Media Diary Post

This week, I have researched into Laura Mulveys Gaze Theory, her theory talks about the use of women as objects in music videos. As women are use to exposing parts of their body in music videos, it makes teenagers and young adults think it is acceptable to do this as it has been happening for a very long time, especially when the Scorpitone was created in the 1960's.


I have also looked into camera shots, I also took some photographs of my own to accompany their definition. By researching into camera shots it will help me to make my music video as I know how to make the audiences eye line move to certain objects. I chose to use simple photographs as examples in this section as they are very easy to understand, they also show that I understand each photograph I have created.


By looking into camera shots, this will help me when I create my music video as I will know what camera shot to use and why I should use it. For example, I would use a low angle camera shot to make the person look big and strong.


Currently, I am still researching into different bands and artists and asking for permission to use one of their music tracks for the music video I am going to create.

Camera Shots

Close up CU

Head and shoulders shot which shows the expression on the persons face.

Big close up BCU

a shot in which a part of the face or body fills the whole frame.

Extreme Long shot ELS

This is used to establish the scene and give the viewer information on where the scene is set.

Long shot LS

I took a photograph of the whole of the persons body to show what a long shot is.

Mid Shot MS

This photograph was taken from the waist up, framing the person.

Dominant Element

One object in the frame, can be two.

This is a photograph I took myself when the Air show was open in Lincoln. I chose to use this photograph as an example of a dominant element as the air craft is very bold on the plain grey background.

Balance

It can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, subtle or obvious.

Eye flow

Object or person in the shot which makes the audiences eye wander through the frame.

High angle

This type of camera angle us commonly used to make the subject look smaller.

Low angle

This camera angle is used to make the subject look bigger and more powerful.

Eye level

This camera is at the same level as the subjects eyes. I simply held my camera at eye level to the person.

Over the shoulder two shot

This shot is usually used in an interview. I have used a photograph of two people and the shot is coming over the shoulder of one person.

Worms eye view

The camera is at a very low angle close to the floor which makes things like building look large.

Birds eye view

This shot is looking down onto the subject or object, which is usually used to look like a surveillance camera shot.

The Rule of Thirds

• Subject takes up 1/3 of the frame

I chose the photograph because the person on the motocross bike is taking up 1/3 of the photograph. It explains the definition of the rule of thirds well.

• Subject takes up 2/3 of the photograph

I chose to use this photograph of someone on their motocross bike as the 2/3's as the bike it at an angle and is therefore taking up 2/3 of the photograph. You can tell the difference between the two motocross photographs which makes it easier to know which one is either the rule of thirds.

Looking space

This is the composition in which the person is looking to the left or right, and there is also a blank space where the person is looking.

Non Verbal Communication

• Eye Contact

I took a photograph of my brother looking into the camera and then cropped the photograph down using Photoshop to make the eyes bolder within my set of photographs. I chose to use this photograph for the communication of eye contact because it feels as though the photograph of the eyes are looking at you.

• clothing

Clothing is important within non verbal communication so I used a couple of photographs from the internet to show different examples. If someone was wearing black, torn clothing, you would know that they are either stereotypically a rocker or a punk. Or, you would think that they are poor. If you saw someone with bright clothing on, you would know that they are a bubbly, unique person.

Camera movements

• Pan shot- camera shot which turns horizontally.

• Track shot- A wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken.

• Ped shot- Camera angle which moves up and down whilst looking at the object or person.
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• Tilt shot- Camera angle that looks up or down at the object being photographed, instead of being on the same level.

Laura Mulvey's Gaze Theory

The Male Gaze

In music videos, there is a clear imbalance between men and women. A camera shot may linger on a part of a woman's body such as her waist or legs which shows that there had been a lot of male influence on the music video.

Laura Mulvey argues that the male gaze takes priority over the female gaze. In Laura's theory women are basically used as objects in music videos and so female audience members are made to watch the narrative through a males perspective.

In the Feminist Theory, the male gaze expresses an unequal power relationship 'between viewer and viewed, gazer and gazed', for example, a man forces his objectifying gaze upon women.

Second wave Feminists argue that even if women welcome the gaze or not, they may simply be conforming to the hegemonic norms made to benefit men's interests, thus reducing a man or woman to an object.

Media Diary Post

So far, I have created my new blog which will show all of my work for my music video production.

In the past few weeks I have been searching for an artist who will let me use one of their songs for my music video. I have emailed bands like Blink 182 and CKY which are very popular. I also emailed unsigned artists such as Andrina Thorp and The Costigans.

John Scott Cothill: Blink 182

John Najm: The Costigans

The picture above is a still image of my email account, and I have highlighted a few of the emails I have sent to bands and artists.

I have also looked at the conventional features of a music video including the three features consisting of the performance, narrative and art clips. By looking in to the conventional features of a music video, it will help me when I create my rough treatment, storyboard and the final video as I will know if I am breaking the conventional features of a music video.

I have also researched Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos which will influence me on creating my own music video as I will take into account his theory.

Goodwins Theory

This is Andrew Goodwins theory of music videos. I have included this on my blog as he looked at the conventions and codes of most music videos. By knowing his theory it will help me create my own music video.

The General Theory

• Lyrics- these establish a general feeling/ mood/ sense of subject rather than meaning.

• Music- tempo often drives the editing, for example, if the music if fast the editing will be.

• Genre- might be reflected in types of mise-en-scene, themes, performance, camera and editing styles.

