Song Details

Song: Breathless
Artist: Asking Alexandria
Label: Sumerian Records

The reason we chose this song is because it suits our genre perfectly and the ideas that we have created fit this song well. The genre of Metalcore is suitable as it portrays darkness, sadness and the reality of pure subdued emotion between one soul and another. It has a meaning that can be misread unless you see between the lines which has given us the perfect opportunity to release this message via visual imagery.

Technical Tutorials

In this Jing video I explain how to Render a video clip in 'Final Cut Express'. You have to render the clip so that you are able to se the clip being played itself. IF you did not render you would not be able to synch the clips to the soundtrack as you would not be able to see what it is you are doing.

In this technical tutorial I have learned how to use Jing and set up accounts for Jing and Screencast.com. During these tutorials I have also learned how to use the green screen and then pack it all away with the help of classmates. Also I have learned in more depth about how to use 'Final Cut Express' and what it is I need to do to replace the green xcreen background in the video clip. \this is helpful as me and the group may use this green screen to record our music video more shots in places that we will not be able to reach or get too.

The camera shots used in this were effective as we had three cameras set up and this meant that we were able to get three camera shots from three different angles and of the same person or object. Also because they were all recroding at the same time it was easy to synch them together and cut and edit them in 'Final Cut Express' for effective shots and effective timeline for the music video.

Initial Ideas

During the group discussions of what song we would want to do and by what artist we did not come to a conclusion but we have come up with some iudeas of bands that may be of interest to us. For example bands such as 'Bring Me The Horizon', 'All That Remains', 'August Burns Red' and also the band i am in 'Infinatly Damned'. It would be bands like these that we would want to think of doing as our music video as they cover our genre perfectly. We will be adding some narrative to our music video to emphasise meaning of the song and the lyrics. We will also be including shots of the band performing the song as well as a narrative.

We have decided to use these ideas as they are stereotypical convention of this genre. Although we will be applying the conventions of this genre to our music video we will also be trying to challenge it by changing scenery and shots that maybe you would not expect to see in a music video from a band of this genre. This would challenge the audience mind and hopefully make the narratives clarity clearer. Also so using an unorthodox narrative we might be able to give a different feel to the song or even get more attention on the song rather than the video itself.

Roles

I will be part of the band in this music video as I play drums and I am already in a band. I will also be filming some of the narrative scenes as I will not be in the frame of these shots so my help will be needed on the camera. During the band shots I will be seated behind the kit playing along to the track and making sure that I have some sort of camera and stage presence. This would mean that I have to be able to go into character as the drummer for the band that we will be playing as This would be hard as I will have to step into the shoes of a world famous drummer in a high classed, high status band. This is only if I am unable to place my band material into the picture. For example, if our recording doe not go to plan or we as a group want to change the band we perform. If my band material is used then I will have to play as myself as if I am playing live in front of thousands of people, or "Play As If Each Beat And Each Stroke Is My Last" in the words of 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith.



Elenya will be in charge of the photography of the band. She will be taking the photos for the adverts and the album covers. Elenya will also choose where she wants to take the photos so she is in charge of the mise en-scene for the pictures and also how she wants the band to be positioned. This means she ill have to take into account the lighting, the background material and spacing of each still image camera shot.






Tre will be in charge of editing and camera shots. This means he will be filming the band performing and that he will use his knowledge of cinematography to create effective shots that emphasise the genre of music or the unorthodox meaning behind the song. What Tre will also have to do is edit the whole piece together. This means he will have to get the lip synchronisation in time, make sure all the shots flow freely, and that the order of the shots and the song make sense and connect.

Peer Assessment

I had my work evaluated by Jordan F. and Daniel D. The pictures above state what they said about my work and efforts. Both of them think that I have put a lot of effort in and that i have approached the tasks well. They also think that my use of visual material such as pictures and videos are good and help to vasry the text and blog posts.

Assessement TME 24/09/11

Dan,  
WWW: Good analysis of the Heavy Metal music videos (Genre research 2). Some excellent points made. Well done.

