Final Music Video

Evaluation

Final Ancillary Texts

Draft Magazine Advert

Draft Digipack

As the first draft of my digipack, my teacher is pleased with the outcome and only has one issue with the design: Not all the members of the band are in one picture, which makes it confusing for the audience. But since I could not arrange a day when they were all available, I was forced to take separate photographs. 

I used Photoshop to design the digipack as well as the magazine advert and created stars on the front cover of the digipack and the advert using paint brushes tools and erasers and colour balance effects rather than waiting for a clear day to take a photo of stars at night. I merged the image with a photograph I took at Destiny of the band (lead singer) performing. 

I wrote the texts in a serif font except the album title with different sizes and colours.

In the photographs with the members, I wrote their names using this font and cropped the area around the writing using a paint brush with a low opacity/transparency rate.The photograph of the field was taken at the Arboretum in Nottingham where my location was picked and put an artistic style on it to create interest in the picture.

Draft Edit Music Video

This is the draft edit of my music video. I have posted it on Facebook and Twitter and have had feedback from people who have watched it including friends who made suggestions of what I could do to improve on my final edit. The whole editing process took almost two weeks along with other subjects. I thoroughly enjoyed putting it together, because I like the variety of effects and transitions I can put on the video and it brings out my creativity allowing me to explore new ideas and express what the song is about. The only painful bit about editing using Adobe is the time it takes just rendering and encoding which needs a lot of patience otherwise I can often feel anxious about watching the finished draft of any video I've created. Plus there is always room to improve.
Most of the feedback I got from posting the draft video on Facebook was saying that I maybe need less layered shots and need to remove some of the more jerky shots. Others said that there were a couple of suddenly changing transitions which were distracting.
Here is what feedback I got from my teacher:

As we have discussed, you have some beautiful footage Ben. You need to work on this now to aim towards a top A grade. Well done so far!

There is quite a strong guitar track  with plucked strings rather than strumming – this could do with shooting. For example shot at 0.53 the player is not playing the tune that we can hear.

1.59 wobble on cross. 

2.23 narrative – too much overlaying.

3.40 what is this shot?

Text on screen – have you got an example of this happening in one of the other videos that you watched? If not, take it out.

4.22 what is this shot?

4.26 this shot seems to be repeated too much.

4.30 this bouncing seems to be to a different track – not sure this track is suitable for bouncing – maybe swaying? The lip synch is also out.

4.31/4.47 lip synch also out/

Lack of editing at the end – is this the section you are going to cut?

Filming

Filming was the most difficult part of the whole construction, not the most tiring, but tricky.
It felt like it had taken weeks to find the actors and arrange a day when the whole band could meet up.
Luckily, I had support of my friend Jordan (lead singer.)
For the performance part of the filming, I spared an evening to get together with just the band, and getting there half an hour early to set up the lights, drum kit and lay out the camera equipment ready for when they came. Some of the lighting equipment I would've like to use wasn't available so I made do with only a couple of professional stage lights and  used Ikea lamps as overheads by attaching them to the framing above and taped others to microphone stands to adjust the direction.
When everyone was ready on stage, I gave them directions for the song, which I shared as a link to them beforehand so that they could learn it. We played the track using the main speakers on the side of the stage sourced from the sound desk.
To get the best out of each person on stage, the track was played the whole way through for each individual separately. It was good that we had two cameras, both in HD and both with tripods so I could have two set up for every run-through of the song.
Filming the actors was not as difficult, because there was only two subjects and they were on seperate days.
This time, however I had only one camera, but still, it is all that was needed. The first day I filmed the actors was with Vincent and Alvin Kayembe at Bramcote Park late afternoon. There weren't many issues at all; Vincent was dressed perfectly for the shots and so was Alvin, as ordinary as the dress code may seem, much thought had gone into it and how to communicate that dress code to them. The weather was good, sunny with only some small clouds. The biggest issue that was to be had was the low battery in the camera. I had two low batteries, but I managed to get the best out of them and they lasted longer than I expected.
The filming took less than an hour.
The next filming day was with Thando Ndovu in his school lunch break, he wasn't far from the city centre, thankfully he was available for that half an hour of filming which was last minute, because I had had two actors for his part drop out before then. It was straight forward; just change into some tatty clothes I brought, set up the camera and go. I went into down into the square at the weekend to film some crowd scenes for the lyrics "for everyone to realise this love" and that was it.

Editing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g1MOv-0A-E

Props and Equipment

All the props and equipment I shall be using are above except DSLR video cameras and the two tripods. Both cameras are from Canon and film in HD.

The lights and amps will be used in the narrative shots of the live performance, not of the actual performance from the band that is playing the music. The instruments and the microphone will of course be used by the band throughout the video. The red dye is a small idea to create fake blood as part of the narrative, but I may not decide to use is depending on how it would fit into the video without seeming out of place.

The wooden cross will be placed behind the band to the right of the stage.

I have chosen to use stage lights to give the band a more performance-like appearance the whole way through and to give the video a natural colour rather than an edited colour using Adobe so that it is pleasing to the eye. 

The instruments again give that sense of performance and can be used to indicate the importance of each band member. 

The cross and red dye are to symbolise the reason for the reuniting of the Father and the son by the life given from Christ.

