LIIAR/Textual Analysis Video 3

Tonight Alive - How Does It Feel?

Tonight Alive are an Australian Pop Punk/ Pop Rock band who formed in Sydney in 2008. The band consists of Jenna McDougall (Vocalist), Whakaio Taahi (Lead Guitarist), Jake Hardy (Rhythm Guitarist), Cam Adler (Bassist) and Matt Best (Drummer). They released their first studio album called 'What Are You So Scared Of?' in 2011 which debuted at number 15 on the Australian albums chart. The album was released on the major label 'Sony Music Australia' which is a subsidiary of the conglomerate 'Sony Music Entertainment', but after the band signed with the independent label 'Fearless Records' which is a subsidiary of 'Concord Bicycle Music', they then re-released the album in 2012. Their second album called 'The Other Side' was released in 2013 and debuted at number 5 on the Australian ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) albums chart and was also number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number 59 in the UK. This album was released through both the major label 'Sony Records Australia' and the independent label 'Fearless Records'. It was originally released through 'Song Records Australia' in Europe and the UK and then was released through 'Fearless Records' in the US and Japan. Their latest album known as 'Limitless' was released in 2016 and again was released through both of the previous record labels mentioned as it was released in different countries through these different record labels.

'How Does It Feel?' was written by Jenna McDougall, Whakaio Taahi and David Hodges and was produced by David Bendeth. The music video was released on the 10th January 2016 through the major and subsidiary label 'Song Records Australia' and the independent label 'Fearless Records'. This song carries on for 3:29 minutes and is about a relationship which could have possibly been abusive, but the female is trapped and can't escape from what she though was valuable, but by the end of the song she is able to escape and asks her lover 'how does it feel' to no longer be able to control her and tell her what to do. The music video is all performance and allows the band, but mainly the main singer to express their emotions and to present to the audience that the singer is now free from what she were trapped in.

The mise-en-scene in this music video may seem very simplistic, but it has a lot of meaning. The location used may seem like it is just a small enclosed area, but the idea of this has been used to present how the person in the relationship was trapped which also complements the lyrics 'Built your walls up around me, now they're closing in' which highlights that the singer has been trapped by their partner and there is no way for them to escape, which is what this location reinforces. The lighting used in this video is essential as most of the time it is very dark which is stereotypical of this genre. The area the band are surrounded by is only lit by the lights shining into the enclosed area - this could have two meaning, which are; the singer is best to stay in the relationship because because she sings 'Lost in the world that you create' which makes it seem like she has been trapped for a long time and there is no way to escape the relationship as she has been in it for too long without knowing the truth. Or the use of these lights could imply that the singer now has power and is being noticed, so she is the one that can break her partner and can now take control of the relationship. When the non-diegetic sound of the lyrics 'I was weak when you found me' are heard, the audience are able to detect the lights turn off - this may reinforce that the singer was weak, making it a very bad and dark time, but also it was the time her partner found her and at the time she didn't know what was going to happen in the future. After the lights turn back on, it shows that Jenna is now free and can control what she does as she is away from the abuse. During the bridge of the song the audience will notice the lights continuously flashing on and off and this may present that the singer is finally able to escape from the relationship as it is quickly changing from dark to light and ends in the light presenting that she is going from being trapped to being free. At the end of the video, the audience will see all of the lights turn off which could again have more than one meaning and could mean that the relationship is over and the singer is now free to do whatever she pleases or it could mean the opposite and everything has gone back to the way it was before and Jenna is back in the dark in relation to her relationship.

The clothes worn in this video are conventional of Pop Punk music   videos because all of the band members are wearing dark clothes, but these may have been worn to present how all of the members are trapped in the dark and especially how the lead singer is trapped in her relationship and has no way to escape - however, they do all have a small strip of white on their clothes, which may demonstrate that the singer is aware of what her partner is doing and she is going to do something about it. Also, the singer has her hair styled in a strange way which reinforces the fact that she is now able to do what she wants, but it is also a convention of Pop Punk because people from this genre often won't care what others think and will do whatever they want. Finally, the only props that have been used in this music video are musical instruments and this stereotypical of Pop Punk bands because they are a genre known for playing their own instruments, but also the use of these allows the band to promote themselves as they can show the audience that they actually do the majority of the things themselves and they are able to promote their new song as well as themselves. Nearer the end of the video, Jenna throws the microphone stand at the lights which are enclosing her - this may highlight to the audience that she is now breaking free and is escaping from the relationship that she is trapped in (like she is trapped in the enclosed circle), but she is now a respective individual.

The use of cinematography in this music video helps present how the singer is feeling and also to show the dominance that she has. The main camera angle that is used is a medium close up and this allows the audience to see the bands facial expressions to witness how they are feeling, but they are also able to see if the members are doing any actions - for example, a lot of the time when Jenna is singing she will be moving her body around a great deal to show that she has power and can control herself, so she can do what she wants. At the beginning of the video a few dutch tilts have been used which are shown rapidly as it often goes onto the next cut scene quickly, but these may have been used to express that the singer was once trapped and confused at the beginning, but by the end she knows exactly what is occurring and can take control of the relationship. This can also be represented through the use of a pull focus as this has frequently been used in the video - the use of this presents that the singer was once trapped and confused, but now she can escape and do what she wants and can get away from the relationship she doesn't want to be in anymore. An example of when a pull focus was used is when the non-diegetic voice says 'I was weak when you found me' and this again expresses the fact that the singer was once trapped as it is also dark at this exact moment. 