You've also improved many of your blog entries and it looks like you've taken some time over the analysis, I particularly like your entry on the conventions of a heavy metal video.  Always try to include some visual material in every single blog entry.  

EBI - you need to include analysis of the magazine adverts you have found. These should include specific examples from within the advert. Think about how the target audience is being attracted by the makers of the advert through the use of specific mise-en-scene and camera shots.

You need to include analysis of the audience feedback. It should be possible to generate a chart through the google forms page. And then give a brief summary of what your sample said about the genre of music. What was the most prevalent tastes etc. Will you include these preferences in your own music video? 

You need to complete the Record Label post. Remember to keep this in your own words. Brief history is fine, but make sure you mention the other artists/genre of music they promote.

Although the entry on the CD covers is good for the first two covers with some good analysis, the third cover is not complete.

You have got some notes written for the theories, but you need to include visual material.

GRADE - IN

Audience Research One

 

I did this questionairre so that I could get an idea of what people listened to and what they liked in music videos. I asked them about their age and their opinions on the music they listen to and also what they want to see in the bands they like and their music videos. This would help me to do my music video and gave me an idea of what people would want in a music video from the genre I have chosen to do.

Audience Research Two

 This chart shows us that half of the people who answered the questions on my survey were male and the other half were female. This means that the genre of Rock/Metal is a genre for mixed genders and is not specifically gender orientated.

 This information shows us the information on how these people listen to their music. The majority of these people use online video or sound sources. This shows us that the internet is a growing venue for musical storage and access. The next two popular sources of access are Radios and buying the bands album first hand.

 This graph shows us what people like to see in there music video and what makes the videos interesting. Everyone who answered liked seeing the band members and their instruments performing in the video.

This graph portrays to us on how people share their music in their social groups. Half of these people use CD's or other media of that sort to share the music they enjoy and also internet, text message and face-to-face are popular.

Advertisement Research

This advertisement for 'Lost Alone' is a prime example of an advert that challenges the stereotypical conventions of a rock/metal album advertisement in a magazine or newspaper. It challenges these conventions because of the brightness of it compared to a variety of other adverts thata can be found. It consists of a greay blue colour that is tinted over the whole advert with the vivid blues and greens of the earth behind it. Also this adverts has a lot more writting on it so the reader has to take time to read this to get information that they might need whereas the usual convention would be that important information is short and clearly shown on the page. On the other hand; there are some conventions that have been kept. For example; the band name is in big letters and the information such as record, shop and band logos are clearly shown.

This advert is a good example of a stereotypical rock/metal advert. For example; this advert is showing the whole band round a table with the vocalist standing up and in a dark, dingy room. The fact that you can see the band shows the reader who the band are they so it helps them to recognise that the album is by this band, also like a majority of other band adverts the vocalist is the main focus as he is the frontman of the band. This is also typical to see on a live stage and album covers. Also on the adcvert the important information is clearly shown. We can see this as all of the information is in big writting and is easily visible on the page. The album cover has also been clearly placed on this advert do that when people go out to buy the album they know what it looks like so that they can see it and recognise the album instantly. The shop information and logo are also stated at the bottom so that they readers also know where to gert the album from so that they don't have to travel from one shop to another looking for the album.

This album advert is between the other two adverts above in terms of conventions only these conventions are more noticable. For example like the first album advert there are bright colours, in this case the colours are bright white as the majority of the advert is this colour. This contrast the darkenss of the band clothing and the darker background behind them meaning that the advert stands out more and draws people in to view this advert. Also like the second advert the vocalist is the main focus as he is standing in front of the other band members so that the first person we are most likely to see on this advert is the front man. On the other hand, this pictures are of close ups of the band so you can only see their face, this means you can not clearly see where it is they are standing. Also like the second advert the details of the album and where you can buy it is clearly stated and easy to read as the colour of the writting also contrasts the white background of the adverts.

