Guilty Conscience' Video depiction By Alex Nugent

This is the music video for the song 'Guilty Conscience' by Eminem and Dr Dre:



This music video carries the conventional elements of a music video :

• Performance : During the song Eminem and Dr Dre are signing the lyrics.
• Narrative based: The nature of the song matches well with the video , the movement of the video is highlighted with the use of a narrator
• Changes of setting: These changes of setting alter with each confrontation of the conscience and are created with quick cuts.
  

These are some of the elements which i have manage to depict. However , the choice of this music video was due to the freeze frames which mean everything stops whilst the two performers carry on . This is something which we wanted to use in our video with when Matt's character is being beaten up ; he is held up off the floor and turns to camera and sings . The idea was included in our animatic storyboard and we don't know whether it will work but is something we want to try out. Below are screen shot showing the freeze frames:



These are just a few screenshots revealing how the video freezes. Another reason for its inclusion is the many examples of the characters within the video reciting to the camera. This is important as this is what we hope to do with Matt miming the lyrics as opposed to speaking to the camera which occurs in this instance. Within the video the narrative unravels like a story being told by this man (shown below).

Locations for filming

After completing the animatic storyboard we wanted to start thinking about locations for filming. The first actions within the video involve Matt and Megan getting ready for their date ; this will be done using two different house. We wanted to be as creative as possible with both our video idea and concept so we want locations which match this creativity. Therefore , we wanted find locations in and around London as we feel it will suit the unconventional approach and allow us to get the reaction of the public. We also feel it allows for many options . For the picnic scene we will use Hyde Park we feel it is large and open as is a better idea than using a local park as it shows time and effort has been placed into filming the video. Obviously, Hyde Park is a large place so we will choose the precise location on the day.



Another location is Carnaby Street , where the fight seen happens and where the man and the Gorilla finally confront. This location has been thought up as like Hyde Park it is quite open and will hopefully allow for us to get the publics reaction meaning we can emphasise the strangeness of the topic which is used within the video.

Lesson review - 19/10

As mentioned, our animatic storyboards allowed us to see how the video will look and asses the timings of shots and the lengths at which they are set. After watching it back we were slightly alarmed by the length of some shots and decided to try and incorporate more shot variety . Therefore, at some of the longer periods i have decided to include a few screen shots of what shot we want to break up the longer shots. Earlier in the blog we saw that in this music video there will be double the amount of shot that there would be in an opening of a film so this exercise of assessing the animatic storyboard again allowed us to be creative. As mentioned earlier it is important to remember that this is just a base to build from , when filming we may change shots or add some new ones in .

• At 30 seconds there is a shot which is 5 seconds long which is too long especially for a close close up . Therefore, we think there should be a few shots too emphasise the happiness of Matt's character. The shot on the bottom is of Matt smiling to a waitress generally looking ecstatic. The shot on the top is a contrast and is shown at 38 seconds to show Matt's shock at what he has seen . These will be quick 1-2 second shots and will be fast flowing but as mentioned will increase shot variety.

• These new shots will be added in during the first chorus at 45 seconds and have been included in as originally Matt is walking towards the camera miming which is quite simple. Therefore , the left shot shows Matt looking at the camera between the two lovers. This shot is important as it highlights the love triangle showing the three members in a row but also again allows for a change to Matt walking straight on . The second frame has been used in the same light to add variety

• These frames are to be included at around the one minute mark. It shows a shot reverse shot between the two lovers and reveals the banana feeding. We feel the mixture of shot reverse shot is key as it allows a portrayal of the love between the two characters. This shot will be done in slow motion making creating emphasis on the change in shot. With this we can emphasise the notion of the banana feeding which is meant to portrayed as strange. It also allows a break up of using one shot and will be a quick cut.

• The shot on the bottom has been included as a shot reverse shot type , giving the view of Matt , seeing the gorilla grabbing him . It is a quick 1 second shot which again (like all the others) allows for variety but is a quick solution to break up the extension of shot. This would be included at around the 2 minute 38 second mark. The frame on the top will be just past the 3 minute mark and again allows a point of view but also think is an effective way to change the drawn out miming frame which last for 7 or 8 seconds .

• This is the final shot and will shot the two lovers walking towards the camera showing Matt up against the bin . Again , it highlights the love triangle and ultimately Matt' failure at obtaining the women. These changes have been made to break up the longer shots and of course are only approximations . As mentioned earlier changes will be made on the day and we will try not too stick too rigidly to it.

Animatic Storyboard

Below is our animatic storyboard which has been created by individually filming each frame and then cutting them in order to fit the song. This method is important as it allows a development of the storyboard and see how the video will look . We feel the amimatic storyboard is a very handy tool however , it is very hard to frame every single change in shot . For instance during the first chorus Matt walks towards the camera miming which will take 7 seconds ; this is a long time to hold a shot and looks like we have used not variety. We have tried to keep timings as perfect as we can however , on the days of filming it is possible that changes will be made .

Lesson review (reinforcement of target audience) - 12/10/10

Whilst completing the storyboarding we felt it important to consider the target audience of our music video as it is important to keep them in mind when creating the actual video in order to make it appeal but also important for the promotion of the video i.e CD cover. Earlier on in the beginning stages of the planning we wanted to make the target audience anyone ; trying not to make it too specific meaning anyone can watch it . However, we have now thought that maybe we should be more specific with out audience choice . Therefore , we research a little bit into Joe Jackson and found out that no music video was created for the song therefore creating a music video is a perfect opportunity to appeal to people who like new wave music. As well as this we also feel the lighthearted tone means that a younger audience is appropriate . With this in mind we can begin to emphasise the abstract nature of the video this can be done by using close ups to reveal obvious and exaggerated facial expressions (being just one example) in order to portray this story line .

