G324 - Filming Hit Me Baby One More Time

Filming the Britney video took a lot less time than we had initially imagined. This was due to our chosen actors picking up the dance moves very quickly, despite having not danced before. This made the process a lot easier for us as it meant that we could focus on getting the shots and lip syncing correct, rather than becoming distracted by perfecting the dance moves.

We managed to film the video in just under 2 hours. This has given us lots of time to work on the edit which was what we were hoping for as we know that matching up the video with the music, in terms of lip syncing, could take a lot of time. In addition, this gives us the opportunity to go back and re-film certain shots if the need should present itself to us without taking up valuable time. With spare time at the end, we will be able to ensure is as good as we can make it.

G324 - Hit Me Baby One More Time Remake Shot List

Shot Number	Timing	Description	Equipment List	Shot Type	Camera Movement
1	00.51.00	Britney stood at locker singing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Close Up	None
2	00.52.00	Britney and 5 backing dancers dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Mid Shot	None
3	00.53.30	Britney and 5 backing dancers dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie Dolly	Extreme Long Shot	Gentle Pull Out
4	00.55.00	2 girls stood at lockers.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Mid Shot	None
5	00.56.30	Britney and 5 backing dancers dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Long Shot	None
6	00.57.30	Britney and 5 backing dancers dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Extreme Long Shot	None
7	00.58.00	Britney dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Close Up	None
8	00.58.50	Britney stood at locker.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie Dolly	Long Shot	Gentle Zoom
9	01.01.00	Britney stood at locker singing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Close Up	None
10	01.02.00	Britney stood at locker looking down.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Mid Shot	None
11	01.03.00	Man pirouetting through door.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Long Shot	None
12	01.04.30	Britney and 5 backing dancers dancing.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Long Shot	None
13	01.06.00	Girl at locker.	Camera Tripod School Shirt Tie	Close Up	None

G324 - Hit Me Baby One More Time Story Board

G324 - Our Re-Make Section

Sam and I will be re-making the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video from 51 seconds to 1 minute 6 seconds. This section includes many small sections of a dance routine. This could be difficult as the actors that we have access to are not dancers and therefore could struggle to carry out the moves.

In addition, some of the transitions are very quick and therefore some of the shots could be hard to capture for the correct duration.

As well as this, I feel that it is going to be difficult to sync the filmed aspects with the music due to having never tried to lip sync before. Finally, some of the camera movements, such as the zoom in at 59 seconds, seem to be extremely difficult due to the equipment we have access to.

G324 - How Re-Making Hit Me Baby One More Time Will Impact My Own Music Video

By remaking a section of Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video, I feel that I have become re-accustomed with the equipment that I will be using for my own music video. This means that when it comes to filming my music video I will be able to jump straight into it with a full understanding of the equipment and how it works which will save valuable time in the process.

 

In addition, through re-making this section of the Britney video, I have been introduced to the concept of choreographing a dance routine. This was not something which I enjoyed and therefore aim to avoid when creating my own music video. I am glad that I realised this before making my own video as it could have created many issues further down the line.

G324 - Avicii: The Nights Textual Analysis - My Favourite Music Video

Avicii's music video for his single The Nights is a conceptual video due to the way the video has been constructed to reflect the lyrics of the video. There are slight aspects of performance within the clip, shown through the lip sync, however this is to add to the concept of reflection rather than to look like a set or performance.

The video clearly appears to fit the alternative genre of music due to the crazy stunts depicted and the pure message within the video. This style of video is uncommon and therefore would hint towards an alternative style. This subverts the genre of Avicii's music which is House and Electronic Dance (EDM). EDM music tends to be produced for being showcased in night clubs and at festivals, therefore it is uncommon for them to be accompanied by videos at all, let alone in the style that has been adopted. Due to this, all aspects of the video contradict the norm for the genre. It is also uncommon for EDM music to have much of a message and is usually produced to get people dancing rather than thinking. The video itself was produced by Rory Kramer, a "professional live-lifer" which is where the intertextual references arise. Rory Kramer dedicates his time in creating a life he will remember, which relates to the theme of both the video that he produced and the song that Avicii produced.


The video adopts the theme of living life to its full potential, shown through the montage of clips of extreme sports and life-changing experiences. The video itself does not appear to tell a full story but rather indicates that it is showcasing the epitome of the story of life. It begins with an added narrative element from Rory Kramer which explains what is to be shown within the video. What entails is a montage of clips that Rory has filmed on hand-held cameras to depict his life and the adventures which he has taken part in, such as cliff diving and hand-gliding. The video ends with Kramer spray painting the message of the video onto a concrete wall; "Live a life you will remember." which caused this to become the resounding image within the minds of the audience and the entirety of the video reflects these key lyrics.


