summer hw

1) Research: music videos

You need to write a 150-word close-textual analysis of SIX music videos that will inform your production work. The music videos you analyse are up to you but focus on a different aspect of media language for each one (see guidance below).  

The music video for Chihiro by Billie Eilish pain and loneliness in the way that the music video is presented. The camera focuses on close-ups of Billie’s face to show her feelings, while wide shots make her look isolated. The settings is simple and empty, with soft lighting to create a sad and quiet mood.

Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans music video tells a story of love and heartbreak. Close-ups of Lana show her emotions, while slow-motion shots add a sense of a dream. The black-and-white, with water and shadows, gives it a nostalgic and sad mood. The slow editing matches the song's tone.

Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence video shows her in a wedding dress walking through a forest, maybe a sad love story? Close-ups highlight her emotions, while wide shots show her isolation. The video uses natural lighting and creates a dreamy, sad mood. Slow editing matches the song’s mellow tone, focusing more on visuals and atmosphere.

Billie Eilish's No Time to Die music video shows her in a shadowy setting that match the film’s theme of betrayal and sadness. Close-ups of Billie’s face and slow shots highlight her emotions and isolation. The dark lighting creates a tense, sad atmosphere. The slow editing focuses on the song’s dramatic movie.

In Billie Eilish's Wildflower music video, Billie explores betrayal from a best friend. Wide shots of the landscape and close-ups of Billie highlight her isolation and connection to nature. The video features natural settings, bright sunlight, and simple clothing. Slow editing and long takes match the song’s relaxing mood.

Music Video 1: Narrative
How is narrative used in the music video and what impact does this have on the audience? Can you apply any narrative theories to the story in the music video?

Music Video 2: Camerawork (shots, angles, movement)
Look for particular camera shots and movement - remember that movement is a critical convention of most music videos and camerawork can contribute to this. 

Music Video 3: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Use CLAMPS to help you here and think in particular about how mise-en-scene is used to communicate the genre of music and the personality or brand identity of the band/artist.

Music Video 4: Editing
For editing, analyse pace, transitions, the number of shots and juxtaposition. How does the music video create pace and excitement - or does it create a different effect for the audience?  

Music Video 5: Conventions

Think back to our Introduction to Music Video and our work on Andrew Goodwin's theory on music video conventions as part of the Ghost Town CSP. How many key conventions of music video can you find in your fifth music video example?

Music Video 6: Visual effects, intertextuality or product placement

Choose a video that has interesting visual effects or intertextuality and analyse the effect this creates and how it is constructed. Alternatively, you could look at product placement here and see how a band or artist has incorporated a brand or product into their video. 

You can find a range of notable music video examples in this blogpost or you are free to select videos of your choice. You may wish to write more about one video than another but as long as you have 800+ words of music video research in total you will be fine. Feel free to use bullet points if this is helpful.

2) Planning: music video treatment

A treatment is like a script for a music video - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need choose what song you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's work but it needs to be appropriate for the brief. 

You can find further music video treatment guidance here plus an example of a genuine director's treatment for the brilliant alt-J video Breezeblocks. 

For this aspect of your summer project, write a basic treatment that gives your reader a good idea of what your three-minute video will look like. The most important thing is to keep in mind the brief - the music video must feature the artist or band (likely to be a performance element) plus a focus on footwear for the sponsorship deal specified in the brief. 

Start your treatment with the following key details: 

1) Artist/band and song you will use for your video

2) Original name for artist/band you have created - MUST be completely original

For example, Ed Sheeran - Shape of You is the artist and song you plan to use but your original name for your artist will be John Smith - Shape of You.

TREATMENT:

GRUDGE - Olivia Roderigo

• RNB

• THEME WILL BE HEARTBREAK

• DEPRESSION

• AFTERMATH OF BREAKUP

• TYPICAL SCENE INCLUDING A RUNNING IN THE FIELD SHOT

• FLASHBACK OF THE GOOD MEMORIES 

• SLOW MOTION TO CAPTURE THE DREAMINESS 

• LOW ANGLE SHOTS ALONG WITH WIDE SHOTS TO CAPTURE THE ISOLATION

• MISE - EN - scene 

• MINIMALISTIC CLOTHING 

• RUNNY MASCARA

• BOTH POVS

3) Statement of Intent

Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

The original AQA brief is here: NEA Student Booklet - Brief 4.

We also strongly recommend you look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this). 

This is just your first draft of the statement so try and keep it under 500 words if you can. That will leave a bit of room to add later when you do your next draft.

500 WORDS

My intent with this music video is to use a RnB track by n artist like Billie, Lana, Olivia etc to make a sad and mellow music video about heartbreak. I will be using a lot of the techniques used by Billie and Lana such as close ups and wide shots to really capture that isolation and heartbreak from their significant other. The setting will be very dark and gloomy almost like in a horror movie to give a feel of abandonment and no escape from this occurring nightmare of heartbreak. The editing will be very low and I will use flashbacks to present old memorise of the couple while showing the present in a messy break up state. The costumes and makeup will be minimalistic with some subtle hints of runny mascara and messy outfits.

    I will incorporate the shoes through the way I angle the camera in low shots to try and capture the downness that the main actor/actress is feeling within the music video. I will also film some running and bicycle shots of the couple in the flashback and try incorporate a lot of the attention on the shoes while also staying focused on the plot.

4) Ignite presentation

Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:

• Your music video and music magazine concept: your new original artist, genre, song and music video treatment. Then, your print brief: music magazine title, double page feature, additional page, photoshoot etc.
• Media language: how you will use music video conventions and music magazine conventions - e.g. camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene to create meanings for your audience. 
• Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes in your music video and music magazine; applications of representation theory; social and cultural contexts - how your coursework will reflect contemporary media culture and society.
• Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures - why they would enjoy your music video and magazine; audience theory if relevant.
• Media industries and digital convergence: the potential record company that would promote your band or artist; the publisher for your music magazine; the brand identity for your artist; how fans would engage with your products etc.

Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in the first week back in September.

Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v96wglVqgh6XbuRUfHK5DdEytoQVpMX-AwBYODiDX1o/edit#slide=id.g301f74a6ff8_0_25