Filters and effects

This shot is a scene from the hit film 'Reservoir Dogs'

This is a shot from my music video. We tried to recreate certain scenes from the film where the song that we were creating a music video for was used.

Without a filter

With a filter

We wanted to create an older feel to our music video and even though our footage appears similar to that of the film we wanted to also make it look like a music video rather than just a film. The filters, which we added in Premiere Pro, allowed us to create a more up beat and music video feel.

this link is how we did it.

Group feedback

Mies-En-Scene and our location

We managed to communicate a date with the owners of the warehouse and it will set the scene for our music video. After scheduling with all four band members as well as proprietors of a warehouse we managed to fixate two days to get the cameras rolling. From episode 2 , episode 3, episode 4, episode 5 and episode 12  from our YouTube series you can see the attempt at recreating the mise-en-scene. The warehouse is made to look abandoned and we preserved it just as it had been given to us. We had bits of old factory signs, old clocks and machine parts just lying around. It was the perfect location for us to shoot our video. It almost perfectly matched the scene from 'Reservoir Dogs', we used lighting which was left behind by a band who recently played a gig at the warehouse. We were able to film about 90% of our footage in the retired building which is unfortunately set for a major face lift to become a block of apartments. We found a great hidden place and it suited all of our needs. The mise-en-scene rarely need adjusting because it was what we wanted it to be. Occasionally we had to move a coat or can of shaving foam out of shot or nudge an old ladder into it but it was what we could never have expected. 

Target Audience

We have identified a target audience between the age of 15 and 60 years old, that can be both male and female. The band could be more attractive to female audience as it is an all boy band who could follow suit of One Direction and Take That whom are desired by the female audience in a reversal of the Male Gaze theory. But this might work in the opposite direction in creating a market for males who seek idols in the male four piece as they do to artists such as the Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay. Because the members are 18 years of age they could prove to be a target for the teenage female audience as older males tend to act as the role models for the male audience. However, the likes of Justin Beiber plays into both of these markets even though he is a young man. He is still 'cute' enough to attract the female audience but also somewhat of a g-d to teenage boys like Reece. The reason alludes me. We believe that they will be into 'indie rock' and 'folk' music. This is because the song was initially of the 'folk rock' genre, however, with our rebranding we feel that the song will appeal to an audience that fall under the 'hipster' and 'indie' titles. Not only will the music attract these individuals but the website and social media platforms that we have set up will. The independent style that we have gone for will help to consolidate our audience. Because of the music genre we are less likely, in my view, to be as strong with the female audience who tend not to listen to this type of music. 

Final storyboard

This is our final ever storyboard for our music video. It consists of many of the ideas broadcasted in our first sketches however we have developed many of them. We intend to play on the "stuck in the middle with you" lyric and depict the band members squashed into strange and small awkward places such as a bed, a classic mini and a cupboard. We are almost devoting the song to Reservoir Dogs by having our parody as the main theme of the song with performance scenes featuring as oppose to vice versa. We still do expect for our storyboard to change and to improvise as we film, this is because we know that we will continue to come up with better ideas and that it is, in our opinion, best to leave some room for manoeuvre. Its more fun with less planning and from experience we have learnt that it is usually better too

Album cover idea

This is the first design that we have come up with for our album cover, it is based on the CD cover by the group Galiano and their album 'the plot thickens'. The idea is to have a shot from the from and back of the four of us sat on various different means of transportation. From a bike to a children's toy car. The rest of the album including any type will be done by hand. We want to create our own identity and brand which no one can replicate and we believe that the most unique method is by hand. No matter whether you are considered 'good' or 'bad' at drawing each style is completely different and has its own charm. 

Risk Assessment Form

This is our risk assessment form for a location in Sheffield. We understand that we are entering a vicinity which could pose potential hazards and have therefore come up with appropriate measures to prevent and minimalise the chances of this happening. We have highlighted appropriate risks such as being in the warehouse and dangers that could be associated with that but also the use of the blade on the cut throat razor.

