Research Into Similar Products: Oner

Spielberg Oner a.ka. a long tale

My music video will be composed of a couple of characters and their story will be portrayed in a similar way to keep a continuous flow. In films, oner takes are usually from 2 to 3 minutes long, however my whole video will be about 2 to 3 minutes long and so my oner takes will have to be shorter. Oner is a type of take which means that an entire scene is done in one shot.



I want each character in my video to have their own oner take which follows them through that particular moment in their day, it could be at work or at home, just going about their business. 10 seconds into the video above, we are shown a Spielberg film which has a great oner. It follows a couple getting out from a car, crossing the road and then going downstairs into a club. The couple are talking and laughing engagingly. This type of oner shot is great as I can adapt it to feature in my video. I also love the camera angles that show the normality of the couple. Spielberg likes his oners to be between 1 and 2 minutes meaning the shots are long enough to cover the plot but not so long as to bore the audience.

In my music video the camera will never move without notice or out of random, it will follow motion to create a steadily flowing rhythm to the video and so move the story along. The background of the oner is also very important. A oner is especially great if the camera barely moves which is explored in the second minute of the video. All the movement is in the blocking and the great location, the background is shifting for example when the characters are on a boat.

Target Audience: Focus Group

Focus Group

In our A2 Media Studies lesson we have created a focus which allowed everyone present to present and discuss their ideas to the group and then receive feedback to make their work better. I have received some great feedback which helped me evaluate my work and make sure it is the best it can be. 

I have received mostly positive feedback about my plot, genre and storyboard which is great as I have evidence  that my idea appeals to my target audience which is young adults and teenagers. A lot of feedback praised my idea with the cards and placing lyrics of most importance and significance on the screen to crab the audiences attention and focus it.

The target audience also appreciate the fact that I have implemented a social message into my idea which promotes the empowerment of women and tries to degrade misogyny in the music industry. R&B conventions typically empower men and make them more dominant with the props that are used such as gold jewelry and also camera angles by placing them alone in the frame. Women on the other hand are usually degraded with tight clothing and through showing off more skin. Their make up is also very appealing towards the male audience. Through challenges these conventions I can make the social message even stronger. 

I have also gotten feedback from my target audience that ideas in the storyboard go well with the song and are presented very well with the conventions I want to use. The ideas fit in well with the plot and there is great relevance between the song and my plot. I have also received messages that my message is interesting and the use of shots interests the audience.

I have gotten feedback which could improve my idea which includes placing those important lyrics not only on cards but other surfaces. These surfaces will vary from character from character for example for the teacher it will be on the white board and for the principal it will be on important papers which need signing. I think following through with this could emphasise the important job titles women hold. 

Research Into Similar Products: Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay is a film director is is well known and praised for her placement of frames. She focuses on detail and what the frame involves. Ramsay pays close attention to the emotions of her characters and how they are portrayed.

Above is a video that analyses Lynne Ramsay's work and how she manages to pull of such detail and poetic work. After 2 minutes I love how the speaker spills Ramsay's secret of how she manages to create so much with so little. Majority of Ramsay's plot is portrayed through the detail and we are told that she brings the audience's attention to an object in a frame, not by putting a lot of things in the frame but by taking things out, this allows the audience to focus on one object at a time. At 2:15 into the video we see shots of one of her films which include a man in a dark room, placing his body into various positions. Low key lighting is used to keep the room almost black and keep the focus on him as his body is outlined by the light. These shots weave the plot and expose the true meaning of the film that Ramsay is trying to portray from her usage of such detailed frames.

At 3:10, we are also told about her camera angle choices and why she chooses to at particular times just leave certain parts of a characters body out of the frame. Through this, the audience cannot receive important information for example when a characters eyes are kept out of the frame or when their face isn't even in the frame. This leads to the audience being forced to be a part of the film and guess their emotion. The audience knows what the characters are feeling, but Ramsay's choice to keep that away engulfs the viewers into the film. We are never told what to feel about characters and a sense of mystery remains, which deepens the attention of the viewers.

This video also explains Ramsay's choices for actors which star in her films. She chooses the most natural actors. She wants her actors to not look like actors, but to create the illusion that this is their life and the film is just showing their everyday story. As if the film is just their life and it hasn't been scripted and the scenes haven't been shot over and over again to get the perfect clip. Ramsay says " the best actors for me are the people that are like non-professional actors, you can't tell where the film ends or begins, as if the actors are the same on screen as they are off screen. They just feel real."

