Overall when we presented the pitch it went quite well and was very successful as well as useful.
The main points that came out when we had finished the pitch was the concerns about the amount of locations that we would be using as we are planning to go to London, Elliots house, Lukes house and Brighton. We will be overcoming this challenge by ensuring that all of us are free and to try and make ourselves available so that we can film as much as possible. Another possible problem that was highlighted was that we will need to organise in advance so that we can ensure that every body is avialable when we need to film.
Thursday 15 October 2009
The pitch- Group
The Pitch
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Slide 3 notes- The product analysis’ have proved very useful as it has allowed us to identify and experiment with ideas about costumes and locations. It has been very helpful as we have looked at artists such as Jamie T, The Streets and Just Jack who all have a similar type of music and therefore many aspects of the music videos are similar. Shots – The use of shots such as handicam goes well with the representation of drunk males in the ‘sticks and stones video.’ this is representative of young males and the artists that occupy the genre. Many of the videos do not relate with the lyrics very much for example in the streets video ‘could well be in’ the whole of the 4th verse talks about his ‘date’ being on the phone… ‘with the phone stuck to the side of her face.’ In the video there is no reference to her being on the phone or being occupied. This therefore highlights the fact that the lyrics do not always relate to the visuals and this is a technique that we intend to use for our own video. The costumes differ a great deal between artists who all have their own specific style of clothing. For example Mike Skinner from the streets always has quite expensive clothes related with the ‘casual’ fashion. This includes Fred Perry polo shirts and expensive jackets. However Jamie T is seen in a regular plain t-shirt a cap and skinny jeans. Our video mentions that he thinks he is a ‘nerd.’ This means for our video we will have to chose costumes that represent this stereotype. Locations often change as the streets ‘could well be in’ is shot in a hotel and ‘never went to church’ is shot in the mountains covered with snow. This is the same artist and so locations are representative of the song and not the genre. The lighting for the videos such as ‘Me & Mandy’ is very realistic and creates a low fi effect. This is the effect we are going for.
Slide 4 notes-The technical analysis has been very useful as it has helped us to understand the massive amount of shots used. With each of the videos that we analysed we realised there were a huge number of shots used. Many of these shots were repeated and seemed to be one shot divided up interspersed with others. For example in Jamie T ‘Chaka Demus’ There seemed to be one long shot of the artist performing in the back of the car but was interspersed with shots of other cars and characters in the car race.
This also made us realise that the duration of each shot is very low. Some shots would be less than a second and the longest shots seemed to be of the artists performing in both ‘Chaka Demus’ and ‘Business Woman.’ This means that when shooting and editing we will have to make sure that there we have literally hundreds of shots to use.
The technical analysis also reinforced the costumes and locations that were used in each of the shots. We listed everything that was seen in the shot and this was what made us realise that there were a great deal of repeated shots.
Slide 5 notes -Our perception of the geek was very accurate as many people thought that the geek should be wearing glasses, having a bow tie, ankle swingers and having a shirt on with a pullover.
We were on the right track with the costume for the performance rap shorts as we thought he should be wearing smart “indie clothes” that were quite stereotypical, however from our results we have found out that the majority of people thought the rapper would be wearing smart designer clothes.
After our research our initial thoughts about locations were reinforced as we found that the majority of people thought that a suburban location should be used with back streets (similar to brightons back alleys). A few people actually specifically said brighton came to mind when they listened to the track.
The majority of people also said that they preferred a narrative based video or a mixture of performance or narrative.
Slide 6 notes- We have decided to go down the teen romance route with our music video. This has enabled us to create an interesting narrative based around our ‘geek’ falling in love and chasing the girl of his dreams. We hope to add an aspect of humour to our video with the inclusion of Luke Hawkins as our Geeky hero. However our video may have a dramatic twist at the end which will change the mood and prove to be thought provoking.
Slide 7 notes-When coming up with our narrative, due to the lyrics at the beginning ‘I’m a student a nerd and I’m 17’ we have decided that the narrative can include the artist dressed as a ‘geek.’ To do this we used the results from our audience research and came up with a costume that would perhaps include a number of these items.
Slide 8 notes-We have many possible locations we hope to include in our music video, one in particular is London as the car we hope to use is owned by Elliot's dad who lives in London so it would make it easier on him.
Other locations include Tonbridge, Leigh and Brighton.
