Lip Syncing Practise

When practicing lip syncing, we decided to go into a group and each have ago of filming and performing. This gave us a good idea of all aspects of lip syncing and  it allowed us to play around with different genres of music.

The first song that we tried was 'Broke' by Hannah Grace. When filming this we found it easy to film as we wasn't focusing on complex camera work. We used a close up of my mouth and shoulders in this practice shot. As this was our first time being filmed we found it quite hard to concentrate and we all found it embarrassing. We practiced the lip syncing before we picked our final song this helped us to become more confident around each other when performing. The editing of this first shot was tricky as the lip movement wouldn't match with the song. From this experience we have learnt to take a number of shots before we actually starting to edit the final music video.







The second and third tries of lip syncing we decided to try group lip syncing. Doing this enabled us to gain the skills for a duet song meaning that when picking a song we will know that we have the skills to use one for our final music video. 

We chose the song 'Love Is An Open Door' from Frozen. We chose this as we thought that it was more upbeat and would challenge our skills even further. From these shots we found that the change in rhythm and pace helped us as we found that the up beat songs are easier to lip sync. 

This time around we filmed many shots which allowed us to get the lip syncing more precise than the first time. We found when editing this song it was easier to get our lips completely in sync with the song.  We all took turns in doing different things during the task and found that after a few takes the people that were performing preferred it rather than filming. This made us realise what roles we would like to take when making our music video. We all have now gained skills on lip syncing. We also learnt to make the person fit the voice of the singer. For example, Vanessa played a man as there were no males available but in our final music video we will be use to fit the artist and the voice correctly.

Teacher assessment - marketing

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
	Assessed by		NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		Marketing
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Detailed consideration about how marketing affects a star.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		If you could consider what this has made you realise about your own star profile. How might you incorporate marketing to improve your star?
Additional comments

Marketing Techniques used in the Music Industry

Music Timeline

In this piece of work, I did the work for the years of the 80's.  We found a lot of music videos from the 80s and we chose our favourite from across the decade. It was good to compare them with newer music videos and see how they were compared to now. My work benefited the group as they could find out about why the music industry has changed and this will benefit them when they do their music video as they can see, how their video will need to fit in with this time. From other people's work I found out a lot as how music videos became popular and what were the most popular videos and why.

Teacher assessment - what music means to me

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
	Assessed by		NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		What music means to me
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Good look at your musical past, with some clear reflection into choices made and the genre they fitted into.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		If you could think about how this might influence your own choices for your music video planning.
Additional comments

Teacher assessment - male gaze

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
	Assessed by		NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		Male Gaze theory
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Detailed overview on what the theory entails and you have looked at this in relation to real music video examples. You explore the questions clearly. Good use of web 2.0 tool.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		Could you develop stronger comparisons between examples?
Additional comments

What Music Means To Me

Laura Mulvey- Music VIdeos

 

Questions:

1) In what videos can we see the 'Male Gaze' theory?

Miley Cyrus- Wrecking Ball- This opening shot of Miley Cyrus is a close up of her face. Her lipstick significantly stands out as it is a bold red colour contrasting with her complexion and pure white background. The mouth and eyes are both features of the face that are typically associated with female. Thus, making her look attractive and complying with the Male gaze theory.
Robin Thicke- Blurred Lines- The women are also represented in what they where and how they act, such as in many videos it shows women showing more flesh than the men this maybe to suggest that women wearing less clothes is what will attract the male audience, also perhaps through how the women act in the videos such as dancing around the men, this can illustrate that men have more advantages and higher status over women which again highlights Mulvey‟s theory that society is more male dominated examples that support this is shown in Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

2) Do you believe that women "experience the texts narrative secondarily"? Why?

I believe that women do experience the text's narrative secondarily, as they are the ones who are always being watched, judged and talked about by men. I also believe that men can be seen as objects by females too meaning that the male gaze theory may not always be supported.

3) Does this help with the continuatuation of sexism? Does it suggest that the music industry is corrupt and fuelled by sexism?

I think music is an element of sexism for all ages but mainly the younger generation. This is because they are influenced more easily. I think that the idea of 'male gaze' is not acceptable but due to the viewing numbers constantly increasing it is being seen as okay. I think people do not think that the music industry is filled with sexism as it has become our way of daily life to see each sex portrayed in this way by the media.

4) Do you believe women play on this stereotype?

I think that  today’s society females do play to males attention. I think this could be influenced by the media but is mainly because they find the attention positive. Having sexualised figures in the industry means that people are being less confident in the way they look. I think women play to it as it is seen as natural to act in such a way.

