i succeeded in finding an unsigned artist. he had produced a song about the evacuees of world war 2 and wanted a video to match the theme of the song. he had a general idea which i adapted into my own understanding of the lyrics.
i did not stick to the story board i had made as i had limited time to film with the artist and needed to change the footage slightly. this worked better i think although in editing it seemed like i didn't have enough footage. luckily i had left the camera on when filming and was able to use that footage as a point of view shot for the second verse.
my video was very post production heavy and took a while to edit but i manged to meet the deadline.
i learnt from making this video to work with someone Else's ideas (the artists) and to make something that would not normally interest me. i am pleased with the outcome of my video and hope the artist likes it so he can use it to promote the song.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
my music video
i have found an unsigned artist to produce a video for and i am currently doing the pre production work.
the artist is called Mr Bonx and the song is called Dear Johnny.
the artist is called Mr Bonx and the song is called Dear Johnny.
the scientist
The Scientist:
The music video for "The Scientist’ by Coldplay is an experiment in reverse narrative. For the video Chris Martin had to learn to sing the song backwards.
The video was filmed at various locations, including London and the Bourne Woods, Surrey. It was directed by Jamie Thraves and depicts Martin walking in reverse through a city, out into the suburbs and eventually the woods, picking up various pieces of a suit as he goes. Upon arriving at his car, he 'gets in' and passes out as his girlfriend, laying on the ground in front of the car, is shown reversely flying out of the car. The car backs out of the woods and through a broken barrier, which mends itself upon the car's passing. As the video closes, they are shown driving back up the road.
Essentially this is a performance based narrative video. Chris Martin plays a man, powerless in the face of love and needing to apologise. This apology is revealed in the first lines of the song:
Come up to meet you, Tell you I'm sorry, You don't know how lovely you are.
The genre is alternative rock, the broad characteristics of which are a focus on the band members or lead singer, often in a ‘mood’ piece, often featuring wide-open country, roads, and trucks.
Without the visuals the song might have a different meaning, depending on who is listening. What the visual does is draw you into the narrative. At the point you begin to question why everything on the film is in reverse the narrative begins to unfold. The first part of the film features an urban landscape with graffiti, BMX biker, street basketball and a discarded mattress on which Martin is lying. There are several close ups of the ‘star’ but this is not overtly about Martin’s iconography. As the lyrics repeat the narrator’s need to go ‘back to the start, the camera travels with him on his journey and the narrative is revealed.
Throughout the video the sequences seem bled of colour, leaving only neutral tones, reflecting the depressed character and situation. Chris Martin is central in the majority of frames.
Neither the music nor the video change pace particularly after the opening sequences where the rest of the band join the piano as the reverse narrative really begins. The video is not dissimilar to previous Coldplay videos which largely feature Martin singing to the camera in a range of melancholy backdrops.
This is a good example of experimental video in that the visual experience promotes critical thinking, encourages thoughtful prediction and stimulates curiosity.
It draws you in – you want to watch the video and listen to the song, thus doing the job of promoting the artist.
Experimental videos that encourage more interaction from the audience are becoming more common as record companies seek new ways to interest a wider audience in their artists.
The music video for "The Scientist’ by Coldplay is an experiment in reverse narrative. For the video Chris Martin had to learn to sing the song backwards.
The video was filmed at various locations, including London and the Bourne Woods, Surrey. It was directed by Jamie Thraves and depicts Martin walking in reverse through a city, out into the suburbs and eventually the woods, picking up various pieces of a suit as he goes. Upon arriving at his car, he 'gets in' and passes out as his girlfriend, laying on the ground in front of the car, is shown reversely flying out of the car. The car backs out of the woods and through a broken barrier, which mends itself upon the car's passing. As the video closes, they are shown driving back up the road.
Essentially this is a performance based narrative video. Chris Martin plays a man, powerless in the face of love and needing to apologise. This apology is revealed in the first lines of the song:
Come up to meet you, Tell you I'm sorry, You don't know how lovely you are.
