Task 4 - Questionnaire results

 1.  Gender Female – 4
Male– 6

From these results we can see that I asked more males than females to complete the questionnaire and therefore my results may be biased towards the male gender. I should have asked an equal number of males and females in order to get unbiased results.

2. How often do you watch music videos?
Everyday - 1
Every week - 2
Occasionally - 5
Never – 2

These results show that music videos aren’t that popular, most people only watch them occasionally suggesting that their knowledge on music videos is limited and the results from the other questions are based on a limited number of music videos.

3. What medium do you use to watch music videos on?
Mobile phone/ ipod - 1
internet – 4
music channels – 5

Most people appear to watch music videos on music channels than other medium, this suggests that music channels such as VIVA, MTV and The Hits are popular and therefore suggests that we should consider using one of their logos in the music video.

4. Do you prefer performance or narrative based music videos?
Narrative - 6
Performance – 4

As more people selected that they preferred a narrative based performance I may go ahead with producing a music video that has a narrative, perhaps a love story. This has given me some indication in to the types of song I might want to create a music video for, ones that tell a story.

5. What is your favourite genre?
Pop – 3
Rock – 4
R&B – 2
Country – 1
Electronic – 0
indie – 0

Rock appears to be the most popular genre amongst the participants, this will be a strong contender when deciding on the type of music that I might want to create a music video for, however I will keep open minded and choose a song that I feel will create a good narrative, perhaps something more like pop music or country.

6. Do you enjoy music videos with dance routines?
Yes - 3
No – 7

It is evident that dance routines in music videos are not popular so these will not be included in my music video.

7. What do you enjoy seeing in music videos?
Live performances -3
Narratives -5
Comedy -1
Abstract videos- 1

Narratives appear to be a popular element in music videos, so do live performances. I might consider including both in to my music video so that it will attract a wider audience. This
 may include shots back and forth from live performances back to the narrative that the artists are singing about.

8A- Do you like special effects?
Yes -8
No – 2

Special effects proved popular, this indicates that I should include various effect when it comes to editing so that it appeals to my audience.

8B- If, so what kind of special effects? (out of 8 people who selected yes in previous question)
Black and white scenes - 4
Slow motion scenes - 3
animation - 1
Green screen – 0

This question has identified what special effects I should use in my music video in order to appeal to the audience. Black and white and slow motion scenes proved most popular, I will use these special effects in my work. Black and white and slow motion scenes often appear in music videos with narratives.

9. Favourite music videos:
Bon Jovi – Living on a prayer
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Taylor Swift – Love Story
Rudimental – Waiting all night
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Lana Del Rey – Ride
Florence and the Machine – Dog days

These are some of the music videos that were selected as the participants ‘favourites’. I will watch all of these music video and take into account some of the techniques used so that I can use them in my own.

10- What emotions do you like to see presented in music videos?
Happiness - 4
Sadness - 3
Anger - 0
Humour - 1
Romantic (other) - 2

Happiness appears to be the favourite emotion to be presented in a music video, this suggests that I should select a song with a positive feel to it.

11. What media technique do you find most attractive/enjoyable or most important when viewing a music video? (Ranked 1-4)
Settings – 1 – 1 – 2   – 2 – 1  – 1 – 2 – 1  – 1 – 2
Fashion/clothing-  4 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 1 - 4 – 4 – 4 – 3 – 4
Camera work – 2 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 1
Lighting – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 4 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 4

Settings and camera work are considered the most important elements in a music video so I will take great care when selecting settings and deciding on camera angles and shots.

