Create a blog post entitled 'After Effects Research + Planning'
- research a few different after effects that could work
- get some videos of tutorials with how to get the effects you want to try
- include time-codes for longer videos so you can reference it later
Here's some videos to get you started (just scrub through to find what you're looking for)
Create a blog post on the topic of symbolism and iconography.
Watch the video below (that received 44/50 as it's final mark) and see how they strategically used symbolism and iconography.
Embed this clip into your blog post, comment on how effective you believe their iconography was and also what you intend to do, and how, for your own music video.
This week you are going to focus on BRANDING.
This is going to come in useful with your whole project, including the digipak and social media page.
I want you to Create a new blog post called 'Artist and branding research'
A.
Read this article and make notes on 7 MUSICIANS WHO NAILED THEIR BRANDING CAMPAIGNS
Read this Forbes article and make notes on BRANDING POWER of music artists and how this is relevant to your project.
B
- Look up digipaks for previous CD's from your artist. Embed them into your post
- Find other forms of branding (whether it's advertising for shows / articles in magazines or newspapers / instagram pages / facebook - get screen grabs of all of these!)
- What are your observations for how the artist brands themselves? (go in depth here! Not just surface observations. Fonts / colour / is the artist always dominant in images? Are they always in front of a crowd? Are they always power-dressed and in power positions / stances in the photos? Do they try and appeal to a certain group of people with anything they do?)
- How are they represented to their audience?
- What would their target audience be?
- How are you taking this into consideration based on your own representation of this artist's branding in your project?
SOME GREAT LINKS
Here are some branding research articles for Taylor Swift
https://bettermarketing.pub/taking-control-of-your-brand-the-taylor-swift-method-6111fa501af
Here are some branding research links for Frank Ocean;
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/marketing-magic-behind-frank-oceans-endless-blonde-scot-garcia
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/frank-oceans-blonde-business-moves-7494773/
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=musp
https://variety.com/2019/music/features/frank-ocean-black-queer-music-1203248056/
Classwork
Have a look at this article that talks about the significance of 'This is America'. Watch the music video but be aware, it is quite violent, you may, if you're a sensitive viewer, want to scrub past the violent bits.
https://time.com/5267890/childish-gambino-this-is-america-meaning/
This article delves into who Childish Gambino is as an artist and talks a bit more about the meaning in the art he created and what it's significance is.
https://www.prindleinstitute.org/2018/05/childish-gambinos-this-is-america-why-it-matters/
Take a look at the blog post of a fellow student in another school, in relation to breaking down the meaning and representation embedded in the same music video.
https://a2mediablogwilliamc.wordpress.com/2019/09/26/iii-music-video-analysis-this-is-america/
Activity:
Add this research into your homework, due at the end of the week by using it as an example of representation of a certain culture/ race within America, specifically.
Representation Assignment
- Create a blog post labelled 'Representation Research'
- choose a group in society and analyse how they have been represented in particular music video genres.
- You may choose to look at something broad like 'women in hip-hop music videos ' , something like how a specific ethnic group/ race is portrayed or something more specific like love and romance in pop music videos.
- Find articles that have been written in response to the portrayal of these groups in the media.
- Analyse 3 - 5 music videos and provide examples that confirm or challenge stereotypes.
- Summarise your findings in a research presentation.
- Include at least one theorist and apply the media theory to your findings, commenting on and describing how it is relevant to your findings.
Homework Tasks
1. Plan a reccie to get location shots and include these in this blog post. Get some footage and photos of the types of shots you envision getting at these locations. Include in this post how you feel the reccie went and what you feel will work well verses what may be an issue.