A wide range of tilts upwards and tilts downwards have been used to let the audience identify the band members and to watch them playing their instruments - this reinforces the fact that the band play the instruments themselves, which also allows them to promote themselves - this is also more interesting for the audience as they are able to see what the band members are like when they are playing live. Furthermore, a handheld camera is occasionally used in this video which may have been used to demonstrate that the singer is free to do what she wants because she is no longer under control by her partner and is able to go insane if she wants to. Moreover, match on action has been used - this can be seen when Jenna is throwing the microphone stand which then cuts to the light being hit by the microphone stand and this expresses that Jenna has power to break things and can do whatever she wants as she doesn't have to do what others tell her, but it is also rebellious in a way which is a stereotypical feature of someone from the Pop Punk genre. Nearer the beginning of the video a few high angles have been used and an Arial shot, which may reinforce the fact that the singer is trapped and is unable to escape from her relationship, but by the end of the video a lot more lower angles have been used which demonstrate how the singer now has more power and control over her relationship and is able to do what she wants now. A range of other shots have also been used in this music video which include; pans, long shots, wide shots, zooms, close ups and establishing shots.

There is a quite a lot of editing in this music video, but it may just not seem obvious. Firstly, a wide range of jump cuts have been used and these are useful because of the fast editing that can be identified - these jump cuts makes the video more alluring for the audience because it will quickly jump from a wide shot to a close up of one of the band members (for example) and this will allow the audience to see the full figure of all of the band members. Similarly, the shaking effect of the camera has also been added which goes along with the beat of the song and makes it seem like there is more action occurring, so it is more interesting for the audience, also the camera can be seen bouncing back and forward which highlights that a lot is going on. Following on from that, some of the action has been sped up - this can be seen just after the bridge of the song where Jenna is seen spinning around. At this point the scene speeds up and then slows down to normal speed - this demonstrates that the singer is going through a lot and the relationship she is in may be a blur and is going too quickly that she doesn't know what to do, but then it goes back to normal speed and she knows exactly what is going on and is able to take control. In addition, slow motion has also been used and this can be seen frequently at the end of the video - for example, when the band are jumping into the air and also when the singing is about the smash the light with the microphone stand. This effects is mainly used in this music video because it builds up suspense as the non-diegetic music being played is quiet, which is when the scene is in slow motion, but when the drums kick in, the scene will either go back to normal speed or will speed up. The slow motion also makes the music video more fascinating for the audience because there is more action to video and it makes it seem like there is a lot going on so it is more interesting to watch rather than if the camera was just still all of the time. Furthermore, a reverse shot has been used - this can be seen at the end of the music video when the light that had been smashed by the microphone stand previously becomes 'unsmashed' as the shot is being reversed - this may either demonstrate that nothing has changed and it is all the same as Jenna is trapped in this relationship or it may highlight that you can fix the things that have been broken and may present that the singer is no longer broken and is out of the relationship, so no longer needs to worry about anything anymore.

Lastly, the most obvious sound that has been used is the non-diegetic song that is being played on top of the video - this is being played on top, as the video was originally created for the song, but was also created for promotional reasons. Sometimes the sounds can be noticed as synchronous sounds because the audience are able to see Jenna lip syncing the words at the same time or they may see the other band members playing their instruments in synchronous with the music which is entertaining for the audience because they are able to see that the band actually play the instruments themselves. As previously said, the purpose of just a performance is beneficial for the band because they are able to promote themselves and also the song they are playing in the music video.

Below I have created a video which explains the performance in this music video (each slide is only allowed a maximum of 20 seconds, so you may need to pause the video if the slide changes too quickly). Here is my video:

 

Underneath I have created a presentation which includes a LIIAR analysis of this music video. Here is my presentation: 

LIIAR/Textual Analysis Video 2

The All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight

The All-American Rejects are an American Pop Punk/Pop Rock band who formed in 1999 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The band consists of Tyson Ritter (Bassist and Vocalist), Nick Wheeler (Lead Guitarist and Vocalist), Mike Kennerty (Rhythm Guitarist and Vocalist) and Chris Gaylor (Drummer). They released their first 'self titled' studio album called 'The All-American Rejects' in 2003 which was certified Platinum in America through the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). This album was released on the independent label 'DreamWorks Records' which was originally a subsidiary of the film production label 'DreamWorks SKG Pictures', but was later sold to the conglomerate known as 'Universal' in 2003. In 2005, the band released their second studio album called 'Move Along' which was certified 2x Platinum, again by the RIAA. This album was released on the major record label known as 'Interscope Geffen A&M Records' which is a subsidiary of the conglomerate 'Universal'. In 2008, the band then released their third studio album called 'When The World Comes Down' which was certified Gold by the RIAA - this album was also released on the subsidiary and major label known as 'Interscope Geffen A&M Records'. Their latest album known as 'Kids In The Street' was released in 2012 which debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 charts and was again released on the same record label as used for the last two previous albums. The band have sold over 10 million albums worldwide and are currently working on an EP which is scheduled to be released in 2017.

