Emma Music Video 08: June 2008

Monday, June 23, 2008

List of song ideas

My list of possible songs with reasons why/why not and ideas

Avril Lavigne - One Of Those Girls
http://www.mediafire.com/?yvdjhcndl1l
- Fast paced & fun
- Almost exactly 3 minutes long
Focus on one girl and follow the storyline of the song about the actions she has and her attitude. We could use a lot of different locations or stick to a few simple ones

Shiny Toy Guns - Don't Cry Out
http://www.mediafire.com/?kljs1zvj2jb
- Strong beat
- Different sounds
- Almost 4 minutes long
Start with footsteps in split screen of two people doing synchronised steps. This would then split further and further from 2 to 3 to 4 etc all the way to 9 splits with everyone doing the same actions, or at least similar actions. At a certain point, the screens would begin to change in the number of splits back down to just two again. It could also be that the split screens have some people mouthing words and others doing everyday actions or just sights from around London

30 Seconds To mars - Year Zero
http://www.mediafire.com/?yxp3xqv3pq4
- Almost 5 minutes long, but there is a natural break in the song at 2:54 where it ends before restarting
- Would lend itself to split screens and the idea of superheroes
Could have a guy singing the lyrics as he walked down the street where we could then have split screen to show other people's reactions to him or could show an alternative storyline such as a guy and a girl and the interactions between them, maybe a date.

Pendulum - Granite
http://www.mediafire.com/?cxjz0hgbytj
- Over 4 minutes long
- Already been released with a video (not widely known and was a UFO based video)
- Fast paced with a definitive beat
Abstract imagery of London at night (and day maybe) that contains clips of people doing everyday things and the use of split screen with shots cut to the music

Pendulum - Blood Sugar
http://www.mediafire.com/?mttjjsoui2i
- Just under 3 minutes long
- Most versions have speaking over start (although there are 'clean' versions)
- Too fast paced?
Idea of working backwards through a story with a message, for example someone was shot and you'd see them in hospital at the start hooked up to machines before flashing back to the start where you see how they ended up injured

The Academy Is... - Everything We Had
http://www.mediafire.com/?agzmjmloiwl
- Just under 4 minutes
- Quite a slow song, but speeds up after about 30 seconds with other changes of pace
Could follow the story of two people reflecting on their past relationship with what they're doing now/looking at old pictures maybe comparing them with split screen

Videos that used split screen

I quite like the idea of using split screen in my music video.

Blink 182 - Always
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqHbLdoYZ2E
I like the way this has three strips that tell the same story with the three band members each playing the same role. I also like the way that each strip is slightly skewed out of line with the others to create a disjointed effect. The screen is still split in this way when each band member is on their own on the screen playing their instrument, yet split into three again.
The way that the camera follows the girl around the room is something I would consider using in our own video but maybe in a different way. I personally wouldn't like to use split screen throughout the whole video in my own project.

Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights Of Thunder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVx3qBiXkaM
I like the way that the split screen isn't continuous and also contains blocks of bright colour or other actions. There is also a variety of how many splits there is in the screen, which I think makes the video more interesting. The mix of split screen and a complete screen is something I would definitely like to use.

NERD - Everyone Nose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA1HB_yJii4
This video uses 9 splits to start off with to show the same place at different times as well as a credit style showcase of the images used at the start. Again there is a mix between split screen and complete screen, which I like. The fast movement in the splits works well with the song but I wouldn't personally use.

Daniel Powter - Bad Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBziW9qQvsc
The split screen works for this video because it is telling the story between the two characters, which is something I feel we should do within our idea. The splits in this video are sometimes diagonal as well as being in pairs, threes, fours as well as pairs that don't fill the entire screen.

Madonna - Give It 2 Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQRLSBUNupg
The split screen in this video uses different colours between the screens yet the same images. the split screen is only used in the chorus, which is something that would work with our idea. There is also split screen with Madonna in the middle but with several mini Pharrell's around the outside of her, which I think looks good.

Sneaky Sound System - Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWVDRMGkkMc
This video has quite an abstract take on split screen with it being most noticeable through the use of a picture held by the singer. I really like this use of split screen as it is different and stands out although I don't feel it would be something possible to incorporate into our own idea.

Jay Z - Show Me What You Got
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyqZ73XSvbo
This video uses split screen to show off the cars and race to add more to the features being used. I really like the layout of the split screen, it isn't seen like that in many videos. It is possible that we could use something similar for our own video.

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIM4DCn7AlE

Madonna Cover

Images used

- Madonna
- Not showing her face --> audience know who she is
- Infrequent facial expressions --> those shown show control
- Predominantly pink --> disco theme
- Air brushed
- Reinvention --> her latest image showcased in booklet
- Sparkly heels --> disco, but not designed to dance in
- Gold mirror ball
- Image to the right (on front cover)
- Disco ball effect background & disk
- Background predominantly black --> night --> disco
- Kaballah bracelet made to stand out by pose --> exclusive to her --> press coverage
- Focus on legs & bum
- Mirrors
- Only one image with direct eye contact --> shows she's incharge?
- Pink sticker --> feminine
- 80s dress style --> dance & flexibility
- Very pale skin -->youthful looking
- Posed --> attempts to look younger --> flixible

Text

- Neon lights effect --> disco
- Disco ball as 'o'
- Title written in elegant font and to the bottom left in white --> not very important
- Same font is used throughout the inlay and back cover -->feminimity, like handwriting -->more personal?
- 'Madonna' is main text, capitalised, large font, central --> sells the cover
- Track listing on back to the right --> doesn't stand out
- Track listing inside central --> more important
- "Non stop, all dance tour de force" sticker on the cover further supports the disco/dance theme
- "Explicit lyrics" --> style of lyrics & poses --> sexually explicit

Anchorage

- Disco theme runs throughout
- Disco ball
- Colours used
- Album title

Iconography

- Kaballah bracelet --> widely publicised about her
- Poses show off flexibility --> known for her working out & attempts to be youthful
- Disco/pop/dance --> imagery
- Colours (pink) --> femininity

Institutional

- Mainstream --> nothing niche, a conventional cover
- High budget --> air brushing
- Well known label --> obviously invested heavily
- Had several albums before --> not using image to sell, expectation of name being enough

Audience

- Female --> colour, genre
- Familiar with Madonna
- Mainstream
- Gay market

The front's function is to attract attention and sell the CD to consumers
The back's function is to contain all the required information (track listing, bar code, producers etc.)