The genre is alternative rock, the broad characteristics of which are a focus on the band members or lead singer, often in a ‘mood’ piece, often featuring wide-open country, roads, and trucks.
Without the visuals the song might have a different meaning, depending on who is listening. What the visual does is draw you into the narrative. At the point you begin to question why everything on the film is in reverse the narrative begins to unfold. The first part of the film features an urban landscape with graffiti, BMX biker, street basketball and a discarded mattress on which Martin is lying. There are several close ups of the ‘star’ but this is not overtly about Martin’s iconography. As the lyrics repeat the narrator’s need to go ‘back to the start, the camera travels with him on his journey and the narrative is revealed.
Throughout the video the sequences seem bled of colour, leaving only neutral tones, reflecting the depressed character and situation. Chris Martin is central in the majority of frames.
Neither the music nor the video change pace particularly after the opening sequences where the rest of the band join the piano as the reverse narrative really begins. The video is not dissimilar to previous Coldplay videos which largely feature Martin singing to the camera in a range of melancholy backdrops.
This is a good example of experimental video in that the visual experience promotes critical thinking, encourages thoughtful prediction and stimulates curiosity.
It draws you in – you want to watch the video and listen to the song, thus doing the job of promoting the artist.
Experimental videos that encourage more interaction from the audience are becoming more common as record companies seek new ways to interest a wider audience in their artists.
cry me a river
Cry me a river is the second single from Justin Timberlake first solo album Justified, released in 2002. The album came after the break up of popular boy band N*sync in the spring of 2002, of which Timberlake was once a part of.
The video is very performance based, with Timberlake singing almost all the lyrics into the camera. This video shows some what of a darker side to the performer and has been widely viewed as a re-telling of his split from Britney Spears, another massively successful super star on the pop circuit. The video depicts him exacting revenge on a girl, who looks incredibly similar to Spears, by breaking into the woman’s home filming him self with another woman and watching as she returns to her home to find the video playing on her television, a reference to the notion of looking. There is also a narrative in which the story unravels as the lyrics start to link with Timberlake’s performance of a heartbroken man out for revenge.
The video also features producer and hip hop star Timberland, marking the first in many collaborations in which the two would later share. In the video, Timberland plays somewhat of an evil sidekick, lurking in a car and playing watchman, as Timberlake plays out his plan.
The scenes are cut very much to the beat of the music and the close ups of the star seem very eerie, a perfect match for the theme of video and song.
Surprisingly, the video features very little dancing from Timberlake, a natural motif of the singers image. Instead, the brief amount of dancing that is done is made to look sleeker by visual affects of him defying gravity as he moves around the house.
An example of the lyrics being amplified by visuals would be when Timberland sings “The damage is done so I guess I be leaving” and Timberlake hides in the house as the mystery woman comes home without realising he is there. At this point it seems he has broken the plan to leave but cannot resist getting close to the woman one last time, showing a definite flaw in his character. We see a broken man lurking behind the woman he loves but wants desperately to feel pain.
A scene of sexualised display comes near the end, when the woman gets in the shower, in time with the chorus, unaware that he is behind the shower screen.
The album Justified was a definite transition period between boy band member and successful international solo artist. This video shows more of the artist he was to become in the future and is more evident in his later work. It also marks the transition from pop genre to more urban and R ‘n’ B.
The video is very performance based, with Timberlake singing almost all the lyrics into the camera. This video shows some what of a darker side to the performer and has been widely viewed as a re-telling of his split from Britney Spears, another massively successful super star on the pop circuit. The video depicts him exacting revenge on a girl, who looks incredibly similar to Spears, by breaking into the woman’s home filming him self with another woman and watching as she returns to her home to find the video playing on her television, a reference to the notion of looking. There is also a narrative in which the story unravels as the lyrics start to link with Timberlake’s performance of a heartbroken man out for revenge.
The video also features producer and hip hop star Timberland, marking the first in many collaborations in which the two would later share. In the video, Timberland plays somewhat of an evil sidekick, lurking in a car and playing watchman, as Timberlake plays out his plan.