By Emily Driscoll

Task 4 - Music Video questionnaire

Music video questionnaire Emily Driscoll

1.Gender:
male
female

2. How often do you watch music videos?
Everyday
Every week
Occasionally
Never

3. What medium do you use to watch music videos on?
Mobile phone/iPod
internet
Music channels (TV)

4. Do you prefer performance or narrative based music videos?
Narrative
Performance
Other (please state)

5.Whats your favourite genre?
Pop
Rock
R&B
Country
Electronic
Indie
Other

6.  Do you enjoy music videos with dance routines?
Yes
No


7. What do you enjoy seeing in music videos?
Live performances
Narratives
Comical
abstract videos
Other (please state)

8. Do you like special effects?
Yes
No

If so, what kind of special effects?
Black and white scenes
slow motion scenes
Animation
Green screen
Other (please state)

9. What is your favourite music video?

10. What emotions do you like to see presented in a music video?
Happiness
Sadness
Anger
Comical
Other (please state)

11. What media technique do you find to me most enjoyable/attractive when viewing a music video?  Rank 1-4 (1 being the most enjoyable)
Settings
Fashion/clothing
Camera work
Lighting

Task 4 - Questionnaire Answers Music Video

1.     What gender are you?
7 male, 3 female: This shows that the majority who took this Questionnaire were male. This could show that my target audience could be for the male gender.

2.      What age group are you?
17-19: This shows that my target audience for this would be for the age range of 17-19. As this would be a more appropriate target range as this age were brought up with many new types of genre and have a greater upbringing of music videos due to the change in technology.

3.     What gender do you enjoy?
5 Rock, 4 pop, 1 punk: This shows that the majority like this rock Genre, this genre has a lot more sub genres than any other genre this makes it easier to make this music video more to everyone tastes as its relatable to more people.

4.     Why do you enjoy this genre?
Majority had said because the can relate to the lyrics and music. Or can be something to dance to.

5.     Do you prefer a story in a music video?
9 yes, 1 no: This shows that more people would like a music video to have a story line to it. This shows that my target audience would much prefer the music video to be creative in narrative rather than in performance. See Q.7

6.      Do you prefer the story to contain the band members/ singer?

8 yes, 2 no: This shows that many more people would like to see the band members/ singer to be in the music video. This shows that they are more likely to watch it if they are which could show that they like these artists because of their image. This can be put into a music video.

7.      Do you expect dancing/ performance in a music video?
6 yes, 4 no: This shows that most prefer to have dancing/ performance in a music video this could show that this audience may dance to this music which could show through the music video.

8.     Do you prefer having a story and singing together?
9 yes, 1 no: This shows that my target audience would prefer to have a story line with the artist singing within the video, this could show that the audience prefer to feel like the artist is singing in this video along to story either in a flashback or alongside the story. See Q.8

9.     Do you prefer having the story and performance separate in a music video?

6 yes, 4 no: This shows that most of my audience prefer to have the story and singing separate, this could show that the audience prefers to see this is a separate part of this video and for them to recognise the difference in the story and the singing to have them at separate times of day or separate rooms.

10.  Do you prefer a music video to be live music/ behind the scenes of a live performance?

8 yes, 2 no: This shows that my target audience like to see a live performance in a music video as it shows that the audience would prefer to see Live performances and behind the scenes of performances in a music video.

11.  Do you Prefer the video to be…
1 animated, 1 B&W, 8 colour: This shows that the audience would prefer to see a music video in colour rather than black and white or animated.

12.  Do you prefer the video to be related to the lyrics or be artistic?
7 lyrics, 3 artistic: This shows that the audience would prefer the video to relate to the lyrics rather than it being artistic.

13.  Do you like to see a symbol/motif?
 7 yes, 3 no: This shows that the audience like to see a symbol in a music video in which the can see or relate.

14.  Which of these do you feel have the most iconic/ famous music videos? (Tick three)

3 Rihanna, 2 Queen, 3 Take That, 4 The Beatles, 3 Guns & Roses, 3 Oasis, 2 Muse, 2 Pink, Mumford &sons, Green day, Twin Atlantic, 3 Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyoncé, Robbie W: These show that the audience prefer to pop, indie and rock. The majority chose the Beatles but closely behind chose Rhianna, Take That, Guns & Roses, Oasis and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Task 4 - Music Video Questionnaire

