Audio Bullies-We Don't Care

We watched this video without sound and saw that it was a young boy walking through a rough run down council estate. Just by looking at it we could tell that it was a Rap song because of the location the way the boy was dressed and how he was walking (swag). With this we also said it was set in britain, as American Rap videos usually show men with flash cars, gold jewelry, as they are portrayed in a really gangster way, Whereas british rap usually consists of people acting tough in a rough area, who usually get into fights and able to 'survive'.

We then turned the sound back on to see if we were correct and we were it was a rap based video, I also found that it acted like a chant as it repeats "There's things i haven't told you, i go out late at night, and if i was to tell you, you'd see my different side" which then makes it quite catchy.

I think that the video is a good example of social aspiration as people aspire to be like the kid in the video, because he acts tough, walks through the run down town with swagger and sits in a rough pub. People, especially men aspire to be like him, because they want to be tough, and maybe feared of.

Even though you may think that a 20 year old man would not want to aspire to be a 12 year old kid. The audience do not aspire to be the boy, the main aspiration is to be the singer.

I also think that the main point that is trying to be portrayed is that people who like this sort of music and live in these places are actually that young at heart. Think that they are more important and tough that they actually are.

Social Identity Theory

People seek out messages in texts which validate and support their social identity.(Abrams & amp, Hogg in 1990). Haward extended this in 1997. Selective choices in text were a form of social identity gratification.

Conventions of a Short Film

Limited Characters -(1-3) There Are usually a very small amount of main characters due to the fact that it is a short film and characters need to be established quickly, in order for them to actually tell the story. They don't have time to create a huge back story that you normally find in films.

Silent or Voice Over- there is usually not that much dialogue in short films

Open-Ended-It leaves you to interpret it in your own way. Leaving the viewer asking questions and wanting to see more to see what happens.

Location- It is usually set in one location, because of its length Because short films are low budget, it is cheaper to film in an everyday location. It also means the viewers can relate to it more and quickly meaning that they can put themselves in the same situation, an feel as though they can interact with it more, this is important because of the limited time and so the location can be established quickly.

Twist- A twist makes the film more interesting because they are so short, and because its short it is a really effective way to grab the viewers attention in a short amount of time. 

Length- It is a 'Short' film and so usually lasts 5-10 minutes long, after that amount of time the viewer can just lose interest and find it tedious and boring to watch to it is good to keep it short and sweet.

Budget- The budget for short films are usually low due to the fact that they are made by independent productions and simply do not have the funding to spend a lot on it. And so they cant afford to go to amazing locations, highly professional equipment.

Short Film-Signs

Signs

Genre:
The genre of this film is Romantic, we see two people a girl and a boy communicating to eachother in a special way and and the end the get to meet.. I think that the audience would expect this from the genre as a romance film usually shows two people who are unable to be with eachother and eventually they do which is what happens in this short film however it is not your typical romance film as they is not dialogue whihc is something you wouls expect to see in a romantic film.

Narrative:
The film is linear as it is shown in chronological order, an keeps moving on in time. There are also no flashbacks or flash forwards, which disrupts the timeline of it. There are a few ellipses used to show time moving on as time is cut out but it is still moving chronologically. It is also open ended and is left the viewers to interpret what might happen.

Characters:
The Male character is firstly very boring, lonely and unhappy however when he sees the Women and they start communicating he becomes happier and more interesting. The Women comes across as a happy, funny and enthusiastic person, because she makes jokes a lot and is smiling a lot. I think that these characters are stereotypical of the genre as he is the lonely man looking for love or a purpose and she is the opposite to him and makes him happier with her personality.

Technical:
The film is actually a silent film, as there is no dialogue so the only sound you hear is the music. As the film goes on and the man becomes happier the music picks up pace and seems more up beat, to match his mood.

Maslows Hierachy

Dr Maslow was the man who invented the Hierachy of needs by studying humans and there behaviour, Young and Rubicam took the Hierachy and then designed a tool to which people could discover where they stood within it. It is there to help us understand humans basic motivations.
Young and Rubicam asked the public what brands they bought and why. The system removed the effect of the cultural backgrounds as people from different countries are influenced by their culture. And so they name it the 4C's (Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation).
The 4C's divides everyone into 7 types of people, depending on their main motivation.

The Explorer
Explorers search for new things, and are therefore the first to try out new ideas and respond to the type of brands that offer new sensations. This really means that the seek out difference. There main motivation is discovery.

The Aspirer
The core need for these people is Status, This means that to them image counts and are driven by how others see them rather than themselves. This the means that they respond to others perception of being superficial such as image, charisma and fashion.To them an attractive pack is as important as the contents.

