Ideas for the video!

From the analysis of the 3 music videos I have gathered quite a lot of ideas about the filming aspects I would like to incorporate in my video.


CAMERA SHOTS & CAMERA MOVEMENT:

• In two of the videos I analyzed (Jojo's - 'Get Out' & Beyonce's 'If i were a boy') I noticed the frequent presence of shots that connoted power and control in the female identity. Although i like this convention, I would like to challenge it and stay away from shots such as up tilt shots on the main character, mainly because the whole idea of the song is about 'waiting' and time - which you cannot control, therefore I want to convey the spontaneity of the narrative. In addition i think that I want to emphasise the innocent,vulnerable characteristics of being a teenage girl and not knowing when you'll find 'Mr right', hopefully this will appeal to the target audience of teenage girls more as it makes it more relatable. So I'm thinking using of lot of aerial/serial view shots where the main character looks up at the camera.
• I intend to use many close-ups and/or extreme close-ups of the character, maybe desirable facial features such as the mouth and eyes on her like in the Mariah Carey - 'We Belong Together' video I analysed. Hopefully this will produce the same effect as it did in that video, attracting the 'male gaze' and at the same time encouraging the audience to pay close attention to the lyrics that are being sung.

• I think Panning movements would look great at points in my video. For example when the female protagonist is sitting at the bus stop and turns to see her not-so-idyllic version of 'love', the camera should pan left to right or right to left to illustrate that she is looking at the person. It would probably be a good idea for me to use the tripod whilst doing this to ensure a smooth and less jerky movement.
• Zoom shots - on significant objects such as the clock or love heart candy to emphasise the importance of what each object is symbolic of. The clock for example is symbolic of the theme of passing time so having a zoom shot of it embeds this recurring theme in the viewers mind. The love heart candy relates to the young teenage audience who will be more likely to consume candy on a daily basis, the fact that they are shaped as love hearts further highlights the one of the main themes of love in the song.

LIGHTING:

• I am aiming to use natural lighting. I've decided the majority of the video will be set during the day time so that the lighting levels do not become a problem, from filming my AS thriller coursework I've learnt that filming at night is risky in terms of the amount of exposure that will be reflected in the lens, also video filters will be harder to see if the lighting is too dark.

EDITING:

• Fade and fade dissolve transitions are great editing transitions I would like to use throughout my whole video. I think the fade transitions are a smooth way of carrying the narrative along as they are quite ambiguous and can portray the days,weeks or months that go by, this fits well with my narrative and song choice as the main theme is time. I would like to have a fade in transition at the beginning of the video and maybe a fade out transition (which fades to black) at the end of the video to signify the ending and beginning of 'waiting'.
• I've found that the idea of a time-lapse effect would be very appropriate for my music video seeing as the prominent theme of the song is 'TIME', and waiting.
  
  Right now I'm thinking of using the weather as one source of time-lapse. I quite like the idea of gradually seeing the clouds in the sky part and the sun turning into the moonlight. The second time-lapse i might have is one of filmed raw traffic. I think it could be used as a very effective technical code, symbolizing the passing of time as the waiting occurs.

These are very good examples of what I am aiming for my time-lapse to look like!

• A soft focus on the main character in the video would be ideal. I want to use this as a form of voyeurism as well as a way of illustrating the beginning of the narrative and the active point of view.
  
  COSTUME:

• Uniform? - since the beginning of the story is intended to start in a school it would make sense for my character to be shown at the beginning in typical school wear, so a blouse, a tie, a checkered skirt or even just plain black trousers would be nice so that the target audience (teenagers aged 14-18) will make that instant connection to her position as they also attend school.
• Outside of the school i would like the singer to be wearing trendy, fashionable 'in the now' clothes, in other ways nothing that looks too expensive or that is too revealing but ordinary, ever day clothing most girls my age would wear, for example, jeans/jeggings and a long tunic. I'll probably have her wearing some jewellery or props to glamorise her outfit, hopefully this will provoke an admiration in the target audience by allowing them to admire her sense of style.
  
  
  
  PROPS:
  
  
• Modern day devices - I-pods, mobile phones, i-phones, camera's etc to reflect the modern, lively, young atmosphere at which teenagers tend to possess in pop/R'n'b videos.
  
  MISE-EN-SCENE:
  
  
• Locations will be city based to present the modern western society. I have ideas about filming at a mall, or a cafe/restaurant or any other general public place where teenagers are likely to socialise (to make the target audience feel they can relate to the character) but these are public places so I may face issues in terms of getting permission.

So this is it, these are the main ideas for my music video. I'm quite keen of most of them apart from the locationspart because it may not go to plan, but if I can make the costumes look as intended and make use of editing skillsand improve the whole filming process in general I think I'll be on the right track.

Mood Board

The mood board shows the key aspects I want to include in my music video.
RNB/POP is associated with urban culture hence I want to make an emphasis on trendy, fashionable costumes and maybe props too, the theme of the song is TIME and also LOVE so the video has to be fast-paced in some points to emphasise this, the passing of time should be presented visually via symbolism e.g.ticking clock or editing - time remapping.
Modernity: To represent modern day youth I think modern gadgets or devices such as i-pods and i-phones should be prominent throughout the video. And a city environment highlights the cultural environment and it's effect on the youth of today, (e.g. the way they think, their actions and their general way of living).