'It Ends Tonight' was written by Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler and was produced by Howard Benson - it was released on the 19th September 2006 through the major and subsidiary label known as 'Interscope Geffen A&M Records'. This song was the bands third and final single from their second studio album 'Move Along' and it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 which makes this song the bands second highest charting song in the US and Australia. The single also includes another song which is a live version of their song 'Dirty Little Secret' which is also on the 'Move Along' album. 'It Ends Tonight' carries on for 4:04 minutes and is about a failed relationship with a friend - they both try to figure out what is wrong so they can fix it, but it is too late as it has been carrying on for too long and it is probably best to end the relationship to stop the pain and to be left alone, hence the name 'It Ends Tonight'. This music video has been used to present the singers feelings, as throughout the video it is dark, but he is finding ways to make it light and by the end of the video it is brighter which may represent the fact that the singer is finding ways to make himself happier about this relationship and he no longer wants to be hidden in the dark anymore, so finds ways to get to the light which expresses freedom and contentment.

Mise-en-scene is essential in creating emotion and understanding of this music video. Firstly, the locations that have been help reinforce the singer feelings, as at the beginning we can see he is isolated in a desert which complements the meaning of the lyrics because the denotation states 'Your subtleties, they strangle me' and 'Maybe it's best you leave me alone' which connote that Tyson can now longer carry on with this relationship as it is too much for him and would rather be alone, or the benefit of this location could also imply that Tyson feels alone even when with his friend because they don't make him feel like he is worth anything - but by the end of the video he is surrounded by friends and people in this same location to highlight that he has other people that will actually care about him and the future is now looking positive for him. On top of that, part of this video is filmed in a firework shop which can be seen through the use of an establishing shot - this in a way tells the audience that there is 'light at the end of the tunnel' as fireworks produce light and Tyson is finding ways to make himself feel better, which he is able to do by discovering the light in the relationship (finding the light in a shop, which are the fireworks). The lighting in this music video is extremely important and complements the lyrics of the song because he sings 'When darkness turns to light, it ends tonight' which highlights that when the darkness goes away, the relationship will end. Throughout the video it is dark which expresses Tyson's misery, but he goes to retrieve fireworks which will brighten up his life and help him escape from the wrecked relationship. After the bridge of the song the fireworks are seen going into the air and it quickly goes from night to morning which demonstrates that Tyson has overcome the relationship issue and has ended it. 

The props used are imperative because they have been used to help reinforce the meaning of the lyrics. First and most importantly, the fireworks have been used which as previously said, connote how the singer is going to stop the relationship as he is finding ways to get over it and is doing this by looking for the the light (fireworks) - at the end of the video, the audience can see all of the band members lighting up fireworks through the use of a close ups and this may express that they are all finally letting their feelings go and are allowing them to explode to get ride of the pain that has been caused. Moreover, near the beginning of the video, the audience can see one of the band members hitting a plastic toy dinosaur off of a pile of magazine - this is done in synchronization with the first time the lyrics 'It ends tonight' are mentioned and this expresses that the toy may represent the singers friend and is being knocked over because the singer is going to leave the friend, so the friend will be the one falling and left broken. There are also a range of different instruments that have been used in the video which reinforces the fact that this is a Pop Punk band because it is stereotypical for them to play their own instruments which also means that it is a common convention of this genre. Nearer the end of the video you also see the band performing together and this was slowly built up to, as before, the audience will have seen a range of close ups on amplifiers and the instruments going to be used. Furthermore, there are an array of smaller props that can be seen in the background of the video, but this have just been used to make the locations seem more realistic for the audience to make it all seem believable and more meaningful. The clothes that have been worn in this music video are quite casual, but this works well with the video because it highlights that they are just normal people and they have the same feelings and emotions as any other normal person who may not be famous. However, you can see that the clothes worn by the majority of the people shown in the video are dark which demonstrates that everyone may feel this kind of pain at some point in their life and everyone is the same and can be heartbroken because of this issue.

Cinematography has helped express a range of different emotions in this music video, but has also been used to show the audience what is going on. Throughout the video a great deal of close ups have been used because we all know it is a sad song and the singer is going to have a lot of emotions on their face, so the director will want the audience to see their faces closely to help them acknowledge the singers feelings and pain. At the beginning of the video a close up of the singers hands are seen on the piano to present the synchronous sound, but it then begins to zoom out to show the audience the location of where the singer is sat and this will create a stronger meaning and emotion because he is alone in the middle of nowhere. These type of zooms are frequently used because they allow the audience to see the emotion on the singers face and they are also soon able to recognize where the singer is located which helps express how he is feeling. At one point Tyson is looking at the camera and singing 'It ends tonight' which expresses that he is directly addressing the audience and telling them what is going to occur, but he may also be directly addressing the friend he is going to end the relationship with so they know that what they had is now over - this can mainly be seen nearer the end of the video as we know that Tyson is certain that he wants to end the relationship. Quite a few establishing shots have also been used - for example, at the end of the video, when the whole band are playing their instruments. the audience are able to see people sitting around them as it turns to day and this implies that the singer now has people who will actually care about him and he doesn't need to worry about the one friend he has just lost because by finding the light, he has found his true friends and the people that will actually stay with him and treat him the way he should be treated.

