As a group we agreed to use an unsigned British artist called Vanilla, who describes himself as a 'hip hop and electronic producer'. I would say that the tracks we have considered, and the one we have chosen fit more into the electronic genre. The album we looked at is called 'For What It's Worth', and was released in 2011. This particular album of Vanilla's has a much more jazzy vibe to it, and he experiments with samples of soul and motown songs, which I think is an interesting and unique twist. reminiscent of musique concrète.
The first track we considered using is called 'Better With U', we considered using this track firstly because of the upbeat beginning (a motown sounding sample),as well as the effective use of the trumpet which again gives more of a jazz vibe, both of these elements of the track really encompass the whole soul focused feel.
As for possible ideas about the central ideas of our music video, nothing sprang to mind in particular although I think the subject matter of it would definitely have to be light to compliment the track.
The main problem with this particular track is that it is only 1 minute 33 seconds, which is too short, so we decided to look for another track.
The track we have ended up choosing is called '2gether.'
Like 'Better With U', it uses samples of soul music and combines it with typical electronica sounds made by synthesisers. It is around the appropriate length (2 minutes 46 seconds), and if it ends up being too long we can easily cut it.
As for the possible subject matter of the music video if we used this track, I think we could film ordinary activities we do as teenagers, but use the repetition of the soul sample followed by the synthesiser noise to repeat clips or edit in a certain way that would compliment the changes in the music.
This track is by the American indie rock /world music band Beirut. Their music has a distinct folk feel to it, and a lot of it is very uplifting yet calm. The director of the music video, Alma Har'el wrote :“That sound [the music] is how I feel when I’m honest about my life, that juxtaposition of melancholy and loneliness with the absolute enjoyment and happiness of being alive."
1.What
type of music video is this? Partly performance, with the mandolin and trumpet playing. There is not a clear narrative, and I would say it is quite abstract, and thus is open to interpretation.
2.Number
of locations needed:
First- the room at the beginning
Second - the beach
Third - green screen used between the interlude of int/ext locations
3.Number
of costumes for the lead character/ performer:
Only one - suit with a waistcoat underneath, and a white shirt.
4.What
would be the challenges of the shoot/ on location?
Filming in the room would have been difficult because there are a lot of performers, and not much space, therefore everyone would have to follow instruction carefully to avoid any accidents, especially when dancing. Also, filming near the sea might have been tricky because of the difficulties with transporting cameras to an environment outside of a studio.
5.What
would be the logistical/ planning/ organisational challenges?
Learning the choreography (by Paula Present) so that everything was synchronised when it needed to be, and making sure everyone knew it well so that it looked neat when filming. Also, the use of silks (the ribbons the dancers use) would have proved difficult to choreograph. There are lots of different costumes, with details on them which make them individual. It would have been tricky to find these.
6.What
would be the challenges of post-production/ editing?
Choosing screen time between the other performers and the main character.
7.To
what extent is this a conventional music video?
I don't think is very conventional, but is not exceptionally unconventional for the genre (folk/indie) as tone of the main purposes of the music video is to show the band/artist as kooky /quirky and alternative, appealing to a less mainstream, arty audience.
Alt J-Breezeblocks
Alt J are a 3 part British indie/art rock band. Their music is often 'downbeat and acoustic lead' (NME). There are lots of sounds and samples in the album Breezeblocks is featured in (An Awesome Wave), although Breezeblocks is unique in that it focuses mainly on lyrics, probably because the song has a complex meaning, with some people interpreting it being about a relationship that has gone sour, and others seeing it as being about loving someone so much you'd be willing to hurt yourself in order to save them. Their main influence for this album was the children's book 'Where the Wild Things are', so this song could be interpreted much more literally, although I don't think the lyrics are relevant to the book.
1.What
type of music video is this? (performance/ narrative/ montage/ combination of…)
I don't think it fits firmly into one category, although it could be considered to be a story/narrative, but again it is rather abstract and rather confusing/disorientating e.g. the close ups of the water running back into the tap.
2.Number
of locations needed:
One-interior of a house/flat w/ several rooms used (the bathroom, kitchen, hallway, bedroom).
3.Number
of costumes for the lead character/ performer:
As far as I can see, they wear the same costume throughout the music video, albeit in one part, the girl can be seen wearing a stripey scarf.
4.What
would be the challenges of the shoot/ on location?
The opening, where the woman is in the bath, might have been difficult because of basic aspects like holding breath, not splashing the camera with water and so on. The fight scene might have also been difficult as the man would have to take care not to hit the woman or drop the prop (a breezeblock).
5.What
would be the logistical/ planning/ organisational challenges?
Hiring the location, it doesn't look like a studio so if it wasn't, they would have to scout for somewhere suitable and then get permission.
6.What
would be the challenges of post-production/ editing?
The sequence is not completely linear, although filming might have been so rearranging clips might have been a challenge. Also, the edit involves effects like rewinding the action, so is quite complex, and might have also been a challenge to figure out post production. The temperature/saturation of the film has also been changed, so getting all the clips at the same saturation might have been tricky.
7.To
what extent is this a conventional music video?
Again, I don't think this video is completely conventional, and Alt J are known for shifting genres, from electronica to experimental rock, so they were not confined to sticking with the conventions of one genre, therefore it is only unconventional in subject matter/filming techniques, and not within general guidelines of one genre.
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
The inspiration for one of Kate Bush's best selling record, Hounds of Love, came from a number of different things, from Hitchcock's 'the 39 Steps' (lots of intertextuality can be seen) to personal experience of being afraid to fall in love. Reviewer Joshua Pickard says it "resembled nothing so much as a new kind of pop opera that was as fascinating in its eccentricity as it was for the dark and foggy subject matter."
1.What
type of music video is this? (performance/ narrative/ montage/ combination of…)
Narrative
2.Number
of locations needed
A hallway at the beginning (int)
Two- a factory (int)
Three - a wood/ meant to be ext. (although this would have been filmed
in a studio).
Four - a party (int.)
3.Number
of costumes for the lead character/ performer
One- an androgynous looking brown suit and a patterned jumper.
4.What
would be the challenges of the shoot/ on location?
The party scene would have been especially difficult because of the amount of people, and because the main character and the man have to dance, whilst there is other choreography going on. It would have been hard to make it all fit together in time.
5.What
would be the logistical/ planning/ organisational challenges?
I would say the vision the artist had and the actual material outcome would have been hard to match up to, so there would have been lengthy planning and organisation involved, which would have challenges within it, such as finding suitable people to be in the background, details of costumes etc.
6.What
would be the challenges of post-production/ editing?
Not sure, as this is an old music video (1986), so editing would have been very different. Post production practices would also have changed. One thing I would say is that the scene where Kate and the male character running in the wood looked as though it was quite lengthy so the editors might have had to cut this down.
7.To
what extent is this a conventional music video?
Kate Bush is renowned for being unconventional, and challenging existing boundaries in music/genres of her time, therefore this music video would have been, and still is extremely unique, in subject matter of the actual film, as well as the lyrics that go with it.