Slide 9 notes-Filming in car – we will need to drive the car in our music video, however Luke cannot drive and as he is the main character this could prove tricky. We will have to film all Luke's parts when the car is stationary and then switch drivers when on the road.
Getting our other actors together.- we hope to use outside actors especially girls. This means we have to be very organised with times and dates when shooting to save time and get all our shots done accurately.
Lip- synching- our track is relatively fast paced with a complex range of lyrics, this may prove tricky to lip- synch well. However Luke our main performer has learned the lyrics off by heart so it should be easy for him to rap in time with the song.
Slide 10 notes-Youthful – The inclusion of 17 – 18 year old in our music video will keep this song young and enable people of that age group to relate to the lyrics and visuals on screen when they watch. Our story includes a love story and some aspect of tragedy which all people of this age will be going through some for the first time.
Humorous – We hope to add an aspect of humour to this music video, some of the lyrics are quite funny and we hope to translate this humour into an effective narrative story.
Unique style – Example has a reputation for doing things out of the ordinary, we hope to enhance his by creating an original music video along the lines of something similar he would be associated with.
Slide 11 notes -So far we have discussed 3 possible ideas for the front of the Digipak.
The first one being a sketch of a nice car which would fit with the title ‘fast car’ and the track that we are filming the video for. We have asked Nick Walker a well known street artist for some possible sketches. This would be good as they are completely original and as did Kanye West with the graduation album, we will have had a well known artist help to promote the album.
Another idea is a shot of ‘example’ (Luke). Many covers use the artist which helps promotion and recognition of the artist. We have taken this idea from ‘Press Play’ by P. Diddy where there is a striking picture of the artist.
The other idea that we discussed was perhaps a picture of a City Skyline, and as we will do some shooting in London we thought the capital would be the best option. There are a number of different styles this could be in, using either a sketch, a cartoon or a photograph.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
LH-Deconstructing a Music Video Example-Watch the sun come up
Genre Characteristics
As example is becoming an established artist in the sense that recently a few of his songs being broadcasted on Radio One it is obvious that Example is establishing himself in the Indie Rap subgenre, however this particular song is less obvious. In a lot of example videos and similarly in the indie rap genre it is easy to identify what type of music it is straight away from the video. In the video for ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’ however it is not so straightforward, typically you can identify the genre from the locations, costume, characters and the effects that are used. This is not the case in ‘Watch the sun Come up’ as it is not set in the stereotypical suburban location and does not contain the ‘laddish’ lively characters that many indie rap videos do. This song is set in a foreign country and only contains Example and a woman as the characters. This song is also very out of context as the lyrics in example songs are often ‘jokey’ and put his own unique twist on the narrative but within this song he is quite serious and raps about a romance which is most unlike Example and the genre itself. Although I have said that this video does not coincide for many parts with the genre, Examples costume throughout the video does as he is wearing a denim shirt, relatively skinny jeans and VANS plimsoles all of which would often be seen in an indie rap video. The video is mainly narrative based as it tells a story within itself about romance, lust and love however the video has aspects that are performance based much like many videos of the indie rap genre for instance Plan B- Bizzness Woman.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals
For the majority of the video the lyrics do not directly relate to the visuals but the generall story that the lyrics are describing is apparent. By this I mean that the lyrics talk about a girl and a holiday romance and that is what is shown in the visuals but there is little direct correspondence. Although I have said there is very little direct links there are some for instance “you and that red dress what a pairing, I kept staring,” whilst these lyrics are sung the visuals show a few shots in which Example is staring at a girl that is dancing in a red dress. This is often typical of narrative based videos as it would not be plausible to directly match each lyric with a visual. An example of where the lyrics do not directly link with the visuals would be that it says “love at first sight or holiday romance” and then shows a shot of two beer bottles which imply that there has been some drinking going on. This also fits in with Examples music as it is quite a humorous extract and would suggest that the whole song is down to a drunken night.
Relationship between music and visuals
The music is very important in creating a certain feeling about songs and this is particularly the case with ‘Watch the Sun Come Up.’ The music throughout is quite upbeat and produces a happy feeling that ties in very well with the lyrics as he is describing an enjoyable experience throughout in which he ‘fell in love.’ The music is quite repetitive and this fits with the story as for a lot of the song he is describing and elaborating on the same thing.
