18/10/13
Getting our planning together we need to use a range of different ways to present it on our websites, these include creating storyboards, mindmaps and podcasts as well as shooting scripts and treatment including further photos and a video diary.
As a team, Emily, Reecia and I have created a mindmap of initial ideas to include in our video. This was created using the knowledge of common codes and conventions found in our music video analysis' in our chosen genre. In our initial ideas of codes and conventions for our music video we will be covering mise en scene - props, costumes, setting etc - camerawork, editing and representation - theorists and whether they challenge codes and conventions. The photos below are of the mind map Emily and I made together which shows the summary of the codes and conventions for the acoustic folk music genre. Another mind map below this will demonstrate the summary of codes and conventions of the acoustic pop genre which was created by Reecia Cullen, we decided to split into two groups to complete this task quicker but also to decide what genre we want to take on for our video. We will be reflecting on these codes and conventions to see which meet the kind of video we want to make, either acoustic folk or acoustic pop.
We are currently working on our storyboard, shooting script and treatment at the same time so everything is matched up making our research excellent rather than proficient. Not only this but we will creating an animatic. This is a practise run for our final video to make sure everything works well together and to get some audience research for any changes they would like us to make to make it better.
As we are looking at two different artists at the moment to decide on our genre we have created two different mind maps for each genre - acoustic folk and acoustic pop - these both demonstrate the generic codes and conventions of each genre and how we can apply them to our music video when we have chosen our favourite genre.
Mise en Scene
We have found that the common codes and conventions in mise en scene include the setting to be outside in natural surroundings as this connotes the raw and natural vibe given off in this genre. From the audience research we have done we were given suggestions such as for the video to be located in a field, forest or in a bedroom, these are all common locations and all very natural and deserted rather than built up areas that are used in other genres. These are also references to natural elements which will link to the natural image given in this genre. For costumes a common code and convention is to be very laidback and casual rather than made up to look perfect and proper, this genre is more about the raw talent and naturalistic sound rather than something that isn't there. The make up and hair should be very natural.
Camerawork
We found that establishing shots are used a lot or extreme long shots as this sets the scene which is often changed in this genre. Close ups and pans or trackings are also used a lot as this demonstrates the feeling of the artist which is what they want to portray in their music rather than their image. Panning again sets the scene which is found to be very natural or to follow the artist when moving across the shot.
Editing
Common codes and conventions in editing tends to be parallel cuts when the typology is both performance and narrative, these cuts are always straight cuts however in some cases where the parallel editing isn't used the editing techniques uses soft fades and blurs to enforce the narutalistic vibe in the genre.
Theorists
From analysing a range of videos we found that most videos challenge Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory as the females used in the videos are covered up in floaty dresses or jumpers as this is the generic style found in this genre. They don't want the attention to be on them making them the main focus point as the artists want their music to be the most important asset therefore challenging Richard Dyer's Star theory. Also, Goodwin says that the artist should be in the video and this is found in all of the videos I have analysed as well as showing a link between the lyrics of the song and the narrative in the video (when the typology is narrative).
Summary of Codes and Conventions
As we couldn't decide on which genre to choose between acoustic folk and acoustic/pop we created the mind maps above on the generic codes and conventions as this would give us a better idea of what we want in our video and which genre would enable us to do so. We finally came to a group decision on acoustic folk and have created a podcast explaining why.
13/11/13