Following on from that, a birds eye view has been used at the beginning of the bridge in the song and the audience will see Tyson struggling to push a trolley on the sand which highlights that he is vulnerable especially when he says the lyrics 'Now i'm on my own side' which expresses that he is now alone because he has ended the relationship and the use of the trolley as a prop implies that he will struggle to get through it, but in the end he will get past it and the audience later see that he has other people waiting for him as they are people that appreciate him more as a friend. Also, you later see Tyson pushing over the trolley and at the same time you can hear the non-diegetic sound 'all these thoughts locked inside' which may express that he is now suddenly letting all of his feelings and thoughts out like the way he is pushing over the trolley in anger. Moreover, a lot of low angles have been used, but mainly nearer the end of the video to show the singers power and that he is more confident and dominant now that he is able to take control of the relationship. This angle can also be seen when the singer is entering the fireworks shop and at this exact point the drums also kick in - this angle has been used to present to the audience that Tyson has an idea and is about to do something that will make him take control of the relationship and end all of the complications he is having. A pull focus is frequently used throughout the video, especially when we see Tyson singing and this has been used because it highlights that Tyson is confused about the relationship and it is all a blur to him, but he is soon going to figure out a way to stop the pain and end the relationship because it is not working out for them, which is when the camera then becomes clearer. A wide range of different angles have also been used to represent emotions and to show the audience what the band members might be doing. Some of these extra camera angles and movements are; tilts, pans, wide shots, long shots, hand held cameras. high angles and low angles.

This video does not acquire a large amount of editing, but the editing that has been added does help when presenting the feeling and meanings of the music video and also how the video will be portrayed toward the audience. We can see that he cuts are relatively quick when the song begins to speed up and this highlights that there is a lot going on and Tyson may be feeling a collection of different emotions and he is continuously confused because he doesn't know what to do and may be changing his mind about if he really wants to end the relationship or not. On top of that, a time lapse has been used near the end of the video, where it quickly turns from the night to day and this expresses to the audience that the singer has overcome his problem with his friend and is now looking at the positive side of things - the idea of this time lapse demonstrates how quickly something can change and how someone can change their mind and feelings no matter how they feel about someone they care or cared about. At the end of the video, slow motion has been used when the audience see the band members walking off into the distance - the use of this wide shot shows that they all have each other and don't need to think about the past anymore, but this shot is in slow motion because it presents that people will always be able to walk away from their problems even if it does take a while and you have to get away from the issues slowly. The colour of the video has also been edited as it has been made to look darker and gloomier to create more of a saddened feel to it to help the audience understand the darkness and pain that Tyson may be feeling because of his friend. Also, it sets more of a mood for the audience as when they see the beginning of the music video they will know that it is going to be about something sad or dark, but also when the sky has lit up and it is daytime there is still a moderately darkened effect that has been used and this reinforces the fact that this is a Pop Punk song which are usually often bleak and gloomy.

Lastly, there are a few different types of sound that have been used in this music video - the most obvious one is the use of the non-diegetic song that is playing on top of the video, as the song is the main reason the video has been created. However, there is a lot of synchronous sound throughout this music video because the audience will frequently be able to see Tyson playing the piano or one of the other band members playing their instruments and this may be used to either make the video seem more dramatic because the use of the music will have a stronger meaning and feel when the audience can see the instruments being played at the same time, or it may be just for the simple reason that it is a performance and the audience would like the see the band, which beneficial for them as it is not only promoting their song, but also themselves.

I have created a video to present what both the narrative and performance are like in this music video (each slide was only allowed to play for a maximum of 20 seconds, so you may need to pause the video if the slide changes too quickly). Here is my video:

Below is a presentation I have created which includes a LIIAR analysis for this music video. Here is my presentation: 

LIIAR/Textual Analysis Video 1

Busted - Crashed The Wedding

Busted are an English Pop Punk/Pop Rock band who formed in 2000 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. This band consists of James Bourne (Guitarist and Vocalist), Matt Willis (Bassist and Vocalist) and Charlie Simpson (Guitarist and Vocalist). They released their first 'self titled' studio album called 'Busted' in 2002 which reached number 2 in the UK charts - it was also the 8th best selling album in in the UK in 2003 and has been certified as 3x platinum in the UK. This album was released on the major record label known as 'Island Records' which is a subsidiary group of the conglomerate known as 'Universal' . Busted later released their second studio album called 'A Present For Everyone' in 2003 which also reached number 2 in the UK charts and has been certified 3x platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for over 900,000 sales - this album was again released through the major label 'Island Records'. Busted have also released one compilation album and one live album. In 2005, the band split up, but later reunited in 2015 where they were signed to the major label and conglomerate 'Warner Music Group' and are due to release their third studio album called 'Night Driver' on 11th November 2016. During the 10 year split, all three member worked as solo artists and were able to get recognition as an individual. James Bourne worked with a band called 'Son Of Dork' who released the album 'Ticket Outta Loserville', but also worked as a solo artist where he called himself 'Future Boy' and released an album called 'Volume 1'. Matt Willis released his own album called 'Don't Let It Go To Waste' and Charlie Simpson formed his own band named 'Fightstar' where they released the albums; 'Grand Unification', 'One Day Son. This Will All Be Yours', 'Be Human' and 'Behind The Devil's Back', but Charlie also worked as a solo artist where he has released the album 'Young Pilgrim' and 'Long Road Home'.

