Jay Z and Kanye: Otis

We looked at a music video by Jay Z, Otis Redding and Kanye West called Otis and we were told to analyse the video for the signs and signifiers as well as take note of what camera angles and camera movements are used.

  This tracking shot follows the two artists as they approach the car, they walk past the camera holding tools which draw the viewer in and make them think what they are going to do to the car.

This low angle shot captures Jay Z performing the American salute in front of the US flag, this shot is used to make both the artist and flag look larger than they really are, therefore looking more powerful. This is used to denote American patriotism.

This medium shot of four, attractive, women is used to include sex appeal in the music video. This is used for a number of denotations, one being that women are attracted to rich and famous people therefore it makes male viewers aspire to be wealthier and another denotation being that the artists are able to be with as many women as they want, sexually, since there are four women in the back seat and two man, the artists, in the front seats. (Two girls for each man) this could be used to make male viewers envy the artists' luck with women.

This track shot follows the car at high speeds, the camera is placed on a rail or another wheeled object to move at high speeds and at a steady position, this shot makes the viewer feel like they are involved in the high speed car chase with the two artists.

this low angle shot is used to make the artist look large and powerful, the use of direct address to the camera/viewers denote the meaning that the artists are more powerful than the viewers and therefor talk down to them.

Main Music Video Research part 3

http://a2-chchs-james-donovan-media-17-18.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/chris-cunningham.html

Summer Project Analysis

Summer Project Analysis

Over the Summer Holidays it was our task to create our own independent music videos. We did this to get us prepared for the next year, to get us familiar with using different editing software, to practice filming and using different camera shots and angles. We had to include lip syncing in our music video to prepare us for our main task this year.

I decided, for my music video, to use The Chain by Fleetwood Mac since this song is one of my personal favorites and is very easy going, with its British Blues and soft rock themes, therefor I could make a video that suits the song without having to rely on a heavy budget and large amount of props etc.

 For my Lip Sinc I decided to use Dean Curran to sing, since he has helped me in the past with coursework and is usually reliable. I wanted my lip sync to consist of close ups and medium shots to show deans face in better detail. I also wanted to use a medium shot with a deep focus, to show off the wooded area around him to suit the theme of the song. In my final video I decided to make these shots black and white to suit the sombre lyrics "If you don't love me now, you will never love me again"

I used shots involving fields and trees in a field close to where I live, it was a good location to film since it was close/convenient and it was usually empty, meaning I could film in private. I chose this field because there was a lot of different types of tall grass which I could use for pan shots and establishing shots. The grass blowing in the wind was also good for some of the lyrics including the opening lyric "Listen to the wind blow"

In Delemere forest there was a lot opportunities for interesting shots for my video, there were many types of trees, tents made out of sticks, swings of rope and other things that were, I believed, perfect for my music video. I included  panning shots of fallen trees, close ups of the swings with a pull focus, close ups of flowers that would zoom out as well as some pan shots of the lake.

Crosby Beach was another area where I wanted to film, I wanted to include shots of the beach/sea/rocks to add some diversity to the shots I already had, since they mostly consisted of wooded areas and fields. I filmed pan shots and close ups of things I could find on the beach, which I felt would suit the theme of the video. 

I included shots of a rosary bead in my music video as I wanted to make the audience think while watching my music video, the shot is placed on a key part of the song which helps denote some sort of symbolism. I made it so the viewers could receive different sorts of connotations, for example one could be that the rosary symbolizes religion, the song is named "The Chain" so that could maybe represent how faith is what holds us together as people. Another could be that religion is a chain that restricts society. The list could go on.

I like these shots the most both because of their symbolism as well as how clear the shot is and its use of depth of field, the main focus remains on the cross and rosary beads while making the background blurry.

I used an app, on my Ipad, called IMovie

which allowed me to add music, all the shots I collected
and edit them with ease. the app was easy and simple to use, but this could also be its biggest weakness as I felt it was difficult to place my shots to start and end exactly where I wanted to as the touch screen caused limitations. the app also only allowed so much in terms of editing and effects, for example to make one shot change colour, from black and white to colour, I had to place two of the same shots in the video, one in colour and the other in monochrome, and time them perfectly to try and receive the effect of a colour change.


Overall I believe this project was successful as it prepared me for the year to come, I feel more confident with editing software, I have managed my time well and I have improved with camera and editing techniques. My only complaint with the video is that I believe I could've included more Lip Syncing with more actors. But other than that I am happy with my final result.

Summer Project: Final Product

My Summer Project: The Chain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ptCJ-aW-xw

The song I decided to use for my music video/summer project was The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.

I chose this song because I like the contrast between its smooth and more upbeat segments, its use of British Blues and Rock music.

The song was from their album Rumours (1977)

The band has been around since 1967 and is still around today, its members have changed a lot over time, with constant breaks ups and reunions.

The chain consisted of members: Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood.

For my video I decided to base my shots around scenery; shots of beaches, fields and greenery. This was to suit the songs British blues theme as well as allowed me to focus on camera techniques such as lighting, depth of field, pan shots, zoom etc. with a small budget and allowed me to spend more time to practice editing my video, something I had no previous experience with, to get me more prepared and comfortable with editing software’s.