Your understanding and opinions on music videos

1.     
What gender are you?

Male
Female

2.     What age group are you?
15-16
17-19
20-25
26-30
30+

3.     What genre of music do you enjoy?
Rock
Pop
Alternative rock
Country
Punk

Other 

4.     Why do you like this genre?

5.     Do you prefer a story in a music video?
Yes
No

6.     Do you prefer the story to contain the band members/ sing?

Yes

No

7.     Do you expect dancing/ performance in a music video?
Yes
No

8.     Do you prefer having a story and singing together?
Yes
No

9.     Do you prefer having the story and the performance separate in a music video? (e.g. Having the singer in a studio whilst singing)

Yes
No

10.  Do you prefer a music video to be live music/ behind scenes of a live performance?
Yes
No

11.  Do you prefer a music video to be…?
Black and white
Colour

Animated

12.  Do you prefer the video to relate to the lyrics or be artistic? Explain?

13.  Do you like to see a symbol/ motif? (e.g. a rose, use of the sky)

Yes
No

14.  Which of these do you feel have the most iconic/ famous music videos? (Tick three)

The Beatles
Rihanna

Mumford and Sons

Owl City
Twin Atlantic
Iron Maiden
Guns and Roses

Green Day
All Time Low
Oasis
Muse

Queen
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Pink
Beyoncé

Take that

Robbie Williams

music video media questionnaire- results

Here are the results from my questionnaire. In total there were 13 people who answered.

Question 1.
The split between both genders was quite equal, however more girls have answered my questionnaire. However, although there might be slight bias due to this, it is okay because we are planning to make a music video aimed at a mostly female audience.

Question 2.
11 out of 13 people were between the ages of 16-20. This is because I have decided to send out the survey to people who are in the same age category as me and who I consider to be the most likely target audience for the music video we are planning to produce.

Question 3.
The split for this question was quite equal, however most people enjoy watching official videos by chance. This suggest our video would be most likely watched if it came up on a popular TV channel.

Question 4.
This question asked what platform the audience would mostly use to watch the music video. I have considered this an important question because it shows if people would be more likely to watch the video by chance (TV) or through specifically searching for it (phones, computers). The answers have shown that the larger proportion of people watched videos on TV channels, but collectively, the rest of people who search for videos amount to a similar number.

Question 5.
According to the results, a narrative storyline in a video is what the target audience find most important in a music video. The colouring was considered to be the second most important thing for a music video to grab the audience's attention.

Question 6.
The most popular genre was Pop with 5 votes, while Country and R&B received no votes at all.

Question 7.
Most of the people who took the questionnaire believe that any logo would be most suitable to be placed at the top right corner. However, the second most popular vote showed that many people are also indifferent to the logo placement.

Question 8.
A significantly larger proportion of people find it most convenient when the information about the song is displayed at the beginning of a music video.

Question 9.
The song and video should be of the same length as it received 9 votes while the other two answers had only 2 each.

Question 10.
This question was written with the intention to give us some ideas and hints as to what people would like to see in a music video. For example a few people said they enjoy a cute/nice narrative while others like something more original and crazy e.g. dance sequences or animations.

musiv video media questionnaire

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Task 3 - Analysing song lyrics

We have decided to  create a music video to the song 'Home' by Gabrielle Aplin, we have analysed the lyrics to gain a better understanding of the song itself and to help us with our final ideas about the narrative of the music video.

From the lyrics it is clear that the singer is missing 'home'. We think that she is probably talking about a person who she loves, and whenever she is with this person she considers herself at home or it could be an actual place where she no longer lives but wishes she was back there. She probably feels out of place where ever she is now, be that without the person she loves or without the place she called home which is clear from the lyrics 'I'm a Pheonix in the water, A fish thats learnt to fly' suggesting that she doesn't fit it, or its not natural for her to be there.

Task 3 - Basic Ideas

     Our music video will be based on the song 'Home' by Gabrielle Aplin, we have analysed the song lyrics and developed our ideas through mind mapping and discussing ideas within the group. Here is a basic idea for our music video:

The music video will be about a girl who is missing a place where she once lived and a person who she loves but she is now in a place where she doesn't fit in and her only wish is to be back where she was. Our music video will show how the singer tries to make her way back to this 'place' which we will connote with shots of her in somewhere peaceful in the day light such as in a forest, by a river or in a field. we will also portray her in the place where she doesn't fit as a busy city center where she struggles to get about which reflect the negativity of this place. During her travels as she tries to return home we will show shots of her also remembering the person who she loves by using showing her looking at a photograph of her and the person who she loves as she also associates this person with her home because in the lyrics we think that she is talking about an individual too.