Performer's and Actor's Costume

These are all the parts of the costume for the band and actors. The band's costume is mainly on the left and the actor's is the five pictures furthest to the right, including cream pocket trousers, hooded blue zip-up jumper, kids jeans and grey jacket, and the white striped shirt. (The white shirt won't be a t-shirt, but will have long sleeves.) 

I have chosen this style of clothing because it reflects the band's image well, as it is the sort of theme which the band would usually follow. It is also a clear link to the genre of music, e.g. if I were to do a rock song, it would be more appropriate to wear black leather, denim jeans that are slightly baggier and thicker make-up for the female singers. But since it is of a worship genre, the band are wearing these clothes and make-up:

Make-Up

The female members of the band (who will be filmed in the bridge/chorus as part of the live Destiny event) will wear little amount of make-up but as they please, because I don't want to give any slight sense of voyeurism, as the song has its own boundaries being popular among Christian viewers and listeners. The music video will also be representing the genre, so it is important if the genre is to be advertised well that it does not put people off through watching this video.

Tight-knit Jumper

This is a common clothing item used by the band, because it is visually attractive and goes well with the rest of the male dress trend.

The male members can choose between these following clothes which is why I suggested them all as potential wears, each with their own unique style but that has links between them, because they all go well with each other, e.g.  plain t-shirts, woolen jumpers, denim tops, skinny jeans, etc.

This jumper is basically available to the band to wear if they wish, because I don't want to put too much pressure on them. Hopefully if they do wear a jumper it will appeal to a young audience.

I am thinking that the lead singer will wear a plain grey t-shirt so he blends with the band more, not looking totally out of place. If he blends in too much, I will ask him to take a denim blue top which gives an option of what would work best.

Not only do I want clothes that reflect the genre and style of the song, but also that look good on the band, because this is all part of reflecting the song and genre in a positive way. Now this isn't too difficult since, the band have worn similar clothes before, but I have to think about the lighting and colours of the lights to see if the clothes will work with them. Therefore I have chosen blue as a general theme for the clothes which the band can work around because blue contrasts well with the reds and yellows that I plan to have in the lighting.

For the actors, I have chosen these particular clothes because they represent the meaning of the narrative, especially through wearing a white shirt, which resembles God the Father as being holy.

Shooting Schedule

Date	Location	Props/costume	Actors/performers	Equipment
Friday 20th of September	Destiny youth group, Christian Centre, Nottingham	No costume or props.	No actors. Performers on stage as the band including Michael Newcombe, Jordan Burrows, Daniel Newcombe, Jo Langford, Karen Chu and Bethan Davies are all and the only available members. An AUDIENCE	Over head lights, up-lighters, fall back speakers, amps, instruments, camera, tripod/shoulder rig.
Tuesday 24th of September	Christian Centre, Nottingham	Costume: Skinny jeans, styled hair, jumpers, t-shirts, vans, pumps, suede shoes etc. Props: Wooden cross	No actors. Performers: Jordan Burrows, possibly not available, (Joel Price instead) Michael and Daniel Newcombe, Jo Langford and Daniel Giddins. No AUDIENCE until bridge (20th shoots)	Over head lights, fairy lights, speakers, fall backs, amps, instruments, camera, tripod/shoulder rig.
Thursday 26th of September	Arboretum, Nottingham. Rock City walls, Nottingham. The Market Square, Nottingham	Red mixture and small container for fake blood, white shirt dark hoodie with rough jeans. Bottle top also to hold blood.	Actors are: Vincent and son Alvin to play the father-son role. Thando Ndlovu to play the role of the teenage son.	Camera, tripod,

Storyboard

For my storyboard I have done a slideshow using Kizoa, a free online slideshow making softwear.
Some of the sketches have been repeated so it may seem a bit tedious, but it gives the idea of there being similar shot angles throughout the video. I have also added in the track below just so you can listen to it along with the slideshow for a rough idea of where the shots may take place.

Actors/Performers

First Photograph: Jordan Burrows (Lead singer/guitarist)
Jordan has been chosen because of his enthusiasm for music. He looks good on camera and he knows the song really well since he wrote it. He will be wearing most of what he is wearing in the photograph, i.e. leather jacket, white t-shirt, also skinny jeans (dark blue) and smart leather shoes. No make-up and his hair will be the same as well as in the photo.
The following members of the band:
Second photograph: Karen Chu (Keyboard player)

Third photograph:
Michael Newcombe (Bass guitarist on the far left)
Joel Price (Singer on the left)
Daniel Newcombe (Drummer on the right)
Daniel Giddins (Keyboard player on the far right)

Fourth photograph:
Emily Newsome (Singer on the far left)
David Butler (Drummer)
Luke Burrows (Drummer)
Lydia Bernard-Brooks (Singer)
Ben Price (Stage set up in the centre)
Jo Langford (Guitarist)
Joel Price
Bethan Davies (Singer)
Matthew Burrows (Guitarist singer on the far right)


Fifth Photograph:
Emily Newsome
Jo Langford
David Butler
Matthew Burrows
Ben Price
Myself (far right, bass guitarist)

These photos include all the members of the band.
I have invited them all to be part of the music video, but not all of them will necessarily come, because of how busy they are, but it is good on one level that we are such a large band, because there are more options of who would be available and who could fill in for other members. Since I am one of the members, I have asked my friend Michael so step in for me whilst I film.
I am really close friends with them all and they are very trustworthy, which is why I chose them.
The costume theme that I have given them is best because of how it represents the band and their music. For example, if it was rock music, they'd all wear much darker thick clothing, but instead because it is Christian worship, I have decided that lighter clothing, particularly for the female members is suitable, e.g. the white dress that Lydia is wearing in this photo on the right.
Jordan occasionally wears a leather jacket, but they all have their own unique style within the general trend of clothes that the band wears, e.g. Joel Price is wearing burgundy shorts and a white top. The one thing they all have in common (male members) is the style hair: short back and sides.