Close ups of artist and star image motifs
The bulk of the video is mainly narrative but there is also quite a bit of performance based shots. As both of these are combined there is quite a lot of meat shots and close ups of the artist (Example.) Throughout the video Example performs directly and indirectly to the camera the majority of which are in close ups or mid shots. A possible reason for is that because Example is a relatively unknown artist in the music industry the producer wants to get his face known so that he is easily recognised which will enable his career to have an extra boost. Example features in virtually every shot within the video this helps to add to the narrative as it gives you a sense that example is actually feeling the emotions that he is writing and describing.
Notion of Looking
During ‘Watch the Sun come up’ there is one instance of notion of looking and that is when Example looks at himself in the mirror after he gets up out of bed. The notion of looking is used in this instance to add a first hand more realistic feel to the music video, as this is something that you would expect to do when you woke up so it add to the authenticity of the video.
Intertextual references
Within this video there are no direct intertextual references to something in the ‘outside’ world but the song its self could be considered as a reference. This is because previously he made a song called ‘One Night’ which has very similar music and a lot of the lyrics are exactly the same. However when this song was made he was an illegal pirate artist so this could be viewed as an intertextual reference as it shows the progression that he has made as he is still using the same lyrics but has now ‘made’ it in the industry.
Performance narrative or concept based
The majority of the video is narrative based and this is particularly important as this is a predominant characteristic of the indie rap genre. The story line is of Example allegedly falling in love on holiday, he experiences lust, romance and love although you can gather that they have been drinking alcohol so it is left to you to decided whether they are truly in love. The video also had quite a few performance shots in which Example is still the narrative character but speaks to the camera as though he is speaking directly to you and telling the story. This may have been done so that in future you would recognise him if you saw him in another music video or on TV.
As example is becoming an established artist in the sense that recently a few of his songs being broadcasted on Radio One it is obvious that Example is establishing himself in the Indie Rap subgenre, however this particular song is less obvious. In a lot of example videos and similarly in the indie rap genre it is easy to identify what type of music it is straight away from the video. In the video for ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’ however it is not so straightforward, typically you can identify the genre from the locations, costume, characters and the effects that are used. This is not the case in ‘Watch the sun Come up’ as it is not set in the stereotypical suburban location and does not contain the ‘laddish’ lively characters that many indie rap videos do. This song is set in a foreign country and only contains Example and a woman as the characters. This song is also very out of context as the lyrics in example songs are often ‘jokey’ and put his own unique twist on the narrative but within this song he is quite serious and raps about a romance which is most unlike Example and the genre itself. Although I have said that this video does not coincide for many parts with the genre, Examples costume throughout the video does as he is wearing a denim shirt, relatively skinny jeans and VANS plimsoles all of which would often be seen in an indie rap video. The video is mainly narrative based as it tells a story within itself about romance, lust and love however the video has aspects that are performance based much like many videos of the indie rap genre for instance Plan B- Bizzness Woman.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals
For the majority of the video the lyrics do not directly relate to the visuals but the generall story that the lyrics are describing is apparent. By this I mean that the lyrics talk about a girl and a holiday romance and that is what is shown in the visuals but there is little direct correspondence. Although I have said there is very little direct links there are some for instance “you and that red dress what a pairing, I kept staring,” whilst these lyrics are sung the visuals show a few shots in which Example is staring at a girl that is dancing in a red dress. This is often typical of narrative based videos as it would not be plausible to directly match each lyric with a visual. An example of where the lyrics do not directly link with the visuals would be that it says “love at first sight or holiday romance” and then shows a shot of two beer bottles which imply that there has been some drinking going on. This also fits in with Examples music as it is quite a humorous extract and would suggest that the whole song is down to a drunken night.
Relationship between music and visuals
The music is very important in creating a certain feeling about songs and this is particularly the case with ‘Watch the Sun Come Up.’ The music throughout is quite upbeat and produces a happy feeling that ties in very well with the lyrics as he is describing an enjoyable experience throughout in which he ‘fell in love.’ The music is quite repetitive and this fits with the story as for a lot of the song he is describing and elaborating on the same thing.