The Succeeder
Their main need in life is for control. They tend to be very organised, have self confidence and a strong goal orientation. This means that they are usually in positions of responsibility. With brands they tend to seek out the best because they feel that that is what they deserve. They also look for caring and protective brands because they need to relax sometimes

The Reformer
Reformers are always searching for inner enlightenment as that is their core need Out of all 7 types, reformers are the most anti materialistic, which in turn shows them as being quite intellectual, and unlike Explorers they tend not to but things just because they are new. They are socially aware and are very tolerant. They tend to seek out the harmonious and authentic, and are therefore often at the leading edge of society.

The Mainstream
Security is the main motivation in life for the mainstream. They live in the world of the domestic, which means they tend to centre themselves within their family.  There daily routine is important to the way they live their lives. They are the largest group of people within the 7 groups, and are known for seeking established and family brands with value to money.

The Struggler
Strugglers  seek escape as they often see no way out, because of the way they see themselves (victims, losers and wasters) They are disorganised people who have little resources apart from their own physical skills. They are known to live for today and make few plans for tomorrow. They tend to be heavy consumers of alcohol and junk food. Visual and physical sensation are important when it comes to their brand choices.

The Resigned
These people are usually older people with unchanging values which they have built up over time. They tend to enjoy acting in the traditional roles. When it comes to brands they choose what is familiar to them. There basic aim is to survive


I think that i fall into the category of The Succeeder. As i am a very organised person who does like to have control over certian aspects of my life, and once i have a goal i will do everything i can to reach it and succeed.

Convention of a music video

In class we were shown some music videos of different artists from different genres and told to analyse them and pick out the typical tropes and conventions of each genre video. Even through throughout time genres change the basic conventions can still be there. And this is easy to see when you compare videos from the past with today's videos. When we do this you can see how the genre has evolved and changed but you can still see the base of the genre in the music videos is still being used

An example of this is The Exciters-Tell Him originally from 1962 and One Direction-What makes You Beautiful from 2012. These videos are 50 years apart and by looking at them you can see many obvious differences and how the music industry has evolved, however if you look closer you can see that these two videos still have similarities despite the time difference.

The Exciters

The conventions of this video are:

• This is a performance video making the audience interact with it more.
• Dancing in sync
• It is very simple-It is set in one location and not much editing is involved in it. Due to the fact that there was not a lot of technology back then as there is now. The camera shots are also simple but there are many used to keep the viewers attention. Camera shots such as panning, close ups and establishing shots and more.
• Stand out location-the location has nothing to do with the song but is memorable for that, this then gives the video concept elements to it, as the fact that it is set in a zoo has no correlation to the song lyrics. But using a different location makes the performers stand out even more.
• The Women are all dressed in the same red dresses and the male is wearing a red bow tie this in turn shows unity between them. The red dresses have sexual connotations and so can attract a certain demographic.
• Miming-The band is not actually singing the song but it still looks as though they are.

Now looking at One Direction's conventions we are able to compare and contrast the two videos.

One Direction

The Conventions of this video are:

• This video is also a Performance video as the dominant focus is the band, this is due to the fact that they attract a large demographic and very popular, because they are considered attractive and in order for successful video they want to show of there strengths as much as possible. Even though the pop genre is usually associated with a narrative video and this is performance it still has elements of narrative. I think the reason for it mostly being a performance is mainly due to the fact that the producer wants to show so the sexual appeal of the band and therefore widen the target audience.
• Stand out location- The location like Exciters video has nothing to do with the song, which can give it an element on concept. and also like the Exciters it is all set on a beach but in various parts of it to keep the viewers attention and keep in interesting.
• Camera shots such as establishing shots and close ups are used and many more.

Looking at these two videos you can see some similarities and differences which have occurred over time due to the fact of technology evolving and improving. More money is being used to make music videos and make them look better and professional as they have become more and more popular with all audiences whether it be performance videos to make people feel involved, concept videos or narrative to tell a story. A lot of videos are now influential and effective which has lead to higher production costs.

3 Music Videos i like...

Micheal Jackson-Thriller

This video is narrative, so tells a story, which you follow throughout, making you more interested in it. I also love how hey are all in sync with eachother when they dance a it really ties the video together. This video is an iconic peice in music history and is known worldwide for its scary/zombie video.