Thando Ndlovu (Actor):
Thando is a good friend of mine and highly trustworthy. He resembles the son well, the younger son being played by Alvin Kyember, (age 4) because of his similar appearance and body shape. He is quite muscular and therefore would  resemble a rebellious teenager!

Risk Assessment

I have given the following risk assessment as professionally as I can to ensure the dangers are clear and understood, and fully assessed in order to negotiate ways of dealing with these dangers effectively.

Risk Assessment for Father Music Video Filming
Date of the assessment: 16/9/14
Equipment Damage
Damage to equipment, e.g. video camera, tripod, lights, decoration equipment, instruments,
PA platform etc. could potentially be caused by the following:

• Weather
• Handling of the equipment
• Location-terrain

The weather may cause critical damage to the camera and tripod from the likelihood of being in an outdoors location, filming for the narrative of the music video. Windy conditions may cause the tripod to shake being vulnerable to the risk of falling over and the camera getting damaged in the impact. Heavy rain may also cause the camera to short-circuit if any water gets inside the main body/casing of the camera.

These issues can be overcome by using a waterproof cover or umbrella to prevent water making contact with the equipment. If the weather is windy, it would be best to take shelter, which is why the locations chosen are suitable, e.g. trees, walls or bushes provide cover from serious wind. 

Handling of the equipment must be taken with great care to make sure the equipment is not damaged.

Only the owners of the, i.e. the Destiny Band may be allowed to handle the instruments. The same applies to the PA platform, lights and deorations.

Make sure the equipment is not left unattended, to reduce the risk of property being stolen or damaged.

The terrain of some locations can be steep and may vary so be alert to keep control of the equipment and hold it steady. If the gradient is too steep, ensure it is kept on flatter ground to prevent the risk of the tripod and camera becoming unstable.

Any heavy sound and lighting equipment for the performance must not be taken out of the premises to confirm the reduced risk of damage from terrain.

People and Hazards

Please ensure you wear suitable clothing for outdoors filming to overcome difficulties with weather, e.g. rain and wind, causes of hypothermia, cold, etc.

When climbing steep terrain, wear boots or follow a clear path in case of slipping on wet grass and causing an injury. 

Before filming, make sure you have person/actor's or public's full permission to be in the shot.

Most permission is accepted via contacting the person and asking them to be in the music video beforehand.

For further assessment, obtain permission for filming the crowd for Destiny youth group.

Track

Hillsong United

Father

• Songwriter: Joel Timothy Houston

To bring this world to life
To heal this heart of mine
Your grace enough, your grace enough

To mend this world in need
To break the chains in me
Your grace enough, now this means love

The weight of all our sin upon His shoulders
We should all be called Your sons and daughters

Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

Adopted as Your own
Alive to make You known
Now this means love, this means love

The weight of all our sin upon His shoulders
We should all be called Your sons and daughters

Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

For the lost and for the broken
For the slave and for the orphan
For everyone to realize Your love

From the famous to the faceless
From the beggar to the king
For everyone to realize Your love

You restore the broken hearted
You bring freedom to the captive
For one and all, forever this means love

All Your children come together
All Your sons and all Your daughters
Your grace enough, forever this means love

Singing, Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

Your grace enough, forever this means love
You gave it all for one and all
Your grace enough, forever this means love

Track and Location Permission

I have spoken to one of the church leaders who has passed on a message to the main owner of the location about using one of their buildings at the Christian Centre to film and I have been given the 'all clear' but they said they would need to know when and I have given them the days that have been arranged and the shooting schedule.Other locations are in public areas and are fine for filming so long as it doesn't invade anyone's privacy.

The track is available through Youtube and is okay to use, but not if I post my video publicly. So if I post it on Youtube temporarily, it will usually come up with an indicator that the song is copyright of Hillsong and is therefore not visible in some countries.

Magazine Advert Mock Up

These are my first and second magazine adverts. The first one (below) was good because I liked the idea of a diamond shaped colour pattern, which represented the band's style, but I didn't think it strongly advertised the album/digipack which is what it was supposed to do. There was also no particular thoughts for an album name yet until recently when I thought of 'Collision' for an album name, a word included in the lyrics of the song that I am using. This name is good because it is an naturally impacting word and appeals to a young audience, and almost gives a sense of the sound of the music and it's style through the enthusiasm within the word. However, instead of having a magazine with landscape proportions in width and height, I thought it would be best to have a portrait magazine advert, because there is more space upwards to display a night sky and the band and audience below. This would mean that the album name relates better with the composition allowing for the imagination of a vertical 'collision'. Since this change was made, it would be hard to get a good diamond shape colour contrast. So this idea below has been changed almost completely to the one above. Hopefully it's for the best and I do like the new idea much more; it just depends whether the audience does.