Record Label Research

'Roadrunner Records' is one of the most knowledgeable and well known label for my genre of music. They started off as 'Roadracer Records' out in the Netherlands back in 1980. Their main aim was to get North American recorded metal bands out into the music industry in Europe. in 1986 they opened offices in New York and in years to come they began opening more offices around the world in places such as United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Japan and their latest one in Canada.  They have signed artists and bands such as Alter Bridge, Alexisonfire, Biffy Clyro, Korn, Slash, Slipknot, Black Stone Cherry, Airbourne, DevilDriver, Killswitch Engage, DragonForce, Dream Theater, Funeral For A Friend, Lamb Of God, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lenny Kravitz, Machine Head, Opeth and many more. They are known between bands to be able to boost their popularity and get them to rise up into the music industry fairly quickly. It is this popularity that has put them at the level they are at.

'Epitaph Records' records is an independent record label which was founded by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. He did this so that he could release albums from his band. The first album to be released on this label was Bad Religion's self-titled EP in 1981 also followed by their debut album 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse?'. The label is located in Hollywood, California. The label signs bands from genres such as punk rock, hardcore punk, pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, alternative rock, alternative hip hop and grindcore. There artists include bands such as Alesana, Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, Big Talk, Bring Me The Horizon, The Colour Of Violence, Converge, Dangerous!, Every Time I Die, Falling In Reverse, Farewell, Frank Turner, Frenzal Rhomb, Heartsounds, I Set My Friends on Fire, Leathermouth, Letlive, The Menzingers, New Found Glory, Off With Their Heads, Our Last Night, Parkway Drive, Social Distortion, Story Of The Year, Weezer and many more...


'Geffen Records' is an American record label founded by David Geffen in 1980 who already had music business knowledge after founding 'Asylum Records'. Geffen records is located in Santa Monica in California. Artists and bands signed to this label include bands such as 10,000 Maniacs, Aerosmith, Alien Ant Farm, Angels and Airwaves, Blink 182, Bloodhound Gang, Bill Crosby, Cowboy Junkies, The Cure, The Eagles, Guns N' Roses, Garbage, B.B. King, John Lennon, Lifehouse, Limp Bizkit, Nirvana, Papa Roach, Puddle Of Mudd, Rise Against, Slash, Snow Patrol, Sonic Youth, The Stone Roses, Tesla, Whitesnake, White Zombie, Neil Young, Rob Zombie and many more...

Genre Research - Conventions Of A Music Video Of My Genre

- One main stereotypical factor of rock/metal is the darkness associated with this genre of music. This is portrayed in the bands lyrics, clothing, music videos, CD covers, tattoos, their living styles, how they talk and also the instrument brands that they play. For example, if their is a large drum kit with lots of cymbals and toms then it would normally be associated with heavy metal.

- Another stereotypical convention of a rock/metal music video is the fast paced shots in the video. The fast paced shots help to connect with the song because the song is most probably at a fast tempo so the video will relate with the song more.

- Hand gestures and certain movements are also a usual convention. For example; in a lot of music videos you have the band members head banging, in power stance, the hand gesture of rock and the audience in live videos are head banging, mosh pitting, same hand gestures, waving lighters at any slower songs and wall of death. You only see the audience when in a live situation but in 'Duality' by Slipknot an audience of fans had been invited for the video.


- Eye contact and primary focus on the vocalist or member with lead role in section being played. For example; the majority of the time the main member focus will be on the vocalist as he or she is the main front member delivering the energy and the song to the audience or viewer. On the other hand; during a guitar solo the main focus will turn to the guitarist until the solo has finished. This also relates to any riff or intro/ending that the guitarist or other member will play.

CD Cover Research

"Parkway Drive" - June 2010 -
'Resist Records', 'Epitaph', 'Burning Heart'

This CD cover is suitable for our genre of music as its conventions are stereotypical and can be seen in a variety of other CD covers. The use of the darkness and the deep blue colour portrays the fact that this album is dark and it's content on the CD will not be connected with happiness. The brightness in the distance could tell us that some of the songs on the album may be about looking out into the bright horizon but knowing that they are stuck in the darkness above the water beneath them. The writing is also important and the fact that the album title is in bold and white stands out and is a comparison to the dark background. This could be because they want the audience to remember the album title and the complicated writing style of the band name is instantly noticeable and could show us that the band is an advanced band and there is nothing simplistic about them.

