Media Audience
My audience was an AB audience of ages 16-25 and I represented this age group through the actors in the video as well as my artist. On the website you can see that the artist is quite a high class character as he is always dressed formally. He is also in the age group that I have targeted. Other techniques that have been used to conform to the target audience is the links to social media. Social media is used predominantly by a young audience, so by implementing links on the website to different social pages means that it appeals to the young demographic of 16-15 year olds. It is also a form on audience interaction as the audience feel more connected with the artist. The materialistic props and the clothes (certain brands) were chosen specifically to target the popular desires of the target audience. For example the use of the car brand "Mercedes" appeals to the young, AB audience as it is a luxury/sports car brand that is popular with the younger generation as well as expensive and aspirational.
Media Industries
The genre that i was inspired by was "rap" and my music video conformed to most of the conventions of a typical rap video, however, it does not conform to some. For example, a convention in stereotypical rap music videos is the sexualsation of women which falls under a patriarchal ideology and the idea that women in the western world are seen as objects by men. My video chose not to conform to his and alternatively represented women as powerful and independent. My video did conform to the idea of boasting about success and showing off luxury assets such as cars. My video also conforms to a narrative music video type as it is telling a story of rags to riches. This conforms to Neales theory of genre hybridity as the video has elements of more than just one genre. This makes the music video more interesting as it is not predictable and too similar to other videos. My artists logo appears consistently across the video and the website which is there to build a brand identity for the artist. There is also a very consistent theme of black and gold/yellow.
Media Representation
There are multiple representations of different social groups within the video. The representation of females in the video does not conform to that of stereotypical rap music video. Van Zoonens Feminist theory states that women bodies are represented as spectacles for men. In my video, the female character is represented and an independent and successful business women. The focus is on her status and power rather than her looks. The main contrast is between rich and poor, especially at the start of the video. the less wealthier man is seen looking very scruffy and not well groomed whereas the wealthier man was the opposite. The wealthier man is also very arrogant and "stuck up" which is portrayed with how he laughs at the poorer man and pushes him out of the way. As it goes on the poorer man gets richer and this is represented through a change of outfit and how he looks cleaner. However he shows that he is humble and not stuck up in the final scene where he is celebrating in a tracksuit to show he has not forgotten his roots.
Media Language
The use of camera work, props, location and costume all work together to make the video look smooth and professional. The video feature many cinematic shots that help it looks more professional. There were a range of shot in the video. Close ups and extreme close ups were used in order to focus on details like brand names/logos as well as writing (eg texts). I also used many wide angle shots to establish were the scene was taking place. As my video had a narrative it conforms to Barthes narratology (ball of string) theory. There are a few narratives in the video eg. the main rags to riches story; the relationship between the main character and the female character, and also the fall of the rich man. It also conforms to Todorovs theory of narratology. The video starts in disequilibrium and ends in equilibrium. There are a few inter textual references to the TV shows Power and Empire which are shows about a man and woman working together as equals to make money.
Monday, 25 March 2019
Monday, 4 March 2019
Production Schedule
My video shoot will take no more than 2 days to film.
DAY 1
10:00 am. Newhall, Harlow
Shoot cinematic shots of the office buildings for the opening sequence
Meet the two male actors, Aaron (poor man) and Samir (rich man).
Film scenes with the two of them both in them
Estimated time 30 minutes
Costume: Aaron-casual, tracksuit. Samir-smart, suit
Props: Mercedes
10:30 am. Newhall, Harlow
Samir no longer needed
Shoot shots of Aaron alone in Newhall
Estimated time 20 minutes
Costume: Aaron-casual, tracksuit. Samir-smart, suit
11:00 am. Staple Tye, Harlow
Meet female actor Emily (businesswoman)
Film shots of Aaron and Emily doing various business-related actions
Estimated time 1 hour
Costume: Aaron-smart, suit. Emily-smart.
Props: Volks Wagen, Paperwork/iPad
12:00 am end of shoot day
DAY 2
5:00 pm Katherines, Harlow
Meet male actor Aaron (Other actors not needed)
Film indoor solo scenes with Aaron
Estimated time 30 minutes
Costume: Aaron-casual, tracksuit and smart, suit
ProPaperworkwork
7:00 pm (dark hours) Staple Tye, Harlow
Meet male actor Aaron (Other actors not needed)
Film outdoor solo scenes with car
Estimated time 30 minutes
Costume: Aaron-casual, tracksuit
Props: Mercedes, Champagne glass
Editing: Effects and Treatment
I wanted my video to have a very cinematic feel and that is why I changed the aspect ratio so it did not conform to the standard 16:9 that most videos are shot in. Many music videos, especially in the rap genre do this as they want to make the production look a look more professional and more like most modern films.
