooms are also a convention for exactly the same reasons: they make the music video more interesting to the audience and also establish the narrative. The main character in the music video is always airbrushed and lighting is used to show their face in the most attractive way possible. Another convention is that at the end of the music video the shot dissovles out to black. Close-ups are also a convention as these show the singer's facial expressions as they sync the words to the song. The singer is usually almost always air-brushed to look physically attractive which encourages audiences to want to watch the video.
The conventions of my chosen genre, dance, are typically the same as music videos overall although a simple storyline, an attractive character and a montage of images changing in time to the beat are almost essential in portraying the genre.

Questionnaire Results

The results I gained from the questionnaire are as follows:

Under 17 year olds:

What genre of music do you listen to the most?
Pop !!!!
Rock
Indie !
Classical
RnB !!!
Dance !!


What is the most important element, in your opinion, of a dance music video?
A good but simple storyline !
Reference to the lyrics of the song !
An included dance routine !!!!
Sex appeal : Attractive people !!!!

What artist, out of the options, is your first choice to listen to?
Madonna
Cascada !!!!!!
Sunblock
Shakira !!!
Eric Prydz !

How often do you watch dance music videos?
Never
Rarely !!
Often !!!!
All the time (very often) !!!!

17 to 23 year olds:

What genre of music do you listen to the most?
Pop !
Rock
Indie !!
Classical
RnB !!!!
Dance !!!


What is the most important element, in your opinion, of a dance music video?
A good but simple storyline !!
Reference to the lyrics of the song !!!
An included dance routine
Sex appeal : Attractive people !!!!!


What artist, out of the options, is your first choice to listen to?
Madonna !
Cascada !
Sunblock !!
Shakira !!!
Eric Prydz !!!


How often do you watch dance music videos?
Never
Rarely !!!!
Often !!!!
All the time (very often) !!


24 to 30 year olds:

What genre of music do you listen to the most?
Pop
Rock !!
Indie !!!
Classical !
RnB !
Dance !!!

What is the most important element, in your opinion, of a dance music video?
A good but simple storyline !!!
Reference to the lyrics of the song !!!!
An included dance routine
Sex appeal : Attractive people !!!

What artist, out of the options, is your first choice to listen to?
Madonna !!!!
Cascada
Sunblock !
Shakira !!!
Eric Prydz !!

How often do you watch dance music videos?
Never !!
Rarely !!!!
Often !!!!
All the time (very often)



The questionnaire results, that are relevant to the creating of my music video, show that the age groups 17 to 23 and 24 to 30 listen to dance music the most, under 17 year olds watch dance music videos the most and all age groups equally listen to Shakira. Therefore I will take all age groups into consideration as all either listen to dance music, watch dance music videos and/or listen to Shakira - there is no specific age group that result's show they do not listen / watch dance music / videos or listen to Shakira. Overall, sex appeal / attractive people is the element of a music video which is seen as, according to the audience, being the most important factor therefore I will ensure to include attractive people within my music video and use this element to perhaps 'sell' the music video to the audience.

Plan For The Questionnaire

I will now give this questionnaire to the relevant age groups. I will ask 10 of each group as this will be enough to gain a good idea of what my main target audience will be and I will also be able to gain a good knowledge of what kind of conventions they will wish to see in the music video, as the question: What is the most important element, in your opinion, of a dance music video? will give me a general idea of what the audience see the most important element being. I can then use this information in making my music video. By completing this questionnaire task I will be able to engage with the audience's needs and although 10 people will not count for every person in that age group it will give me a good general idea of the thoughts of people in that age group. I have no idea what options the audiences will choose. I will make sure I choose a random selection of people to complete the questionnaire so I have more variable and reliable results.

The Questionnaire

Questionnaire:

What genre of music do you listen to the most?

Pop
Rock
Indie
Classical
RnB
Dance

What is the most important element, in your opinion, of a dance music video?

A good but simple storyline
Reference to the lyrics of the song
An included dance routine
Sex appeal : Attractive people

What artist, out of the options, is your first choice to listen to?

Madonna
Cascada
Sunblock
Shakira
Eric Prydz

How often do you watch dance music videos?