Close ups of artist and star image motifs
The bulk of the video is mainly narrative but there is also quite a bit of performance based shots. As both of these are combined there is quite a lot of meat shots and close ups of the artist (Example.) Throughout the video Example performs directly and indirectly to the camera the majority of which are in close ups or mid shots. A possible reason for is that because Example is a relatively unknown artist in the music industry the producer wants to get his face known so that he is easily recognised which will enable his career to have an extra boost. Example features in virtually every shot within the video this helps to add to the narrative as it gives you a sense that example is actually feeling the emotions that he is writing and describing.
Notion of Looking
During ‘Watch the Sun come up’ there is one instance of notion of looking and that is when Example looks at himself in the mirror after he gets up out of bed. The notion of looking is used in this instance to add a first hand more realistic feel to the music video, as this is something that you would expect to do when you woke up so it add to the authenticity of the video.
Intertextual references
Within this video there are no direct intertextual references to something in the ‘outside’ world but the song its self could be considered as a reference. This is because previously he made a song called ‘One Night’ which has very similar music and a lot of the lyrics are exactly the same. However when this song was made he was an illegal pirate artist so this could be viewed as an intertextual reference as it shows the progression that he has made as he is still using the same lyrics but has now ‘made’ it in the industry.
Performance narrative or concept based
The majority of the video is narrative based and this is particularly important as this is a predominant characteristic of the indie rap genre. The story line is of Example allegedly falling in love on holiday, he experiences lust, romance and love although you can gather that they have been drinking alcohol so it is left to you to decided whether they are truly in love. The video also had quite a few performance shots in which Example is still the narrative character but speaks to the camera as though he is speaking directly to you and telling the story. This may have been done so that in future you would recognise him if you saw him in another music video or on TV.
Story Board - Breaking Up The Track
1.You got a fast car.
2 I want a ticket to anywhere.
3Maybe we can make a deal.
4Maybe together we can get somewhere.
5Anyplace is better.
6Starting from zero got nothing to lose.
7Maybe we'll make something.
8Me, myself, I've got nothing to prove.
9I was hard up, couldn't get a large cup
10Waitin there for my change in the Starbucks
11Thinking bout just how much my car sucks
12Then I was star struck, one of those mad things
13Pickin' up a napkin, sippin on my latte
14Saw her shoes but her face looked blasé
15Whatever, knew this was our day
16Wanna take a ride in my car pretty lady?
17Maybe not, that's too cheap
18This ain't hollywood, need a jolly good linefor this fine young pussycat
19Woman that I'm lookin at
20talkin back fine, but I've only got rookie chat
21If only I had a Ferrari
22Then I'd be a Ken doll and she'd be Barbie
23We could ride together with the roof rolled down
24With the whole town jealous of my girl and my fast car
25She's a woman of the likes that I've never seen
26And I'm a student, a nerd and I'm seventeen
27It's a given that she'll never like moi
28Unless I get a car that she'll wanna ride far with
29me into the sunset, we could have fun
30wherever she'd wanna go I'm headin for that
31When she wants to drive fast I'm ready for that
32My hand on the wheel with her head in my lap.
33You got a fast car34I want a ticket to anywhere
35Maybe we can make a deal
36Maybe together we can get somewhere
37Anyplace is better
38Starting from zero got nothing to lose
39Maybe we'll make something
40Me, myself, I've got nothing to prove
41I want a woman like Angelina Jolie
42to show me, where the grass is greener
43on a daily basis. A proper fit lady
44Friends say I'm cool, but they never persuade me
45Try an chat her up but I ain't got skills,
46an I never do it proper. Never bought high heels
47for a woman all I know is they like high frills.
48I need cash for a new set of wheels
49that's not possible, what about that tosser Paul?
50Left the keys for his Porsche,
51with my dad he had only just bought her.
52Here they are by our phone in the saucer
53What a find, I'm sure he won't mind
54if I take his little beast on the road for a test
55drive. To suggest that I took the piss
56is an understatement, look I need this.
57On the road with the roof rolled back
58You never seen a killer with a smile this hard
59but now I'm in charge and it's cos of these keys
60Have any girl I want cos I'm the bees knees
61Look at her over there with the long hair
62She lookin back, givin me the long stare.
63A proper connoisseur *Tyres screech*
64Oh Shit, I didn't see her
65You got a fast car
66I want a ticket to anywhere
69Maybe we can make a deal
70Maybe together we can get somewhere
71Anyplace is better
72Starting from zero got nothing to lose
73Maybe we'll make something
74Me, myself, I've got nothing to prove
- Inro including first 3 lines of the 1st chorus: Our actor (Luke) in close up displaying his 'nerdy' nature. Then shots showing him buying a SMALL coffee in Starbucks as he performs the lyrics to the song. 'I was hard up couldnt't get a large cup, waiting there for my change in the Starbucks.'