To help with the narrative I edited the colour treatment in my video so that it started off quite dull and gloomy and eventually gets brighter as everything starts to fall into place for the main character. For the first few scenes, I made the scenes and bit darker and added blue as the colour blue does have connotations to sadness.
I made sure to line up the cuts in my editing between the clips to match the beat of the song so that it flowed a lot more nicely than if the music and video were not syncronised.
In a few clips, the video was oddly coloured which caused some of the white colours to look darker and more orange. I used the white balance tool in order to make the colours look less odd.
For the close-up shots of the car, I gave the video a slight purple tint as the colour purple has connotations of royalty and luxury. I also raised the brightness in order to make the reflections and "sparkles" stand out more in the video.
To finish off the video I used a cross dissolve effect so that the video faded out into the credits smoothly.
To help with the narrative I edited the colour treatment in my video so that it started off quite dull and gloomy and eventually gets brighter as everything starts to fall into place for the main character. For the first few scenes, I made the scenes and bit darker and added blue as the colour blue does have connotations to sadness.
In a few clips, the video was oddly coloured which caused some of the white colours to look darker and more orange. I used the white balance tool in order to make the colours look less odd.
I proceeded to then make the clip brighter using luma curves. It was shot in very low light conditions and this scene was a turning point of the video so it needed to be brighter.
For the following scene, I wanted it to have a blinding effect as success in rap videos is usually representing by objects that are bright and shiny. I used the brightness editing option to raise the brightness to the point where you could just about see beyond the light. This gave the scene a "grand reveal" effect as when the headlights went down, this car was revealed and the car was the signifier of success.
For the close-up shots of the car, I gave the video a slight purple tint as the colour purple has connotations of royalty and luxury. I also raised the brightness in order to make the reflections and "sparkles" stand out more in the video.
To finish off the video I used a cross dissolve effect so that the video faded out into the credits smoothly.
Website
https://tawanajokonya.wixsite.com/thegrind
The artist's logo is clearly placed on the top left side of the site. This also appears in the video which is an immediate link that is created. This helps to build the artists brand identity
There are constant plugs of the new single that has been released in the form of a button that takes you to the video, an option to play the track on the website itself and also an option to watch the video on the website. The main media product is the video so it is important to have it visible and easy to access through these different ways.
The website also has links to all the social media of the artist. Social media is a very vital platform in the modern age as it gives artists the freedom to interact with their fans and for the fans to feel more connected to the artist.
The main part of the website shows a picture of the artist and also a description of the artist. The description also pushes the music video and the various social media sites to keep the fans in touch with the artist
The artist's logo is clearly placed on the top left side of the site. This also appears in the video which is an immediate link that is created. This helps to build the artists brand identity
There are constant plugs of the new single that has been released in the form of a button that takes you to the video, an option to play the track on the website itself and also an option to watch the video on the website. The main media product is the video so it is important to have it visible and easy to access through these different ways.
The website also has links to all the social media of the artist. Social media is a very vital platform in the modern age as it gives artists the freedom to interact with their fans and for the fans to feel more connected to the artist.
The main part of the website shows a picture of the artist and also a description of the artist. The description also pushes the music video and the various social media sites to keep the fans in touch with the artist
Sunday, 3 March 2019
Actors
All of the actors that I have chosen are from my target age demographic of 16-25-year-olds. This makes it more relatable towards the target audience.
The actor will play the role of the "Rich snob" who looks down on the less wealthy character. The social group he represents is "The Rich" and he is also from an Asian ethnic group.
This Actor will play the role of the "Poor man" who works hard to create his own wealth. He represents the "Working class" although he does rise up towards the end of the video.
This actor will play the role of the investor/business partner to the poor man. She represents women but in a way that subverts from the genre conventions of rap music
Timed Analysis
0:05-0:07 Wide angle handheld shot showing Drake and The Game naturally stood beside an outdoor basket ball court. The Game is giving drake a tour of his home city. Outdoor basketball courts are the stereotypical location for the poorer children of America to socialise. As they are older people it could be symbolising their roots and the idea of never forgetting where you came from and supporting those that stuck with you on your way to success. This could also be showing how these two successful rappers are helping out the communities they were raised in and trying to make them a better place.