Digipack Mock Up

These are the six panels starting from the top with the front cover, back cover, outside flap, inside panel, CD holder and the end inside panel. This design is one which I have improved since the first mock up below (in coloured pen). The reason for this change is because of the new magazine advert design  which meant I had to change the front cover so that it would be recognised by the advert readers. I also preferred the idea of having six panels rather than four. The same principles of having photos of the band remain and the colour scheme, but the layout is changed.

I have done a mock up of my digipack for the Destiny Band, however I may add two extra slides.
Front Cover
For the digipack album, the colours will be quite varied and vibrant, particularly on the front cover. The front cover will have a bent diamond shape in the centre with its corners touching the edge of the cover. The lead singer will be the main subject in the front cover with the stage and the other band members in the background, but they will be blurred slightly because I plan to use a shallow depth of field to emphasize the band leader. I will probably adjust the colours using Adobe Photoshop. The title of the band will be placed in the centre of the cover in a handwritten italic style with soft yellow and drop shadows to make it stand out.
Underneath the title will be the Album name which I have named after the song I'll use: Father, what I consider their main song. The diamond shape will be defined by the contrast between the blue and the red tinted colours of the image.
The lead singer will be wearing a leather jacket, skinny jeans, no make-up but stylized hair (short back and sides) and will be performing with his guitar. The camera angle will be a direct mid shot with medium head room.
Inside Cover
On the inside as you turn the page, on the left side there will be the inside cover with a photographic image of the band performing live in more of a long shot taken from partially behind the audience. The lighting will be an atmospheric green coming from the over heads whilst the stage lights behind the band show red and white. The lead singer will be in the centre with clear shot of the other members around on stage all with a similar style, because it will give the band consistency
On the left will be a list of the tracks in a white serif font under bullet points in a column.The white font will contrast well when that side of the photograph is dimmed. The Destiny Band title will be put in the bottom right hand corner.
CD Compartment
For this, I will have a similar image to the front cover, but with four separate shots of the members of the band; keyboard player, bass player, singer and the drummer, most likely. The Destiny Band title will be in the centre and would be the same on the actual CD. The images that are split into four will have different tonal colours as are shown in the sketch. I will use dynamic shots, e.g. high or low angles on the performers for the image.
Back Cover
On the back will be a group photo with its edges edited and made darker with a red hue for atmosphere.
There will also be the bar code in the bottom right, the copyright text, plus the credited distribution and production company. The record label company logo will be in the bottom left.
The whole band will be wearing skinny jeans, styled hair, no make-up except female singers, only with a light make-up. Leather jacket, jumpers, t-shirts, etc. Anything the band chooses to wear.
The lead singer will be positioned at the end of the group photo.

Artists Research

Delirious?

I have chosen to study a similar band to my own in Destiny, but one with more history to gage what forms and styles of music work well in this genre.
Delirious? was once known as the Cutting Edge band as you already may know as part of the small church in Littlehampton. They wrote songs which later became popular amongst UK listeners in the early 90's. It was around this time that the band produced their first albums that were aimed at a young audience in a successful attempt  to help bring young people a fresh sense of church. They were seen as quite radical as they continued to reach out to people without hope, and the band soon made a name for themselves as the 'most exciting band on the UK Christian scene.'
In four years, the band was working full time and was joined by a new guitarist, Stu G, and a new bassist, Jon Thatcher.
There first Cutting Edge songs changed people's view of worship music and their King Of Fools album (1997)  made a massive impact on how mainstream music industries viewed Christian music.

For some industries, the band was controversial, but their success was undeniable.
As the band grew and had another big hit with their single, Deeper, America prepared to let them take off in their music industries. King Of Fools sold 200,000 copies after being in the American charts for 18 weeks.

The band continued to maintain their UK audience as well as pass on their songs throughout a worldwide audience. The album World Service and previous albums were later released with the help of Virgin Records in mainstream America and distributed through EMI to Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Delirious?  released their album The Mission Bell and then later produced their last album, Kingdom of Comfort along with a few other live albums, e.g. Now Is The Time which was recorded at Willow Creek as they went on tour across the United States. Their Farewell Tour album was recorded in London's O2 arena. http://www.delirious.org.uk/section.php?id=27

This is one of their earliest music videos, from 1999 and there song, 'It's Ok' which shows the lead singer and a female actor, Dominica Warburton. The record label for this song is Furious? Records.
The purpose for the Delirious?'s music video is for getting a message across which is what Delirious? spent the entire time as a band devoted to. The videos aren't mainly purposed for advertising, however this was a side effect of these music videos. Delirious? hasn't made many music videos either - there are only two that I know of.
This music video shows two people including Martin Smith, (lead singer) as the shots switch from one to the other as if portraying a conversation between the two of them, until the final stage of the song where the band becomes part of the video with a more performance-like touch to the song. The lighting changes and becomes a vibrant golden/yellow.
The music video is unusually straight and simple compared to most with not much creativity, but it does what the band wanted to do in the fact it gives a message, almost a question by standing out in the odd, again not advertising the band all that well with dynamic shots but plain which gives the audience a help in focussing on the idea behind the lyrics and the meaning of the song.