- Line 12 - 16: Shots in Starbucks/coffee shop as he sees the girl that he falls for, she laughs at him as he spills his latte down his shirt. Flicking through a magazine he thinks about his bad car. Then as he leaves he drops his books, girl helps him pick them up.
- Line 17 - 22: Slow motion as he leaves he looks back at her, show her reaction, her friends are laughing but she is concentrating on him. At the end of this shot perhaps a 'geeky' wave back at her.
- Line 23 - 30: Shots of him dreaming about being with the girl, still in geeky clothes, sat in a nice car laughing with each other. Perhaps him performing some of the lyrics at the same time.
- Line 31 - 34: Looks at his reflection in a shop window, realises he looks silly and wants to change. Close up of him on his phone calling his friends.
- 2nd Chorus: Shots of his friends turning up at the door, geeky star-trek sign as they enter with bin bags full of clothes for him to try.
- Line 43 - 50: Shot of clothe changes as he and his friends try to make him look cool. Different hair styles and clothes along with him practising some 'cool' moves. This shot lasts a good number of seconds as there are a lot of different outfits and hairstyles
- Line 52 - 57: Thinks about taking keys to keys to the 'porsche.' He decides to take the keys and looking cool he drives off.
- Line 58 - 66: See girl while he is out and they meet, decide to go for a drive. They then end with a car crash as he is not paying attention to driving. Dramatic twist using slow motion and a fade to black.
- 3rd Chorus: Reaction shots of the girl and boy as just after they have crashed.
Thursday 8 October 2009
E.L - Product Analysis
The Streets – Could Well Be In
Genre Characteristics
The Streets are well known for their rather unique style and can be classed under a number of genres; grime, rap and UK garage. Within the music video for ‘Could Well Be In’ are a number of characteristics that The Streets use in most of their videos. The video itself is predominantly narrative-based and the video uses locations and costumes in order to fulfil this requirement. The mise-en-scene is representative of a realistic story. The costume that Mike Skinner wears is very typical of the UK garage genre with smart, expensive, branded clothing. Many other artists within the same genre would be dressed similarly as perhaps a sign that they are successful and wealthy. The locations also match the expensive costume as it seems to be set in a relatively posh hotel.
Relationship between Lyrics and Visuals
The video itself seems to match the lyrics as the story that he tells within the song suggests that he and a female are out on a date. This is also the case in the video and the visuals constantly relate to the lyrics. At numerous occasions throughout the track there is reference to playing with her hair. ‘If she plays with her hair she’s probably keen.’ As this is repeated in both the chorus and verse the woman that he is with flicks her hair and is constantly ‘playing’ with it. Also at one point in the song Mike Skinner mentions his hair ‘looked a bit cheap’ and as he does so another image of him looking in a mirror brushing his hair with his hands is shown.
However there are still a number of lyrics that do not seem to fit with the visuals. The third verse has a focus on the woman being on the phone. ‘She had her phone stuck to the side of her face.’ This is never shown within the video just as he never plays ‘with the same ash tray.’
Relationship between Music and Visuals
There does not seem to be a large focus on the music track in the video as most of the video enhances the lyrics. This is conventional of The Streets as their unique lyrics are what make them stand out and so most of the focus of the video is used for the lyrics. There aren’t any evident cuts or movements specifically to the beat of the song and as there are no instruments featured in the video it is almost impossible to see, if any, the relationship between both the music and visuals.
Star Image Motifs
The music video uses a large quantity of close-ups that help to promote the artist and as much of the video is performance it is important to show the artist. Mike Skinner features in almost every shot within the video and there is almost an equal number of long-shots and mid-shots as there are close-ups. These are used as much of the video shows him in the background of a shot that features a second Mike Skinner on the date. This gives the impression that the artist is reminiscing about the date as he can see it happening. The Streets do not have a particular star image however can be distinguished by their unique sound and perhaps the expensive ‘casual’ clothing. This is evident within the ‘Could Well Be In’ video as mentioned previously.
