Theorists // Narrative

When unpacking a narrative in order to find meaning, there are a series of codes and conventions that is considered. When we look at a narrative we examine the conventions of:
-Genre
-Character
-Form
-Time

These conventions is used to help us interpret the text.

Barthes' Narrative Codes:

• Action/Proairetic- Viewers are expected to connect different pieces of narrative (e.g. the boy is shown arguing on his phone - viewer assumes it is with his girlfriend)
• Enigma/Hermeneutic - This refers to mystery within a text. Clues are dropped but no definite answers are given - Unanswered questions
• Semantic - Refers to parts within the text which suggests or refers to additional meanings - Elements of the semantic codes are called semes. 
• Symbolic - This is about symbolism within the text. It shows opposites to show contrast and creates greater meaning, creates tension and drama and character development.
• Referential - Refers to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge such as scientific, historical and cultural

Narrative Structures:

a). Crime conceived
b). Crime Planned
c). Crime committed
d). Crime discovered
e). Detective investigates
f). Detective identifies criminals

A lot of work has been completed by literary theorists to develop ways of deconstructing a narrative.
-Narrative is defined as "a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time. (Bordwell & Thompson)
-Narrative is "a way of organising spatial and temporal events into a cause-effect chain of events with a beginning, middle and end.

Tvzetan Todorov Theory:

He suggests narrative is simply equilibrium, disequilibrium, new equilibrium. 

Here is a prezi I made with another girl in my class which talks more in depth about this narrative theory. 

(Please wait for prezi to load)

Intertextuality

What is intertextuality in media?

Where a text alludes to or references other texts. AKA for a type of media to pay homage to another media text.

-Some texts relate directly to each other (e.g. remakes of films, extra-diegetic references to the media/society. The interpretation of these references is influenced by the audiences' prior knowledge of other text

Intertextuality in music videos 

Example 1: 

Lady Gaga - Paparazzi

The video features newspaper headlines and articles throughout, making this a form of intertextuality in her video.

Example 2: 

Taylor Swift - Love Story

The lyrics of the song talks about Romeo and Juliet which makes the video look like a modernised version of the story which relates more to the lyrics of the song. 

 

Example 3:

 Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) - Katy Perry

This video includes intertextual references. At the start and end of the video, credits are added, creating a film like effect. The characters are all wearing clothes that were typically worn in the 80s. The main female protagonist (the artist) looks at a social media page called 'Friend Place' which acts as a Facebook in the video. 

Change Of Narrative

After attending the BFI (British Film Institute), my group and I have started to think up new ideas for our music video, based on ideas we got from previous years' videos.
Our initial idea was to create a narrative around a young woman who has a multiple personality disorder, which affects everything and everyone around her, particularly her romantic relationship, of which we were inspired by Jhene Aiko 'Spotless Mind' and Taylor Swift 'Blank Space'.

After pondering on whether we wanted to include a male protagonist due to previous situations where our male protagonist was unable to make the times we wanted to film, we have decided to take out the male protagonist and have a narrative which is mainly focused on the woman and her disorder.

Although we have taken out the male protagonist from our music video, we have decided to leave the hospital scene which would feature the female protagonist held by a group of people, who she tries to get away from. We will then develop on this idea. The female is a young woman who is troubled by something, and is being held by people who the audience don't recognise, as their faces will not be revealed. At the end of the hospital scene, she is injected with something which makes her fall asleep. We will then cut to a setting which is lonely and isolated, where we see the female protagonist. She thinks she is free, and starts to explore her surroundings, thinking she is free. At the end of this scene, she wakes up back in her hospital bed, and realises that she is still tied down and isn't free at all.

The idea that we are trying to convey is her cry for escape from her mental illness. She is incarcerated and wants a form of escape.

BFI (British Film Institute)

Today we went to the BFI Southbank, Waterloo and were given tips on making music videos. The session started off with us going back in history and learning about the history of music videos and how they have changed now. This gave us a lot of insight on previous music videos and what makes them so different to current types of music videos. It also allowed us to see what styles we could adapt to our music videos.

Below is the presentation that we were shown which also includes examples of old music videos:

 History and Theory: Playlist

1. Colour Box - Director: Len Lye (1935)

2. Nat King Cole - Frim Fram Sauce (1945)

3. The Beatles - I Should Have Known Better (1964) 

4. Johnny Hallyday - Noir C'est Noir (1965)

5. Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking (1966)

6. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

7. The Specials - Rat Race (1980)

8. Whitney Houston - I Want To Dance With Somebody (1987) 

9. Pharcyde - "Drop" (1995) 

10. Adele - Hello (2015)

Videos To Date: 

Filming Day 3: Hilly Fields

Today we filmed the bridge of our song at Hilly Fields. Although we got great shots and managed to experiment with the artificial lighting that we had, it started to get dark quickly. This is a problem that we have realised that we may face when filming in the afternoon as we have entered winter.
Luckily, we took artificial lights with us which help to provide more light in the dark.

