Sample Scene:

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Smaple scene for our performance shoot:

How we prepared:

• We borrowed instuments from the music department
• Had plans for costumes and almost had the full ones for this scene
• Printed out call sheets and shot lists and lyrics
• Simon learned the lyrics

What went well:

• Location scouting had found even ground in the very uneven forest 

What we will improve on/ Changes to next shoot::

What we learnt:

Audience feedback:

Things we can do (inspiration from Richard)

• Flashback black and white
• Ripping photograph of couple 
• Narrative enigma for band members and narrative 
• Diegetic sound on photograph rip
• Using singer in narrative style 
• Bring amps and leads 
• Band moves around the area and not all are always in the shot 
• Attach gopro to fret board 
• Drum kit, film maybe inside bas drum to kick stand
• Cutting to the beat 

• Singer has been shifted to a close by but another location 
• Fancy dress could work well for couple
• Costume party maybe 
• Ariel shot of drummers
• Think carefully about colour, props like flower can be the colourful part of frame
• Shoot behind the scene of directing and band 
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VID ANALYSIS CONVENTIONS: 1D - History

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Semiotics of the first shot

• Opening shots fades in from black
• Group Shot
• Monochrome
• Black and white
• Slow-Mo
• (Medium) Long Shot
• Neutral/ Mid angle (Eye-line)
• X-Factor stage - screen behind
• Deep field of focus (Everything in focus)
• Exposition is anchored
• Rule of Thirds - stood centrally in composition

Semiotics of second shot:

• Close-Up
• Monochrome
• Rule of thirds
• Shallow field of focus
• So background doesn't interfere with close-ups
• Carole Vernallise - music videos are elliptical - not narrative
• Missing bits of information

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Semiotics of shot:

• Extreme long shot (members at back), long shot (middle guy) and medium shot (Front man)
• Shot 1, all stood together, arms together - now all separated, looking in different directions
• Rule of thirds 
• Variation of placement
• Color
• Lack of slow-mo
• Run down - damp, warehouse wall
• Not normal for boy band video
• Tattoos, change in clothing, different styles
• No longer desexualised - grown up, demographic has aswell

Pace:

• 6 shots in first 8 seconds
• Short takes
• First shots are done to clap
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Sound:

• Diegetic sound of crowd
• Not uncommon in music videos
• Da Funk - daft punk
• Depeche mode - its no good

GEN CONVENTIONS 5: Cinematography + Editing

Guns N' Roses - November Rain

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The video opens with a close up of a man (Axl Rose) extinguishing a ciggy on his table and takes

some pills, the close up shows clearly the contents of the table and gives a slight idea to the viewer as to what kind of person he is. However because of the height of the camera angle there is narrative enigma as to who it is.

The lighting throughout these shots has a blue color correction, it gives a cold feeling to the shots which matches the content of drugs

 Part of the video is set in a large concert hall, the first shot we see of this is a large establishing shot, it looks over the hall and shows the scale. The orange color correction is a complete contrast to the previous shots.

 There are multiple shots of the band, these include, close ups, medium close ups and medium shots

 These shots are used to show a lot about the band, they show there clothing, props and setting. Again they are shown with the blue light however because the lighting is darker it doesn't have the same cold feel

The setting now changes so the common convention of a extreme long shot, establishing shot is seen

Throughout the video there are multiple uses of cross-fade transitions, these are heavily used and the transition lengths are quite long

Here slash can be seen with a low range of focus, he is completely blurred out and out of focus.

Here is a clever example of a use of special effects in editing, the room Axl Rose is sat in

VID ANALYSIS: Childish Gambino - This Is America

Director(s): Hiro Murai
Act: Childish Gambino
Genre: Trap - Afrobeat
Track: This is America
Released: 2018

The opening shot lasts a total of 1:41 and features a man sitting in a empty warehouse with a guitar, the camera spins to Glover who holds a gun up to the mans head that is now covered by a bag and shoots him.
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This music video was extremely well received by most critics for its representation and statements towards the state of America at the moment and the oppression of the black community. There are many moments of symbolism throughout the whole video, many more easier to spot then others which is part of what made the video so special.

