Storyboard

Below is our storyboard for our music video 'These Words'. We hope to follow the storyboard closely but are aware that we may need to revise some shots or scenes if problems arise whilst we are out on location filming.

Representation and Star Image

Here are some examples of photographs taken of Rhianwen whilst trying to create a star image for 'Ella'. We wanted to keep 'Ellas' look simple, representing her in a way that would allow people to see her personality as an individual, and thereby connect with her on a more personal level, rather then her being a remote glamorised  persona created by the record company. Examples of such artists include Ellie Goulding who has regular protestations of ordinariness in interviews stating "I'm quite normal."
 We wanted to keep the photographs simple with the artist in the foreground, and a background that would not take away from the artist, but that simply emphasized her natural look. To achieve this we used both rural and urban locations which correspond with locations we plan to use in our video.

Medical Forms

 Here are myself (Lucy) and Rhianwens medical forms, allowing us to work off site for filming, taking photographs etc.

Lyric Analysis

These words are my own                                                

Threw some chords together
The combination D-E-F  
It's who I am, it's what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you
I try to focus my attention
But I feel so A-D-D
I need some help, some inspiration
(But it's not coming easily)
Whoah oh...

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own                                                                       
From my heart flow                                                                                                             
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you                                                                           
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

Read some byron, shelly and keats
Recited in over a Hip-Hop beat
I'm having trouble saying what I mean      

With dead poets and drum machine
I know I had some studio time booked
But I couldn't find a killer hook                             
Now you're gonna raise the bar right up       
Nothing I write is ever good enough          

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

I'm getting off my stage
The curtains pull away
No hyperbole to hide behind
My naked soul exposes
Whoah.. oh.. oh.. oh.. whoah.. oh..

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
(Don't you know)
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you I love you

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
(There's no better way)
To better say
I love you I love you

These words are my own
They're from my heart
I love you, I love you
That's all I got to say, can't think of a better way
And that's all I got to say
I love you, is that okay...

The song talks about Natasha Bedingfields lack of creative inspiration to write a love song.

That she wants to express herself freely with heartfelt lyrics like 'Byron, Shelly and Keats'.  But that the pressure she is experiencing from the record companies to produce a song is making her unable to write something meaningful.  She can't find any complicated or poetic words to express her feeling so she   

just states how she feels, despite being concerned of the response she will get.

Target Audiences and Institutions

  In order to create a music video in the genre of “Pop”, we must understand who our target audience is. The music video would be played on music channels that are commonly known for playing this genre of music. We conducted research into popular music channels and their target audiences, and found that Smash Hits (a common pop music channel) has a target audience of 16-25 year olds. Another music channel which shows "Pop" music videos is 4Music, which also has a similar target audience of 16-34 year olds. As the two age ranges are very similar between both channels, they show one correlation: 16-25 year olds is the audience that enjoy pop music. This shows that our intended target audience of females aged 16-25 is the correct audience to have chosen for our specific genre of music video.

  This was followed by research into different record labels. We found that the record label 'CherryTree Records' was the most appropriate. We came to this decision as this particular label included artists similar in style to our artist 'Ella' such as; Ellie Goulding, Feist, Kate Nash, La Roux and Robyn.

Treatment

This is our initial idea of a promotional package for the release of an album.

Name of original Artist- Natasha Bedingfield
Title of track- These words
Title of proposed Album- Notebook
Name of new Artist- Ella
Genre- Pop
Target Audience- Females in the age range of 16-25.
We plan to be a new artist releasing her first single and album, signed to an independent label.
The distribution network for the video will be music channels such as Channel 4 music, and on-line on sites like YouTube.
Magazine used for adverts- We will be using music magazines such as Smash Hits to advertise the new album.
Narrative- The narrative of the video is about a girl who has fallen in love with a boy who is her friend. He feels the same way, but neither of them can express how they feel. The video will show them going about their day to day activities crossing paths but never having enough courage to tell each other how they feel.In the end the girl has enough courage to tell him how she feels.
Performance- Solo artist.
Mise-en-scene- Rhianwen will be playing the artist, and we have asked our friend Adam to play the boy in the narrative. We want to use a range of locations both rural and urban. Some of the props we would like to use include a vintage bike. 
Camera- We plan to use a variety of shots during the video such as, long shots, over the shoulder and high angle shots, but the video will mainly consist of close ups and mid shots to promote the star image or the artist
Editing- The editing for this video will be fast paced to match the up-beat style of the song, we plan on using quick cuts from scene to scene. We are also planning to use a split screen at the end of the video during  the scene where the girl and boy are walking to meet each other.
Digipak
Front Cover
Image- We plan to use either a close-up or mid shot of the artist as the main focal point of the album cover. We also plan to use patterns or 'doodles' on this image as an effect.
Title- For the artists name 'Ella' we plan to use a handwritten font with a heart symbol at the end. For the album title we plan to use a plain and simple font so that the artist name would be the focal point rather than the album cover.
Colour- We plan to keep the colour scheme simple with plain white fonts and the colours of the picture that we will choose.
Back Cover
Image- We would like to use an old piece of paper as the background of the back cover.
Text- Again we plan to use a handwritten font which would correspond with the front cover. The font would be black as we would like to keep the back cover simple.
Magazine Advert 
Image- We are hoping to use a mid or long shot of Rhianwen for the advert. We would like to have enough room each side of Rhianwen so that we are able to fit quotes, where the song is available and when it is available etc each side of her.
Target Audience and Positioning- As discussed above we would like to use magazines such as Smash Hits to advertise the album. We chose Smash Hits as it appeals to a younger target audience similar to our own target audience. We also chose Smash Hits as it is a music magazine, making the advertising of a music album relevant to the magazine.