Location scouting

The location which we would like to use is located in Sheffield even though this is a further commute than our other option we believe it is better suited to our needs. The old warehouse bares resemblance to the scene of Resivoir Dogs that our music video will attempt to parody and can also be used for our performance scenes. We are unsure of whether we will be able to use the warehouse as we are still in contact with the owners so therefore we have also scouted another area which we have been told we can use.

The location we have in mind as a back up is in Chesterfield and is much closer for us however we may find it difficult to use the space which needs to be emptied somewhat before it can be used. If we used this location we may be forced to play out our performance scenes somewhere else such as a recording studio which is not the direction we were originally angling for. 

We Media

View my presentation on 'BatKid' and how social media has effected society here

Pitch to a production company

One Page Proposal - Used in Pitch

Storyboard for 'Stuck in the Middle with You'

This is our first ever storyboard for the song by Stealers Wheel. We have based a lot of our ideas around the original video by Joe Egans band but have tried to give it a modern twist whilst also creating a parody of the cult classic Reservoir Dogs. We have used scenes featuring a cut throat razor and designed the costumes to best replicate Tarrantino's blockbuster movie.

Preliminary piece

This is our practice task which was a cover of September by Earth, Wind and Fire which was subsequently taken down from youtube for copyright issues. 

Permission request

Media music video decision

After originally settling on 'Don't blame it on the boogie' by the Jackson 5 as our song choice we decided that it was far too well known for us to do something new with it without the audience automatically associating it with the originally video. It was simply to famous for us to handle and recreate without that judgement. Therefore we compiled a list of new songs and watched them all before, in true 'We media' fashion, giving a democratic vote out of a possible ten.

Male Gaze and Textual Analysis of Blurred Lines

Male gaze definition: is a concept coined by feminist film critic Laura Mulvey. It refers to the way visual arts are structured around a masculine viewer. It describes the tendency in visual culture to depict the world and women from a masculine point of view and in terms of men's attitudes.

The male gaze consists of three different gazes:

• that of the person behind the camera,
• that of the characters within the representation or film itself, and
• the gaze of the spectator.

The nine points of the theory are:
1. The representation of women as a sexual fantasy and from a heterosexual point of view.
2. Scopophilia- the pleasure involved in looking at other peoples bodies.
3. Objectification of female characters
4. Patriarchal society
5. Active male and passive female
6. Men as controlling subjects
7. Women as an image
8. Men do the looking and the women are there to be looked at
9. Needs of the male ego

Robin Thicke- Blurred Lines

The opening shot of the video is of Robin Thicke and another women's bodies intertwined, in bold letters following the screen it reads '#THICKE' this shows the dominance and ego of the star. He is showing his need and that this is to be fulfilled by women, this support point nine about the needs of the male ego.

Various shots use the theory that women are there to be looked at, the shots show the men staring at the female characters and objectifying them. The women don't appear to hold issue with this but this is might be because they feel like this is a way that they need to act in order to fulfil the needs of the man. In a lot of the film the women are dancing and following the men around showing their will to please. This could also demonstrate scopophilia which is the pleasure that men get from looking at the female form.

The shits shown below display men as controlling subjects and give them authority over women. The women are stood around before Pharel, the man in the shot, shouts "hey girl come her" this once again imposes the view that the man is in the empowering position.

The woman is being shown in a seductive manor with a close up of her red lips a colour which has sexual connotations and implications of that manor, the background is a skin colour which gives that 'naked' feel and blends in with the women in the video who are wearing similarly coloured clothes. This is to create a sexual fantasy and to seduce and fulfil the male ego.

This shot could demonstrate a patriarchal society with the lyrics "tried to domesticate you" however the woman could appear to be uninterested and go against the patriarchal society, it might display the view that even though the male figure seems to hold control he really is the one chasing his female counterpart around. The feeling of power and control is actually a fabrication and in fact the woman in the shot holds ultimate dominance. 

The shot below goes against the view of active males and passive females as Robin Thicke is leant against the wall whilst the two females actively trot around him and dance toward him. 