Andrew Goodwin: The 6 defining features of a music video

Throughout the entirety of the music video there is a very strong relationship between the visuals and the music - The pace and beat of the music seems to rely on the visuals rather then vice versa. For example:

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At the point of the gunshot the music changes drastically from the upbeat, joyful afrobeat music too the more aggressive trap. This change is used to great effect and makes the statement that this killing is what is going on in America at the moment as the line "This is America" immediately precedes.

Through a lot of Childish Gambino's music videos, especially those directed by Hiro Murai, there is a noticeable style that emerges. These videos seem to feature long takes and feature Gambino up close and personal to the camera. This is extremely noticeable in "Sweatpants" which shares a lot of similar characteristics in how it is filmed.
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"Sweatpants"

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The video seems to be one huge continuous shot and features again, like This is America, Gambino singing/rapping directly into the camera whilst moving around the set.

Another defining feature which is mentioned above is the use of intertextual references in "This is America," although instead of being to films or other videos its to the history of America, for example Gambinos pose is meant to resemble the Jim Crow poster which was used to ridicule freed black slaves.
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comparison of Gambino's pose to Jim Crow 

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Another reference which is quite brutal is that of the 2015 Charleston Shooting at an African Methodist Episcopal Church. In which Gambino is seen dancing into the room and then has a gun thrown at him which he then uses to fire at the singers.
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Charleston Shooting reference

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VID ANALYSIS: Guns N' Roses - November Rain

Director(s): Andy Morahan
Act: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Hard Rock - Symphonic Rock
Track: November Rain
Released: 1992

The narrative of the music video is linear it opens with Axl alone in a dim-lit bedroom swallowing a handful of pills and progresses through 2 paths, the first the "lost love" story and the other the performance. The "lost-love" is about Axl rose marrying his girlfriend however by the end of the video we see his bride in a open coffin at her funeral.

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Andrew Goodwin: The 6 defining features of a music video

November rain features a lot of Andrew Goodwin 6 features:

Firstly, the video demonstrates the genre characteristic for hard rock of having a performance on stage. This is done using a variety of techniques, there are many panning/ moving shots from the point of the crowd, shots behind the band looking over at the instruments, close-ups of band members and my favourite shot which is of slash in the desert outside the church playing guitar shot from a helicopter which sweeps in front of him blowing all the sand into shot.

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Slash in desert playing guitar

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There is a relationship between the music and the visuals, for example, at the beginning of the song, the music is softer, more calm, the imagery reflects this, the stage is very dark with the band barely visible, however, when the song progresses and becomes more uplifting the stage brightens up and there are many more stage lights. 

Stage during slower section

Stage during upbeat section

Also, there are many close-ups of the artists, not only on stage but also through the wedding etc.

Lastly, the intertextuality of the video linked to two other Guns videos, estranged and don't cry, is possible, all three videos follow similar plots and production style.

VID ANALYSIS: Iron Maiden - Can I Play With Madness

Director(s): Unknown
Act: Iron Maiden
Genre: Heavy metal
Track: Can I Play With Madness
Released: 1988

The video features a school class on a Art trip, the Art teacher, played by Graham Chapman (Monty Python) criticises a young student for drawing Eddie (Iron Maidens mascot)
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Andrew Goodwin: The 6 defining features of a music video

The students drawing of Eddie

Parts of the video feature iron maiden during a stage performance, a defining feature for metal videos. Iron Maiden can be seen live at there life after death concert on a small TV covered in cob webs, another Goodwin feature. This is part of the many intertextual references shown in the video, the first being Eddie both being drawn and appearing in the sky.

Iron Maiden playing live on the TV

There is also multiple "references to notion of looking," firstly is the picture of the band inside the magazine and the other is the band on the TV playing live in concert.

Picture of Iron Maiden inside the magazine

Music videos for analysis:

Note: Some of the listed videos and music is 'explicit' and some contain strong language

Below are the 10 videos from a variety of genres that I will research the common conventions of

1. Childish Gambino - This is America 
2. November Rain - Guns N' Roses
3. Love will tear us apart - Joy Division
4. Can I play with madness - Iron Maiden
5. Thriller - Micheal Jackson
6. Say something - Justin Timberlake
7. Fell in love with a girl - The White Stripes
8. All the Stars - Kendrick Lamar, SZA
9. Psycho - Post Malone
10. Goosebumps - Travis Scott 

Embedded playlist:
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