Favourite Music Video Analysis

Pixie Lott- Broken Arrow 

In the music video the artist Pixie Lott has been dressed in very pale colours such as light pinks in certain places in the music video, almost the narrative scenes when she is singing and the camera is solely focused on her and no one else present in the frame, this is perhaps used to present her femininity as pink is usually a colour associated with females and 'girly' girls. However the colour could also be used in order to present her youth and innocence as again the colour pink is normally recognised as being a colour that young girl wear. Her make-up in these scene is very natural again presenting her youth, as it shows that she does not need all this make-up to make her presentable. Furthermore by the use of the subtle colours and the pale pink lip gloss it may also be presenting her as being perhaps naive and vulnerable again due to the connotations with the ideology behind the colour pink and little girls. 

The camera shots used are normally extreme close-ups when presenting the emotions on the artist face, this has some relation to Goodwin's theory as the lyrics and the facial expressions match up, for example when Pixie Lott signs "and find the piece that i'm missing" the expression on her face is almost hurt and upset.   

 
Furthermore when the lyrics are "and your standing in the front row" it suggest to the audience that perhaps the person she is referring to is standing front row at one of her shows, perhaps a dance show, this is suggested by the shot then changing location an presenting the audience with a contemporary dance routine, in this routine the artist is dancing alongside a boy, therefore this also suggests that this song is based around the idea of losing perhaps an ex boyfriend. The use of the lighting in these shots in particular suggests that she is reflecting back as the lighting become dim and the colour pallet changes to dark black, whites and dark blues, furthermore the costume also changes to a black leotard, setting a nostalgic mood to the scene. In addition to this this lighting is also used throughout some of the narrative/populated scenes again when it appears as if she is searching for her love interest again to present this nostalgic tone.

The contemporary dance scene is also used in relation to Goodwin's theory as when the lyrics say "if only i could let go" the image that appears on in the music video suggests that they can't or won't let go. 

When the artist is laying down on the floor, this is when the lyrics "like a broken arrow" so the image almost presents or creates the ideology that the artist has been wounded by an arrow this is why she is pictured laying down on the floor. 


This shot also presents her as reflecting or thinking about her ex, as people normally associate the idea of people listening to sad music when they are thinking about someone, furthermore her body language of her fiddling around with the mp3 suggesting that she isn't paying much attention either again she is too focused on reflecting back on the good times with her ex. 

The pace of the music video and the cuts between the shots, fastens when it shows scenes of her and her ex in the past enjoying time together, the use of the fast pace editing suggests that this was a time in her life when she was happy, which was when she was around or with him, this is also presented by her body language and her facial expression as she is always smiling and laughing in these shots. 

However the location and colours furthermore the clothing used in the this shot and also the lyrics 'You could be my hero' creates the idea that she is a damsel in distress and needs rescuing by him, it also I think suggests that she is perhaps dependant on him as she is not dressed in these scene and is in either pyjamas or slob by clothing, presenting the idea that she has been mopping around the house since their break-up and is unable to leave the house. However even though she is dressed in pyjamas she is still presented as being sexualised and there is a element of voyerism and Mulvey's Male gaze theory as she is dressed in shorts, therefore she still has elements of her body on show.  
In addition to this the duvet used in the shot suggests that it is almost like a shield for her and is protecting her from the hurt. This is a place where she feels safe and secure and is comforted over her loss. 


In the music video she is presented is a more edgy look, this perhaps presenting the audience with the idea that this is when she is hurting at her most, or even that this is the point when she has seen something she didn't want to see, such as her boyfriend at the time with another girl, this is also emphasised by her hair being in a undo and the dark eye make-up.