"Alter Bridge" - October 2007
"Universal Republic Records"

This CD cover is of a different genre from the 'Parkway Drive' cover as this is more hard rock than metalcore. Although there is this difference between genres both of the albums have similarities. For example; both CD covers are dark and their band name and album title stand out. On this particular CD cover the album ('Blackbird') has been represented by a rough and abstract figure of a blackbird. This helps the audience visualise the album making it easier for people to recognise and remember. Also the positioning of the band name and the picture of the blackbird makes it look like the blackbird is attacking or about to grab the band name on the cover. On the other hand; it looks like that the sides of the CD cover are caving in on the bird therefore it is trying to escape the darkness which is a similarity that can relate to the previous CD cover.

"Black Stone Cherry" - August 2008
"Roadrunner Records"

This CD cover is another prime example of a cover that uses the
stereotypical conventions of a rock/metal music genre. In this case the cover has an image of the whole band on it, each in possession of their instruments so that the audience knows who is playing what instrument on the album. Like the other CD covers the there is the element of darkness within this image as the band are in the middle of a forest which can be related to the darkness and eeriness of this genre. Also the connection of sadness can has been portrayed on the faces of the band, their vacant expression tell the audience of what is to be on the album. The band name is yet again extremely clear and massive letters. This time instead of being on the bottom of the CD cover it is above the band members, this is what is telling the audience about the band and who the band members are.

Genre Analysis - Papa Roach - "Hollywood Whore"

Cinematography

This music video keeps to the stereotypical conventions of a Rock/Metal music video as it uses a lot of dark colours including black which you would usually relate to sadness in this genre of music. Also the colour theme of this music video suits the lyrics, this can be related by the second line in the song 'Passed Out On The Floor', this line in itself automatically links to the theme of darkness and sadness. As like a majority other music videos in this genre the main focus is the band and the instruments they are playing. This means that this band have kept to the conventions of music videos for this genre so they have played the game safe so that maybe they wouldn't confuse their audience with a dramatic change or that the fact that there is no other theme that would support the meaning of the lyrics and the song.


Mise En-Scene
The superior focus is on the band and the instruments that they are playing. The use of the guitars, drums and the microphone tell the viewers what instruments are being used and what is playing what part. This could help the audience relate to the song more as if they play an instrument for this genre of music they can focus on what there instrumentalist is playing and how they are playing it. Also the use of the woman at the end with the blood spraying at the band is a harsh visual effect as it portraying pain and sorrow. This effect may also link to the lyrics when the say 'I'm Sorry But The Party Is Over', the 'Party' could relate to this female's life and now that she has died the party is over. The use of the word 'Whore' could mean that this woman was an active woman with other men and also show us that the band have used a word in such a state meaning that they are very forward about the topic which can also be related to this type of genre.


Sound
The sound clarity in this music video is clear like many other music videos of this genre. This also shows us that the recording has been done professionally meaning that the band have the money to record this in a high tech studie. On the other hand; there are also parts of this song that aren't what we would usually relate to singing as at the end of the song the vocalist begins shouting and may suggest to the viewers that he is taking out his anger through this emotional vocal projection.


Editing
Every clip in this video has been smoothly synchronised together as there are no gaps or glitches within the music video. This portrays the fact that the band have had the money to take there time with editing the music video so that they can perfect it and make it to the best standard possible. Another editing feature that has been completed successfully is the fact that all the beast and lip synchs are in time so that the video looks as if it has been played live and that there are not a lot of shot layered on to each other to get all the different angles.

Genre Analysis - Sonic Syndicate - "Denied"

Cinematography

The cinematography in this music video is a contradiction as the use of the colour white is very dominant throughout the entire music video. This is challenging the stereotypical convention of a rock/metal music video as White is not a usual colour associated with this precise genre. The camera shots in this video are also typical as they are fast paced but this is also vaguely challenged as there are some slower paced shots within the music video. On the other hand what makes this music video successful is its use of varied shots creating a strong feeling for the song and boosts the purpose of the song by using harsh visual realisation.


