Lyrics Annotation

Group Roles

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We have created a GIF to show which members of our group are responsible for what sector of our video development, such as editing, sound and directing.

Song Choice

What song have you chosen?

 Enei - Obsession (Ft. MC DRS)

Why did you choose it?

This song was conventional of our chosen genre in terms of tempo and the general vibe which would allow us to create a video accurate of the genre.

What genre is it?

Drum & Bass

What are some of your initial ideas for the video?

Sports such as skateboarding and bmxing and other extreme sports.

Who will be the performer, what kind of image will they have?

The performer will be shown as very dark and anonymous as the genre is typically seen as underground.

Any shooting locations in mind? What about the vibe of the video?

Skatepark, abandoned building(s), car parks, the street at night

Questionnaire Example (Proof)

Audience Research Analysis

Conventions of a Drum & Bass Music Video

Drum & Bass Music Videos have quite unorthodox conventions in comparison to music videos from other genres such as pop, for example:

1. The artist usually does not appear in the video itself, or if they are their identity is usually distorted digitally or with a physical item such as a mask or face pain
2. The shots tend to have quick cuts and a fast tempo to link in with the tempo of the music
3. There is generally an abstract concept to the video to link in with the underground and warped generalisation of the drum & bass genre
4. There is often the use of extreme sports to highlight the uniqueness of the genre or less extreme sports such as skateboarding or bmxing which is often linked with the drum & bass scene
5. The use of low key lighting is commonly used with specific lighting techniques used to illuminate the artists face and features
6. There is often a concept or narrative behind the video in the form of a montage however there is sometimes shots of the dj/producer performing the track live
7. A wide range of camera angles and movements, often cut to the beat of the track
8. High angle shots are specifically used to show a crowd, busy surrounding.
9. The musical score will continue throughout and the video and music will end and start together
10. The identity of the characters typically remain unknown or are distorted

Audience Research Survey

Genre Video Research

 

 

Firstly in the video we are shown extreme close ups of the eyes of the characters, and close ups of their painted faces which are creepy to link in with the genre of being underground, dark and shady. The lighting in the video is very low key to create a tenser atmosphere and make the video very intense and odd. The tempo of the video is very fast and it constantly cuts between the characters with the masks and face paint on various scenes involving fire. There are jump cuts and a lot of the cuts cut to the beat which is conventional of these types of music videos: for example when the music goes into slow motion saying the lyrics 'panorama' the video also slows down then resumes when the music continues its original tempo. This video is also conventional as it starts when the music starts and ends when the music ends.

 



 

This video starts of with the RAM records record label then starts the video. Like many drum and bass music videos it is odd and abstract and as usual very dark. We see close ups of the artist signing the lyrics, as well as various other characters with masks and paint on which is also conventional. Everything is recorded onto a black background to keep the flow going, and there are various slow motion and fast motion which links in with the tempo of the music. A few other conventional aspects of the video is the use of smoke, as well as masks. In many of the shots the colour has been manipulated to make most of the shot dark and only highlight specific parts of the shot in colour such as the man with ginger hair.

 

 



 

Firstly we see shots of an abandoned warehouse type location in the middle of nowhere. Then we have a tracking shot of the artist walking up to graffiti covered buildings which is one convention of drum and bass music videos. Straight away we see close ups of the artist and other characters in masks which is typical part of a drum and bass music video. The tempo of the video is fast but keeps to the tempo of the music, for example at the start it was slow walking and panning to match the build up in tempo, and as soon as the music dropped and the tempo increased it switched straight to a car chase scene which linked in with the tempo and the genre. Again the colour in the video is manipulated frequently to keep it dark and underground which is very effective.



CD Advertisement Analysis

This advertisement for 'Machines' by 'Enei' is very conventional as it has almost all the key aspects to a good advertisement. First of all we can see the album name and artist displayed clearly and large in the centre of the image. Around it we can see it's out now in big font, with the different formats its available in such as vinyl, cd and download. Then there's a URL of a website which is the record label of the artist which is conventional. Lastly, at the top of the advertisement it mentions an award the album has received previously. In terms of the advertisement itself it links with the genre as its based around machines and technology which relates to drum and bass due to the sounds in most of the songs.

 

This advertisement for 'DMC' by 'Noisia' is also very conventional. Firstly there is an image of the artist immersed in a flamed waterfall, however it's not that visible and you'd only know it was the artist if you were already aware of what he looked like. We see the album title DMC displayed in large bright font below the figure, and then the two sub headings to go into more detail about the track. The whole advertisement is very dark which links in with the genre as drum and bass is an underground genre and the sounds used in the music are seen as very dark and eerie sounding noises.

 

This advertisement for 'Marka' by 'Dub Phizix' follows the same pattern as the last two analysed and is very dark and makes use of limited colours. The whole image is black and then we have a rendered image of the 'character' in the music video to the song that it is advertising. This character is linked with the song and by including this on the poster it creates an identity for the music and/or artist. We can see the name of the song, the artist and the record label clearly displayed which are all conventional of an advertisement.