The scenes are cut very much to the beat of the music and the close ups of the star seem very eerie, a perfect match for the theme of video and song.
Surprisingly, the video features very little dancing from Timberlake, a natural motif of the singers image. Instead, the brief amount of dancing that is done is made to look sleeker by visual affects of him defying gravity as he moves around the house.
An example of the lyrics being amplified by visuals would be when Timberland sings “The damage is done so I guess I be leaving” and Timberlake hides in the house as the mystery woman comes home without realising he is there. At this point it seems he has broken the plan to leave but cannot resist getting close to the woman one last time, showing a definite flaw in his character. We see a broken man lurking behind the woman he loves but wants desperately to feel pain.
A scene of sexualised display comes near the end, when the woman gets in the shower, in time with the chorus, unaware that he is behind the shower screen.
The album Justified was a definite transition period between boy band member and successful international solo artist. This video shows more of the artist he was to become in the future and is more evident in his later work. It also marks the transition from pop genre to more urban and R ‘n’ B.
Stan
The song itself is thought to be a cultural milestone and is quite possibly the most critically acclaimed song in Eminem’s career. Falling into the genre of hip hop, Stan was one of 2000’s biggest hits and peaked at number one in eight different countries upon its release.
Goodwin states that ‘rarely will a music video simply illustrate the lyrics’ but this video is incredibly haunting and the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals is very powerful. Eminem has used the medium in an interesting way. The video develops his own iconography, part of his star image. Ironically that is exactly what the song is about - how a crazed fan is so obsessed with him and the hype that surrounds him that he will go to any lengths to reach him. In a short narrative sequence before the music begins we are introduced to the character of Stan, his pregnant girlfriend and their strained relationship due to his intense obsession with the rapper. We see Stan, undergoing a metamorphosis into Eminem in the mirror –is this to remind us this is an Eminem video?
In the video, Stan is played by actor Devon Sawa who starred in Final Destination, also in 2000. The film was hugely popular among young audiences. Hand picked by producer Dr Dre, he would seem the perfect star vehicle to appear in the video. Playing Stan’s girlfriend is British singer and songwriter Dido, who also provides her voice for the chorus. Eminem has very little screen time in the video and his presence is cleverly timed so as not to distract us from the ‘story’ unfolding in the visuals and the lyrics, but nevertheless to remind us of his iconic status – a status also echoed by the song.
When the chorus begins it seems the lyrics are symbolic of the girlfriend’s feelings toward the situation, rather that Stan’s. The visuals are rather voyeuristic; she is seen sitting on the toilet as she considers her life. It does tend to echo one of the conventions of the hip hop video genre where women are treated with little respect. We are also given a shot of Eminem sitting on his tour bus and being handed some fan-mail, which turns out to be from Stan. The three main characters have now been established by the camera appearing to reveal the three characters lives as three layers in time for the beat drop.
Next we are introduced to the severity of Stan’s love of Eminem, as he enters his basement smothered in pictures of the rapper, memorabilia and even a life size mannequin. We see a close up of some picture as the lyrics say “and even if I could it would all be great/ to see your picture on my wall”. We see an example of the notion of looking when we see Eminem on the TV screen as Stan writes his letter. Another example is at the end of the video, after Eminem realizes that he is writing to Stan who killed himself. Lightening flashes and in the window beside Eminem you can see Stan staring in at Eminem.
The visuals in the video seem to cut well with the lyrics as well as the beat. When Stan is writing his letter in the first verse, we hear a pencil scratching to match what we are seeing.
Throughout the video we see Stan’s worsening reaction as he is seemingly ignored by his idol. However, the audience is shown a scene from a post office in which the letter, written by Stan, is tossed from a mail cart and left on the floor, thus never reaching its destination. This is an example of the audience knowing more than the characters in an almost ironic way, making them feel sympathy towards him.
