Textual Analysis Comparison: Concept, Narrative, Performance

Concept:

California Gurls by Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg is an example of a concept music video. The music video extensively uses CGI to create a candy-land world. 

The video begins with the whole concept for the video, built from CGI; a board game named 'Candyfornia' with the phrase "Face the Sugar Daddy's dice to free the queens of Candyfornia" set on a background of a sky full of pink clouds, reminiscent of candyfloss. On the box is also Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg introduces the audience by controlling a board game character in the form of Katy Perry. The camera then zooms into this character and then cuts to Katy Perry dressed in a candy-themed outfit, while walking through what is presumably Candyfornia. There are computer generated gummy bears featured in the opening thirty seconds as well.

Narrative:

If I Were A Boy by Beyoncé is an example of a music video with a narrative. The music video documents a role reversal in genders within a couple.

This video, shot in black-and-white, begins with a man and Beyoncé saying a word each individually and then 'you', 'me', and 'us' is spoken together. This sets the scene and infers to the audience that there is a history between the two people. This shows that the video follows a narrative. The video then sets a scene of the two people in the relationship where their roles are reversed. Beyoncé is the man of the relationship- getting ready for work and leaving for work. On the other hand, the man is Beyoncé- making breakfast, staying at home.

Performance:

Days Are Forgotten by Kasabian is an example of a performance music video. The video is not purely performance though as nowadays this simply is not enough to keep the modern day audience interested. Use of CGI in the form of sound waves and shaping around the instruments the band use have been implemented to make the video more interesting. The video features Kasabian playing their instruments and singing. All of the instruments used are shown within the video.

Audience Survey - Analysis, Evaluation and Conclusion

Survey:

As a group we came up with some questions to ask 32 people in order to find information to help us determine how to target our primary and secondary audiences.

Survey Hypothesis:

From personal experience and stereotyping, I feel as if our primary audience will be a male audience between 16-30 and I feel as if our secondary audience is a female audience between 16-30.

Survey Results:

My survey questions are written below with the results underneath:

Q1) What is your gender?

We asked an equal amount of boys and girls, 16 of each.

Q2) What is your age?

The overwhelming majority of people who answered the survey were between 16-25.

Q3) Do you watch music videos?

The results showed that an overwhelming majority of people watch music videos.

Q4) Do you like music videos which have stories unfolding?

The results showed that more than half of the respondents to the survey preferred a music video which had a narrative, just over a fifth of respondents said that they sometimes like a video with a narrative. 

Q5) Which is your favourite music video genre, in order?

The results from this question revealed that Pop was the most popular category, followed by Dance, closely followed by RnB and Rap music. 

Q6) Do you like to see dancing in a music video?

The results from this question showed that most people like dancing in music videos, but a similar number of people think that it depends what type of music video it is; whether dancing should be involved or not.

Q7) Do you like the artist to feature in the video?

An overwhelming majority stated that they prefer the artist to appear in music videos.

Q8) Colour can be important in a music video. Are you put off if a music video is in...

The majority of voters said that they aren't particularly put off by certain colours in music videos. Sepia however, did cause just over a quarter of survey takers to state their dislike for the colour's use.

Q9) Do you like a music video to have multiple locations or just one?

Over three quarters of survey takers said that they prefer music videos to be shot in multiple locations rather than just one.

Q10) Do you think a music video can detract from the music itself?

Just over 70% of voters said that a music video CAN detract from the music itself.

Q11) If yes, how?

To the voters who answered yes, the majority of people said that they felt that they don't like it when music videos are unrelated to the content of the lyrics/music.

Q12) Has watching a music video ever led you to buying the song?

Just under half of the survey takers said that watching a music video did not make them purchase a song. Half of answers suggested that a music video can influence someone to buy a song. 

Survey Evaluation:

By evaluating my results, I can understand what the viewing public really want and then make educated decisions on my own music video.

Question 1 helped because when added to other information, I could determine what my primary and secondary audiences were.

Question 2 allowed me to further narrow down my primary and secondary audiences.

Question 3 made clear that making a music video was a good idea as the majority of the public watched music video content, with an overwhelming majority of survey takers voting in favour of a music video.

By analysing Question 4, the results indicated that the majority of the viewing public prefers a music video with an unfolding narrative. With this knowledge, I feel as if creating a music video with a narrative would be a good idea.

Through inspecting Question 5's results, I came to the informed evaluation that the top music video categories were as follows: Pop, Dance, RnB, Rap and Indie. Suggesting that any of these categories would be good to create a music video for, helpfully narrowing down the categories to select from.