Never
Rarely
Often
All the time (very often)

Audiences

I think the main audience that would be interested in watching the music video are obviously going to be people who like modern dance music. Making a music video is risky as it needs to portray the music in a positive light but also needs to appeal to the correct audience, needs to use conventions of that particular genre of music and also needs to be a successful marketing tool as music videos can determine whether a song is going to be a hit or not. Basically if you are intrigued by the music video you will want to own the song. Keeping to conventions is very important as well as people who know the song will be expecting certain conventions of dance music videos to be used in the music video. E.g. They will not be expecting to see someone head banging with a punk hairstyle on a guitar, or someone laid down mouthing along to the song looking depressed as the music does not go with this at all and it would not be a convention. If the convention is broke there are two things that could happen: The audience could love the new idea, or they could really hate it and be disappointed. Therefore it is easier and less risky not to go against the conventions as you are then pleasing the audience easily as they will be expecting the music video to include things they recognise in other dance music videos. The hard thing to master in creating dance music videos is to create a video that has sex appeal but is not too sexy as younger audiences may not understand it and parents of younger audiences may complain as it would be setting a bad example to younger people it it had, for example, a woman wearing just a bikini in the street. The setting is very important in this as you would not expect a woman to be wearing this in the street and would be seen as unacceptable but on a beach it is expected and therefore a totally different matter. So really the key is to create a music video which appeals to a younger audience, which will be particulaly important as people of this age are very influential and will possibly copy the fashion and personalities of attractive people they admire, but it also needs to have certain elements that appeal to an older audience.

To define my target audience I will create a questionnaire including questions about genres of music, dance music and specific artists. I will post this questionnaire onto a dance/clubbing website for under 17 year olds, as this will give me answers from the possible younger audience, I will give it to people around college and email it to people of around this age to give me answers from the mid-range the video may be aimed at and I will also email it to people who are slightly older, up to the age of around 25/26. All of the people will be from various background and have various interests as I can possibly determine what kind of people my target audience will be.

Synopsis - Change

- Note
I have decided to change my song from 'Baby baby, Sunblock ft. Sandy' to 'She wolf (Loba), Shakira.'

This is simply because I feel that my new choice has more potential in creating an unusual but effective music video. I feel that my original idea is a good idea as it sticks completely to the conventions of other dance music videos but it is a little basic for me and I feel that I can make a more interesting and creative music video with my new choice of song. Also, it would be harder to get the bright lighting shots and sunny weather in shooting the first video (this would be required) but with my second choice the dark lighting and bad weather of this month will be perfect to shoot in.

New Synopsis

My video will begin with a long shot of a ‘she wolf’ sat on a ‘posh’ chair like a throne. This is unusual and will show her dominance in the narrative. I will then include various medium, close and long shots in a montage sequence which will change in time to the beat of the music. This is a convention of music videos. The narrative will basically be a ‘she wolf’ hunting men as this is what the song is about. Shots will include the ‘she wolf’ at a bar watching her ‘prey’ (men), her following the man she has chosen as if circling her prey and then finally pouncing at them. The main ideology of the music video is to relate the female character to a wolf as she is a ‘she wolf.’ I will use a wolf mask when she is sat on the throne and throughout the sequence of shots so it is obvious to the audience what character she is supposed to portray. Various ideas such as the moon been a disco ball will be used throughout to create an unusual and unique video. Her costumes will change accordingly and the lighting will mostly be a dark background with her eliminated as this reflects her importance and the dark lighting reflects the supernatural element of the narrative.

My Synopsis (Narrative Draft)

Note: I have decided to post my synopsis before analysing music videos as my Synopsis will determine what genre of music videos I will concentrate more on analysing (Ones that will help me the most in my own work.)

Firstly I wrote a draft of the narrative and some shot ideas. I wrote this based on my song choice, 'Baby Baby, Sunblock ft. Sandy' .

Draft

Girls in a classroom, Boys in a classroom, a board at the front with a ‘teacher’ pointing at it with a stick. The board has an advert for a volleyball game on it. OR girls with blonde hair in one classroom, girls with brown in other, red-haired teachers.

Both teams training for it, stretches, gym scenes, slow motion running, cuts to girl mouthing the lyrics (synching) with white studio background, bright lighting – this carries on throughout the video and then cuts back to training etc.

After training it cuts to match, cuts of them playing including close-ups, slow motion etc, cuts of male body with white studio background, bright lighting, the girls win, OR if both girl teams the brunettes win (Red-haired coaches.) Shots of them celebrating with medals, jumping up and down slow motion etc.