(example of reccie footage with practise shots CLICK HERE)
2. Costume
Go op-shopping / organise the costumes and wardrobe for your shoot. Document this process well as the rationale behind your choices
Resources for pre-production - Concept + Treatment
Conventions to borrow or talk about using
http://music--videos.weebly.com/styles-conventions-and-techniques
Styles of music videos
https://music-video36.webnode.co.uk/types-of-music-videos/
Mood + Tone explained
https://kinnu.xyz/kinnuverse/culture/how-to-actually-watch-movies/film-tone/
Welcome to week 3!
Please watch the briefing video below and get on with your checklist for the week, it's a busy one! :)
This will be due on Friday so it will be a combination of class-work and homework.
1. Decide on an idea you're going to run with (pick a song & a genre)
2. Do a visual brainstorm with a few inspirational shots of what 'look and feel' you're wanting, ideas you're thinking of etc. Scan this and upload to your blog. This needs to look like a mood-board / vision- board and be very visually informing.
3. Film a PITCH for your music video (either via I-phone / camera). Upload this to your blog. (Pitch your film as though you were seeking investment for your project).
4. Audience research - Show your pitch to 10 people and gather initial feedback on the idea. Create a blog post that outlines the main thoughts about the idea from those who watched the pitch.
Questions to ask (along these lines)
- What genre do they listen to most?
- What do they expect out of your genre when considering a music video for the music? (what conventions / elements do they expect to be included)?
- Why do they watch music videos (if at all)?
- How often do they watch / consume music video content?
- What is their initial thoughts of your pitch and what critique (if any) do they have of your initial idea?
5. Create a CONCEPT and TREATMENT (using template documents provided) for your choice of music video. Upload this to your blog
6. Create a blog post that highlights some ideas for locations. You will want to include the following;
- photos/ stills from music videos whose look and feel is what you're using as inspiration
- a rationale behind your creative choices for location (remember to comment on location as a huge factor of mise-en-scene, perhaps how your location will influence your lighting options (is it set outside in natural light? Are you wanting shadows and artificial light? Are you wanting a bright 'sunny' day?)
- Options for your first, second and third choices of shooting locations. Put up photos, maps and a brief description of each location as well as pros and cons for each one. What may be a foreseeable hindrance (is it a public place with lots of people in the background? Is it subject to rain / weather? Would you need permission for specific buildings?)
7. Read through the Codes and Conventions research from last week. Include these in your concept and treatment, highlight codes and conventions you are choosing to use (or thinking of using) for your music video. Think about codes and conventions of your particular genre and then include some details and pictures for what you're planning on doing for the different technical elements that would all be the codes and conventions of your product.
Some A2 music videos for inspiration
1. Arctic Monkeys - 505 (this got an A grade)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq4pRpUuEK0
2. Last I heard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5jKLVXSV14
3. Team - Lorde (A grade)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y76JvDPNsX4
4. Sweater Weather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVgfhV6L6fE
Today is all about GENRE research! Watch the video then proceed to the tasks below;
This HOMEWORK IS DUE NEXT THURSDAY 16th Feb
PART A of Genre Research
Your task is to;
1. Read through this aryicle that explains different genres or types of MV's
https://academy.wedio.com/types-of-music-videos/
2. Watch the video below to start
2. Make notes into a blog post about what the genres are in this video and some characteristics of each
3. Choose 3 different music video genres and at least 2 music videos in each genre , embed clips of them from Youtube into your blog
4. Analyse technical/stylistic elements (filming, editing, mise-en-scene and sound)
5. Present your findings in a presentation blog tool (Canva / SLideshare etc)
6. Explain what your genre preference is for creating a music video and why
PART B of Genre Research
Start looking into those 3 genres you discussed in part A and answering the following questions in a blog post;
Look at
- what record labels tend to produce artists in those particular genres
- who is the target audience for those genres (what demograhic is mostly consuming that genre / downloading / watching on Youtube etc)
- How the brand / Artist represent themselves on album covers
- What cross-media-convergence opportunities have been utilised for those artists/ bands in those genres? (newspaper / magazine articles / front covers / TV interviews with celebrity shows / news media)?