This music video which they did later on has more dynamics to it as they've come into a new era of music videos with more creativity. So they've thought more about how to use their creativity to get a message across:

Location Recce and Camera Angle Shots

These are all the locations that I will use, now that I have had feedback from my pitch, and am taking more thought into the narrative.
First, the live performance photograph was taken in the main hall area at the Christian Centre church building which hosts Destiny youth group each Friday. The lighting here is great for filming a performance-like music video, which is why I chose it.

Now the photos at the top right and middle left are in the same church site, but on the opposite side of the street. This is where I plan to have lights also set up as we have done in Destiny before, using the stage there.

I have chosen this location because it is more likely to be available without being disturbed.

The picture of the park bench and the two bottom left photos are in the Arboretum in the centre of Nottingham. I picked the bench for a shot of the actor playing the child grown up sitting by himself.

It would be a good location for contrasting colours and would give a fresher sense to the music video. This location is also not far from the Christian Centre and would be easy for actors/performers to all meet up in one place, allowing for more time and less jumping about from location to location.

Finally, the grey/black street wall photographs will be a secular location; the walls outside Rock City, also near to my other locations, but as an extra location for an all-round, indoors, outdoors/rural and urban, set of locations giving more variety. The black walls will also convey the lyrics as the grown-up child is sat against them.

Audience Research

 Audience Theory
There are seven theories for how audiences react and what causes them to react in these ways.
These theories show a change as they have been developed over the last century.
The order of the theories starts with the earliest at the top to the most recent at the bottom of the page.

The Hypodermic Model
The original model for theory of audiences was this one, also called The Effects Model, because it explains the effects of mass media on audiences.
It discusses the idea that audiences are 'injected' with ideas and meanings that make people behave in a way that controllable. Such think was behind the Nazi propaganda  which was evident in Triumph of the Will and other films alike.
The model suggests that dictatorships are similar in their desire to have complete control of the media.

The Inoculation Model
This model suggest that audiences that are exposed to much of the same media for a long time makes them 'immune' to effects as mentioned in the Hypodermic Model.
It also suggests that the complexities of human behavior make it unpredictable for  mass media. Media can however effect peoples trends and fashion but not personalities which methods to force people's personalities to change is seen as elitist

The Two Step Flow
The two step flow is a theory where people discuss texts in media that they have experienced with others. Their opinions about these texts a defined and can vary within the levels of respect for the other people. A person who is highly respected is seen as an 'opinion leader'. These people can control the opinions of whoever respects them about certain media which they are interested in.

Uses and Gratifications Model
This theory supposes that media texts are made to satisfy the need of a person. There are four different audience needs:

• Entertainment
• Identity
• Information
• Social Interaction

Audience's need for entertainment is satisfied by the media through all kinds of TV programs, movies, text, music and so on.
The satisfaction of feeling a sense of identity comes from the interest in other people, mainly stars through music videos and stars who set a new trend for these individuals by what they wear or how they behave, etc.
Audience's need for information comes from documentaries or new programs, the news via radio or articles.
Some individuals need social interaction, and that need is satisfied through the interaction with media (stars) which links to Dyer's stardom theory about the sense of interaction through a star's availability and ordinary and extraordinary focus.

Reception Analysis
This is really an extra to the Uses and Gratifications Model explaining the principle that audiences react differently to media texts because of social values, e.g. age, gender, class, race.

The Active Audience
Where the individual's opinions are put into three categories:
Dominant: When people strongly agree with what is in the media texts.
Negotiated: When people are unsure of a decision and discuss it's value to them often including the Two Step Flow theory.
Oppositional: When people strongly disagree with what the media text says.

The Ethnographic Model
The focus on typical domesticated cultures and audiences reception of the media texts. People are given a satisfaction of their own clever knowledge through the use of these cultures in media.


Copy and paste this link to access the survey I set up using SurveyGizmo. I created this survey to aid me in choosing my target audience, Firstly by adding questions that would receive information about what type of audience they were, e.g. what age and gender. Then I asked them how often they watch music videos and which genre they were so I can tell what genre of music I should go with that receives the highest views and interest.
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1360699/Music-Video-Survey

The next survey I have done is for my genuine interest in the age of audiences and how that relates to the Uses and Gratifications Model. I put some other questions about their reaction to most music videos they watch and what influence music videos have on them through Reception Analysis and the Inoculations Model.
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1361678/Music-Video-Survey

Target Audience

The target audience for my music video will be males and females of  ages 10 to 20 years old, because of their contribution to the survey, and I will proceed with the chosen song as the song itself is aimed at a young audience because of its modern Christian rock/pop style and its overall use in the youth group, Destiny, where about 200 youths come each week. The music video will be aimed more locally at first because of the band's impact on young people in Nottingham.
From the two surveys, I have learned that young people like mostly pop and indie/rock which leaves the song close by with a similarly enthusiastic genre. The style for the band is also similar to indie fashion in what they wear, e.g. skinny jeans, leather jackets and smart shirts and jumpers. The hairstyle of the Destiny Band is also similar.

Brainstorming

I have done a brainstorm of ideas of what I could include in my music video. I have had more ideas since then of what I could include, particularly for the narrative which I will later put into a storyboard so you can clearly see the progression of shots throughout the video.