The video features the representation of age as it depicts the way in which Rory Kramer believes he should make the most of his life whilst he is young as he will be unable to have the same experiences when he is older. This presents young adults as being stereotypically reckless and brave. It also stereotypes the older generation as being less able and more relaxed. Avicii himself is not present within the video at all which helps to indicate the way in which the video was not produced by him.

The record company's role within the video is to ensure that the video reflects and compliments the music, rather than overpowering it. This is important for them as, whilst they are attempting to promote Rory Kramer, they must ensure that Avicii remains the central focus. This is difficult when Avicii is not present in the video however has been countered by having Rory lip syncing some of the song so as to allow that to remain the forefront of the video. This promotes the song which in turn promotes the artist. Avicii has a highly active and prominent online presence through social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube which he uses to distribute his music and to keep fans updated on albums and singles being released.

The video is set in a multitude of locations including at a surf resort, at the beach and amongst some cliffs. This connotes the adventurous lifestyle Avicii is indicating you should attempt to live. The most dominant colour within the video is the vibrant blues of the sky and the waters. This creates a sense of splendour as well as creating a peaceful atmosphere. All of the writing within the video is made by real graffiti, indicating the way in which the video was completely home-made by Kramer. Kramer's antics within the video give off a sense of him being extremely courageous, uncaring and sometimes stupid in what he does, connoting that he is living his life as much as he can whilst he still has it. My favourite shot composition is at 1:41 when Rory is surfing on the roof of his car, whilst his friend is hanging out of the car window and filming them. This is because the shot perfectly sums up the most joy intensifying experiences that make life so amazing; good friends, adrenaline, having fun and beautiful blue skies.


There are a few instances within the video where camera movements such as pans and zooms have been used to help accentuate the beauty of the landscape. This creates a sense of awe and amazement for the viewer. The editing of the video is fast-paced which reflects Kramer's outgoing lifestyle as well as the beat of the music. Together, this creates a sense of adventure and causes the action to seem more dangerous and exciting. The shot at 00:45 is visually appealing due to the contrast of the black silhouettes against the vibrant sunset. This indicates that Rory Kramer has travelled the world to find such amazing views. The use of the hand-held camera throughout the video helps to denote Kramer's association with the action and enables the audience to understand that it is a documentation of his life, rather than Avicii's.

The target audience for this video appears to be working class teens and young men, potentially also from the upper class, which is indicated by the people staring in the video. There are only 6 females shown in the entirety of the video, each for less than a second, and only two of whom have their faces visible, making it seem as though the video is intentionally not targeting women. This could be due to the stereotypical idea of women being more sensible, less adventurous and a whole lot more fearful than men. Combining this with the genre of the music, it is very evident that this video was made to target young males. The audience are most likely to access the video through YouTube which allows them to share it across other social media platforms such as Facebook and Tumblr.

This analysis will help me when it comes to making my own video as it has allowed me to explore the variety of ways in which music videos can be made and has introduced me to the idea that not all music videos are produced by the artists who created the music.

G324 - Analysing Love The Way You Lie (Eminem ft. Rihanna) Using Goodwin's Theory

1 - Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics;
The video clearly depicts the stereotypical characteristics of rap videos such as Eminem throwing signs, the theme of violence throughout the piece and the male character stealing alcohol from the shop.

2 - There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals;
The lyrics tell the story of a girl caught in an abusive relationship with a man who cannot control his anger which is shown throughout the narrative of the video through the man pushing the girl around and the fire. Not only this, but at some points during the video the characters mouth some of the words along with Eminem's rapping, showing an inseparable link between visuals and lyrics.

3 - There is a relationship between music and visuals;
The video is cut on the beat of the music, showing a distinct relationship between the two.

4 - The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of artist close-up's;
This is made obvious through the way in which there are a total of 39 close-ups on the artists throughout the song, 24 of them focusing on Rihanna and the remaining 15 focusing on Eminem.

5 - The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work;
Eminem's videos commonly show him to be isolated whilst rapping which is mirrored throughout this video.

6 - There is frequent reference to the notion of "looking" and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body;
There are some aspects within the piece that refer to the notion of looking, such as when the camera takes on the role of the female character's eyes as she looks at the phone number scrawled across the back of the male character's hand.

7 - There are often intertextual references, mostly to film, TV and popular culture;
By using Megan Fox to play the female character within the video, Eminem is creating more adversity for her which tied in with the release of the new Transformers film at the time.