Blurred lines does follow the theory of male gaze to a certain extent but there are some aspects of the theory which aren't complied with by the video. The video does objectify women and has the two men in dominant positions throughout, but on the flip side the women could be shown to have the ultimate control. The men could be chasing the women around and seen as competing to fulfil their ego.

David Fincher

David Fincher

Born on August 28, 1962 (age 53) the American director was one of the first mainstream film directors to emerge from music video. David finches has a very distinctive style, a director of photography plays a big part in how something looks but Fincher's work stays consistently dark and gritty. Production design is usually either stark and modern, or dark and heavily decaying. His work carries a distinct visual stamp regardless of who is shooting it. At the age of 18 Fincher went to work for John Korty at Forty Films in Mill Valley. He subsequently worked at Industrial Light and Magic from 1981-1983. When he left ILM he moved on to directing TV commercials and music videos with N. Lee Lacy in Hollywood. He later founded Propaganda in 1987with fellow directors Dominic Sena, Greg Gold and Nigel Dick. Some of his clients include Nike, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Heineken, Pepsi, Levi's, Converse, AT&T and Chanel. When directing music videos Fincher has worked with the likes of Madonna, Sting, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, George Michael, Iggy Pop, The Wallflowers, Billy Idol, Steve Winwood, The Motels and more recently A Perfect Circle. As a director he has seen huge success with Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999) and, Panic Room (2002).

David Fincher has a certain style and his movies often features several single frames that flash on the screen in the middle of a scene such as in Fight Club (1999). Fluid tracking camera which can access anywhere; a digital age innovation in camera movement pioneered by David Fincher and Kevin Tod Haug along with BUF Paris. Frequently he has characters in the shadows where you cannot make out their face (Kevin Spacey in Se7en (1995) and Brad Pitt in Fight Club (1999). His films often end in a suicide, either attempted or successful and his films often have low-key lighting with green or blue tinted color temperature. David Fincher also loves a good flashback and often refers to the band 311 (poster in Fight Club, cop car radio calls in Zodiac) He often displays end credits as slide shows (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) or scrolling downward (Se7en) rather than the traditional upward scroll.

https://vimeo.com/122990387 

What have you learned about your media use and how you access news content?

What have you learned about your media use and how you access news content?

The news is a massive part of our lives it can shape change and redefine the way that we live, it influences on the choices we make and always will. I would say that I have always had ssan inkling into the news and mostly been aware of my surroundings and whats happening around me. 

I get most of my news from the Sky News app on my phone which I do feel is a trustworthy source and that it brings me the most important updates from around the world more so than other corporation and I feel that BBC cares more about the latest sportsperson to retire, however the BBC website remains the most popular online destination, used by 52% of people who go online but this could just be all of those who google it as some sort of a test to see if something works in the apple store. As the BBC is government funded it must follow the six points of the charter set out by the royal charter and agreement this may keep it fair and available to everyone but I feel it is restricted this way and is focused more on entertainment rather than news yet they still attract one out of every 28 people around the world. The main reason that I use this app is because of its accessibility and ease of use, I check it at least once a day and have alerts on. I follow sports news as well closely and have the Sky News football app however I don't feel the need to check this as often because of the influence of social media.