Question 6 suggested that the viewing public wanted dancers in the music video, with just over 45% of people asking for it. Just over two fifths of survey takers said that sometimes dancing would be relevant in a music video, with just over 15% of survey takers voting suggesting that dancing would be bad in a music video.

Question 7 undoubtedly stated that it would be a good idea to include visuals of the performing artist in my music video, with over three quarters of voters suggesting this.

Question 8 revealed that many people felt that it did not matter what effects were used as long as they were used in relation to the video so that it made sense to use particular colour schemes. One cause for concern was the use of sepia could put off some of the viewing public so perhaps when making my music video I should hold back on the use of sepia tones.

Question 9's results advocated shooting in multiple locations for my music video, with over three quarter of the survey takers suggesting this would be a good idea.

By analysing Question 10, the results showed that over 70% of people thought that a music video could detract from a song. This suggests to me that I have to be careful that my music video does the song justice. Question 11 when paired with this question suggests that people are put off mainly due to videos of an unrelated nature.This suggests to me to use things such as lyrically illustrative imagery in my music video.

Question 12 informed me that if a music video appeals to the viewer, it could lead to people to buy the song itself.

Survey Conclusion:

I have come to the conclusion that my primary audience are a male audience from 16-25 and my secondary audience are a female audience from 16-25. I have also come to the conclusion that my music video should follow a narrative. Through analysing the results of question 5, we have decided to look for songs from the Pop, Dance, RnB, Rap and Indie categories. It is clear that our music video should include some form of dancing or another similar form of performance. When making our music video it's also apparent that the artist should feature throughout. I should possibly avoid using a sepia tone on our footage as my primary and secondary audiences didn't seem to appeal to the use of that particular colour. My music video should be shot in multiple locations with lyrically illustrative imagery throughout. My music video must be engaging to viewers, the artist MUST interact with viewers through their actions and body language.

Hype Williams: Music Video Director Study

Hype Williams

Hype Williams, or HYPE, is an American music video director, screen writer, film producer and film director of Honduran descent. Williams has received the Billboard Music Video Award for Best Director of the Year (1996), BET Award for Best Director (2006). In 2006, he was honored by MTV with its Video Vanguard Award, presented in honor of his achievements as a filmmaker, joining the ranks with people such as, Kanye West, Beyoncé, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson.




Notable videos:

Notorious BIG feat. Puff Daddy, Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems (1998):

The video begins with an introductory narrative at the beginning. The video features frequent use of the Fisheye lens which distorts the camera view around the central focus which is one of Williams' signature styles. The shots have a limited colour palate. The artists in each shot will be wearing clothes which match their surroundings. At 5:16 another style trait of Hype Williams is the use of slow motion.

Busta Rhymes feat. Janet Jackson - What's It Gonna Be? (1999):

'What's It Gonna Be' is still to this day Williams' most expensive music video. At the time, the CGI effects were jaw-dropping, costing $2.4m to produce.

Aaliyah - Rock The Boat (2001):

Williams frequently uses aerial and tracking shots which move backwards and forwards, this technique can be observed at 0:39 for instance. This music video was shot several hours before Aaliyah's tragic death.

Kanye West - Heartless (2008):

For Kanye West's 'Heartless', Williams decided to venture into the realms of animation. This shows Hype's versatile nature. William's uses another of his signature style's in this music video. Williams combines a center camera focus in West rom the torso upward and a sold colour background witha sot different-colour light being shown in the center of the background. This illuminates the actors body and makes them the most important person in each shot. This can also help give other connotations depending on the colour of the illumination.

Banana Phone Task

In class we were given the task of filming various camera shots and them editing them creatively. We had two lessons to complete this task; one to film, and one to edit.

Here are the following shots that we were asked to film:

A shot through a shot - Filming someone through the display of another device.

Cloning - Mount the camera on a tripod and remain in a wide shot. Artist is filmed in different locations of the shot and then through editing, the artist completes multiple tasks at the same time.

Depth of field - A focus on a particular object that is close to the camera, while blurring what is behind it.

Reverse shot - The artist's actions are reversed through editing.

Tracking/dolly shot - Film artist singing to camera, the shot will be parallel to the action.

Stop motion - Take still shots of a narrative made from LEGO, when editing, make each picture 1 second long so the narrative looks smooth.

As I was aware that this task was more focused around the camera shots and the editing process, I decided to not worry too much about lip syncing as I have demonstrated in previous tasks that I am able to do this successfully. Of course, in future tasks with less of a time constraint, lip syncing could be easily implemented.

Here's the end result:

Upon reflection, I feel like the Banana Phone task was useful to determine what camera shots will work well in my final music video and also to encourage creativity through camerawork and editing. 