Lesson Review - 11/10/10

The development of the music video was achieved by the near completion of the storyboards. Below are just a few snapshots of the storyboards which we completed during the lesson:

The storyboarding has helped alot during the planning process as while we are going through each frame we question each choice within the group . This is important as it enables us to alter anything which might not work . During the lesson we played around with certain ideas yet we have decided to keep most of the original ideas in the lyric breakdown , however we have decided to change the gorilla taunting . Instead , the male charcter will be caught looking at the couple which will provoke the gorilla causing a confrontation.

Main events (idea development)

During the planning of the music video we have undertaken a number of processes in order to come to a final outcome . The storyboarding process is very important , as it enables detailed planning of shot variety and the narrative of the video . Below is the 6 main six events within the video.

1. Matt and Megan get ready (charcters established)
2.Matt sees the gorilla and Megan together for the first time
3. Banana feeding.
4. Matt tries to make himself look like the gorilla
5. The gorilla grooms Megan
6. The fight

Listing out the main events of the video was important as we were able to match it to the lyrics and then begin mapping out the shot types , mise-en-scene ect.

Lesson review (idea development) 5/10

During today's lesson we began storyboarding our idea for our music video and this process is important as it allows you to be creative with shot choices. Using out lyric breakdown from a couple of lessons back we began to choose what type of shot we want . After deciding what we want we then draw down to give a rough idea and make sure we note down each change in shot. The images below show the first few slides of our story boards:


The images shown above are just two of the slides which we completed in class ; we actually did six in total revealing 30 shots. The storyboard is a long drawn out process however as mentioned it enables creativity but also allowed us to review our ideas . This process has meant we are altering or idea a little bit as we feel something else would work better for the video.

Using Lip Syncing 4/10

From the start we wanted to include lip syncing in our music video because it worked well in our Prelim music video. We decided that Matt should do the lip syncing because he played the character well. One of the main problems with the music videos from previous year was the lack of confidence with the lip syncing so using someone confident is important. Lip syncing plays a main part in our idea because the narrative is a male who likes a girl but cannot understand why the girl is with a gorilla . Therefore, using lip syncing allows an emphasise on this male character ; he is the central part of the narrative its almost like he telling the story himself.

Music video analysis Megan Clarke - Cooler Than Me

Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me

This particular music video conveys many of the typical music video conventions. The artist has take a lyrical approach to some parts of the songs, for example he quotes 'designer shades just to hide your face' in reference to this he displays several females wearing sunglasses.

Not only does the artist take a lyrical approach to certain aspects of his song but he also includes performance and lip-syncing.
This conveys a certain representation of the artist which appeals to the target audience of youth culture.

The video is very current and up-to-date within the youth culture, it uses special affects to make this video more vibrant and interesting, this includes dramatic lighting and enhancing colours within shots.

The most noticeable thing about this video is that the narrative compliments the pace of the video, this is clear as the pace of the song changes several times from a slow tempo to an upbeat fast moving pace, he conveys this by using fast cuts and the use of a club atmosphere.

This promo does follow the basic conventions for a modern music video, it also is representative of its audience and genre.

Music video analysis (Use of conventions) - By Alex Nugent

The main hook within the video is the romance between the two characters within the group ; this has been resented with the use of lip syncing which creates emphasis on each character , when each one signs the focus switches to them . Below is an example of lip syncing from each member :

Hear we see the lead Singer with the opening lines of the song this is turn establishes himself as one of the components of the narrative. Here he sets up the idea of a romance or a love interest which is later emphasised with the use of quick changes in shot from the male to the female (shown below)



This technique is implemented throughout to emphasise a relationship . The technique is what we wanted to use in our video , by lip syncing the lyrics you are able to highlight the narrative more clearly. The way each member also looks into the camera is almost like there talking to someone straight in front of them (this is shown with the first screenshot placed which shows the lead singer looking directly at the camera).

Here the video uses quick cuts to move locations and settings from one place to another it allows the movement of the narrative by changing to characters but mainly different locations. the fast paced cuts fit well with the distinctive back beat within the song which has been created using a synthesizer. Below reveals the change in locations from one shot to another :

The use of dramatic lighting creates a sombre atmosphere ; this is highlighted with the emphasis of contrast between the light and the dark . The use of shadows on the face in my view emphasis drama within video and create atmosphere as it draws the attention of the facial expressions. Below is one of the many example of this being used :

Use of music video conventions:

• Dramatic lighting
• Narrative
• performance
  
• Lip syncing
  

By Alex Nugent

Breakdown of music video by Matt Boulton

Professor Green is a fairly new artist, who's videos are not that well known, there are different conventions used in the video 'Monster'. This video is a good example to show lip synching:

Lip synching is used to show an element of performance. In this screen shot you can see that he is lip synching along to the song. He does this throughout the whole song.

A narrative is used in this video, as it is about a girl who thinks she is going into a fairground ghost train, but when she enters it, its p

rofessor green singing. Conventions are used to show that it is a ghost train.

Shots like these are also used to show the dramatic lighting, this creates the atmosphere and shows how it is meant to be a ghost tr

ain. This also links with the girl in the ghost train as it can show her reactions to the scary people and things in the video.

Shots are used to show the women in the video as it links with the provocative language used in the song.

Breakdown of a Music Video

Michael Jackson's videos made history and all his videos involve choreography which showcase his talents. All his videos involve a narrative and switch from dialogue to lyrics. Smooth criminal was particularly popular and was well known for Michael's use of a particular dance move, "The Lean".

Choreography is shown here involving extras who mirror Michael's moves.

Michael Jackson also involved an element of performance in his video, where he gets up on stage and sings into a microphone to the audience in the video.

-The video constantly switches from the dialogue to the lyrics.