Diary

Diary Filming – 28th November

Those present: Rebecca Gatfield, Amy Thrush
                        Liam Carroll, Oliver, Oliver

We filmed all shots which we needed to fill in the gaps on the timeline.

Props/Equipment:

Microphone, Guitar, Bass Guitar, fairy lights, amps
Black-out boards, iPod speaker, Camera, Tripod

Setting:

Drama Studio

Lighting:

We used the same lighting which was used for the previous day of filming to allow continuity. 

Rebecca Gatfield

Practice Performance

• We used some of the practice performance in our music video as we wanted to make a contrast between the professional performance aspects and behind the scenes, as seen in music videos such as 'Pumped up Kicks' by Foster the People.
• We used this time to practice the panning shots which we had planned in our storyboard. However, when we watched the clips back we decided not to use them in the final run as we found that the camera wasn't smooth enough for it to look professional.  We also thought that the shots would be far too long to match the pacing which we had planned for the rest of the music video.
• This time also allowed the band to go through the song together for the first time, so there wasn't any faults when we came to do the final performance.
• We were able to decide which camera angles and movements worked well, and which didn't. For example in some shots we were able to see the boards in the drama studio, to combat this we moved the set into the centre of the room, which meant that the board weren't in shot.
• We didn't use the lighting in the drama studio during the practice run which we would have wanted to use for the actual performance. Initially we wanted the whole setting to be dark, but without the lighting  the camera didn't pick up the performance well enough to capture all the shots we wanted.

By Rebecca Gatfield and Amy Thrush

Genre

Institutional use of Genre-
- Film producers use genre as a meaning the economic risk in making films.
- Film distributors/exhibitions use genre as a mean of promoting and advertising films.
- These both depend on past experience and audiences foreknowledge.

Audiences use of Genre-
- Audiences use genre to give them predictable pleasures.

Generic Conventions-
- A film is defined by its conventions, these conventions must be present to make a film a genre film, but this should involve some aspect of innovation.

Rick Altmen says 'Genre is a blueprint, a formula that precedes programmes and patterns industry production'

Structure- 
- Genre as a structure, as the formal framework on which individual.

Label-
- The name of a category to the decisions and communications of distribution.

Contract-
- Viewing position required by each genre of its audience.

Production = Blueprint
Text = Structure
Exhibition = Label
Consumption = Contract 

A Music Genre- 
This is a conventional category which identifies different types/forms of music.Music can we divited into a variety of different genres, due to having different purposes behind the songs and also the different points from which the songs have been written in.

The genre of the song we choose will have a large impact on how we construct our music video, the genre of the music is usually easily recognised by the music video. Therefore this is something we will have to take into consideration when producing/filming our music video.

Examples of music genres are-
- Indie
- Rock
- R and B
- Punk
- Dance
- Classical
- Folk
- Rap


By Amy Thrush

Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia was first formulated by Arsitotle is all about each of our fives senses- sight, sound, hearing, taste and touch and how they can be intergrated. Syneasthesia challenges the classic view of perception. It is said that one in 2000 people have the condition in which the five senses intermingle.

The Greek meaning of 'syn'' meaning 'union' and 'aesthesis' meaning 'sensation'. The term Syneasthesia is used to describe the production from sense of impression of one kind, of an associated mental image. 

For example the sounds of a certain instrument in a song may produce a certain colours in your mind, therefore you would be expected to see these certain colours in the music video for this particular song. Music might be seen in colours or patterns or taste may be in shapes.


The Vaccines- No Hope-

When listening to this song, I thought about the different colours and images that come into my mind that would be used in the music video for this song.

-I would imagine someone in a rush because the music is very fast and upbeat.
- I imagine the setting to be outside somewhere, in a natural environment as the music is very free flowing.
-Black and White are the colours that come into my mind, purely because this is an indie band with guitars, therefore indie bands rarely use bright colours they are usually dull and simplistic.
-I imagine the band members to be wearing casual baggy clothes because the song is quite relaxed and up beat.
- I think the music video will be very simplistic, however I think something exciting will happen at the end of the video, due to the change in the music.
- I think the band members will have a scruffy relaxed look and have long sweeping hair, due to the song being the same sort of tone the whole way through and the singers voice is also relaxed and the same tone all throughout the song.