I think that my shot through a shot worked rather well, however the clarity of the other shot was rather poor, so next time if I was to use the technique, I would use a clearer display.

My cloning shot didn't particularly work as the camera was moved during the process of filming, meaning that my footage did not line up accurately. So instead I decided to duplicate a separate sequence and fade each one into each other on Adobe Premier. I felt that this was a good experience to learn from though as I learnt two alternate techniques.

The depth of field shot that I filmed didn't work due to the camera's functionality couldn't enable it, so in an attempt to still complete a depth of field shot, I applied a blurring effect on the footage on Adobe Premier.

I thought that my reverse shot worked well, however I think that next time I should film my reverse shots at a closer distance and perhaps from a different angle.

My tracking shot worked really well. As I was lacking professional equipment, to give a stable shot I used a wheelchair to offer balance.

I thought that the stop motion section at the end worked well. Perhaps next time. if I was to include the technique, it would be more interesting to include more frames.

I felt as though use of the green screen worked really well for some shots as it allows for different images to be displayed. However, I think that when filming my music video next time, if I am going to use the green screen, I will make sure shadows are minimal or are not in shot as they interfere with the overall quality of the end result.

Music Video Timeline

St. Louis Blues (1929) with Bessie Smith is what could be considered one of the first music videos ever. Here it is below:

The video above is from 1929 when video could only be recorded in black and white, this shows that technology was limited at the time of filming. For this reason there are no special effects. The music video is much more performance than anything else as it mainly shows the artist with their band performing so there is no narrative. The shots are mainly medium long shots. There are some tracking shots but not many. The tracking shots aren't particularly stable though.

Below is a timeline of music videos and how they have developed and evolved over time in the form of two slideshares:

Issues

As of 2014, in the United Kingdom, if a music video is considered overtly sexual, violent or explicit, they'll all be given age ratings. Music channels will not be able to broadcast these videos till past a certain time in the day.

A non-governmental organisation called the British Board for Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for the age classification of music videos.

Audience: Music Consumption, Why and How?

How do I consume music?

Technically, I listen to music as soon as I wake up. I put my favourite song at the moment in time as my alarm on my iPhone so I wake up in a good mood- well, supposedly. I will listen to music in the car on the way to school on the radio, which is usually on BBC Radio 1. I'll get to school early and then I'll listen to music off of my iPhone using earphones until school starts. I'll listen to music during most break times and lunch times. When I walk home I will often listen to music and when I get home I'll play music off of my iPhone as well.

The only times I won't be listening to music is when I'm in a school lesson or when I'm socialising with my friends doing an activity which doesn't allow us to listen to music. I will listen to music anywhere and at any time I can really if I can help it.

I usually listen to music on my own because it relaxes me. I also like interpreting the lyrics myself and understanding songs in my own way. I use music to suit my mood, so if for instance I was sad, I would play a different genre or a particular song or artist to perhaps improve my mood. I am quite an open minded person when it comes to music so I like to listen to Beats 1 on my iPhone as it features a wide range of music genres and is on air 24 hours a day with songs that I enjoy listening to.

I follow websites such as HipHopDX, Complex and Bluntiq to see what new music has been released. I use Soundcloud frequently to stream music for free and I compile all of my favourite songs into playlists which are open to the public.

An example of one of my playlists can be seen below:



Uses and Gratifications Theory

Personal Identification: is when a song expresses how you feel and you can relate to it and it makes you feel better about yourself. For instance, when I get frustrated with something I will listened to a mellowed song to chill myself out.

Information: is when as song teaches you something which you didn't know before. For instance, by listening to Meek Mill's diss track "Wanna Know", I learnt that Drake was urinated on by fellow rapper, Q-Tip.

Entertainment: is when someone listens to music for self satisfaction because of the particular song, album, genre or artist that they're listening to for instance when I listen to a new song from an artist I like, I am usually very happy.

Social Interaction: is when songs are played and shared at social occasions such as when I'm with my friends and we're playing music from a speaker via Bluetooth and then I have found a good song so I tell them about it.

Music Video Chorus'

While thinking about my music video, I noticed that nearly entirely all music videos that fit into the hip-hop genre do not repeat visuals for the chorus, despite the chorus being a repeat of the lyrics. Instead, a music video will have reoccurring themes or locations throughout its duration. There will be varied shots, which the audience can relate to due to their previous usage.

