My Audience

Through research and the poll on my blog I have discovered that my audience are largely female. They enjoy  the alternative music scene, listening to grunge, indie and alternative pop. They are young, aged between 16-19.

Gender..
Male: 18%
Female: 81%

Age..
12 - 15: 0%
16 - 19: 100%
20 - 24: 0%
25 and over: 0%

Where they live..
Hull: 36%
East Yorkshire: 54%
North Lincolnshire: 9%
Out of area: 0%

Social Class..
A: 9%
B: 54%
C1: 27%
C2: 9%
D: 0%
E: 0%

Favourite Music genre..
Indie: 54%
Alternative: 81%
Pop: 9%
RnB: 0%
Rock/Grunge: 54%
Classical: 0%
House: 0%
Dance: 0%

Favourite form of music video..
Performance: 45%
Abstract: 72%
Narrative: 9%
Animated: 9%

Brands associated..
American Apparel

Models Own















Urban Outfitters

Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Media Text Evaluation

For our reconstruction of a media text we chose the music video for 'Countdown' by Beyonce. In a group of five we started planning the filming and editing schedule and allocating different roles within the group. Laken seemed most confident and suited for the role of Beyonce therefore she volunteered herself, so once we had chosen our performer we distributed the other roles such as camera operator, editor and director. I took the role of camera operator. Laken and I discovered we have a study period together on a Monday therefore we planned to meet up then and begin filming. We planned to have three filming sessions and four editing sessions, this was due to the high amount of edits within the original music video. However once we started filming we quickly discovered we needed more time for filming and therefore sacrificed a editing session for more filming. This was the right decision as we finished a day early of the deadline.

Before we started to film the music video we sat down and discussed suitable locations. In the original video Beyonce is in front of a bright white background such as a studio, therefore we planned to shoot our video in the photography studio in college. Unfortunately we didn't realise we had to book this and therefore on the day ended up using a white wall in a corridor which later in editing we put an effect over to brighten. I however think the corridor wall was a success.

The second location was the colleges "Green Room", this was so we could easily add on the desired pattern
featured in the original music video. We found a stripy image for the backdrop on Google Images and then used the Chroma key to place the image behind the footage of Laken dancing. On the same scene we had to speed up the pace of the footage to make Laken's hands tick like a clocks hands, just like Beyonce's. Although I found learning how to use the green room and chroma key very useful, I don't think I would use it in my own music video due to the 'fuzzyness' surrounding Laken in the final reconstruction. In editing we discovered that this was a result of not using the correct lighting in the green room, the subject requires 3 point lighting which we didn't use.

Using the same white back drop we shot footage of Laken doing dance hand movements and then used layers upon layers on Adobe Premiere to place multiple shots of Laken in the same scene. This took quite a while to figure out, however the end product looked great and although flashed up for only 1second was worth it. The skill of layering footage that I learned in this reconstruction is something I will use in my own music video. The fast paced rhythm of the song required us to speed up several scenes that we used in the final piece.

Genre Conventions Essay

Grimes is of the Alternative/Indie Pop genre, through research of her existing music videos I have discovered that one of the conventions of that genre is lip syncing  along to the song, therefore the form of the music video has aspects of performance to it. As well as the artist performing, all Grimes videos include backing dancers, however these dancers aren't stereotypical they just subtly dance or stand behind the main protagonist (the artist). The videos don't have a narrative to them and are instead more of a montage of shots featuring the artist lip syncing and dancers. Transitions between shots are quick cuts, this seems to be a key convention within the genre. Dissolves are not primarily used. Therefore the video syncs with the fast paced cuts in the songs of the genre. Specials effects are used on top of the clips such as mirroring of the clip using a split screen and also kaleidoscope imagery is used. This adds a surreal and psychedelic feel to the music video, this is a convention of the Indie Dream Pop genre. It appears that within the genre one of the conventions of editing is using the blur tool and black&white tool to several of the clips to create a surreal and dreamy aspect to the music video. The blur tool also adds a touch of feminine softness to the video. There are a lot of uses of medium close ups to show both the artist and the others in the video lip syncing along to the song. Long shots are used to show a group of people dancing and mainly always the artist is in the center lip syncing to the song and dancing. The colors used in the genre music videos are feminine pastel colors  such as light pink, light blue, purple, glittery navy's and gold. These again add to the feel of a dreamy world which the genre is trying to convey.The outfits worn by the artist and actresses are feminine American Apparel style dresses and jumpers, a lot of them with added glitter and sequins, again this links in with the dream theme. The lighting in the opening to 'Oblivion' is very bright and well lit like most of the shots in 'Vanessa', however others are darkly lit due to been shot in a sport stadium and takeaway etc. In 'Vanessa' very bright lighting is used which gives a surreal edge to the video.

Synopsis

The camera cuts to the music in time to five different girls individually lip syncing along to Vanessa in a photography studio, whilst singing they do various different small and subtle dance moves. Repetition of the same shot will be used to coincide with the repetition of the song. Kaleidoscope imagery is then used to give a psychedelic feel to the track. Split screens will be used to appear dream like and abstract. The song will fade out to a girl dancing still with a plain all white background.

Visual imagery from lyrics

"My heart is here right after me" - Use of the word heart creates visual imagery of feminine colors which is often associated with the heart such as pink and red.


"Hey hey wanna play 'cos baby I could go go" - The connotations of this are playful, therefore a close up of the performer would be ideal.

"Waiting in the rain" - Visual images of rain

"Everyday you're running off the phone" - Visual images of a phone
"Everyday (x4) every day day dead day dead day" - Repetition allows for cutting to the music and repetition of the same shot

Lyrics

These are the lyrics for my chosen song 'Vanessa' by Grimes

Oh I've been waiting, definitely

and my heart is here right after me

and my heart, waiting in the rain (x2)

And my heart, it is in with the storm

And my heart, heart, heart

(heart, heart, heart)

hey hey wanna play well baby i can go go

and every other day you're running off the phone, no.

well baby I would call you if I didn't know you but I'm waiting (paying?) for it. (x2)

Oh oh, oh oh, huh uhh, hah uhh.

well baby I would call if I didn't know you but I'm waiting for it.

My heart, oh

and I don't care what you say

but it's the way it goes and it's a happening everyday (like e-very-day)

My heart, oh

And I don't care what you say

But it's the way it goes and It's happening everyday.

Everyday (x4) every day day dead day dead day

Everyday day dead day 

everyday dead day dead day

hey hey wanna play well baby i can go go

and every other day you're running off the phone, no.

well baby I would call you if I didn't know you but I'm waiting (paying?) for it. (x4)

Oh oh, oh oh, huh uhh, hah uhh.

well baby I would call if I didn't know you but I'm waiting for it.

Ahhhhh oooohhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhh ahhhhh oooohh ahhhhhh