Mise En-Scene
On the other hand; the constant use of the band members and their instruments equalises the conventions of this genre as it is a typical convention to see in these music videos. The fact that the background of the music video is plain white with no extra added props could portray the main focus of the band and the song itself rather than having a narrative to it. In contrast to this the convention of darkness can be seen at the beginning of the music video with the fast paced shots of the vocalist.


Sound
There is no added sound in this music video therefore, as like many other songs from this genre, the main focus is on the song and bend member rather than any narrative in the song. This is typical for this genre as the band members want to show the audience and their fans the music that they have created. The fact  that again the clarity of the sound is crisp means that the song has been well recorded and portrays that the band are wealthy as it has been done in a high technological recording studio.


Editing
The editing in this music video is smooth and crisp as there are no blank gaps or unnecessary jumps or glitches throughout the entire video. Also the whole song is in synch and there is no part of the song that has the drummer or vocalist drop a beat or have the guitarist playing the wrong section. This portrays the fact that the editing a lot of time taken on it meaning that the band had the money to take time on perfecting everything including the editing of the song and the music video.

Genre Analysis - Atreyu - "Bleeding Mascara"

Cinematography

Again in this music video the conventions of the metal/rock music video have been kept as the majority of this video is dark. The use of the band and their instruments which is a stereotypical element when it comes to metal/rock music videos. The conventions are also challenged as there is a few slower paced shots in this music video of the band as they play their instruments. Stereotypically people would think that a song of this genre would have fast paced shots like the song but this band have such a high status and wealth that they can afford to take the risk and experiment with slower paced camera shots and movement. The camera shot at the beginning of the video can relate to the heartbeat of the audience before the song kicks in. A majority of the shots in this video are shaky and hand held, which in some places is effective but the over use can also give the viewer the feeling an amateur video that has not been filmed properly.


Mise En-Scene
The main props used in this music video are the instruments that the band members are playing. This can be seen in a majority of the videos of this genre as the main focus is primarily the band and what they are playing. This could be because the viewer like to see the band and see what they are playing. This is therefore are convention of this genre of music and this convention has been portrayed in this video. The use of the chainsaw means that there is some sort of narrative to the song but it is only the secondary focus of the video.


Sound
There is no diagetic sound in this music video only the sound coming from the song track. This also helps to the song be pushed into the primary focus of the viewer as there is no other sound or dialogue to distract the viewer fro the song itself. This song is not as clear or well recorded as other band of their level, this could be telling us that this band have not yet been able to afford the technology that others can or that even though they have a high status they have chosen not to do so.


Editing 
There is a lot of places where this lip synch is out and the drumming it not in time. For example; at 1"40' the drummer was supposed to hit the snare drum in the song but the video shows him hitting it at roughly a beat after the sound attack has been made. Also some of the lip synch is off therefore showing us that the song may have also been edited by someone who is less experienced like the person who did there camerawork.

Genre Analysis - Bring Me The Horizon - "Pray For Plagues"

Cinematography

This music video supports the conventions of a rock/metal video as it is dark, it has fast moving camera shots and it involves the band in a majority of these shots. The shots in this music video are very jumpy and they are shaky as well. This is portraying the fact that this song is fast and is a song that you would normally relate to 'mosh pits' in a live situation. This is because of the heaviness of the song and the fact that this song is compacted with the scream of the guitars, the smashing of the drum kit, the depth of the bass guitar and the harsh scream from the vocalist Oli Sykes. Also the fact that his mouth is contrasted with the white effect could relate to the contrast of heaviness and harshness.


Mise En-Scene
The props used in this music video are stereotypical of a music video of this genre. This is because as like in most metal/rock music videos they band are prominently used and they are dominant in being seen playing the song on there instruments. Also the main dominant member of the band to be seen on camera is the vocalist as he is the front man of the band and is delivering the song to the audience.
Also the fact that the video is surrounded by darkness throughout emphasises the darkness of this band and moreover the genre.


Sound
The sound throughout the whole entire video is the sound from the song track. The clarity of the song is crisp therefore you can tell it is newly recorded. The fact that there is no diagetic sound or dialogue could mean that there is no story to the song and that the main focus of the video is the song. The fact that this song has great clarity means that this band are wealthy enough to be able to hire out a high tech recording studio.