Digi-Pak Ideas

When creating my digi-pak I have gained influence from Rihanna's divi-pak 'LOUD' as i want to include on the front of the divi-pak my artist face, perhaps a close-up of my artists face, however in contrast with Rihanna's digi-pak mine is going to be black and white perhaps as then the image will then relate in with the music video I am going to create. 

however this is only an idea at the moment, therefore another idea I had was to do a photoshoot in Notting Hill where there are pastel coloured houses which would be great to shoot my artist outside, as it would give the idea to the target audience that the genre of music my artist creates is 'pop' this I feel also gives a fun, young and also girly feel to the album, therefore again it would relate into the target audience well. 

I also wanted to add an element of ballet into the divi-pack perhaps on the back where the song titles are going to be displayed, I was thinking a good image to use would be of the ballet dancers feet and legs, as this also adds a sexualised representation of my artist, therefore appealing to a male audience also. 

Within my divi-pak there is going to be two CD Disks inside, one of these will be the song on the album, the second disc I was planning on being bonus tracks. Inside the divi-pak there is also going to be a lyric book, with lyrics to all the songs inside therefore the audience will be able to sing along or even learn the songs once they buy the album. At the moment I am thinking of having a back and white theme on my album however when you open up the divi-pak inside there will be a row of colour, to perhaps show my artist personality, the images we are taking in Notting Hill will be useful for this aspect, as I could have a row of the houses inside once you open up the album. I want the CD disks at the moment to be quiet plain so perhaps matte black with pink typography of the artists name and the name of the album 'Uncovered', my idea for this has been influenced by Ellie Gouldings CD disc for her album Halcyon. 

When taking the shots for my divi-pak I was thinking of having images that looked similar to this or this sort of style, to not only clearly identify my artist on the digi-pak, but to also add an element of fun to the album. 

Making a Banner For My Blog

In order to make my blog look as if it is representing my artist, I have created a banner which covers the theme of ballet, relating to the CD and digi-pak I will be creating for my artist. Therefor I want my blog to be viewed almost like a promotional website for the digi-pak that I am going to create. When creating the banner I used a editing website called Fotor.com. Using a colour pallet consisting of pale pinks, creams, white,greys and also black to portray the title of my blog and also the intro into what my blog is about. The format and typography also the images used to create the banner are all in thew same style that I will use on my digi-pak and CD in order to represent my artist. 

Artist Profile

This is a updated version of our artist profile. In this presentation it displays the genre of music our artist and also the influences that have inspired the look of our artist and also the type of music our artist is going to create. It also lists her physical appearance and her style. 
On the powerpoint presentation it also lists the tracks that are going to be on the album and a brief background of our artists life and her characteristic traits. 

Artists profile 2 from hayleyboylex

Blog Feedback

After receiving my blog feed back I need to apply post modernism to our music video. using the element of the Black Swan and Pixie Lott's Broken Arrow. 

Post Modernism In our Music Video

Post modernism is present in our music video, as the idea for the filming of our music video, was established from the independent film 'Black Swan', we are then taking the ideas of design and also the element of the ballet dancing and combining them with a mainstream artist and music video such as Pixie Lott's Broken arrow. In our music video this is similar to the idea of post modernism as we are combining the elements of the Black Swan with our artist that we have created who is going to be very mainstream and watched by mass audiences. 

Furthermore the film the black swan is a intertexual reference to the story the 'Ugly Duckling' therefore this is also hinted at on our music video as the girl is unappreciated by her parents who tend to ignore her alike they do in the ugly duckling. 

Audience Perception Theories

The Hypodermic Needle Model

There is a theory that suggests that people are controlled by their biologically based instincts and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever stimuli comes along. The Hypodermic theory otherwise known as the magic bullet theory assumes that the medias message is a bullet fired from the “media gun” into the viewers head.

It suggests that the message is then injected into the passive audiences head who consume it and then are immediately affected by the message, which has an influence on their behavior and social skills. It is believed that the public is unable to escape from the medias influence. The theory suggests that he audience vulnerable to the messages being shot at them.  This theory was discovered in the 1920’s.