'Crashed The Wedding' was written by James Bourne and Tom Fletcher and was produced by Steve Power. It was released on the 10th November 2003, again through the major and subsidiary label known as 'Island Records' and was the lead single on their second studio album. This song had become Busted's second single to reach number one in the UK singles chart where 55,000 copied were sold in the first week. Due to this being released as a single, it also included four other songs on the B side which are; 'Build Me Up Buttercup', 'That's Entertainment', 'Hurra Hurra Die Schule Brennt' and 'O Holy Night'. 'Crashed The Wedding' carries on for 2:39 minutes and is about a man that decides to 'crash a wedding' because he realizes the feeling he has for the bride and it turns out that the bride feels the same and is pleased about him crashing the wedding. The music video essentially represents this as the video begins with the audience observing Matt Willis dressed up as Adam Ant, James Bourne dressed as Michael Jackson and Charlie Simpson dressed as Boy George, with all three dancing until they are kicked off stage by their real selves, the song then suddenly kicks in and the audience are able to see all the band members playing a range of characters at a wedding as it regularly pans around the room.

In relation to mise-en-scene, we can see that the location used is significant because the song is about crashing a wedding and the whole of the video is set in the reception area of a wedding venue - this reinforces the fact that the song is about crashing a wedding and will be more realistic for the audience because they can witness the disaster taking place. Although the whole video is filmed in one room, the use of a pan makes it seem bigger than it actually is and it is interesting for the audience as there are no cuts in the video - this makes it seem like it is all occurring at once and also the audience will be surprised as to how the producers will be able to make a video alluring when it has all been filmed in one room. On top of that, the clothes worn help reinforce the meaning of this song because we can see the band members are acting as the different characters in the narrative - for example, Matt is the bride, James is the fiance who is being left and Charlie is the man crashing the wedding - by wearing these costumes, the audience can acknowledge who each band member is playing in the narrative. Furthermore, the band who are playing themselves are wearing darker clothes to reinforce the genre of music they are, as the use of black in music videos either connotes sadness or a more Punk or Rock genre. Even though the band members are playing different characters in the narrative, the audience are still able to tell which characters are meant to be together when on recording. This can be seen because when all three members are performing on stage, they are all wearing black and blue, when they are acting as guests, they are all wearing red and black/grey and when they are playing either the bride or the men that want to be with the bride, then they are all wearing grey/white - this may have been done to help the audience understand the difference between all the characters and also to present how diverse they all are.  

This is an upbeat Pop Punk music video where the lyrics portray happiness (except for the man being left) which is why it is brightly lit in the reception room (even though this goes against the Pop Punk conventions), but this highlights that this video is about enjoyment and there is 'a light at the end of the tunnel' for the man that crashed the wedding because it turned out that the bride was happy he came to get her. Moreover, the props used also help reinforce the idea behind this song because the audience are able to see a picture of the 'happy couple' in the background at the beginning of the music video which informs the audience about who are actually meant to be getting married, also there is a wedding cake and food on the table which reinforces that this is the reception for a wedding - when you look around the room you also see a lot of red which can be noticed on the curtains and on the table mats - this can connote either danger or romance, meaning it is trying to reinforce the fact that the man being ditched at the wedding is in danger because he is being left or that the new relationship formed is all out of love. You also get the band members playing their instruments, demonstrating the fact that they are a Pop Punk band. The use of all of these props are very advantageous because they help reinforce the fact that the characters are at a wedding that is being wrecked.

Next, the use of cinematography helps make the video seem more fascinating and makes it seem as if there is a lot more going on - at the beginning of the video a medium close up is used on all three bands members and slowly begins to zoom out into a long shot - this allows the audience to see who the whole video is going to be about, but also the zoom out allows the audience to see the members dancing and imitating other famous people. A great deal of zooms are used throughout this video, whether it is zooming in or out and this is because the camera is constantly moving and the producers will want you to see the most important things in the shot, but it also zooms in and out quickly most times because it will want the audience to focus on one character and will want the audience to see what they are doing, or it may change from a close up on a character to a long shot to show the audience what is happening in the background and then may later zoom into another character. You will see that the camera is always moving whether it is quickly or slowly and this reinforces the fact that weddings are a very busy occasion and something is always occurring, whether it is a good or bad thing. Following on from that, a wide range of pans are used and this is mainly because the video is all filmed in one room - meaning this camera movement will make the room seem a lot bigger than it actually is - these are used because they allow the audience to see all the different characters in the narrative and are able to see what they are doing. 

Moreover, a high angle has been used just after the bridge of the song and can also be seen being used on the band when they are singing on top of a table - this may have been used to present that even though the band members are the ones singing the song about the narrative, no one is more powerful than someone else because everyone at the reception is going psycho and doing whatever they want because the wedding has been crashed. The majority of the shots used on characters are medium close ups. this is because these shots allow the audience to know what the character is like by their appearance and also how they will be feeling because of what they are doing - for example, a medium close up is used when James shows his ring to the camera and then throws it away - this highlights that he is mad because of what has happened. Also, this music video briefly demonstrates the objectification of women which can be seen when the man grabs the woman's arse (even though it is a man dressed as a women), but these roles later reverse and it goes against the stereotype where you can see the female spanking the male, but the male appears to be enjoying it which could possibly bring the idea of the male gaze theory by Laura Mulvey into this. Some other angles have also been used, including; tilts, wide shots, two shots, establishing shots and also uses the concept of the rule of thirds which is very effective as there are three band members in the band.