Finals, national volleyball match. Shot of nationals sign, audience, coach (with whistle) Shots of the team carrying sports bags. Shots of both teams facing each other, determined, angry expressions. Slow motion of first throw of ball, then mix of slow motion clips hitting the ball, and shots in real-time of the full match (establishing shots), cuts to score board, and then more shots of match, cuts to shots of girls mouthing lyrics with studio background etc and also dancing against it, close ups when they say lyrics, also medium shots, but long shots when dancing, shots of winning hit in slow motion, with cuts of audience been serious and quiet (on edge) to create tensions. The shot wins, the team celebrate (Jump up and down and then get presented trophy) Open champagne, spray it over each other. Also shots losing team with faces in hands, looking depressed – close-ups of this. End shot is the winners against studio background holding trophy.

What Makes Music Videos So Important And Influential?

Nowadays, the music video is as important as the song itself, sometimes even deciding the success of a song or artist. The music video is seen as more then just a promotional method now, it is seen as an art. Music videos need to appeal to their audience, advertise the artist, portray the music in the best way they can, be artistic and be effective. Each genre of music has a general convention of music video content, RNB and dance ususally include nightclub shots and female sex appeal, Pop music is ususally a simple narrative that links with the song with the band/artist acting in this, indie music videos usually contain eerie or strange narrative/shots which compliment the song nicely. A good music video that stays in the audiences mind can ensure good song sales as the song will stick in their minds more if the music video has an impact on them as they will remember it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3CxhBIrBho - Basshunter's Angel In The Night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYSei66Rh4&feature=channel - Snoop dog's drop it like it's hot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76uVRSJ5bc - McFly's Five Colours In Her Hair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zh5mXvkaMk - Kings Of Leon's Sex Is On Fire.

As you can see from watching the different videos that each genre does have conventions, e.g. the dance and RnB use sex appeal in their videos, the girls in basshunter are focused on and also girl's wearing little clothing and looking 'sexy' are used in the Snoop Dog video. Whereas the McFly video also uses a girl but she is dressed innocently and it has a simple narrative which would appeal to the target audience who like Mcfly - mostly young teenagers.

Facts About MTV

* MTV (Music Television) was the phenomenon that gave so much power and importance to the music video. MTV started broadcasting in 1981 in the USA and it marked the beginning of the music video’s ruling over the music industry.

* The first video ever played on MTV was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by The Buggles.

* As MTV was broadcasting 24-hour-a-day music, music videos were needed to be produced. Consequently, music video began to play an important role in artists’ careers.

* MTV has been highly controversial: some saw as the beginning of an amazing, new, fresh era in music, others considered it to mark the end of true musical talent, as artists have been become more appreciated for their looks instead of their vocal abilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8 - Video Killed The Radio Star, by The Buggles.

History Of Music Videos

The arrival of sound films and talkies in 1926 meant that many musical short films were produced. Warner Brothers produced the first musical series called Spooney Melodies and this featured art deco style animations and backgrounds combined with film of the performer singing the song. This series is arguably considered to be the earliest music videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g4hnwt8jdU - a Spooney Melodies film.

In the early 1930's animation artist Max Fleischer introduced a series of sing-along short cartoons called Screen Songs which invited audiences to sing along with popular songs by 'following the bouncing ball.' The cartoons featured popular musicians performing their hit songs on camera in live-action segments during the cartoons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7HSvqqCt28 - a screen song from 1932.

Blues singer Bessie Smith appeared in a two-reel short film called st. Louis blues which featured a dramatized performance of the hit song. It was shown in theatres from 1929 until 1932. This set a trend and many other artists continued with this trend. These films were, according to Donald Clarke ( Music Historian ) were the ancestors of music videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpVCqXRlXx4 - St. Louis Blues.

Another early form of music videos were promotional clips, made in the 1940's for the Panoram visual jukebox. However, this trend ended during the 2nd world war.

Musical films were another important precursor to music video, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for 'Material girl' which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' from the film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.' Micheal Jackson used influence of dance in musicals in his music videos, including the John Landis clip for thriller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3IY_Tp4Izs - Maddonna's Material Girl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8 - Micheal Jackson's Thriller.

The first time someone coined the phrase 'Music video' was J.P. Richardson in 1959. The format of the music videos then carried on throughout the years to enable new stars to be exposed and to also promote artists.

In the modern age, MTV began by giving music videos such power over the industry.