task 7 - media producers/directors

Producers/Directors

Research 2 different Media Producers/Directors/Photographers (depending on your chosen media brief) and watch some of the products they have made. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

·       What similarities and differences can you see? 

·       What elements of media language are you noticing? 

·       Do they have a particular style? 

·       Do they only work on particular genres of media?

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task 6 - media institutions

Institution

What type of media products do they produce? (print, audio visual, audio, online).

What type of company is it? (independent? Does it have a parent company? Is it a subsidiary company? 

Is it an international company? Is it a cross media company? Is it a commercial company or a public service?

What is the ethos/mission statement/values of the company? How does this reflect on the company’s work? How can you incorporate these values/ethos/mission statement into your idea?

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task 5 - media theories in music videos

Media theory

How is media theory used in 2 media products and how these make the text appealing to an intended audience?

Van Hootens Feminist theory is highly present in dance videos as they appeal to the "Party Lifestyle" that young people take part in. Dance music is the genre most played/ associated with clubs and a glamorous lifestyle, so its no surprise that the music videos are teaming with the male gaze. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgp0WDMH88g
 Know No Better by Major Lazer shows a young boy imagining a perfect world. The women in this music video are used as props to exaggerate the young boys talent, they are wearing shorts and sports bras and are clearly presented as part of the boys fantasy. In the boys perfect world he has a dad, whilst in the harsh reality he has a mum, bit sexist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AtDnEC4zak
We Dont Talk Anymore - Charlie Puth is a prime exmple of LEvi Strauss theory of binary opposites, the video is split screen which shows and male and female performing the same tasks. Levi Strauss stated that society is governed by hidden rules and the majority of media show or conform to these rules, for example good/evil (Harry Potter), light/dark (Star Wars) and male/female. This music video is representing how the two genders are binary opposites but they live the same life. 

task 4 - media language in music videos and websites

Post 4 – How combinations of media language elements are used to create meaning and construct representations that address and appeal to an intended audience

Choose 2 media texts of the main texts from the brief you’ve chosen.

MUSIC VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUXX55WqYZs

Tyler The Creator - Who Dat Boy

 SHOTS - dramatic, slow, shows something meaningful is about to happen because the camera zoom holds weight and suspense. There is a long sequence of Tyler walking down the street which is shot all in one take,

MISE EN SCENE - The entire music video is set in a suburban town in America, there are flower beds, big houses and expensive cars which creates a picturesque setting. The horrific gory nature of the music video is stark against the backdrop, which, paired with the camera shots and movements of Tyler make the video slightly jarring to watch. All the characters in the music video that live in the suburban town are black, which is an uncommon sight to see in a suburban American town, perhaps shining a light on racism? To escape from the police Tyler also wears a white persons face, which may be addressing Americas problem with institutional racism&police brutality towards black people. Other people have suggested the suburban setting and the white face represents Tyler The 

Creators change of style musically.

The song - is also about Tyler's accomplishments and how he feels people are questioning his character, he brings up his current works in the song which might support the idea that the music video represents his growth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AtDnEC4zak
We Don't Talk Anymore - Charlie 
Puth

Opening shots in this music video are establishing shots, they show the scenery, where each character is located. SHOTS

The story of this music video is a couple who are no longer in a relationship, throughout the entire video the screen is split, showing the male and female going through the same things at the same time, this opposite effect shows how they are each dealing with the breakup. They both radiate the same mournful energy, which is emphasised when you can see them both at the same time, mirroring each others emotions and behaviours. EDITING  

You can also see Levi Strauss's theory of binary opposites present in this music video, the example here is male and female. THEORY

Throughout this video you can also see how the two characters lives differentiate from each other, Charlie Puth dealing with stardom and the female character living a normal life. It can be argued that the celeb status is the reason for the relationships failure. This could be an indirect reference to the downside of being a celebrity ( not being able to maintain a relationship). CONTEXT


Websites

https://alanwalker.no/    ---   Alan Walker

Alan walkers music website is very minimalistic, it contains his name, his logo, and the title of his new single which is a very common feature in dance artists websites. Alan Walker is one of the most popular and successful dance artists so his website is a prime example of websites from the dance genre.

Most dance artists promote their most recent single and feature their music video on the front page of their website, likely to drive up sales and make the song more successful.

Alan Walker has designed his website with reference to computer coding, writing promotions for his music in the style of code, this eludes to the electronic side of dance music. As Alan Walker is a DJ, he doesn't sing, showing his speciality in generating music and not lyrics.

There is only one link on the front page that will take the consumer to the full website, this then allows people to click on a tour page, a merchandise page, a releases page and a contact page. This is pretty standard for music artist websites, it provides basic information for people visiting his website. Every page of the website stays consistent to the front pages design; the coding theme.

Audio and Video and Images are all used on the website, however they are very minimalistic, there is no extra design apart from what is needed to promote his career.

task 3 - intertextuality in music videos

How and why is intertextuality employed in 2 media products and what effect does this have in their intended audience?

Two media products: Express Yourself - Labryinth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=III3G1egUcU)
                                       

In "Express Yourself", Labyrinth makes many references to pop culture, (The Simpsons, Fresh Prince of Bel Air), the music video itself does not really have a story, the video is mainly a compilation of intertextuality with pop culture. The pop culture references used suggest an intended audience of young adults, the Fresh Prince and the Simpsons are largely familiar with people born in and before the 90's, which may mean that Labyrinth intended the song and music video to connect mainly with 18-30 year olds. Young adults will see many familiar scenes from their childhood which could spark some nostalgia. 