For instance in "Stronger" by Kanye West, these visuals, effects and locations reoccur multiple times throughout the duration of the music video:

Preliminary Task - Can't Feel My Face

Preliminary Task Changes

I was forced to change my preliminary task as the other members of my group didn't get back into Sixth Form. As a result of this, I had to do a different video to what I had planned. I found this quite difficult given the fact that I had an extremely small amount of time in comparison to my Lil Wayne and Eminem video. As a result of the time constraints, I did not have enough time to construct a storyboard or a shot-by-shot, instead I decided I would have to simply observe the video.

I found a relatively simple music video opening in The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" which can be viewed above. I filmed this in a green screen room. Here is a recce shot of the green screen room:

Recce shot of the green screen room.

My new props list was as follows:

- Green screen

- Light

- Lyrics sheet

- Tripod

- Video Camera

- Microphone Stand

- Microphone

As I was forced to do a separate idea from what I planned, the lyrics also changed:

And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb

And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come

But at least we'll both be beautiful and stay forever young

This I know, (yeah) this I know

She told me, "Don't worry about it"

She told me, "Don't worry no more"

We both knew we can't go without it

She told me you'll never be in love oh oh oooh

Location Recce: Preliminary Task - "No Love" - Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

Here's a list of pictures that depict the locations which I will use to mimic the locations which feature within the first minute of Eminem's "No Love" featuring Lil Wayne which can be seen above.

School hall:

School corridor with lockers on each side:

Bedroom:

Storyboard: Preliminary Task - "No Love" - Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

Here is the storyboard for "No Love" by Eminem featuring Lil Wayne.

Lyrics: Preliminary Task - "No Love" - Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

These are the lyrics which can be seen during the first minute of the music video for "No Love" by Eminem featuring Lil Wayne which can be seen above.

[Intro] ("What Is Love" sample)

[Verse 1: Lil Wayne]

0:30 - 0:33
ON SCREEN, LIP SYNC REQUIRED Throw dirt on me and grow a wildflower

0:34  -0:37
ON SCREEN, LIP SYNC REQUIRED But it's "fuck the world", get a child out her

0:37 - 0:40
OFF SCREEN Yeah my life a bitch, but you know nothin' 'bout her

0:40 - 0:44
ON SCREEN, LIP SYNC REQUIRED Been to Hell and back, I can show you vouchers

0:45 - 0:48
OFF SCREEN I'm rollin' Sweets, I'm smokin' sour

0:48 - 0:52
ON SCREEN, LIP SYNC REQUIRED Married to the game, but she broke her [vows (off screen)]

0:52 - 0:55
OFF SCREEN That's why my bars [are full of broken bottles (on screen)]

0:56 - 1:00
ON SCREEN, LIP SYNC REQUIRED And my night stands are full of open Bibles, Uh

Shot By Shot: Preliminary Task - "No Love" - Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

.

Shot by shot:

0 - 0.25: Blackout
0.25 - 1.5: Close-up of bruised afro kid.
1.5 - 2: Blackout.
2 - 3.25: Establishing very wide shot of black and white, red ball is the only colour visible, blur effect.
3.25 - 3.5: Blackout.
3.5 - 5: Wide shot showing row of 3 boys throwing dodgeballs, again red ball is the only colour visible, blur effect.
5 - 5.25: Blackout.
5.25 - 6: Pans right slightly, mid shot, boy cowering getting hit by dodgeballs, blur effect.
6 - 6.25: Blackout.