Moodboard





Above are pictures of the moodboard that myself and Rhianwen created with ideas for our music video. It helped us consider several aspects of our video such as settings and locations, costumes, make-up, props, characters, graphics, house style, camera work, narratives and themes.  We used pictures of both rural and urban locations to illustrate our intentions to film in variety of outside locations. We also found pictures of simple eye make-up ideas, and fashionable costumes as an example of  the type of styling we are planning to create for Ella. Another element we explored was for the narrative of the video, and we looked at different methods of expressing love e.g. writting I love you in the sand.  We also gave some consideration to props such as a vintage bike and a large colourful umbrella.

Copyright Letter

Dear Copyright Holder,

I am an A level student at Wrexham’s Yale College and am writing to request your permission to use one track from the 2004 album ‘Unwritten’ by ‘Natasha Bedingfield’.

The track I wish to use is ‘These Words’, the opening track of the album. With your permission this track would be used in my current A-Level Media Project, this involves creating a music video for a popular music track, as well as producing an album and magazine advert for the ‘artist’.

If I receive your permission this track would be viewed only by the rest of my media class, my teacher and the OCR exam board, it would not be released to a large audience and would not be uploaded to any public video websites.

The artist and your Company would of course be fully recognised throughout pre-production and the final video. A copyright notice, with wording supplied by you can be included in the record of the project. If this is required, please send full details.

Sincerely,

Lucy Ellis.

Texual Analysis Essays

Kesha- Tik Tok (2009)    By Rhianwen Edmondson      

  I will be analysing the pop music video for the song “Tik Tok” also known as “Dolla” by Ke$ha. Many distinct characteristics of the pop genre can be seen in this video, the artist is the focal point of the song throughout. The mood of the pop video is generally happy/ upbeat, this video follows that idea. Bright colour schemes, and on trend clothing, hair and make-up are used. Although Ke$ha does not follow the glamorised stereotype of females in pop videos, elements of the mise-en-scene do adhere to this.

  The lyrics and the visuals have a strong relationship, the focal point of the song being about the party lifestyle of the young. The lyrics amplify the visuals as the video starts with the artist waking in a bath half dressed. Flashbacks of the previous night are shown in black and white, with a hazy effect added to demonstrate her vague recollection.

“Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack' cause, when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back” represents her life as the ongoing party. She intends to go out and stay out all night long. A similar scene is seen again at the end of the song. She is at a nightclub but then ends her night lying in someone’s bathtub. It shows each day is a repetition of the last, her obsession with partying never ending.

  Her reference in the lyrics to the ‘essential needs’ of a teenager girl; pedicures, clothes, phones, CD’s and of course partying once again illustrates the theme of the song.

“ And now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger, but we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger”  corresponds to the visuals as she is approached by a young man, but refuses him for an older man with money and an expensive car. There is an element of comedy to this. However the underlying meaning of these lyrics, tell us that although she allows herself to be put on sexual display, she is the one in control. She does not allow men to take advantage of her, despite the fact that she may be drunk and having a good time.” Boys tryin' to touch my junk, junk gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk.”

  Typically music videos from the pop genre consist of mid shots, focussing the viewers attention on the artist. This type of shot allows for the immediate surroundings to be shown, informing the viewers of the location, but not distracting too much from the artist. A good example of this type of shot is seen here. The yellow background is interesting, and follows the characteristics of the genre, but the artist is still at the centre of the viewer’s attention. Her bare legs seen through the ‘male gaze’.

     There are also a number of close ups enabling us to see the clear physical details of the artist. We are able to see the emotions of the artists face, helping us to further understand the mood of the video. In this particular close up we see her pouting her lips. Showing a lack of remorse at her arrest, she treats the situation as if it is a normal everyday occurrence. This links to her bad girl, party hard image.