Teacher assessment - summer essay

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
Assessed by	NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		Summer essay
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Detailed look in videos over time and you have incorporated theory and media language well.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		If you could give a clear reflection and touch on the question at the end – did they change over time, or not?
Additional comments

Star analysis

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
Assessed by	NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		Star analysis
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Lots of information looking at how his life changed over time. Excellent use of Prezi.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		If you could consider being more specific about the main changes that occurred to him/his image over time and a reflection about whether these were positive or negative changes.
Additional comments

Media Theories

Theories

LAURA MULVEY’S MALE GAZE THEORYThe concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people are presented. She believed that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male.
Features:
- Camera lingers on female body using slow motion, deliberate camera movements and cut away
- Downgrades women to the status of objects
- Puts the viewer in the eyes of a male

ANDREW GOODWIN’S IDEAS ON NARATIVE, PERFORMANCE AND CONCEPT VIDEOSPerformance based:
- Video includes performance of the artist as part of the video
- Band and singers are shown in order to create a real performance for the viewer

Narrative based:- Tells a story either that features in the lyrics or is suggested in the lyrics
- Can be like a mini film with a beginning, middle and end
- It can even suggest some links to a story
- Promotes a film with clips from the film including telling a story

Concept based:
- Based around a single idea or concept and are usually unusual or obscure even surreal for an audience. The unusual content is an attraction to many consumers, which draws them in
- Successful concept video will keep the audience entertained and constantly looking at what or who is on the screen

There are two types of concept based theories – thematic and symbolic
Thematic: 
- Lots of common themes in music videos
- Depends on the genre of music
- For example, rap contains street scenes whereas pop videos include dance routines

Symbolic:
- Contains loads of symbols to build up meaning
- For example, grave yard means death
- Use of montage (loads of images to create meaning sometimes often contradictory
- Lighting used to suggest a mood
- Fast pace – often a few seconds per shot to build up meanings
- Pictures can support or contradict the lyrics.

THE EFFECTS MODEL, CROTEAU, HOYNES – 1997/HYPERDERMIC SYRINGE MODELHyperdermic syringe is the idea that the media is like a drug that audiences become addicted too.
The consumption of media has an effect or influence upon the audience, which is normally considered a negative effect. Audiences are passive and powerless to prevent/stop the influence and the power lies within the message of the media.
The idea states that messages are injected into the audience by the powerful, syringe-like. The audience is powerless to resist and therefore, the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted or doped.

USES AND GRATIFICATIONS MODEL – BLUMER AND KATZ – 1974
(OPPOSITE OF THE EFFECTS MODEL)“how and why audiences use the media”The choices which people make are motivated by the desire to satisfy (or ‘gratify’) a range of needs. Hence the uses and gratifications approach is concerned to identify how people use the media to gratify their needs.
The audience is active meaning that the audience uses the media for its own pleasure/gratification. In this theory the power lies within the audience rather than the media itself.

"Music Videos have changed drastically over time and are now unrecognisable for their hisorical counterparts"

“Music videos have changes drastically over time and are now unrecognisable for their historical counterparts”

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. Modern music videos are commonly used and made as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. The earliest music videos were filmed in the mid 1950’s. Developments were made and in 1956 Tony Bennett was filmed walking along the serpentine in Hyde Park where he was recording ‘Stranger In Paradise’, it played on UK and US televisions, then Bennett claimed he made the first music video. Modern music videos however challenged video traditions with Andrew Goodwin’s ideas of Narrative, Concept and Performance videos.

The modern era of music videos in the 1970s had platforms of where the videos could be played/seen. The importance of programs like Top Of The Pops to promote a single created an environment of innovation and competition amongst bands and record labels, as show’s producers placed strict limits on the number of videos it could show- therefore a good video would increase a songs sales as viewers hoped to see it again the following week. Queens Bohemian Rhapsody started a whole new era for using music videos as promos. Similarly, in 1981 MTV launched, the first video to be aired was The Buggles- Video Killed The Radio Star. The video was going with Goodwin’s concept thematic theory, as the videos theme was promotion of technology while worrying about its effects. The song relates to the concerns about mixed attitudes towards 20th century inventions and machines for the media arts. The video was written, directed and edited by Russell Mulcahy. It was produces on a budget of $50,000. Before Bohemian Rhapsody was released artists would release video clips to accompany the song. Not only until they realised the success of them it become increasingly popular to release a video alongside the single. Queen had a budget of £4,500 and the video is hailed for launching the MTV age. The special effects were achieved during the recording, rather than the editing. Which normally in modern videos are added during the editing process. Pointing the camera at a monitor, giving visual feedback, made the visual effects of Mercury’s face cascading away.

Newer modern music videos are filmed in more realistic locations and released on the Internet, rather than television programs. For example, Lego House by Ed Sheeran was filmed at The Forum, University of Hertfordshire. It stars Rupert Grint, most famous for being in the Harry Potter films. It was released on Sheeran’s YouTube channel which differs from Queen’s video, they released and premiered it on television as then in the 70’s televisions were the newest and more widely available form to technology for them to be seen on, where nowadays the Internet is a greater platform to release music onto as everyone and anyone can view it. Now artists can widen their fan base and audience as videos and music can be seen and heard all over the world with the Internet. The video is known as a narrative and confirms the gratification model as it portrays Grint as Sheeran, performing activities like writing songs and taking to the stage, later in the video we realise that is actually an obsessive fan trying to be like his idol. The video had a beginning, middle and end story wise as classic video were more performance based, where stars were recorded like they were performing the song to an audience.