I have thought of some shots that I could include in the narrative as part of the brainstorm and I have thought of where they would fit into the lyrics. So in order to show you my ideas, here are the lyrics for the song:

Hillsong United

Father

• Songwriter: Joel Timothy Houston

To bring this world to life
To heal this heart of mine
Your grace enough, your grace enough

To mend this world in need
To break the chains in me
Your grace enough, now this means love

The weight of all our sin upon His shoulders
We should all be called Your sons and daughters

Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

Adopted as Your own
Alive to make You known
Now this means love, this means love

The weight of all our sin upon His shoulders
We should all be called Your sons and daughters

Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

For the lost and for the broken
For the slave and for the orphan
For everyone to realize Your love

From the famous to the faceless
From the beggar to the king
For everyone to realize Your love

You restore the broken hearted
You bring freedom to the captive
For one and all, forever this means love

All Your children come together
All Your sons and all Your daughters
Your grace enough, forever this means love

Singing, Father, let heaven and earth collide
In the endless wonder of Your love upon the cross
We will follow and offer this life forever
To see Your love unfold

Your grace enough, forever this means love
You gave it all for one and all
Your grace enough, forever this means love

Source:

http://www.songlyrics.com/hillsong-united/father-lyrics/

Music Video Pitch

This is the treatment for my music video as initial ideas for what it could involve.
I presented this Prezi slide to the rest of the class and my teacher and they gave me feedback on what could improve the idea.
I have come up with some more ideas for the narrative by doing a brainstorm and thought more about the lyrics of the song and how I could use the narrative to describe them better.
The class also gave me advice on how I could set up the band in their location rather than getting  a crowd together. Although sounding difficult, all I'd have to do is set up ready for Destiny youth group and film the crowd at the church venue in front of the band.
My next line of thoughts are in the brainstorm  which I will put up on the blog for you to see.

Genre Research

Worship Genre

Worship music history:
Christian worship music, also know as contemporary worship, has developed considerably over the past 60 years following a similar style to most pop music. It is rapidly growing as a type of worship music in many charismatic churches especially in the West. Churches , even more traditional ones, began to take on many of these worship songs which were often simple in that they only had three or four chords.
Over the years, worship songs changed to fit a more contemporary style as well as the theology of the pursuit to encounter the Holy Spirit and along with these changing songs came a long line of worship music from church worship bands such as Hillsong, Vineyard and Delirious? which was known as the Cutting Edge Band that originated from the Arun Community Church in Littlehampton. Delirious? followed a more youth like Christian rock/pop style, whereas Hillsong kept more along the lines of simple worship songs, but then in recent years has become more pop-like as their music is aimed more and young audiences, hence the creation of a youth band called Hillsong United.

What involvement I have with it:
Since I have grown up in a church background, my most popular music has always been worship music, because it has inspired me through what I believe. I have been inspired to write worship songs of my own, especially now that I am playing bass guitar in a Christian youth band myself known as the Destiny Band. Hillsong and Delirious? have also influenced me in my style of writing.
The picture on the left is of me playing the bass guitar in Destiny Youth Group.

Why I chose it
I chose to use this particular genre, because of my involvement with it and it's familiarity to me and the band that I am with.
I hope to arrange time to film the music video with the Destiny Band and one of the songs from Hillsong United to emphasize the meaning of the song and advertise Destiny Band and the youth group.

Magazine Advert Analysis

JLS Magazine Advert

Image
The magazine is advertising JLS and their new album 'Jukebox'. JLS's genre is of pop and is very contemporary so they are dressed in a fashion which reflects their style. They've had a synthetic approach to their style and method of selling, for example, selling themselves as a recent group of stars like Dyer suggests, because of their influence from the X Factor and the fact that they are young and enthusiastic.
The image shows them wearing clothing that is designed to make them look attractive appeal to a young audience, mainly young females. The background is made colourful and a photograph of a CD player and speakers has been enlarged and superimposed onto a city landscape to portray their urban style of pop music. A 'rainbow' of colours are used to enhance the overall image of JLS and to draw attention to the advert.
Text
In big bold white letters is the title of JLS in sans serif font with smooth, rounder edges on the letters to make it more contemporary. The star above the 'J' is used seclusive way to positively rate the group.
Below, is the title of the album 'Jukebox' which is enhance by the clever colour text underneath which is more spread out to almost illuminate the title.
The next line of text is 'The incredible new album', used to clearly rate the album and therefore, the band, anonymously so people are inclined to presume that whoever said it was 'incredible' is someone worth listening to.
Below that are the details which tell the audience what fantastic singles it includes. Then the release date written clearly and larger than the lines about the singles.
The next and final lines of text are advertising the extra DVD by saying 'Pre-order' which is cleverly written to manipulate the audience, e.g. "Pre- Order" instead of "Can you pre-order?" which is more of a command rather than a request. The text gives the date of the release, the title of the Movie in larger letters and the website for details people might want to look at, written in small letters. The image helps sell this DVD separately by it's contrast of background colours where the text begins, using purple for the background instead og orange, which indicates this change of subject more clearly.
A photo of the DVD is put to the side of the text to help audiences refer to it when reading. Overall, these small contributions make the advert much easier for people to read, meaning they take it in more.

Digipack Analysis

 David Strafford's 'Better Late Than Never'

Front Cover
The front shows a manipulated image of David who is a local solo artist, creating a name for himself and his folk/acoustic music. His logo is at the top right and printed largely so that the audience can remember it.
His face takes up more than half of the front cover for the same reason, to help people remember him, since this digipack is his first EP.