6.25 - 8: Long shot behind one boy, boy can be seen hit by balls, blur effect.
8 - 8.25: Blackout.
8.25 - 8.75: Row of 3 boys throwing dodgeballs, again red ball is the only colour visible, blur effect.
8.75 - 8.85: Blackout.
8.85 - 9.5: Mid-shot of afro kid dodging ball.
9.5 - 9.75: Blackout.
9.75 - 10.75: Close-up of bruised afro kid.
10.75 - 11: Blackout.
11 - 13: Tilt upwards on eminem and Lil Wayne posters, fade.
13 - 14.5: Wide-shot of afro kid sitting dejectedly on beanbag cushion in the corner of his room.
14.5 - 15: Blackout.
15 - 16: Establishing wide shot of lockers, bench down the middle, afro kid takes out hoodie
16 - 17: Fade into mid-shot, afro kid putting on hoodie.
17 - 19.5: Fade into medium close-up of afro kid putting on snapback.
19.5 - 21: Fade into camera panning upwards birds-eye view shot of afro kid sitting on bench.
21.25 - 22: Blackout.
22 - 23.75: Greyscale, boys surrounding afro kid in birds-eye shot, blur effects.
23.75 - 25: Greyscale, mid-shot, afro kid being pushed in the back while sitting down, blur effects.
25 - 26: Greyscale, wide shot, pushing of snapback, blur effects.
26 - 27: Mid-shot of Lil Wayne on green screen, smoky effects behind him.
27 - 28.5: Heavily blurred greyscale birds-eye shot of them holding the snapback away from him bullying him.
28.5 - 29: Medium close-up shot of Lil Wayne, smoke comes from mouth briefly, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
29 - 30: Re-establishing wide shot of lockers, bench down the middle, holding the snapback away from him bullying him.
30 - 33.5: Medium close-up of Lil Wayne, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
33.5 - 35: Mid-shot of Lil Wayne, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
35 - 36.5: Lil Wayne moves back from medium close-up.
36.5 - 38: Mid-shot of afro kid up against lockers, greyscale, kid bullying him up in his face.
38 - 40: Fade to mid-shot of afro kid looking down, earphones in, bruised eye.
40 - 43: Medium close-up of Lil Wayne, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
43 - 44: Lil Wayne arms folded, mid-shot.
44 - 47 : Worms-eye shot looking up at Eminem getting out of a car, fade to black.
47 - 49: Start from black, mid-shot of Eminem opening door.
49 - 51: Fade to medium close-up of Lil Wayne, zoom out to mid-shot of Lil Wayne.
51 - 52.5: Mid-shot of Eminem, now through the door, walking.
52.5 - 54: Mid-shot of Eminem walking towards darker in passage.
54 - 55: Fades to medium close-up of Lil Wayne, on green screen, smoky effects behind him.
55 - 55.75: Mid-shot of lil wayne, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
55.75 - 58: Zooming slightly medium close-up of Lil Wayne, on green screen, smoky effects behind him.
58 - 58.15: Medium close-up of Lil Wayne, on greenscreen, smoky effects behind him.
58.15 - 58.75: Mid-shot of Lil Wayne, on green screen, smoky effects behind him.
58.75 - 59: Mid-shot of Eminem walking through into a kitchen.
59.25 - 1:00: Lil Wayne medium close-up (torso up), making a blowing up gesture from mouth.

Props List: Preliminary Task - "No Love" - Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

Here are all of the props which we need in order to make the music video above:

1. Makeup
2. 3 red dodge balls
3. Snapback
4. PE Kit x4
5. Gym mat
6. Poster of Lil Wayne
7. Poster of Eminem's "8 Mile"
8. Small posters of Eminem x10
9. Eminem's "Not Afraid" Poster
10. A globe
11. A bean bag
12. Rucksack
13. Hoodie
14. Chain
15. Chain on jeans
16. Sunglasses
17. Green screen
18. Earphones
19. Black Car
20. Skateboard

Star Profile: Kanye West

Kanye West was recently featured
as one of the top 100 most influential
people on TIME magazine.

Introduction:

Kanye West is a 38 year old rapper, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer and visionary. 

He was born on June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. 

From his first album to his most recent album, West's image has changed on several different occasions throughout the years. 

Kanye West is currently in the process of completing his seventh studio album 'SWISH."



Biography: Rise To Fame

Kanye's parents got divorced when he was three and he moved to live in Chicago.

His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther, a black nationalist and revolutionist group. After which he was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Later on, he became a Christian counselor, and in 2006, Kanye West paid for his father to open up his own cafe in Lexington Park, Maryland.

His mother, Donda West, with whom Kanye was mostly raised, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University. When Kanye was ten, him and his mother moved to China as part of his mother's job.

Kanye before and after his near-fatal car crash which inspired his
launch into stardom.

Kanye began writing poetry when he was just five years old, rapping when he reached the third grade and composing music when he reached the seventh grade.

After graduating from high school, Kanye went to the university his mother taught back in Chicago. However, at the age of twenty. Kanye decided to drop out and follow his musical aspirations.

From 1996-2002, Kanye began his production career.

In 2000, West managed to start producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records. Kanye revitalised Jay-Z's dying career with work on Jay Z's 'The Blueprint.'

In 2002, Kanye's breakthrough moment came in the form of a car crash in California which he was part of. The crash was near-fatal and left him with a shattered jaw. His jaw was wired shut through reconstructive surgery. Two weeks later, with his jaw still wired shut, Kanye recorded "Through The Wire", which was the foundation for his debut album The College Dropout.

The picture above represents how 'Ye has changed throughout the years, not just stylistically in his music but fashionably too.

Album Covers

Kanye West hasn't just evolved musically, his album artwork has evolved to suit his image.

Get Well Soon (2003):

At the time of this mixtape, West was only known for being a producer. Kanye's strong ties to his home city of Chicago are clearly present on this mixtape cover - an air-brushed mural of the Chi-town skyline with the Roc-A-Fella logo cover the wall. At the time it was the trend for rappers to wear the clothes of the sports teams they supported, however on the front cover of this mixtape, Kanye does not do this as he can be seen wearing oversized jeans, a black t-shirt and his Roc chain.

