Applying media theories and explanations to our music video

After researching and reading upon some media theories and explanations/links, I felt that I can relate some of these theories/explanations to our music video. 

One media explanation for music videos can be seen in Goodwin's Theory. Goodwin's Theory states that music videos can be associated with the following: links between the lyrics and visuals, links between music and visuals, genre characteristics, intertextual reference, notions of looking, performance, narrative and concept based music videos, and also the demands of the record label. 

Goodwin suggsts lyrics will make constant references to visuals on screen. In our music video, I felt that this theory has been applied accordingly. As you can see in our previous planning and our final product, we have made constant reference between lyrics and visuals on screen. For example, one point-of-view shot makes a reference of lyrics and visuals - Chris walks out of the shop and looks over at the opening times of the shop - and the lyrical match states "... Been wondering if your heart's still open and
if so I wanna know what time it shuts..."

Goodwin also suggests there is a genre characteristic in a music video. In our product, the genre is typical rock, however could be seen in sub-genres like Psychedelic rock, Garage rock, Indie rock or Stoner rock. The music can be seen as these particular genres due to the heavy, dirty guitar riffs, accompanied by the prominent bass line and the dark, jungle-style drums. In our product, the genre characteristic has been exploited through the night-time setting of when our footage was taken. We specifically chose the night-time to film as we felt the low, rock style of the music needed that visual element of dark references. Also, the narrative was heavily-influential on out decision of a night-time setting, which I will discuss further when talking about narrative analysis of Goodwin's theory.

The statement of 'Notions of Looking' is also seen in our music video. The Notions of Looking plays on the idea of gaze and the way characters are visualized and represented, for example - the female character as an object. Notions of Looking be seen in our music video with Chris being a teenager, and when seen to be getting ready, he makes sure his hair is right, checks himself in the mirror, etc. and this can be stereotypically relatable to most teenage boys.  

The structure concept of our music video is typically narrative-based, featuring no performance-based shots and only a story with a maximum of three characters. Narratives in music videos refer to the video denoting a particular story relating directly or indirectly to the music and lyrics (as explained earlier in my evaluation of Goodwin's Theory). Our music video particularly is of a linear mode, meaning it tells a story from start to end. However, also features a fragmented style due to showcasing the story in not necessarily the right order with the use of flashbacks.  

Magazine Ancillary Task: First Design

I have produced a first design of our ancillary task, a magazine advertisement for the single of our music video. 

The music magazine features Chris walking down a street with a dead-end sign. This dead-end sign denotes the friendship/relationship he has with Jess, the potential fact there could a dead-end to the relationship that Chris struggles but hopelessly perseveres to find. 

Photoshoot Session

Today, me and my working partner Chris went to the centre of our town and had a photoshoot of Chris in the town centre and the cathedral. I felt this session was very successful and gave us great opportunity to use these images I took in our ancillary products. 

Subsequent to this shoot, I have edited the photos in black and white which match the house style of theme. I have made some some advanced editing modifications further to this using the software paint.net (software inbetween Paint and Photoshop), and have modified such image properties as the contrast, saturation, image noise and shadow efficiency. These advanced modifications have been implemented as I feel a simple black and white filter does not show off the images full potential, often not producing clarity in the image and does not emphasise or sharpen the dark colours that beg prominence. 

Here are some of the images I have captured and edited today...

Artwork Design

As you can see from the image below, I have created a design for our artwork front cover. This artwork will also be used in one shot which we plan to re-shoot. This shot is in the first scene where Chris looks at the music on his phone and goes to play Do I Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys. 

Two new scenes filmed!

Last night, me and Chris filmed our final two scenes, hurray! 

I feel there was sufficient footage and most of scenes were very successful. However, an unsuccessful scene occurred when we tried to gain permission to film on our local bus company - Stagecoach. After three attempts with three different bus drivers, we were getting nowhere in terms of shooting a bus scene with Chris. 

Despite our rejection, we went ahead and filmed Chris on the bus - on our fourth attempt at getting on the bus. Difficulties were filming discretely without the knowledge of the bus driver or the other bus driver that hitchhiked a journey too.

Update: Current Footage and Future Filming

With out current footage, we have edited as much as we can and we now plan to film our last two scenes - which we have planned to shoot tomorrow night (10.12.13). This location will be set in our home town, the city centre. We plan to shoot Scenes 3, 4, 6 and 7, of which are a shop scene (4,6,7) and a bus scene (3). 

Regarding our current footage, we are having problems with the quality of the clips. We have experienced a 'grainy' and pixelated quality to our footage which we feel could affect our coursework quality. Also, we have recognized that Scene 5, has excellent opportunity to include amazing glare from the sun when we filmed that day. 

Initial Design Ideas: Magazine Ancillary

Band name decision

Me and my working partner Chris have decided to call our band name 'Murder of Crows'. We feel that this band name suits the black and white theme of our music video - the blackness also suiting the horrible feelings of being led on, Chris' feelings towards being led on and when you eventually have the knowledge that something like that has gone behind your back - consequently, in this context, Chris' broken heart (aw).