CD Cover Analysis

The album cover features the artists on the front which is conventional as it associates the particular artist with the album.
 
The background is quite dark and artistic which links in with the genre as drum and bass is quite an underground, dark genre. There is also a speaker abstractly placed at the top of the cover which directly links with the genre as typically drum and bass would be played from a large sound system.
 

The album name and artist is also displayed in the centre of the image which draws all the attention to it. It is also in a bright red colour font which contrasts with the dark background therefore making it stand out. The album cover features the artists on the front which is conventional as it associates the particular artist with the album.
 
The background is quite dark and artistic which links in with the genre as drum and bass is quite an underground, dark genre. There is also a speaker abstractly placed at the top of the cover which directly links with the genre as typically drum and bass would be played from a large sound system.
 
The album name and artist is also displayed in the centre of the image which draws all the attention to it. It is also in a bright red colour font which contrasts with the dark background therefore making it stand out.

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This CD cover follows various conventions and is typical of the genre. First of all we can see the artist himself, Andy C right in the centre of the cd cover to give an identity to the artist and let people see the artist of the music they're buying. The mise-en-scene in the image makes it feel quite modern and posh with the buildings in the background and the artist with headphones on. As the genre is drum and bass it is promoting quite a modern and technological feel, and the colours and font of the text link in with that to create an overall alien/robotic feel.



 

 

 

This back of the CD cover contains all the information you would expect such as the song titles and the artists involved in each track on the album. It also continues the modern theme with the buildings/skyline wrapping round from the front. Furthermore we can also see the album name and artist, as well as the record label RAM Records displayed in a larger font at the bottom.

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 This CD cover is quite dark and mysterious which is done purposely to link in with the genre. Drum and bass is known to be quite an underground niche genre and therefore quite warped and twisted with the kinds of sounds used to create the music. The Prodigy are a prime example of this and therefore use covers like this to highlight how warped their music is. The colours are also dark with fluorescent green slime. The font is very futuristic like seen in the over CD covers I have analysed. 

 

 

The themes from the front are carried onto the back but are altered slightly to make the content more visible. Unlike many other backs of CD covers this one is made to be quite abstract, there is no information on the back apart from the track name again placed irregularly and in a very intrusive font. There is also small text with assumedly the record label information and dates which is conventional of the back.

Record Label Analysis

RealPlayaz are a drum & bass and jungle record label founded and operated by DJ Hype and Pascal. Originally called TruePlayaz, the label was relaunched as its current name in 2006.

The record label also releases tracks and EP's from a number of their sub-labels, such as Frontline Recordings.

RealPlayaz are one of the top drum & bass record labels and therefore have some of the leading producers signed to them. Their successes include DJ Hazard, Heist, Sub Zero, Pascal, Original Sin.

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Hospital Records is an independent record label based in South London, they started in 1996  and have now grown to become one of the most well known labels within UK drum and bass music sector.

In December 2011, Hospital Records won the Best Label title at the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards.

They have various high profile artists signed to them, including Camo & Krooked, Fred V & Grafix, High Contrast.

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Ram Records are a Drum+Bass record label found in 1992 by Andy C with the help of close friend Ant Mil. They are now based in London and Essex.

Since the company have been found they have become very successful and in a records awards the votes range between 30,000 and 100,000.

They have signed artists such as Chase & Status, DJ Fresh, Kano and Sub Focus. At many drum and bass awards they have won best label on many occasions.

Pop Video Analysis

The video to Mr Brightside starts off with a long shot of the band. There is a clear meaning in the colours immediately as it connotes royalty and wealth in the colours of red, gold, black and a few others. There is a slow start to the video as the shots start to establish the scene and concept around the video. Then there is an instant close-up on the main character in the video which grabs the audience's attention. From there it then slowly pans to the band and the music begins to play.

There are various notable increases in speed as different shots start to appear. The shots start to constantly switch between the band and the characters. This is conventional as the video should regularly have close-ups of the main singer.

The song itself is has connotations of a Moulin Rouge type setting and narrative which is typical of a pop video as it generally has quite a whacky underlying story to make it more fun and appealing to all the audience they are hoping to draw in.

Rock Video Analysis

The main story and concept behind the video to The Pretender is the band in a long battle against the police throughout the video. Conventionally rock videos are quite rough and connote themes of anger and fighting, as well as rebelling against society and being their own person. This is what they may have wanted to portray in their video as they are in a battle with the law.

The music video uses a lot of visuals and however the cuts are in sync with the beat of the music. Furthermore the cutting works hand in hand with the level of the music video, for example towards the end as the tension in the music has built up the cutting is a lot faster which links with the tempo of the music at the time.

There is a narrative to the video however a lot of the time it is focusing on the band performing themselves which is conventional of rock videos as they want to steer clear of being associated with pop videos and want to look genuine and serious by keeping to them performing and showing their talent. It also focuses a lot on the front man, Dave Grohl as he is obviously the more dominant character in the group and inevitably the most famous.

Low Budget Video Analysis

A-ha! Imogen Heap (Analysis)

I found this low budget music video to be very interesting and well creating in terms of the budget they had to work with as they would not of been able to afford the most accurate of costumes to portray what they wished to create. That said, the video was of a good, studio-like quality which means they were successful with working with what they've got.

Furthermore you could see that they made the use of what they had around them rather than investing in specific mise-en-scene enhancing items due to the low budget of the film. For example their whole video is meant to be odd and disturbing so they chose to use the free locations that they had available, such as the forrest and woodland which is very effective as it seems natural.

From watching this video I have learnt that when working with a low budget you should make the most of the lighting and editing as they're two valuable aspects of the video. Additionally in terms of the editing cutting to the beat of the music seems to work extremely well in creating a flow in the video and keeping up the continuity.

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The Fix - Just Got Paid

When watching this music video I noticed they had put particular effort into the mise-en-scene as the costumes were all extremely relevant and created a genuine feeling about the music video. In many of the scenes the boys involved are all wearing suits and look identical to suggest that they're all part of the band and to create an identity within the group.

They made sure at all times the costumes were perfect on every person to keep up the standard and continuity of the piece. This was very successful as it made the video seem very real and professional which they set out to do.

Also, as this video is a pop video the cuts are at a much faster pace than the previous low budget music video I analysed which fits in with the genre of music. It is effective as the music is quite fast and jumpy which is similar to my genre so I will try to use fast cuts in my video.

Carol Vernallis Theory

Music Video Aspects

• Multiplicity of incomplete, sometimes obscure paths

• Unconventional order of shots, more freely

• Time space, character and narrative are revealed incompletely

• Discontinuity: pop video draws us away from the narrative by foregrounding other structures and elements e.g. music/star

• Visual hooks are created, linked by single feature

This theory suggests that the narrative does not always follow a standard path. The visuals on screen may not always be in direct link with the lyrics or song in general. With this, there may not be a clear beginning and ending to the narrative and story within the music video. For example in the music video to Marka, by Dub Phizix there is no clear structure within it and its completely unrelated to the song.

Goodwin Theory

	Music	Lyrics	Image
Illustration	Always cut on the beat	Images illustrate the literal meaning or feeling of the lyrics, often just with the band singing and dancing.	The artist is singing/dancing/playing instruments. Dressed as would be expected.
Amplification	Film cuts on the beat but also off to emphasise features.	Images amplify the lyrics, a specific narrative maybe used that would not necessarily be picked up from reading the lyrics alone.	The artists take on fictional roles in the narrative.
Disjuncture	Film cuts off the beat	Images that do not relate to the lyrics are used, often occurs with artists who are already very well established and can afford to take risks.	Artist takes on an image that is nothing like or the complete opposite of their expected image.

An illustration video is the least complex concept to base a music video around as it is the literal meaning of the song's lyrics portrayed in a visual form. Owl City use illustration in their music video for 'Fireflies', for example in one of the verses the artist sings the lyrics "fireflies" and their appear to be typed into some kind of gadget which is in sync with him speaking the lyrics.

Rihanna's 'Disturbia' video definitely falls into amplification as it has a strong focus on mise-en-scene and cinematography, including the extensive costuming and make up work. The video is very dark and almost weird which relates directly to the song and the lyrics.

Disjuncture music videos are used to portray music videos in the sense that it actually almost ignores the original song and creates a completely different meaning, story or concept to run separately but alongside the song. This is used by artistic and alternative/indie bands often to show their creativity and assert their difference to other bands. In this Calvin Harris video the video bares no relevance to the actual song and is a completely separate story.

Drum & Bass Moodboard

Conventions of a Music Video

Conventions of a Music Video

There are a number of common conventions of a music video, which usually involve performance, narrative, animation, props & costumes, locations and editing of shots.

In terms of the artist, he will always appear in the video purely sot he audience can connect with him/her easy and so they can promote their image, and promote themselves as a brand as now the audience can put a face and identity to the music.

Generally the soundtrack lasts for the whole song, however some songs choose to use intros and outros which might add additional seconds to the total duration. Throughout this, the artist will always have shots where they are lip syncing so the audience can see the artist performing the song themselves so its not just a backing track. This could be accompanied with them playing an instrument or dancing if that is something they do in addition.

Furthermore, the video will have a number of locations and when these locations change from one to another the costumes and props generally change too, as if it's completely different times. Therefore commonly they use montage editing.

There will be a range of different camera angle and shot types which accompany the cocnept or narrative often present throughout the video. Some common types of camera movements are tracking shots and whip pans, and then the simple close up whilst the artist is lip syncing.

There may also be a use of vertical shots like high and low angles, to show the 'sexy' look or the powerful look respectively.

The video will often be based around a concept rather than a story, and the song will be the soundtrack to the whole video and will start and end when the music does.

Editing will be used to cut to the beat, and there will be many camera angles used as well as the format of montage editing.

Rock Video Analysis