Getting Started

Contents:
1. This Blog
2. Production Brief and Assessment Criteria
3. Thoughts on Previous A2 Coursework
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1. This Blog

This is my A2 Media Studies blog which will follow the research into music video conventions, with the final goal of producing a music video for a song by indie/alt/electro artist Aem. 
Following research into early music video, this blog will follow a clear line of reference for influence on the eventual final cut.
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My Media Experience up to Now

After creating a music video to The Smiths - How Soon is Now? 2 years ago, which had very few practical effects, and drew very much upon The Smiths original work in the 80's, mainly narrative based, and then creating an indie social realist film opening last year, this project will be quite different, as a lot of it is more based in aesthetic and visuals.

The in-depth conventions research on film openings, and the final cut of me and my partner's film opening, The Journey, can be found on last year's blog, which showcases how my technical and practical skills developed over the year, using FCPX software, and Sony A58 cameras as hardware.

The Final cut of our films opening:


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The final Cut of The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? musc video form 2 years ago:


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What I Hope to Achieve

By the end of this academic year I hope to have attained more knowledge on the conventions and history of music video, and ultimately create a video to a level at which both myself and the artist I'm working with are happy with. This will mean more attention to detail than in previous projects, and a higher level of technical skill (no accidentally blurry/out-of-focus shots, precise editing, clean effects).

I also hope to create some unique/original visuals through the use of practical effects/editing, or to at least explore more of what can be done using both FCPX and practical effects.
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2. Production brief and assessment criteria

THE BREIF: A promotional package for the release of an album, to include a music video (large task), together with a website for the band/artist and a digipak for the album's release (smaller tasks)

INDIVIDUAL BLOG - MUSIC VIDEO - DIGIPAK - ARTIST WEBSITE - MULTIMEDIA EVALUATION

There are 3 assessment objectives ("AOs")

AO2 - 20 marks
Application of knowledge and understanding
show how meaning is created
may be excellent/competent/apparent to a satisfactory level as demonstrated in all areas of assessment


AO3 - 60 marks
Ability to plan with detailed evidence
Discussions and revisions
The journey of the production
Sense of branding across 3 products
Appropriate use of technology in making meaning apparent for the viewer
Digital creative tools are used
Creative critical reflection
May be detailed/excellent/competent/satisfactory

AO4 - so marks
Ability to undertake and apply appropriate research - evidenced in detail on the blog
examples, conventions, audience, institution
May be excellent/relevant/competent/satisfactory

The mark scheme pt.1

the mark scheme pt.2

the mark scheme pt.3

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The 4 Evaluation Questions




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3. Thoughts on Previous A2 Coursework

Welshy Arms - Locked
By Simon, Christian and James

• I like this section in on the battlements where they appear to be in multiple places at once, its a simple effect but really effective when cut to the beat

• Throughout the video performance footage in the car park is shot from in front, then at the end to show the conflict in the relationship, and the emptiness of the break-up/death (or death of the relationship?) the 180 degree rule is broken and we are shown things from the singer's point of view, it really throws you off, I like that it was saved for the end

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Astrid S - Bloodstream

By Evie G

• In the bridge of the song there are these shots with loads of layering, with out of focus lights, and different shots of Evie herself, they worked well to show depth to the emotions of the character after her relationship, being overwhelmed, feeling everything at once, and that tied in really nicely with the underwater shots (as though she's drowning in these feelings) and the bath shots

• The 3rd person point of view shots of Evie, that feel as though she is being watched worked well,  especially since they're contrasted with the close-ups of her face where she is holding the camera. It was a notion of looking without being gratuitously voyeuristic, and the scenes where she is sexualised, she is sexualising herself (post-feminism)

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Suede - Just Can't Get Enough

by Richard

• I like that it's not heteronormative without being too simple
• The image of eating the flower and spitting it out really sticks in your head
• The diegetic ending is a bit of a mess with the sound editing and goes on for far too long, if I were to do that I would cut it down significantly

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Halsey - Control
by Adel

• The mask with the smoke coming out of it is really brilliant

• The use of either coloured smoke or paint powder is a really stunning visual too 

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Bring Me The Horizon - Throne
by Kristian, Bronwen and Sophie

• All the performance footage is really brilliant, with the painted-on tattoos for realism and the performers actually having learned sections of the song
• The effect on the drums when he first starts playing looks really cool and ties in with goodwin's theory (amplification)
• The slow-mo cross-cutting worked really well
• There aren't a lot of narrative shots, maybe expanding on that could have been good, and the baking scene was a little too cheesy compared to the rest of the video which is edgy. This binary opposition works to make the lead singer appeal to a wider target audience, as he is not only edgy, but there could have been other ways of showing the couple doing cute things together
• The paint powder is absolutely brilliant

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Oliver Hendon - Gecko (overdrive)
By Ida

• I really liked this one overall
• The way she sexualised herself, showing a lot of skin, and then completely shoved it in the audiences face by smearing the red stuff all over herself was really well done, if i were to do it though I would want to make it even more repellant, doing something like setting it up with a girl licking ice cream, to it eventually ending in her smearing the ice cream all over her face.
• The performance footage of her outside was really good, the make-up looked professionally done and she definitely had a consistent aesthetic
• The solo dancing shots of the break dancer were high quality, and the hand held camera really kept my attention on the screen (with the mix of hand held and tripod shots)

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Nine Inch Nails - Sunspots
by Joe

• I also really liked this one
• The face paint was simple but effective
• During the bridge theres a bit where everything was rewinded and sped up and it just worked really well
• the layering was one of the better ones from all the examples

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