Editing
There are shots in this music video that are jumping and it looks as if they lag. These is a useful and powerful effect for this video as it is suitable and it represents this genre well. You can relate this to the music itself as the different changes in drum beats, guitar lines and melody lines can be classed as jumpy as like the video clips in this song.

Genre Analysis - Bring Me The Horizon - "The Sadness Will Never End"

Cinematography

 

The cinematography in this music video challenges the conventions of a metal/rock music video whilst it also supports them. Its use of slow camera shots contradicts the harshness of the song and the genre whereas the fast paced shots support this genre by visually portraying the speed of the song and how busy it is. Another cinematography point is that like a majority if metal/rock music videos there is the shaky camera as if someone is standing there holding the camera and moving whilst the band are performing the song. This gives the feel of audience involvement and connects the viewer to the band and the song.

Mise En-Scene
This music video has the similar mise en-scene as other metal and rock videos. The areas in the music video are very dark and dingy to portray a depression or some sort of dark mood. This convention has been kept and therefore is important because it is as if it has been created as a typical music video for this genre of music. The props are also typical as the band are using their instruments in the music video and they are all performing throughout the whole song.

Sound
The sound clarity in this music video is crisp and represents the fact that this band have the money to be able to afford a high tech recording studio to record in. There is no added effects in to the music video and there is also no dialogue. The main focus of this music video is therefore the song itself and there is no narrative to it with dialogue.

Editing
All the editing in this music video is precise and spot on as the lip synching is exactly in time with the lyrics in the song. The clips in every scene in this video are on the beat and there are no blank gaps between each shot. Also there is no jumpy shots that were not intended to be used. This makes the editing look a lot more precise.

Genre Research - Mood Board

This mood board represents my genre of music that I have chosen for my music video. It represents rock and/or metal. Rock is the birthplace of all popular music today. It has evolved from country and blues music and has developed from rock n' roll to hard rock to heavy metal and through the years developed into the genres of modern day music such as rap, hip-hop, new R'n'B, etc... Most of the famous musicians in the world were related to rock or metal in one sense or another. The pictures I have chosen represent magazines and stations that play this genre of music, Elvis Presley who is the King of Rock n' Roll, an instrument you would typically find in a band lineup and some more bands and first recording vinyls to be used.

Theories - Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis analysed both music video and Hollywood film.She identified distinct approaches such as narrative (structure) and representation. She has focused on how the music video can have a montage of different clips and still make sense because it has a huge help with the auditory material involved whereas a Hollywood film has to use continuity to order their shots as nothing would make sense and everyone in the audience would be highly confused. 

"In video our attention to the song shapes the way we perceive the image, but to an equal extent what we attend to in the image helps determine how we hear the music". In this quote Carol Vernallis is stating that in the music video the moving images that the audience and viewers see help us to understand the songs and the lyrics involved and vice versa, the lyrics and the songs also help us to understand the moving image in the frame, this is the link between the visual and auditory material.

Shots of the artists will encourage our brain to piece together a phantasmagorical body. (A body made up in our mind of all the body shots we see).

Theories - Bordwell And Thompson

Bordwell and Thompson used the Kuleshov effect which focused on how the editing of a music video or any media can be used to create meaning behind something. These included the four different relations between shots:

Graphic - Use of visual and moving images.

Spatial - Creating the space within the scene between people and objects.

Temporal - The editing and time of each shot in the scene.

Rhythmic - The rhythmic relations between one shot and another.

Graphic Editing

Every film in the media whether it is a music video, a Hollywood film or a TV programme contains visual material. Because of this every shot is linked graphically, 'Pictorial Quality'. 

There is the strong pattern of light and dark, shape, volume and depth, movement and stasis.

The main reason in which graphic editing is used is to create or portray 'Smooth Continuity' or ' Abrupt Contrast'.

Graphic Match - Link of shot by graphic similarity.

Graphic Continuity - Centre of interest is constant through the out cuts but not everything is exactly the same.

Graphic Discontinuity - This editing technique contrast everything from the recent shot from colour/footage type to shape, etc...