  

Uses and Graphications Model

This is an understanding of how and why people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. It is believed to be how the audience takes specific parts of a media text with on a film to help them create an understanding of a certain issue. The model forces the question “What do media do to people?” and also “What do people do with media”. It is believed that grafication is also used as an escapism tool, for the audience to escape from their everyday life.  This theory was created in the 1960’s. this theory has been expanded due to Blulmer and Katz suggesting that audiences choose media texts for the following purposes, such as Diversion which is when they can escape problems from their everyday lives, Personal relationships using the media for emotional and other interaction, e.g.) substituting soap operas for family life

Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behavior and values from texts

Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living e.g.) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains.

Reception Theory

This theory suggests that they way in which different individuals consumed media texts was affected by their gender, class, age and ethnicity. This study was founded in 1980’s and furthermore in the 1990’s. This theory is based on Stuart Hall’s encoding and/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience. Which suggests that the text is encoded by the producer and decoded by the reader, however there may be different readings between the message the producers was aiming to produce and the message which the audience infer from the media text. Moreover by recognizing the codes and conventions the producers can position the audience and create a certain amount of agreement on what the codes means, this is known as preferred reading.

Two-Step Flow

Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet analysed the voters' decision-making processes during a 1940 presidential election campaign and published their results in a paper called The People's Choice. Their findings suggested that the information does not flow directly from the text into the minds of its audience unmediated but is filtered through "opinion leaders" who then communicate it to their less active associates, over whom they have influence. From this the audience then mediate the information received directly form the media texts with the ideas and thoughts expresses. Therefore they are not being influenced by a direct process, but by a two-step flow. This breaks down the power of the media in the eyes of the researcher and causes them to conclude that social factors may also be affecting the audience’s behavior. Moreover suggests that the media texts only influences part of the audiences behavior and social skills, but a great deal of the audiences behavior is affected by their social surroundings and societies views., this could be argued however that society have gained these views from the media texts they have perceived. 

Pre-production

This refers to the tasks undertaken before production begins. For a small video company this may mean everything that happens before shooting begins e.g. meeting with the client, research, storyboard, location planning etc. For a larger production company this may mean things such as financing, screen play, casting and major staffing, location scouting, prop and wardrobe identification and preparation, special effects identification and preparation, production schedule, set construction, script locking, script read through with cast, director and other interested people.

Production

In film and video, production refers to the part of the process in which footage is recorded. This is what most people imagine when they think of a film being made — actors on sets, cameras rolling, etc. The production phase is also known as principal photography. In larger productions this is the point where it is financially impossible to stop the production this is know as the “point of no return”

Post production

There are many things which can happen in post-production. Common tasks include:

•   Editing video footage

•   Editing the soundtrack, adding sound effects, music, etc.

•   Adding titles and graphics

•   Colour and exposure correction

•   Adding special effects

•   Re-shooting certain scenes if required ("pick-up" shots)

Draft of Final Pitch

So far me and Laxmi have constructed a draft of our sections of the final pitch. In which we discussed the Costume elements,linking Andrew Goodwin's theory, rules codes and conventions to elements within our music video. 
In the presentation I have also gave a overall of the narrative for the music video. The details of the performance have also presented in the power point, using screen shots from other music videos that have influenced our ideas, such as Pixie Lott's Broken Arrow and also Black Swan is another element that we have got some ideas from when it comes to filming and camera shots. In the presentation the location has also been discussed, so far we are looking at the Bob Hope theatre, Eltham and a cinema in Soho. 

Group pitch draft from hayleyboylex

Presentation1 from shiyanil

Story Boarding

Me, Megan, Laxmi and Aaron today sat down and discussed the story board ideas for our music video. From this we created a rough sketch of the locations where we are going to shoot, the camera angles we want to use in order to portray different meanings and significance to what is happening in the shot and also what positioning the characters are going to have in these shots.