The video also features Alexa Chung, a well known television presenter with a keen interest in the music industry. She is very alternative in both the way she dresses and acts which fits perfectly with the song as The Streets produce, unique, alternative tracks just as this one is.
Genre Characteristics
The Streets are well known for their rather unique style and can be classed under a number of genres; grime, rap and UK garage. Within the music video for ‘Could Well Be In’ are a number of characteristics that The Streets use in most of their videos. The video itself is predominantly narrative-based and the video uses locations and costumes in order to fulfil this requirement. The mise-en-scene is representative of a realistic story. The costume that Mike Skinner wears is very typical of the UK garage genre with smart, expensive, branded clothing. Many other artists within the same genre would be dressed similarly as perhaps a sign that they are successful and wealthy. The locations also match the expensive costume as it seems to be set in a relatively posh hotel.
Relationship between Lyrics and Visuals
The video itself seems to match the lyrics as the story that he tells within the song suggests that he and a female are out on a date. This is also the case in the video and the visuals constantly relate to the lyrics. At numerous occasions throughout the track there is reference to playing with her hair. ‘If she plays with her hair she’s probably keen.’ As this is repeated in both the chorus and verse the woman that he is with flicks her hair and is constantly ‘playing’ with it. Also at one point in the song Mike Skinner mentions his hair ‘looked a bit cheap’ and as he does so another image of him looking in a mirror brushing his hair with his hands is shown.
However there are still a number of lyrics that do not seem to fit with the visuals. The third verse has a focus on the woman being on the phone. ‘She had her phone stuck to the side of her face.’ This is never shown within the video just as he never plays ‘with the same ash tray.’
Relationship between Music and Visuals
There does not seem to be a large focus on the music track in the video as most of the video enhances the lyrics. This is conventional of The Streets as their unique lyrics are what make them stand out and so most of the focus of the video is used for the lyrics. There aren’t any evident cuts or movements specifically to the beat of the song and as there are no instruments featured in the video it is almost impossible to see, if any, the relationship between both the music and visuals.
Star Image Motifs
The music video uses a large quantity of close-ups that help to promote the artist and as much of the video is performance it is important to show the artist. Mike Skinner features in almost every shot within the video and there is almost an equal number of long-shots and mid-shots as there are close-ups. These are used as much of the video shows him in the background of a shot that features a second Mike Skinner on the date. This gives the impression that the artist is reminiscing about the date as he can see it happening. The Streets do not have a particular star image however can be distinguished by their unique sound and perhaps the expensive ‘casual’ clothing. This is evident within the ‘Could Well Be In’ video as mentioned previously.
The video also features Alexa Chung, a well known television presenter with a keen interest in the music industry. She is very alternative in both the way she dresses and acts which fits perfectly with the song as The Streets produce, unique, alternative tracks just as this one is.
Notion of Looking
This video for ‘Could Well Be In’ refers to the notion of looking most of the way through. There are a number of shots that feature Mike Skinner, the artist, twice. One example is as he goes to the toilet another mike skinner comes in and looks at his hair in the mirror. By doing this the video creates almost a sense that he is reminiscing about the date that he was on and is watching it as it happens in his mind. This fits perfectly with the song as the lyrics seem to be a description of the date that he was on, from the past.
Intertextual References
The song itself is based upon a programme that the artist has watched on ‘TV the other week.’ The chorus uses the lyrics, ‘I saw this thing on ITV the other week.’ This could be classed as intertextual reference as the specific media channel has been mentioned. However this is never represented in the video through visuals and there doesn’t seem to be any other focus on intertextual references other than the odd close-up of the Fred Perry badge on Mike Skinner’s polo shirt.
Performance, Narrative or Concept Based
The ‘Could Well Be In’ video is a 50% split between performance based and narrative based. The main story is of a date between the artist and Alexa Chung and their night together while a separate Mike Skinner reminisces or overlooks the evening. This second Mike Skinner as he stands at the bar and goes about his own evening performs the lyrics of the track. This is not performance based as many videos are with the band or artist performing live to an audience or separately but the two are combined together, a conventional genre characteristic.
The character portrayed in the video is a representation of the artist Mike Skinner as a character. The images fit perfectly with the traits of the artist and therefore help to add to the realism of the video and also help to keep the song as meaningful as it is. Richard Dyer stated that the problematic fir occurs ‘there is a clash between two complex sign-cluster,’ meaning that if the character being played does not fit the persona of the actor, or in this instance the artist, the characters have been miscast. This helps to create what would probably be classed as a Low Fi production.