I do use social media as another portal to the news nominally twitter, I feel it has a wider range of opinions and makes the news more relatable to an extent an Ofcom report from 2013 found that eight out of 10 people don't trust the media to reflect their concerns and needs. Almost half (46%) thought social media more accurately represented them, compared to the 18% who favoured mainstream media. Social media served as a hub for all and spreads news faster because people are more inclined to regularly check it whilst on the move rather than the pages of news websites. In 2012 Facebook publishers sent around 62 million links but within a year it saw growth of nearly 100 million with 161 million outbound links being sent in 2013. More evidence of this change within social media was the change of the twitter prompt from ‘What are you doing?’ to ‘Whats happening?’ with people posting more newsworthy material and less about themselves. 500 million tweets are sent a day with around 13% (65 million) containing a URL. In the six months following the revolution in Egypt the amount of Facebook users rose from 450,000 to a staggering 3 million. The week before president Hosni Mubarak resignation, the total rate of tweets about political change in Egypt spiked from 2,300 a day to 230,000 a day this shows the global scale and reach that social media has. People can learn a lot from social media however I feel that the use of cookies is limiting what is immediately available to us. Cookies tailor our social media to recent searches clicks to try and bring the best and most interesting content to that particular person. Even though we are after the most relevant and interesting news and don't want to have to sift through irrelevant articles it limits the news we are actually exposed to. It now requires someone with those regards already instilled within them to seek out that news and I'm sure they hold no issue with doing this if that is their diversion, I like to delve further into the news and develop my own opinion. Twitter participation has increased 40% during the uprising in Syria,social media has quickly become a place to discover news just as it breaks, bringing the stories of those involved imminently through their own words and allowing more citizen journalists and amateur footage for example, the first person to break the news on the American force’s raid on Osama Bin Laden was his neighbour, who sent out a tweet about the commotion going on next door. This shows the great power that social media has and the influence it has on our lives. I don't find that I fend as much ’general’ news on social media I might see someone complaining about something but then this leads me to search for it myself. Twitter promotes things which are trending and this usual encompasses the football, which I do learn a lot about from twitter, and the latest celebrity to mess up. Don't get me wrong, I think social media methods are great and help me to keep on track of whats going on in the world and learn about things that aren't in the news, which are usually more interesting. 

Televised news does still exist. In actual fact I do watch it. Shocking I know. Every morning I sit eating my grapefruit and slice of marmalade toast in front of Euronews, I sound like such a grandmother. I find Euronews as one of if not the best news channel on television, it brings together news from all across the world to every European . It tries to remain impartial and  give fact rather than opinion, it has one section called ‘no comment tv’ this is where it will present raw footage with, you got it, no comment. It tends to show something particularly harrowing along with the empty noise of the clip really honing in the reality of the video. In recent months this has mostly been shots following the refugees. They tend not to ask opinion but to just observe and let you form your own opinion around the events which you see, you should watch it and my description probably makes it sound very amateur and illegitimate but I’ll put a link below. In the parts in which they do speak, they try to get a wide range of presenters from all across the world, usually from the country which they are reporting. This is to give a more accurate and insightful view to what is happening even if this means doing lots of voice overs. It’s constantly rolling news and has no studio or presenters, it just has the stories playing through which are occasionally interrupted by something happening live. I get the majority of my news from this as it gives precise short insights to the mornings news which i will if I am interested in follow up and look out for them developing in the day. 

I already have a keen interest in the news and like to know what is happening around me, how my future could be and has been affected by whats happening right now in this very moment by people who have no idea of my existence. I followed the election very closely this year and previously in 2010, I think its important to develop an opinion and understand the world. I think we live in a society where people aren't bothered about whats happening in the world and may see it as boring but ultimately it could will decide how your life pans out. I think to grow up understanding your surroundings will help us further down the line in making life choices because we only learn from mistakes, and politics is full of them. Personally I enjoy that knowledge and feel it helps me in everyday life whether it’s whilst conversing with others, helping me to learn and understand something new or just to help me create educated decisions plus I like clever jokes.

The Euronews website: 

http://www.euronews.com

 And YouTube live stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfaVDgd17Io

Song choice

We decided that we wanted to go for a 1970 – 1980’s dance song, because we wanted to venture out and challenge ourselves with a less contemporary song choice.

When we finally agreed upon ‘Earth, Wind & Fire – September’ which was released in 1971 we had the idea of wearing suits along with the fake afros to match the typical mise–en–scene of that particular era however this was only a preliminary task and therefore we held back. We also tried to incorporate some of the different types of instruments that can be noticed in the original music video.

I think that this was a fairly successful song choice and that we can learn from our mistakes and improve upon our skills in areas such as lip synching and timing. I think that the song choice was perfect and it put all of us into a genre of music which we weren't familiar with which really challenged us and helped further develop our skills but also work to our strengths and traits.

Lip syncing practice