Developing film camera techniques

We begun looking at work from the famous Alfred Hitchcock, who specialised in shots such as the trombone shot. We saw this in effect from the film 'Psycho' in which a man falls down the stairs, while we see the background getting bigger, it is a very effective technique. Although the film was made in 1960, the camera shot still works just as well as it did back then.

We then looked at a video by La Roux - Bulletproof. This video contains an effective use of the tilt shot. The artist is leaning against a wall (or so it seems), and then the camera tilts and she is lying down, which then cuts to her getting up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUsbpmQ9-mc

Here's a screenshot of the shot in action:












At 1.27 into the music video, you see this shot in action. It is so quick that you wouldn't think much of it.

We discussed about several shots including;

- Trombone shots
Tracking back, whilst zooming in

- Lip Synching
Pretending to sing to the music,
Can be done by speeding up the track and then slowing down on iMovie.

- Lip Synching with time lapse
One example of this is ;
Guns N Roses - Garden of Eden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jweI0kDOgtI

- Time Lapse
Speeding up the background around the character
e.g film 10mins of the character standing still, then speed it up to about 2-3mins
One example of this is;
Lazee ft Neverstone - Hold on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWZ0KD1A4M
example ;
Orbital - The box

- Cutting on XCUs

- Cutting on black

- Tilt moving shots

- Tilt static shots

- Disappears

- Floating heads
Black background, and increase contrast

- Headcam fixed shots

We then went out to attempt to make some of these shots ourselves. This was very challenging as most of these we had not tried before, and had little experience with

Deconstruction of Album covers

By looking at several different artist's album covers, it enables me to begin thinking about what image and representation they are trying to bring across, and the effects that are used to do this, which is what makes them so effective, and look so great on the front cover of the CD case.

First album:
Ludacris - 'Word of mouf'



















Now as you can see, an instant sense of distortion has been represented, through the use of image manipulation. The dog's mouth looks to have been stretched, but has infact been given a set of human teeth instead. The actual artist 'Ludacris' is the man stood next to the dog, who also has been photoshopped, to give the impression that he has a really big afro, and that he is somewhat rebellious due to the facial expression he is giving off and his choice of 'baggy', loose clothing.

The artist himself is a very loud, aggressive rap artist in his way of rap, and this album tells us that, due to the points listed above, but also how the dog beside him is a known aggressive dog, the bulldog, and how Ludacris is frowning, and from the looks of it, shouting. The colours are widespread, but quite dull, representing the streets. Ludacris is a very influential artist, and by representing himself as small, but with the big afro and showing passion and aggression, he will successfully appeal to the younger audience with this album, as this will humour them, and think it's 'cool'.


Second album:
Ace Hood - Gutta




















A sense of authority is shown here, as artist Ace Hood is sat before you with his hands flat down on the table and a lot of money infront of him. he is a relatively new artist, yet he is represented as someone important from this front cover. How do we know this? Well the use of mise en scene. The army-type clothing, with the badges and ranks stitched on (I dont know what they mean but you dont need to, if he has some badges and ranks stitched on then he would be quite important), and the use of money to show that he is rich, and someone important, 'big' to the topic, which in this case is the Rap/hip hop music industry. Aswell as the use of army clothing to show him as being superior, the use of a cap has been used to link back to the fact he is involved within the rap industry, as this style of cap, the 'new era' are those worn commonly by most rap artists who wear caps.

The use of gold and green represents this theme of money and wealth, alongside the idea of authority and being superior. Ace Hood looks more serious than he actually is as an artist, he is chilled and creates music, yet here he is shown as some army officer with a handful or more of money infront of him, which has created this high figure status and made him out to be an important person, despite this being his first major album, and being an early figure in the music industry.

Zanif Records

After talking with a colleague in the media class of mine, I contacted 'Zanif' and he agreed to let me use his song for my music video.
We've already begun discussing basic ideas for setting and type of filming to do, it sounds like we could work well together with this video.

















He uses myspace to populate his music to the potential fans, and to distribute his music. A music player is used on the page to play a few of his tracks.

http://www.myspace.com/zanifonline

He uses mixtapes to distribute songs to the public, which means it's for free.
He is still new to the music industry, first inspired by listening to eminem, and then to the grime genre by listening to artists like Kano and JME.

This is the song that I will be using is called "One of dem days" which he sent me, and i've had a chance to listen to, so that I could think of ideas for the music video, such as themes, settings, props, weather etc.

The next stage will be for me to come up with some possible ideas for settings and events in the music video, which will be accompanied by the use of a mood board, which will then be discussed with Zanif so that we can finalise on an idea that we both have confidently agreed on.