Locations:
Forest, country side, river, areas around Tamworth park
Tamworth Train station
Birmingham city centre

Costume:
The singer will wear casual clothing in the music video
By Emily, Lana and Renya

Task 3- mind maps

Here are the mind maps we created when planning for an idea for a music video.

 

Mind map 1: This mind map presents our initial ideas for songs we wanted to make a music video for. We decided that it would be best to select a few broad music genres and think of some artists and songs that we liked. This was done to provide us with a varied choice from which we could then pick. This enabled us to think up of advantages and disadvantages of making a video for each genre. Some factors which we thought of were the audience, availability of founding, available actors and difficulty of filming.

Mind map2: This map was done after we settled on preforming a song from the alternative/ indie genre. We have agreed on making a music video for an artist/band from this genre as it seemed it would be the most fitting. Rock or pop music videos tend to be extravagant and flashy which would require a lot of props and founding. In contrast, the slower tempo of the songs we have chosen from the indie genre is more fitting for a simpler video which we would be able to film. We also thought of some basic aspects of the music video for each song such as the number of actors requires, which narrative it would follow etc...

Task 2: A-ha Take On Me music video analysis

Music video analysis: A-ha ‘Take On Me’

A-ha was a Narwegian pop band which formed in 1982 and became famous in the mid 80’s. ‘Take On Me’ is one of their international number one singles in 1985.

The narrative:

The music video consists of narrative and performance shots. The narrative follows the lyrics. It opens with a zoom in on to what seems like pencil drawings of a man who is later revealed to be the singer.  The images later form a montage and introduce the audience to the sub-plot narrative story of the man participating in a race. When the singing finally starts at 30 something seconds into the video the drawings are revealed to be a comic which a young woman is reading.

The main romantic fantasy narrative starts when there is a shot reverse shot between the woman’s face and the young man’s from the comic. He seemingly comes to life and winks at the girl. Then there is a mix between the live action and the animation technique called rotoscoping when he extends his hand from the pages and pulls the girl inside.  The intertwining of the two styles made the music video very popular at the time as it was almost like a short movie clip.

In a way, as the story progresses it does become a little movie as it takes the audience on a journey which has a beginning, a middle and an ending. According to Todorov’s theory every narrative needs those three stages to make a sense. In music videos he identifies five distinct ones:

1. A state of equilibrium where everything seems normal. I this music video this is the very beginning where the girl is simply enjoying the comic at a coffee shop.

 

2. Disequilibrium occurs where there is a disruption of the previous equilibrium. This moment happened when the boy from the comic extends his hand out and pulls the girl inside of it.

 

3. The third stage sees the girl recognizing what happens. This is when she moves through the pages of the comic with the boy. In addition the sub-plot also comes at this stage as both the woman and the man are chased around.

 

4. A new equilibrium. This means that the distortion needs to be repaired. In the narrative the girl escapes the comic and follows the story of the boy to see if he is okay.

 

5. Finally there is the restoration of the new equilibrium.  The boy survives coming out of the comic and is transformed into a normal man. It is implied the two are happy and safe together at the end of the music video.

 

In Todorov’s opinion throughout the course of the narrative the characters are changed and developed. This can be seen happening to the characters in the ‘Take On Me’ music video because they are pulled away from their everyday routines to having a new life.

This romantic narrative set in a fantasy and normal world is very intriguing and original. The storyline is also very appealing to young females which was the majority of the fanbase for A-ha at the time the song was released.

Camera work:

In the music video I have spotted the following camera angles and movement used:

Close up- the beginning of the video has many close up’s on the images.

Extreme close up- extreme close up’s are used on the boy’s eyes at the beginning.

Long shot- although the image is in pancil, there is a long shot used when the girl and boy make their way through the images. This could have been done as a means of establishing the location.