-0:11 Establishing shots of the surrounding area showing a restaurant with letters coming off of the sign signifying this is a poor area.
-0:14 Wide shot of the local kids that are standing amongst the adults that are smoking and drinking. Highlighting the role models that these children have and showing that the expectation of these kids is not very high. The Game came from this area and is boasting about how he made it out and still goes back to help out the people that supported him.
-0:16 Establishing handheld shots of a high school which high-security gates surrounding it showing that its possible a school for some troublesome kids.
-0:21 Long establishing shot of a COMPTON sign (similar to the Hollywood sign) in a nicer part of the city, showing that the city is moving forward but still has some rundown areas.
-0:26 Mid shot of The Game standing in a tire yard.
-0:29 Close up shot of an aggressive dog that is chained to the front of a house. Highlighting the sense of danger and mistrust in the area. The message of the shot is to trust nobody which contradicts to the song's message about being a strong community.
-0:35 Mid shot of The Game pointing to the sky. Religious connotations which link to the theory of black people stereotypically being religious (mainly Christian)
-0:45 Wide angle shot to mid shot (zoom) of people working out in the streets with run down equipment. The message being that, even though they can't afford the luxuries like a gym membership they are still able to work with what they do have available to them
-0:50 Mid shot showing young girls gripping onto and lookig through a fence as if they see something they want but cannot reach
-0:57 Wide shot of a group of men mainly wearing red which could be a link to gangs as red is the colour worn by the American gang, The Bloods.
-1:09 Two shot of two women stood outside of a beauty shop. This could highlighting small businesses and the community aspect of the song
-1:11 Wide angle shot showing all five women inside this shop
-1:12 Over the shouldr shot showing a group of black men and police cars parked up nearby. Conforming to stereotypes and showing how they live on a day to day basis
-1:27 Low angle shot showing the young girls hanging out of the half open window of a flashy pink car, with exaggerated angry facial expressions. Could be symbolising how they feel trapped.
-1:34 Wide angle shot of Drake and The Game stood in the middle of a large group of locals
-0:29 Close up shot of an aggressive dog that is chained to the front of a house. Highlighting the sense of danger and mistrust in the area. The message of the shot is to trust nobody which contradicts to the song's message about being a strong community.
-0:35 Mid shot of The Game pointing to the sky. Religious connotations which link to the theory of black people stereotypically being religious (mainly Christian)
-0:45 Wide angle shot to mid shot (zoom) of people working out in the streets with run down equipment. The message being that, even though they can't afford the luxuries like a gym membership they are still able to work with what they do have available to them
-0:50 Mid shot showing young girls gripping onto and lookig through a fence as if they see something they want but cannot reach
-0:57 Wide shot of a group of men mainly wearing red which could be a link to gangs as red is the colour worn by the American gang, The Bloods.
-1:09 Two shot of two women stood outside of a beauty shop. This could highlighting small businesses and the community aspect of the song
-1:11 Wide angle shot showing all five women inside this shop
-1:12 Over the shouldr shot showing a group of black men and police cars parked up nearby. Conforming to stereotypes and showing how they live on a day to day basis
-1:27 Low angle shot showing the young girls hanging out of the half open window of a flashy pink car, with exaggerated angry facial expressions. Could be symbolising how they feel trapped.
-1:34 Wide angle shot of Drake and The Game stood in the middle of a large group of locals
Thursday, 28 February 2019
Camera Techniques and Operation
Story boards are rough illustrations that are used in order to help you as the creator to order you thoughts. They may also help the people you are working with understand your vision. You can make this through drawing or still shots.
The rule of thirds is where you use lines to divide the shot and it makes it easier to position your subject
High angle shots make the subject seem weak whereas low angle shots make the subject look dominant.
Continuity is making sure the shots make sense when put together eg costume.
180 degree rule is used to make sure that it looks like two subjects are looking at eachother in two different shots
Shot reverse shot is going back and forth between two over the shoulder shots to make it look as though a conversation is flowing
Stedicam is keeping the camera steady with a dolly or tripod
Focusing on a subject by zooming in in their face for example and focusing then going back to original shot.
Pulling focus is changing focus mid shot
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