No music videos were released for the Get Well Soon mixtape as Kanye West was not very well known as a rapper at this time.

The College Dropout (2004):


College dropout was the Kanye's debut album. For The College Dropout cover, the soon-to-be iconic Dropout Bear mascot sits on a set of bleachers inside a golden frame, which is meant to symbolize art, elegance and style, according to one of Kanye West's art directors. There are also cherubs on the right and left sides of the frame, which closely resembles the cherub in the G.O.O.D. Music logo.




Here is a music video for a song which was featured on The College Dropout:

Stylistically, this music video depicts Kanye West as a holy figure. He can be seen dressed in all-white, with a light above his head in the shape of a halo. His image depicts him to be different from what most people would consider a typical hip-hop star to be like. Notice how in this music video, Kanye West is shown to be powerful, with fire surging behind him and displays determined facial expressions and is presented as confident and strong through his actions. Kanye attempts to give himself an ambassadorial image for the fight for equality.

808's & Heartbreak (2008):

808's & Heartbreak was the first album not to feature Dropout Bear of whom had featured on his previous three albums.The stripe of colors on the left of the album resembles the color palette from Graduation (which is his third studio album), except these are visibly more pastel, which suits Kanye's feelings at the time as his mother had recently passed away and he had split up with his girlfriend at the time. The album documents West's heartbreak and sorrow caused by his losses. The album is considered by some to be Kanye West's most influential album.

Here is a music video for a song which was featured on 808's and Heartbreak:

In this music video, Kanye can be seen to be much less powerful, instead he is stripped back. While still in all-white, he is much more reserved. His actions are slow and he can be seen singing which is considered more timid and less intimidating than rap music. In this music video, Kanye creates himself a pure and refined image, he is uncomplicated and plain. He attempts to give himself an emotional image.

Yeezus (2013):

Ten years on from the "Get Well Soon" mixtape, and 5 years on from the completely different "808's & Heartbreak", Kanye released his 6th studio LP, Yeezus. Yeezus was a minimalist, sonically experimental album and has been described as 'abrasive' by critics. For this album Kanye decided to go for a minimalist sound. The album artwork also suited this image. With no cover, each physical copy of the album only had red tape on the case.

Here is a music video for a song which was featured on Yeezus:

In this music video, Kanye West begins with three hooded figures, similar to KKK members but instead dressed in black. This holds connotations to black power and freedom which is a common theme in Jesus Walks, created 9 years beforehand. This shows that Kanye has stayed true to his common beliefs. In this video, Kanye West is depicted as a computer generated image and often his face is obscured by darkness. This presents his image as dark and mysterious and intimidating; a complete change from the image he creates in the 808's and College Dropout music videos.

In Conclusion:

Kanye West has changed a lot throughout the years he has been within the music industry. He has gone having no image, to having six studio albums with a different image to go with each one; and with a seventh on the way his image is likely to change once more. Kanye has managed to successfully present his emotions through his image, from presenting himself in a way to show what he stands for; to a stripped-down heartbroken character, and most recently to an aggressive angry body of power.

Reflection on Dry the River Task

As a class we listened to the audio for the song "No Rest" by Dry the River. Individually we had to try and identify the genre, whether it was a band or a solo performance, the target audience, important lyrics and pace of the song. As a group we reflected upon the song and put across our ideas of what the song was about, we then looked at the actual lyrics and worked out the actual meaning of the song. We then was given the task of coming up with a concept for the video in two groups of three.

The lyrics for "No Rest"

One of my group's ideas were:

• An isolated couple within a snow globe, living inside their own bubble. When things get turbulent in their relationship, the snow globe is shaken and the flurry of snowflakes intensifies.

Another of the groups' ideas were:

• A man walking alone through a desert, as he goes animals follow him. The man is pursuing what he thinks is a beautiful woman but at the end of the song when he reaches her, she disappears as she is in fact a mirage.

I personally liked Jack's idea of the mirage in the desert as it fitted with the lyrics of the song and was an interesting concept.

What did you learn from the process:

From this process I learnt that it was important to have a clear idea for a music video as that can really help with the construction of the music video, and the overall aesthetic.

We then watched the music video at the end to see what the actual video looked like, which can be seen below:

30 Second Music Video Deconstruction - Multiply

A$AP Rocky - Multiply

Multiply is about A$AP Rocky reminding people that he shifted the sound, look, and trends in the culture when he and the A$AP Mob first broke out.