Taylor Swift-We Are Never Getting Back Together


I like this video because it has narrative elements as well as performance and concept. The performance part is also the concep as the performers and musicans are dressed up in costumes that have nothing to do with the actual lyrics. I also like how the scenes roll into one by panning the camer there is another setting, it keeps it interesting as they keep moving and not just stopped in one scene and then jumping to another scene in a different setting.

Vanessa Carlton-A Thousand Miles
















This video is a concept and performance video as she is playing her piano and what the video shows does not tell a story. The reason i like this video is because it shows she is travelling a thousand miles through the background changes, but she is not doing it in the conventional way where if she were to follow the story through the video she would do it following the lyrcs of the song. for exmaple the lyrics of this song is "I would walk a thousand miles" Walk being the opprative word, even though she travelles a thousand, miles she does not walk. It also takes another line of the chorus and applies it to the video " do you think time would pass me by" and this is hsown on the video where time is passes by faster than her, and another line being "making my way through the crowd" we see her on various occasions have a crowd in the background.

Types of Music Videos

Performance

This type of video is more of a rock and rap trope, it is used to get the audience to appeal to it as they would want to be there. As it is watching the band/singer perform the viewer can put themselves in with the crowd in the video making then=m feel as though they really are there.

Narrative

This is where the video tells a story and usually follows the lyrics. This entices viewers and helps them to understand what the song is about.

Concept

This is where the Director and producer are more important that the actual band and music, because the video has no correlation to the music and lyrics. It allows the viewer to visually remember the video and therefore the song.

What is the purpose of a music video?

Generic elements are elements throughout the video that defines the genre of it. An example of this is a Pop genre video. You would expect to have a narrative video to tell a story, this is because the viewers are able to see what happens in the end and understand what the song is about.

Pop
Carly Rae Jepsen-Call Me Maybe

The video is a performance and narrative video.

The scenario is Boy next door and throughout contains 'normal' scenes and places, which is the typical tropes of the genre pop as it is supposed to appeal to teenagers who can relate to it. This Video especially targets the female population due to the fact of the attractive male who takes his top off and a girl wants.

Throughout the video, movie cliche and pop tropes are used to build up the idea of a love story cliche which in this case is girl sees boy next door they meet and then fall in love. To show it is a cliche story it even includes a cutaway where you see a movie poster of the girl and the boy in a cliche romance film. Another cliche in the video is the car washing scene and how she is trying to gain his attention, however this is also a subversion because at the end of the song the typical ending you would expect and have been expecting throughout the video is completely the opposite to the trope. This video parodies the boy next door trope as it does not end the way you would expect it too. as it ends ends with the boy being gay and handing his number to the drummer.

Slow motion is also used on the male at the beginning when he is mowing the lawn, this way it emphasises his movements which can also remind people of the typical trope in romantic films where a girl and boy are usually in slow motion when they see each other.

The video has immersion because of the story being told as this grabs the viewers attention, because they want to see what happens next and at the end.

In my opinion the video is secondary to the music and artist as it is very catchy and even when you don't watch the video you can still remember the song.

Indie
Ed Sheeran-Lego House

This video is a narrative video as it tells a story however this story is not actually linked to the lyrics which then slightly makes this video a concept video.

In this video by Ed Sheeran the person who actually looks like he is singing it is Rupert Grint. This is called iconography where they have used someone very famous in a music video who does not actually sing.
Simple scenes eg park bench, walking along a path (nature) trope of indie music.
writing music playing guitar, these are generic features. as indie music is all about simplistic and nature settings.

The video is secondary to the music/ artist mainly because of the icon thats stars in it (Rupert Grint) and so the main focus is him and less about the music.

Maroon 5-Payphone

This video is more like a concept video as the video really does not any correlation to the song lyrics, apart from the fact that it starts and ends with Adam Levine at a payphone which obviously links in with the song title 'Payphone'

Because of the content in the video it looks as though it belongs to a movie and is a soundtrack song for it, and so this is very misleading. The fact that it looks like it is from a film means it is called a content video.There are not very many generic elements in the video apart fro the fact that it has a basic love story within it under all of the crime investiation story, which is the typical Boy saves girl senario which ties in with the song, but because the main focas is the crime, car chase and gun fighting, the attention of that is dragged from it and makes it seem as though there is no relationship between the video and lyrics.

The Crime senario is very masculine and contains typical scenes and elements that are stereotypes of the male population.And because of this, i think that the song/video is aied at the male demographic.

In my opinion the artist is primary to the video because Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa are both very successful artists and so in some cases the fans are going to buy the song because of the artists and not the video. However it is very difficult to say whether this is true or not because with many concept videos you want to see what happens so in saying that the artist could be secondary to the video.