Analysis of an RNB/POP Music Video

Analysis of a POP/RNB Music Video

Analysis of a POP/RNB Music Video

Research on Artist - Myxx

I've finally chosen my artists! They go by the name of Myxx and consist of 2 sisters, where one is the rapper and one is the singer. I like their style, it incorporates pop and rnb and you could say rap as well.

Well here is some basic information on them.

MYXX

• These sisters are originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut.
  
• They go by the names of Elizabeth and Evonne Hunnicutt.


• Both were born into a musical family and are cousins of the successful band members B5 (now known as 'Audio') who are a boy band from Atlanta ,GA.


• Once reunited with their cousins in Myxx decided to pursue a singing career of their own.


• 22 year-old Evonne is known as the rapper of the group who accompanies 21 year old Elizabeth who poses as the main singer for the group.


• Elizabeth has a "unique silky voice tone which straddles the fence of the R & B and Pop vocal styles with both power and passion, she continues to hone both her singing and writing skills, and strive to write songs for other artists in the industry"
• "Evonne is an outgoing person she is also a clothes designer; she is also an artist that is good with pencil, ink, and pastel drawings. She has a flair for spontaneity in her creative works and her personality exudes that potential in almost everything that she does, she can sew and cook."
• Their favorite artists, and probably biggest influences are : B5, Destiny’s Child, Aaliyah, Rhianna, Ludacris, Linkin Park, etc. Some Old School like Patrice Rushen, Loose Ends, Chic, Gap Band, etc
  
• In November 2002 Evonne and Elizabeth came to visit family when a Producer (Andrew Lane) noticed how beautiful they were and said, "if they could sing or dance, man they would be an ideal group, so when their mother (Deborah Hunnicutt) and father (Troy Hunnicutt) replied with “they sing and dance”, a group was born.

Their Accomplishments:

• In 2005 Myxx appeared on ABC’s State Lake Building stage to perform their version of Jingle Bells, theirs is called “Jingle Jam”. They also performed at Casual Cal’s “Universoul Circus” Myxx performed over 20 engagements with the circus, they were well received.

• In 2003 Myxx performed to various High Schools throughout the “Dirty South” with B5 to perfect their stage performance; The reception Myxx had got from the performances was very optimistic because they were very friendly and seemed down to earth.
• Their name 'Myxx' is based on the fact that they are born from a black and white family.

Links:
[Info] Jamm Entertainment Group
[Info] Myxx Fansite
[Info] Myxx Official Myspace Page
[Info] Myxx Official Website
[Website] www.jammentertainmentgroup.com
[Official Site] www.myxxonline.com

Codes & Conventions of POP/RNB

POP

* Men and women usually potrayed in a modern way, eg. glamorous & good-looking.
*Women often made to look powerful/dominant, e.g. Alexandra Burke video where Alexandra was very dominant over the men.
* Shots -> usually long shots, with very common use of close-ups to show emotion and facial expression.
Continuous shots, e.g. in Justin Timberlakes 'Rock Your Body', where the audience were made to feel that they were moving with Justin each time he turns and 'sails to the right'
*Common theme of using very bright colors or alternatively Black and White backgrounds, e.g. In Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro', this creates better lighting and thus helps to make the audience feel more connected to the artist/band.
*Locations include desolated areas, particularly car parks at night (e.g. in Alexandra Burke's 'Bad Boys'.
* Props -> often glamorous connoting a strong sense of style, classic example is Lady Gaga's glittery glasses.
*Most shots are performance based, highlighting dance moves.
*Flashing lights, bright lights to create excitement.
*Creative settings and backdrops.
*Costumes -> designed to make the musician look innocent and relatable for younger audiences.
*Constant scene changes to hold the audience's attention.
*Fun and lighthearted.
*Teenage scenario, e.g. having a crush.
*Usually the video has a narrative where the lyrics link directly to what is happening in the song.
* Huge POP examples include: Lady Gaga, Britney, Christina Aguilera.
*Modern attire, broader range of colors.

RNB

* Costume -> revealing clothes, urbanized street wear, e.g. in Justin Timberlakes 'Like I Love You', he wear his signature hat and leather jacket and also the main female in the video is wearing a belly top and jeans with hoop earrings associated with urban,city culture.
* Props -> fast cars, money, jewellery and stylish clothes that denote wealth
*Relationships-> love, fights and break-ups e.g. Usher's 'Confessions' video.
* Women's dance routines are usually sexually provoking.
*Usually have a narrative, with a strong emphasis on females and the emotions they are experiencing.
* often focused on the physical appearance of the artist/singer
*Locations usually include a nightclub, party or city environment
* Editing includes fades & quick cuts between scenes

Examples of POP/RNB Artists
- Janet Jackson
- Jennifer Lopez
- Amerie
- Keri Hilson
- Beyonce
- JoJo
- Fergie
- Ciara
- Rihanna
- Gwen Stefani
- Nelly Furtado

These codes and conventions are going to be so important in the shaping of my music video.

Most of them are what I would have expected, for example: aspects of modernity in videos, glamorous props, sexually provoking dance routines... but it all depends on what symbolic and technical codes I may actually want to use because some of them are more possible than others, like I probably wont be able to get flashing lights or creative backdrops being on such a tight student budget!

But I definitely want to incorporate aspects of the costume, the camera shots and the settings , for example, the desolated areas.