Wednesday 7 October 2009
J.J Product analysis/ deconstruction of - 'Dry your eyes mate' by the Streets
Genre and narrative
When using Goodwin’s framework to de construct this music video it is evident that some of the sections he divides music videos into are evident in this Streets song. This music video is a Narrative performance, in that it tells a story through the lyrics being spoken. However the images on screen do not directly relate to the lyrics in the conventional way. The whole song is set in a snowy mountainous landscape and shows Mike Skinner the performer travelling through this environment by train and by walking. This video gives the impression that Mike Skinner is reflecting back on old memories of his father by travelling to this far away setting. The notion of looking is also very evident in this music video. You often see the image of Mikes face in the reflection of a window as he is looking thoughtfully through the glass. Another example of the notion of looking is when mike is holding up old slides to the light. The camera switches from him holding the slide up too the view which mike would get when holding it up. This video also has aspects of links between lyrics and visuals, lip syncing is evident throughout. Mike is often shown rapping the lyrics into the camera through some sort of close up or mid shot.
This video is an example of illustration, as it tells the sad story of Mike loosing his father through a very picturesque and unrelated way. The setting and images on screen do not inherently relate to the lyrics so things like the location and the way it has been shot are used to add some aspect of dramatic effect.
I think this video could be considered an art form rather than a commercial one, as it challenges the usual stereotype of the Streets videos. A usual streets video may include loud brash boyish behaviour where this is supposed to be gentler and thought provoking as the death of a parent is a delicate subject. I personally think this video was made in this style because Mike skinner wanted it to be visually stunning as it was a tribute to his father, rather than an add to sell his latest record.
Media language
Mise – en – scene: This video is shot in a very scenic part of the world, covered in snow and surrounded by large mountains. This adds to the effect of this song as it is not a very cheerful song as it is focused around the death of his father. The cold conditions and lack of sunlight keep the mood of the video at a fixed level. The costume worn by Mike Skinner is very basic, he is dressed from head to toe in black this could be seen out of respect and mourning for his dad. There are very little props used in this video however one important prop is a slide Mike holds up whilst he is travelling on the train. The slide is a picture of a church and it turns out to be the very same church he is travelling all the way to see. As the song is called “never went to Church” it holds some significance to the lyrics being sung in the chorus.
Camera: There are many camera shots within this video which are very effective at enhancing the images on screen. For example the use of close ups when mike is rapping personal memories like “you tidied you things into the bin the more poorly you grew” into the camera it really hits home how sad these memories are to him.
There is also a very slow vertical pan starting from Mike’s reflection in the water and ending up looking at his lonely figure by the water side. I think this shot is very effective at showing how alone Mike feels after the passing of his dad, and the despairing look on his face at the end of this shot confirms this point of view.
As this song has a fairly slow and steady beat the style of editing reflects this tempo. As a result this song has a fairly slow cutting rate and many prolonged shots which exaggerate the sad mood of the song.
There is no real intertextuality or references to popular culture in this song, this is mainly due to the fact it is a personal story of mikes memories with his dad. The only real thing that could be thought of is intertextuality is any references to God and Christianity which are occasionally mentioned in the lyrics.
Representation
The Streets are represented in this music video mainly through Mike Skinner the main vocalist. His face is very recognisable with his shaven head, stubble and crooked teeth. When Mike appears in close up all these conventions we expect to see and recognise from previous hits like “dry your eyes mate” and “fit but you know it” are revealed even if this time he is appearing in a more thought provoking song. His inclusion adds to the ‘meta Narrative’ already established by the Streets band as an image.
There is only one social group represented in this video as there is only one person who appears in the whole video. Mike skinner is a white male in his late twenties and considered a ‘bit of a lad’. This video could be seen as challenging the stereotype of someone within this age and gender bracket. Too see a young male pouring out his heart on screen about his memories of his father and challenging the conventions of his ‘Lad’ persona.
Institution and Audience
This music video is more likely to be consumed by some form of focused viewing rather than an ambient one. People are more likely to hear the song once on the radio and like it then go out looking for its relating video. I also would see this video to be consumed solo and not part of a communal group. As this song is sad and fairly slow it would not be played in an environment like a club or party as it would not fit the mood. However if viewed alone this video is entertaining as it focuses on a more serious aspect of life which probably would be best thought about whilst alone.