A$AP Rocky's "Multiply" was directed by Shomi Patwary and A$AP Rocky himself. The original music video can be seen above.

Here is my analysis of the first 30 seconds of the music video:

Other notable things about the video which are not featured within the first 30 seconds:

The music video contains many illustrative references to the lyrics. The screen which Juicy J is seen on is used further in the video many times to give illustration to A$AP's lyrics. A couple of the visual representations of his lyrics can be seen below.

A$AP mentions 'accident' and a picture of a car accident can be then seen.
This is an example of illustration of the lyrics.

The music video also contains many close-up shots of A$AP Rocky. This enables him to create a recognisable star image and a recognisable brand associated with gold chains, diamond grills and a good taste in clothing.

A$AP Rocky shows off his diamond grill, establishing himself as wealthy. This is part of his star image.

Analysis of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)"

British alternative rock band, Radiohead released a song in 1995 called "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" and the music video made its debut in February 1996. The music video was filmed over two nights in a desert near Los Angeles. The black-and-white music video was directed by Johnathan Glazer.

• Radiohead's "Street Spirit" is a heavily edited music video which is of typical Radiohead style. 

• The video is in black-and-white possibly due to the song being about life and death, which is simplistic, as are the black-and-white visuals. 

• The colour illustrates the sad lyrics. 

• The sky can be seen lighting up with lightening. This image shows the turbulent nature of the song and illustrates the emotion which Yorke feels.

• At the beginning when Yorke is falling from the camper van, the video jump cuts to him laying on a car roof, this creates a disorientating effect.

• Near the beginning of the video Thom Yorke can be seen missing an arm and you cannot see his other hand. This is disjunctive of the lyrics, "I can feel their blue hands touching me", as it references colour and the video is without colour and the video references hands and you cannot see his hands in that shot.

• There are many close ups of the lead singer, Thom Yorke which helps create a star image through the prevalence of Yorke. 

• The video is layered and textured when Yorke is on camera to give the video an unnerving feel.

• The music video features several ballet dancers wearing black. The dancers all leap at the same time, linking to a flock of birds taking off. The fact that the dancers and the birds are linked shows how Yorke is trying to express that everything in the end, eventually, ends the same.

• As the song continues in length, Yorke's lip syncing becomes out of time with the visuals. This is done deliberately and creates disjuncture which helps enhance the unnerving quality of the music video. 

• The song is illustrative of its lyrics when the birds are referenced in the lyrics and feathers can be seen in the video. Yorke is also seen at the start laying spread-eagled on a car roof, his hands look to be touching the doors which makes him look like he has wings.

• The only other time where the music video is illustrative of its lyrics when the video fades to the lyrics of "And fade out again and fade out."

• In the music video there's a shot where a mosquito is bearing down upon Thom Yorke. First of all, this is a generally unnerving and uncomfortable experience. However, within 24 hours of a bite,  a female mosquito will give birth to her brood and then die. So this could also possibly be an image reflecting upon self-sacrifice and willingness to make an ultimate sacrifice. The music video has themes which present to us the life cycle.

• Toward the end of the music video, the video features more cuts and at a faster rate. This shows intensity and exemplifies Yorke's emotions.

Carol Vernallis' Theory

Carol Vernallis' music video theory revolves around 4 key aspects:

- Narrative:

• She believes that a video is a response to the music. The video suits the style and genre of the music and the look of the artist. It also cuts in time and rhythm with the soundtrack. 

• There's not necessarily always a balance between narrative and performance.

• The narrative is not always complete- it may be a partial, fragmented narrative. 

• The structure of the video may appear disjointed. 

• Something drives the video forward, but often it is not the narrative. It could be the music, the performance, a mixture, or some other element. 

• There may not always be a clear resolution (closure) at the end.

• The video may pose questions that it doesn't actually answer. 

• There may be a narrative or theme running through the video, but in a montage style. 

- Editing:

• Editing may match the musical phrases or the beat.

• The video may disrupt/break many of the 'rules' of continuity editing- this is a clear convention of music video editing.

• Editing may become 'foregrounded'- the edits may be really obvious, to draw attention to themselves as opposed to invisible, continuity editing.

• A style of editing that runs through the video and is distinctive to that video.

- Camera Movement:

• Extreme close up shots are common, however aren't as common as mid shots and close ups, familiarising the audience with the face and look of the artist.

•  The style of framing and movement may run through the video and be distinctive to that video.

• The camera may move in time with the music.

• The camera may move on the lyrics.

• The master shot (or other establishing shots) is used frequently, as are the close-ups.

- Diegesis:

• The diegesis may be revealed quite slowly.