We decided to shoot our music video in black and white as it creates a serious sombre tone, however there are going to be elements within the music video where there will be some colours, but these will be a limited colour pallet of dark blues, whites and blacks.
We decided that we are going to start our music video off with a intro of the girl (ballet dancer) walking onto a theatre stage with a voice over of the commentator announcing her name and what she is going to preform to. Then the music will start and the seven second intro will start with a long shot which slowly zooms in on the ballet dancers back and then pans left in a circular rotation around her, until a close-up of her face is present. Then the scene will cut to the main artist, this shot will be an extreme  close-up of her eyes with her head titled, slowly moving her head up until her eyes open and she begins singing the first lyrics of the song.

Throughout the music video, the scenes will cut between the artist, the ballet dancer dancing and also her family background at home of her parents arguing and her unhappy childhood. Throughout the music video the story of her childhood will be revealed and within the music video there will be the equilibrium, disequilibrium and then the new equilibrium, where her father finally shows up to one of her recitals.  

Group Discussion

We recorded our group discussion oh the production log, talking about the location where we want to shoot our photoshoot and also what days work best in order to do this. We also explore different possibilities in how we are going to take the images and also what costumes we are going to need. 

From this we came up with the idea of using the schools, drama room and also the schools art gallery as these rooms are both very plain, therefore we can adjust them if needed. 

Check List for Photoshoot

• Pink River Island Bag 
• Make-up artist 
• DSLR Camera
• Tri-pod 
• Costume Outfits 
• Props
• Dresses
• Shoes/Heels

Production Log

• Location
• Actors
• Costumes 
• Checklist

Location:

We have decided a good idea for the location of the event would be to use a drama room in school, as it is a dark black room, which we can manipulate with the lighting system. This will enable us to use spot lights etc. We have decided as a group the time to use this space would be after school preferably on a Monday. 

Another location we have thought of which we could use for our photoshoot is the school gallery, as this is a plain white room in which we could take our simple images, which would focus solely on the artist themselves, as this also allows us to be able to edit and adjust the image easily on photoshop.

Actor:

We have decided to use a member within our group to be the artist as this would make re-shoots and filming a lot easier when it comes to availability. 

Costumes:

We have not yet decided on the costume wardrobe, therefore the Megan who is playing the artist is going to take photos of possible outfits and then we will select a few that we think best represent what we want our artist to look like.  

Ideas For Music Video

Our music video is based around ballet dancing, for these scenes we have taken influence from films such as Black Swan and Pixie Lott's Music Video Broken Arrow. During looking at these we have noted the camera angles used, the positioning of the camera, the lighting and also the colouring of the background. In both they use quite a dull and bland colour ballet. 

Therefore when it comes to shooting our music video, we will ensure that we using a similar lighting, so, the dark blue's,blacks and whites, solely focusing on the artist who is dancing, perhaps even shining a spot light on her making her stand out as an angelic, innocent figure, this would fit in with the narrative of our music video as she is presented as the innocent young girl, who has had an unhappy childhood, in which she is trying to escape from, therefore the white tones in the shot, could represent the light at the end of the tunnel, and that there is hope for her towards the end. 

In addition to this the dark tones also represent that bad times in her life, so her background story of her being brought up in a unhappy childhood and her dad leaving, when she was younger. This white light at end, could also be a representation of when her dad finally shows up to one of her performances at the end of the music video. 

The dark tones could also connote the artists dark side, therefore they could be present when the artist reflects back on her childhood in the song, and this also creates a more serious tone to the music video, suggesting that our artist is being 'real' and all the lyrics that are being sung are truthful, in this aspect our music video would relate to Goodwin's analysis as the lyrics "Battlefield" would actually relate to the visuals of her constant battle during her childhood. 

Typography Of Artist Title

We created a tally chart and asked people in the classes to choose which font they liked best to represent our artist. This helped us to decide what font we wanted to be presented on not only our mood boards but also on our final product of the digi-pak. 

We started with these ideas, however after careful consideration we decided to change the font types as they did not suit how we wanted to present our artist. We also found from the feedback that people preferred the spelling of the name to be spelt 'Isabel Beau'. 

The results conclude that the top font will be the one we use in order to represent our artist. All the font were found from the website 'Da Font'.