This great amount of detail is what I want to feature in my music video. I want to portray the message of the music in the detail. As I want the women to be confident and for the camera to exaggerate that, I need to have the women present in a frame with a minimal amount of objects in it so the audience's attention aimed at the woman and her strong attitude. I could use Ramsay's methods and adapt them to portray confidence and power as well as respect among the women that star in my video.

Research Into Similar Products: Lauryn Hill album covers

Lauryn Hill's Album Cover

As I am promoting a song that has been created by Lauryn Hill, I have to uphold her reputation and keep in with the image that she has created for herself. 

 These 3 images are just some of the CD covers for her albums and they all follow similar conventions. Her face is the main part of the album cover and therefore grabs most of the attention. She makes eye contact with the audience quite regularly and therefore encouraging them to purchase the album. In all the covers, she excels confidence and also femininity which is are some of the conventions I have introduce to my album cover. Two of these albums are tainted a darker colour for an old-time effect. It also brings attention to where she came from. Lauryn Hill hasn't gone through as much as black people did in America in the 70's but she does bring attention to her background and her history therefore empowering herself even more. 

Research Into Similar Products: CD cover

CD Cover

Another aspect of my media coursework is creating a CD cover alongside a music video. I want my CD Cover for Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop to have a close up of a woman on it. I want it to be a woman of colour to represent Lauryn Hill's background and show that even though some women play along with the stereotype, we are all individually different and beautiful. The cover will be dark and have the character on a black background. The character will have white writing on her face which will read "For all the Girls out there." This will promote the song as well as it's social message. It is aimed at females, around the ages of 16 and older as at that age, these social messages start to apply and so I will feature a teenager on my CD cover. 

 These are some CD Covers that I found which I like. They are dark and have close ups of the artists. These CD covers set a great example of a very successful and powerful image. The image in the top right left is Adele's album. It creates mystery and also sets the atmosphere for the rest of the album. The image represents her emotional songs and prepares the audience for her music. The next image across is an album cover for a rapper. It features the usual conventions of rappers: a big watch and an over sized ring catches the eye as they represent his need to be important. Below, another rapper is blowing out smoke. Representing the black culture as promoting violence, crime and substance abuse. The image in the top right corner, is for a pop singer and her album cover is great. I would like to follow in her footsteps. She is making direct eye contact with the audience and therefore alluring us to purchase the album.

Organisation: Lyrics

Video Mise-en-Scene

Lauryn Hill's lyrics to Doo Wop are very empowering and also full of advice for women that aren't true to themselves. I want to enforce these messages by picking out the best lyrics and placing them on cards. The cards will be large, bigger that A4 but smaller than A3. The lyrics will be written in bold, black writing to enforce the messages. The lyrics in red are a definite but I haven't decided on the lyrics highlighted in yellow. The female characters that will star in the video, will hold up the cards, to represent them standing by the message. 

The characters will be different women who are working and are also respectable members of the society. The cards will be held up when the words are said by the artist to create a positive flow of the video and create a bond between the video and the music. 

On some cards, instead of the actual lyrics being written, advice will be given. For example number 2 reads: "when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him." In this instance, the card will read: Be smart, don't give it up so easy." This will portray a wider message and hopefully shine a light on the lack of attention in this society that is given to young girls who think that boys will like them if they give up "that thing."

It's been three weeks since you were looking for your friend 1)The one you let hit it and never called you again'Member when he told you he was 'bout the Benjamins?You act like you ain't hear him, then give him a little trim To begin, how you think you're really gon' pretend Like you wasn't down and you called him again?
2)Plus, when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him If you did it then, then you'd probably f**k again


Talking out your neck, sayin' you're a Christian A Muslim, sleeping with the jinn Now that was the sin that did Jezebel inWho you gon' tell when the repercussions spin?
3)Showing off your a*s cause you're thinking it's a trend Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again You know I only say it cause I'm truly genuine
4)Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem Baby girl, respect is just a minimum N****s f****d up and you still defending 'em
Now, Lauryn is only human