The use of editing helps create continuity in this music video because we know that the same person dressed in different clothes can't be next to themselves, so the editing allows this to look realistic and appeals to the audience because they know it is something that can't happen in real life, but can often happen in videos. This is an interesting type of edit to produce because it presents the band members more frequently - meaning they are promoting themselves more and are possibly going to be seen and shared by more people. This type of editing would mean that the band members would have to be filming at different times, then it would all be edited together to make it look like all the guests and performances are all together at the same time which again creates continuity. Moreover, editing has also been used when the camera zooms onto the wedding cake - this is a spinning action which demonstrates a change of scene, but it also changes to the next verse which may highlight a change of meaning and allows the audience to see what the next character is going to do. On top of that, an effect has been added which can be seen when Matt is kissing the bride (which is himself dressed as a bride) and when this is happening, a heart appears and explodes on their lips to express that the bride is kissing someone else other than her fiance which reinforces the lyrics of the song as she is being taken away by someone else. There are also some other small effects that have been used like the shining of light or the adding together of scenes, but it has all been done to make the video more appealing toward the audience because it will be something they have never seen before and will want to be watched on repeat. 

Lastly, the use of sound is very important because this is the main reason the video has been created - because of the song. The non-diegetic song playing on top of the video is the main attraction because a lot of people may have heard the song before and will now want to watch the video for it to see what ideas have been generated and if it is anything like they envisioned it to be like. Following on from that, asynchronous sound has been used at the beginning, but then turns into synchronous sound when the camera begins to zoom out as you can see one of the members playing the keyboard - this synchronous sound is meant to be a muzak (instrumental music) version of Busted's song 'What I Go To School For' which again helps when promoting themselves as people will hopefully recognize their song, but also it is entertaining for the audience because they are able to watch Pop Punk band members be more like Pop artists, which is seen as amusing because the audience know the band are nothing like Pop artists.

Here is a quick video to present what the narrative and performance is like in this music video (each slide was only able to have a maximum of 20 seconds, so you may need to pause if the slide changes too quickly):

Here is a presentation I have created which includes a LIIAR analysis for this music video. Here is my presentation:

Codes And Conventions Of A Music Video

Considering I am going to construct my own music video, I will need to know the codes and conventions of one to be able to make mine seem professional and actually look like a successful music video. After doing some research and watching a lot of video, I found some conventions that frequently occur in music videos, they are;

• The 4 Key Concepts (Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, Editing and Sound)

• Narrative

• Performance

• Cameo 

• Animation/CGI 

Four Key Concepts 

I have generated a quick presentation below to explain the four main concepts in more detail and I have also provided some music videos as examples to help you understand how these four concepts work in a music video. Here is my presentation:

 

Narrative 

The large mass of music videos will include a narrative which is basically just a story within the music video. These are used because they keep the music video interesting and will engage the audience as there is a purpose to what they will be watching. Some narratives will be mixed within the song, but other times there may be cut scenes with some of the characters talking - this has been done to create a stonger narrative and to allow the audience to understand what is occurring before the song has even begun. In addition, some narratives will complement the lyrics of the song and other won't - it is beneficial when the narrative does complement the song because when the audience listen to it somewhere they would be able to visuialise the music video because the lyrics tell the story. Also, it will help the audience interpret the meaning of the song because some people can find it hard to understand the meaning of a song, or there may be many different interpretations of a song and the audience will want to know the original meaning. 

Here are some examples of music video that include a narrative;

McBusted - Get Over It

Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed

Performance 

In the majority of music videos there will be a performance from the artist where they will commonly be singing their song - these performances can be presented in different ways, but it usually depends on what the song is like. Some music videos will have the artist singing the song themselves, or sometimes there could be a child singing the song which may have been made to represent the artist at a younger age. The artist will generally appear in their music video as it s good for promotional reasons because they may become more well known if more people watch them in their video and will later be able to recognise them. Moreover, some videos will just be performance and there may be no narrative in it - these are usually created because they allow the audience to understand the artist more. Performance can also be shown through the process of dancing as this is often an emotional element and the choreography may have created meaning behind the dance routine. Sometimes if there is no performance, the video being watched could seem very dull because it could all just be one story when the audience may want to watch someone performing. On the other hand, it could also be tedious to watch just a performance because there would be no big change and it will all all seem very repetative. When there is a performance, the lip-synching is the most important part as this will reinforce the fact that the artist is the singer of the song.

Here are some examples of music videos that include performances;

Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls

Angels and Airwaves - Do It For Me Now

Cameo

A cameo is when a well known person will appear in a music video, in this case it is usually famous actors or other famous musicians. This idea is beneficial for both the artist and the famous person featuring in the video because they will both be promoting themselves and expressing themselves to the audience - this is also advantageous because when the audience see someone famous in a music video they will often want to tell their friends about it because they presumebly weren't expecting it -this will spread the word about a certain music video and will again, be a promotional technique for the artist and the person featuring. In these videos, the people featuring in it won't generally do much, they will usually just be part of a narrative and sometimes, if there is a talking scene, they will be talking in it but they are in no more than that. However, some music videos will involve famous people who are lip synching the song that they are featuring in, but the audience will know that they are not actually singing it. 