  The editing has been synchronized to the upbeat tempo of the song. Fast pasted quick cut editing is seen throughout. The beat of the song and auto-tune on her voice also emphasises the feel of the song, lively and upbeat like her character.

  The video presents a performance and a narrative, fragments of each cut in non linear order. The mise-en-scene is used to take us through a day in the life of this partying teenager. She wakes up hung over, gets drunk, heads to the club and gets even more drunk, the beginning and the end of the video are the same telling the viewers that a day has passed giving a sense of time and place.  Her performance allows for voyeurism, by the way in which she sings the lyrics and presents herself i.e. her mannerisms. Her direct eye contact with the camera also creates a sense of intimacy for the viewer.

  This video confirms the perception that many people have of young females today. Partying, drinking and being promiscuous. This representation has perhaps been influenced by the music video, consequently shaping the image and views of what we see in everyday life. The portrayal of the artist as a sex symbol is the norm for any music video with a female, Ke$ha is no exception.

  Ke$ha has an alternative star image to those in the majority of pop videos. Rather than looking glamorous and using expensive clothing, locations and props, she appears to be more of what a typical teenage girl might look like. Her look developed from her being poor, and trying to brand herself as best she could on a budget. With messy hair, smudged make-up and a wardrobe she herself describes as “garbage-chic”. The dollar sign in her name meant to be ironic as she does not put an emphasis on money. This song being her debut song/video promotes Ke$ha in the way that she wishes to be seen “honest, fun and celebrating youth and life by going out and getting crazy.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_AAn24fEk8 

The Saturdays – Ego (2009)          By Lucy Ellis

Ego is the second single to be released from the album ‘Wordshaker’ also released on the same date. The music video and title fit the song perfectly.

  The song and music video is very typical of the pop genre, it is glamorised, fast paced and has many close ups. The video is mainly narrative-based with the five girls depicted as superheroes who are out for revenge against an ex member of the group.

  The mise-en-scene of the video is set out like an old superhero film or television series, the location being a dark city with the girls in superhero costumes disguised with large over coats. These costumes being brightly coloured which again is typical of a pop genre music video. The costumes of the paparazzi are old fashioned suits to go with the mise-en-scene of an old superhero film/TV series.  

  The video offers many close ups of each member of the band separately to show their part of the narrative and to enhance each member’s status. There are also long shots of the whole group together to show that they are a band and not separate artists. The camera also pans around each girl giving them equal camera time and more close ups of each girl.

  The fast paced music coincides with the editing which is also fast paced and cuts to the beat. The shots themselves are only ever a few seconds long, again to correspond with the beat and keep the viewers interest. The first lyrics of the song are ‘We used to go together’ which links to the narrative of the five girls being in a superhero group with a male superhero who then went solo, disbanding the group.

  There are intertextual references to old superhero films such as ‘Batman’; the location is a dark city very much like ‘Gotham City’. Also the shots of the male superhero speaking to the paparazzi with the mayor behind him are seen in most old superhero films after the hero has saved the city. When Vanessa is using her power, her eyes cloud and she uses her hands to control the superhero. This is an intertextual reference to the character ‘Storm’ from the film ‘X-Men’. Vanessa’s costume is also similar in design and uses the yellow and black colours of the ‘X-Men’ costumes. 

  The girls are put on sexual display throughout the video with close ups of their skin tight and revealing costumes, where as the men are all dressed in coats and suits. The girls are represented as being out for revenge after the male superhero turned his back on them, taking all the glory and publicity for himself.  

  The male superhero is portrayed as the leader of the group as shown in the poster. He is seen to be standing in front of the girls, in a dominant pose as if he should be the centre of attention. He is also represented as being arrogant in thinking he is above the girls, which is later turned against him.

  The girls become more powerful towards the end of the video as they control and intimidate him with their individual powers. The video portrays the group as being independent and strong individually and as a team. This gives a strong message that the girls will not be taken advantage of, showing their self-confidence and status as a famous band. 

  The lyrics of the song coincide with the narrative of the video showing the girls as being bitter and angry that he thinks he is the superstar:- ‘And now you wanna pretend that you a superstar’. They will not be around when he needs their help: - ‘I will not be there to help you break the fall’. At the beginning of the video a picture is shown of the superhero group in happier times, which corresponds to the line: - ‘Lookin’ after each other.’

  The record company is focusing on each member of the band individually, even though each one is part of the group. They have used the girls’ sexual image to promote the song, reaching out to the male market. This has been achieved by dressing the girls in skin tight, revealing costumes. These costumes remain the same throughout the video. As is typical in a pop genre music video, the girls are all glamorised. Their hair, make-up and costumes are immaculate, endorsing this glamorised look. This reaches out to the female audience who aspire to be as famous and successful as this group.      
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umag84Fqk4I 

Research: Music Channels and audiences

We firstly conducted some research on a variety of music channels which broadcast a wide range of music videos. We came to realise that although there are several channels serving all different music tastes that the majority of them target a teen audience wanting to watch the latest releases.

