Question Four

Filming day five.

We had a gap in the chorus of our music video in which we needed to fill in. So, we filmed a band performance in order to add more locations in our music video. This was very successful in terms of camera shots and camera movements. Unfortunately, when we uploaded it for editing, we found that it did not match up with the rest of the music video in terms of music and the other scenes.

Editing Phase One.

- We started to edit the footage for Lady Sovereign and most of this was successful as we go the right shots and a good variety of camera angles and locations. Also, everyone arrived on time and the cast member playing Lady Sovereign wore an appropriate costume for the role. Thus, we found it easier to edit and put onto the timeline, matching it with the pace of the song.

- However, whilst editing her parts we noticed that not all of the lyrics were in sync, as the cast member did not lip-sync the song as well as we would have expected. Therefore some of the footage may have to be re-filmed and we'll use the footage that is best.

- On top of this, we saw that this performance looked weak compared to the performance of the main singer which then made the video look unbalanced in terms of performing and acting.

Filming Day Three.

As discussed in our meeting, we thought that re-filming the female lead would be best in order to improve the music video. The filming was successful as it was sunny, despite the cold weather plus we got enough filmed in the short time given. When putting it on FinalCut for editing, we found that both performers matched up more than before making the video look stronger.

Filming Day 1.

We film all of the Lady Sovereign parts, this was very successful as the weather didn't make the filming impossible. We attempted to use the dolly for tracking however we found that the camera was shaking vigorously because of the bumpy ground. We agreed that this will be no good for the music video so we decided to do the majority of the filming handheld.

Voyeurism in music videos.

One of the main concepts that can be seen as an issue in music videos is known as voyeurism. This is where the treatment of the female image is projected to an extent where it would be considered unsuitable for younger audiences because of the exposure of the female body. According to Goodwin, one of the points seen in a music video is the 'voyeuristic treatment of the female body'. This can be through camera work like close-ups of different parts of the artist, costumes such as revealing tops and choreography like her dancing and showing off her body. This can create a sense of pleasure for audiences, according to Freud where viewers gaze at the screen and is known as a psychological way of watching for not only pleasure but enjoyment and escaping from reality. A good example that shows voyeurism is 'Super Bass' by Nicki Minaj. Here we see that she is wearing revealing clothes like the strappy top and shorts that will appeal to all audiences and we see her singing around topless men giving across a sex appeal to both genders and as said before this could cause voyeurism as of what is happening in the music video.

Other successful music videos.

The reason why I think these music videos are successful is because they meet all the codes and conventions of a music video such as a performance, broken narratives or creative scenes. They also go with the songs very well and the performances are believable, this makes the video entertaining and not repetitive. The song choice, casting, camera work, lighting and MES work well together to create an entertaining and believable music video.

Evaluating music videos from the previous year.

13B6- 

• This music videos had good mise-en-scenes such as the parties. 
• There was a good range of ideas such as the young police giving the video an edge. 
• The lighting and camera shots/movements were on point and the video played smoothly. 
• This had a really strong appeal to young audiences as it was very effective.

13B5- 

• There were good camera shots, MES and lighting which added to the mood of the song.
• However some performances needed more energy to make the song more believable.
• There could be more camera movements to make the video more exciting. 
• It would have been more efective if there was more to it.

13E8-

• There is a very good range of shots and MES which makes the video interesting. 
• Very simple but effective as it relates to the song. 
• However because the song is slow it doesn’t make the video exciting. 
• The prefrormance is believeable and matches the song making it effective.

13B4-

• There is a good range MES and camera shots. 
• The performance is very believable. 
• However the narrative in the video is slightly blurred. 
• Their isn't a wide ranfe of camera movements etc to make the video believable.

13B2- 

• Good range of MES and camera shots. 
• The performance isn’t very believable and needs to relate to the song more.
• Possibly needs a clearer narrative. 
• Overall needs more energy throughout the music video.

13E9-

• There are good MES but very little camera movements/shots. 
• The video is weakened by the use of a movie. 
• Good performance. 
• Movie doesn't make much sense of the song.

13B3-

• Great performance.
• Good range of MES, lighting and camera shots.
• Good simple, narrative flow. 
• However, the song itself drags on and so does the music video making it seem repetative. 

13E7-

• Good performance and MES. 
• Overall, video is too simple and repetitive. 
• The girl in the car spoils the atmosphere as she looks bored. 

13B1-

• Good performance, relatable to the song.
• Good range of MES, lighting and camera shots. 
• Good, clear narrative. 

13E11-

• The performance is too forced and needs more energy. 
• The narrative is unclear. 
• The whole video needs to relate to the song more.

13E10-

• Good MES camera shots and movements. 
• The performance needs to be more believable and needs a clearer storyline. 
• There are too many effects in one place and needs to be more spread out.

What to avoid in a music video.

When looking at music videos from previous years we saw what made their music videos weak. This is something we learnt to avoid as it would bring down our marks.

• Repetition of the same song and exact performance.
• Too many effects as this will make the music video a disaster. 
• Bad song choice that is hard to get a good music video out of. 
• Lack of performance and choreography as this will make the video less believable. 
• A fully narrative music video will only confuse the audience rather than entertain them.
• Off time lip-syncing will make the music video very weak and disastrous. 
• Too many locations will also be confusing for the audiences and too much to take in. 
• An unconvincing cast won’t make the music video entertaining or believable. 

What makes a good music video.

When looking at music videos from previous years, we found that some of their tecnuiques used made the music video effective. We also looked at music videos by artists and saw what made the music video so effective.

• Mainly in one location which relates to the song.
• Small variety of effects but enough to make the video exciting. 
• Good variety of camera shots/movement to create an effective video. 
• Good choreography, in time with the music. 
• Good lip-syncing also in time with the music. 
• Short and simple narratives to make the video easy to understand and watch. 
• Natural, realistic and creative scenes. 
• Music artist attracts the right audiences. 
• Artist shows believable performance, high energy and emotion relating to the song. 
• Cut between narrative and main performance.
• Performance and narrative all in one place. 
• Good casting that can make a believable performance.