“dear slim/ you still ain’t called or wrote/ I hope you have a chance/ I ain’t mad/ I just think its fucked up you don’t answer fans/ If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your concert/you didn't have to/ but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew/ That's my little brother man/ he's only six years old/ We waited in the blistering cold for you/ four hours and you just said, "No."
As these lyrics are spoken we see Eminem at his concert, dressed in his signature baggy t-shirt and bandanna, on stage, in front of thousands of adoring fans, more in line, for a brief moment, with the codes and conventions of a performance video.
An example of intertextual reference would be in these lyrics from the third verse.
“Hey Slim/ I drank a fifth of vodka/ you dare me to drive?You know the song by Phil Collins, "In the Air of the Night"about that guy who coulda saved that other guy from drowning/but didn't/ then Phil saw it all/ and at a show he found him?That's kinda how this is/ you coulda rescued me from drowning”
Stan’s part in the video ends with him driving over a bridge with his girlfriend in the trunk of the car. As he drives off the bridge the beat of the music stops and we only hear a base line over which the sound effects of the tyres screeching, the girl screaming and the splash as the car entering the water is heard, before the beat resumes.
In censored versions of the video, the lyrics to the majority of the third verse in which Stan protests his love for Eminem and utter disappointment that he has received no response to his letters, is blanked out, but the chilling visual is still shown to the viewer.
Stan’s younger brother Matthew then becomes the subject of the visual in the final verse, spoken by Eminem as Eminem. In a moment of dramatic irony we see Matthew stepping up to take the place of his dead brother, his hair already bleached blond, a trademark of Eminem.
Many of the images are played back to us in this final verse as Eminem makes a wasted attempt to bring sense into Stan’s life. Once again we are then shown another example of the viewer knowing more that the characters, as we see Stan’s car being pulled from the river as Eminem says “I hope you get to read this letter/ I just hope it reaches you in time/ before you hurt yourself”. The words hurt yourself are emphasized by a close up of the totalled car.
Having previously released performance videos with a more comedic style, with songs such as Real slim shady and My name is, this video showed a different side to the controversial rapper and earned him an even bigger fan base inside and outside the industry. It elevated his iconic status around the world, which considering the story behind the lyrics, is again rather ironic. Interestingly Stan is said to be based on a 1984 track by Malcolm Mc Claren, in which an operatic aria replaces the voice of Dido. If true, Eminem has cleverly manipulated the genre to his own ends.
Goodwin states that ‘rarely will a music video simply illustrate the lyrics’ but this video is incredibly haunting and the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals is very powerful. Eminem has used the medium in an interesting way. The video develops his own iconography, part of his star image. Ironically that is exactly what the song is about - how a crazed fan is so obsessed with him and the hype that surrounds him that he will go to any lengths to reach him. In a short narrative sequence before the music begins we are introduced to the character of Stan, his pregnant girlfriend and their strained relationship due to his intense obsession with the rapper. We see Stan, undergoing a metamorphosis into Eminem in the mirror –is this to remind us this is an Eminem video?
In the video, Stan is played by actor Devon Sawa who starred in Final Destination, also in 2000. The film was hugely popular among young audiences. Hand picked by producer Dr Dre, he would seem the perfect star vehicle to appear in the video. Playing Stan’s girlfriend is British singer and songwriter Dido, who also provides her voice for the chorus. Eminem has very little screen time in the video and his presence is cleverly timed so as not to distract us from the ‘story’ unfolding in the visuals and the lyrics, but nevertheless to remind us of his iconic status – a status also echoed by the song.
When the chorus begins it seems the lyrics are symbolic of the girlfriend’s feelings toward the situation, rather that Stan’s. The visuals are rather voyeuristic; she is seen sitting on the toilet as she considers her life. It does tend to echo one of the conventions of the hip hop video genre where women are treated with little respect. We are also given a shot of Eminem sitting on his tour bus and being handed some fan-mail, which turns out to be from Stan. The three main characters have now been established by the camera appearing to reveal the three characters lives as three layers in time for the beat drop.