Watch the video and see what colours and images are used-

- A boy running in a rush and also cycling throughout the song
- Outside, in a free and open environment
- Black and white music video
-Casual clothing/ jeans and tshirts
- At the end the boy runs off and jumps into the sea (dramatic end)

By Amy Thrush

Diary

Diary Filming – 12th November

Those present: Rebecca Gatfield, Amy Thrush
                        Liam Carroll, Oliver, Oliver

We couldn’t get everything which we needed from the performance during today’s filming, so we will have to book the drama-studio out again to make sure we get all the shorts we require. 

Props/Equipment:

Microphone, Guitar, Bass Guitar, fairy lights, amps
Black-out boards, iPod speaker, Camera, Tripod

Setting:

Drama Studio

Lighting:

We used a mixture of spotlights and filtered lighting to create a stage like appearance but without losing the ‘home made’ look which we were aiming for.

Rebecca Gatfield

Propp and Todorov

The way in which a story is told in both fictional and non fictional media texts.

Vladmir Propp-Narrative Structure-
Preparation
Complication
Transference
Struggle
Return
Recognition

Propps seven character types-
Hero
Villain
Helper
Mentor
Dispatcher
Blocker
Prize

Tzventan Todorov- Narrative Structure-
Equilibrium
Disruption
Recognition of disruption
Attempt to repair disruption
Reinstatement of the equilibrium

Both of these theories can be adapted into music videos. In particular Toddrov's theory is used in many narrative music videos.

Example Music video-
Chase and Status featuring Plan B

This music video starts with Plan B being in a music recording studio where he is recording the song, this is the equilibrium.
The Disruption is when the recording crew stop him from recording the song and deliver a a tape with Plan B's name on it, then then stop to listen to what has been recorded onto the tape.
The Recognition if disruption is when they play the tape and he then finds out that his ex girlfriend had been filming in his flat.
The Attempt to repair disruption is when Plan B's ex girlfriend has a party in his flat and trashes it. Then his flat mate walks in and sees what is happening.
The new equilibrium is when Plan B rings the police and then find his flat mate tied up in their flat, where everyone else has left, leaving the flat trashed and destroyed.

By Amy Thrush

Queer Theory

Identities are not fixed, identity is fluid and can be changed.  You cannot characterise a group of people, each person is different and has different personalities, for example you cannot characterise 'women' or 'men' because they are all different from each other.

These are examples of the usual sort of characteristics that are associated with men and women-

Men-
Short hair
Tall
Strong
Hairy
Sporty
Less sensitive

Women- 
Long hair
Petite
Weak
Not hairy
Not sporty
Sensitive

Judith Butler who is a philosopher suggests that sex (male/females) is seen to cause gender (masculine/feminine). Instead Butler focuses more on performance and the normalising effects of representations and performances of heterosexuality that are they to create the illusion that heterosexuality is 'normal'. On the other hand alternatives to this such as 'camp' gay guys, 'butch' lesbians and drag queens have the ability to de naturalise the dominant heterosexual  ideology.

' There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender.. identity is performatively constituted by the very expressions that are said to be its results'

'What defines you is how you behave, gender is a performance.'

David Helperin suggests that the confides of any identity van be reinvented by its owner. Examples of this that are in the music industry are Lady Ga Ga and Madonna.

'Queer is by definition whatever is at odds with the normal, the legitimate, the dominent'

Madonna-

You can see how Madonna has changed her image/identity over the years in order to keep her fans interested in her music/image as well as adapting certain characteristics which are popular with the public and her fans.

Many artists experiment and play with gender to keep their fans interested in their music examples would be-

When thinking of an image for our band, we will have to consider our target audience when deciding what style/image the band should have. Usually with band members they each have a slightly different image this is so the whole band will appeal to a wider audience, which will lead to increased popularity.


By Amy Thrush