• Actions are not necessarily completed- they may be disrupted or interrupted in some way.

• Character or object movements may move to the music.

• They may be gaps in the audience's understanding of the diegesis- in time and space, music, performance and narrative.

• Some frames may be more important than others.

• There be many repetitions e.g. Musical phrases, the beat, other musical elements, themes, lyrics, performance, colours, images, camera positions.

What Music Means To Me

I was asked to select three music tracks that are in some way a reflection of my life. I was expected to choose a song from my early childhood, a song from when I began high school, and finally a song from now.

Childhood Song:

A song from 2003, when I was 5, which I remember is "Year 3000" by now disbanded boy band, Busted.

Beginning of High School Song:

A song from 2009, when I was 11 and just beginning high school was "Empire State of Mind" by Alicia Keys and Jay Z. This is when I fully began to appreciate rapping and hip-hop. Jay-Z, Eminem, Rihanna and Kanye West were amongst my favourite artists.

A Song From Now:

A song which I like at present day is "100" by The Game feat. Drake.

From a very young age I really enjoyed listening to music and my parents encouraged me to listen to a wide range of tastes, from Green Day to Duffy. I think this helped me shape my music tastes and develop an interest as currently I like a wide range of music.

As I grew up and got older, I began to understand the lyrical meaning behind songs, I found the lyrics of songs really interesting. I think this is what made hip-hop my favourite genre. I find it interesting reading about the meaning of lyrics and what artists infer through their songs. Hip-hop represents a socio-political movement which I find interesting. Hip-hop provides a voice for the people. With songs such as Kanye West's "New Slaves" which details the full spectrum of racism which Kanye has encountered and the stereotype of a black man.

ScHoolBoy Q - Hell Of A Night

Another music video which comes to mind when trying to think of good music videos is ScHoolBoy Q's "Hell Of A Night", where Q ingests a green slurry of drugs in a drink and everyone at the party is as messed up as he is.

The music video was directed by Jon Jon Augustavo.

Here are some examples of what I noticed:

1) ScHoolBoy is commonly seen wearing a bucket hat, he has his "Q" tattoo on show a lot and smokes marijuana a bit in the video. This portrays his persona and brand and helps viewers to recognise ScHoolBoy.

ScHoolBoy with his "Q" tattoo. bucket hat and exhaling smoke. Typical ScHoolBoy Q.

2) Voyeurism is a concept in the video.

These two women suggestively suck ice lollies, creating a voyeuristic image.

3) In the video when ScHoolBoy Q raps "Get up off your feet, you can be my freak, let me see you jam", an old lady can be seen dancing and partying. This is a weird image that illustrates ScHoolBoy's lyrics of being a freak.

ScHoolBoy's lyrics are illustrated by this imagery.

Taylor Swift - Bad Blood (Remix) ft. Kendrick Lamar

Yet another song that came to mind is relatively new. Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood (Remix)" featuring Kendrick Lamar is a good music video which uses parts of Andrew Goodwin's Music Theory.

This action hero inspired music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and features a handful of models such as Cara Delevingne, Lena Dunham and Jessica Alba.

Here's some examples of what I saw:

1) In the music video, Taylor Swift is featured in many close ups which enables viewers to come to recognise her and her brand.

Swift is portrayed as strong and independent in the music video in many close ups by her looking directly at the camera

2) The music video encourages voyeurism as many of the women are wearing short clothes and small tops.

Taylor Swift is wearing a bralet which is revealing and encourages voyeurism

3) The Bad Blood music video resembles a scene from Mission Impossible at the beginning of the video, making an intertextual reference.

Cartwheeling, Taylor Swift in an action scene similar to that which can be seen in Mission Impossible

Logic - Under Pressure

Another music video which came to mind when tring to think of other good examples of an interesting music video was "Under Pressure" by Logic.

The 'first person shooter' style music video was directed by Stephen Wayne Mallet where Logic and his team pulls of a perfectly planned heist.

Here's some examples of what I noticed:

1)  Genre-related style and iconography is present through this visual as the song is about being "Under Pressure" similar to how you'd be under pressure on a diamond heist. The lyrics are also being illustrated through the video as well.

The fast paced song is related to the gritty point of view style of the video

2) Thought beats are present; when Logic begins rapping, the conflict within the video begins, the lyrics are illustrated by the visuals.

When Logic shoots the first security person guarding the diamonds, the beat becomes more layered.

3) At the end of the video, at the same time as Logic raps "Every diamond in my chain, yeah, that's a milestone", diamonds can be seen in the visuals. This shows how the music video for Under Pressure illustrates the lyrics.

The diamonds illustrate Logic's words.