Don't think I haven't been through the same predicament
Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn 5)It's silly when girls sell their souls because it's in
Look at where you be in, hair weaves like Europeans
Fake nails done by Koreans 
Come again

The second verse is dedicated to the men
6)More concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women
Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, poppin' yang (Like you got yen!)
Let's stop pretend, the ones that pack pistols by they waist men
Cristal by the case men, still in they mother's basement
The pretty face men claiming that they did a bid men
Need to take care of they three or four kids
And they face a court case when the child support late
7)Money taking and heart breaking, now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky, silent men
The punk, domestic violence men
Quick to shoot the semen, 10)stop acting like boys and be men
How you gonna win when you ain't right within? (x3)
Come again

Drafting and Planning: Song lyrics

Final Decision

I have decided to go with Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop as she has contained the best ideas in her song with the best lyrics. As I want to go with my idea of holding up meaningful and the most important lyrics on the cards, this song will allow me to perceive that idea as a lot of useful lyrics can be heard. The lyrics are appropiate, except three words for the whole song.

These are the lyrics of this song:

It's been three weeks since you were looking for your friend The one you let hit it and never called you again'Member when he told you he was 'bout the Benjamins? You act like you ain't hear him, then give him a little trim To begin, how you think you're really gon' pretend Like you wasn't down and you called him again?
Plus, when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him If you did it then, then you'd probably f**k again
Talking out your neck, sayin' you're a Christian A Muslim, sleeping with the jinn Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in Who you gon' tell when the repercussions spin?
Showing off your a*s cause you're thinking it's a trend Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again  You know I only say it cause I'm truly genuine
Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem Baby girl, respect is just a minimum N****s f****d up and you still defending 'em
Now, Lauryn is only human
Don't think I haven't been through the same predicament
Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn It's silly when girls sell their souls because it's in
Look at where you be in, hair weaves like Europeans
Fake nails done by Koreans 
Come again

The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women
Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, poppin' yang (Like you got yen!)
Let's stop pretend, the ones that pack pistols by they waist men
Cristal by the case men, still in they mother's basement
The pretty face men claiming that they did a bid men
Need to take care of they three or four kids
And they face a court case when the child support late
7)Money taking and heart breaking, now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky, silent men
The punk, domestic violence men
Quick to shoot the semen, stop acting like boys and be men
How you gonna win when you ain't right within? (x3)
Come again

These lyrics are the perfect as they send the right social message and are subtle enough about doing it. The tune is the usual Soul/R&B and is the video will fit nicely in promoting female power. Lauryn Hill's songs never contain misogyny and enforcing the ideas that are within her lyrics will make a great promoting video. 

Drafting and Planning: Song change

Song option

My primary idea was to choose a song that is filled with misoginy and produce a video that goes against it. This idea was however denied by OCR with reasoing that the song promoted drug use, offense to women and profanity. The video also has to promote the song and my idea would not meet that objective. Therefore I will approach this project from a different perspective and choose a song taht empowers femals and adaprt the video idea to suit the song. 

Option 1: Queen Latifah - Freedom

This song is a celebration of iconic femals throughout history and would be a perfect choice to fullfil my idea. Also my video would definitely promote it. The lyrics do not contain profanity, not does it promote any bad or misogynistic messages. 

Option 2: Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop

This songs aims to empower women and stay weary of guys who will use them. This song is also perfect as it subtly pokes at the idea of misogyny without actually swearing or exploring their ideas in an inappropiate way. 

I am trying to stay away from songs that where released recently because I do not want to depend on the popularity of the song to make the video better. I want to choose a song that has an older vide, but also portrays a certain message. Choosing songs that where done by storng, independent bllack women will also send a certain powerful message. 

Research Into Similar Products: Bob Dylan

Research Into Similar Products: Bob Dylan Music Video

I have been researching music videos to help me get some ideas about how my music video will be constructed and what I would like to have as a basis of my video. I have been looking into music videos that aren't like others and that don't follow the typical conventions. For example a music video released by a popular singer now has no meaning and no representation; they are all alike. Most music videos just follow one character without any bigger ideologies being constructed. However I have looked into Bob Dylan's music Video for Subterranean Homesick Blues and I loved the independence of it. It is a simple video of Bob Dylan standing in the street and holding cards with lyrics on them. After he throws them on the floor. I loved the idea that it gives off, that the lyrics just go past and brush off him; like they mean nothing and don't affect anyone in any greater deal as most people can't relate, and despite that the video and the song gained massive popularity. 

Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues

I was hoping to adapt the concept of lyrics meaning so much to some but on the other hand not having an affect on the other side of the population. I had an idea to have the people featured in my holding cards with lyrics on them and then dropping them on the floor as if the person takes no offence from them. This will help me bring my contradictory music video to life.

Research Into Similar Prroducts: Hip Hop

Conventions of Hip Hop music videos

The song that I plan to use will be of Hip Hop or Rap genre. The music video for these two genres are similar and the same conventions can be seen in most music videos of these genres. 

Camera Angles

In hip hop videos there are a lot of low angle shots which show the artist in a dominating light and therefore create a fear factor in the audience. The low angle gives the artist power over the audience. The artists usually take up the whole screen and therefore implying that they are so improtant that they have the whole frame to themselves. 

Characters

In many music videos there are a lot of women that stand next to the artist througjout the course of the video, creating th eidea that women are expendable and also irrelevant. The women give the man status and play a role in prolonging the misogygny in music videos. 

Mise-en-Scene

The attire worn by many rappers are basketball shirts or other clothing related to sports. Displays of bare chests and streght are also regular to once again bring attention to their impprtance. It also highlights how dominant they appear to be. Expensive jewellery such as large watches and long and shiny necklaces hang from their necks to fit into the black culture. 

Drafting and Planning: Music Video Ideologies

Drafting and Planning: Music Video Ideologies

As a teenager that listens to a wide range of music, I have been exposed to a huge number of music videos. Only a few stand out which means that most music videos that are created don't add anything enticing to the experience that the person has with the music. Most music videos do not stand out and a lot of them feature the singer just dancing, alone or in a group, or singing to the camera. A music video like that is just forgettable. For my music video I want to have a bigger picture assigned to it, I want to address one ideology with my video: feminism, and less vaguely: the image that the media and the music industry have created of women. Millions of songs are offensive to women and even paint them in a negative and degrading light. Women that are featured in music videos, nearly all of the time are either fully naked or are about to be. I want to address this issue with a controversial music video that will shine light on this unfair treatment. I want my music video to show women for what they are: equal members of this society that contribute to it as equally as men do. It will feature women of all shapes and sizes, all ages and all races showing them as a work force, as mothers, as caring humans and of course, just people.

At the very end, a message will be send to show the support and the unity that women hold among each other. The portrayal of this message will be developed in the following weeks, but I would like the video to end on a group of women that are confident and strong and have managed to make something of themselves.

Research Into Similar Products: Conventions

Conventions of Music Videos

Each music videos follows certain conventions and other times, those conventions are broken or adapted to create the designed effect that suits the music and sends out the correct meaning.

Camera Shots

When it comes to camera shots, they all differ as the camera angle has to be adapted to the song and more importantly, the genre. Music videos usually contain long shots, close ups and mid shots to emphasize the critical role of the artist along with assigning importance to the location of the video as well as the emotions and feelings. The long and mid shots establish the location and enable the plot of the video to move on as well as help develop the message the video is sending out. Close ups on the other hand focus on the emotion of the artist as well as focuses on the movement of the artist to reflect the different feeling of the artist.

Camera Movement

Camera movements that appear the most regularly in music videos include tilts, pans tracking and crane shots. Tilts and pans differentiate the shots and evolve the way that the characters look in the video. Tracking is popular with videos that follow the character or artist throughout the day.

Mise-en-scene

The arrangement of props and characters in a certain location will create different messages that the audience will receive and so it is crucial that they are all organised in the desired way. Mise-en-scene helps represent something for example a group of people, an individual or even a place. For example, most rap/hip hop videos feature similar mise-en-scene. Drakes video for Worse Behaviour has him placed in front of two cars, rapping, there are two men leaning on the car. This represents the black culture and follows with the stereotype of some ethnicities following into crime and being prone to violence. 

Editing

The most important editing technique used in music videos is jump cuts. They help to move the plot of the video along with speed and sometimes add effect of desperation and fast motion. Jump cuts are so popular as they move from one scene to the next without major effect to remain simple. Fade and dissolve are less popular but they do help differentiate the video and add certain effects.