Although, a classic video like Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean is to be considered to be the video that brought MTV, then a fairly new unknown channel, into mainstream attention. It was one of the first videos by a black artist to be aired regularly by the channel. Directed by Steve Barron, the video shows a photographer who follows Jackson. The photographer never catches the singer, and when photographed Jackson fails to appear on the developed picture. He dances his way to Billie Jean's hotel room and as he walks along the pavement, each tile lights up as he steps on it. After he spins, jumps and lands, freeze framed, on his toes. Upon arrival at the hotel, Jackson climbs the staircase to Billie Jean's room. Each step lights up as he touches it and a burnt out "Hotel" sign illuminates as he passes. The photographer then arrives at the scene and watches as Jackson vanishes under the covers of Billie Jean's bed. Followed by the police, the photographer is arrested for spying on Billie Jean. MTV network executives thought ‘black music’ wasn’t ‘rock’ enough for the channel’s image. A member of Jacksons record label CBS, approached MTV as they refused to play it. He threatened to go public about the issue and then they agreed to show it.  Billie Jean is a mix of both concept and narrative. Like most modern videos are the same like Katy Perry’s Roar video. Filming for the music video Roar took two days. Grady Hall and Mark Kudsi directed the video. A 21-second teaser of the video had been uploaded. Now companies offer not only a music video they offer access to behind the scenes of the making of videos and are normally posted online, which never was even imaginable with classic or historical videos. In this case Nokia posted a two-minute behind the scenes video then after an extended 17-minute behind-the-scenes video was uploaded to Perry's official VEVO account. The video had 530 million views on her YouTube channel.

Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory is the concept that of gaze is one that deals with how an audience vies the people and how they are presented. She believed that in film audiences have to view the characters for the perspective of a heterosexual male. A video that shows this is Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. The first close up of Miley instantly connects with the male gaze theory, however it is perhaps a more milder version of what is to come. Her red lips and blue eyes portray her femininity and also present her as an attractive woman that a male heterosexual audience would be attracted to. The next shot in the video reveals Miley acting intimately with a sledge hammer, which is usually regarded as a masculine object so could perhaps so her trying to subvert her femininity. Despite this, Miley still appears sexualised through her actions and the distinctiveness of the red lipstick which could give sexual connotations. It could be argued that Cyrus acted this way in the video to attract masses of media attention, which it did, and therefore was able to sell more single and create media frenzy over the video. Now artist may go into the industry not only because they want to make music but with the publicity and fame as well. The Buggles or Michael Jackson may of thought that videos wasn’t as important and the song was the thing that mattered therefore spending more time on producing the song than the video but, now the video is an element in what sells the music. Another video that goes with Mulvey’s theory is She’s So Lovely by Scouting for Girls. The music video for She's So Lovely is set in a bowling alley. Roy Stride is trying to attract the attention of a girl, who is played by a model, but she has a boyfriend already. While the boyfriend is there, Roy tells the girl she looks beautiful. The boyfriend gets angry, but gets called away for his throw. As he scores a strike, Roy and the girl walk off down the hall together, although only their legs are shown; you can see the shoes and jeans are the same as Roy's. The girl costume is the same as Roy’s but people may not notice it as audience’s attention is on the woman most of the time.

Star Analysis: Michael Jackson

Teacher assessment - video analysis

A Level Media Progress Check - Grace
Assessed by	NSE - Teacher
Focus of assessment		Video analysis
Relevant assessment criteria		There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
Evidence of progress/ evidence of meeting criteria		Clear analysis of the key aspects of the video, considering the reception it received.
Areas to work on next/ ideas to consider		If you could screen shot parts of the video to exemplify what you say. Remember not to copy and paste from other sites and this causes copyright issues!
Additional comments

Analysing Music Video Videos - Sinead O'Connor

Sinead O'Connor- Nothing Compares To You

The video was mainly shot in Paris, for "Nothing Compares 2 U",  was directed by John Maybury and was listed one of VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

Concept:

The video consists almost solely of a close up on Sinead O'Connor's face and her different stages of sadness as she sings; the rest consists of her walking through an area of Paris, known as the Parc de Saint-Cloud. 

Towards the end of the video, two tears roll down her face, one on each cheek. In the middle and at the very end of the video. This shows that the artist is emotionally attached to the song and also makes the audience listen to the lyrics more. In the video all the artist has minimal make up, pale face and dark eyes and her hair is shaved short, this could be done to make you listen to the lyrics and think about what she is singing about, also it could be that she wanted the attention to be on the song and not the video. The make up and costume are simple, making you focus on the song more. Costume wise, from what we can see from the close up, she is wearing a black roll neck jumper, which makes her face stand out against the black background. Also the continuation of the colour black that is shown through this video creates a dark/emotional feel to the video.

Overview of the reception of the video:

The clip won three Moonmen at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year 
(Sinead O'Connor became the first female artist to win), Best Female Video and Best Post-Modern Video. It was nominated for Breakthrough Video, Viewer's Choice and International Viewer's Choice during the ceremony. The video also became the subject for many parodies and spoofs, such as Gina Riley's parody "Nothing Is There" on Fast Forward, referring to the fact that O'Connor tended to shave her head bald.