                                         All The Small Things - Blink 182 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw)

The music video for "All the small things" is a parody on the style of other boybands (one direction, the vamps) music videos and antics. Blink 182 have scenes where their members are on the beach in the same outfit, this is reminiscent of the What makes you beautiful" music video by 1D, even though this music video was made years after the Blink 182 music (which shows that videos shot on the beach and members wearing the same outfit has always been a common occourrence in boyband music videos). This video is intended to be a comedy for people who believe themselves to be "above" liking boybands like one direction, and are aware and make fun of the common boyband tropes. This music video does a good job of promoting blink 182 as a band, because they are not mainstream or a pop band, bands like Blink 182 tend to have more creative freedom and independence than popular boybands.

task 2 - genre conventions in music videos

Genre Conventions


In most dance music videos i have seen, there are many cuts between shots and usually in quick succession which goes well with the upbeat dance music. The music video as a whole is very fast paced because of the quick cuts between shots and the shaky movements of the camera, however there are also many slow motion shots which contrast to the upbeat music and quick editing. There is a mix of close-up and mid-length shots used perhaps to immerse the viewer in the video, close-up shots will especially give the feel of the closeness experienced when in a club.

The lighting is typically either very bright (highkey) as dance videos are often shot in tropical locations, or it is dark (lowkey) and mixed with neon colours because of a club setting or nightlife.Typically, dance songs are targeted towards young adults because that is the generation that go to clubs, they are known for going on holidays to experience the nightlife and these tropical and club settings would be familiar to them. 

Khalid & Marshmellow - Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1sqYc3qas&list=PLLdPJGHquctEZHfH9Z7Up2om8xvFplPPT&index=3

This music video begins with a handheld camera shot (POV shot) similar to the style of Duke Dumonts "i got u", showing this type of camera shot/angle is a common genre convention of dance music videos, it is typically done to add authenticity to a music video and make it easier for a viewer to relate to what is happening.



Duke Dumont - I Got U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHCYHldJi_g

The lighting in this music video is highkey, with bright and bold colours (blue of the water, green of the trees) which supports the idea that dance videos are often in a tropical setting because that is where dance music is played the most. Dance music has a very summery vibe, which is seen in this music video.
A typical convention of dance videos is shots where groups of young people are clubbing/partying/dancing, and this is featured heavily in this.
The fact that the majority of this music video is a POV shot, complies with the trope of dance videos that is to immerse the viewer in the party lifestyle that the young generation dream of. (fitting because the main character isn't even there - represent the audience). Because it is shot from someones view point it is mainly close-ups and medium shots of people, which makes the environment more realistic and easier for the viewer to feel as though they are there.

task 1 - history of music videos

• When and what was the first music video ever created?

in 1981 - VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR, the buggles

• When and what was the first dance music music video ever created?
• What are the 3 most viewed dance music videos of all time in YouTube and when did they become the most viewed dance music videos?

despacito

see you again

shape of you

• What is MTV and VH1 and when were they founded?

MTV stands for music television, it is an american channel that was first made to show msuci videos on TV but now has its own TV shows, like catfish.

VH1 stands for video hits 1, it is also an american TV channel and it was made after MTV to copy their formatting. 

• What is VEVO and when was it founded?

• VEVO is a network that is owned by the top three record companies, to promote their music. VEVO  is the first to release most mainstream music videos and it has its own youtube channel and app.
• Find the 10 most influential music videos of all time and when were they released.

1)Rat Race - the specials, it was the first music video to feature a black person that was shown on TV.

2)Thriller - Michael Jackson, is considered most influential music video of all time.

3)Video killed the radio star - the buggles, first music video to be aired on TV on MTV

4) Sledgehammer - peter gabriel, this video was made in the style of WALLACE & GROMET and was the second most played video of all time on mtv.

5)girls girls girls - motley crue, it was the fist song to be banned from TV due to nudity.

6)Like a prayer - madonna, the first music video that caused major controversy because the pope condemned it.

7) smells like teen spirit - nirvana, was the first music video that was for a whole generation, grunge movement for the youths.

8) Baby one more time - Britney, started Britney's career, she became one of the biggest pop stars in the world

notes on my music video

Parallels between a poor person living on a council estate and a wealthy person living in a richer area. Two different characters. They come face to face at the end. Maybe they are played by the same person.

music video ideas

IDEAS

IDEA 1 REFERENCES) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjVSewbKllk -Jaded, disclosure
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgp0WDMH88g&list=RDQMqZL6B49sOrA&index=7 - know no better, travis scott.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mAoYCwGilY - barbie princess and the pauper.

Parallels between a poor person living on a council estate (south london?) and a wealthy person living in a richer area. Two different characters. They come face to face at the end. Maybe they are played by the same person. CHOSEN IDEA.

IDEA 2 REFERENCES) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aatr_2MstrI&list=RDQMqZL6B49sOrA&index=4 - symphony, clean bandit

There is a couple, one of them dies near the beginning of the video. They wrote books but was never able to get them published, the partner tries to get the books published to fulfil partners dreams.

IDEA 3 REFERENCES) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRfuAukYTKg - titanium, david guetta
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oAqOFz6QsU - duke dumont, the giver

Someone discovers they have powers (moving things, freezing people) they use it for bad (pickpocketing, scaring people). Maybe at the end they save someone from a mugging using their powers.

camera stuff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBB_QOZNEdc - hailee steinfeld, most girls. (would apply mostly to idea 1)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4O24mfB24o - tom grennan, royal highness. ( the swish )

Brief NEA

BRIEF
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/465770-unit-h409-03-04-a-level-media-studies-making-media-nea-briefs.pdf

I chose the music video brief.

What skills do you already have that can help you produce your chosen media texts?
- What skills do you intend to develop whilst working on your media texts?

I have knowledge of software's that can be used to put a music video together or edit a music video.