• Camera work- has an impact on meaning. Movement, angle and shot distance all play a part in the representation of the artist/band (close-ups dominate)

• Editing- the most common form is fast-cut montage, rendering many of the images impossible to grasp on first viewing, so ensuring multiple viewing. Often enhancing the editing are digital effects, which play with the original images to offer different kinds of pleasure for the audience.

• Intertextuality- not all audiences will spot a reference, which would not significantly detract from their pleasure in the text itself, but greater pleasure might be derived by those who recognise the reference and feel flattered by this.

Music Video: Conventional features

I have included a post on conventional features of a music video as it will help me make my own music video by showing me the guide lines for making a music video.

What is a convention?


A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms, or criteria, often taking the form of a custom.




The Standard Music Video Model

• film, singer or band playing


• inserted images


• experimental arty film techniques

Variations on a theme


A standard music video can vary in many ways. For example, the artists could perform an on going story in their video, but they can also be performing the song at a music concert. They can have an alter ego cartoon character, or have an actor play themselves in the music video.

Visual Tradition in a Music Video

The 3 main forms of a visual music video are Performance, Narrative and Art clips.

The Performance clip is a video that shows the vocalist in one or more settings. Places like a rehearsal room, studio, shops, vehicles and walking down the street, which is common in rap videos.

There are 3 types of performance clip

• Song performance- most videos include this.
• Dance performance
• Instrumental performance- not very common.

• A concert clip on stage with an audience is so common it has its own category.

A Narrative clip in a music video is like a short silent movie which is easy to follow with the artists song playing in the background.

A pure narrative contains no lip-synchronisation.

And finally, a pure art clip contains no visual narrative or lip-synchronized singing. The difference between an art clip and an artistic video is the music, the music video uses popular music and the artistic video uses experimental music like electro.

History of the Music Video

This is an essay of the history of a music video. By making this it has helped me understand the music video history and how they have influenced the making of music videos today.

For this project I am going to research the music video industry, this will help me have the knowledge which will help me develop and create my own music video.

• In 1900, Edison invented the gramophone which was able to record live music onto discs.

Oscar Fischinger was the first person to use a visual production to promote a song and try and sell it. For example, his film 'Get it at your local store' was displayed suggesting advertising for the music track heard by the audience. The relationship between visual material and music can be traced back to the 1920's in Fischinger's abstract synchronizations and visual interpretations.

• 1927, the first film with sound was produced which was titled 'The Jazz Singer'.

• 1930's came the creation of musicals and the introduction of Panoram.

Artists like Billie Holiday and Bing Crosby were showcased using 8-10 minute films at cinema screenings.

• 1939-1946, the Panoram became very popular, it was a video jukebox in bars, and weighed about 2 tons with a 20 inch screen, which played a reel of 8, 16mm shorts.

• The 1940's were the golden age of Hollywood musicals.
• 1950's - 1960's brought live music performances on TV shows like Top of the Pops, Monkees' TV show, and the Beatles release a movie.

1960, the Scorpitone was produced in France which showed 36 short films in colour. These short films were song and dance performances with a lot of female display which was very popular. by 1965, 1000 machines were in American bars. The close up shots were often on the pornographic border which to me, has influenced the music videos today.

The Scorpitone wasn't popular to the end of the 1960's because of the competition from TV channels.

American music had a lack of material in comparison to British groups, so Music TV produced a promo based program for Nickelodeon to show both British and American clips.

MTV grew when American artists realised the potential of the music video market. High profile artists like Madonna helped to make what music videos are like today with the emphasis on performance, image, choreography and close ups.

• The increase of promotional videos started in the late 1970’s, mainly produced by Michael Nesmith, and in 1975 Queen released a song called ‘Bohemian Rhapsody, as it was thought to boost sales. By making music videos, the industry realised short videos boosted sales and therefore started to make more and more to make a profit.

• In 1977 Saturday Night fever featured on TV.

1981, first pop clips are shown on Nickelodeon in which MTV begins to Broadcast. The first song to be played was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’, which again, put the record to the top of the charts, making a very good income.

• The first music video to be banned was by MTV and the BBC, the video was called ‘Girls on Film’ by Duran Duran in 1981; this is because it contained nudity, which isn’t suitable for young children.

• The release of ‘Thriller’ made Michael Jackson the creator of the first 13 minute short film, meaning his music video had a beginning, middle and end. This formation of the first short film took music videos to another level as it included futuristic special effects and was also widely known for its dance routine, which is still remembered nearly 30 years on.

• The Music Box begins in Europe, MTV Video music awards are launched.
• 1985, VH1 begins which targeted older audiences and MTV are taken over by Viacom.
• 1987, MTV Europe began which brought in larger demographics, opening up the rock music video market to include other genres'.

• MTV began airing lifestyle programs such as Unplugged and The Real World, the increase in diversified entertainment made way for non- white music videos.

• Late 1980's, image was the key factor in artists promotion and music promotion videos became important for artists.

• The music video ‘Smack my bitch up’ by The Prodigy was banned due to nudity and drug use. I watched this video on YouTube and didn’t see any nudity until the end. In this day and age many music videos do contain sections of nudity therefore I don’t think it is as bad anymore. However, nearer the end there was too much nudity so I understand why they banned this music video.

  
  

The picture above shows that Youtube will only let you watch it if your over 18.

In my opinion, the whole music industry realised early on that music videos are very popular and therefore are now made just for promoting the artists and also making a profit. This is because all Music video history I have researched, in books and on the internet discusses the profit the music industry makes from music videos.