Back Cover
On the back is the logo again and the name of the EP in all lower caps for a more contemporary appearance which would appeal to a younger audience.
The tracks are listed in a line below the EP name
The background image adds a slightly abstract feel to the digipack which conveys his style, however I think that the cover is bland, because it lacks colour and therefore doesn't show the artist's passion for his work. It doesn't appeal to any specific audience, instead, it tries to cover too great an audience, especially since he is little known.




Inside Cover
The inside page has a similar background to keep continuation of the style. At the top is the web address for David Strafford so that people can easily find him and see what more he does if they liked the EP. Other addresses are given below for Facebook and Twitter.
In the centre, written in an italic handwritten font is a quote from Bob Dylan, one of his inspirations, which also gives an idea of the style of music David plays.
At the bottom is the album name again, for repetition so people remember it. In smaller font size below that is a list of names that were involved in making and producing the EP, including David Strafford.



 CD Holder

The image behind the CD holder is an abstract ink sketch of a person sitting with their head against their knees which is used to describe the album and link to the title 'Better Late Than Never', Which shows the emotion of the album.
The CD itself is a plain sky blue with the logo for David Strafford on it.
Over all, I find that the digipack lacks enthusiasm, but I studied it so that I could learn more from it.
I've learned that colour is important for presenting an album in a positive way and that it can portray the artist themselves, and have both positive and negative effects on how the audience views the artist and their products as a whole.
The layout and use of text style is also vital to helping people remember your products as an artist by making words easier to read.

Digipack Analysis

Magazine Advert Analysis

Kings of Leon is a popular rock band which formed in 1999 originating from Oklahoma. The genre was very much southern rock with blues influences but over the years the band has expanded their style and appealed to a wider audience. Kings of Leon won two BRIT awards in 2008 which is the same year as the poster for the 'Only By The Night' album on the left.
2008 was a major year for the band as they grew more and more popular amongst UK fans as well as in America.

The poster shows the lead singer (Caleb Followill) because it is important for the band to maintain it's popularity by advertising their star. The image is a set of four photographs which have been rearranged to create an unusual distortion on Caleb's face, which relates to Dyer's stardom theory that the star must be absent and present at the same time for the audience. The photograph interests people and the audience wants to know what he looks like in a real perspective.

Caleb appears to be wearing some kind of feathered or fur mohican and make-up which has been painted on his face in the shape of owl eyes. This is used to describe the style of the band, since they were fairly new to Britain at this time, which is that they are a more Western rock band with a 'wild side'. The colour of the photograph has also been changed for a dramatic effect, which is very masculine and has a dominantly male appeal.

The name of the band is put at the top of the page in bold white capitals and in sans serif font so that it contrasts with the rest of the page to make it eye-catching. Underscores have been used to put a bold emphasis on how it reads, e.g instead of "Kings of Leon," it's read more like this:
"KINGS.....OF......LEON!"
Underscores have also been used for the album name, but it doesn't have the bright white contrasting colours so that it does not distract from the name of the band.
The context below is put in grey and is smaller in size so that is can fit in and doesn't distract from the album name. The release date is put in large red letters to show that it is important, so that people will remember.
Other company logos and web addresses are put at the very bottom.

Digipack Analysis

Magazine Advert Analysis

Music Video Anaylsis

Inside Outside by Delirious?

The song was released in 2004 along with the music video. The video doesn't do much in the way of creating an image for the band, because the band is older. Instead the camera work evenly focusses on each of the members of the band, but maybe with a little bit more focus on Martin (lead singer.) The video does not
relate well to the song either, instead the video and it's purpose are to create atmosphere for the song. It does this with the special lighting
effects involved and the mirrored shots as the transport with the band inside travels through the tunnel. The band members are shown looking out of the car in fascination and wonder as the rain patters on the windows which links to the lyrics 'I see you in the storm.' The video is used mainly to advertise the song, if anything, not the band, which was the band's intention: They didn't want to draw attention to themselves, but more or less the songs they were playing, and now many of their songs are played in churches and youth events worldwide.
The lighting effects in the video are used to express captivation as light rays pass through the members of the band as they are playing which again ties into the lyrics.
The band's costume is very much what they would usually wear at concerts and events, i.e. jackets, preferably leather, jeans, shirts, wool hats. Each band member has their own unique style two within the band's style so the audience is familiarized with each member to the extent that they are recognisable.

Music Video Analysis

She Won't Wait Forever by In Hindsight

The video was directed by Chris Clough, locally based in Nottingham. The band, In Hindsight, is young and only been together for a year and a half producing singles in Nottingham and playing at concerts all around the city.
The music video's main purpose is to advertise the band, and being a young band, the fashion of costume is very contemporary and it follows a 'synthetic' route as described by Keith Negus in his ideology of synthetic creativity. Although the band is free-lance and not under the power of any particular record company, the music video that the self employed director had made for them has shaped In Hindsight's image, especially with the music video being the first that they have made.