This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video as it has helped me to understand how easily these ideas can be integrated into the video without becoming obvious to the audience unless specifically being looked for.

G324 - Goodwin's Theory on Music Videos

In 1992, Andrew Goodwin published a book called "Dancing in the Distraction Factory" after many years of researching into music videos. In this book, he came up with 7 codes and conventions that most music videos have in common.








1 - Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics; such as heavy metal and rock videos containing lots of performance shots and audience members.






2 - There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals; such as showing the life of a depressed child in a video for a song about coping and getting over depression.


3 - There is a relationship between music and visuals; such as having the shot changes on the beat.


4 - The demands of the record label will include the need for a certain number of close-ups of the artist; such as Blackground Records.



5 - The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work; such as the frequent use of drum imagery in music videos for White Stripes.







6 - There is frequent reference to the notion of 'looking', particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body; such as the sexualisation of female artists..





7 - There are often intertextual references to film, TV and popular culture; such as the reference to James Bond in Madonna's "Die Another Day" video.




This will help me when creating my own music video as I will be able to refer back to this list and ensure that my music video contains some of these aspects in order to ensure its success.

G324 - P!nk: Funhouse Textual Analysis

P!nk's music video for her single Funhouse appears to be a combination of a performance, narrative and symbolic video due to the way in which P!nk is shown to be performing the song throughout the video whilst also telling a story which is further exemplified through the symbolic use of props and characters.

The video appears to be very pop/rock which suits the aesthetic that P!nk finally discovered upon the creation of her "I'm Not Dead" album, a few years before the release of this single. After being heavily pressurised in the beginning of her career to be an R&B and pop artist, P!nk rebelled against her record label in 2003 with the creation of a heavily rock influenced album "Try This". It wasn't until the release of "I'm Not Dead" in 2006 that P!nk found her comfort ground and settled into the pop/rock genre that she is now known for.


The typical narrative of pop/rock videos is interspersed with performance shots rather than interwoven amongst it as is shown in the Funhouse video. In addition, it is common for the artist to be included in the narrative of pop/rock videos which is exemplified through P!nk's continuous appearance in the video for Funhouse. The typical narrative of pop/rock music tends to focus on everyday life and the issues surrounding it, namely love and relationships, and this is evident throughout this video due to the the depiction of P!nk leaving behind a home full of "evil clowns", symbolising bad memories from her recent life.

P!nk's eccentric dance moves and use of iconography is expected within the video due to these being common within her music videos. Her wacky videos are created to resonate with the viewer and be memorable, therefore the powerful images which have been carefully constructed to reflect and intertwine with the lyrics are what the audience have come to expect from P!nk and they are definitely not left disappointed by Funhouse.
It is common for P!nk to subvert expectations and therefore, ironically, this has come to be expected from her. Again, this is shown within Funhouse, namely through the use of personal images which are dribbled in amongst the story, such as a graffiti painting of her recently deceased dog, Elvis, and a photo frame containing what had been a widely distributed photo of her and her at-the-time ex-boyfriend, Carey Hart from when they had been together. This also acts as an ambiguous intertextual reference to magazine features about the break up.

The video adopted the theme of leaving behind the past shown through the camera panning past a grave with "Elvis" written on it at the start of the video, referring to the death of her dog, and the way in which she discards the photograph of her Carey. The video itself appears to depict the falling action and resolution of the story behind P!nk's break up from Carey.
It begins by showing the audience the aspects that P!nk is abandoning (her dog and ex-boyfriend) and proceeds to demonstrate the way in which P!nk became aware of the destruction this had caused, symbolised by her dancing through the burning house, noticing more and more aspects which are not the way that they should be. The video ends with P!nk exploding the house and driving off on a motorcycle which indicates her leaving behind all the pain and attempting to find her own way. The "evil clown" characters, which are used as visual metaphors to reflect the lyrics, symbolise P!nk's memories of life with Carey in their family home that she is remembering as she walks away.

The clowns, however, are not the only reflection of P!nk's lyrics from within the video. The first line of the song, "I dance around this empty house" is directly shown within the video for the majority of the duration. As mentioned before, P!nk picks up an old photograph of her and Carey at which point she sings "Pictures framing up the past, your taunting smirk behind the glass". In addition the line "I'm going to burn to it down" is repeated many times throughout the song and is reflected by the house being on fire. Whilst singing the numbers of the countdown, P!nk is shown to be counting down on her fingers in an aggressive manner, reflecting not only the lyrics but also the tone behind them. These are only some of the examples however, and it is clear that the lyrics and video go hand in hand for the duration of the song.