Finding the track and developing an idea for our music video

When starting the task of choosing a track for our music video, we began by writing down a list of artists names. We had decided previously that we wanted a female solo artist in our video, as with only two members in the group we had limited numbers. With either myself (Rhianwen) or Lucy as the artist, one of us could film while the other played the role of the artist in the video, therefore only requiring extras in some scenes of the video.

  Our list of artists included people such as Lady Gaga, Pixie Lott, Ellie Goulding and Cheryl Cole all of whom are current pop artists in UK charts. We then went on YouTube and typed in each artist name in turn and found videos for their songs. We particularly liked the video for Cheryl Cole's 'Promise this' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F1q0Vn4u4g in respect of the editing techniques,the black and white theme and choreographed dancing sequences which highlighted her as the dominant female solo artist. It was clear however that we would find it difficult to reproduce these techniques, and we were unable to think of a suitable idea which would complement the song.
  Subsequently we searched for the director of the video who turned out to be Sophie Muller. Muller had been directing videos since 1982, and has directed over a 100 videos from Beyonce to Blur. Searching through her videography we found our track Natasha Bedingfield's 'These Words' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dryiMi9k5Rg. Although overall it is perhaps in our opinion, not one of Mullers best videos. We were attracted to it because of the variety of shots used and the pace of the editing. We also liked the location of the video (an old European villa) and Natasha's natural, non glamorised and colourful styling.  The songs lyrics prompted us to find a suitable narrative to match the song, which we felt would be achievable with the resources available to us.
We continued to search through various artists music videos. As we developed an idea for our music video for 'These Words' we came across Dido's 'White flag' video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7HcWPDYtwI. Some elements of our idea for the narrative of our video were taken from this.
It illustrates two ex lovers who keep crossing paths but ignore each other, despite still being in love.  Our idea is similar, but would illustrate two old friends, who's relationship develops over the course of the video. They cross paths on many occasions but fail to tell each other how they feel, until the final scenes of the video.

The Pop Music Genre

The Pop music genre has an aim of targeting a general audience, and is often orientated towards youths.It was developed in the 1950's as a softer alternative to rock and roll. Although the genre has some identifiable elements most pop music has been absorbed by influences from other genres, and is still widely associated with rock and roll.
The Genre characteristics are as follows:

• An aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology
• An emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal "artistic" qualities
• An emphasis on recording, production, and technology, over live performance
• A tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments
• Much pop music is intended to encourage dancing, or it uses dance-oriented beats or rhythms 

Music videos can be characterized by three broad typologies performance,narrative and conceptual. These three types, describe the form and content selected to attract viewers and/or to convey a message. When thinking of pop music videos we tend to think of girl or boy bands whose videos usually include some form of performance or choreographed dance. Similarly when looking at solo pop artists there videos include performance,choreographed dance, narrative and colourful costumes and make- up, which reflect the latest trends in fashion. Furthermore having identified the characteristics of the pop genre, we feel confident enough to go ahead with this knowledge and produce a music video within this genre.

The music video and Goodwins Theory

  Before planning our ideas for our music video production, we developed an understanding of the concepts and history of the music video. From it's 'birth' with Queens 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video right through to Lady Gaga's recent 'Telephone' video. We learnt about key features such as genre, lyrics, music, camera work, editing, narrative, performance, intertextuality, representation and star image, and that the combination of these key features make the music video a distinctive art form.
We discovered that each genre from rock through to pop, has distinct characteristics and that each music video within these genres adheres to these characteristics. The lyrics of the song have a relationship with the visuals be it 'complementary, contradicting or amplifying' (Goodwins Theory). But that a songs lyrics will rarely be literally interpreted in a video but will be demonstrated in a more abstract manner, there is also a relationship between the visuals and the tempo of the music. The visuals may either 'illustrate, amplify or contradict', while the pace of the editing usually matches the tempo of the track.
Goodwin also states that 'record companies will demand a lot of close ups of the main artist' , this is because of their desire to create a sense of intimacy for the viewer, and to enhance the star image of the artist. Which is why the close up predominates in music videos. Mid or long shots are however favoured if they are trying to display a narrative or a choreographed performance.
It is clear that in  music videos, in common with many other media formats, women are put on sexual display and are seen through the 'male gaze'. Goodwin has expressed this stating 'there is likely to be voyeurism present especially in the treatment of women'.This is  mainly due to the fact that the creative medium of cinema has been dominated by males and has therefore been filtered through the perspective of a male. The depiction of a female is being looked at through their eyes, and although gender equality has progressed, this concept seems to have continued in a socially acceptable manner throughout the media industry.