Their particular genre is 'boy band' rock which is aimed mainly at a young female audience.
The music video is used to put emphasis on the song and the relationship between the style of the band and their song. The type of clothes, hair, locations and props are used to attract the female audience so the band will get much support from their audience and their attention which has lead to much blogging and social networking. This ties into Dyers's star theory of simultaneous presence and absence of the star for the audience.
There is a clear star in the band because he takes the most focus in th
e song which is more evidence for Negus' theory of synthetic creativity, through the video which creates the main image of the band, being Michael Newcombe, the lead singer/band member. The image has been created by someone else, not the band, so therefore the band is almost forced into having to keep the style the same as what the audience first knows it to be.
The camera set up has a series of shots and angles which display the entire band and the location being what appears to be an attic room with posters on the wall gives the music video more interesting feel and can intrigue the audience to want to know more about the location. Also, the location is local to Nottingham which has another effect of interest on the audience that is mainly in Nottingham and the East Midlands. Familiar places that the audience recognises is useful because it presents the band as 'totally accessible' to the extent that the audience feels they can relate to the band.

Here is a link to the video because it is now a private viewing so it can't be watched through YouTube publicly:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s0-1oDaCQ2Y&feature=youtu.be&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ds0-1oDaCQ2Y%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

Music Video Anaylsis

Let Me Rediscover You by Downhere

The music video for 'Let Me Rediscover You' by Downhere was released in 2011 by Centricity Music.
The song follows a very hymn-like feel in it's chords which have an almost unpredictable rhythm, and the lyrics are very traditional, i.e. 'anew,' which isn't used commonly today. However despite this, the instrumental is very modern and it has an amazingly bold sound which works very well, giving it a modern classical emphasis. The video helps convey this classical feel in the use of the white painted piano which is ornate and the lighting which has a flickering old fashion style to show as if the image on the instruments is being projected with an old film projector of the 1930's.

The lighting also has a rippling water-like effect which cleverly reflects the idea of wonder and beauty, linked to the lyrics 'rediscover', making these lyrics and the chorus appeal to the audience, hence making them want to watch it again.

These emotions are also shown through the images projected on the instruments, e.g the image of the girl catches the ideas of childhood and 'exploring' which again links well to the lyrics 'rediscover.' Extreme close-ups on the eyes are used when the girl grows up and the images show her as a teenager going back to the place she found when she was young, and then again the images show her going back when she is much older.

The whole story resonates with the entire song, yet doesn't prevent the main focus of the band as the shots circle the band members to create a more dynamic feel; the pianist being the first as he opens the song with a melody. However the lead singer is seen the most and in close-up shots so that the audience are able to refer to him when they think of the band. He more or less becomes the star, according to Dyer's theory about stars being absent and present for the audience at the same time: The lead singer is shown often, but each shot of him is very brief, which leaves the audience wanting a further glimpse of him.

What is the Purpose of a Music Video?

This is the question we were asked in lesson after we'd completed our lip-synch task.
We came up with some ideas of our own and put them into a mind map.
These are the ideas we had for this question 'what is the purpose of a music video?'

• To reach a wider audience, for example; of those who like films/videos and try to advertise music to them. 
• To advertise products visually, e.g. clothes, make-up, games, CD's, phones, etc which can be included in the music video as props and costume. This is often known as synergy.
• To combine the work of two creative arts, which may mean more jobs for people involved in the media industry or just create a more dynamic way of listening to music.

We explained what we knew already, but then we were given a set of theories devised by the following four people:

Adorno:

Born in 1903, Adorno's theory about the purpose of a music video

was that cultural industries produce a mass of products that have replaced key art forms which might lead people to question social life. Adorno suggested that the culture industry has created and promoted 'false needs', and to such an extent that people's 'true needs' have been replaced.
He's basically saying that audiences are being manipulated to purchase products that they don't need and that they're in a spiral of false socialism.






Dick Hebdige:

Hebdige is a more modern theorist who is on the contrary to Adorno's theory. Hebdige argues that consumption is an on going process which can pursuade audiences in  their social life to change, but not be entirely manipulated into buying products. Hebdige says that people still have there freedom to refuse large companies and form their own subcultures. However other companies can adapt to the audience's subcultures and sell products that they will consume.









Keith Negus:

Negus has come up with two distinct ideologies as ways of thinking about potential artists within the music industry. Negus has more of an idea about where the music comes from that has shaped a culture of consumerism.

• The Organic Ideology of Creativity

This ideology suggests a 'naturalistic' approach to artists; that their success is in their own talent and skill, who have to be trained by the record companies.
The image of the artists is 'enhanced' by the record company and emphasis is given to the album sales and the construction of a successful back catalogue, which is often aimed at older or more sophisticated consumers.

• The Synthetic Ideology of Creativity

This ideology shows another process with a combinatorial approach to artists and material.
The image of the artist is constructed by the record company before they have been test and tried and will be given time to prove their worth. Emphasis is given to single sales and first album sales. Often aimed at a young audience and mass consumerism. These artists often last only breifly but make a lot of profit in such a short amount of time.

Richard Dyer:

Dyer has written much about the stars in music and how stars have been given their 'image' to pursuade audiences to consume their products.
Dyer came up with a theory involving two key paradoxes to how a star has been channeled into a ever consuming world via magazines, TV, internet etc.

• Paradox 1

The star must simultaneously be ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer, which basically means audiences must find them inspiring, because they are 'ordinary' people who have supposidly 'achieved' so much.

• Paradox 2

The star must simultaneously be present and absent. In other words completely accessable through the media, but also distant so individualys are encouraged to go and see them, e.g. at concerts or other events.