Next we are introduced to the severity of Stan’s love of Eminem, as he enters his basement smothered in pictures of the rapper, memorabilia and even a life size mannequin. We see a close up of some picture as the lyrics say “and even if I could it would all be great/ to see your picture on my wall”. We see an example of the notion of looking when we see Eminem on the TV screen as Stan writes his letter. Another example is at the end of the video, after Eminem realizes that he is writing to Stan who killed himself. Lightening flashes and in the window beside Eminem you can see Stan staring in at Eminem.
The visuals in the video seem to cut well with the lyrics as well as the beat. When Stan is writing his letter in the first verse, we hear a pencil scratching to match what we are seeing.
Throughout the video we see Stan’s worsening reaction as he is seemingly ignored by his idol. However, the audience is shown a scene from a post office in which the letter, written by Stan, is tossed from a mail cart and left on the floor, thus never reaching its destination. This is an example of the audience knowing more than the characters in an almost ironic way, making them feel sympathy towards him.
“dear slim/ you still ain’t called or wrote/ I hope you have a chance/ I ain’t mad/ I just think its fucked up you don’t answer fans/ If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your concert/you didn't have to/ but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew/ That's my little brother man/ he's only six years old/ We waited in the blistering cold for you/ four hours and you just said, "No."
As these lyrics are spoken we see Eminem at his concert, dressed in his signature baggy t-shirt and bandanna, on stage, in front of thousands of adoring fans, more in line, for a brief moment, with the codes and conventions of a performance video.
An example of intertextual reference would be in these lyrics from the third verse.
“Hey Slim/ I drank a fifth of vodka/ you dare me to drive?You know the song by Phil Collins, "In the Air of the Night"about that guy who coulda saved that other guy from drowning/but didn't/ then Phil saw it all/ and at a show he found him?That's kinda how this is/ you coulda rescued me from drowning”
Stan’s part in the video ends with him driving over a bridge with his girlfriend in the trunk of the car. As he drives off the bridge the beat of the music stops and we only hear a base line over which the sound effects of the tyres screeching, the girl screaming and the splash as the car entering the water is heard, before the beat resumes.
In censored versions of the video, the lyrics to the majority of the third verse in which Stan protests his love for Eminem and utter disappointment that he has received no response to his letters, is blanked out, but the chilling visual is still shown to the viewer.
Stan’s younger brother Matthew then becomes the subject of the visual in the final verse, spoken by Eminem as Eminem. In a moment of dramatic irony we see Matthew stepping up to take the place of his dead brother, his hair already bleached blond, a trademark of Eminem.
Many of the images are played back to us in this final verse as Eminem makes a wasted attempt to bring sense into Stan’s life. Once again we are then shown another example of the viewer knowing more that the characters, as we see Stan’s car being pulled from the river as Eminem says “I hope you get to read this letter/ I just hope it reaches you in time/ before you hurt yourself”. The words hurt yourself are emphasized by a close up of the totalled car.
Having previously released performance videos with a more comedic style, with songs such as Real slim shady and My name is, this video showed a different side to the controversial rapper and earned him an even bigger fan base inside and outside the industry. It elevated his iconic status around the world, which considering the story behind the lyrics, is again rather ironic. Interestingly Stan is said to be based on a 1984 track by Malcolm Mc Claren, in which an operatic aria replaces the voice of Dido. If true, Eminem has cleverly manipulated the genre to his own ends.
presentation
The music videos I have chosen to analyse are the following:
Stan - Eminem.
Directed by Phil Atwell and Dr Dre
Narrative structure and visualisation of the lyrics
Justin Timberlake – Cry me a river
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Narrative structure, performance and transition of the artist
Coldplay – The Scientist
Directed by Jamie Thraves
Performance, concept and experimental
Stan - Eminem.
Directed by Phil Atwell and Dr Dre
Narrative structure and visualisation of the lyrics
Justin Timberlake – Cry me a river
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Narrative structure, performance and transition of the artist
Coldplay – The Scientist
Directed by Jamie Thraves
Performance, concept and experimental
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