The video tackles two issues of representation, one of which is obvious whilst the other is more ambiguous. The more ambiguous representation is that of mental health. This is represented through the negative imagery and visions of clowns that P!nk is having, thus representing her as being stuck in a negative mindset. However, by walking away from all the pain, P!nk is exemplifying the way in which we have control over our own mental heath and have the ability to save ourself, thus representing mental health in a healthy and stable fashion. The second,

and more obvious, representation within the video is that of the event of P!nk and Carey's break up. This has been presented as being a big turning point in P!nk's life and as destructive and powerful. The stereotypical use of colour helps to present P!nk as the innocent character in the story through her white clothing. However, as P!nk moves through the house, her outfit becomes more stained and tarnished by the ash and smoke from the fire. This indicates the way in which the events depicted in the video have caused P!nk's innocence to be compromised, leading to her donning a black motorbike jacket and helmet which connote her attempting to protect herself from further harm. The clothing itself is all ripped and torn which adds to the idea of P!nk's destroyed innocence yet also presents P!nk as being tough. It is very clear within the video that P!nk is there as her complete and true self.

The video is set in a dusty, dirty field with a grave, a huge swimming pool and a burning shell of a building which is surrounded by debris and household furniture. The house is abandoned par the visual metaphor of the evil clowns. This connotes the loneliness P!nk was experiencing at the time and hints that despite her tough exterior, behind closed doors she was falling apart - burning. The most dominant colour within the video is by far the white of P!nk's outfit, as discussed above.
Arguably the most important shot within the video is when P!nk is shown to caress the face of one of the clowns. This symbolises the way in which P!nk overcame her demons by accepting them for what they were yet also represents the way that she was still holding into her memories of the past. Throughout the video, P!nk's rock-star-esque body language symbolises her strength in dealing with her situation and her anger at Carey. The slow, stooped and almost robotic nature of the clowns indicates both the negativity of the metaphor and their lack of personality.

At multiple times within the video the camera follows P!nk as she moves through the scene, giving the illusion of the video working much like a comic strip by following the story. The editing of the video is inconsistent, containing some fast cuts lasting no more than a second and some slow cuts lasting up to 10 seconds. This further creates an idea of the camera following the story as the fast cuts interspersed with the slow cuts help to add depth and meaning to
the scene. The shot at 00:20 (left) is interesting as the camera is looking at P!nk from a low angle, focusing on the way that she is holding the photograph of her and Carey and therefore establishing her dominance within the story that is to follow. At 01:29 (right) there is a medium-long shot which shows P!nk to be dancing in front of the clown characters within the burning house. This establishes that P!nk is no longer scared of the bad memories and is not only facing up to them but also is no longer bothered them, symbolised by the dancing.

There are two different target audiences, potentially, for this video. The first of which is P!nk's fans, who come from all kinds of demographic yet most commonly are working or middle class. This is made evident through the references to P!nk's life which give the video it's meaning - if the audience did not know of the events being depicted, the video would make very little sense. This indicates an assumed understanding from the audience, therefore making it clear that they were expected to be fans.
The most likely access method from these fans is through P!nk's YouTube account, however upon the video's first release it would have also been shown on some TV channels, such as MTV and Viva. The video helps fans to understand P!nk's situation and calls upon them for support during the time period she was finding difficult. However, there is also the potential that the video was targeted at Carey Hart, to cause him to feel regret for his actions and jealous of P!nk's unwavering strength.

The record company's role within the video is to continue P!nk's brand image of strength as well as presenting her as unchanging in attitude. This is important for them as if P!nk were to go through another dramatic change, as she did before, due to the break-up with Carey, it would risk her losing her audience and therefore lose the record company money. On the other hand, by continuing the brand image of P!nk's strength and promoting her strength through the video, she becomes more of an idol to her fans, seemingly unbreakable. P!nk's online presence through her FaceBook page, twitter feed, youtube account and instagram keep her fans entertained with constant updates and her CD releases, including the release of her Funhouse album, are always widely distributed through this. The single and video are further promoted through the album being called the same thing. This draws audience attention to Funhouse more than any other video, as to become the featured single must, theoretically, make it the best. In addition, Funhouse remains to be the only single P!nk has ever released which shares it's name with an album.

Completing this analysis has allowed me to pay close attention to the way in which one of my favourite artists has constructed one of her music videos. This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video as I will be able to use some of the most effective aspects within my own to improve its quality.