From this experiment, we have realised that we will need to manage our time wisely and plan accordingly in order to film all we can before it starts to get dark.

Framing & Composition // Our Own Work

Applying framing & composition in our own work:

 

Rule of Thirds:

 

 This specific shot was used as it makes the audience feel a little uncomfortable, as the subject is not dead in the centre. However it does make it look more natural and easy on the eye. We have placed the subject in the viewfinder so that the background feels the majority of the frame while she seems small compared to the rest of the background and her surroundings.

Diagonal Lines:

 

 

Framing & Composition

Composition

What is composition?

Composition is the start of the photographic process in creating a piece with great visual elements. It is the placements of elements within the restriction of the frame. The word 'composition' is used to convey the fusion of separate elements to form a whole. The main subject, the foreground and the background and any supplemental subjects within the frame.

The Rule of Thirds

"The rule of thirds is an essential photography technique which is applied by aligning a subject to improve the composition and balance of the images. It is a very useful technique that helps to provide the audience/viewer with a more natural approach to the image.  The rule of thirds mentally divides up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines. As seen below:

The off-centre composition is more pleasing to the eye, as it looks more natural than if the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame. It encourages the composer to make creative decisions on negative space.

Rule of Thirds in 'Fireflies' - Owl City

The rule of thirds rule can be applied to Owl City's 'Fireflies' in which the artist is seen playing the piano, but has been placed to the far right hand side of the frame. 

Diagonal Lines

Diagonal lines are used to draw the eye of an images viewer through the photography. These create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth which suggests perspective. Overall, this helps to draw the attention of the viewer, which adds a sense of action and dynamic to the image.

Diagonal Lines in 'Hotline Bling' - Drake

Filming Day 2: Forty Hall

We went to Forty Hall Gardens to film the narrative part of our music video. Apart from the fact that it was FREEZING COLD, we managed to get some great shots. We specifically wanted to get a shot in the forest at Forty Hall as it would be able for us to overlap the shots of the trees over the shots of Lauren. We arrived in the morning when there was a significant amount of sunlight. Overall, filming at this location also gave us new ideas that we would like to explore in order to convey a complete understanding of our theme and narrative.

Location Shots:  

Saturation Testing

So apart from filming, we have started playing around with different colours for the saturation bit of our music video.  Testing different colours allowed us to explore which colours would work well together and which create a different but interesting contrast. 

From doing this, we also experimented with overlapping two shots together which may be of the same or different things. This is either by making sure they both start at the same time, but just changing the colour of both shots. Or making one shot start earlier than the other, so that the other one follows after. This is also done by zooming into one shot, which enlarges it than the shot behind it. I think this is really effective as it allows us to convey which colour has started to take over and is more prominent. It is like a 'picture in picture' effect.

Our Target Audience

After completing my audience feedback questionnaire, my group and I were able to determine our intended audience who will be targeted to consume our music video and other products.
'Audience' is a key concept through media studies, as all media texts are produced with an audience in mind - a group of people who will receive the text and make some sort of sense out of it.

Our chosen Demographic:
E - Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

Our chosen Psychographic:
EXPLORERS - 'Seeks Discovery' - Energy, individualism and experience. Values difference and adventure. Brand choice highlights satisfaction and instant effect. The first to try new brands. Younger demographic - students.

Through identifying our chosen audience, we will be able to make informed decisions as to how we can use our product to attract them. 

Questionnaire Results

In order to get feedback from our target audience, I asked several possible consumers of our product to answer a few questions by sending in an audio recording of their answers. I received answers from people between the ages of 15-25 years.  This would be around our target group and audience. 

Questions: 

1. Age 

2. Gender 

3. Favourite Music Video Genre 

4. What do you look for in a music video? 

5. Do you like Indie songs/Music video?

Below is an audio of the response that I received.

Overall, these are the results : 

1. 15-25 - CLOSED

2. 3 Males, 5 Females - CLOSED

3. Hip Hop, Pop, Indie - CLOSED

4. This was an OPEN question which provided a range of results and opinions. 

5. YES: 6

     NO: 2 

(CLOSED)

Audience Theory

Hypodermic Needle Theory

The Hypodermic needle theory states that "a media text can 'inject' ideas, values and attitudes into a passive audience who might then act upon them. The theory also suggests that a media text has only one message which the audience must pick up. 