When using Goodwin’s framework to de construct this music video it is evident that some of the sections he divides music videos into are evident in this Streets song. This music video is a Narrative performance, in that it tells a story through the lyrics being spoken. However the images on screen do not directly relate to the lyrics in the conventional way. The whole song is set in a snowy mountainous landscape and shows Mike Skinner the performer travelling through this environment by train and by walking. This video gives the impression that Mike Skinner is reflecting back on old memories of his father by travelling to this far away setting. The notion of looking is also very evident in this music video. You often see the image of Mikes face in the reflection of a window as he is looking thoughtfully through the glass. Another example of the notion of looking is when mike is holding up old slides to the light. The camera switches from him holding the slide up too the view which mike would get when holding it up. This video also has aspects of links between lyrics and visuals, lip syncing is evident throughout. Mike is often shown rapping the lyrics into the camera through some sort of close up or mid shot.
This video is an example of illustration, as it tells the sad story of Mike loosing his father through a very picturesque and unrelated way. The setting and images on screen do not inherently relate to the lyrics so things like the location and the way it has been shot are used to add some aspect of dramatic effect.
I think this video could be considered an art form rather than a commercial one, as it challenges the usual stereotype of the Streets videos. A usual streets video may include loud brash boyish behaviour where this is supposed to be gentler and thought provoking as the death of a parent is a delicate subject. I personally think this video was made in this style because Mike skinner wanted it to be visually stunning as it was a tribute to his father, rather than an add to sell his latest record.
Media language
Mise – en – scene: This video is shot in a very scenic part of the world, covered in snow and surrounded by large mountains. This adds to the effect of this song as it is not a very cheerful song as it is focused around the death of his father. The cold conditions and lack of sunlight keep the mood of the video at a fixed level. The costume worn by Mike Skinner is very basic, he is dressed from head to toe in black this could be seen out of respect and mourning for his dad. There are very little props used in this video however one important prop is a slide Mike holds up whilst he is travelling on the train. The slide is a picture of a church and it turns out to be the very same church he is travelling all the way to see. As the song is called “never went to Church” it holds some significance to the lyrics being sung in the chorus.
Camera: There are many camera shots within this video which are very effective at enhancing the images on screen. For example the use of close ups when mike is rapping personal memories like “you tidied you things into the bin the more poorly you grew” into the camera it really hits home how sad these memories are to him.
There is also a very slow vertical pan starting from Mike’s reflection in the water and ending up looking at his lonely figure by the water side. I think this shot is very effective at showing how alone Mike feels after the passing of his dad, and the despairing look on his face at the end of this shot confirms this point of view.
As this song has a fairly slow and steady beat the style of editing reflects this tempo. As a result this song has a fairly slow cutting rate and many prolonged shots which exaggerate the sad mood of the song.
There is no real intertextuality or references to popular culture in this song, this is mainly due to the fact it is a personal story of mikes memories with his dad. The only real thing that could be thought of is intertextuality is any references to God and Christianity which are occasionally mentioned in the lyrics.
Representation
The Streets are represented in this music video mainly through Mike Skinner the main vocalist. His face is very recognisable with his shaven head, stubble and crooked teeth. When Mike appears in close up all these conventions we expect to see and recognise from previous hits like “dry your eyes mate” and “fit but you know it” are revealed even if this time he is appearing in a more thought provoking song. His inclusion adds to the ‘meta Narrative’ already established by the Streets band as an image.
There is only one social group represented in this video as there is only one person who appears in the whole video. Mike skinner is a white male in his late twenties and considered a ‘bit of a lad’. This video could be seen as challenging the stereotype of someone within this age and gender bracket. Too see a young male pouring out his heart on screen about his memories of his father and challenging the conventions of his ‘Lad’ persona.
Institution and Audience
This music video is more likely to be consumed by some form of focused viewing rather than an ambient one. People are more likely to hear the song once on the radio and like it then go out looking for its relating video. I also would see this video to be consumed solo and not part of a communal group. As this song is sad and fairly slow it would not be played in an environment like a club or party as it would not fit the mood. However if viewed alone this video is entertaining as it focuses on a more serious aspect of life which probably would be best thought about whilst alone.
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