Rhythmic Editing

Rhythmic editing is the length of each shot in relation of each other. Different shot lengths can show a different meaning depending on the point in the film or music video. For example;

All shots approximately the same length = a steady beat

Steady lightening shots = gradual slowing tempo

Shorter shots = accelerating tempo of increase.

Longer shot length time = greater time for the audience to reflect on the past shots. 

Spatial Editing

Film 'Space' (setting, location, mise-en-scene, etc...) and relation and manipulation of different points.

Continuity Editing - Analytical space via a long shot followed by a smaller shorter shot.

Kuleshov Effect - A 'Spatial Whole' based on seeing only portions of the space involved.'Connective Relationship' between shots and 'Spatial Co-existance' distance within one person to another in a room.

Crosscutting - emphasise action taking place in separate places at around about the same time.

Temporal Editing

Time of action and the manipulation of the story time, order, duration and frequency. Flashbacks to help with audience knowledge of the story and flash forwards to create enigma. Ellipsis of the story time (Taking out the pieces we don't need to see). For example; we never see an action hero full day, we only see the important bits that would make sense to us, we never see them use the toilet. The use of repetition is also common for the creation of tension.

Punctuation - shot change (dissolve, fade,wipe, etc...)

Empty Frames - The figure of interest moving out of the frame

Cutaway - A shot of another even elsewhere.

Theories - Andrew Goodwin

Illustration is when the band or artist or actor.actress are performing in front of the camera to portray the meaning of the lyrics in which they are singing. For example; if the lyrics are talking about someone sitting alone on a bench the shot during these lyrics would be someone sitting alone on this bench. This is used because it helps give the audience an idea of what the lyrics are about because they can link the visual material with the auditory material. Also the actions, posture and clothing of the actor/actress, band or artist is also important in illustration as the correct clothing has be worn to help with the visual material. Even though the clothing doesn't always focus on the lyrics it can help the genre of the song. For example; if the song is a dark song of a dark genre the people involved would most likely be wearing black clothing of some sort.

Amplification is when the visual moving images are amplifying the lyrics and a specific narrative may be  used. This technique is used when the lyrics may be harder to understand and are in need of some visual material to help make the connection. In most cases the band or artists would take on the main role in the narrative of the music video. The majority of the time this technique would be used in complicated rock videos that have creative lyrics with a personal feeling and emotion behind them.

The disjunction technique is the complete opposite of the illustration technique as the music video may have nothing to do with the song or the lyrics involved. It is in these circumstances that when you see this you can sometimes automatically think that it is a bad and amateur music video whereas some of these video have been used and created by professional bands or artists who have been well established for a while and have the ability to take these risks. To exaggerate this the band or actor/actress involved may be asked to wear clothing that contradict the genre of the song so that the feeling in the auditory material is clashing the visual material.

Assessment 11/9/11 TME

WWW

- Clearly a lot of effort and time has gone into your analysis of the music videos. Good work.  

- I really like the fact that you have chosen to divide up the analysis into the micro elements - this allows you to focus on very specific parts and think about meaning. 

- Good visual examples included for all your posts. There are both still images and video to illustrate your points. 

- Range of different music videos these are clearly well chosen and you've included youtube versions on each entry. 

EBI

- You seem to be missing a blog entry or two check the list and make sure you meet deadlines. 

- Read through what you've written and check that it is part of a logical argument: in your entry on Low Budget Ideas, you make the statement "This video is a prime example of what an average music video of a low budget can do.  The camera shots do not vary and neither does the movement of the camera." I don't think this is a prime example at all! Its awful! The camera is constantly moving. If you meant that there were no specific logical camera movements, then you need to be specific. 

- "Everything was on the beat" would read better as "all the cuts (or edits) took place on the beat" if this is what you mean. 

- Know your definitions: Jump cuts do not work between scenes. Lighting should be described as high key or low key. etc. 

- Avoid waffle! Phrases like "every shot is unique and has its own significance" and "The lighting has been incredibly used" do not actually add anything to the factual analysis and have now actually cost you marks.  

Effort - GD but you do need to work on your entries, particularly the waffle!