Here are some examples of music video that include famous/well known people;

Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You

Michael Jackson - Black Or White

Animation/CGI

In some music videos you may not get the artist performing and instead could get some animations, or perhaps it could be an animation of the artist that performs the song. This is appealing towards the audience because they will be able to watch something new and diverse which may have a story behind it. In addition, some music videos may use CGI to create unrealistic features and even though it may not look real, it is interesting for the audience because they are able to see effects or features that may not exist in the world. Sometimes these music videos can bring animation and reality together which is engaging towards the audience because it is again something different and also for the simple fact that it is interesting to know what could happen if reality and the idea of dreams came together. These type of music videos are often quite costly, but they consistently do well and keep the audience wanting more like them because they are so diverse.

Here are some music videos that use Animation/CGI;

a-ha - Take On Me

Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)

Codes And Conventions Of My Genre

The genre of my music video is Pop Punk which I personally think is a favourable genre because it will appeal to quite a few people. When thinking about a certain genre of music you will always know there is something related to that genre and will be sure that you will see it in a music video. Underneath, I have created a presentation where I have mentioned everything that needs to be taken into consideration when creating a Pop Punk music video. Here is my presentation:

All Pop Punk music videos are diverse because each song will have a different meaning, but they will all relate in some way because they are from the same genre. Some Pop Punk music videos may have a narrative where either there will be an actor playing a character or the artist could be playing a character, but you will be able to tell a story from the music video either way. In addition, the majority of these music videos will involve a performance from the artist, whether it is jumping around and playing a guitar or sitting in a quiet room and playing the piano. The performance is key because it allows the audience to understand what the artist is like and how they act - in most upbeat Pop Punk music videos, the artist will be free to do whatever they want during the performance and can go crazy, which demonstrates rebellion, but it will also show the audience that most people in this genre don't care what others think and will do what pleases them. In these type of music videos, the video will usually be connected with the lyrics of the song - whatever the lyrics are describing will probably be happening in the video, but again it depends how someone interprets a song. This is often done to create a stronger narrative, but also to help the audience remember the song because if someone watches a video that has a story, then they are more likely to remember the song because they will relate the music video to the song and will remember in that way.

Existing Examples

Below I have presented some existing Pop Punk music videos and also provided a description to show how the artist has been presented, what is mainly happening in the video and also how it targets the intended audience. 

Good Charlotte - Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous 

In this music video we can see that there is a narrative and the band members are the characters in this story. Throughout the video it cuts from the band performing (where they are doing whatever they want as they are free to - reinforcing rebellion) and then it later cuts to the band members in the narrative where they are either in prison or court. About half way through the music video there is a cut scene of the characters talking, where the narrative is able to develop and you are able to understand why their characters are in prison - this will engage the audience because it will allow them to know what is going on and what the characters have done to get in the position they are in. At this point there is synchronous sound, but the song is still being played in the background to keep the video upbeat and to let the audience know that this is still apart of the video. On top of that, we can see that these band members are from the Pop Rock 'scene' because of the dark clothes they are wearing and also the dark make up and tattoos - nearer the end of the video you see the characters leaving court and they are the only ones in black while everyone else is in white - this contrast reinforces the fact that they are rebellious and they will do whatever they want. In addition, there are a range of zooms in the video which allow the audience to see how someone looks from far away, but also close up once zoomed - for example when it is on a long shot of the main singer, it then zooms in to show they he doesn't care what people think of him because he is in prison. Finally, the editing is quite fast as it is an upbeat song which will keep the audience interested as there is so much going on at once.

I have created a quick mood board which include screenshots from this music video just to represent what this genre is, in one picture. Here is my mood board:

Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick

Again, in this music video there is narrative where you can see a girl running into what seems to be 'Wonderland' but turns out to be a trap - this is an interesting story for the audience because you wouldn't normally associate a little girl with this genre of music. Moreover, we can see that the main singer is wearing bright clothes instead of dark clothes which is kind of contradictory to this genre of music, but this has been done to reinforce the fact that the singer is in a safe place where it is light and the girl is in a darker place, where there is danger everywhere. The majority of this music video has been computer generated which emphasizes the lyrics of the song because it highlights that what you dream about isn't always what you want and that it can be a lot scarier than you think it is. Again, there is a main performance to allow the audience to know what the band member is like, but also the performance is linked in with the narrative because at the beginning you see the girl running across the field and at the end you see the singer throw the toy into the grave that the girl had fallen into. This music video zooms out and in frequently to allow the audience to see what is happening to the girl in the narrative and also to see her facial expressions once she has seen something she is afraid of.

Below, you will be able to see the mood board I have created for this music video - I have just taken images from the video to show how it represents this certain genre. Here is my mood board:

Sum 41 - Pieces

This is a slower type of Pop Punk song and doesn't have much of a narrative as the lyrics do the majority of the explaining, but you are able to understand what is going on in the video. The dark locations and dark lighting highlights that the singer may be sad and lonely, but when it cuts to other characters, it is expressing their happiness which can be reinforced through the use of the bright lighting - these two are contrasted when you see the singer walking in the dark across from the people that are happy in the van. However, at the end of the video we can see the lights turn on in the van that the singer is in, which may present that he needs to overcome his problems because there is nothing else he can do. Next, there is not a complicated amount of editing in this video compared to the others as it is a slower song, but this allows the audience to understand the concept of this song and the fact that the singer is sad. Moreover, the majority of the video is performance, which tells the audience that the song is mainly about the singer and how he is having difficulties and the audience will be able to understand what these problems are. The singer is constantly walking around which may demonstrate that he is probably trying to escape from something that he can't get away from. Finally, when it comes to camera angles and shots - a lot of the time depth of field and zooms are used which may show the audience that the singer would rather be hidden and forgotten about, but he keeps being found as the camera zooms onto him.