Artist representation - T.I

The rap artist T.I is known for his skill in rapping and his music videos. Songs such as 'Dead and gone', 'Live your life', 'Rubberband man', 'What you know', 'Whatever you like' and many more. Each music video will have a different representation of the artist, there may be many representations in one single video, but each will tell a story about him.

http://www.wat.tv/video/i-feat-rihanna-live-your-life-hq-136j6_9moe_.html

For example, in this video above, T.I ft Rihanna - Live your life, the artist is first represented as a someone who has been beaten up by thugs, someone who possibly is with the wrong kind of people and has upset someone. He is then shown as the rich, upper class character, with the suit, with the white tie, that he was before he went to this 'meeting'. The story is represented in reverse, in order to make the viewer wonder why he is initially bleeding and by the looks of his motions and body, in pain.













If we were to compare this with T.I - What you know, we would see a comparison in the representation made here.

http://vodpod.com/watch/289024-t-i-what-you-know-about-that-video

He is now represented as the 'thug' that were his enemies in the other video. We know this through the mise en scene and editing. He wears black clothing, with includes hoodies, balaclavas over the mouth,, and also wearing sunglasses to hide his identity. He then dresses up with this 'upper class' figure again, creating a comparison to his original appearance, but also showing how he hides his real identity to others when he meets them, as he wears a suit when he goes to a show.

Editing has also been used ot represent him as this 'thug' figure. As he is shown in motion punching, the screen shakes, as if he is a powerful figure and also dangerous. Slow motion is used as he turns his head, creating a suspicion about him, as it creates the appearence of being ghost-like. Also like every rap artist, his record label is advertised alot within the video, to show it off and get noticed.

Looking at music videos and video directors influences

We were given two different music videos, which we were only allowed to listen to the music, and then in groups consider what WE would think of making for the video for it.

The first video was by Rancid, called Timebomb, which itself sounds like a modern song which could be by someone like The Ordinary Boys or someone similar, but infact in the video the band is represented as rebellious 'punks' playing in an abandoned building.

In my group this is what we came up with for ideas to make the video for this;

Mood:
Cheerful, crazy, upbeat

Actions:
Bouncy castle, circus, trampoline, candy/sweets, quick cuts, circus dancers, pier, unsteady camera, party, performing on the bouncy castle.

But in fact, we were completely wrong in our idea compared ot the one which was made. This does not mean that our idea is a bad one, just that we have a completely different imagination in comparion to the actual video director to the song. This is what the real music video looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwIbb3McVW4


The second video we listened to was called We know something you don't know, by DJ Format. Our initial ideas were really different to what was made, but some of our ideas were there.
Here is what we came up with;

Mood:
Floating, relaxed, authority, urban

Actions:
Driving/cruising, polics, cocktails, lilos, New York, women, bling

The actual video contained people in animal suits hip hop dancing and rapping, which was very random, but very effective with the song itself. This gave me a great insight on the kind of ideas people can have which will differ from eachother, from listening to just one song.

Looking at the Beastie boys

A music video by these artists that breaks the rules of music videos is 'sabotage'


Although this may just look like an old fashioned spoof of a 70's style police programme, it is infact a music video, which contains a story within it and although it may not be illustrative with the song, it does work will with the video, as it is therefore disjunctive, representing the artists as rebellious and somewhat with authority and power, which with the use of mise en scene for the clothing and sunglasses, with the adventurous camerashots such as fish-eye lens, zooms and constant unsteady-cam, you begin to aspire to them.

Looking at Spike Jonze

One of his most well known creations for a music artist, is the video Björk - It's oh so quiet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1A_uSEjTIQ

Here is a list of the notes written down during a screening of the music video, thinking how to deconstruct a music video, compared to film clips that we were used to.

• Lighting effects match tempo and structure of song
  
• Synchronous
  
• Borrows from musical and form of intertextuality
  
• Centrally framed for singer
  
• Distinctive orange dress, contrast to others
  
• Represented as energetic, bubbly, qwerky, despite the fact that she is pregnant
  
• Contrast in opening, to catch the viewer's eye and create a complete comparison to the character
  
• Horror, dirty, run down bath room, water and light sounds
  
• Slow tracking, synchronous/illustrative with music
  
• Whizz pan, sense of energy
  
• Borrows from musicals - Tin man
  
• Vulnerable, wind slow motion clip
  
• Pace in music, camera faster
  
• Continuity editing, stunt double
  
• Birds eye view, umbrella theme (singing in the rain)
  
• Crane/symbolism, star, happy, in love.