The theory suggests that the mass media influences a large group of people directly and uniformly by 'injecting or shooting' them with messages designed to trigger the desired response. 

For example, in relation to the representation of youths in the media, the majority of films centred around youth culture in the 1950s portrayed teenagers negatively, and as a result, the population were bombarded with purely negative representations. 

A portion of the audience were passive, accepting whatever the media provided them with, despite there being little evidence to prove their claims that teenagers were out-of-control and dangerous. 

Uses and Gratification Theory

The idea stems from the idea that audiences are a complex mixture of individuals who select media texts that best suit their needs. It suggests that media audiences are active and make active decisions about what they consume in relation to their social and cultural setting and needs. Meanings can be decoded, or 'negotiated' between the media producers intended reading and the audiences actual reading. 

Blumer & Katz (1975) went into greater details and identified four main uses:

1. Surveillance: This is our need to know what is going on in the world. By keeping up to date with the news, we feel we have the knowledge to avoid or deal with danger. We satisfy our curiosity and also feel safer. 

2. Personal Relationships/Social Interaction: This is our need to interact with other people. This is provided by forming virtual relationships with characters in soaps, films and all kinds of drama. 

Personal Identity: This is our need to define out identity and sense of self. Part of this is informed by making judgements about all sorts of people and things. This is where we choose tv programmes or newspapers that have similar beliefs to those we hold. We can identify and relate to characters or their situations. 

3. Diversion: This is the need to escape, entertainment and relaxation. All types of television programmes can be 'used' to wind down and offer diversion, as well as satisfying some of the other needs at the same time. 

Audience Theory

'Audience' is a key concept through media studies, as all media texts are produced with an audience in mind - a group of people who will receive the text and make some sort of sense out of it.
Audience research is a major element for any media producer. Companies are set up to carry out audience research for media producers, broadcasters and advertisers.

1. Demographics

This is a common and traditional method of audience research. 

A - Higher management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals. 

B - Middle management, teachers, creative and media people e.g. graphic designers etc 

C1- Office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff - white collar

C2 - Skilled manual workers, plumbers, builders - blue collar 

D - Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers 

E - Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

(These audience demographics are based on the National Readership Survey's socio-economic grades).

2. Psychographics

This is a way of describing an audience by looking at the behaviour and personality traits of its members. Psychographics labels a particular type of person and makes an assessment about their viewing and spending habits. 

MAINSTREAMS - 'Seek Security'  - Tends to be domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental - favour value for money family brands. Nearly always the largest group.
ASPIRERS - 'Seek Status' - Materialistic, acquisitive, orientated to image and appearance, personal and fashion. Attractive packaging more important than contents. Typically younger people, clerical and sales jobs.
SUCCEEDERS - Seek Control' - Strong goals, confidence, work ethic and organisation. Supports stability. Brand choice based on self-reward, and quality. Typically higher management and professionals.
RESIGNED - 'Seeks Survival' - Rigid and authorisation values. Interested in the past and tradition. Brand choice stresses safety, familiarity and economy. Typically older people.
EXPLORERS - 'Seeks Discovery' - Energy, individualism and experience. Values difference and adventure. Brand choice highlights satisfaction and instant effect. The first to try new brands. Younger demographic - students.
STRUGGLERS - 'Seeks Escape' - Alienated and disorganised. Few resources beyond physical skills. Brand choice involved impact and sensation. Buys alcohol, junk food, lottery tickets. D and E demographic.
REFORMERS - 'Seeks Enlightenment' - Freedom of restrictions and personal growth. Social awareness and independent judgement. Anti-materialistic but aware of good taste. Has attended higher education and selects products for quality.

Vlog 2: Update on Progress

Jaded - Disclosure // Inspiration

What I particularly like about this video is the quick cuts between different people which creates flashes. This is effectively edited to the beat, as these shots are shown when the music suddenly picks up.

I also liked the 360 move around the individuals who are sitting down on a chair. As the camera moves around the chair, there is a different person who sits on the chair. This creates an interesting visual effect and makes the video more interesting. 

This is an effective technique as it is very simple and easy to film. This is something we could experiment with as we would just need a chair and our protagonists to sit on the chair while we do a 360 move around them. This is also effectively edited to the beat which makes it easy to follow. 

Video ANALYSIS: 'Years & Years - Shine'

 The song is a blend of electro-pop  with a soulful R&B undertone.