Here is the mood board I created for this music video to help people recognise the genre just by looking at some screenshots from the music video. Here is my mood board:

Mashups

Most genres will generally have a video available where you will be able to watch a mashup of different songs from the same genre of music - this is very interesting because you will be able to hear all of your favourite songs at once and it is appealing for the target audience because it is something different for them to watch. This is a great way for people to starting liking old songs again and its beneficial for both the artist and the person that created the video. The idea of these mashups just prove the point that all of these songs are similar in a way if they all work well together when combined. Whenever you find these type of songs you will either discover ones where it is the songs themselves that have been put together, or it could be someone that is doing a cover of the songs and has put them together themselves. 

Here is an example of a mashup of just the songs themselves that have been put together:

Here is an example of a mashup where someone is singing the songs themselves and have combined them together:

These type of videos are great for the intended target audience because they will be able to listen to an upbeat song which has all of their favourite lyrics in, so they can always sing along. On top of that, the audience can listen to the songs they love but in a different way and probably with a different backing track. The satisfying thing about the mashup which has the original songs in, is that the creator of the music video has written the name of the songs and their artist on the screen when they are being played - meaning the audience may be able to find artists they never knew about before and it is more than likely that they will like that artist because it is the same genre of the other songs they like as they chose to watch the video about Pop Punk. These type of videos often spread over a variety of different social platforms for everyone to see, including; Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, iTunes and Instagram.

Bibliography

• Google Images 

Mind Map

In this image below I have constructed a mind map for music videos, where I was able to write down the majority of features that are included in a music video. One of the first things I had to do was write down some of the different genres of music you can get when watching a music video (I didn't write them all down as I knew what I was getting to after writing a few down) and then you are able to think about the theme of the song and can then start creating some ideas. Moreover, I wrote about how you would need to think about the four key concepts, how they will fit into the music video being created and how they will work with the genre of music. I have not written everything down on this mind map about music videos, but it is just a brief creation to allow me to see what different concepts can work when it comes to creating a music video. Here is my mind map: 

Summer Work

Over the summer holidays I wanted to get some practice and gain a better understanding of what I would be doing this year. During the summer period I generated some plans for different music videos that I could create and also an album or single cover that would go with the music video. I only created 30 seconds of a music video as I wanted to try out different genres to show what I can do and to see what would be easier for me when it comes to creating the real thing. I have made plans for three different genres - Alternative Rock, Pop and Country. Here are the different plans I created, including the music videos I made: 

Alternative Rock

For this genre I did not create a music video, as originally I had footage, but then needed to retake some scenes again. However, I filmed certain scenes when I was on holiday so I was unable to create the video due to me not having the correct footage. Nonetheless, I still have the plan I created (watch prezi above) which presents what would have occurred in the video if I did have all of the correct footage. 

Pop

For this genre, I have created a music video as well as a plan and storyboard - which can be seen in the prezi above. This is the first time I have used Adobe Premiere Pro CC, so I know the video is not to the best standard, but I have done this process to become more familiar with the software so I will be better when it comes to creating my final music video. 

Here is my 30 second music video for 'Wide Awake' by Katy Perry; 

Country

Finally, for this genre, I have created a music video as well as a plan and storyboard too (which can be seen in the prezi above). Again, this was my first time using this software so I was not completely familiar with it. However, as I said before, this was just practice for me so I can gain more knowledge for when I have to create my final music video. 

Here is my 34 second music video for 'Back To December' by Taylor Swift; 

If I had to evaluate the work I have done, I would say that the music videos are good for someone who has used the software for the first time. However, next time I should look at more of the effects and transitions that are available to me - after all, this was just a practice so I know I was only going to be using the basic tools to understand how to use the software. When it came to planning, I knew I wasn't going to put as much time in as I would do if I was actually creating a music video. For these short videos I only made a quick plan of what I would like to happen, but when it comes to creating my actual music video I will have to plan out the lyrics in more detail, make different templates of clothes that could be worn and so on.

Finally, when it came to filming I knew it wasn't going to be great because I was only filming on my phone - so the quality of the film wasn't its best. Nonetheless, I tried to get past that and when it came to editing I tried to use colour correction to try and change the quality of the film. However, this still did not make the quality much better, but I know when I film on a professional camera the film will be of better quality and will be easier to edit. On top of that, because of the absence of a professional camera I was unable to create effects like depth of field, so I tried to create this on Adobe Premiere Pro CC, but again it doesn't look as good as it would if I was using a professional camera. Overall, this was just a practice for me and I am glad I have done it so I know what I need to improve on when it comes to creating my real music video.

Additional Locations 

While I was on holiday I saw a variety of different areas that would be nice to film a music video in even if I wasn't wanting to film there or if it didn't go with the genre of music I wanted to do. However, I got some images of these locations just to show some possible areas I could have gone to if I wanted to film my video in a different location. 

Additional Locations - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires