Music video analysis
To begin the research process for my music video production I researched the following techniques and referenced professional music videos that use these techniques:
- Music and visuals- Genre
- Artist close-up
- Star iconography
- Looking and voyeurism
- Intertextuality
Process strengths -
- I researched each technique via the internet, and found examples from existing mainstream music videos. During my research into Goodwin and Vernallis' theories, I applied their said codes and conventions to the following mainstream music videos:
- Miley Cyrus - music and visuals
- Foo Fighters - genre
- The Strokes - artist close-up
- Kiss - star iconography
- Rihanna - looking and voyeurism
- Iggy Azalea - intertextuality
I found these videos on YouTube, at their direct primary source. I have also referenced the videos to prove their validity. This research has helped me to gain a better understanding of how to use the technique effectively, and see it from the audiences point of view and the effect it has on the viewer.
- Researching music videos from different genres including pop, alternative rock, indie rock, hard rock, R&B and hip hop has given me a better view on how these techniques are used throughout different genres. To improve I could have looked at a music video from the indie folk genre, as that is the genre I chose.
Process weaknesses -
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Outcome strengths -
- I now have an improved understanding of effective visual techniques to use in music video production, which will help me greatly in creating my own music video production.
Outcome weaknesses -
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Recommendations for further research -
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Theorist research - Goodwin and Vernallis
I began by exploring Andrew Goodwin's theory where he identifies 5 key aspects of music videos, and then Carol Vernallis' theory based on the manufacturing and editing of music videos including narrative, editing, camera movement/framing and diegesis. During this stage of research I then looked up the theorists books, Goodwin's Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) and Vernallis' The kindest cut: Functions and meanings of music video editing (2001).
Process strengths -
- I planned the layout of my blog post beforehand, so the structure is clear and simple to read. I titles the sections, thought beats - seeing the sound, narrative and performance, the star image, relation of visuals to song and technical aspects of music video. This is something that I have learned to do to from previous units to be careful on my time management.
- I sourced reliable information to reference including books, websites, published research and online videos. I also used internet search engines including Google and YouTube, which adds variation to my sources.
Process weaknesses -
- Despite collecting numerous sources, I feel that a even bigger range would be more beneficial, such as magazines, journals, radio interviews, documentaries and archived radio recordings. This would give me
Outcome strengths -
- After researching Andrew Goodwin and Carol Vernallis in great detail, I now have a very clear understanding of both theorists and theories. I feel this is extremely useful, not just in my music video production but in future projects. I applied Goodwins theory by using thought beats, relating visuals to the song Oats in the Water by Ben Howard, and featured technical aspects in my own music video. I also drew inspiration from Vernallis and considered editing and camera movements/framing when filming.
Outcome weaknesses -
- Time management was an issue which I have been trying to overcome through numerous units. Upon reflection I should have gathered all of my sources at once, rather than at different times whilst writing my blog post. This made it confusing whilst referencing quotes from the sources. I researched before I began the blog post, but also researched during, whist writing. This was to get a better understanding but this is something I could improve.
Process strengths -
- I planned the layout of my blog post beforehand, so the structure is clear and simple to read. I titles the sections, thought beats - seeing the sound, narrative and performance, the star image, relation of visuals to song and technical aspects of music video. This is something that I have learned to do to from previous units to be careful on my time management.
- I sourced reliable information to reference including books, websites, published research and online videos. I also used internet search engines including Google and YouTube, which adds variation to my sources.
Process weaknesses -
- Despite collecting numerous sources, I feel that a even bigger range would be more beneficial, such as magazines, journals, radio interviews, documentaries and archived radio recordings. This would give me
Outcome strengths -
- After researching Andrew Goodwin and Carol Vernallis in great detail, I now have a very clear understanding of both theorists and theories. I feel this is extremely useful, not just in my music video production but in future projects. I applied Goodwins theory by using thought beats, relating visuals to the song Oats in the Water by Ben Howard, and featured technical aspects in my own music video. I also drew inspiration from Vernallis and considered editing and camera movements/framing when filming.
Outcome weaknesses -
- Time management was an issue which I have been trying to overcome through numerous units. Upon reflection I should have gathered all of my sources at once, rather than at different times whilst writing my blog post. This made it confusing whilst referencing quotes from the sources. I researched before I began the blog post, but also researched during, whist writing. This was to get a better understanding but this is something I could improve.
- I correctly listed references in the bibliography (alphabetical order), which makes it easier to find the references and go directly to the primary source.
- Despite researching Goodwin and Vernallis thoroughly, I feel that I did not use this research effectively enough in my music video concept, and could have expanded more.
Recommendations for further research -
I believe that I could have improved by referencing a wider range of sources e.g. magazines, journals, radio interviews, documentaries and archived radio recordings. I mainly focused on text-based sources and feel that the quality of work could be improved by stepping out of my comfort zone and finding visual/audio clips.
Despite researching Goodwin and Vernalis thoroughgly, I did not use the full extent of my research and understanding in my final music video, which has been wasted in this project but could aid me in any further music video production.
4 contemporary music video analysis
After researching key techniques used in music video and key theorists Andrew Goodwin and Carol Vernallis, I then researched 4 contemporary music videos linked to my chosen abstract indie folk genre. The videos I researched include Ben Howard - Esmerelda (2012), Ben Howard - Oats in the Water (2012), Boards of Canada - Reach for the Dead (2013) and My Morning Jacket - Spring (2015).
Process strengths -
- I took screenshots of my favourite visual moments to draw inspiration from and include in my own music video. This gave me visual influence along with photographers I researched, Kazuyuki Okajima, Syoin Kajii and Keith Johnson.
Process weaknesses -
- I could have researched the technical aspects in a greater depth, and looked at aspects such as camera angles and movement. This would have given me a better understanding of
Outcome strengths -
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Outcome weaknesses -
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Strengths -
- I researched 4 abstract music videos which I drew inspiration from for my own music video production.
- I took screenshots of some of my favourite technical shots from each video, to draw inspiration from when creating my own music video.
- My time management could be better managed as I took longer than I initially planned to source the videos, as I could not find many genre specific videos.
Evaluate process -
I found it very difficult to find abstract music videos linking to the indie folk genre. I discovered not many mainstream music videos exist for my planned theme of ocean scenes and waves.
Recommendations for further research -
To improve, I would analyse the techniques in greater depth to gain a better understanding and then use them in my own music video. I would also manage my time better and find a more efficient way of sourcing music videos from the indie folk genre, by using more online resources.
Process strengths -
- I took screenshots of my favourite visual moments to draw inspiration from and include in my own music video. This gave me visual influence along with photographers I researched, Kazuyuki Okajima, Syoin Kajii and Keith Johnson.
Process weaknesses -
- I could have researched the technical aspects in a greater depth, and looked at aspects such as camera angles and movement. This would have given me a better understanding of
Outcome strengths -
-
Outcome weaknesses -
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Strengths -
- I researched 4 abstract music videos which I drew inspiration from for my own music video production.
- I took screenshots of some of my favourite technical shots from each video, to draw inspiration from when creating my own music video.
- My time management could be better managed as I took longer than I initially planned to source the videos, as I could not find many genre specific videos.
Evaluate process -
I found it very difficult to find abstract music videos linking to the indie folk genre. I discovered not many mainstream music videos exist for my planned theme of ocean scenes and waves.
Recommendations for further research -
To improve, I would analyse the techniques in greater depth to gain a better understanding and then use them in my own music video. I would also manage my time better and find a more efficient way of sourcing music videos from the indie folk genre, by using more online resources.
- When distributing my questionnaire I tried to reach a reliable audience by using family and friends. In my mind this would be a quick, easy and effective way of collecting valid results, however this did have other effects that proved to be one of my process weaknesses (see below).
- I published my survey online via www.surveymonkey.com, as this was the easiest platform to distribute and collate the results. The results are worked out automatically via percentages by the site, so it makes it easier to collate the results. I have used the site to conduct surveys before, and it has proved very effective in gathering information.
Process weaknesses -
- My questions were fairly genre specific, but I feel that I could have improved by tailoring my questions more around the indie folk genre, rather than just focusing on abstract. Questions such as "what features do you expect to see in an abstract music video" would have given me clearer results and helped me to plan my music video production in better detail. By doing this I would have had a better idea of what an audience asks, rather than asking less specific questions like "what is your gender", there were 46.15% male respondents and 53.85 female, which has little relevance and does not give me much information about how to plan, film and edit my music video.
- Although I distributed my questionnaire to a specific audience, I feel that this was an easier route and a sure way of getting quick and reliable results. By limiting my survey to a select group of people, a wider audience could not be reached and therefore the answers were not as varied as they could have been. If I had have posted the questionnaire online to a wider audience I could have attained a wider range of audience and therefore answers. It could also be argued that by sending it to limited people there is an ethical bias, where my audience could be from a specific cultural background and therefore attain similar answers.
Outcome strengths -
- I collated my questionnaire results with an in-depth analysis of the answers by working out the percentages and then creating a graphic visual pie-chart of my results (http://sarahdavismediahnc.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/questionnaire-results.html) which makes my results clear and easy to view.
Outcome weaknesses -
Recommendations for further research -
- I understand that by sending my questionnaire to a limited handful of people my results have been limited, despite attempting to send it to a mixture of ages, however with a majority of ages between 18-24.
- If I were to create the questionnaire again then I could also tailor my questions to make them more genre specific to the indie folk genre music genre, and abstract music videos as that was my initial aim, and would give me more detailed responses and therefore help me in planning then producing my own music video.
Focus group - quantitive research
Process weaknesses -
Process strengths -
- I researched the genre and pre-existing music videos from the indie folk genre, to get a better understanding of what questions to ask the focus group. I played the group 2 clips from indie folk music videos, showing them extracts from Ben Howard's Oats in the Water and Esmerelda. The participants told me their favourite visual aspects of each video and techniques that they would change or improve.
- The focus group was formed of 8 A2 film students, which is a limited number and could have been improved. The respondents had dissimilar interests to my indie folk genre, and when I asked them to give any suggestions of any music videos that they liked, all of the suggestions were from the pop music genre (Ed Sheeran and Sia) and were unrealistic for my time frame and budget. I feel that the audience were not suited to my abstract genre and were fixed to a more modern popular music genre. This is explained in Goodwin's theory where he states that a star image attracts a younger audience by feeding them into the mainstream. Due to this I feel that the outcome was not very beneficial in showing me what an audience wants, as they were not fans of the indie folk genre.
- I had originally planned to tape record the meeting but due to a technical malfunction I was forced to take notes. This was helpful when reviewing my feedback, and I found that talking to a group of people face-to-face in an interview type style and asking them questions was useful as I could keep asking questions and they could expand on them, but a voice recording would have been extremely helpful and given me their responses word for word.
Outcome strengths -
Outcome weaknesses -
- When reviewing the groups answers and feedback, I realised that I could have asked more genre specific questions linking with the indie folk genre, to attain more detailed responses. Questions such as "if you were to create your own abstract music video, what would you aim to include" and "can you name some of your favourite abstract music videos in regards to concept and visuals?" would have been great to ask and gain answers to, as this would have given me a clearer understanding of what an audience wants from a music video of my genre.
Recommendations for further research -
- The validity of my focus group answers could have been resolved by conducting a focus group with an audience that already has an interest in indie folk music music and abstract music videos, or has a wider variation of key factors such as age and ethnic/cultural background.
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