This video is one of our inspirations for our music video. What we particularly like about it is the lighting techniques used. The video makes use of coloured lighting and flashing lights. This creates mystery as the audience is unaware of what is behind the door or where the light is coming from. The editing is to the beat, with emphasis on movement. This is a technique that we will like to experiment and incorporate in our music video.

I particularly love the shots of the protagonist in an isolated place with the use of mist/smoke and minimal lighting around, but just lighting on him. This makes him stand out and suggest that he is the most important person in the music video.

The visuals also match the lyrics, such as 'It's you that I've been waiting to find', and him walking around clearly looking for something, and on a mission to find something.

Video ANALYSIS: 'Naughty Boy - Runnin' (Lose It All) ft. Beyoncé, Arrow Benjamin'

What I particularly like about this video is how its being manipulated. The video is under water, while the actions made in the video go with the lyrics being sung. It is a song about a couple in love destined to come together by the fact that they live and run towards one another under the sea.
When the vocalists sing 'Running, Running, Running', we see the characters featured in the music running towards one another.

The video was set on a small channel off the coast of Rangiroa, a tiny atoll in French Polynesia, off the coast of Tahiti, which has crystalline waters 27 C water temperature, a shallow depth of only 15 meters allowing the sun to light the scene naturally, providing amazing visuals.

 

 "These natural conditions allowed for the magical underwater effects to be achieved entirely in-camera, beautifully shot on the Dragon by Jacques Ballard, who had previously collaborated with Guillaume and Julie," explains Tognazzi (Producer).

At the start of the music video, there is a slight focus on the setting (water), such as the bubbles, the fish and the waves. Depth of field has also been used.
Isolation is a vital part that has been communicated in the music video. This is through the use of wide shots, which leaves the main subject far away and disconnected from the rest of the mise-en-scene in the shot.

Testing of Saturation

This is the editing of the saturation of Lauren collated together.
This footage was to help us pick out any changes we would like to make and where we can improve on this particularly part of the video. Overall, we are very happy with the shots, and can now move on to the next part of the video.

Looking Through Footage & Editing

After a successful day of filming, we had a look at our footage to see where we need to re-film and what we need to improve. It was also a chance for us to test the change in saturation of our female protagonist.

We tested out the one shot of Lauren using green, in order to make sure that nothing else apart from her is green. The black backdrop stayed black, while only changing the her colour.

While shooting on friday, we also managed to get a shot of the lights in the photography dark room going on and off. This is a shot we want to use at the start of our music video, which would jump cut to a saturated shot of our female protagonist. The use of the red lights in the photography dark room symbolises danger and panic. So we also made use of this.

So at the moment, we are just editing the shots of Lauren, in order to see what it looks like and to test out different saturation colours. This will inform us whether we need to re-shoot.

Filming DAY 1: Water Colour

Yesterday we also decided to film some of the abstract parts of our music video, mainly the water colour part. This was really interesting as it allowed us to experiment with a range of colours and techniques. We started off by using a small fish tank which we borrowed from the Science department. We then filled it with water.

First Try with Paint

We has to use plain cardboard to cover the back of the fish tank, in order to prevent the reflection of the background from being shown in the shot.
We decided to try with paint first individually dropping each colour into the tank. 

Drop of Black

Drop of Pink

Drop of White

After doing this, we realised that although the paint was thick and created a cool effect in the water, it wasn't filling up the water in the sense that each colour added would make the water change.
This is the result we got with paint:

With paint, all the colours went straight to the bottom and didnt fill the tank. So we decided to try again with ink, which was much successful.

Second try with Ink

 At the end, after adding in all the colours, we added black in last. This represents how our protagonist has completed changed into a monster, and has now become toxic.
Using the range of colours symbolises her personality disorder and how it affects her relationship. It shows her range of emotions and feelings, and her urgency to become who she really is.

Filming DAY 1: Saturation Change

On Friday the 6th, we started filming different things for our music video based on our storyboard. Due to the weather conditions and lack of availability of our male protagonist, we decided to film what we needed to indoors.

Group Picture

We started off by filming the change in saturation of Lauren over a black backdrop. We did this in the photography classroom where we had access to studio lights and backdrops. Using the studio lights gave us control over the lights and how much or how less we wanted. So this was an advantage.

We initially just wanted to test the lighting and the backdrop to see if it would be suitable for the look we were going for. However, it turned out great and very clear. Our model Lauren, was able to improvise her own techniques and movement while on set, and her being a drama student really helped her as well.

Behind the Scenes

Setting Up: Studio Lights

Setting Up