Medium shot- mostly used throughout the action scenes.

Low angle- most notably used on the boy at the end of the video- it signifies the uncertainty whether he is going to make it through the transition from a drawing to a human.

High angle- used throughout many points of the video.

Pans- horizontal panning is used when the boy and girl look through the ‘mirror’ which shows them either as animated or real.

Tilts- used at various points throughout the video.

Shot reverse shot- used between the girl and boy at the beginning and also between the good and bad characters.

Mise-en-scene:

At the moment the most notable thing about ‘Take On Me’ is the choice of costume because the style is quite outdated. Some notable traits are the hair styles and the fact the girl’s outfit is not sexualised like most female stresses and singers tend to wear in today’s industry.

 

 

 

 

Task 2 - Analysing documentaries

By Emily Driscoll

Task 2 - The Great Gatsby film review analysis

Code/Convention	Notes & Evidence from real media products (the reviews)	Why is it there / like this?
Layout	Basic paragraphs accompanied by relevant images from the film.  There is also always a star rating at the top of the page	This article is online so a normal paragraph structure is necessary. The star rating gives the reader an idea of overall opinion of the film without reading the review.
Different Headings	The review is titled the name of the film ‘ The Great Gatsby’, underneath the title is a subtitle ’All that Bazz’ which links in with the theme of the film. Subheadings simply include a plot,  the review and a verdict.	The title simply informs the reader of what film the review is about. The subtitle can sometimes be humorous pun which are possibly used in an attempt to gain the readers attention. The subheading inform us of what section of the review we are reading. The verdict is a short summary of the writers overall opinion.
How the review is introduced	The review is introduced with an overview of the plot	This is used so that the reader can gather a general idea of what the film is about, but its only vague
Use of puns	‘All that Bazz’	This is the subheading of the review. It’s a play on words from ‘All that Jazz’ but because the director is called Bazz Luhrmann it is instead ‘all the Bazz’
Balance of fact & opinion	The opening of the review is about the book the film is based on which Is of course fact and in the second paragraph the reviewer explains the plot in more detail telling us about where it is set and introducing us to the characters involved. The opinion of the reviewer is evident from then on wards, they make statements such as ‘Luhrmann doesn’t so much harken to the needs of the book as shower them in tinsel’ and the verdict at the end of the review: ’Despite DiCaprio’s prize performance, purists will fume, but even as lit-crashing razzle-dazzle entertainment Luhrmann’s adaptation is a candelabrum too far.’	The factual side of the review gives the reader a clearer understanding of the film. In this particular review the origins of the film are explained, possibly to encourage the audience to read the book as well. A more in depth plot is necessary without giving too much away so that the reader has a clearer understanding of what the film is about so that the opinions make more sense. In this review the writer really exaggerates on how great Dicaprios performance was however he thinks that Baz Luhrmanns directing was perhaps too much and ruined the book.
Use of humour	1.       ‘spiked with a triple shot of CG, 3D and Jay Z’ 2.       Luhrmann doesn’t so much harken to the needs of the book as shower them in tinsel 3.       If you’re looking for something more restrained and believable this summer, Pacific Rim might be a better bet.	1. The rhyme of three elements in the film may be humorous, CG and 3D are all film terms but they are accompanied by Jay Z who is rapper and doesn’t link with CG and 3D but he does rap in the soundtrack. He stands out as the odd element.  2. The writer makes a humorous remark when he explains how he thinks Baz Lurhmann had gone a bit overboard with the millionaire in the 1920s theme, comparing it to tinsel which is sometimes considered an ‘over-the-top’ decoration.
Discussion of film’s content
Discussion of film’s technologies or styling
Discussion of film’s characters
How the review is summed up	’Despite DiCaprio’s prize performance, purists will fume, but even as lit-crashing razzle-dazzle entertainment Luhrmann’s adaptation is a candelabrum too far.’	Its clear that the writer is a big fan of Leonardo Dicaprio however, not so much a big fan of Luhrmanns directing style.

By Emily Driscoll